Guide [Issue 73] The Ultimate Guide to Striker

[Hex 11,520]

 

 

 

 

 

Striker, the turret that made it's debut just before the arrival of Magnum, is one turret certainly reigns above all. It's high damage, mobility and the power to one-shot even the heaviest of hulls makes it a personal favorite for some. Unlike Magnum, which has already had an impacting influence on the game's progression, Striker remained in the shadows and silently prowled onto it's enemies.

 

Sporting two ways to shoot it's rockets, the single fire and the salvo, Striker is definitely a nightmare on the battlefield - and can be deadly in the right hands. Nevertheless, it is time for me to jump into the vast world of Strikers, and take a look on how Strikers are currently performing in the game.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vql6Hc1act0

^[1]

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General Features of Striker:

 

On Friday, December 23, 2016, in one of the most anticipated releases of the year, the Striker turret was released and hence, added into the arsenal of turrets for everyone to buy and launch some rockets. Essentially, Striker is a four-barrelled rocket launcher, having a great similarity to those used in real life. It even sounds just like so!

 

Did you know there was a time where there was only one person in the entire world that had Striker in their garage? It was Semyon Strizhak, the game designer for Tanki Online who used it in a battle for the initial public test.

 

Getting back to the article, before the release, the developers informed us about some general, key features about Striker. They made the following points:

• Striker is a four-barreled rocket launcher that can fire four rockets at a time. Pressing 'Spacebar' will fire a single rocket from one of the four barrels.
• It can fire in two modes, with one being the simple one-by-one fire; and the second one being the salvo. In one-by-one mode, you only need to fire once at a time. However, you need to hold down the 'Spacebar' key for a specific amount of time to fire in salvo mode - which is essentially called so because it releases all of the rockets in the four barrels at once, just milliseconds behind one another.
• Unlike real life rocket launchers, which can also move about in vertical angles, Striker can only rotate in horizontal angles, and is able to rotate completely about its axis.
• Aiming is required when one fires the rockets one-by-one, and it is quite hard once you increase the distance between your target. However, the salvo works through a lock-on system which only allows for a little amount of delay before you have to lock-on again.
• Striker has splash damage, and hence, you can inflict self-damage onto yourself if you fire at something too close to you.

 

 

Visual Features of Striker:

 

The turret itself has a very short base, and only holds its barrels along the sides of the base, which sometimes makes it look a bit weird while viewing at a certain angle. The M0 Striker is completely naked of steel attachments, with the only exception of the ledge attacking the barrels onto the base and the circular plate on top. M1 Striker features a steel end to its barrels, while also having a striped vented hatch on the top.

 

The M2 Striker sports an entire barrel made out of steel panels, while only the outward piece being default. It looks more sleek and definitely a lot more cooler in the middle, as the whole of its base has been completely revamped by adding steel panels and a single titanium plate in the exact front end. The barrels even feature air vents!

 

M3 Striker makes up for the roundish look of its previous counterparts, and completely reforms the top and bottom parts of its barrels by leveling them out and adding sheets of titanium. The barrels feature an even more advanced version of port holes, or air vents along with a small steel plate. The base, which almost looks like it has been tailored to look "angrier", features titanium and steel-plated panels along with a hatch on the rear end.

 

 

 

What's really interesting is that we are actually able to see the missiles fired by this turret, and only one other other turret sports this feature: Magnum! Open the spoiler below to see what do the missiles look like:

 

 

 

 

Now, more about trails. Yes, Striker does have a trail that appears behind the missiles it fires, and it looks quite interesting to be honest. However, do note one thing! These trails only appear if you have 'Dust' option turned in the in-game settings. If you have turned this setting, you will only see the rocket and the hot gases coming out of the nozzle at the bottom of the rocket.

 

Moreover, like all other turrets, Striker also has an indication parameter, which is primarily a rocket itself, and looks like:

 

 

Lastly, the explosion. Even though the explosion is definitely a lot smaller than Magnum, it is relative to the size of the on which Thunder can produce, and packs quite a punch!

