Special Assault Strategy Guide!

[Biohazzard56]

Special Assault Strategy Guide
By Biohazzard56 ([email protected])

Hello again everyone I decided to do a second article after the first was so popular. Today ill be going over the Special Assault certification, which is another popular cert. And arguably the most flexible certification in the entire game. With my tips and strategies for using these weapons you�ll see why Special Assault (SA) is a popular choice, and you�ll learn how to handle anything that comes your way everything from suppressing light armored infantry with plasma grenades to taking out MAXs and vehicles. The weapons ill be going over are the Rocket Rifle, Thumper, Decimator, and the newly added Core Combat weapon the Radiator.

Rocklet Rifle:
Source: Common Pool
Handling: All-Purpose Missle
Damage: Medium
Maximum Range: Medium
Refire Rate: Medium
Certifications Needed: Special Assault
The Rocklet Rifle or simply �Rocklet� , is a semi-popular special assault weapon. It fires small Rocklets (which is a mix between Rocket ammo and Grenades, it�s a rocklet cause of its straight firing path. Its Alternative Fire mode is a 5 round burst, good for desperate situations or a stationary target .Good for taking out infantry, ok for taking out MAXs. This is a weapon id recommend using with the Adv. Targeting implant to pick off the weak ones. WARNING: This weapon can also be a potential grief machine, don�t use in spaces with lots of frendlies around

Tips for using the Rocklet Rifle:
Always aim for the torso (it�s the biggest part of the body and it sticks out)
Practice makes perfect
Don�t be a walking grief machine (IE: Don�t use in crowded tower battles)


Thumper:
Source: Common Pool
Handling: Grenade Launcher
Damage: Medium
Maximum Range: Medium
Refire Rate: Medium
Certifications Needed: Special Assault

The Thumper is another grenade launcher but unlike the Rocklet Rifle, it fires it projectiles in an arc-like fashion. I cant stress practice practice practice! For this weapon due to the arc firing, aim a little high and you�ll hit your target. The thumper can use many different types of ammo Fragmentation Grenades, Jammer Grenades, Plasma Grenades (By far the most popular). Most of the time when you see this weapon it will be where your crowded in which isn�t a good thing such examples are entering base�s backdoors, Tower battles, and when trying to stop an enemy from coming in the main door. Making them devastating, when going up against these weapons always have med-packs, the plasma damage especially (the damage stacks). If you have med-packs (2 at least) you can re-heal your self and go in prepared (a trick that has saved me many times. WARNING: This is another grief machine, check your targets. Plasma grief stacks just as quickly as damage.

Tips for Using the Thumper:
Practice Practice Practice!
When going up against carry med-packs
Use against enemies in crowded area (such as those listed above)
Check your targets, before you fire

Decimator:
Source: Common Pool
Handling: Anti-Vehicular missile
Damage: High
Maximum Range: Long
Refire Rate:not applicable
Certifications Needed: Special Assault
The Decimator is probably the main reason 75% people have special assault anyway. It�s the most powerful anti-armor weapon in the game. It�s a �dumb fire� rocket system which means make shure of your target before you fire, cause once you fire there is no way to correct its path. The decimator has a delay of a few seconds before you can fire another round. These things can take out MAXs in two shots, lightning in three, and a mosquito in three. First of all the easy taking out MAXs, look for TR anchored MAXs these are VERY easy to take out. NC are easy as well, the hardest but none of these are terribly hard are the VS their jump jets can be either A) a pain in the ass or B) predictable. Try to stick to B as often as possible, you can lead VS MAXs and hit them in mid air. Lightnings are a little bit harder try to lead them as well. Mosquitos and Reavers are easy targets as long as they hover and move these are easy to lead and can occasionally get you a few good kills.

