Sometime in the future, mankind discovered the ability to travel through
wormholes to distant, Earth-like planets. One of these planets, named Helios,
was chosen to be the first target of colonization. Resistance from the factions
that would remain on Earth escalated into all-out war. The exodus to Helios
began, and eventually the jump-gate was destroyed. The civilization flourished
on Helios in the following years. However, the enemy has now returned...
In Gun Metal, you pilot the Havoc Vehicle, a weapon that can transform into the
Havoc Suit or the Havoc Jet. As the Havoc Suit, you have protective shields
around you which allow you to withstand damage. As the Havoc Jet, you have
exceptional speed and manueverability. For both the Suit and the Jet forms, you
can choose a loadout of 4 different weapons - one primary weapons and three
seconday weapons.
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+ GENERAL TIPS [GM200] +
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> Evade incoming gunfire - Strafe, swerve and generally keep moving at all times
to minimize the damage that you take from incoming shots. Learn to target
enemies and land hits while consistently moving around.
> Know your enemy - Enemies are broadly of two types: Slow/Immobile enemies and
Fast enemies. The ground tanks, hover tanks, sentry guns, APCs, buildings,
motherships and battle cruisers fall into the first category. These units are
decked out with firepower, so be cautious. The Suit mode is effective against
slow enemies - land quick and damaging hits against these types. The airborne
fighters in the latter half of the game are the fast units. You'll need to use a
rapid-fire weapon against these targets (like the Vulcan Cannons & the Phalanx)
to land hits. The Jet mode, with its speed and manuevarability, is more suited
for taking on these targets.
> Know yourself - Each weapon in your loadout has a specific function and its
own characteristic. Learn the capabilites of the weapons and use the best weapon
against a given enemy type. Favouring one weapon over the others is a problem -
you will quickly run out of ammo. Prefer the secondary weapons for inflicting
damage - these weapons tend to hit harder and faster.
> Keep at it - In my opinion, Gun Metal is a fairly challenging game. In
addition, you can't save in the middle of a level. You might need to go through
some missions several times before you get the hang of it - especially the
targets and the enemy units.
This mission is a tutorial of the capabilities of the Havoc Vehicle. As the
brefing states, you have two locations to protect: The farming area (1) and the
Intelligence HQ (2).
As you start the mission, your loadout is shown. As new weapons unlock, you can
customize your loadout.
As you start out, enemy ground tanks are attacking the Intelligence HQ. Your
machine pistols are equipped by default. Start blasting away at the tanks and
make use of the auto-targeting ability of the pistols. Switch to your flak gun
for higher damage at close range, similar to a shotgun. To minimize damage to
your suit, strafe left and right as you shoot. This is one of the key gameplay
elements of Gun Metal: you need to minimize the damage from enemy gunfire at all
times. Pretty obvious, but important. Continue until the entire set of tanks are
destroyed. You can check the radar (top center of the screen) to see if any
enemies are remaining (red dots/squares).
The next step is to perform a reconnaisance of the area. Transform to the Jet
mode ('Q' key by default) and go to the yellow 'X' icon marked on your radar.
Land near the structure with the blue-colour glow. This is a re-energizer, which
will gradually restore your health (shown on the lower right side of your
screen). The hovering bullet items near the re-energizer are ammo dumps, which
restore ammo to the secondary weapons. Once you have your health restored to
100, head back.
As you approach, you get the next objective. A series of enemy air units - hover
tanks - are attacking the farms. Use your Vulcan cannons to take them out. The
Phoenix weapon fires a set of 5 shots at your target, which is perfect for
groups of enemy units. You can also strafe the jet left and right to evade
gunfire. If you overshoot the area, use the climbing turn ('C' key by default)
or the diving turn ('Z' key by default) to do a 180 degree turn. This is much
faster than doing a manual turn and is an indispensable technique for later
missions. If you feel that the jet is going too fast for targeting, press and
hold the down arrow key to slow down. This technique is useful for lining up a
shot.
Once you take the group of hover tanks out (again, check the radar if in doubt),
the mission is complete. The time taken to complete the mission is displayed.
This time, you have to protect 3 settlements around the map. You will have to
clear out the enemies at each one in turn. There is a re-energizer at the center
of the map, so fall back and recharge if your health drops too low. At each
settlement, you will deal with two types of ground units: bomber units
(noticeable with a sort of electric spark on their body) and infantry units
(carrying beam weapons). There is also one air unit - an armored personnel
carrier (APC). If it lands near the city, it will send out infantry units.
