THIS FAQ APPLIES MAINLY TO AVATAR ON, AND NOT ALL ADVICE WILL
BE VALID FOR AVATAR OFF. READ THE ASSUMPTIONS SECTION FOR
OTHER DISCLAIMERS.
What you'll learn from this FAQ: How to evaluate an opponent
before a fight, how to use that information to better prepare
yourself, a listing/evaluation of the top tier sets and of the
commonly worn sets that aren't, and advice about mobiles.
What you won't learn: How to make ASCII art, and the
following myths will not be preached: that defense is always
the best stat, that wearing a 50 popularity set means you'll
make 50% more gold, that “heals and other items the host doesn't
use are for newbs!”, that the damage/delay ratio has
meaning, and that high angling is more important than lobbing.
Rather, I'll disprove all of these myths...
______________________________
Current Version: 0.60
Updates from 0.50 to 0.60: Blue Phoenix and the new bunge
hat are added to Section (3e). Updates throughout, and
a small addition to Section (1e).
Updates from 0.42 to 0.50: Section (1e) added, and the
usual minor changes/fixes.
Updates from 0.41 to 0.42: Decided to collect data on
the innate item delay of mobiles to see if any changes
were made with GB:WC, and there were some suprising results.
This info is posted in the mobiles section. Also fixed the
misspelling of Phoenix as Pheonix.
Updates from 0.40 to 0.41: Minor updates of info, mainly
on the two new mobiles. Also fixed the description of the
bunge stat, it was inaccurate. Bunge stat is at a fixed
rate of increase regardless of shot, not % based like
shovels and Bigbomb.
Updates from 0.30 to 0.40: Contact info changed again,
sections (4o) and (4p) added for the two new mobiles, a few
sets added to (3e) involving Silver Hawk, and typo fixes.
Updates from 0.20 to 0.30: Contact info changed, section
(3e) added, bits of info updated/fixed, and more
contributions from fellow players.
Updates from 0.12 to 0.20: Additions to the Mobile Guide,
and a few minor changes.
Updates from 0.11 to 0.12: Couple of typos, and the nice,
all-caps message at the top reminding people about what
this FAQ applies to.
Updates from 0.10 to 0.11: Typos, and a big mistake in
saying Nak/Trico did shock damage! Stupid me...
Things I need to add: Expansions to mobile/avatar data as
they are wanted/needed, and contributions from others in
general.
My qualifications: I've earned roughly 85,000 GP in an
honest, primarily non-stacked way, with an 83% winrate and
16X average damage (currently using Bigfoot most, but spent
a lot of time with Ice and Lightning in the past).
______________________________
Table of Contents
-----------------
1) Prelude
a) Assumptions for this FAQ
b) Stacking, and why I try to never do it
c) My viewpoint on the high angle debate
d) Why the above myths are myths, despite popular belief
e) Fundamentals of Avatar On and its existence
2) Personality evaluation
a) How to detect an opponents fighting style and skill level
b) How you can counter it
3) Avatar FAQ
a) What does each stat mean?
b) Low-Tier sets [Applies to GB:TH]
c) Mid-Tier sets [Applies to GB:TH]
d) High-Tier sets [Applies to GB:TH]
e) "What's the best set?"
4) Mobile FAQ
a) Aduka
b) ArmorMobile
c) Bigfoot
d) Boomer
e) Grub
f) Ice
g) JD
h) Lightning
i) Mage
j) NakMachine
k) RaonLauncher
l) A.Sate
m) Trico
n) Turtle
o) J.Frog *new as of 6-1-05*
p) Kalsiddon *new as of 6-1-05*
5) Miscellaneous Tips
6) Closing comments
(To search for a section, search for (4c) to go to section 4c,etc.)
______________________________
Prelude
(1a) Assumptions:
I will assume that anybody who wanted to steal this FAQ and claim
it as their own would do it whether or not I had a fake copyright
section, so there's no need for me to make one. I will also
state that advice given in this FAQ assumes you play in an Avatar
On server. I will also assume that someone reading this FAQ knows
basic terms (if not, go read the Beginner's Guide at GameFAQs) such
as the words bunge, delay, true angle, and shotgun. However, I
will define the following two terms, as they are confused more
often than not:
Newb/Newbie: Someone who is new to GB, and either has a weak or
cash based avatar set. A Newb can be very skilled, but most likely
isn't.
Noob/N00b/Noobie: Someone who has played GB for a substantial time,
but isn't as good as the average player at his rank or lower. A
Noob could have any set, but is most likely a clone (see Avatar
section for a definition of clone).
I will also use the following terms, which aren't commonly
used in GB:
Physical: Refers to the attack, defense, and health stats,
especially the sum of them. While not precise, someone with a
higher physical rating will do better in close combat than someone
with a lower rating.
Support: Refers to either the regen or bunge stat of a set.
Generally, someone with a higher support rating will fare better in
mid to long range combat than someone with lower support.
[Update: GB:WC refers to hit-type guns as Physical-type now. Since
I'm sure to confuse people if I change it, keep in mind that anytime
a hit-type shot is mentioned, it's the same as a physical-type
shot.]
(1b) Stacking:
[Update: GB:WC does not allow the banning of items, as of 6-1-05.]
Stacking has two main meanings in Gunbound. One of them is to set
up a room such that all the high ranks/”pros”/strong avatar people
are on one team, and the low ranks/”newbs”/weak avatar people on the
other team. The other definition is where the host makes the map,
item, and/or sudden death settings in such a way that certain avatar
sets will do a lot better than they normally do, while others will
do worse (guess which the host is wearing?). The most common blatant
example of this is Adiumroot+Shovel only rooms. Even more common,
however, is the use of Metamine A+ban tele+ban wind change by
semi-pros. Why is Meta unfair? It's the smallest map, and by killing
those two items you're basically saying “Ok, we've made aiming as
easy as possible, now we'll pick Boomer or some other hard to aim
but powerful mobile to take advantage of it, or we'll pick on newbs
and kill them faster than usual”.
So, what's the point of playing in or making a stacked room? The
”pros” won't learn anything, the newbs won't earn any gold, and in
the case of stacked settings the outcome's already determined in much
the same way. It's rather sad that well over 50% of GB's rooms are
stacked in one way or another. Personally, I refrain from making
stacked rooms whenever possible, and only play in one if I think I
can make the underdog team have a decent chance to win
(however, that case usually results in being kicked).
Now, how would I define a fair room? For the map, while Random is
always impartial, I understand the need to pick a map, especially for
Lightning users who are more than frustrated by Nirvana B, or just
simply for people who dislike the Side B maps. Fair maps are ones
that allow for the possibility of bunge without catering to it
(Adiumroot is slanted too much to bungers, while Cave is slanted
too much against them), and that don't limit mobility (Both Cave and
Cozytower B cater to physical-based avatar sets).
What about the sudden death setting? Generally speaking, using
Death40 in 1v1/2v2 and Death56 in 3v3/4v4 is usually appropriate,
and any death mode is fine. The reason I say to use Death56 in
longer games is that since it's usually set to Double, those with
physical sets get a lot more benefit out of it than support sets do.
A word of warning: Using SS Death for the sole purpose of tunneling
with Nak(often Miramo, but can be done in Metamine, among others),
then spamming SS is stacking, don't do it!
What about the items? I quite honestly believe that if GB players
were more openminded about what avatar sets they use at the high
level, heals would commonly be accepted as fair. Support sets(and
I'm talking high-end here, not a rocker set for instance!) prefer
that their opponent use heal over teleports and Dual+, as it gives
them a longer time to survive. Also, support sets ARE a viable
alternative and play as well as any physical set you can make, it's
not as if they're a lost cause. However, since the dominating set
in popularity is split between a tank(which aims for 50 def/50
health, lower attack) and a clone(high physical, but generally
higher def than attack), in terms of percentage of damage done to
each other, it's a lot lower than what you'd expect in Avatar Off,
and so healing for 25-30% with a MedKit looks overpowering.
