It's based primarily on my experiences playing for a clan in TO. The previous parts are under hyperlinks above. I'm sure it's not, that game is fairly ridiculous anyways.

I'm interested in the template design, and the in-site chat box could be useful. This may have potential with a bit of ironing out. (Also, the weapon and hull template fillers are hilarious.)

This was not a challenge for the faint of heart, yet several of you still managed to persevere. A round of applause to those that passed this mission with flying colors. 1st (40,000): @ExplosionsEverywhere 2nd (30,000): @N.o.6.o.d.y 3rd (20,000): @Therider 4th (10,000): (The prizes had to be reduced in size a little since the maximum amounts allowed for Newspaper contest prizes were accidentally exceeded) Excellent work, cadets. Rewards will be given out on Monday, 5th September. See you all at the next mission briefing. v v [Answer below] v v .

I'm fairly interested to see whether the new modules will come with quadruple protections, but at the same time, I fear that these items will dwarf even triples in price. The only reason that quadruple protections were considered rational and fair in the past was due to the fact that there were only one or two solid protections (i.e. Loam LGC, sporting 36% Firebird protection and three less significant 10% protections; Prodigi LGC, having 48% resistance to Railgun, an adequate resistance to Thunder (22%), and two minor defenses that didn't rise above 15% at stock value). Even then, they still managed a higher net value than common tri-defensive paints by a reasonable amount; anyone remember Sandstone and Picasso? If they were going to go about making quadruple modules the way typical modules are balanced out, then it'll essentially just burden buyers with more hate, since more likely than not, they'll be the ones that claim these lucrative and overwhelmingly dominant items first. Even Picasso never had the potential to have 50-50-50-50 across the board, and the old Clay and Zeus-like variants, as powerful and well recognized as they are, only had three maximum, like the current modules. The only way I could see quad protections becoming a viable choice for everyone without being too overpowered or shifting the game balance further is if developers were to stagger the resistance levels of certain protections like they did with the old paints. I suppose we'll see what route the game developers took tomorrow.

It ends at the advent of the next newspaper publication. Results will be distributed then.

No. There are no mistakes (remaining) in the contest. Everything exists for a reason.

Well, think about it, you have to jump directly into the game with some weapon and hull, right? Smoky just happens to be the most 'typical' tank weapon, fitting the profile of real-life tanks better than any of the others. The same could be said for Hunter; its stats lie at the middle ground in comparison to the other hulls.

Alright, I can tell you right now that the link you're depicting will not lead anywhere. It has come to my attention that I made a critical mistake at a certain point in constructing the contest, and it has mislead many players. I understand that this means contenders that have already answered something are guaranteed not to have the correct answer. However, as of right now, anyone who has submitted a response in the form may enter the keyword once more. I understand that this has inconvenienced many tankers, and I'm sorry. I will try to take more measures in the future to prevent something like this from happening again.

There's another article coming out next month, it'll be explained then. I had this idea a considerable time ago, resulting in both articles being created around the same time. However, for continuity purposes, I decided to hold off from posting them both all at once, letting them take a series-like posture.

I just noticed you had a huge number of posts in a row. I had a feeling that could have been grouped into one massive posts, but I checked the timestamps too late. I'm sorry.

Don't sweat it, you won't be banned. I'm only taking the first responses from the players, that's the only reason why more than one is unfavorable. Y'know, people that try to guess it and whatnot. If it was just a mere spelling error, I'd understand what you meant anyways. You're fine.

I'd say no, as of now. Secondly, how can you know any submission you enter is wrong? Without access to any sort of clues, one answer is just as likely to be correct as another.

Please, buddy, for the sake of the page.

Spore + Tail Glow/Agility + Baton Pass. Always my favorite when using Eviolite Trace Porygon2 or Air Balloon HP Fire Probopass. Their more-than-ample defenses make a sweep possible with some special attack investment. ^_^

The new divide between paints and modules has come to stay - and for all intents and purposes, the paints have become purely aesthetic while the modules now hold all the power. Not only did the old defenses these paints used to hold become split off to be used interchangeably, but a whole new group of modules has hit the game, adding a completely different level of required consideration towards defensive strategy goals. My objective here is to try and simplify this goal through breaking down these new modules, comparing them to the Legacy modules (LGCs), stating the overall effectiveness of each, and determining what will work best in a given situation. A Brief Word on Module Selection This news is old news by this point, but modules are essentially plugins for your tank that grant you resistances to certain turrets depending on which one you choose. Considering there's a whopping 134 known modules, you have quite a few options to work with. Whether the update occurred during your Tanki career or before it, modules will be one of the biggest impacts on your in-game success, only seconded in importance by your skill commanding a tank. Considering that, it would be wise to familiarize yourself with the types of modules available, which ones are preferable to others overall, and above all, which modules suit your needs best. Bear in mind that the prices fluctuate greatly between these and the old paints, and that their maximum upgrade levels take a considerable amount of time and money to reach. One simply cannot be careful enough when deciding which defenses are most important to you and your style of combat. How Modules Are Grouped Every new module has a designated code name to organize them in terms of specific efficiency. If you don't already know, each name begins with a specific animal, stating the family of the module, and ends with a series of letters that identify how many protections the module has and what version it is (i.e. Kodiak T-B = triple protection, second variant of the Kodiak family. S- and D- are single and double, respectively). The second label is simple, cut-'n'-dried data, but the first are a bit more challenging to identify without studying all of the modules extensively. I've gone through each individual module, reorganized them, and searched for the similarities between each family. Here's what I've found: Badger T -- These triple-protection modules are excellent for close ranged combat. Guaranteed to have a combination of two CDR (cumulative damage rate) weapons mixed with one various mid-ranged defense. Any family member would be an excellent edition to a single point CP player's arsenal. Dolphin S -- Focusing on one of the the shell weapons (Smoky, Thunder, Vulcan) per chip, these do suitably well in mid-ranged combat. They're fairly cheap, too, only having one defense to upgrade. Eagle D -- This doubles collection is excellent for long ranged combat, and long ranged combat only. While limited in capability, these can fare particularly well in massive maps with wide open spaces, like Stadium, Dusseldorf, or Monte Carlo. Falcon S -- Like Eagle, these only have potential in large scale matches, but having only one defense makes them significantly cheaper than their counterpart. It's probably best to purchase one of these at the beginning of your Tanki career, or just as an emergency backup if you have no high DPS (damage per shot) weapon resistance. Fox S -- While these module types can only focus on one defense at a time, they're particularly valuable due to their easy affordability and what they protect from: the purely close combat turrets such as Firebird, Isida and Freeze. Griffon T -- While few in number, the Griffon family have strong triple defenses against purely high DPS weaponry. The only exception is Griffon T-C, which includes Vulcan due to its parallel range to that of the other DPS weapons. Grizzly T -- This triple-defense module family is intriguing in the fact that it has the most variation between what it protects its owner from (also having the largest family, home to a dozen members). It seems as though the base for this species is an IC (intermediate-class; essentially shell-based) or low CDR weapon, augmented with either a high DPS turret or a high CDR weapon, if one isn't already on the list. It's apparently most effective on mid-sized maps, being the most diverse chip family. Kodiak T -- Another bear with three resistances, this family functions similarly to the Grizzly family, but with a more defined defense pattern. This module family revolves around using two long-ranged weapons alongside an extreme CDR weapon, granting the opportunity for snipers and such that usually fight other long-ranged combatants to survive a surprise attack from a close ranged weapon of choice. Excellent tactical efficiency for players that like fighting from a distance. Lion T -- This family is primarily focused on defense from plasma-based weapons (Twins, Ricochet) and other close ranged fighters. If you're looking for a way to deal with cramped maps where weapons like these thrive at, then one of these triple modules could be a perfect choice for you. Ocelot D -- Essentially a Badger with only two defenses; high CDR and close ranged weapons are the name of the game. Cheaper, but rather limiting tactics-wise. Fun Fact: The Ocelot family is one of the only two groups of modules that don't have a matching Legacy counterpart. Just like the creature itself, these resistance combinations are unique and incomparable to that of their peers. Orka D -- Another double defense chip, the killer whale family is all about mid-ranged combat. Smoky, Ricochet and Thunder are not a problem for these devices to handle, and a map that these turrets thrive on should be sought for. Panda D -- This is an odd module type due to its protection combinations. The two turrets it protects your tank from seem to always be polar opposites in function and on the damage rating chart (see below), one having high DPS, the other having high CDR. I guess since a Panda's colors are inverted, the defenses for a module named after it would do the same. Panther D -- Twins and Smoky. That's almost all the Panther family cares about. Two protections, one of them is guaranteed to go to one of the two aforementioned weapons, while the other is saved for a designated mid-ranged turret. Shark T -- Just like sharks in the movies, these ones are apparently not affected by machine guns at all. Spare the middle child, Shark T-C (sporting a design akin to that of Cedar LGC's), the Shark family is all about resistance from Vulcan and IC-type weapons. These are more than effective in moderately sized maps. Spider S -- A lone child, Spider S-A is unique in many ways. First, it's one of the only two module families that has no LGC modules exactly like it, the aforementioned Ocelot being the first. Secondly, it's the only known single-defense module to date that has a resistance to mines, not to mention the only purchasable mine protection module. Third, it's the only module on this list named after something that's not a vertebrate. For something without a spine, these fellas sure can take an explosion... Ursa T -- Yet another module family named after a bear, the Ursa family has the same characteristics as Kodiak, except only one high DPS weapon defense is given alongside two IC or CDR resistances. The game designers sure like bears, huh? Wolf S -- The threshold between short range and medium range, Wolf is a single defense module family that deals with the likes of the plasma weapons and the odd Hammer, for some reason. I'm taking a shot in the dark and assuming it's range. Also, the range of a weapon isn't the only way of classifying it; the damage rate and consistency are among other factors that make weapons in Tanki Online different from one another. For example, Vulcan is unusual in comparison to its other infinitely ranged cousins (Shaft, Railgun, Smoky, Thunder) due to the fact that it doesn't take just one shot, reload, repeat. It deals consistent damage to opponents from any distance, never having to stop firing at any given time. On those terms, it would actually make more sense to group Vulcan up with the likes of Firebird and Twins, weapons that are only effective when they're constantly firing, otherwise known as weapons with high CDRs (cumulative damage rate). A chart depicting the damage rates of each weapon is shown below. An easy way of classifying whether a weapon is DPS, IC or CDR is through testing how they fire. If it requires only a tap of the space bar all the time, it's likely a DPS (damage per shot) type weapon. If you're constantly required to hold the space bar to deal damage, then you're dealing with a CDR (cumulative damage rate) type weapon. If you're shifting between both of these strategies quite often depending on what the battlefield situation is, the weapon is likely an IC (intermediate class) type weapon. These can't quite be described as DPS weapons due to their underwhelming power in each shot, but not enough rapid damage cumulatively to be labeled CDR weapons, either. Module Categorization With over eleven dozen modules in circulation at the moment, it goes without saying that categorizing them according to what they do is fairly important. However, parallels should also be drawn as to both how these new chips reflect the legacy modules and how they stand alone as truly new items. Module Congruencies In order to figure out which modules are actually worth buying, it would be pertinent to know which new modules are just cloned resistances of the LGCs. However, take note that the resistances for said modules will not be the same as the LGCs in most cases. Since the older ones had a wider variety of percentages in comparison to the standard 10-15-25-35-50s the new ones offer, it would also be worth the time to take into account the price value of micro-upgrades required for your LGCs. Missing Module Combinations Interestingly enough, not all of the old paint modules were replaced when the new chips flooded the game. The LGCs below have currently been deemed irreplaceable. Notice anything in common? Unique Modules These module flavors are unique for having an unmatched combination of defenses. These new editions to the defense program are certain to patch up the few holes that tankers have had in the past when it comes to easing the pain on a certain fighting style. If anything, since all of these are available at M0 by Master Sergeant at least, it would bring some early access to the proper defenses for tankers, of which the LGCs may not hold. Special Modules These modules are not available for purchase under any circumstance. Like the Helper and Champion paints, they can only be acquired after certain requirements have been met, such as aiding the game as a staff member, holding one of the top three clan titles, and the like. All Modules Situational Module Rating Every new module is unique, varying slightly from one another enough to merit their various usefulness in certain battle situations. That being said, that doesn't mean that certain modules don't outclass others in almost every area and aspect, allowing for some to be more viable than others in everyday battle situations despite having the same percentages of protection. Referring to the chart above, one can assume that the most valued modules would be those that cover a specific range of weapons, based on their range, damage per shot, and secondary effect nullifiers. These would be considered 'specialist modules', as they focus on a specific range of items to defend the tank from. On the other hand, we have chips that are designed to cover a vast range of items at once, never quite focusing on one specific role. These would be aptly labeled as 'universal modules', since their objective is to cover as much ground as possible from several spread points. Logically, the two kingdoms of module would only apply to those of the T- type, since there's always at least three different varieties of weapons to defend from (short-,mid, and long-ranged; DPS, IC, and CDR). In the S- and D- categories, the only drastic demonstration of universal module traits would be through the Panda family, having inverse defenses on all fronts. It's clearly impossible to have diversity between single-defense modules, so those can only be rated as quick-purchase items that can throw up a passable defense immediately. In order to properly rate them, they will be cataloged by their resistances into predetermined groups. The spoiler below contains a series of subspoilers that can be used to decide which exact module would be the best fit for your playing style. Within this section, modules will be rated based on their coordination of resistances and how they would affect the greatest range of players. v v v BEGIN HERE v v v If you didn't have your heart already set on a specific set of resistances already or are just looking for a more tactical viewpoint on these chips, then hopefully this guide has sufficed to accomplish all of these. As a last note (this one is fairly obvious to anyone who's played the game), but try to avoid clustering the same protections in your garage. Allow each chip in your inventory to retain its value to your arsenal, requiring you to download every defense you own time and time again to fit the battle situation best. The most dangerous thing you can do to your wallet is buy a module that you don't need or purchase one that overshadows older chips, rendering them obsolete and a waste of your previous crystals. Unless they're an LGC or one of the M-type modules, they can always be pumped up to reach 50% resistance, which is never something to scoff at. I hope you found this article both informative and useful! Feel free to share your thoughts on the new modules and their effectiveness below. Take care, and choose wisely.