Tips for Decimator:
Use zoom to make shure your hitting the farther targets
Look for TR anchored MAXs, two shots is all it takes
Try and lead the VS MAXs if they use their jump jets
Practice leading targets


Radiator:
Source: Ancient-tech
Handling: Rifle
Damage: Medium
Maximum Range: Medium
Refire Rate: Medium
Certifications Needed: Special Assault

The Radiator is a weird weapon, I�ve never seen it used effectively in combat. But if you want to find a way to be effective here are some basic tips. The Radiator is an Alien Tech (AT) weapon, which means it has a one time only supply of 50 rounds good enough. The weapon launches small grenades that produce an area and if you step into that area you start taking damage. The alternative fire is a sticky grenade which in my opinion is a lot better (think sticky grenades in halo). Its useless in close combat situations, unless you shoot some grenades into a crowded area in which you might get a few good kills. Bounce them down halls to where the enemy is coming from (tower battles) for the greatest effect.

Tips for Radiator:
Don�t use in close combat (shotgun range)
If you have to use it lay down a field of these and do as much damage as you can
Use sticky grenades for crowded areas

That�s it for #2 , let me know what you want to see in the next Strategy Guide by voting in the poll which is located at this thread on the PSU forums: (http://www.planetside-universe.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16709)

Questions? Comments? Flames? As always send those to [email protected]

[Acaila]

Just a bit of C&C, imo ROCKET! Rifle :p should always be aimed at the knees so you get maximum effect from the splash damage and direct hits. Aiming at the torso means a miss won't cause splash damage, and when using secondary mode, 2-3 of the 6 rockets usually miss. If your aiming at the knees the whole time, at under 7m it is still a kill on a moving target whilst you are also moving.

I always say it, Rocket Rifle > HA at any range. It is just crippled by the ammo box capacity and the fact that you have to reload between kills. Thats imho.

[Unknown]

Agreed, the rocklet rifle should be aimed at the knees or feet when possible, especially in secondary fire. A near miss that detonates against ground is almost always just as powerful as a direct hit, and it's better than the alternative: a total miss. The secondary fire is not just 5 shots either, it's all 6 rockets (fires the whole clip after a slight delay). Secondary fire is the fastest way to take someone out, but the firing delay on it can be a pain in the neck, and it's less accurate than single shots. To counteract the delay, you can hit the trigger before going around a corner and come out with rockets flying, but make sure you know there's an enemy on the other side. During my heavy usage of the rocklet, I can't remember how many times I'd hit the secondary fire trigger only to get a friendly walking in front of me and I'd have to quickly jerk up to the ceiling or at a wall to avoid the grief.

As for the thumper...it's strange that you left out the secondary fire mode, arguably one of the main reasons to use the thumper in the first place. Secondary fire causes the grenades to bounce instead of detonating on impact, good not only for bouncing around corners, but even outdoors for 'sliding' the shots across the ground. Switch to secondary and aim at a low arc towards your enemy and fire, the travel time is a bit shorter than the high arc and is great for medium ranges, no good for short or long ranges though.

And you left out secondary fire on the decimator too. Also a very useful ability, it launches a rocket with a nose-camera view ala pheonix, without the guiding ability. Hitting the fire button in this mode will detonate the decimator at will, which can be great for long distance 'decimator sniping' where, due to the inaccurate cone of fire for long distances, the shots often miss, but can be detonated as it passes by the target to salvage the near miss. Also a good mode for aircraft shooting, aircraft can be very hard to lead and often change directions making it near impossible to get direct hits, but with secondary fire all you have to do is get close and detonate. I love using my Deci as an AA weapon ;).

*edit* Oh yeah, I just remembered a somewhat evil tactic I use from time to time...Double Decimators. I almost always have at least one backup decimator in my inventory for when I run out of my first decimator's shots, and sometimes, when the opportunity is right, I'll swap out my primary weapon for the second decimator (doesn't take long, just *I - Right click - Esc*) then stagger my shots at my target. Firing one deci, switching to the second and firing it, then switching back...etc. allows for almost double the firing rate. In the Uber Flail days, I would use this tactic (with an inventory full of decis) to take them on single handedly. It was the only thing I could come up with that would actually scare a flail away (and on rare occasions, even kill them). Good for taking on everything from MAXes (fire, switch and fire again, can kill them from behind before they even get turned around) to tanks (takes alot of practice to get the leading down, and only effective at somewhat close ranges, but if you manage to fully unload both decis into them, that's some serious damage in a relatively short time) to generators (takes 3 decis and one extra shot, but it's still the fastest way to take out a gen as a grunt). The downside? No primary weapon to quickly fall back on when you run into infantry, plus you actually have to have that second deci in your inventory to start with, not to mention having to be in reinforced (not a problem for me, I'm almost always in reinforced :D).

