General FAQ & Walkthrough
By Thomas Robson (TheRandomPie_IV)
Table of Contents
=================
1.00 - Introduction
2.00 - General Information
2.10 - Glossary
2.20 - Abbreviations
2.30 - Table Explanations
3.00 - Game Mechanics
3.10 - The Command Interface
3.20 - Hit Ratio
3.30 - Techniques
4.00 - Story Mode
4.10 - Stage 1 (Learning the Basics)
4.20 - Stage 2
4.30 - Stage 3
4.40 - Stage 4
4.50 - Stage 5
4.60 - Stage 6
4.70 - Stage 7
5.00 - Legal Information, Contact Details, Etc
1.00 - Introduction
===================
I decided to write this guide simply because was apparent that nobody else was
going to. The game's lack of popularity and several overly harsh reviews has
resulted in a general lack of information for the game. This is disappointing
as I found the game to be very enjoyable.
2.00 - General Information
==========================
The walkthrough will use a verity of terms, abbreviations and tables which will
be explained in this section. Note that abbreviations used only in tables are
detailed in the tables section.
## 2.10 - Glossary ##
Bullet - The machines you and your opponents control are called Bullets.
Legs/Arms/Body - These are the three main parts of a Bullet and can be changed
in the customisation screen.
Heavy/Medium/Light - In story mode you have access to three different types of
parts, named J01-AR-H/M/L, I shall simply refer to these
as heavy, medium and light respectively.
Option - Each Bullet has a shoulder slot where you can equip an option; these
include things like smoke dischargers and other devices that give you
an advantage in combat but aren't strictly necessary (note that though
technically you can start a stage without any weapons equipped, I
don't regard these to be optional).
Weapon - There are two weapon slots on a Bullet (one on each arm); it makes no
difference which slot you use for what weapon. They are referred to as
left and right in game to help you remember which slot you put which
weapon in.
Firing/Combat - There are two main types of weapon, Firing and Combat.
Techniques that refer to Combat refer only to Combat type
weapons and NOT combat in general, ditto with Firing.
Techniques - Each Bullet can have six techniques (techs from here on)
installed. The available techs depend on the pilot.
Move/Attack/Intercept - These are the three main types of techs, each type can
only be used when performing the relevant action.
Motive Power - A Bullet's Motive Power (MV) effects how far it can move.
Hit Ratio - When you select a target to attack you will see a hit ratio given
as a percentage. The higher the hit ratio the more damage you do
and the less likely you are to miss.
Obstruction Squares - These are squares that you can't move though but that can
(Also Obstructions) be fired through. Firing though one halves the hit ratio
and firing through two quarters it. Three or more
completely obscures the target.
Obstacles - These are squares that you can't shoot or move through.
Durability - The Durability value (HP) is equal to the amount of damage a part
can take before being destroyed.
## 2.20 - Abbreviations ##
These abbreviations will be used throughout the guide:
MV - Motive power
TP - Technique Points
HP - Hit Points (Also Durability)
EXP - Experience Points
LoF - Line of Fire
HR - Hit Ratio
F - Firing
C - Combat
T - Triangle Button
C - Circle Button
S - Square Button
X - X Button
## 2.30 - Table Explanations ##
This section details commonly used table layouts and any unique abbreviations
contained within.
Part Tables:
Name | Type | HP | AP | Weight | Max. weight | Hit Rate | move | qty
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Part X | Body | 400 | 50 | 7500 | ------ | 10 | - | 2
Part Y | Legs | 500 | 60 | 6000 | 30,000 | -- | 9 | 3
AP - The Armour value for a part.
Max. Wght - The max. weight a part can hold before suffering from loss of
movement (legs only).
Hit Rate - Added to the HR of all equipped weapons (arms and body only).
Move - The MV of the legs under normal conditions (legs only).
Qty - The number you have in your inventory (where applicable).
Weapon Tables:
Name | Type | Fix | HP | Att | Load | Max | Range | Ideal | HR | Wght | qty
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weapon X| F | Opt | 300 | 30 | 300 | 10 | 12-24 | 12-18 | 40 | 300 | 2
Weapon Y| C | Arm | 150 | 100 | --- | 1 | 1 | 1 | 60 | 100 | 2*
Type - Weather the weapon is a combat (C) or Firing (F) weapon.
