Gunbound - Lightning Guide v2.00 by EverNoob May 14, 2005 e-mail: gentil_requin@hotmail.com Copyright 2005 Son-Hai Mai Anybody is free to post this guide on their website, as long as it is kept in its original format, and is credited to EverNoob. Introduction ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I've been using Lightning (aka Lovebot) ever since my newbie days (maybe those days aren't over yet), and have become fairly proficient with it. Seeing how painful it was to for me learn how to use Lightning properly, I thought I'd write a guide to make it easier for those who want to start using this mobile. I know this guide is long. But I've tried to be as comprehensive as possible, and Lightning is a complicated mobile. Take note that Lightning is most suited for novices to experts players. This guide is written with the assumption that the reader is an experienced Gunbound player. No Love for Lovebot! There are a large number of players out there who hold the opinion that Lightning is weak. Do not believe them! This belief usually stems from not understanding how this mobile really works. I can't blame them though, because Lightning's strengths aren't immediately obvious, and it requires a different way of playing. Lovebot is a strategic mobile, to be used by players who understand delay, angle blocking, trickshots, etc... Update 2.00 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It's been a year since I posted version 1.00 of this guide. Since then many things have changed for Lightning. - general editing: Changed and corrected the text here and there. - all true angle: At the time I wrote v1.00, Lightning's shooting angle was 22, with 12 true angle. Now the angle is 32 all true, and it looks like they raised it by 10 degrees or so. Therefore Lightning no longer has a tiny firing angle. Thank you Softnyx! - lower delay: In addition to raising and increasing Lightning's angle, its delay was also lowered by 20! Shot 1 now is 730 delay, and shot 2 is 780. Not sure what the numbers for the SS is, but I'm guessing it's 20 less as well, since it looks like they lowered base delay. May seem like much, but it really does makes a big difference. - HP: Lightning's HP seems to be closer to 750 than the 800 posted previously. - splash damage: Lightning's splash damage was always 76 for non-metallic bots, but I had used 75 for the sake of simplicity. The correct amount of 76 is used now. - Section 2.3: Has been updated to describe how base damage and electric damage are added. - Added 2.6. Shot 2 land destruction - Section 3.2: Having learned a few things since v1.00, I've changed this section alot. - Section 5: The whole section on avatar equipment has been scrapped. I've given up on avatar-on games mainly due to the attitude of many player on those servers :( - Added Mobile specific strategy section - Added a section devoted to weather - Added Lightning formulas Table of Contents ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Basic Information 2. Lovebot Quirks 2.1. Non-solid tracer 2.2. Tracer trickshots 2.3. Base and electrical damage 2.4. Light projectile 2.5. Constant bunging 2.6. Shot 2 land destruction 3. How to Win with Lovebot 3.1. General Lightning strategy 3.2. Tactics 3.2.1. Putting the enemy in a hole 3.2.2. Shooting in heavy tailwind 3.2.3. Melee 3.2.4. Using dual and dual+ 3.2.5. Defensive tactics 3.2.6. Using SS 3.2.7. Hitting multiple enemies 4. Formulas 5. Weather Thor Force Thunder Tornado 6. Mobile Specific Strategy 7. Game Settings/Items 4.1. Maps 4.2. Game types 4.3. Items 8. Comments 9. Credits 1. Basic Information ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Strengths: - high defense and high total HP - great damage to delay ratio - good movement - can hit multiple targets far apart Weaknesses: - requires *a lot* of accuracy - hard to use attack items effectively - can easily hit yourself or teammates - can't hit enemies underground Mobile type: shield Weapon type: electricity, tracer Natural enemies: Boomer, Turtle, Ice Natural prey: ArmorMobile, RaonLauncher, Bigfoot, Aduka HP: 750 Shield: 300 Shield regeneration: 20/turn Firepower: average Defense: high Health: high Movement: good Climbing: average Bunge: average Shot 1 --------------------------------- Angle: 32 Max damage: ~200 Delay: 730 Weight: light Description: a single vertical lightning bolt strikes where the tracer lands. Has a wide electrical splash damage area which does 76 damage to nearby bots. On natural prey bots, shot 1 can consistently do ~220 damage. Requires high accuracy to do maximum damage. Note the high damage for low delay. Shot 2 --------------------------------- Angle: 32 Max damage: 250-300 (on a single target) Delay: 780 Weight: light Description: this is the shot that makes Lightning complex. 2 bolts of lightning strike diagonally roughly 45 degrees from the left and the right to where the tracer lands, like a V. The left bolt strikes a fraction of a second before the right bolt. For this reason, when you hit a speck of land, the bolts will make a y instead of a V. In practice, damage is around 200-250 on reasonably accurate shots. To do more damage requires you to land the tracer ever so slightly to the right of your target with *pinpoint* accuracy and for them to be sitting on a slope. Shot 2 has a wider splash area than shot 1, which makes it good for double kills (dk). SS --------------------------------- Angle: 32 Max damage: ~160 (on an isolated target) Delay: 1280 Weight: light Description: shoots a bird shaped projectile and creates a huge radius where it lands. For every enemy inside the radius, a single vertical lightning bolt will strike precisely where the bot stands. The bolts do splash damage, so that if two enemies are near each other, they will each be hit for more damage than if they were far apart. When 2 enemies are close they each get splash damage from the lightning bolt of their neighbour as well. The SS will do more damage to a group of enemies close together than to the same number of enemies further apart. Teammates are not targeted and are only hit by splash damage. VERY good for dk. Also, the SS projectile is slightly larger than the one for shot 1 and 2. 2. Lovebot Quirks ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Here are some unique characteristics of Lightning and how to deal with them effectively. Most of them can be bad or good depending on usage, and the situation. 2.1. Non-solid tracer --------------------------------- When you shoot, you must remember that the projectile itself will go through bots. The tracer only stops when it hits land. Likewise, the resulting lightning bolt will also go through bots and only stop when it hits land. That's why Lightning always bunges by the same amount, whether you hit a target directly or not. You have to aim so that the tracer lands at the center of where the target is standing, not the bot itself. This explains why shotgunning with Lightning is rarely effective. Trying to hit a bot standing on a pixel can be very frustrating. On the bright side, you can safely fire right through teammates! 