The Hunters

THE HUNTERS

 

Assault – Markov

 

 

Lightning gun

 

 

Description: Fires a blast of lightning from the end of the weapon that arcs towards where the weapon is aimed. This lightning bolt can chain to multiple nearby enemies which can be of great use in certain situations (outlined below). The "clip" lasts for an average amount of time as well. This weapon is quite a good choice at close range, but you will want to swap it out once the monster moves away from you.

 

Usage: This lightning bolt can chain to multiple nearby enemies, making it most suitable to the nest and defend game modes where there are multiple enemy targets (unlike hunt and survivor where there is only one monster and no minions).

 

It does fair damage but has quite a short range, making it useful only in certain situations (close combat), where you should rapidly be swapping between this and the assault rifle as the monster moves around.

 

Assault rifle

 

 

Description: A mid to long range combat weapon, that is easy to use but provides additional ranged damage for the Assault. The rifle fires rapidly but has a decent clip size, and is good for keeping a monster from feeding or pinning a hunter due to the constant damage.

 

Usage: A good mid to long range weapon that should be in use whenever you can see the monster for aimed chip damage. Especially when combined with other characters who have armour piercing weapons that generate weak points on the monster's body for you to deal extra damage to.

 

This weapon acts similar to most assault rifles in more arcadey First Person Shooters (no bullet drop off at range, low weapon recoil), so it is easy for new players to get the hang of this weapon. Remember to use it whenever the monster is in view (and not in your face), and take advantage of the enemy weak spots that appear (Val's sniper rifle will make them appear, along with other armour piercing guns).

 

Arc mines

 

 

Description: Markov holds the mine out in front of him, and the player can use RT to throw down the mines (they curve in an arc with their final location shown as a blue outline on the ground). These mines explode and deal decent damage to any enemy that enters the area surrounding it (360 degrees). You can have five mines active at any time.

 

Usage: Used for guarding objectives, creating choke points or setting up ambushes, these discs of pain work well with a coordinated team. Combine them with the Trapper's mobile arena or hide them in the undergrowth to obscure the telltale red aura that the monster can spot and they can be nice little annoyances to the monster player.

 

They aren't strong enough to take massive chunks from a monsters armour or health, but as complimentary damage they are useful. Make sure to place them around the generators in Defend mode games as the minions will likely walk right into them, taking damage. Make sure to work with your team for the best placement of traps and equipment.

 

Personal shield (class ability)

 

 

Description: All Assault hunters have the ability to trigger their personal shield to become immune to damage for around six seconds. This manifests as a blue colour filter appearing on your screen and all damage to you during the time being prevented. The thirty second cool-down prevents abuse of this ability.

 

Usage: When engaging the monster in close combat or being actively targeted by one, this ability is a life-saver. Learning when to trigger it is what defines a good Assault player. A good monster player will keep track of when the assault has his shield available and will try to make them waste it. Combine this with the reduced ability cool-down perk, and this can really keep you safe in battle. You can also trigger this ability when incapacitated to prevent the monster killing you, allowing more time for the medic to rescue you.

 

Unfortunately it does not make you immune to knock-back, so getting close to a Support player's orbital strike or a Kraken's vortex will still knock you across the area. You can also use this ability offensively as an all out attack on the monster to deal a large amount of damage before retreating when the shield runs out.

 

 

 

Assault – Hyde

 

 

Flamethrower

 

 

Description: The flamethrower spews forth a gout of flames (duh), hitting any monsters or other creatures for decent damage and continuing to burn them afterwards for damage over time. The flame distance is quite short, so it is most useful in close range combat.

 

Usage: In my opinion, this weapon is far more useful than Markov's lightning gun, due to the damage over time effect. You should be triggering this effect whenever you get close enough to hit the monster, and then swapping back to the mini-gun when it moves away from you. Great for dealing with minions as well in nest and defend modes as you can have them burning away while you fire at the player monster.

 

This acts as an additional damage source and is useful in any game type, so Hyde is a good call in any hunter mission. Make sure to keep that burning effect on whenever you can to keep chipping away at enemy armour and health. This also can be used on the Wraith monster to reveal it when it triggers it's decoy ability and becomes invisible. If you can hit it when it does this, the flames will stay on the monster, making it visible to your team.

 

Minigun

 

 

Description: Similar to Markov's assault rifle, but with a much bigger clip size. The downside of this is of course the longer reload time. This weapon is best used at mid range, but can stretch to long with a skilled player using zoom and burst fire. Upgrading the weapon (by leveling it up) will also slightly increase it's accuracy.

 

Usage: This weapon should be what you use most during rounds, whenever the monster or minions are visible, you should be hammering away at them with this weapon. It deals decent chip damage and can be fired for long periods without needing a reload.

 

Combine this with more damage or the faster weapon swap perk to deal constant damage. You can also use it to target weak points created by allies with armour piercing weapons (Val's sniper rifle for example), meaning you can deal extra damage.