Fix - Which part of the Bullet the weapon is fixed to (the arm or the option).
Att - The attacking power of the weapon.
Load - How much ammo the weapon holds (1 round uses 1 point of ammo).
Max - The max. No. of rounds you can fire in one turn.
Range - The range in which the weapon can be used.
Ideal - The ideal range of the weapon (the HR is 0 outside of ideal range).
HR - The highest possible base HR (the HR varies even within the ideal range).
Wght - The weight of the weapon.
Qty - The number you have in your inventory (An '*' indicates that the newly
acquired equipment is equipped to a new Bullet).
NB: When Qty and/or Att are inapplicable they are replaced with an AP column
instead.
Many of the values given in these tables differ from those stated in game
and/or in the manual. This is due to errors in the in game information (the
weapons table in the manual should be ignored completely as it is rather hit-
and-miss).
Bullet Table:
Pilot | Body | Arms | Legs | Weapon 1 | Weapon 2 | Option |
--------------------------------------------------------------
Pilot X | H | M | H | Weapon X | Weapon Y | Option |
This table is used to show recommended Bullet configurations in Story mode.
3.00 - Game Mechanics
=====================
This section aims to tell you all you need to know about the game's mechanics.
## 3.10 - The Command Interface ##
The Command Interface can seem confusing when you first start to play, but once
you are used to it you will find that it is a very efficient system.
When it is one of your Bullets' moves you are presented with the Main Command
Menu. If you wish to look at the level you can press T to gain free control of
the cursor and look around the map. While doing this you can press S to view
the status of friendly units and T to exit again. When you are done, pressing T
will reselect the active Character and bring up the Command menu.
From here there are 4 options:
Action - This is used to move and attack.
Reaction - This is where you select your counterattack.
Special Action - This is where you can use abilities of options and special
skills.
Start - This carries out all actions and ends the characters turn.
The Action menu is the most important of these and contains 4 options:
Normal Motion - This allows you to move with respect to your MV. You are then
taken to the attack sub-menu.
Turbo Boost - This allows you to move up to twice your MV but restricts turning
and short moves. You are then taken to the attack sub-menu.
Motion Technique - This allows you to use a motion tech. You then have to
choose between Normal Motion and Turbo Boost and are finally
taken to the attack sub-menu.
Attack - This presents you with a sub-menu:
Attack - This lets you chose a weapon and attack a target.
Do Not Attack - This doesn't let you attack (this is the default).
Attack Technique - This lets you use an attack tech as well as a
weapon and target.
Reaction is much simpler. You are given a list of your Interception techs in
addition to the Defend and Counterattack options. The Defend option reduces the
HR of the attacks you receive by 10%. Counterattack and all Interception techs
allow you respond to your opponent's moves by returning fire. When selecting
these options you are given the choice of which weapon to use. You must make
all counterattacks with the same weapon, you can't pick and chose which weapon
to use depending on which enemy's turn it is.
Special Action lets you use any of your Special techs.
Start carries out all chosen actions.
## 3.20 - Hit Ratio ##
When you select a target to attack you will be shown the Hit Ratio of your
proposed attack. This indicates how likely you are to hit the Bullet you are
aiming at; for weapons such as the AMG-11 that fire multiple shots per round
(as evidenced by the fact that they can hit multiple parts) this results in
increased damage as well.
Note that techs that +10% increase the HR by 10 (E.G. from 30% to 40%) and NOT
by 10% of the HR (30% to 33%).
The HR is determined by taking the hit value of your weapon at the specified
range (outside of the ideal range this is 0 and inside it varies, with the
maximum value being the one listed in the weapons tables). You then add the
modifiers provided by the Arms and Body of your Bullet (in Story Mode this is
always 15) and from any techs you or your target are using. Finally the penalty
from Obstruction Squares is factored in (this results in it reducing bonuses
from techs). This value is always rounded down. If you would fire multiple
rounds the displayed HR is the mean HR of all the shots you would make (again
rounded down).
Note that the rounds each use their own HR and not this mean value. As a result
it can be deceptive when using techs such as Short Range Targeting that act
differently at different ranges, or if an Obstruction Square effects one of
your shots, etc. So you shouldn't take the HR at face value.
E.G. An attack consisting of five rounds of 70, 70, 70, 70, 0 has a HR of 56%
but an attack of 60, 60, 60, 60 has an HR of 60%.
