Robotech: Battlecry

Walkthrough version 1.0 by Matt Reid
Email me at [email protected]
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I.      Forward
II.     Characters
III.    Veritechs
       A - VT modes
       B - VT models
       C - VT paint schemes
IV.     Friendly Craft
V.      Zentraedi Craft
VI.     Mission Walkthrough
A - Chapter One
B - Chapter Two
C - Chapter Three
D - Chapter Four
E - Chapter Five
VII.    Awards and Bonuses
VIII.   Cheats



I.      Forward

Well, this is my first FAQ/Walkthrough, but I am a huge Robotech fan
and I most definitely have my skills down on this game.  This
walkthrough is going to concentrate on the important things.  The VTs,
the supporting and opposing craft, mission objectives, and how to
complete them.  Be advised however, that I have only played through the
PS2 version and have not even picked up a controller for the others
(though level structure and mission objectives are the same
throughout).  I will be obtaining the Xbox version soon, though word is
that PS2 has the best feel for the controls.

Multiplayer is purposefully being omitted from this Walkthrough,
because, well, it sucks.  By round three you're pretty much done with
it for good unless you unlock the Armored Battloid or Female Power
Armor, and even then it's just aggravating because all you want to do
is use those two in Story Mode and you can't.  I would have traded a
VS. mode for an I-Link or even split screen Co-Op mode in a heartbeat.
Hopefully a sequel will feature this (please, please, please the I-link
one!), because amongst every one I know, that's all we really wanted
aside from the story mode.  That and completely customizable paint
schemes.  Maybe next time.

I've written this guide in the hopes of having it being a guide, not a
spoiler.  I'm trying not to divulge any story or real character
information, just mission parameters and how to accomplish them.  The
level walkthroughs will contain the info to get you through, but will
not be so detailed as to eliminate any real reason to play the game
yourself.  As said before, it's a guide, a helping hand, not an answer
to everything.  What's the fun in having every last thing spelled out
for you?

Also, I'm shooting for a minimum of flight instruction, as I feel that
every player will develop their own style of combat that I cannot
really affect anyways.  Find your groove and go with it.  It just takes
some practice.

I'd like to take a moment to thank Carl Macek for making this all
possible, and for bringing Robotech into existence in the first place.
Thanks also go out to Harmony Gold, TDK Mediactive, Vicious Cycle, both
writers going under the name Jack McKinney for all twenty one novels,
Cam Clarke and the entire voice cast (especially those who have
returned to make Battlecry (though if Cam was there, why couldn't Max
Sterling make a cameo?)).  Also, one last thanx goes to the GameFAQS
message board members, who supplied me with bits of information here
and there, including all of the info in the cheat section.

I apologize if there is any copyright infringement or any such thing,
and assure everyone that should there be any, it is not of any
malicious intent, nor in the interest of making a profit, for myself,
for others, or for the site(s) that may post this material.  I just
wanted to slap down a guide to help my fellow gamers and fans of the
series.

This Walkthrough is free to use to every individual person, but please
ask me if you plan on posting it whether on your own website or on
another game site (I'll say yes to the vast majority of requests, so
long as the sites it would be posted on do not charge for access in
anyway, shape, or form).

This guide was intended for GameFAQS, a very nice sight with a good
online community.  This information is not for sale by any means.  It
is free to all.

Well, let's start off by getting into the best part of this whole game.
The veritechs.

II.     Characters

This section will be pretty brief.  It's just a quick 'get to know your
heroes and villains' kind of thing.  I'm still aiming for the no
spoiler angle.

Jack Archer - You'll hear plenty about this guy, as this is you in the
game.  Jack is a human who was a mercenary during the Global Civil War,
and has now joined the RDF as a VT pilot, Wolf 010.  He wears the same
flight suit as Rick Hunter, and Cam Clarke, the voice actor who played
Max Sterling in the original series, provides the voice for our hero
here.  Good job Cam.

Izzy - Though I don't ever remember Izzy being a specified member of
Wolf squadron, or any squadron for that matter, she will be your
wingmate from time to time.  Though she's no Max Sterling, she can
usually be of help in a fight, though there are times where she might
come across as a liability.  Her VT and her flight suit are both green
and white.

Hiro - Squad leader for a Tomahawk Destroid squad, Hiro is a good
friend of Jack and Izzy, and you'll also be playing a few missions with
him fighting beside you.  Hiro's kind of xenophobic, but you'll get to
see that for yourselves.  Tony Oliver, who played Rick Hunter in the
series, provides Hiro's voice.  Hiro's Tomahawk is beige/brown, and
other units in his squad are white.

Commander Chase - Commander Chase is your flight commander, like Lisa
Hayes was for the SDF-1's veritech squadrons.  She will be giving you
your orders and instructions throughout most of the game.

Roy Fokker - If you don't know this one, you need to go out and at the
least rent/buy the first three Robotech: Macross Saga DVDs right now.
Roy Fokker is probably the coolest character in all of the Robotech
saga.  He is the commander of Skull Squadron and he'll be flying in
Skull One in the first level, as well as guiding you through your three
training sessions.

Rick Hunter - Roy's "little brother", Rick is the reluctant hero of the
series and ultimately the center of the entire Robotech saga.  He's the
guy who doesn't want to fight, but has to, so he gives it his all and
kicks some butt.  You'll only get to fly two missions with Rick, but
that's one more than you'll get actually flying with Roy.  The Robotech
DVDs, 1-6, pretty much focus on him and the squad that comes under his
command, and are most definitely worth buying if you haven't already.
Newcomers to the game here should seriously check these out (I mean
think about it.  This show must be pretty good if it was resurrected
into a next gen video game and a wonderful DVD set seventeen years
after it was first aired).

Lisa Hayes - She'll be your flight commander from time to time, but
that's pretty much all you'll see of her.

Lynn Minmei - Superstar of Macross, Minmei is an upbeat teenager who's
all smiles and pleasantries.  She'll be happy to meet you.  She too
plays an incredible part in the Robotech saga, though the game doesn't
really touch on that at all.

Kiyora - The next female Zentraedi ace after Miriya, Kiyora utilizes
the same power armor as her predecessor, and she uses it well too.
You'll have frequent encounters with this hell bent Zentraedi, and be
careful when you do.

Skaarde - An older Zentraedi officer, Skarrde pilots an Officer's
Battle Pod, though not very well.  Skarrde is a scavenger leader that
you'll run into early on in the game.

Gorian - I think that Gorian is Zeraal's Lieutenant, or at least the
equivalent thereof.  Gorian is a sadistic Zentraedi bent on human
destruction.

Zeraal - Zeraal is serving under Khyron, so he's a Zentraedi Commander
for sure.  He will be a big character in chapters three, four, and
five.  Intelligent and well equipped, Zeraal is a respected Zentraedi
commander who comes to harbor a deep hatred for Jack Archer.



III.    Veritechs

III - A. Veritech Transformation Modes

This is why we all love the veritech oh so much.  This single feature
allows you to have the right machine for any job, no matter what the
Zentraedi throw at you.  With three versatile and highly advantageous
modes to choose from, the biggest challenge is deciding which one is
going to be the most fun for the fight you're in.  We'll start with
where the VT (the abbreviation for Veritech) evolved from: the Fighter
mode.

Fighter Mode

Without question, Fighter mode is the fastest of all three
transformations, and when properly used, the deadliest.  Naturally, the
incredibly high speed makes you far less maneuverable than in any other
mode, but regardless, Fighter mode seems to be the best for evading
enemy missiles and gunfire.

In fighter mode, the offensive capabilities of your VT are really in
your hands, and this makes F mode a tough one for beginners, but by far
the most powerful for experienced pilots.  Fighter mode features a
barely moving autocannon, so aiming and hitting your target is much
more dependent on you, the pilot.  Also, the missiles fired in Fighter
mode, though very powerful and featuring a longer life, have poor
maneuverability, so this makes proper aiming all the more important.  I
advise newcomers to go through Fighter Training and the level Booby
Trap several times over to really master it.  It will be worth your
time, because once you've mastered Fighter mode, you can master all the
transformation modes with ease.  Besides, there's nothing better for a
quick and deadly strike than Fighter mode.

Defense in Fighter mode is a breeze if you know what you're doing.
Boosting, barrel rolls, loop de loops (pull back on the control stick
while boosting), and S-turns (pull back on the control stick while
pressing both strafing/roll buttons when boosting) should be plenty to
keep your VT safe and without a scratch.  Should that fail, you can
push the special action button to launch a decoy that enemy missiles
will home in on instead of you.  Be advised though.  Decoys/chaff will
never protect you as well as some good, strong maneuvers will.  They'll
take out some missiles, but not always all of them, and they'll never
stop cannon or laser beam fire.  For your own protection, good
maneuvers are your best bet.  Combining good maneuvers with well timed
decoys will ultimately leave you untouchable.

For protecting your RDF and civilian comrades, decoys/chaff will work
wonders.  Mark those words, as those two methods and knowing when to
apply and mix them can mean the difference between success and failure
in a great many missions.

       Fighter Mode Pros
               -High speed
               -Devastating secondary weapons
               -Highly effective evasive maneuvers
               -Decoys to protect friendly craft
       Fighter Mode Cons
               -Heavy damage from collisions
               -Wide turning radius
               -No auto-aiming cannon
               -Low maneuverability secondary weapons


   Controls (PS2)
       Directional Pad Right - Engage Fighter Mode
   Triangle - Decoy
       Square - Primary fire/Autocannon
       Circle - Secondary fire/Heavy Missiles
       X - Boost
       R1 - Target/Cycle target right
       L1 - Target/Cycle target left
       R2 - Bank right (perform while boosting to barrel roll right)
       L2 - Bank left (perform while boosting to barrel roll left)

Guardian Mode

Without a doubt, Guardian mode is my personal favorite for city/ground
levels.  It is the most balanced of all three transformation modes,
drawing the benefits from both Fighter and Battloid modes, and this
affords plenty of benefits.

Guardian mode can be used in nearly every single level with good
results, whether flying in between skyscrapers or soaring amongst the
stars.  Some levels require that you use this mode to pick up fellow
pilots and equipment.

Quick, agile, and nicely armed, the Guardian mode can really bring the
pain.  Featuring an automatically aiming cannon (when your target is in
sight), Guardian mode brings the offensive perks of Battloid, and the
ability to launch light missiles brings the Fighter mode advantages as
well.

With a good boost speed and the ability to strafe straight away in
either direction, this mode also affords sturdy defensive capabilities.
However, you'll find that this mode has high vulnerability to enemy
missiles.  Lacking the decoys and high speed of Fighter mode, and the
inability to shoot down incoming warheads like in Battloid, the only
way to avoid hits in Guardian is to bust out with some good maneuvers.

Though not especially advantageous in any way, this transformation mode
is nicely rounded and is safe to use in most any situation.  It is an
excellent mode for beginners and veterans alike, and it is a good mode
to alternate to in any level.  Be careful though: a lot of pilots will
rely so strongly on the Guardian's missiles and auto-aiming cannon that
they'll forget to keep moving and thus get torn apart by enemy weapons.

(Note: I personally find it best to kill your throttle and rely only on
boost to move about.  Otherwise, you might find yourself constantly
moving in too close to your enemies, and without any way to go in
reverse, you'll get shot from behind a lot).

       Guardian Mode Pros
               -Automatically aiming cannon tracks targeted enemy
-Highly maneuverable missiles (can easily hit a target dead
behind you)
               -Free range of movement from left to right, up and down
               -Easy altitude control and hover capability
-All around well balanced, and well suited for beginner and
pro alike.
   Guardian Mode Cons
-Missiles are relatively weak by comparison to those of
Fighter mode and have a shorter life
-Insufficient speed for evading attacks in extremely heavy
dog fights
-Holding an object/pilot in the VTs left hand prevents any
transformation
-No reverse/cannot travel backwards

       Guardian Mode Controls(PS2)
Direction Pad Up - Engage Guardian Mode w/forward thrust
- Throttle up (obviously, this also transforms
you into Guardian mode initially)
       Direction Pad Down - Engage Guardian Mode hovering, no thrust
    - Throttle down/hover
Triangle - Pick up/Release object (highlighted by a green
targeting bracket)
       Square - Primary fire/Auto-aim Cannon
       Circle - Secondary fire/Light missiles
       X - Boost
       R1 - Target/Cycle target right
       L1 - Target/Cycle target left
       R2 - Strafe right
       L2 - Strafe left

Battloid Mode

Undoubtedly the slowest of the three transformation modes, the Battloid
has the definite flaw of leaving you quite vulnerable to enemy attacks.
However, operating in Battloid mode does have some advantages to
counteract that and keep you alive.

In general, you never want to enter Battloid mode in any space or upper
altitude levels, as you are usually engaging Fighter pods or missile
equipped Battle pods on these missions, and they can tear you apart if
you aren't moving fast enough.  Battloid mode is really reserved for
the ground levels only, though that's not to say it doesn't have its
uses here and there in space.  Personally, I really try to stay away
from this mode as much as possible, but other pilots find that this
mode is quite useful and compatible with their style, so don't let me
lead you to think that this mode is useless, or at the very least,
without its charm.

As mentioned above, Battloid mode is without question the slowest
configuration you can use.  That's why it is best suited for city or
canyon levels, where you can hide behind buildings or buttes for
protection, or wait for an enemy to round the corner before gunning him
down.  However, you do trade that speed for complete range of 3D
movement, so that is a nice perk.  In Battloid mode, you can strafe
left and right, push forwards or backwards, ascend or descend, and this
can be quite useful.

Though Battloid has no Decoy, nor high speed and quick maneuvers to
keep it safe from enemy missiles and gunfire, it does compensate for
this in two ways.  First off, pressing the secondary fire activates the
same cannon as your primary fire, but using the secondary method allows
you to automatically target enemy missiles and shoot them down quickly.
In some instances, this can be extremely helpful in protecting
vulnerable allies or structures, but this can be a tricky skill to
master, so if you plan on relying on this, get a lot of practice in.
Generally, I've found it better to stay in Fighter or Guardian mode and
kill the enemies off before they can launch the missiles as opposed to
staying in Battloid and shooting the warheads down.  After all, if
you're only shooting down the missiles and not the enemy firing them,
then there will be plenty more warheads incoming.