In Avatar Off, the usefulness of a Dual+ roughly equals a heal
(perhaps less damage, but Dual+ has more than the one use, it could
also bunge for example, or dt in a team game while ignoring the
person who took heals), and it would be the same in Avatar On
except for all the physical clones.
Given that, I can understand why a lot of people want Heals off.
Fine, but make sure you turn off Dual+ with it...it's not fair to
cater to the physical people and not the tank/support. Dual takes
enough delay to be fair either way, and all other items are also
fair. I cannot stress this point enough - start taking off items
arbitrarily, and the room WILL be stacked. If an item is useless
(which is how most feel about Blood), why must you ban it? Your
opponent using Wind Change is as good as them wasting 150 delay most
of the time if you're simply able to notice when it's used. And
Teleports...having these on is crucial! If they're off, it's an
instantly stacked room (Bunge sets at the top, then physical sets,
then regen sets, with big gaps in between)! Deciding whether to
pack a Teleport or that extra Dual+/Heal isn't an obvious decision
for a lot of sets, and those bungers who complain about Tele
probably aren't good at it yet (Bunging is the art of angle
stripping, aka leaving your target no angle for a shot, or at least
forcing them to reaim through a different angle. Killing by
bunging itself is secondary).
To summarise: Either run all items on, or ban Bandaid, EnergyUp 2,
and Dual+ only for the best chance at a fair match.
(1c) Regarding High Angles
You've seen at least one of these before. Player A picks Boomer,
and spends the whole match using high angle shots, usually out
of true angle range. They then get their ass handed to them by
some weaker (by weaker, I mean avatar) Player B, and then make
the comment “So what if I lost, I made more gold than you!”.
Several points can be made here to refute Player A. First off,
he's likely to not care if he's in true angle or not, unless he
can high angle with it, so there's an average loss of 5-20%
damage. Add in the fact that people are simply less accurate at
the high angle range (Any time you spend practicing high angle,
the same amount of time will make you a better lobber, reason
being that a change in angle from 44 to 46 isn't nearly as
drastic as from 85 to 87, plus you don't have as much wind to
worry about, and the fact that since lobs are closer to the
ground for a longer horizontal distance, you have more room for
error), and you have a likely loss for the high angler. Now,
count the extra seconds per shot. For a lobber, a typical shot
is 1-5 seconds in slice or drag. For a high angler, this rises
to roughly 10-15 seconds, and 1-5 more if in slice mode. Even
taking into account an opponent with constant delay, you're
effectively doubling the length of the match! Is that worth the
$30 bonus and a more likely loss, plus the fact that everybody
else is pissed at you for getting less gold since you take up
more time?
(1d) Myths
*** “Defense is the best stat, period, and I have charts that
show how 20 def beats 20 attack, and how 20 def beats 20 health
to prove it!” ***
Clearly this person wasn't using JD/Lightning, two of the
strongest bots in the upper Tiers because of their shock damage
(~64 for JD, ~78 for Lightning) that ignores Defense for
roughly 50% of the damage. In that case, health clearly would
beat defense. In a purely statistical sense, attack may not
stack up to defense past a certain point (more detail on this
in the Avatar section), but it does something defense doesn't
- it earns more gold per shot! Also, let's keep in mind that
the defense, health, and regen stats are all synergetic (they
benefit from each other) with each other - having +100 HP
means a lot more to someone with 50 def than with 0, and the
same goes for healing an extra 30 per turn with regen with
50 def.
*** “My Punky Brown set makes 50% more gold than any Avatar
On set would!” ***
You want a purely gold earning set, go for a 50 attack set that
includes Chief Hair 2, and you'll still be competitive (though
not quite as good as) clones while making very fast cash against
anyone weaker, and with 20% popularity to boot! As I said above,
the Attack stat is useful for making gold too, not just
popularity.
*** “Heals are for noobs! Tele is for cowards!” ***
It's funny when someone makes an excuse for their poor aim by
calling someone a coward! Why not punish them for wasting a shot
plus 100 delay when they could have hit you instead? As for the
Heals, see my above comments on stacking for why this isn't true.
*** “The Damage/Delay ratio is the main factor in determining
how useful a shot is.” ***
If you have two newbies playing each other, this holds true.
However, let's suppose that you aren't new and know a little thing
called delay management. If you're using a mobile with a useful
Shot 1 and Shot 2, and your opponent is a JD/Lightning/Bigfoot
spamming Shot 1, you know you can fit in either two Shot 2 or two
Dual+ without surrendering a turn. Either your enemy will
continue to use Shot 1 and lose due to your superior damage, or
he'll wise up and use that surplus delay in several
Dual+/SS/Shot 2, so as not to lag behind in damage. Plus, there's
other factors to consider, such as area of damage, bunging ability,
and special factors (Ice lowering hit-type defense, Nak/Aduka
SS going through walls, etc.).
(1e) Fundamentals for Avatar On
First, some background from events since after the beta of GB:
Avatar Off is the original source of balance in Gunbound. However,
many people liked the idea of their gold being meaningful, and
started to buy avatars. For a while, seeing someone with a 'maxed'
set was rare, and those who had one generally didn't abuse it.
Unfortunately, it was soon discovered that the current avatars
catered to just one main set type - the "Clone" set which got its
name from Chief/GoldArmor/Pet01/RobotX, considered by most players
to be the best set out at the time. Regen didn't exist, what bunge
avatars there were were cheap and weak(stuff like Ranger armor,
Hworang hair, and so on...), and many avatars used in a tank set
today didn't exist. Making a tank set was possible(items like
Pharoah head, Mech or AA armor,Pet01, and Gold Stick/Emerald Wand
were common for this), and it did have minor advantages against
a clone set when used properly, but it was such a slow killer
against the majority of players that few bothered to try it. If
things weren't bad enough, Softnyx made the decision to allow
Avatar Off to use the popularity stat during this time, causing
what was roughly a 50-50 distribution of players to slowly become
15-85, favoring Avatar Off. It would hardly rise from this point
for a long time to come...
After some time, Softnyx starts releasing avatars like Kangsi,
Rocker, Frankenstein, and Bazooka (also the new Pets, but their
applications were obvious). The Frankenstein head and Kangsi
armor lended themselves well to a Tank set, the Kangsi head was
a nice, cheap alternative to Chief Hair, and the Rocker/Bazooka
combo gave many people their first taste of the bunge stat.
This lead to the still-perservering Adiumroot rooms where people
would see just how quickly they could drop others. However,
these items did not do well in a 'standard' room where items were
enabled to some degree, or the map was not bunge-friendly, simply
because they offered little more than the bunge stat. "Bungers"
began to kick people who didn't wear a set similar or worse to
them, and the veterans who were getting kicked by them rebuked it
by doing the same in their rooms, which rapidly favored
Metamine A(small map, bunge resistant in the large center, and
with three wind changes), and Dual/Dual+ items because it led to
fast matches where the ones with a physically stronger avatar
would usually win. However, some people didn't stop there, and
developed a habit of kicking their equals or superiors, and this
problem would only become worse. Anybody who considered returning
to Avatar On was repelled by these people, who I refer to as
"stackers" throughout this Guide. While the Elf/S.Wheel were
out at the time, they were still considered a joke at the time,
because most people simply didn't know what the stat did, and those
who did realised that the stats were still too weak. It was also
discovered that the Mage SS killed off their regen, essentially
making the Elf users naked short of their face item. No serious
Regen users existed...