The first attack would be more damaging but the second has the higher HR. As
you become more familiar with the ranges of your weapons you will notice that
shots like this crop up far more frequently than you might expect.
## 3.30 - Techniques ##
Techniques are useful abilities that can be activated at will. These last for
one turn and can be activated an unlimited number of times during a single
mission. Each tech uses up a certain number of TP. You gain TP at a rate of 2
per turn. At level 1 the maximum number of TP a character can have stored is 10
but this increases as you level up. Each character can have up to six techs
installed on his or her Bullet but can know many more. Additional techs are
learned upon levelling up.
There are four main types of tech: Movement, Attack, Intercept and Special.
Special techs don't count towards your six installed techs and are carried out
instantly.
Movement techs affect how you move and how accurately you fire and avoid shots.
Only one Movement tech can be used each turn and some, such as Retreat, can't
be used in conjunction with Turbo Boost. I strongly recommend that all your
Bullets have Retreat installed on them, as there will rarely be a battle where
you will never use it.
Attack techs affect the HR of your attacks. Some only effect certain ranges or
types of weapon though, so be sure check you have the correct ones installed.
Only one Attack tech can be used each turn.
Interception techs are used in conjunction with the Counterattack command.
Most improve the HR of your Counterattacks but some defend against Combat
weapons and, to a lesser degree, Firing weapons.
The list of techs is as follows:
Name | Type | TP | Effect |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Attack | M | 2 | HR +40%, Received HR +40% |
Sudden Advance | M | 3 | HR +20%, Received HR +20% |
Offensive Task Force | M | 4 | HR +10%, Received HR +10% |
Evasive Move | M | 3 | HR -20%, Received HR -20%, MV -25% (#) |
Take Cover | M | 3 | Received HR -40%, MV -50% (#) |
Precautionary Move | M | 5 | HR +10%, Received HR -20%, MV -25% (#) |
Retreat | M | 4 | Move backwards (#) |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Targeted firing | A | 3 | F HR +10% |
Combat Preparation | A | 3 | C HR +10% |
High Precision Targeting| A | 6 | HR +20% |
Combat Attack | A | 4 | C HR +30%, F HR -20% |
Short Range Targeting | A | 6 | HR +30% within 2-4 squares, +10% if not |
Medium Range Targeting | A | 5 | HR +30% within 5-9 squares, +10% if not |
Long Range Targeting | A | 4 | HR +30% for 10+ squares, +10% if not |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Targeted Interception | I | 3 | F HR +10% |
H.Precision Interception| I | 6 | F HR +20% |
Short Range Interception| I | 7 | HR +30% within 2-4 squares, +10% if not |
Med. Range Interception| I | 6 | HR +30% within 5-9 squares, +10% if not |
Long Range Interception| I | 5 | HR +30% for 10+ squares, +10% if not |
Preparation for Combat | I | 3 | Received C HR -20%, Received F HR -10% |
For Combat | I | 4 | Received C HR -40%, Received F HR -20% |
Evasion | I | 3 | HR -20%, Received HR -20% |
Precaution | I | 5 | HR +10%, Received HR -20% |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Emergency Restoration | S | 3 | Restores 10% of Max. HP for all parts |
Restoration | S | 5 | Restores 20% of Max. HP for all parts |
Weapons Ejection | S* | 1 | Ejects unnecessary weapons |
Launch Smoke | S** | 1 | Lays down an Obstruction Square |
# Can't be used with Turbo Boost.
* This technique is known by all characters.
** Requires a smoke launcher to be equipped.
4.00 - Story Mode
=================
This section provides information, strategies and advice on all of the Story
Missions. To start a new game in Story Mode select the Story New Game option
from the main menu. Having selected this option you will be introduced to the
story and then be taken to the Lobby menu.
The Lobby menu is simple to navigate and has 5 options:
The Character option is the most important and frequently used of all the
options here as it is where you customise your Bullets and pilots.
The Briefing option shows you an overview of the map you will be fighting and
informs you of your objectives.
The system menu is used to load and save.
The Config menu allows you to adjust in-game settings E.G. Stereo or Mono
sound.
The Mission option starts the Stage.