 

Toxic grenades

 

 

Description: Hyde lobs a toxic grenade (using RT) along a visible flight path arc that detonates into a burst of noxious fumes. This damages any monsters caught in the area and slows down hunters moving through the poison mist.

 

Usage: Great for clustered monsters and minions, it can also be used to briefly defend a choke-point or objective. Due to the hunter slowing nature of this grenade, you need to be very careful about placement, especially in modes where speed is key (ie: hunt) to avoid being left in the dust by the monster.

 

They can be used as an additional damage source or to block off an escape path for the monster as well making them very useful for strategic minded hunters. Use them on minions to take them down quicker when they are attacking your power generators in defend mode (poison gas + flamethrower damage over time + mini-gun fire = much pain).

 

Personal shield (class ability)

 

 

Description: All Assault hunters have the ability to trigger their personal shield to become immune to damage for around six seconds. This manifests as a blue colour filter appearing on your screen and all damage to you during the time being prevented. The thirty second cool-down prevents abuse of this ability.

 

Usage: When engaging the monster in close combat or being actively targeted by one, this ability is a life-saver. Learning when to trigger it is what defines a good Assault player. A good monster player will keep track of when the assault has his shield available and will try to make them waste it. Combine this with the reduced ability cool-down perk, and this can really keep you safe in battle. You can also trigger this ability when incapacitated to prevent the monster killing you, allowing more time for the medic to rescue you.

 

Unfortunately it does not make you immune to knock-back, so getting close to a Support player's orbital strike or a Kraken's vortex will still knock you across the area. You can also use this ability offensively as an all out attack on the monster to deal a large amount of damage before retreating when the shield runs out.

 

 

 

Assault – Pernell

 

 

Combat shotgun

 

 

Description: A close range, fully automatic weapon. The combat shotgun does high damage at close range, but it's damage drops off quickly the further the target is away. You should be actively swapping between this and the missile launcher depending on the distance of the monster.

 

Usage: The combat shotgun is a close range damage machine, so combining it with the super soldier ability can turn it into a whirlwind of death. Get in close under the monster when it can move and hit it with this with super soldier active and watch chunks vanish from the enemies life bar.

 

The increased clip size and damage increase perks fuse well with this weapon, along with an aggressive play-style. If you manage to keep up with the monster and stay under it's feet while blasting away with this weapon, the match will likely end up a short one.

 

Multifire rocket launcher

 

 

Description: A manually targeted automatic rocket launcher. This weapon deals medium damage at any range, but is difficult to aim, requiring a skilled player to make the most of it. It holds a base "magazine" of five rockets, which require reloading after use.

 

Usage: This is the weapon you should be using at any distance other than close. Any time you can't use the shotgun, you should be firing this at the monster. It doesn't deal as much damage as the shotgun at close range, but it can be quite powerful, especially when combined with increased damage or clip size perks.

 

You can also use this with the super soldier ability to move around quickly and get line of sight on the monster below before raining down missiles on it. Overall, not as impressive as some assault ranged weapons, but useful all the same.

 

Super soldier

 

 

Description: Triggering super soldier gives Pernell a boost to movement speed and a massive increase to fire rate (not reload speed though, unfortunately) at the cost of health. The screen will tint yellow for a split second and then the boost will take effect. It lasts for around ten seconds before wearing off.

 

Usage: Getting close to the monster and triggering this when combined with the combat shotgun can deal a massive amount of damage in a very short time. If timed correctly, it can force a monster to retreat or back away from you (allowing your allies to hit it with other abilities).

 

The downside of course is the health loss, but with a medic paired up with the assault, this becomes a minor niggle that is easily dealt with.  The increased clip size perk or increased damage can be added to this to make the ability even more effective in battle. You can also use the ability for a ranged barrage of missile strikes, but this tends to be less damaging overall.

 

Personal shield (class ability)

 

 

Description: All Assault hunters have the ability to trigger their personal shield to become immune to damage for around six seconds. This manifests as a blue colour filter appearing on your screen and all damage to you during the time being prevented. The thirty second cooldown prevents abuse of this ability.

 

Usage: When engaging the monster in close combat or being actively targeted by one, this ability is a life-saver. Learning when to trigger it is what defines a good Assault player. A good monster player will keep track of when the assault has his shield available and will try to make them waste it. Combine this with the reduced ability cool-down perk, and this can really keep you safe in battle. You can also trigger this ability when incapacitated to prevent the monster killing you, allowing more time for the medic to rescue you.

 

Unfortunately it does not make you immune to knock-back, so getting close to a Support player's orbital strike or a Kraken's vortex will still knock you across the area. You can also use this ability offensively as an all out attack on the monster to deal a large amount of damage before retreating when the shield runs out.

 

 

 

Trapper – Maggie

 

 

Machine pistol

 

 

Description: A basic low damage SMG with a decent size clip, high rate of fire and very little recoil. This is Maggie's only damage dealing weapon and should be in use whenever you aren't actively using any of her other abilities.

 

Usage: While this weapon doesn't do much damage compared to others, it is a constant stream of damage and can act as an interrupt for monster feeding and pins. It also combines well with the armour piercing abilities of other hunters that expose weak points on a monster, allowing the machine pistol to deal double damage in rapid succession.

