Luuuuurve this series. One of the best ideas to grace the paper. Great stuff.

Sorry boss just been moved!

Apologies, it should be sent through in the next week with the coming issue.

Well, here we go! After another absolutely packed dosage of Comic Captions, the results are live! The winners from each of the Picture categories are below. Picture 1: @tommybau (12500) Consolation prizes: @NightHawk_Mike, distroyer746 (2500) Entries in Spoiler Picture 2: @S.O.N.O.O.B (12500) Consolation prizes: , @Flexoo, Anti_Materia (2500) Entries in Spoiler Picture 3: @Raredust (12500) Raredust: Consolation prize: @Nick_Lee, @Contradiction (2500) Entry in Spoiler Another episode of Comic Captions comes to an end. Since my time as a reporter will likewise be coming to an end next issue, I won't be your host anymore but I'm pretty sure that this rather legendary part of the Newspaper will return again! Oh, and winners, prizes should be with you within a week. Give us a buzz if you don't get them.

Contest closed as of the 29th! Great number of entries - results next issue.

I thought you had to be the saddest guy ever to reach Marshal... *looks around innocently*

These are the winning entries of the most recent episode: http://en.tankiforum.com/index.php?showtopic=249503 Looked at your entry - if you send another legitimate entry in with all three captioned separately, they will be considered. :)