To this point, Avatar On still lacked as much variety as Avatar
Off did. However, in time, more avatars came. With Bazooka, and
Pet AD, the basis for a bunge set was there, but could you really
call a set with 18 bunge a bunge set? While some attack + bunge
avatars (read: Great Devil) were out, what most bungers really
needed was durability. With Great General armor, they got it!
Bunge sets were now a reality, even in rooms with random maps...
Regen users also got their wish. With the Creature Violet/Pink
avatars (stronger versions of the Elf avatars), regen became an
acceptable stat when used in moderation, and was a nice compliment
to Lightning users. However, the Mage SS stopped widespread use
of this stat.
Sometime during all of this development of avatars, Avatar On hit
another peak in population, hitting roughly 25-75. However,
Softnyx decided to reap in some of their long-awaited profit, and
introduced cash-only avatars. Most of them were simply an
alternate version of an already existing gold-only(not actually
gold-only, but you had to sell items at a 60%(or 72%, if you
sold the premade panda set) rate to get gold from cash), but
there was one item where this rule didn't apply - the Phoenix.
Pet-02 was the staple face item of veterans, and compared to Pet-02,
Phoenix had +9 health and +9 attack, with no drawbacks. Those who
could (and wanted to) shelled the $20 charge required to buy one,
while the users who couldn't (and usually wanted to) despised them.
While the smarter ones bargained for a trade while the market for
it was undeveloped, most people just became more vehement in their
stacking, kicking anyone with the nerve to support Softnyx from
their rooms. What good was having a better avatar if nobody let
you use it in their rooms (or, more specifically, against them...)?
Cash users of Avatar On had two main choices - play on the host's
team, or try in vain to create a low enough room number where
people would join their room. And, usually, those people would
leave if they didn't land on the cash user's team...thus continued
the problem of stacking. Many of the game's stronger players
eventually caved in to this pressure, and made teams of strong vs
weak. The popularity of Avatar On declined again, and this time,
it would not recover...and no number of kicks granted from a
power card would solve the problem.
Then came Gunbound: World Champion. A lot of changes were made,
some of them pro-Avatar On(damage+), some pro-Cash
(rentals), and some simply cosmetic. The major promise, however,
was that Quick Start, complete with autoteaming, would eliminate
stacking for anyone who wanted it, be it a veteran or someone
getting their first taste of Avatar On. Unfortunately, despite
initial success, it was soon removed. Anybody disgusted with
the new changes simply played Avatar Off less, rather than
moving to Avatar On.
In desperation, Softnyx adds a couple of game-breaking avatars,
the blue Phoenix and their new bunge hat. They tilt the balance
of power heavily towards bunge sets, with clone sets a distant
second and all other set types left behind in the dust.
So, there you have it. A story that's at least 90% fact, with a
hint of bias...about Avatar On undeservingly being unpopular for
most of GB's existence.
[Update: The following paragraph only really applies to gold
users now, as the cash avatar balance is now tainted.]
How is play different in Avatar On? Especially with the changes
made in GB:WC, any mobile can be customized to fight the way you
want it to. Want a powerhouse? Use a Clone or Attack-heavy set
with one of the Avatar Off regulars(Nak, Boomer, A.Sate, etc.).
Want a durable Tank who can beat that Clone? Outfit yourself with
a high defense, health, and even regeneration! Want to drop that
durable Tank off the map before its low attack can kill you? Use
a bunge set! Want to quickly kill that bunger before he drops you
off the map? Well, you can see where this is going...but there are
more options than just these. With just one more decent delay
avatar, we will be seeing a lot more delay sets (AA2/TGG head is a
good start, Robot X is passable, but a good body is still needed.
Ice Hockey wasn't too bad, but staring at TGG and Kangsi, it's hard
to pass both of those items up to favor delay...). We've already
got a start on popularity-based avatar(Indian Chief head, though
the body is rather weak. Gold Lond and possibly Ifrit are usable as
flags, but again, a body is needed to make it practical!), and with
just one more decent avatar, we'll see those too.
Give Avatar On a try someday! Who knows, if you can find the few
decent rooms that exist, you might enjoy it!
______________________________
Personality
[Update: Since the new GB:WC doesn't allow for the banning of items,
some of this section may be useless for GB:WC players. Read at your
own risk.]
(2a) Detecting player types
Being able to tell how well someone aims, at what distance they
prefer to fight, their shot pattern, and more before you ever play
them is a valuable skill to have. It helps you make decisions about
what mobile is best to take and what items to take with it. See if
you can match the following types of players with their signals
inside a room:
1. She's wearing a typical gold-based clone suit (Chief, Gold Armor,
Pet 01, Robot X). The map is Metamine A, the mode is 1v1 Score, and
the items on are Dual and Dual+. The title is blank/meaningless.
2. She's wearing an attack based suit (AoD,AoD,Pet 01, Scythe).
The map is Random, the mode is 2v2 Solo, he has a partner of similar
stats, and the items on are Dual only. The title is “Noob onli,
pro=kick”.
3. She's wearing a tank, cash-based suit (Chief, Insect, Phoenix,
Ankh). The map is Random, the mode is 1v1 Solo, and all non-heals
are turned on. The title is blank/meaningless.
4. She's wearing a bunge/delay suit (Cyber Rabbit, Rocker, Dizzy
Glasses,Skis). The map is Adiumroot, the mode is 3v3 Solo, and only
the shovel is turned on. The title is “B U N G E”.
A. Bottomfeeder (preys on those weaker than her)
B. Pro (expect some real aiming talent, and tactical ingenuity)
C. Fake “pro” (they have decent stats, but lack talent compared to
their peers, and compensate by being host)
D. Stacker (extremeists, they use sets that are only good under
very specific conditions, then make those conditions in their hosted
rooms)
Answers: 1=C,2=A,3=B,4=D
Bear in mind that there are more major types of players than this,
but after reading the next section, you should be able to adapt well
to changing conditions.
(2b) Adapting
How should you adapt to Player A, the bottomfeeder? Chances are,
if you don't have a silly set like her 61 attack (11 of it wasted!),
you'll get kicked quickly. Provided you aren't, this shouldn't be too
bad if you get at least a decent partner (has at least 40 in physical,
or has high support). Take advantage of tactics she probably doesn't
use, like angle stripping, moving during your turn to throw off aim,
and delay management (you can expect her to use a Dual every turn,
which is a horrid thing to do).
What about Player B, the pro? Expect a rather tough match if you
stay, as you likely won't be kicked regardless of what you wear.
Evasive tactics (using more than one Teleport, or using Wind Change)
will have a minimal effect, so unless your suit requires it (a regen
set would), go for damage output with Dual+, Dual(last shot), Tele
or Dual+,Dual+,Dual.
Player C is known for not realising the subtleties of the game, and
much of what applies to Player A applies here. In the stacking
section, I detailed what it usually means when someone picks Metamine
A as a map, and this type will usually be the ones to pick it. If
they were on (or at least Tele), evasive tactics are very
effective, as are mobiles with a high movement.
Avoid Player D at all costs! Apparently spending enough gold to buy
a useful set isn't something they like to do, so they stack the room
more than anyone else. However, if you'd like to give her some
payback for it, there are superior sets to full bunge/full delay/
both that can beat them even in their own rooms. A good example is
(Insect/GDH, Great General, Phoenix/Pet AD, Bazooka), as you will
have 28-35 bunge and FAR superior physical stats. Make sure their
one (and only one) extra early shot is compensated for, and pound
them whichever way works best, damage or bunge.
