I am a big fan of the lerk bite but it has it's time and place. There are many instances in which your spikes will suit you better. Part of the reason I enjoy playing the lerk so much is because of this dual thread situation they pose. At a distance spikes are slow death, and up close the damage of bite combined with the rapid movement of flight can make quick work of several marines even. Finally Umbra and Sporecloud add a support asset to the lerk, allowing you to better assist your team-mates and yourself, and overall contributing more to the win than just your basic skills.
A true master of the lerk, just like a true master of anything, knows how to properly use all of it's abilities to the greatest potential to achieve the maximum effect.
Well i know that if you got HA and grenade laucher and lerk jumps front of you might actually lose pretty easily.
In one game i had HA, grenade laucher and welder (armor at level 2 and weapons at level 2 upgrade). I was shooting at offensive/def chamb wall with grenades and i was alone, because the other team was doing some hero **** somewhere. Then behind that wall lerk started to flow over me and shooting spikes. I was trying to hit him with grenades (which is almost impossible) then lerk runned out with energy and he dropped to ground and started to bite me. I switched to welder and i crouched. I kill that lerk, but i had no armor left and my health were 13hp. <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->
I think flying into the base and using umbra takes more skill than acid rocket spamming, A good lerk is good at flying and energy managment, spiking at a distance, anyone can do it, it doesnt do that much dmg as you could.
Several times when the aliens have gotten the second hive I am able to fly into the marine base and take it all out as a lerk. I was once called a magical lerk <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->
<b>Ignore</b> the tracers from your spikes. The shots themselves are a hitscan weapon. The tracers look like they fall and explode properly on contact, but I just tested this. (1.03, does the 1.04 changelog mention anything?) From across the refinery, lerk spikes look funny when they go pop right in the face of a marine from across the map after arcing through the air, but they do no damage. However, when pointed directly at the marine, regardless of range, the spikes hit and did damage immediately. They don't appear to be perfectly accurate, however. At that range not every shot hit, even with a key bound to attack and the mouse not moving. It is rather humorous to hear a marine go ouch and about a second later hear the spike go *pshoof*...
Thanks for the clarification test on the spikes kax. I'm going to leave that issue as final per your test for the time being unless I hear otherwise from a dev.
My preferred Lerk upgrades are Adren, Regen, and Scent of Fear. I tend to be "guerilla lerk" at 2 hives, doing hit and run tactics to tie up the Marines, so I need regeneration. (heh heh, yeah, ns_caged is Lerk heaven...) Adrenaline is a no-brainer. I choose Scent of Fear over Hive Sight when the 3rd hive is up because it helps guide my spore clouds... I see where the wounded Marines are hiding and I bless them with my fumes. This includes if they are out of sight, its a built in wallhack. <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo--> I can tell if they're hiding to the side of a door to ambush me/us, so I just shoot a spore cloud in front of them while they still can't see me. I can tell when they're trying to sneak up on me.
Plus, I don't know if any of you have noticed this before (I can't keep up with all the posting on these forums), but Regeneration will also bring you back to life! Several times I have been gunned down while trying to escape, lost all control and started to fall, then I heard the gurgle of regeneration and I suddenly had 4hp again and I could resume flying. This doesn't happen alot, I'm betting that you have to have anywhere from 0 to -3 hp and the regen pulse has to hit before the server (registers you as dead? and) takes you out of your body.
Indeed, I should have mentioned, fantastic guide. The lerk has become my favorite little guy! Forums need a new smiley <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='wink.gif'><!--endemo-->
A note about flight practice. After we remove the Marine infestation from the 3rd hive, I like to stay behind when the Gorge arrives to defend him and the hive while it is growing. I spend this time doing flying practice, learning to take corners gracefully (not quite there yet), swoop attacks on the gorge or the resource tower (since they don't hurt), and fly-by umbra-ing the Hive periodically. More flight practice is had if we are overwhelming the Marines, I just start ignoring the battles and swoop around, chomping Marine resource towers if I find any.
If a hive ever comes under attack, it is the Lerks job to fly on top of it and spew umbra, chomping any jetpacking welders up there. The Umbra will greatly prolong the life of the hive allowing for the rest of the aliens to arrive. Umbra the Defense towers too. ('course, if they have Grenade Launchers you're screwed.)
This really should be stickied <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
I've got a question. You know how lerk spikes are hitscan, and the spike tracer lags behind? Over distance the spikes seem to drop. Does it actually hit lower when this happens, or does it still hit where your crosshairs are?