The second way it compensates for the lack of speed is with first
strike/stealth capability.  This can only be used in very special
circumstances, but in Battloid mode you can press the special action
button to engage Sniper mode.  This brings you inside the cockpit to a
first person perspective, though be warned: you are completely immobile
and the most vulnerable while in Sniper mode.  Though your targeting
computer still functions, you have no radar screen in this mode, so
make sure there are no attackers waiting for you.  You can zoom in with
R2 and zoom out with L2.  You can hold down the primary or secondary
fire buttons to charge up a shot for extra power (a charged shot can
take down any battlepod in one hit.  Male Power Armor units take more).
Without a doubt, this is the strongest weapon in the veritech arsenal,
regardless of model.

       Battloid Mode Pros
               -Complete range of 3D movement
               -Ability to shoot down enemy missiles
-Auto-aiming cannon (more effective tracking than in
Guardian mode)
-Sniper mode allows you to eliminate enemy targets before
they even know you're there
-Higher speed straight-to-the-side-strafing than Guardian
mode
       Battloid Mode Cons
               -Lowest speed of all three modes
               -No missile capability
               -Very poor mode for evasive maneuvers
-Missile protection and offensive weapon rely on the same
cannon, making for very quick weapon overheat that can
leave you stranded
-Difficult to gain or maintain altitude

       Battloid Mode Controls
       Directional Pad Left - Engage Battloid Mode
      Triangle - Engage/Disengage Sniper mode
       Square - Primary fire/Auto-aim cannon
       Circle - Secondary fire/Auto-aim Anti-Missile cannon
       Square - Boost
       R1 - Target/Cycle target right
       L1 - Target/Cycle target left
       R2 - Strafe right
       L2 - Strafe left



III - B. Veritech Models

Because another guide posted on GameFAQS does a pretty detailed job of
listing the various stats on the different VT models, I won't really
get into it here.  Instead, I'll just give some descriptions
accompanied by missile payload amounts and targeting computer
capability.  Let's get to it.

VF-1D - Commonly known as the trainer veritech, this is a VT with no
real combat value (though some of you may wish to play through the
Countdown level with this VT for your first time through.  The extra
armor might be what gets you through).  Its distinguishing marks are
the double horizontal visor screens with dual laser cannons, and though
it cannot really be seen, this is the only two-seater VT.

Though this VT sports the best armor of all, it has the worst of
everything else.  Slow, sluggish, and suffering from very poor weapons
systems make this the worst VT of them all.  Speed, agility, missiles,
and the targeting system are a flat out joke.  If you're looking to be
nothing more than a flying target, this is the ride for you.

(Robotech fact: The VF-1D was the first Veritech Rick piloted and went
rampaging through Macross city in.  Also the same one he used to rescue
Minmei for the first time.  Also, Max and Miriya flew in one of these
after their wedding)

VF-1D standard
Missiles - 4 Salvos
Targeting - 3 targets

SVF-1D (FAST packs)
Missiles - 12 Salvos
Targeting - 3 targets

VF-1A - The first wide scale production model veritech, the VF-1A is
well rounded and great for beginners.  It is the most commonly used VT
fighter in all of the RDF, and with good reason.  This VT is fairly
equipped, and is just as good as giving out the hits as it is taking
them.  With the exception of armor, the VF-1A shows all around
improvement from the VF-1D trainer.  It's characterized by a single,
squared visor screen with one laser cannon sticking up from the middle
of its head.

(Robotech fact: The VF-1A was the veritech used by Ben Dixon and Max
Sterling, though Max was soon given a VF-1J, and later gained command
of Skull Squadron and flew in the original VF-1S, Skull One, for a
short time.)

VF-1A standard
Missiles - 6 Salvos
Targeting - 4 targets

SVF-1A (FAST packs)
Missiles - 14 Salvos
Targeting - 4 targets

VF-1J - This is a slightly more advanced VT than the 1A, given to
junior officers/flight leaders.  Though it utilizes the same targeting
system as the 1A, it shows good improvement, except in the armor
category where it trails by a hair.  The greatest merit of this model
is the increased missile salvos, and the advancements in agility
definitely do not go unnoticed either.  Be warned though: Once you step
into the VF-1J, and all of the more advanced models from here on out,
evasive maneuvers become a lot more important, and absolutely vital to
your survival.  The decreases in armor for all these models leave you
extremely vulnerable to enemy attacks and collisions, so playing sloppy
isn't an option anymore.

The 1J is characterized by a five sided visor screen dual laser cannons
on each side of its head.

(Robotech fact: The VF-1J was the veritech Rick was issued when he
officially joined the RDF, and he went through a couple of these before
assuming command of Skull Squadron.)

VF-1J standard
Missiles - 8 Salvos
Targeting - 4 targets

SVF-1J (FAST packs)
Missiles - 16 Salvos
Targeting - 4 targets

VF-1S - The veritech issued to squadron leaders, the VF-1S is the same
veritech model as the extraordinarily famous and beloved Skull One.
It's characterized by a single, elongated triangle shaped visor screen,
and dual laser cannons mounted on each side of the head.

There's a reason why this is only issued to the more experienced
pilots.  Quite simply, if you don't know how to fly and fly well with
this bad boy, then you are going down, and you're going down fast.
Once again, this model shows considerably improvements over all of its
predecessors, but the armor on this thing is a joke.  The VF-1S
sacrifices armored protection for extremely high speed and
maneuverability, and you'd better learn how to use them if you want to
come out on top with this ride.

In addition to the improvements listed above, you'll also notice that
the VF-1S has an improved targeting system that allows you to
simultaneously target five different opponents at once.  In combination
with the increased missile salvos and high speed, this makes the VF-1S
extraordinarily dangerous to enemies, but only if you can make good use
of it.

Defensive maneuvers are now absolutely key, and there is little room
for error.  With the VF-1S, a MPA can take you down in three laser
blasts with a little cannon fire.  If you unlock the 1S and are still
developing your evasive skills, stick with the 1J for now until you've
got a better feel for dodging enemy attacks.  Once you've got that
down, you'll see how amazing the VF-1S is.

(Robotech fact: Skull One is a VF-1S, and the first one ever
constructed.  Roy Fokker piloted Skull One until he died protecting the
SDF-1.  His "Little Brother" Rick Hunter was assigned to the fighter
afterwards and assumed control of Skull Squadron until he was promoted
to the rank of Admiral, at which point he handed the fighter down to
the legendary ace Max Sterling, who, unfortunately and ironically,
destroyed the fighter when he was shot down by Zentraedi forces a
little while after Khyron had destroyed the SDF-1 and 2.)

VF-1S standard
Missiles - 8
Targeting -5

SVF-1S (FAST packs)
Missiles - 16 Salvos
Targeting - 5

YF-1R - Scheduled to be the new wide scale production model, the YF-1R
is the prototype for the future of veritechs.  Don't let that fool you
though.  The YF-1R is nothing like the previous RDF mainstay, the VF-
1A.  It's characterized by having the ugliest head of any veritech I
have ever seen, featuring an six sided visor screen, laser cannons on
each side of the head, and an autocannon sticking straight out of the
middle.

The YF-1R has the lightest armor of all VTs.  If you're looking for
something that can get torn to shreds real fast, this is your ride
right here.  However, if you know what you're doing, then the YF-1R
might just be the best VT in the game.  Though the gauges on the VT
selection screen indicate that the YF-1R carries fewer missiles than
the VF-1S, this is not so.  They both carry an equal amount of missiles
in standard and FAST pack configurations. You will notice some nice
improvements to speed and agility though.

If you're looking for a definitive answer on which is better: the 1S or
the YF-1R, there is no real answer.  I see these two as being pretty
much equal, so I use them both on different levels.  Since the YF-1R
has the lighter armor, I use it on the space and upper altitude levels
since I'd be flying in Fighter mode most of the time, and moving much
too fast to worry about it having the least armor of them all.  The 1S
pays off in city and ground levels, having the targeting and missile
power in Guardian mode that makes the VF-1S the powerful ship that it
is, but also being able to stand its ground for a while in Battloid
mode.  Some of you may find that you completely prefer one from the
other, but only personally experience will decide that, so give them a
shot and see what's what.

(Robotech fact: The YF-1R doesn't exist outside of this game.  And one
look at that ugly mug might tell you why.  Hopefully though, if they
make a sequel that moves into the future of the story, we might be able
to see the VF-2 from Macross II or Alphas and Betas from Third
Generation, amongst other craft.  With a good co-op mode, it could be
pretty cool having one guy in a destroid too)

YF-1R standard
Missiles - 8
Targeting - 5

SYF-1R (FAST packs)
Missiles - 16
Targeting - 5

To sum up, here are the stats by comparison

      VF-1D    VF-1A   VF-1J   VF-1S   YF-1R
Missiles        4       6       8       8       8
Targeting       3       4       4       5       5


III - C. Veritech Paint Schemes

As mentioned previously, the paint schemes are purely cosmetic, and
have no effect on the performance of your VT.  Still, they're fun, and
they let you feel a little more comfortable with your VT, since every
player I know picks one paint scheme and goes with it from there on
out, kind of making it their own.  Let's look at our options.

Jack - Half red, half white with black trim, this is the original paint
scheme for Jack Archer's veritech.  It is in no way a bad looking paint
scheme, and completely original too.  If red's your color, but Miriya's
design has too much of it, than Jack's paint scheme is perfect for you.

Izzy - The same general design as Jack's, only with green instead of
red.  Green's not my color, so I'm not all that thrilled with this one,
but a lot of other people do like it.  This is probably the first new
paint scheme you will unlock.

Rick - Okay.  Maybe you're new to the Robotech scene.  Maybe Battlecry
is your first step into this amazing universe.  That would be your only
excuse for not knowing this paint job.  I mean, come on man!  It's
Rick!  The reluctant hero of the Macross series, and, well, pretty much
the entire Robotech saga!  Anyways, Rick's veritech is solid white with
red trim.  (Put this paint scheme on a VF-1J to see exactly how Rick's
VT looked in the series)

Max - The flying ace of the Macross saga, genius pilot and fellow dork
Max Sterling has what I consider to be the best paint scheme of them
all.  It's a good, darkish blue with white trim and it looks wonderful
(though I can't help but feel guilty when I use it.  I'm good, real
good, but not Max Sterling good.  I don't think anyone out there is).
Put this on a VF-1A to see how Max's VT looked in the series.  Do the
same for Miriya as well.

Miriya - Max's mortal enemy turned loving wife, Miriya was issued her
own VT to help the RDF after their marriage.  Naturally, it features
the exact same paint scheme as her hubby, only it's red where his is
blue.

Patriot - Okay, this one can look a little funky on the wrong veritech,
and it's kind of hard to describe, so bear with me.  Depending on what
model VT you use, the Patriot paint scheme features a red or a white
head, a white on top-red on bottom chest plate with blue trim, white
arms and legs, and blue thigh areas (I don't know what the hell to call
them on a VT).  I don't know about this one.  Sometimes it looks kind
of cool, other times it looks like some monster from the disco era.

Wolf - The Wolf paint scheme is exactly like Jack and Izzy's, only it
is grey as opposed to red or green.

Stealth - Black with red trim, this is the only one that will change
the color of a VTs visor (which turns red to match the trim).  You can
see it in the opening cinema on the YF-1R in Battloid mode.
Essentially, this is Rick's paint job, but black where his is white.

Despite its name, Stealth is just another paint scheme, with no real
benefit aside from looking cool.  You will not be invisible to enemy
radar or any such thing (too bad too, cause this one is not easy to get
until you've mastered quick transformations and even quicker sniping)

Skull One - Just like Rick's, if you don't know this one, you'd better
have a good excuse.  JK.  Anyways, this is the paint scheme for the
infamous leader of Skull Squadron, whoever that may be at any given
point.  White with black and yellow trim, it's an original paint
scheme, and the Jolly Rogers icons on it just make it all that much
cooler.  Put this on the VF-1S to see how Skull One looked in the
series.

Trainer - This is available from the beginning, as is Jack's and the
generic, so it really doesn't need to be covered, but anyways, it's
kind of beige with an orange head, chest plate, and lower leg panels.
Put this on a VF-1D and start blowing up Macross and you get to be Rick
for a minute.  Whoop-ding!

Generic - You know those ugly brown VTs that make up the bulk of the
RDF fleet?  Well, this is they're paint scheme right here.  It has the
same general layout as the Trainer scheme, but it's white where the
trainer is beige and brown where the trainer is orange.



IV      Friendly Craft


Aside from a few fellow veritech pilots, you'll run into (and often
need to protect) several other RDF craft.  We'll start with the aerial
units.

       Aerial Units

Cat's Eye Recon - An unarmed, two-seater recon vessel, the Cat's Eye
will always be under your guard.  This is especially annoying in the
level "Cat Scan", where you have to keep a Cat's Eye alive through
endless assaults until a timer runs down to zero.  Not cool.  This weak
craft can only take a few missile barrages before becoming flying
scrap.  A Cat's Eye is a large plane with inverted wings and a large,
round dish mounted on top of the vehicle.  They are always white with
black trim.

Sea Sergeant Helicopter - Though these craft had missile salvos of
their own in the cartoon, they seem to be defenseless in this game, so
you'll be bustin your butt trying to save these guys too.  I never had
as much trouble keeping the Sea Sergeants alive as I did with the Cat's
Eyes though.  It's hard to get a good look at them, but Sea Sergeants
come in blue or green with a white underside.

       Destroids (Ground Mecha)

Tomahawk (Excalibur MK VI) - this is a good, sturdy destroid with great
offensive capabilities.  This is the Destroid that Jack's buddy Hiro
pilots, and when you're not out defending them, you'll be happy to have
them around.  With a large autocannon on each arm and dual missile
bays, the Tomahawk, or Excalibur MK VI, can stands its ground and pack
some serious punches.  You'll see them in beige and in white.

Gladiator - One look at this Destroid and you'd think they are
completely defenseless.  These are the only Destroids with hands like a
VT, but unfortunately, there's no cannon in those hands.  However, the
Gladiator does have the dual missile silos as well, so it can put up a
fight too.  These are blue with a vertically long red visor.  I believe
they only appear in the Countdown level to assist you with the last
barrage of Zentraedi battle pods.

Raider X - These are supposed to be a recon/target assist Destroid,
using the radar sensor on top of its frame to relay target location and
information to veritech pilots.  Unfortunately, that is not so in the
game.  These make a brief appearance in Goodbye Graystone, and use the
double autocannons on each arm to help fend of attacking Zentraedi.
They are beige like the Hiro's Tomahawk.