## 4.10 - Stage 1 (Learning the Basics) ##
This stage is a relatively easy one as you only need to destroy 3 enemies with
your four Bullets; as such it is an ideal time for people new to the game to
experiment with the controls and to familiarise themselves with the menus.
Firstly you should look at the Character menu. This contains a list of the
characters that you currently have and allows you to choose who will take part
in the next mission. As you start with only 4 characters everyone will take
part in the first mission. If you look at the bottom-right corner of the screen
you can also see you have 2 people in medium Bullets, one in a heavy and one in
a light.
Next you can improve your characters' set-ups. First select Shuji, this will
take you to the garage menu. Here select custom, this will bring up a list of
parts that you can change, it also shows you weight statistics and MV. Now
select L-weapon; you can now see a list of all the weapons that can be
equipped, with your currant one highlighted. I would recommend equipping the
SB13 in this slot as it has a greater attacking power and less weight. This
reduction in weight allows you to equip a heavier option so equip the SM10-B in
the Option slot using the same method as above.
Next select Yuzo. Change his R-weapon to a SHOT-Z, this will reduce his weight
enough for you to be able to equip the SM10-A in his Option slot. Now take a
look at the Install option, on the right you will see the six techniques Yuzo
currently has selected and on the left you can see a full list of his techs.
Notice how he has the tech 'Combat Preparation' installed. If you scroll down
the list you can see that this provides a Combat weapon hit ratio +10%, however
he no longer has a combat weapon equipped, so this is useless. Select the tech
and press X to uninstall it. You should now install 'Evasive Move' in the same
manner, as this is his only other uninstalled tech and there is no advantage to
having an empty tech slot.
You can also use the Name and Colour options in the Garage menu to change
your Bullets' names and colouring.
You are now ready to begin the mission.
When the mission starts Yuzo will be selected. You may also notice 'TP +2'
appear briefly, this happens at the start of every move and shows that he
gained 2 Technique Points. You can press T to gain free control of the cursor
and look around the map. While doing this you can press S to view the status of
friendly units and T to return to the map. When you are done pressing T will
reselect the active Character and bring up the Command menu.
First select the Action menu, and then Normal Motion. The squares you can move
to are marked in green. In some squares you will see a dotted orange or red
line when you move the cursor over them, this line indicates that you have one
or more line of fire (LoF) towards the enemy(s) the line(s) lead to. Orange
lines are partially blocked by Obstruction Squares and red lines are clear of
any blockages. In the top-left of the screen you can see how many MV you have
and how many you will have after moving to the selected square. Moving forward
uses up 2 MV and moving diagonally uses 3, additionally every 45 degrees you
rotate uses up 1 MV. The first square you select is treated as a waypoint and
you then have to select your final destination (you can pick the same square if
you wish), finally you can use any leftover MV to rotate on the spot.
For your first move, move to the top-right square, where you should have a LoF.
You will now have another movement cursor, however you can't select anywhere to
move to. This is because you only have 1 MV left. The ability to move in two
stages can be useful when navigating obstacles.
After selecting your final destination you can use any remaining MV to rotate
on the spot. Here if you rotate to the right you will gain an unobstructed LoF.
You will now have 3 options, Attack, Do Not Attack, and Attack Technique.
Select Attack Technique and then choose which weapon you wish to use. You will
now be given a list of all applicable techs, though in this case there is only
one. You now choose which enemy to target; pressing S will cycle between all
available targets. You will notice that the hit ratio is very low, this is
because the enemy(s) fall outside of any of your weapons' ideal ranges.
Now select the Reaction menu, you will notice that it is currently set to
Defence, this lowers the HR of attacks you receive by 10%. However you should
set it to Counterattack, as this will cause you to automatically fire at
enemies while they take their actions. Counterattacking is usually superior to
Defending.
Finally select start.
After a short cut scene you will have a screen detailing what (if any) damage
you dealt/received. This is exited with X.
On your next move select Action then Turbo Boost. This doubles your MV but you
can't move to a space less than 5 squares away, additionally you are unable to
turn more than 45 degrees. Move to the right-hand square and then forwards and
rotate to the left. Again use an attack tech, but this time notice when you are
targeting that some enemies have multiple LoF, each one coming from a square
you are moving through. Target one of these enemies. You will notice that you
make more than one attack against this enemy, these can be seen by pressing the
up and down buttons when viewing the damage you dealt. This works with normal
movement and rotating on the spot also gains you an extra shot per 45 degree
rotation.