So, this is it. As some of you may know, my time in the English Community is coming to an end as my real life takes the steering wheel and I'll be resigning from my position here as a writer after this issue. Long and short of it is that for what it's worth, I'm leaving. It's time to pack up the bags. And so, for one last time, I thought to myself, why not just go back into the past and relive the memories that have carried through the game for all these years? On the 21st October, I'll be celebrating my 5th birthday since I first filled in that famous registration form: a doubtful 11-year-old back in 2010. Since then, my time in Tanki has quite literally shaped my life. Memories that will last, I can be sure of that. I can't tell you how much I have looked forward to this - travelling through my past in what I can genuinely call MY game over the last five years. So come along. Join me on one last journey. It all began in Spring 2010. I was 11, growing up in the best family in West London. As for Internet gaming, it had got about as far as Club Penguin and minimalistic multiplayer games. It would all change. My first meeting with Tanki would soon appear - in rather strange form. I had noticed that my close friend Brett's regular Gmail status updates were beginning to more often than not be themed upon a rather strange word. "Tanki". Not sure about that, I thought. Bit hardcore. I kept my distance. Didn't bother with the website. Learning a new unfamiliar game - it all seemed far too much for me. It was only when my older brother, Mike, started up an account in May 2010 that I first caught a glance of these strange tanks driving around. I was frankly rather sceptical, but when I saw my brother beginning to favour playing over watching the World Cup which was in full swing at this stage, I began to perk up. I had a couple of tries and soon began to occasionally use my brother's tank. I remember one night us debating on whether to buy Railgun or not. When my brother announced to me that the rules pointed out that I had to create my own account and make my own way in the game, I was slightly annoyed - all this time working up to the rank of Sergeant Major wasted! I consented, taking my backup Club Penguin name, hogree, in following with the rather puzzling family tradition of ending our usernames with "ee". I immediately made myself familiar with the strange sensation of having my own account, albeit reluctantly. Quickly familiarizing myself with the forum, my half-an-hour-a-day allowance was gradually pacing me up the ranks. It seemed Tanki was keen for me to stay around – I still remember receiving the famed Crystal Daily Bonus for three straight days during my time as Sergeant, allowing me to purchase M3 Smoky at Staff Sergeant – kick-starting me on my journey through the game. The hype of the low ranks was memorable for me – the community in full swing and myself excitedly hunting down the next big thing. My most memorable purchase probably came when I cashed out on the alluring M3 Firebird at First Sergeant. It would become the undying love of my heart for the rest of my time in the game and would stick around on the surface for a long long time. Early 2011 and I made my first major decision at the rank of Sergeant Major. Having spent what would be my only money ever channelled into crystals during my entire five years, I had a bonus 1500 crystals to spend – a fair amount of money for the pre-Update-123 currency at the time. There was an obvious choice for me – the paint Hoholama was at this time a 2000-crystal paint, and although it did not have any protection, it not only looked like a dream but also was my ticket into gaining some extra kudos in my new clan Dare Devils, who had chosen the beauty as its clan paint. There was another pointer that ultimately made me decide to dedicate the heap of crystals to what was basically a pile of nothing – the looming presence into what was promised to be the most significant update of all time. Tanki 2.0. Of course, it never happened. 2.0 was a major saga in 2011 and 2012; yet barely remembered today. The promise of a completely new interface, snazzy new graphics – it all seemed too good to be true and it failed to deliver. Nonetheless, at the time, the major consensus was to be pleased with the delay of 2.0. In all forms of society, change has always been viewed with scepticism – this was no exception. Myself, I was beginning to experiment more in the community. After introducing myself to Dare Devils, a newly-formed clan which would later evolve into a major superpower in the game, I saw an opportunity in June 2011 to make myself known in a brand new “Unofficial Clan” founded on the Off-Topic Discussion forum going by the name “The Ironclads”. As a Warrant Officer One eager to work my way into the exciting atmosphere of a clan, I saw this as an opportunity. It would become a defining decision in my future in Tanki. My in-game travels at this time was taking me through my early faves: the glories of Highland Deathmatch, Farm and Hill CTF through the early Warrant Officers were golden moments. Creating the “Join all English-speakers” games in what was at that time the packed-out Server 2. They really were fantastic times. Changing seasons, and Tanki were evolving towards the system of smaller updates that would define the next couple of years as the game began to make smaller steps towards the envisioned goal of the developers. If you do want to have a deeper look into the past of the game, feel free to read my newspaper work going through the Complete History of Tanki. As I approached the much-envied Lieutenants, my Hunter was evolving into a Viking and my Firebird which had already lasted far beyond its sell-by date was being taken over by the trusty Isida that I would quickly become very familiar with. The controversial update to the New Graphics in mid-2012 would set off a chain of updates that would transform the game from a rough-edged inspiration to a carefully-honed gem. Many