Wing Commander
SNS-WC-USA
WING COMMANDER
INSTRUCTION BOOKLET
________________________________________________________
Wing Commander is a registered Trademark of Origin Systems, Inc.
(C)1991-1992 Origin Systems, Inc. (C)1992 Mindscape, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Mindscape and its logo are registered Trademarks of Mindscape, Inc.
________________________________________________________
Table of Contents
Introduction....................................................2
Object of the Game..............................................3
Starting the Game...............................................3
Game Controls...................................................4
Onboard the Tiger's Claw........................................6
In the Cockpit..................................................9
Fighter-Craft..................................................15
Basic Tactics..................................................15
Pilot Profiles.................................................19
Know the Enemy.................................................22
Technical Support..............................................24
Credits........................................................26
1
______________________________________________________
In The Distant Future, Mankind Is Locked
In A Deadly War...
2629 A.D.
Terran Confederation exploration ship, Iason, penetrates the Vega Sector and
encounters a spacecraft of unknown origin. Iason Commander, Jedora
Andropolous, beams the greeting designed by Earth's Committee for Interaction
with Alien Intelligences. The alien vessel opens up with all guns, destroying
the Iason and all hands.
2634 A.D.
The Terran Confederation declares war on the Empire of Kilrah in the Vega
Sector. The Kilrathi, a vicious catlike race, retaliate with a punitive
strike against the human colony on McAuliffe. After days of intense combat,
the Kilrathi spearhead is momentarily broken.
2639 A.D.
Kilrathi forces occupy and enslave the human world of Enyo. In Phase I of
the Enyo Engagement, a small human attack force drops space mines and engages
enemy ships. As the Kilrathi escape the mined region, they belatedly realize
that it is the jump point for Phase II of the attack. The Enyo Engagement
ends with the Kilrathi forced into retreat.
2649 A.D.
Terran ground forces launch an attack on a Kilrathi colonial fortification,
but are routed by unexpected Kilrathi fighter-craft support. TCS Tiger's Claw
fights a delaying action to give the Terran fleet time to reach safety. The
Tiger's Claw is able to jump back into Terran space with most of its engines
destroyed and half its pilots listed as casualties. The carrier spends six
months in space dock, being repaired and refitted.
Today
You are a rookie pilot on the refurbished Tiger's Claw. You will learn your
mission objectives for attacking and fighting the Kilrathi in secret briefings
onboard the mother ship.
2
________________________________________________________
Object of the Game
The game begins on your mother ship, the TCS Tiger's Claw. Onboard, you move
from room to room to learn about your comrades-in-arms and your combat
mission. Once you know your flight mission, you're off to fight the Kilrathi.
If you fail, the dreaded Kilrathi will prevail as overlords on all human
worlds. So get out there and kick some tail!
Starting the Game
To start the game:
1. Put Wing Commander in your Super Nintendo Entertainment System (Super NES).
2. Turn on the Super NES.
3. At the title screen, press Start.
4. Press arrows to select START or CONTINUE, then press the Start button
again.
Note: If you select CONTINUE, the passwords for higher missions are linked to
your handle. You must continue to use that handle for the passwords to work.
3
_____________________________________________________
Game Controls
Left Button Right Button X Button
/ \ /
/ \ / A Button
_____======_________________________________======_/__ /
/ / / \
/ _ ( ) / \
Control / | | / \
Pad -------- == == / / / / ( ) ( ) |
| |_| / / / / | |
\ | \ | ( ) /
\ ___|___________\________ | \ /
\ / | \ \ | \ /
\______________/ | \ \___|_____\___/
| \ | \
| \ | \
Select Start Y Button B Button
Button Button
Aboard the Tiger's Claw
Start......................Skip to the next part of the game.
Control Pad................Move the onscreen pointer right, left, up, and down
to select various characters and objects.
A/B/X/Y....................Activate the selected object or interact with the
selected character. Press again to skip to the
next line of dialog.
