You saw NOTHING :ph34r: 62?

NO! Zero.

B-but I don't haz a engine... I haz a bikes. Also, living with my lil' cousin for two days has given me a time of *ahem* immunity to anything JB can throw at me. I pedal up to you, poke you in the shirt, and when you look down to see what I'm poking, I flick you lightly in the nose. Ha! I return to my bike and pedal quickly, since you're running after me for being made to look foolish.

*looks at destroyed planet in horror* Holy flab...

Wave.

Or a Hammer. Y'know, with double power. You just have to be really, really close.

I... I dunno.

Looks like your unlucky number, Jes. 0.

Good thing you threw that stick really far. I went to go chase it for some reason, but it had-a already esh-ploded. :3 You destroyed my entire city, so I sic half the population of Kashyyyk on you. (I have powerful persuasion there, bud... ;))

Didn't mean to upvote this, was aiming for post above '_'

Old pic, took it yesterday and got to lazy to post it.

Aw, cute.

The Art of Kill-Stealing Oh, don't give me that disgusted look. Yes, kill-stealing is an art, no matter how taboo or socially unacceptable others may portray it as. Kill-stealing is a common term throughout many multiplayer games, but most of y'all reading this are probably thinking of all those unwary Wasps that should have added points to your score. With a not-so-recent update distributing points to any number of team-based tankers involved in the destruction of an opponent, in place of only the one having laid the killing blow, kill-stealing in TDMs, CPs, or CTF-style matches have become a thing of the past. The only suitable housing for such a practice is a DM, where the only shot that counts is the shot that did 'em in. Clearly, some combinations are better suited for the task than others, but every turret is capable of laying the final blow on a turret. The trick, though, is knowing how to claim that kill. Understanding when and where to attack will guarantee you the crown in the end. The Spectrum With this game's diverse array of arm types, there's plenty of enthralling ways to unleash a nice, big can of whuppin' on an unprepared adversary. These weapons are already classified into groups based on range efficiency: long, mid-, and short. The damage classifications, however, are what we're here for, and they're just as easy to decipher, given you were born with an elementary logic complex. A brief chart summation of weapon damage ratings is shown below. *This chart is a bit primitive, yes, but give me some slack; I'm using Paint, and a realistic chart including reload times would have to be three dimensional. Unless you feel like downloading SolidWorks '14 to view one, just use your imagination and basic knowledge of Tanki. I'm not gonna spoon feed you EVERYTHING. Damage Per Shot (DPS) On the chillier side of the spectrum (purples, blues) lie items classified as DPS weapons. A few things to note about this type: These guys are usually found doing a bit more hiding than their CDR counterparts. With their generally slow reload times, cover is easily one of the most valuable aspects of a map to a user of one of these. Most of the weapons listed here (with the exception of Hammer, of course) are designed to take on opponents from a decent distance. There is a general abundance of energy behind each shot, resulting in chipping off large chunks of health with each individual attack. Due to their preference of taking on opponents before they reach them, these weapons (minus Hammer) are highly susceptible to destruction when placed on small or cramped maps. Cumulative Damage Rate (CDR) On the rightmost piece of the graph (reds, oranges) weapons listed as CDR weapons reside. Basically the polar opposite of DPS weapons, Places with nowhere to hide are great hunting grounds for this type, where that they can take full advantage of their continuous fire rates. Unlike DPS weapons, CDR-type players like to keep their adversaries within reach at all times, so that (once again) they can utilize their high oppressive power whenever they need. Ghosting the keyboard will do almost imperceptible damage to an opposing tank. You're gonna want to weigh down that spacebar whenever you feel like going on a killing spree. In close combat, these weapons are usually unthreatenable. However, when taking the fight a DPS weapon from afar, it's likely not going to last too long. Intermediate-class (IC) And here we discover the prophetic third side of the coin, living near the center of the graph (yellows, greens). Neither classified as DPS or CDR class, we have the curious case of the IC collection. Living within the gap between monstrous power per round and quashing damage capabilities, these weapons are by definition 'balanced', being able to survive (but not always as successfully) on all terrains. Extremist maps might be wise to avoid, though. The items classified here as IC vary between ghosting and holding the spacebar for maximum effect. Ergo, it usually takes a bit more skill to master these items. Cover isn't always incredibly useful with these items, but it can still be appreciated in the case of cover for unsuspecting attacks, similar to how a CDR-user would take advantage of a hiding spot. What does any of this have to do with kill stealing? What strategies are applicable for you depend greatly on the gun bolted to you tank, doesn't it? Knowing your weapon is half the battle! The other half, however, is where we're headed next. You've got the perfect tank set up in your garage, and you're ready to to hit the town hard in a DM. All that's left to think about as you enter the match is what plan of action you're going to be taking. And this, ladies and gentlemen, is where the fun begins. Game Plan: That Thingy that Helps Us Win More Joining any battle without a plan is a bit like trying to rob a supermarket with a Nerf gun: You won't be able to get very far, nobody will take you seriously, and you'll feel nine flavors of dumb at the end of the day. Okay, so the comparison is a bit extreme, but the point I'm trying to get across remains the same: Come prepared the right way. I might sound like a broken record at this point, but whatever maneuvers you have prepared must correlate to your weapon of choice. In other words, charging across a Solikamsk with Mammoth/Firebird might not be the best idea. Use what you've got to encourage your own victory, but use it right. No condescendence included, but you understand that each weapon requires