 

 

 

Statistics:

 

In total, every modification of Stiker retains these important characteristics:

• Shells - The number of shells Striker can fire in a salvo is a non-upgradable parameter and only remains at four rockets per salvo.
• Timings - All timings (example, aiming recovery time, acceleration time of the rocket, and the pause time between each fired rocket) are permanently fixed at the same value for each modification and can't be changed. Aiming recovery time is one second, while the acceleration time is three seconds and lastly, the pause time between each rocket is fixed at quarter of a second.
• Projectile and Splash Radii - Radii of damage and splash damage of the fired projectile also can't be upgraded through modification and micro-upgrades - they remain at a constant value, which is one meter for maximum damage and ten meters for minimum damage.
• Velocity and Speed - Velocities and the speeds of projectile are consistent throughout each modification. The minimum projectile speed is twenty meters per second, and the angular velocity of the shell is about forty-five degrees per second.
• Auto-Aim - Degrees of auto-aiming upward or downward are non-upgradable as well, which and nine and twelve degrees respectively.

 

Table of Statistics:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pros and Cons:

 

Pros:

• Excessive damage output in both modes, single fire and the salvo
• Ability to take out multiple tanks at once
• Extremely versatile and maneuverable
• Ability to knock off aim and trouble the enemy's path of movement
• Deadly at small to medium ranges

 

Cons:

• Difficult to hit targets that are farther away
• Self-damage is imminent in close range combat
• Locking on can be easily dealt with by hiding behind any prop
• While locking onto an enemy, a push from anyone will most likely make your rockets miss

 

Rocket Trajectories:

 

Trajectory:

 

According to the standard definition, a "trajectory" is the path followed by a projectile flying or an object moving under the action of given forces. In this article, we'll refer to the path followed by the missiles fired from the barrels of Striker.

 

Trajectory Control:

 

Controlling the trajectory of Striker's missiles is a daunting task, especially when it comes to ranges longer than a hundred meters. This is mainly because of the fact that the rockets a Striker fires have travel time, and it becomes more considerable as you increase the range between you and your target. Owing to this fact, take note of the following:

• Always shoot a bit ahead of your target if they're standing/going by far away, but do not do so if your target is close -- the travel time isn't that slow.
• Remember, the missiles accelerate faster the more they travel, so if you have fired them after locking onto someone, do not worry as long as there is no cover nearby for your target. If your rockets reach the target, you can safely call it a kill unless they have protections against you.

 

Types of Trajectories:

 

The missiles fired from a Striker can follow the following three types of trajectories:

• Linear -- In this case, the rockets travel in a straight line.
• Bent -- Here, the rockets curve inwards as well as downwards. This type of trajectory is most noticeable if you fire while spinning or from a ramp.
• Circular -- Motion of the rockets onto a target that is in motion changes their motion into that of a locus of point curving by a uniform/variable angle.

 

Tips, Tactics and Strategies:

 

Single-Firing and Salvo'ing:

 

Striker, like many other turrets like Shaft, Thunder and Firebird, sports two ways of firing, and these are as follows:

• Single-Fire -- Rockets fire out of the barrel one after the another. This can be done by tapping the 'Spacebar' and using the 'Z' and 'X' keys to aim.
• Salvo -- Rockets fire out of the barrel in groups of four, in an alternating manner between the barrels. This is also known as firing after locking on and works by holding down the fire button, which enables a targeting system. The target must remain in sight of this system for a specific amount of time, after while four rockets fire in quick succession.

Both modes have their ups and downs, but the most important thing to know is that single-fire is actually more convenient and useful than salvo, unless you're going for someone that is heavy hull and full on health. Since the turret is still fairly new, protections from it are sparsely found in battles, letting you kill a medium hulls in two shots, and a heavy one in three-four.

