Welcome back to the Spider Tank Showcase! This week we’ll be taking a pretty sharp turn away from the pew pew of Crosssbow from last edition. This week we’re blasting through one of the bigger hunks of metal in the arena – The Maul!
Maul is a heavy Body, though it’s lighter than the biggest boys out there like Titan, Plate or Tracks. This large bulk provides you with an incredibly healthy amount of durability and Energy, but doesn’t slow your movement to a crawl like the biggest Bodies out there do.
The Warrior
Alright, we wanted to start off with originality… but we just can’t pass up the chance to revisit The Warrior build. Maul was, after all, originally released with the Bouncer. It’s a very classic combo.
The Maul’s bulk allows you to line up your shots a little better to get the best bouncy goodness. Since each ricochet with a Bouncer deals more damage than the last, shots that chain are the paydirt on this one.
Bouncy, bouncy, bouncy.
Maul gives you the maneuverability to make sure you can exploit weaknesses you spot while holding a Bouncer. It’s bulk lets you focus solely on getting your shot off, as you can easily shrug off a hit or two.
The Sentinel
This one is similar in theory to The Warrior, but utilizes the Sniper Rifle to get the most out of Maul’s toughness. Sniper Rifle is deadly from a distance, but lining up the right shot can occasionally leave you exposed.
With a Sniper Rifle, a heavy Body like Maul can easily occupy a choke point in the battle. Control access to part of the map, and you open up your allies to do all sorts of fun shenanigans. The point isn’t so much to not get hit… more to make them pay for wanting to hit you.
Long-range support doesn’t mean out of the action.
In the above clip, the Sniper Rifle has occupied a crucial junction just in front of the teleport. From here, its teammates are able to exercise control over the repair kit above and freely move around the map and only leave one quad where the enemy is safe.
The range on a Sniper Rifle is long enough, that no one can threaten the Maul for long. Even if they can, they have to be in the open to do so… and it only takes two or three clean shots to bring them down.
The Berserker
This last combo isn’t for every Pilot. For The Berserker build, we’ll use Maul alongside Carver. The bulk of Maul allows for you to shrug off the first few hits before your blade finds home, and the high Energy lets you play flexibly with Abilities like Relay Drone and Speed Boost.
You’re going to blow up a few times on this build… more than a few, in fact, while you learn to use it. Patience is the key. When you see your opening, zig and zag as you’re able to. Remember though, the zig towards your enemy. If you get hit a few times, that’s ok. Just kill them before they kill you.
Slice and dice time!
Maul is just heavy enough to ignore full frontal damage for a second or two. That’s often what you need to pin in the enemy with your sword. Keep them running from you. You want to be patient and wait for the right opening, but if you play scared you will lose. You’re a gigantic tank with a sword on top of it… they should be scared of you!
That’s Maul, Folks!
That’ll do it for our 25th edition of The Spider Tanks Showcase! Did we miss your favorite build with Maul? Did we choose one that you think is amateur hour? Let us know on Discord!
Next week we’re giving the Tank combos a rest for a bit, as we’ll dive into Stealth Abilities in the arena. Are you super sneaky? Have some good clips of your deceptive dominance? Let us know on Discord or social media for a shot to be featured in the next Spider Tank Showcase!
We’re back, and this week we’re Crossbowing another amazing Weapon off our list of spotlights!
Welcome back to another Spider Tanks Showcase! This week, we’re exploring a Weapon design plucked from Earth’s distant past to unleash a wave of destruction on the arena fitting of the new millenia!
This week is, in fact, all about the Crossbow. This medieval warfare tool was originally outfitted on an archaic weapon of war called a “batmobile” in the early 24th century. Clever Earth scientists though quickly developed this into an easy to carry hand weapon, and the Crossbow was born as the height of modern destruction. Today, the Weapon has been revamped and retrofitted for Tanks throughout the Planetary Union.
The Crossbow is an extremely long range Weapon. The longer it is charged, the further it goes and the more damage it potentially does. That’s not to say it can’t be deadly at close range, but short pull backs only result in half the damage of long shots. All shots from the Crossbow pierce opponents though, so you could always fire that long shot through the adversary in your face to your real target to take out two birds with one bolt. Look out though! Whenever you charge the Crossbow, your movement will be massively slowed!
Skewering the Competition
When you’re playing as a Crossbow, you want to prioritize your ability to maneuver and achieve good position in matches. This isn’t to say that you always need the fastest Tank, but any bulk you add into your build should serve your positioning. Obviously, a Titan with a Crossbow won’t need to scramble and run from opponents as often as a Flea, so that could mean you get more shots off with time to line them up.
A Crossbow on a heavier Tank can give you some versatility in both the range you use it and how you maneuver.
The learning curve on Crossbow can be pretty high for most Pilots, so don’t get discouraged if you have trouble with it early on. Its single projectile style and massive range require you to hone your ballistics instincts a bit. When both you and your target are zipping across the arena and you’re firing halfway across the battlefield there are a lot of variables to account for. Eventually with practice, however, you’ll be able to shoot from the hip and time your bolts well to lead targets.