______________________________
Avatar FAQ
(3a) Stats
(Remember that any stat point in excess of 50 in the same stat does
nothing)
Attack (sword): +1 Attack = +1% damage for non-shock attacks. By
shock damage, I mean the 78 damage Lightning does, and the ~64
JD/Aduka do with Shot 1. This part of the damage dealt is not raised
by attack. Aduka's Shot 2/SS is completely unaffected by attack.
Defense (shield): +1 Defense = +0.7% reduction in damage for
non-shock attacks (shock attacks ignore defense for that part of the
damage). When figuring out how much damage you'll take, use the
following formula:
(NonShockAttackDamage * (100% + 1% * EnemyAttackStat) *
(0.7%*DefenseStatPoints + 5.0% * MobileInnateDefense)
+ ShockAttackDamage, where MobileInnateDefense = the number of
shields shown for that mobile's defense at gunbound.net. They
range from 2(+10%, such as Bigfoot) to 6(+30%, such as Turtle).
Health (heart): +1 Health = +1% Max Health. Note that this is
normal health only, not shield (blue health that regenerates over
time). So for a shielded mobile, you can expect +7-8 HP/point, and
the rest range from +8/point(Boomer) to +12/point(Ice).
Regen (blue round shield): +1 Regen = +1 Shield recovered on your
turn. This is easily the most misunderstood stat, as it only works
when you use a shielded mobile (Asate/Mage/Lightning/JD). JD has an
innate Regen stat of +20, Lightning has +25, and Mage/Asate have +30,
and whichever you pick, you add that innate value to your regen stat
to determine how much shield you gain on your turn. Note that they
each have a max shield that ranges from 220(JD)-300(Lightning).
Also, any mobile hit by a Mage SS will a) Take 200ish direct damage,
b) Lose all shield in additional damage, and c) their total regen
will be set to zero for your next four turns! It's easy to see that
Softnyx overlooked the Mage SS when they introduced the regen stat
to avatars...
Bunge (shovel): +1 Bunge ~= +2-3 pixels of land damage, Area of
Effect (for determining damage) for each shot. The most useful
ability of someone with a higher bunge is the ability to angle strip
- killing by bunge is secondary, but still useful at times. As such,
if you use a set with decent bunge, make sure it's decent in the
physical stats as well (for instance, there is a set with 29 bunge,
and 89 total physical stat).
Delay (hourglass) and Delay2 (blue hourglass): +1 Delay point =
-2.5 Delay when you take a shot. The only difference between the two
is that Delay2 only takes effect if you consume an item that turn (and
can only wipe out up to the delay of that item, so a Blood item won't
speed you up). As of right now, there's no good items that have both
a decent delay stat (above six) and have bearable physical stats, so
these two generally aren't a factor. Make sure you know how to beat a
Delay+Defense set though, as not being aware of how they fight could
cause you to lose.
Popularity (star): +1 Popularity = +1% Gold added to any Gold reward
(rounded down). Not much to say about this, unless you never plan to
play Avatar On.
(3b) Low-Tier Sets
These are representations of sets you can expect people in the
axe-double silver axe range (first accounts, of course!) to wear
in Avatar On:
---
Angel of Death
Angel of Death
Blank
Scythe/Golden Hammer
Verdict: Poor. Wasting that surplus attack is a bad thing - having
worse def+health than the starting marine set is worse still! Easy to
beat with any semi-respectable set.
---
Metallic Armor
Heavy Armor
Pet 01
Emerald Wand
Verdict: Not too bad. It's a somewhat cost effective way of being
able to take more than two hits from clones, and this works pretty well
with Lightning/JD for their rank. However, it's also very bad against
the same two, because this set lacks health.
---
Rocker
Rocker
Dizzy Glasses
Kangsi Charm
Verdict: Pathetic! This set will lose in Adium-stacked rooms to
those with better delay and skill, and everywhere else it will die so
fast! There are much better in the bunge line of avatars!
---
(3c) Mid-Tier Sets/Clone Sets
These are representations of sets you can expect people in the gold
axe-battleaxe+ range (first accounts, of course!), and people who are
higher rank but think clones are best, to wear in Avatar On:
Verdict: Well set for the intermediate level of play, poor for
high-tier. Why, you ask? The lack of health will make the
difference in 1v1, as most of the top-tier sets have a way to get
through that 50 defense. It's also very overpriced for the benefit it
brings you. The reason why you see so many of these is that, back when
there were a lot fewer avatars to buy, this actually WAS one of the
best sets. Support stats are also nonexistent.
---
Creature Violet/Pink
Creature Violet/Pink
Pet 02
Shield Wheel
Verdict: Rarely seen, and with good reason. While you may impress
people with Lightning healing 73/turn, a Mage will laugh at you doing
550+ damage and shutting it all off for 4 turns, then repeat. Also,
that defense is simply too flimsy to use at the high level, and allows
you to get beat when your opponent takes 2-3 Teles just to force close
combat on you.
---
Ice Hockey
Ice Hockey
Pet AD
Skis
Verdict: Better than you may think, but still not top-tier. This set
relies on its opponent not managing delay wisely, and generally will
try to set up a situation where they know they will go twice the next
turn, then goes for a bunge. Be wary when fighting this set, but it
isn't a huge threat.
---
(3d) Top-Tier Sets
These are representations of sets you can expect people in the
highest ranks to wear in Avatar On(I will name the sets so that I can
refer to them in the Mobile section later):
---
Regen Set:
Creature Violet
Insect(Kangsi if gold-only, which isn't much worse)
Phoenix
Shield Wheel(or Ankh Cross, depending on your style of play)
Verdict: One hell of a hard time to the non-mage who tries to beat
this! Limited to shield mobile use but best in the hands of a
Lightning user, this set will heal up Lightning 59/turn, and since
Lightning can hold 300 Shield, all it takes is a well placed Tele or
Wind change to buy a couple of turns or more! Throw in Lightning's
high innate defense(+25%) with the 35 Defense stat, and incoming
damage often wont be over 150 on a direct hit, and the health buffer
acts as security, should you take a nasty Nak dual or something...
this is one of my favorite sets.
---
Bunge Set:
GDH(or Insect,if giving up 1 Bunge is worth saving 320k gold to you)
The Great General
Phoenix(or Pet AD, adds in 6 bunge but the loss of 15 health/9 attack
for +3def=ouch)
Bazooka
Verdict: About time a bunge set could be used well in normal rooms!
Best used with Ice(most durable of our options, good delay and damage
off Shot 1, and great angles), this set is a godsend for those who
wish to run a double threat - killing and bunging/angle stripping!
Keep pounding the ground directly in front of them for good damage
and angle stripping at the same time, while threatning to bunge them!
Given the 41 Attack and bunge threats, 24 in both Defense and Health
is sufficient, provided you play smart.
Update: After some experimentation, I found that running GH or
Frankenstein head is a better idea. You gain a load of durability,
allowing you a couple or few more turns to set up your opponent.
Always make sure you can get some dual +s and start out by using Shot 2
followed by shot 1. Make sure you don't hit them directly. Either hit
right behind or in front of them. This causes them to slide into the
hole and the shot 1 makes a larger hole than what it would if you hit
them directly. Then keep digging them deeper and deeper. So far I've
only been beaten twice using this strategy. It's especially effective
against clones that use lightning. Beware of Naks though. o.o"
I've seen this strategy in use a few times, and like he says, it's
very effective against just about anything but Nak.
---
Tank Set:(there are many variations of this, with slight changes in
attack and delay)
Pharoah (given the other items, it fills out our def/health cheapest)
Insect (Kangsi if no cash, and run Chief, you'll have 6 more attack
and 7 less delay, slightly better than this, but Chief is ugly, meh)
Phoenix (or run Pet 02 if no gold)
Ankh Cross
Stats(Ph/In/Ph/An): 12 Attack, 50 Defense, 50 Health
Verdict: Great for those non-shielded mobiles to tank with!