 

Use this weapon at all times and take the increased damage or clip size perks to make it more effective in battle. As you should be always using it (unless using a trap), the little extra damage can add up and make the difference in a fight.

 

Harpoon traps

 

 

Description: Maggie fires small traps containing harpoons from her harpoon gun that immediately burrow into the ground. When a monster enters their proximity, they fire and embed themselves in it, slowing movement and staying attached until the monster severs them with a melee swipe. You can have a maximum of five traps active at any time.

 

Usage: The harpoon trap acts as a way of slowing down the monster's movement and keeping it in place, normally until the trapper's mobile arena skill recharges or until other hunters can catch up for an ambush. The main downside of this ability is the excruciating firing time for each trap, making it less useful than you would think overall.

 

It is good for setups when you aren't directly attacking the monster at the time, but in active combat it is next to useless. Use it in the right application and it can shine, but if you have a more confrontational play-style, you can pretty much leave this ability alone.

 

Pet trapjaw

 

 

Description: Daisy will automatically track the monster when you get close to her (if you are far away she will just act as a normal AI companion). Daisy also has the ability to scale cliffs, revive allies and act as another damage sponge, making her a versatile ally to have on the battlefield.

 

Usage: This ability really shines in Hunt mode, and combines well with aggressive teams in other modes. Daisy's auto track ability will enable even novice players to constantly hound the monster, keeping it from increasing it's armour and preventing/ delaying it's evolution. Aggressive teams can also use this to change their objectives on the fly, switching from defense to attack almost instantly.

 

This can make it much more difficult for the monster to reach it's higher evolution levels, possibly running out of time and allowing the hunters to win the match. Daisy can also be used in combat to revive players and soak up damage as a meat-shield, which can prove very useful.

 

Mobile arena (class ability)

 

 

Description: The Trapper prepares (3 second prep time) and then throws (when player presses RT) a device on the ground which generates a massive energy dome that expands out from the landing point. This energy field prevents a monster passing through it and escaping, making it an effective tool for blocking a monster's progress. The cool-down is fairly long (around a minute), but the effect more than makes up for it. If the monster escapes the field before it triggers, you can press LB to disable it, allowing it to start recharging again and letting your team resume the monster hunt.

 

Usage: This is the most effective tool in a Trapper's arsenal and is of massive use in modes where the hunters must pursue the monster. Combined with Maggie's pet trapjaw (Daisy) ability, this makes hunts far simpler, especially for starting players. Simply follow a monster in hunt with Daisy and when you are close enough, trigger mobile arena while you mob the trapped monster. A very simple, but effective tactic for starting players.

 

Triggering this ability is also key to ambushes and preventing a monster's escape. If you are fighting it out in defend for example and a monster gets low on armour, chances are it will try to retreat and regenerate it. With skilled timing of this ability, you can prevent that happening and deal massive hunter party damage as it is trapped inside the dome. Timing is crucial for this class ability and a skilled player can turn a situation on its head with it.

 

 

 

Trapper – Griffin

 

 

Gauss SMG

 

 

Description: A basic low damage SMG with a decent size clip, high rate of fire and very little recoil. This is Griffin's only damage dealing weapon and should be in use whenever you aren't actively using any of her other abilities.

 

Usage: While this weapon doesn't do much damage compared to others, it is a constant stream of damage and can act as an interrupt for monster feeding and pins. It also combines well with the armour piercing abilities of other hunters that expose weak points on a monster, allowing the gauss SMG to deal double damage in rapid succession.

 

Use this weapon at all times and take the increased damage or clip size perks to make it more effective in battle. As you should be always using it (unless using mobile arena or the harpoon gun), the little extra damage can add up and make the difference in a fight.

 

Harpoon gun

 

 

Description: This weapon fires a harpoon connected to a wire cable in a straight line. If it hits a monster or other enemy, it will slow them down until they use a melee strike to snap the cable. The harpoon load speed is slow, but can be increased with perks.

 

Usage: This weapon is similar to Maggie's harpoon traps, but a lot more useful. You have unlimited ammo with it and can constantly slow and harass a fleeing monster with it. Combine this with the increased reload speed perk to improve the loading time of each harpoon, or increase your maximum movement speed to keep up with the fleeing monster.

 

It is also helpful in slowing down a monster's exit when a mobile arena wears off, giving your allies a few more seconds to deal damage before the monster makes a break for it. Any time the monster is fleeing, use this to help slow it down and your allies should be able to pour on more ranged damage and keep up better.

 

Sound spikes

 

 

Description: These spikes can be planted in the ground (by holding RT) and act as sensors for any nearby monsters (in a radius of fifty meters). You can only have a maximum of five active at a time, but good placement will limit a monster's safe movement area.

 

Usage: These are Griffin's bread and butter and should be in use at all times (especially on hunt missions). You should be rushing from the get go to plant these on a map so they can cover optimal area. Avoid placing them near any local wildlife (as they can be destroyed by them). Try not to overlap the detection areas as this is a waste.

