Guide [Issue 32] Dissected: Isida

[Pathfinder 1,690]

Welcome to the second in the Dissected series, where I will be meticulously taking apart various items to get as deep an insight as possible, and give you both complete knowledge and sound understanding of their use. In case you missed the previous dissections of the series, you can find them here. But without further ado, let's get straight into Isida, literally!

 

 

Isida is a unique weapon in Tanki. It is the only weapon that has the ability to heal, both teammates and yourself. An absolutely essential part of team modes, this weapon can make or break a team, and is extremely versatile, being able to play effectively anywhere, be it attack or defence.

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Learning the Basics
Again we will begin by looking at the basic working mechanisms of this turret, as this underpins all tactics that I will suggest. This can come with experience, but looking at the figures can help too.

First, damage dealing capacity, which is the primary aspect of most turrets. Isida deals 32 damage per half-second, and it is important to distinguish this from what some people refer to as 64 damage per second. Since Isida doesn't deal continuous damage, but in small chunks per time, dealing damage per half second is crucially different than per second. For example, if you were shooting for 3.5 seconds, considering 64 damage per second would only mean 64*3=192 damage, since we count whole seconds. But, considering 32 damage per half-second gives 32*7=224 damage, since we count half-seconds.

 

Since we now know that Isida deals damage per half-second, in chunks and not continuously, this demonstrates that it is better to deal damage in one long burst, than in multiple short bursts. This means that, when shooting, it is most effective to shoot an exact amount of half-seconds, to avoid 'wasting damage'. If you were shooting for 2.5 seconds compared to 2.9 seconds, you would in fact deal the same amount of damage, since it is the complete number of half-seconds that matters. Of course, it is near impossible to be shooting exact multiples of half seconds, unless you were some sort of superhuman! So, every time you fire a burst of damage, it is likely (more than likely) that you will be overshooting and wasting damage. And so, shooting fewer bursts will deal maximum damage.

 

Another way to illustrate this is imagining you have 6 seconds of charge, as Isida has. If you shoot this in one long burst, you will do exactly 32*12=384 damage points. But, say you shoot this in two short bursts. Now unless you get each one on exactly a multiple of half-seconds (e.g. 3.5 seconds and 2.5 seconds), you will do less than that figure of 384. Say you miss out by 0.1 seconds, and deal damage in two bursts of 3.6 and 2.4 respectively. You will only deal 32*11=352 damage.

 

In battle terms this means making sure you keep a grip of the enemy. One small lapse when the enemy breaks your flow and you will lose that whole half-second of damage.

 

So, next time you are facing an enemy with no charge left, don't always try and fire straight away as soon as you build up a bit of charge. If you can take the hits, save up for a longer burst and finish him off in one. Also, it sounds counter-intuitive, but letting yourself take a bit of damage first may help you out in the end, as it gets the most out of your self-heal. Beware though, this is a double-edged sword!

 

When dealing damage, Isida also drains 50% of the damage it deals. This can help in flag escapes for example, where you can help to regain essential health while you escape. Just don't forget to target those tanks with no protective Isida paint to heal the most!

 

Isida's 50% damage drain is essentially equivalent to 16 hit points per half-second, which is nothing to sniff at. Considering that Freeze deals 34 damage per half-second, Isida's self heal essentially reduces Freeze's damage to a mere 18 per half-second, significantly lower than your own damage of 32 damage per half-second. Even Firebird, the widely considered king of short range combat, will fall to an Isida one-on-one. Isida will do more damage per second to a Firebird (considering heal), and what's more can shoot for longer!

 

As for reloading capabilities, there are two aspects to consider - consumption and reload. Isida can shoot for a maximum of 6 seconds continuously, and can recharge completely in 10 seconds. This is slightly better than Firebird, and slightly worse than Freeze.

 

The only other aspect of Isida that we haven't taken a good look at yet is its ability to heal. Although this isn't obviously an offensive side to Isida, it can certainly be used offensively, indirectly. With this ability, you can help support your teammates in the attack, aid their return with the enemy flag... and plenty more which I will not bother to mention.

 

Isida heals at about the same rate as it damages - slightly more at 33 damage per half-second.

Choosing a Hull
Your hull is the other half to your combo, and is obviously a key choice you must make. A lot of this is map dependent, and mode dependent, but I will give you some general guidelines from my personal experience.

• Light hulls - can be very effective with Isida. Isida has one of the shortest ranges in the game, and so you need to be able to catch up to an enemy. Light hulls suit Isida very well, especially on larger maps. Your low health is somewhat balanced by your ability to self-heal.
• Heavy hulls - in general, unless the map is very small or you are confined to your base to defend, a bad combination. As mentioned earlier, Isida must have speed to catch up to enemies, or you are simply helpless! On large maps you would be a sitting duck.
• Medium hulls - you can't go wrong with a medium hull, and Isida is no exception. Medium hulls can be deadly, allowing you to perform a variety of roles as an Isida. However, you'll see this combination struggling on larger maps.