However, it's advised that you use a mobile with at least mediocre
bunging ability, as it'll be a long match and Double/Bigbomb 40 may
be the end of you if you don't.
Update: Most people will find Kangsi a better fit than Pharoah,
but for the shock damagers and Aduka, Pharoah is the way to go.
---
(3e) "What is the best set?"
As suggested above, there are four major set types that higher ranked
players use: Clone, Tank, Bunge, and Regen. However, there are nearly
endless variations of each, and several sets that don't fit into any
of those categories, yet deserve mention. You'll find pure stats in
this section - too many sets to comment on!
Abbreviations used in this, and possibly other, sections:
(21/50/48/00): 21 attack, 50 defense, 48 health, and 0 bunge. When
delay is significant, it will be labeled (+17 delay/turn means -7
delay stat), and bunge will be excluded when none exists. Popularity
will also be excluded, unless the set is based on popularity itself.
Heads:
PH = Pharoah, CH = Chief Hair, CH2 = Indian Chief
GH = Golden Helmet, GDH = Great Devil Head
CV = Creature Violet, LA = Latin, AA = Archangel
TGG = The Great General, FR = Frankenstein
BH = (The newest bunge hat,+11 attack/health/bunge)
Note that in virtually any bunge set, BH is the new best hat.
However, since most people aren't paying enough to get it, I will
leave the CH/FR/GA/GDH versions posted.
Armors:
AA = Archangel, AA2 = Archangel 2, GA = Golden Armor
HO = Ice Hockey Suit, GDC = Great Devil Clothing
CH2 = Indian Chief, IN = Insect Armor, KA = Kangsi
TGG = The Great General, AR = Arabian
For any situation where TGG is listed, be aware that AA2 can be
subbed in for it (Unless the defense is over 41, then maybe not).
The two armors are similar enough that there's no need to list sets
that are identical twice. The same applies to IN and KA, use IN if
you have it, and KA if you don't, they're almost equal.
Faces:
01/02/03/AD = Pet-01, Pet-02, Pet-03, and Pet-AD
PH = Phoenix, PH2 = Blue Phoenix SH = Silver Hawk
Note that in virtually any set, PH2 is a better avatar than PH. The
stats listed below are for PH, but can be improved with PH2. Since
more people are still using PH, I will leave those sets posted.
Flags:
AN = Ankh Cross, SW = Shield Wheel, IF = Ifrit
GLD = Gold Lond Dream, RX = Robot X
BA = Bazooka, SN = Snowman, SK = Skis
AT = Ant *new as of 6-13-05*
Now, for the sets! I'll start by listing each category, then the
set that's most often used/most balanced, then all the variants of
that set, and finally the gold-only variants, with each section
seperated by "...".
Tank Sets:
(High Defense, high Health)
[Update: With GB:WC's increased damage, I can no longer
recommend a tank set as top-tier for cash users. Gold users
can get away with it because they don't have PH2 to work with.]
(Medium Bunge, often with decent Defense, decent Health)
[Update: With GB:WC's new avatars more than negating the
effect that higher damage has on a bunge set, bunge sets
went from being top-tier to the very top. In a Random room,
I highly recommend them for cash users. Gold users should
probably stay away, though.]
(Moderate regen with decent Defense and decent Health)
[Update: With GB:WC's increased damage, I can no longer
recommend a regen set as top-tier for cash or gold users.]
CV/IN/PH/SH = (07/35/32/34) -7 item delay/turn
...
CV/IN/PH/AN = (09/45/44/16) -7 item delay/turn, a close second.
CV/IN/PH/AT = (21/47/32/16) -7 item delay/turn, new version
CV/CV/PH/AN = (09/25/46/30) -12 item delay/turn, weaker.
[other sets are possible, but inferior]
...
CV/KA/02/AN = (00/43/37/16) +17 delay,-7 item delay/turn
CV/KA/02/AT = (12/45/25/16) +17 delay,-7 item delay/turn
[other sets are possible, but make you too fragile]
---
Clone Sets:
(High Attack, usually high Defense, and lower Health)
[Update: With GB:WC's increased damage, clone sets got boosted,
and are now top-tier for cash users. I still recommend that
gold users stay away from them, though.]
CH/IN/PH2/GLD = (39/47/46) -27 item delay/turn, -11 regen
...
CH/IN/PH2/RX = (45/50/37) Compare it to the main set.
CH/IN/PH/RX = (36/50/34) -15 delay/turn
CH/IN/PH/BA = (33/44/34) 12 bunge, -2% gold. My favorite clone.
KA/IN/PH/RX = (39/41/37) -15 delay,+12 item delay/turn. Cheaper.
KA/IN/PH/AN = (36/47/37) +12 item delay/turn. Cheaper.
GDH/IN/PH/RX = (44/41/22) -15 delay/turn, 8 bunge, and +7% gold.
...
CH/KA/02/RX = (27/48/27) +2 delay/turn. Risky to use.
CH/KA/SH/RX = (39/33/30) +2 delay/turn. Also risky to use.
[the rest are inferior, subbing KA/02 in the above]
---
Suicide Sets(bunge slot replaced by popularity stat):
(Very high attack and popularity, with little else)
Expensive Sets: 298K + 41 Stars + Missing Item
-Picnic Hat
-Picnic Dress (I personally use the Heart)
-(Pick a face item) [painting suggested]
-Panda Stick'
I am not much of an Avatar Off player, so anyone with other ideas,
please submit them!
---
Style Sets:
(Any amount of popularity, but used in Avatar Off to look cool)
[Currently empty! Bring on the submissions!]
---
Specialist Sets:
(Any set that takes an idea to its extreme. Not recommended for
serious matches, but nonetheless seen often enough to merit
mention.)
Look at the first three stats and take a wild guess as to why
this set is bad...I shouldn't even have to tell you how picky
hosts will be, kicking anyone better than them...
A more modest version of the rabbit set, but as the health is
still too fragile, this is your typical tunneler/telefaller.
They rely on you forgetting that they can force your delay to
be beaten, and try to use their two turns in a row to bunge
you. Easy to beat, if you understand it.
...
Creature Violet
Creature Violet
Red Glasses
Shield Wheel
A mage or a.sate using this set can heal 80 shield every time it's
their turn! On a more important side note, high attack enemies can
do 800+ damage Duals! I don't even have to mention Mage SS to show
why this set fails.
---
If there were any statistical errors with the above, please message
me. It would be a miracle for me to get it all right the first
try...
______________________________
Mobile FAQ
(4a) Aduka
Innate Attack(how much Attack helps): Low to None(+54 Shock Damage)
Innate Health: Average
Innate Defense: 15%(Low)
Right now, Aduka is unbalanced - in the wrong direction. Since Thor
levels in the same rate in 1v1 as it does 4v4, and since it's not
even all that great in 4v4, Aduka is awful in smaller games. Until
Softnyx scales Thor leveling based on the size of the room, Aduka's
left in the “DO NOT USE” pile. Shot 1 is simply like JD's Shot 1,
but the hole's more vertical than horizontal. I would say more, but
until Aduka gets a buff, there's no point to it. If you do want
to use it, pack a ton of Dual+, because you need to get some early
damage, not just pile up on Thor. Levels for Thor occur at 300, 900,
1800, and ~3200 (please confirm).
[Update: Aduka got a significant boost to damage, in the 30-40%
range, from GB:WC. It may be worth using in 2v2 now, or any Tag
room.]
