Mission Force: Cyber Storm Herc Base Herc Management Most games encourage you to be frugal with your finances, not so Cyber Storm where the golden rule is: if in doubt, splash out. There’s really no point in keeping money in the bank, when an extra Herc or more advanced weaponry could make all the difference where it really counts, out on the battlefield. Spend, spend, spend! Buying and Outfitting Hercs There’s really nothing complicated about purchasing new machines, simply aim to get the biggest and hardest Hercs as soon as is humanly possible. When the Demon, Reaper and Juggernaut become available, you’ll find that adding just a single one of these machines will increase the power of your Herc force exponentially. Herc Upgrades Okay, so it’s all very well lashing out fifty thousand credits on a brand new, custom built Herc, but you can save money and substantially improve the performance of your existing team, by making sure their internal structures and systems are up to scratch. Money is always a consideration, so you should work out a rough order of priority when it comes to upgrading your machines. On the defensive side, armour and shields should probably be your first concern, after all, you’ll need to survive in order to prosper. However, try and improve your reactor rating as soon as possible, as this will significantly raise power levels and weapons potential across the whole spectrum. Sensors are a vital component of any Herc’s make-up and every machine should be outfitted with the best sensor package available. Targeting computers and improved life support make relatively cheap and effective acquisitions, while reinforced legs will substantially aid your chances of er, well, remaining standing. Hardpoint accessories are the fluffy dice and go-faster stripes of the Herc world, those optional added extras which can turn the tide of any battle and you should definitely take advantage if you’ve got cash to burn. As a rule, cannon and missile heavy Hercs should always carry a supply drone as they’re relatively ammo intensive and can often need a reload during heavy fighting. When nano- technology becomes available, make sure all your premier Hercs have a package fitted as standard. Stealth and ECM systems are also extremely handy on bigger Hercs such as the Demon, Reaper or Juggernaut which naturally draw more enemy fire. Weapons It’s difficult to be dogmatic about which weaponry you should fit on individual Hercs and indeed, endless experimenting with payload is one of the finer aspects of the game, so just enjoy! However here’re some general guidelines: Buy the best of everything. Have a look in your weapons bay, if there’s a more expensive option, it will usually be worth it and a quick right click will reveal the gory details. New weapons which become available as a result of increases in rank are particularly exciting to the easily impressed and should be fitted immediately. If not sooner. Individual Hercs will probably specialise in a particular kind of weapons package, but a balanced machine which mixes several different types of payload is usually the most effective in combat. Beware of making your bigger Hercs totally reliant on weapons such as Energy or ELF which run off the battery, as you might not be able to muster sufficient power to fire them all in one round. The Bioderm Business Bioderms are the weird, protoplasmy things which pilot your Hercs. A strange lot, they require some fairly detailed management, but manipulating Derms successfully is a key strategy for success as a Herc Commander. When you’re creating Derms from scratch in the Biovat, you should obviously aim for quality, and lifespan and price are key considerations. Secure Derms which have longevity and you’ll be able to build up their skills and experience which in later missions, will produce pilots of ace status. Remember, there’s little or no point in investing money in a Derm which won’t last the distance. Next, consider the Derm’s base skills, and more importantly it’s learning curves. VR training is essential to realise a Bioderm’s full potential and it’s a very cost effective way of turning average Derms into reasonable pilots and good Derms into absolute killing machines! You’ll notice that some Derms, because of their parentage and history, are adept at certain weapons skills. Wherever possible you should try and match them with appropriate Hercs. For example the Tarsus Derm is tailor-made for the Giant Herc, because of its superhuman cannon skills. Beware of Derms which have low stability and slight resistance to toxins, they won’t handle the heat of battle too well. Take special care of the ‘Guest Star’ Bioderms such as Vryl, Tarsus and Qabal which accompany your promotions. They usually come with exceptional or enhanced abilities and will often be able to play a pivotal role in the operation of your Herc force. Financial Rewards Running a Herc squad for Unitech is an expensive business and requires copious amounts of the folding stuff to keep the machines rolling. However, generating sufficient cash shouldn’t be too difficult if you choose your missions carefully and complete them successfully. Your primary source of income comes from completing tasks for Unitech, so select your missions with this in mind. Remember the highest payers will undoubtedly entail more risk, but you’ll find the rewards are much greater, not least in the amount of bounty generated by Cybrids you destroy. After you’ve cleared the map of enemy forces hang around and sweep up any spare surface ore with your mining extractors. As well as gaining a percentage of the profits from automining, this additional revenue will go directly into your coffers. Be patient! There’s no shame in taking lower risk mining or reconnaissance duties and gradually building up your wealth and forces until you’re able to tackle military