Getting Started
One of the most important aspects of the game, if not the most important, is the jump you get off the start. If you have a slow start, all the posts may be gone by the time you get out there to grab one...and you might as well say "gg" right away. Now, how do you get the best possible start for the situation? Lets look at some ideas...

1) Build a temple and 2 golems : Do this if you feel that the map is not in your favor, or if you know that there is no big rush to get a post. If you are playing a fast player, I don't suggest using this tactic unless you have the major map advantage. Why 2 golems, and not 3? Well, if you are smart, you place your temple closest to the greatest number of geysers on your island, so that cash comes quick. Now, a golem costs $400, which means it takes 3 trips to pay itself off. Since your golems are cashin in really quick, why bother spending that extra $400 on a golem? Instead, save it, and get your Shops quicker.

2) Build a temple, a workshop and 1 golem : Do this if you have a nice outpost island (with quick money on it) close to your home island, or one across the map that you have to run for to get. That way you can get priesty out there to post er up quick, and get a quick jump. I use this tactic more often than the other, because getting that quick jump is beneficial. It takes a while to really get this move down so that it is effective. Attach to 1 geyser and get your priest and your golem collecting $$$ until you have enough for another golem (you should be bridging while they are collecting), and when you have enough, get another golem going and get your priest out for the post. Come back and connect to the rest of the geysers around your island while you are waiting for the post to be built.

3) Remember : build your temple in the spot closest to the most amount of geysers...money is quicker that way.

Now...

1) Attach to all your geysers and go : Do this if your geysers are in a nice group on your island, and if it won't take more than 3 seconds to grab them.

2) Attach to most of your geysers before leaving the island : Do this if you have a little group (2 or 3) close together that you can grab quick.

3) Attach to 1 geyser, and go : Do this if you want a quick jump on the opposition or if you have a nice outpost island that you can get to quick (with good money on it), or if your geysers are all spread out, and you can't waste time trying to get them all off the bat.

What should you do with your priest at this time? Well, you can either put him on the crystal run, or you can keep him handy for that first workshop. You see, you get a quicker cash supply if your priest is collecting with the golems, but you may run into a bit a problem when you go to build your workshop. For some reason, if you try to build a workshop with while your priest is on the crystal run, sometimes they will empty out a geyser, and your priest will ignore your command to build a workshop, and head for the next geyser. This isn't very good, if you tell him to build the shop, and then go back out into the field to bridge etc., just to come back and find out that he didn't build the shop! (aarrgg!!). If you keep your priest available, you can avoid this problem (which only happens once on a blue moon), and you can have your shops built, and be out outposting in no time.

Bridging From The Get-Go...

Bridging is one of the most important sections of gameplay. Without bridges you can't get outposts, block enemies from getting into your area of the map, or build units anywhere but on your island. First of all, learn how to hotkey (bridge using the keyboard letters :QWASZX - making sure that you closed your chat box...because if you didn't, you will just end up typing the letters. If that happens, just hit enter, and the box will close), this will dramatically improve your speed in time...but it takes a lot of practice. Now, when you come off your island (which should be no later than 6 seconds after your temple is completed), start bridging in the general direction of your enemy (or the big posting island), but be sure to pick up any geysers/attach to any nice outposting islands along the way. If you see a large geyser group, try to attach to them, because once geysers are yours, they are always yours, and you can build off of them. While your temple was building, you should have been looking over the map, and determining what area is YOURS. That this is the section of the map that you are going to own/outpost and collect money from...this also means that you have to defend it, so use your bridging to isolate your area. It's like building a border around your area, and in order for an opponent to get into your area, he has to meltdown your bridge, which you will either hear happen, or see happening. Anyway, before any of this melting down happens, you should have your workshops up and ready to go. After your temple is done, and you have sent your golem(s)/priest to get money, you should be keeping an eye on your money (top left hand corner). Don't get caught up in your bridging, because a late outpost may be the end of the game. When your money hits around $2000, you should be getting your workshops built. Attach your bridge to an island (to make it secure), and go get priesty to make you 2 shops, depending on what you like to use.

