The deadline to update to Node V3 is on January 18th, so be sure you’re ready!
Upgrade your Node software by January 18th
Node version 3 has been running the decentralized backend for the past month. If you haven’t joined the new decentralization revolution by upgrading your Node, now is the time. We’ll be turning off older Node software on January 18, 2023. This means Nodes running software version 2 will report themselves as down and you will not receive any rewards starting on January 19th.
All Node Operators:
Instructions for updating and download links can be found on the Node dashboard.
Why are we doing this?
We need you! Actually, we need your Nodes. We need them to do the work needed to support our backend. Node version 2 wasn’t cutting it and to support all the cool things we want to do, like serving music and running game servers, we need you to upgrade.
The new Node workload system does work for each license. For example, if you own a Gala Music Player Node license and you start your Gala Music Player workload, your computer will now be hosting your music NFTs to the rest of the world. If you bought one of the recent Last Expedition Operator licenses, your Node runs a custom game server that people will connect to and play on (and probably be eaten by your Ancient Ravager).
The new Node software also uses an api-key system to install and run your node. It’s much less obtrusive from before and a lot easier to use. Also, your Node will restart itself if it goes down or your computer is rebooted.
Some workloads do not report being online 24 hours a day. This is ok and expected, we check every minute to see if your Node is doing its work and sometimes there are hiccups. We are working on workload issues in our backend that prevent reporting a full 24 hours uptime and we are providing fixes every week. You will still receive your rewards as long as you provide 6 hours of work a day.
Docker is needed for Node version 3 (Docker desktop on Windows and Mac). Currently the most stable version of Docker Desktop is version 4.12.
Windows Server is currently not supported, but we highly recommend upgrading to Linux (it’s the most stable OS to run a Node on and the least expensive).
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Not a Node operator yet in our web3 Ecosystem? There are lots of ways to get involved. Learn more below!
We’re back with a Hero Tank combo that makes sure it’s never safe to go back in the water… or anywhere else.
Ahoy, and welcome to another Spider Tanks Showcase! Today we’re spotlighting a terror from the briny depths of ancient Earth. The historical ballads speak frequently of both the beauty and terror of this primordial ruler of long since vaporized oceans. This week is all about the WhaleShark Hero Tank!
According to our historical record, the WhaleSharks were a proud but fierce race of mariners who controlled the sea travel of all denizens of Earth in ancient times. The exploits of their greatest hero, Jaws, is detailed in many primary source historical accounts. This amphibious messianic figure seems to have brought WhaleSharks from a simple ocean predator into a golden age as the dominant species throughout many of the oceans, lakes and ponds on planet Earth.
The WhaleShark Hero Tank is likewise always one of the dominant rigs in the arena. This Tank combines the tough body of the terror of the water with homing missiles that are deadly by land, sea or air. WhaleShark isn’t fast, but its toughness and keen aim allow it to be something far more important… persistent.
WhaleShark has some of the highest Armor available in the arena, without the extremely low Speed of a massive Body like Titan. Its Energy is likewise quite generous, so you’ll be able to utilize Abilities more often and be able to easily budget for higher cost Abilities.
No Running From WhaleShark
The Whale Shark Hero Tank is a combo package consisting of the Shark Body and the Finisher Weapon. It also gives you the use of the Deepsea Terror Skin, so you can fully complete the nautical nightmare look.
The Shark itself is a medium-heavy Body with a little extra into Armor compared to some of the other Tanks out there. The Finisher Weapon is a missile launcher that fires homing projectiles that fiercely swim through the ground… but they also aren’t opposed to flying towards your target if there should be no ground under them.
The Finisher is like no other Weapon in the arena, so there’s a lot you can do with it to complement your team’s strategy. The missiles themselves have a very long range comparable to other Weapons, and will somewhat steer themselves towards nearby opponents before exploding with splash damage to all surrounding enemies on impact.
It doesn’t matter that this Tank is running away from WhaleShark. The missile knows what to do.
Since the missiles home in on opponents, you can leverage their long range to fire around obstacles. Enemies will think they’ve gotten out of harm’s way only to find the missile still pursuing them.
Thar Be Monsters Here
One of the biggest advantages of the WhaleShark is how much persistent and consistent damage it can lay down against somewhat stationary enemies. The Weapon only holds one round, and takes a little while to reload. Fortunately, the rate you can unload missiles should be more than enough to terrorize your foes.
This WhaleShark lays down missile after missile into the Control Point, forcing the opponents to abandon their defense or their structural integrity.
The missiles do splash damage in a small radius on impact, and this makes WhaleShark particularly excellent at assaulting clustered enemies, like in Poultry Pusher or King of the Hill.
Since your missiles have excellent range and can cross gaps in terrain, you’ll be able to hit opponents in places that other Tanks can’t, and their normal defensive methods will struggle to adapt. Meanwhile, the decent bulk on your Body and unrelenting missiles can dictate the positioning of both teams throughout the whole match.
Seafood Sampler
Like all Hero Tanks, WhaleShark gives its owner access to both the Weapon and Body that makeup the set. WhaleShark is an amazing combo, but there are a lot of fun and effective ways to mix up these two Tank Parts.
First off, you’ve got to try Finisher on a lighter Body. The high Energy and high Armor of the Shark allow you to control the pace and positioning in the match very well. With a zippy Body beneath your Finisher, however, you’ll just push the pace and positioning viciously all match. If your projectiles can’t be escaped on a slow Body, how much harder will it be for the other team to get to safety when you can run them down without your missiles?
This Flea runs down its prey FAST! With Finisher, it doesn’t even have to wait until it’s around the rock to start unloading on the enemy.
The Shark Body also can be used as a medium-heavy Body. Its stats are very similar to a Nomad or Santa’s Slay, though unlike those two Bodies it has omnidirectional movement.
It’s low Speed but high Armor and Energy can be useful for builds that don’t need to be close, such as Rocket Artillery or Crossbow. It could also potentially do well with up close and personal Weapons like Flamethrower and Shotgun if you get good enough with utilizing your Abilities to your advantage.
It also is worth mentioning that the face of the WhaleShark is on the Body itself. We wouldn’t be much fun if we didn’t recommend you slap an Executioner on there to try out a 2-headed monstrosity with non-stop rockets and enough Energy to rapid fire Abilities.
Truly the stuff of nightmares…There’s another Weapon with some personality out there to slap onto the Shark. Presenting: Sharkasuraus Rex!
Shark Attack
Overall, the WhaleShark can be a powerhouse in the arena. The heavy Body of Shark and the firing rate of Finisher do pose some limitations, but the unique firing pattern and homing projectiles of the combo are well worth it.
As always, the best way to play with a WhaleShark is the way that you enjoy the most. There are tons of ways to build your perfect Tank. With a little practice you can all hold your own in the arena with nearly any combination.
Keep your eyes open wide for our showcase next week, because we’re getting into everything about the Blink Body. If you have a favorite build for Blink that you’d like us to share, shout it out in the comments below or in Discord!
Are you a top Blink Pilot? Tweet an epic clip to us on Twitter with the hashtag #STShowcase and we may feature you next week!
