Bughunt Guide Version 1.0
By Marine+

Contents 

I ) 	Introduction

II ) 	Bughunt Concepts

III )	Skrall Concepts

IV ) 	Marine Concepts

V )	Skrall Munitions and Tactical Deployment

VI )	Skrall Class Specific Examples and Tutorials

VII)	Marine Class Specific Examples and Tutorials

VIII )	Credits

I) Introduction

This guide was written for those with some prior Infantry experience and will require a basic understanding of Infantry and its concepts. If you wish to seek a generic play guide to infantry please visit the official site http://www.infantryzone/, from which you shall find many a play guide and ‘getting started’ help files.

The guide itself is aimed to provide you, the player, with a fundamental base from which to build your Bughunt skills. However, it does offer many a tip and technique which are considered generally above average game play with which to enhance your Bughunt gaming experience.

II) Bughunt Concepts

There as many original and unique to Infantry concepts in Bughunt. As a player, new or veteran, you should not be put off by this. Taking the time to learn and understand these whilst enjoying yourself in the process will be well worth your time. Your elementary ability to adapt your conventional tactics, strategies and Infantry theories will inevitably determine your success in Bughunt or enjoyment in Bughunt.
 
Firstly it should be noted that Bughunt offers two experiences to the player, your decision to play either Skrall or Marines will ultimately determine your Bughunt experience. The guide will aim to equip you with a rounded perspective of both races, however it is suggested you read both the Skrall and Marine guides, since knowing your enemy, its tactics and your ability to predict them will become vital.

As a Marine your role is to obtain possession of the Scientific Objective, the raw objective with which the data of your Skrall attackers is contained, and return this Objective to one of several drop points. The successful drop of both Objectives will render the Marines victorious. The Skrall must prevent the Marines from doing so using whatever means nesseccery. It is deemed the Marines have 10 minutes in which to do so before they would become overrun and the Skrall annihilate them, thus the game will restart after 10 minutes should the Marines not be successful in their goal.

The Bughunt style map is unique in that it allows the Skrall race to move in and around the ventilation system (hereby known as ‘Vents’). Whilst this fact remains a race specific point that will be dealt with later in the guide it should be said that regardless of the team you chose to play you should be familiar with your surroundings and concepts which revolve around them.

Taking the time to see which doors allow access to faster routes to safety, which vents will take you to the enemy fastest or potentially allow you to block an escape will most likely save your life, if not a vast amount of time. This is especially important when you only have 10 minutes in which to accomplish your objectives. As Skrall you are not able to open doors, it is considered that the Skrall lack the knowledge of the human computer interfaces hence cannot operate them. 

III) Skrall Concepts

The below is a very general look at Skrall and some of the fundamental information you should familiarise yourself with before starting play.

The Skrall are both reptile and Arachnid like in appearance, in terms of physical ability they take the best from both. Unlike many other teams in Infantry, the Skrall, as a team, rely heavily on close combat and the use of their claws with which to kill the Marines. What this means specifically is as a Skrall player you will be required to attack at close range. I can already see what your thinking and I don’t blame you - the Marines have big guns and they are aimed in our direction; how are we supposed to get in close and make the kill? But don’t lose faith yet, that is one of the many aspects you shall learn through reading this guide.

To win the Skrall team must stop the Marines from dropping the objectives in the drop zones. There are several ways the Skrall, as a team, can approach doing this. Each and every method has both up and down sides, some will result in a larger loss of life for the Skrall collective, some will take longer and others will be more daring. Most of the choice on which tactic to employ will be down solely to the placement of the Objective (which varies on game start).

As Skrall you have the ability to travel across parts of the map the Marines may not. However you cannot open doors, hence if the door is closed you will have to find another route to your destination. You should familiarise yourself which such shortcuts and routes as they will help in you getting to the Objective before the Marines. This allows you, as a team, to defend the Objective from being captured. 

