Sniper rifle? Check. Rocket launcher? Check. Time for some mischief…

Posted June 15th 2008

• Introduction
• Rocketing the first Wraith
• Up on the high peak
• Retreating Brutes
• Arriving Ghosts
• Covie luring
• The AA Wraiths
• The platform Grunts
• Using a fuel rod gun
• Clean-out challenge
• Chopper fire

Nearing the Scorpion drop at rally point alpha in The Ark, you head up into a short tunnel and get a majestic view over a beautifully sculpted area that includes the first Wraiths of the level. There's some excellent long-range mischief you can have from way back here in the tunnel, or perhaps slightly forward if you prefer - maybe off to one side for a bit of variety. This article covers my various ideas.

Weaponry and skulls

For most of this you'll want a full rocket launcher and sniper rifle. There's a launcher at the first crash site along with a case of two rockets, and there are two more cases at the next crash site. As for the sniper rifle, you start with one and there are three more along the way, so that's no problem.

If you care to bring along a third weapon (moving it along by repeated weapon swapping), make it a well stocked fuel rod gun. On Heroic there were three available earlier. However, the long-range potential for that weapon is relatively limited, so don't be too fussed about it.

Preferably have the Cowbell skull on so you get the most spectacle when rocketing things. There's also good reason for having the Catch skull on, as will become clear later.

Tunnel checkpoint and secondary checkpoint

Fortunately there's a checkpoint just as you get into the tunnel, ideal for saving so you can replay things at leisure. There's also a secondary checkpoint though. If you remain in the tunnel, it seems to get triggered once you've eliminated all enemies in this near part of the battlefield, other than the Brutes beneath the hovering platform. If you've left the tunnel however, you may also need to eliminate the Ghost pilots.

Sometimes it can be useful to get the secondary checkpoint at a controlled time, to serve as a convenient starting point for certain bits of fun. Other times you may simply want to avoid it, to retain your ability to revert to the tunnel checkpoint. An easy way to avoid it would be to simply leave the nearest platform Grunt alive. Alternatively, you can effectively cancel the checkpoint by jumping non-stop five or six times - a technique I think can be used with most checkpoints in the game.

Extra enemies

On Heroic and Legendary you get a few extra enemies compared with Normal or Easy. In particular there's a Shade turret over by the Wraith, along with a Grunt on a plasma cannon.

You can rocket the first Wraith from right back in the tunnel. Like a lot of Wraiths in the game it's annoyingly good at spotting you, so you don't have much chance of taking it by surprise. You barely have to peak your head over the rise and you're spotted, which to me seems quite unrealistic. Fortunately its shots can't get you if you stay well inside the tunnel.

Double strike techniques

On Heroic or lower you can take out the Wraith with just two rockets. If you wait for it to stop moving then fire off a quick pair, they'll often both hit, even if the Wraith starts dodging after the first strike. However, with a dodge in mind it's a good idea to either aim the second rocket off to one side in anticipation, or aim both rockets at a single point off-centre on the Wraith, so they're both likely to hit. I prefer the first option. I fire the first rocket then quickly move sideways to fire the second without delay. The sideways move feels easier than swivelling my aim slightly.

It's usually fairly clear which way the Wraith will dodge, so these dodge anticipation methods are pretty reliable, especially on the lower difficulty levels where the Wraith seems to move about less and dodge more slowly.

Preferably after getting rid of the first Wraith and thereby removing the threat of giant plasma balls landing on your head, there's a great location you may like to use for long-range fun, as an alternative to staying in the tunnel. Turn left after the tunnel and follow the rock around. Spiral left and up to reach the high peak of that rock (there's a branch on your right as you near the top). It makes a superb vantage point and you'll be able to see both of the distant AA Wraiths.

Checkpoint on the peak

If you want to focus on using the high peak, you may like to get a checkpoint up there to be able to keep reverting to, saving you from having to get up each time you revert. As mentioned earlier, there's a secondary checkpoint you can get after the tunnel checkpoint, after doing a bit of killing.

When you destroy the first Wraith, the Brutes under the nearest hovering platform start retreating to join the troops at the rocky 'arch' near the AA Wraiths. There are three on Easy or Normal, four on Heroic or Legendary. Some may go across the bridge, some may clamber up the slope on the left. See if you can stop them reaching their destination.

Obviously the sniper rifle is the main thing there and you'll have a good challenge if you try for headshots. But if you see a nice line of Brutes crossing the bridge, that makes a great target for a nicely timed rocket. Incidentally, from way back at the tunnel, Brutes crossing the bridge can be seen to actually fade out as they go (when looking with the naked eye), courtesy of the draw distance flaw which so sadly blights the game.

