SUBWAR 2050
Helpful Hints from Michael Powell
General Combat Tips
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The essence of being an expert sub pilot is firstly the ability to stay
undetected when needed, and secondly to be able to win a battle when you
have been detected.
Use the noise profile bar on the cockpit as your principal guide. If you
want to remain stealthy, try to keep it below 50%. This involves staying
at low power and making smooth gentle turns.
Stay close to a thermal layer if you can, as it makes is easier to duck
from one side to the other.
If you are detected, and if your enemy is using active sonar you will find
it difficult to avoid, your speed of response is the biggest factor. If
you have a good contact, release a guided torpedo in the general direction
as quickly as possible. If the torpedo locks on, this should force your
enemy to take evasive action, usually diving deep, which should allow you
to move in for the kill, unmolested.
If the enemy has fired the first shot, assess the torpedo for it's range.
If its a long way off, get your own shot in before taking evasive action.
Try to get the torpedo on your tail, using the Tactical View and Current
Contact View to help. When the torpedo is about 200m away either release
a decoy, or turn tightly to create a 'knuckle' or pocket of turbulence.
Don't turn all the way round as you'll run straight into it.
A more aggressive, but riskier approach is to confront the torpedo head
on and shoot it down with an unguided rocket. If you can achieve this you
can attack much more quickly.
Campaign & Mission Tips
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North Atlantic
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1. Hunt the Robot
You must kill all 6 mining robots on the seabed. If you remain undetected
at the end of the mission you get the coveted 'stealth bonus' payment.
2. Power Station
You must ensure the protective ring of mines around the station is
destroyed before sending in the demolition crew. Protect the team from
attack while they fix the charges. Lastly don't forget to give them the
'rejoin formation orders' before leaving.
3. Das Boot
The objective here is solely to identify the sea bottom debris to establish
which are part of the U-Boat and which are not. Try not to get side-
tracked into unnecessary dogfighting.
4. The Extraction
This is another mission relying on you to defend your troop carrier on a
dangerous exploit. Watch out for the proximity torpedo mines as you
break through the final thermal layer, they can be shot down if you're
accurate with a rocket. Don't shoot the domes until you get the all-clear
from the demolition team.
5. Shooting Mother
All hell can break loose on this mission if you let things get out of hand.
Try to prioritise attacking subs and kill them in order of their threat to
the explosives drone.
6. Miner Forty-Niner
On this mission, always remember that the prospecting rigs advance along
the ocean bottom, and if you get caught up in a dogfight, don't let them
drift too far away into another ambush.
7. Routine Patrol
The main point here is to get back as quickly as possible to the carrier,
it can survive a few direct hits, but time is of the essence.
8. The Net
Just make sure you destroy all the installations, as it's easy to miss one,
especially if you stay on passive sonar.
9. Raid the Titanic
Of course, your main objective here is to disable the vessel towing the
nuclear charge. Don't on any account shoot the charge itself as you will
almost certainly spread radio-active material over a wide area and render
the sector useless to your side. As soon as you cripple the vessel, head
back to the base as Babbage subs will mount a heavy conventional attack.
Antarctica
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1. Save the Whale
The ring of mines forming the perimeter of the whale corral are controlled
by a hexagonal shaped master control mine. Destroy this and the other
mines can no longer move. The central seabed building is a sensor array, if
you destroy this first it will delay the arrival of backup forces. Apart
from these, don’t shoot the whales, you’ll be docked pay for tarnishing the
company’s image.
2. Iceberg Ahoy!
Make sure you defend the two towing subs as your primary objective. The
Mitso-Haachi attackers may attempt to draw you off by attacking you or
your wingmen, leaving the tugs to the second wave. Also, don’t let the
iceberg get caught in the crossfire.
3. Rescue at Rig 5
This time, defend your troop carrier at all costs. This vessel is weak and
cannot survive many hits.
4. The Krilling Fields
Try and stay stealthy throughout this mission; Richteur don't want
witnesses, so don’t leave any. If you can remain undetected you qualify for
a 'stealth bonus'.
5. Deadline
When you reach the cable junction, you will see a listening device already
there. Mitso-Haachi have beaten you to it - destroy this device and
replace it with your own. Again, leave no witnesses.
6. The Spy in the Fridge
The key here, as in mission 3, is to protect your valuable passenger after
she has been picked up. Any enemy subs will try to distract you.
7. Tiptoe through the Minefields
Fairly simple mission - just stay quiet.
8. Is there Anybody out there?
You must use your wingmen well to succeed in this mission. Give them
their own targets as soon as you can, and attack your own. If they destroy
their victim, re-assign them.
9. Icebreaker
Assign your wingman to attack the enemy defenders while you
concentrate on taking out the base.
South China Sea
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1. The Eco-warriors
As you patrol the area, you will be attacked by enemy subs and a surface
ASW vessel. Although these should be destroyed as quickly as possible, do
not ignore the tidal power generators themselves. Saboteur subs will
attempt to lay charges and destroy the installations. It will take them
about 1 minute to fix the charges, giving you time to intercept.
