Protect The Payload! It’s time to dive into the strategy behind an often misunderstood game mode.

After far too long of a wait, we’re happy to finally welcome you back to your Spider Tanks Showcase!

Today we’re not here just to talk about another Tank Part. We really, really like Tanks… but this time we’ll be digging into something far bigger than just one way to build your Tank.

Today we’re talking about Poultry Pusher. This game mode is less straightforward than Team Deathmatch or Capture the Flag. Pilots can easily underestimate the nuance of strategy involved, and teams often live or die on their ability to cooperate effectively.

Poultry Pusher TLDR

In Poultry Pusher, players protect and escort The Payload– a gigantic chicken of mass destruction. Once your Payload arrives at the opponents’ side, the detonation sequence begins and the match is won.

-The Payload moves when friendly Tanks are within its radius. Two Tanks make it go faster.

-When an enemy Tank is within The Payload’s radius, it will not progress forward.

-When The Payload has not had an allied Tank within its radius for an extended period, it will begin to move backwards except during overtime.

-An allied tank within range for even a moment will stop backwards progression, even if an enemy Tank is also within the radius.

-During overtime, both Payloads move forward without players in their radius

Harassing and Pushing

The typical strategy in Poultry Pusher involves two Tanks defending and pushing The Payload while one Tank attacks and harasses opponents’ off their Payload.

Some teams may opt to have two Tanks harassing while one holds down the chicken. Typically this is a tactic employed later in the match to recover from a deficit, but teams that are outranged or made up entirely of small Bodies may opt to be more aggressive throughout the entire match.

Whichever way you go, Poultry Pusher is nearly always two unbalanced matchups on opposite sides of the arena. Whether you wind up 2v1, 3v2, or 3v1, the odds are very rarely even in battles that occur in frays within PP.

Due to this, the decision of which player harasses and who stays with the chicken should very much consider the makeup of the other team. If their entire team is limited in range, sending a fast Tank with a long range Weapon could make for an easy win. If their team is full of bulky Titans and repairing, sending someone with Shield Drone and a Weapon capable of some close range chaos may make more sense. There are tons of ways to make a plan… but it usually pays to have a plan.

In most Maps, Payloads moving at similar speeds will cross near each other halfway through their route, which can cause utter chaos and change the game dramatically. Go ahead and plan for plans to quickly change at these moments.

The object isn’t always to kill the opponents. If two enemies are attacking you while you’re alone on The Payload, that usually means two Tanks aren’t pushing their Payload forward. If you can survive their onslaught, the rest of your team is probably 2v1 on the other side.

You just need to outlast. Likewise while harassing, if you can consistently make opponents leave the Payload’s radius, that’s just as good as them in pieces.

Artillery Weapons can be particularly effective, especially the JACKED O’ Lantern’s Brambler or the Fire Artillery since they leave a damaging zone behind that can cause people to flee The Payload’s radius.

Beware Weapons like Crossbow or Tortoise’s Blade Spinner, as they have massive range and can penetrate Tanks to take out a whole team at once if the person firing them knows what they’re doing.

Advanced Pushing

There’s tons of strategy involved in Poultry Pusher, and as you learn more you only realize that there are many different ways to turn the battle in your favor.

-Not All Maps Are Equal-

When forming a strategy, think about the route The Payload will take on a particular Map.

On a Map like Arctic Research, for instance, sending out your longest range Tank to attack may not be the best move. Since the Payloads march towards each other in no man’s land at the center of this Map, a long range Tank could easily push and harass at the same time.

-Abilities Are Your Friend-

You may only get two Abilities, but choosing the right ones for Poultry Pusher can mean the difference between victory and defeat.

A Shield Drone will protect you from all damage, but you’ll still push your Payload or block the progress of the enemy Payload. While harassing, this means you could have three seconds of interruption in the enemy chicken’s progress at any time. If you’re a high Energy Tank, you could easily get two shields back to back with some clever dodging in between.