This is the first method of preventing a Marine drop, by effectively camping the Objective and physically preventing the Marines Sarge from capturing it. By hugging close to corners, nearby vents and obstacles you can near enough stop the Marines from advancing; as for a Marine to pass they will have to come into close proximity to you – which no Marine will ever want to be since it allows you the chance to use your claws.

When hidden around a corner or obstacle the Marines will not be able to see you due to the line of sight, you should use and many other areas of stealth to your advantage to surprise and ambush unsuspecting Marines. Those who have played Marines before will most likely know of these locations and hence will be better prepared, but as Skrall any time you can hold back the Marine advance is valuable to the team and resulting worthy of doing.

To reflect the power of the Marine weapons your health as Skrall, depending on your class, is considerably higher than your Marine enemy. Upon death a Marine will drop a ‘heart’, as Skrall you are able to eat this heart to restore any lost HP you may have suffered. The zone is currently configured to automatically pick up hearts, so upon killing a Marine you will automatically receive the heart and accordingly HP will awarded.

IV) Marine Concepts

As a Marine, or more accurately a human, you possess the ability to wield a larger quantity of Weapons, Items and Objects than your Skrall counterparts. This will provide you with many an advantage, yet take heed to the fact the Skrall are just as cunning in there exploits and will have many a response to your advances. The point being: as a Marine you must expect everything and be prepared to deal with anything. 

You must try to keep in mind your objective whilst enjoying your Bughunt experience. That being: the successful drop of both Objectives within the given time frame. As a Marine player your must be aware that to be victorious the Objective must come first, over not only your physical playing decisions but any other subconscious habits you may bring with you from your past Infantry experience. Specifically I’m referring to the apparent need for some players to have a decently positive ratio. 

Those who do not abide to the above advice will generally find the team play and feeling of achievement less forthright in Bughunt. To genuinely put your Bughunt experience above none other you should, as both Marines and Skrall, understand that Bughunt revolves around team play as much as it does ones individual ability to blow 8 inch holes out of the advancing Skrall. Now, with the moral message out of the way I hope you feel more equipped to take pride in dieing for the Objective.

There are generally two roles within the Marine team whilst play commences, the first being the sergeant and the second being the Marine bulk force who protect him and the Objective from the Skrall. As playing as any class other than the Sarge you should be with your team as a unit and function as a collective group. Any one player who is not actively involved with the game as a part of the Marine team advancing on the Objective is a wasted Marine and a hindrance to his cause. 

Communication is essential; you should be constantly in touch with everything happening around you. You should be using all your senses bar taste, since that’s not really necessary and trying to lick your monitor whilst taking on the most hardcore predators in the galaxy might prove difficult (however now I’ve said that I am sure there are many of you who will not only attempt it, but tell me also). You should have a subconscious awareness of the lines of sight and locations at which you as a team are vulnerable to attack – regardless of whether they affect you as a player or not.

For example: You may well be defending a corner from a Skrall position, however, should your flank fold you will be cut in two and your Sarge killed before you can say Swiss cheese.

In terms of your travelling across the map you have but one advantage over the Skrall, doors. Regardless of the map being used with the Bughunt settings Doors are your leverage. They allow you to close off any one part of the map with a 100% guarantee or security to you and your unit. It would be wise to study the map and understand what routes are best defended via the use of Doors, since if you are carrying the second objective (having dropped the first) you can be sure to say that there are at least 20 blood hungry Skrall in close pursuit.

V) Skrall Munitions and Tactical Deployment

This section of the guide will aim to tutor you in the use of Skrall weaponry and how best to utilize and the settings around you to aid in the protection of the Objectives. There are certain aspects of the Skrall which remain the same throughout the class system, these are contained in the paragraphs below.