Part VIII Read Part I Here Read Part II Here Read Part III Here Read Part IV Here Read Part V Here Read Part VI Here Read Part VII Here AR12GAMING's periwinkle projectiles were already flying past me when the first enemy clan member attempted to leap across the gap to our flag. An M1 Hornet/Twins, presumably the leader of Stealth 360 himself, landed gracefully onto our ledge and proceeded to spray purple orbs in our general direction as the red flag flickered and attached itself to his hull. Carefully, I watched his treads from behind my only line of defense, the same peaking ramp that AllTimeGerman99 balanced his Wasp upon before the war began. A glowing orange icon above the Dirty-clad tank was the only thing keeping me from immediately striking his hull with an azure ray. Which way is he planning on escaping with the flag? The low road, leaving himself exposed for several seconds to ranged fire, or the jump back? As if he somehow heard my thoughts, AR12GAMING's voice cut through the sound of Twin projectiles howling around me. "Sig, keep your eyes on the way back out, Nick might try to jump for it." I could hear his M1 Titan roaring through my headphones, presumably from his computer. "I'm going to try and pin the route downhill, don't let him escape through the ramps!" NickNackPattyWaack, whom had been shuffling back and forth behind the meager cover of the peak, was becoming far more skittish now that his hiding spot was about to become steamrolled by my gargantuan ally. Abandoning his efforts to peck away at AR12GAMING's immense health supply, he switched gears and began moving at full steam back towards the ledge he had entered on. In return, I quickly backpedaled my Hunter, locked the path before him in sight, and clipped the spacebar with my forefinger. He never made it over the breach. The deep blue bolt yanked the front of his tank far off center to the opposite side of the stage, causing him to tumble treads first into the ravine below and effectively returning our flag. A short chortle from AR12GAMING followed, and the rumble of his Twins' engines chugging abated. "Nice shot, Sig." My headphones began fluctuating in volume, but I detected my teammate say something about hunting the lower platforms for a rogue Firebird. All at once, they started acting oddly, and takumi12 was vying for my attention. "Sig, Sig, get behind cover, their Railgun's shooting at us!" Without delay, I roved my forest green Hunter back behind the nearest outcropping, a jersey barrier with black and yellow hazard stripes lining the top. Not a moment later, a pale beam appeared out of nowhere, smacking the concrete directly in front of me. Scanning Monte Carlo's opposite road, I barely witnessed a black Wasp slipping back behind the cover of a perfect reflection of my own hiding spot. takumi12 wasted no time in moving from shelter to shelter, covering nearly the entire width of the stage before the Railgun decided to try his luck again. Despite driving with all of his willpower towards the last long concrete shield, his tank evaporated upon contact with the crystalline projectile. A high pitched curse followed takumi12's explosion. Still lurking behind my wall, I took my own scan of the enemy base. On the far right side of their strip of elevated road, my leader was crawling apparently undetected under a steady rain of supply boxes, biding his time behind a wider concrete wall as he waited for a Storm-clad Viking to take a nosedive onto the low highway from their central peak. I wonder if I can give him some more wiggle room to advance by removing Viking/Thunder here from the equation. My M1 Railgun had primed itself for another shot during my analysis of the field, and a crate of armor plates had begun falling on the other side of my team's center peak. Now or never, I thought as I witnessed the Viking/Thunder grow more curious about the enemy Wasp/Isida with each passing second. Wasting no more time, I thrust the Hunter into full throttle reverse once again, charging my Railgun as I crested the central peak and took aim at my wide assailant. He must have seen the glow of my turret, for he instantly began turning his Thunder in my direction. The shot went directly through his turret, but it didn't stop him from landing an explosive shell squat center into the side of my tank in return. I careened sideways, my movement angle skewed from the impact, and the front of my clumsy machine jammed itself between the small gap between the peak's guardwall and another jersey barrier. There wasn't much I could do to retaliate as the black Wasp charged its own sky blue Railgun and blew my tank into oblivion. As my tank respawned on the lowest sector of my team's base, a notification indicating that collinskev has taken the enemy flag sprung to life, just as quickly replaced by a yellow message and a frustrated sigh over the Skype link indicating that he lost it. He must have been caught by one of the defenders, I thought as I made my way back to the higher platforms, seeing no invaders from below. "AR, did you find that Firebird?" "Yeah, he's history by now." collinskev, who had just respawned behind me on the wave of slopes leading into the base, quickly interrupted with his monotone voice. "There's a Freeze blocking the jump out, M1 Mammoth wearing Tundra. I'm not sure he's defeatable with Railguns or Firebirds, we need Bro to handle this one, he's got the Shaft." "Got it, sending him a message now," I replied. "Watch my back." Making sure I was sheltered well on the main incline to the flag, I shot a quick message to my companion. [sigma_Ctu-s1_V3: bro we need you to focus on that mammoth, he's stopping anyone from capping] After hitting Enter, I crawled back up to my old hiding spot, where AllTimeGerman99 and ComeAtMeBro13 were doing battle with the meddlesome defender. The shadowy Wasp was nowhere to be seen, likely destroyed in their siege efforts. I sent my own support by tossing a cerulean bolt at the giant, but I may as well have tickled him for all the damage I did. Completely unfazed, the Mammoth proceeded to make a block of ice out of my leader, and was proceeding to advance onto the green Hornet/Shaft hiding behind the other side of their middle peak. Below the main stage, I saw T3chio's Metallic Hornet charging headlong towards their rear entrance, deftly dodging the massive pillars weighing down lower highway. Hopefully that Freeze will be too distracted with Bro to deal with T3 stealing their flag. AR12GAMING suddenly opened the call line. "Germ, T3's on his way to the flag, we need to figure out how to keep that Mammoth away. Nick's coming back to the ramp to make another jump, I'm gonna try and pin him from the other side." "Gotcha, AR. Uno, Tater and I are makin' our way back to their side now, but their Firebirds and Isidas are makin' it hard to stay there long, they done took ahold o' the ground behind the flag and they're not lettin' go." AllTimeGerman99 took a long breath. "Range ain't gonna do nothin', they're hiding too low and sendin' only Nick and Asloth to take flags. The only way we'll be able to get a flag is if we spread them out across the map." Spread them out... how can that be done? I pondered. I threw my camera angle high, trying to see the opposing side of the field. Sure enough, there were three or four players roving around behind the flag, waiting for someone to jump for it. Maybe some of us can draw fire from their left side, since only a few of their clan are taking offensive measures. The worst we'd have to face from outside in an onslaught from their Thunders and Twins. Potatoe can handle them with Cedar, I think. Or was it a Thunder and Smoky paint...? "Sig, watch your left!" Astonished, I turned to face the rise only to find Asloth barreling down on me, hazard symbol and green plates hovering above the turret already smoking from its previous shot. A feeble dot of blue was the only response my weapon could muster before an orange cloud of explosive powder engulfed my tank and chomped through my entire health bar. I didn't even wait for my respawn to begin before shouting a warning to my allied defenders. "AR, watch yourself, that Thunder's on our side, he's got Power on now!" "Got it, I found Armor nearby, making my way back now." More explosions erupted on our side of the base as Asloth began hammering away at AR12GAMING's health stockpile, taking a surprising amount of blue with each shot. I spawned on the left side of the field, closer to the enemy flag than before. They're still gathered fairly close to the flag, I surmised as I flicked a bolt in the general direction of the Wasp's hiding spot, hoping to keep him pinned long enough for me to find somewhere to take cover. I managed to snag the green box and dive behind the barrier before the pale shot reverberated through the air behind me, barely missing the rear of my machine. Immediately, I reversed gears and charged full throttle for the leftmost corner leading to the enemy clan's flag ramps. If I can get onto the bridge and fire at them from above, I might be able to scatter them. As I reached the safety of the long guardrail, a hazard stamped box began its graceful decent from the heavens. Maybe I can do more than just scare them, I realized, a smirk slowly pulling at the corner of my mouth. "Germ, collins, I can take out a few people from the middle bridge, I might be able to make an opening for you, uno and T3 to grab a flag." I launched a full power projectile through a Hornet/Firebird climbing up the bridge on the opposite side, determined not to lose my spot. Might be able to pull off something noteworthy during this war yet, a stray thought surmised. I repositioned myself on the middle of the bridge, ready to spear the cloud of tanks gathered behind the flag. T3chio and someoneuno were do battle with the respawned Mammoth/Freeze, two brightly colored birds ripping apart the laurel green giant. They'll be there in seconds. One last glance to my right to clarify there were no invaders was all I needed before I took aim and charged a sapphire bolt, priming to unleash into the ironclad crowd. * * * [TankiMedic: Hey Shed you ready?] Sitting at one of the ancient on-campus computers, I looked at the industrial clock hanging above the building's entrance. 12:20. I have about 20 minutes to talk with the clan today. I scanned my friends list, only to find it somewhat barren, a plain of grey interspersed occasionally with the green light of the eternal wraiths of Polygon CPs. Well, with whoever's available, anyways. [shedinja: Sure, but nobody's online besides you and viper. Not much we can do with only three people.] [TankiMedic: True, but at least we can discuss stuff with him. Need to let him practice with his M2 Rail now that he has it] [shedinja: Hm, you have a point. At least the delay offered some silver lining.] [TankiMedic: You have a point. its not going to stop him from being an easy 1-hit kill though, it's a good thing this isn't a XP-BP format match. Maybe we can get TB to let him use Tundra?] [shedinja: Possibly, but I feel like there should have been a mention of that earlier. Fracture still isn't going to save him from one hit shots from M3 Railguns, and that's the paint I confirmed he would be using] Several seconds passed unceremoniously. I checked my garage absent-mindedly, shifting between my own topaz paint and Rustle. We can't even allow denex12 to join the war because he's a guarunteed 1-hit-KO, and he's the best Wasp user we have available. Viper can still perform well as a mid-field and defender, but we need as many quick players that can take a shot as we can get. TankiMedic finally replied, echoing my own thoughts. [TankiMedic: Hes probably gonna need to stay near our base and defend. An M2 Railgun is still dangerous to anyone trying to take our flag] [shedinja: Aye. Anyways, let's call him and start a short 15 minute Sandbox, I'm using my lunch hour at the moment] [TankiMedic: Already made one, entering now, call viper] Looking at the battle selection confirmed that TankiMedic had indeed preemptively organized a match, already standing by on the red alliance. After swiftly beaming an invite away to viperf50, I began the short travel from the main chat of EN2 to the non-format PRO Sandbox CTF. Upon loading in, I quickly discovered that viperf50 had decided to join the red team as well, leaving me outmatched two players to one. I guess practice for viper is going to be versus me, then. I immediately reloaded the garage and prepared to add a fresh coat of Fracture to my war machine. As the ages-old Dell chugged and clicked away trying to process the command, my clanmates began discussing more tactics for the war. [TankiMedic: Since you have M2 Railgun now you're going to be needed to play defense, since we need to M2 hornets to focus on the flag capping] [viperf50: okay did they say how many m3 rails they have now that lilsims ranked] That's a good question, I pondered as my garage finally flashed onto the scraped glass screen. I know T3 has full M2, but I'm not sure about the others. Come to think, I haven't seen hide, hair or hull from any of my old Brethren in a long time. They've probably gotten a lot stronger under T3's leadership. There's nowhere to go but up for them. [TankiMedic: I'm not sure... Shed what's your guess?] Finally armed with my typical XP equipment and the charming citrine paint, I spawned back into the game meters from my flag and hammered out a quick response. [shedinja: I'm not sure, lemme look at the forum real quick.] Buried under a few new PMs from goldenarmorX, ieatcookies and Loackie, the original clan war request still loomed, a small chain of miscellaneous responses and comments trailing below. It still labeled the original clan war date of the 17th of January, not the modification to the 24th. Alrighty, so T3 I know still has M2 XP, and MHS likely has it as well. LIlsims might have bought the Legend kit he's been raving about all over the forums by now, so there's a possible M3 set to watch out for. As for fake... I honestly didn't know he was still playing. Judging by the rank, his alternate account probably has M2 Railgun on it, and possibly M3 Hornet now that there's been a week's extra preparation. I studied each of the listed names carefully. They're likely to be moving a lot faster than us on the field on average, and poor viper's gonna draw fire from those M3 Rails like moths to a flame. While that may work to the advantage of his teammates, that means we're just going to be one player short more often than not. With a light sigh, I closed out of the tab and shuffled back to Tanki Online, where TankiMedic and viperf50 were still discussing the subject of modification tiers. Hitting Enter, I gave a short report based on the information I just recapped. [shedinja: Alright, so I looked at TB's lineup, and they're guaranteed to still have at least