Spartan - You'll see these guys in Guardian and Battloid mode training.
These units don't waste a second with autocannons or lasers, no sir.
Each arm holds a massive missile load, probably enough to bring your VT
down in a heartbeat if they wanted to.  Luckily, these guys are on your
side.  They are also beige and are unmistakably characterized by the
huge missile drums they have instead of arms.

Monster (MK II) - These mammoth monstrosities are the biggest Destroids
out there, and man oh man can they bring the pain.  Featuring four rail
cannons on the top of its shell, it also has three autocannons on each
arm and a good compliment of missiles.  Despite their uncanny offensive
capabilities, these Destroids are quite vulnerable to aerial attack.
That's where you'll come in.

I think that should cover it for Friendly craft.  If anything has been
omitted, please let me know what it is.



V       Enemy Craft

No, I will not use the Japanese names, nor the 'Zentraedi language
names'.  I'm not looking to confuse anyone or cater to Macross fans.
I'm making these nice and easy.
Since every Zentraedi unit is pretty much land/air capable, I won't
bother dividing them.
We'll start with fighter craft and move up to the larger vessels.

Zentraedi Foot Soldier - You'll see these on the ground levels (and
yes, I know they aren't a craft).  These soldiers will attack you and
friendly units with a single laser rifle that fires three round bursts
(the same laser weapon equipped on Battle and Fighter Pods).  They're
easy to kill and not very challenging.  However, don't underestimate
the damage they can do to friendly units and structures.  They move in
groups and are best dealt with by a quick missile strike and some
follow up cannon.  Left alone, these guys can end your mission real
quick.

Zentraedi Heavy Foot Soldier - No, I'm not talking about morbidly obese
Zentraedi, I'm talking about the armor wearing, gatling cannon bearing
foot soldiers waiting to bring your VT down faster than it took Ben
Dixon to lose bust up his fighter.  Like their counterparts, the
regular foot soldiers, they're easy to deal with, so long as you do it
quickly.

Tactical Battle Pod (TBP) - Like the VF-1A to the RDF, the TBP, or as
their more commonly called, the Battle Pod, is the mainstay of the
Zentraedi fleet.  You'll encounter tons of these on the ground
missions, but you'll also see a good number of them in space.  Think of
these as the rough equivalent to your Guardian mode.  They're flight
capable, can move about quickly, and pack a decent punch.  These are
the ostrich looking units, with two inverted legs and no arms.  The pod
itself is blue with a red eye visor in the middle and white legs.  They
rely on purely on dual laser cannons for their offensive strength.  All
models of Battle Pods are easy to take down.  In Guardian mode, launch
one salvo at each one and back it up with steady cannon fire.  In
Fighter mode, one well placed salvo will be enough to take them down
straight away.

Missile Battle Pod - There are two variants of Missile Battle Pods,
heavy and light artillery, but they are the same pod as listed above
outfitted with dual missile racks.  The missile racks mark a rather
serious upgrade and make them even more like your Guardian mode, so
when you see a squadron of pods with one or two of these mixed in, make
these your primary targets.  These pods are most definitely not afraid
to launch salvo after salvo at you and your allies.

Scout Pod - The same Battle Pod, but completely stripped of all
offensive weaponry.  These are purely support units that can radio for
reinforcements in some levels, and they can always jam your radar
sensor if you get too close.  In some instances, it's best to take
these guys down first so you can get your radar back and see what's
ahead.  They never pose a direct threat though, and usually remain
utterly stationary until they have received damage.

Fighter Pod - Since the Zentraedi don't have VTs to tackle any
situation, they've come up with a dedicated air unit.  You'll usually
see large flight groups of these, and the missiles will be flying every
which way.  Small, quick, and maneuverable, the Fighter pod isn't very
challenging when you're out there by yourself, but they can be
devastating when you're trying to protect weaker allies and structures.
In most defending levels, these will be launched to attack your target
while the Battle Pods try to keep you busy.  Keep an eye on these guys.
They use dual laser cannons and missile salvos to eliminate their
targets.  They are green in color, and have triple thrusters to get
them along.

Male Power Armor (MPA) - These units are to be feared if you don't know
how to fight them.  Your best bet is to sneak around at a distance and
try to snipe them down whenever possible.  If they've spotted you
though, move in and move in quick.  The MPAs feature a heavy laser
cannon mounted square in the middle of their chest, and three shots
along with a little cannon fire is enough to bring down the more
advanced VTs very quickly.  The MPAs can only use this weapon at good
distances though, so if they spot you, close in quick and fight it out
in Guardian mode.  That way, they'll only be able to use their
autocannon on you, which is far less damaging.  MPAs are two-tone
green, wearing a yellow helmet with orange stripe visor.  They're
flight capable, have excellent evasive maneuvers, and very heavy armor.
Two fully charged Sniper shots can eliminate them quickly though (Kill
fifty of them like that to unlock the Stealth paint scheme).  Gorian
uses this same armor, though his is more fortified and colored black.

Officer's Battle Pod (OBP) - Often referred to as a fifty foot ninja,
the OBP looks pretty tough at first sight, but they can be brought down
pretty easy by a good pilot.  You'll first encounter these on the
Knife's Edge mission, where you will encounter the Zentraedi commander
Skarrde.  Though this pod packs the same cannons as the Battle Pod and
the same laser weapon as the MPAs, it has the serious flaw of slow
movement on the ground.  The trick is to get behind one in Guardian or
Battloid mode and just hammer away with cannon fire and missiles.
These are tough units, but not something one should fear.  They have
inverted legs like the TBPs, but have an elongated pod with a large red
visor screen, two arms with laser cannons on each, and a large laser
cannon on top.  Zeraal uses this for the last fight with the Zentraedi
version of FAST packs.  Stay close to him in Fighter mode (preferably
with FAST packs equipped) and keep up a steady barrage of missile and
cannon fire.

Female Power Armor(FPA) - Made famous by Miriya Parino, this unit was
the one she used to fight Max Sterling in the belly of the SDF-1, right
in the heart of Macross City.  These are also the units that placed the
fatal shot on good ole Roy Fokker.  Luckily for us, you'll only see one
pilot using these in the entire game, Kiyora.  This is the first boss
you will run into.  The FPA unit has uncanny speed and maneuverability,
and that combined with tons of missiles and dual cannons on each arm
make this unit one to be feared.  Be cautious when fighting her.  Try
to stay out of Battloid mode, or she will just pound you to death with
those missiles.  She is also very adept at shooting down your missiles,
so use those to distract her while you tag her with cannon fire.  If
you're still counting on those missiles, use the Guardian mode ones.
She's too quick for the Fighter mode ones most of the time

Cyclops - The Cyclops units are multipurpose craft, usually escorted by
MPA units.  They are a pretty large craft, essentially a small capitol
ship.  They can be taken down with a few good salvos and steady cannon
fire.  They aren't especially quick, but the laser cannons and missile
turrets can beat you up pretty fast if you're not careful.  Your best
bet is to perform strafing runs in Fighter mode.  I prefer to take
these out before going for the MPA escorts, but that's really your
call.

Reentry Pods - Though these craft have no offensive capabilities, they
are heavily armored and store six ready-for-action Battle Pods.  These
large, circular, green craft will usually arrive in good numbers, and
your best bet is to try and shoot them down before they can dispatch
their units.  Should you fail that and the craft is allowed to land,
you can still try to destroy them before they release their second wave
(the Battle Pods are released in two waves of three units), but I find
it better to just leave them alone once they've landed and straight out
jump the Battle Pods as the exit.  The armor is so heavy on these
Reentry pods that you will not want to waste your missile salvos on
them if they've already begun dispatching units.  Save the missiles for
the pods that come out.

Zentraedi Shuttle Craft - Large, bulky freighters used to transport
Zentraedi munitions and supplies.  These flying green targets are
heavily armored, but have no weaponry to defend themselves.  They
usually travel in packs of three and are escorted by other Zentraedi
units.  Most times you see these, they'll be on the run and you'll have
to shoot them down before they can escape.  Once again, I prefer to
stay in Guardian mode and just drop everything I have on them to get
through that armor.

Capitol Ship Laser Turret - Though stationary, these cannons launch a
heavy, sustained laser attack.  Mounted on the sides of Zentraedi
capitol ships, these are easy targets, but can be heavily damaging as
well.  You will also see this same model turret on certain ground
levels.  A few missile salvos and cannon fire can make short work of
these.

Capitol Ship Missile Turret - Just like the CS Laser Turret, these
targets aren't going anywhere, but if you ignore it, you'll be sorry.
Since these turrets have nothing else to fire at you except missile
salvos, they'll lay it on you.  Lay it on thick and get rid of these
guys ASAP.  A salvo or two with some cannon fire and you can move on to
the next.

Rapid Fire Ground Laser Turret - Watch yourself on these!  They fire
the same powerful blast as the Capitol Turret listed above, but they
fire shorter blasts at a rapid pace.  If you stand still in front of
one of these, they'll pummel you to scrap in a heartbeat.  I try to
keep my distance and drop salvo after salvo on these.

Ground Missile Turret - Dedicated to missile fire, these turrets fire
missile salvos in rapid succession.  Encountered alone, one might go to
Battloid mode and continually fire the secondary to hit this target and
the incoming missiles.  I prefer to stay in Guardian or Fighter mode
and do a quick strike with a missile/cannon combo while dodging and
strafing.



VI.     Mission Walkthrough


Okay boys and girls.  It's time for what you've all been waiting for.
The mission Walkthrough.  Now, as mentioned in the forward, this is not
a spoiler.  I'm trying not to divulge any storyline material, only
mission objectives, and how to complete them.  Unfortunately, story and
objectives often get intermingled, so I can't keep this utterly free
from spoiling a few things, but I'm sure as hell trying.  There's
nothing worse than reading how a game ends instead of seeing it
yourself for the first time.



VI - A. Chapter One

Ch. 1 Mission One: Boobytrap
Objectives
- Help Wolf and Skull Squadrons turn back the alien threat
- Defend the Sea Sergeant Helicopters

Ah, your first mission.  Who better to help you through it than Skull
Leader himself, Roy Fokker?  This level is pretty straightforward.
You're going to be flying above Macross Island, and you'll be best of
staying in Fighter mode.  You'll fight wave after wave of Zentraedi
Fighter pods, and once you've reached a certain point, you'll receive a
message telling you to defend the Sea Sergeant Helicopters that have
just entered the area.

Now, it's never too early to learn some good tactics, especially with
all the far more difficult guard duty missions ahead.  When you see
enemy missiles in the air (indicated by yellow arrows on the radar),
you can take them out with pretty good results while in Fighter mode.
Press the special action button to launch the decoy, which will do a
very effective job of intercepting those missiles before they hit you
or the helicopters.

Continue eliminating the Fighter pods to protect those choppers until
the cut screen appears, and that's that.

Ch. 1 Mission Two: Countdown
Objectives
- Head to zone 209 and hold the position
- Protect the Destroid units in zone 214

After you've cleared the skies, it's time to hit the ground.  Fly
through Macross City in pursuit of enemy Battle Pods until all have
been eliminated.  The city is way too tight for any effective use of
Fighter mode, so it's all Battloid and Guardian here.  Once again, the
missile capabilities and speed of Guardian mode can be of great help,
so use it's abilities here to topple the enemy Battle Pods as they try
to bring down the city.

Once you have cleared your assigned area, you will be told to go help
two Gladiator Destroids protecting a small factory area.  Once you're
there, there will be a single Missile Battle Pod to your right.  Leave
him to the Gladiators and concentrate on squads coming from the path
straight ahead on the left, and those coming in behind you on the path
leading back.  I find it best to hover in the middle of this open area
in Guardian mode and wait for the pods to round the corners before
hammering them down.  Once they're gone, the mission is complete.

Ch. 1 Mission Three: Bursting Point
Objectives
- Help the other veritechs defend the SDF-1 from attack

On this one, you're going straight into the heat of battle.  Enemy
forces are attacking the SDF-1, and it's up to you and Izzy to strip
the nearest capitol ship of its turrets while keeping the Fighter Pods
busy.  Stay in Fighter mode and bounce back and forth from taking out
turrets to fighting the pods.  Be careful though.  When Izzy tells you
that the barrier is overloading, keep your distance from the SDF-1.
Otherwise, the mission might end with the overloaded barrier enveloping
your VT followed by a nice, comforting 'Mission Failed' message.

Ch. 1 Mission Four: Force of Arms (Boss fight)
Objectives
- Assist Wolf Squadron against Dolza's immense Zentraedi armada
- Defeat the enemy ace

Five million Zentraedi cruisers.  Endless waves of TBPs, MBPs, and
Fighter pods.  Oh yeah, did I mention the Zentraedi Ace in Female Power
Armor waiting at the end to slit your throat?  No?  Well, get ready
flyboys (and girls), cause this is it people.  This is the biggest
fight in all of the Robotech Saga.

First off, your squadron has been torn to shreds.  You are one of three
VTs in your area, and that's all you've got to help you along.  The
first thing to remember in this level is DO NOT LEAVE FIGHTER MODE.
The enemies are too numerous and there is way too much going on around
you to sacrifice a fraction of your speed.  You need to be continually
moving, boosting and banking and never flying in a straight line for
too long.

Much like Bursting Point, you'll probably want to get rid of those
turrets on the big cruiser to your left when you start.  Those turrets
aren't going anywhere unless you get rid of them, and they can be quite
a hassle if you get sloppy.  After you've dispatched a few of them,
start chasing down the enemy fighters.  Missile Battle Pods and Fighter
pods are your biggest threat.  The regular Battle Pods can be left for
last.

After you've destroyed enough of them, you'll go to a cut scene where
those two VTs you were flying with get blown to scrap metal.  Your
mission objectives will be updated to inform you of your new target,
the Zentraedi ace in the FPA.

       BOSS FIGHT: Female Power Armor (Kiyora)

Once again, DO NOT LEAVE FIGHTER MODE.  Going to Battloid mode here is
pure suicide, I can assure you.  This is a high speed dogfight, and
standing in the middle of space moving slower than a snail with only
your autocannon to help you is about the stupidest move anyone in the
RDF could have ever made (and yes, I am taking into account Rick's
entire pursuit of Minmei).