2.2. Tracer trickshots --------------------------------- Lightning is a tracer bot. Like A. Sate and Aduka, you don't necessarily have to shoot where the target is to hit. So it can be really useful when you don't have a direct shot at your enemy. But also, if there is land between your target and the trajectory of the bolt, then the bolt will be blocked by the land. Very annoying on "layered" maps like Stardust, Metamine B side, and especially Nirvana B side. Shot 1 The easiest trick shot to do. Simply fire so that the tracer lands directly below your target, either at the chuck of land they are standing on, or at the ground below them. If the land they are standing on is thin, fire at the ground below. This is because a hit will bunge them, and they will fall straight down to where the tracer landed. If you fire upwards to where they were standing and they get bunged down, you will have to recalibrate your shot to hit them again. But if you shot at the ground below, you won't need to recalibrate your shot, since they get bunged down to where your tracer landed. Avoid using shot 1 when there is land right above your target. The shot 2 V Since the shot 2 bolts come down in a V pattern, you can shoot a tracer diagonal to a target and hit them. This is the most useful shot for hitting multiple targets and getting a dk. It just takes abit of thinking to estimate where the 2 bolts will strike. It's easier for you to see shot 2 for yourself, and imagine how to hit multiple targets with it, than it is for me to describe how to do it here. Not to be used when there is land blocking on both sides of your target, such as when they are in a hole. It's also very easy to hit yourself or teammates with this shot, splash damage isn't too bad, but a direct hit of a bolt can do 200+. All it takes is abit of thinking before shooting to use shot 2 effectively. The shot 2 y: Because the shot 2 left bolt strikes before the right bolt, if you fire on a speck of land, the left bolt will destroy the land, and the right bolt will go right through where the land used to be. This creates bolts in the shape of a y, meaning that you can hit targets diagonally below and to the LEFT of where your shot landed. This also explains why you do better damage by landing the tracer slightly to the right of your target. Whenever you see this, it will be in the shape of a y, never a reverse y. This trick also works well on ledges. The situations where you'll have the opportunity and the need to use this y effect are rare. But it's important to keep it in mind to avoid hitting yourself or teammates. 2.3. Base and electrical damage --------------------------------- Similar to JD and Aduka, Lightning shots deal electrical splash damage in addition to their base damage. The way each bolt deals damage is roughly: shot 1 = 125 base + 76 splash = ~200 total damage (against metallic bots splash does 82). The splash part of the damage is not cumulative and only happens once per shot. This means that a dual would not deal splash damage twice, it would deal base damage twice and splash damage once: 125 base + 125 base + 76 splash = ~325 total damage. Splash damage has a fairly wide area, and is useful for damaging more than one enemy. On the other hand, in close combat situations you might end up damaging yourself or your teammates. Note that the electrical damage comes from the lightning bolt itself, and that the base damage comes from the physical explosion of land caused by the bolt. 2.4. Light projectile --------------------------------- Lightning is the only mobile that fires a light projectile. It actually has the same weight as a teleport shot. This means that your shots are very sensitive to wind compared to most other bots (except Boomer). On far shots, a difference of *1 wind* will make you miss if you don't adjust your power and/or angle. Wind going with (tailwind) or against (headwind) your shot can be good or bad depending on the angle you can get. But mostly, it's better to have headwind, so that your tracer comes straight down on your enemy. Even moderate tailwind can make hitting opponents in holes impossible. 2.5. Constant bunging --------------------------------- As described above, both the tracer and lightning bolt are non-solid, going right through bots and hitting land. Your shots will always bunge by the same amount, even on a direct hit on your enemy. The good side of this is that you will constantly be changing your opponent's firing position and angle. The bad side of this is that you will often have to readjust your shot if you want to keep hitting your opponent. Especially at low angles, you'll have to decrease your power, or adjust your angle. The most frustrating consequence of the constant bunge is its effect on dual/dual+. You'll find that at low angles, the first shot will hit and bunge, making the second shot miss. For this reason, it's preferable to shoot so that your tracer comes down vertically on your opponent. One way to do this is to use high angles. The second way is to shoot into headwind. In those cases you won't need to re-adjust your shot every time. A problem with shot 1 is that if your opponent doesn't move, they will end up in a deep narrow hole. Again, to keep hitting your opponent in a hole, you have to use a high angle, or shoot in headwind. 2.6. Shot 2 land destruction and damage --------------------------------- Because the shot 2 left bolt strikes before the right one, if you look closely you'll notice that the hole it makes is *always* the same. It's always slanted downward to the left, with a tiny overhang on the left side. This means that if the opponent is sitting in the hole, their shot to the left is blocked, but *not* their shot to the right. Unless you had shot with Thor or thunder weather effects, they'll be able to climb out however. The orientation of the hole is important to know because it'll determine what your enemy will do. If your opponent wants to shoot left, he has to climb out of the hole, whereas he doesn't need to climb out to shoot right. This makes a difference on how you want to block someone's angle (see Section 3.2.4.). Another unusual characteristic of shot 2 is that its damage varies depending on terrain, supposing both bolts hit. It tends to do more damage on targets sitting on a incline going upwards to the right. It could either be a slight slope, or the right side of an indentation they're leaning on. On metallic bots it can do up to 300 damage. For creature bots it can reach around 270 or so, which is pretty awesome for 780 delay! 