missions. Likewise, the Cybrid Command Centre mission in each system will require a substantial investment in advanced Bioderms and Hercs. On the Battlefield Mission Preparation Good preparation is essential for successful missions and you should study planetary briefings carefully and take account of local conditions before settling on the final combination of your team. Be cautious of accepting missions on planets which negate some of your weapons advantage or encourage premature ageing in your Derms. Always select a Herc team which will take maximum advantage of planetary conditions. Force Selection It’s tempting to lay all your eggs in one basket and go for the heaviest, most powerful Hercs available but in fact, most successful Herc teams are a combination of various types of specialist unit. Scouts are absolutely vital, functioning as your eyes on the battlefield and you should use lightweight Senseis and Shadows which are stripped for speed in this role. If you know the composition and armament of Cybrid forces well in advance, you’ll have plenty of time to organise your own battle formation. By all means deploy the heaviest firepower available, but complement it with appropriate supporting forces. Combat Tactics Defensive Ploys Hercs definitely benefit from strength in numbers, so keep your main force together and able to support each other with overlapping fields of fire. By displaying multiple targets to the Cybrids, you should weaken their overall firepower and enable stronger Herc’s shields to cover their weaker brethren. When engaged in combat, constantly tweak and modulate your individual Herc’s shield harmonics, concentrating strength in the directions where you’re likeliest to come under sustained fire. Beware of being caught on the blind side though, small, fast Cybrids like the Verminus can nip in behind you and deliver a devastating attack on weakened rear shields. On the Attack When on the offensive, concentrate your force’s fire onto a single enemy at a time, bringing multiple weapons to bear which will rapidly wear down their shields and armour. Target smaller Cybrids especially, since they usually carry an equivalent payload to their bigger stablemates, but are more vulnerable to sustained fire. Remember, it’s always better to take out a single Cybrid per round, rather than just damaging several, because it reduces overall Cybrid firepower and increases your own chances of survival. Once you’ve actually closed within firing range, keep moving and try to manoeuvre so that you’re aiming for the weakest side of your opponent’s shields. Use weapon loads which deplete shields first, then, once you’ve created a breach, pour fire into the exposed armour. Weapons which affect both shields and armour and weapons which ignore shields completely can be devastating. Top five management tips 1. Promotion is the passport to all those groovy new Hercs, technologies and Derms. Obtaining an 80% + ranking for missions will substantially increase your promotion chances. 2. Be ruthless about selling off redundant Hercs and equipment and returning Bioderms to the sludge, to fund your new forces. Upgrade everything, constantly! 3. Keep an eye on your Derms between missions and use the Medvat universal heal and detox functions to keep them fresh for the next battle. 4. Bioderms with naturally high command abilities should be nurtured carefully, as they can alleviate the worst effects of instability in lesser team mates. 5. You can also employ the old trick of naming Derms after your mates or people you know, to increase familiarity with their abilities. This is especially important after you get to Squad Leader rank, when you can own more Bioderms than Hercs. Top Herc combat tips 1. Speed is everything on the battlefield, it doesn’t matter how heavily armed or powerful your Hercs are, if they can’t be in the right place at the right time. If you’re having problems getting your bigger Hercs to the front line, monitor their speed in the Herc bay and change configuration, or use Overdrive and AG systems to compensate. 2. Derms with good Piloting skills reduce the amount of reactor power required to perform movement. Good pilots will be able to cover greater distances and deploy more firepower and therefore should be reserved for your hardest Hercs. 3. Terrain plays a key role in combat in Cyber Storm and you should try and make terrain work for you. Crouching in canyons or behind hills at the end of your movement phase will reduce the chances of being hit by enemy fire. 4. Small, nippy HERCs such as the Shadow or Sensei can be held back behind your front line but are good at darting in to deliver the coup de grace to exposed targets, once your bigger guns have worn them down. Make sure you leave enough energy left to retreat to a position of safety afterwards though. 5. Although it’s usually best to deliver your full payload in a single round, if Cybrids are out of range or present poor targets, reserve some of your weapons for return fire 6. Jackup and Stimgland should be used cautiously, especially on unstable Derms. With prudent Derm selection and appropriate training, your chances of hitting a target should be good enough anyway without the meagre 6% increase in accuracy. If you must indulge, have a Bioderm with good leadership qualities on hand to stop them going crazy during cold turkey. 7. Always angle your shields towards your target before firing. Otherwise you might find that a Cybrid that’s set to return fire could deal you a very nasty surprise indeed. 8. Are you fed up with recycling, old, unwanted Bioderms back into the sludge tank? Why not try sending them off with a bang? Suicide tactics can be incredibly effective against massed Cybrid forces. Sneak a fast, cheap Herc fitted with a detonation device into the midst of the enemy, press the button and watch the fun.