[dscytherulez]

The double deci thing is a good idea, but only good in very certain circumstances...like...only if u KNOW the only thing around the corner is a max, because the deci sux as anti infantry.

[ChewyLSB]

More stuff on the Radiator... it does have a use. It is absoultely devastating as an anti-vehicle weapon. Not to actually take out the vehicle... but the guy that's actually inside the vehicle. If an enemy vehicle goes into the bubble, the driver and anyone inside will take damage. This is great and you can hack the vehicle then. Another use for the Radiator is to cover the back door, just launch bubbles at it, and no one would dare go into it. But friendlies still find the need to run in and give you grief... so you may want to macro "Dont run into the radiator bubble!" or something. Another use I've not yet tried is against an AMS... it would seem useful because you could just launch it where the spawn tubes are, and whenever someone spawns, they'll slowly take damage, and if they want to re-equip, they have to stay inside the bubble.

[EarlyDawn]

I agree on rocklets to the feet.

[Biohazzard56]

the feet was part of my first draft , not shure why i didnt put it in the final...

[BadAsh]

Radiator + Adv Hacking = Free Flail.

Get under an enemy Flails arc of fire but not close enough to be in the radiation bubble, switch to sticky mode and slap one one him... time the next shot to take effect just as the first bubble wares off. Wait until the Flail Driver runs out of health packs and WOHOO Free Flail!

BadAsh

[Jagd]

Decimators are pretty useless without secondary mode, you should get into that a bit more in your guide. You can snipe MAXes from like a kilometer away with secondary, and get some sweet screenshots of it to boot.

[Biohazzard56]

Ill edit that before i start writing for PSU (hopefully). I have also noted that in certain situations you can scout with the alt fire.

*Updateing SA Guide*

[Hamma]

Check your PM's

[Biohazzard56]

Whats new in v2.0
-added Jagd tips on Decimator
-added alt-fire description to decimator
-added alt-fire description to thumper
-added more tips for decimator/thumper/radiator
-added ammo capacity for each weapon
Enjoy!

Special Assault Strategy Guide
By Biohazzard56 ([email protected])

Hello again everyone I decided to do a second article after the first was so popular. Today ill be going over the Special Assault certification, which is another popular cert. And arguably the most flexible certification in the entire game. With my tips and strategies for using these weapons you�ll see why Special Assault (SA) is a popular choice, and you�ll learn how to handle anything that comes your way everything from suppressing light armored infantry with plasma grenades to taking out MAXs and vehicles. The weapons ill be going over are the Rocket Rifle, Thumper, Decimator, and the newly added Core Combat weapon the Radiator.

Rocklet Rifle:
Source: Common Pool
Handling: All-Purpose Missle
Damage: Medium
Maximum Range: Medium
Refire Rate: Medium
Certifications Needed: Special Assault
Ammo Capacity: 6 Rounds

The Rocklet Rifle or simply �Rocklet� , is a semi-popular special assault weapon. It fires small Rocklets (which is a mix between Rocket ammo and Grenades, it�s a rocklet cause of its straight firing path. Its Alternative Fire mode is a 6 round burst (a slight few second delay), good for desperate situations or a stationary target .Good for taking out infantry, ok for taking out MAXs. This is a weapon id recommend using with the Adv. Targeting implant to pick off the weak ones. If you cannot get a clear body shot aim at the feet, this weapon causes splash damage, which causes good damage. WARNING: This weapon can also be a potential grief machine, don�t use in spaces with lots of frendlies around

Tips for using the Rocklet Rifle:
Always aim for the torso (it�s the biggest part of the body and it sticks out)
Practice makes perfect
Don�t be a walking grief machine (IE: Don�t use in crowded tower battles)
If their isn�t a clear shot on the torso, aim for the feet