Note: this also allows for multiple counterattacks as well.
Note 2: simply walking around is enough to trigger a counterattack, you don't
have to actually be attacking (hence why countering is so good).
On your next move select Motion Technique and choose Offensive Task Force, you
should then select turbo boost as the enemy is far away. Move to the top-left
and use a regular attack. Also you should remember to set your reaction to
Counterattack. On your final move for the turn select Special Action and deploy
a smokescreen using your option; this counts as an obstruction square. Now use
Turbo Boost in combination with the Attack tech Long Range Targeting to damage
a distant enemy (again remember to set your reaction to Counterattack).
You have now used all of the main combat commands (except 'Do Not Attack', but
that should be fairly self-explanatory).
Hint: You will find the Motion tech Retreat useful towards the end of most
stages. If an enemy closes in and you can't get a good shot then this tech can
open up room. Note that you can fire while using Retreat.
Use the rest of the stage to familiarise yourself with how things work. Be
aware that in order to kill an enemy you need only reduce its Body to 0 HP.
Remember that you only need to destroy 3 of the 4 enemies so try to concentrate
your fire on just 3. Additionally it may help if you can arrange it so that one
person gets two of the kills, as this would provide enough EXP for them to
reach level 2, this need not (and perhaps should not) be a major concern
however.
If you finished with 4-2 Bullets alive you recieve:
Name | Type | Fix | HP | Att | Load | Max | Range | Ideal | HR | Wght | qty
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AMG-12 | F | Arm | 250 | 45 | 216 | 12 | 1-10 | 1-8 | 60 | 600 | 3
AMG-11 | F | Arm | 250 | 45 | 144 | 12 | 1-10 | 1-8 | 65 | 400 | 2*
SHOT-ZZ | F | Arm | 350 | 100 | 40 | 5 | 2-12 | 2-9 | 50 | 700 | 1*
SM10-A | S | Opt | 300 | --- | 10 | 1 | 1-5 | 1-5 | -- | 300 | 1*
BG-8 | C | Arm | 400 | 150 | --- | 1 | 1-1.5 | 1-1.5 | 60 | 800 | 1*
If you finished with 1 Bullet alive you recieve:
Name | Type | Fix | HP | Att | Load | Max | Range | Ideal | HR | Wght | qty
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AMG-11 | F | Arm | 250 | 45 | 144 | 12 | 1-10 | 1-8 | 65 | 400 | 3
AMG-11 | F | Arm | 250 | 45 | 144 | 12 | 1-10 | 1-8 | 65 | 400 | 2*
SHOT-ZZ | F | Arm | 350 | 100 | 40 | 5 | 2-12 | 2-9 | 50 | 700 | 1*
SM10-A | S | Opt | 300 | --- | 10 | 1 | 1-5 | 1-5 | -- | 300 | 1*
BG-8 | C | Arm | 400 | 150 | --- | 1 | 1-1.5 | 1-1.5 | 60 | 800 | 1*
## 4.20 - Stage 2 ##
For this mission both Akira and Naoko have to be used as well as any 2 of your
original team. I would strongly recommend using Kasumi as she starts with the
tech Emergency Restoration which can be very useful. All characters can learn
it, but since the techs learned upon levelling up are random there is no way to
guarantee that anyone else will learn it. For your fourth member simply use
whoever has the most EXP of your remaining characters (from here on I will use
Shuji in this place).
With your new weaponry you should also upgrade your Bullets. I would recommend
a team similar to the following.
Pilot | Body | Arms | Legs | Weapon 1 | Weapon 2 | Option |
-------------------------------------------------------------
Shuji | M | M | M | SHOT-ZZ | MG2000 | SM10-B |
Kasumi | H | H | H | SHOT-ZZ | MG2000 | SM10-A |
Akira | M | M | M | SHOT-ZZ | AMG-12 | SM10-A |
Naoki | L | L | L | MG2000 | AMG-11 | SM10-A |
The stage itself is a relatively easy one. You should start by sending Kasumi,
Naoki and Shuji left, towards the 4 enemy Bullets, keeping as close to the wall
as possible until you can get a clear shot. Also you should avoid using any
techs for the first 2 turns as it will just be a waste of your TP due to the
Obstruction Squares in the central area Unfortunately Turbo Boost isn't much
help at this point due to the turning restrictions it enforces.