As the mission starts, fire using the machine pistols and take out the bomber
units (to the left side of the attacking force). The explosion created by the
bomber units causes range damage, which you can use to your advantage. Strafe
left and right and keep moving to minimize damage from return gunfire. Take out
the infantry units on the right side as well. Transform into Jet mode, and fire
at the approaching airborne APC. Use the Vulcan cannons from a distance, or the
Phoenix at close range to destroy it before it lands. Switch back to the suit
mode, and use the machine pistols to clean up the remaining enemies here. Once
done, head to the re-energizer (marked with a green '+' on the radar).
The next wave of enemies appear at settlement two. Head over there and take down
the airborne APC. Switch back to suit mode, and clean up the ground units using
the machine pistols. You can also fire your missiles (Suit/Jet modes) (right
click by default) which target 4 units automatically. The number of missiles is
limited, and is displayed on the lower left side of the screen.
The last wave of enemies are at settlement three. Grab the ammo dumps near the
re-energizer and head over there. Repeat the strategy from settlement two. Once
the enemies are down, this mission is complete.
For this mission, you are tasked to escort of group of our units. You'll need to
clear their way upto the end.
As you start off, there will be a group of airborne units coming your way.
Engage the hover tanks and leave the airborne carriers for now (there are no
guns on them). Use the Vulcan cannons on Jet mode to easily dispatch the hover
tanks. As they land, transform into Suit mode and use the Flak Gun & Machine
Pistols to mop up the infantry units and the ships. 3 more hover tanks will soon
join the fray. Elimiate them.
Going forward, you will see a group of 3 tanks. Use your new tomahawk missiles
(Jet mode) or your torpedoes (Suit mode) to get rid of them from a distance.
Wait here and let the convoy catch up. You should see another 2 units - airborne
carriers - coming your way. Engage them in flight, or take them out on the
ground. Go forward and you'll encounter 3 hover tanks, then 3 ground tanks and
then 3 hover tanks. Take them out as before. You should hear the voice-over
saying that the convoy is half-way along at this point.
2 more airborne APCs will now catch up to your convoy. Take them out in the air
or on the ground. Further along, there are four tanks to the right. Eliminate
them. Moving along, there are 3 hover tanks and 3 ground tanks, close together.
Eliminate these units as well. Head back to the re-energizer and recharge. Wait
there until the voice-over states that the convoy is almost here.
A group of hover tanks will soon attack you here, so eliminate them with your
Vulcan cannons. Quickly head back to the convoy and you will find 4 airborne
APCs approaching (the blue-color building). These are armed, so use your Vulcan
cannons and missiles to take them out from a distance. If they land, use the
torpedoes from a safe distance to take them out (Suit mode). The area is now
clear. Collect the ammo dumps near the base and head back to re-energizer. Wait
here until the voice over states that the choppers are ready to move out.
Head to the convoy's location, and join the group of choppers. There are 9 enemy
units on the ground: 6 tanks and 3 airborne APCs. The enemy units will typically
attack the choppers. Use this distraction to attack the enemy units. 3 hover
tanks will also join in the fight. The chopper units are expendable - they may
be completely destroyed. Eliminate all the enemy units to complete the mission.
As the mission starts, you are required to protect two defense guns. The
approaching enemies are slow hover tanks, so put the Vulcan cannons to good use.
Clear each side in turn. Repeat this process for 6 waves of enemies (3 waves on
the left side, 3 waves on the right side). The voice-over will inform you that
the defence guns are ready. Any further enemies coming this way will be
vaporized by these guns.
Go to the re-energizer, near the energy base. Similar to the earlier layout, 2
airborne APCs will approach the base from the right side. Use Vulcan
Cannons/Phoenix in the air and Flak Gun/Machine Pistols on the ground to take
them. Two more airborne APCs will approach from the left side. Repeat the
process. The wave will repeat once more (2 from the right side, 2 from the left
side). Once the ships are destroyed, the mission is complete.
There are groups of enemies attacking your units, and your job is to support
them by decimating the enemy forces. In other words, you are the cavalry. This
mission does not allow any room for rest. It's all out shooting from the
beginning to the end - it's all about the firepower.
