How To Use Onos Effectively

Outlaw · February 2004

<div class="IPBDescription">I've got no clue</div> I'd like to get a few tips on how to use onos best.
I've never really had much of a chance to use one before since I knew I was bad at it and I'd rather spend res on things like a DC nest or hive, etc.
Due to either a lowering of the average skill level, the fact that some marines like to turtle, or res flow changes, I've been put in the position of having the res to go onos and having the team ask me to go onos. Weird, isn't it?
I'd really like to get some tips, particularly how to cope with multiple HMG/HA marines phasing into an outpost I'm trying to take down. Let's assume you have 2 hives. (once we have 3 hives it's just about over anyway)
What do you do against 3 or 4 HAs? I've found that stomping and trying to devour only works sometimes (I miss a lot with devour, though I've recently been told to crouch and aim for the feet, maybe that will help)
Usually it ends with me running into a room only to have to leave immediately since my health is plummetting.

What would you do to help your team in this situation? Get adren and stomp a lot until more aliens come help? Run in and devour one, then run away again (celerity, I assume, would help)?

duvel · February 2004

when I go onos then it's to crush the marines rt's <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' />

I can only win with onos from a heavy armor dude and hmg when i'm cloacked and regenerating and when he accidently runs against me, but if his comm deploys a lot of health and armor packs then I die.

yesterday i was stuck as an onos between 2 hives taken by the grunts and there was no way out, so I was cloacked and walking the corridors while some heavy armor dude knew and was searching me... and killed me with hmg <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif' />

Abix · February 2004

Im a decent onos at best but I can give some advice....

-Go for PGs first. Once you take that out, all the rest of the team has to do is kill the TFac
-Dont try to take on 3-4HA in a big room by yourself, you will do
-Do wait for 1-2HA to turn a corner and eat the first one and then run backwards while stomping
-Devour is the Onos' best ability. Master it. It takes a bit of time, but master it to where you almost never miss.
-ONLY devour HA. Devouring LA is a waste of time. Exception: If the marine is question has a GL/HMG devour him at will. Taking that heavy weapon away from the marines is a very good thing.
-Stomp is your friend. When running away, walk backwards if you can and stomp to keep the chasing marines after you

Another thing:
Two Hives: Celerity > Adren
Three Hives: Adren > Celerity

At three hives, you have charge, which is much faster than Celerity. The onos *need* speed. Especially on devouring runs.

ShotgunEd · February 2004

(1) Don't rush marines down long corridors.
(2) Know your escape route.
(3) Work out what your facing before you charge in.
(4) Learn to devour, if you miss first time, don't stay for another attempt, run away and heal then try again. (This is assuming your fighting lots of HA)
(5) Be patient
(6) Don't risk your life, your better off alive than killing 3 HA, simply so you can kill RT's
(7) If you want to maximise your effectiveness in the game. When you go Onos work on taking out all their unguarded RT's before risking attacking an outpost.

as abix said "Go for PGs first"

Thats probably one of the best bits of advice for any alien.

Thats a few tips, I'm sure others have plenty to say.

Sarisel · February 2004

Here's how to use Onos effectively: team-work. You achieve so much more than you do on your own. That and having a thorough understanding of how to use your abilities and when to use them (i.e. stomp before devouring a HA/hmg that is blasting at you with his weapon instead of trying to gore him in desperation.)

GreenRecon · February 2004

Team work usually is the best combination with an onos because they can take a lot of bullets for teamates. Use Onos to take down resource towers and its all about timing.

ShotgunEd · February 2004

Oh I forgot something. Develop a love affair with a resident 2 hive lerk =0

Insomnia · February 2004

First: Get this into your mind set: I am an onos. I am a fat, slow skulk that ate too much, I am not strong. I am the crappiest alien for the amount i cost.
Second: Never EVER go onos before second hive is up or buidling. Without stomp u = the lose.
Third: Master devour. Devour's range is huge. One just has to learn to aim it right. Remember the very very tip of the horn should be at the feet of the marine. That marine could be jumping or what not, but just move the tip of horn to the feet.
Fourth: Stomp attack. Stomp attack. When armor gets below 200 run away. Always face your opponents when running away and spam stomp.
Five: Choose your battles wisely. 4 marines may not seem much, but if they have 4 hmgs dont rush all 4 of them. Stomp, devour one, run away stomping, repeat. Just whittle down a marine force slowly if you have too.

Frosty · February 2004

I am generaly an alright onos, overly agresive mayber but not bad.