Send Akira to the right to deal with the lone Bullet there. You should use
Turbo Boost to close in quickly, as well as techs, to get a quick kill. Once
you have closed the gap you should alternate between Normal Motion and Retreat
so as to keep the target within the ideal range of the SHOT-ZZ (the most
damaging weapon available at this point). This is a strategy you will find
yourself using very frequently and is one of the most effective ways to fight
in a one-on-one situation.
It is important not to move anyone from Naoki's squad out from the shelter of
the park area until you start to go after your third and final kill. While this
will result in reduced damage output, it will lure at least one enemy Bullet
out into a clean LoF by the 2nd-4th turn. This defensive strategy will prevent
you from being overwhelmed by the enemies' numbers. Though, having said that,
if you get your second kill in that area you can start to push more
aggressively for the third instead of just waiting for Akira to get it. This is
rarely necessary though as Akira tends to get her kill early on.
For this mission I also strongly recommend that you restart if you drop to your
last Bullet; the differance in the reward may not look much but you will find
the extra ammo vital in later stages.
If you finished with 2-4 Bullets alive you recieve:
Name | Type | Fix | HP | Att | Load | Max | Range | Ideal | HR | Wght | qty
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GG-100 | F | Arm | 200 | 70 | 120 | 12 | 2-12 | 2-9 | 55 | 900 | 2
GG-090 | F | Arm | 200 | 70 | 96 | 12 | 2-12 | 2-9 | 55 | 700 | 1*
SHOT-ZZ | F | Arm | 350 | 100 | 40 | 5 | 2-12 | 2-9 | 50 | 700 | 1*
SM10-A | S | Opt | 300 | --- | 10 | 1 | 1-5 | --- | -- | 300 | 1*
If you finished with 1 Bullet alive you recieve:
Name | Type | Fix | HP | Att | Load | Max | Range | Ideal | HR | Wght | qty
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GG-090 | F | Arm | 200 | 70 | 96 | 12 | 2-12 | 2-9 | 55 | 700 | 2
GG-090 | F | Arm | 200 | 70 | 96 | 12 | 2-12 | 2-9 | 55 | 700 | 1*
SHOT-ZZ | F | Arm | 350 | 100 | 40 | 5 | 2-12 | 2-9 | 50 | 700 | 1*
SM10-A | S | Opt | 300 | --- | 10 | 1 | 1-5 | --- | -- | 300 | 1*
## 4.30 - Stage 3 ##
As you may have observed in the previous stage (where one of the enemies had
GG-090) the GGs are pretty formidable guns, with only the SHOT-ZZ coming close
to matching them in damage output. You'll need them however, as this is the
last of the "easy" stages. Additionally Honda forces his way into the next
battle party. I would recommend letting him take Akira's place (although if she
reached level 2 in the last mission you may wish to kick out Naoki instead).
So, with that in mind, I recommend the following set-up (use Gg-090s instead of
GG-100s if necessary):
Pilot | Body | Arms | Legs | Weapon 1 | Weapon 2 | Option |
-------------------------------------------------------------
Shuji | M | M | M | SHOT-ZZ | GG-100 | None |
Kasumi | H | H | H | SHOT-ZZ | GG-100 | SM10-A |
Naoki | L | L | L | SHOT-ZZ | AMG-12 | SM10-B |
Honda | H | H | H | SHOT-ZZ | GG-090 | SM10-A |
Now this Stage looks formidable at first glance, with the enemy outnumbering
you 6 to 4, especially when you notice that one of your Bullets starts tucked
away in a corner. However things aren't as bad as they first seem, especially
seeing as you only need 3 kills to win. Seeing as how the spawning points are
so radically different from each other I will clarify which character is at
which spawn point so that if you are using different characters to my example
you can still follow the strategy.
Shuji - Centre, facing left (by the 2 thickness road).
Kasumi - Far left, in enclosed area.
Honda - Far right, facing right (towards map edge).
Naoki - Far right, facing up.
Now, on with the stage. For the first turn you should move Naoki forwards,
towards the group of 4 enemies and take a pot-shot at the closest, not
forgetting to set a counterattack (yes, I know I don't normally remind you to
do this, but in this case it can be pretty crucial). Honda should head off to
the right and take a shot at the Bullet moving down the ally there. Shuji
should move out on to the road and shoot the left-hand Bullet there. Finally
Kasumi should head up, towards the exit of the backyard area she's in.