Right outside the settlement, there will be a group of airborne APCs landing on
the site. A bit further, there will a group of tanks. Take these out as quickly
as you can, using your Tomahawk missiles (Jet mode). In Suit mode, Flak guns
work at close range and Torpedoes work at medium range. Once they're toast, move
back to the APCs and take them out from a distance with your torpedoes. The
support team will draw fire, but you'll take damage if you move in range of the
APC's guns.
Once that's done, move on to the second group of enemy tanks. Take them out
using the same strategy as before. Another APC will arrive, providing
reinforcements. Take this out as well.
Several waves of jet fighters will swoop in on the area. Try and engage them in
the plains outside the settlement area. The enemy fighters will rush to you and
try to overwhelm you, in general. Keep strafing to the left and right (or just
one direction), and land any hits as best as you can. Once the wave passes you,
quickly turn 180 degrees ('C'/'Z' keys) and face them again. Repeat this process
until you have destroyed them. Your auto-lock missiles are also of good use
here. Face the crowd of fighters and let the missiles fly. The Pheonix weapon is
also useful in crowd control. Once your ammo is out, use the Vulcan Cannons to
take out the survivors. Once the fighters are down, the mission ends.
This mission is simple in principle, difficult in execution. A large enemy
battle cruiser, is approaching the city. Your job is to take it out. The problem
is that there are a large number of guns on the ship, which make air combat
difficult. There is also a massive cannon under the ship, which destroys your
Suit in one shot. Add to that a time limit (you have to prevent the ship from
reaching the city) and this mission seems nightmarishly difficult. So, a bit of
strategy is required to beat this mission.
Start out by heading toward the battle cruiser. Approach from either side, and
use your Vulcan Cannons on the side turrets. Your objective is to land on top of
the battle cruiser. Once you are there, quickly take out the turrets on both the
sides. Now, there are three targets of destruction here. The orange glow at the
rear end of the ship and the 'wings' on both sides of the ship (also with an
orange glow). Use your Flak Gun to destroy each of them in turn. If the target
is taking damage, you should see it flash white as it takes damage. Several
hover tanks will crash into the ship trying to take you on. Ignore these for the
time being.
Now, you'll need to inflict some more damage on the ship before the shields are
disabled*. Take off in Jet mode and proceed away from the ship, in the direction
of the tail end. (That is, opposite to the direction in which the ship is
moving). Circle back and fire your Cannons at any available targets until you
hear the voice over saying that the shields are down. Go up to the top of the
ship and land there. In Suit mode, aim your fire at the head of the ship. Once
the head is destroyed, the reactor core is exposed, which is located at the same
location. To see it, walk up to the front end of the ship and look down. A
target should be displayed here. Fire at the core until it is destroyed. For a
more dramatic [and more satisfying] scene, you can fire at the core until it
reaches a very low health (visible near the target reticule). Then, switch to
Jet mode and land a few hits on the reactor core. The ship explodes and crashes
to the ground.
Switch to Jet mode and clean up the remaining targets on the map, which are slow
hover tank units. Once all of them are down, the mission is complete.
*Note: In one instance, the shield was down after I destroyed the wing and the
tail. If this happens, proceed to the head and start firing at it.
New Weapons: Maverick [Jet] and Assault Cannon [Suit].
This mission is fairly complex, and involves multiple targets and objectives.
For clarity, I will be breaking down this mission into 'stages'.
Note that there is no re-energizer in this mission. Any drop in health is
permanent.
In the first stage, you'll need to take down three radar stations before the
enemy base is alerted to your presence. Start by travelling to the first
station, which is the left-most one on your radar. As you approach it, you will
be detected. A messenger plane exits from the radar station. Quickly take down
this plane using your Vulcan Cannons. Land near the radar station, and destroy
the buildings (aim for one of the two buildings; the explosion takes both
buildings down). The Assault Cannon & the Torpedoes are effective here. Wait for
a few seconds, and you will be notified about an incoming ship. The ship is an
airborne APC, and is marked with a yellow 'X' on your radar. The new Assault
Cannon is really useful in taking this ship down. Stand near (preferably under)
the APC's path and blast it until it falls. As the APC has no guns under it,
this is an extremely effective technique.
Repeat the same process for radar stations 2 and 3. Once you destroy the APCs,
you will get two ammo drops. Collect both of them, and we're ready for next
stage.
In stage two, destroy the base by any means. In Jet mode, the Maverick missiles
are very effective here. There are four guard towers and four tanks, which are
first priority. After that, take down the two buildings in the middle (from
which the tanks emerge; it has to destroyed from both sides). Finally, destroy
the infantry buildings around the base. In between this, you should be notified
of a mothership approaching the base. Ignore the warning and destroy the base
completely. Once the base is fully destroyed, you should get another voice-over
confirming the same.