different tactics to maximize damage output, right? Certain hulls also aid in the delivery of your opponent’s destruction (to go, please), but your vehicle choice will only take you so far towards this goal. In the end, it all depends on when and where you shoot. Before we go into the specifics, there’s a couple of tips that you should know about basic turret management procedure. Most of them aren’t exempt from physics, your number one ‘frenemy’ in Tanki Online (Gravity, I’m talkin’ to you), so it’d be a good idea to heed these next paragraphs well. Knock around your fellow hunters. I’m not taking about the hull ranked between Hornet and Viking, though if you see one in the following situation, be sure to rough it up a bit. Where there’s a weakened opponent, there’s bound to be other DM roamers nearby, hungry and lurking about like sharks after catching the scent of blood. Railgunners and Shafters are difficult to throw off if you didn’t see them from the start. However, nearby fighters with low CDR or even IC class weapons are a bit easier to handle. If their shots require tenacious and consistent aim, use that to your advantage by giving ‘em a little shove on the edge of their hull whilst stayed locked on to the primary target. It may not do a lot if they’re a hulk like Titan or Mammoth, but if you can fault their accuracy for long enough, you might just have enough time to finish the kill and move on. This practice is especially effective against Twins, Ricochet, Smoky, Thunder, and on rare occasions, Hammer. Become their false shield. It’s a strange term, but it’s the only description I can offer to explain this bold gesture. The idea is to get between a target and other possible entities and unload. Mainly effective versus IC weapons and some CDR-types, this strategy will almost always guarantee you the kill when you corner your opponent, blocking all the damage that random potshots from other tanks cause. The bad news is that you have to do all the work and pray that your attack doesn’t backfire on you completely. This strategy is indeed risky, as others my try to intentionally destroy you to get to whatever you were trying to rip apart. Also note that DPS weapons (minus Hammer) can deal damage to multiple nearby targets, very easily leaving you with low health and standing in front of a corpse you couldn’t claim. The same goes for spray-type guns like Freeze and Firebird. Wait, then pounce. Patience is key to staking your claim to the final blow, young grasshopper. Unleashing rounds every time you’ve reloaded is a good way to miss a lot of opportunities. This is especially true when using DPS weapons, as each shot has a wide time gap between shots. In this small interval, you can miss your intended kill and have to start all over again with some other poor soul. You can whale on an opponent for whole minutes if you wanted to, but if you don’t have the last bit of green left in their health bar in your hand, then what is this all besides time being wasted? Also, keep a mental counter on who’s wounded and who isn’t. You’re more likely to get a kill on someone that already earned a few scratches on their tank than one that just warped back from the limbo of respawn. Keep track of your shells. As I stated in the previous tip, remember who’s a marked man already and who’s fresh from the academy. Keeping that in mind, find a suitable target. You should have been able to memorize how many shots it takes from your favorite turret to destroy certain tanks equipped with certain paints. Watching players take damage from other predatory tanks and mentally recording the amount of health remaining is something only learned over days upon days of extensive playing, but once the ability is gained, you’re far more likely to claim the crowning spot of the match. Deal only the damage necessary and move on to your next victim. A good hunter knows where to lay their traps. Y'know that little '5' key that you use to plant your mines? Remember when you were a Sergeant and mines were a synonymy to instant death? Well, even an M4 Wasp nowadays is susceptible to death by the sudden eruption from the floor, but I'm sure you've noticed that mines just don't have the potency that they used to. Still, these nasty buggers are something that shouldn't be underestimated. Even Mammoth have a tough time trawling out of the blast radius of one of these. Laying them in the shadows of hallways or corners that fleeing tankers might hide in will give you an element of surprise on the field. Set your traps in unexpected places, as to deter others from hiding from your sights. They're even a nice greeting to a fella who wants to make your spot his own and place a grid of mines. Remember about the benefits of shoving opponents into your mines when you run out of ammunition, if the case may be. Now that we’ve covered those little details, it’ll be easier to delve into the guns themselves. Brace yourself for yet another quick set of tips. Firebird Freeze Isida Twins Vulcan Ricochet Smoky Thunder/Hammer Railgun/Shaft Extra Words of Advice @Cke1st If you see two tanks shooting each other at close range, and you've got a CDR weapon, join the party! Pick on the weaker hull if they aren't the same. You've got a 50/50 chance of finishing off the first one, and your fingers are on the aiming buttons to shift targets as soon as the first one blows up. You're almost guaranteed to get one of them, and you'll often get them both. Know your terrain and use it. For example, in Polygon, there's a section of ground on the lower end, just behind a row of concrete barriers, where weakened Railguns like to hide while they recharge. If you see someone in there, consider it "blood in the water." My favorite tactic is to park next to the barriers with a Ric, aim for the end of the barrier on the other side, and bounce my shots into that area until the hapless Railgun goes "pop." Ignore it when other players complain about you stealing their kills. That's how the game is played, and you can be sure they'd steal your kills if they could. Got any specific strategies of your own? Any special tips or tricks you could add? Post ‘em in the topic, and you could have a special place in this issue. Come up with some neat strategies, guys. Build off of the blocks given. Y’all are a smart crowd, now, and I’m sure you guys will come up with stuff I haven’t thought of. (Note that I will not add duplicates of other strategies previously listed.) Until next time! .

