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- ============================
- === THE ELECTRONIC GAMER ===
- ============================
-
- BATTLETECH: THE CRESCENT HAWK'S REVENGE WALKTHRU
-
- INTRODUCTION
-
- This version of the BATTLETECH game is much more closely aligned with the
- FASA standard BATTLETECH combat system. As with all walkthrus, it is best
- used as a reference when you get stuck; however, in BATTLETECH even the
- right strategy will not always yield the desired results. So, this is more
- of a list of strategies that worked for me but which might need
- modification to suit your own needs.
-
- In many of the scenarios, you will start out with new mechs. Unfortunately,
- you will often find there are times when you have to use severely battered
- mechs, and you may even have lost some. Now, on to the game.
-
- Hint: Make photocopies of the maps starting on page 118 so you can plot
- where enemy mechs are anytime that the satellite link is active.
-
- LYONS: EASTERN AREA
-
- The first thing you will do is select the mechs for your first drop. Grab
- the hardest hitting mechs you can -- especially those with good, long-range
- capabilities (give Jason the Griffin). The dropship is shot down, two mech
- pilots are killed, and you land in the drink with no mechs to use. But
- there is a "blind" Jenner being piloted by Grease Anderson; you need it to
- guide you to a Locust that is coming in to finish you off. The manual
- describes an effective strategy in the Quick-Start section for the first
- two scenarios.
-
- The Dragon scenario is tough, and you will need to ensure that you don't go
- one-on-one with him. Stick to a close-knit formation and keep your mechs
- moving (you can't afford to slug it out).
-
- The Mobile HQ scenario is tricky as you will need to nail it as soon as
- possible because it moves very fast. The HQ starts out just to the north of
- your Mech force. So, quickly plot an intercept (using the road where
- possible). The Phoenix Hawk, which is pretty fast, is your best bet (.2 MPH
- faster than the HQ).
-
- Engage overburn, but keep an eye on the heat buildup when you get to firing
- range. Turn on Fire-At-Will as you close. In addition, get all your other
- mechs moving west as fast as they can; there's some heavy-hitting stuff
- coming (including Rommel Tanks) from the east, and you need to regroup with
- the Phoenix Hawk once the HQ is nailed.
-
- Another Hint: If you can't get the satellite link to work, there's still
- the chance that you can spot enemy mechs by looking for their tracks
- through woods and grass!
-
- THE KELLHOUND BASE
-
- Here, you receive a couple Urbanmechs which are very slow; so, try to keep
- them on the road. Try to keep them on intersections giving you crossfire
- and good long-range capability against the short-ranges of infantry and
- jump troops. The loader will pick up the ammo from different parts of the
- base automatically, but you will need to control it outside the city which
- is tough: An Assassin mech is blocking the gates!
-
- Team up the two urbanmechs and the truck behind the building near the gate
- (remember the truck moves fast, so don't get it too far out in front). Move
- the mechs to the north of the gate; keep them moving and the Assassin
- should chase and overrun you. Put the urbanmechs between him and the gates
- and get the truck moving (keep to the road) like the blazes out the gate.
- You don't need to destroy the Assassin to complete this scenario.
-
- LYONS: NORTHERN AREA
-
- The real trick here is in keeping together and out of sight as long as
- possible until you are needed to make your attack, but you need to stay
- nearby. One good strategy is to head into the thick, forested area in the
- center of the map. You can make quite a lot of undetected movement toward
- the north in 20 minutes. Again, there are heavy mechs here, so
- concentrating your firepower is a must.
-
- OPERATION: LIBERTY PREPARATIONS
-
- You can take either of two routes: around the mountain or through the
- passes. I would recommend the latter because you are less likely to lose
- the APCs (needed for the city scenario). You will run into Rommel tanks and
- Drillsons -- the most dangerous foes in this scenario. You will need to
- keep the heavy mechs out front and the APCs to the rear. When you clear the
- mountains (and before you enter the city), send either a mech or the APC to
- the northeast: You will find a mech repair facility, and receive four shiny
- new Crusaders to attack the city.
-
- OPERATION: LIBERTY -- THE CITY
-
- You start just inside the gates and will need to move the APC lance very
- quickly to the east. To give yourself more time, immediately set the game
- speed to 1. Move the remaining mechs south to the large crossroads, and
- hold them there until the APC is clear.
-
- You will be attacked by a Drillson and some Skulkers. Disable the Drillson
- as soon as you can. As soon as an enemy has a movement of "none," move onto
- another target, as you can move out of a disabled vehicle's range quite
- easily. Move quickly to the prison with the Crusaders (I simply moved the
- lance target to the prison gate). Move the APC lance to the east wall, and
- move them close to the prison as your mechs are closing.
-
- About now, I set the speed of the game to 8 and waited until I heard firing,
- then I moved the APC lance in. Blast a hole in the wall, move the APC in,
- get the prisoners out, and get the heck out of there. Don't bother going
- after the infantry; they are in endless supply and only whittle down your
- Crusaders (you will need all the firepower you can muster to get out the
- gate).
-
- Move the mechs back to the large crossroads and keep the APC nearby. You
- can target the APC lance on lighter targets like Skulkers. The tanks
- guarding the gate have no long-range firepower and won't budge, so you can
- pick them off with relatively light hits, _if_ the infantry isn't in too
- hot pursuit!
-
- This is one of the toughest scenarios in the game. Once you have escaped
- the city, you have to make a run back through the mountains with whatever
- mechs you have left. Unfortunately, there is a Kurita warrior, Chiun, who
- has sworn to roast you; the Kurita have planes strafing the roadways, so
- keep moving. Interestingly, they are almost single-mindedly after Jason
- Youngblood, so they will only shoot at other mechs in passing.