2.7 The Avatar-on Juggernaut --------------------------------- Shot for shot, Lightning is unquestionably the strongest bot in avatar-on. The combination of high defense, low delay, and defense ignoring splash damage might make it seem really unfair to other mobiles. However crafty non-Lightning players have a few options to beat a Lightning in avatar-on. First is to use tunneling tactics with Bigfoot or Boomer. Second is to use a Nak to shoot from underground when he eventually holes you. Using Mage might seem like a good idea, but in reality isn't that strong against Lightning in avatar-on. Lightning's delay and angle raping eventually catches up with Mage. 3. How to win with Lovebot ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alright, now that you have a good background on how Lightning works. You must now learn to win!!! In this section I'll outline Lightning's general strategy, and tactics for specific situations. Basic Gunbound strategy also applies to Lightning, but this being a Lovebot guide, I won't cover them. 3.1. General Lightning strategy --------------------------------- The key to Lightning is low delay, so be sure you understand how to control delay. Combined with accuracy, Lightning has the best damage to delay ratio of any mobile. Shot 1 does 200 for 730 delay. Shot 2 does 225-250 for only 780 delay! In theory, you could effectively play a game with only shot 1. The only way for other bots to keep up with your low delay is to use shot 1. In that case you will do more damage than they will. Low delay combines well with your shield regeneration (+20/turn). In general, make sure you have at least 1 turn for every turn your opponent has. Occasionally you'll be able to lap a turn as well. Also, if you're ahead on delay (meaning you have less), you can use items without your opponent lapping a turn. Lightning's natural high defense and high total HP also helps you last long enough for your accumulated lead in delay to become effective. Keep in mind the low dual damage when trying to finish someone off with dual or dual+. This forces you to use a dual/dual+ abit later than other bots to finish off. If you are ahead enough in delay, you can use dual+ safely even if it won't finish them off. Don't use a dual if it won't finish them off! The damage is simply not worth the delay. Try to use an item only if you are ahead enough in delay to cover it. Meaning that even if your enemy fires a shot 1, they won't be able to go twice in a row. Although you'll find that you can sometimes win games without using any items at all. 3.2. Tactics --------------------------------- 3.2.1. Turn Lapping With the proper delay control, it is a certainty that you will lap turns on your opponent at least once unless they only shot 1. There are only 3 bots you may not lap turns on, JD, Bigfoot, or another Lightning. This extra turn makes up for the your low dual damage. Two shots in a row is very important to Ligthning's overall strategy. It lets you put opponents in a hole without using duals while allowing you to do maximum damage. Your shields also benefit from an extra turn of regeneration. Sure it's not alot, but in a close game every point of life counts. 3.2.2. Putting the enemy in a hole This can be accomplished with a simple shot 2. Although it won't be deep enough to prevent them from climbing out. The most effective method is to use dual+ shot 2. The shot 2 puts them in the initial hole, and then shot 1 makes it deeper, all the while keeping the hole narrow. Multiple shot 1 can also be used, if your opponent doesn't move. Dual shot 1 can also be used, but not recommended due to the low damage/high delay. It's important to keep in mind that putting your enemy in a hole can be very bad for you, since it will become harder to hit them. In general, only put your enemy in a deep hole if you have a high enough angle to keep hitting, or you have headwind. 3.2.3. Shooting with heavy tailwind/low angles Heavy tailwind or a low firing angle can create alot of problems for Lovebot. Hitting someone on the opposite side of a slope or even in a shallow hole can prove to be impossible. In those cases you have 3 options: 1) go for a trickshot; 2) destroy the land directly in front of them; 3) shoot at someone else. A trickshot is only limited by the situation or your imagination. For example, opponents in shallow holes can sometimes be hit with a shot 2 y if you land the tracer on the right edge of the hole. Destroying the land directly in front of them will clear a path for your next shot, however this only works if they don't have shelter to move back to on their turn. If all else fails, remember that Gunbound is a team game, so if you really can't hit someone don't waste turns trying and shoot someone more accessible. You can always swap targets with your teammate. 3.2.4. Planning ahead While it's important with any mobile to plan ahead before shooting, there's an extra factor to think about when using Lightning. That factor is the constant bunging. Each time you shoot, you have to think about your next shot. Will your current shot bunge and make your next shot harder, or even impossible? This is especially important when shooting with heavy tailwind or at low angles. Learn to maniputlate your opponent's terrain to your needs. For example, suppose your target is sitting on the opposite side of a slope in heavy tailwind and you can't get a high angle. --> wind --> bad guy you ____ / \ * # / \* # / \-------------- ------------------/ In this situation, hitting directly using your low angle is impossible. A trickshot with shot 2 also won't hit well. So you start with a shot 2 on your side of the hill at the bottom, splashing him for 76. More importantly, you've made a small hole at the bottom of the slope as well as put a small dent to the right of the peak. __ / \__ * # / \* # \ \-------------- ------------------\__\ Now your opponent can choose to move or not. If he chooses to stay so he can keep his original angle and firing position, then he is open for a shot 2 trickshot. All you have to do is fire a shot 2 into the small hole you made at the bottom of the slope and the right bolt will hit fully. This will deepen your "shooting hole" even more, making your next shots even easier to control. The same thing applies if he chooses to move up towards the peak of the slope. If instead he moves down the slope to flat ground, then that just solves your original problem. That was just *one* possible scenario. So plan ahead, terraform your opponent's land, and be creative. 