What Workshops should I build to get going?
Here are a couple of combinations that are good to use : (If you are using a tourney fort)

2 Wind - This is beneficial because you can get your Wind Gens, Walls, Bows and Skaters happenin. This covers your butt in all ways (Add an optional Rain shop for Rain Gens and either man-o-wars or rain cannons later in the game).

1 Sun, 1 Wind - Also a very good idea, because you can use your sun for your Wind Gens and Sun Barricades, use your wind for Bows and Walls. Usually, golems do the trick for collecting quick geysers, until you have enough for flyers (airships!!). If you happen to nail a great outpost with lots of cash, get a quick upgrade on your wind (for your airships) and think about getting an upgrade on your Sun for Rain Gens (they come in handy later on).

1 Sun, 2 Wind - Good, because you can get your wind gens and your barricades in the sun, and your skaters and Bows in the 1 wind and your walls and Devil makers/Air Ships in the other.

1 Wind - Quick, and effective move if you know what you are doing. You can grab your gens and your bows quick (or sailors for money purposes). You will need an upgrade for some kind of protection.

2 Rain - Good, get your Cannons, Man-o-wars, gens and crystal crabs (clickety click). These aren't the greatest units for protecting an outpost, I suggest you leave the rain until you bring your priest back for the rest of your shops (when you are ready to attack).

Thunder is optional, and shouldn't be built until the middle of the game or so. The reasons to use thunder are : 1) If your opponent is using Man-o-Wars, because Bulwarks are indestructible from air attack, and Vanders are great for shooting down air transports and air attacking units. 2) You have lots of cash, and you really want to do some damage by bringing in the Thunder Cannons....watch your budget though!

If you want my opinion, I find the 1 wind and 1 sun the best to start out with. . The bows have better range for outpost protection, as they don't just fire in a straight line, and continuously shoot. The walls and barricades are great for protecting your outposts...can't ask for much more than that.
Remember, an upgrade costs the same as a full shop, so by building a full shop, you are getting 2 units for the price of 1 (if you were to upgrade, but your priest has to be on the island to build the shop, and he doesn't have to be for the upgrade).

Outposting

Outposts are also one of the most important units in the game. Don't know what an outpost does?? Well, when you find a fairly large island in the middle, you can place an outpost on it, and it becomes your island. You can build off of this island, and all your money (that is closer to this outpost than your temple) will go there. Also, your power comes from your outpost, instead of your island, allowing units to be created quicker. You should have your first outpost by about 1 minute (and it should be less) into the game. You can grab as many outposts as you like, but there are certain ways of determining which islands are best for outposting...here are a couple of points.

i) Look for an island with many geysers around it, if you can grab this one, it's instant cash (as long as you can defend it).

ii) make sure that the island you are going for isn't too much of a wish. In other words, don't pick one that is around many enemy units, or in immediate danger. Most priests are snagged during outposting, because people tend to take chances. Find an island that your priest can get to safely, and get him there quick!!

iii) Strategic positioning of an island, and the size of the island are also big factors! Many islands are positioned in places where they are hard to get at, or attack. These are good outposting islands. Others have a position (like one that splits your opponents, so that you can work from the inside out). BIG islands are a bonus, but be careful, there are usually some pretty big scraps for these. The bigger the island, the more of the map you control...it's all about control.

REMEMBER - even if an outpost has no geysers on it when you post it, random geysers will appear as the game goes on, and there is always a chance that a large score will appear near your post. Also, when you build a post, try to build it on the edge of the island, because it leaves room for random geysers to appear on the island..which means $$$ instantly!

It's Time to Attack...