two M2 Railguns, but the other two could be a mixture of M2s and M3s by now. viper, you're probably going to have a bit of trouble fighting those M3 Rails, so trying to target them whenever you can; you can rest assured that they'll try to shoot you first.] [viperf50: ok but i dont know if fake's alt has m3s yet] [shedinja: That's true, I'm just preparing for the worst and hoping for the best. There's a chance two Hornets might be M3 now, so we're likely to be outsped overall on the field. We're going to have to take a defensive stance at first to draw them out to us, then use their injuries to push forward and swipe a flag.] [TankiMedic: What if they play defensive too? then how can we take a flag?] [shedinja: We'll just have to whittle away at them from above then, like we practiced in form 3.] [shedinja: Alright, let's shift gears here a bit and wear you into that new Railgun. I'll one on one with you to start, then Medic will practice with you in a DM match. Since your primary role is gonna be defense, it'd be more relevant to set the stage for your training there.] [viperf50: okay ready?] Quietly staring at my keyboard, I listlessly tuned into the white noise of papers rustling and ceiling fans humming. I really hope this new weapon won't be more of an impediment to him than an aid, I thought glumly. Not only would he be easy prey for players that find him first, but wasted shots due to not being accustomed to the turret's turning speed... poor fella would be a liability at that point. I shook my head. I need to have some faith in myself and my team. viper knows his way around a Railgun, he's bested me in a match several times. After a few hours of playing, he'll be only a supplement to our team's success, having the extra firepower and the guarantee to 2-hit-KO M3 Hornets every single time. Besides, you haven't even started the match yet. Make your ultimate judgments then. Shunting the cracked black mouse aside to give myself more space, I typed in a reply. [shedinja: Aye, go.] * * * The day before the war was comparable to that of any Friday. High school, despite it being the middle of the year, ran at minimal capacity, simply going through the motions. More speeches from Mr. Peterson about WWII's working force, oddly a bit monotone today in lieu of his typically chipper attitude. Another five-paragraph page to write on Dante's Inferno from English 11, the blasé students around me scratching away at their assignments, likely more focused on the weekend ahead than interpreting the limbo circle. Not even robotics had an outstanding allure today, my peers and I nonchalantly hovering over circuit boards, testing our soldering skills. Two of my neighbors accidentally overheated their plates, and I came fairly close to stabbing my thumb with the iron. As I left the final class of the day, my beaten messenger bag a haphazard mess of paper and plastic from shoving my possessions in after the bell caught me by surprise, I happened across Dane and Derrick in the courtyard, the two seemingly in a heated argument over which Water-type Pokemon would outlast another. "Howdy, folks. What's going on?" Dane was the first to respond. "Hey, John. Got a question for you: which would win in a one-on-one situation: Starmie or Slowking?" "Starmie has Thunder and Rain Dance, paralysis and critical hits would take out Slowking after a while with max special attack investment, even with his Slack Off." Derrick triumphantly threw his fist in the air. "I told you it could learn Thunder!" "Yeah, whatever..." Dane waved him off, veiled resent tinting his voice. Turning back to me, he asked, "You have any time to head to the park today?" I shook my head. "Sorry, man. I've got a clan war to practice for, I need to get the gang together in about thirty minutes. One of my members needs a bit more training with Railgun, some of his shots went a bit askew thanks to the increased rotation speed." "Okay, if you say so. Wait, wasn't that war supposed to be last Saturday?" "It was, but... well, the internet connection decided to go down the toilet on that day. Stupid router overheated." Derrick visibly cringed. "Dang. That's about the worst timing possible." "Heh, tell me about it, why don't ya." Shifting the bag into a more comfortable position on my shoulder, I turned to leave. "Hopefully, this week wasn't just a delay of the inevitable. Still not mighty confident of our chances of pulling a rabbit out of our hat here." "It can't be too bad, just an extra Hornet for their side." Dane was staring at me with a puzzled expression. "You've been pushing your team through practice all week. I'd be surprised if you didn't string up a victory due to sheer repetition alone." A light chuckle escaped me. "I'd like to imagine that's the case, but chances are T3 probably did the same. If I ever learned anything fighting alongside him, he's meticulous to the extreme. He wouldn't waste this opportunity to polish his team's skills further." "I suppose you can't blame him." We had begun walking west across the courtyard, making our way to the far exit at a moderate pace. "It should make for a thrilling match, if nothing else." "Yeah, but..." I felt my stomach begin to coil. "After concentrating all of my willpower towards honing Polyatomic, it would be a real shame for these efforts to not bear any fruit. I don't think we could stand to take a defeat after all of this." The three of us went silent for a while as we crossed the threshold of school boundaries and found ourselves moving towards a vast expanse of trimmed grass. Football season ended months ago. I wonder what sport requires the field to be mowed now. For a great while, there was little sound spare the errant student motoring through the parking lot and our own footsteps. A breeze was beginning to form through the funnel of the lot, causing a loosely hung aluminium sign to gently rattle against the chain-link fence that encapsulated the premises. From atop one of the nearby slate gray electrical buildings, a lone raven eyed our progress with detached interest. Dane broke the silence after we had traversed the student parking center. "Well, if worst comes to worst, you could say you gave it your all. Losing wouldn't be the end of the world." I turned to look at him. "No... you're right, it wouldn't be the end of the world, but..." We had reached the edge of the parking lot, and the park and my home diverged our paths further. "Anyways, I'll catch up with y'all next Monday or something. Bring your DSes, we could try and set up a few battle simulators between some of the Bug-types." With a two-fingered wave, I turned the corner and began briskly striding off westward toward the bike rack. But... it might be the end of the clan, I thought miserably, undoing the cheap red combination lock attacked to my bike's central skeleton. Looking back, I've literally poured everything I had into preparing for this war. As loathe as I am to admit it... I'm not sure if I could rationally handle a loss at this point. If we get crushed in the upcoming battle, my heart and soul for the clan may be flattened right along with it. I reflected on the train of thought that just coursed through my mind, disgusted at myself. Huh. I didn't realize that my will to overcome had become so weak. What happened to that can-do attitude that brought Polyatomic to life and kept it there for this long? Did it really wither away to be replaced by this cancerous dread of the future? Have I really reached the point where such a simple blow to pride such as the loss of a match can bring me to thoughts of colony abandonment? I focused all of my concentration on each rotation of the pedal system, swaying slightly as I worked my way over one of the many hills sprinkled across town. I really hope that's not the case. Even so, there shouldn't be so much worry placed on the match anyways. My team is incredibly capable, even with light handicaps such as a lower-tiered Hornet. I'd still be fine with letting denex use Wasp if it weren't for Railgun's auto-aim turning them into motorized bowling pins. At least exploding instantly is less of a liability than taking an extra ten seconds to. I was at the top of the low hill now, leaving a long downhill segment and a 150-meter climb before I could log on. Best not to keep them waiting, I thought as I began picking up speed. * * * 5:49, 1-24, the digital clock on my dresser read. T-minus 11 minutes until launch. After triple checking that the router was at top capacity and that the laptop was as far from overheated as possible, I started up a short practice match for the clan, a fifteen minute non-PRO Sandbox DM. Fortunately, nobody else had experienced technical problems at this time; TankiMedic, Pokemontrainer2, and viperf50 were all present and accounted for. Hastily, I threw a Skype tab onscreen and searched through profiles until I found the clan chat network. [shedinja: Alright, Medic, viper, call's setting up now. Pokes, I'll relay info as soon as I receive it.] [Pokemontrainer2: understood] [TankiMedic: Hold on I need to set up my mic] Without any further delay, I got into a comfortable position on my beaten but reliable recliner and opened up the call channel. viperf50 was the first to respond, with TankiMedic not trailing far behind. "Alrighty Shed, did Medic get his mic working?" "Yes." TankiMedic responded flatly. "I'm not trying to make one from scratch, I just needed to plug it in." A half-chuckle crackled over the channel. "Okay, okay, I guess so." "Alright, since Pokes is going to need to have a constant information feed, we're going to need to shift those responsibilities to whomever is dead at the moment." In the background, I could already hear TankiMedic building in-game subtitles. "We all know he's fairly capable on the field without a buoyancy line, but he should know all non-notif based data. Someone needs to pass the flag, send a quick 'f' his way. The flag bearer's low on health, tell him '1'. Make sure you're using the team chat, we cannot afford to have transparent communication." Pokemontrainer2 was already sifting through the feed, sending out responses in suitable time. [Pokemontrainer2: got it, ill keep my eyes open anyways] "Viper, you're in charge of making sure that nobody enters the base without an injury. Some of these players may be faster than us, and we can't afford for them to not be a single shot kill by the time they make it back to their side of the field. See if you can't lure them in with your lower-staged hull, nab a few surprise hits." "Got it. If the flag's near me and no one else, I need for you guys to watch my back and surprise the M3 Rails trying to get me. We all have M2 Rail now, at least we're all capable of flipping hulls on ramps if we aim right." "Yeah, if we hold the high ground more often, we can take advantage of form three and box them into their own side," TankiMedic chipped in. "Higher angles give us a better chance to knock them over and pull the flag from under their noses." "Right," I confirmed, "And we'll also have excellent defensive positioning so long as we don't hole up in the corners. The moment we lose all-directional movement is the moment we lose the high ground. Someone is bound to take the walls above us if we back down for even an instant." I really wish we had the house on our side, I silently lamented. It would have been perfect for viper to use defensively and shore up on his weaker hull points, but since he can't get over there and use it himself without having to tackle M3 Hornets and Railguns... I didn't exactly have to scrutinize my friends list for it to lead me straight to T3chio's name, glowing verdant and lively at the top of the catalog. I nervously checked the clock glowing with a professional green ambience in the background of my living room. Five minutes and counting. Pokemontrainer2 and viperf50 were sparring near the center of the field, deftly swinging about the rusted Tanki Online signpost in an effort to send one another off of the edge. Viper's faring exceptionally well despite having a lower-tiered hull than him, I noticed, a spark of hope feebly lighting my heart. Even yesterday afternoon, he was flaunting professional accuracy during practice with ieatcookies and T4NK_DESTROYER. He must have been practicing incredibly hard in his spare time. Rounding the pole one last time, viperf50 let loose a lavender shell through his clanmate and catapulted himself over the cliff, taking advantage of the increased recoil force on his lighter hull and performing a spectacular barrel roll back onto his treads. Not missing a beat, he then swerved his Hornet around the edge of the platform, leaving Pokemontrainer2 in the dust and fired a second bolt into his charging figure just as he neared the access ramp to the side viperf50 had previously hidden in front of. "Yeah-hahh-ah! That was awesome!" His cheer rang through the idle channel. "Did you guys see that?!" "Wow, not bad, vipe," Medic responded. "Do that if you can in the war, alright?" I threw in my own two cents. "Using the increased recoil of your weapon in order to thrust yourself off of the edge with enough power to come full circle and land... not bad. It may be a viable advantage if you're careful." As viperf50 transferred his celebration to the in-game chat, I looked once again at the clock. 5:58. It's almost time. T3 claimed the rights to making the battle. Despite having topped off dinner with the chilled leftovers of a Poptart, my stomach still felt tight and concave. I wonder if he's just as nervous as I am about the upcoming battle. I'm sure he's somewhat skeptical of the possible outcome of the match as well, but he doesn't have as much faith pinned on the outcome, I'd assume. A nonchalant teenage voice from yesterday echoed through my head. Well, if worst comes to worst, you could say you gave it your all. Losing wouldn't be the end of the world. It wouldn't be the end of the world, would it. I studied TankiMedic doling instructions to Pokemontrainer2 through the lifeline of the in-game chat. It may shake our pride, but it doesn't mean it'll erase us and our credibility from history. We'll still, in the end, honestly and wholeheartedly be able to say that we tried. I sat in the chair for a moment, thoroughly satisfied with that line of thought as I watched my clan leader jump in on the excitement and begin sparring as well. He managed to sweep both Pokemontrainer2 and viperf50 from the map before being incapacitated by a well-timed shot from Pokemontrainer2, flipping the Sandstone fighter from out of nowhere. I was roving back and forth along the ground near where the red flag would typically lie, watching the action unfold with a light smile. Then, all at once, the corner of my screen brought a dark green notification before me, relaying a starred request to join an open Sandbox. T3chio. It's time. Read Part IX here .