were attached to the roughness, however - change for Tanki would be costly to many players. But I was sticking around. A defining moment in my Tanki career arrived in June 2012 when the English Community Revival under Bruce Lunga produced another new contest - the "Best of" videos. With the pre-rebalance tiered system still in place, I saw it as a grand opportunity to go back to using my trusty Firebird which at this stage was largely only used by lower ranks. Building up a large selection of clips, I left the video till the last minute and with my Windows Movie Maker playing up, only managed to publish a short 2-minute video. Nonetheless, the developers rated it highly and with the help of my trusty clan-mates gaining me a solid number of views, I won both the Developers and Viewers' choices, earning me a heap of crystals. I cashed out on an M3 Viking which I was able to equip in the consequent "Winners vs Developers" battle arranged for the winners of the contest. Has to be one of the greatest battles of my career - I nicked the all-important flag in the second round, causing us to win and winning me another pile of crystals which I used to complete my first M3 Set in the purchase of M3 Thunder. My role in the community as a forum member was rising and in November 2012, I was invited to join the newly-instituted Tanki Newspaper Team. Taking the opportunity with both hands, I launched into one of the most beneficial parts of not only my Tanki career but also my real life. It would be another lasting decision that would give me one more powerful attachment to the game. The rebalance of December 2012 exploded into the Tanki scene, unsettling players all around. I used the opportunity to use the experience-buying feature that accompanied the update: getting a quick launch from Major to Major General. With a careful bit of maths coming in, I had just enough cash to spend on a top M3 Combo - a top combination previously unlockable at Warrant Officer Three; now only able to get at the rank of Major General. You can see why it unsettled people. For months, it was simply me and my trusty Rustle-Isida-Hornet roaming the battlefields. CTF; TDM; the new CP Mode; even DM - that was all I used. As situations changed, preferences changed and I entered a new world of No-Supplies Red Alert CTFs on Server 2. With a steady salary coming in from my Newspaper work, I was able to invest in a couple of new M3s - the exciting Thunder and Twins too, after my rank up to Marshal. I must admit, if I do look back over my history in Tanki, the games I most enjoyed were these. Action-packed, team-oriented and overall gameplay perfected. Harmony and Diversity manifested in Tanki which the XP Game Mode and drug wars could never ever offer. The Clan was evolving too - with the rise of the English Community clans during late 2013, IC were no longer one of the major clans but just one of the common peasants. We had never proclaimed to be Tanki maestros, but our motto "We Never Die" was still standing firm against the wave of quitting players which accompanied the after-effects of the rebalance for a fair number of months. It was change all round as I began to enter the world of Skype with characters such as BarKode and MizARee grabbing headlines in a fast-changing English Community. Looking back on it now, I realize how much actually did change during the year in the entire game. I guess that 2014 can be defined by the move towards the XP Battles as I joined in with the Railgun trend which was overtaking Tanki. The challenge of competing with famous top Generalissimos emerging in the new Starladder eSports system was superb incentive for making my way into the realm of XP Battling and I have some golden moments, owning some of the big names in to-the-wire XP Battles. A uniquely attainable sense of enjoyment. Special times. I must confess unashamedly that over the last year, I have lost a part of that passion as an avid Tanki gamer and other things have taken the lead in my life. I always did say that Tanki was merely a part of my life - a means of enjoyment. It's natural for people to worship things in life and I never wanted that to be Tanki, especially as a sinner rescued by the grace of God. Nevertheless, as a part of my life, Tanki has been a jigsaw piece that has fitted in perfectly. Of all the times in Tanki, I must say that the time being a part of an active clan was the most integral as I look back. If you're a young tanker thinking about how to best spend your time in the game, get acquainted with a clan. You may not be successful first time, but try and find your way to one that suits you. People often judge an "online society", but it does give you an insight into a world - a larger world than you can find on your doorsteps. I know this may sound extreme, but this game has definitely shaped my life to some extent over the last few years. Time spent on xat and Skype chatting to my clan-mates, helping to organize teams and events; even writing in the Newspaper itself. It's made me who I am and I won't forget it. Contributing to this community has been such a pleasure for myself and has enabled me to gain not only a fast typing speed and an improved English ability but fantastic memories that will last. One last bit of advice before I sign out. If you've got any questions anywhere in the complex realm of life, don't dumb them down. Look for the answers - and don't stop looking. As for your time in the Tankiverse, don't forget to be humble. The more you realize you've got to improve, the more you will improve. Many these days look on pride as a positive character trait - I'd argue that it's the most dangerous. This is my story. A story of an 11-year-old growing into a 16-year-old within a world populated with tanks. A story surrounded by the intricacies of change and disorder and yet encapsulated by the enduring presence of a superb game. A story that will soon come to an end but will be revisited with fondness in the future. I'm gonna miss it.

