I. [0100] Contents
II. [0200] Introduction
III. [0300] Raptor vs. Infantry
IV. [0400] Raptor vs. Ground Vehicles
a. [0401] Scorpion
b. [0402] SPMA
c. [0403] Hellbender
d. [0404] Energy Turret
e. [0405] Paladin
f. [0406] Manta
g. [0407] Goliath
h. [0408] Leviathan
V. [0500] Raptor vs. Aerial Vehicles
a. [0501] Cicada
b. [0502] Raptor
VI. [0600] Credits
VII. [0700] Version History
VIII. [0800] Contact Information
IX. [0900] Predictable Legal Stuff
This guide is split into three sections; it covers how to take on infantry,
ground vehicles, and other aerial vehicles while in a Raptor. I'm sure some
of you are wondering how I can write so much on a single vehicle, so very
simply, it's an obsession of mine, and I just can't resist flying in ONS. But
in my own defense, I suppose that Raptor pilots and non-Raptor pilots alike
could use this guide to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of every
vehicle. Now, the Raptor is unique because it's the only flyer in the entire
game besides the Cicada, which simply makes a mockery of the Raptor's agility
and drives like a freakin' boat. Here is the imagination behind this vehicle,
taken directly from the Unreal Tournament 2004 instruction manual:
The Raptor maintains a stranglehold on combat air superiority. Constructed of
tritanium-ceramic alloys, the airframe allows fast response and high
durability. A grid array of magneto-conducting cells covers its wings,
powered by dual phase-induction plasma turbines. The grid array vectors
gravity away from whichever direction the pilot chooses, allowing the Raptor
to accelerate. Armed with two solid-state plasma projectors and a homing
missile mount, the Raptor can decimate specific targets very quickly,
although Raptor pilots must be cautious of guided rockets or Stationary
Turret attacks from the ground.
Mouse: Steering
Forward/Backward: Accelerate/Reverse
Strafe Left/Strafe Right: Strafe
Jump: Ascend
Crouch: Descend
Fire: Fire Plasma Projector
Alt-Fire: Fire Homing Missile (Locks on to Mantas and Raptors only)
This section is fairly straightforward, but there are still some troubling
elements to assaulting ground troops. The best example it the mighty AVRiL, a
weapon designed specifically to give infantry a fighting chance against
vehicles. A good Raptor pilot must always be aware of when he or she can take
a missile; a Raptor's will do a decent 150 damage, whereas an AVRiL will
inflict a whopping 200. The Raptor only has 300 health, meaning that any
back-to-back combination of just two missiles will kill you. Flying low may
help to avoid detection, but if you're discovered, try to take cover. If you
think you won't be able to make it in time, there are several ways you can
react, depending upon your proximity to the player. If you're shot and are
far enough away to land without being repeatedly fired upon, do so, and heal
your Raptor with the Link Gun (make sure you have one on hand at all times).
Also, keep in mind that an AVRiL will seek your Raptor only as long as you
remain inside it, unlike a Raptor's missile. You can dive down to the ground,
hop out with the Shieldgun, and get back in once the danger has passed.
If you are rather close to the enemy, and you can withstand a missile, use
the AVRiL's slow firing rate to your advantage and try to kill the assailant
with the Raptor's primary fire or by running him or her over. On the other
hand, you could simply continue as you were. As soon as your opponent gets
off a second AVRiL, however, immediately dive, jump out, and finish the fight
on foot. Hopefully, your Raptor will be close by and with enough health left.
In addition, just because you don't receive the missile lock-on warning, it
doesn't mean that you aren't in someone's sights with an AVRiL zooming
towards you. Be careful of those that don't bother with the lock-on or use it
too late for you to dodge.
Other hand-held weapons that are effective against a Raptor are the Shock
Rifle, the Lightning Gun, and to a much lesser extent, the Sniper Rifle. The
Minigun's secondary fire will also whittle away at your health and the Flak
Cannon and Link Gun are both dangerous up close, as always. None of these
compare to an AVRiL, however, so you don't have to be as tense. Just don't
underestimate their stopping power and let yourself get shot at. To make this
simple, the basic methods used against infantrymen wielding AVRiLs can be
used against those brandishing these weapons as well, such as skirting around
under cover, healing your Raptor when damaged, and concentrating on return
fire. Beware of the Shock Rifle, though. It can knock you around with enough
force to make counterattacking difficult. You may want to try disappearing
and reappearing from a different direction to startle your opponent and throw
him or her off balance.
