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Wipeout Pure
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Weapons FAQ
Copyright 2005 Matthew Campbell
Weapons FAQ version 1.5
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Table of Contents
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Intro (intr)
Interesting Facts (infc)
Frequently Asked Questions (fq)
Missed Info (mi)
At a Glance Ratings (agr)
Offensive Weapons (ofw)
Rocket (rkt)
Missile (msl)
Disruption Bolt (db)
Defensive Weapons (dfw)
Mines (mns)
Bomb (bmb)
Shield (shd)
Special Weapons (sw)
Quake (quk)
Plasma Bolt (pb)
Miscellaneous Weapons (mw)
Auto-Pilot (ap)
Turbo (tb)
Your Ship (ys)
Special Thanks
Intro (intr)
You may wonder why this FAQ is here. After all, anyone can aim and fire a gun.
But this is Wipeout, not Twisted Metal. The purpose of weapons is not to blow
the other ships to pieces (although that can happen), but to use them
strategically to slow down other ships or disable them long enough for you to
slip ahead. Similarly, some weapons can be used to slow down opponents behind
you, keeping you in the lead and giving you some piece of mind, if only for a
while. Every weapon has a purpose, and the weapon choice in wipeout pure is
quite balanced, making strategy and placement of shots the key, not damage
output. This guide has strategies on every weapon, when to use them
(and when not to), and how to avoid them. Happy Reading.
Interesting Facts (infc)
-It is possible to be hit by your own missile. This happened to me once
on Manor Top. It richocheted off a wall and slammed into me. Strange things
can happen with missiles on Manor Top. Both the height differences and the 90
degree turns play around with their effectiveness.
-Bombs and Mines can be destroyed by shooting at them.
-You cannot be hit be your own bombs or mines.
-Damage from multiple bombs overlapping each other does not stack. Sorry, no
super bombs in this game.
-Regular weapons are orange, while defensive ones are blue, and special weapons
are red. Miscellaneous weapons are green. The only exception is the shield,
which is green, although it more of a defensive weapon than a miscellaneous one.
-Have one and don't see it here? I will be pleased to add it and give you full
credit. Make sure they are weapons related. Send it to
[email protected]
Frequently Asked Questions (fq)
What's better-Zone or Medievil?
There's different ways to look at this. From the statistical viewpoint,
the total number of points in the zone ship are 15, and Medievil only
has 14, so Zone is better (All other ships have 13 points). From the
opposing viewpoint, Medievil is better as it has 5 for acceleration,
far more useful in multiplayer matches and racing. Also, you could
say the Medievil ship looks nicer. Here's what I think. Zone is best
for time trials, Medievil for Multiplayer. The Medievil ship is somewhat
of a bragging right, and the increased acceleration is perfect, especially
for one on one. The Zone ship with it's unbeatable speed, will prove
excellent for time trials.
How many gold medals are there?
144.
Is there a nuclear bomb like there was in the last game?
Whoa. If I were to bet on whether this question would have come up
not once but three times, I would have lost. There is no nuclear bomb,
though the standard bomb does a pretty nice job. And there was
no nuclear bomb in wipeout fusion, though there was a gravity bomb.
Can I be mentioned in your FAQ?
Sure, if you provide useful information that is. Here's
some...stuff...people have sent me.
"weapons cause damage. Watch out for them."
"To avoid a quake just pause the game, then restart it. The quake
won't even hit you."
"Mines are useful. The lock on feature is great."
"I just wonted to say I absolutli loved the {your ship} section. It
was soooo0ooo000000ooo exzellent. VERY VERY funny. OMG OMG OMG
LMAO LMAO. Can you menyion me in you FAQ? Pretty Please. Just
make up some tip. PLease!
Yuck. The last three weren't exactly frequently asked, but I felt it
was my duty to notify the world of their stupidity. If you send me
something, please make sure its at least decent.
Missed info (mi)
The following tips are submitted by other players who managed to catch
something I missed. If they can fall directly into a useful category,
then you will find them in there respective section. If not, then
you will them here. For example, tips about turbos will be found
with turbos. General tips are found here.
Meekay says-
"There's another weapons pad right in front of [you]...and when [you]
pass over an active weapons pad, [you] risk not being able to pick
up the next weapon.
As the old cliche goes: 'Better safe than sorry!' =)"
Basically what he is saying, is that if you see another pad in front
you and you have a weapon, you might want to ditch it and pick up a
new one. This is especially important if you are low on health, or
simply have a weapon not suited to the current situation. Some people
have emailed me saying that all weapons have their use, and therefore
never to absorb. I personally believe that absorption is one of the
most important aspect of the game, and that is pronouced moreso in the
end of the game. Of course he may be more experienced than I, as he
told me he had obtained 300 golds, a ship with 5 for all stats, and
a super secret making of wipeout video ;) Thanks Meekay!