Flight Controls
Start......................Pause; press again to resume play.
Control Pad................Steer your spaceship right, left, up, or down.
Right......................Increase speed.
Left.......................Decrease speed.
[Left+Right................Instantly reduces your speed to 0.]
4
______________________________________________________
Left+Select+Start+Right....Eject.
Select+A...................Cycle to the next available weapon.
A..........................Fire selected weapon.
Select+Y...................Engage Autopilot.
Y..........................Afterburner.
Select+B...................Cycle to the next available gun type.
B..........................Fire selected weapon.
Select+Left................Select between the weapons display or the damage
display in the left VDU.
Select+Right...............Select one right VDU function:
NAVIGATION, TARGETING, or COMMUNICATIONS.
To use a selected function, see below and also
"In the Cockpit."
NAVIGATION.................Press X to view the Navigation Map; press A to
select an available Nav point; press Start to
confirm the new objective and resume play.
The Nav point appears as white crosshairs on the
radar display.
TARGETING..................Press Select+X to select a target; press X to lock
onto the current target.
COMMUNICATIONS.............If there is one recipient, press Select+X to select
a message from the list; press X to send it. If
multiple recipients are available, press Select+X
to select a person; press X to confirm the choice.
Then send the message as shown above.
5
______________________________________________________
Onboard the Tiger's Claw
Onboard the Tiger's Claw, you move from room to room, talking to people and
learning about your flight mission. There are three interactive areas: the
Officer's Club, the Barracks, and the Briefing Room.
In the Officer's Club
Here's where you relax, meet the crew, and brush up on your basic flying
skills.
Use the control pad to move the onscreen pointer to a character or object,
then press A. Each character likes to tell you about him/herself. Of course,
people brag, so the Pilot's Chalkboard displays each pilot's record. If you
need training, select the Trainsim, which let's you simulate a fight with any
type of enemy ship. To enter the Barracks, select the right door.
Barracks
In the Barracks select the left door to return to the Officer's Club or the
right door to go to the Mission Hanger. Select the lockers to view your
medals, ribbons, and rank.
6
___________________________________________________
Briefing Room
Mission briefings take place here. You learn where you're supposed to fly
and what you're supposed to do. See "Flight Missions."
Flying Your Ship
After leaving the briefing room, you get into your first fighter ship. To get
a feel for your ship's controls, try these steps:
1. Get familiar with your cockpit, including:
Left VDU (Video Display Unit) - weapons and ship status.
Armor and Shield indicators (next to Left VDU) - shields regenerate;
armor doesn't!
Radar Display (middle) - a white diamond is your Nav beacon destination.
Fuel Gauge (to right of radar) - don't let this run out!
Right VDU - press Select+Right to see the right VDU functions and select
NAVIGATION.
2. Press X to see the Navigation Map. You can press X again to select any
destination. Press Start to resume play.
3. Press the control pad arrows to get a feel for the ship. Maneuver until
the white diamond (Nav beacon destination) is in the middle of the radar.
4. Press Select+Y to put your ship on Autopilot (as long as no asteroids or
enemies are in the way) or you can continue to fly manually.
For more details about each fighter's controls, see "In the Cockpit."
7
______________________________________________________
Fighting Your First Battle
When you come out of Autopilot, red ships appear on the radar. Those are
enemy fighters! To fight the enemy, try these steps:
1. Press control pad arrows until you center the red dots in the radar.
2. Press Y to ignite your Afterburners and bring enemy ships within range.
3. Press Select+Right to select COMMUNICATIONS in your Right VDU. The cursor
should be pointing to Spirit, your Wingman.
4. Press X to open a channel to Spirit. Press X again to tell her to "Break
and Attack." (You can also press Select+X to select another message or
person, if available.)
5. Pick an enemy ship and fly toward it.
6. Press Y to use your Afterburner and try to maneuver behind or beside the
enemy ship.
