
Z - OFFICIAL PLAYGUIDE: Two Player

(c) THE BITMAP BROTHERS 1996

by Martin G., Eric M., Steve K.

03 September 1996


Part 1/3


INTRODUCTION
------------

The two, three and four player levels are designed so that the
battlefield is split into equal parts each containing equal
numbers of "home" territories. Within these maps, the roads are
designed so that the distances to flags and hardware are equal
whichever colour army you control.  In most of the multiplayer
maps there are home territories and contested territories. The
players objective should be to capture their home territories and
all uncaptured hardware within them before moving into the
contested territories.


STRATEGY FOR MULTI-PLAYER
-------------------------

Much of the basic strategy for 1 player applies but, in
particular, you should remember the following and note the
differences.

Capture your home territories as quickly as possible so that
your manufacturing speed matches that of your opponents.

Note the position of uncaptured hardware and send appropriate
units to those territories.

Move your forces to form a line of defence at the borders of
your home territory.

When you capture territories containing factories, remember to
specify what you want to build. It is often better to build
cheaper (quicker) units initially and then to change to building
more powerful units once you have established yourself.

As players tend to play more defensively in multi-player, guns
can be very worthwhile building, especially at the edge of your
home territories.

In the multi-player games, bridges and buildings repair
automatically. This means that the destruction of these
structures only provides a temporary advantage.  Often bridges
are at the boundary of your home and contested territories.
Therefore it is important to leave a unit to keep these
destroyed, preventing opponents entering you territory.

Bridges take a standard time to repair, approx. one minute. The
time a building takes to repair depends on the number of
territories you control. The more territories you control the
faster your buildings are repaired.

Do not move into contested/ enemy territories (even if they are
uncaptured) too early. It is important to wait and see what other
players are doing before allocating units to attack these
territories.


DIFFERENCES TO 1 PLAYER GAME
----------------------------

Playing against human opponents is significantly different to
playing the computer. Apart from some of the basic initial moves,
a human opponent is far less predictable than the computer and,
of course, you cannot expect even the same human opponent to
react to your actions in a similar way in different games. The
game tends to be far more defensive in nature with the
manufacture of guns and static defences forming a much more
important part of each conflict. Unexpected tactics such as
sending a single robot on a sneak mission to take a flag just as
a unit is manufactured will happen regularly. It is easy to
forget a dead player who only holds his fort territory and is
considered to be out of the game. This is a risky assumption as
you will often find that this player will be extremely
resourceful with the very limited units they have left. These
players will often make opportunistic raids on undefended
territories and can significantly changethe balance of power.
Alliances also come into play but beware of neglecting your own
interests and defences to help another player - there can,
ultimately, be only one winner.


LEVEL STRATEGIES
----------------

Level strategies contains information on each of the sixteen
levels in the multi-player game. This guide comprises an overview
of the level, the units you start with, a map of the level and
some basic tactics for winning the battle. These tactics tell you
the initial moves you should make to establish yourself and a few
possible ideas which may put you into a strong position to win
the battle.


Level 1 - Desert : 2 PLAYER
---------------------------

Overview:
---------

Based on Level 2, control of the central territory is very
important. Moving quickly at the outset to capture the available
hardware and home territories is essential to give you an
advantage over your opponent. The use of grenades to blow up
rocks is an important part of the opening stages of this level.

Start Units:
------------

3 Psychos / 1 Tough / 1 Lt. Tank

Strategy:
---------

See z2pdes.gif

Send 1 unit of Psychos along the road to capture the Medium tank
behind the rocks in the corner of the map (Point1). They will
pick up the grenades they need to blast through the rocks as they
go.

Send a second unit of Psychos to capture the flag and Light tank
in the side territories (Point 2).  Again the grenades needed are
on the road and will be collected automatically.  The central
territory is very important and you should try to capture the
flag (Point 3) and the gun protecting it with your final unit of
Psychos (Toughs move too slowly).

If you fail to get there first, you can reduce the effectiveness
of the factory by destroying the bridges using your tanks or
Tough robots. Bear in mind, though, that the bridges will
automatically rebuild.  Be careful to defend the territory
containing your tank factory and radar station (Point 4) as this
is vulnerable to sneak attacks from several directions.


Level 2 - Volcanic : 2 PLAYER
-----------------------------

Overview:
---------

The centre of the map is very important as it contains a repair
facility as well as a powerful factory. Using the repair facility
to repair your defending vehicles can be vital to your success in
this level. You must also judge what is the most powerful unit
you can build in your vehicle factories as waiting for an
expensive unit to be manufactured can allow your opponent to gain
an advantage over you.

Start Units:
------------

1 Tough / 1 Sniper / 2 Psychos / 1 Med. Tank

Strategy:
---------

See z2pvol.gif

Send your Toughs into the APC (Point 1)  and bring it to the
centre of the map.

Send your Psychos over the bridge to the side of your fort and
around to the light tank and territory flag on the side of the
battlefield (Point 2).

Send your Snipers across, past the APC, to pick up the grenades
and blast their way through the rocks to capture the light tank
in the rock circle on the other side of the map (Point 3).

Send your Medium tank to the centre to capture and protect your
4* robot factory.  Once established you can try one or more of
the following:

Send your light tank with your Psycho in it to blast through the
rocks and bombard your opponents 4* tank factory.

Send your medium tank with backup from your APC to attack your
opponent's robot factory and repair facility in the centre..

Build Pyros in your 4* robot factory and put them in your APC in
place of the Toughs - this is a very potent combination!

A risky option is to build a heavy tank in your 4* tank factory.
If you can get it built in time it may well be a level winning
unit.