At a Glance Ratings (agr)
Rocket- Power= 7/10, usefullness= 6/10
Missile- Power= 5/10, usefullness= 8/10
Disruption Bolt- Power= 0/10, usefullness= 4/10
Mines- Vertical Rows- Power=7/10, usefullness= 5/10
Horizontal Rows- Power=4/10, usefullness= 8/10
Bomb- Power=8/10, usefullness=7/10
Shield- usefullness=6/10
Quake- Power=8/10, usefullness=10/10
Plasma Bolt- Power=10/10, usefullness=5.5/10
Auto-Pilot- usefullness=10/10
Turbo- usefullness=9/10
Your Ship- Power=2/10, usefullness=8/10
If you disagree with the way these stats are rated, contact me, and I'll
consider your suggestion. That DOES NOT mean however, that I will
follow your advice. These ratings are the product of hours of testing
in free-play and single race. They are merely the average result of a
lot of tests. I've had lucky shots with plasma bolts, and I've taken
out the front pilot with a disruption bolt. On average however, they
aren't too useful. Please back up your suggestion with a logical
and rational reason. Contact me at
[email protected]
Offensive Weapons (ofw)
Alright, these are the weapons you will be using to get ahead for the most
part. They are all ranged, and they can be used in the right situations to
steal the lead or move up a spot without much effort. Dodging them or
learning how to deal with them is important, because some of them can be very
annoying *cough* disruption beam *cough* and frustration will only lose you
more time. The weapons in this section are not necessarily damage
dealers, though they can do good damage if used in conjunction with a wall
or another object (i.e. bomb).
Rocket (rkt)
Rockets come up fairly often in your weapons selection, and they do perhaps
the best damage out of the offensive weapons (excluding special weaponry).
Some people find these weapons clumsy and useless, as they have no lock and
on tracks with lots of twists and turns, or elevation differences (Karbonis),
they are very hard to land a hit with. But when used in the right way, you
can hit two if not three ships with one rocket barrage. It can be a great
weapon when ships are bunched together, or when you are approaching a tight
corner and the rocket slams them into the wall, further slowing them down
and adding extra damage.
When to use
-Straight-aways, but only if the ship being fired upon isn't too far ahead;
they might pull away in time.
-Bunches of ships, as one rocket salvo can hit a lot of ships, and make it
that much more easier for you to get ahead of them. Don't save them for
large bunches(3 or more) however, its best just to play it safe and take
out two, because that's still more than a missile could ever do.
-When you are approaching a tight corner (Citta Nuova), or a split in
the track. Rockets have good force and a nice damage spread, its not
hard to hit an opponent into an upcoming wall (making his ship go sideways)
to slow him down by a fair amount.
When not to use-
-Tracks with a lot of turns, as they don't lock, your rockets will
likely get wasted if you use them in a snake like track. If you must
use them on a track like this, then do it near the start/finish line,
as that section of the track is straight for the most part.
-Elevation differences, because you don't want your rockets slamming
into the ground or shooting high up into the air. It's better to shoot
them at an opponent who's on the same angle as you.
How to avoid- Simply swerve, but make sure you don't swerve too much or
you will collide into the wall. Again, don't swerve too little, because
the rockets cover a lot of area. In the beginning, dodging shots doesn't
matter much, and the AI will usually miss, but later on, this will be much
more important.
Missile (msl)
Missiles don't seem to come up as often as rockets, but they lock on and
therefore are worth the difference in rarity. Missiles are a powerful tool
when it comes to slowing down you opponent, and they pack enough force to hit
them into other objects. They can only hit one opponent at a time, however,
so choose your targets wisely. As well, they lock on to whatever's closest
to you, so you might want to fire a missile at the guy far in front of you
quickly before the ship behind pulls ahead. Even if you don't have a full
lock, its better to bring down those farthest in front of you rather than
those you can easily pull ahead of later.
When to use
-As soon as you have a full lock, unless the target is getting out of range.
This seems like a no-brainer, but in a race you might be eager to fire it off
and end up wasting it.
-When the ship behind you is catching up, you may want to slow down slightly
or just let him get ahead, and then slam him with the missile up close. At
close range, you don't even have to lock it, just fire it away and then get
way ahead of him. This should only be done in a few cases, like if you know
he's gone over a weapon pad and you'd like to get rid of him before he gets
his sights on you. At other times you might just want to keep ahead and use
it on the next ship in front. It really all comes down to experience, and
knowing when the time is right.