The Zentraedi ace will take out nearly every missile you fire at her,
so don't count on those for damage.  Instead, use them to tie up her
cannons while you use your cannon to punch some holes in that pretty
little armor of hers.  Continue doing this, launching missiles one or
two salvos at a time to keep her busy while you close in with the
cannon blaring.  You only need to get her armor gauge down to half
before she'll take off, promising to fight again.  And believe me, you
will.



VI - B. Chapter Two

Ch. 2 Mission One: Ambush Hills
Objectives
- Clear out the scavengers and destroy their munition stockpiles
- Use Sniper mode to destroy all of the Zentraedi munition crates

For those of you who that are only familiar with the cartoon series, or
all together newcomers, this is the part of the Robotech saga mostly
covered in books #6 and #19.  Both are excellent reads and worth your
time.  Anyways....

Here in Ambush Hills, you will be engaging only Zentraedi foot
soldiers.  Though weaker in offense and defense than a Battle Pod,
there are a good number of them, so don't let their weakness lead you
to believe this mission will be a piece of cake.  Stay on your toes,
because the second you get sloppy in just about any level is the second
before you get a "Mission Failed" message.  The levels in this game are
only easy if you stay alert and fight well.

If you've been dying for the right chance to get familiar with Sniping
mode, this is a good place to start.  Several soldiers will be placed
throughout the level on top of cliffs and buttes that make them easy
targets.

Use your radar to direct you towards the enemy positions.  There's no
particular order for you to follow, just move from red radar object to
red radar object and you'll come out just fine.  You may want to move
from stockpile to stockpile in Fighter mode to save some time, but be
careful, as there are snipers waiting for you behind rocks and hills.

Once you find a stash of munition crates, clear out all surrounding
enemies, then proceed in Battloid mode.  Go to Sniper mode and destroy
the crates, but make sure to keep your distance, as the blast can
easily damage your VT (the image of the blast is very small, but
believe me, they can tear you apart.  The blast from one set, or ten
crates, can and will destroy a lesser armored VT).  There will be a
total of four different sets, each set consisting of ten crates.

Ch. 2 Mission Two: Trouble In Graystone
Objectives
- Fight off the Zentraedi and protect the civic center building from
attack

Everybody who hates defense missions, raise your hand.  Well, it seems
we all hate having to defend objects from enemy attack.  Well, too bad.
Cause right here, you've got one giant target to protect, and there are
tons of Zentraedi gunning for it.

This level is pretty straightforward.  Fight off wave after wave of
foot soldiers and Battle Pods until you hit the cut scene.  I find it
best to stay in Guardian mode so you can make use of your missiles and
fly directly over the civic center to engage new waves coming in from
behind you.

You'd do best to concentrate on the Battle Pods, but don't leave those
foot soldiers alone for too long either.  Try to keep moving around the
civic center and eliminate every group as they come in.  If you let any
squad sit and fire away without jumping right on them, you have pretty
much already lost.  Use quick changes to Fighter mode to get you into a
good angle of attack if necessary, but try to keep them locked down and
stay in Guardian.  Also, take very special care not to fire at any
targets behind the building, as your missiles and cannon fire are just
going to damage the civic center.  Nobody can bring that building down
faster than you, so make sure to line 'em up before pulling the
trigger.

After you've taken out enough waves, the Zentraedis will make you their
primary target.  The building is safe from enemy attacks now, but you
can still bring it down, so carefully mop up the rest of them and the
mission is done.

Ch. 2 Mission Three: Special Delivery
Objectives
- Accompany the Sea Sergeant helicopters and see to it that they arrive
safely

I have always hated guard duty, but you got to do what you got to do.
Anyways, you'll start off just behind the two Sea Sergeants in a
canyon.  Try to always stay in front of them, clearing out the enemies
ahead before the choppers enter that area, but also keep an eye out for
enemies that spawn behind you and the choppers.  Ignore them and fail.

Follow the canyon out a bit until you've made radar contact with your
first bunch of enemies (consider enemy radar contacts your navigational
buoys.  The trail of enemy contacts will eventually lead you to the
desired destination).   They may be regular old foot soldiers, but
don't be shy with the missiles.  All opponents here need to be brought
down as soon as humanly possible.

There will be a couple of teams of foot soldiers gunning for you,
coming from behind on the right and in front of you on the left.  It's
important to take out the soldiers with the closest proximity to the
helicopters first, so your first priority is the ones on the right.

Soon you'll come to a bridge, where Heavy foot soldiers will be waiting
with rapid fire cannons.  Make quick work of the three of them before
they tear the Sea Sergeants to shreds.  Once they're down and you pass
the ridge they hid behind, you'll be able to make visual contact with
the base.

Think the mission's over?  Not quite.  As you close in, you'll see that
the base is under attack, and the few Tomahawks on hand will not have
what it takes to repel the assault.  Jack will order the helicopters
away from the base.  When they're clear, that's when you can relax.

Ch. 2 Mission Four: Destroids in Danger
Objectives
- Help the Destroid pilots fight off the scavenger raid.
- All units must survive
- Recover the 3 stolen supply crates and bring them back to the
perimeter
- Find the missing Tomahawk pilot
- Save the Tomahawk pilot and bring him back to the outpost
- Drive out the remaining scavengers

This mission starts off a whole half a second after the last one.  The
base is still under attack, and you have got to keep those Destroids
alive.  Luckily, you're buddy Hiro is down there, and he's no rookie.
Finishing off the initial attack is no sweat.  Stay in Guardian mode
and bombard the enemies with everything you've got.

After that, Hiro will radio you and tell you to recover the 3 supply
crates taken by the scavengers.  Each will be marked by a green point
on your radar screen.  Now, if you pull back so that the drop zone and
all three green dots are in front of you, you'll see two path ways.

Going to the right will get you to the closest supply crate.  This one
will be guarded by a mere two Heavy foot soldiers.  Take them down,
steal the crate, and head back to the drop zone, which will be marked
by the blue arrow on your radar.  This one is a piece of cake.

The second and third crate lie along the same path.  I find it best to
grab the nearest one, bring it back, then go for the one in the
distance.  As you near the closer crate, you'll have your first
encounter with a GMT, or Ground Missile Turret.  These things can be
nasty if you aren't quick to take them out and even quicker to dodge
their salvos.  This particular one is also guarded by several regular
and Heavy foot soldiers, but try to get the GMT down first.  It's the
biggest threat.  The GMT will take several of your own salvos coupled
with cannon fire to send it to the scrap yard.  Strafing runs in
Fighter mode are an acceptable option, but with the confined space of
the canyons, I once again find that keeping your distance in Guardian
mode prevails here.  Use the large cliff face for protection if
necessary.  Also, beware of the Heavy foot soldier waiting for you to
land behind the large boulder to the left.  Keep an eye on the radar
and he won't be able to surprise you.

En route to returning the second crate, two regular foot soldiers will
be waiting at the low point of the canyon to put some hits on you.
Take them out and drop off the crate.

Now double back along the same path you took to get the second crate
and keep pushing past the spot where you picked it up(or you could pull
a 180 at the base and take a right at the bridge.  Your call).
Whichever path you choose, you'll have a bit of enemy free area to
cover, so you can switch to Fighter mode to make short work of the
travel.  Once you find the third crate, it will have the same
protection as #2, roughly four foot soldiers with a GMT.  Repeat what
you did for #2 and bring it home.

Bet you thought you were done, huh?  Ha ha.  You're funny.  Now for the
tough part.  Hiro's missing squad mate is stranded somewhere, and
taking damage quickly.  Once you drop the crate, go the route that
takes you by the bridge and bank right. Change to Fighter mode the
second you drop crate #3 and boost towards the missing Destroid target,
because time is of the essence.  A second late and you get to start
this one all over.

If you get there quick enough, you'll arrive before the Zentraedi do.
This is very, very good.  The Zentraedi will all be traveling together
in one group, and there are a lot of them, so lay the weapons on thick
and get rid of them ASAP.  That Tomahawk is already heavily damaged and
just waiting to blow.

Once the scavengers are gone, the Tomahawk pilot will get out of his
ride and wait for you to pick him up.  On your way back, Hiro is going
to radio you with more good news.  The base is under attack again.
Now, it's going to be tons of Heavy foot soldiers gunning for Hiro and
his squad mate.

Don't bother dropping off the Destroid pilot in your hand.  He's safe
as long as you stay alive.  Just take out those HFSs, ASAP.  Give out
some generous doses of light missiles and cannon fire and finally, the
day is saved.  Release the pilot in the drop zone to wrap this one up.

Ch. 2 Mission Five: Unwanted Guests
Objectives
- Investigate UFOs and eliminate them if they prove to be hostile
- Destroy all Fighter Pods

Getting tired of ground missions?  Well then, let's take to the skies.

Chase is sending you off on a recon mission, but we all know how this
will turn out.  A few seconds after this level starts, you'll see a
squadron of Fighter Pods dead ahead.  It should be easy to get a
missile lock on a great many of them, so do that first and try to get
some good damage in before you start dog fighting.

There will be several waves of Fighter pods, each packing plenty of
missiles, so keep boosting, dodging, and occasionally dispensing
decoys/chaff when you see yellow arrows on the radar screen.

Most players will be tempted to stay behind an enemy and keep attacking
him until he's dead, taking out the Fighter Pods one by one.  Not a
good idea.  The Fighter Pods are just waiting for you to fly that
straight line while you try to gun down one of their buddies so that
they can absolutely bombard you with missiles.  Keep moving and
attacking whichever pod is nearest.  Staying on one for too long will
get you hurt, fast.  Also, bear in mind the low maneuverability of your
missiles in Fighter mode.  Unless you've got a lot of distance between
you and your target, don't fire at them when they're coming at you head
on.  Wait for the right moment to strike and you'll come out a lot
better.

That's it for this one.  Kill the Fighter Pods, and mission complete.
After that last level, I'm sure you'd appreciate this breezy little
mission.

Ch. 2 Mission Six: Dark Skies
Objectives
- Destroy the Zentraedi scout ship

Continuing from where you left off, you are now in pursuit of a
Zentraedi scout ship.  The scout ship has a healthy fighter escort, and
the ship itself is armed to the teeth with Laser and Missile Turrets.
The Missile Turrets seem to be concentrated on the top of the craft,
and the Laser Turrets are, well, everywhere.  Once again, keep moving,
keep boosting, and never fly a straight line for long.

No matter how many you kill, there will always be a certain number of
Fighter Pods in the air, so don't waste too much time on these guys.
Take them out when they prove to be a threat, but really try to give
the scout ship everything you've got.

You won't be able to target the scout ship directly (and that's why
it's not listed in my enemy craft list), only the weapons fixed to it.
So, those are you priority.  I'd concentrate on the three Missile
Turrets on top, then move to the highly damaging, but nicely inaccurate
laser cannons.  Keeping your distance from these and offering salvo
after salvo is the best way to stay safe and get the job done.

Once you have disarmed the scout ship, it erupts into flame and the
mission is done.  Time to bring it on home.

Ch. 2 Mission Seven: Flood City
Objectives
- Find the 3 missing members of the Cat's Eye crew and bring them to
the drop zone
- Clear the city of Zentraedi rebels

Follow the blue arrow out of the starting area.  As soon as you cross
the first pool of water and enter the second area, a group of Battle
Pods will spring up to attack you from the right.  Stay high up in
Guardian mode and watch out, as several more squadrons will soon come
at you, many of them creeping out of the murky waters below.

Once you've cleared the first attack group, take a right, then a left,
and you'll fly through a narrow space where more Battle Pods will
briefly show up on radar before a scout pod starts jamming your
equipment.  Stay in Guardian mode and be ready to let go some missiles.
Try to stay in the narrow stretch between the buildings and take down
as many pods as you can from there.  The scout pod will be on the
immediate left once you exit the narrow stretch.  Another one will be
further off in the distance, hiding behind the collapsed skyscraper on
the left.

As soon as you leave the narrow area and proceed to the left a bit, the
Cat's Eye crewmembers will show up on your radar, along with a whole
lot more Battle Pods rising out of the waters.  Dispatch all of the
enemies before approaching the crewmembers.

Just ahead and a little to the left of that narrow stretch is another
stretch that leads to the next group of enemies, complete with even
more scout pods.  I like to take these guys out too before picking up
the stranded crew.  At least one Missile Pod will be poised to strike
at you when you round the corner, so be ready to dodge and fire right
back at him.  The scout pods will be in clear view, so if you target
multiple enemies with your missiles a few times, you'll probably bring
them down without even realizing it.  It's good to get the scouts down
first so that you can see what's on radar, but it's not worth making it
a priority.  Just be happy if it should happen.  All of your enemies
will be appearing right in front of you anyways.

Now, if you haven't already, pick up the pilots and bring them back to
the drop zone.  Be careful though, as another team of Battle Pods will
be waiting for you as you bring back the second or third pilot.

When all three crewmembers are safe and sound, home in on the enemy
radar contact to finish out the mission.  All that's left will be a few
more Battle Pods, and the mission will end when you take out the Scout
Pod hiding in the back.

Ch. 2 Mission Eight: Knife's Edge (Boss Fight)
Objectives
- Defeat Skarrde

Time to encounter your first Officer's Battle Pod.  Chase Skarrde
through Flood City until you reach a large, open area.  Here, he will
stand and fight for a while before running off, leaving you to give
chance once again.

Though large and well armed, Skarrde is a joke.  There are two very
simple tricks to beating him that any player can complete.  Stay close,
and stay behind him.  Skarrde is really only a threat at good
distances, where he can use his laser beam cannon to chop you up
quicker than a chef at Benihana's.  If you manage to stay close behind
him, he won't be able to hit you at all.  I get impatient here, so I
stay in Guardian mode and batter him with the missile/cannon combo, but
Battloid mode will do just fine here, and probably do better for
keeping your VT out of his weapon range.

After just a few good, solid hits, Skarrde will run off and leave you
to fight his minions.  You'll face two Battle Pods immediately after he
runs, then two more escorting him in the next large, open area.  Once
the lackeys are tossed aside, bring your gun back to bear on Skarrde
again, repeating the same tactics as before.  When you drop his armor
down to half, he will run again, leaving behind a three unit Battle Pod
team.