Recommended Set: Tank Set
Personal Preference: PH/IN/PH/AN(12/50/50), while adding delay sounds
like a good idea to prevent you from getting ignored, it's not very
useful since Aduka's Shot 2 has a high base delay.
Mobile Specific Strategy: When you can, pick out the target with
lowest resistance to Thor/lowest Defense, to get Thor up quicker.
Shot 1 is good for bunging, but awful at angle stripping - it might
save you on maps easier to bunge in, or when against people with
defense near 50 (which is a lot of people...).
(4b) ArmorMobile
Innate Attack: High
Innate Health: Average
Innate Defense: 20-25% (Unconfirmed, Above Average)
Not a bad mobile for someone who wants to both deal direct damage
and have bunging capability, but unfortunately too many people
started using it and as with any popular mobile, this means it gets
nerfed. In this case, it means getting the highest delay of all the
standard mobiles despite not having the highest damage. It's still
playable, though, and strategy in most cases consists of Shot 1
Dual+ spamming, and Shot 1/SS otherwise (despite the slightly higher
damage ratio of Shot 2, it has less room for error and less ability
to angle strip. If you have a lock, that's the only time to
consider Shot 2).
(It's worth noting here that ArmorMobile has an innate -28 item
delay stat. Everytime you use an item, it will cost 70 more delay
than listed on the item.) *update as of 6-1-05*
Recommended Set: Tank Set or Bunge Set
Personal Preference: CH/IN/PH/BA(33/44/34/12), you want all three
stats here, and the bunge from Bazooka will help accuracy a lot.
Mobile Specific Strategy: When against those easy to angle strip
(JD/Lightning/Turtle/Sate), use Shot 1 directly in front of them
to deprive them of an angle. Otherwise, use Shot 1 as a test shot
and Shot 2 when you have confidence in your aim.
(4c) Bigfoot
Innate Attack: High
Innate Health: Average
Innate Defense: 10%(Lowest ever!) *new as of 6-1-05, -5% def*
This mobile is a lot better than most people give it credit for.
While it reaches full potential in close combat, you can still pull
almost full damage from a distance by using lower angle shots.
Shot 1 is the high attack person's version of JD's Shot 1, with a
little more delay. If you have a high attack, Bigfoot is a solid
choice. Item strategy consists of using Dual+ and Thunder when they
are on, and an extra Teleport otherwise. This mobile is also one
of the best prebungers for score mode.
[Update: Softnyx gave Bigfoot a lot of new maps to be decent to good
at, but they also made it have a new, low defense innate.]
Recommended Set: Bunge Set(take a Dual instead of Thunder),
possibly Delay Set, or Tank Set(take 2 Thunder)
Personal Preference: FR/AA2/PH/BA(21/42/35/21) Before GB:WC, I would
put CH ahead of FR, but since Bigfoot dies so fast now, endurance
is more vital. If the 21 bunge isn't enough, use Latin head.
Mobile Specific Strategy: Normally, you will be using Shot 1 for
a bunge/damage/strip tool by aiming in front of them, and Shot 2
shotgun for when you're in a must-kill situation. Against
Lightning, angle stripping is usually futile, so either go for
outright bunge, or outright damage. Against Nak, once you have
the standard angle strip hole, move away from it and dig another
tunnel for one turn. Most Naks will then throw an SS, then be
stuck. Use Dual+ early to contain your target, and Dual to finish
it off.
(4d) Boomer
Innate Attack: High
Innate Health: Low
Innate Defense: 15%(Low)
Let's look at the pros/cons of using Boomer:
+ High, possibly highest damage, and this extends to the SS
+ Decent delay to go with Shot 2, superb delay for Shot 1
+ Can't be angle stripped
- Among the hardest to aim
- Smart players will use more Teleports/Wind Changes than they would
normally, leading to a frustrating time
- Dies faster than any other mobile
So we have here a mobile that *can* always hit for winning damage,
but usually doesn't. Simply put, decent players don't sit there
and take a beating, they dodge/evade it long enough to win, and
this is the flaw of the Boomer. I've never seen anybody who's
accurate enough to counter this (in Avatar On). I believe that
Boomer is in need of a small buff, perhaps an additional -20 delay
to their shots.
Putting that aside, Boomer tactics revolve almost solely around
your ability to hit. While taking Wind Change x2 can help counter
enemy wind flips and make some of your shots easier, you can't use
Teleports to get a better shot, because Boomer is so darn
fragile. Throw in a Dual+ and a Dual to finish, or a Teleport.
Overall, not a good return for the time investment it takes.
Recommended Set: Clone Set or Attack+Delay Set
Personal Preference: No comment.
Mobile Specific Strategy: No comment.
(4e) Grub
Innate Attack: Average
Innate Health: Average
Innate Defense: 20%(Average)
So we have here a mobile with a Shot 2 that does less damage than
some other mobiles do with Shot 1, but is among the easiest to hit
with. Its SS is almost always relegated to Tag use only, as any
sane opponent isn't going to stay in a hole, or let a Grub get 2
turns in a row off. Shot 1 is only used as a pixel killing tool,
or a low-delay way to set up an SS. So, what is all this good for?
Any mobile that requires a high accuracy (Boomer) or that requires
you to have a low accuracy (anyone using a regen set) are good
candidates to use Grub against. It may have limited uses, but it's
good at what it does. For items, take Bandaids when possible,
a Teleport, and Wind Changes (you have good accuracy regardless,
why not throw theirs off?).
(It's worth noting here that Grub has an innate -20 item
delay stat. Everytime you use an item, it will cost 50 more delay
than listed on the item.) *update as of 6-1-05*
Recommended Set: Tank Set
Personal Preference: CH/IN/PH/AN(21/50/46), standard fare here.
Mobile Specific Strategy: Against low delay mobiles (usually
JD/Bigfoot/Lightning, but anyone using Shot 1 a lot counts),
be careful with your delay. The ideal tactic is to spam Shot 2
until they barely pass your delay, then use Shot 1 to pass them
back, throwing an SS on the second turn.
(4f) Ice
Innate Attack: High
Innate Health: High
Innate Defense: 15%(Low)
A very versatile, durable mobile. Don't let the low defense
innate fool you - this beast has 130% the health of several other
mobiles, and +10% bonus versus the two shock-damagers, making it
the perfect anti-JD/Lightning tool. It also has among the
best bunge holes (maybe not as deep as trico, but it's as wide
making for better angle stripping), and cumulative defense
stripping in longer games. It's rather sad that its SS lost much
of its effect in the last year, going down to just being a
stronger Shot 2, but even so, this mobile can do just about
anything. Highly recommended! Best with Dual+ when it has the
angle to use it, and heals whenever they are on.
(It's worth noting here that the defense that mobiles lose is
of the HIT-TYPE only, so anyone shooting at them with
Ice/Boomer/Nak/Turtle will get the bonus. With patches in the
last six months, the cap on defense loss has went from
-80% to -50%)
Recommended Set: Anything really, but especially Tank or Bunge
Personal Preference: CH/IN/PH/AN(21/50/46), standard fare here.
Mobile Specific Strategy: Try to judge early on if spamming
Shot 2 is viable - if you can win by doing it, go ahead! If you
don't think you can dish out enough damage, then use Shot 1 as a
means of angle stripping and occasionally bunge, and the Dual+ as
lead shots to get them to DEF -10%.
A tank's multi-purpose mobile, JD can to a decent degree
penetrate defenses, has average bunging ability, and an
opportunistic Shot 2. It's mainly meant to be a sniper more than
a close combat fighter, but it can do both. By chipping off an
opponent's health from a distance and using its high movement to
dodge, JD can win wars of attrition pretty easily. Its main
weakness is the inability to deal damage fast, and so it suffers
from a weakness to bunge sets, who can also strip a JD's angle
easier than most. Anything a Dual can accomplish, a Dual+ can
do better and faster, so stick to Dual+ and a Teleport.