 

If you cannot cover the majority of the area, use them in choke points of the map where a monster will have to pass through, so you know where it's headed. In defense and survivor mode, these are less useful, but should be placed in pairs around objectives (survivors or generators) to give you early warning to a monster attack.

 

Mobile arena (class ability)

 

 

Description: The Trapper prepares (3 second prep time) and then throws (when player presses RT) a device on the ground which generates a massive energy dome that expands out from the landing point. This energy field prevents a monster passing through it and escaping, making it an effective tool for blocking a monster's progress. The cool-down is fairly long (around a minute), but the effect more than makes up for it. If the monster escapes the field before it triggers, you can press LB to disable it, allowing it to start recharging again and letting your team resume the monster hunt.

 

Usage: This is the most effective tool in a Trapper's arsenal and is of massive use in modes where the hunters must pursue the monster. Combined with Griffin's sound spikes ability, this makes hunts far simpler. Simply place the sound spikes in an effective pattern on the map to limit the monsters movements (acting as early warning if the monster destroys one) and work with your team to check any blind spots.

 

Triggering this ability is also key to ambushes and preventing a monster's escape. If you are fighting it out in defend for example and a monster gets low on armour, chances are it will try to retreat and regenerate it. With skilled timing of this ability, you can prevent that happening and deal massive hunter party damage as it is trapped inside the dome. Timing is crucial for this class ability and a skilled player can turn a situation on its head with it.

 

 

 

Trapper – Abe

 

 

Custom shotgun

 

 

Description: A close range, fully automatic weapon. The custom shotgun does high damage at close range, but it's damage drops off quickly the further the target is away. The slug scatter effect is also increased by the speed at which you fire it. So consider firing slower if you need more accuracy or rapidly if you can't miss.

 

Usage: For maximum effectiveness, you really want to be using this weapon in combination with stasis grenades. This will essentially nullify the monster's attacks and allow you to deal damage relatively safely while the mobile arena class ability recharges.

 

Due to the ranged damage drop off of the weapon, you can't really effectively use it at range, and a mobile monster will quickly distance itself from you. So you should only really be firing this at a monster when the mobile arena and/ or stasis grenade is active and you've replenished your tag on the monster. It's a leftovers weapon, the thing you use when everything else is done or if you need to do direct damage.

 

Stasis grenades

 

 

Description: Abe throws an orb in visible arc (using RT), which remains motionless on the ground unless a monster comes too close. When it is triggered, the monster is slowed and it's attack speed is lowered. Some abilities are also restricted by this effect.

 

Usage: These grenades act like proximity mines, so you can simply throw them down and wait for the monster to trip them. Smarter players will combine the effect with the mobile arena, restricting the enemies movement with the arena and then slowing and limiting it's attacks with the stasis grenades.

 

Well timed use of these two abilities can shatter a monster's damage potential, allowing you to take massive chunks of health/ armour from it with little danger. Whenever it is under stasis effect, you should be getting in it's face with the combat shotgun to blast out even more damage.

 

Tracking dart pistol

 

 

Description: This is Abe's signature tracking method, the tracking darts tag piece of wildlife (dead or living) or a monster if shot directly with an invisible tracking tag. The tags can also be activated if a monster feeds on the body of tagged wildlife, transferring the tag into it's system. When a monster is tagged, it's position is tracked on the map for all to see.

 

Usage: The main thing to keep in mind here is that your ammo for this gun is unlimited, so you should be firing at every piece of wildlife and monster you see. Make sure to renew the tags on the monster if you manage to capture it in the mobile arena, so you can continue to chase it when the arena runs out.

 

The monster will appear on your map once you have successfully tagged, so make sure to set up ambushes and/ or keep chipping away at it's health to prevent it recovering it's armour. The hardest part is getting that initial tag. Once you have it, make sure to keep renewing it at every encounter with the beast.

 

Mobile arena (class ability)

 

 

Description: The Trapper prepares (3 second prep time) and then throws (when player presses RT) a device on the ground which generates a massive energy dome that expands out from the landing point. This energy field prevents a monster passing through it and escaping, making it an effective tool for blocking a monster's progress. The cool-down is fairly long (around a minute), but the effect more than makes up for it. If the monster escapes the field before it triggers, you can press LB to disable it, allowing it to start recharging again and letting your team resume the monster hunt.

 

Usage: This is the most effective tool in a Trapper's arsenal and is of massive use in modes where the hunters must pursue the monster. Combined with Abe's tracking pistol, you can tag most wildlife in the area and wait until the monster consumes a tagged animal, or attempt to find it yourself. Once you do, put a tag in it and throw down the mobile arena. Make sure to renew the tag when the arena is about to run out so you can resume the chase when it flees.

 

Triggering this ability is also key to ambushes and preventing a monster's escape. If you are fighting it out in defend for example and a monster gets low on armour, chances are it will try to retreat and regenerate it. With skilled timing of this ability, you can prevent that happening and deal massive hunter party damage as it is trapped inside the dome. Timing is crucial for this class ability and a skilled player can turn a situation on its head with it.

