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Table of Contents
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1. Version History
2. Introduction
3. Who is Penny?
4. Weather Basics
5. Damage Basics
+++The short calculation+++
+++Damage and Defense modifiers+++
+++Damage Examples+++
6. Weather Strategies
+++Rain+++
+++Snow+++
+++Sandstorm+++
+++ Random+++
+++Clear+++
7. General Tactics
+++Small Maps+++
+++Larger Maps+++
+++Island Maps+++
+++Fog of War+++
8. Final Evaluation
9. Legal Info
10. Credits
11. Contact Info
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1. Version History
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1.0 First version submitted to GFAQs (1/25/08)
1.1 Revised Damage Calculation section for easier understanding
Welcome to Delta_Angelfire's guide to my favorite CO in the game, Penny! I'm
just out to spread the loli-goth and evil-bear love, so if you've thought to
yourself: "Self, Don't you think Penny is a waste of a CO? Her power is so
lackluster!" ...or something along those lines, let me prove you wrong!
I've tested everything in this guide myself, so it should be 100% accurate.
Any comments, questions, or criticism, see the e-mail me section. Now without
further ado!
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3. Who is Penny?
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Straight from her in-game profile: Penny is the youngest child of Dr. Caulder.
Numerous experiments have left her mind permanently shattered. "Tee hee! Let's
go, Mr. Bear!"
Mr. Bear doesn't think Penny's mind is shattered, but Mr. Bear has been known
to be a liar. Really, Mr. Bear is the true CO here since he is responsible for
everything Penny does, so prepare to leave your army in the hands of a stuffed
toy!
+++CO Zone: 3
+++Boosts: All Units
+++Effect: Units are unaffected by weather
The in game description is a little misleading. Penny's CO zone is only used
for determining the standard CO Zone Boost (+10%/+10% for all units) and for
units that will charge her CO power.
*** ALL of Penny's units are unaffected by weather *** This holds true to
those outside her CO zone, and even if Penny herself is not on the battlefield!
She is the only CO that does this.
+++CO Power: Stormfront
+++Changes the map to a random weather condition.
Her CO Power lasts for 3 days. It ends just before your turn starts on the
fourth day (on clear maps), so will affect everyone besides you in
Multiplayer.
For those of you who can't find them (because the book doesn't have them, and
the in-game description is tough to spot) here are the effects of weather -
changed a bit from previous Advance Wars -
Rain: All unit visibility = 1, activates Fog of War (if not already on)
Snow: All units have -1 Mobility
Sandstorm: All units have -30% attack
If you have 200% (or 2) Defense, you take a reciprocal 50% (or 1/2) damage.
150% attack vs 200% defense = 1.5/2 = 75% Damage
+++Damage and Defense modifiers+++
Basic CO Zone Bonus: +10% Atk and Def
CO ability: +10% Atk or Def per * (varies acording to CO and unit types
affected).
Level 1: +5% Atk and Def
Level 2: +10% Atk and Def
Level 3 (Veteran): +20% Atk and Def
Terrain: +10 Def per *
Com Towers: +5% Atk and Def per Com tower
Sandstorm: -30% Atk
Waylon COP Bonus: +270% (on top of his +30 Ability
and his +10 Standard CO zone bonus)
+++Damage Examples+++
Let's say you're using a Rocket to attack infantry on a road, no bonuses for
either unit. The base damage for the attack will be 95%. All the other
calculations go from there, consider this number to be 95/100. Displayed: 95%
Attack Modifies by a direct percentage. Therefore, a +10% bonus to our Rocket
will change the damage to 104/100 (it is actually 104.5, but the game
automatically rounds down all fractions). Displayed: 104%
Defense modifies again by a percentage, but always off of a base of 100.
Taking the last example, let's give infantry a +10% def bonus. this brings
the calculation to 104/110. Calculate and round down, and you get -
Display: 94%
The next example uses a recon as a target for easier calculating.