 

Furthermore, firing the rockets one by one also gives you an edge over the people around you in the battle. The time it takes to fire shots is slim, allowing you to deal so much damage which the enemy, unfortunately, can't comprehend, giving you a free kill. Salvo on the other hand, should be limited to only when a heavy hull comes in your sights or when a group of tankers form. In these cases, the mere splash radii of four rockets barreling down to your targets will kill them, giving you and your teammates time or carry out the current/next objective.

 

Choosing Targets:

 

Like aforementioned, it is pretty much common sense to go after a tank which either is of a relatively lower modification or is heavily damaged, unless situations compel you to do otherwise. However, this will, and should not be the case with Striker, again! Striker, is, well, a four-barreled, rocket-firing, mean, green, killing machine designed to provide support for offensive and midfield campaigns. For instance, a Striker can easily wipe out groups of tanks while the attackers on its team go and steal the flag. If the enemy team decides to attack on your base by penetrating two sides, one Striker can halt the import of enemies coming from one of the sides and then go carry on defending the other side.

 

Like Magnum, maximizing the damage per shot is another thing. For example, when shooting at a clump of enemies, shooting at their center is useful. What if one of them is an Isida and you didn't see that from a distance? You injure both of them at one go. The same applies to multiple tanks converging or diverging from a spot. Shoot the spot, not the tanks. Direct hits are great but it's not a DM! However, the surroundings can make their presence felt, too. If one of the tanks is turning around a corner or going into a safe zone (for the chosen angle), a direct hit could be the killer.

 

Aiming on Slopes:

 

Aiming on slopes is simple while using Striker, and only becomes difficult when the target gets at too low of an angle above/beneath you on the slope. Here, you should remember that rockets do travel in linear trajectory on a slope, but it appears to be bent because of the angle you're watching your screen. This causes a lot of people to miss, and gets them killed in the process. So, aim normally and make use of the ramp edges to get that extra bit of angle to get your target in your line of sight.

 

 

About Gold Boxes:

 

Many high-ranked people do not, in fact, care for Gold Boxes. They sit and keep killing, capturing and fulfilling battle objectives while the 'hunters' are busy fighting for the Gold. Most of these people tend to stay behind and kill those hunters. Grabbing a Smoky, Twins or Vulcan doesn't cut it, so whenever a Gold Box drops, they change to energy weapons (such as Firebird or Freeze), or splash damage weapons (such as Thunder and Striker). Now, remember Magnum in the last article of the series? With the addition of Magnum, one could take out the whole horde of people under a dropping Gold. This tactic would practically be useful in DM games. Well, what about Striker?

 

Whenever any of those golden boxes drop, switch to Striker. Then, in the process of spawning, you should hopefully spot the drop zone and head over there. Grab a Double Damage and wait for the people to pile up. Just before the tanks start piling up, lock onto someone who has a medium/heavy hull and hope for the best! Just remember:

• You will - if you're really lucky - kill all the people there and have a free Gold Box right in front of you.
• You will kill half of the people and would need to shoot again in single-fire mode; this sometimes works and takes all the remaining health out of the remaining enemies.
• Inflict self-damage and kill yourself in the process. If this happens, you got too close and unfortunately there's nothing you could do about that now...

 

Striker vs. Other Turrets:

 

In this segment, we shall examine how Striker performs against other turrets while in combat under the following conditions:

• Hull: Viking
• Health: 100%
• Supplies: Double Damage [ON]
• MUs: [OFF]
• Alterations: [OFF]

 

Striker vs. Firebird:

 

 

You guessed it, Firebird's damage per second and especially the afterburn effect is too much for a Striker to handle. Just before shooting its second rocket, the person using Striker will become red-hot and burnt to a crisp. Simply said, Striker easily loses in a duel against Firebird.

 

Striker vs. Freeze:

 

 

Freeze, just like Firebird, has a high value of damage per second and can kill anyone in just a few seconds. This amount of time is less than the time required to shoot two rockets, and thus, Striker loses.