When you destroy the first Wraith or kill three of the Brutes below the nearest platform, two Grunt-manned Ghosts come into view from the back of the AA Wraith area. There's some good sport to be had with those, which I'll describe in this section and the next.

Sniping pilots

Sometimes a Ghost will make an immediate turn to head for the steep drop on the left, while other times it'll cruise on past the troops at the 'arch' before turning right. Either way you've got an opportunity for some nifty sniping to try to get the pilot early. The latter case is maybe easiest as you're seeing the Grunt sideways on, but the opportunity is only brief. With the former it's possible to get the Grunt as he comes towards or over the edge. Aim for the backpack, which peaks up and presents a small target. On Easy that usually kills him but on Heroic that seems rare. It's also possible to get the pilot as he comes over the edge and down, briefly presenting more of himself.

Once Ghosts are in your half of the battlefield they're pretty good at keeping roughly head-on to you, but you can still get them with backpack shots or by taking advantage of fleeting moments when more of the pilot is exposed, or by shooting their elbows which stick out slightly. Killing them is easier if you're up on the high peak I mentioned earlier, as you can see more of them.

Double snipe challenge

As a challenge, see if you can snipe both pilots before they get far from the entry point. With good shooting it's possible to get them both almost instantly, leaving both Ghosts almost side by side where they appeared. Aw, poor little grunties; they never even got a chance to fire their plasma cannons. Talk about a wasted trip!

Explosive welcome

Even more amusing, you can arrange for the Ghosts to meet up with a rocket as soon as they come into view. Here's how best to manage it. Snipe two of the Brutes below the hovering platform then fire a rocket or two at where the Ghosts enter, then switch back and snipe a third Brute below the platform to trigger the Ghosts. If you get the timing right, the Ghosts hover out and immediately have a nasty encounter of the rockety kind. On a good day they won't even know what hit 'em! I can just imagine the first Grunt getting a brief glimpse of something coming in fast with a whooshing noise. "What the?É" BOOM! Bye-bye grunty.

As an alternative to that method, you may like to involve the Wraith. Hit the Wraith with a first rocket (or two on Legendary) then reload. You now have two choices. If you fire a rocket at the Wraith then rapidly fire one at the Ghost entry point, you stand a good chance of at least catching the second Ghost with a blast when the Wraith gets destroyed. If you instead fire at the Ghost entry point then fire at the Wraith quick (and it'll need to be a very rapid target switch), hopefully the Wraith will go boom and your first rocket will blast the Ghosts. None of this is as hard as it sounds, and I had good fun with it before realizing the easier Brute sniping method. I should mention that my look sensitivity is set to 5. If you have a lower setting it may be hard for you to switch targets quickly enough.

Other rocketing

There are other rocketing opportunities too of course. When you see a Ghost heading for the steep drop on the left, try firing a rocket at where you expect it to land, to gave the Grunt a nasty surprise. You could try something similar with a Ghost that heads along past the AA Wraiths. Fire a rocket at where you anticipate the Ghost will be, and see if you catch it in a blast.

The Ghosts don't always advance into your half of the battlefield. Sometimes they hover back near the furthest hovering platform, making an inviting target for a rocket.

Note: It's good to have the Cowbell skull on for rocketing Ghosts, as it makes things a lot more spectacular.

When a Ghost becomes empty another covie may run to man it, including the troops near the AA Wraiths. Brutes make much easier pilots to snipe as their heads sticks out nicely. Even a Grunt with a fuel rod gun will board; and when he does, it looks pretty weird because of the massive gun. He seems to have it slung over his back. When you see the Ghost from the front, you see a fuel rod gun sideways on, peaking over the top!

But the real fun with this replacement dynamic is to play a little game of covie luring. The initial idea is to let a succession of covies approach a vacant Ghost (or two) and to snipe them just before they board, or at least before they hover off. The Ghost acts like a lure. The sniping is a lot of fun in itself and is a nice test of skill, but that's not all. You can build up a good pile of bodies and loose grenades, and potentially set off a chain reaction to take care of your final victim; or perhaps set one off after all the killing. That can be done by either sending in a rocket or by sniping a loose grenade. Yes, apparently grenades go off if you shoot them, something I only noticed after about four months playing! It can take a good few shots though.

Tips on setting up

It's good to have the Catch skull on so you get more grenades littering the ground near the Ghost, hence more spectacular chain reactions. Obviously the Cowbell skull is also a good idea.