Isida Hunter

I continue the game of hot-potato by throwing the stick down to the person below me. Fuse is gettin' shorter...

Meanwhile, on RU1...

I agree. The only arguments I've ever seen on rotation startup have been too weak and deemed insignificant next to the larger troubles people seemed to be having with this weapon. Clearly, someone out there is reluctant to turn Vulcan back into a distance weapon.

Yeah, it amazed me that the rank availability decreased by five. The only kit I knew of that outdid that was the old medium M2 kit with Prodigi in it, available at the same rank. (At least, as far as I remember...)

Imagine a Railgun without a long reload... Scary thought, eh?

Alright, a decent update. I'm glad that someone did something about those Health kits; a Mammoth with the right protections could live indefinitely with a bit of luck. However, I was hoping for a little bit more of an increase in long ranged damage for Vulcan...

Zero.

Well, look at it this way: You now have just another reason to get onto Tanki for an hour or two.

The paints in the kits are chosen specifically to increase the value of the entire kit. Think about it: Picasso in the Cardinal kit. That paint is near 300k unchecked, amassing for a lot of its price. (This isn't the best example, however, as Twins and Titan M3 are also rather expensive.) A better example would be the Legend kit. Alright, so it has M3 Railgun and M3 Hornet. Both, when totaled, add up to maybe a bit under 400k. For a collection of M3s, this isn't all that bad. And then there's Prodigi. Prodigi is a great long ranged paint, don't get me wrong, but the price is exorbitant. It costs well over 200k to buy this paint alone. With the kit unlocked at Major General, there's a lot of cheaper paints they could have used. It's a marketing ploy. (However, some could consider it a symbiotic Tanki to player relationship...)