A lot of people don't understand the concept of the attack. They would much rather sit at home on their home island, building it up in preparation of the attack. Well, don't wait for someone to attack you, instead, get out there, and start pressing your own attack!! Now that you have some good outposts, your power supply will be direct to the attack, and you will have plenty of money. Now it's time to ask your self if you need another workshop? Rain, I find, is the best attacking element in the game, because of the rain cannons and man-o-wars. Thunder also has good range with the Thunder cannons, and awesome power, but these attacks can be foiled by wind walls pretty easily :) Later on in the page here, I will get into strategies determining when, where and what units use, and what to do with them. Myself, I don't worry much about attacking an outpost, unless it's on the way to attacking an island, or if you think that the outpost would be beneficial if under your control. The island is the heart of all their power and knowledge, without it, they can't do anything at all. In order to attack an island, you must have bridges there (most of the time), so start by bridging to their island.It may be hard to do, with them trying to bridge you off, but the faster you are, the better. Once you get to their island, you can begin the attack. Remember : think attack, not defend!!

STRATEGY!!

Okay, this is going to be a fairly large section, as I attempt to cover all the attacking and defending strategies that I know, and cover what to do in all the situations that I can think of. I hope that my memory serves me well, as I wander through all these possibilities!

What to attack – Well, of all the things that you can attack in the game, there are some that are more effective than others. Here’s a lil list :

Enemy Transports : Attacking the enemies transports is very effective, because it cuts off the enemies supply of money. How can they fight back, if they don’t have any money?? Don’t avoid the transports, as soon as you can place a bow in their path somewhere, do it, because the quicker their supply gets cut off, the better. A lot of players use sail skaters, which are very fast, but very weak. 1 or 2 bows can take out a whole troop of skaters, and another effective move is to plant a gen near the bridges that the skaters/golems/any land transport are travelling on. When they get close to your gen, you melt down, and the transports fall off the end of the broken bridge….plus, you can bridge through the new gap and gain more control on the situation. Be sure not to waste your money trying to kill the transports, because, if the enemy sees you attempting to do this, they can turn their transports around, and let them head to another geyser. Killing transports is a good way to earn kill dollars, when you are low on cash.

Outposts : Destroying an enemy outpost is a very good idea, for they no longer control the land on which the outpost was built. Plus, where there is an outpost, there are usually transports, and that is even more of a bonus. The more outposts you destroy, the more you can possibly gain. If you are going to attack an outpost, it’s a good idea to get your priest near by, so that you can post the island, after the enemy’s post drops. Be careful when doing this, because if it is a war zone, then priesty could be in some danger. Try to secure the area before moving in for the post. If it is a small island, with no bonus in it’s positioning or it’s geyser layout, then the efforts of posting it yourself may be un-needed.

The Enemy Island : Out of all the effort you put into your attack, I find that this is the most important. Attacking the island is like going straight for the throat. Without their workshops, they can’t build units, without their temple, they can’t bridge…get my point? I don’t like to waste time in the middle, if I have an opportunity to attack the island. Short and sweet :)

Enemy Units : If you ask me, there is a time and a place to attack enemy units. If these units are attacking you, then you should probably take them out, unless you can put a wall in front of them to attract their attention. The reason why attacking units isn't the greatest thing to do, is because they can be salvaged easily. Why waste a couple grand attacking some bows, and then have them get salvaged before your eyes? What a waste of money! If the units are doing immediate danger, then take them out, be it for kill reward or whatever. If not, then don't worry bout them much, and attack them where it hurts.

The Wrap :

When you are attacking an enemy island, it is a good idea to wrap, or completely encircle their island with your bridges, to prevent them from bridging out and attacking you from behind / the side. There are a couple of points to the wrap - When you are wrapping an island, try to stay as close as you can to it, so that your enemy can't throw a gen out, and meltdown your bridges or have room to get walls/any other units out to protect himself (* If you wrap close your opponent can place a gen on their island and meltdown, taking a chunk of your bridges with it...be careful). During the wrap, make sure that you connect to their island a couple of times with your bridges (this is helpful, because you are probably attached to them somewhere else on the map, and they are attached to their island, and you still have bridges attached to their island - you can still bridge off of the bridges that are attached to their island, and energy can still get out there for your units because of that other connection on the map). After you get them wrapped, it's all down hill, as long as you use the right units, and attack wisely. Some people don't like the wrap, and find it to be a "cheap" move. Well, it's all a matter of opinion, and who is dying in the process. :)

Defending Your Attack :

Its a good idea to think ahead, and prepare for the opponent to fight back. This can be done by using wind walls, sun barricades etc. Place these on the front line of your attack, which protects your attacking units, and allows you to rip your enemy apart fairly easily.