Marines cannot see behind them, they do not have eyes in the back of their heads. Bughunt simulates that the Skrall are one collective being, in that what ones they all see. Call it an unexplainable sense the Skrall have we as humans have not yet discovered. By using your radar and the zoom function you can effectively attack Marines from behind. By using the hyper button your Skrall will almost double in speed making for a speedy attack. Having made the kill it’s important to conceal your position as best as possible, since more Marines may take the same path and allow you to perform the same move.

Several words your certain to hear whilst in Bughunt are that of ‘Skrall Combo’. This is reference to the using of your Claws in a successive manor one after another. The technique can be used with all Skrall except the Arachnomorph. The damage total of all 3 Skrall claws is enough to kill a Marine. However, the speed at which you are capable of doing so will allow you to move onto the next target. The quicker you can do this will allow less time for your being shot at. When multiple targets are together being able to run ‘through’ a Marine and onto the next target will be vital. For this reason your combo buttons must be easy to access and use, allowing for maximum control and accuracy in the guidance of your Skrall.

As a technique the combo will take some getting used to, it is suggested you try several combinations of key setups for your combo, finding the one which best suits your play style and that you feel most comfortable with. As you play and become familiar with your enemy you will develop an eye for seeing opportunities to utilize your claw combo. However, in looking for a combo you should keep in mind your objective in keeping the Objectives in Skrall possession.

To prevent a Marine drop you do not necessarily have to push or risk death to kill them entirely. Each Skrall is provided with a projectile weapon which has (variably) a more extensive range than the claws. For example, the Skrall Electromorph, Warrior and Brute have the ability to fire biological weapons at the Marines. If the projectiles are on target it will be enough to put pressure under the advancing Marines and hold them at bay whilst your team mates can organise a flanking manoeuvre.

VI) Skrall Specific Class Examples and Tutorials

The Warrior & Electromorph

The Warrior and the Electromorph make up the mainstay of the Skrall population. they are generally both well rounded combat machines, able in both offensive and defensive exercises, however, with combined speed and attacking power they are best suited on the front of the attacks where able to sustain enough damage and still perform 100% combat effective. 

The warrior is armed with a standard claw set and an acidic spit. The spit itself causes mild damage and will knock its target off course. It is utilized in several scenarios, be it either attack or defence.

In terms of offensive manoeuvres the Spit can be used whilst advancing towards the enemy Marine to knock his aim off course and disrupt / confuse him before you strike. A technique called shadowing is important here as it will confuse the Marine fire in the vital moments before you get into claw range. Shadowing is effectively pretending to go one way by moving your Skrall in one direction, then going overly in the other direction. The Marine, predicting your movement, will have already fired a substantial amount of ammo in the wrong direction. If the Marine is low on health the spit may additionally kill him, allowing you to move quickly onto the next target.

For defensive purposes the Spit can be used to hold advancing Marines back. Simply take refuge behind a wall or corner, strafe out and Spit then move back into cover before the Marines can fire upon you. 

The Electromorph is armed with a BioElectric Blaster. Like the Spit it has a decent range and is able to perform both assault tasks as well as defensive. However, unlike the Spit the Blaster will bounce of a wall before exploding. This allows you as the player the opportunity to hit the Marines from alternate angles. You should always make full use of this as it will put fire upon the Marines from more directions making their advance much more difficult. Electromorphs can especially utilize this from the opening of the vents, being able to stand one side and bounce a bioelectric pulse off the opposite wall into oncoming Marines. 

The Brute & Rampager – ‘Skrall Heavies’

The Brute is the heavy artillery / projectile class of the Skrall world. It is equipped with not only heavy claws by a BioBurst. The BioBurst will expel from the centre of the Skrall 8 electric pulses in all directions. Each blast deals out good damage to any Marine it touches and is capable of bouncing several times off different walls. In the tight corridors and confined spaces of Bughunt this is potentially fatal to large groups of Marines, as dodging the 8 incoming projectiles will prove difficult.