In Action | In Theory Howdy, folks. It's been a while since one of these collabs was brought to the table; it's about due time for this to be brought back from the dead after its rather abysmal lifespan of two issues. In case you're curious about this series, you can read through the effort @Kevred and I gave in the past with Hornet/Twins here and here. Also, feel free to take a peek at Kev's solo Dictator/Hammer article here. (Rest in peace, buddy.) This time around, @Night-Sisters and I will dig into the subject of Wasp/Smoky, a more or less popular choice between tankers. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ My First Thoughts I remember once meeting a player back in my Warrant Officer days on my first account that was insanely good with this combo. I never did see him again after that Desert TDM, but I'm sure he's long since been an 'issimo at this point. He didn't use a single supply, but he still managed to rack up about a 2.15 D/L. (This really meant something in a realm where smart cooldowns were only a figment of the imaginative developer's mind and kits were more or less extremely overpowered. I promise you, there were at least two people in the match wearing Digital.) A lot has changed since back then, though. Smoky has taken a beating over the course of older updates, leaving it hard-pressed to grant anything special to players compared to the other weapon choices. However, it still has a chance to bring some unique elements to the table when paired up with the fastest hull in the game, possibly creating distinct features that other combinations might not be capable of replicating. Composition Wasp, as previously mentioned, is second to none when it comes to raw speed. With the soul of an RC car, the tiniest hull of the bunch excels at concise turning and maneuvering at high velocities, but it oddly has a hard time with forward acceleration, only reaching 13 m/s^2. That's tied with Hunter's acceleration rate, and these are only outdone by Mammoth's horrendous 12 m/s^2. (Mammoth's top speed isn't really doing it any favors here, either.) However, this is still enough to get it out of a tricky situation quick with a passable reverse acceleration stat and its naturally high speed and low weight. What keeps this hull from outperforming Hornet is its low power, acceleration, unbalanced turret placement (with any recoil weapon, accidents are bound to happen), and lightweight frame that makes it prone to doing somersaults at random. Of course, the obvious fault among these is Wasp's severe lack of health, which can be a true thorn in its side when being pinned in one place for too long or being caught off guard. A staple turret of Tanki Online; everyone owns it, and almost everyone has used it. While Smoky has the same function as your typical pea-shooter, the one unique feature of this gun is its infamous critical hit, which strikes after a various number of shots landed (based on a percentage in conjunction with a hidden charge gauge) and deals a great deal more damage than a normal shot, approximately 100 hp at its 'M4' stage. This is rather impressive in comparison to the typical 44 - 56 hp chipped away (basically doling the same damage as two shots at once), but only occurs every few shots. This is classified as an IC weapon due to its moderate damage per shot in relation to its consistent shooting rate. (definitions for IC and others here.) What do you get when you mix a well-rounded turret with an liberally-opinionated hull? Well, in the acting world, you'd get another daytime television sitcom, but in Tanki Online, one of the swiftest and most popularized combinations is born. The Combo Itself With Wasp's impressive speed and dime-turning capabilities working in tandem with Smoky's sensitivity and relatively rapid fire rate (as is customary for IC-type weapons), it has the ability to check literally everywhere around itself within two seconds and be able to counter any nearby DPS-based weapons immediately with a well placed shot in that same two seconds. As bold of a statement as that is (especially knowing that Thunders and Railguns are only gaining popularity, not declining), it can only react as well as the player can under such circumstances. However, let's not forget that this is the In Theory section, reigned in only by simple numbers and logic. I'll leave the judgement of how possible playing like so actually is to Night. I'm out of practice, anyways; I'd probably get crushed after letting my skills with M3 equipment rust for so long. If you didn't see the lovely collection of hyperlinks up above, get some glasses and stop hurting your eyes here's another link to Night-Sister's "In Action" segment. If you're more of a visual learner, you might like that one a bit more. This section is based on quantitative statements involving logic and mathematical application to determine how well a combo will do in given situations. It's like Mythbusters, except without any of the cool lab stuff and more math. I tried bugging Cedric to have him talk to someone about getting a life-sized tank model, but he never sent a reply to my email. Hopes are still high on a response soon. Anyways, specs. That's what you're here for. For simplicity's sake, unless stated otherwise, I'm going to base most of my conclusions from a stock M3 model of Wasp/Smoky. Since most players reading this will either have experience using or fighting against one of these, it should make my descriptions somewhat easier to relate to. In a nutshell, Wasp/Smoky is a recipe for turbulence, effective immediately. Everything you would have to do in controlling this thing would have to be quick and concise, with Smoky's turret rotation taking just under three seconds to make a full revolution and Wasp moving at 12.21 meters per second (27.311 miles per hour, 43.956 kilometers per hour). After a certain point, ducking between buildings and constantly checking your surroundings by turning your turret without end (you're forced to, you have barely enough health to survive a Railgun shot), you're likely going to grow weary of the spinning screen fast. However, if you're not easily motion sick, chances are you'll be the busiest player on the field anyways thanks to the unsurprising number of people that wish to transform your Wasp into their easy experience points. However, the turbulence is fortunately a two edged blade in that it can discombobulate enemies with ease when it makes full use of its high speed and satisfactory impact force. With some dexterity on the keyboard and a good memory of the map you're playing, you can whirl about opponents with ease and peck at them until they finally succumb to their wounds and their dizziness. The Game Styles Under theoretical logic, Wasp/Smoky should be able to fare somewhat well under a decent variety of circumstances, but it's far from perfect. While confounding your less nimble opponents with your own speed and catching advancing Railguns and Thunders off guard may help in many circumstances, there are still quite a few scenarios in which this combination may fall too short. Single Point matches for a Wasp are in short a nightmare. In this survival-of-the-fattest combat style, 150 hp means next to nothing; two well aimed Thunder shots can end a Wasp's life without inconveniencing itself much at all. Since plasma-weapons slapped onto Vikings and Dictators also like to roam the edges of the point's center in the hopes of finding stray scraps (like Wasp/Smoky, for example) that try to fight from a distance and obliterate them, there isn't a lot of safe ground to work with. While it's recommended to use Wasp's speed to your advantage and leave your pursuers from the center and outlying edges in the dust, most maps that support single point CP mode aren't typically all that large. Misery loves your company here; it always finds ways to meet up in the form of those aforementioned Vikings and Dictators, and they don't let up easily. There isn't a whole lot you can do besides send fleeting shots their way and pray that your hull doesn't give out. Heading back into to the center point to lose the fellow is ensuring a new death on your counter, be it by the old pursuer or the fifty Titan/Firebirds you just attracted the full attention of. You're not going to be the star member of the team with this combination. Wasp simply has too much stacked against in in single-point CPs. However, there are two things you can do to attempt a support role from the sidelines: Find a good medium ranged module that protects from the plasmic weapons, shell weapons like Smoky and Thunder, or a mixture of the two and a close ranged defense, too, just in case you need to stray near the main fight to shake an angry Ricochet off your tail. (The Grizzly family is a great collection to choose from, suiting Polygon matches fairly well.) Make sure you attract some of these drifters from the points to your direction, if you can.When they begin firing at your retreating figure (dogmatic grandstanding is not an option, you're a bug), see if you can land a few crafty shots on the sides of their hulls. Not only will they slowly get whittled down, but if you land the shots right, you might just evade damage and effectively slow them down by jamming their corner into a wall without them expecting it. Just don't accidentally back into someone bigger than you (i.e. everyone), and you should manage just fine. Multi-Point CPs are a bit more forgiving on the terms that there's more places to run and more places to hide. These details make for an excellent breeding ground for Wasps and Hornets. Couple that with Smoky's range, and you have the ability to hold fast on the point against the other quick hulls if the player has a good aim, passable dodging techniques, and a bit of luck with critical hits. Another note of interest: Smoky is an IC weapon, managing a high number of shots per minute (0 ≤ x ≤ 41; in other words, it can fire a maximum of 41 times per minute), but dealing rather low damage per shot unless it's a critical hit. Since these are a bit of a rarity, and you don't have much health to spare, it's not always wise to stand in the open and hope that the angry Hornet/Freeze charging headlong at you explodes into a ball of electricity. A preferential stance to take would be one behind the cover of a building