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Versus fighting can be a lot of fun if you're playing against a good AC pilot. Here are some basic strategies to help you survive and destroy your opponent. Use your environment to help you. If an opponent is showering you with missiles or anything else, try to avoid getting hit by hiding behind something. Most of the versus and link stages have obstacles, so use them to your advantage. Also, in the open forest area stage in versus mode, there are mines scattered across the landscape. Avoid them by flying constantly and by watching where you're going. Try to force your opponent into running into them and watch the fireworks. In the mid air platform stage in the versus, try to knock off your opponent using your sword or missiles. Knocking your opponent off may not be the most honorable of victories but it gets the job done. To avoid getting knocked over yourself, try not to stay in the same place for too long and stay in the air as long as possible. When air born, always locate the nearest platform so that you can easily land if you run out of energy. Another basic strategy is to know at all times where your opponent is. This is easier in versus than in link since you can see you're opponent's screen. Also keep in mind that your opponent probably knows where you are as well. Avoid wasting your ammo on missed shots, especially if the AC you're fighting against is heavily armored. I recommend ambushing your opponents from above if possible. Usually, it will take them a few seconds to position themselves to counter attack. That's plenty of time to inflict a significant amount of damage on your opponent. One last thing, always use your speed as an advantage if you're a fast AC. Check out the flying and circling section to take advantage of this. If you're a heavy AC use your boosters to move more quickly and try to get the enemy into an open area where you can plummel him with all you've got. Never give up! If you still have a weapon you can use then it's not over yet.
Sniping can be very effective if you can to do it correctly. Most people think sniping is just sitting in one spot and shooting at your opponent without him knowing where you are. Sniping in Armored Core is very different. Instead of sitting in one spot the whole fight, you have to move around almost constantly to avoid being detected. Sniping is most effective on those opponents without long range radar. This is basically how you snipe in AC. First you pick an AC that's fast (although heavy ACs can snipe, fast ones are recommended) and equipt it with a long range arm weapon of your choice and a long range back weapon. I recommend the pulse rifle and the plasma cannon. Use either the TRYX-BOXER, TRYX-QUAD, or QX-9009. For experienced players who can control the target mechanism with ease, I recommend the QX-9009. Both the TRYX-BOXER and the TRYX-QUAD are great at scanning the area but they don't have as far a range as the QX-9009. Don't use your radar to locate your opponent rather use your targeting system. Try to stay out of your opponent's radar and keep him from locating you while you take him out from a distance. To avoid your opponent detecting you by the direction your shots are coming from, try not to fire in large bursts in one place, unless you are using the plasma cannon. A continuous burst from the plasma cannon can easily blind your opponent, if you aim it directly at the front of the AC. Try not to use missiles when sniping because of the missile jammer. To avoid being sniped yourself always keep moving and try to keep your opponent with in radar range. Slow heavy ACs are easy targets for fast snipers but by using your boosters you can easily turn the tides. Sniping is a skill that has to be mastered. Potential snipers beware though, an experienced player can easily turn a sniper into a snipee.
Flying and circling are two skills that if mastered can mean the difference between failure and victory. What is flying and circling you ask? Flying is when you are air born and dodging your opponents attacks while attacking him yourself. Circling is when you are circling your opponent while constantly firing at him. Combine the two and you get a skill that is invaluable. In order to fly or circle successfully you must have a fast, light AC. Equipt the best boosters and guns you can. This technique works best against slow moving ACs. Start off by circling your opponent on the ground and as he adjusts his position to get a better shot at you, quickly take to the skies and continue circling him and constantly firing. If you did this successfully with minimal or no damage to yourself, your opponent, if he knows what is good for him, will start running away to get a better view of your location. Instead of staying in the air drop down and start circling again. After you're charged up again or if your opponent gets a good lock again, immediately take to the skies again and repeat the procedure. Your opponent won't know what hit him. If he wises up and starts flying, just start circling him on the ground. To avoid being circled by an opponent always keep moving away from your opponent while still firing at him. Mastering these techniques will allow you to always be one step ahead of the competition.
The technique of laying in wait isn't always fair but when it's your survival that matters, anything goes. What you need to lay in wait is basically just a powerful weapon. Any mech will do but this is mostly associated with big ACs. The trick is to find a spot where you know your opponent has to come from or is coming from and wait for him. This is really effective in closed areas like the sewer stage. You can just wait for your opponent to go around the corner and destroy him with any of a number of powerful back weapons. To counter someone who is waiting for you, just try not to let that person know that you know where he is and try to get behind him. It usually doesn't work but it does keep you from being ambushed. What if your opponent backs himself into a small dead end corridor and waits for you come into sight? All you have to do is, using your most explosive weapon, snipe the coward and turn that dead end into his grave. There is nothing really more to say about this technique. Just use your common sense and gut instinct and you won't get caught by someone waiting for you around the corner.
Sword fighting isn't really common in versus fights (at least my versus fights) because of the quickness with which an opponent dies. I usually like to fight as long as possible. However, for those of you who are tired of just running away from your opponent all the time can now use some of my techniques to stand up and make them run. First you'll need the best sword in the game, the LS-99-Moonlight. There is some thing peculiar about this sword. I noticed that when ever my cousin and I would sword fight I would always win eventhough he was the one slashing at me. It seems that if someone were to slash someone wearing this sword the person who would take the most damage would be the one slashing. This sword is great for that sort of thing. Don't tell your opponent about it and just let him slash you. He'll be in for a big surprise. If you don't want to do that but just want to have a clean fair sword fight then use the second strongest sword. When slashing an opponent keep in mind your slash radius and recovery time between slashes. Also keep an eye on your armor because slashing can take off a lot in a short amount of time. Usually when you start slashing someone, he starts boosting away while still shooting. To avoid this just jump in the air and try to circle him. When he stops moving then you go in for the slashes. Usually when two people are trying to slash each other they turn and meet each other and slash wildly. Don't succomb to the temptation, instead try jumping a little and turning in the air. It's faster and it will keep your opponent from hitting you with that first slash. When sword fighting always wait for your opponent to do the first move. If you know your opponent can't reach you for a slash then wait for him to slash and then slash him yourself. When you see an opponent getting ready to slash and you know you can't run away then jump and turn around. Chances are your opponent slashed right under you and he's now behind you. Again, knowing exactly where your opponent is helps a great deal. Sword fighting can be fun but it's too short of fight in my opinion.
"Plus" opponents can be quite tough because of their enhancements. The Enhancements I've found are listed in the "Plus" Strategies section. The "Plus" I'm refering to are AC pilots who have had all the enhancements or have went through at least 10 "Plus" experiments. With all the enhancements a regular AC pilot can now become the best. One enhancement that contributes greatly to this is the ability to fire certain back weapons while running using bipedal legs. In that scenario, it is possible to use the powerful grenade launcher in the air and while running. This should give new meaning to the word circling. How do you survive against such power? Well the answer is just use the techniques you always use but this time make sure you don't get hit. The "Plus" pilots do have an advantage but with better strategy they can be beaten. For example, never assume that when a "Plus" has used up all his ammo that he only has is short range sword because it is not true. As a "Plus" you can use your sword as a distance weapon using a certain buttom combo. So, never under estimate a "Plus". I suggest taking your time and wearing your "Plus" opponent down with little bursts of energy. They're just like any other pilot and therefore can be beaten. All you need is skill. And one last thing, try using the weapon arms, especially the machine gun and gatling gun, which can wear down your opponent in seconds.
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