Base damage = 90
A veteran Rocket within a CO zone (that doesn't specifically boost Rockets)
attacks a Recon on wasteland. That gives us Atk +30% vs Def +20%
90 atk + 30% = 117
100 def + 20% = 120
117 / 120 gives us Damage: 97%
Now let's say Tabitha was in that Recon (+Veteran, +CO Zone, +CO Power) +20
+10 +50 (on top of the original +20). This gives us 117/200, or 58%. Add in
4 Com Towers for 117/220 and you get 53% (an apparent difference of 5% for the
math illiterate). As you can see, the effectiveness Defense bonuses is reduced
at higher levels.
Switch Tabitha to the Rocket (+110 atk) vs the Recon's now paltry +20 Def and
you get 189/120. Damage: 157%. Of course, attacks over 100% are kind of
pointless.
For units with less than full hp, take your final damage and then multiply by
the percent of hp remaining. For example, if Tabitha's Recon in the previous
example only had 5 hp, it would only do Damage: 78%
Reductions (like Sandstorms) are applied together with additions. Therefore a
+10% Atk bonus in a Sandstorm (-30%) comes out to -20% (not 1.1 * 0.7, or -23%)
There does not seem to be a cap for Atk or Def bonuses.
Note that no matter how much your bonus is to attack, an infantry will never
take out a full health tank. Even at +400%, your 1% damage only goes up to 5%
damage. Also note that defense bonuses were also nerfed since Dual Strike (no
more taking 0 Damage with +100% Defense).
First of all, obviously, weather of any kind is your friend. When playing as
Penny, You don't get a boost so much as all your enemies are penalized. Any
fixed weather map gives you plenty of strategy options -
+++Rain+++
You can spend less on Flares since all your units keep their initial vision
range. You also have far less to worry about from enemy ambushes since you
will almost always see them before they can see you. If you're on an ocean
heavy map, you will once again dominate since you can see where your
battleships need to fire while your enemy likely cant. Indirects will win the
day for you here.
+++Snow+++
With all of your enemies movement Reduced by one, you should be able to
dominate quite easily. On a fair map, even against a defensive CO, you could
simply copy all the enemies production to keep an equal force. Your capturing
units won't be slowed at all while your enemy will be struggling to reach
properties. Bikes will be needed regularly and you'll never see a single Mech
unit, giving you domination over the early game. Late game, your greater
mobility will ensure the first strike is yours. First strike plus your earlier
resource advantage = win.
+++Sandstorm+++
Not quite as good as it used to be, I'd prefer if it still gave indirects
-1 range, but say la vie. Early to Mid game will probably be your biggest
advantage. An infantry with +30 Def (like when capturing a city) vs a bike
or mech with -30 from the sand will deal you 35%, or -3 hp (-4 if you're
unlucky). Your counter attack (assuming they're on a road) will deal 27-31%.
You could probably trade off units with each other at that rate, but that also
means it's likely you'll capture the city and they can't stop you (10 + 7 + 4).
Now if we assume you're using equal units ( Bike vs Bike ) you win hands
down. If they are on the same terrain, you still win i.e. - You're both at
Defense +30. You'll get hit for 42 (-4) and counter at 29 (-3). Second round -
You hit them for 29 again (-6) and they counter at 16 (-6). If you're lucky,
you should be able to take the other down in round 6 with your victory (1hp
left). The same applies to any unit - you can survive getting first strike
by a same type unit, and probably take them down in the process (and of
course, then you get first strike advantages next turn with your other unused
units). This one will still be a pretty tough battle though.
+++ Random+++
Kind of annoying. You lose any advantage in the sunny day of course, so hope
for bad weather :-) Sometimes you'll have to plan your tactics around a
certain kind of weather popping up at a given time. The problem is that it's
so erratic that you can plan and plan and still fail. Your best bet is to hope
for Sandstorm when you're ready to go on offense and Rain when you need
defense. The occasional snow will give you a bit of an advantage in the
beginning (which should accumulate up to the end), since the biggest effect
you'll see is in property captures.