or some other useful polygon. For your best interest, have the turret side closest to the edge of the building. This is where the beauty of Wasp's design comes into play: while its forward acceleration isn't the best, it can reverse accelerate like a pro, allowing the tank to pop out from a wall just enough to reveal the weapon's barrel, let off a round, then jerk itself right back into its spot instantly. If someone's closing directly on top of you, this return practice is also a method of escape, since you already have momentum on your side to drive in the opposite direction of your assailant. While the variation between single point CPs and multi point CPs cannot be stressed enough in terms of strategy, it's still important to know that both of them require you to stand perfectly still on a point for a certain amount of time in order for you to be an effective teammate. A Wasp's lifestyle does not reflect doing anything of the sort; it detests the idea of being a sitting duck, since its low armor rating makes it a choice pick for high-DPS weapons that can finish it from a range. If there's no cover around a point, try and steer clear of it. I'm sure the Shafts aren't just intent on letting you undo their partner's hard work. A Deathmatch, depending on its size, fauna and flora, may suit a Wasp/Smoky well, so long as it's prepared for many types of opponents. In order to minimize the chances of running into something that may be detrimental to this combination (i.e. high DPS weapons, close quarters with CDR-toting monsters, or minimal places to hide), remember to take the Laws of Map Relativity to heart. (I still own coining rights to these.) LAW I: In relation to the size of the map, the hull durability increases and decreases inversely. LAW II: In relation to the size of the map, the range of the turrets increases and decreases congruently. LAW III: In relation to the size of the map, the density of weapons with a high CDR (cumulative damage rate) increases and decreases congruently. So, according to Law I, the smaller the map is, the more continents-with-treads are likely to be hanging around. A midsized map would serve Smoky's range and Wasp's dodging capabilities well, since many maps of that area average have excellent foxhole spots like the one depicted above. Law II essentially says that on mid-sized maps, mid-ranged weapon count should be at a healthy number. Since Smoky is somewhat efficient at throwing off Hammers and other Smokies, this law only solidifies the combo's use in the maps. However, one has to be mindful of the number of Twins and Ricochets here as well. The final nail in the coffin, Law III, states that the number of CDR weapons here will be utterly average. Essentially, Smoky boasts the ability to thrive without ailment in maps where other weapons can't take advantage of their unique range requirements. Firebird does far better under claustrophobic conditions, whereas Shafts that love to feast on Wasps tend to have less room to work with than they'd prefer. Smoky, taking the middle ground on just about everything stat-wise, feels right at home in a medium arena. Maps like Cologne, Sepurhov, Barda, and Polygon would all be perfect options spare one crippling fact: while a good Wasp/Smoky can defend itself somewhat from the likes of Thunders, Hammers, other Smokies, and the occasional brave Railgun, it's not invincible, certainly not with a hull with half the armor rating of a Dictator of the same modification. You have to constantly be on the move, and always looking over your shoulder. When you're looking over your shoulder, you have to be looking in front of you, too. Essentially, if you're not good with the 'Q' and 'E' keys when using this combo, you're screwed. Team Deathmatch functions on the same grounds as Deathmatch, except this time you don't have to constantly be looking over your shoulder. With only one front to fight on, Wasp/Smoky becomes a bit more deadly than it was in Deathmatch, and it even gains a spot on long range maps due to an interesting factor: it's distracting. Take this combo to a Highway map (or a map similar), and chances are the Shafts and experienced Railguns there will start drooling a bit at the thought of such an easy kill. Ducking behind one of those rock outcroppings and performing the foxhole guard use in multi-point CPs won't do a lot of damage to them (it's Smoky, after all; it does moderate damage at best at a desirable range, the damage done by launching bullets at them from hundreds of meters away is downright pathetic), but it'll sure get their attention. Once you're aware that one or two of them are on to you, just sit behind whatever outcropping you found and wait. If someone tries to get to you through the lower ramps, let them come up and proceed to knock off their aim and run like you just ding-dong-ditched someone's house. Try and have a repair kit crate or double armor crate on standby, so you can survive any attack they launch at you (in tandem with a good module, that is; Eagle D-A is a great example of an affordable, long ranged paint). Your teammates, assuming they're useful at all, will either take out one of the Shafts or Railguns on the other side or help you with the fella trying to sneak up on you from below, giving you an opportunity to either return to your spot or proceed to step two: actively advancing onto their base. See, in a typical 15 minute Highway TDM, it takes about ten seconds for each side to fully prepare their defenses. You can use that time to get to your initial spot as close as you can to the front lines. The goal is to be distracting enough for other players to finish what you started with their heavy ranged weaponry. Take note that the closer you get, the more damage you can dole, letting you become progressively more dangerous the longer the match takes. Assuming you take no deaths in the first two minutes, you can even begin an invasion for the niche/naïve Freeze or Firebird ally to follow behind. Capture The Flag is a healthy environment for a Wasp for really obvious reasons, and Smoky only augments the hull's abilities. Unmatched speed and incredibly balanced firing rates can make breakaway flag captures a breeze. Under theoretical circumstances, the only combination that I think is capable of faring better as a banner-swiping-machine is a Hornet/Freeze, since it has the potential to slow any defense attempting to halt its progress and the desired torque stages to give heavier hulls enough of a push to slide them off of the flag's spawn point. While Smoky doesn't have the ability to literally stop time around itself, it can still pack a real punch up close. 37.4 - 47.5 damage every second an a half is nothing to scoff at when it comes to pecking off pursuers that dare attempt to give chase. You have the potential to tear half a team apart when they decide to use Speed Boosts instead of Double Armors in an effort to give chase. (Just make sure you're wearing a Speed Boost, too. Double Power is optional, but recommended for best effect.) The best part about it is that while Freezes and Ricochets can't touch you after a certain point, Railguns and Shafts even have a hard time hitting this combo if the player is skilled enough thanks to its dexterity on the field, its modest recoil at distances that can send desperate shots astray, and Wasp's small stature making it a difficult target. If you can get your teammates to play support and cover you with Railgun or Thunder, making it to the flag will be child's play, too. Whereas getting into from the base for the flag is typically the hardest part for a Wasp/Smoky, with enough ally manipulation and good timing, you can sneak right in undetected. Remember the back alleys in Sepurhov and Barda for sly entrances, too. Red Alert has all sorts of paths to take, but bring proper module protection depending on which size stage you enter. Anything from the Kodiak, Eagle and Griffon families are excellent choices. Catching Gold Boxes Aye, the fabled answer to catching golds without a Dictator or Viking. Wasp/Smoky has opportunities to take nabs at the legendary boxes, but only if you apply a Double Armor supply, a Speed Boost, and (if needed ) a Repair Kit in that order. Otherwise, you will not survive. Remember, you are a bug, and if anyone sees you as a threat to their 1k, they will crush you. Having a mine on standby wouldn't hurt you much, if you can afford to discard the Speed Boost. If you have a ramp to work with to reach the gold, make sure you don't let anyone else have it, and give yourself a runway -- with the second lowest acceleration speed, you're going to need it. If you can, lay a mine at the edge of the ramp's upper exit and ride it out on someone else. Smoky is invaluable for getting yourself on top of a Viking quickly, which can quickly escalate to you being catapulted into the crystal package due to a combination of your mine and their own desperate efforts to grab the box. If you're on flat terrain, just keep bullying the Vikings once it starts actually falling. Never instigate a fight that you don't plan to finish before the box begins its descent. Using the repair kit earlier than you need to can cost a lot more than 150 crystals if you don't plan carefully. If someone is following you and they won't leave you alone, use your absurd speed levels to evade their attention for long enough to try and return to the pile. Maybe a ramp that one of the fat tanks stole earlier just found an opening for you. Playing Parkour Essentially a quicker-firing but less potent version of Wasp/Thunder. If you want real height, leave this thing behind and go for the previously mentioned Thunder or Hammer. I've never been one for parkour, but even I know this is an inferior tool to scale buildings with. Shed's Rating While this combination has the potential to be excellent in most situations spare single-point CPs, you need to become an absolute expert with the combination in order to perform much of anything with success. It requires lots of training towards reaction time, ambidextrous control between the driving, camera and turret controls, and general awareness. It's not something anyone can just pick up and be proficient with right off the bat, but it has the potential to be deadly under the right circumstances. I'd say this combo deserves a 7/10. .