3.2.5. Angle blocking/messing ('angle raping') Properly used, Lightning is a master at angle raping. At the very least, a hit messes whatever angle they had since you're constantly destroying land. This puts pressure on them since they have to move and recalibrate their shot. It also makes them waste time and causes extra delay. Ideally what you want is to block their shot completely, forcing them to waste turns digging themselves out. In normal circumstances shot 1 is the best way to block shots. Here's the general procedure (warning: I suck at ASCII art): you bad guy # * ------------------------------------------- Suppose your opponent is on relatively flat ground and terrain allows you to get a decently high angle. You start with shot 1. you bad guy # ------------------------------ * -------- \---/ Your opponent now has 2 options, stay in the indentation (usually for angle), or climb out. Suppose he stays, or even better you lapped turns on him. Now you have different choices depending on what direction your opponent wants to shoot (remember Gunbound is a team game, just because someone is shooting at you, doesn't mean you have to shoot back at them to win the game). If you want to block his shot to the left, the best method is a single shot 2. Because he is already in an indentation, a shot 2 will make a hole deep enough so that he can't climb out. And because shot 2 makes downward slanted holes to the left, his shots to the left will be blocked. Although depending on wind, mobile, and distance, they might be able to do a backshot by leaning on the right wall. you bad guy # ------------------------------ -------- | | / * / <---- left side blocked \---/ But suppose you wanted to block their right side now. This requires an extra turn. Most opponents will lean be leaning on the right side of the hole in order to shoot. So what you need is to land a shot 1 on the bottom right of the hole. you bad guy # ------------------------------ -------- | | / * \ <---- right side blocked \-----/ Now their right side is blocked, they may be able to shoot left though. But nevertheless, you still forced him too use a different angle for each of his shots, greatly increasing the chances of him missing. This tactic works best if you control your delay so that you lap turns. Or else they will be able to keep moving and avoid getting holed. If you don't use any items and stick to shot 1, you will be able to lap turns as soon as they use shot 2. The only exceptions are JD, Lightning, and Bigfoot, who can be viably be played using only shot 1. In these cases you may have to use a dual+, the tradeoff is doing less damage per hit. Also, you need favorable wind and a decently high angle to execute this tactic since it requires landing a shot 1 into the hole. But if you really can't get that shot 1 in, an SS does the trick too, at the cost of more delay (SS usage is described in more detail later on). There's other ways to block angles as well, but the general procedure is to immobilize them in a hole, then use a properly placed shot 1. How you want to block shots is very dependent on the mobile your opponent is using. Mobiles with a low firing point like Armor, Sate, and Aduka are by far the easiest ones to block. A single properly aimed dual+ usually rapes their angle. The only bot immune to this tactic is Boomer. In that case just forget about angle blocking and concentrate on doing maximum damage. For bots with a high firing point like Turtle and Mage it takes a slightly deeper hole to block their shots since they can backshot. 3.2.6. Melee For melee situations, shot 1 must be used because it has a smaller splash area. Smart opponents will try to exploit your splash damage and stay close to you, so that you will splash yourself when you shoot them. There are 3 possible solutions to this: teleport, walk away, or put them in a hole. Teleporting is sometimes the best option, it allows you to put yourself in a better firing position, ie: higher angle or shooting against the wind. Since Lightning has good movement, walking away is also a good option, terrain permitting. The only mobile that can outrun you is JD, but JD also needs a minimum distance to shoot. Usually the preferred option is to put them in a hole so they can't walk towards you. It also has the added advantage of making shots harder for your enemy. 3.2.7. Using dual and dual+ The different ways to use dual/dual+ with Lighting vary a lot depending on the terrain, wind, and firing angle. You have to imagine where the second shot would land after the first shot has slightly bunged your opponent. Ideally, you'd want the tracer to come straight down on your target, so that both shots land in the exact same spot. For most situations, I recommend dual+ over dual, since the damage dealt it essentially the same, for much lower delay. Dual shot 1 - 1330 delay - 325 damage This is the easiest shot to land and the one that does the most reliable damage. A good shot does around 325, which is 125 base + 125 base + 75 splash. It's also nice for putting enemies in a narrow hole that can block their shot, depending on the mobile. However, it has very high delay for only 325 damage. The first situations that I recommend using it would be either to finish someone off. The second is to put them in an angle-blocking hole, which will require them to waste a shot opening up the hole. In the second case, make sure that the hole you dig will block their shot, or else it's not worth using dual shot 1. Dual shot 2 - 1380 delay - 200-450 damage From experience, I've found that this shot is almost never worth it. The damage is much too variable and the delay too high. Because shot 2 bunges more than shot 1, the second shot of the dual shot 2 is less likely to land in the right spot to do full damage. Also, the first shot usually puts the enemy in a hole, blocking the incoming bolts of the second shot. It might be ok to use it if your target is standing on top of a hill or bump. Theoretically, dual shot 2 could deal (125 base x 4) + 75 splash = 575, but I haven't been able to consistently get anything higher than 250-325. That's less damage than dual shot 1! One time I saw someone deal a lucky 450. One time. For bunging situations, dual shot 2 is better than dual shot 1 if you can get all 4 bolts to hit. But for damage purposes, just avoid it. Dual+ shot 1 - 980 delay - 325-400 damage A good low delay way to deal damage. However it can only be used if they are on flat land or high ground. Since the initial shot 1 bunges, possibly blocking the following shot 2. Shot 1 bunges less than shot 2, so you can use dual+ shot 1 with a lower angle than dual+ shot 2 for the same amount of damage. A good hit does consistently around 300-350 damage. This shot works best when shooting from left to right. Since the initial shot 1 will bunge slightly, making the following shot 2 land slightly to the right of your target. Dual+ shot 2 - 1030 delay - 325-400 damage Another good way to deal damage for low delay. As opposed to dual+ shot 1, this can be used to hit mobiles