A bottomless gold mine; a refrigerator after your Mum's been to the supermarket; a tub of chocolates stuffed right to the brim. Three metaphors that cannot even begin to describe the glory that is the Newspaper Archives. In this article flashing back to some of the greatest works ever published in the Newspaper, it's time to recognize the picks of the bunch. After 3 years of sweat, blood and tears, slaving away (ish) in this historic team, I'm to be retiring from my position this month. It's been an absolute blast and I'm gutted that I no longer have the time available to spend time here but to crown it off, I thought it fitting to go back and look over what in my mind are the greatest articles to have been published in the paper. I can't even begin to say how tough the job was in front of me. Articles stretching way back well into 2012 from the pens of writers such as skitee and chriswu, through the guides of the dominant Ranger7 and loktinho, the story-era of Fjelstad1678 and SwagBoy11, coming into the modern-day Newspaper dominated by more familiar faces such as Remaine and GoldRock. As someone who has gone through the times with several different colleagues who have specialized in different areas, it's been even more difficult to pick out what I feel are the best pieces to be published over the years. But after looking through each of the articles once again on a wonderful trip down Memory Lane, I have my picks. I hope you'll enjoy reading them as much as I did. Let's get going. Oh, and each of the titles are linked to the articles, for viewing ease. Have a glance, read at your own will. Believe me, all of these are well worth it. 20. What makes a i3rilliant username? A recent piece by Remaine, this sneaks into the top 20 primarily for its original and particularly insightful pitch on an issue that meets us across the entire Internet. Rem brings to light the different factors in the monumental decision that comes when you pick any form of username over the Web. Particularly applicable to the richer members of the English Community able to pick in with the increasing trend of changing nickname hitting the game. 19. The Dictator - Tanki's Finest News Source The Dictator also just about deserves a spot in the top 20. Created as a monthly column by stalwart reporter GoldRock, the Dictator was a hit among many members of the English Community due to its humorous and relatable, if not relevant take on each month. Although it never gained overly praiseworthy comments, it thrived during its early days and the linked episode is indeed the second publication of the Dictator which in my eyes was the best. Although it was certainly challenged by other memorable humorous articles such as the Ten Commandments of Tanki and the recent Top Ten Tanki: Thuglife, the Dictator deservedly grabs a place in the top 20. 18. What to mount on: Hornet Another series by GoldRock which received fabulous feedback over its time and in many ways was a solid foundation to the Newspaper during its rise after the slump of early 2014. Although all articles in the series were well worth reading (you'll be able to find them in the Archives), Hornet was perhaps the most memorable due to its controversial nature as the by far most popular and probably most versatile hull in the game. The series was taken over by the able kirby2008 for the uncompleted heavy hulls after GoldRock's unexpected departure and was smartly finished off. An applicable series for readers of every calibre, its wide audience and simple layout won it top reviews. 17. How to Mitigate Lags Putting this in the top 20 is perhaps one of the more dubious decisions in this list. Published by TNT in his first issue just a couple of months ago, I was blown away by the quality at which a topic which yelled boredom at the reader was brought across, and although perhaps less original than other pieces to hit the Newspaper and going slightly under the radar, this article well deserves its position in my book. Don't expect a detailed guide on how to update your computer systems - a humorous and yet informative take on a crucial subject. 16. The Story Behind the Colours: Tiger To say this is the only story which managed to make my top 20 is surely due praise for what to me was a memorable, memorable story produced by the absolutely dirt-quality story-writing pen of Kevred. Detailing the fictional origin of the paint Tiger, Kevred's ability to build a plot with an incredible climax still holds me in awe. Although the entire series was superb, this has to be the greatest. Oh, and if you're wondering why I only put one story into the top 20, read on - hopefully, it might make sense by the end of the list. 15. Parkour Guides: Skylark, Red Alert Ilia.ArchangeI's role in the newspaper is often forgotten in his illustrious career as a community member, but his V-LOGs - and particularly his Parkour Guides - were superb videos published each month as a part of the Newspaper. An original idea, his translation of the Russian parkour guides were precise and allowed English viewers to share in the plethora of Russian content that had been left in the dark for a long long time. This episode was the first to be published and a great hit with the implementation of videos into the newspaper for one of the first times gaining much positive feedback. 14. Predictions for 2013 - Part One! Largely forgotten and certainly under the radar, the Predictions Series of Issue 6-8 were memorable and absolutely superb pieces from the pen of skitee during his peak as a reporter. Superbly implemented humour into an entrancing exaggerated bunch of predictions for the coming year, it followed his original Predictions which had been published at the end of 2011 before the Newspaper was first implemented - an absolute hit in the community at time of publication. The 2013 edition was equally good, if not better, and was in my book the greatest humour piece in the history of the paper. 13. The Secrets of Tanki: Unlocked A very recent piece from the indomitable Fen-Harel and his illustrious colleague GoldRock, the Secrets of Tanki Unlocked was a complete and quite mind-blowingly detailed piece on the rather daunting topic of science in Tanki. Summed up in a not-too-heavy way, it is a surprisingly interesting read and certainly an original and memorable piece to grace the paper. 