You've got two main choices for where to have your lure. You could have it to the left of the distant arch by sniping a pilot almost as soon as he appears, or as he's heading for the steep drop. Or you could have it to the right of the arch, by sniping a pilot after he's cruised past it. You don't have to snipe him immediately; you can potentially let him get advance a bit after he turns right. For example it's ok to let him get about halfway to the bridge; that's still close enough to tempt covies away from the arch. An advanced location like that makes it easier to get headshots, as the covies are to some extent running your way. Note also that you can potentially adjust the position of your lure with a nearby rocket blast - as long as you don't blow it to pieces that is!

Being up on the high peak gives a superior view for your shooting, so you may like to try that out.

If you like, you can get a checkpoint specifically for playing this mini-game. Here's the plan. Destroy the first Wraith to trigger the Ghosts. Snipe at least one pilot to create your lure wherever you want it. Maybe wait a bit for retreating Brutes to join their buddies (they often won't go to the lure yet, even if running right past it). Then get a checkpoint by killing the nearest platform Grunt and maybe also any Ghost pilot that got away. Now you're all set for your fun.

Tips on play

When a vacant Ghost is relatively far away from the covies, they may not show much inclination to go for it at first, but they seem to get spurred into action by incoming fire. For example destroy one of the AA Wraiths or send a rocket over to blast some of those purple containers, or wing a Brute with a sniper shot.

An enemy on the plasma cannon can be spurred into leaving his post and going for the Ghost by sniping the cannon. If there's a Grunt on the cannon, you probably won't even need to do that. He'll tend to run around in a panic when the last Brute dies, and then he'll probably go for the Ghost.

When trying to take out a victim with a rocket, one way is to just fire and hope it arrives at a good moment. Often covies stream toward the Ghost one after another, so there's a decent chance of catching one in a blast. However, there's scope for using more skill if the Ghost is well away from the covies at the arch, because you'll have time to judge when your victim is going to arrive, and can try to time your shot accordingly. If it's a Brute and you want to delay him a little to help give your rocket more time to close in, you can slow him up by sniping him in the body - a useful technique.

Sometimes a covie may board before you get him, but obligingly hover stationary near loose grenades. Snipe the grenades to give him a nasty surprise!

Letting covies board

To make for an extra challenge, see if you can let each covie actually board the Ghost, but snipe him before he moves off.

Double lure

If you have two lures, your work is likely to be more challenging as you may have to deal with two covies running at once. You'd better be sharp with that trigger!

Lonely Grunt

If you destroy a lure before an eager Grunt gets there, he may just stand around where he is, out in the open. He makes a great target for a rocket. Send him flying and see if you can snipe his backpack off in mid-air. But I once saw a Grunt do something else. He was the last guy on the ground and went toddling off to join his buddy up on the distant platform! Very cute, seeing him go up. I can just imagine the conversation: "Well nuts to all that. Is it any safer up here?". If you want to try to see such a grunty link-up for yourself, have your lure over on the right.

Both of the distant AA Wraiths can be rocketed from way off. One is in clear view from the tunnel, but for the other you may need to advance a bit. You can potentially get a view of part of it though a small circular gap in the rocky arch blocking your view. Sneak a few rockets through the gap and BLAM! Job done. Actually this is possible even from the tunnel if you can just manage to see a glimpse of its undercarriage. You'll know when it blows because you'll see bits flying out and then you'll hear a delayed bang. If you instead move to the high peak, you'll be able to see both AA Wraiths.

Destruction by sniper rifle

What you may not know is that you can even take out a Wraith with a sniper rifle! As few as five shots to the sensitive circular patch on the back (where you'd normally shove a grenade) can do the job.

If you've got the Cowbell skull on, you can do some amusing launching of the two platform Grunts, as detailed in an earlier article, Grunts into orbit. It was while exploring long-range fun from the tunnel that I first realized that freaky launching effect.

A fuel rod gun has enough range to hit the troops in your half of the battlefield, but can be a bit frustrating when used on ones that can move around easily - such as the Wraith. The most enjoyable targets are the Shade and the nearby Grunt manning a plasma cannon, present on Heroic and Legendary but not on the easier difficulties. Learn the right elevation to use, and let shots arc in. Switch to a sniper scope to watch the Grunts attempt slow-witted evasive action. Too late grunty! BLAM!

As a general challenge, potentially using some of the techniques I've described, see if you can wipe out all visible enemies from long distance. With the exception of a Grunt on an obscured plasma cannon on Heroic and Legendary, you can get them all. See how few shots you can do it with.

I've been focusing on the sniper rifle and rocket launcher here, but you can also wreak a lot of long-range damage with a Chopper. Its fire is devastating and has incredible range. From the tunnel you can take out everything you can get a line of fire to, including the leftmost AA Wraith. Give it a go!

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