 

Striker vs. Isida:

 

 

Isida currently has the highest damage effectiveness in the game, easily being able to chunk the entire health out of an opponent in less than a few seconds, rendering the Striker's struggle into a loss.

 

Striker vs. Hammer:

 

 

Hammer, on the other hand, is a bit different. First of all, it has a little bit of delay on between each shots, and when you compile that with the fact that it's pellets are super-spreadable means there is just no way a Hammer will cause enough damage before Striker lands two of its rockets. Thus, Striker wins to Hammer.

 

Striker vs. Twins:

 

 

Firstly, Twins' plasma offers such a high degree of suppression that the opponent tanks bobbles around in a duel, slightly making it harder to shoot it. If you add this to its high damage and Twins becomes a nightmare, easily winning against a slow shooter like Striker. In other words, Striker loses to Twins.

 

Striker vs. Ricochet:

 

 

Ricochet also has a slight delay in between the shots, enough for Striker to shoot two rockets and kill off the dueling person. Even though it can or would depend on who shoots first, it will be safe to say Striker wins against Ricochet.

 

Striker vs. Smoky:

 

 

If a critical shot happens in the duel, consider the duel done as then there would be no way for a Striker to win unless the next shot has a really low damage value. However, if all the shots the Smoky shoots are normal, then the Striker will have enough hitpoints in order to shoot two rockets, and take out the Smoky, ultimately winning against it.

 

Striker vs. Thunder:

 

 

The sum of the reload time of two shots and the delay in between for Striker is actually less then that of Thunder, already putting it in a disadvantage along with it's high chances of self-damage. Hence, Striker wins.

 

Striker vs. Vulcan:

 

 

In the case of Vulcan, consider two cases. If the Vulcan starts pooling up in the exact time a Striker shoots, then the Striker will win because the Vulcan would be dealing no damage at all in the first two-three seconds. However, if it has already pooled up, then the dropping damage values would be too high for the Striker, resulting in a loss.

 

Striker vs. Railgun:

 

 

Simply said, Striker wins against a Railgun because of the extensive reload time in between its shots. Furthermore, Railgun doesn't cause enough damage in order to take you out in one shot (provided that it's an ideal case).

 

Striker vs. Shaft:

 

 

In arcade mode, the Shaft will not be capable of delivering enough damage in order to take a Striker out before it lands two of its rockets, making the Striker win. However, if the Shaft decides to pull up its scope and fire in sniping mode, then it will obviously result in a loss for Striker because of the high value of damage.

 

Striker vs. Magnum:

 

 

Magnum... It will take you out in a single shot leaving you literally no time to realize what's happened. In a nutshell, don't take on a fight with a Magnum, unless it hasn't already shot yet and is reloading.

 

 

 

Striker on Different Hulls:

 

Now, let's see how Striker performs on different hulls...

 

Striker-Wasp:

 

 

Simply put, Wasp is too light and to cater for Striker's powerful recoil and handling, unless you're trying to really put yourself to the test...

 

In different gametypes...

• DM: Same as Wasp-Magnum -- you will get spawn killed every time, with little to no chance of a kill.
• TDM: Can be made useful if you're willing to stay back and remain in the outskirts of your base, but once you face someone with a heavier hull, you'll most likely die.
• CTF: As aforementioned, try to stay back and provide support to your team's attackers.
• CP: Might work in a map with lots of open spaces, but again, the health factor will always knock your choices back.

 

Striker-Hornet:

 

 

Certainly more controllable, but still lacks the healthpoints needed to really get in the fight.

 

In different gametypes...

• DM: Unless you're really cheeky and make quick escapes, prepare to die every single time you spawn.
• TDM: With healing and supplies, this is a good combination, but don't go all out into the enemy base!
• CTF: Same as Wasp.
• CP: Same as Wasp.

 

Striker-Hunter:

 

 

Hunter's handling, maneuverability and healthpoints all make up for a good gameplay, especially with a versatile and agile turret like Striker.

 

In different gametypes...

