What You Need to Know in Shadowrun

Published June 6, 2007

After a couple dozen hours of hardcore, soda-infused gameplay, we have developed a series of need-to-know strategies for all things Shadowrun™. No doubt these tactics will see revision and refinement after further play, but these tips will put you well on the way to competing for victory every round.

Teamwork works in Shadowrun.

Job Definition
Success in Shadowrun is largely tied to a well-balanced group of players willing to take on defined roles.

• The Runner — Whether you're playing Extraction (one-flag capture-the-flag) or Raid, you need someone who can rush the artifact and carry it swiftly to its drop point. The elves are the fastest race, and when combined with Wired Reflexes and Teleport, the elf will get there quickly. Don't forget that Wired Reflexes not only makes you faster in general, but also provides a special speed boost. Don't use the extra boost when carrying an artifact though, or it will be dropped.
• The Tank —Though less necessary in attacking Raid teams, a suitable Tank might be a troll with a minigun, Smart Link and a Tree of Life. The Tank is vital for defending a location or keeping a group of enemies busy.
• Troll Killer— Fighting a group filled with trolls is dangerous and laborious work. Dedicate at least one character to take them out. This job ideally falls to the dwarf, who naturally leaches Essence from the trolls, effectively neutralizing their natural armor. Combine this with an Anti-Magic Generator and a katana, and you're ready to roll.
• Medic— Death and injury are a way of life in Shadowrun, and a team without quality healing can be run down quickly. At least one teammate should be the dedicated healer and "rezzer" (though more than one should have the resurrect ability). With Resurrect and Tree of Life assigned, keep this player focused primarily on aiding the team, and on the outskirts of combat.

Running with Scissors, or Miniguns
Running at top speed is a must when tracking down an artifact carrier or hauling butt to the drop spot to help escort your own runner. Luckily, the weight of your gun correlates directly to your run speed, so if you're sporting a pistol or submachine gun in your arsenal, press Y and switch to it before taking off. This is especially useful for the already sluggish trolls carrying miniguns, which slow them down even more.

You're not listening.

Strangle Priority
It's common to see folks tossing Strangle down directly on top of the artifact, and while there's nothing wrong with that, you'll find Strangle even more effective placed along the pathways leading to the artifact. When defending a drop location, place Strangle several meters away along the path that leads up to the location. This gives you the time to spot, slow down and annihilate the artifact carrier.

The Tutorial—Use It!
After several hours of consecutive play, a friend of mine piped up with the following question, "Hey, how do I use the special abilities?" After I laughed myself onto the floor, I realized the importance of the Tutorial chapters. They cover the benefits and weaknesses of every race, every Tech and Magic power. It's a must for new players, and hey, you get achievements for completion.

Crouch and Shoot
Though it is counterintuitive for most first-person shooter players, it's often safer to crouch, stay still, and shoot your enemy, instead of run-and-gun. Shots are far more accurate from a crouched position. But, and it's a big but, only employ this tactic when you're embroiled in one-on-one combat. Otherwise, you're a sitting target to nearby enemies, and their combined fire will cut you down in short order. Note that this doesn't apply to the shotgun, so strafe and blast away to your heart's content with the street-howitzer.

Crouch I say!

Ping Alert
If you hear a sharp-noted "ping" sound, you've been spotted with Enhanced Vision. Time to change your position. If you have Enhanced Vision, it's worth using it even when you don't have time to closely examine your surroundings. The alarming "ping" often causes confusion among the enemy.

Situational Awareness
There are already an alarming number of players ignoring the Situational Awareness commands provided in Shadowrun. Tap up on the D-pad to let your comrades know your location, and that you've spotted an enemy. The A.I. may actually identify more enemies that you haven't seen. That kind of intelligence can sway a battle.

Katana Bane
Elves sporting katana are already a popular choice, but there's an easy out if you find yourself consistently set upon by hack-happy players. Get a few shots in first, wait until they're nearly in melee range, then surprise them with the Gust ability to knock them away. Many a would-be melee assassin can be eliminated this way.

Katana Tactics
Speaking of the katana, its proper use requires more than just hacking and slashing at an enemy. Consider the following katana-specific tactics:

• Use teleport when running at an enemy to instantly get behind them. This is especially effective with a teammate to keep them occupied in the front, while you slash them from behind.
• Wired Reflexes allows you to block incoming fire with your katana. This should be your first Tech choice when using the weapon.
• When attacking an enemy from behind, wait for the "!" icon to appear above their heads. A single swipe will start them bleeding out. Unless they get hit with a Resurrect or camp under a Tree of Life, they'll be dead within seconds.

Target acquired.

Ability Adjustment
Build your character to your team's specifications, but make sure to react to your enemy's tech/magic builds in between rounds as well. For example, if you notice a player using smoke consistently, it's worth buying Gust to damage or kill them when they're in ethereal form. If the enemy is using Strangle or Tree of Life, surprise them with an extra player or two sporting Anti-Magic Generators. Each round of play represents a strategic adjustment, so pay close attention to your enemy's abilities.

Artifact Drop
Don't settle for getting shot in the back when running with the artifact. If there's an enemy behind you, try dropping the artifact after rounding a corner and ambush them. The average runner just keeps on going, so you can score plenty of surprise kills by turning the tables this way.

Spread the Wealth
It's not uncommon to find yourself with a few extra credits after buying your gear and upgrades. Choose the Team option in the pre-round menu, and then choose Gift to give teammates any extra cred. This is especially useful when outfitting your heavy-hitters in the first round. A bit of extra money can outfit your team's troll with both a minigun and Smart Link, which is a devastating combo in early rounds.

Alright, now with all that in mind, it's time to get back into battle and show 'em what you've got!

Article by Ryan Treit