The Brute is best suited to positions where it catches the Marines in confined spaces, causing maximum damage. It would be wise to deploy your brute near the Objective as it guaranteed to attract the Marines as they advance to capture it, leaving them no choice but to follow a path you have complete control of.
To ensure that you send as many of the BioBurst projectiles in the direction of the Marines as possible use a similar technique to that of the defensive firing of Warrior Spit. Simply move your Brute out of cover into the line of fire of the incoming Marines for a split second, however, this time make sure you are near a wall before firing – this will ensure that all projectiles will bounce in the direction of the Marines whether they go in the direction of the wall or not.

The Brute and Rampager themselves are slower than the Warrior, Electromorph and Arachnomorph so ensure that you displace from a location before the Marines fold in on you or cut you off from a possible escape / place where you can fire upon them for longer. 

The Rampagers alternate weapon is the Death Breath. Effectively an acid spray ejected from the Rampagers mouth. It is highly acidic and deadly to Marines; however its range is limited and will require close combat conditions. It is for this reason you must be wise in your choice to attack, as being slow, your Rampager will only have no chance to make a strike. Try to target specific groups of Marines or a Marine of importance to the current situation. There is not a single Marine that can withstand an entire blast of Death Breath, not even the Sarge. If possible you should utilize your ability and target the Sarge at his weakest. 

The Arachnomorph

One of the more unique Skrall units, as it shares little with is Skrall brothers. It is the most able in both the fields of speed and manoeuvrability. However, rather than being armed with a single combo killing set of claws it is equipped with only 2 claws and a sting. The Arachnomorph sting will stun your enemy for a few seconds, allowing you time enough to slash with the claws a second time killing your target.

However, being faster and smaller, essentially harder to hit and having a stunning ability comes at a price; health. The Arachnomorph is the frailest of the Skrall classes with only 100hp. It will not survive a prolonged fire fight and so it is strongly advised you play the Arachnomorph with the intent to target single Marines, rather than attacking a larger group force. You’ll find most singular Marines moving from the Spawns to the rest of the combat group, it is at this point you should target them. Be sure to use vents and corners from which to launch an ambush.  

Secondly the Arachnomorph is equipped with a Slime Trail. This is quite literally a trail of slime deposited by the Arachnomorph which posses both offensive and defensive qualities. Upon stepping in the slime a Marine will find he/she temporarily stunned, unable to move. A good position of use for this weapon is in places where the Marines are likely to be in both contact with your other Skrall members and stuck, being fended off for a long period of time. This is almost always near the objective, so lay trails of slime across the corridor. Remember, the Marines are working against the clock so anytime you can take from them is valuable.

VII) Marine Class Specific Examples and Tutorials

Unlike the Skrall the Marines class systems and roles differ extensively, each class offers a unique experience and role within the game. 

The Marine

The Marine is the hardcore backbone of the force, he provides the Marines with a flexible arm with which to extend into the Skrall line. Able to take damage and continue to fight effectively the Marine is a multi role unit, taking up positions across the map as required by the Sarge.

As a Marine you are directly responsible for the advancing movement of the team as a whole, your failure to put pressure upon defending Skrall and gain ground will inevitably lead to the failure of your unit. You should be visually aware of the situation around you; leading your team too far into enemy territory without dealing with the Skrall presence will be fatal.

You will be required to fill gaps, ensuring that the movement of the Unit throughout Bughunt is air tight; holes in the defence of your Sarge are your responsibility. If you are about to take a corner you must ensure that both the rear of the Marine unit is protected, Skrall will be more than ready to take the team unsuspecting with bullet like speed. 

Whilst using your assault rifle to eliminate specific targets you should ensure that you switch the shotgun when in close proximity to the Skrall, you cannot afford to miss. The assault rifle will not kill targets at extreme close range. The Combat Knife is the last line of defence, it is all that stands between you and a bugs claws. It should not be used until the shotgun and assault rifle are both out of range. This is important as you want to take off as much HP from the advancing Skrall before he slices you into little pieces. 