What to Attack :

When attacking an enemy island, there are some places that are better to attack than others. I find that the best place to attack is the Temple. The reason for this, is when the temple falls, you can build on their island, and take out their workshops/priest. I like to concentrate my attack on the temple, because the quicker it falls, the better. You can attack the workshops, but if your enemy has money, he can just rebuild them, or upgrade them as they get pounded on. If it's possible, try to attack the entire island, meaning the temple and the shops. If you do it this way, when the temple falls, he can't defend his island, because his workshops will be done too. The best way to do this, is by using the stack method.

The Stack!:

When some people attack, they assert very minimal energy into their force. Why do this when you can be over powering, and perform complete overkill?? The stack method deals with "stacking" your units. Don't attack with 3 weapons, or 4...try using about 20 or so, so that the kill is quick. Some tips to stacking (which is easily done after the wrap is completed), are : use the whole side of the island to press - in other words, don't just shoot at 1 unit, shoot at them all, if you can. Line the front of your attack with walls, or some kind of protecting device, so that he can't take out your weapons. Stack across and back as much as you can, so that you are putting 100% into your attack! When you are stacking, behind the walls, use bows, if they aren't out of range already, and behind the bows, use rain cannons (or thunder, if you know that they can't get a wall up to stop you). The rain cannons themselves will rattle around on that island, tearing it completely apart, it is such a sweet sight :)

Salvaging:

Attacking an island etc. requires that you bring out power, and place units all over the place. A good way to ensure that your attack is potent, and that your enemy may have a hard time, is by salvaging any units that you left behind, that really aren't doing anything. When you bring out gens, most people will throw a couple of bows on them, in an attempt to cut off your power, thus ending your attack. A good idea is to either keep your gens back, out of range (by bridging a little arm out for them), or by salvaging them as you go. Example - You place a gen down, as you move towards your enemy's island. He counters with 2 bows, and they wait for that gen to appear. As soon as it does, place another one up the line some more, and salvage the other one. There, your enemy just wasted $1000 for nothing. There are cases though, when it's best to have power everywhere. To do this, you must keep your gens out of range of enemy units, or protect them with walls. This whole concept goes the same for other units. If you attack an outpost, and it falls, and the units that you were using are no longer shooting etc, wait for your enemy to attack them, see how many units they will use, and salvage it before it gets blown. If your units aren't being attacked, then it's not really necessary to salvage them, because they might come in handy in the future.

Meltdowns:

This is a good strategy for both attacking and defending. For those of you that don't know what a meltdown is, right click on a gen, and click "Meltdown"...check out what it does. Anyway, instead of having a major bridge war with someone (which is actually fun sometimes), why not just place a gen near the roots of their bridges, and melt it down. Try t leave yourself an area to bridge off of after the meltdown as well, because you will be able to scoot right through the hole. A good foot hold is another gen, placed close to where the meltdown will be taking place, but not close enough that the meltdown will break your link to the other gen. Now, after the meltdown, you come off of that other gen, though the hole, and place another gen. A strategic meltdown will leave an enemy helpless, and render 100-500 feet of their bridges useless. If it's possible, melt down their main bridge coming off their island. Most people have 1 bridge that leaves their island, and heads towards the middle. All of their other bridges are just branches off of that bridge. Of you can meltdown that primary root, and bridge through the remaining gap, your enemy is stuck on his island, with no way to build in the middle (unless he's attached to you, or his allies somewhere else). If you are going to do this, don't attach though their island with your bridges, and cut off any other links on their island (like a bridge from them to their ally). If they aren't attached to the middle in any way, they can't really do much but fight off your attack.

