/----------------------------------------------------------------------------\ |*************************Mail Order Monsters FAQ****************************| \----------------------------------------------------------------------------/ ###FAQ Version 1.00 : Revised last on 05/12/03### 1. Introduction /\ /\ /-------\ 2. Controls /XXXOXOXXX\ /XXXXXXXXXXX\ 3. Set-up /XXXXXo|oXXXXX\ /---------------\ 4. Meadow Buildings (X\/ \/ \/ \/ \/X) (X/\ /\ /\ /\ X) 5. Traits \------------/ 6. Extras 7. Weapons 8. Sundries(Items) 9. The Morphs 10. Combat Set-up 11. Winnings 12. Combat Analysis 13. Contest Strategies 14. Cheap Tricks for Tournament Mode 15. Credits 16. Copyrights ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1. Introduction ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Time for a little battle, Godzilla-style! You goal is to choose and create the beast to destroy all beasts. One that will reign supreme over battlefields of bodies. Choose from 12 different "morphs"(Mail ORder Psychon Heroes), give them a variety of weapons, abilities and protective gear, then lead them into battle to collect flags, collect trophies, or collect the other Morphs' heads! You can allow a second player to join you in the monster mashing....just make sure your Morph is ready for it! You are inches from the Transmat....Time to see what your competition is made of! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2. Controls ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The controls are a little complicated, but nothing tough. There are four modes : Meadow, Menu, Map and Melee(Wow, all M words...triple score!). Meadow : Move Joystick : Move the joystick in any direction to walk around the Meadow. Walk into a building to activate/enter it. Menu : Move Joystick : Move around the choices. Fire Button : Confirm choice. Map : Move Joystick : Moves your Morph in the direction you push the joystick in. Fire Button : Activates the map's menu. Fire Button + Joystick direction : Fires a Missile or Bomb in the direction pushed, if you have one equipped(see Equipment). Melee : Move Joystick : Moves your Morph in the direction you push the joystick in. Fire Button + Joystick direction : Fires your current weapon/attack in the direction the joystick was pushed. Fire Button twice(rapid) : Activates the menu. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3. Set-up ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ First, press F3 to choose the number of players(1 or 2) or if you want two computer players to watch a quick "demo" fight. Then(assuming you didn't choose a computer demo), press F5 to choose your game mode : Free-Trial(Beginner) : This will allow you to test each Morph in turn with no choices other than which Morph you wish to use. Once you pick a Morph, type in a name for it and you're off! Rental(Intermediate) : Now, not only can you choose your Morph, but you can also buy its weapons and upgrades. You can also choose the rules and where you want the fight to be held. The catch is you only have 500 Psychons to spend on the various items and Morphs. Also, you are not allowed to keep the Morph after combat. Tournament : Everything is unlocked. You can do whatever you please with your Morph. The problem is you are only given 250 Psychons to start. Spend wisely..... Now just press F7 to begin the game! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 4. Meadow Buildings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ New around town? Here's a description of the buildings, their locations and what they do : The Vats(east portion) : This building is where you can pick and create your Morph. You can also bring an old Morph back for 125 Psychons later for an upgrade. Lastly, if your Morph was injured in battle, you can bring it here to restore its Life back to normal...for a price. Weapons Shop(north portion) : This is where you can purchase a multitude of armaments for your Morph(see Weapons). You can purchase defenses, ammo and other equipment here as well(see Sundries). Also, you can get a free Summary of how your Morph is doing. That way, you can see if you bought too much and it's weighed down(Speed is lower than normal) or you can make sure it isn't wounded(Life is lower than normal, see Traits)) from the last fight. Corrals(west portion) : You may only enter here in the Tournament mode. This is where you can save any of the various Morphs you have collected. Simply go in and choose the Get command to grab a Morph. When finished, bring it back and choose Pen to save it. There's also a Zap command to get rid of any Morph you no longer want. Transmat(south portion) : Use this once you are finished giving your Morph the finishing touches. This will send you to the Battlefield options screen. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 5. Traits ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ So, you don't have a clue on why your Morph is only running at half-speed? Or perhaps you want to know why your opponent seems to load his Laspistol faster than you can do so with your Needler? All the answers are in this section. The list provided here gives a run-down of the five Traits every Morph has and what they mean in English, as well as how much they cost in Psychons and Victory Points per Trait Point. For example, Speed costs 40 Psychons per point on your first visit to the Vats. Afterwards, it's 8 Victory Points per Trait boost...Lights! : Armor[20, 4] : Your Morph's natural hide. The higher this is, the less damage you'll take per hit. This will be particularly important when your opponent insists on showing you his newly-acquired E-Mace. Muscle[15, 3] : This Trait boosts the power of your Morph's Beastfu attack. The higher the Trait, the more likely your opponent will feel the hit. Also, it allows you to carry heavier equipment without a Speed reduction. Did you really think you could carry 5 Weapons into battle with no sweat? Speed[40, 8] : Defines your ability to circle your opponent easily...or at least the ability to chase him or her down. The higher, the faster. Mind[25, 5] : The higher this Trait is, the faster your Morph can reload whatever it is attacking with and fire again. A Mind Trait of 1 can be a death sentence unless it has a high Speed to compensate... Life[3, 1] : Your Morph's Health. The more it has, the longer it may live. All Traits except Life have a maximum limit 12. Life can go as high as 250. Also, you can only boost each of your Morph's Traits by 3 points per visit to the Vats, except for Life once again. Life is allowed a nice maximum boost of 30 points per stop-in. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 6. Extras ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Every Morph in the game has a choice from 11 of the 20 different Extras. Which ones your Morph starts with and which you can choose from vary from beast to beast. No matter what, however, you may have up to 9 Extras at any given time. Also once chosen, they cannot be sold back or removed. So I have included a complete list here to help you in deciding what to give your monster. I also have included the cost in both Psychons and Victory Points as well as a personal rating of 1-10 for each Extra. In example, for the Extra "Hands", the Cost is 25 Psychons or 3 Victory Points and I gave it a rating of 3 out of 10 : AntiChem[125, 13](6/10) : This Extra reduces the damage you take from Chemical-type attacks. The usefulness of this depends on your opponent. But, since most people will pack a Gas Gun or Flamer, it may be a bit more useful than you think. Anti-Proj[100, 10](4/10) : This Extra reduces the damage you take from Projectile-type attacks. It's nice, but most Projectile attacks don't do that much damage(usually to 8 damage) to begin with. It's better to save up for a different Anti or perhaps another type of Extra all together. Anti-E[175, 18](9/10) : This Extra reduces the damage you take from Electric-type attacks. This is one of the most useful Antis because Electrical attacks cause a LOT of damage when they hit(as well as they are usually very popluar). And with weapons like the E-Mace, Multilas, Laspistol and Grav-Gun, you'll probably need the protection it provides. Anti-Psi[250, 25](7/10) : This Extra reduces the damage you take from Psionic-type attacks. It is useful since a good number of opponents enjoy using stuff like Mindsink and Psi-Blast. However, those attacks are expensive and will not be seen in play as often. If you have a high Mind Trait(i.e. you are using a Humanoid), then get it to protect your "investment". AntiThump[80, 8](4/10) : This Extra reduces the damage you take from Physical-type attacks. Except for a Beastfu hit from a well-Muscled opponent, you most likely won't need this. Bombs and Missiles will rarely see play and few opponents will want to get into true close-combat to make this Extra required. Breath[100, 10](5/10) : A close-ranged Chemical attack. Really, it's not THAT important to get this. However, if you plan on getting the Flamer, it is much cheaper to go with this instead(200 Psychons + 6 per 10 Rounds of ammo VS. 100 Psychons/10 Victory Points + 2 Psychons per 10 units of food). It is your call depending on your Morph. Burrow[65, 7](7/10) : Allows you to go through mountainous terrain without a Speed penalty. Several Terrain choices have mounains in them. Having this will aid in avoiding them. Plus, it's much cheaper than getting a Jet Pack and it saves your Energy for something better. Claws[25, 3](6/10) : This Extra increases the Beastfu damage you can inflict. If you plan on needing Beastfu this bad, you may not be well-armed enough. Also, most creatures that can get this upgrade start with it anyway. Still it's cheap enough to warrant getting...if you have money to spare. Electouch[120, 12](2/10) : This allows your Morph to deliver an Electrical attack at close range. Seriously, don't even consider it. If you need a close range Electric attack that bad, save up for an E-Mace as it does more damage. However, I still say you porbably won't need it. Fangs[40/4](6/10) : This Extra increases the Beastfu damage you can inflict. The same rules for the Claws Extra apply here. Gills[75, 8](7/10) : Allows you to go through water without a Speed penalty. Like Burrow, this is cheap enough to get and is useful enough to warrant a early grab. Hands[25, 3](3/10) : This is one of the more worthless upgrades. Unless your monster comes with it, ignore it. The only weapons that require Hands are the Sword and the E-Mace, both short-range weapons. The E-Mace is potent, but not worth the cost of a Extra slot if you can avoid it. Healing[170, 17](5/10) : This Extra lets you regenerate 1 Life point about every 10 seconds while on the battlefield. It CAN help at times, but it's usually easier to just spend the Psychons/Victory Points on more Life or Armor. Photosyn[130, 13](7/10) : This Extra slowly fills your E-Pak(if you have one) while you are on the battlefield. Since you will likely get an E-Pak for some weapon or defense later in the game, this can aid in making sure you always have ammo for it. Psi-Blast[150, 15](9/10) : This is a Psionic attack that damages your opponent as well as reduces his or her Mind Trait. Simply wonderful, isn't it? A few shots of this can almost seal your victory. While you may not be able to get it early on, do spend the Victory Points on it later. You won't regret it. Spit[75, 8](7/10) : A Projectile-type attack that damages your opponent. Most Morphs have the ability to learn this(crude, eh?) and probably should if given the chance. It does enough damage to make up for the cost. While not essential, it can help turn the tide of combat... Sting[80, 8](1/10) : A Physical-type attack that damages your opponent. Don't bother with this worthless Extra. It does about the same damage as a Needler weapon but it requires food instead. Usually if you can get this, you can get Spit or at least another attack. Ignore this Extra at all costs(or the saving of them, anyway)! Teleport[200, 20](3/10) : Allows the Morph to walk through miscellaneous terrain without a Speed Penalty. I'm referring those small hills and dirt mounds. While it may seem useful, it's far too expensive to consider for its limited aid. Choose something else for your Victory Points. Tentacles[40, 4](7/10) : Get these if you have the money to spare. Getting Tentacles will allow you to use the powerful Mindsink and Multilas weapons, which inflict HEAVY damage(either Trait or health-wise). The only drawbacks are the limited bonuses there-after from getting these and that both weapons are rather heavy and expensive. Web[65, 7](4/10) : A Chemical attack that holds your opponent in place for a short duration. If you are going to consider this, you will need a high Mind Trait or else the Web will wear off before you can attack your trapped foe. Worse, the Web does no damage, so you will lose both the Food ammo and given your opponent a chance to reload if you don't strike fast. It may be useful, but there are better options availible. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 7. Weapons ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ What would combat be without the chance to blow off your opponent's head with a Autorifle? Here's a complete list of Weapons, their costs, ammo requirement, damage amount, bullet speed, range as well as my rating of 1 to 10 for each one : _________ | | |Autorifle| : |_________| Ammo Requirement - Rounds. Cost - 90 Psychons. Damage - Medium. Bullet Speed - Fast. Range - Long. Rating - 6/10 Stars. This will most likely be your staple gun. It's cheap but inflicts decent damage. It does require Rounds, but at only 90 Psychons you should be able to afford it. ____ | | |Bomb| : |____| Ammo Requirement - Rounds. Cost - 510 Psychons. Damage - Colossal. Bullet Speed - Average. Range - Extreme. Rating - 2/10 Stars. Why would I rate such a lethal weapon only 2 Stars? 1) It can only be used on the map and it takes a LONG time to reload. 2) It's extremely heavy, meaning you'll need a strong Morph to tote it. 3) The sound effect can be heard across the globe, meaning your opponent has PLENTY of time to get out of the way. And 4), the ammo consumption is astounding! Put your money to better use. _______ | | |BooRang| : |_______| Ammo Requirement - None. Cost - 80 Psychons. Damage - Slight. Bullet Speed - Slow. Range - Long. Rating - 4/10 Stars. This is your basic cheap weapon. It requires no ammo, so you can get it on a strict budget. However, it doesn't cause nearly enough damage to be worthwhile. If you are desparate for a distance attack, however, then this will tide you over until you can get something better. ______ | | |E-Mace| : |______| Ammo Requirement - Energy. Cost - 110 Psychons. Damage - Heavy. Bullet Speed - N/A Range - Close. Required Trait - Hands. Rating - 4/10 Stars. Okay, this thing does a heck of a lot of damage! A few whomps should cripple nearly any Morph you encounter. However, due to both the short range of the weapon and the fact that you must have the otherwise useless Extra, Hands, the usefulness is quickly diminished. With a quick Morph, it may be useful, but don't break your neck trying to get it. _________ | | |E-Stealer| : |_________| Ammo Requirement - Energy. Cost - 180 Psychons. Damage - N/A. Bullet Speed - N/A. Range - Close-Medium. Rating - 2/10 Stars. Let's see...I get close to my opponent and use this wave-like shot to suck Energy out of his pack? And no real damage is caused? Almost every Morph can get the Photosyn ability or at least afford more Energy shots. I don't see anyone burning through Energy so much that they will need this weapon. Save your cash for an actual weapon. ______ | | |Flamer| : |______| Ammo Requirement - Rounds. Cost - 200 Psychons. Damage - Heavy. Bullet Speed - N/A Range - Close-Medium. Rating - 6/10 Stars. I don't like any weapon where I have to chase down my opponent. However, this weapon can help make up for it. The damage it deals helps balance its high cost and short range. Nothing like a weenie roast...Is Godzilla crunchy? _______ | | |Gas Gun| : |_______| Ammo Requirement - Rounds. Cost - 150 Psychons. Damage - Medium. Bullet Speed - Average. Range - Long. Rating - 5/10 The Autorifle fires faster, costs less and is lighter. While this may cause more damage, the extra 60 Psychons is not really worth it. It's your Morph... ________ | | |Grav-Gun| : |________| Ammo Requirement - Energy. Cost - 400 Psychons. Damage - Severe. Bullet Speed - N/A. Range - Close-Medium. Rating - 7/10 Stars. Can you say "earthquake"? This weapon will literally devestate an enemy's Life count. The only problems with this gun are that it is short-ranged and high-priced. If you can afford it, however, it will serve you well. _______ | | |Grenade| : |_______| Ammo Requirement - Rounds. Cost - 100 Psychons. Damage - Heavy, explodes on contact. Bullet Speed - Slow. Range - Long. Rating - 1/10 Stars. Bleah! Even if you manage to get a hit with the slow-moving shot, few players will be dumb enough to stand there and take the damage from the Grenade, leaving you with only causing 5 Life worth of damage...at best! Don't even bother looking in its general direction. _________ | | |Laspistol| : |_________| Ammo Requirement - Energy. Cost - 250 Psychons. Damage - Heavy. Bullet Speed - Very Fast. Range - Long. Rating - 9/10 Stars. Now this is a nice weapon! Lightweight, heavy damage and the price is decent(considering the weapon)! Get one as soon as you can. The ONLY drawback is that it is a bit pricey. ________ | | |Mindsink| : |________| Ammo Requirement - Energy. Cost - 450 Psychons. Damage - Severe. Bullet Speed - Fast. Range - Long. Required Trait - Tentacles. Rating - 9/10 Stars. I can cause a lot of damage AND wreck my opponent's Mind Trait?! Get me one, PLEASE! You need Tentacles to use this and the weapon is VERY expensive, but it is worth it. Pick one up and start sucking their brains away! _______ | | |Missile| : |_______| Ammo Requirement - Rounds. Cost - 380 Psychons. Damage - Severe. Bullet Speed - Fast. Range - Extreme. Rating - 2/10 Stars. Same story here as the Bomb. If you can easily miss your opponent with such a high cost weapon, it probably will not be worth your while. Get something better... ________ | | |Multilas| : |________| Ammo Requirement - Energy. Cost - 350 Psychons. Damage - Severe. Bullet Speed - Very Fast. Range - Long. Required Trait - Tentacles. Rating - 8/10 Stars. Now we're talking! A weapon that will literally fry an opponent with a barrage of lasers. Pratically guartanteed to severely wound if not outright eliminate a Morph in just a few shots. The catches are that it is heavy, very expensive and that it requires Tentacles. Once you can deal with it, you can begin your collection of trophies. _______ | | |Needler| : |_______| Ammo Requirement - Rounds. Cost - 50 Psychons. Damage - Slight. Bullet Speed - Fast. Range - Long. Rating - 1/10 Stars. Was this a joke? Why get a weapon that requires ammo and does less damage than the slightly higher priced Boorang? After all, the money you save in ammo for it quickly pays for the Boorang instead...In fact, skip the Needler all together. You don't need it. _____ | | |Sword| : |_____| Ammo Requirement - None. Cost - 30 Psychons. Damage - Slight. Bullet Speed - N/A Range - Close. Required Trait - Hands. Rating - 1/10(Though I would prefer a zero instead of a one). Terrible...absolutely TERRIBLE! Why even PAY 30 Psychons for a close-range weapon that will not likely cause more than 1 Life worth per hit?! If you are considering this for your first weapon, don't. Just put the money into upgrading your Morph's Speed or Muscle and have it use Beastfu. You'll cause much more damage than this pitiful stick could ever have a chance at... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 8. Sundries(Items) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Weapons alone can't win a fight. Besides, how will you take down your foe if you don't have any ammo? The Sundries section is a wide selection of tools, defenses and ammo for your Morph. I'll provide the description and cost for each item, as well as a rating from 1 to 10. All items in the Sundries shop come under one of three catergories(Defenses, Aid, Ammo) : /----------------------------------------------\ |*****************Defenses*********************| \----------------------------------------------/ Defenses protect your Morph from certain types of attacks. These are usually used for any Anti your Morph may be lacking. While it helps, all Defenses are usually costly and all will drain your Energy reserves while active. In this catergory are the following : _________ | | |Forcfield| : |_________| Ammo Requirement - Energy. Cost - 150 Psychons. Effect - Reduces the damage you take from Projectile-type attacks. Rating - 5/10 Stars. Despite me giving a lower rating to Anti-Proj, this does justify the means. It doesn't take up an Extra slot and is fairly cheap for a Defense. Still, it'll suck your E-Pak dry and Projectiles don't do that much damage to begin with. _________ | | |MagnaMail| : |_________| Ammo Requirement - Energy. Cost - 100 Psychons. Effect - Reduces the damage you take from Physical-type attacks. Rating - 3/10 Stars. Well, there it is...And how lousy it works. You can get AntiThump for seventy or so Psychons less and that doesn't require Energy. Truly, do you need protection against attacks brought at close range? Get another Defense. _________ | | |Neutrlzer| : |_________| Ammo Requirement - Energy. Cost - 200 Psychons. Effect - Reduces the damage you take from Chemical-type attacks. Rating - 6/10 Stars. Since Chemical attacks are not seen often, you most likely won't need it. On the other hand, if you find yourself being hit by a fast Breath-using opponent, the extra guard may help... _______ | | |Psihelm| : |_______| Ammo Requirement - Energy. Cost - 320 Psychons. Effect - Reduces the damage you take from Psionic-type attacks. Rating - 7/10 Stars. Nothing like guarding yourself from the several nasty Mind-robbing attacks out there. While not the best on this list, you may want to consider it if your Morph doesn't have Anti-Psi yet. ________ | | |Reflecto| : |________| Ammo Requirement - Energy. Cost - 250 Psychons. Effect - Reduces the damage you take from Energy-type attacks. Rating - 7/10 Stars. This will help against those Multilas and Laspistol fans. Frankly, it seems a bit pricey when it also sucks up your Energy. But if your Morph can't learn Anti-E, this is the next best thing. ______ | | |Ultron| : |______| Ammo Requirement - Energy. Cost - 400 Psychons. Effect - Reduces the damage you take from all attacks. Rating - 9/10 Stars. Now you're talking! Reduced damage from all attacks...where do I sign?! The only problems with this wonderous purple shield are the extreme cost(Ultron + E-Pak + Energy ammo = 500 Psychons...probably more) and the fact it will be emptying your Energy reserves. Still, the assistance it provides can easily make up for them. /----------------------------------------------\ |*******************Aid************************| \----------------------------------------------/ Aid items are used to make up for anything in Extras or Traits that your Morph is missing. While most cost Energy to make use of, there are some that don't require the Ammo drain. The items on the Aid list are as follows : ________ | | |Aqualung| : |________| Ammo Requirement - Energy. Cost - 100 Psychons. Effect - Allows your Morph to move through water as if it the Gills Extra. Rating - 3/10 Stars. This really isn't as great as it seems...oh wait, it doesn't seem that great. The only improvement here is that you won't need the Extra slot taken away. But Gills are cheaper and don't use up Energy! Avoid this E-sucker. _____ | | |E-Pak| : |_____| Ammo Requirement - None. Cost - 50 Psychons. Effect - Allows you to hold up to 200 units of Energy. Rating - 10/10 Stars. Hmm...Only 50 Psychons to be allowed to hold the Ammo for the most powerful weaponry and equipment in the game? Get one now, do you hear me? NOW! ________ | | |Jet Pack| : |________| Ammo Requirement - Energy. Cost - 150 Psychons. Effect - Allows your Morph to move through miscellaneous terrain as if it had the Teleport Extra. Rating - 2/10 Stars. Well, it's cheaper than the Teleport Extra. But it still isn't that helpful and the Jet Pack will suck away your Energy while in effect. Since Teleport is only 50 Psychons more, just get that if you REALLY want it... ________ | | |Medi-kit| : |________| Ammo Requirement - Energy Cost - 130 Psychons. Effect - Regenerates your Morph's Life in battle as if it had the Healing Extra. Rating - 5/10 Stars. This is a great way to suck up Energy. Healing is only 40 Psychons more and doesn't use Energy that you need. Just get Healing or ignore both altogether. _________ | | |MemoryRNA| : |_________| Ammo Requirement - None. Cost - 80 Psychons. Effect - Gives your Morph a boost in its Mind Trait. Rating - 7/10 Stars. Nothing like a much needed boost, eh? Truthfully, you should buy this when Victory points are tight. Mind boosts start with being 25 Psychons apiece, which is more of an effect(75 for three Mind points) than you'll get with the MemoryRNA. Still, the item isn't bad and can help you along at the start. _________ | | |Star Java| : |_________| Ammo Requirement - None. Cost - 70 Psychons. Effect - Gives your Morph a boost in its Speed Trait in combat. Rating - 8/10 Stars. This is one nice boost for your Morph. With points in Speed being so expensive, it's nice to get this to give it Speed without the high cost. Also, it doesn't even require any Energy to operate. Just pick it up when you can. /----------------------------------------------\ |*******************Ammo***********************| \----------------------------------------------/ Ammo is used to fuel nearly attack your Morph will ever use(except the claw- to-claw attack Beastfu, of course...the Morph must rip out the 'energy' it needs, heh heh...). Also, all Ammo has a maximum carrying limit of 200 units per Ammo type. For all of the attacks and weapons there are in the game, there are only three ammo types. These are : (P.S. I'm not rating these because...well, what sense would it really make?) ____ | | |Food| : |____| Cost per 10 units - 2. This type of ammo is used for all of those Extras you accumlated. For every Spit, Sting or Web you fire, you will drain these reserves. ______ | | |Rounds| : |______| Cost per 10 units - 6. This ammo is used for most conventional weaponry(Rifles, Chemical Weapons, etc.). Every shot fired from one of those guns will drop your Rounds count. ______ | | |Energy| : |______| Cost per 10 units - 4. This ammo is used for the high-tech weaponry, as well as some other equipment. Plus, you need an E-Pak before you can even carry this stuff. Still, it comes fairly cheap and there are multiple ways to restore it on the battlefield. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 9. The Morphs ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Well, you have a variety of Morphs to choose from, each with their own starting Traits and selectable Extras. But which to choose on a 250(or even 500) Psychon budget can be tricky. Here's my description(and personal notes) for each creature : (Key : A = Starting Armor, M = Starting Muscle, S = Starting Speed, B = Starting Mind(Brain), L = Starting Life, C = Initial Cost in Psychons) --- /----\ |Tyro| \----/ [Free-Trial Traits : A = 5, M = 5, S = 7, B = 6, L = 160] [Normal Traits : A = 5, M = 6, S = 4, B = 4, L = 140, C = 255] Notes : The only Morph you cannot afford at the start of a Tournament game, but it is nice if you can afford it later. It comes with above average starting Traits(if a tad slow) and has a decent selection of Extras to add onto it. Ah, patience... Research Suggestions : Speed is an obvious Trait to boost first here. If you can't afford it, get a Star Java instead to make up for it. The next idea will be to get Healing(Or buy a Med-Kit). The Speed boost plus the high Life count will make it a worthy addition to this dangerous creature. Free-Trial Weapons : E-Mace Starting Extras : Claws, Fangs, AntiThump. Selectable Extras : Sting, Breath, Gills, Burrow, AntiChem, Healing, Hands, Tentacles. --- /------\ |Bronto| \------/ [Free-Trial Traits : A = 4, M = 5, S = 5, B = 4, L = 150] [Normal Traits : A = 4, M = 5, S = 3, B = 2, L = 140, C = 190] Notes : The Bronto comes nicely armored and has a high Muscle count, but its Speed and Mind Traits are lacking. The main plus is that it will take a lot of firepower to take it down. Use this to your advantage and use ranged attacks, such as the AutoRifle, Laspistol and Boorang. Research Suggestions : You might think Speed is the best idea here, but you should be working on its Mind Trait instead. A 2 in that category means you won't have the weapon to fire when you need it. Pick up a MemoryRNA if Victory Points are tight. Healing works very well here. If Speedy opponents are of concern, purchase AntiThump to aid in countering them. Also, if close combat is being forced, get the Breath Extra as well. Free-Trial Weapons : Grenade. Starting Extras : Fangs, Gills, Anti-Proj. Selectable Extras : Sting, Breath, Teleport, AntiChem, AntiThump, Healing, Photosyn, Tentacles. --- /-------\ |Homonid| \-------/ [Free Trial Traits : A = 1, M = 2, S = 6, B = 8, L = 80] [Normal Traits : A = 1, M = 1, S = 5, B = 6, L = 47, C = 100] Notes : This guy is semi-slow, weak and has very little Life. However, he does have a good starting Mind Trait and he is very cheap. If you want a Morph that will leave you with plenty of Psychons, this is the choice. However, if you want a Morph that will last more than 30 seconds in battle or at least one that can run away from real threats, choose something else. If you still choose him, he will eventually pay off with his great selection of Extras. It's up to you... Research Suggestions : Start with Life, then Speed. With only 47 HP, he'll die rather fast from even the weakest blows. Don't bother with Healing as the Homonid doesn't have enough Health to make it worthwhile until much later. I would also leave out getting Claws since Beastfu will rarely be its main attack. Anti-Psi and Psi-Blast, however, are a good idea to get since its Mind Extra can be both useful and a target for its opponents. Free-Trial Weapons : Auto-rifle. Free-Trial Items : E-Pak Starting Extras : Hands. Selectable Extras : Electouch, Psi-Blast, Claws, Gills, Teleport, AntiChem, Anti-Psi, Healing, Photosyn, Tentacles. --- /--------\ |Lyonbear| \--------/ [Free-Trial Traits : A = 2, M = 4, S = 8, B = 6, L = 130] [Normal Traits : A = 2, M = 4, S = 6, B = 4, L = 110, C = 200] Notes : This Morph was meant to chase down and beat your opponents into submission. It already has decent Muscle and high Speed Traits, plus a healthy Life count. Research Suggestions : Speed is already well compensated for. If you want any more speed, get a Star Java for a while. Truthfully, its Mind needs more work than anything else. The key to this Morph at first is speed in legs and fire rate. I suggest nabbing Photosyn as well for it when you get the chance if you want an E-Mace. With it already being a speedy Morph AND starting with hands, it seems designed for it. Also, get Teleport when you have the Victory Points. Don't want a mountain to aid in your prey escaping, now do we? Free-Trial Weapons : Boorang. Starting Extras : Claws, Fangs, Hands. Selectable Extras : Sting, Spit, Burrow, Teleport, Anti-Proj, AntiThump, Healing, Photosyn. --- /--------\ |Archanid| \--------/ [Free-Trial Traits : A = 4, M = 2, S = 6, B = 3, L = 95] [Normal Traits : A = 4, M = 1, S = 4, B = 1, L = 75, C = 120] Notes : The Arachnid has a relatively high Armor and Speed to start. However, its Brain Trait is extremely low. Still, the price isn't bad for a Morph with its own weapons to start. Research Suggestions : Mind Trait needs improving NOW and not a moment later! With only a 1 to start, your Web will be useless as your opponent will break free before you can take advantage of it. Boost that Trait as high as possible, then buy a MemoryRNA. After the Mind Trait is taken care of, work on its Life. Hands are useless here; Considering how weak it is at first, you will want to avoid close-combat until much later. Its also best to ignore Spit unless your opponent often has an AntiThump or Magnimail against your Sting. Free-Trial Weapons : Autorifle. Starting Extras : Web, Sting. Selectable Extras : Spit, Psi-blast, Gills, Burrow, Anti-E, Anti-Proj, Healing, Photosyn, Hands. --- /---------\ |Carnifern| \---------/ [Free-Trial