2. Hoist the Jolly Roger
This mission is fairly straightforward. Just be aware of mines from
surface vessels.
3. Defending the Geishas
It's easy to become confused in the melee of combat in this mission, so try
to defend each leg of the supporting structure in turn as they are attacked.
The main structure will survive even if only one leg remains. Also be
careful your torpedoes or rockets don't collide with GeishaWorld in the
battle.
4. Lights! Camera! Action!
Try and put on as impressive a show as possible, without going over the
top and shooting the camera boat itself.
5. Fishing Rights
This one relies on you being as stealthy as possible. If you do get
attacked, your best option is to flee as your sub doesn't have a great
deal of firepower.
6. The Repair Convoy
Defend the power stations and repair subs as best you can without
damaging them yourself. Be wary near power stations, the noise from
them will drown out sonar, and make you liable to a surprise attack.
7. Second Strike
Approach the area stealthily, when you get to within about 1km of the
target platform, switch to full speed and go for an all-out attack. You
should be able to get several shots in before the enemy can retaliate.
8. Closing the Pipeline
The important part of this mission is to be careful to only destroy those
structures in the briefing. The sea is shallow and heating effects at
shallow depths mean that a single thermal layer exists between the
surface and the bottom.
9. Tanker Raid
Make sure that you don't rupture any of the oil dracones when destroying
the towing submarines. Norinco will launch an attack to try and make it
look as though you have caused an environmental disaster so be careful.
10. Beijing Gambit
Simply destroy as many of the surface vessels as possible. Beware of depth
charges and sinking debris from surface explosions.
11. Beijing Checkmate
The best strategy here is to allocate the ASW vessels to your wingman,
and attempt to get the Admiral's helijet yourself. You may need to help
your wingman out though, if he gets into serious trouble.
Sea of Japan
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1. No Artificial Colourings or Flavourings
This is one of the more difficult stealth missions. The robot patrol subs
have extremely sensitive passive sonar arrays, so speed should be kept
down to no more than 15 knots, and turns should be kept smooth. The
mines need to be dropped with great accuracy so make sure you're at he
correct waypoint. Once you've placed the mines get out as swiftly as
possible, but again, avoid detection if at all possible to collect a
stealth bonus payment.
2. Satellite Down
The first sub you encounter will be an enemy reconnaissance type. Destroy
this as quickly as possible, as the Takada and Obechii towing subs will be
battling it out over the satellite. You can join in on your side, but be
careful not to destroy the satellite by mistake. If the friendly towing sub
gets destroyed, all is not lost as you can recover the satellite yourself.
By passing closely over it, the salvage will be brought into tow, and you
can head for the carrier.
3. To Catch A Thief
Begin by shadowing the experimental sub closely on its test track. You
will encounter an enemy sub about halfway round the circuit, but do not
be too distracted as the experimental sub is just about to be hijacked. You
will see its sonar symbol change from blue to red as a result. He will head
off at high speed to meet an enemy carrier at a pre-arranged rendezvous
point. The mission can be won by destroying him as soon as he turns red,
but you can gain extra combat bonuses by letting him lead you to the
enemy carrier for a valuable kill.
4. The Dumping Ground
Stock up with as many rockets as you can hold for this mission, as the
barge subs are heavily armoured and have several tough escorts to deal
with.
5. Submarine Graveyard
The area involved is at the extremes of your maximum depth so be careful.
Any slight hull damage will be magnified in its effect by the immense
pressures at these depths. Your consolation is that the enemy has the
same problem, and one torpedo hit should be enough for a kill.
6. Tourist Attraction
Locate the Neon as quickly as possible to defend it from any attack. Be
wary also of a second attack wave, as you escort the towing sub to the
surface.
7. Blind Run
The targets are buried in the bed of the deep trench. Make sure each is
destroyed before proceeding. You can outrun most enemy attackers in the
later stages of the mission, but beware of torpedo mines in your route.
8. Harbour Bombardment
The harbour entrance is guarded by several proximity mines while inside
the harbour itself are 2 sonar tracking torpedo mines. The attack cannot
begin until you have placed the transponder inside the harbour and the
entrance is clear. If you take too long the attack wave will itself be the
subject of a strike by the counter-attacking Tokuda vessels. One of the
surface vessels in the harbour is an ASW ship, so destroying this will help
your cause.
9. Earthquake!
Your first priority should be to destroy the 4 torpedo-mines set at the
corners of the base. Once these are clear and any defence wiped out you
should be able to place the bomb. It should be dropped down the shaft at
the centre of the installation. Be sure to come to a dead stop before
releasing the bomb so that it will drop in a straight line. You will get a
confirming message if you are close enough, and you need to evacuate the
area at top speed to avoid being caught in the shock wave.
An alternative method is to abandon all thoughts of stealthy attack and
charge in at maximum speed, hoping to catch the enemy off guard.
Remember though, you only get one chance with the bomb.
Brought to you by the SUBWAR Development Team and
MicroProse On-Line Services. MPS*BBS (410) 785-1841.
Copyright 1994 by MicroProse, Inc. * Spectrum Holybyte, Inc.