Greetings, cadet. It's been a while. For those of you who don't know, your goal is to find one keyword hidden in the labyrinth of the Internet. When you do find said keyword, submit it along with your Tanki Online screenname to this form. You have an opportunity to acquire one of these crystal rewards: 1st: 49,000 2nd: 36,000 3rd: 25,000 4th: 16,000 This is a simple task, but by no means an easy one. The fact that you're not the only one on the hunt makes it all the more imperative that you complete your mission with not only finesse, but swiftness. Time is not your ally. Get moving, soldier. &dagger&Eta&Euml&mdash&Pi&Eacute&chi&tau&mdash&scaron&tau&isin&rho &mdash&icirc&sect&mdash&Eta&iuml&ETH&ETH&Eacute&prod&mdash&scaron&oplus &Mu&notin&psi&Eta&eacute&real&ecirc&mdash&lceil&ntilde&mdash&dagger&Eta &Xi&mdash&fnof&rceil&Gamma&sect&tau&mdash&Rho&Tau&mdash&oslash&fnof &mdash&Mu&isin&Mu&Oslash&real&Yacute&mdash&aacute&lfloor&scaron&ocirc &mdash&real&isin&Mu&notin&Mu&beta&euro&real&mdash&tau&Eta&equiv&mdash &Pi&Uacute&Mu&Beta&notin&real&mdash&iota&sect&mdash&dagger&omega&Theta &mdash&sect&uArr&chi&mdash&dagger&Eta&real&euro&isin