• DM: Striker-Hunter is a formidable combination in a DM, as long as the map is of a relatively large size and hosts a lot of cover. With supplies, you will be able to two-shot any non-protective medium hulls on the ground, so I'd say yes, go for it!
• TDM: Really good, and with friendly support such as Overdrives and fellow Isidas, you may just ace the leaderboard.
• CTF: Same goes for CTF, though I wouldn't recommend going for the flag (except in special conditions) because the enemy team will likely jumble up on you and make you inflict self-damage.
• CP: Don't stick around in open spaces for too long, and be ready to use supplies especially when a lot of people are jumbled up (like when a team is busy capturing a flag) to kill them all!

 

Striker-Viking:

 

 

Striker-Viking is an excellent combination which promises you a top three position every single time, provided that you know what you're doing in the match though.

 

In different gametypes...

• DM: Even though some turrets such as Twins, Vulcan or Magnum will still have an advantage over you in a DM, I highly recommend using this combination as it quite menacing and difficult to deal with in a battle. It can completely destroy heavy hulls and put light hulls to a halt. If you want an upper hand in the battle, use your supplies and play effectively!
• TDM: Stay back, relax and let the rockets do the work for you. Take some teammates with you in an attack and put out as damage as you can to the enemy team. I suggest you to traverse through the outskirts of the map into the enemy base, since you want all your remaining healthpoints for the lead rain in the end.
• CTF: Similar to TDM.
• CP: Same as Hunter.

 

Striker-Dictator:

 

 

With its height, a Dictator will easily be able to shoot anyone across the open spaces of the map, and will have no trouble locking on to someone with its high stability.

 

In different gametypes...

• DM: Since it is a bigger target than usual in a battle, using it with Striker can become difficult in a DM.
• TDM: However, in a TDM, a Striker-Dictator can completely bring a whole team to a standstill if it is at the right position and fires one-by-one rather than wasting time on salvos.
• CTF: Similar to TDM.
• CP: Same as Viking.

 

Striker-Titan:

 

 

This combination proves to be deadly when in the right hands, and can wreck anyone in the map - be it the biggest of druggers or the fastest of Wasps.

 

In different gametypes...

• DM: Find a good spot in the map from which you can see most of your surroundings, and stay around there. Keep moving here and there from that spot and pick off anyone in your area. Try to avoid self-damage and maximize supply effectiveness.
• TDM: Go on a 'journey' through the enemy base along with some Isidas and you should be just fine. Just remember, a Double Damage will be quite handy when it comes to killing people quicker.
• CTF: A Striker-Titan is a great midfielder in CTF, it can restrain the enemy from entering your base long enough for your teammates to come and help you out.
• CP: Go for every point that is contested and help your team out.

 

Striker-Mammoth:

 

 

To have more speed and be swift, or to have more hitpoints and excel in the most sophisticated of DMs?

 

In different gametypes...

• DM: If you want to sacrifice speed for some more stability, go for it.
• TDM: Try to shoot people as they are coming to your base. If no one's coming, take an Isida and storm the enemy base.
• CTF: Same as Titan.
• CP: Same as Titan.

 

 

Protection Modules:

 

Protective modules that host protection from Striker are as follows:

 

 

 

 

Best Maps for Striker:

 

Like all other turrets, not every map is suitable for Striker. First of all, you should take a look at these key factors in a map before selecting it to play in with Striker:

• Size: Size of the map should be large enough in order to make it possible for the Striker to easily avoid self-damage and remain sneaky. However, maps that are huge in size should be avoided since it becomes very, very hard to accurately shoot someone through long distances.
• Distinctiveness: Buildings, props and sprites in the map should be clear and distinct, not jumbled up or close to each other so that they force self-damage.
• Elevation: High differences in elevation should be avoided at all costs as Striker doesn't have that big of a vertical cone angle.
• Vantage Points: Governing points in a map will most likely become a disadvantage for Striker since it isn't accurate enough for long distance frags and besides, a Magnum would probably take you out before you even think of getting close to it.