-On sections of track with no walls (Sol 2). You might wonder why I didn't
recommend this with the rockets, but those sections of track have a vertical
slant and play around with the accuracy of the rockets. Locking missiles
however don't have this problem, and you can use them to push a ship off.
Timing is everything, but if you land a good hit it more than pays off.
When not to use
-On a ship that is in the air. Missiles have a lot of force, but from what
I've observed it doesn't do a heck of a lot to ship that's airborne. Even if
it does, its far better to fire it at a ship on the ground and gain the chance
of it hitting a wall, rather than wasting it in the air.
-Really twisting sections. Another no-brainer really, but one that is often
overlooked, as people take a full lock for granted. While a full lock does
guarantee great accuracy, it DOES NOT guarantee perfect accuracy, some
sections are just more than the missile can handle.
How to Avoid
-Swerve and pray. In the first part of the game the AI's like to fire
them off without a full lock, but near the end its full lock or nothing.
Use corners to your advantage, but dodging them is hard, so its better to
brace yourself and prepare to accelerate, so after it hits you're ready to go.
Luckily they don't do a lot of damage on their own.
Disruption Bolt (db)
These things are also fairly common, but they don't have a great deal of
uses. Granted everything has its use, but the ones for this are few and
far between. Disruption bolts are unguided, as are rockets, but unlike
rockets, they lack the coverage. As well, they lack the force of the
other weapons, which makes them useless for hitting something into a
wall by force alone. However, they can be used to do the same thing
in a very different way. Disruption bolts disable your airbrakes
quite often, and on tight corners this can prove disastrous. They can also
make your screen zoom in and out, but I have had no problem with this and
surprisingly, it looks more interesting than annoying. In rarer cases,
disruption bolts reverse your controls. This can be a great way to slow
someone down, and it especially good on sections of the track with no walls
like Sol 2. When you are hit by one however all the frustration is now on
you. Since they don't cover a lot of area, it is best to listen for
the warning and move as quickly as possible.
!!!NEW!!! Drewtaru says, "It has the ability to make you 'jumpy' in a sense
that your ship just
jumps and keeps jumping. If it were compareable to skiing, imagine your ship
on moguls. This slows down the ship quite a bit. I've only had this done to
me 3 times in all my gametime though and never on a turn.
It [also] has the ability to make your ship unstable. Meaning you cant just go
in a straightforward direction. If your analog stick has 3 points of 'range'
per direction, its like spamming the first point left and right in a random
order. Like it may inche your ship left 2 times then right 4 times then 1
left and 2 right. This I dont mind really."
I've never had this happen to me before, so can people confirm this? I
have a feeling that the unstable controls he was talking about might be
due to the lack of airbrakes. It certainly can feel like that when you
expect them to work and nothing happens. Any additional comments on the
dreaded d-bolt are appreciated. As well, our friend Drewtaru here
recommended a "piss-me-off" section for the Disruption bolt. Since I
have never experienced the two other problems above I can only estimate
how annoying they would be. Here's what I think, in order from most
annoying to least annoying.
1. Control Reversal
2. Jumpy ship
3. Lack of airbrakes
4. Unstable controls
5. Zooming in of camera
Well, if anyone can confirm the "unstable controls" and "jumpy ship" problem
that would be excellent.
When to use
-Corners and wall-less sections. That's really the only time the disruption
bolt has a purpose. I personally absorb them more often than I fire them.
When not to use
-When you can absorb them, that's really the only time. This weapon is
actually quite useless, and it's a bad idea to hold on to them waiting for
the upcoming corner, rather than grabbing a new, better weapon and absorbing
energy at the same time.
How to Avoid
-They go in a straight line, so simply turn. If you get hit by a
disruption beam, and it reverses your controls, its best NOT TO DO ANYTHING.
In the time it takes you to realize it, they go back to normal again,
so unless you've been playing for a while and really know what you are doing,
you should not turn at all. It's not great advice, but there's not much you
can do unless you have really great reflexes, and can adapt to the situation
quickly. It's also not a good idea to prepare to reverse controls when the
bolt hits you, as most often it just shuts off your air brakes and you are
just making it worse for yourself.
Defensive Weapons (dfw)
Offensive weapons are used to get you ahead. Defensive weapons are used to
keep you ahead. This section includes perhaps the most useful weapons
(excluding quake) in the game, providing you use them at the right time.
They can be used to secure a position, or they can protect you from a mortal
blow. Like the offensive weapons, effectiveness, relies almost totally on
timing.
Mines (mns)
Mines can slow down and disrupt opponents that could potentially take you
out of the race or at least slow you down. They don't have a long life span,
but that also means if someone behind you gets hit, they weren't far behind.