Recommended Set: Regen Set or Tank Set or even Delay+Def Set
Personal Preference: LA/AA2/PH/BA(21/39/15/30), JD likes that
extra 9 bunge of Latin a lot, and although GDH fits, it's also
way more expensive.
Mobile Specific Strategy: Use Shot 1! Do it, please! The hole
is wider, the damage done is greater, and the ability to angle
strip is better! It also costs less delay! Only use Shot 2 when
doing so leads to a bunge, or if you're stuck with them in a hole
and can't avoid shocking yourself with Shot 1. The SS is pretty
nerfed, and should only be used in a must-kill, item lock
situation. Anything easy to angle strip, focus your Shot 1
directly in front of to prepare an angle strip. It's possible to
use a Dual+ Shot2 to accomplish it, but it's known to glitch up
at times.
(4h) Lightning
Innate Attack: Average (+78 Shock Damage)
Innate Health: Average (counting shielding, High)
Innate Defense: 25%(High)
Innate Regen: +25/turn
If JD is the multi-purpose tool of shield tanks, then Lightning
is the physical pounder. It can keep up with any other normal
mobile's damage ratings, and has the defense+health+regen to
back it up. The SS is a weaker version of Shot 1, meant mainly
to angle strip when an opponent has climbed up a hole to get an
angle. Probably in need of a nerf, but as it still isn't too
popular, it won't get one. In my opinion, this is probably the
best normal mobile in the game except for two factors:
- Inability to do a damn thing about people who tunnel in 1v1
- Reliance on a decently long match, which makes it weaker vs
bunge sets
To counter these weaknesses, you might consider incorporating
a little bunge into your setup, if you can find room for it. As
far as items go, a Lightning should try for pure evasive items,
as Dual/Dual+/Thunder gives Lightning little to work with.
EnergyUp 2 is also viable, if it's turned on.
(It's worth noting here that the SS has a hit detection similar
to Shot 1 - you won't hit if there's dirt above your target.)
[Update: Speaking of needing a nerf, Lightning just got +10
angle! I don't know what Softnyx is thinking...]
Recommended Set: Regen Set or Tank Set
Personal Preference: CV/IN/PH/SH(07/35/32/34reg) The amazing
regen set, just watch out for Mages.
Mobile Specific Strategy: Remember, you can deal damage well
from any range, so if a Nak/Boomer/Asate/etc teleports to you,
teleport away from them! If you're in a hole, try to use the
wind so that it faces you, to make hitting you harder
(especially for Nak).
(4i) Mage
Innate Attack: Average
Innate Health: Average (counting shielding, High)
Innate Defense: 20%(Average)
Innate Regen: +30/turn
This mobile really could use a fix! Depending on the
situation, it's either too powerful to be fair, or it's too
weak...and this problem lies with the Mage's SS. Since well
over 80% of GB doesn't seem to know, here are the three ways
a Mage's SS deals damage:
1) All shield within the Area of Effect is killed off
2) An additional 150-250 damage is dealt on a direct hit
3) All regen stat of anyone in the Area of Effect is set to
ZERO for FOUR turns!
Yes, that's right - in addition to the 400-500 damage you see
the SS do, IT TURNS OFF AN AVATAR STAT FOR FOUR ROUNDS! All
this from an SS that has no air delay and is just a simple
shot...however, pit the mage against any non-shielded mobile,
and it suffers from a lack of power. Very unbalanced both
ways, yet also very ignored by Softnyx due to the small count
of Mage users and Regen Set users. If you do use the Mage,
stick to Dual+ for the much better delay, and use either Tele
or Wind, but not both.
Recommended Set: Tank Set or Clone Set or Regen Set
Personal Preference: CV/IN/PH/RX (24/41/32/16reg) While I
don't recommend this as a *best* set, I find that having
the attack from Robot X helps assist teammates who are
likely getting DTed.
Mobile Specific Strategy: Your opponent has a shield? If
you know you can hit within the area range of your SS, make
that your first shot! If you can put two enemies in the area,
it's better to area hit both than it is to land it on one
while missing the other.
(4j) NakMachine
Innate Attack: Average
Innate Health: High
Innate Defense: 20%(Average)
And this is the viable alternative for Boomer users - a lot
more durable, just as powerful, and more accurate! However,
its Shot 1 is of very limited use, and its SS is not as good
as that of Boomer. Therefore, strategy relies on getting
and keeping close when possible, and using the Shot 2 in an
accurate manner. To accomplish this, use a Dual, Teleport,
and either two Cannonball(less delay than Dual, more useful
than Dual+) or a second Teleport.
Recommended Set: Clone Set or possibly Tank Set
Personal Preference: CH/IN/PH/BA(33/44/34/12), standard
clone fare, but the 12 bunge helps with accuracy, and may
give you actual bunging chances.
Mobile Specific Strategy: If your opponent deals shock
damage, try to stay as close to them as possible, as a lot
of people make the mistake of shocking themselves...that
damage really adds up after a few times. If you're aiming at
someone from above, you have a good chance of hitting with a
Dual. However, if you're sending a shot through the dirt
horizontally, it's a lot harder to hit with that second shot.
For those easy to angle strip, the Nak SS is actually pretty
good at doing it.
(4k) RaonLauncher
Innate Attack: Low (apparently the bonus to Shot 2 from
Attack stat is low too?)
Innate Health: Average
Innate Defense: 25%(High)
How do you punish people who don't ever use Tele? Pick
Raon! Between its bunging capability in close range and its
ability to home out non-bionics with Shot 2, any mobile with
low movement will have a hard time fighting you...and if you
put them in a hole that they don't Tele out of, you've killed
their movement! The SS is a better version of the Lightning
SS, with more power and better angle stripping ability. Pack
a Dual for either prebunging or laying a minetrap or even a
final blow, a couple of Shovels to assist you with getting
them into a hole, and an evasion item, most likely Tele.
(It's worth noting here that if you do a Dual Shot2 and the
first mines hit, then the second ones will also always hit,
even if the effect of the first set would make a normal
Shot 2 miss.)
Recommended Set: Tank Set or Clone Set
Personal Preference: FR/IN/PH/BA(21/42/44/12) You may want
bunge, but endurance is key, which is why I vote FR over
CH. 12 bunge is always useful.
Mobile Specific Strategy: Try to get them to waste their
Teleport(s) early, if possible. If they're not a Bionic
type, this will let you surround them with mines that can
hit, even if you miss. If they are a Bionic, your best bet
is to only use Shot 2 when you can do it via shotgun.
(4l) A.Sate
Innate Attack: High
Innate Health: Average (counting shielding, High)
Innate Defense: 15%(Low)
Innate Regen: +30/turn
Call it a semi-Boomer, if you will. Its fighting pattern is
very similar but less extreme than that of Boomer - the
aiming problems aren't as severe and neither is the
endurance, but it still has much of the same power that Boomer
possesses. The same tips I gave for Boomer apply to A.Sate,
but are more useful as A.Sate is playable right now. Worthy
of investing time into, and ignored more than it should be.
(It's worth noting here that A.Sate has an innate -6 item
delay stat. Everytime you use an item, it will cost 15 more delay
than listed on the item.) *update as of 6-1-05*
Recommended Set: Pretty much any set is equally good
Personal Preference: GDH/IN/PH/RX(44/41/22) CH might be
better, but you might as well play to A.Sate's strengths,
and go for a high attack approach. Long matches do not
favor A.Sate much.