Now, one of my favorite things to do is running people over. Players on foot
can sometimes be even more dangerous than those in vehicles, so if you spot
prey dashing across open ground or doing something similarly distracting like
attempting to speed up the construction process of a Power Node, take the
time to pick a spot and intercept your opponent at that point, crushing him
or her flat. Again, be sure to come in low, but not too low so that you're
already scraping the ground. You might create enough noise to alert your
target, or you might catch on a sudden protrusion and toss yourself off
course entirely. Pull back hard and plop down on your enemy at the last
moment, then simply lift off and proceed onwards (or if the land really is
flat enough, race across the ground for the final few seconds and don't even
bother slowing down). If you don't want to risk missing, however, then just
close in and quickly fill your opponent with plasma. Either way, don't do
something stupid like make yourself vulnerable to an AVRiL attack by passing
directly overhead. If you still want to leave your enemy stranded in the
middle of nowhere, and therefore effectively useless to the rest of his or
her team, then circle around and keep yourself out of sight.
==============================================================================
[0401] a. Scorpion
==============================================================================
The Scorpion is one of several perfectly shaped ground targets, although it's
by far the smallest. Just keep your lasers on target and it'll be scrap metal
in no time. As with all other enemy vehicles, you don't want to get too close
to a Scorpion, either on foot or in a Raptor. The plasma ribbon can be
deceptively dangerous to vehicles and infantrymen alike, and the twin sling
arms will cut any player down to size with terrible efficiency, although
their range isn't nearly as impressive.
==============================================================================
[0402] b. SPMA
==============================================================================
This vehicle's primary fire resembles that of a Goliath's in the sense that
it will tear through your Raptor with ease. It's even more inaccurate than
the Goliath's, however, and so you shouldn't be afraid to approach an SPMA.
It presents just as great a victim, and it may as well be just as slow. Pound
it with your primary fire, or knock it over and kill the driver (and
passenger, if there is one). Just make sure you know when the Side Turret is
manned, which is identical to that of the Hellbender's.
The SPMA's secondary fire also deploys a hovering camera used to coordinate
bombardments from a distance, and this is where the SPMA really shines on
open maps. Thankfully, you don't need a Raptor to take care of such a threat;
all you have to do is fire an AVRiL at the camera. Just before reaching it,
the missile will veer off in the direction of the SPMA itself, undoubtedly
catching the driver off guard. If you don't have an AVRiL, then any weapon
could still be used to shoot the camera down. This doesn't guarantee that the
driver won't simply deploy another one, but it's still distracting.
==============================================================================
[0403] c. Hellbender
==============================================================================
The Hellbender is almost as large as the SPMA, while retaining the Scorpion's
decent maneuverability. All this really translates to is yet another moving
target, so have fun tearing it apart with your Plasma Projectors or
bulldozing into it. Watching a Hellbender driver struggling to maintain
control with no way of retaliating is always amusing, but not when he or she
has the help of a few passengers. The driver could also stop and switch to
the Side or Rear Turrets by pressing the Assault Rifle or Bio-Rifle keybinds,
so don't get too confident while taking on a single person in one of these.
Now, on to the true power behind this vehicle. The Side Turret's primary fire
releases a flurry of shock balls, and the secondary fire detonates them in a
domino effect. This can be absolutely devastating to infantry and other
ground vehicles, but not so much to nimble flyers. The secondary fire also
acts like a regular shock beam when used in the absence of shock balls,
although it's much slower and less effective. Desperation is usually apparent
when the operator resorts to this.
The Rear Turret is an all-around threat, capable of charging and unleashing
twin laser beams. A couple of shots will destroy a Raptor, so this isn't some
petty Shock Rifle. Dodge like hell, rain down your own laser blasts, and hope
that the turret operator has poor aim. This is where plowing into something
isn't just fun - it's a useful tactic. Force out the riders and you have a
far better chance of surviving than they do. It's also a sign of weakness
when the turret operator doesn't fully charge his or her shots, and the
almost nonexistent knockback effect here will surely guarantee you a kill if
the operator doesn't fix that mistake before you can take advantage of it.
==============================================================================
[0404] d. Energy Turret
==============================================================================
These tend to tick me off far more than any Hellbender's Rear Turret. This
stationary vehicle is a really spammy version of the Shock Rifle, and it will
toss you around mercilessly. The alternating beams don't feel nearly as
solid, however, and the operator may become slightly disoriented without
being able to determine whether his or her shots are hitting their mark. The
zoom scope might help, but all you have to do is keep yourself balanced out
between the misses and get enough shots in, and if you can stay on target,
fly a good distance away to where the beams can't reach. You could also land
behind cover, fire AVRiLs overhead, and direct them at the Energy Turret by
quickly sidestepping the obstruction. Needless to say, an actual lock-on
isn't necessary, and other than that, you can use similar strategies to the
ones you would for a normal Shock Rifle.