7. Press B to open fire. (Press A to fire a missile. This works best when
enemy shields are down.)
8. After destroying all enemies on radar, press Select+Left to select and
monitor Damage systems in your Left VDU.
9. Continue toward your current Nav point. If you hit an asteroid field,
dodge rocks coming at you. If you meet more enemies, repeat the steps
above. After you visit all three Nav points, your destination changes
to the Tiger's Claw.
10. When you get close to your mother ship, press Select+Right to engage
COMMUNICATIONS, then press Select+X again to select the Tiger's Claw.
Press X to open a channel. The cursor should be on "Request Landing;"
press X again to send the message.
11. Fly toward the Tiger's Claw, landing is automatic when you are in range.
For more details, see "Weapons and Basic Tactics."
8
______________________________________________________
In the Cockpit
The cockpits of the Terran ships are slightly different, so be sure to study
the illustrated diagram of each cockpit. Basically, all four cockpits include
the same basic equipment, which is explained in this section.
Viewscreen
The viewscreen and Heads-up Display provide a clear view of outer space
directly ahead of you. A circle with crosshairs shows where your ship's
guns are aimed.
9
______________________________________________________
Radar Display
The circular screen in every cockpit is the radar display, which shows how far
you need to rotate to bring targets into your front viewscreen (rather than
how far away they are.) The radar display has six sections:
Outer ring: Space behind you. /-----------\
Center ring: Space ahead of you. / Behind \
Middle quadrants: / /-----------\ \
Front: Space above your ship. / / \ Above / \ \
Rear: Space below your ship. / / \ _ / \ \
Right: Space right of your ship. ( ( Left (*) Right ) )
Left: Space left of your ship. \ \ / ~ \ / /
\ \ / Below \ / /
Contacts appear as colored dots: \ \___________/ /
\ Behind /
Blue = Terran Fighters \-----------/
Red = Kilrathi Fighters * = Ahead
White Diamond = Nav Beacon
White Square = Friendly and enemy Capitol Ships
Your current target appears as a flashing dot.
Tactical Tip: To head toward a target, select its dot on the radar display
and maneuver your ship until that dot is in the center ring of the display,
which means it is directly in front of you.
Armor and Shields Indicator
Small bars on this screen indicate the status of your ship's armor and
shields. These bars disappear as armor and shields sustain damage. Shields
gradually regenerate, unless the shield generator is destroyed. Once damage
gets through the shields, armor begins sustaining damage. Unlike shields,
armor doesn't regenerate.
10
______________________________________________________
Fuel Indicator
This bar shows how much fuel you have left. The bar becomes shorter as you
use up fuel. Afterburners boost your speed dramatically, but use up fuel at
a ferocious rate, so use them sparingly. If you run out of fuel, you will
only be able to coast on reserves at a speed of 50 KPS.
Tactical Tip: To conserve fuel while using Afterburners, tap Y every few
seconds instead of holding the button down.
Speed Indicator
This may be one or two gauges, depending on your cockpit type. SET SPEED
shows the speed your fighter tries to maintain on its own, similar to a car's
cruise control. KPS shows your ship's current speed in klicks per second.
A klick is equal to a kilometer.
Blaster Indicator
This gauge shows the power level of your ship's active gun. Use of the gun
runs down your blaster power. Your guns will not fire if you have no blaster
power. Guns recover power gradually, but recovery is slowed if your shields
are also regenerating.
Eject Warning
This light flashes if your ship sustains significant damage. When the eject
warning starts flashing, you must decide how serious the situation is and
whether to eject. If you eject, the Confederation loses a starfighter, but
you may live to fight another day!
11
____________________________________________________
Left VDU
The Left VDU is the Ship's Status Display, which shows your weapons and
damage. Press Select+Left to switch between weapon and damage displays.