12. The Generalissimo's Handbook - Month 2 Only introduced to the paper a few months ago, The monthly Handbook, started up by Fen-Harel and I, has filled up the gaping absence of much-needed advanced tips to the Newspaper over recent times. Like the Dictator, although it was never an absolute hit, the Handbook was always appreciated by the community and the input of Generalissimos in the community as well as the superb videos made it a special part of the history of the Newspaper. 11. Behind the Tank: conanthedestroyer Inserting an interview into this list may be a controversial decision, but this one was special. An interview with the man himself at the top of the food chain, it went deeper than interviews before and set a new bar to the popular newspaper contribution. Insightful and very very very interesting, a very worthy read. 10. Dissected: Thunder We get down to old-fashioned Guides as we reach the top 10 and this is an absolute treat. Kirby's complete analysis of one of the most popular weapons over the complete range of the game is quite simply superb. Covering all bases, probably defines in-depth and gives some interesting tips in Kirby's extremely readable style. Definitely worth the full fifteen minutes reading. 9. Explained: Gold Hunting For me, this is one I didn't expect before I did research for this article to include in this list but it really does deserve this high position. A stand-out superb piece by S.C.Y.T.H.E, the guide goes into the ins and outs of Gold Hunting and shows several different techniques to get these greatly-coveted boxes. Possibly one of the most applicable things to be published in the Newspaper, a MUST-READ for all aspiring Gold Hunters. 8. Why are XP Battles so popular? Published during the Non-Issues era of the Newspaper, the detail in this piece by GoldRock is simply outstanding. Giving a complete list of reasons as to the success of XP Battles, in true GoldRock fashion, an entrancing read. Superb. The only reason this didn't go higher is because it doesn't really have that much applicability into battle - however, the sheer beauty of the article more than makes up for that. Well worth the read if you haven't. 7. Maps That Once Were Another beauty, Maps That Once Were was an ancient piece by skitee which has left a legacy on to this day in the Archives. Going through the famous maps which once graced the game of old, it even encouraged Remaine to do a second edition of it in recent times. If you wanted a definition for interesting, this is a good shout. With skitee's superb writing-style combined with a fantastic topic, well worth a read. 6. Comparison: Twins or Ricochet? If you were to get into an argument with me about the best series to grace the newspaper, for me, it'd have to be this one. From Kirby2008, a topic that I would never have thought of and yet is so so so applicable to Tanki players of all shapes and sizes. Although I picked Twins vs Ricochet, the other three pieces (Smoky or Thunder, Railgun or Shaft and Firebird or Freeze) are all well well worth the read. Combining graphics, stats and a superb superb topic, this well deserves its position. Would recommend to everyone. 5. Mastering your Tanki Keyboard Personally, if I had to judge all of my articles, this would be my pick of the bunch. An original idea, garnished with a pile of picture-editing and a surprising influence on my own game. This article was probably one of my most "worth-it" writes, in my book. Such a big issue that's barely covered in the game - controlling your tank on the most obvious level. Not trying to be arrogant or anything, but this was a decent article. 4. Bombing Raids in Tanki Online Possibly a bit of a wildcard in the top 4, but this breaks through in the style that it deserves. Valletta was always a talented reporter who brought that touch of style to the newspaper but this was a special piece. With original ideas combined with expertly-created graphics, using a mine has never looked so fun. Simply class. 3. The Comprehensive Guide to XP Battles Perhaps a bit peripheral in its delving into the XP World in comparison to GoldRock's effort previously, but this was a memorable guide, even though I do say it myself. The use of the acrostic went down extremely well and created an interesting element to an article already crammed full of information. Not sure, but I think that including the guide's posting a few months later on the main page, it may have received the most up-votes an article has ever got... don't hold me to that though. 2. A Shopper's Guide to the Rebalance For me, this will always go down as the most impressive thing I have ever seen in the Newspaper. ShadowVisions was a mighty fine reporter and always produced quality in his time here, but this was a level above. The groundbreaking Rebalance, dismantled so expertly and clearly - a sight to behold. Absolutely superb. Although there's been tons of change since the rebalance of December 2012 and thus the article may not be so applicable these days, the theory behind it can still be admired. 1. The Complete History of Tanki Tough choice to give this top decision. In truth, The Complete History of Tanki was never posted in the newspaper - the title of each of the episodes may ring true with you readers, however, as In the Beginning, Tanki. Started off as just a simple thought that looking at history in Tanki might be an interesting idea - in the end, the whole thing amounted to over 30,000 words. Although perhaps not the greatest in writing quality, the length and detail of this particular series warrants it the coveted Number One spot. If you've never read it, I can assure you that if anything you should find it interesting. My personal top choice. Several articles deserve mention that didn't make the cut: works such as DMs for Dummies, Birth of a Tank, The Ten Commandments of Tanki, The Art of Kill Stealing, The life of a Reporter: Behind the Scenes, The Secret of the Lost Temple, Combo of the Month - Twins-Hornet: In Practice, The Map Awards 2014, How to Jump, The Ultimate Guide to Isida, Ranks: Tanki and the Real World, The Evolution of the Product Kits, The Side of Tanki You Never Knew, History of the Gold Box, The Crisis, Becoming a Tanki Pro, the Smoky XT Chronicles, Railgun: for the Pro, Top Ten Tanki: Thuglife - Oh, and I forgot the best of all. Eating Chicken. And there are many many others, all avaiable in the Archives. Do have your own say below. I'd be interested if you think I've missed any stalwarts out or if you see any misjudgements in the list. So, guys. This is it. Don't really know what to say. Hope you enjoyed the list. Memories for some; delving into a new world for others. For me, it really is like family. I'm gonna miss you.