Whether you choose a small or bulky Body, you’ll need to account for those drawbacks with Abilities. Crossbow isn’t totally helpless up close, but if you’re a medium to large Tank that’s unable to quickly put distance between yourself and your opponent you may need to consider a defensive Ability for those “Oh $#*&!” moments. Shield Drone, Reactive Plating or even a quick Relay Drone can be extremely valuable to buy you a moment to regroup.
Combatting Crossbow
When you’re up against a Crossbow in the arena, it can be easy to feel like nowhere is safe. The range on the Crossbow is very long, but you can minimize the danger they pose by understanding how they exploit the weaknesses of opposing teams.
Grouped up enemies are paydirt for a Crossbow. Every crossbow-wielding hunk of metal in the arena would love to make a Tank kabob out of all three members of a team while they’re grouping up for a Heal Zone or on the Command Point. When you are close to your opponents, shift your attention to the enemy Crossbow to make sure you aren’t giving them any easy opportunities. While your team is scattered, they can only concentrate on one of you. While grouped, they can ruin your match pretty quickly.
With the enemy team all spread out, this Crossbow doesn’t stand a chance.
The best way for a Crossbow to hit opponents unaware is to line up long shots laterally. Often in matches, a firing line develops where both teams are squaring off on either side of some imaginary barrier. While more straightforward Tanks are lobbing cannonballs and laser blasts at each other across the line, however, an enemy Crossbow will often sneak off to the side.
Attacking diagonally across the field like this allows the Crossbow to potentially hit more enemies and makes misses much more likely to find some chassis behind their intended target. Don’t ignore the Crossbow in these situations… it can turn the tide of battle very fast.
When you get close up on a Crossbow, don’t think they’ll be an easy kill. Short charges do indeed do considerably less damage on a Crossbow, but that doesn’t mean all short shots do. A fully charged bolt can still do full damage point blank, which could easily mean a one shot kill for a small Tank in a Crossbow’s face.
Crossbow Tactics
When you’re playing Crossbow on a team, you need to remember that you depend heavily on the other Pilots with you. You’re not carrying a 1v1 Weapon, even if you can pull it off sometimes.
While a Crossbow leaves something to be desired solo, it does complement other long ranged Weapons very well. A Crossbow can lend much needed mid-range support to a Sniper Rifle or Railgun.
Snagging kills with Crossbow often depends on catching opponents when they are distracted. Look for opportunities where enemy Tanks are clearly paying attention to your allies. Catch opposing Tanks en route across the battlefield when possible. If they’re looking at that repair kit, they may not see your bolt zooming towards them as they come around the corner.
Never underestimate the power Crossbow can have for zone control to benefit your team. This may result in your kill count ending up lower than your allies, but that’s not always a bad thing. If your enemies know that you are covering a particular angle of approach with a deadly rain of bolts, you’ve successfully controlled their movement. If you can effectively limit opponents’ options for much of the match, that’s usually far better for your team than a kill or two along the way.
Pew Pew Power
Crossbows are a very unique Weapon in the arena. They can take practice to be truly deadly, but in the hands of a master they can unleash unparalleled destruction. In this age of high tech weaponry, never underestimate the little analogue arrows sniping from the corner of the arena.
Deep in the jungles of Silvanus, an ancient ruin from a mysterious, departed race hides beneath the canopy. Perhaps this was the site of great battles or horrific sacrifices in ages gone by.
Today, the grandeur of the crumbling structures and the great device in the center of the ruins bear witness to some of the greatest destruction in The Planetary Union.
The Shrouded Shrine arena is a favorite of Spider Tanks Pilots among the Silvanites. The balanced, circular arena allows evenly-matched starting points like no other arena can, and the 180-degree path of the carnage creates unique avenues to leverage superior strategy and teamwork.
Whatever this ruin was originally designed for… it sure feels like it was designed just for Spider Tanks.
Know Your Battlefield
Shrouded Shrine has several key features that distinguish it from other Maps and require you to fine-tune your strategy to excel. There’s no large open area on this map, which may shift the advantage towards speedier Tanks. There are only two Repair Kits available here… one on a bridge in the North and one on the cliff at the South end.
Area 1: The Outskirts
Both the East and West sides over the bridges are questionable areas to dig in. These locations allow any enemies surrounding you easy access to repair kits, while you have none.
Don’t get stuck here, there are too many angles to approach you. Instead, use these lanes as a second and/or third vector of attack when the enemy is bunkered in on the North or South side.
Area 2: The Cliff’s Edge
The South side of the arena is a mixed bag. On one hand, with readily available Repair Kit and the center mechanism to hide behind, this are offers a lot of cover. On the other hand, there are four lines of approach to attack you here.
With some clever maneuvering, this could be a great place to maintain a stronghold. Attacking Area 1 through this area is particularly effective, since you can brush off early hits with the Repair Kit.
Area 3: The Runway
On the North side of the arena, you’ll find a large strip of straightaway with only one bridge to access it. Controlling this area is often the easiest, if you can maintain the bridgehead enough to keep enemies from using the Repair Kit to their advantage.