Thumper:
Source: Common Pool
Handling: Grenade Launcher
Damage: MediumMaximum Range: Medium
Refire Rate: Medium
Certifications Needed: Special Assault
Ammo Capacity: 6 Rounds

The Thumper is another grenade launcher but unlike the Rocklet Rifle, it fires it projectiles in an arc-like fashion. I cant stress practice practice practice! For this weapon due to the arc firing, aim a little high and you�ll hit your target. The thumper can use many different types of ammo Fragmentation Grenades, Jammer Grenades, Plasma Grenades (By far the most popular). The alternative fire is a two second delay allowing you to bounce the grenades around, a good way to give fire with out exposing yourself. Most of the time when you see this weapon it will be where your crowded in which isn�t a good thing such examples are entering base�s backdoors, Tower battles, and when trying to stop an enemy from coming in the main door. Making them devastating, when going up against these weapons always have med-packs, the plasma damage especially (the damage stacks). If you have med-packs (2 at least) you can re-heal your self and go in prepared (a trick that has saved me many times. WARNING: This is another grief machine, check your targets. Plasma grief stacks just as quickly as damage.

Tips for Using the Thumper:
Practice Practice Practice!
When going up against carry med-packs
Use against enemies in crowded area (such as those listed above)
Check your targets, before you fire
Use two second delay to bounce grenades around

Decimator:
Source: Common Pool
Handling: Anti-Vehicular missile
Damage: High
Maximum Range: Long
Refire Rate: two seconds
Certifications Needed: Special Assault
Ammo Capacity: 3 Rounds (per rocket)

The Decimator is probably the main reason 75% people have special assault anyway. It�s the most powerful anti-armor weapon in the game. It�s a �dumb fire� rocket system which means make shure of your target before you fire, cause once you fire there is no way to correct its path. The decimator has a delay of a few seconds before you can fire another round. The alternative fire is a camera mode, useful for sniping MAXs and scouting out the area in certain situations. These things can take out MAXs in two shots, lightning in three, and a mosquito in three. First of all the easy taking out MAXs, look for TR anchored MAXs these are VERY easy to take out. NC are easy as well, the hardest but none of these are terribly hard are the VS their jump jets can be either A) a pain in the ass or B) predictable. Try to stick to B as often as possible, you can lead VS MAXs and hit them in mid air. Lightnings are a little bit harder try to lead them as well. Mosquitos and Reavers are easy targets as long as they hover and move these are easy to lead and can occasionally get you a few good kills.

Tips for Decimator:
Use zoom to make shure your hitting the farther targets
Look for TR anchored MAXs, two shots is all it takes
Try and lead the VS MAXs if they use their jump jets
Practice leading targets
Use the alt-fire mode to snipe MAXs and scout the area (Submitted by Jagd)

Radiator:
Source: Ancient-tech
Handling: Rifle
Damage: Medium
Maximum Range: Medium
Refire Rate: Medium
Certifications Needed: Special Assault
Ammo Capacity: 25 (per weapon)

The Radiator is a weird weapon, I�ve never seen it used effectively in combat. But if you want to find a way to be effective here are some basic tips. The Radiator is an Alien Tech (AT) weapon, which means it has a one time only supply of 50 rounds good enough. The weapon launches small grenades that produce an area and if you step into that area you start taking damage. The alternative fire is a sticky grenade which in my opinion is a lot better (think sticky grenades in halo). Its useless in close combat situations, unless you shoot some grenades into a crowded area in which you might get a few good kills. Bounce them down halls to where the enemy is coming from (tower battles) for the greatest effect.

Tips for Radiator:
Don�t use in close combat (shotgun range)
If you have to use it lay down a field of these and do as much damage as you can
Use sticky grenades for crowded areas (if you fire at backdoor while enemies are defending, the backdoor and the wall will be in the radius)

That�s it for #2 , let me know what you want to see in the next Strategy Guide by voting in the poll which is located at this thread on the PSU forums: (http://www.planetside-universe.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16709)

Questions? Comments? Flames? As always send those to [email protected]