The last stage (stage three) is where we take on the mothership. As you
approach, several waves of hover tanks will emerge . Move away from the ship (to
avoid its cannons) and engage them. Once the hover tanks are finished, return to
the mothership. As before, your objective is to land on top of it. Once you're
there, use the Assault Cannon to quickly take out the guns around you (one on
top, four on the sides). Next up, destroy the wings on both sides of the ship
(they have a red glow). Once all these are down, the reactor core is exposed.
Destroy it to crash the mothership. Mission complete.
This is another defence mission, much simpler than the previous mission. This
time, you are trying to protect a research facility from being overrun. To start
off, transform into Jet mode and take out the slow hover tanks using your Vulcan
Cannons. There are several waves of them, so use the radar to keep track. A
hover tank that is closer to the research facililty takes priority as target.
Once the hover tanks are destroyed, you are notified of a mothership approaching
the facility. Ignore the other enemy units for now. Approach the mothership and
get on top of it, as before. Take out the guns using your Assault Cannon. Then,
take out the wings. If the shields are not broken at this point, drop down below
the mothership and take out the sections with the red-glow on them. There will
be four available: two on the 'legs', one right underneath and one under the
head. Once enough damage has been dealt, the reactor core will be exposed.
Switch to Jet mode and destroy the reactor core with a Maverick missile to
destroy the mothership.
Destroy the remaining enemy units to finish the mission.
Another interesting mission with a few twists. You are tasked to escort a
salvage team through a canyon, and clear their way of mines.
Take a really good look at the map shown during the briefing. There are 3 arrows
on the map, and each ally team travels through each of those routes. You will
need to clear all three routes before the allied units reach the mines.
The first stage is clearing up the mines. The task itself is pretty simple :
simply shoot the mines until they explode. Follow the canyons along the valley
in Jet mode and shoot the mines along the way. Ensure that you keep to low
altitude to avoid being hit by the Anti-Aircraft weapons mounted on top of the
mountains. Also make sure that you keep a distance from the mines to avoid the
range damage. Once the pathway for a team is cleared, you will receive a
voice-over as confirmation.
As you start out, stick to the right direction at each to clear the path for
Team 2. Once that's clear, rush back the way you came and get to the path of
Team 1. Use the radar to your advantage. Clear the path upto the end, taking the
right turn at the middle. Turn back and take Team 3's path and clear it out.
With this approach, you should clear all paths will plenty of time to spare.
Once the valleys are clear for all teams, secure the base. There are two APCs
located here. Use your Hellfire missiles to take them out in Jet mode. 3 hits
from the Hellfire missiles should take out one APC. Approach, hover and land 3
hits while strafing to minimize damage. There are also a few Anti-Aircraft guns
in the vicinity. If you go higher, strafe to make sure that you don't get hit.
Once you take out both of them, wait at the base until the salvage teams arrive.
As one of the salvage teams approaches the base, you will be notified. Check you
radar and you will find a group of enemy units approaching. There are 4 airborne
APCs and several hover tanks in the group. Get up to the top of the ridge and
switch to Suit mode. Use you Assault Cannon to take down the APCs. Run after
them and destroy them before they land. To take out the hover tanks, switch to
Jet mode and make use of your Maverick missiles and Vulcan Cannons. An
additional wave of hover tanks will soon join in, so eliminate them as well.
If at least one unit survives from any of the 3 salvage teams and the base is
cleared of all enemy units, the mission is complete.
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+ Mission 10: Face Off [GM310] +
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This mission is straightforward, but intense. There is an enemy battle cruiser
attacking your base, and the allied flagship carrier has held it off until now.
Your objective is to help them out. If you take too long, your flagship carrier
will be destroyed - this will fail the mission.
As in the previous missions, the battle cruiser is the priority target. Head to
it and try to take out the side turrets from the air. Your new weapon - the
Phalanx - has slightly lower accuracy, but devastating power. Get on top of the
cruiser and quickly take out the turrets on both sides. The Ion Beam is really
effective at this range. Take out the wings and the tail with the orange glow.
Ignore the hover tanks and the ground tanks attacking you; you will take a good
beating here. To reach the critical damage, drop to ground a little away from
the battle cruiser and use the Assault Cannon to take out the orange component
right under the ship. Beware of the ground tanks here. Strafe to minimize damage
and attack from a distance.
