Spider Tanks Showcase: Muzzle
Today is all about balance as the steady and sturdy Muzzle takes the stage.
Welcome back to the Spider Tanks Showcase! With all the fun and excitement of launch, we may have missed our showcase last week. We wouldn’t let Muzzle get off without a spotlight that easily though. This king of the middle weights is definitely worth diving into.
This Body features balanced Speed and Armor, as well as enough Energy to be able to adapt to almost any situation– far more than other mid-sized Bodies like Bandit. Some may think of balance as boring, but with the short matches you’ll face in the arena, avoiding the extremes means Muzzle is always versatile.
While Tanks on either side of the size spectrum can often get into situations they just aren’t suited for, it’s hard to find any type of strategy that a Muzzle can’t make work.
Persistent Precision: Muzzle/Cannon
The biggest strength of the Muzzle Body is its balance between Armor and Speed. It’s not usually going to be the toughest Tank on the battlefield, and it also probably isn’t the fastest. Some weapons can actually be tough to aim with increased Speed, so our first choice is one that can benefit from toning down the manic pace of some of the smaller Bodies like Flea or JACKED O’ Lantern.
Linear weapons like Cannon, Twin Guns or Gatling Gun can be much easier to place precise shots with when your Tank isn’t approaching Mach 1. A Muzzle isn’t terribly slow, but that little bit of calm cuts down a lot on the relative speed between you and your target that can make it hard to place shots.
“Twin Guns/Muzzle is my main build.”
-ChairBandit
Muzzle also has enough Armor to actually take a shot or two, and often can leverage that little extra durability to get to an Armor pack or pop up a repair Ability. You’re still fast enough to be tough to hit as well, meaning you may have the chance to land far more hits than any opponent.
Muzzle’s high Energy only adds to its versatility in this build. You’ll be able to use smaller abilities like Speed Boost or Repair Drone pretty regularly, and they can quickly adapt your style to become one of the fastest or toughest Tanks around– if only for a short time.
Relentless Pursuit: Muzzle/Shotgun
Many Pilots have the natural tendency to want to go for the extremes with a close-range Weapon like the Shotgun or Flamethrower, but that’s not always the best choice. A heavier body like Titan or Nomad could keep you from even catching up to your prey. A fast little Flea or Scout may be able to get in close, but one well placed shot suddenly makes them the hunted. Sometimes the best option is balance.
Muzzle brings both solid Armor and respectable Speed to the table. For Shotgun, this means not only can you catch the enemy easier, but you can also outmaneuver them at close range while not exploding as soon as someone looks at you. When you’re driving circles with a point blank target, being able to dodge one stray shot or absorb some damage could mean the extra second or two that you need to finish the job.
Part of what these melee style Weapons offer a team dynamic is constant pressure on the opponent. If they know that you are deadly at close range, they’ll need to continually reposition instead of focusing on your teammates. A Muzzle can be the best of both worlds. You won’t fall over from a panicked self-defense blast your direction, but you can still be aggressively mobile throughout the match.
Try pairing this with Abilities like Speed Boost and Relay Drone for even more pressure on the opposing team. Due to Muzzle’s decent durability, Repair Drone can also be an excellent low cost choice to help heal you up between offensives.
The Ice Dancer: Muzzle/Snowballer
This one may be a little unconventional, but hear us out! The Snowballer is usually a weapon you’ll find on more heavy duty Bodies– like Santa’s Slay. When it’s paired with a little more speed, however, you’ll often find that the utility this Weapon adds brings a lot of protection and control to your team.
The Snowballer holds two rounds of high-damage icy surprises. It has a fairly decent range, and its projectile speed is quick enough that you can snipe fairly effectively from a distance. Its rate of fire is a little limited by its small clip size though, so you have to make sure each shot counts.
The real holiday cheer that the Snowballer brings to the party are the sheets of ice that its projectiles leave behind in their path. This icy area lingers for a few seconds and will speed up your team and slow down any opponents who find themselves on the ice.
Placing these ice sheets is often just as valuable as landing a hit with the Snowballer. With a Muzzle, you have the Speed to maneuver and get great shots while still having a lot more precision and control than a faster body like Flea.
This Weapon probably won’t be racking up triple kills every match paired with Muzzle, but when you get skilled at placing ice your team will love having you around. You can effectively control the entire movement of both teams with well placed ice, particularly in chokepoint situations and tense standoffs.
Muzzle Mayhem
One of the best things about Muzzle is that your opponents rarely know what they’re going to end up facing when the match starts. They may see your Body and Weapon, but there are tons of ways that a Muzzle could approach any given match effectively. Being more adaptable than your opponents is a huge asset.
With how versatile a Muzzle is, there are tons of ways to make great strategies around one. Here we’ve just listed a few of our favorites, but there are so many ways to play this Body. As always, the best combo for any particular Body is whatever works for you and whatever you enjoy playing. Keep in mind, the arena is meant to be fun– play and practice what you enjoy!
Some rarities of Muzzle are still available for purchase in the Gala Games Store!
That’s all for today, but we’ll be skittering back in next week to showcase the sting of the Scorpion Tank! This Hero Tank melts all in its path with corrosive acid to dominate the battlefield.
If you have wisdom you want to share about the Scorpion Tank, let us know in the comments below or on Discord!