already in a shallow hole. On the other hand, because the initial shot 2 bunges a lot, it requires a higher angle compared to dual+ shot 1 for good damage. This is the best method for putting them in a narrow hole they can't walk out of, and usually does around 300-350 on a good hit. This shot works best shooting from right to left (opposite of dual+ shot 1). Since you have to aim the initial shot 2 abit to the right of your target, the bunge will cause the following shot 1 to land dead on. Creative dualing Here are a few trickshots to make players unfamiliar with Lightning scratch their heads (these shots have been personally tested already). Not always necessary, but great for showing off :) Double y shot || <--- high angle dual shot 2 here || * || ------------------/ \-------------- bad guy Pixel Madness evildoer 1 * O <-- pixel Dual+ shot 2 at the pixel, angled so the shot 1 portion lands there your evildoer #2 is. The initial shot 2 hits #1 directly and #2 with a y, then the following shot 1 * # hits #2 directly. ----------------------------------- evildoer 2 you Pixel Madness Special evildoer 3 * O <-- pixel Dual+ shot 2 at the pixel, angled so the shot 1 hits evildoer #2. A shot 2 y hits evildoer #1, then the following shot 1 # * * hits #2. This is my dream shot. I've only ----------------------------------- had to opportunity to do this with #1 and you evildoer 1 evildoer 2 #2 in position. #3 was missing :( 3.2.8. Defensive playing If you want to win against good players, you must learn the basic Gunbound tactics for minimising the damage you take. These include blocking their shots and seeking cover. I've already covered shot blocking with Lightning above. One of Lightning's strengths is its good movement, so use it to your advantage to seek cover or to put yourself in more favorable positions. What you do with your movement really depends on what mobile you're are facing. For example, against JD you should usually get closer, and against Nak you should try to walk away. The type of cover you seek is also a function of the bot shooting at you. These defensive tactics aren't unique to Lightning, but unlike other bots your good movement rate really helps position yourself more favorably. In solo and tag games, Lightning has an advantage in that it can fire right through dead mobiles' bodies. As a result, you can take cover behind bodies very easily, and bodies will offer no protection to your opponents. This tactic can be so effective that it is sometimes worth teleporting next to a body for cover. Defensive play could be a whole FAQ in itself and isn't unique to Lightning, so I won't go too deeply into it. 3.2.9. Using SS Lightning's SS is very different from other mobile's. The first thing to remember about the SS is that it is NOT used to deal high damage. On a single target, it deals less damage than shot 1. The true power of the SS lies in its huge hit radius. It has the largest radius in the game. The most obvious use for it is getting a dk or hitting a group of enemies. If you can hit at least 3 enemies at once with SS, then you should probably do it. The combined damage usually reaches 500. There are also more subtle tactical uses for the SS. The first tactical use for SS is blocking the shot of an enemy sitting in a hole. When an enemy is in a deep hole, it gets progressively harder to hit them with normal shots. This is because most opponents will lean on the side of the hole closest to you in order to get an angle to hit you. Hitting an enemy in such a position can become impossible depending on your angle and wind conditions. An option is to fire an SS nearby. This will cause a lightning bolt to come straight down on their position and destroy the portion of the wall that they were leaning on, causing that side of the hole to curve inwards. Most mobile's shot will be blocked this way. Be careful though, some bots may still be able to do a backshot. The high delay from the SS may allow your opponent to lap a turn, but is worth it if they need to waste a turn unblocking their shot. The second tactical use is as a test shot that will guarantee a hit. If I have enough lead in delay (about 600 lead), I move to a new position, then fire SS as my test shot. I use SS in this way if conditions make judging shots difficult. In more favorable shooting conditions, a regular test shot with shot 1 or shot 2 is better since it still does splash damage on a miss, while at the same time conserving my lead in delay. There are tons of ways to use the SS, just be creative! Just 3 things to remember about it, first it requires open space above your enemy for a hit, second it doesn't target teammates, and third its projectile is slightly larger than your normal shots. 3.2.10. Hitting multiple enemies It is obvious to any good player that if you can hit more than one enemy at a time, then you should do so. Therefore in situations where a shot 1 will do, but a shot 2 would hit more than one enemy, then use shot 2. Just remember to concentrate your damage on at least one mobile. Splashing many opponents for only 75 is generally less effective than doing a full 200 on a single target. It'll require some imagination on your part to exploit situations where you can hit multiple enemies. 4. Formulas ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Now that Lightning's angle is larger, fixed power formulas have become more useful. Remember that Lightning's strategy is based on delay, so don't take too much time aiming. This information belongs to creedo. Note that he says that he hasn't personally tested these out, so the numbers may be 0.5 off. If anybody has in fact tested these out, please email me so that I can post the corrections, if any. For instructions on how to use a windchart and formulas refer to his website at http://creedo.gbgl-hq.com. With Lightning's need for great accuracy, the 30 parts formula is best. At close range you may not be able to get the 80+ angle necessary, so you may have to use another aiming method for opponents within 1/3 screen distance. 