Your CO power will be of good use to you here. It will inflict a random bad
weather AND it will keep it that way for all three days (giving you something
you can plan around in the short term).
+++Clear+++
Mr. Bear hates the sun. You have no advantage here, and the enemy will laugh
at you. Your only chance is to run up you CO gauge as fast as possible and
keep spamming weather disasters. Keep a close eye on your CO zone and your
gauge. You need to 60 hp worth of damage in your zone to get your power off.
Your one redeeming grace is your large CO Zone size, second only to Forsythe
(though tied with the defensive COs, Brenner and Greyfield). Use it to fully
to your advantage (described later) to fill up your gauge as quickly and often
as possible. It'll be a tough fight, but not impossible.
--------------------
7. General Tactics
--------------------
If you're on a map with permanent bad weather already, your job is already
done. You don't even need Penny on the field and you should be able to win
with just some good tactics (and the money saved from not bringing out the CO).
The standard CO bonuses are still pretty nice though, as is the auto-veteran
status. This is where I'd put penny into direct combat - either in an early
recon or AA rush, or a bigger tank or plane closer to mid game. Also as a side
note- Any CO in a Carrier will keep it from being OHKO by a single full health
sub.
Otherwise the thing that will carry you through the tough times (read: the
sun) will be your large CO zone. Though not as powerful in boosting your other
units, you will still be hurting large groups of enemies without their own CO.
The main thing is to get Penny and Mr. Bear out early, and keep them alive. My
favorite unit for them to ride in is the Rig. This keeps Penny off the front
lines (and alive), and you keep your indirects well fed (when you build them
anyway). It's also pretty cheap, resource-wise, and you never have to give up
a valuable attack to activate your power.
Since you have a large CO Zone, you should never have to fill it up with
your COs unit. The good part of the large CO Zone is that it will give a large
number (almost double that of most opponents) of your units the 10% standard
boost. Even the slightest advantage in power will turn a losing battle into a
winning one (especially ones similar to those described under "Sandstorm"
weather, see above). and of course, the more units attacking with your boost,
the faster your gauge charges. It's fun to be able to have it filled and ready
to use again just as you last power use is fading.
+++Small Maps+++
After making your first 3 to 4 capturing units, get Penny into that rig (or
on a bike if you must). Do your best to stop the enemy from making captures,
even if it means foregoing a few captures your self (just don't fall behind).
This will also help you charge your gauge quickly. If you can get a good
weather effect off before a lot of captures happen, you should be at a decent
advantage (especially if you hit Snow).
+++Larger Maps+++
Get a few early quick movers out to not fall behind in captures. When you
have enough resources, get your CO into her rig and follow her up with a tank
or AA. Note, the other good thing about using a rig is your ability to have a
Mech with you wherever you go. Take full advantage of this. If you can get off
an early game power like above, you're in good shape. Otherwise be prepared
for a slow, creeping battle. Mid-game you'll want a couple tanks and indirects,
include an AA or two if you know your opponent has air.
Use you large aura to your advantage, creeping ahead with your Command Rig
then moving all your units up under your umbrella. You wont move very fast,
but you should have a sufficient defense. Use your remaining capture units as
scouts if dealing with Fog of War. Every time you hit your power, try to act
on it to your best advantage:
Rain- sneak your units into places where your opponent can't see and harass
their forces. Make sure to pull them back before the effect ends.
Snow- Try to pick off any units that are away from the main force, since
they suddenly won't have as much support as they thought they would.
Sandstorm- All out offensive. Hit em while they're weak!