Level 3 - Arctic : 2 PLAYER
---------------------------

Overview:
---------

Based on The Wall, control of the territory in the centre is
vital to maintain a territorial advantage. Robots play a major
part in this level since vehicle access to your opponents fort is
slowed by the lack of connecting roads at the sides of the map.
Raiding mission with Snipers across the water to your opponents
Fort can often win the battle.

Start Units:
------------

2 Psychos / 1 Sniper / 2 Toughs / 1 Med. Tank

Strategy:
---------

See z2part.gif

Once again, send a unit of Toughs to get in the APC to the side
of your fort and a unit of Psychos to capture the light tank
close to it (Point 1). Send this group to form a defensive block
near to the wall by your 3* tank factory (Point 2).

Send your Medium tank and a second unit of Psychos towards the
other side of the battlefield to take the 4* tank factory
surrounded by rocks (Point 3).

Send your fast moving Snipers towards the island flag near to
your fort, collecting the grenades on the way. Then send them on
to try to capture the central territory. Your second unit of
toughs should also be sent to the central territory to support
the Snipers.

In this level it is important to make robots, particularly
Snipers or Toughs in your fort.Get these units to the central
territory as you have a one territory advantage over your
opponent as long as you hold it. It is likely that this territory
will change hands several times so do not concern yourself too
much with what is built there.


Level 4 - Jungle : 2 PLAYER
---------------------------

Overview:
---------

The central road, flanked by chasms, is a major feature of this
map. It is also a very dangerous way to approach your opponents
fort. The idea of holding a defensive position on one flank
whilst pressing for advantage on the other is fundamental in this level.

Start Units:
------------

1 Psycho / 1 Tough / 1 Sniper / 1 Pyro / 1 Med. Tank / 1 Heavy Tank

Strategy:
---------

See z2pjun.gif

Send your heavy tank up the central road. Try to get as far as
the central flag (Point 1) but be prepared to fall back as, if
you lose your tank, you will be in trouble.

Send your Snipers to run quickly across to take the medium tank
(Point 2) and then bring the whole group up the same side of the
map to try to take the flag protected by a Gatling gun on an
island. (Point 3).

Send your Toughs to take the territory close to your fort
containing the 5* tank factory and then to blast through the
rocks to rendezvous with your Sniper/Medium group.

Send your Pyros to get into the APC after moving them so that
one gets in the howitzer in front of your fort, Then send it and
your Medium tank up to take and hold the road junction by the
repair facility (Point 4).

Send your Psychos to capture the other corner territory to the
side of your fort and then bring them up to join your APC/Medium
group - picking up the light tank on the way (Point 5).

Making Lasers in your fort and the robot factory close by can be
a good tactic - especially to defend the central road.

There are many possible tactics in this level. Be prepared to
react swiftly to what your opponent does.


Level 5 - City 1 : 2 PLAYER
---------------------------

Overview:
---------

The large central area of this map is split into four
territories separated by walls. It is essential to try to occupy
two of these whilst maintaining a good defence of your home
territories which are around the sides of the battlefield.

Start Units:
------------

2 Psychos / 1 Sniper / 1 Pyro / 2 Lt. Tanks

Strategy:
---------

See z2pcit1.gif

Run your Snipers to capture the Mobile Missile Launcher (Point
1) and send a Light tank up the road to support it. Once the
Snipers have captured the Mobile Missile Launcher, send them on
to capture the 5* tank factory in the corner (Point 4).

Send a unit of Psychos to take the Heavy tank (Point 2)
supported by your second Light Tank.

Send your second set of Psychos across the river to take the
territory (Point 3), the Light Tank, the Double Missile launcher
and the Gun.

Send your Pyros to wait by the 5* tank factory to the side of
your fort and make an APC.

Make either a Heavy Tank or a Mobile Missile Launcher in your
fort.

Once established, you should watch your opponent and try to take
one of the 4* tank factory territories in the centre (Point 5).

Look for opportunities to make (and watch out for) sneak attacks
across the river in the top left and bottom right of the
battlefield.


Level 6 - City 2 : 2 PLAYER
---------------------------

Overview:
---------

The three (initially destroyed) bridges between  the forts
rebuild quickly in the multi-player game and it is vital to watch
these carefully. The level hinges around the outcomes of the
large battles which take place inside the rocks on the left and
right of the map.

Start Units:
------------

1 Sniper / 1 Tough / 1 Pyro / 1 Psycho / 2 Lt. Tanks / 1 Med. Tank

Strategy:
---------

See z2pcit2.gif

Leave at least one artillery unit (e.g. Light tank) in front of
your fort to keep the bridges destroyed until you want them
repaired. Build other units which can keep the bridges destroyed
as soon as possible (e.g. Toughs) so that you keep control.

Send your Pyros to capture the APC.

Send your Tough robots across the river to blast a direct route
into one of the side territories.

Split your forces evenly and move round to capture the
territories to the left and right of your fort (Points 1 & 2)
capturing the territories and hardware behind your fort on the
way.

Build powerful units and reinforce your forces either side until
you can make an assault - do not be tempted to try this too
early. A few guerrilla operations in the centre may draw some of
his forces back to defend his fort.

You can use your Mobile Missile Launcher to destroy your
opponents 5* robot factory (Point 3) behind the rocks from a
distance which will keep it out of sight of the defending
howitzer.


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Z: OFFICIAL PLAYGUIDE: Two Player: 3rd September 1996

(c) THE BITMAP BROTHERS 1996

http://www.bitmap-brothers.co.uk

Not to be distributed/published without permission.
--------------------------------------------------------