Follow your radar to the final fight with Skarrde, but be careful.  The
second you round the corner to enter the area he's hiding in, he'll
open up with a laser beam blast that can knock off at least a quarter
of your health, and he'll follow up with plenty more.  Close in
quickly, drop behind him, and finish the poor bastard off so he can go
run home to Zeraal.  Chapter Two is now complete.



VI - C. Chapter Three

Ch. 3 Mission One: Rebel Revenge
Objectives
- Investigate the disturbances at the munitions stockpile
- Eliminate the Zentraedi threat
- Protect the munitions stockpile
- Turn back the rebel reinforcements

You'll start this level off in the park of Granite City.  There are
little civilians running all over the place, and before you even try,
no, you can't pick them up, stomp on them, or shoot them.  If you want
something to kill, there are plenty of blood-lusting Zentraedi just up
ahead.

You'll first run into a good assortment of units, including Heavy foot
soldiers and a Battle Pod.  Destroy them and move ahead to receive your
new objectives, i.e., defend the munitions stockpile.

Zentraedi squads will be coming in from both sides, using the route you
just came in on, and the one directly ahead of that.  More units will
come in from the hills above the munitions stockpile, and these are the
Zentraedis that will be actively targeting the munition stockpiles more
than there counterparts will.  It would seem that the Battle Pods, and
especially the Missile Pods, will concentrate more on the stockpiles
while the various foot soldiers bounce between aiming for you and the
stockpiles.  Fly between these three enemy entry points in Guardian
mode and be ready to lay it on thick on the multitude of different
units coming in to destroy those munitions.

There will be so many attackers that you will run out of missiles very
quickly.  Try to keep your salvos for the Battle Pods, and make an
effort to only use cannon fire on the foot soldiers.  This will give
you the most effective coverage in protecting the munitions.

Once the enemy attackers have been destroyed, reinforcements will enter
the area behind you, and Chase will come on to tell you to get to work
on them.  You'll continue to run into a slew of different and dangerous
units until you reach a tunnel from which countless more enemies spew
forth.  Stay in Guardian mode and drain your ammunition supplies,
because there are plenty of pissed off Zentraedi doing the same to you.

After you've duked it out for a bit with these guys, a pair of Tomahawk
reinforcements will come up behind you to help out.  Once they're on
the scene, take out the last of the Zentraedis to conclude this fight.

Ch. 3 Mission Two: Sabotage
Objectives
- Destroy all of the ship's turrets
- Eliminate the Zentraedi saboteurs

How well can you pilot a high speed fighter in the confines of a city
with a massive Zentraedi cruiser dead in the center eating up a lot of
your space?  Not sure?  Well, let's find out.

On Sabotage, you're going to straight into pure chaos.  A crashed and
slightly submerged Zentraedi cruiser has had its weapon systems brought
back online, and there are plenty of guns on that thing.  Add in a good
number of regular and heavy foot soldiers and you've got yourself a
party.

You're first goal is to clear off on side of the cruiser.  This will
allow you to have a safe spot where no turret fire or missile salvos
will be able to reach you while you wait for your own weapons to
recharge.  Since there are so very many powerful weapons pointed at
you, my advice is to actually go into Fighter mode, despite the very
close quarters, and try your hardest not to run into things.  If you
can do that okay, you'll also do a pretty good job of evading the
multitude of different weapons being fired at you.

Now, go for the missile turrets first on the side you want to clear.
They are undoubtedly the biggest threat.  Once they're gone, or even
just before, you can drop Fighter mode and go to Guardian.  Keep
raising and loosing your altitude while strafing and doing quick boosts
to avoid the powerful laser beams, and concentrate on one turret at a
time with everything you've got.  Try to be careful with the missiles
though.  You don't want to completely overdo one turret and drain your
resources before you go after the next.  Keep a close eye on their
armor gauges and know when to lay off.

Once you've gotten enough of the turrets off your back, you might want
to get some of the foot soldiers off the field.  They're pretty few in
number until you bring down the last turret, but they can be a nuisance
nonetheless.  But that is pretty much all there is to this level.
Destroy everything.

Ch. 3 Mission Three: Call To Arms
Objectives
- Protect the armory building
- Bring Hiro to his Tomahawk Destroid
- Fight off the remaining Zentraedi

Even though we're on guard duty again, I really do like this level.
It's one of those missions that really let's the player kind of do what
he wants.  You can really use any mode you want for a many of the parts
here, but that doesn't mean things are easy.

You're mission is to defend the armory building from Zentraedi
attackers pulling a blitzkrieg maneuver.  Fighter Pods are raining
thunder from above while Battle Pods march in underneath you.  Kill as
many of them as you want, there will be more.  Still, you need to keep
bashing them all down until Hiro requests a pick up and drop off where
his Tomahawk is parked and waiting.  Once you hear that message, do it
and do it quick, because there's no time to waste.  The Zentraedi are
fighting hard to destroy that armory.

As soon as you drop Hiro off, he's good to go and is marching back up
to the armory to help you out.  Fight off attackers until Hiro gives
you the message that they're breaking off.  That's your cue that the
armory is safe and you can move on to the other units that have
appeared behind you.

A large team of Battle Pods is what awaits you, and they're all waiting
for you to round that corner.  Fighter mode works well here for an
initial strafing run, followed by a quick change to Guardian, but hey,
do what works for you.

From there, follow the blue arrow to a compound guarded by more Battle
Pods.  Destroy a few of them, but know that they never stop coming.
Instead of continually duking it out, you should probably just drop
straight to Battloid, go to sniper mode, and target the gate that
fences off the compound.  Shoot a fully charged blast right at the gate
door and conclude the mission.

Ch. 3 Mission Four: Power Struggle
Objectives
- Destroy all the Shuttles before they can escape

Sounds easy enough, doesn't it?  Well, with a little luck, it will be.
This mission is pretty straightforward, but there is no time to waste.
Your targets are the Zentraedi shuttles, and pretty much nothing else.
You will want to take out the first two Battle Pods you come across,
but once they're down, it's all shuttles.

To start, there will be six shuttles parked.  Come at them at all times
in Fighter mode to make the most of your missiles, because that armor
is very tough.  Start with a strafing run while they're still parked,
but do not use multiple targeting with these guys, take them one at a
time with steady cannon fire and salvo after salvo.  Try to get the
ones that take off first, because that is the real threat: them getting
so far into the hills that you can no longer track them down.

After you've taken down a few of them, more shuttles will start coming
in.  Stay in Fighter mode and ignore the Missile Pods, no matter how
many there are.  They can only do so much damage to you in this limited
time span.  The Fighter mode's speed will usually keep you away from
their salvos anyways, and you have to keep your attention focused on
the location of the next shuttle.

That's pretty much it.  Keep your VT in Fighter mode to have the speed
to survive and the strongest warheads to decimate those shuttles, and
stay on those shuttles until the last one is destroyed.  Now you've
wrapped this one up.

Ch. 3 Mission Five: Cat Scan
Objectives
- Guard the Cat's Eye until it reaches its optimal orbit
- Protect the Cat's Eye until it can complete the scan

I hate this level.  I really, really, really hate this level.  If you
could beat the game without playing this level, I would, in a
heartbeat, I really would.  I'm a huge Robotech fan, I've waited seven
years for a Robotech game, ever since Crystal Dreams was first
announced (and unfortunately cancelled).  I settled for Macross VF-X
games where I couldn't understand a word that was said just to tide me
over until the time Robotech: Battlecry would finally be developed and
published.  I waited and hoped for a day when there would finally be
somebody intelligent enough to say "Let there be Robotech on the Next
Gen Systems!"  But you know what?  After all that waiting for, and
wanting, and also really loving this game, I still have nothing good to
say about this level. It sucks.  It really, really sucks.  No matter
how bad we've all wanted to play this game, if this was the only level
we could play, I think we'd all look the other way.

Anyways, it's you, the Cat's Eye, and an infinite amount of Zentraedi
targets.  Fighter Pods are going to be the ones going after the Cat's
Eye, and luckily, they will appear one at a time.  The Battle Pods are
just there to keep you busy.

So, because the Cat's Eye is so goddamn weak, you have to pull off some
pretty good evasive maneuvers to keep yourself alive while trying to
shoot down or decoy block every single missile headed for that flying
hunk of junk.  Oh, and if you're thinking about going after the Fighter
Pods straightaway to wipe them out in this level and keep them from
being able to attack the Cat's Eye in the first place, don't bother.
There are an infinite amount of them in stock waiting just for your
mission critical craft.  Still, take them out whenever they appear, and
launch a decoy every single time they fire a missile salvo.  Your first
Fighter Pod will appear from behind the cruiser hulk on your left, and
he'll open up with missiles straightaway, so be ready to block.

Really, all you can do in this mission is stay on the Fighter Pods,
completely ignore the Battle Pods, and save your missiles for decoy
blocking.  Continue this throughout the level, up to and beyond the
point when you get a two minute timer.  When that timer reaches zero,
this hellish mission is finally done.

Ch. 3 Mission Six: Trial By Fire
Objectives
- Defend the Cat's Eye

Now, unlike its predecessor, I found Trial By Fire to be a bit easier,
even though you're still guarding the same Cat's Eye.  Just go on an
all-out attack while still using the decoy block and the Cat's Eye
should be able to return to Earth just fine.

This time around though, the Fighter Pods will be targeting you as well
as the Cat's Eye, and there will be many more of them, so make them
your primary targets once again.  Battle Pods still seem to be after
you mostly, as do the Male Power Armor units that arrive a little
later, so they're all secondary targets.  Concentrate entirely on the
numerous Fighter Pods and stay heavy on the decoy blocking to win this
mission.

Ch. 3 Mission Seven: Hostage Crisis
Objectives
- Find the hostages
- Protect the Destroids and hold the RDF perimeter
- Use the sniper mode to free the hostages by destroying the gate
- Eliminate the Zentraedi guards
- Clear a path for the transport vehicles

Time to go back to solid ground.  You'll start off by moving past
Hiro's Destroid blockade into the city a bit, where several Battle Pods
will try to push forward and bust the blockade.  If you move up far
enough into the city however, they'll never even get a look at Hiro's
Tomahawk before you blast them apart.  Once Hiro tells you he and his
squad mate can hold their position, you're clear to move forward again.

After you've pushed on and fought off a few more squads of Battle Pods,
you'll receive a message warning you of sniper activity conducted by
Male Power Armor units.  Be very careful when you see the next group of
enemies appear on your radar, as one of those dots is an MPA who will
take off a big chunk of your armor with his laser beam cannon.  Close
in fast so the MPA can't use his laser and assault the Battle Pods so
you can get them out of the way.  I know some of you were hoping to
kill off the sniper by out sniping him, but don't.  The MPA will tear
you apart if you even try.

Next, you'll find the hostages.  There will be two Battle Pods on hand
to guard.  Once they're down, two more squads will pile in, followed by
one more MPA.  Dispatch all of them and then blow down the gate to the
hostage holding.  The gate is located on the far side of the fence,
opposite of where you came in.  Use a fully charged shot on the gate
door to close the mission.

Ch. 3 Mission Eight: Daring Rescue
Objectives
- Bring the trucks safely to the RDF perimeter
- Take out all Male Power Armor units along the truck route

Okay, we're continuing from where we just left off, now escorting the
trucks with the hostages out of the area.  As you push forward a bit,
Jack will tell the trucks to park it while he goes and engages a nearby
sniper.  The sniper will be on top of the smaller building at the end
of the block on your left.  He's too close to try and sneak up for a
sniper shot of your own, so come in at him fast once you've got him
targeted.  Once again, I choose Guardian here.  Be very careful not to
press too far ahead while fighting him though, as this will trigger the
release of enemies mentioned below.

Once the first MPA is down, the trucks will start rolling again, but
there's another one waiting just ahead.  He's there to keep you busy
while a squad of Battle Pods sneak up from behind and attack the
trucks.  Forget the MPA and go straight for those Battle Pods.  In
fact, the second you drop the first MPA, pull an immediate 180 and
cover those trucks.  Get the MPA afterwards.  He won't go for the
hostages.

Pull forward and you'll see that the road is blocked by a collapsed
building.  To the right will be a gate door that you will need to blast
through to get the trucks moving again, but don't do it yet.  Instead,
continue on without the trucks, clearing out what you can of the
enemies ahead.  The hostages will be safe.  You'll only run into one
squad of Battle Pods, but it will also give you a chance to get to know
the path ahead.

Now, return to the trucks and blast the gate door with a fully charged
sniper shot.  Once that gate is down and you travel to the other side,
more Zentraedi will appear in front and behind.  Take out the Battle
and Missile Pod coming in from behind, as there's only one MPA making
up the group lying ahead, and he only wants you.

Continue on after destroying the MPA and continue forward, making sure
to stay well ahead of the trucks, but moving cautiously as well.  Five
Battle Pods will be coming from two directions to jump you and the
trucks, so be ready for them.  The three pods coming from the right are
guarding the path ahead.

Now the trucks will come into a squared out bit of road with buildings
in the middle and two pathways: the one you came in on and the road
ahead.  This is the tough spot.  Battle Pods will move in quickly from
both paths, and you have got to take them out before they kill even one
truck.  Go for the ones coming from ahead first, then go straight after
the pods bringing up the rear.  The timing gets thrown off if you do it
the other way, so don't bother.

Keep on flying ahead of the trucks and engage the next group.  Same as
before, worry about the MPA last.  Once the MPA is down, who is also
the last one in this level, another two pods will try to sneak up
behind you.  When they're down, watch the trucks drive comfortably up
to the blockade and the day is saved.

Ch. 3 Mission Nine: Party Crashers
Objectives
- Help Rick Hunter fight off the Zentraedi

Yup, that's right boys and girls.  That's the famous Rick Hunter out
there, and you're here to give him a helping hand.  Rick's a good
pilot, but unfortunately, he straight up got jumped right here.  So,
it's time to haul your butt into that dog fight using Fighter mode and
bring the pain to those Zentraedi bastards.

You'll start off with several waves of Fighter Pods.  No big deal, but
they are shooting to kill, so keep up the evasive maneuvers and decoy.
Make sure you've always got a missile in stock to use as the decoy.

After you've taken down several waves of the Fighter Pods, you'll have
the unfortunate luck of running into an entire squad of MPAs escorting
a Cyclops.  This spells trouble if you're not careful and moving quick.
Luckily, the Cyclops won't be much harder to bring down than a reentry
pod, so you should be able to make short work of it.  As for the MPAs,
they seem more preoccupied with Rick, who can hold his own just fine,
so only worry about them if they've got you in their sights.