 

 

 

Medic – Val

 

 

Armor-piercing sniper rifle

 

 

Description: A long ranged scoped weapon that deals moderate damage to targets. The main draw of this weapon is it's armour piercing nature, which generates weak points on enemies (monsters and minions) which, if hit by allies deal bonus damage (x2) to the affected enemy.

 

Usage: This weapon should be used as a battle opener alongside the tranquilizer gun for Val, but not a constant stream of shots. A good technique is to use a tranq shot, fire a couple of sniper rounds to increase team damage, and then use your medgun and healing burst to support the squad. Occasionally using tranqs and sniper shots to keep slowing and creating weak points.

 

This isn't a Call of Duty or Battlefield game, where a single head-shot will take down a target, the idea here is simply to increase the damage dealt by your allies instead. The slow bullet chambering animation between shots also means you don't want to miss. Take your time and line up the shots with the scope to prevent wasted opportunities.

 

Medgun

 

 

Description: The medgun emits a torrent of green light that gradually heals targeted allies. The aim for this weapon is very generous, and the beam can even curve around trees and cliffs to continue healing. The battery duration is quite long, but will need to recharge upon depletion.

 

Usage: You should be using this whenever anyone in the team's health drops below full. The charge of the medgun lasts a while, so you can get a fair amount of healing in before having to recharge. Stick to the Assault, or most offensive players as they are likely to be damaged and in the line of fire the most often.

 

If the monster is in the area, make sure to tranquilize it to reduce it's combat effectiveness before resuming the healing. This will help your team locate/ fire on the monster, and reduce the damage it can deal while you heal up your allies.

 

Tranquilizer gun

 

 

Description: A rifle which doses a monster or minion with a cocktail of drugs and a short tracker effect. This highlights the afflicted monster in yellow and slows it's movement and abilities for around five seconds before wearing off.

 

Usage: The added monster visibility is a massive help in online multiplayer as it allows the team to target and maneuver more effectively. The slowdown also works great in conjunction with other slowdown effects (such as Griffin's harpoon and Abe's stasis grenades) to slow down the monster even further.

 

The tranqs last a few seconds and you get three in a magazine, so don't be tempted to fire off all three rapidly. Instead, pause for a second or two between each shot to extend the duration of the effect, as the monster will likely escape while you reload.

 

Healing burst (class ability)

 

 

Description: Sends out a healing wave for a decent radius in all directions that instantly restores a portion of all affected player's health bars. The cool-down is quite short for a class ability (around thirty seconds), so it can be used frequently.

 

Usage: The healing pulse is the only way to heal the medic (without perks), so you should always keep a watchful eye on her health as well as your teammates and be sure to top it up whenever it drops by more than a quarter.

 

The area of effect works well when the group is clustered together, but it is unwise to run into the fray with Val to do so due to her fragile nature. Unless multiple people are about to die, hold back, use the medgun and drop down when there is some breathing room to heal everyone up. Remember if the medic goes down, the team is likely to follow.

 

 

 

Medic – Lazarus

 

 

Silenced sniper rifle

 

 

Description: A silenced long ranged scoped weapon with a high firing rate that deals low damage to targets. The main draw of this weapon is it's armour piercing nature, which generates weak points on enemies (monsters and minions) which, if hit by allies deal bonus damage (x2) to the affected enemy. The rifle has low recoil (especially for a sniper rifle), but still requires a half second between long ranged shots to compensate for recoil.

 

Usage: Unlike other medics, Lazarus can't do much besides shoot the monster unless someone dies or his healing burst isn't on cooldown. So, you should be firing away whenever you aren't doing medic related things. The silenced nature of the weapon makes it harder for a monster to locate you. Remember that firing a shot from this gun will immediately cancel your cloak, so be sure before firing.

 

The sniper rifle is very accurate, but you may want to deliberately spread out your shots on the enemy monster to ensure the weak points it creates can be targeted from multiple angles by your team. Remember, this isn't a Call of Duty or Battlefield game, where a single headshot will take down a target, the idea here is simply to increase the damage dealt by your allies instead.

 

Lazarus device

 

 

Description: A gauntlet that has the ability to charge up (2-3 seconds) and restore downed and dead allies to half health. The recharge time is quite short, and can be used during stealth (the revive animation makes you come out of stealth, but you will re-enter it immediately after the animation ends). Hunters revived by the device do not suffer a strike penalty.

 

Usage: This is Lazarus's signature ability, and due to it's nature is likely to make him the priority target for all kinds of monster related interest. Lazarus should stick to the edges of the firefight and use his cloak ability to get close enough to revive allies with the Lazarus device who are downed or dead (only appearing for a couple of seconds during the revive animation).

 

This is one medic who may want to deliberately let allies die so that they can be revived without a strike. When allies are revived by this weapon, they are on low to half health, so make sure to trigger healing burst straight away if you can after reviving them so they can rejoin the fight.