Stable Bridging:

What I mean by this, is to try to avoid using units as anchors for your bridges, because as soon as your unit gets killed, your branch of bridges that comes off that unit is no longer any good (unless you attached it somewhere else, where there is a continuous link. Try to branch your units off of your bridges, so that they wont effect your link if they get blown up.

The "Bridge Off":

As you can see, bridging is a very important component of the game. Another good use for bridges is to bridge off your opponent. If you see them trying to bridge out, to cut you off, or to defend against your attack, use your bridges to cut THEM off instead. Lag plays a key roll in this technique. If you are suffering from bad lag, this is very hard to do, but if you are the server, it isn't hard at all (as long as you are quick). There is nothing that really frustrates opponents more than being bridged off, so use it to your advantage! If you wanna see a good example of this technique, watch a TACO play, because they concentrate on it very much. While bridging someone off, try to remain as close to their bridges as possible, because you can also eliminate their room to build units (such as gens for melting down). If they don't have any room to build units, it makes your attack that much easier!

Splitting Your Enemies:

When you are attacking, it's a good idea to try to come up between them, so that you can attack both of them from the inside. This also restricts them from connecting to each other for quick power transfer. You have to be careful though, because it makes it easier for your enemy's ally to help him out. I don't really suggest attacking them both at once, because this is an enormous task to complete. Attack your opponent first, and when you are done with them, turn around, and go at their ally.

Keeping a Direct Path For Energy:

When attacking, you can't afford to have your units taking for ever to appear, because sometimes your bridges get broken, or you have to take the long way to get to your opponents island. The best way to keep your energy direct, is by using your bridges (duh) :) Try to make a direct connection from your nearest power source (ie, and outpost), to the location of you attack. You can either use one solid line of your bridges, if possible, or you can use your enemy's bridges to your advantage. You do this by connecting to them near your outpost, or whatever, and attaching again close to their island...that way the energy will use their bridges to get to your attack - pretty sweet eh? It's bad to have to wait for power, because it gives your opponent way too long to prepare for the attack, and your units will tend to come up 1 by 1 and get shot down 1 by 1.

Battling For an Outpost :

Thank you to Silent Strike, of the Thunder Division in =SPU= for requesting this section in the players guide. The best outposting island in a game (The biggest one, or the one with the most geysers on it) usually draws a lot of attention. These are the outposts that win games, so it is necessary to get there, and put up a fight for them. Some tactics to winning the battle for the outpost are : 1) Placing a gen on the island in an attempt to meltdown on the opponent's priest before he can get a post off. 2) Placing a gen on the island where your opponent's bridges connect, and melting down to break their link to the island. This can either trap your opponent's priest on the island, or trap him on the bridges in front of the island. 3) Placing a gen on the spot where the outpost can fit. This tactic works well on smaller islands, or islands with so many geysers that there is only 1 spot for a post. If you place a gen in that spot, nobody can build a post there, until you salvage that gen (you should have your priest there to post it when you salvage). 4) Mount a small attack with bows, because it only takes one bow to immobilize a priest. Snagging your enemy's priest during outposting can turn a long game into a short game, and turn a loss into a win. A good tool to use when battling for an outpost is the sun barricade, set one up to protect your priest from an opposing attack, and to protect your golems/sailors as the collect from the surrounding geysers.

Keep Your Units Out Of Range:

When you are attacking, there will usually already be some of your opponent's attacking units in the area. So, you should try to avoid placing your units in their range. Keep your gens on a branch behind your attack a bit, so that they can't be shot down - that way you will always have power. If you can't avoid putting your units out of range, use blocking units, like walls, or sun barricades to keep your units from being destroyed.