Other Abilities can be extremely useful as well, such as Repulsor Zone. This costs one more Energy than Shield Drone, but gives you six seconds where the enemy can’t get to The Payload if you place it correctly.

A well timed Reactive Plating can be a game changer on either offense or defense, but get it wrong and you lose eight seconds in respawn time while the enemy pushes ahead.

-No Plan Survives Contact with the Enemy-

Just as true now as when 21st century race car driver Moltke the Elder said it. Flexibility is key to Poultry Pusher.

If your plans aren’t working, switch them up. While this may be more difficult with random teammates in the solo queue, it’s not impossible.

Your team also wants to win, and if you shift to attack instead of push when it makes sense, they’ll usually pick up your signals and follow your lead. A friendly message in chat takes seconds, and could save you a match worth of hardship.

Try not to be contrary when someone else takes the lead either. Always better to do a thing than argue and not do a thing. 3.5 minutes is too short to argue and still come out on top.

Push Onwards!

That’ll be it for us this week. Hopefully this has given both new and veteran Pilots alike some insight into fresh strategy for Poultry Pusher to help get that Payload over the finish line.

There’s lots of ways to be awesome at Poultry Pusher though. Let us know in the comments if we missed anything big!

Next time we’ll be back with a spotlight on Frozen Research. Tweet your favorite strategies to us @Spider_Tanks for a chance to be featured in the article!

The all-new hero Voltar will soon arrive through The Summoning Portal in time for this weekend’s Shadowlands Tournament!

Voltar watched the horizon with narrowed eyes. He could feel the energy building up around the tower. No matter how long he kept vigil in the storm, the anticipation of a strike had never ceased to increase his tension. Another problem to solve.

He no longer knew how long he’d been sitting atop this tower. Months? Years? He’d come to the Storm Lands for answers, and he had no plan to leave until he was satisfied.

After so long, why did his body still feel fear in the face of the lightning? Master Tempus had always told him fear was just a reaction to a lack of understanding. Voltar understood the storm. So why was there still fear?

A huge flash. Voltar held out his hand. From the top of the great tower in the center of the plain, the lightning would obey him. The great streak of blinding fire crashed into his hand with power that almost knocked him backwards, off the great tower and to his oblivion below. He quickly closed his fist on the tempest contained within, then without hesitation he smashed the pure force into his forehead.

The world stopped, his eyes blazed like the sun. In that instant… that flash of light… he finally saw it. The fear wasn’t of an unknown fate, but something deeper. He understood now, and he wished he hadn’t.

There was a secret in the lightning as old as time itself… the knowledge that drove the storm to rage, and now he held that terrible truth too. There was no longer any reason to fear. How could any fear greater than this exist now?

As he stood from his meditation for the first time in countless days, still shaken by his revelation, a blue glow suddenly formed in his burned hand. Not lightning, but something equally old, terrible and powerful. He knew it immediately.

“It would seem my exile has ended” he said gazing at the light flowing from his hand. Without hesitation he stepped through the portal now forming in front of him. The light subsided and was quickly eclipsed by a new bolt of lightning striking an empty tower lying alone in the barren wastes.

Yellow Tournament Champion: Voltar

Voltar seeks knowledge and truth, and has sacrificed much to peer into the secrets of the universe. Tormented by the weight of his own wisdom, Voltar is at peace with his own suffering. He has risen above fear, contempt and resentment — a rock amidst the raging tempest. The storm does not consume him, but instead flows through him with unparalleled power.

Voltar is the master of the Ability Chain Strike. Firing but a fraction of the storm within at opponents, he is able to create an arcing band of energy that will damage all enemies and strike his focal point multiple times. While Voltar has discovered the secret to living alongside the power of the storm, his enemies will not be so fortunate.

Voltar will arrive on Thursday, August 17th in time for the next Tournament event. Can you handle the storm?

Tournament Champions, Attack!

As usual with a new Hero, Voltar will have a 10x modifier to all Tournament and Dragon Strike damage that will scale down gradually to a 5x modifier for the Legendary version.