==============================================================================
[0405] e. Paladin
==============================================================================
The Shieldgun is a very useful weapon for both deflecting enemy fire and
lessening fall damage, but to make a vehicle out of such a gun? Well, it's
worked with the Shock Rifle, so why not? This thing is incredible; the
Paladin's shield barrier can even withstand a full Redeemer blast. It does
have some major weaknesses, however. First, the shield's energy depletes with
every shot, leaving the driver vulnerable after it's gone. Second, the shield
only covers a portion of the tank, and the turret, which rotates rather
slowly, directs it. Finally, larger objects such as infantry and vehicles can
pass right through it. Dance around the shield and fire on the exposed
portions, and don't be afraid to eat away at the shield when you don't have a
clear shot. Or, if the shield ticks you off too much, approach from the side,
breach it, and knock the whole thing over!
Now, that's merely the secondary fire; the primary fire launches an odd ball
of purple energy. It sinks slightly as it flies through the air, and the rate
of fire isn't great, but the impact is certainly heard and felt by its
victims. The main turret also controls this, however, and it can be evaded
rather easily. But this unique vehicle still has one more trick up its sleeve
- the primary fire can be used in conjunction with the secondary fire. The
result is an energy ball exploding inside of the shield and generating a
shock wave that radiates outward. The effects are limited in range, but it
will kill off nearby infantry in the blink of an eye, and even obliterate
pesky Mantas with careful timing. Or, if you choose to dive at it, Raptors.
Be careful with this, as a Paladin tank is still hard to overturn.
==============================================================================
[0406] f. Manta
==============================================================================
This one is going to be hard to describe. The Manta almost seems like the
Raptor's land counterpart in how fluid its movements can be, and the unique
ability to jump. This makes a competent Manta pilot very difficult to strike
down with a Raptor's missile. To make it easier on yourself, always damage
unoccupied enemy Mantas. Then you only need one more shot if an opponent
doesn't heal it up afterwards, and even then, you force him or her to waste
precious time and ammo in what could be a frantic fight to the finish. You
should also do this with enemy Raptors whenever you can.
Now, the Manta experiences the same sort of lag that a Raptor does in abrupt
turns, so try to predict when your opponent will change directions and fire.
This is when he or she will try to jump and avoid the missile, so if you're
directly overhead or far enough away for the missile to curve upwards, it's
over. Other than that, the Manta doesn't have anything in the way of
armaments that will seriously threaten an airborne Raptor. Being crushed by
one isn't pleasant, though, so be careful while on foot. Make sure you always
have an AVRiL to accompany that Link Gun, and travel through the brush if you
can. Quietly stalk these speedy vehicles and launch missiles without locking-
on so that they'll have no warning of an attack beforehand.
==============================================================================
[0407] g. Goliath
==============================================================================
If you want to go on a Killing Spree, get in a Goliath. I look at it as a
mini-me version of the Leviathan, sort of like the Scorpion is to the
Hellbender. This vehicle's main cannon will tear apart either, though. The
only three vehicles that have a chance against an experienced tank driver are
the Cicada, the Raptor, and of course, the Leviathan. The Leviathan simply
has so much health and firepower, whereas the two flyers can exploit the
Goliath's biggest weakness - a blind spot directly above it, where the turret
cannot reach. Be sure to stay in this dead zone, use your primary fire, and
take into account when your opponent is traversing inclines.
The passenger is still in control of the tank's minigun, though, which can
fire where the main gun cannot. It's just as hard to distinguish between hits
and misses as with the Energy Turret, minus the knockback effect. You should
be able to take out the tank before the tank can take you out in this way, so
concentrate fire and try to avoid the minigun. The minigun also has a blind
spot directly above it, although it's far smaller than the main cannon's. Try
to stay within it, but realize that it will might not be worth the effort. If
the driver abandons the tank, and it's not heavily damaged, hop in. As with
the Leviathan, a Goliath can make a lot of difference in a power struggle.
==============================================================================
[0408] h. Leviathan
==============================================================================
If there's one thing I love more than running people over, it's pissing off
Leviathans! I know I've still got it if I can take one down single-handedly
and not need to desperately heal my Raptor afterwards. This really is a test
of how much rhythm you have in one of the most graceful vehicles around, and
there's no substitute like it. You'll largely have to feel it out for
yourself; all I can tell you is how seriously you need to master orbiting a
target for the Leviathan. And that's as slowly as you can so that you stay
just out of the rockets' reach (the driver's a moron if he or she deploys
solely to take you on), and yet keep from spinning yourself out. The idea is
to maintain control and tease the driver at the same time while avoiding any
hits. One or two is fine, as they each do only 50 damage a pop. Just be sure
to get back into the swing of things before you take considerable damage.