Traits : A = 1, M = 2, S = 5, B = 3, L = 100] [Normal Traits : A = 1, M = 1, S = 3, B = 1, L = 80, C = 150] Notes : Though weak at the start, the Carnifern can gain several abilites to make it a dangerous advesary. Research Suggestions : Uh...don't? While an interesting Morph, this requires a lot of Psychons to get it to its...err, roots? If you still choose it, research Mind upgrades immediately followed by speed upgrades. Make sure you can get your hands on the Multilas ASAP. The starting Tentacles and Photosyn abilities make it almost a calling. Anti-E will help you shake a few of the deadlier weapons as you slowly power-up. Get Web when you can as this will almost seal your victory. Free-Trial Weapons : Gas Gun. Starting Extras : Anti-E, Photosyn, Tentacles. Selectable Extras : Sting, Web, Fangs, Gills, Burrow, Anti-Psi, Healing, Hands. --- /----\ |Worm| \----/ [Free-Trial Traits : A = 3, M = 3, S = 4, B = 4, L = 110] [Normal Traits : A = 3, M = 3, S = 2, B = 2, L = 90, C = 145] Notes : Although mediocre, the Worm is offered at a cheap price and has a variety of Extras and has a decent starting set of Traits. Research Suggestions : The Worm provides a decent selection of starting stats, even if they are a little low. The only problem is a lack of real Extras. Begin by buying it a Star Java and a MemoryRNA. Now, work on gaining Web as soon as you can to help ensnare your faster foes(and there will be many). From there, get Gills as you don't need anything else slowing your Worm down. Breath should be ignored for now, as you are too slow for close combat right now. Instead, get it more Trait upgrades(especially speed). Free-Trial Weapons : Grenade. Starting Extras : Spit, Burrow, Tentacles. Selectable Extras : Sting, Breath, Web, Claws, Gills, AntiChem, Healing, Photosyn. --- /-----\ |Squid| \-----/ [Free-Trial Traits : A = 2, M = 5, S = 7, B = 5, L = 120] [Normal Traits : A = 2, M = 5, S = 6, B = 3, L = 100, C = 170] Notes : A speedy and strong Morph with a decent selection of Extras. Research Suggestions : Of the Traits to upgrade, the Mind is the one to boost here. Its life and Armor(if a little low) will allow it to survive and its Speed is just fine. From there, get it Healing as its semi-high starting Life allows for it. Once your Squid is built up a little, grab it an Anti-Chem and make use of those Tentacles(Mindsink and Multilas). Get an Anti-Psi should the match turn into a "Mind war". Free-Trial Weapons : Needler. Starting Extras : Gills, Tentacles. Selectable Extras : Spit, Psi-Blast, Fangs, Teleport, AntiChem, Anti-Psi, Healing, Photosyn, Hands. --- /--------\ |Amoeboid| \--------/ [Free-Trial Traits : A = 1, M = 5, S = 6, B = 3, L = 180] [Normal Traits : A = 1, M = 5, S = 4, B = 1, L = 160, C = 180] Notes : Amoeboids are very healthy and flexible Morphs. They also have the most selectable Anti's availible. Research Suggestions : Start by getting it a Mind increase one way or another. Then pick the Anti of your choice. It has a very high starting Life count, so make Healing a high priority. You may also want to pick up Fangs, given its already high Muscle Trait. From there, it is up to you... Free-Trial Weapons : Boorang. Starting Extras : Gills, Tentacles. Selectable Extras : Electouch, Fangs, Burrow, Anti-E, AntiChem, Anti-Proj, AntiThump, Healing, Photosyn. --- /----\ |Crab| \----/ [Free-Trial Traits : A = 6, M = 3, S = 5, B = 5, L = 105] [Normal Traits : A = 6, M = 3, S = 3, B = 3, L = 85, C = 185] Notes : A "tank" styled Morph if there ever was one. The Crab is almost impervious to Physical-type attacks. Research Suggestions : Ignore the low starting Life. Its starting Armor more than makes up for it. Instead, concentrate on increasing its Speed so it can catch and crush its foes with those Pincers. In fact, why not teach it Electouch so you can cause some additional pain per hit? You may also want to give it Spit so it has an early distance attack that uses Food(and saves money as well). Free-Trial Weapons : Flamer. Starting Extras : Claws, Gills, AntiThump. Selectable Extras : Sting, Spit, Electouch, Burrow, Anti-E, AntiChem, Anti-Psi, Healing. --- /----\ |Wasp| \----/ [Free-Trial Traits : A = 3, M = 2, S = 7, B = 5, L = 75] [Normal Traits : A = 3, M = 2, S = 5, B = 3, L = 50, C = 175] Notes : The "little insect" with a nice punch. Though weak, its Speed aids it in dodging the most dangerous attacks. Research Suggestions : Speed and more Speed. Grab a Star Java, a Boorang and any Speed Trait upgrades you can afford. With these, you can dodge nearly any starting weapons. Now, once you have a few more Psychons and Victory Points on your side, pick up some Mind upgrades and Web. With these, you should be able to literally run circles around your foe. Just don't forget to get a little more Life later on or your bug'll be squashed rather quick. Also, pick up Anti-E(they all could easily be carrying those 'portable bug zappers')... Free-Trial Weapons : Boorang. Starting Extras : Sting. Selectable Extras : Spit, Electouch, Web, Claws, Anti-E, Anti-Proj, Healing, Photosyn, Hands, Tentacles. --- /---------\ |Pterasaur| \---------/ [Free-Trial Traits : A = 3, M = 1, S = 6, B = 4, L = 85] [Normal Traits : A = 3, M = 1, S = 4, B = 2, L = 60, C = 160] Notes : The Pterasaur is ready to dodge blows with a decent Speed and Armor... Research Suggestions : And it needs to! Low Life and Muscle means you won't be in close-combat often. A small Mind means ranged combat will be hard, too. Start by getting it Mind upgrades and Breath. If Speed is a problem, get Web instead and force your opponents into your Bar-B-Q! Hands should be ignored, as should Sting. Get Life later when you can afford the costs. Free-Trial Weapons : Needler. Starting Extras : Claws, Fangs. Selectable Extras : Sting, Breath, Electouch, Web, Anti-Proj, Anti-Psi, Healing, Photosyn, Hands. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 10. Combat Set-up ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This deserved its own section due to the LARGE amount of choices availible to all you wanna-be Godzillas out there. Player 2 selects the Terrain, Player 1 selects the game-type. Then you set the number of wins and off you go...but what do all of those options REALLY mean? *****Well, it isn't Vegas***** Your first choice is the terrain. The landscapes are : [Islands] - Lots of water, of course! [Ruins] - Wrecked buildings in place of mountains. [Arctic Waste] - Mix of water and miscellaneous terrain. [Volcanic Plains] - Lots of troublesome terrain, but no water. [Desert] - Little of any terrain in the way. [Jungle] - Minor amount of water, lot of misc. terrain. [Swamp] - Opposite of Jungle; lots of water, little misc. terrain. [Unknown Land] - Random amount of water and misc. terrain. *****I want a nice dirty fight...