BE WARNED THAT THIS GUIDE IS VERY WORK-IN-PROGRESS. IT SHOULD UPDATE OVERTIME."A giant piece of armor with a big gun, you know what to do." ― Examine Description, Colonial Marines
So, it's just like every other duty back on the old days of the USS Sulaco. You woke up as a Tech. Sergeant with the role of a simple MT, while workin' on the Supermatter engines, you saw the grand APC that has been used eversince the very first operation of the Sulaco. Too bad it's not gonna be fixed, ever. Due to layoffs at the CMP training programme, Synth enlistment duties and so on and so fourth. For these reasons, MTs found Jones somewhere in the ship wearing a boonie hat for some reason, but their Admiral asked them a favor for a Tank training course as long as they give Jones to the leading commander and the boonie hat as a museum stuff.
Years later, you're now promoted to a Ensign! The better news? After a long day of the Tychon's Rift Championship Basketball games, the USCM developed an updated version of the APC. The M34A2 'Longstreet' Light Scout Tank. One of the Marines' best caveman invention. This handy guide will (hopefully) teach you every bit of material on how to use the tank, and some tips on how to be a good TC.
M34A2 'Longstreet' Light Scout Tank.
- What is a TC?
- Driver - Simple enough to say, you control the tank's threads, drive it, turn around with it, etc.
- Gunner - You control the three main hardpoint spots, mainly you fire your tank cannon, support via smartgun, launch smoke and others Along with a bunch of other weaponry in the palm of your hand.
- M34A2 'Longstreet' Light Scout Tank and YOU!
PROS:
- Heavily armored, much better defense than plasteel barricades, enos couldn't get pass a tank easily.
- Modulized Tank, you can mix and match any part as long as you wish.
- Can stun enos under its treads.
- Can block enos.
- You automatically eject once the tank takes too much damage.
- Once its treads is destroyed, it's almost completely immobile.
- Even with it's treads, it's slow to move.
- The tank's turrets fire at a 45 degree angle.
- Can stun marines under its treads.
- Crewmen need to enter the back of the vehicle to drive/man it.
- Repairing the tank from damage will take a while.
- Really bulky, 3x3 tiles long.
- Blocks retreating/pushing marines.
- TCs are only able pilot it and reload it. While MTs, the Synth and the CE is able to repair it.
- Two TCs are required for the tank to reach its full potential.
- The beginning of the Longstreet Town. (Preperation)
The first thing you wanna do is to repair the tank, which its state is how the APC ended up way back at the Sully. Tell the MTs, Synths or the CE to do it in engineering comms (use a blowtorch and a crowbar), since they can repair the tanks with a bunch of knowledge while you don't. In the meantime, go north of your spawn location and head east, you'll see the tank's treads and its cannon along with some magazines. Get them modules and put them at the tank! Once that's done, you should communicate with your fellow TC on what role you're going for in the tank. Whether you're going for driver or gunner, it's up to you and your skills at piloting the tank. See the above section for the roles. After that, enter the tank by clicking on it while you're behind it (indicated by the red outline). Just like this UPP dude who's about to hijack it after an assault!
Right behind and at the middle, that is where you want to shove your inner unga in.
- They see me rolling... (Controls)
Located at the object tab, that is your controls.
Wait, the controls are freaking here, along with the others! We need to make it more specific.
But this is also good, right-clicking on the tank.
Better, so these are the controls of the tank... Not better? Fine I'll explain to you about them.
- Change active weapon - Changes the usage of hardpoints in the tank, Secondary, Support and Primary.
- Reload Active Weapon - Reloads the current hardpoint of the tank.
- Rotate vehicle Clockwise - Changes the direction of the tank eastwards (to the right).
- Rotate vehicle Counterclockwise - Changes the direction of the tank westwards (to the left).
- Swap seats - Changes your seat position to another after a few seconds (from Gunner to Driver and vice versa).
- Exit vehicle - ...Do I need to explain this? You eject the vehicle after a couple seconds.
- Movement keys - Moves the tank forwards or backwards in its direction.
- Mouse click - THROWING FR- wait wrong. It fires or activates the current hardpoint of the tank to the location you clicked on, like a gun. As long as your target is at the 45 degree field of view, if you are using a weapon for that matter.
- The instrument of Doom. (Driver)
Drive the tank using movement keys. Turn the tank using the Object menu. It's also important to set up a macro so you'll easily allow yourself to turn around. Simple as that. Better head to the Macros page of the CM Wiki to find out!
But what's not so simple? Driving around of course! While you can drive almost everything (including aliens, barricades, etc.), it's only limit is driving through podlocks, airlocks, and walls. Heck, even you cannot get pass through window frames! Worst, Ungas will try to get into the way of your tank, crushing them and stunning them. So please, do not run over them or let them to run over your tank. Simply yelling "DO NOT GET INFRONT/BEHIND THE TANK" will do enough. Maybe several more times and perhaps they'll snap.
Blockades, however, are a different story. Barricades, crates, tables and what not, can be crushed by the tank itself. So feel free to crush them while you're in danger or you just want to get rid of the useless cades around the map. Walls, windows and window frames on the other hand is something that is considered as your archenemy. You cannot run them over, you cannot get through. Wait, that's wrong. Yes, you can get through basic building walls and reinforced walls, by crushing them of course! Alternatively, you can also destroy the walls more effectively with the cannon! Oh and do not bother with the ultra-reinforced walls though, you gotta find another way.
- Just point us at 'em. (Gunner)
Like using a gun, firing cannons/smartguns is simple. Point your cursor to a tile you want to fire! Sounds easy, right? Make sure you point it at the right tile and direction.
Driving tanks could be tough, but firing your guns is a whole lot of tougher. You are more likely to expect to damage barricades more than xenos. Why? Because in a nutshell, you should've know (or atleast, RP-wise) that Crushers and Queens are laughable to your cannons, somewhat. In a shellnut, they are RPG rockets but with a capacity of a Thermobaric rocket launcher. Worst, if your fellow crewman (aka, fellow unga and NOT your spouse) is apparently either braindead or SSD and suddenly many ayylmao Ravagers came in to the side where you cannot hit. Yell at your fellow unga to "TURN AROUND"! Otherwise, the tank is no more than a power piece of barricade that you and your 'partner' can die on.
- We will prevail! (Modules)
- Main Armament Emplacements:
LTB Cannon
My grandmother used to told me that cars can get through point A to point B faster than walking. Today, my knowledge will never be the same. If you can get to point B in half the time, better start makin' a point C then! LTB Cannons are the Colonial Marines' mainline tank cannon, used in different variations of tanks today. And it still remains a classic as ever. All you gotta do is aim, then shoot. Leaving a cloud of scorch on the path.
- Area of effect damage.
- Very deadly on soft targets.
- Stuns targets.
- Starting weapon.
- 4 shells before reloading.
- Explosion is almost useless against Crushers and Queens.
- Carries a total of 3 LTB shell magazines before needed to rearm.
LTAA AP Minigun
So what do we got, autocannons, tank cannons, coax machine guns... Now what, a juryrigged Ol' Painless attached to a tank? I'm sure that's possible, since I saw a few of these in action. But it's more or less, your APC kind of cannon. Firing a hail of AP bullets* along the way. Best part, if you do have an Ol' Painless (I reckon you don't, but that's up to you), you can use these rounds to reload! Atleast it's a weapon that may be dangerous on the field.
- Carries about 300 rounds.
- Fast rate of fire.
- Automatic.
- Inaccurate.
- Low damaging.
- *It is not exactly an AP round. It's actually a minigun round.
- Charlie Longstreet Breakfast. (Early-game)