From: [email protected] (Mark Annichiarico)
Newsgroups: rec.games.video.3do
Subject: Hand-2-hand fighting tips for Space Hulksters
Date: Wed, 17 Jan 1996 01:52:07 GMT

After playing this game to death since its release (4 mos. ago?), I've
finally figured out how to consistently beat Genestealers in
hand-to-hand combat better than 9 out of 10 times. Here are a few tips
I've picked up so that I no longer get smoked day in and day out by
them lovable but irritating Genestealers:

1. NEVER haphazardly press A & B the moment you're engaged. Always
pause for a second because during this brief period you'll be able to
determine what type of attack the Genestealer is going to use.There
are only a few different GS attack methods; the FMV sequences are
mirrored (I think) so that it seems like there are many (i.e., one GS
will make an over-the-shoulder stab at your chest with his right hand;
another might use the same exact move but the video is mirrored so
that he does it with his left claw). Don't sweat it. You're
countermoves to both attacks are identicle. Another important thing:
KEEP YOUR THUMB POISED OVER THE B BUTTON at the beginning of ALL
attacks.

a) HEAD DIPPERS ARE US. Fortunately, the most common GS attack is the
easiest to defend against because it doesn't require you to parry and
it's easily identified. Here the Genestealer will, upon engaging you,
dip his head AS IF HE'S TRYING TO DUCK. As soon as you see the top of
that ugly cranium dip, start hammering the A button and he'll wake up
in Hell. (DO NOT press and hold the A button; bang on it quickly and
repeatedly in this instance until the GS is dead.) If you don't react
quickly enough, you'll get a shot to the chest. Overall, this is the
easiest GS to dispatch since your reaction window is a bit larger than
in other instances.

b) OVER-THE-SHOULDER. The second most common attack is the
over-the-shoulder stab to your chest from either the GS's right or
left hand. In this instance, the GS will make a half-turn and draw his
claw back--almost like a baseball pitcher winding up--before
delivering the blow. Again, WATCH THE STEALER'S HEAD. At the beginning
of his "wind-up," he'll turn his head to one side as he draws his claw
back. You'll notice his tongue lolling obscenely between his teeth as
his head pivots. As soon as you see this cue, press and hold (or press
repeatedly; it doesn't matter in this example) the B button. Don't
worry about which hand the GS is using; your Terminator "knows" the
direction it's coming from and will parry with the appropriate
hand/powerglove. The timing of your parry is critical; it's possible
to hit B too early, but once you've got it down you won't forget it.
Anyway, as soon as you parry the thrust, whale on the A button and
your Terminator will deliver the voltage necessary to turn your
adversary into a lava lamp.

2. The above attacks are used by GSs about 80% percent of the time,
and once you learn to recognize them this game will get much easier.
During a mission in which you find yourself in a bad position (bolter
jams, not enough room to shoot, etc.), don't be surprised if you're
confonted by, say, 4 head-dippers in a row, then 5 or 6
over-the-shoulder stabbers in quick succession. But take note: as a
default, always position your thumb so that you're ready to hit the B
button at the onset since the aggressive, over-the-shoulder attacks
require a quicker reaction than those from the wimpy head-dippers.
Also note that the ONLY instance in which you should press the A
button FIRST in deference to (parrying with) B is when confronted by a
head-dipper. All other attacks require you to parry (B) BEFORE using
the attack (A) button. This brings us to some of the less common (and
perhaps more deadly) killing methods that Stealers use. I don't think
it's critical to learn them, at least in the Campaign, since you
shouldn't have to fight more than 5 Stealers during any single mission
unless there's some kind of breakdown,

a) The QUICK & THE DEAD (wherein the Stealer is the former and you're
likely the latter). Unlike the over-the-shoulder thrust, the Q&D
attack is very fast and much more difficult to defend against since
there are few FMV cues. Before, I used the baseball pitcher's windup
as an analogy to describe the over-the-shoulder attack method. Think
of this attack in the same light, except that the windup is
abbreviated. (I hope I'm making sense...) Rather, the Stealer's head
turns only slightly as he draws his (right or left) claw back and
whomps you one. Initially, I had a tough time defending against this
move but I've come to recognize it. The GS will crouch slightly prior
to pulling his claw back. The moment you see him crouch, hulk out on
the B button to parry his claw. As usual, as soon as you deflect his
claw, repeatedly press the A button until the GS is microwaved by your
power glove. Fortunately, this move isn't too common.

b) The FOES OF ALI attack. Sometimes, the GS will sort of juke to the
left and then to the right like a boxer before delivering a Q&D
attack. This move is pretty rare and kind of amusing to watch. It's
also slightly easier to parry because you know that once the juking is
over a quick punch to the B button will deflect his Q&D attack,
leaving him helpless to defend against your counterattack.

c) The TRICKSTER. Here, the FMV from the Q&D attack is used in a very
confusing manner. I have yet to win a battle in this instance, but
thankfully it's one of the least-used GS attacks. What happens is the
GS crouches and seems about to deliver a Q&A blow with his left claw.
Without warning, the FMV stops and the GS suddenly does the SAME thing
with his right claw, throwing off your timing and hence nuking you. I
believe I've seen a few other attacks like this wherein David Amor &
co. have spooled the various FMV attack sequences together in random
order.  Again, they're thankfully quite rare..

Please, anyone who can elaborate on anything I've written here feel
free to do so. I think Spacehulk is the premier game on this (as well
as any) system but many folks are scared away from buying it because
it's so challenging. Let's get the word out, Brothers!

Mark Annichiarico