On turn 2 Naoki should move just one square into the side ally on his right, so
that he can still get a clean shot at the enemies but at the same time can't be
easily shot himself (some bad wall coding there, me thinks). Honda should
simply keep exchanging shots with the Bullet in his ally (and should continue
to do so for the rest of the stage). Shuji should continue fighting too, moving
on to the right had Bullet when the left one has been disposed of. Kasumi
should move out onto the road this turn and take a pot shot if applicable.
Form here on in Naoki should just concentrate on using 'Emergency Restoration'
as much as possible whilst taking shots at the most damaged enemy he can; it is
however, doubtful that he will last long. Shuji and Honda should continue as
before as well. Kasumi should advance targeting the Bullet Shuji has been
working on. Once that has been defeated they should make light work of the
other Bullet there. From here you can either rely on Honda for the kill or use
Shuji and Kasumi to finish the Bullet Naoki damaged earlier.
If you finished with 2-4 Bullets alive you recieve:
Name | Type | Fix | HP | Att | Load | Max | Range | Ideal | HR | Wght | qty
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GR-W | F | Arm | 200 | 140 | 15 | 1 | 3-30 | 7-16 | 40 | 900 | 2
## 4.40 - Stage 4 ##
I think it's safe to say that you'll find the next few
stages considerably harder than any you've currently played. When you first
read the objective 4 kills may not sound too hard, but the level layout is
stacked against you. The following set-up should work quite well though.
Pilot | Body | Arms | Legs | Weapon 1 | Weapon 2 | Option |
-------------------------------------------------------------
Shuji | M | M | M | GG-100 | GR-W | None |
Kasumi | H | H | H | SHOT-ZZ | GG-100 | SM10-B |
Naoki | M | M | M | SHOT-ZZ | GR-W | None |
Honda | H | H | H | SHOT-ZZ | GG-090 | SM10-A |
But whatever set-up you use, DO NOT USE COMBAT WEAPONS OR LIGHT PARTS! These
are virtually useless on this stage as the layout makes it very difficult to
close in on 4 of the enemies.
For the first few turns of the stage you needn't worry about the enemies in the
top area, as they won't come down after you. Unfortunately this makes the stage
much harder, as it means that you have to go up to them (in single file) while
getting shot to pieces from the side, unable to Counterattack. Sadly there is
no foolproof way to do this, so don't be too surprised if you end up getting a
Game Over here.
Anyway, firstly you should just deal with the 2 enemies in the lower area, an
easy task as you outnumber them 2:1 and they aren't particularly smart. You
should be careful though as taking a loss here could be fatal later on. With a
little luck it's possible to despatch the pair in 3 turns but you can afford to
take 4-6 turns on this task (any more and you seriously risk timing out).
Having done this, you now need to get everyone up the stairs to the upper
level. Try to send everyone up together, as that way the "leader" will provide
cover for those behind him. This is also one of the few times the Defence
command is actually useful, though you should switch back to Counter as soon as
you get a clear shot. You shouldn't just walk out when you reach the top
though, it is better if the "leader" moves to the top stair and rotates 45
degrees and then moves out on the following turn, as this ensures that you'll
get the first decent shot. This doesn't really apply to everyone else though,
as they won't get a good first shot regardless as the "leader" will be blocking
the LoFs. You should burn all your TP at this point as you need to get the two
required kills as soon as possible. It really does just boil down to hit and
hope, as there is little room to make tactical manoeuvres.
You now have to decide who you will drop to make room for Saeki, who has been
forced upon you. I would drop whoever has the most useless techs (regardless of
level). The random factor when learning new techs and levelling up makes it
impossible to tell whom you should drop, but, in my example, I opted for Naoki.
With that in mind, here is my suggested set-up:
Pilot | Body | Arms | Legs | Weapon 1 | Weapon 2 | Option |
-------------------------------------------------------------
Shuji | M | M | M | GG-100 | GR-W | None |
Kasumi | H | H | H | GG-090 | GR-W | SM10-B |
Honda | M | M | M | SHOT-ZZ | GG-100 | None |
Saeki | H | H | H | AMG-12 | GG-090 | RL-M1 |
You should note that the trees are only Obstruction Squares so you *can* fire
through them. Also all directions are given based on your starting corner being
the bottom right, as I found this to be the most convenient camera angle.