 

That being said, here are the best maps for Striker!

 

Medium Maps: Silence, Noise, Siege...

 

If there's only one thing you should know about Striker, it's that you never ever take it to a small sized map, like Island, Duality or Ping Pong. In these maps, the type of encounters one faces will inflict self-damage onto him/her almost every single time; thus giving you an ever harder task of to not die inside the splash radius every time you shoot.

 

However, maps which are slightly larger in size highly increase the potential of Striker, giving it more freedom to shoot here and there. Although you will still face some instances where you will get yourself damaged, the advantages will highly outweigh this slight disadvantage. First of all, you'd have more cover and a higher level difference (like in Noise, Silence). This will allow you to rock back and forth, easily shoot the enemy and duck in just before they shoot you. In maps like Siege, Industrial Zone etc., try to focus on your team's attacks and help out with midfield support, basically providing cover and return fire for your teammates.

 

Consider the example below:

 

 

Just like Magnum, the position and dimensions of the map will highly matter here. Since the rockets have travel time, they can miss the enemy by truckload of inches if not properly aimed. Thus, give yourself enough space to rock around, take those pot shots and ultimately, if needed, finish your opponent with a salvo.

 

Large Maps: Year 2042, Serpuhov, Barda...

 

Larger maps like Year 2042, Bridges and Barda are perfect for a Striker. A, they provide so much cover and areas from which you can take shots and try to decrease the overall health of the enemy team; and B, they are simply well-balanced in terms of prop placement and mechanics. Although, there's a catch - you will face difficulty in shooting someone more than a hundred meters away from you as you will need to time your shots, lead them in advance and pray they hit your target. Generally speaking, try to avoid making shots from that far of a range and get close to the enemy, not too much though.

 

 

As pictured here, this is the perfect length you should be at when trying to take down enemies in a map that is of a relatively large size (suppose your target is on the other end of the raised platform).

 

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Well, there it is...

 

For me, Striker is without a doubt, an amazing turret that certainly makes sure killing people on the battlefield isn't that big of a problem, and besides, it works a treat against those with no protections against it.

 

What about you guys? Do you like Striker? Would you recommend others or your friend to purchase Striker? If you would/wouldn't, why so? Please leave your comments and opinions below!

 

See you next time!

 

 

Big thanks goes to the following people that made this article possible:

 

[1] - TheMakMan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[C.O.N.Q.U.E.R.O.R 3,845]

Picture files are screwy (don't show up), but nice guide :x

[Hex 11,520]

Picture files are screwy (don't show up), but nice guide :x

They're working for me and my colleagues, maybe something at your end?

[C.O.N.Q.U.E.R.O.R 3,845]

They're working for me and my colleagues, maybe something at your end?

Probably. I'll get on another device and check

[Saahir1 1]

Pictures are fine for me. Can't see the gif tho

[Hex 11,520]

Pictures are fine for me. Can't see the gif tho

See if it works now.

[joelpro12 735]

All of it works.. Really appreciate the hardwork on this  :)

[Sniper1954_the_dark 52]

Very good article. Full of useful information. Striker is a bit tough to master and I am still learning, but I can see it's potential. Hopefully I will get as skilled with it as I am with rail. :)

[Tanker-Arthur 2,971]

Nice Guide!!!

[MJROCKS05 428]

Why not include polygon in the list of maps striker is good in? In CP mode, striker is really good.

[TakeAShower 300]

I still think the lock-on needs to be shortened by MUs and Modifications, but I think that this is a good article and will help me a lot. Interestingly, if I use the lock-on mode, I often beat Firebirds and Isidas before they are able to do much damage... but not Freezes, as they slow me down too much. I generally just hope I will kill them with a couple of arcades.

Edited March 5, 2018 by TakeAShower

[r_junkyard5 0]

Hey,

 

Striker is by far my favorite turret. I'll be reffering to this guide allot Thx!!!

 

So true firebird sucks againt twins and firebird.... Any help with that :P