I get a def upgrade (sorta roll the dice with it but normaly i get regen or redemt)

I use my horn solely, i suck at devour, i have practiced and im still not good at it, its usaly faster for me to kill something with my horn than to devour it (sad but true)

I play the meat sheild, the distraction and i often forget to get out (hence the redem) Focus on important building whenever posible, onos horn isnt that much stronger than skulk bite against rines, BUT it tear building down with avengence. If you find turtle rines, and you have a huge flow of res coming in, then its actualy better to focus on turits in a farm (generaly you wont be able to take down the tf in one rune and it will be weilded nigh instantaneous)

If you are going ot use redeme i advise making a large DC nest near a hive, otherwise you will waste much time healing.

Stakhanov · February 2004

The onos is also a vital part of the SDM build. The freshly spawned fades spend most of their time eliminating marines inside their territory , the gorges don't have adren to bile bomb elec RTs : so destroy them before all. Once there are no remaining elec RTs , start smashing outposts , and eat the first HAs when you find them. Don't bother following a parasited rambo , he's going to die soon enough (leaping focus skulks / fades) , better find medium groups of marines with Scent of Fear , and wreak havoc. Fades are very vulnerable to shotguns , so it's up to you to finish them off (again , lerk support is invaluable here)
But avoid HMGs like the plague. If you feel confident enough , you can try stomp devouring them - but only if you catch them alone , or if you have backup.
Keep stoming marines even if they are way out of goring range in combat , skulks and fades will feast on them.

Keep enough stamina when smashing a PG. You can devour lone marines phasing in , or stomp multiple marines rushing to defend their outpost.

A single lmg marine is more dangerous than a load of turrets. Unguarded sieges won't hurt your health the least even with elec , but phased outposts are hazardous.

Beware the ladders. According to Murphy's law , you will fall off them when being chased by HMGers. Consider ladders as last resort escape routes , and always stay crouched on them , climbing straight up until you're unstuck.

Kill or devour light marines who are sitting in your way first. The last thing you'd want is being blocked by several marines with no armor left. Don't come too close to a group of marines if you don't need to - they might surround you and prevent you from escaping.

When jetpackers are heard , creep in low ceiling areas. You can devour them with a bit of timing if they can't fly over your head. If you physically block a turn or doorway , they have no hope of going through it. Avoid rooms with high ceilings or vents.

Norml_E_High · February 2004

Always get adrenaline if you are the only one close to onos on your team. You can stomp the heavies, eat one, then keep stomping and either, A) retreat while stomping them to keep em from firing, or b) stomp them for your teamates to own. Usually B is the most effective, but you need to let your team know you want to stomp for them. Doing this in 2.01 was unstoppable, but now in 3.0 with the stomp time decreased it doesnt work as good, but still effective nonetheless.

Also, you need to get good at devouring. As in, not trying to do the crouch devour. It's much more effective when you don't have to. I only recently got down devour, and I used to have to crouch to do it. I figured out the main problem though, I was trying to aim too high. Aim lower with your horn on the marine body and you'll get them every time. If it helps, while your are a skulk, bring up parasite, and get like a little piece of tape and put it where the targeter is, so you can have one with devour out. That way you can use it until you get better.

B33F · February 2004

As an onos, I spend much of my time running away. A live onos running around absorbing bullets is more useful than a dead onos.

TheNova · February 2004

just as many other ppl said. Master devour skill!
I've seen some ppl so good with devour that they can devour me as a jper in mid air, about to land, taking off or in a confined room.At least practice devouring until u can devour ha without stomping which isn't very hard to do. The easiest way is to suprise HAs around corners.

From my personal experience. Devour doesn't seem to work well if u are actually touching the target(too close) even if I aimed.

Vitamin_Lead · February 2004

idk if ne1 has said this already, but if ur onos, make sure to bring a couple of *non-idiot* skulks along. While u r takin the damage, they get to have free chomps. If the enemy shoots at the skulks, then u screw them with ur horn...

*non-idiot* = a skulk that knows to run on ceiling/otherwise out of your way in case you have to retreat. Gettin blocked by a skulk suxorz.

Wirhe · February 2004

If you have read a FAQ or Manual about onos being an "assault class alien", it's just plain BS. Onos is a blocker. He sucks bullets like a vacuum, is slow as a slug, and usually doesn't even last long. So, needless to say; (stomp) devour, run-for-it, repeat. Only usefull vs. turret farms and picking up stray heavies. <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink.gif' />

Other times, use fade. Cheaper, faster, and more effective. <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' />

oOgA · March 2004

although onos is big fat and ugly, it still dies like a fly if a onos rushes headon to marines without tactics.

learn to use stomp. dont do continous stomps cos it wun stack. stomp->devour..run to a corner..->stomp again. -> gore a few times.. stomp..run/hide if u are abt 50% health..

against a team of HAs and HMGs, a onos is best not to be a primary attacker but to serve as support unit..devourin and stomping.. while skulks do the offene (leap bite,etc)

when u are onos, dun be afriad to take down a elect rt....it is teh most dumbest thing to do for a onos to run away from a elect rt.

How To Use Onos Effectively

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