I would personally recommend a light or medium hull for Isida, depending on the situation. If I had to pick one hull, I would take Hunter.

Choosing a Paint
To complete your combination, you must pick a suitable paint. As an Isida user, you will always be taking on enemies at short range, so taking a paint that protects against other short range weapons is a good idea. Especially Isida protection, since enemy Isidas are the same as you and so will have every single advantage that you have against them. A paint like Lumberjack, Zeus, Rock, Taiga or Inferno are all great.

 

However, with short range combinations, you will still see long range protective paints working very well. This is because Isida excels at short range. The problem is getting close to your enemies in the first place!

 

All paints have the potential to be the best for your Isida combination, based on the situation. Having a diverse garage has its advantages.

When to heal?
Now, as an Isida user, you don't have unlimited charge, so there will be scenarios when you have to make a snap decision about whether to heal an ally, attack an enemy and heal yourself, or do nothing and conserve your charge. Even if you decide to heal an ally, you also need to choose which one to heal sometimes, which can be very important.

 

So, when might each be a good option?

• Heal an ally - ideally you want to keep your teammates alive, so if they are low on health, bringing them back to a safer level will make them less vulnerable. As to which, you have to prioritise. Is one taking more enemy fire than another? Has one got less health left? Is one more likely to die? Is one carrying the flag, or about to return our flag?
• Attack an enemy - sometimes it is more useful to just attack the enemy yourself. Not only does this mean replenishing your own health, if you are low, but also since it takes the enemy out faster, you are indirectly reducing the amount of damage your teammate will take, in effect, "healing".
• Do nothing - sometimes, it might be better to simply let a teammate die. If they are receiving heavy sustained damage, and they are likely to die anyway, why waste your charge? Save your energy for someone else! Harsh, but it's in the best interests of yourself and the team!

Fight or Flight?

As for all weapons, it is important to know how much it takes to take out a particular enemy tank. Looking at the health of the different hulls, and Isida's damage, we can see that Wasp takes 3 seconds, Hornet takes 3.5 seconds, Hunter takes 4.5 seconds, Viking takes 5 seconds, Dictator takes 5.5 seconds, Titan takes 6.5 seconds and Mammoth takes 7 seconds. Putting this in perspective, Light hulls take around half of your full charge to take out, Medium hulls take your full charge, and Heavy hulls require you to reload and try again.

 

Knowing this is key to deciding whether to go into an engagement with an enemy. For example, you see a Freeze-Wasp approaching, and you have half of your energy bar full. Perfect! You will be able to take him out in one charge, simple. But then you realise he has Irbis, meaning your half-charge is unlikely to kill him. Now it might be a better idea to retreat for a while before your charge reaches maximum, and then you can take him out in one go.

Taking on the Rest
This section I have dedicated to explaining the general principles you should use when taking on each of the other weapons, keeping to Ultimate Guide tradition!

 

Firebird

This weapon is the most dangerous in terms of damage at close range. Make sure you don't go in for a fight without a good amount of energy, otherwise it will melt your tank in seconds! Try and pick your fights carefully - move in after the enemy has just been firing so he will have low charge, and go in when you have enough to take out his hull! Try to keep your distance, since Firebird's damage decreases with range, and having a cushion allows you to latch on a little easier.

 

Freeze

As a short range weapon, dealing with this is pretty similar to Firebird. But, it might be better to try and retreat into a corner or wall if you can't run, since this makes it much harder for the Freeze to circle you.

 

Isida

Again similar to the other short range weapons, try and pick your engagement carefully. Watch out when judging whether you can take him out, since he also has self-heal. Getting the first damage on an enemy Isida is not always advantageous, as you will likely not kill him and he will get the most out of self-heal.

 

Twins

Twins has a pretty high damage rate, and also a high impact force. What's more, Twins also out-ranges Isida. Therefore, do not try and rush an enemy Twins straight on. If you even make it due to the enemy impact force, he will likely have done so much damage to you that you won't last long after. Try to use covered routes, minimising the amount of open space you need to cover.

 

Hammer

A tough enemy to deal with at short range, since Hammer has such high impact force and damage, as well as instant shot time. If you are approaching with a medium hull, watch out since Hammer can take you out in one clip. Again, try and time your attack so the enemy is either reloading, or at least does not have a full clip, and try and use sheltered paths as much as possible. Once you latch on, don't get go!

 

Ricochet

Similar to Twins and Hammer, don't try and engage head on, you will be destroyed before you reach the enemy. Use timing so that the enemy does not have much charge. And also be aware of the ability to bounce projectiles off surfaces - a position you may think is safe may not be!

 

Smoky and Thunder

Don't approach head on, use sheltered routes. That's about it since Smoky and Thunder shoot continuously.