The Rare Voltar will have a 5x modifier for all Tournament and Dragon Strike damage that will scale down gradually to a 2x modifier, where it will eventually remain permanently.

Like other Heroes before him, Voltar is available all week as a possible bonus summon and will enter the permanent summoning pool.

Voltar could help turn the tides of this week’s Tournament. Don’t miss this shockingly powerful hero!

Coming up next week is a Red Dragon Strike event… What hero will arrive then?

From Milestones to Magic: A Year of VOX Evolution

It’s a time for celebration as we gather to commemorate the incredible second anniversary of VOX — a journey that has been characterized by remarkable achievements, steady growth, an amazing community, and an unwavering commitment to pushing the limits of creative exploration.

A Year of Continued Progress

The debut of Souls utility in VOX Odyssey sparked a surge of excitement throughout our community. A significant milestone was reached through this integration, enabling you to attach a Soul to any VOX within the game. This incorporation elevates your XP gain for specific stats and enriches the complexity and tactics of your gameplay.

Adding a touch of magic to our journey this year was the introduction of our fourth series — DreamWorks Trolls VOX, cementing our partnership with DreamWorks. This exciting collaboration transformed the beloved characters from the DreamWorks universe into captivating NFTs.

The spotlight shone on DreamWorks Trolls VOX, making their mark on the first VOX hoodie — just the beginning of an exciting lineup of merch. The VOX Squad proudly marked its place as the pioneering web3 presence at New York Comic Con, sharing high-quality hoodies with a handful of lucky community members.

During the festive season, we unveiled our Holiday Mystery Boxes, packed with VOX, VOXverse land parcels, and VOX Odyssey resource packs. A limited collection of 1,888 boxes vanished off the shelves in record-breaking minutes, igniting a holiday frenzy!

May Mayhem brought a delightful surprise to all VOX holders — adorable chicken companions. These companions are set to become playable characters in our upcoming mobile game, Get Plucked. These charming chickens will also play a role in helping you gather resources within the vast expanse of VOXverse, showcasing the interconnected nature of our evolving ecosystem.

Finally, we unleashed the new direction of the VOX brand to represent our growth from a new PFP project to a ubiquitous metaversal presence. Our rebrand unveils a universe of wonder, from our emblematic logo representing the voxels that shape our world to the captivating VOXish language adding intrigue. With a bold typeface for instant recognition and striking orange hues, our immersive experience is further enhanced by high-quality voxel art and distinct audio.

Ahead of the Curve: What’s Next

Get ready for the highly anticipated debut of Get Plucked, arriving this summer. Immerse yourself in the excitement of controlling your owned chickens, navigating them through perilous obstacles, and be on the lookout on how to add even more distinct poultry pals to your collection. Keep your gaming spirits high as you compete for egg-citing weekly prizes!

The first VOXverse playable is also on the horizon. This sneak peek will grant you the opportunity to delve into some of the mechanics that will be featured in VOXverse. And that’s not all — brace yourself for the much-anticipated land rush, an immersive story-driven experience designed to unveil the intricate layers of VOXverse’s lore.

For the next two weeks, all VOX will experience a 20% increase in XP gain in VOX Odyssey. All you need is a single VOX to jump into the action! It’s the perfect opportunity to embark on your resource-gathering journey and stockpile those valuable materials.

Gifts For You

No celebration is complete without some fabulous presents! Keep those peepers peeled on Discord and Twitter for your shot at some exclusive treats.

The festivities are still sizzling on Discord with our weekly chicken giveaways, set to keep the fun rolling right up until the grand Get Plucked release. This week, your luck might soar as you aim to snag a Legendary Elvis Eggsley chicken!

And don’t miss a beat — take a quick peek into your Gala Treasure Chest. Soon, we will be dropping commemorative VOX Squad NFTs, a heartfelt gesture to express our gratitude to our loyal VOX community members. Your support means the world to us, and this is just a small cluck of appreciation in return!

Time to flock together on Discord and ruffle some feathers as we talk about the fantastic celebrations! See you there!