Haha you might want to edit your photos to not give others ideas. :D

Remember, if you're posting your pictures here, they won't be entered - you must use the form!

Read, Read, Read and more read!

We're out! Enjoy!

Comic Captions Comic Captions is back AGAIN, people! Pretty simple - write a caption on any of the given pictures to win crystals! :excl: :excl: Rules :excl: :excl: 1. Captions should be added over any of the given images. You should not write down anything outside of the image - you should edit the image and put the words inside. You may edit the photos in any way you like, although changing the original picture may lead to less chance of winning. You are allowed to edit your image and put added things inside if you like! 2. One may submit only one entry per image, no more! So you can only submit 3 pictures maximum. 3. All captions involving sexual content, profanity, racial slurs, inappropriate humor, and political propaganda or not respecting the rules of the game will not be considered and may lead to a newspaper contest ban. 4. Entries will be judged primarily by humour, but also by originality, understandability and editing. 5. You should upload your images to a photo-uploader site e.g. imgur and post the link as http://i.imgur.com/xxxxx.jpg. 6. You should enter your captioned pictures by filling in this form for each of your entries. Send one entry at a time, you can fill in the form as many times as you like. The link is the following: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1hXa0xFGe9JQIPDvUouR_A9OuwbvPFKKrdXCyz1KvEFU/viewform?usp=send_form 7. The prize-winning entries will be announced in the next issue of the Newspaper. 8. All entries must be submitted by September 29th! 9. Entries not following the above rules will not be considered. 10. Entries to my Tanki Forum Private Message Box may not be considered. You must enter via the form linked above. Prize (per winning entry): 12,500 crystals Prize for worthy entries: 2,500 crystals 1. 2. 3. Remember, use the linked form to enter your captioned pictures! Note: If you need to know how to edit and upload a picture and do not know, here is quick basic guide to simple editing. 1. Right Click Picture and "Save image as..." 2. Save Image and visit www.picmonkey.com 3. Edit Picture and Save 4. Upload edited picture to www.imgur.com Discuss here!