Once the ship's shield is down, get on top and destroy the head, followed by the
reactor core. Transform into Jet mode and retreat to the re-energizer. You
should be able to recover your health and gather the ammo dumps. Once you're
fully re-charged, head back and destroy the remaining enemies. Take the time to
use your new weapons and blast away until the area is secure. Mission complete.
New Weapons: Photon Storm [Jet] and Trident [Suit].
For this mission, you are tasked with destroying four enemy bases. There is also
an allied base with a re-energizer. You can fall back to your base and recharge
your health between each target. So don't worry too much about damage in this
mission. There are Anti-Aircraft guns all around the place, so stay low when
flying in the valley. There are four bases in the area, and I will be referring
to them from the left to the right, as seen on the radar. So, the next target is
always the base at the left end of the radar.
Transform into Jet mode and travel to the first base - the one on the left end
of the radar. Halfway along, you will be interrupted by a fighter patrol. Switch
to Suit mode and use the Pulse Cannon to take them out. The radar is almost
useless here because of the altitude difference. You will have to watch the
enemies. Wait until they charge at you, then sidestep and fire at them. Avoid
using Jet mode to fight, because there is not enough room to maneuver well in
the canyon. Once all the fighters are down, you can proceed. If you lose a
considerable amount of health here, head back to your base and recharge. A side
note regarding the allied base: you can destroy the allied infantry units by
walking over them - be careful!
Once you are fully recharged, proceed to base one. You'll be detected by the
radar and the base will be immediately alerted. Switch to suit mode and take out
the tanks first. The Trident is really effective here - it destroys almost all
immobile units in one shot. Clear an area of enemies (not the entire group, just
an area to stay and shoot from) and take out the missiles at the center of the
base. Aim for the numerous fuel storage units - the explosion takes out the
nearby missile and launch pad. If they take off, use the Pulse Cannon and your
auto-lock missiles to destroy them. Once all the missiles are destroyed, clear
out the remaining enemy units. For ground tanks, use the Trident. For the air
units, transform to Jet mode and use the new Photon Storm weapon. This is really
effective against target clusters. Wipe out the area (including all enemy
buildings) and head back to the allied base. You may be attacked or chased by
fighters along the way or at your base. Take them out as before. Recharge and
refill your ammo.
Head to the second base. This time, take out the building to the left that
releases air units. You'll need to take it down from both sides. Then, destroy
the fighters on the ground near the middle of the base. Alteratively, shoot the
pilots (the small infantry units) and prevent the fighters from being boarded.
Aim for the fuel storage units to take out the nearby units/buildings. There
should be a group of fighters attacking you now. Switch to Jet mode and unleash
Photon Storm. Clean up any remaining enemies and destroy all remaining
buildings. That's two bases down, two more to go. Head back and recharge.
Next up is base three. There are several missiles here, similar to base one. But
the opposing force is mainly made up of fighters, which are easier to dodge. As
you approach, put your Hellfire missles to use. Land and take out the missiles.
Aim for the fuel storage units as before. Once they are all destroyed, take out
the fighters. Destroy all remaining buildings. Head back to the allied base and
recharge. Collect any remaining ammo dumps. One more base to go.
Head to the last base. The missiles on the left side are the priority targets.
They take off quickly - be sure to take them down. Use the Trident to move in
and destroy the tanks and buildings. There are also two airborne APCs here - the
Trident can make quick work of them. If you run out ammo at any point, consider
switching back to Jet mode and using your Hellfire missiles. You can make use of
Napalm to take out the buildings. As soon as the base is clear, you will be
notified of your allied base being attacked. Head there quickly (keep low in the
canyon). You'll find 3 airborne APCs and a host of enemy infantry. Use the
Trident or your Hellfire missiles to take the APCs out. Land and use any weapons
to destroy the infantry units. Mission complete.
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+ Mission 12: Hit & Run [GM312] +
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New Weapons: Harpoon [Jet] and Dispersion Rifle [Suit].
Time to face what is probably the most challenging mission in Gun Metal. There
are 4 valleys, and each of them contains a set of missiles. Your objective is to
destroy the missiles and get out as quickly as possible (as the title implies).
Starting from the left end (the valley where you start the mission), I will
refer to the valleys as valley one, valley two, valley three and valley four.