 

Personal cloak

 

 

Description: Lazarus creates a light bending layer of concealment over himself, making himself invisible to the monster. The duration is fairly long (20-30 seconds), allowing him plenty of time to flee or to reach a downed hunter to revive them. Keep in mind that firing his sniper rifle will immediately cancel the cloak.

 

Usage: This is really the only ability that stops Lazarus becoming a red smear on the landscape. Lazarus will be the priority at nearly all times for an enemy monster, so staying out of the monsters range and skilled usage of this skill is the only way to avoid death. The cloak lasts quite a long time, allowing for quick exits and revival runs. The Goliath monster class can also use flame breath to make you visible by encasing you in flames, so use extra caution when against that particular monster.

 

Trigger this whenever you are targeted by the monster. Even if someone is dead, it won't help them if you die as you are the only medic. In any mode besides defend, if you die, the team is pretty much screwed, so make sure to prioritize your own life over theirs. It sounds selfish, but it's how Lazarus works.

 

Healing burst (class ability)

 

 

Description: Sends out a healing wave for a decent radius in all directions that instantly restores a portion of all affected player's health bars. The cool-down is quite short for a class ability (around thirty seconds), so it can be used frequently.

 

Usage: The healing pulse is the only way to heal the medic (without perks), so you should always keep a watchful eye on his health as well as your teammates and be sure to top it up whenever it drops by more than a quarter.

 

The area of effect works well when the group is clustered together, but it is unwise to run into the fray with Lazarus to do so due to his fragile nature. Unless multiple people are about to die, hold back, wait for them to die and drop down in cloak when there is some breathing room to revive everyone. Remember if the medic goes down, the team is likely to follow.

 

 

 

Medic – Caira

 

 

Napalm grenade launcher

 

 

Description: Caira's grenade launcher fires napalm rounds in an arc towards the target, exploding on impact in a sheet of burning liquid that remains burning on the target for around five seconds. The launcher can fire four grenades before it needs to be reloaded (has pretty slow base reload speed).

 

Usage: The napalm rounds don't actually deal that much impact damage. However, the damage over time dealt by the burning napalm can be considerable, especially if burning multiple enemies at once. So with that in mind, you should actively be switching between both grenade types (napalm and healing), replenishing health and reigniting the monster when the burn wears out.

 

To make this play-style more effective, make sure to take the increased reload speed perk, as this will allow you to reload your active round faster (sometimes you'll only want to heal/ burn, this makes those times more effective). You should also become proficient at inactive reloading, this means using a different round while your inactive weapon reloads itself, requiring monitoring of both abilities. Another bonus is that the napalm effect allows you to set the Wraith monster on fire when it is invisible, revealing it for your team.

 

Healing grenade launcher

 

 

Description: Caira's grenade launcher fires healing rounds in an arc towards the target, exploding on impact in to heal all allies within the area of effect. The launcher can fire four grenades before it needs to be reloaded (has pretty slow base reload speed). The heal can also affect Caira if you fire it at her feet.

 

Usage: The area of effect of the grenades is decent, but players must take the time to learn how the arc of the launcher effects where the shots will land. Less experienced players will try to fire it at allies, only to watch shots arc over their heads and seriously heal a piece of rock.

 

If in doubt or in a hurry, aim at their feet for the highest chance of a hit. Caira is best used on a high point, shooting down grenades on allies below. Keep in mind that unlike Val's medgun, you can heal yourself with the grenades as well, so if you take damage make sure to heal up.

 

Acceleration field

 

 

Description: When triggered, the acceleration field will increase the movement speed of Caira and any nearby allies dramatically, allowing for multiple tactical uses. The effective duration is moderate (around 15 seconds), and the refresh time is around 45 seconds, so it cannot be used consistently.

 

Usage: Acceleration field is definitely multipurpose, this ability can be used to simply chase after the monster faster if you need to catch up with it before it can feed to regenerate armour. Or you can use it to run away from the monster more effectively if tits become upwardly inclined.

 

When you get split up from the main party or need to quickly catch up if the other pair of hunters has spotted the monster. More advanced players can use it to help the team get ahead of the monster to lay an ambush and/ or traps.

 

Healing burst (class ability)

 

 

Description: Sends out a healing wave for a decent radius in all directions that instantly restores a portion of all affected player's health bars. The cool-down is quite short for a class ability (around thirty seconds), so it can be used frequently.

 

Usage: The healing pulse is a useful additional heal to the medic, so you should always keep a watchful eye on her health as well as your teammates and be sure to top it up whenever it drops by more than a quarter. The heal from the healing grenades will also help, but this is a quick instant heal instead of around four or five healing grenades. So if healing speed is crucial, make sure to use this.

 

The area of effect works well when the group is clustered together, but it is unwise to run into the fray with Caira to do so due to her fragile nature. Unless multiple people are about to die, hold back, use the healing grenade launcher to keep them alive and drop down when there is some breathing room to heal everyone up. Remember if the medic goes down, the team is likely to follow.