The Heavy

The Heavy’s role in the Marine force differs greatly from that of the Combat Marine. As a Heavy your job is specifically to utilize the staying power of your Assault Cannon in a defensive position. You must learn to take a position from which you can see the maximum number or fire lines, covering as much as your team as possible. You are there to ease the strain of the Marines as they advance by ensuring they need not worry about the flanks folding.

As with the Marine it is essential that you switch between your primary and secondary weapon at the crucial moment, knowing exactly when and when not to employ each offensively towards a Skrall.

The incinerator will cause devastating damage to an advancing Skrall, so ensure you have exhausted your Assault Cannons potential to cause damage before retreating as this will help ease your situation in the face of more than one target. The process of deciding when to run backwards is often crucial and may require some combat practice to get perfect. The incinerator projectile itself will leave a spot of flame on the floor for several seconds; use this to your advantage whilst retreating by trying to force the Skrall into a specific direction or towards a wall. This will limit the Skrall in attack directions and give you better control of the situation. 

Be sure to check to your radar for Skrall movement in the distance, as a heavy you will find that if you have a long corridor covered the Skrall will not advance upon you – they will find an alternate route and intersect at another location. Be mindful of this and inform your team of possible contact points. 

As a Heavy you will find yourself spending long amounts of time in one location, yet being seemingly busy with Skrall attempting to advance on your location. This will inevitably drain your ammunitions. It is recommended that you try not to burn out your resources unless completely necessary. If you are watching a long corridor allow the Skrall to advance to a point where they cannot turn round before you open fire, this will ensure any ammunition used is not wasted.

The Medic

Firstly, when playing medic it is often easy to get carried away, turn Rambo and get killed. Try to focus your attentions on the job in hand, keeping the team alive. Close condition healing occurs most when the team has been brought to a halt by Skrall fortifying their position, allowing them to fire projectiles upon the advancing Marines. This occurs most often at corners or doors. A dead medic is worthless to the Marine force; you must ensure your role as medic is not put to waste by taking unnecessary damage.

Secondly, unlike other medics the bughunt medic may only heal individuals at any one time. This, people argue, greatly increases the time a medic takes to heal groups of wounded men. So for that reason speed is essential, so try to prioritise when healing groups of Marines. To ensure the medkit selects the unit you want to heal you may be required to get closer, or in this case leave the safety of your cover and risk death. It is for this reason I suggest keeping your heal button in an easy to reach and practical location, the clock is ever ticking and every second counts.

When the heal key is pressed you will be presented with a menu, this displays all the wounded units in the vicinity. Note that each unit has a number next to the name. For speed healing simply find the number next to the unit you wish to heal, then press that number on your keyboard. This means you do not have to select the unit on the list with your mouse, keeping both your hands on the keyboard ready for movement and the next heal. This technique is especially useful when dealing with large numbers of casualties. 

Alternately to pressing the numbers, say when you have only two units to heal, you may find the mouse more accurate. To heal a unit from the list simply move your mouse over the name and click. This, like using the numbers, will return any amount of damage to 100 Health Points. When mastered, the technique of moving your mouse to keyboard can make for a speedy heal, but may still take valuable time and effort on your behalf. Some users who play with the mouse may prefer to use this technique as they already have their hand on the mouse (rather than going from mouse to keyboard). 

When on the move, depending on the quality, speed & style your Sarge is playing, you can adapt your position to suit the flow of combat. For example, when corning the Sarge is most at risk, so you should ensure you’re by his side ready to heal at any moment. Or, if the team is moving down the corridor the Marines at the front will take most damage, so you can leave the Sarge to go heal them. Different Medics will play a different style of game, some prefer to stay out of the action and have the wounded come to them, others support the attacking number of men and others will die for their Sarge. Having followed the above steps you are ready to heal again.