No winners yet! All positions in the top 3 are still up for grabs!

With most things in life, there's a couple of parts to becoming a success. Take an athlete - he's got to be good at exercising as well as running to reach the top. A politician's got to be good at public speaking as well as doing his job to get people to like him. Even a chicken-shop owner has two essential parts to his job - cooking, not just selling (even though I'd probably eat it anyway). It's pretty much the same in Tanki. In this two part series called "The Perfect Tanker", we'll be looking at the essential parts that form the dream tanker - inside and outside the arena. A long intro is never fun so I'll get straight to the point. I've always thought dissecting the tanker that lives in each of the vehicles flying around our beloved Tankiverse would be a topic worth exploring. Certain people, and yes I'm looking at you Mr. High-Ranker who thinks he's too pro to read the Newspaper, think that the skill level that they've attained in the game will simply be improved by more and more and more game time. Forget reading, what's the point? Nothing I'll read will improve my playing. I hope you'll be at least slightly stimulated by this article to mull over the parts that compose your game in the arena and work out a way of improving your skills which doesn't just involve sitting at a screen playing Parma XP 2v2 battles. There's got to be more to it. Right, let's get moving. Time to enter the arena. Before I start, I'll outline what the plan is. I've split them up and for me, there are 4 vital components to an individual's game inside the battlefield which need to be separated for a true understanding of what needs to be mastered in the game. We'll take a glance at our plain old-fashioned big hulking Mammoth below and split it up as we investigate what components a tanker needs to shine on all quarters. Don't be fooled - there's more to a tank than first meets the eye... I. Skills We begin with what is most certainly one of the most obvious things that comes to the surface when you're playing that cheeky round of Serpy CTF - Skills. Any player can look at another and tell whether they have skills - it shows immediately and really defines where a player really fits in the grand scheme of things. Skills does sound a bit vague so I'll hone in on what particular I'm looking for in this quarter of our dissected tank. This is the external presentation of the player: the movements; the sniping; the all-round technique. Then of course you have skills more directly linked to the weapon of choice - for example a skilled Railgun might be good at anticipating opponent movements whilst a skilled Vulcan might be able to concentrate both on driving and their gyroscope-affected turret at the same time. Many would say that actually skills are the only thing that it comes down to. Forget a quarter - it'd dominate the whole thing. Don't get me wrong - to an extent skill affects everything. But believe me, there's far more to an accomplished Tanki player than just Skills... II. Control Our second point and perhaps the most important factor do an accomplished Tanki player - Control. Placarded across the front of the Mammoth, it, like Skill, is something quite evident to the watching opponent. Whilst Skill deals primarily with the weaponry and flamboyance of a player, Control takes more of a back seat role in the externals and demonstrates a player's ability at controlling his tank and each of the forms that takes. Control is most obvious in the driving of the hull. We all have had that feeling where we've just gone on a mad run, annihilated the defence and are just about to complete the victory capture and we drive into a house right in front of that bloke who thought we were the bee's knees. The top top players in the game are the ones who never drive into props, never flip over unnecessarily, never mistime their move for that supply box. It encompasses timing, it encompasses understanding. It's all about being in control. Obviously. Control also moves over the keyboard and how good a player is at using each of his different features. A couple of years ago now, I wrote an article about the Tanki keyboard and the different controls that can affect your game - well, one thing's for sure, the players most in control don't struggle with changing their camera. They've definitely mastered it. I'm not going to drive on about this point. I think you all know how crucial Control is to your game. III. Vision Hmm. Vision. Maybe something you might have dropped from this 4-term list. I must admit I chose Vision but another good word here would be Awareness. This shows off a more delicate aspect to a player's performance that certainly takes a back seat but cannot be ignored. Vision shows off a player at his most concentrated, a player who is focused on everything going on around them. Here, even some of the top players fall short - a StarSeries defender caught daydreaming who doesn't spot the Nitro-Wasp run in and grab the flag can change any game, no matter how much skill the fellow has. Vision obviously comes through sight. Here, a big screen with high-graphics comes in useful, but you can't make excuses if you haven't got those provisions. Everyone has flag alerts at the top of their screen, everyone has the ability to see to a pretty decent level. You need to make sure you keep looking around you whilst you're driving to show off a key aspect to your tanking. One really useful tip for this is constantly turning your turret - you'll see a lot more going on around you. I just said Vision came through sight, but you do have to be aware through your ears as well. This is where turning on your sound comes in useful. Listening to battle sounds around the battlefield can give you ideas on enemies' whereabouts and also is invaluable for making sure you're up-to-date on what's going on regarding flags. Don't underestimate this. For me, it's integral to a player. Staying aware of your surroundings is something I think even the best have to keep working on. Don't just rely on your skills - if you don't have good vision, you're in trouble. IV. Positioning So this is it - our last component to our most dashing Mammoth. You may notice that Positioning is positioned (Where's that dancing emoticon gone?) at the back of the tank and I think the fact that it is taking the most furthest back role is telling as many people seem to take this aspect of Tanki as just rolled into one with the others. But I'd disagree. Positioning is all about understanding of the game and being in the right place at the right time. And don't think it's luck - believe me, there's far more to it than just that. Having that understanding of position may seem like a difficult thing to master so I'll just briefly run through what it encompasses. Positioning your tank is really built up when you begin to understand where your opponents are placed on the battlefield. This concept is linked to one of the points I did over on the Handbook this issue regarding Guessing Opponents' Minds. You have to be able to see through their eyes and understand where they're going to move to be good at positioning yourself on the field. You may think this is only for defenders getting in the right areas to block off attackers, but trust me, attackers have to do this as well. When you're sprinting in for that flag you've got to be able to position yourself well and enter through the right areas to stay invisible in the enemy base. So don't forget this last point. It's vital to a tanker's game. You may be thriving in the other three areas but if you aren't good at positioning yourself in the right areas then you'll be taken out far more than you would otherwise be. Make sure you're always looking around you to see where other players are going and manoeuvre your tank appropriately. Keep on top of your game. Well that's all folks! One of my shortest articles and I do apologize it couldn't be longer - I've been a bit more busy this month. I know you may disagree on the integral points of the tank so I'd really appreciate each of your opinions. You may have picked Knowledge or perhaps another point related to Skill. Hopefully, even if you disagreed with my points, you might have taken something out of this - even a mindset change as to all of the different things you need to think about as a Tanki player. Cheers guys!