Every time you use them, you release 5 mines. There are many ways to use
these to your advantage. Even though they are small, 5 together are big
enough to block the track sideways. Of course, you won't be flying at a
90 or 270 degree angle, but you can fly diagonally and block off entire
sections, guaranteeing a collision if someone flies into them. However,
a mine on its own does little damage, and does not give a good deal of
slow down. In rows however 5 mines can do a lot, and after hitting 5
you can shake someone up quite a bit.
When to use
-When someone is directly behind you. Doing this slams 5 mines directly
into them, causing good slowdown and damage. It's a cheap tactic, but
nice guys finish last, right?
-Boost pads. It's a good idea to place them after or before boost pads.
They really wreck your momentum and the little explosions all at once make
it hard to see if you are playing a human player. Against AI's, this also
works well because it robs them of a proper boost, whether they avoid it or
grab it and get pummeled by mines.
When not to use
-In the air. Using them when airborne is a waste, because they tend to get
spread around a bit so its hard for other ships to hit them.
-When you are last. Unlike bombs, Mines disappear after a few seconds,
so there's no chance of anyone hitting them unless you are really, really
far behind.
How to Avoid
-Make sure it's a mine before you plan evasive maneuvers. From far away
the ships engines can look like mines, and vice versa. Once you have
confirmed this, move out of the way, or, if you have rockets or a missile
on hand, blast them and continue on your way. Alternatively, you could
choose to turn on your shield and run straight through them, with no
penalties to speed.
Bombs (bmb)
Bombs do massive damage, as well, they can go off even if you don't hit them.
This is a good and bad thing. Good, if an AI clumsily stumbles too close, or
bad, if an AI does this while you are right next to them. It's best to always
give bombs a wide, and I mean wide berth. When they are in your hands
however, they are a great tool.
When to use
-Boost pads, or the "sweet spots" of turns. Boost pads are self explanatory;
just use a bomb like you would with mines. The "sweet spot" of a turn is
where it is the most efficient path through a turn. Because AI's
are...well...AI's, this is the path they always take. By placing a bomb
there, they may run into it, or if they avoid it , they are forced to take
a more inefficient route. Either way it works out good.
When not to use
-In the air, like mines, a bomb is almost useless in the air, and
they have even worse coverage. There is always a better place to
put it on the ground.
How to avoid
-Bombs stay on the track, so you might see the same one a few times.
However, you cannot take damage from your own bombs. If you have a
good memory simply run through it, and you will have no problem. Be
careful though, because if you make a mistake... As well, bombs
are destructible like mines, so blow them up with a rocket or missile
if its in your way. An even better way to this would be from a distance
when other ships are near the bomb. Its pretty cool to send 3 rockets flying
down the track and see a huge explosion wipe out (no pun intended) the other
ships.
Shield (shd)
-Shields don't last very long, but they can absorb any damage you take until
they are gone. Useful for when you know a quake is coming or when a bomb is
straight ahead and there's no time to get out of the way. And, because they
take up space themselves, you can use them to "cushion" yourself along a
tight section of a track instead of scraping against it like normal.
"Cushioning", can give you better control in some situations.
When to use
-When a hard hitting weapon is coming up. The shield will absorb all of it,
with no penalty to you.
-See "cushioning" above.
When not to use
-When a light hitting weapon like a single mine or another vessel is coming
up. Its usually a waste of time.
-When you have low energy. This is debatable, and I would appreciate
feedback on this, but it is my opinion that its better to absorb a shield
rather than use it when you have very low energy. In the long run, I have
seen its better to have some more health rather than have invincibility for
a short period.
Special Weapons-
Yay! Finally the most devastating weapons in the game. Both weapons are
the best in each category. The plasma bolt deals the most damage, and the
quake deals easily the most force. They are much rarer than their non-special
counterparts however, so knowing when to use them is very important. Special
weapons also heal quite a bit, and sometimes it might be a better choice to
absorb a quake than fire it.
Quake (quk)
The Quake is the best weapon in the game. It even looks the coolest.
It does a good deal of damage over a huge area. It deals so much force
to such a large group it can turn a bad situation into an assured victory.
But they are very rare. If you get one, it is most likely the only one for
that race. I have had as many as four before, but don't grow to rely on
them. Because they are so rare, there are few things worse
than wasting a quake.
When to use
-If you aren't first, use it. It travels pretty far, and you'll know you got
some when you round the corner and see a bunch of ships struggling to
accelerate again. Because it covers the entire width of the track you don't
need to aim, just fire it away.