The Re-Wrap Theory:

When you are attacking an island, and you wrap it up nicely, it's often that your opponent will either get out, or their ally will help them out by doing what's called the Re-Wrap. This is when your opponent wraps your wrap, leaving you no room on your bridges to build off of. This is a very good tactic, and can be very frustrating at times. It works anywhere on the map really, just remember to stay close to your opponents bridges so that they can't place any units :)

Webbing :

If you have ever fought a TACO, then you will have experienced what this is all about. I call it "useless bridging" at times, because it gets really frustration. The idea behind webbing, is to try not to leave ANY space for your opponent to build. If you see him laying bridges, in an attempt to fight you off, and you know that there is room for a unit, then throw a bridge piece in there, so they can't build. Anywhere there is open space, web it up with your bridges...man, you feel like pulling your hair out when it gets done to you (especially if you are scrapping the server! arrgg!!).

Forking :

When you are bridging towards your opponent, it is a good idea to "fork" your bridges to get position on both sides of your enemy, and control more of the map. The fork also restricts your opponent from coming towards you, and actually places them in an imaginary Jar. Your fork can be ruined easily by a meltdown, so keep an eye on what is going on. The advantages of the fork are : You are on both sides for attacking purposes...if you can't seem to penetrate your enemy's defense one way, take the other, and come from behind. You now control more of the map, and a good range - remember, this game is about control.

Bridge War - Advantages and Disadvantages :

You see bridge wars in almost every game, and it usually occurs on the sides of the map. This happens when one player attempts to advance towards the enemy, and the enemy tries to block them from gaining ground. Bridge wars usually end up heading towards the outer limits of the map, to the point where no more bridging is possible. This can be both a good and bad thing to do. Let me explain. Disadvantage : You are wasting time, because a meltdown will allow you to move through enemy bridges much easier, and lag really can't play much of a factor (unless it's extreme lag). Advantage : This serves as a great distraction for another attack. While you are bridge warring, you can be glancing back to other areas of the map, and can be doing various things while your opponent is busy trying to bridge you off. Be sure that you don't stop bridge warring for long, or your opponent will know something is up, and will come looking for what you are doing. So, the point is to bridge, then attack somewhere, then bridge again...attempting to keep your opponents attention drawn to the bridging. You have to be quick to use this method effectively.

Distractions in General :

A great way to attack, is to create a distraction in another area before shooting for the area that you select in the first place. In the beginning of the game, the best way to create a distraction is by bridging, because it is quite threatening, but as the game progresses, and there is less and less room to bridge, it's better to attack one area to grab your opponents attention by attacking an outpost or what-not, before shooting towards the main goal. This will give you more time to set up, and a better chance at achieving your purpose.

The "Taco Loop" :

This move has been named by the Monkeys after the infamous TACO guild. The taco loop is a little loop that you put at the end of your bridges after a bridge war, to keep your bridges from falling. You anchor your bridges on themselves, instead of an island. This is very helpful, as your bridges will remain in the same spot for the remainder of the game (providing nobody melts down) and the end of your bridges will never crumble. Try it some time! :)

When To Use What Transports :

From the beginning of the game, it's always best to use ground transports, because that is all you usually have. They serve the purpose of gathering crystals from close geysers, and can do it relatively quick. I like to use Golems now of days, up until I get air transports, because I find it hard to waste a slot in a workshop on a transport, when you get perfectly able golems with your temple. The thing about ground transports, is that as the game goes on, bridges get busted, and ground transports usually either fall off of broken bridges, or stomp doing the run all together. Plus, there are many more attacking units in the field to beware of...so this is when you switch to your air units. I prefer to use Cloud Floaters, because they are hard to shoot down, but Air Ships serve the same purpose. The thing that sucks about air transports, is the cost. Floaties are 1000SP and Airships are 1200SP...very expensive - especially if you are livin in the red zone when it comes to cash. I don't like to use balloons, because they are destroyed so easily, but if worst comes to worst....you might as well get em going.

