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Spider Tanks Showcase: JACKED O’ Lantern

October 29, 2022

This week the Tank we’re featuring is a very special treat that packs plenty of tricks.

Welcome back to the Spider Tanks Showcase! The launch of Spider Tanks is coming very soon, but that doesn’t mean it’s ok to miss the opportunity to feature a very special Tank in its natural season.

Today, we’re looking at the strategy behind one of the most dreaded Tanks in the arena– a ghoulish specter who stalks its victims with speed and devastating weaponry… The JACKED O’ Lantern!

JACKED O’ Lantern pursues its prey with extreme speed. Among the fastest Bodies in the game, JACKED O’ Lantern can chase down most any Tank, while also sporting a higher Armor and Energy than the only slightly faster Flea.

Despite the extra padding compared to the littlest glass cannon, the JACKED O’ Lantern is still pretty susceptible to being smashed into pumpkin bits. A good Pilot needs to put the extra Speed this Tank is packing to good use dodging. Luckily, this Tank’s signature Weapon helps with that a lot.

The Halloween Hero: JACKED O’ Lantern/Brambler

Since JACKED O’ Lantern is a Hero Tank, it comes with a custom Weapon specifically designed for the playstyle of a squishy, speedy little pumpkin. As with any Hero Tank combo, both JACKED O’ Lantern and its Weapon– Brambler– can be used independently with other Tank Parts. They synergize well together though, and create an excellent prebuilt combo that will strike fear into the hearts of the all.

The Brambler is a spooky artillery that can launch rounds over objects and terrorize your opponents from afar. Wherever it strikes, it creates a hazardous zone of grasping vines that will slow enemy Tanks and cause damage over time.

However you dress it up, the JACKED O’ Lantern keeps the spooky season alive all year.

With this combo you’ll be among the fastest Tanks in the arena and you’ll be able to harass your opponents from afar. A JACKED O’ Lantern utilizing a Brambler can lay down continual damage on a Tank or a choke point without having to continually fire. Since the Brambler does damage over time and also slows enemies who dare walk into its zone of terror, you can use your superior speed to stay in safety. This way you get to take your time positioning shots to keep your opponent on the run.

The Terror of the Arena

These Tanks haunt many Pilots’ nightmares, and for good reason. When a JACKED O’ Lantern comes up against a slower Tank, there’s not much their foes can do about Brambler’s constant bombardment. Slow, heavy Tanks won’t be able to escape or catch the agile little pumpkin, while lighter, faster Tanks will often be too fragile to risk running through any DoT pumpkin patches.

The opposing team abandons all hope of a last minute rally with this JACKED O Lantern assaulting the Control Point.

In many of the best matches, natural choke points will develop where teams square off in a temporary standstill until someone gains the upper hand. JACKED O’ Lantern absolutely excels at these situations… if used cleverly. Obviously, simply laying down fire on the Control Point or clogging up a bridge with Brambler rounds are great, but Brambler can also assault behind opponents as close range Tanks charge. This slows the enemy down and can make it hard for them to back off and regroup or run for Armor packs.

Often, the worst mistake your opponents can make is to chase you. You are FAST in a JACKED O’ Lantern, and your Weapon also makes your enemy slower. Just back away quickly, and lead your pursuer with Brambler as they follow you. Lead further than you think you need to–your weapon damages a large area.

If you hit just in front of a Tank following you, you’ll still damage them and also leave twice the slowing and damaging area for them to slog through. When they’re getting close to finally being free of your brambles, drop another round. They’ll get the message soon enough.

This JACKED O’ Lantern sticks its nose into someone else’s business to help out a teammate, but then can quickly react to an approaching threat.

A JACKED O’ Lantern isn’t all treat and no trick though. This Tank is among the lowest Energy you’ll find, so you won’t be using your Abilities very often. Choose low cost Abilities. Speed Boost is very Energy affordable and really complements this zippy little Body well. Since your Weapon is artillery with this build, a turret may not be a bad idea as… just to make sure you have some cover up close when you need it.

I like it best with Speed Boost and Repair Drone, but since it gives AOE damage to all touching the bramble patch, it works very well with Vortex Zone as well. Get all 3 in a vortex and you can damage them all at the same time.

-evenwave

Pumpkin Spice It Up

One of the best things about Hero Tanks is that you don’t have to play them the way they were packaged together originally. While Brambler comes along with JACKED O’ Lantern, they are still just a Weapon and a Body that you can use in any build you’d like. There are definitely some amazing combos out there for either of these Tank Parts.

The Body on this combo is among the fastest, but it seriously lacks in Energy or Armor. This Tank will be a solid choice for any weapons where you really like to be able to zoom around and out-position everybody in the arena. You will definitely be scooping up tons in Chicken Chaser, and may elect to play the Body with a more straightforward weapon for the sake of versatility.

It’s also worth mentioning again that JACKED O’ Lantern is just a little slower than Flea… but it also has just a little more Armor and Energy. This may actually be a huge advantage for some players, as the sensitivity of a the very fastest Tanks can actually cause you to be less accurate with Weapons like the Crossbow, Twin Guns, or Cannon.

Here you can see two JACKED O’ Lanterns on a team. One assaults with Brambler from afar, while the other holds the flag, delivering precise cannon shots and a devastating airstrike.

As for Brambler, there’s plenty of interesting things you can do with this wicked Weapon. Attaching it to a slower Body would fundamentally change the traditional strategy, but not always for the worse. A Body with super high Energy and more Armor (like Nomad) could still provide plenty of support for your team around the perimeters, and can also open up a lot of possibilities with how many more Abilities you’d be able to use.

Pumpkin Power

JACKED O’ Lantern is absolutely terrifying to behold in the arena, and in the hands of the right Pilot it could mean doom for all their opponents. This pumpkin isn’t without its shortcomings, but like every Tank, the best combo is the one that feels right to you and that you enjoy playing.

We’re beyond excited for launch day, but launch doesn’t mean you’ve heard the last from the Spider Tanks Showcase. We’ll be back again next week to talk about a far more balanced approach to the arena– Muzzle!

If you have builds or strategy tips about how you love to play Muzzle, let us know in Discord or in the comments below. See you all in the arena soon!