The most challenging area here is valley three. So head there first. Take out
the mines along the way (near valley two) to clear a path. Keep low, and stay
near the walls of the canyon. Once you're at valley three, three tanks will
start firing from the top of the bridge. Zip along right upto the end of the
valley. Keep as low as you can to minimize gunfire damage; but speed takes
priority here. Land near the missile at the very end, near the wall. Use your
trident to take it out. Aim for the nearby fuel storage unit for convenience.
Turn around and you'll see two more missiles nearby. Drop down onto the bridge
(be careful of the lava here), and fire the Trident at them. Note that you'll
have to get closer to them for the hit to register - you should be able to see
the health meter when you target the missiles. Once they're out, transform to
Jet mode and head to the remaining two. Drop into the right-side missile pit as
you land - this will offer some protection against the incoming gunfire. Once
the nearby missile is down, walk up the pit and fire the trident at the
remaining missile. One or two shots will destroy it. Quickly transform back to
Jet mode and get out of the valley. You will have taken a severe beating here,
so use the re-energizer to restore your health.
Next up, head to valley four. Keep to the left as you enter and switch to Suit
mode. There will be a gun nearby, on top of the hill. Use the Dispersion Rifle
to take it out. The missiles of the Dispersion Rifle follows the contour of area
- it will climb up the hill. There is another gun to the right of you. Take it
out with one shot from the Trident. Proceed forward, keeping to the left of the
valley. There is a ridge about halfway across, that allows you to hide from the
enemy battle cruiser and enemy hover tanks in the way. [It's just next to the
battle cruiser]. Take note of this place and proceed to the end of the valley.
Switch to Suit mode and take out the two missiles using the Trident. Switch back
to Jet mode and head to the hidden valley behind the ridge. Switch to Suit mode
and approach the battle cruiser. You'll be able to fire at the battle cruiser
without being fired upon (if you stay back far enough). Use any weapon to hit
the targets on the battle cruiser. Once enough targets are destroyed, the battle
cruiser will explode and crash. Head back to the allied base.
Proceed to valley two. This one is tricky in a different way. There are mines
all over the place, but you don't have the time to work through all of them.
Keep the Jet just above the ridges here and get to the end of the valley. There
is an Anti-Aircraft gun just above the ridge, and you are very likely to get
hit. As always, swerve to minimize damage. Land in the missile pit and take out
the single warhead. Transform into Jet mode and head back to base. Re-equip the
ammo and recharge.
If you have survived this far, the last valley is going to be a walk in the
park. Switch to Jet mode and head to the end of the valley. There is an
additional target here - the comms tower. Take it out first (Dispersion
Rifle/Trident) and then destroy the warhead. Mission complete.
The jump gate is powered by six reactors. These reactors are protected by the
huge shield around the jump gate. The shield is maintained by four shielding
units, which are themselves shielded. You'll need to take down each of these
targets in turn to complete the mission. At all points, the next set of targets
are marked with a yellow 'X' on your radar. Proceeding the order recommended
below minimizes confusion on the targets. Stay away from the jump gate until the
shield is removed. Even flying over the jump gate can cause critical damage.
Start by destroying the four guns surrounding the jump gate. Use your Harpoon
missiles to take them out - approach, hover, press and hold the fire button,
release to fire. Now, the next targets are the two buildings next to the tanks.
Approach in Jet mode and take out the tank on one side. Use the
Trident/Dispersion Rifle to quickly destroy the building. Walk to the other side
and take out the tank here as well. The Gauss Gun is effective against these
tanks. One hit will take them out. Beware of the slow reload if you use the
Gauss Gun. Once the building is down, move to the other side and repeat. As you
take down the second building, a group of fighters will emerge. Complete the
destruction of the second building and transform into Jet mode. Use Photon Storm
and your auto-lock missiles against these new ultra-fast fighters. Also note
that these fighters try to collide onto you to cause damage. Keep swerving to
evade and take out the fighters as quickly as possible. Return to the jump gate.
You will now notice that the shields of the outer units have been removed. There
are four of them, and you will have to destroy each one. Each one also has two
guns, which is an annoyance. You'll need to target the three sections of the
unit to take them out. If you run out of ammo, go and collect the ammo drop. The
jump gate will be active now, and will keep outputting a stream of hover tanks.
Ignore them, as they will be handled by an unseen unit (the orbital cruiser).
Once the four shield units are down, the huge shield around the jump gate is
removed.