 

Vulcan

Approaching a Vulcan head on is not wise at all, and you will be taking unnecessary damage. Try and use covered routes, and wait for the enemy to be shooting, or overheating ideally.

 

Railgun

Railgun will put a good amount of damage onto you in a single shot, so make sure to take full advantage of its long reload. Moving in just after the enemy has fired will mean you are safe for a longer amount of time!

 

Shaft

Dealing with Shaft is pretty similar for all weapons. Try to avoid heading for him across open parts of the map, and use more covered and sheltered routes. Also, watch out for the way the Shaft is pointing and whether laser scope is being used - this can help you know whether you are in the enemy's field of view.

I think that's about it! I hope you learned from this one, and feel more confident using Isida now!

Full credits go to for her work on the excellent title picture.

Please feel free to share your own thoughts and experiences with this weapon, and if you want to see another weapon dissected into complete guide form, don't forget to suggest it!

 

Note: If you don't feel you've read enough about Isida, or want to read even more, you can read the Ultimate Guide to Isida. Do note however that the article was published nearly two years ago, so it may be out-of-date.

[Pathfinder 1,690]

Just as they announce hull changes... -_-

[Superlative 500]

Just as they announce hull changes... -_-

Lolz. :P This is my favourite turret. I'll start, anyways. :D

[r_Damn_Slow0 12,476]

nice picture indeed! :D

[fluctuation123 3,435]

Now this is a superlative piece of informative writing. Kudos.

[jazz20 1,181]

From my experiences, Isida is very weak against medium/long range weapons esp. ricochet and twins. Really loved the article Kirby  ^_^ . Gonna get M3 Isida soon  :wub:

[sudeeprauta 150]

Hey kirby 2008,

I am daily user of Isida and thks so much for helping me.

Thumps Up.^_^ ^_^

[fahim_the_boss 1,519]

Nice

[AN_602 280]

Cool post :)

[tankrider13 3]

if you want to kill a enemy who using vulcan turret just move around him this will make it harder to shot you 

[obsidianlover4242 2]

1 freakin age?

[obsidianlover4242 2]

if you want to kill a enemy who using vulcan turret just move around him this will make it harder to shot you 

Dat also da freeze stupid tactic

[Rad-Powered 1,694]

Nice article kirby :D

[NatchGa 665]

For choosing a hull you said that in basically most situations a heavy hull is a poor choice. Tell that to all the mammoth and isida users out there, such as me. Having tons of health while also being able to heal it over time is a huge advantage, even on DM's on large maps, like berlin I could still easily get into the top 3 highest score for the battle. 

 

The only situation that the combination of a heavy hull and isida is bad in is when you're doing a 1 vs 1 with the opponent using a medium/long range weapon.

[Pathfinder 1,690]

For choosing a hull you said that in basically most situations a heavy hull is a poor choice. Tell that to all the mammoth and isida users out there, such as me. Having tons of health while also being able to heal it over time is a huge advantage, even on DM's on large maps, like berlin I could still easily get into the top 3 highest score for the battle. 

 

The only situation that the combination of a heavy hull and isida is bad in is when you're doing a 1 vs 1 with the opponent using a medium/long range weapon.

I would still stand by my opinion, that Isida-Heavy is only really good in either smal maps, or when you are defending. On a large map, any smart player would simply avoid you, there is no way you can reach anyone - speed is so important. I'm surprised you can get top 3 on Berlin with Isida Mammoth, if so, wow I commend you :p

[My_Tiger_Psy 4]

Very nice, I love isida.  I have isida m2, so if you want a teammate who heals, add me on tanki: My_Tiger_Psy

[thunderousrailgunner 1,934]

Isida Is My Second Weapon After Thunder .

[DexterFighter 3]

about thunder: Go close to a thunder user and let him shot. Each time he shots he gets a damage. You will have an advantage and kill him much faster even if you have light hull.

[thunderousrailgunner 1,934]

about thunder: Go close to a thunder user and let him shot. Each time he shots he gets a damage. You will have an advantage and kill him much faster even if you have light hull.

about isida: shoot isida before he reaches you . this way he will be smashed . you will have an advantage and kill him much faster even if you have heavy hull 

[Pathfinder 1,690]

@dex yes, how could I have forgotten about self damage... nice!

[NewbieCake 3,067]

An annoying gun on drugs. By the time the Isida kills you, you have done no damage at all! :(

[blackflag444 256]

useful, since i went right into a battle with isida after this :). and then, my friend @obsidianlover4242 ranked, i got a gold, and i ranked!

[Pathfinder 1,690]

An annoying gun on drugs. By the time the Isida kills you, you have done no damage at all! :(

Love that feeling ;)

[greyat 2,972]

^whereas the feeling of helplessness due to running out of charge is far less enjoyable.

[Remaine 4,687]

Fortunately, Irbis takes care of that.