Teamwork Efforts :

This game is usually played in teams, but if you are strictly a 1 on 1 player, this little section does not apply to you, and you should move on. United we stand, divided we fall - it couldn't have been put better. This game is all about teamwork, and your team is only as strong as your weakest link. This is where good team skills come into effect. Remember to check up on your allies from time to time, to see if they have transports going or to see if they are in trouble. If they look like they could be out of money, send them some cash - it can't hurt. If you see that you ally is taking a pounding, try coming in from where you are to take your ally's man out from the back. Once in a while, ask your allies how they are doing to make sure that everything is going alright. If you get into some trouble, make sure to ask for help, because if you fall, it becomes a 3 on 2, or a 2 on 1...depending on what the game is. If you can help your allies in other ways, like supplying power, or bridging for them, go for it....but make sure you don't forget about your man.

Being the Server vs. Being The Client :

If you have ever played a game of NetStorm online, you will have experienced lag. The only one in the game that is completely lag free, is the server. This poses as a great advantage when it comes to bridging, and unit placement, because everything the Server does is real time, and everything the client(s) does is lag time. Now, having lag isn't always that bad of a disadvantage. Having sever lag allows you to creep up on your opponent with your black bridges, so that when your computer actually gets a reply back from the server, your bridges come in very large chunks, which makes it look like you can bridge like a maniac. The bad thing about this, is that your opponent can slice right through your black bridges, and cut you right off. This gets to be annoying. Now, when you are the server, you know that your the only one working real time, and can play accordingly as if you were playing single player. When you are the client, however, you have to account for the lag, and play according as well. It's hard to play through lag overall, because you are always 1 - 60 seconds behind your opponent, depending on your connection to the internet, and your connection to the server of the game. This is why most 1 on 1 games are played with a neutral server.

The Positioning of Your Priest :

Your priest is your main man, if something happens to him, and he gets sacked - the game is considered to be over (depending who's rules you are playing by). From the start, I like to get priesty runnin for that first post or two, or 3 depending on the location of the islands. Because I only build one shop before I get priesty running (wind), I have to bring him back to get that second workshop, which is usually Rain (and maybe a Sun in the process). Then I get priesty back onto the front line (furthest outpost into the middle, or towards my enemies island). If the war zone is pretty large around that outpost, I bring priesty back one post, to keep him safe. The reason to keep your priest up front is to be able to grab the posts that your enemy loses to your attack. The closer your priest is, the quicker he can grab an island, and give you that much more control. Be careful though, for priesty can run into some hardcore problems up front, like getting stunned by a bow or Man-o-war, and getting snagged for the loss of the game. Keep your eye on the little fella! :)

Outposting an Enemy Island :

During a team game, say a 3 on 3, if you manage to defeat your opponent, get your priest onto his island and post it up. This way you have direct power to your other opponents, and can come at them hard from the sides. Now, if you are the middle man, and you take your enemies island, you have a great situation, but a difficult choice. Which way should you go? Look at how your allies are doing with their battles, and see which one of them needs help the most, and go at their opponent. With you attacking that island, it takes the pressure off of your ally, and gives them time to regroup...plus they can use your bridges and help you attack the island. When you see this happening, ask your ally to take over, and send money if possible/necessary, and go the other way. Most times your opponents will know that you are coming at them, so all attention will be drawn towards you. Let your allies know that they can regroup, and attack. The most wonderful move in the book, if you have cash and speed, is to go both ways at once...and with thunder if possible (and Man-o-wars back to take out sun barricades). This is the best way to take control of the game, and it hardly ever fails, unless you run out of cash.

Protecting Your Outpost :

This is very important, because if you lose an outpost, you lose some control of the map. The best tool in outpost protection is the sun barricade. I have seen people cover the entire map in the things, and it works very effectively. Your outposts are half your game, without them your money is slow, and your power takes forever. Plus, if you lose one, and your enemy gains it, they are one step closer to taking you out. Make sure you take care of your posts, and make sure they are well protected.