# Ship Damage Report: # Active Gun: # Active Missile:
Ion Drive Laser Cannon Dart DF
Power Plant Mass Driver Javelin HS
Shield Generator Neutron Gun Pilum FF
Computer System Spiculum IR
Intercom Link Porcupine
Target Track
Acceleration Absorbers Note: These are all possibilities for guns
Ejector Systems and missiles. Each ship carries different
Repair Systems combinations. For details, see "Weapons."
Right VDU
The Right VDU has three major functions: NAVIGATION, TARGETING, and
COMMUNICATIONS. To select a specific function, press Select+Right until it
appears in the Right VDU. To cycle through the options for a function, follow
the instructions below.
# NAVIGATION: Press X to pause the game and look at the full-screen Navigation
Map safely. There press A to cycle through and select any Nav point in your
current mission. Press Start to confirm the selected objective. When you
activate Navigation, crosshairs appear on your radar display. The crosshairs
represent the location of the current selected Nav point relative to your
starfighter. You can manually fly to that destination by maneuvering to
center the crosshairs or you can use Autopilot. To engage the Autopilot,
press Select+Y.
# TARGETING: Press Select+X to cycle through and select an available target.
Press X to lock onto the target. The ship's targeting display shows the
outline, current damage, and weapons of your targeted ship by color:
Green = Undamaged, shield full.
Yellow = Light shield damage.
Red = Armor damage.
12
____________________________________________________
# COMMUNICATIONS: Press Select+X to cycle through a list of available message
recipients. (This list changes with the situation.) Press X to select a
recipient. Press Select+X again to cycle through a list of available
messages. Press X to send a selected message.
"Break and Attack" - A command to leave formation and engage enemy ships
within 12,000 meters.
"Keep Formation" - Denies a Wingman's request to break and attack on his/her
own initiative.
"Form on My Wing" - Return to formation and follow your vessel.
"Return to Base" - A command instructing your Wingman to return to the Tiger's
Claw immediately. Note: If obeyed, your Wingman will not be available to you
for the duration of this mission.
"Help Me Out Here" - A command to your Wingman to attack the enemy attacking
you.
"Attack My Target" - A command to your Wingman to engage the enemy you have
currently targeted. This is the only way your Wingman will attack an enemy
capital ship.
"Radio Silence" - Prevents your Wingman from talking to you until "Broadcast
Freely" is sent.
"Broadcast Freely" - Let's your Wingman talk to you; negates "Keep Radio
Silence."
"Never Mind" - Disregard communication.
Tactical Tip: You can also communicate with enemy ships and taunt them. This
often provokes an attack that draws fire away from a ship you're protecting.
13
_____________________________________________________
Landing
When landing, approach the front of the Tiger's Claw and use the
Communications system to signal, "Request Landing." If you have traveled to
any Nav point, achieved a mission objective, or destroyed at least one enemy
ship, you will be cleared for landing. If your ship is heavily damaged, you
will be granted emergency landing clearance, unless active enemy vessels are
in the same area. In that case, you cannot land until the enemy is destroyed
or routed.
Landing takes you back to the hanger, where you can see your ship's damage, if
any. From the hanger, you go to debriefing, where your performance is
evaluated by Colonel Halcyon. Afterwards, you may be in line for
congratulations or a chewing out!
Flight Missions
There are five types of flight missions:
# Defend: Guard a stationary position, such as a capital ship, base, or jump
point, by orbiting it at a distance of 2,500 meters. Do not break to engage
oncoming enemies until they reach 5,000 meters from the position you are
protecting. That's not 5,000 meters from you!
# Escort: Guard a larger ship on rendezvous assignments. Fly parallel to that
ship at a maximum distance of 2,500 meters and keep your eyes open. Do not
break formation to attack an enemy until the Kilrathi are within 5,000
meters of the ship you are protecting.
# Intercept: Seek out and engage enemy vessels in a particular area, such as
an anticipated Kilrathi jump point or a halfway point between oncoming
enemies and anything you are protecting.
# Patrol: Fly through unsecured territory and decide whether to engage enemies
or return to base. Consider your options before making a lethal error!