1/4 screen distance shots (0 wind) 60, 1.1 (fixed angle 60) 30, 1.1 (fixed angle 30) 83, 2.2 (fixed power, 30 parts to 1 screen) 85, 2.6 (fixed power, 20 parts to 1 screen) 1/3 screen distance shots (0 wind) 60, 1.3 (fixed angle 60) 30, 1.3 (fixed angle 30) 80, 2.2 (fixed power, 30 parts to 1 screen) 83, 2.6 (fixed power, 20 parts to 1 screen) 1/2 screen distance shots (0 wind) 60, 1.6 (fixed angle 60) 30, 1.6 (fixed angle 30) 75, 2.25 (fixed power, 30 parts to 1 screen) 80, 2.7 (fixed power, 20 parts to 1 screen) 2/3 screen distance shots (0 wind) 60, 1.95 (fixed angle 60) 30, 1.95 (fixed angle 30) 70, 2.25 (fixed power, 30 parts to 1 screen) 77, 2.75 (fixed power, 20 parts to 1 screen) 3/4 screen distance shots (0 wind) 60, 2.1 (fixed angle 60) 30, 2.1 (fixed angle 30) 67, 2.3 (fixed power, 30 parts to 1 screen) 75, 2.75 (fixed power, 20 parts to 1 screen) 1.0 screen distance shots (0 wind) 60, 2.3 (fixed angle 60) 30, 2.3 (fixed angle 30) 60, 2.3 (fixed power, 30 parts to 1 screen) 70, 2.8 (fixed power, 20 parts to 1 screen) 4. Weather ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Because Lightning's shots are unique, the way weather affects it is also unique. Unfortunately, weather effects don't help Lightning as much as other bots. Thor As with any other mobile, Thor helps alot with dual/dual+. Just remember that your opponent will be bunged more than usual, so you need a higher angle to make both shots land properly. Be really careful about using dual+ shot 1, the extra bunge may block your 2nd hit with shot 2. A good dual/dual+ does around 400. Interestingly enough, Thor can actually hurt you more than help. A badly positioned Thor can prevent you from angle raping someone at a crucial moment, allowing them to dual you with Thor. A low angle in front of your opponent is usually bad for you: O <--- good Thor! # * ------------------------------------------- you evildoer o <--- so so Thor # * ------------------------------------------------------ you evildoer o <--- bad Thor! In this case, Thor eats away at the land right in front of your opponent, opening up a clear shot # * for him. ------------------------------------------- you evildoer Force Do NOT stand behind a force beam! Since your damage comes from the lightning bolts, Force does NOT help you. To Lightning, Force is a real pain in the ass. It's important to look at upcoming weather to see if Force is coming and plan accordingly. Try to rape your opponent's angle so that he has no shot while Force is up. Thunder This one only increases your damage slightly, because the thunder electrical splash isn't cumulative with your own splash. So only the physical damage portion of thunder is added. Your bunge will be increased considerably however. Shot 1 works better with thunder than shot 2. Since shot 2 does better damage when aimed abit to the right, the thunder bolt will miss slightly. Shot 2 looks cooler though! You can see 3 lightning bolts coming down :) Tornado A nado only affects how your tracer lands, not how your lightning bolt strikes (unlike Sate). Hitting someone really close to a nado is very difficult. The nado will tend to carry the tracer right through and past them, since your tracer doesn't make contact with mobiles. 4. Mobile specific strategy ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In a real 2v2, 3v3, or 4v4 game, you'll never really face one single bot at a time. Often more than one person will be shooting at you and you'll have teammates to help you, since team play is an important part of Gunbound. But here are some general guidelines for 1v1 situations against specific mobiles: Aduka This mobile suffers too many weaknesses against Lightning. Being metallic and using a laser weapon (Thor), Aduka is a geared against hit damage creature mobiles such as Boomer, Ice, and to a lesser extent Turtle. The very qualities that make it a decent bot against creatures make it a horrible bot against Lightning. Not to mention that it has a low firing point, making it more vulnerable to shot blocking. A single well shot dual+ can accomplish this. Armor This mobile has 2 weaknesses that Lightning can capitalize on. First is the *huge* delay it has, and second its low firing point. Like Aduka, Armor is very vulnerable to getting its angle raped by a single dual+. Your delay advantage over Armor is simply amazing. It's really an uphill battle for Armor to fight a correctly used Lightning. I honestly think Softnyx intended Lightning to be THE Armor killer. After thoroughly owning an Armor user, expect him to pick Mage for the next game. This happens all the time. Bigfoot There are a few notable characteristics of Bigfoot to keep in mind. First off unlike most other mobiles, Bigfoot's main weapon is shot 1 (760 delay) so your delay advantage will be much less effective. Its main weaknesses are its small and low firing angle and its inability to deal alot of damage at long range. So blocking some of his missiles should be fairly easy using the standard shot blocking tactics. Putting some distance between him and you is also a good idea. And of course, watch out not to get bunged! On a side note, some good Bigfoot players may try to use tunneling tactics against you. What they do is start digging tunnels underground and shoot at you from below. Once he gets underground it gets impossible to hit because there is land above him. This is usually only a problem if you're playing 1v1 or if you're using an all Lightning team, both of which are generally a bad idea. It's important to have teammates who can hit enemies that you can't hit. Boomer This is probably the toughest mobile to beat with Lightning in a 1v1. The main problem is that Boomer isn't vulnerable to normal shot blocking tactics. So the best thing to do is concentrate on doing maximum damage and to seek abit of cover if you can. Being familiar with how Boomer shoots also helps induce him to miss. Players are usually more used to adjusting their shots horizontally than vertically, so changing Boomer's elevation with a dual/dual+ works sometimes if he's using hooks or backshots. If it's 0-1 wind then it's going to be a really tough battle. On top of that, Boomer can also use some of the same tunneling tactics as Bigfoot to some degree. In a team game, you should probably ask another teammate to "take care" of Boomer for you while you shoot someone else. JD/Cakebot In many way, this mobile is Lightning's brother. Both are shield bots, both use electrical weapons, both have good movement, and most importantly both have good delay. While most players think of JD as a bunging bot with its shot 2 "suction", it can also be used to put people in holes and block shots. The best strategy is usually to use dual/dual+ to immobilize him, then block his shot. Don't expect to lap turns on him too much. In general be prepared for tactics similar to your own. Grub Well...the odds of meeting a good Grub player are very low. The odds of battling a team that can properly setup an SS situation for their Grub player is even lower. Use standard angle raping tactics and avoid being in positions that give him an easy shot 2 or SS. Mage This is an anti shield bot mobile, and Lightning is a shield bot. A perfectly shot SS does 500 damage, not to mention that Mage's shot are very predictable and easy to aim. Mage also has a relatively high firing point and a generous angle, so it takes abit more work to block his shot. Mage's effectiveness against you hinges mainly on the SS. At the beginning of the game try to stay close to an enemy shield bot if you can so that they too would