***** If you are in Tournament mode, each player may also select a rule(starting with Player 1). Both rules will effect both players, meaning you get whatever is coming to them and vice versa. If you want, you may choose your opponent's rule to cancel it. Of course, this means it will truly be a no-holds barred match! The possible rules are as follows : [No Energy Attks] - No Energy-type weapons or Extras will be selectable during the battle. You will have them back afterwards. [No Projectile Attks] - No Projectile-type attacks are allowed. [No Chemical Attks] - Nixes the Chemical-type weapons. [No Psi Attks] - Anything affecting or from the Mind is dis-approved. [Only Physical Attks] - Get out the Swords, Claws and Stings. This means you may only have Physical-type attacks are allowed in the fight...Crabs, anyone? [No Healing] - Anti-Medikit and Healing rule. [No Defenses] - That wonderful Ultron? Useless now. Anti's still work, though. [No Devices] - Like No Healing, but every other Aid is disabled. The E-Pak still works just fine, however(wasn't deemed fair to "turn it off"). [Weird Joysticks] - Makes every joystick direction make your Morph go a different direction than normal. It also changes which directions go where in mid-fight(the menu stays normal, however). Select VS. the comp for a true challenge! [No Surrender] - There's a command in-game that allows you simply Surrender and help your Morph avoid perishing permanently. With this in place, however, it becomes a brawl to the death only. [Limited Energy] - Cuts your Energy reserves to 50 units. [Limited Rounds] - Same as Limited Energy, but it applies to Rounds. *****Lock and load!***** After that, Player 1 may then select which one of the three contests they shall compete in. These include : [Destruction] - Go in, reach your opponent and give him the whopping of a lifetime! The monster still living is the winner. [Capture The Flags] - There will be 8 Flags scattered around the battlefield. Your job is to be the first to collect all of the Flags in order(first Flag #1, then flag #2, and so on and so on). However, since the flags are not marked on the map, you must make a guess and head for each flag that you can. If it's not the right one, remember where it is for your next pass later. Also, the flags are not unprotected. Each flag has a "Guard" that has the same level Traits as the opponent and less life. It also carries a Teker capable of doing around 8-12 damage a shot. If you are killed by a guard, you instantly lose the match! To collect a flag, either touch it and run or kill the flag's guard. [The Horde] - Seven "invaders" are coming down from the top of the screen. Touch one to begin combat against them. Kill one to earn a "Horde point". Kill more invaders than your opponent to win the round. If you are killed, the round instantly goes to your opponent. Also, if any one of the Horde reaches the bottom of the map, BOTH players lose! * Finally, you must select the number of wins required to win the match. Press F1, F3, F5 or F7 to select the same number of wins(F3 = 3 Wins, etc.). Plus, if you hold down the S key while you press one of the F keys, you will begin a "Super" contest. A Super contest means that the player must win all of the matches consecutively to win the match. If he, she or it loses just one during their streak, they lose altogether! However, the rewards are greater for doing this(see Winnings)... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 11. Winnings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Amassing a large bank account is not your only goal...okay, maybe it is to a point. Whether you win or lose, you will get SOMETHING for the contests. The rewards for the overall winners and losers are as follows : [Winners] : Victorious Owners get 125 Psychons for the first win in the set and 25 for any other battle afterwards. That means that if you lost the first battle out of five but won the other four, you'd only get 100 Psychons. Also, the Morph they use gain 2 Victory Points per battle won PLUS a random bonus of 0 to 3 Points(per battle) on top of that. Finally, if they chose a Super contest, they get 3 Victory Points plus the bonus instead of 2. [Losers] : The only gain they get is 1 Victory Point per battle won...that's assuming their Morph is still alive. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 12. Combat Analysis ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ So, how does that weird menu work? What do those numbers mean? Wonder no more! I present here a run-down of beat-downs...you get the idea... : *****What are those funny dots?***** First, you are first represented by either the red square(Player 1) or the yellow square(Player 2). Move around a little if you want. *****What are your options?***** Now, double-tap your fire-button. See the menu that popped up? That will let you perform a variety of commands. These include : [Attack] - Allows you to switch to a new weapon. Note that this new weapon will need to be reloaded immediately as if you just fired it. [Device] - Lets you see all of the nifty Defense and Aid items you have on your Morph. Also, it gives you an exact count for your Ammo. [Turn Defense Off] - For the Energy-conservationalists, you can turn your Defense item off to save Ammo. You can then select 'Turn Defense On' to re-activate it. [Map] - Takes you out of this menu and back into play. [Special] - Gives you another set of options. [Special : Map] - Same function. [Special : Main Menu] - Takes you back to the first menu. [Special : Surrender] - Allows you to plead mercy, sparing your Morph from being utterly destroyed in desparate moments. If you or your opponent has chosen the 'No Surrender' rule, however, this option becomes useless. [Special : Quit] - A last ditch plea. If neither player hits their fire button for 10 seconds after this is picked, you will both be returned to the Meadow as if the battle had never started. *****Do you read me?...Err, it?