Pfft, I'd trust Spore more.

Day 1 and Introduction Here For the first painful hours of Smeargle's existence, initial hardships and irks foreshadowing the road ahead have sobered me and revealed the full gravity of my task. Functioning without a weapon has already proven incredibly difficult. I mean, it's called Tanki Online, for goodness' sake, not Rocket League, so I suppose I should have known what was coming. Despite my expectations, though, it really has been a rocky road. However, I have finally earned this project's saving grace: M0 Isida. With this machine in my arsenal, I can finally begin executing the original purpose of this experiment without the hassle. Frankly, if I was to try and go for the truly weaponless run for the duration of the test, I'd be doomed to wander the maps forever as a Sergeant. It took 5.6 hours of continuous play in order to cross the threshold of 7,100 experience points and claim my third stripe. Take into account all of the headache inducing factors that make or more frequently break a match, I would have lost my mind after a week. The first day was a unique experience all its own, warranting its partition as completely separate article. If you missed the "Day 1 Here" underneath the title logo, then you can click here to take a look at my first few hours playing as a pacifist. However, the following days are more likely to blend with similarity due to consistent use of one tool, granted, this time around with more function than the useless Smoky I wandered about with before. Anyways, the system I will follow to depict a day's events is shown below. I.) I will play on the account once a day or so. II.) After a few matches, I will record any new finds or phenomena. III.) Alongside these, I will record the fluctuation of my crystals and experience points. IV.) I will take a screenshot of a match best suiting the data I uncover and place it with the respective day. Granted, I understand that some of the days may blend together; while every day is a unique new experience, at some point, there are guaranteed to be areas of repetition. I will try my best to avoid saying the same things over again, but frankly, there's only so much that can be said about this playstyle. Until I run out of consistent new material, this is the route I'll be taking to describe the lifestyle of a pacifistic player. Day 2 Crystal Count: 982 Experience Count: 8905/12300 Current Rank: Sergeant Time Played: 1.4 hours End Result: -868 cry, +2368 exp, +1.4h v v v NOTES v v v Day 3 Crystal Count: 1374 Experience Count: 10354/12300 Current Rank: Sergeant Time Played: 3.1 hours End Result: +392 cry, +1449 exp, +1.7h v v v NOTES v v v Day 4 Crystal Count: 1701 Experience Count: 11752/12300 Current Rank: Sergeant Time Played: 4.4 hours End Result: +327 cry, +1398 exp, +1.3h v v v NOTES v v v Day 5 Crystal Count: 3066 Experience Count: 13710/20000 Current Rank: Staff Sergeant Time Played: 5.7 hours End Result: +1365 cry, +1958 exp, +1.3h v v v NOTES v v v Day 6 Crystal Count: 3381 Experience Count: 15548/20000 Current Rank: Staff Sergeant Time Played: 7.2 hours End Result: +315 cry, +1838 exp, +1.5h v v v NOTES v v v Day 7 Crystal Count: 3756 Experience Count: 17199/20000 Current Rank: Staff Sergeant Time Played: 8.5 hours End Result: +375 cry, +1651 exp, +1.3h v v v NOTES v v v Day 8 Crystal Count: 4552 Experience Count: 18915/20000 Current Rank: Staff Sergeant Time Played: 10 hours End Result: +796 cry, +1716 exp, +1.5h v v v NOTES v v v Day 9 Crystal Count: 3652 Experience Count: 21178/29000 Current Rank: Master Sergeant Time Played: 11 hours End Result: -900 cry, +2263 exp, +1h v v v NOTES v v v Day 10 Crystal Count: 3652 Experience Count: 21218/29000 Current Rank: Master Sergeant Time Played: 12 hours End Result: +0 cry, +40 exp, +0.2h v v v NOTES v v v