-
- Move all of your mechs (except Jason's) up the road, and take the first
- left turn. Go just a little way off the road to the south, line up your
- mechs (and even the APC lance!), and start firing into the forest in
- different spots to set fire to it. This will definitely help heat up the
- enemy mechs and give your mechs a better shot. After a bit, much of the
- forest will be ablaze. Cease fire to cool off, set the speed to none, and
- your firing instructions to "fire at will."
-
- Meanwhile, Jason's mech should move northwest a little way from the gate
- and wait by the lake. As soon as the enemy mechs clear the burning trees,
- they will come after you. Move west to the mountain's edge, then north to
- put the forest between you and the enemy lance. Follow the enemy mechs with
- your remaining force (the enemy won't be firing much), and fire defensively
- (or target bits of forest in their path -- they're still only after Jason
- and won't deviate). I even set the APC lance to fire-at-will (they took out
- an Archer) and they didn't get scratched.
-
- Even if one mech breaks free, provided Jason's mech is in relatively good
- shape, he should be able to finish it off. Regroup both lances, and send
- the Crusaders round the mountain. Meanwhile, send your mech and the APC at
- full speed through the mountain passes, and you should not meet any
- resistance until you clear the opening at the other end. Wait just inside
- until your other mechs arrive. Your mechs should meet a Rommel tank and a
- Drillson or two at the northern entrance to the mountain (they would've
- come in after you). Because they are in a line, advance slowly and
- concentrate your firepower on the nearest vehicle (again, if you disable a
- vehicle, move on to the next).
-
- Finally, the mech will meet a couple of Rommels and a Galleon or two. Draw
- them off and they will follow; meanwhile you can make a dash for the
- dropship coordinates and wipe the sweat from your brow! Don't be surprised
- if you lose a mech or two in this scenario!
-
- THE TRAINING GROUNDS
-
- The training grounds are relatively straightforward but give you a taste of
- using the satellite link and artillery: Use it as much as you can.
-
- On the assault session, hold your mechs back in a concentrated large
- formation to the south of the target. Shell the heck out of the target area
- where four heavy mechs should be sitting ducks (why get shot at yourself?);
- you might actually destroy one with shelling, but you will certainly make
- some dents in them. With about three minutes to the deadline, make a rush
- at the target area (don't forget to turn the shelling off).
-
- Use the same strategy with the "defend position" scenario. Shell the
- oncoming mechs and look out for stationary reserves: They're easy pickings.
- Again, if you lose the link, look for footprints and water ripples, and
- shell them instead. Rolling barrages are good for troops on the move. But
- just make sure you keep it coming!
-
- LUTHIEN CAMPAIGNS
-
- Again, where possible, go for the heavy hitting, long-range mechs, and
- especially the upgraded mechs. Make sure Jason is in something with lots of
- armor.
-
- Do stop and help the locals at the first jump-point. If nothing else, it
- will raise the skill level, and in the "protect the city" scenario, your
- mechs will be repaired for you.
-
- In the first scenario, just keep your mechs in a tight formation,
- concentrate long-range firepower, and you can pick off the enemy (they seem
- to attack in columns).
-
- In the city scenario, use the satellite link, and set up a strafing run on
- the heavy mechs near the gate. Move your fire lance quickly down the wide
- street, and have them set up shop on the far side of town (stop strafing
- when your fire lance nears the fire line or you'll get hit, since strafing
- a point actually strafes two lines that cross at that coordinate!). Send
- your scout mechs up north to keep an eye out for flankers, then move them
- in behind the enemy. Move the heavy mechs in, set them up about one-third
- of the way in, and you can catch the enemy in a crossfire. Having beaten
- the Clan, you will get your mechs repaired by a grateful city.
-
- The Luthien Campaigns can only be won by continual strafing, shelling,
- working at long-range concentrating firepower, and keeping your mechs out
- of firefights as much as possible. The mountainous terrain is ideal since
- the enemy is channeled down passes which can be easily strafed and/or
- shelled.
-
- In one of the most difficult Luthien Campaigns, you will come across
- Elementals -- nasty things; they're slow, but devastating at short range.
- They appear at the northeast, so strafe the heck out of that area. Move
- your mechs so that you can get your long-range weapons working to your best
- advantage: Avoid close combat at all costs.
-
- ENDGAME
-
- The final scenario involves destroying the Clan Galaxy Commander's mech.
- You will need to move your mechs immediately north and locate them about
- two-thirds of the way up the map. Strafe the central corridor until you
- have nailed a puma or two. After a while, try crossing the corrider around
- the south of a building (roughly in the center of the map): There are four
- Madcats waiting there. Wait for the remaining Pumas and nail them when they
- emerge from the passes (don't move, they'll come to you). Immediately move
- west at top speed and get your mechs to a storage building (you protected
- this in an earlier scenario). Somewhere along the way you will be told that
- the Galaxy commander is in the area (four more Madcats). Remember to turn
- off the strafing as you cross the line of fire; turn it back on again when
- you are clear! Stake out the area south of the grassy/forest peninsula and
- wait. You might want to strafe the oncoming Madcats if you get a satellite
- link (move your mechs to one side first).
-
- Other than that, try different strategies/equipment mixes; this is a very
- good tactical implementation of BATTLETECH. Of course, you will still need
- luck, so good luck!
-
- BATTLETECH: THE CRESCENT HAWK'S REVENGE is published by Infocom and
- distributed by Mediagenic.
-
- This walkthru is copyright (c) 1991 by Hobart and THE ELECTRONIC GAMER (tm).
- All rights reserved. Not to be distributed without permission.
-
-