 

 

 

Support – Hank

 

 

Laser cutter

 

 

Description: Think of the laser cutter as a mini-gun with slightly higher reload speed and you've pretty much got the idea. The laser cutter is very accurate and can hit well at quite long distances with a skilled hand guiding it. The reload speed is moderate in comparison to other heavy weapons, but still quite slow.

 

Usage: The laser cutter does surprisingly decent damage, but has a long reload time in comparison to most weapons. So, the best approach is to burn through it at the start of the fight, swapping to the shield projector when it runs low or your allies are being smacked around by the monster's attacks.

 

Consider taking the increased reload speed or larger clip size perks to improve the weapon's overall effectiveness in battle. Really, you should be using this weapon whenever other skills are on cool-down, and it works great as a feeding interrupt against the monster due to it's accuracy at long range. Due to the obvious noise and firing animation, you may be targeted while using the weapon, so keep that cloak handy if you need to scarper.

 

Shield projector

 

 

Description: Hank projects a beam of energy that makes the targeted ally invulnerable to damage as long as the shield is present. The ability, while powerful, has a long refresh time and should instead be used sparingly to avoid running out of charge.

 

Usage: When allies are engaging a monster in close range, you should definitely have this out and covering them. Remember to help out fragile hunters such as the medic or anyone who has taken significant damage, so they can survive long enough to be healed.

 

The long cool-down means that you shouldn't exhaust the projector completely, instead use it in controlled bursts when a monster is about to connect with a target in melee or with an ability. The Goliath's rock throw and Kraken's lightning strike are good examples of predictable attacks that are easy to time blocks for.

 

Orbital barrage

 

 

Description: Hank highlights a location (visible as a circle in front of Hank, that can me adjusted to suit with RS) and calls in (RT) an orbital artillery strike. This barrage can deal massive damage to a monster, but can be difficult to target due to the time delays and monster mobility. The recharge time is fairly long as well (60 seconds).

 

Usage: Setting this ability up to deal damage is difficult, but with a good team it can be done for crushing damage (I've personally seen it chew through around 1/6th of a monster's health bar). The deciding factor here is limiting a monster's movement. Timing the strike and co-coordinating with allies are also essential.

 

If you can combine the ability with others in the team with slowing or stopping abilities (harpoon gun, stasis grenades, tranquilizer dart, etc) or even certain map locations (dead ends in the map that are difficult for the monster to climb out of), you can really do some damage.

 

Cloaking field (class ability)

 

 

Description: The Support character cloaks all nearby allies for around fifteen seconds. This provides multiple tactical options to the cloaked party but requires good communication and teamwork to make use of effectively.

 

Usage: The main (and simplest) use of the party cloak is the ability to run the hell away when things go wrong, giving your party the ability to flee and let the medic patch everyone up when you aren't getting stomped by Godzilla, Cthulhu or the Xenomorph…. Er, I mean Goliath, Kraken and Wraith. Obviously.

 

More skilled hunter teams with good coordination and communication can use it to set up deadly ambushes and traps for the monster. An example of this would be using Griffin's (trapper) sound spikes to suss out a monster's location, combine this with Val's (medic) tranquilizer dart slowdown or Caila's (medic) acceleration field to deal with movement speed issues while Hyde (assault) uses his flamethrower and toxic grenades to deal damage over time to the monster.

 

 

 

Support – Bucket

 

 

Guided missile launcher

 

 

Description: A guided rocket launcher that deals heavy damage and tracks towards the target reticle when fired. This allows skilled players to adjust a rocket's flight path in the air, avoiding obstacles or hitting a target from an unexpected direction. Has a slow reload time and only four rockets in a magazine to balance it's high damage.

 

Usage: Make sure to take increased reload speed or take advantage of inactive loading if you intend to make heavy use of this weapon due to it's slow reload speed. This weapon requires a fair level of skill to use properly as you will need good positioning and quick reactions to fire off effective volleys.

 

You should use this weapon whenever everything else is set up or in cool-down (all sentry guns are out, UAV on cool-down or not needed), to deal direct damage to the monster. When it's health gets low, you may just want to stay on the rocket launcher to deal the last bit of damage to bring it down.

 

Sentry guns

 

 

Description: Bucket throws a sentry drone (using RT) to a highlighted location, which then arms itself and will attack any monster or minion that enters it's field of view. Like most place-able items, you can have up to five sentry guns active at once.

 

Usage: Sentry guns are excellent for defending an objective or Bucket when it is using UAV. They can do a surprising amount of damage to a inattentive monster, so you should definitely set them up in an area you expect a monster to attack.

 

Skilled players can combine this with other class skills (stasis grenades, tranquilizers, mobile arena) that slow down or immobilize the monster to maximize damage dealt. You can also use your sentry guns in a similar fashion to Griffin's sound spikes, using their destruction and subsequent disappearance from the map to work out the monster's location.

 

UAV

 

 

Description: Bucket detaches his head (using RT) and then uses it like a drone (RT to ascend, LT to descend, B to abort) to fly around and observe the area. It can also be used to highlight and mark the monster if you see it by keeping your targeting reticule on it for a few seconds. Bucket remains motionless and vulnerable to attack during this, so team warnings and call-outs are necessary to avoid blindside via monster attack.