# Strike: Destroy an enemy target, usually a capital ship. The idea is to get
in quick, launch missiles, blow the thing up, and get out quicker! Here,
the Wingleader/Wingman team is critical. The Wingleader must place the
missiles and the Wingman must take out the oncoming enemies before they get
to the Wingleader.
14
_____________________________________________________
Fighter-Craft
TCS Tiger's Claw is a space carrier with four different type of fighter-craft,
the Hornet Light Fighter, Scimitar Medium Fighter, Raptor Heavy Fighter, and
Rapier Medium Fighter.
The Kilrathi pilots fly the Salthi-Class Light Fighter, Krant-Class Medium
Fighter, Dralthi-Class Medium Fighter, and Gratha-Class Heavy Fighter.
Basic Tactics
When you first encounter a flight of enemy fighter-craft, they are almost
always flying in formation. After contact, they break formation in pairs at
roughly four-second intervals. Generally, you should also break formation to
match and engage them. Over twenty years of fighting the Kilrathi have
resulted in the development of some basic maneuvering tactics to improve your
chances of survival.
15
______________________________________________________
Standard Maneuvers
Although you learned these basics in flight training, a little review never
hurts. In addition to standard turns, dives, and climbs, you should remember
the following tactics.
Burnout: Hit the afterburners and increase speed until your pursuer is no
longer gaining on you or until the afterburners finish their burn. Do as
tight a 180ø turn as possible. If your target is within your cone of fire,
open up on them.
Fishhook: Calculate the heading you want. Turn to a heading that is a 180ø
angle off, then almost immediately make a 180ø turn to your course of choice.
For instance, if you are on a 0ø course and want to makes a 90ø left turn,
first make a 90ø right turn, then follow up immediately with a 180ø turn.
Hard Brake: Reduce forward velocity as quickly as you can. If you brake
sooner, harder, and better than your pursuer, he will overshoot you and enter
your cone of fire. Open up on him.
Kickstop: Make a hard 90ø turn in any direction and hold your new course for
a moment. If your pursuer overshoots and doesn't turn in your wake, do a 180ø
spin back and open fire.
Shake: Also called Zig-Zag. Do back-and-forth 45ø evasive maneuvers while
closing on a target.
Sit-'n'-Kick: An evasive maneuver especially useful against large ships.
Make a 90ø turn in any direction. Shut off engines and spin to face your
target; open fire. Then, make another random 90ø turn and hit your
afterburners.
Sit-'n'-Spin: Kill your engines and do a 360ø spin, firing on any targets that
enter your cone of fire. Once you've spun to your original course, re-engage
engines and continue.
Tail: Every pilot knows how to tail a target ship. But don't forget--until
you're sure of your most effective tailing range try to maintain a range of
1,000 meters.
Tight Loop: Do a minimum-radius turn in any direction until you resume the
course you held at the beginning of the maneuver. Properly done, this puts
you behind your pursuer, or at least shakes him off your tail for a moment.
Turn-'n'-Spin: Similar to the Kickstop, except that you also kill engine
power.
16
_____________________________________________________
Weapons of the Terran and Kilrathi Fleets
The following excerpt from Borger's "All the Sector's Weapons Systems" is
presented as a crash course for those new to the fighting front.
Dumb-Fire Missile - The Dumb-Fire missile is a point-and-shoot weapon--just
aim it at the target and hope the target can't get out of the way. With no
homing capability, the Dumb-Fire is most effective in the hands of a pilot who
can anticipate the target's reactions. When possible, it should be reserved
for use in close quarters or against slow-moving targets.
Heat-Seeking Missile - The engines of a modern space fighter or capital ship
generate a lot of heat, a fact the heat-seeking missile uses to great
advantage. All a pilot has to do is park himself on an enemy's tail, wait for
the heat-seeker to lock, and then fire. (NOTE: If the target shakes a heat-
seeker, the missile locks onto the nearest heat source, perhaps even the ship
that originally fired it!)