Destroy the reactor nearest to you. As before, the Trident works best. As soon
as you destroy one reactor, the jump gate will stop emitting the hover tanks.
Instead, a group of the ultra-fast fighters come out of it. Transform into Jet
mode and take them on, as before. Be cautious of their kamikaze tactics and
their speed (which is almost the same as yours). Once the fighters are
destroyed, get back to the jump gate. Proceed to destroy the remaining five
reactors. If you are in Jet mode, you can use the new Heavy Bomb weapon on the
reactors. One reactor should go down in three hits of the Heavy Bomb. In Suit
mode, use the Trident or the Dispersion Rifle to take them out. As the final
reactor is destroyed, the jump gate starts emitting red-color waves. Transform
into Jet mode and retreat to a safe distance (beyond the reach of the red
waves). The jump gate is destablized and eventually explodes. Mission complete.
The final mission of the game. The remaining enemy units are making a last
attempt at capturing the allied base. Your task is protect the allied base and
destroy all incoming enemy units. As the enemy units approach in waves, each one
requires a different tactic to beat.
In the first wave, there are two motherships approaching the base. Head to one
of them and inflict damage. The following are the targets on each mothership:
two guns on top, two guns on the side, two wings, two 'legs', the section right
under the ship (the 'underbelly'), and one section under the head. Take out
enough targets and the ship will explode. Or, disable enough targets and take
out the top section of the ship. This will expose the reactor core, which is
easily destroyed. There is a cannon underneath the ship as well. If the ship is
in the air, stay right under the cannon to avoid getting hit. On ground, strafe
and evade the incoming fire. Once the first mothership is down, move on to the
second one. It is likely that the second ship has landed by now - this is a
tougher job. Attack from a distance in Suit mode. Take out the enemy-spawning
sections (the wings and the underbelly) and evade the incoming gunfire. Enemy
ground tanks and hover tanks will attack you - evade or use the Gauss Gun to
take out as many as you can. Note that the spawning sections should be destroyed
first - they will keep on releasing enemy units. Once the enemies are under
control, take out the guns and remaining targets on the mothership to destroy
it. If your health is critical or very low at this point, head back to the
allied base and recharge. If not, destroy the remaining enemy units. Head back
and recharge. Think this was too easy? We're not done yet.
Second wave: A single battle cruiser is approaching the city, armed to the
teeth. It has a cannon underneath that will destroy you in one shot - stay above
the ship. Get to the top of the battle cruiser and take out the two guns on the
sides. Take out the wings and the tail. Next, take out the guns on the side of
the ship, toward the front. Your objective is to cause enough damage for the
shield to drop. If nothing seems to hit, fire your missiles at the targets and
at the ship in general. You should deal enough damage pretty quickly. Once the
shield drops, take down the head, followed by the reactor. You'll need to take
down the battle cruiser before it destroys the settlements. Head back and
recharge.
In the third wave, two more motherships will approach the base and land on the
outskirts. Take them both out as quickly as possible. Go for the reactor core
for a faster kill. If the tanks or other units are a problem, take them out with
your Gauss Gun. Once both of them are out, switch to Jet mode. Search the area
for flying units, and take them out. Return to the area with the motherships.
You'll see four lines of tanks (3 on each line) approaching the base using the
nearby canyons. Take them all out before they reach the base. Once the moving
units are all down, go back and destroy the sentry guns around the place. If you
need ammo at any point, fall back and pick up an ammo dump - there are quite a
few of them around. Once the wave is wiped out, head back to recharge.
Final wave: Two battle cruisers approach the base simultaneously. Get on top of
one, and take out the nearby guns. Then, switch to the Gauss Gun and target the
other battle cruiser. Your objective is to destory as many turrets as you can.
Ignore the giant cannon underneath the ship. Once the guns are down, focus on
the battle cruiser you are standing on. Deal enough damage to drop the shields.
Attack the head and then the reactor core. Once the ship explodes, quickly get
on top of the second battle cruiser. Repeat the process and take it down. Once
both battleships are destroyed, the mission - and the game - is complete.
Vulcan cannons: [Primary Weapon] Unlimited ammo and precise hits. Very effective
against air units - hover tanks and enemy fighters.
Pheonix: [Crowd-control Weapon] Fires 5 shots at the target per round. Effective
against groups of targets or large targets, either in the air or on land. The
range is however, limited.
Tomahawk: [Air-to-ground Weapon] Air-to-ground missiles. One missile will be
released per shot. Effective against all immobile units, but will need multiple
hits per unit to take them out.