When not to use
-If you are first, or really need the energy. Absorbing it seems to heal quite
a bit, and if you are far enough ahead absorbing it is probably a better idea.
If you are first and have an ample supply of energy, hang on to it. There is
no better weapon you could hang onto. If a guy slips ahead, blast him with a
quake, and take back what's yours.
How to Avoid
-There is no avoiding it really, but you can try to speed ahead and put as
much distance between you and the quake as possible. The best thing to do
is to brace yourself and prepare to get back in the race ASAP.
Plasma Bolt
-This is a damage dealer. Aiming is tricky at times, but a successful hit
is utterly devastating. Most of the elimination's probably come from plasma
bolts and bombs. Not only that, but the force it exerts is huge as well.
Huge slowdown and damage? It sounds too good to be true, and it is.
It takes a while to charge, which is less than the time in Wipeout: Fusion,
but still long enough for the target to get away. Aiming is very important
here, and on tracks with a slant to them or a lot of turns, its probably a
better idea to absorb it.
When to use
-On straight-aways. Providing its long enough, a straight-away makes
for easy targeting. Easy targeting makes for easy damage.
-When they are right in front of you. This is rare, where both your
ship and an AI are slowed down and forced in this position, and even
rarer when you have a plasma bolt as well. Still, if the opportunity arises,
don't hesitate. Blast him to Wipeout heaven.
When not to use
-Curves. Enough said.
Miscellaneous Weapons (mw)
They don't have to deal direct damage to be useful. Getting your ship out of
a tricky situation can be great as well. They can give you a big boost ahead
of your opponents, making them a valuable asset.
Auto-Pilot (ap)
Ah yes, the infamous auto-pilot. Some hate it , some love it. I personally
love it. It's of great use in tough spots where human reflexes have
difficultycoping. The auto-pilot effortlessly handles turns, no matter
how tight, andalways plots the most efficient route. Most of the time.
It doesn't always grab the boosts and sometimes, it can steer you right into
bombs, mines, and other ships. It has still proven itself as a very
useful tool in my opinion.
When to use
-Tight, hairpin, curves, or lots of curves one after the other. The auto-pilot
handles these excellently, and it usually lasts long enough just to get the job
done.
When not to use
-Straight-aways. This is foolish, as you could easily get the job done
yourself. Just absorb it, or wait until the opportunity arises.
Turbo (tb)
The good old turbo. It gives a nice boost of speed, that's even larger than
the one received through boost pads. Good for putting distance between you and
the guy in second place, or for catching up. Also has potential for running
away from quakes, though that is not 100% effective.
When to use
-Straight-aways. Duh.
-Recovering from a turn or a weapon impact. Don't use it as soon as you get
hit, instead, position yourself first, then hit the turbo. It's much better
than speeding into the walls after getting hit by some rockets.
When not to use
-This is a hard one. It basically always has a use. Even on really curving
tracks, the turbo can accelerate you quickly after a tight turn. This is
really up to you. To absorb or not to absorb. That is the question.
Insicor says, "[You shouldn't use] turbos on uphill parts of
tracks. They tend to send you flying off the track..."
I couldn't agree more, and it's a wonder I missed this before. Let
me add that doing this can launch you off, causing you to be teleported
out back where you were (sometimes, wayyy back), or worse, push you
up onto the walls of the track. This is really annoying, especially
in multiplayer, because it won't teleport you away and you will be stuck
there. Still though, thanks Insicor! If anyone else wishes to comment,
contact me at
[email protected].
Your Ship (ys)
No. I'm not trying to be funny. While it doesn't do any damage at all on it's
own, you can slam other ships into walls with it and slow them down a fair
amount. Like everything, it has it's purpose.
When to use
-Tight turns. Accelerate and slam them into the wall, pinning them and
allowing you to take the turn easier.
-Approaching a weapons or boost pad. Don't be afraid to muscle them out of
the way. Your ship can handle it, and it prevents them from scoring a pickup.
When not to use
-Around bombs or mines. Don't try this when other objects are in the area. A
bomb could explode nearby, causing big damage to both ships.
-Sections with no walls. The whole point is pinning them against a wall.
Where there all no walls the effect is lost. As well, you run the risk of
falling off.
Special Thanks to
CjayC, for creating a great site.
You, for reading this.
Sony, for creating a great system
Studio Liverpool- for making a great game.
My friend Eric, for getting me into video games.
If you see anything wrong, feel free to contact me, I'll make the corrections
and provide due credit.
Contact me at
[email protected]
This may be not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal,
private use. It may not be placed on any web site other than www.gamefaqs.com
or otherwise distributed publicly without advance written permission.
Use of this guide on any other web site or as a part of any public
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