Your job will become vastly more challenging with even just one or two
passengers; the lasers travel fast and quickly become your main threat. But
again, you have to learn that rhythm yourself. Go ahead and have some fun on
Instant Action, as bots will always jump in the Leviathan at the start of
ONS-RedPlanet. Immediately fly to the other base and raise hell! Other than
that, if your opponent hops out of a Leviathan and it isn't even smoking yet,
jump in, jump in, jump in! A Leviathan on your team's side can make all the
difference in the final rush.
==============================================================================
[0501] a. Cicada
==============================================================================
You're kidding, right? The Cicada is quick only in its vertical movements.
This may be ideal for ducking behind cover, as I sometimes wish was the case
with the Raptor, but I prefer decent horizontal propulsion much more. I also
prefer being able to lock-on, as all the Cicada can do is highlight a
specific area and release a volley of rocket fire. It can launch pairs of
these potentially damaging rockets very quickly, however, and the passenger-
manned lower laser turret can swat the Raptor around like only an Energy
Turret could. To avoid both threats, simply climb above the Cicada and
release your own volley of rocket fire. Just be sure not to bail out in sight
of one, as the Cicada is still particularly effective against infantry with
its higher health capacity, ability to throw off AVRiLs, and of course,
spammy rocket fire.
==============================================================================
[0502] b. Raptor
==============================================================================
A Raptor's missile is shaken off far more effortlessly than an AVRiL. It's
easier to shoot down another Raptor if you close ranks, but distance isn't
the most important factor here. It's all revolves around the angle, as a
matter of fact. The Raptor experiences some lag while turning abruptly, and
it's most vulnerable during this time. Try to predict when your opponent will
attempt to change directions and fire. If your opponent is distracted,
however, then take advantage of this opportunity and attack him or her from
directly above, below, or behind. These are the common directions in which
one will dodge to escape an incoming missile. Then previous or upcoming rules
apply, depending upon how the enemy Raptor reacts.
If you get into a ring-around-the-rosie missile fight, things become a lot
more complicated, assuming that your adversary is at least competent. Now
it's all about how patient you are. Wait for your opponent to spin him or
herself out and hit an obstruction, while making sure you don't make the same
mistake yourself. Keep a constant barrage of missiles underway, even if you
think they won't hit, and never resort to the Raptor's primary fire. Try to
maneuver yourself and disrupt the never-ending circle so that you'll have a
better shot, and be sure never to get frustrated and leave the fight. There
are better ways to commit suicide, as your opponent will undoubtedly hunt you
down and kill you, unless you bail out under sufficient cover and/or have an
AVRiL tucked away and ready for use.
- GameFAQs and any other websites that may accept my guide. Thanks!
- MrShotgun, for inspiration on the new numbering system and Version History
formatting, based on his Metroid Prime: Hunters FAQ/Walkthrough.
- Epic, for creating such a great game in the first place.
- And, as lame as it will sound, you, the reader!
Version 1.0
May 28th, 2005
---------------------
I reformatted this guide to GameFAQs requirements once I had spent a week
writing it up for clanmates. I've gone over it thoroughly one last time, and
it should hopefully be ready for submission.
Version 1.1
May 5th, 2006
---------------------
Wow, about a year later. I had posted this and put it from mind, but every
once in a while certain things would pop into memory and start bothering me,
so I finally tweaked those items. See the newly entitled copyright section
(Predictable Legal Stuff) for some elaboration.
If you would like to submit any comments or suggestions via e-mail, then my
address is spykid1@optonline.net. There's a good chance that I won't respond
directly, but if you help me out in any way, such as identifying mistakes or
submitting hints and tips, I'll add your name to the credits (please include
it), as well as your contribution to my guide. Thank you!
Yeah, I had here before the default GameFAQs copyright information, and what
a weak way to end the guide. So here's the new deal: I honestly don't care
what you do with this. Just please give credit where it's due, and perhaps
even send me an e-mail if you intend to post it on another site, m'kay?
Anyway, see you all in Unreal Tournament 2007; I may even create an updated
guide for the new Raptor (it's looking pretty badass so far), but who knows.
First I wouldn't mind doing another proofread here and cleaning up some of
the corny stuff. Meh, whatever, I'll get to it eventually. ;)