***** Now, take a peek at the screen in your creature's window(out of the menu). The word in the upper-left corner is your current weapon. When its green, you can fire it in combat. When red, it needs time to reload. Right below it is your Defense item. If you are playing Capture The Flags, the flag you most recently collected is shown below the Defense item. In the upper-right corner is your Life counter. As you take more hits, it will slowly decrease and change color from green(not too shabby) to yellow(starting to feel bad here) to red(kiss your mutant goodbye). On the bottom, the three abbreviations for the Ammo types are shown. As you use more attacks, they will change color in the same manner as the Life counter. Now, to begin actual combat(the good stuff), just move the two colored squares together and let the rumble commence! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 13. Contest Strategies ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Each of the three contests need a specific approach before you will be successful. Here's the edge to prepare you for any combat : /---------------------------------\ |*****General and Destruction*****| \---------------------------------/ * Since rules here can be applied to really any contest, I have combined the two for conveinence. * On every map, there are "Defender" areas. Where they are is completely random each game. Should you find one, it will be there until the battle is over or until the defender is killed(but it will be back the next battle). The two types of defenders are Wandroids(short-range weapon) and Urban Defenders(long-range weapon). Both cause a large portion of damage if they hit AND they are controlled by the opposing player. However, if a monster kills five Defenders in a match, that monster wins the game regardless of the contest's rules. * Weapons take longer to reload on the large map than in combat. * Take advantage of your foes' investments. For example, if they bought an E-Mace and plenty of Speed, get a high Mind Trait and Web + some distance weapon to toy with them until they are weak. * If you have Healing or a Medi-Kit, dive out of battle and run to the edge of the map every now and then. Your Life will recharge while you evade combat. * The computer has a habit of running in circles, but running directly away from you when your weapon is ready and its isn't. A speedy Morph can easily dodge to the side and shoot it, then run off to reload...rinse, repeat... * Have your weapon ready BEFORE you enter combat. Changing a weapon in mid-fight leaves you VERY vulnerable to fire. If you need to change your weapon that bad, get out of battle and switch then. * Take advantage of your "motion" Extras. If you have Gills, lure your opponent into the water as much as you can. While he stumbles, you can encircle and trap him! /---------------------------\ |*****Capture The Flags*****| \---------------------------/ * The best thing to do is wait for your opponent to go after all 8 Flags. You should be able to kill him with 8 Guards!:) * The computer will chase down the Guard at first. But should the computer touch the Flag, it will immediately begin trying to escape. Take advantage of this by running above/below it and JUST off to the side. The computer won't see a "direct line of fire", but the Guard's weapon will still hit. With practice, it will never leave Flag #1. * If you are playing VS. a human, just run towards whatever flag he/she goes to first. That way, should it turn out to be Flag #1, you'll be right there. If not, then you haven't revealed any other flags and you may get him with more Guards. /-------------------\ |*****The Horde*****| \-------------------/ * Defenders don't show up here(if they do, it's rare), so focus on bringing down the Horde. * Go for the middle! You can easily split the "trophies" in your favor then. * Use long-range weapons. The Horde creature shots are both painful and of medium speed. * You are not allowed to attack your opponent in this mode, so don't try. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 14. Cheap Tricks for Tournament Mode ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ So, you want to go down in the hall of shame(or already have)? Just can't seem to find the Morph that's right for you? Well, I have TWO cheap tricks here to aid you in earning fast cash...the low way : TIP #1 Invest all of your money in Speed and Mind(more so in Speed). Play Capture The Flags in Super mode. The computer is more than happy to die at the hands of your speedy Guards. On the outside shot you get caught by a Defender, run! This should guarantee success for...well, ever. TIP #2 This is a lot easier and a lot colder. Create two players, the first being the one you plan to use. Give the second any Morph you want to, just don't bother upgrading it. Have both enter combat and select a seven-win Super contest(any Super Contest will do, however) without the No Surrender rule, either for Destruction or Capture The Flags. Take the second player's controls and have it Surrender to your player repeatedly. After the match, save your winnings and repeat. No muss, no fuss...and barely any honor. Still, it works well! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 15. Credits ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ah, the "I hereby thank thee" portion of our FAQ : * Big thanks to EA for this unique game! * GameFAQs.com once again, for hosting my Commodore obesess...I mean FAQs! * My Commodore 128, for lasting this long. * My uncle for showing me "Cheap Trick #2". * My friend for being willing to play long enough to convince me to write a FAQ with which to torture him.;) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 16. Copyrights ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Touch this in any bad way and you will die in the most painful method imaginable...No, not legalese enough... "This may be not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal, private use. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise distributed publicly without advance written permission. Use of this guide on any other web site or as a part of any public display is strictly prohibited, and a violation of copyright." Not understandable enough, I guess...Let's try this. I wrote this document. You didn't. I have rights to it. You don't. I have several lawyers on my side. You shouldn't. I have credited only one website for this FAQ. You haven't. Now should you wish to place this on your site for any reasons, just E-Mail me and give me a heads-up. I'm usually easy to convince, but still I prefer you ask before you place it up. Thanks! This FAQ was molded, shaped and genetically enhanced specifically by Cobra1. Last check for "safety" was performed May 12th, 2003. E-Mail Address : BlackFangMercenaries@comcast.net