 

Usage: This skill can be very handy, but also dangerous to use depending on the situation. Bucket is left immobile when using the skill and can be attacked by the monster. Make sure to lay down sentry guns or have a team member nearby ready to call out if the monster shows up.

 

Combine this ability with trappers such as Griffin or Abe to search out the monster quicker. Bucket's UAV can patrol the areas not covered by Griffin's sound spikes. It can also work well as another set of eyes when searching with Abe. Use the UAV to find the monster at the start of the match and have Abe use his tracking dart to keep it covered from then on.

 

Cloaking field (class ability)

 

 

Description: The Support character cloaks all nearby allies for around fifteen seconds. This provides multiple tactical options to the cloaked party but requires good communication and teamwork to make use of effectively.

 

Usage: The main (and simplest) use of the party cloak is the ability to run the hell away when things go wrong, giving your party the ability to flee and let the medic patch everyone up when you aren't getting stomped by Godzilla, Cthulhu or the Xenomorph…. Er, I mean Goliath, Kraken and Wraith. Obviously.

 

More skilled hunter teams with good coordination and communication can use it to set up deadly ambushes and traps for the monster. An example of this would be using Griffin's (trapper) sound spikes to suss out a monster's location, combine this with Val's (medic) tranquilizer dart slowdown or Caila's (medic) acceleration field to deal with movement speed issues while Hyde (assault) uses his flamethrower and toxic grenades to deal damage over time to the monster.

 

 

 

Support – Cabot

 

 

Rail cannon

 

 

Description: This weapon launches spikes through almost any obstacle to hit targets. Dealing large damage per spike with huge range and with a decent reload speed per shot (no magazine reload here, just individual bolts), this thing is shockingly damaging for a support weapon.

 

Usage: Ever seen the movie Eraser? Well this thing essentially shoots spikes through walls and most terrain, so if you (dust tagging) or your team use any abilities that outline the monster, you can be constantly firing this as you chase it around the map. Whenever damage amplifier is recharging in battle or your target is too far away, you should be using this as well.

 

It is also great for interrupting feeding or pinning monsters as you can just keep firing at them through everything as they run away. Increased damage or reload speed are some nice perks to take to make this exceptional weapon even more dangerous. Have fun with it. I certainly did.

 

Damage amplifier

 

 

Description: The damage amplifier shoots out a steady stream of red energy that somehow increases the damage dealt to targeted monsters/ minions (don't ask questions. It's the future, Ok?). The beam lasts until you release the trigger or the fairly large battery is depleted. The slow recharge time and medium range makes it useful in bursts during stand up fights with the monster, rather than chases.

 

Usage: The main thing with the amplifier is timing, making sure your allies are dealing damage at the same time you have the beam active. In chases, your allies tend to string out and do little actual damage, so using the rail cannon can do far more damage. Whereas in a stand up fight when the whole team is present, watch them tear chunks off the monster's health.

 

Combining this with weak points from armour piercing weapons makes the effect even more broken, if everyone in the party takes damage increase perks, they can potentially just break a monster when this is active. Remember to use inactive reloading, so you can fire away with your rail cannon while the damage amplifier recharges or to take the faster reload perk.

 

Dust tagging

 

 

Description: Cabot signals an orbital deployment of radiated dust that highlights any wildlife or monsters within a large area. This effectively allows you to see through walls and track monsters better, allowing you to use your rail gun effectively.

 

Usage: This highlights any wildlife in an area, including minions and monsters, so use this to your advantage if you suspect a monster is in the area or you want to scout out potential threats (a monster in sneak mode or dangerous wildlife). Triggering this just before a mobile arena wears out will also allow your team to chase after the fleeing monster effectively.

 

This also combines with your rail cannon weapon to allow you to shoot through walls while a monster is far away, dealing damage to the monster without it being able to smell/ see you. Clever players will use this to their advantage, having team mates paint the target with tranquilizers and other highlighting abilities while they safely snipe it from half a continent away. Rejoin your allies when the damage amplifier is recharged, they need to be revived or help them retreat using your cloaking field.

 

Cloaking field (class ability)

 

 

Description: The Support character cloaks all nearby allies for around fifteen seconds. This provides multiple tactical options to the cloaked party but requires good communication and teamwork to make use of effectively.

 

Usage: The main (and simplest) use of the party cloak is the ability to run the hell away when things go wrong, giving your party the ability to flee and let the medic patch everyone up when you aren't getting stomped by Godzilla, Cthulhu or the Xenomorph…. Er, I mean Goliath, Kraken and Wraith. Obviously.

 

More skilled hunter teams with good coordination and communication can use it to set up deadly ambushes and traps for the monster. An example of this would be using Griffin's (trapper) sound spikes to suss out a monster's location, combine this with Val's (medic) tranquilizer dart slowdown or Caila's (medic) acceleration field to deal with movement speed issues while Hyde (assault) uses his flamethrower and toxic grenades to deal damage over time to the monster.

 

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