Starhawk 101 - The Skill System
These abilities are not meant to provide improvements to those who are already highly experienced, but to give each player a specialization on the battlefield. Players earn one Skill Point each time they reach a rank; in order to unlock a Skill, the player must not only have two points available to spend, but also complete the prerequisite detailed for the Skill. When a team can coordinate which players use which Skills, unit cohesion will improve drastically, and only an opposition that can match each specialization can hope to stand up to the team.
Prerequisite: Get one kill with every weapon in a single game.
This Skill nets the player 50% more ammunition on each weapon and up to five grenades.
Getting all kills in a round may take a little while, but it only requires kills with the Kinetic Rifle, the Railgun, the Union Shotgun, the MAW Rocket Launcher, and Proximity Mines. Wait for opportunities to arise to use each weapon for its intended purposes, meaning you can't go into the enemy base guns blazing or sitting in your own base the entire duration without missing a kill from one of the weapons. Set a plan for which weapon you'll use, and then the next weapon you'll switch to on the next guy, etc.
Prerequisite - Get the most kills on the winning team.
It's best to go for this medal on a Team Deathmatch server, otherwise hunting for kills without protecting your flag or capturing the enemy flag will net your team a loss, killing the round requirement.
Weapon Mods is very beneficial for the Razorback turret or the Hawk Machinegun- if you're cutting down an enemy vehicle with either, this makes the job more efficient by 50% longer sustained fire.
Marksman
Prerequisite: Kill two enemies with one LR-3 Railgun shot.
The opportunity is there to get this Skill, but it's a rare opportunity indeed. The most opportune time is by shooting two enemies sitting in their base- take a ride to the side of the enemy base, then line up the targets.
If you find yourself using the Kinetic Rifle or Revolver a lot, you'll want to use this Skill to keep the recoil down.
Field Mechanic
Prerequisite:
If you're in a vehicle with no Welding Torch or A.R.M available in the game, make sure you or a passenger are using this Skill.
Prerequisite - Earn the Dogfighter medal.
Killing 10 players in Air to Air combat will net you the Dogfighter Medal. This can either be done in a single round or through playing on the same server until hitting the tenth kill.
The Vulture Jetpack is the vehicle that benefits the most from this- as it normally has six seconds of sustained energy, it increases it to 8-9 seconds of sustained energy. It also increases the amount of boost a Hawk can use at roughly 50% extra energy.
Prerequisite - Get the most road kills on the winning team.
Focusing on running people over with a Razorback shouldn't be a difficult task; what would make this requirement difficult would be if a teammate is also running over enemies.
This Skill mostly benefits the Razorback driver, as it increases the top speed of the vehicle by 33-40% (estimation,) but even without the numbers, it is clear that the acceleration is also improved upon and can pose a serious threat to the enemy infantryman.
Rift Economy
Prerequisite:
Using this Skill will see a boost in earning rift, most noticeable from shooting Rift Barrels.
Prerequisite - Collect the most rift energy on the winning team.
Don't stay in the base to get this skill, the best way to earn rift is by taking a Hawk or Razorback around the map, blowing up rift barrels along the way and creating Outposts, Supply Bunkers, and other buildings to set up a front for your team. Continuously hunting for Rift Barrels will guarantee the requirement, unless someone else on your team is doing the same thing.
Rift affinity grants the player a continuous resupply of Rift Energy, whether inside the Base/Outpost or not. The rift gain is at the same speed as if you were in either station- the skill currently does not stack on top of being in friendly territory, so if you're looking to build a Shield Generator but have just started the game, go Rift Barrel hunting.
Prerequisite - Win three matches in a row.
Currently, the surefire way to keep the same teammates is to set up a server that doesn't automatically switch people to the other faction. From there, either go for more kills in TDM or more flag captures in CTF.
When this Skill is equipped, the player will receive 25% more XP on each kill, objective, or medal received.
Squad Leader
Prerequisite:
This is not beneficial for the player, but for his or her teammates instead, allowing them to spawn on the player. Be aware that enemies can see you on the radar at all times, due to the orb surrounding the player when the Skill is active.
Prerequisite - Destroy an enemy Outpost within 60 seconds of its construction.
Watch the radar for enemy Outposts. You will know if the Outpost has been created if there isn't a circle around its icon on the radar. It takes four grenades or rockets to destroy each one.
This will display all enemies on the player's radar except for those with Stealthy in use. This can be very useful from a 'Commander' standpoint, as this tool can be used to direct the flag runners on which areas in the enemy base to approach or avoid.
Prerequisite - Get 10 melee kills in a single game.