get hit by the SS radius. At least until your shields are depleted from getting hit normally. The optimal "script" for a Mage playing against a Lightning is, SS, shot 1, dual shot 2 (barring weather). It's crucial that you block his angle before he can get his dual shot 2 in. The good news is that a good Mage player is very predictable. If you go before him you can start off with a dual+ and predict that he will not lap a turn on you because he will shoot an SS on his turn. Nak Machine A battle against Nak can either be really easy or really hard all depending on terrain. Your strategy against Nak depends on whether he'd be able to shoot you from underground if you were to hole him. If he wouldn't be able to hit you from underground, then you can proceed with the standard angle raping tactics. Nak has a low firing point, so a good dual+ can block his shot. However, if underground shots are possible, standard angle raping tactics won't work so avoid putting him in a hole (ie: avoid using dual/dual+). Instead concentrate on doing maximum damage. Nak's weakness is its high delay, so take advantage of that. Lightning can also move alot more than Nak, so if you keep walking away from him you can put some distance between the 2 of you and he won't be able to catch up. It's important that you avoid a melee situation. A. Sate The main weaknesses of this one is its short effective range, and its low firing point. Like Armor it can dish out alot of damage if it has a clear shot, but without the huge delay. Your priority will be to block his shots. Also, Sate has the hardest time digging itself out of deep holes, so try to make your holes abit deeper than usual if you can. Sate also has a hard time getting a clean hit if you can get any amount of land between you and his satellites, so look for ledges to hide behind or cover on top. As with Aduka and Armor, Sate can get angle raped by a single dual+. Other mobiles coming soon! 5. Game Settings/Items ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As with other mobiles, certain maps, game settings, and items, can affect the effectiveness of Lightning. 5.1. Maps --------------------------------- I haven't mentioned other maps here simply because there's nothing special to write about in relation to Lightning. Nirvana B-side The all-time worst map for Lightning. Against players who exploit your weakness, it is almost impossible to win. Smart opponents will simply move under the many little "islands", rendering you completely helpless. Choosing Lightning to play on this map is suicide. Stardust and Metamine B-side Stardust and Metamine B-side are difficult, but manageable. In fact, you can hold the advantage in these two maps if you manage to get below them and do tracer trickshots. You just have to know when to use shot 1 or shot 2. Cave Since everyone starts out very close to each other on this map, you have to be careful about hitting your teammates with splash damage. Then again, it's also very easy to hit multiple opponents as well. If you have smart teammates who stay outside the radius of your shots, you should have no problems. Cave B-side is your best friend. The loads of item locks really work in your favour. 5.2. Game types --------------------------------- Score and Solo In general, I have found that Lightning does better on smaller games, 3v3 and less. This is for two reasons: 1) the most popular sudden death setting is double death 40, and since Lightning does less damage on dual shots, other mobiles will deal more damage than you when double death comes around; 2) smaller games are less crowded, giving you more room to maneuver around the map. In a 4v4 game with double death 40, you will have fewer turns before sudden death than other games. The more turns you get before double death, the better. Likewise, because in solo you have the chance to kill your opponents before double death comes around, it is better than playing score. If I had my way, I would choose the other types of sudden death settings. It's just that other people don't like playing anything other than double death 40. Very boring, IMO. In 3v3, double death 40 is fine. Just try to win before double death comes. I'm not saying 4v4 score double death 40 should not be played with Lightning. It's just that it will require superior skills in order to gain an advantage over your opponents during double death. Tag I haven't played tag very much, but when I do, I like to pick Grub as my tag mobile. Grub complements Lightning's hole digging abilities. Narrow holes are excellent for Grub SS. Other mobile I sometimes choose is Armor, but that's simply my preference. Any other mobile with a "normal" shot would do, in case of situations where land blocks your lightning bolts. Jewel In jewel games you will need to be very accurate to kill jewels. SS can be used kill a group of 5s. A well aimed shot 1 is effective for 10s. 25s can only be killed with a very well aimed dual or dual+. I really enjoy playing jewel with Lightning, since you have the ability to kill multiple jewels with SS or shot 2. 5.3. Items --------------------------------- I prefer to have games with ALL items open, because the variety makes very interesting and strategic games. However, the most common items that people leave open are dual+, teleport, and dual. In a solo game 1 of each of those items is usually a good idea. It allows you to be more versatile, although taking 2 dual+ and 1 teleport is good as well. In score games you can forget the teleport and take 2 dual+ and 1 dual. If heals are open I suggest taking 1 medkit or 2 bandages. Note: with Lightning's larger and higher angle, teleport has become less important. Dual As described above, avoid using duals. However, there are times when an opponent is in a deep hole, and a dual shot 1 is needed to finish them off. Don't pack more than 1, unless it's the only item available. Dual+ The best item to pick with Lightning. Always pack at least 1 dual+, since you'll need it to dig enemies into holes. Not effective on opponents in deep holes unfortunately. Blood Can be quite effective, especially since Lightning depends on low delay. It takes off 8% of your HP, and since Lightning is a shield mobile, it takes off less life than it would on non-shield mobiles. I'm not sure if it takes 8% of your total HP, or current HP. If it were only current HP, it would make sense to use blood later in the game, after you've been shot a few times. In that case, you'd sacrifice less HP to blood. Blood shot 1 does 275 damage usually. I haven't tried it much with shot 2. Power up 
If possible, choose dual+ over power up. The extra delay from power up isn't
worth the relatively small increase in damage. Dual+ has 100 more delay, but is
also used to trap enemies in holes. Does the same damage as blood, obviously.