Once the MPAs and Cyclops are down, you and Rick decide to go and check
out Granite City, but that's the next level.

Ch. 3 Mission Ten: The Road To Ruin
Objectives
- Support Rick Hunter
- Bring Minmei to the concert hall in time
- Protect the concert hall

Alrighty.  We're still flying with Rick here, and that's good, cause
your going head on to a well defended area.  Battle Pods will come at
you from front and back once you reach the park area where Minmei's car
is parked.

Once all of the pods have been destroyed, you'll be given one minute to
grab Minmei and bring her to the concert hall. Follow the blue arrow to
get there, but don't waste time fighting en route.  Target whatever
enemy is directly ahead of you and feel free to take them out as you
pass by, but don't stop to duke it out.  This will waste too much time.

Once you've dropped Minmei off in the drop zone, stay put and get ready
to fight.  Your new mission objective will be to defend the concert
hall from Zentraedi attack. Rick will be there to help you defend the
hall, but he won't be taking down the Battle Pods as fast as you can,
so don't count on him to save the day here.  Just as you did in Trouble
In Graystone, take special care not to let any of your warheads hit the
concert hall.  Once you've taken down the last attacking squad, Hiro
and his Destroids will arrive on the scene and the mission is complete.

Ch. 3 Mission Eleven: Deadly Storm (Boss Fight)
Objectives
- Protect Izzy
- Defeat Kiyora

In this mission, you'll take to the skies with Izzy as your wingmate.
You've bet set out to hunt down the Zentraedi ace using the Female
Power Armor, Kiyora.

Generally speaking, the best tactic is to stay in Fighter mode and
constantly attack Kiyora with everything you've got, using your
missiles to distract her while you blast her with your cannon.  Though
taking Kiyora down fast is generally the best way to protect Izzy,
you'll still need to use some decoy blocking to make sure she see's it
through to the end.

Kiyora is an easy target when she's blasting your missiles, or letting
loose some of her own.  When she fires her missiles, deploy a decoy and
peg her with cannon fire.  When she's using her guns, launch your own
missiles to distract her and continue with the cannon fire.

Unfortunately, this is a fight that requires patience, as the FPA has
some very tough armor.  Play it cool and stick to the above strategy
and you should progress to the next level just fine.  The real trick is
getting your weapon timing down, but that's something that even the
best walkthrough can't teach a soul.

When Kiyora's armor is down to about 1/8 of its full power, you'll go
to the cut scene and end this level.

Ch. 3 Mission Twelve: Graveyard (Boss Fight)
Objectives
- Pick up Izzy and bring her to the shore
- Defeat Kiyora

Okay, this can be one tough match.  Your first objective is to pick up
the cockpit from Izzy's crashed VT, highlighted by the green brackets.
Unfortunately, Izzy is in danger of drowning, so you have to act
quickly.  My advice is to launch a ton of missiles at Kiyora on your
way in to the pick up to tie her up for a few seconds and keep her off
your back.  Once you've picked Izzy's cockpit up, put it down on the
closest bit of dry land you can find on the shore. .  Once Izzy is set
down on dry land, she'll be safe throughout the fight.

Now, it's just between you and Kiyora.  Her armor gauge will already be
somewhat diminished from the previous fight (though not as much as it
should be, considering the beating you just gave her in Deadly Storm).
Still, it's a good thing, because Kiyora is pulling out all the stops
on this one.

Just as before, use decoys/chaff, but moreover to defend yourself this
time.  Use your missiles to keep her busy while counting on your cannon
as the only means of scoring good hits and piling on the damage.

Now, as this is a ground level with a good amount of places to hide and
duck behind, some of you may want to fight it out in Battloid mode, or
Guardian, or in Fighter mode.  Because of the nature of the Graveyard,
the decision is really up to you, especially since Kiyora seems to
switch her attack strategy after you've gotten her armor down far
enough.  You need to see how you can operate best in this environment,
and take it from there.  Good luck to you.

Ch. 3 Mission Thirteen: Little Mesa Massacre
Objectives
- Take out the Scout Pods before they can alert the Zentraedi
- Protect Hiro
- Kill all enemies attacking the bunkers
- Destroy all Reentry Pods
- Eliminate the Zentraedi threat

This mission can be a pretty tricky at first, but once you get the hang
of it, it can still be pretty tricky.  Stay on your toes for this one,
because it is quite challenging, but not annoying like Cat Scan.

The first step is to eliminate the group of Scout Pods waiting at your
starting point.  Right at the beginning you'll be able to see two Scout
Pods directly ahead.  As soon as you fire off your first shot, Hiro
will start moving forward, so, in effect, the first shot will start you
on a timer.

You must use a fully charged Sniper shot to take out the Scout Pods.
Anything less than a full charge will leave the Scout Pod still alive,
and he will run off to hide.  Within seconds, a damaged or alerted pod
will call in for reinforcements, and the mission is failed, so there's
no room for mistakes.

Take out the Scout Pod that you start the level targeting first.  Then
take out the one on ground level to the right.  Follow the trail Hiro
sets, but move cautiously. Stop immediately after you target each
consecutive Scout Pod, go to sniper mode, and blast them down with a
full charge.  There should be a total of eight, and there is one
standing by a radar tower at the top of the hill that usually doesn't
get targeted for some reason, though he will come into plain sight.
Keep an eye out for him and snipe him down like the rest.

After the scouts are gone, Battle and Missile Pods will start entering
the area from across the bridge ahead.  After you've taken out the
first three, Hiro will give you a message telling you he's rigged the
radio and you need to protect the town.  Plenty more Battle Pods will
come in on two different paths that lead into the city of Little Mesa,
and try to catch each squad as soon as they come into view.

When you catch a Reentry Pod, it's very important to go into Fighter
mode to get the most power out of your missiles, and blast that sucker
out of the skies before he can deploy more Battle Pods.  It's much
easier to keep Hiro alive when you're fighting unarmed transports as
opposed to well equipped combat units.

Take out whichever Battle Pods do make it to the ground in order of
their proximity to Hiro.  That Tomahawk is tough, but the Zentraedi can
be tougher, so stay sharp.  You're going to need his next anyways.

You'll cut to a brief cinema of two Zentraedi officers commanding their
troops to open fire on the civilian bunkers.  Hiro and yourself storm
in to save the day.  This is where things get pretty rough.

You're top priority is to defend the bunkers above all else, as Hiro
and yourself probably won't suffer significant damages in the fight.
For now, ignore the Reentry Pods to the side, as they're already parked
and will deploy most of their forces before you can take out one of
them.  And even if you do take them out quickly, you drain your weapons
and leave the bunkers open.

Instead, you must eliminate the Battle Pods quickly and concisely.
Some will come from the path you came in on, which will be kind of
behind you in this fight.  Most of them will come from the parked
Reentry pods though.  Take out Missile Pods first, then the rest in a
group.

Once you cleaned out the Reentry Pods' units, Hiro will tell you that
it is now time to go for the Reentry Pods themselves.  Try to rely on
heavy missile action in Guardian mode with plenty of cannon fire
backing it up.  Ignore the Battle Pods until you've at least taken down
the four Reentry Pods nearest you.  There will be more Reentry Pods
after that depending on how many you took out earlier.  Once they're
all destroyed, the mission closes.

Ch. 3 Mission Fourteen: The Enemy Within (Boss Fight)
Objectives
- XXXXXX

I can't really describe any part of this level without spoiling some
story line, so I'll go for straight out fighting strategy, which isn't
too difficult.  Stay in Guardian mode, and bombard your enemy with
cannon fire and missile salvos.  Be careful to dodge his own salvos and
make sure your shots aren't going to collide with bridges, buildings,
etc.  You will be defending someone, but unfortunately, you can't just
pick them up and set them aside like at Graveyard, so you'll have to
make this fight as quick as possible.  It shouldn't be difficult
though.  This boss is rather slow and easy to hit.  Just keep on giving
him a heavy beating.  Have fun.

When you're done, you'll get my favorite VT of them all, the VS-1S.



VI - D. Chapter Four

Ch. 4 Mission One: Goodbye Graystone
Objectives
- Support the Destroids at the South perimeter
- Protect Hiro's Tomahawk group and hold the North barricade
- Protect the Civic Center
- Find the mayor and bring him to the helicopter loading zone
- Guard the Sea Sergeants until they are ready for takeoff

First off, switch to Fighter mode and boost over to the two Raider X
units highlighted by the blue brackets.  These are the Destroids
defending the South perimeter, and you need to back them up.  Once
you're close enough to them, drop back to Guardian mode and engage the
incoming Battle Pods.

As the Reentry Pods enter the scene, go to Fighter mode again to make
the most effective use of your missile supply.  There will be plenty of
targets in this level, so making your weapons as powerful as possible
will help you keep an edge throughout the fighting.  Taking out the
Reentry Pods before they can disperse their units will help to maintain
that edge.

Once you've taken down several Reentry Pods and Battle Pod teams,
Commander Chase will give you your new objectives.

Now, fly up to the opposite side of town and stop at the North
barricade.  Jack will tell Chase that Hiro's unit is missing when you
arrive there.  At the same time, Battle Pod teams will start seeping in
from around the hill.  Eliminate all enemies trying to push through,
but watch out for those coming in from behind you as well.  After the
two Battle Pods come down the hill behind you, Reentry Pods will start
arriving on the scene again.  Repeat what you did with the first batch
to fight these guys off.

Enemy units will start coming in from multiple directions, and you have
to take them as they come.  Try to save missiles for the Reentry Pods,
as taking them down before they deploy will help you a great deal.

After a great deal of fighting, Hiro's unit will show up on the scene,
and he will finally start helping you out.  Continue fighting until you
hear the mayor say he sees the choppers.  Then proceed towards the
radar tower where the mayor will be waiting, highlighted by green
brackets.  Pick him up in Guardian mode and quickly drop him off in the
helicopter loading zone, but don't stop fighting.  You'll have to
continue holding the Zentraedi units off until the helicopters have
safely departed.

Once you drop off the mayor, hang above the helicopter loading zone and
fight off any incoming Battle Pods.  Destroy Reentry Pods if you have
enough missiles and there aren't any enemies attacking behind you,
otherwise, just concentrate on the Battle Pods.  After you've taken
down the last Zentraedi units, the helicopters will lift off and the
mission is complete.

Ch. 4 Mission Two: Narrow Escape
Objectives
- Protect the Sea Sergeants

Yes, now we have the unfortunate duty of escorting those Sea Sergeants
through the hills and valleys, occupied by dozens upon dozens of well
armed Zentraedi.  It sucks to be on guard duty yet again, but if you're
looking for a fight, there's definitely one here.

Battloid is not an option here, and Guardian is good for a steady
offense, but you need to use Fighter mode for the best effect.  One
salvo of missiles can destroy a Battle Pod, and you can launch
decoys/chaff to protect the Sea Sergeants.  Use the Fighter mode's
extra missile power and steady bursts of cannon fire to help bring down
the Reentry Pods you come across.  Plus the speed will let you hit
enemies well away from the helicopters' location, quickly.

Fly through the little valley forged by the hills, attacking every
target as they come into view.  The Fighter modes' weaponry will make
quick work of everything if you maintain good accuracy, and that's very
important here, as you haven't much time to waste on any single
opponent.

No enemies will appear behind the choppers early on unless you let a
Reentry Pod get behind you.  A little further in to the valley, you
will have at least three encounters with these units, and some will try
to land right behind you and/or the choppers.  Keep an eye on the radar
and double back towards the helicopters if you suspect an enemy radar
contact could be possibly closing in on them.  The Fighter mode speed
will allow you to fly back and forth every time you suspect something
while still allowing you to clear the path ahead at a decent pace.

Enemy Battle Pods will still be dispersed throughout the course, and
it's your job to make sure you clean those ones out long before the
helicopters arrive in that area.  Those Sea Sergeants are not strong,
and you only have to lose one to bite the dust.

After you've come into an opening with destroyed Reentry Pods, live
Battle Pods, and plenty of smoke, the Sea Sergeant Captain will come on
the radio and inform you that one of the units has taken too much
damage and must set down.  This happens no matter how well you protect
them.  Make sure all enemies in the opening are wiped out, and watch
for incoming Reentry Pods, still using Fighter Mode for the most
powerful punch.

The Reentry Pods will come in from above the hills on the path in front
of you, and to over the hills to the left as well.  You can take them
both out very easily with Fighter mode or Guardian, but do it before
they land.  After they have been destroyed, wait for the parked
helicopters to lift off again.  Then the mission continues.

Continue on and you will make visual contact with enemy units as soon
as you fly across the bridge.  Destroy the incoming Reentry Pods and
the active Battle Pods before they can do much damage.  Try to take out
the Battle Pods on your first pass in, and take note of the one on top
of the hill to your right acting as a sniper.  But if you don't get
them then, forget about them until you have destroyed the Reentry Pods.
They are your main target.

With that last batch of Zentraedi dead, the mission is all done and
finished.  For guard duty, that's not too bad.

Ch. 4 Mission Three: Burning Bridges
Objectives
- Protect the bridge until the convoy has made it across

Unfortunately, for guard duty, this one really sucks.  You'll be
guarding a large bridge that seems to be the only means of escape for a
large group of civilian transport trucks.  You will have multiple
enemies attacking the bridge, including Fighter Pods from above, and
Battle and Missile Pods from below.

Unfortunately, there are so many enemies and so many threats to that
bridge that you pretty much must remain in Fighter mode at all times,
and try to keep your missile count up enough so that you have plenty of
decoys/chaff to launch.  You can try to take the enemies as down as
fast as humanly possible, but they'll still launch plenty of missiles
first.  Decoy is what will save you here.  And, if you must switch to
Guardian, remember that pushing down on the directional pad puts you
into a hovering Guardian mode, so that way you won't creep forward and
past your enemies, wasting time and armor.

There's a team of Destroid units that will be of some assistance to
you, but do not rely on them at all.  The most you can really hope for
is for one of them to take down an enemy that you hurt pretty bad but
didn't finish off.