Fighting Rank :

Now of days, you don't see anything but tourney's in the Pyrosphere (rank 1 level 43), but there is the odd occasion where you are faced with a ranker. When you are fighting rank, 1-6 ranks above you isn't all that much of a problem, but when you get higher than that, you need to adjust your playing style. Most rankers know how effective their strength is, and will come after you with an air attack (Devils and Manoz), so get Bulwarks and Acid Towers into production to compensate for this attack. You will also need good protective, indestructible units to account for the ground attack. Using Wind walls and Sun Barricades in combination is an effective move. Ice cannons are probably the best to attack with, besides Thunder Cannons, because they ricochet all around, and rip things apart. If you can manage to front a good thunder attack, without putting all your money to the attack, just to be foiled by a sun barricade, then giver! :)

Maintaining Confidence :

If you go into a game thinking that you are going to lose, then chances are, you are going to lose. Go into each and every game with the overkill attitude! No matter who you are playing, or how bad the situation looks, go in thinking that you are going to win. Try to keep this attitude throughout the whole game, until you are either getting your island destroyed, or are destroying your opponent. It's your attitude that matters most of the time, even if subconscious. Even though there are players out there that have been around since day 1, not one of them is unbeatable.

Read Up On The Units :

If you right click on a unit, and go to "about" NetStorm supplies you with information about that weapon. Same with if you right click on your temple, and go to "view learned Knowledge". It brings up a screen full of the tech you have available to you. If you click on one of these technologies, it brings up the about screen :) Read up on the units, you will be surprised what you don't know about some of them.

Know Your Opponent :

Going into a game not knowing anything about your opponent can leave you quite helpless, because you never know what to expect. You learn about people the best by playing with them numerous times, because you adapt to their style of play. If you are going into a game against someone you don't know, ask some people in the zone about your opponent, and see what kind of information you can collect. That information can be very helpful, and can prepare you for what you are about to face. This is where the undercover thing becomes so useful...a lot of players are going undercover so that they can get the advantage on other people, who would normally know what to expect from them.

Look Ahead :

You should always be looking ahead about 3 moves or so, plotting your path to destroying your enemy. You should also be anticipating what your opponent will be doing 3 moves ahead as well. This gets harder as you play better players like Hermes, 5150 and others, who are very flexible. They adjust their gameplay on the spot, to account for how you are playing. This is something you should learn to do, and it is probably the hardest thing to master, if that is possible. Being flexible is a big key to victory after victory.

Using The Mini-Map :

In the bottom left hand corner of your screen, during battle, there is a mini map. That is a smaller scale of the full map that you are playing on. As people bridge, you will see little yellow lines start to cover the mini map. This is a great way to keep an eye on your opponent, and know where they are going, and what they are doing.

Practicing / Training :

In order to be the best you can be, you have to do a lot of practicing. If you find a new style, get a buddy and go into a practice game to test it out. Train each other, and work on your flexibility. The only way to get better, is to practice, so take the idea into consideration.

Hints :

There are some little hints that I have picked up along the way in my NS career, and I would like to share them :) Meltdowns cause double damage to Air Transports, and Spells are the only thing that kill ice towers. Hehe, that's all I remember! :( hehe

This guide was constructed to help out those of you who need a hand to get a good jump on playing NetStorm. To be able to put everything that I have written about here to use at once, and remember it all and use it in exact situations is impossible! (unless you are Hermes lol). Some of my information may be off by a bit (which I hope it isn't), but I'm only trying to help. Please do not steal this guide and call it yours, I have worked long and hard on this thing, and have had to retype the last half of it because of a Front Page crash. I built this guide to be the best on the net, and I tried to cover all angles...but if you find something that I have forgot to include, and you think it would be helpful to others, please email me or something so that I can get it up. I hope you enjoyed this little trip, please come again =P

This guide was developed by RabidMonkey™ for the use of Netstorm players.