Shovel

I haven't tried shovels with Lightning yet. But it would seem to me a bad item
to use. Bunging your opponents more will make it harder to hit them, and wider
holes will also make it easier for them to shoot out of the hole. Although,
when I have the chance, I might try putting someone in a hole without the
shovel first, then shoot a shot 1 shovel, to see if it blocks their angle. It
might make a bottle-shaped hole?

Thunderbolt

While it will increase bunge somewhat, and up damage very slightly, there is no
reason to choose thunderbolt over dual+. With shot 2, you will see a third
vertical lightning bolt come down. With shot 1 you won't be able to see it, but
it's there. Thunderbolt is only good for mobiles that fire multiple projectiles
at once.

Energy 1 (bandage)

For some reason, most players believe heals to be cheap noob items. I don't
share that view. It simply requires a slightly different strategy to play
against. With that said, I usually don't open up heals because it scares other
players away. But if you get the chance, pack 2 bandages over a dual, even if
heals are less effective for shield mobiles.

Energy 2 (medkit)

Same as bandage, although I'm not sure which would be better, 2 bandages or 1
medkit. I probably won't get the chance to find out since most good players
simply refuse to play in a room with heals on. Packing no more than 1 medkit
seems to be effective the few times I've been able to try. I would definitely
choose a medkit over a dual, but not over a dual+.

Windchange

A very practical item to have. Changing tailwind into headwind can save your
game. Also good to screw up Boomer's shots.

Teleport

As I noted above, teleport is less crucial with Lightning's new and improved
firing angle. But is still useful for moving to a better position if wind is
unfavorable or your opponent is in your face. This item is more important in a
solo/tag game.

Team teleport

Errrrr, well what can I say. Use this like you would with any other mobile.


6. Comments
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- this guide certainly doesn't offer exhaustive info on Lightning.

- The mobile specific strategy section isn't finished yet, other bots coming
  soon.

- still need to cover underground tactics


7. Credits
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- Basic Information comes from the main Gunbound site (www.gunbound.net), and
  the now closed GB-HQ site (www.gunbound-hq.com).

- SS angle screwing idea and the y effect is from the GB-HQ forum.

- Thanks to creedo for his permission to include his formulas in this guide.


----- The End :) -----