Now, the Reentry Pods add another problem, but here's the solution to
this nightmare.  The key to winning this level is pretty much this.
Take out all Reentry Pods before they can touch down.  Use cannon fire
to destroy Fighter Pods, saving your missiles for the Reentry units and
for decoy.  If Battle Pods to make it out and move in on the bridge,
they must be destroyed immediately.  These Pods will do nothing more
than park right in front of the bridge and sit there, cannons blazing.

The enemies will continually pile on and on, but you must protect that
bridge until all trucks have made it across.  It's tough as hell, but
after a few rounds, you'll learn just how to manage your weapons and
know which enemies to attack at what times in this very sensitive
level.  And obviously, you'll need very good missile capability, so use
a VF-1J or 1S.

Ch. 4 Mission Four: Double Agent
Objectives
- Find the Zentraedi spy
- Bring the capsule back to the drop zone before it is overrun
- Defend the Sea Sergeant

Ah, covert ops.  Top secret missions.  Good for the story line, so
that's why we're not going to get any further into that aspect.

Move away from the green dot on your radar and your equipment will
immediately show plenty of enemy contacts before getting jammed.  So,
you obviously know that you are heading directly in to a large
Zentraedi force.

As you round the corner, which I prefer to do in Fighter mode, you will
be able to target as many Battle Pods as your VT's targeting system can
handle.  Also note that the Scout Pod jamming your radar is hiding
behind the rocks on the right hand side.  If you launch your missiles
in Fighter mode, usually all enemies you did target will be destroyed
without any assistance from the cannon.  After your initial salvo, mop
up what's left of the Battle Pods in this area and continue on.

Up ahead, there will be two paths.  On the path to the right is a
Battle Pod who can easily be targeted and destroyed from a distance.
If you go into the path on the left a bit and look at the center
divide, you'll see the next Scout Pod responsible for messing with your
gear.  Take this easy target down to clear up your sensors.  Now, since
you took the left path, you'll be able to see a Missile Pod far off on
the ground level, right past the Scout Pod.  Take him out from this
distance and he'll never even know what hit him.

Follow the blue arrow further up into the hills, but be careful not to
move too fast, as another team of Zentraedi will come into visual
contact at about the same time they show up on radar, and it's easy for
them to get the jump on you.

Keep on flying through the canyons, taking out all enemy units until
you reach.  I find that an initial strike in Fighter mode, followed up
by some mop up action in Guardian works best for dealing with these
groups of enemies.  Eliminating the Scout Pods really isn't important
until all other enemies have been destroyed, but if you've got one in
your sights, be sure to take him down.

After several skirmishes, you will encounter your spy contact.  He will
give you the capsule which you must return ASAP to the drop zone.  You
have Three Minutes Thirty Seconds (3:30) to return this object, and
there will still be more plenty more pods waiting for you.

Grab that canister and don't take your finger off the boost button.
Follow the blue arrow and take down any Zentraedi you're going to fight
on the first run.  Don't double back to take them out.  Keep a high
altitude for clearance over some of the hills to cut corners and a
bird's eye view on enemy targets.

Once you've dropped off the capsule, your timer will reset to one
minute.  This is ETA and departure time for the Sea Sergeant that will
be coming in to pick up the capsule.  Defend the chopper against the
Missile Pods coming in from the hills above the base and destroy the
Reentry Pod before it can land.  Once again, decoy is what will save
that chopper while you blast the Missile Pods down.

Ch. 4 Mission Five: Hidden Agenda
Objectives
- Find and destroy the Scout Pods in order to locate the Shuttle convoy

I, personally, happen to really like this level.  This is where I got
my Robotech Marksman award, which unlocks the very cool Stealth paint
scheme, along with my Tuna Head award, which happens to unlock one of
the few really cool Versus mode options, the FPA.

Your objective here is to destroy the eight scout pods placed
throughout the level.  Many will be hiding inside the hollow hulks of
destroyed Zentraedi cruisers.  Others will be hanging around just
outside one, or a little out into space.  Regardless, all of them have
a moderate escort, and there are plenty of enemies that respawn to no
end.  However you'll be able to use this to your advantage a little
later.

For now, at the very start of the level, dip your fighter down a bit
and hit a targeting button.  There you will find your first Scout Pod.
Since they're stationary until hit, one salvo in Fighter mode should
take them out no problem.  If you pull up just a bit and bank right,
you should automatically target the next Scout Pod.  From there, you'll
have to use something of a trick.

To home in on the Scout Pods, you're going to have to fly into an area
where your radar is jammed.  So, if you start flying in one direction
and your radar clears up, you know you're not headed towards a Scout
Pod, and need to turn around.

Once there are only four Scouts remaining, Male Power Armor units will
enter the scene, two at a time.  Now, this takes some practice, but
sooner or later you'll learn how to fight an MPA in Fighter mode until
he's only got one or two more hits left, then spring into Battloid,
instantly go into Sniper mode, and take the shot.  When you get that
trick down, you can take out ten, twelve, even fourteen or more MPAs
every time you go through this level.  I found this to be the quickest
way to get the Robotech Marksman award, but make sure you've destroyed
all enemies that will not respawn first, and try to get destroy all the
Scout Pods except the very last one.  Chase will tell you when you hit
that mark.

When the last Scout Pod is down and you've had your fill of trashing
MPAs, the mission is a success.

Ch. 4 Mission Six: Mutiny
Objectives
- Destroy all six Shuttlecraft before they get away
- Disable the mutiny ship

Now, I've heard a lot of different remarks on this, but when I
completed this level, I received the FAST Packs armor upgrade.  Most
gaming sites say you have to unlock Chapter 5 to get them, but I sure
didn't.  So here's hoping you do.  They're of great help in getting
those awards mentioned in the previous mission.

Anyways, this level is rather direct.  There are six Shuttlecraft.
Destroy them.  Once they are down, Chase will instruct you to eliminate
the turrets on the Zentraedi cruiser.  Once this is complete, the level
is done.  Pretty easy.

Ch. 4 Mission Seven: Backlash
Objectives
- Destroy the Shuttle column before it reaches the supply depot

This level has the benefit of you not needing to protect anything, but
unfortunately, you have to chase down shuttles, which can be kind of
frustrating if they slip by you.  But that's the key.  Make sure they
don't slip by you.  You have to try to stay on the lead shuttle, and
work your way back from there, standing right in front of their goal.
Use Fighter mode to bombard them with your missiles and cannon fire.

There are a ton of shuttles, and plenty of Missile Pods to take you
down, as well as Missile and Laser Ground Turrets.  Take out the
Missile Pods and turrets that pose an immediate threat, but try to
avoid missile use.  You've got to keep taking those shuttles down
before they get too far out.

Destroy all the shuttles and the level is complete.

Ch. 4 Mission Eight: Lightning Strike
Objectives
- Destroy the Reentry Pods
- Destroy the Shuttlecraft
- Use the sniper mode to destroy the Protoculture supply

You'll start off in the hills on this level, and I suggest Fighter
mode.  There will be plenty of Missile Turrets ready to bombard you
with countless salvoes.  I make it my first priority to clear out as
many of these as I can before attacking the main targets.

Now, you may come upon the main targets in any particular order, and
that's fine.  Here's what you'll do in the three different instances.

-Protoculture Crates
I usually run into the Protoculture crates first, even though it's a
bit out there in the level.  The crates are initially guarded by a
Battle Pod and a Officer's Pod, though this one is no where near as
tough as Skarrde's.  Take them out and quickly change to Battloid to
snipe down the crates.  You must move very quickly as there will be
constant waves of Battle Pods moving in to drive you off.  You're
likely to take some good damages here, so you'll have to be careful for
the rest of the flight.

-Reentry Pods
The Reentry Pods are relatively easy targets.  You can do high speed
strafing runs in Fighter Mode to eliminate the Reentry Pods and their
Battle Pod guards.  The Reentry Pods won't take off or anything, their
just sitting ducks.

-Shuttlecraft
The Shuttlecraft seem to be a little better defended than the Reentry
Pods, but they too are just stationary targets.  Once you've destroyed
these, or whichever is the last of the three targets, the mission is
over.

Ch. 4 Mission Nine: None Shall Pass
Objectives
- Hunt down and destroy all Male Power Armor units

At the very start of this level, you'll see several enemy contacts on
the edge of your radar.  Move in cautiously towards them.  Male Power
Armor units will be waiting ahead to snipe you with that powerful beam
cannon they have, so keep moving and try to avoid flying straight for
too long.

Most likely, you'll target an MPA for off a top a hill first.  This one
seems perfect for sniping down, but another MPA will be closing in on
you fast, so wait a bit before taking down the MPA on the hill.

Once those two are down, you can push forward.  Battle Pods will try to
push in from the path ahead, but you and the Destroids on hand can make
short work of them.

There will be another two MPAs up ahead, and these two also work
together.  There will be on to each side of you, and they want you to
attack one while the other snipes you to shreds with his beam cannon.
Move fast and try to stay close to both of them so they can't use their
beam weapon.  With those units down, the level is done.

Ch. 4 Mission Ten: Vengeance (Boss Fight)
Objectives
- Defeat Gorian

Gorian packs a real punch, but once you learn his patterns and
maneuvers, this can be a very easy fight.  He uses a black Male Power
Armor suit with the standard weaponry, but his unit has much more
fortified armor, so he can a bigger beating.

As with any MPA, he will try to get some distance from you so that he
can use his laser beam cannon to get rid of you quickly.  The key to
this entire fight is knowing when he will fire and knowing when to
dodge it.

For the most part, you and Gorian will be fighting it out in the air.
Gorian will quickly move around, and after a while, he will choose a
spot to land.  He always lands in one of four areas, and once he has
touched down, he will snipe at you until you have closed in on him and
made the distance between the two of you too short.  Watch him do this
and learn the patterns and landing locations, and you will be able to
take him down time after time, which will win you the Gold Nova award
if you do it three times.

I've found that Guardian and Fighter modes work best.  Use Guardian
while he is in the air so that your missiles can quickly home in and
make contact with him, then switch to Fighter mode when he lands to
dodge his blasts and coat him with heavy missiles.  Gorian is a breeze
once you've got his patterns down.  I've actually taken him down
without getting hit once.

Ch. 4 Mission Eleven: Cat and Mouse
Objectives
- Protect Izzy's Cat's Eye

Guess who's on guard duty again.  That's right.  It's you.  And, you're
guarding a Cat's Eye once again as well.  It could be worse though.  At
least you've got Izzy piloting the Cat's Eye this time.

From the beginning, you'll be encountering quite a few enemies.  Stick
close to Izzy and use decoy blocking to keep her safe from missile
salvos.  The Battle Pods seem more concentrated on taking out the Cat's
Eye, so taking them out quickly with missiles in Fighter mode is the
best way to get rid of them.  The Fighter Pods seem to be after Izzy
also, so you really need to keep an eye on them as well.  If Izzy
starts taking heavy hits this early on, you need to restart.  There
shouldn't be any enemies appearing from behind for a while, so it's
okay to push forward and clear the road.  In fact, this can be vital to
Izzy's survival, so long as you don't go too far ahead.

After you've destroyed the first group you come across, Izzy will tell
you that she is reading several enemy contacts up ahead and wants you
to check them out.  Boost out there in Fighter mode and clean things up
before Izzy gets herself right into the middle of the chaos.

As you move ahead to the third grouping and round the corner, there
will be a Ground Laser Turret on top of the hill, followed by several
more laced throughout the canyon.  Any one of them can take Izzy down
in no time.  You must reach this area first and start destroying the
turrets.

When Izzy is about to enter the canyon before the turrets, she will
first be attacked by four Fighter Pods coming in from behind.  After
that, once she is in the canyon, a group of Battle Pods will do the
same thing and try to bring her down.  You must take these units down
immediately, before they can damage Izzy.  Once those units are
destroyed, continue forward, eliminating the turrets.

Continue through the canyon and this mission is done.

Ch. 4 Mission Twelve: Stormy Friendship
Objectives
- Find Hiro
- Protect Hiro from Zentraedi attack
- Bring Hiro back to the Cat's Eye

At the start of this level, you'll target a Scout Pod off in the
distance.  Take him out in sniper mode and move forward.  As you do, a
Battle and Missile Pod will immediately round the corner.  Once they're
down, another Scout Pod can be seen off to the left, followed by
another Battle Pod.  Your radar will clear up for now once that Scout
is gone.

The blue radar contact to the side is your objective.  Start making
your way towards Hiro, but watch out for the Turrets after you've
cleared the first grouping of Battle Pods.  Once you get into the midst
of the Turrets, more pods will show up.

After they've all been destroyed, you'll find Hiro.  Defend him against
the incoming enemy units until they've all been cleared out.  You have
to move quickly though, as Hiro has already suffered some damages and
is immobilized.

Pick him up, destroy all Zentraedi in your path, and bring Hiro back to
the drop zone to clear the level.

Ch. 4 Mission Thirteen: Defiance
Objectives
- Destroy all enemy targets

Ah, the classic, straight out, shooter level.  I'd say we're definitely
due for some time away from guard duty and time-limited attacks.  Yes,
for now we will do something else.  For now, we will dogfight.

Blast through the waves of Fighter Pods until the Cyclops and its MPA
escort arrive.  Remember to stay heavy on the evasive maneuvers and
decoy with the Fighter Pods, and that maximum boost speed in Fighter
mode is your best defense against the Cyclops and the two waves of
MPAs.  Destroy them and that's it.  Have fun.

Ch. 4 Mission Fourteen: Attrition
Objectives
- Find 4 supply canisters and bring them to the drop zone before the
Sea Sergeant arrives
- Defend the Sea Sergeant


Depending on how you look at this level, it can be very challenging, or
it can be really annoying.  You'll find out soon enough what you think
of it.

You have four minutes for four canisters.  Actually, I think you might
be able to get away with just three.

Rule number one is that you do not have time to hang around for a
fight.  You kill what you can on your way in, but don't stop, don't
slow down for one single enemy.  Time is very short here for what you
need to do.  Rule number two is that you make sure you are headed dead
on towards canister your after when you start getting close to it,
because there are plenty of Scout Pods that you don't have time to take
out.  Flying straight enough to keep it on screen makes sure you won't
get sidetracked or lose sight of it.  And this should go without
saying, but rule number three is that it is always Fighter mode
in/Guardian mode out.  You've got to reduce travel speed to the bare
minimum, so hold down that boost button when you're headed in for the
target and after you've made the pick up too.