Use a Razorback to get behind the enemy lines before attempting the knife kills. Jump out of the vehicle where you think it won't be found. Sprint towards anyone sniping from their base; use a Jetpack and fly above enemies when they're moving about but are not coming after you. After a few kills, they will be looking for you, so be ready to make a quick getaway with the Razorback and be ready to make another trip into their base.
Currently, this Skill removes you from all enemy radar, whether you're firing your weapon, using a Jetpack, or are flying in a Hawk. The last mention is important, since most Warhawk pilots put heavy use in the expanded radar, so it puts those with this Skill at a huge advantage at this point.
Turret Jammer
Prerequisite:
This is the ideal Skill for the Flag Runner. Being able to sneak into the enemy base without being fired upon in a vehicle by a Beam Turret or without discrimination by an Auto Turret works wonders.
Shock Trooper
Prerequisite:
Cutting the respawn timer in half helps tremendously on making sure a Zone isn't lost to enemy hands, or a structure doesn't get knocked down.
Fast Lock
Prerequisite:
If enemy Hawks are starting to make Air to Ground approaches on your base, it's time to push back by equipping a rocket launcher and this Skill (and even a jetpack) to get the job done.
Prerequisite - Kill an enemy after you've been killed.
Earning this skill only depends upon the skill level of the player that killed you. It should be fairly easy to kill the player if you don't directly approach him or her the next time you run into him or her.
When Vengeance is in use, the player that killed you last will have their name displayed over their head, which will be visible to the user regardless if the enemy is in their line of sight. When revenge is obtained, the player will receive 500 XP and four units of Rift Energy instead of the usual one-third unit.
Prerequisite - Destroy 10 enemy mines during a single game.
Obtaining this Skill will require the enemy's knowledge of the game. If the enemy doesn't know where proximity mines are or doesn't get in the air to pick up and place aerial mines, then the player will not unlock the Skill. For the enemies that can place the mines, the player can blow up either kind of mine to get the Skill.
This Skill is not only handy for spotting mines within 10 yards, but if you have spotted an enemy within the same proximity, their name will appear over their head, so if they run behind cover, you'll know which side of cover they're coming out of.
Bruiser
Prerequisite:
Knocking down enemy buildings and vehicles with a knife is tremendously devastating, even moreso than the Grinder at this point in time.
Escape Artist
Prerequisite: Hop out of 10 buildings/vehicles right before they are destroyed.
First, know how many shots it takes for a vehicle to blow up, and drive around in that and watch for enemies that have rockets, grenades, or even tank shells. Bail out of the vehicle under a second before the vehicle explodes, and repeat this nine more times.
Being able to fall out of a vehicle or building without dying not only keeps you in the game, able to inflict more damage, but also creates confusion amongst the enemy upon discovery that you're still alive.
Hacker
Prerequisite:
Being able to knock down enemy buildings in place of your own not only creates confusion upon the next time an enemy tries to use a Razorback garage, it can kill players inside a hacked Supply Bunker.
Low Profile
Prerequisite:
If the enemy is tossing out mines left and right, especially for use in defending territory in a Zones match, equip this Skill to survive the rush through those pesky traps.
Prerequisite - Get 10 Railgun kills in a single game.
Railgun kills must be made quickly; if you're using the scope on the rifle, a laser sight will fade in where the player is aiming at. Learn to blindfire aim at your target before bringing up the scope to quickly fine-tune your aim. Repeat this nine more times in the round- don't stay in the same spot!
This simply gives you the Railgun when you spawn. If you're wanting to save two points on a Watchtower, this is the Skill for you.
Prerequisite - Get 10 M.A.W Rocket Launcher kills in a single game.
Grab the rocket launcher, a jetpack, and go hunt Hawks and other jetpackers. Using the Weapon Mods Skill will help tremendously with getting multiple lock-ons and dummy firing at enemy Razorbacks and infantry.
The player simply spawns with the M.A.W. If you're facing enemy vehicles that are 'knocking on your base door,' and have blown up the prebuilt Supply Bunker, this Skill should take care of the pests.
Prerequisite - Earn the Repairman medal.
Earning the Repairman medal takes time and dedication. It takes 1,000 repair points, or three and a third of Welding Torches on friendly vehicles and buildings to earn the medal.
This Skill simply gives you the Welding Torch when you spawn in. When the Base or Outpost you have spawned in at is under attack, this is a great time to pull out the Torch and start getting things back in shape, instead of running halfway across the map to get the pickup.
Prerequisite - Get 10 Union Shotgun kills in a single game.
Rushing to an enemy with a 'grenade-shotgun' combination is the quickest way to get to the ten kills in a round. Players can rush into an enemy's base and perform that 'one-two' punch, or fight elsewhere if they can't handle enemies continuously spawning above them.
Players will then be able to spawn with the Union Shotgun- in case of an infantry attack on their Base or Outpost, the weapon should make short work of the problem.
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