You’ll be open to fire across the chasm, but there’s plenty of room to shelter outside of most Weapons’ range. Controlling this area is a particularly effective way to have clean access throughout the entire map.
Area 4: The Killbox
Area 4 is where it all happens. Here, you’ll find the Control Point during King of the Hill.
Literally any other area on the map can threaten this position from some angle. That having been said, you can threaten everyone else from here as well. If a team can properly control this area, the other team will have no choice but to hide out trapped on this cliff or the south side of one of the outskirts.
Shrouded Shrine Best Practices
Keep Moving
Staying mobile is absolutely key. The arena is a circle, so you if you stay perceptive of enemy and ally positioning, you can bob and weave through the level without ever needing to turn around or run a straight line for too long.
The outskirts and the runway are large enough to weave back and forth… and you’ll need to. There’s no fence protecting you, so keep zigging and zagging as you serpentine through the level to get the advantage on your enemies.
Stay in Contact
Always know your allies’ position on this map. On Shrouded Shrine, it’s easy to get cut off as enemies move around the circle.
If you let the enemy get between you and your team, they could easily just herd you down into the Southeast or Southwest corner and separate you. Then you explode.
Solid example of how quickly Shrouded Shrine can turn on you 👆
No Cover Is Reliable
The bridges have no fences on them. The chasm has no fences. What cover there is on the South side is even made vulnerable by the gaps in cover around the SE and SW bridges.
The mechanism in the middle isn’t even particularly reliable cover, as any enemy could bring you into their sites by just running around the opposite side a bit, only to duck back into cover right away.
Bridges Are NOT Safe
The bridges on the East and West sides can be hit from the bridge opposite them to the North and South. This makes them ways to get from point A to point B rather than reliable bridgeheads to hold.
The North bridge is less exposed, but still very dangerous. It can be hit from a wide range and is arguably the most exposed spot in the map, but very powerful if you can hold it.
Rumble in the Jungle
Shrouded Shrine can be hard for beginners to wrap their heads around, since you can get everywhere from everywhere basically. This can be an advantage though… once you learn to use it.
That’ll be all for us this week, but we’ll be back next week to knock up our bolts and zoom in on the Crossbow Weapon!
Let us know your favorite ways to destroy Tanks with the Crossbow for a chance to be featured in the next edition!
Spider Tanks was the first game launched supported by GalaChain, and it’s always held a special place in our hearts. As one of our original collaborations with an external studio, many of our long-term community members and employees love Spider Tanks.
We wish to respond to community comments about development on the game, which has stalled in the last half year. We agree with you: this has gone too far.
The community deserves official word about Spider Tanks, so we’d like to share information about the current situation and what we hope to do about it.
Spider Tanks Today
Spider Tanks has always been a game that inspired fun development and progress. The addition of custom Pilot contracts, missions and other features increased the engagement of the game. We were very excited to see where the arena was going next.
The developer that we hired, GAMEDIA, however, slowed development of the game, then stopped altogether. Over months, the game received less and less GAMEDIA support. Eventually only one GAMEDIA employee was supporting the game at all… then no one.
GAMEDIA entered a long-term contract with Gala Games to support the game, and it is our belief that they have failed to do this. We have tried to find a friendly resolution to this, whether it be allowing us to bring in another developer, work out a new arrangement or allow us to access source code and develop the game internally. GAMEDIA has been unreceptive from our perspective.
At the same time, GAMEDIA has openly discussed waiting out the licensing period on the contract with inaction and then releasing on other platforms. It has also said that it won’t respect the entire licensing period. Basically, GAMEDIA wants to abandon its partnership with GALA and to be the only company to control the game. GAMEDIA’s promises weren’t only made to us, they were also promises for you, the community.
The Future
Because of our commitment to the community, we are currently actively pursuing legal mechanisms to enforce the contract terms upon GAMEDIA.
Our goal is simple: to continue the development of Spider Tanks and meet the community’s needs. We were reluctant to do anything to show GAMEDIA in a negative light originally, because they helped make a great game, and we still believe they are talented developers. However, we also believe they are significantly out of alignment with our expectations for the support of the game.
We were informed that development stopped nearly 6 months ago on Spider Tanks. There are still hundreds or thousands of people playing every day. That is a testament to how awesome this game is, and we don’t want it to die.
We hope to see you in the arena soon! You can find a link to our legal action here.
Rev up your engines Pilots, because you’ve got a new way to grab upgrades in the arena!
$SILK: The Universal Arena Token
From now on, every item will be able to be purchased in $SILK! While items like Components and Drop Ships have always been available in $SILK, certain Weapons, Bodies and Hero Tanks have only been available in $GALA, ETH or USD up to this point.
Being able to use $SILK on any explosive, implosive or otherwise destructive toys in the arena means you can turn your rewards into a new kit much easier!
While new Tanks in the arena may eventually mean more Victory Points coming from matches, all the $SILK that players use on those tanks increases the available $SILK to be distributed to all VP holders at the end of the day!