The Scout

The Scout is an essential part to any Marine team as through the use of enhanced sensors they have the advantage of being able to see the location of the Skrall around them. This provides not only a chance to see what is there but what is not, in that you need not waste time moving around a vent.

An important feature as playing the Scout is your vocal presence on the team, use macros to inform the team members around you of advancing Skrall, be it through nearby vents or corners, cross roads or the flank of your unit. You are the eyes of the advance and so should be constantly reassuring your Marines that their actions are suitable to the scenario in hand. If you can see something they cannot tell them, it will be invaluable to the success of the mission. 

Your primary weapon, the pulse rifle, and your enhanced sensors will require energy to use. If you leave the enhanced sensors on they will use all your energy and you will not be able to fire your weapon. The trick to managing the power is to simply blink the ES on and off. This will give an accurate map reading for about 5-10 seconds. Then simply repeat the process as needed, as before turn it on for 1 second, then off again.

The Pulse Rifle itself will bounce off walls, effectively allowing you to hit targets from an angle which renders yourself covered from attack. Learning the angles of fire will obviously differ depending on the map, however, simply firing your weapon into defending Skrall positions on a general level will limit the movement of the Skrall providing opportunities for your fellow Marines to advance. This also effective against the removing of Skrall from vents, as you can hit the target from a safe distance under the cover of your Marines.

The Sarge

The Sarge is the overall leader of the Marines into combat. As Sarge you should posses the ability to take command of your troops and direct them with confidence and assurance in your word. They will look to your for guidance in times of need, hence, as a Sarge your knowledge of the battlefield and all things related to it should be of superior quality. It is for this reason new players to Bughunt are not suggested to take on a leading role as Sarge, rather play in support of an experience Sarge and learn the ropes.

There are many Sarging styles, methods, tips, tricks and rules of combat which should be studied in the search for success. As with all members of the Marine team you should always keep in mind the Objective, you as Sarge are the one directly responsible for it and the direction of your men towards it. 

However tempting it may be you are no good to your team dead, stay alive. Be sensible and do not lead Marines into assaults which have low survival ratings. Let the Marines do their jobs and you do yours. As Sarge you will need to keep the shape of the unit together, if you see a hole in the progress of your troops towards the Objective ensure it is filled. Try to keep in the middle of your Force, this will put the maximum amount of players between you and the nearest Skrall.

An important factor of Sarging is that of your summoning ability. You must ensure that your team knows your presence, use macros to ask for assistance and get the players actively involved with the game. Summon your troops upon request to your location, but not at the expensive of staying open to attack. The more men you have at your side the more effective your team will be as a unit. Try and get as many people involved with your capture of the flag as you can.

The direction you take both to and from the Objective is crucial. You are dealing with the constant battle of time, hence, the path you chose should be both as safe and as fast as possible. Ensure you use doors and specific features on a map to your advantage wherever possible. You will find as Sarge that the areas closest to the Objective are where your largest encounters with the Skrall will be. Guess what? They all want you dead. This is especially potent if you have the Objective as you will flash on the radar.

VIII) Credits

Please feel free to contact me concerning any issues raised from the guide, questions or suggestions for future versions you may have. 

Email: marine_bh@hotmail.com
ICQ: 127904267

Alternately please feel free to ?chatadd Bughunt at anytime, much of the active Bughunt community resides there and will be more than happy to answer any questions you may have.

My personal website regarding Bughunt is hosted under the Infantry-Sector Network, please feel free to visit and check out the guides which provide some graphical support as well as the archives of media and other Bughunt related information available:

http://www.infantry-sector.com/bughunt

There is also a Bughunt League commissioned by myself which has successfully completed a Beta Season, workings and scheduling for Season 2 is currently being processed. All information including rules and winners from the Beta Season can be found at:

http://www.infantry-sector.com/bhl

Version 1: 16/10/03

Marine+
Echelon Command  