+++Island Maps+++
Island maps tend to be larger, and require the use of boats or copters to
reach properties and/or the enemy. Basic tactics still apply. A Rig is still
probably the best unit for Penny because it will give you the option of
placing a strategic Temp Air or Temp Port where you need it most. Duster
riding isn't a bad option either, especially in Fog of War. Carrier riding
will help also help ensure you stay off the front lines (and stop enemy Sub's
OHKO) but is darn expensive. Remember, damaging enemy Gun boats even though
you can't kill them is a perfectly good way to charge your CO Power.
Your army here will definitely have more of a sea base. Just remember you
don't emit an aura if your Command Rig is on a lander, you have to be out in
the open air. Once again, Indirects are your biggest friend, especially if
they're as big as a Battleship. Air is good too, but it will be hard to keep
your CO with them since they'll often be right in the thick of battle (and COs
always make tempting targets).
+++Fog of War+++
Follow the same strategies as above. If there are a lot of places to hide,
focus on more indirects and fewer tanks. Mechs provide decent enough protection
when they ambush an enemy tank, and then let the extra rockets or artillery
shell them off the map. Make sure you also have at least two flares to paint
the enemies for your attacks. They also make decent shields as well.
If it's mostly open, you can use fewer flares and rely on more on basic
vision. Keep a good number of tanks and something to scout ahead of them so
you don't stumble into enemy attack ranges. Recons work well, but a Duster
works even better (if there are airports). Cruisers can work too on a map with
a lot of water (in which case, don't forget they can hold helicopters. I always
forget they can do that).
Early exchanges are your friend if they're in your CO zone, since most
players tend to use theirs later (after they can afford some more durable
units) than you will (not counting Tabitha rush). Feel free to make early
exchanges to get your power meter up quickly, just remember once again not
to fall too far behind resource-wise. If you do run into an enemy CO, try
to fight outside of their CO range.
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8. Final Evaluation
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If you happen to get a weather map when playing as Penny, go you. Enjoy your
soon-to-be victory, hopefully thanks in part to my guide ;-). Just don't get
over confident, it only takes one screw up to turn victory into defeat.
Otherwise, good luck, it'll be a hard battle, but you should be able to do
it. Hit 'em hard and fast while Mr. Bear sits back with a cup of tea. Tea HEE
that is! AHhahaHA! I crack myself up.
Who knows? Maybe after all this Mr. Bear might even like you!
Or at least tolerate you.
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9. Legal Info
--------------------
This document may be not be reproduced under any circumstances except for
personal, private use. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise
distributed publicly without advance written permission from me only. Use of
this guide on any other web site or as a part of any public display is strictly
prohibited, and a violation of copyright.
Use of any information in this document is entirely at your own risk. Neither
the Author, or any site hosting this document is liable for any damage you
cause to your DS, PC, Internet connection arising from the use of information
provided in this document.
You can find the latest version of this FAQ at GameFAQs (www.gamefaqs.com).
All trademarks and copyrights contained in this document are owned by their
respective trademark and copyright holders.
GameFAQs - for hosting
FurryRage - for the Damage Chart link
JustChillin - for his Tabitha guide, gave me insight into what a character
guide should look like
Nintendo and Intelligent Systems - for giving me the chance to play an
awesome (and somewhat addictive) game.
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11. Contact Info
--------------------
My email is Delta_Angelfire (at) hotmail.com (replace (at) with the @),
however your email to me must meet some certain requirements to be read by me,
or it goes straight into the trashbin and the sender's address may be blocked
in the future.
1. Label the subject accordingly that it is a query, or a statement that
relates to this FAQ.
2. Please be specific and try to type with decent grammar for me to
understand your question, submition and or suggestion.
3. Do not send attachments in any emails to me unless I requested so.
4. Positive suggestions, such as FAQ corrections and suggestions; spelling
errors; credit name errors; strategies and other thoughts are welcomed.
Thank you, and Mr. Bear hopes you enjoyed the guide! Stay tuned for more of
Mr. Bear's Tactical Tips Show!