Welcome to The Generalissimo's Handbook - a monthly column in the Tanki Newspaper dedicated to going past the baby-food and providing readers with advanced tips and techniques directed at those who have already reached a high standard in the game. Our intention through this institution is to spur advanced players confident in their ability to improve, learn and ultimately become better players. At the same time, we hope to see less experienced players coming along here and learning some advanced tips to help them in their quest to improve. Before we begin, just like to say that I'm sorry we weren't able to post a Handbook last time out - we're still adapting to the new Newspaper system. Same organisation in this article as ever - Tips, Video, Question of the Month and Q&A Session! Enjoy! Previous Handbooks: ~ Gen's Handbook - Month 1 ~ ~ Gen's Handbook - Month 2 ~ ~ Gen's Handbook - Month 3 ~ ~ Gen's Handbook - Month 4 ~ ►The Tips◄ Written by hogree I. Manipulating Opponents' Minds Manipulation of the mind might sound a bit extreme for Tanki but when you reach the upper end of the game and want to use all you can to get an advantage, it is a valid technique that can take you places. Manipulating opponents' minds, simply put, is making opponents move where you want them to move. Don't think it's possible? Hopefully after this you might think twice. Let's get straight down to the tips - there is a simple but vital concept to master before we begin here - you must be able to see the battle from another player's eyes. Let me give an example. You're in a Fort Knox CTF and you're taking away the enemy flag don't one of the sides - as you go, you spot an enemy spawning on the other side of the map and his turret is facing you - he's clearly seen where you're going. This is where being smart comes in - think from his perspective and he's probably thinking "I'll make a beeline for the opposition base and grab their flag before he's able to capture". This would undoubtedly take the fastest route, right? In light of this, you can wait by the side of the map till he goes past and cut in behind the fella as he's going through the centre into your base - you can spring onto his back by surprise and easily outnumber him. Now of course this isn't manipulating the mind, it's just reading. Manipulating comes in when you begin to move yourself into certain areas to purposefully trigger off a thought into an opponent's brain. Don't quite know what I might be getting at? Here's an example. Let's take Fort Knox CTF again since it works and an enemy Freeze-Viking is protecting his flag. You're a Railgun-Viking. You pretend that you're going for a mad run for a flag capture so you run in and grab the flag, knowing full well that the fella's going to come after you and literally freeze you to death. You drive away from him desperately and turn your turret away from him as if in desperation to get away - you're just approaching the side of the base and you're clearly gonna die. You drop the flag, the Freeze chasing you immediately returns and your team-mate runs into a Freeze-less base and gets away. Cheeky. That's manipulation on the most obvious level. You can take it further, even though I won't. You could shoot as a distraction to get your opponent thinking you're a threat when you're almost fully dead. You all can think of more ideas. There's a lot you can do to manipulate the mind of an enemy. What do you think looks threatening in an opponent? Imitate that. There's the name of the game - imitation. Something to think about, at the very least, I hope. I'm pretty dumb when it comes down to playing Tanki but this is something I feel could be considered a lot greater, especially for those in the higher end of the ranks. II. Using your Hull Slightly less exciting and much shorter but this will be a to-the-point passionate piece of writing. For me, the worst (and I intentionally use the superlative there) thing about the way Generalissimos play in this era is the inherent belief that seems to exist on the battlefield that once you're out of charge or you're unable to shoot, you're out of the game and you have to run away. This is classic - tips saying "get into cover when you're out of charge" and other things like that only help to build up this brainwashing that seems to have pervaded into many players' minds on the battlefield. My point in this short piece is only this. Your hull is much more important than you think it is. Much much much more. YOU HAVE TO USE IT!!!! The thing that gets me is when you see a team-mate sniping at enemies from his base whilst they're running away with the flag. Yay, you're doing damage, congratulations. That is the type of team-mate that I would call a world-class mult. Disguised as helping the team but they're not doing anything. Whenever someone grabs your flag, you RUN IN. You BLOCK. You put your HULL on the line. Whenever your team-mate grabs the opponent's flag, you run in. You block enemies. You do the dirty work. Whenever your team-mates are flooding in to grab that Control Point, you run in. You block enemies. Seriously. I'm getting so so so so so tired of seeing folks out there on the battlefield think they're smart Tanki players because they can snipe well in Monte Carlo. Get a life. Put your tank on the line. Get rid of your pretty D/L. Help your team. Sheesh. ►The Video◄ Created by Fen-Harel This issue, our Gen's Handbook video will be themed on the issue of communicating as a team. Hopefully the gold box clips in the background won't be too distracting! Give your suggestions for the video theme as well below. ►Question of the Month◄ The Question of the Month is back - a short question directed at a few of the Generalissimos in the English community to see opinions from some of the high-rankers around the community. Just so you know, feel free to suggest questions for this too that you would find interesting! This issue's question... "If you could only have 3 weapons, 3 hulls and 3 paints in your garage, which ones would you choose - and why?" Choices are explained beneath each spoiler. BTW watch out for Issho's answer... :L @LadyYuna: Picks: Isida, Railgun, Firebird, Wasp, Hornet, VIking, Clay, Graffiti, Lumberjack : Picks: Hammer, Isida, Firebird, Dictator, Hornet, Wasp, Lumberjack, Africa, Clay : Picks: Viking, Wasp, Titan, Hammer, Twins, Shaft, Clay, Zeus, Rock. @Issho_Fujitora: Picks: Smoky, Firebird XT, Isida, Hornet, Viking XT, Titan, Rustle, Alligator, Prodigi : Picks: Vulcan, Smoky, Railgun, Mammoth, Hornet, Dictator, Zeus, Taiga, Africa @DEMONEKxD: Picks: Smoky, Railgun, Thunder, Wasp, Hornet, Mammoth, Zeus, Tiger, Inferno @DoubleSh0t: Picks: Railgun, Ricochet, Hammer, Wasp, Hornet, Viking, Inferno, Rock, Clay. ►The Q&A Session◄ No Questions this issue! There's not enough being sent in! We want more!!!!! Any questions that pop into your head - send them here! Feel free to quiz us regarding issues that you feel experienced Generalissimos may be able to give light on or even just to see their opinion on certain subjects you want to know more about. Once again, we will pick up to 5 questions from those entered on the form below and answer them next issue. So send your questions in! PLEASEEEE! Anything? Enter your questions here ► Ideas and Suggestions (Again Again Again...) ◄ Use your voice! We still want some ideas! Thanks for reading! Hog & Fen

This is killing me...

Quick Note: Sorry for the late release of the "V-Log Analysis" which is now available to read in the Newspaper Section, there was a misunderstanding partly due to the new system which led to it being left out of the Main Topic. Read it here: http://en.tankiforum.com/index.php?showtopic=282658

That will be published in two weeks, apologies for the wait, there was an unexpected misunderstanding.

Something creative is the intention based directly around the picture. Originality is the key to this. Have a look at some of the sample answers up top for inspiration.

Read Read Read - the second bi-monthly issue of the English Community Newspaper is live!

I can assure you that all entries including yours were considered appropriately and it took a significant judging decision to decide the winners. Sorry we didn't give yours a prize - it was a well-made entry and was certainly in the shortlist.

Sha, waiting for you to post up a new topic...