<!--QuoteBegin--SoulSkorpion+Jan 9 2003, 12:24 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (SoulSkorpion @ Jan 9 2003, 12:24 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->I've got a question. You know how lerk spikes are hitscan, and the spike tracer lags behind? Over distance the spikes seem to drop. Does it actually hit lower when this happens, or does it still hit where your crosshairs are?<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd--> Ignore the tracers. The spikes hit precisely at the x-hair.
Blinking fade and flying lurk combo is definatly the way to go.
Fade blinks in as the marines are re-targetting on the fade who is now behind them the lurk flys acccross the room and umbras where the fade is standing (preferably behind a TF) the tf is rapidly munched lots by the fade/lurk while the marines go 'aaaiee we need a nade launcher!!' When the damage starts to hurt fade blinks out marines try and chase it down and in the process end up not killing the fleeing lurk.
man blue ghost... here we are all talking about how great lerk is and how they dont need fades help to be awsome... then you come and misspell lerk in multiple spots and talk so much about how a lerk is only good for umbraing a fades massive attack... pffft! a fade does 80 damage in a swipe and a lerk does 75 ina bite but attacks faster so lerks are indeed better!
and why are you guys saying your screwed if a grenadaer is near. There no biggie at all, just fly down and bite while still in air. and dont drop to the ground and go for the knees, thats a lerks biggest mistake against any marine, but stay flying around his head and biting him. any grenade that can hit you then will hit him too so you shouldn't worry that much and as long as your moving he wont get a direct grenade hit.
No poo flinging, please. It's not as if you haven't misspelled a few words yourself ("grenadaer"?) <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='wink.gif'><!--endemo-->
I keep seeing people telling these facts and other people asking again, so--for good measure:
Lerk spikes actually travel in straight lines. The actual shots are instant, and may have a slight cone of fire (still straight lines), but the cone itself is centered on the crosshair. In essence, it is an LMG with differing damage and spread, and a vastly different appearance.
I tested this quite a bit with a long hallway and some marine structures. Ignore the spikes that you can see--they tell you nothing.
<!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->man blue ghost... here we are all talking about how great lerk is and how they dont need fades help to be awsome... then you come and misspell lerk in multiple spots and talk so much about how a lerk is only good for umbraing a fades massive attack... pffft! a fade does 80 damage in a swipe and a lerk does 75 ina bite but attacks faster so lerks are indeed better!<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I don't see where he said that lerks suck - merely that a competant fade/lerk combo is way better. I've done my fair share of lerk ramboing with a great degree of success, but assuming you have competant teammates working as a <i>team</i> is so much better. You just fly up to a target of opportunity, and your teammate(s) blink up to it. While killing marines is fairly easy as a lerk, when you're hiding inside umbra in the middle of a huge turret farm, you don't half appreciate a few acid rockets at your side. With lerk umbra significantly decreased in effectiveness for 1.04 (edit: And carapace reduced a fair bit in effectiveness), you should be able to manouevre the fade in the path of the worst of the turrets, letting it take most of the damage. With your teammates claws in addition to your bite, the target of opportunity goes down quicker, reducing the damage you take.
Teamwork > ramboing
<!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->and why are you guys saying your screwed if a grenadaer is near. There no biggie at all, just fly down and bite while still in air. and dont drop to the ground and go for the knees, thats a lerks biggest mistake against any marine, but stay flying around his head and biting him. any grenade that can hit you then will hit him too so you shouldn't worry that much and as long as your moving he wont get a direct grenade hit. <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Killing a lone grenadier is ****. Killing a lone HA grenadier is easy. Killing a grenadier in the middle of a huge turret farm with all his buddies around him is not easy. I do, however, have no doubt that you'll have a story about how you took down 4 HA/HMGs and a huge turret farm all without going near a def chamber to counter this argument, though <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->.
Best way to kill any HA marine is to fly around on top of their head. The way the control system works makes it very tough for them to hit you <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->.
if its a single marine, then you just need to fly fast and keep the heat on him, because when you attack him his vision is skewed if you have enough speed behind you, so keep flying and biting and he'll come down. Though that only works if he's not that good.
Comments
A true master of the lerk, just like a true master of anything, knows how to properly use all of it's abilities to the greatest potential to achieve the maximum effect.
In one game i had HA, grenade laucher and welder (armor at level 2 and weapons at level 2 upgrade). I was shooting at offensive/def chamb wall with grenades and i was alone, because the other team was doing some hero **** somewhere. Then behind that wall lerk started to flow over me and shooting spikes. I was trying to hit him with grenades (which is almost impossible) then lerk runned out with energy and he dropped to ground and started to bite me. I switched to welder and i crouched. I kill that lerk, but i had no armor left and my health were 13hp. <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->
I think flying into the base and using umbra takes more skill than acid rocket spamming, A good lerk is good at flying and energy managment, spiking at a distance, anyone can do it, it doesnt do that much dmg as you could.
