pudgy.gif The Life Of A Gorge v2.0 pudgy.gif
Original post by b0ted
Updated by Asal the Unforgiving
A guide to the one creature that can be both the most powerful and the weakest unit in NS. I hope it helps.
Lets start off with the basics before we go into more complex stuff.
Gorge - A slow, chubby, rodent sized builder class.
Gorge Attacks - Spit; Health Spray; Bilebomb; Web
Gorge, though slow and chubby, has more life than the skulk, and also more armor. However, the slow movement and low damage lead marines to believe them as 'free kills'. Often, this is correct. A lone gorge has little chance of taking on well-armed marines. HOWEVER, a smart gorge can engage and defeat a single marine, even later game. Though even two will probably destroy the poor fatty before it has much of a chance.
Teamplay, use it
Voicecomm is your friend. So is your map. Use your map to see where the 'battle lines' are in a game (Most often, you'll figure it out quickly. They tend to be fairly obvious) If you are going to build an RT/Chamber/Hive near the lines, then call for a skulk to 'sweep' (search and destroy, basically) it first, to look for any rambos or enterprising marines. If you hear any marines nearby, call for support, and RUN. You may not always be able to safely run to your own hive. Don't. There's no need. Run to the nearest friend. Even if you can't be sure that your ally will defeat the marine(s), the marines may be unwilling to attack you and your allies. If all else fails, some skulks are willing to attack the enemy, for the sole purpose of drawing fire while you run (preferably bhop) past the marines, in a mad dash for the hive.
Bad team? ok
If your team cannot seem to kill marines, stay clear of the line, and suggest pack-hunting by your friendly skulks. They're more likely to do this if you actively talk to them, and act as a guide for the battle. Yes, gorges can act in a manner similar to a comm if needed. They have more time to watch maps, and keep track of what is going on.
Stay Alive!!
This one is different now, because of different versions. Only a perma-gorge needs to truly worry about this. Though, as this is what I intend to write this guide for, I'll give you a few tips. Run, don't fight fair and in a marine's face. Use turns to your advantage, get a feel for how a marine is following you, and run around corners to shoot before disappearing around another turn. Marine weapons are hitscan, while gorges shoot a slow projectile. If you fire and turn the corner, marines are unable to even return fire. Learn to bunny hop, this makes you much faster, and better able to avoid a dangerous fight. (Note I do not promote scripts. I do not use any myself) If you EVER are in a fight and have web, USE IT. And if you so much as THINK you hear a marine, call for assistance. Gorges should never be alone. They need all the kharaa love they can get.
Now that you have some simple tips...its time to give you the meat and potatoes, yes thats right, how to build properly..
Bob the builder
Ok, first off, you should know how to build chambers correctly, heres the breakdown:
- Offensive
[D]Deffensive
Offensive chambers are nowhere NEAR as dangerous as they once were, and walls of lame (though a powerful deterrent if used well) are not the great unbreachable bastions they once were.
Instead, use OCs to discourage rambos. Spread them out where they will have mid-length halls to cover, or at junctions where they can watch many directions, and increase the amount of time that any single OC may fire upon a lone marine. Use them as sentries, as when they are attacked, they show up on hive-sight, giving away any marine's presence in the area. Stack these effects, with multiple OCs, and you end up with a lot of medspam, or battles where the marines must crawl slowly and obviously toward your hives, giving you plenty of time to prepare.
Webs....
Webs are now the gorge's most powerful weapon. They allow teammates to slaughter countless enemies, or allow you to flee and save your cushy butt. Web along lighter-colored areas, and low to the ground (or near the ceiling, if you expect JP rushes). But keep it from plain sight. Even if you don't expect something to be there if the marines get webbed, it is better had than not. However, there are only a small number allowed in any single area, so use it sparingly. Try to place it where marines must go, and use long webs if possible, to cover as much area as possible. If you -know- marines will pass, perhaps in large numbers(blockading marine start), web multiple times in the same area, back and forth once, to slow the front few marines, to allow your allies to slaughter them when they are defenseless.
On The Attack?
Use bilebomb and web liberally, or if you have only one hive (though you should only attack with a one-hive gorge in the most desperate of circumstances) stay close to your allies, and use healspray. Bilebomb clusters or important structures, and web IPs or phase gates. Heavies are also a juicy target, especcially when supported by only skulks, or lerks.
Support your teamates!
Healspray is a blessing to allies, and the bane of your foes. It can heal multiple allies at once (it heals over a small area before you) so if there are a number of injured skulks biting a phase, scurry up beside them and heal as many as possible as quickly as possible.
Bilebomb from the protection of your friend's teeth and claws! Bilebomb uses a lot of adrenaline, so you are hard-pressed to defend yourself when attacking structures in this way!
Web is the endgame. Heavies fall to skulks, JPs crash to the floor, nothing can stand against it's might except the glorious GL. Use it to smash enemy armies and turn the tide drastically in your favor. Do not let up, and do not show mercy. Remember, they wish to only kill you and your allies. Show them the might of the gorge.
Evolve!!
Two choices that I find best for gorges, because we don't all act the same. I will, however, place a * at my prefered upgrades, for reference.
Movement : *Celerity (To better move in combat, or to avoid engagements)
Movement: Adrenaline (To fight more effectively, spitting/BBing/Webbing more and longer)
Defense : Carapace (Less damage, extended life)
Defense : *Regen (Best if you do not expect to be spending much time at a hive, or if you expect a longer seige)
Sensory : *Focus (Damage increase, even medspam doesn't help much against a determined focus gorge)
Sensory : Scent Of Fear (knowing where your enemy is is the first to avoiding it...or defeating it. Choose your course of action, prepare, and then do what you must with the knowledge that your enemy is at best only as well informed as you are.)
You will notice my preferred setup allows me to withstand light combat without being forced back to the hive, as well as packing enough punch to deter any foolish enough to think me an easy kill.
Tricky Stuff
Web phase gates and IPs, then bilebomb the obs in base to prevent a beacon.
Bilebomb from vents, to make yourself a much harder target.
Spit before you see your enemy come around the corner, then flee around your own corner. Let them walk without warning into your attacks without even the chance to return the damage they take.
Guts and glory: Healspray your allies despite the odds, and if something is near, don't regret fighting to the last. One bilebomb can be the difference between a phase gate and an alien hive, so if you NEED to destroy something, do not hesitate to give a little for the team.
Good luck, and good hunting!
Hopefully, this helps a little more than the 1.04 era guide that this is based off of.