When the timer reaches zero, that means the Sea Sergeant has touched
down.  You need to be back before that to clear out the Zentraedi that
are already starting to gather at the loading zone.  Several more will
continue to try to eliminate the Sea Sergeant, and you need to do some
good work with Fighter mode and decoy blocking to keep it alive.  When
the timer is reset and counts down for one more minute, the mission
will finally be over.

Chapter four is complete.  Now on to the last one.



VI - E. Chapter Five

Ch. 5 Mission One: Besieged
Objectives
- Support the Destroid Monsters
- Prevent the enemy from reaching Base 6

The good news is that you have two Monster MK. II Destroid units on
hand to deal with the incoming Zentraedi.  The bad news is that the
odds are still stacked incredibly high against you, and those MK. IIs
are very vulnerable to attack by Fighter Pods.  If one of them goes,
the mission is failed.

So, you are going to concentrate on the Fighter Pods.  Those MK. IIs
will decimate the Reentry Pods and Battle Pods pretty well by
themselves.  The occasional Battle Pod or two might make its way up to
the Monsters' position, and those will be the only ones that you
yourself will want to destroy.  Aside from that, it's all Fighter Pods
for you.

These guys aren't playing around.  There will always be at least three
Fighter Pods in the air, and they are laying the missiles on thick.
You need to keep taking them out as fast as possible, but try to cut
back on the missile use a bit, as you will be needing to do a ton of
decoy blocking.

After a five and a half minutes of this endless assault, you will go to
the cut scene and the level is done.

Ch. 5 Mission Two: Showdown (Boss Fight)
Objectives
- Defeat Kiyora
- Protect the civilian bunkers

The strategy here really hasn't changed much from the previous fights.
You can dodge and use decoy to defend yourself while launching missile
salvos of your own to keep her busy while you blast away with your
cannon.  She'll pause for a moment to target the bunkers, and this is a
prime opportunity to deal some real damage.

This time around, she'll be using missiles a lot more, hence the need
to combine your best maneuvers with well timed countermeasures.  But,
as always, she pauses to fire her missiles, and if you can learn the
patterns of her movements, you can actually time your missiles to hit
her dead on right after she launches hers, and this can put some pretty
good dents in her armor.  In fact, learning this pattern is the key to
beating her the quickest way possible.

Though it does vary and change a little, basically what you're looking
for is this.  Listen to her cannon fire and watch the way she moves.
When she's darting left and right, up and down, firing her cannons, she
will all of a sudden stop darting and strafing and just pull straight
away from you with no gunfire.  This is the key moment.  At this time,
give or take more time in relationship with your distance from her,
hold down the cannon button, at the same time launch two or three
salvos, then hit the decoy and turn a bit.  You will have taken off a
huge chunk of her life and her missiles will usually all be eliminated
by the perfectly fired countermeasures.  This is the key to success.

Ch. 5 Mission Three: No Escape
Objectives
- Destroy the Shuttles before they can escape
- Destroy the Officer Pods

Unfortunately, yes, this is another time sensitive attack mission, but
it's really not that bad.  This level focuses more on how well you can
fly at high speed than anything else.

You will start off in a narrow canyon with a three minute timer
counting down.  Follow the blue arrow at the highest speed you can
manage, and only take out the enemies that won't cost you any extra
time.  Still, make sure to keep an eye out for an Officer's Pod while
en route to your final destination.

Chase down that blue arrow until you finally reach the area where the
Shuttles are parked.  Destroy them first to prevent them from escaping
when the timer runs out.  Once they have been destroyed, the timer will
be deactivated, and you can concentrate on the Officer's Pods.
Destroying Battle Pods is not a necessity, but if they're blowing off
chunks of your armor left and right, go ahead and gun them down.

There will be a total of three Officer Pods.  The first one you will
run into on your way to the Shuttles, and the last two will be with the
Shuttles, guarding them.  When all the Shuttles and the three Officer
Pods are destroyed, the mission is complete.  That wasn't so hard, now
was it?

Ch. 5 Mission Four: Warpath
Objectives
- Destroy 8 Reentry Pods in five minutes
- Defend Izzy

Another time attack.  But you know what?  With proper concentration,
this can and will be the shortest level of them all.

There are ten Reentry Pods, all directly in front of you at mission
start.  Simply take down eight out of ten and you're done.  The only
advice I can really offer here is to avoid multiple targeting, and just
concentrate on one Reentry unit at a time.  With multiple targeting,
you may waste a lot of missiles on the two pods you won't actually be
destroying, as well as targeting other enemy craft that you really do
not need to fight here.  One at a time and you'll do just fine.

Concentrate on the Reentry Pods and ignore everything else, including
Izzy's cries for help.  If you only attack the Reentry units, your life
will probably be pretty low by the end, as will Izzy's too, but you'll
wrap the mission up before anything bad can really happen.

Ch. 5 Mission Five: Welcome to Zen City
Objectives
- Clear the city of enemy Zentraedi as you travel to Zeraal's carrier
- Put out the fires and move the pilots to safety

Now, some may disagree with me on this one, but I think that Zen City
is by far the toughest challenge you'll ever face.  In fact, it's so
tough, that I'm going to tell you about a gaming glitch that can help
you beat this a little easier your first time through.

Go back to a previous space level that you've already played and equip
the FAST Packs on your VT.  Beat the level, and when you're done, hit
continue.  You will now go on to play Welcome to Zen City with FAST
Packs equipped, which cannot be done any other way really.  Not the
most honest way to play, but it will get you through this.

Okay, now let's move on to in level strategy.  The first thing you need
to know is that you must move with extreme care and caution around
every corner, or at least until you learn the layout and know what's
where and all that.  I find Guardian mode to be best here, in general.
The missiles and auto-aim cannon combined with good speed for evasive
maneuvers will prove valuable throughout the mission.  Personally, I
always make sure that my throttle is set to zero so I don't go coasting
ahead unwillingly.

As you move into the level, you'll notice that your radar gets jammed
pretty much right off the bat.  This is done to conceal the two turrets
waiting for you just around the corner.  One is a rapid fire laser
turret, the other a missile launcher.  These guys can tear you apart in
no time, so if you take a lot of damage here, go ahead and restart the
level, because this is just the tip of the iceberg.

One method I've found for dealing with those turrets, though sneaky and
not requiring much skill, is to park behind the building on the corner
with a turret targeted.  Hover there in Guardian mode and angle your VT
so that its nose is perpendicular to the line of fire from the turrets.
Or, in other words, hover with your VT positioned so that the turret
targeted is pretty much dead to your left.  Make sure you're close to
their line of fire, close enough that if you move forward for a second
they'll be able to shoot you.  Then just fire your missiles until the
turret is down.  Some of them will collide with the building you are
using as a shield, but most of them will make it around the building to
hit the target.  Like I said, it's sneaky and doesn't require an ounce
of skill, but it will keep you safe and intact for all the dangers
ahead.

Once the two turrets have been disposed of, go ahead and round the
corner to take out that meddling little Scout Pod.

Up ahead, you'll be faced with the same dilemma once more.  A Scout Pod
will jam you while two turrets try to take you down once you've rounded
the corner.  However, this time there will be a poor, stranded Raidar X
unit that will fire off a few shots before being blasted to death.
He'll get that turret's armor down to just a little over half.  Repeat
the same sneaky little tactic as before, because this time, there will
also be an MPA sniper in the distance, and he can end this mission real
quick.  And to make matters worse, once that MPA is on the move,
another one will take his place and try to snipe you down too.  When
you reach the MPAs, you need to take them down fast, before they can do
too much damage to your VT.

After the MPAs are down, another Missile Turret will be waiting for you
around the corner.  Take this one down however you choose, but keep in
mind there is still a lot of fighting to do.

As you proceed further, you'll come across a fork in the road, both
paths leading to a wide opening ahead with a caved in street leading to
a pool of water.  There is a Scout Pod ahead that will jam your
equipment, and at the edge of the cave-in, on the side away from you,
more turrets can be found along with an MPA.  Destroy all the hostiles
before pushing forward.

Chase will tell you to put out the fires in the cave-in and to save the
pilots.  To do this, you'll need to find a pipe with a little bit of
water spraying out of it inside the caved in area.  Once you've located
the pipe, shoot it, and water will flow out, extinguishing the flames.
You're now clear to pick up the pilots and set them down in the drop
zone that has just appeared.  When this is done, continue forward.

Immediately, you'll notice more jamming from a Scout Pod, which is
there to cover up another turret.  Take these two down and push on.  As
you move forward, another Scout Pod will actually come running right at
you.  Don't ask me why cause I don't know.  Just kill him and clear up
your sensors a bit.

Further ahead, there will be another turret and two MPA snipers in the
distance. Once they're down, there will be more Turrets around the
corner again and a Scout Pod blocking your gear for them.

After that set of Turrets, you'll come across two MPAs that will try to
catch you in a crossfire.  The first one will lure you in to the fight,
but as soon as you close in on him, his buddy while snipe you from the
left, so be careful here, and try to take down the first one with the
'around the corner' trick.

Finally, there will be a triple set of turrets at the very end.  By
this point, your armor could be only a notch or two above destruction
if you didn't come in with FAST Packs, so I advise that you use cheap
tricks here if you have to.

When those three turrets are gone, it's time for the final battle.

Ch. 5 Mission Six: To The Death
Objectives
- XXXX

This is the last level, and the first thing you need to do is get your
FAST Packs equipped.  You are going to be in space, so this is one of
those few times you actually get to use them legitimately.

Now, all I am going to tell you is to take out the turrets, stay in
Fighter Mode, make sure you are pretty close to your main target before
launching any missiles as he's pretty quick, and be ready for plenty of
decoy blocking.

Have fun.



VII.    Awards and Bonuses

Now, with the medals, you can win each one three times.  That is what
the stars beneath each one means.  You first receive the medal, then
the star on the left, then the one on the right.

Some medals must be won in a certain order.  For instance, you cannot
get the Gold Cross until you've received the Silver Cross, and you
cannot get the Silver Cross until you've received the Bronze Cross.
However, this will all be clearly noted in the awards section of the
game itself.  However, most of the medals definitely do not need to be
won in the order in which they are listed, here and on the game.

Meritorious Service - Completed "Force of Arms" (Ch. 1 Mission 4)
Unlocks
"Izzy" paint design

Distinguished Service - Completed "The Enemy Within" (Ch. 3 Mission 14)
Unlocks
"Rick" paint design

Master Airman - Killed 100 Fighter Pods
Unlocks
Nothing
Note: I found it best to play the level "Boobytrap" repeatedly to
receive this award

RDF Flying Ace - Completed Master Airman Set (Killed 300 Fighter Pods)
Unlocks
"Max" paint design
"Debris Field" Map

RDF Starburst - Completed all Boss Missions 2 times
Unlocks
"Flood City" Map

Titanium Medal of Valor - Completed "Knife's Edge" (Ch. 2 Mission 8)
Unlocks
VF-1J

Bronze Cross - Killed 50 Battle Pods
Unlocks
Nothing

Silver Cross - Killed 75 Battle Pods and completed Bronze Cross Set
(225 Battle Pods more for the set.  375 in total)
Unlocks
Nothing

Gold Cross - Killed 100 Battle Pods and completed Silver Cross Set
(300 Battle Pods more for the set.  675 in total)

Southern Cross - Completed Gold Cross Set (Killed 675 Battle Pods)
Unlocks
Armored Veritech (Versus Mode only)
"Factory" Map

Silver Shield - Completed "Graveyard" with a VF-1A
Unlocks
"Miriya" paint design
"Graveyard" Map
Note: This isn't as hard as you'd think.  It's really rather easy

Superior Defense - Completed "Attrition"
Unlocks
"Graystone" Map

Gold Nova - Defeated Gorian 3 times (9 times for the set)
Unlocks
Nothing

RDF Supernova - Completed Gold Nova Set (Defeated Gorian 9 times)
Unlocks
"Patriot" paint design
"City In Space" Map

Robotech Marksman - Killed 50 Male Power Armor using Sniper Weapon
(150 MPA for the set)
Unlocks
"Stealth" paint design
Note: I found the level Hidden Agenda to be best for getting this
award.  There are an infinite number of MPAs appearing two at a time,
and you can use FAST Packs here.  Blast the MPAs with missiles until
they have one hit left, switch to Battloid and instantly go into Sniper
mode and take the fatal shot

Wolf Leader - Completed Game (Ch. 5 Mission 6)
Unlocks
YF-1R
"Wolf" paint design

Tuna Head - Killed 50 Scout Pods
Unlocks
"Female Power Armor" (Versus Mode only)
Note: I found that Hidden Agenda is good for this award too.  There are
eight scout pods in this level, and you can take them out very quickly
once you get used to the level.

Jolly Roger - Completed "Party Crashers" 3 times (Ch. 3 Mission 9)
(9 times for the set)
Unlocks
"Skull One" paint design
"Bursting Point" Map

Complete Chapter 3 Mission 14
Unlocks
VF-1S

Complete Chapter 4 Mission 6
Unlocks
Super Veritech (FAST Packs)


VIII.   Cheats

To open up the cheat menu, go to the main menu selection screen (the
one where you can select Story Mode, Versus Mode, Options, etc.)  Then
enter the following sequence:

Hold down L1 and R1 throughout the sequence, then press
Left, Up, Down, X, Right, Triangle, Start

Once you press start, you will be brought to a screen to enter in
codes.  When done correctly, you will receive a message informing you
of what cheat you have selected, accompanied by a sound clip from the
show.

FLIPSIDE - Flips everything upside down (this one gets old really fast)
MULTIMAYHEM - Unlock all multiplayer levels
SPACEFOLD - Gunpod ammo refreshes faster
MARSBASE - Missiles refresh faster
MIRIYA - Both Gundpod and Missiles refresh faster
BACKSTABBER - One shot kills
SNIPER - One shot kills in Sniper Mode
MISSMACROSS - Unlock all paint schemes
WEWILLWIN - Unlock all levels
WHERESMAX - Unlock all medals and awards
SUPERMECH - Invincibility



Okay, that's it.  That's anything and everything worth talking about.
Thanks for taking the time to read my Walkthrough, and thanks for
deciding on this one in the first place.  Once again, you can send
remarks and constructive criticism to the address at the top.  A
slightly revised and updated version should be out in a month or so.
Thanx again, and have fun.

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