GP Bomb: [Bombing Weapon] Useful for carpet bombing. Approach the area, then
press and hold the fire button to release a flurry of bombs.
Rockets: [Primary Weapon] Fire off small rockets at the target, which takes a
certain amount of time to reach the target. This delay makes it useless against
fast-moving targets, especially air units.
Maverick: [General-purpose Weapon] Fires off a single missile after manual
lock-on against the target. If you fire blindly, it will hit any one target in
the vicinity. It travels automatically to the target, so it is effective against
mobile and immobile units equally.
Hellfire: [Air-to-ground Weapon] A set of missiles are fired at the ground
target. Very effective against immobile units - ground tanks and buildings of
all types.
Napalm: [Bombing Weapon] A bombing weapon which is hard to aim and hit, but
inflicts heavy damage. Most effective against immobile units and slow-moving
targets.
Phalanx: [Primary Weapon] The phalanx fires an energy pellet of sorts at the
enemy. There is a very small delay in hitting the target - make sure to
compensate for this.
Photon Storm: [Crowd-control Weapon] Effective crowd control weapon. The
released pellets do not differentiate between friend and foe - take care when
you use this. Use it in missions and areas where there are no allied units in
the vicinity. You cannot control the hits - simply keep firing at the target
cluster until they're destroyed. Very effective against the clusters of air
units.
Harpoon: [Air-to-ground Weapon] An upgrade to the Hellfire with a twist. With
the Harpoon, you can press and hold the fire button (once locked-on) to increase
the number of missiles fired at the target. Although this exposes you to
gunfire, the power of the missiles compensate nicely - almost all enemy units
will be taken out in one controlled hit.
Heavy Bomb: [Bombing Weapon] Works similar to the Napalm in terms of deployment.
Reduces the power per hit, but compensates with the faster reload time (i.e.
more number of hits).
Machine Pistols: [Primay Weapon] With auto-targeting and infinite ammo, this
weapon is easy to use. Quickly eliminates infantry units with the auto-targeting
shots.
Flak Gun: [High-power Gun] Quite similar to a shotgun. The closer you are, the
more damage it does. Effective against immobile targets and slow units.
Torpedo: [Missile Weapon] Fires off a single missile at the target. The range of
this weapon is really good - you can hit targets from a distance. Effective
against immobile targets and slow units due to the delay in hit.
Disk Launcher: [General-purpose Weapon] The disks launched from this weapon
richochet (hit and bounce) off the first hit. Spread the shots around and hit
the targets at an angle to take advantage of this.
Mini Rockets: [Primay Weapon] This weapon has higher power than the machine
pistols. However, there is a delay as the rocket travels to the target. This is
compensated by the ranged damage inflicted by the rockets.
Assault Cannon: [High-power Gun] A solid upgrade over the Flak Gun, and a
generally excellent weapon. Fires off a single round at the enemy that does
severe damage. Effective against immobile units (including buildings) and
slow-moving units.
Grenades: [Area-damage weapon] Fires an RPG (rocket-propelled grenade) for each
shot. The grenade travels in a projectile path - you'll need to aim higher to
land a hit. Does a decent amount of damage for each hit. Effective against
buildings.
Ion Beam: [Beam Weapon] Shoots a beam of energy at the enemy. Hold down the fire
button to continue inflicting damage. The range of this weapon is severely
limited. You'll need to get close to the target to deliver damage.
Pulse Cannon: [Primay Weapon] Powerful and reloads quickly. As with the Phalanx
weapon, compensate for the enemy movement to hit correctly. Effective against
incoming air units and infantry.
Trident: [Missile Weapon] Fires 3 high-power missiles at the target. Effective
against immobile and slow-moving units in the air or on the ground. Destroys
most targets in a single hit.
Dispersion Rifle: [Missile Weapon] A set of missiles are fired at the
ground-level target. These missiles follow the contour of the area - they'll
travel up and down the r idges (to an extent). Effective against all units on
the ground.
Gauss Gun: [High-power Gun] This is the last weapon that is unlocked - and
rightly so. It takes out almost every enemy unit in a single shot. The damage
hits instantly, so it is effective against air units as well.
This is my first walkthrough, and I hope that I've done a decent job. I couldn't
find a walkthrough for this game when I was playing through it for the first
time. So, I put together the tactics I discovered during my (mutiple)
playthroughs and created this guide.