On your first turn you should move the two bullets that start on the very
bottom of the map out of the left exit of your corner (Honda should start right
in this exit), you may need to use Turbo Boost for the Bullet in the back
corner. You should move Saeki to the upper left exit and your final Bullet to
the top exit. You should also keep an eye on Saeki's GG-090 ammo for the first
few turns, as you can find yourself running low by the end of the stage (you
may wish to defend for the first 2 turns or so, as the trees will
significantly reduce the damage of your counterattacks).
Next you should advance up with Honda (ignoring the Bullet to your left) and go
for an all out attack on the two Bullets there. It is unlikely that he will
last too long, but you should continue attacking 'till he goes down. Your other
Bullet should focus on the Bullet to Honda's left. Saeki should continue
through the gap, attacking the Bullets nearest Honda. From the top of the level
you should Retreat from the enemy with the Combat weapon and try to finish him
quickly so he can't close up.
Once have dealt with the Bullets on the left you should come round from the
top, trapping the remaining enemies in a pincer movement. From here it should
be relatively easy as you should have the more advantageous position on the
field.
The Prof. gives you:
Name | Type | Fix | HP | Att | Load | Max | Range | Ideal | HR | Wght | qty
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MG3000 | F | Arm | 250 | 50 | 300 | 10 | 2-16 | 2-9 | 30 | 900 | 4
## 4.60 - Stage 6 ##
A disappointing reward, as these are considerably weaker than most of your
current weaponry. As a result no change to your set-up is needed. Again note
that I will be referencing the corner you start in as the bottom right:
Pilot | Body | Arms | Legs | Weapon 1 | Weapon 2 | Option |
-------------------------------------------------------------
Shuji | M | M | M | GG-100 | GR-W | None |
Kasumi | H | H | H | GG-090 | GR-W | SM10-B |
Honda | M | M | M | SHOT-ZZ | GG-100 | None |
Saeki | H | H | H | AMG-12 | GG-090 | RL-M1 |
This stage can be very aggravating, as it is the most luck based level so far.
This is primarily due to the fact that all the enemies start so far away, and,
as such, the first 2/3 turns are all fought with high-damage single-shot
weapons. Since these weapons all have somewhat inconsistent accuracy you can
come out very far behind (or ahead) through no strategic fault of your own.
On your first turn you should Turbo Boost Honda into the trees, towards the
Bullet to the far left. On your next couple of turns with Honda you should
avoid closing in too much (stay a good 4/5 squares away), as otherwise the
enemy is much more likely to advance to use its Combat weapon. For your early
attacks you should use the SHOT-ZZ as you risk running out of GG ammo
otherwise. You should also try to keep an (obstructed) LoF to some of the
Bullets further up the map by angling Honda diagonally; his Counterattacks can
be notable despite the Obstructions.
Your other Characters should all advance towards the centre of the map while
exchanging fire with your long rage weapons. The enemies will advance on you
and you should be aware that some have very Combat oriented set-ups and will
quickly reach your central position. When this happens you should focus your
attention on this Bullet; keep a couple of squares between each of your Bullets
so that you always have enough room to make your shots and don't worry too much
about loosing Counterattacking opportunities. It may also be useful to bring
Honda back to help deal with this threat; if you do, the Bullet he was engaged
with should head up towards the rest of the enemies (assuming you had kept a
reasonable distance from it).
Once any close-up Bullets have been destroyed you should advance on the
remaining ones as you have much better prepared to fight at close/medium range
than the enemy.
The Prof. gives you:
Name | Type | Fix | HP | AP | Load | Max | Range | Ideal | HR | Wght | qty
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MSH-100 | S | Arm | 400 | 40 | ---- | --- | ----- | ----- | -- | 600 | 2
I can be contacted by E-mail at: Tom[at]E-Robson[dot]Co[dot]UK
Note that I don't check my mail as often as I should, so don't be too
surprised if it takes a week or so to get a reply.
This FAQ may only be reproduced for private use. It may not be placed on any
web site or otherwise distributed publicly without first receiving my
permission. Use of this guide on any other web site or as a part of any public
display is prohibited.