Image Recognition Missile - To fire an image recognition missile, the pilot
must keep the target in view for several seconds, after which the missile
memorizes the ship type in the pilot's sights. Once the image recognition
missile locks it doesn't let go--it tracks the targeted ship like a very
lethal bloodhound.
Friend or Foe Missile - The friend or foe missile locks onto the nearest enemy
ship. Capable of identifying the distinctive signal broadcast by all Terran
ships, the friend or foe makes a beeline for the nearest ship that isn't
broadcasting. (NOTE: This weapon will target friendly ships whose
communications systems are damaged. Even the firing ship is not safe!)
17
______________________________________________________
Porcupine Mines - These deadly devices have limited homing capability and
built-in proximity sensors--detonation doesn't require contact. If there's
a Kilrathi on your tail, just open your rear doors and drop a Porcupine in his
path. He'll be off your tail in no time. Or he'll be dead. If you ever see
one of these irregular spheres tumbling your way, punch the throttle and steer
clear.
Laser Cannon - Lasers don't do a lot of damage. Still, nearly all pilots have
at least one story in which the long range of the laser allowed them to get
first strike on a foe. Despite their low damage potential, lasers are
reliable, versatile, and effective--they have probably accounted for more
enemy kills than any other weapon.
Neutron Guns - Neutron guns do heavy damage, but only at close range. No
other projectile weapon provides an equivalent level of destructive
capability. The down side is that neutron guns heat up rapidly and eat up
power at an alarming rate. Also, the neutron gun's lack of range has led many
fool-hardy or underskilled pilots into close-quarter combat for which they
were ill-prepared. Some of those pilots never made it home.
Mass Driver Cannon - The basic fighter weapon--medium range, medium damage,
nothing special. The mass driver cannon is reliable and accurate. Heat
build-up and power drain are minimal. Though lasers and neutron guns are more
effective in certain situations, no pilot even went wrong activating a mass
driver.
Flak Guns - Fighters provide the bulk of a capital ship's defense, but the
largest ships in the Terran and Kilrathi fleets lay down heavy flak barrages
which can bring down any ship in space.
Turreted Lasers - Terran and Kilrathi destroyers, cruisers, dreadnaughts,
carriers, and bases are equipped with heavy, turreted lasers linked to
advanced targeting systems. Only the most maneuverable ships have any chance
of surviving concentrated fire from these formidable weapons.
18
_____________________________________________________
Pilot Profiles
In the course of the game, you get to fly with a variety of other pilots.
The Unstoppable Force
1st Lt. Tanaka Mariko goes by the tag Spirit. In the cockpit, Spirit is known
for her deceptive, defensive piloting, her ability to sense and avoid incoming
fire, and the habit of creeping in as close as possible to a target before
firing. A native of Sapporo, Japan, Tanaka is a third generation military
pilot. Her father, Major Tanaka Shun, died twenty years ago in the brutal
McAuliffe Ambush of '34.
Loose Cannon on Deck
Captain Ian St. John, or Hunter to the crew, is one of the best pilots in the
service. He has racked up an impressive number of kills in his years on the
Tiger's Claw. Hunter's known as a seat-of-the-pants flier, and Kilrathi
opponents tend to be baffled by his unpredictable flying style. The 27-year-
old native of Brisbane, Australia is sometimes accused of excessive
independence and a casual attitude toward regulations.
Leader by Example
Major Chen Kien is known as Bossman to the space crews. After replacement
crews kept getting blown out of space, he decided to set an example for how
to survive. The 39-year-old native of Kaohsiung, Taiwan, has a degree is
aeronautical engineering from the Confederation Net university system. He is
married to ergonomics engineer Chen Mingxing and, last March, became the
father of a baby girl.