Several times when the aliens have gotten the second hive I am able to fly into the marine base and take it all out as a lerk. I was once called a magical lerk <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->
<b>Ignore</b> the tracers from your spikes. The shots themselves are a hitscan weapon. The tracers look like they fall and explode properly on contact, but I just tested this. (1.03, does the 1.04 changelog mention anything?) From across the refinery, lerk spikes look funny when they go pop right in the face of a marine from across the map after arcing through the air, but they do no damage. However, when pointed directly at the marine, regardless of range, the spikes hit and did damage immediately. They don't appear to be perfectly accurate, however. At that range not every shot hit, even with a key bound to attack and the mouse not moving. It is rather humorous to hear a marine go ouch and about a second later hear the spike go *pshoof*...
I have no idea why the spikes behave this way.
now my accuracy will increase since I dont have to aim ahead of my enemy and all
PS: Flying while spiking is a pretty good tactic for light marines, especially if there's a pack of 2-3 and you can't really move in for a bite
Plus, I don't know if any of you have noticed this before (I can't keep up with all the posting on these forums), but Regeneration will also bring you back to life! Several times I have been gunned down while trying to escape, lost all control and started to fall, then I heard the gurgle of regeneration and I suddenly had 4hp again and I could resume flying. This doesn't happen alot, I'm betting that you have to have anywhere from 0 to -3 hp and the regen pulse has to hit before the server (registers you as dead? and) takes you out of your body.
If a hive ever comes under attack, it is the Lerks job to fly on top of it and spew umbra, chomping any jetpacking welders up there. The Umbra will greatly prolong the life of the hive allowing for the rest of the aliens to arrive. Umbra the Defense towers too. ('course, if they have Grenade Launchers you're screwed.)
This really should be stickied <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
Ignore the tracers. The spikes hit precisely at the x-hair.
Fade blinks in as the marines are re-targetting on the fade who is now behind them the lurk flys acccross the room and umbras where the fade is standing (preferably behind a TF) the tf is rapidly munched lots by the fade/lurk while the marines go 'aaaiee we need a nade launcher!!' When the damage starts to hurt fade blinks out marines try and chase it down and in the process end up not killing the fleeing lurk.
BlueGhost
and why are you guys saying your screwed if a grenadaer is near. There no biggie at all, just fly down and bite while still in air. and dont drop to the ground and go for the knees, thats a lerks biggest mistake against any marine, but stay flying around his head and biting him. any grenade that can hit you then will hit him too so you shouldn't worry that much and as long as your moving he wont get a direct grenade hit.
*bump*
Could this get stickied, please? We don't have a sticked Lerk guide yet.
Lerk spikes actually travel in straight lines. The actual shots are instant, and may have a slight cone of fire (still straight lines), but the cone itself is centered on the crosshair. In essence, it is an LMG with differing damage and spread, and a vastly different appearance.
I tested this quite a bit with a long hallway and some marine structures. Ignore the spikes that you can see--they tell you nothing.
I don't see where he said that lerks suck - merely that a competant fade/lerk combo is way better. I've done my fair share of lerk ramboing with a great degree of success, but assuming you have competant teammates working as a <i>team</i> is so much better. You just fly up to a target of opportunity, and your teammate(s) blink up to it. While killing marines is fairly easy as a lerk, when you're hiding inside umbra in the middle of a huge turret farm, you don't half appreciate a few acid rockets at your side. With lerk umbra significantly decreased in effectiveness for 1.04 (edit: And carapace reduced a fair bit in effectiveness), you should be able to manouevre the fade in the path of the worst of the turrets, letting it take most of the damage. With your teammates claws in addition to your bite, the target of opportunity goes down quicker, reducing the damage you take.
Teamwork > ramboing
<!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->and why are you guys saying your screwed if a grenadaer is near. There no biggie at all, just fly down and bite while still in air. and dont drop to the ground and go for the knees, thats a lerks biggest mistake against any marine, but stay flying around his head and biting him. any grenade that can hit you then will hit him too so you shouldn't worry that much and as long as your moving he wont get a direct grenade hit. <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Killing a lone grenadier is ****. Killing a lone HA grenadier is easy. Killing a grenadier in the middle of a huge turret farm with all his buddies around him is not easy. I do, however, have no doubt that you'll have a story about how you took down 4 HA/HMGs and a huge turret farm all without going near a def chamber to counter this argument, though <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->.
Best way to kill any HA marine is to fly around on top of their head. The way the control system works makes it very tough for them to hit you <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->.