We all understand that the basis of Tanki Online's (and, coincidentally, most other video games) play structure revolves around three critical points: kill, die, and repeat. Juxtapose most modern games together, and you'll notice the only real variation being the way they go about killing, dying, and repeating. It's become a common theme, due to being relatively easy to follow and construct. Imagine, though... what if one of these revered steps was removed? Repetition is a necessary, immovable base of games that does not find itself pliable. Without repetition, one can never fully understand how a game is played, and therefore, ruin the overall purpose of games. Death is inevitable. No matter how 'pro' you may claim to be, or how many health boxes or double armors you use, or how many times you leave a battle and rejoin just so you don't have to self-destruct, you are going to die. If tankers didn't, then no one would be able to make progress, making for a rather boring game. But what about killing? Is this always a required trope for Tanki Online? I consider it to be of high importance, but not entirely required. TotalPacifist I wasn't the first one to believe this was a possibility. Once upon a time, after the implementation of a revolutionary turret known as Isida, a player named TotalPacifist decided to test a theory after studying how this machine works. His mission was to make it to the highest rank (at the time, it was Marshal) without ever killing another tank. Now, this seems a bit of a far-fetched task in a land where everyone's primary goal was to kill, die, repeat. However, lo and behold, he managed to make it to Captain before vanishing into obscurity. Now, Captain requires 332,000 experience points to reach, so considering that plenty of completely normal killing machines decide to quit before this point, I have to admit that making it this far without harming another machine is quite an impressive feat. Of course, times have changed since way back when, and I'm certain that he's not the only fella to have tried this out. Multiple updates have occurred, such as the rank jump to Generalissimo, the redaction of the option to buy experience points, smart cooldowns, new weapons, and new map varieties and play styles. All of these could pose a nigh insurmountable obstacle to anyone who dare tried to act as the proverbial lamb dropped into the lion's den... My Mission ...but, being the absolute ignoramus that I am, I've decided to test the durability of my own statement anyways by conducting a large scale experiment that follows in TotalPacifist's footsteps. The ultimate goal of said experiment is to make it to Generalissimo without ever destroying another player. And here I was, thinking that fighting players with a weapon at my disposal was quite the challenge. This is gonna be a blast. Smeargle To start this mission, obviously, I'd have to start a new account. For standard control group's sake, I could not buy crystals or anything of the sort for this account; it had to be entirely natural, as I would assume it would grow under any other circumstance. Sales and other events were to be treated as normal, and would in no way affect my gameplay tactics or strategies. In order to determine what would increase my chances of survival the most, I needed to pick a hull that suited my goals best. Since I'm to be paired with Isida in order to have any chance at gathering points, I'd need a hull that could work well with it. In conjunction with being able to move from teammate to teammate quickly, I'd also need to be able to find cover fast and recover flags in desperate kamikaze missions. It's not like I'm going for a good D/L, here. May as well try to be somewhat useful offensively. So, for concise movement and rapid transportation, I deemed Wasp the best candidate. As for the name... well, you know. I'm a sucker for Pokemon, alright. The First Day Starting the account was the easiest part, next to buying M0 Wasp. It wasn't too hard to add two micro-upgrades to the hull and analyze the road that lies ahead. I looked at the turrets and stopped on M0 Isida, the likes of which requiring a down payment of 1,800 crystals and 7,100 experience points. None of the starter kits available at the moment (Universal Soldier, Yin Yang, etc.) held Isida anyways, so there was no point to looking towards those for future supplement. What I needed to do in order to reach Isida was gather points without harming people. From what I've gathered, this can only be done through capturing flags or control points in their respective match types. Looking back at my Wasp, I discovered that I was rather vulnerable to Railguns and Shafts due to my low health, but I decided to opt out of buying Forester immediately. I figured waiting for something that could handle both would be a better use of my time, possibly Dirty or Chainmail. The thought occurred that I may have trouble with close ranged weapons if I'm not careful, too, but those are more easily dodged in a Wasp. After waiting for step two to finish and starting three, I headed to the nearest Aleksandrovsk I could find. The first thing I noticed was the sheer number of players there. I automatically assumed it would be more difficult for me to capture flags without attracting attention from someone. Surely enough, a wall of angry Firebirds flicked my Holiday-clad machine away before I could even breathe on their flag. It took a few arduous minutes before I finally found a breach in their defenses, swiping a flag from under a rather slow-minded Mammoth/Thunder's big, metal nose. Unfortunately, someone grabbed a flag on my side before I could return, so I had to go into hiding for a bit before I could finally capture the flag and pick up my points. Since I wasn't quite capable of doing anything else except shoving the living tar out of enemy Hunters leaning precariously on cliffs (they were surprisingly easy targets to bowl over, at that), I made it my mission to be wherever the flag was, or at least where it was going to be. I've spent my fair share of time lurking behind the red team's plethora of buildings, prepared to dive for the flag once it reappeared on its point. However, no matter where on the map I seemed to be, my teeny tank was constantly plagued by things I couldn't handle from a distance: Railguns and Shafts. Just as I had predicted, they took every opportunity they could to take potshots at me, and there was literally nothing I could do in return besides desperately take blind corners to stay out of their sights. Occasionally, I would net myself a free pass to move from one hiding spot to the next unscathed when I would peep the end of my hull out, feigning flight and causing an inexperienced Railgunner to discharge early, only for me to pop right back in as they fired. They soon waited for me as I swept their base for flags, ripping through my small frame whenever I decided I wanted to get some points. In the end, we managed to do rather well, with I scoring a decent number of the flags caught (since I couldn't really do anything else, as mentioned above). I left shortly after the second round began, however, as the Firebirds that were irking me before realized that I was not in the least bit threatening with my vestigial Smoky and began to chase me all over the map. Seeking solace from the burning platoon, I decided to try my hand at a different CTF, this one a bit more close ranged and easier to manage hit-'n-run missions: Farm. I figured the size of Aleksandrov was what was keeping me from being effective as a flag carrier, considering my enemies could hunt me down with range at ease, so this would be the solution to those problems. Boy, was I mistaken. I forgot my own Laws of Map Relativity: LAW I: In relation to the size of the map, the hull durability increases and decreases inversely. LAW II: In relation to the size of the map, the range of the turrets increases and decreases congruently. LAW III: In relation to the size of the map, the density of weapons with a high CDR (cumulative damage rate) increases and decreases congruently. So, the smaller the map is, the heavier the hulls get, right? It didn't really matter to me much, since I couldn't kill anyone anyways. The smaller the map gets, the number of Railguns, Shafts and things like that were supposed to go down. Essentially, this was my ace in the hole to score lots of points without impediment. However, I seemed to have forgotten about Law III. Y'know, the one stating that Twins, Firebirds and Vulcans would be crawling all over the place. Oops. If I thought I was role-playing as a member of a floating chrysanthemum before, I would never have been prepared for the sheer uselessness of my position on this team. When they realized I wasn't shooting, they saw a huge neon sign above my head blare "PLEASE, ERASE MY EXISTENCE FROM THE PLANET AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, THANK YOU." I was completely unable to snatch flags after the first five minutes, as I was hopelessly pinned behind both entrances to the other side of the arena. I couldn't fare well offensively or defensively after the first few flags were swiped. My teammates were in no mood to let me aside to grab the flags, either; the Mammoths and Vikings were too focused on trying to snail their way to the flag first, and I was growing weary of driving through their trails just to watch them crumple under the sheer number of Vulcan and Twins bullets being launched at them because they were too slow to escape. However, late in the game, I managed to slip through their defenses when both Hornet/Firebirds decided they were tired of camping at their flag and wanted to bring the fight to our side. It was interesting to see the Hunter/Twins perk up the moment I hit the flag spawn point, but he was far too late to start launching any kind of assault on me. Once I returned to base, I stumbled across an unforgiving realization: Wasps are great at bringing the flag back, but they're terrible at holding onto it. Of course, I wouldn't dare leave the flag to my nimrod teammates (the Mammoth/Twins had decided he wanted to be even less useful and transform to Wasp), so I spent a good amount of time trying to hide from my assailants in a vain hope that my allies would breach their side and return our flag. But, believe it or not, they somehow wound up pulling through after all, and I managed to swipe about four more flags from them over the next fifteen minutes. By the end of the match, we had almost pulled ourselves out of the slump we were stuck in, but it wasn't quite enough. My D/L was painful to look at for someone who tries to set 2.00s as a standard. I wasn't accumulating points at near the speed I wanted. Not having the use of a turret severely ******ed my capability to defend myself when I was attempting to break through an opposing siege, much less act as a viable teammate in general. If Claws were available for players of that rank, I'm sure the total crystals spent on sending me a less-than-friendly message would have been more than enough to pay for M0 Isida off the bat twice over. Then I remembered that there's a second way to gather points without killing anyone: Control Points. After attaching a third micro-upgrade to Wasp, I searched the battle lobby for a multi-point CP. I figured that having several targets would ease the offensive pressure on me, allowing me to take a more mobile standpoint from control point to control point. While these were a bit more of a rarity, I managed to find a suitable Rio CP. And at that moment, I discovered that under the right circumstances, gathering points on one of these is a breeze. When players of the opposite team sweep forward, trying to collect as many points as possible, I would easily be able to slip behind them and rewind their efforts with relative ease. Even when I was found out, I could always jump to another point without very much difficulty. Essentially, when all of the balances are set in just the right way, multi-point CPs could be a proverbial gold mine. However, this wasn't always the case, since circumstances fluctuated rapidly in matches like these. The number of players and their skill levels have to be similar through a very unforgiving spectrum; if my opponents were too skilled, they could easily quash resistances that my admittedly less capable allies would dare to rectify. Typically, this would be no problem, as I could use Smoky to start a war of attrition, but not being able to shoot rendered me just as defenseless as the rest of them. Secondly, if the opposing team was notably weaker than my own, I'd be hard-pressed to gather points here, too. In a reverse situation of the one I just described above, all of the points would be taken by my side, meaning I couldn't use them to accumulate experience. More often than not, I found myself using a hiding spot or vantage point to watch my enemies claim one point, and once witnessing their capture, sneaking around them to find it again before they decided to return. Much of the time, the match was a seesaw effort between my enemies picking up points and my allies and I erasing their progress. I knew the gold mine would begin to run dry once either team started gaining notable momentum. After one side declares their dominance over the other, it was a rare event for me to gather any useful experience points, even less so being able to capture a point single-handedly. I was beginning to have trouble even staying at a point long enough to flip the switch to uncaptured. Essentially, if the team balances don't match a certain set of parameters, it would prove difficult to accumulate anything useful there without the use of a weapon. What's more is that in every circumstance, there are plenty of opportunities to pick up a few extra points from tankers just begging to be killed. However, when everything is set under a perfect environment, there are many points to be made. For someone that was incapable of inflicting bodily harm, I've still somehow made it pretty high on the scoreboards. By the end of the day, I was becoming rather sick of pinning my hopes on my allies to accomplish things. I was forced to rely upon them in situations where they were more likely than not incapable, such as killing a lurking Vulcan/Hornet on a point or returning the flag to spare me ten minutes of hiding. (No joke, that's how long I'd typically wait for someone to try and return our flag at times.) But, having only my hull at my disposal, I was capable of aiding none of their efforts; I couldn't even lay a mine to defend myself from potential pursuers. Many instances came and passed where I bit my tongue to keep from yelling at the screen in futility. I studied what micro-upgrades would be necessary for the road ahead. Since Wasp is unlocked at a relatively early point (Sergeant-major), I figured maybe four or five upgrades maximum would do the trick. I'd only have a 250 crystal deficit plus the extra hundred I spent on buying the hull, and despite my slow going, I've been accumulating a sufficient amount of coinage anyways. Thus far, the pacifistic route has proven to be rather grueling at times, but still a neat experience. Most of the time, I've been totally dependent on my teammates to accomplish everything, only able to cling to the coattails of their success. I'm banking on the hope that once I reach Isida, I could not only gather points at a much less sluggish pace, but become a valued member of any team I join. Once the tool is available to me, in addition to gaining a wider variety of tactics in CTFs and CPs, I would also be able to partake in the gamestyle that suits Isida to a tee: TDMs. Now, if you haven't read the Isida dedicated sections in my What To Buy? guides (M0, M1, M2 and M3, respectively. Yep, leave it to Sheddi to go for shameless free advertising), I'd suggest to do so at some point; many of the points I bring up in those partitions revolve around how awe-inspiringly effective Isida has been in TDMs. I'm certain once I gain access to this piece of nanotechnology, I'd be able to push teams to victory almost every single time without fail if I play my cards right. Let's face it: a Titan/Vulcan with nigh infinite health is an incredibly difficult opponent to conquer, wouldn't you agree? By the next issue, I will have already picked up Isida and have begun truly testing the waters of a "kill 'em with kindness" campaign. Hopefully, I can reveal a few interesting points that aren't readily apparent to those who haven't walked in TotalPacifist's shoes (erm, treads). Until next time, folks. Part Two Here .