Opponents
Who you can fight in the arena, and how to read a vehicle's drawing.
Tap the opponent's name next to VS in the arena to choose who to fight. The list has three groups:
- TRAINING OPPONENTS: three simple vehicles to learn on. Their programs are in EXAMPLES in the editor, to read and borrow from.
- HOUSE VEHICLES: ours, in every class. They're the opponents in the league too, so beating them here is the best practice there is. Their programs are hidden, as everyone's are in the league.
- YOUR GARAGE: your own vehicles. Fight an old version against a new one to see which is better.
All of them obey the same rules and use the same programming as you. Nobody gets an advantage.
Reading a vehicle's drawing
The garage and the arena draw each vehicle from what's fitted to it, so you can tell an opponent's build at a glance. The drawing is seen from above, with the front at the top.
| Mark | Means |
|---|---|
| Striped tracks down both sides | A CRAWLER (tracked) |
| A pair of wheels in front, tracks behind | A HAULER (half-track) |
| Solid wheels at the front and back | A ROVER (wheeled) |
| Running gear the full length of the hull | A turbo drive |
| No running gear | No drive unit fitted: it can't move |
| The square turret and its barrel | The missile launcher. A thicker barrel is the rapid launcher, two barrels the twin |
| Cyan corners | A shield generator |
| Amber dots at the sides | Missile warning |
| Pale marks across the back | The radar: a wider one has more |
| A barrel on the nose | An autocannon |
| A plate across the nose | A ram plate |
| An amber nozzle on the nose | A flamethrower |
Every opponent
The drawings below are the vehicles as the garage draws them. Each house vehicle has a style of its own, so a program that beats one may lose to the next. The league's trial (see The league) fights several at once.
Training opponents
Stays put, sweeps a wide radar and fires at whatever it finds. Shielded.
Searches, closes in on a contact at speed and keeps up rapid fire. No shield.
Never stops: weaves at speed, turns away when hit and shoots on the move.
Bronze house vehicles
Wheeled raider. Circles its target at speed with a rapid launcher. No shield: it can't carry one.
Half-track that fights from a distance: a wide radar, a steady range and picked shots.
Tracked brawler. Walks in behind a shield and wears its target down with rapid fire.
Wheeled patrol. Laps the arena whatever it meets and shoots without leading. The first to beat.
Shielded half-track. Walks straight at its target, shield up, and never gets out of the way.
Tracked. Finds cover with its radar and digs in beside it, ducking behind when hit. Shielded.
Tracked sniper with a wide radar and missile warning. Keeps its distance and steps aside from incoming fire.
Half-track that shadows its target from behind, firing bursts from a rapid launcher.
Half-track that hits and runs: in fast while it has the energy, then away to recharge.
Wheeled strafer with a wide radar. Straight passes across its target's front, rapid fire.
Wheeled striker. Zigzags in, fires from close range, and runs out again while it reloads.
Tracked, all-out attack. Charges on turbo and empties its rapid launcher in a spread.
Silver house vehicles
Tracked bruiser: walks in behind a shield firing twin salvos, then rams.
Half-track with a flamethrower: charges in shielded and burns at close range; drops decoys when hurt.
Wheeled autocannon: circles fast, dodges missiles, and turns in to rake its target.
Tracked marksman on a vector drive: locks on with a tracking radar, keeps its distance, fires guided missiles, and steps aside from incoming fire.
Half-track on turbo: fast passes across its target's front, leading every twin salvo; sidesteps missiles and drops decoys.
Tracked fortress: locks on, holds its ground behind a reactive shield, and lets guided missiles do the chasing.
Wheeled rammer on a vector drive: runs in firing a rapid launcher, rams at speed, and swings wide for another run.
Tracked: guided missiles from a distance while they last, then in behind its shield with a flamethrower.
Gold house vehicles
Tracked fortress: walks in behind the strongest shield firing heavy missiles, then rams.
Half-track on a pulse drive: closes in fast behind its shield and burns at close range; drops decoys when hurt.
Wheeled rotary cannon: circles at speed, dodges missiles it sees from far off, and turns in to rake its target.
Tracked marksman: locks on with a phased-array radar, keeps its distance on a pulse drive, fires heavy missiles and steps aside from incoming fire.
Half-track on a pulse drive: fast passes leading every heavy missile; sees missiles from far off, sidesteps them and drops decoys.
Tracked fortress: locks on with a phased-array radar, holds its ground behind the strongest shield, and fires guided missiles.
Wheeled rammer on a pulse drive: runs in firing twin salvos, rams at speed, and swings wide for another run.
Tracked on a vector drive: heavy missiles from a distance while they last, then in behind its shield with a flamethrower.