Mobile Specific Strategy: Shooting from the left, you
usually have to land Shot 2/SS on top of them. From the
right, hitting them in the side will work better. If you're
fighting a low delay mobile, don't underestimate the damage
your Shot 1 can deal - it's actually pretty high, and without
the weird aiming problem you have with Shot 2/SS.
(4m) Trico
Innate Attack: High
Innate Health: Average
Innate Defense: 20%(Average)
Considered by some to have the highest overall damage rating
with Shot 2, it nevertheless doesn't warrant use outside of
close combat, where its spinning can be most accurately
controlled. Its Shot 1 is also better than most, and quite
capable of angle stripping, and its SS can be used for either
raw damage, or for a desperation attempt at bunge when you
believe a Shot 1 or Shot 2 won't be enough. Run Bandaids
when they are on, a Tele, and the rest Dual+. It's a
mobile worth looking into.
Recommended Set: Bunge Set or Clone Set
Personal Preference: No comment.
Mobile Specific Strategy: Not much to say here, it all
relies on your abilities with Shot 2. If you're accurate
with it, then use it, and if not, use Shot 1/SS.
(4n) Turtle
Innate Attack: Average
Innate Health: Low
Innate Defense: 30%(Very High)
Combined with a 50 defense set, this beast can screen out
65% of normal damage! That's a big improvement over the
50-55% most top out at! Given that, this mobile is best used
as a tank, and needs to be drawing enemy fire. It can fight
at long range when needed, but it's best suited for close
combat in a team game. Obviously, you want to be running
Bandaids when they are on, and Dual+ otherwise. At least one
Tele is required, as Turtle can be easily angle stripped, and
two Teles is a possibility if you tank well.
(It's worth noting here that Turtle has an innate -10 item
delay stat. Everytime you use an item, it will cost 25 more delay
than listed on the item.) *update as of 6-1-05*
Recommended Set: Tank Set
Personal Preference: No comment.
Mobile Specific Strategy: When fighting mobiles with decent
bunge, make sure you have a Teleport - it's easier to fight
them at close range. If you're fighting ones that aren't good
at angle stripping, then long distance sniping with Shot 2
is best.
(4o) J.Frog
Innate Attack: High
Innate Health: Average(Unconfirmed)
Innate Defense: 20%(Average, also unconfirmed)
First, an explanation of its shots:
Suppose you have a solid, large circle shaped piece of land.
Given that scenario, Shot 1 will travel in a counterclockwise
direction after it lands, and Shot 2 will travel in a clockwise
direction. It's the only difference between the two shots, as
both detonate after about 1.5 seconds of travel, both deal
identical damage, and both take a very low 680 base delay.
The SS is similar in how it travels, but the direction is
determined in roughly the same way Raon's SS is. However,
unlike the other shots, the SS deals damage similar to Grub's
SS. Since the SS takes nearly double the delay of your other
shots, try not to kill yourself with it.
Confused yet? Go try it, then!
Strategies haven't fully developed yet, but I see this mobile
becoming popular in bunge-specific rooms, given its low delay,
decent hole size, and the ability to ignore the target when
killing dirt(like Nak Shot 2 would). But overall, J.Frog is
best when going for damage kills, and bunging only when the
opportunity to do so arises(like JD should be played). Dual+
is a joke, and adding 600 delay to your base 680 delay is
also silly(Dual), so pack EnergyUps and a Teleport.
(It's worth noting here that J.Frog has an innate -8 item
delay stat. Everytime you use an item, it will cost 20 more delay
than listed on the item.)
[Update: It seems that the Shovel item and Bigbomb death have
no effect on J.Frog. The bunge stat works, however. This
is true as of 6-2-05]
Recommended Set: Pretty much any set works. Bunge helps.
Personal Preference: GDH/AA2/PH/BA(41/33/15/29) During my
testing of J.Frog, I found this set to be the most fun to use.
Hard to miss a shot, great damage, and seems to pull strong SSes.
Mobile Specific Strategy: Needless to say, this mobile is
easiest to use at close to mid range. It'll take some accurate
aim to make up for the difference in power, but it has one of
the best damage to delay ratios out there.
(4o) Kalsiddon
Innate Attack: Very High
Innate Health: Average(Unconfirmed)
Innate Defense: 15%(Low, also unconfirmed)
First, an explanation of its shots:
Shot 1 sends out a missile that, once it begins to fall, sends
out two missiles of decent damage and bunge, and between them an
A.Sate like tracer. The missiles will have partial homing
towards the tracer. Given enough time, both missiles will hit
where the tracer lands. High angles are often required, as
is being at least medium range(a screen or more) away from
your opponent. Shot 2 and SS follow the same concept, but
each doubles the missile/tracer count of the previous shot.
There are two main ways of hitting with this mobile - the high
angle shot, and the MIRV shot. With high angle, you hope the
missiles have enough time to home in before they hit dirt, and
with the MIRV shot, you hope to make it deploy inside or in
front of your target. The MIRV shot doesn't work well with SS,
though.
Confused yet? Go try it, then!
Good luck refining your aim with this mobile. My initial
thoughts about this mobile see it going the route of Trico,
high potential that nobody is good enough to obtain. However,
the damage rewards for hitting are extreme enough that we may
see some Kalsiddon pros in the near future. Item loadout is
probably best if you take some Dual+(because of delay issues)
and a Teleport.
Be forewarned that there is currently a glitch similar to the
way Raon's Dual 2 fails to give credit to the 2nd set of mines.
However, since there actually is a second, forced set of
explosions, whoever was next in delay after you gets credited
with having the same delay move, losing their turn!
[Update: I'm told that this glitch is now fixed, but I haven't
verified it myself yet.]
(It's worth noting here that Kalsiddon has an innate -20 item
delay stat. Everytime you use an item, it will cost 50 more delay
than listed on the item.)
Recommended Set: Attack heavy, if you're good at aiming it.
If not, run a Tank Set for practice.
Personal Preference: CH/IN/PH/RX(36/50/34) High attack is key,
but you want enough chances to connect with it, so the standard
clone set wins out. Bunge isn't a big help here, unless you're
playing it for bunge kills, which is spectulative at best.
Mobile Specific Strategy: This is truly a sniper mobile. When
facing any mobile that's even remotely good at melee, make sure
you're a good distance away from them, or at least under them so
you can attempt an MIRV shot. Do not use Kalsiddon in crowded
games, you'll frustrate your teammates.
______________________________
Miscellaneous Tips
This is a section for any advice, tips, etc. that are submitted
by fellow GB players and doesn't fit into any of the above
sections. I hope it will expand soon.
CatBurger:
A Nak counter -
"if your close range (or far really) and in a crater, always stand
on the side of the crater away from them. Usually when shot, the
shot will go past and up the slope behind you."
______________________________
Closing Comments
Remember, when everything else is said and done, Gunbound is
a game, and it should be treated as such. If you ever find
yourself playing nonstop to earn gold, please take a break to
stop and think about why it's so urgent. It's a game, enjoy
yourself! And it's also a game that deserves at least $18.97
of your money, so go and buy yourself a Phoenix at the least -
it helps contribute to the server costs which Softnyx is
generously funding. If they had an actual income, they could
afford the bandwidth to make GB server-side, which would stop
most of the hacking that goes on!
I play GB sporatically these days, usually as the ID Lunar2EB,
but also sometimes as Lunar2, which is my event avatars account
I use for fun. My main public email is
lunar_2_eb@yahoo.com, but since I don't check it very often,
you'll have better luck by also leaving an ingame message.
Feel free to send feedback, as this is far from a complete FAQ!
[Update: To contact me, use the ID KazinDesoul, I had an ID
change(again).]