19
______________________________________________________
Ace of Aces
Major Michael Casey, or Iceman to the crews, has racked up more confirmed
kills while serving of the Tiger's Claw than any other pilot in the carrier's
history. In the cockpit, he is known for calm under fire, letter-perfect
flying technique, and deadly aim with ship's weapons. Iceman is 31, a native
of Vancouver, British Columbia.
By the Book--Or Else
"I can't stand rebels or hot-doggers or any of these so-called intuitive know-
it-alls," explains Captain Jeanette Devereaux, who goes by the cockpit moniker
of Angel. "We have nearly eight centuries of combat flying experience to
define, refine, and perfect the rules by which we fly. These rules are
designed to keep us alive, keep our Wingman alive, and win our wars."
The 28-year-old Devereaux is a native of Brussels, Belgium.
New Kid on the Block
Fresh from the Academy is 2nd Lt. Todd Marshall, known as Maniac by his
graduating class. Marshall, 23, tries to live up to his moniker. "Plodding
along with a copy of the navel regs is not going to impress the Kilrathi," he
says. "They know our regs. We have to outfly them and outfight them...we've
got to want it more." Marshall was one of the highest-rated Academy graduates
of the '54 class and is from the homeworld of Leto, Proxima Centauri IV.
20
______________________________________________________
A Professional's Professional
Major James Taggart is known as Paladin to the space crews. Taggart, 45, is
a native of Aries, the self-sufficient space station built in permanent orbit
around the planet Venus; his parents were terraforming engineers from Wick,
Scotland. Though an effective Wingleader, Taggart is especially appreciated
for his Wingman skills.
Reliability Under Fire
Captain Joseph Khumalo, known to the crews as Knight, is a Wingman with a
reputation of utter reliability in combat. He received his handle during the
Enyo Engagement by saving Wingleader Maria Alvarez, who dubbed him "My Knight
in Shining Armor." Khumalo, 36, hails from Lubango, Angola.
21
____________________________________________________
Know the Enemy
Keen Competitor
Best known among the Kilrathi aces is Bhurak Starkiller. He is the best
living pilot among the Kilrathi in this sector. He files a Salthi-Class
Light Fighter.
Strengths: Bhurak's an excellent pilot and shot. He has optimal reflexes and
no serious weaknesses in his flying style.
Weaknesses: Psych profiles indicate that Bhurak is addicted to speed, thrills,
and sport. He can be panicked into retreat by a sufficient number of
opponents or a sudden turn in fortune.
Tactics: Bhurak likes the dogfight. He almost always uses his laser cannon,
reserving missiles for stationary targets.
Recommendations: Put several pilots on him at once. Deny him a fair fight or
anything he would consider fun. Don't try to outfly him in single combat.
Try going stationary and spinning to keep him in your sight. He doesn't
appear to consider that fun and may choose another target.
Cold as a Vacuum
Khajja the Fang is the most efficient, mission-oriented pilot the Kilrathi
have. He pilots a Krant-Class Medium Fighter.
Strengths: Khajja's greatest asset is his clear thinking. He never panics or
falters and appears to have utter confidence in the Wingmen. He is
invulnerable to taunts, goads, or insults.
Weaknesses: Khajja's faith in the Wingmen may be misplaced. Some Kilrathi
pilots may be afraid of him. He will single-mindedly ignore incoming ships
to concentrate on a strike objective, meaning that he might ignore you.
Tactics: Khajja prefers straight-in, straight-out strafing approaches. He
uses his laser cannon for most encounters, saves his heat-seekers for mission
objectives or enemies, and saves missiles for emergencies.
Recommendations: If he's approaching a mission objective, you might get a free
shot by eluding his Wingmen. If he's moving on you, use classic dogfight
tactics--try to outfly and outshoot him or lead him toward unengaged fliers
in your squadron. He doesn't like bad odds.
22
_____________________________________________________
Extreme Prejudice
Dakhath, whose name translates literally as Deathstroke, is one of the most
dangerous pilots alive. He has 55+ confirmed kills on file and pilots a
Dralthi-Class Medium Fighter.
