- Please note- the Introductory explanation of Grunts is on the Starting the Journey page
Wave 1 isn’t to be underestimated. It’s teaching you a valuable lesson-
- Players movement and location on the screen, at all times, controls your fate.
Getting used to firing- (Novice skill)
- New players report that using 2 joysticks is tricky due to the need to move your hands independently.
- Using only the right joystick (firing), practice killing all grunts on wave 1 without moving your player.
- When you are comfortable with shooting, add movement.
- My 2 year old grand-daughter can get through wave 1, so I’m sure you will do fine, too. 🙂
- Wave 1 Firing practice -Click video HERE
Using the diagram as a mental picture, this strategy will train you to handle the harder grunt waves starting at wave 9.
Herding technique- (Novice skill)
- Move to the upper left but don’t go completely to the border
- While moving, fire up and to the diagonal left rapidly (flutter firing)
- Pause in the upper left area of the play field to help draw the grunts to you, and away from your escape route at the edge of the borders.
- This opens up a channel where you can circle to the left in the open area. (red ovals on diagram)
- Now continue to circle the playfield, which herds the grunts into a tight pack
- Pick up all humans before killing off the last grunt.
Even after this seems easy, continue the technique so that you will be able to use it intuitively on a subconscious level when the grunt waves get extremely overwhelming later in the game.
Herding without firing – (Advanced skill)
- On wave 1, try to collect all humans using the circling technique without firing a shot.
- Move to the upper middle area at the start of the wave
- Wait for grunts to gravitate toward you.
- Circle the outer edge of the screen, counterclockwise
- Gather up the Mikey’s
- As the wave progresses, the grunts will move faster and faster until they are in a tight group.
- Eventually you will not be able to outrun them so take your shots and finish them off.
- Wave 1 Grunt herding- Click video HERE
Be the Mob- (Master skill)
- You may observer master players, perform an advanced herding technique which causes a super-compression of the grunt mob off-center of the arena.
- At the start of the wave, pick an angle of escape up or down moving in an angle toward one of the edges.
- Upon nearing the horizontal wall, cut back parallel along the wall in the opposite direction you were moving.
- For example, visualize moving in the shape of a number” 7″ if you were starting the wave by moving to the NE.
- This causes the grunt mob to bunch up to one side of the maze, and when you cut back horizontally you will have a bit more breathing space
Close Encounters- (Master skill)
- Grunts are very fast when moving at angles, but they are never faster than the player when moving in a horizontal or vertical plane.
- At end of wave, If you need extra time to kill a fast grunt, try running in a straight horizontal or vertical path while shooting backwards toward the grunt.
- In middle of wave, you can get very close to a pack of grunts if you maintain shooting in a direct angle at them. Handy if you need to squeeze out of a tight spot between a pack of angry grunts and a herd of hulks.
Click HERE for Wave Walkthrough-Main page