Hetros Jistin's Guide To Killing Things
((Since there's no general gameplay discussion forum, putting this here, but will do it In Character))
Hopefully some of you guys have found a copy of this guide I'm writing, I know a few friends in Iron Demon are making copies and the digital copy can be picked up wirelessly there and probably a few more places if you can get the wireless on your PDA to even work in this part of the world.
Let's start with the basics.
Mutants
Mutants are easy, they're basically humans. You'll run into them by the load around Mt. Tam, and I suggest you keep clear of it because of that. They come armed with autorifles, sniper rifles, grenades, shotguns, and they got some loonies who try to run up and chop ya. Do not underestimate those last guys, they will get through your shields in only a few blows.
For everyone except for the Cleavers, take your pick of weaponry, but for cleavers, use a shot gun. If you're lucky enough to own a VOT Nano Fragger saw'd-off like myself, most of the time you can take them down in a single shot (Which is thankful, considering how long it takes to reload those suckers).
The radiation, terraforming, and chemicals in the area have messed with the mutant's minds. They're dumb as sacks.
Now, what you really have to worry about are the Biomen mutants. For those of you who have had your head under a rock for the past 30 odd years, Biomen were invented by the old EMC as vat grown super soldiers. They're big, they're ugly, and they can carry mortars (big grenade launchers) or chain guns. They can take a lot of punishment, including multiple head shots, so be careful.
For Mutants, of either the Bioman or human sort, aim for the head. Simple as that.
Hellbugs
Most of you will have grown up dealing with the skitterlings, so you'll know how to deal with them easy. Most of the time, just run them over with your roller, otherwise any medium range weapon will do it. Something that shoots well from the hip usually. Shotguns, submachine guns, etc.etc. All are good choices for skitterlings. They may LOOK harmless, but in large groups they can gnaw through your shield, and if they're supporting something bigger, they can, and will, break through your shield and distract you. They attack when they jump at you, for some reason they don't just bite you when close, they always gotta pounce at ya.
Note: Also remember, killing them isn't always the best idea. Sometimes an ark fall crystal is really tough, weaponry won't pierce it to release the goods inside. But Skitterling's acidic bite can get through, creating a temporary hole in the carapace of the ark fall crystal to let your weaponry do it's job.
Next we got Warriors, the big ones. You'll run into these far more often than you like. They are tough, mean, and they want to eat you. Well, more likely they want to eat the gulanite based alloys in your weaponry, shields, and charge packs, but they'll gnaw on your bones just fine and not give a damn.
Warriors will charge you, and then belch sticky tar on your feat to hold you in place. This stuff is also HIGHLY explosive, they then strike their claws together, hard, on the ground and into the tar, lighting it up and causing an explosion. Roll out if you're tarred, but best not to get tarred at all.
Warriors will also burrow. Keep on the move while this happens, they like to get under you and then they'll explode up, knocking you out of the way and likely busting open your shield.
Warriors have two weak points. Their butts and their mouths. Those big sacks in their mouths are filled with god only knows what, but they're delicate, and they explode real easy. Wait till they roar, or start vomitting up tar, to shoot them in the mouth. Same for the glowing point on their butts. Keep the hell away from them when they die, their corpses explode immediately, and you'll get tar all over you as well as probably put a dent in your shields.
Archer Bugs are a different sort all together. They can fly, and they will hop up and down, making it hard to actually hit them. They hurl grenade like globes of explosive goo at you. Sometimes it tars you I think, but frankly, I'm always too busy dodging the damn things (and failing) to notice. Shooting them in the mouth won't do no good. Instead, hit them in their over sized, glowy behinds. (Have I mentioned I miss fireflys? Why the hell did they get replaced with explosive glow-butt roaches?)
Next we got those little tower things. I forget their name. But they're even more annoying than archer bugs, because they are accurate to a T, and I think they can see through cloaks (or at east, cloaks have never done me jack nor s**t against them). I assume they can feel the tremors in the ground as you move or something. Anyway, I'm not sure if they have a weak point or not, but if they do, it's that network of glowing white veins at their bases. So might as well aim for them if you can.
Then we got Monarchs. Monarchs are the toughest sons of mothers you will ever have the misfortune to meet. If you gotta choice in the matter, I suggest running. There's a reason the E-Reps don't clear out nests with anything short of tanks and high explosives back on the east coast. If you find yourself at a nest. YOU WILL FIND ONE OF THESE GUARANTEED. If you gotta fight them, fight them with friends and take turns being the one chased by the maw on legs. If you gotta fight them alone, it's hard, only do it with two different weapons equipped, one that fires quick and fast, and one that does as much damage as is reasonably possible.
Monarchs follow a specific set of attacks. They will roll at you like sonic the hedge hog (and if you kids don't know who that is, I'm getting too old for this job). Just get out of the way, nothing you can do. They have some kind of vent thing on their but though, that will open up at the end of the roll, shoot at it. That's your primary target, any time you see that vent open, shoot it.
Monarchs have another attack. I have no idea how they manage it, but they slam the ground, causing a chain of explosions. Roll out of the way, one side roll SHOULD do it, but make damn sure you're out of the way. By the time you're back up after being hit, he WILL be on you, and you'll be paying Von Bach industries a tidy sum to reconstruct your sorry butt.
What's important is this. WHen he's about to pull off this attack, he'll rear up. Exposing his glowing belly. Shoot it. Shoot it with as much ammo as you can, as fast as you can. It'll cause a rupture, and it'll fall back onto it's legs, and then cower or something, it's rear vent opening up. If you're very lucky, it'll KEEP trying to do this, and you can effectively kill it without any worries. But make DAMN sure you have something like an assault rifle, light machine gun, or submachine gun. Something that can be fired fast and from the hip, anything else and you'll be caught in the explosions as he slams back down.
Monarchs are
Matriarchs big ugly brood mothers. Only appear in certain arc falls in my experience. They're big, they're mean, they're ugly as sin. And I've only met one, and couldn't find a critical hit spot on any of them. Sorry I can't be of more help. Only fight them with a LOT of friends.
Raiders
Raiders are basically like mutants, but they're smarter. They'll use cover properly, and won't make stupid mistakes (mostly). They come with most of the same weapons, but they arm their Liberata (the short guys for you xenophobes) members (remember, raiders are only MOSTLY human, they draw from all the races that I know) with shields and shotguns. Best way to deal with them is to catch them in a cross fire, or cloak, and get behind them with a shotgun like the Nanofragger I mentioned above. They also got missile launcher nut cases, who will take the mickey out of you fast. Way more dangerous than those grenade launcher using Biomen from Mt.Tam, if only because those missiles are faster and more accurate than a lobbed grenade.
For weak spots on all of these raider scum, just aim for the head. Simple as that. Good luck smacking one of their shotgunner shield dudes though, as I said, those shields are tall enough to cover their entire short bodies.
I hope to be adding to this as time goes on, but those are all of the information I've acquired since moving here from the Flood-Ruins of Louisiana. Hope this helps some of you.