Strengths: Dakhath appears to be utterly without fear. He never retreats from
an engagement until every enemy within 1,000 klicks is destroyed. His courage
and lack of self-preservation instincts make him particularly dangerous.
Weaknesses: Dakhath lives only to kill and will not retreat or change targets
until he destroys his first target. If possible, use his single-mindedness
against him...if only by leading him away from strategically important targets
so he concentrates on you.
Tactics: Dakhath launches missiles at maximum range, then closes for the kill
on one target. He will cling to that target until he destroys it, then choose
another.
Recommendations: Lead him into the path of fire friendly to you and it is
possible he won't notice new pursuit until it's too late. Do not eject if
you're in his vicinity. His hobby is target practice against ejecting pilots.
Danger and Disdain
Bakhtosh Redclaw is best-known for sarcastic gloating during combat
engagements. Apparently from an aristocratic Kilrathi family, he trained in
the politics of superiority from birth. He files a Gratha-Class Heavy
Fighter.
Strengths: Bakhtosh is the best Kilrathi shot in Vega Sector, bar none. His
accuracy with ship's guns is legendary among Terran pilots. He is also a
master of the crowning insult, the patronizing remark, and the racial slur.
Weaknesses: Bakhtosh's piloting is nothing special. He is an excellent
marksman but a mediocre flier. Plus, his insults are not a pose; he believes
himself superior to everyone, Kilrathi and human.
Tactics: Bakhtosh prefers to fire at a distance. He gets to the maximum range
for his weapons and chews his target to pieces. The extra distance gives him
time to cope with superior fliers. If forced to close with a foe, he launches
a missile.
Recommendations: Try getting close, firing continuously, then try to outfly
him. Do not be daunted by his reputation.
23
____________________________________________________
Technical Support
For technical support
in the USA, contact:
Mindscape Inc.
A Software Toolworks Company
60 Leveroni Court
Novato, CA 94949
Telephone: (415) 883-5157
For technical support
in Europe, contact:
Mindscape International
PO Box 51, Burgess Hill RH159FH,
West Sussex, England, United Kingdom
Telephone: (0) 444 239-600
FAX: (0) 444 248-996
For technical support in
Australia and New Zealand, contact:
Mindscape International
5/6 Gladstone Road
Castle Hill, New South Wales
Australia 2154
Telephone: (02) 899-2277
FAX: (02) 899-2348
24
______________________________________________________
[Skip Warranty information since it would hardly apply now...]
25
______________________________________________________
Credits
Project Manager: Henrik Markarian
Programming: Andrew Iverson, David R. Sullivan,
Allen Anderson, Michael E. Duffy,
Donald W. Laabs
Graphic Artists: Peter and Caitlin Mitchell-Dayton
Music and Sound Effects: Sam Powell
Quality Assurance Director: Jim Molitor
Q A Coordinators: Ken George, Jim Gleaves
Q A Technicians: Joel Brisgel, Lee Mekelis, Wi Kian Tang
Technical Support: Lawrence Coffey, Kevin P. Costello,
Stephen Feaster, Milton Hodges,
Christopher R. Kosel, Dave Locke,
Douglas J. Valente
Technical Support Manager: Dave Buoncristiani
Senior V P/C T O: David P. Grenewetzki
Business Group Senior VP: Mark Beaumont
Marketing Producers: Ian McGee, Linda C. Norton
Marketing Project Manager: Julie A. Lippold
Manual Adaptation: Anne Schwimer
Graphic Design: Myrna Peskin, Leanna York
Illustration: Michael C. Miller
Trafficking: Mary H. Eaves, Shannon Van Scotter
Creative Director: Lyaz Swearingen Latham
26
_______________________________________________________
Mindscape
A Software Toolworks Company
60 Leveroni Court * Novato, CA 94949
(415) 883-3000
PRINTED IN JAPAN