Shadowrun

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Updates
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-6/24/2007, Original faq written.
-6/26/2007, Made a few corrections to some information, and allowed
supercheats.com to use my faq. I also added a few builds from some gamefaqs
users.
-6/27/2007, Allowed 1up.com, Neoseeker.com, and gamerstemple.com to use my faq.
I also added some more builds, which were contributed by Gamefaqs users.
Gamerevolution.com may also use it.
-7/10/07, added some more info throughout the faq.

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Shadowrun (Developed by fasa studio, published by Microsoft Game Studio).
Shadowrun Multiplayer Faq Version 0.85 for the Xbox 360 (6/24/07).
Faq by Michael S. Marino
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Legal stuff: Copyright 2007, Michael S. Marino. This faq was written for
Gamefaqs.com (also: supercheats.com, 1up.com, Neoseeker.com, and
gamerstemple.com) and may not be copied anywhere else without my permission (if
you would like to add this to another site you can contact me via e-mail:
[email protected]). Info in this faq is either from the Shadowrun
instruction book available with purchase of the game, or from my experience. I
hope this faq is helpful to those who read it.

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Table of Contents
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1. How to use this faq
I. Why Shadowrun?
II. Helpful hints

2. General info
I. Controls
II. Purchasing weapons and powers
III. Game modes
IV. Other info about multiplayer

3. Races
I. Humans
II. Elves
III. Dwarves
IV. Trolls
V. Final thoughts on races

4. Weapons
I. Pistol
II. SMG
III. Rifle
IV. Shotgun
V. Katana
VI. Minigun
VII. Sniper Rifle
VIII. Rocket Launcher
IX. Ammo

5. Magic
I. Resurrect
II. Tree of Life
III. Strangle
IV. Gust
V. Smoke
VI. Teleport
VII. Summon

6. Tech
I. Grenade
II. Glider
III. Enhanced Vision
IV. Antimagic generator
V. Smartlink
VI. Wired Reflexes

7. Recommended builds

8. Conclusion and contact info

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1. How to use this faq
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So you decided to buy Shadowrun, and are ready to experience the fast-paced
multiplayer action. Well, slow down because if you just jump into things, you
may find yourself in quite a struggle online. However, if you�re here, it�s
because you want to know a little more before you jump back into battle (or
possibly in for the first time). I will rate everything on a scale of 1-5
stars.

Also, if you are looking for glitches or something that will give you an unfair
advantage you are looking in the wrong place.

I. Why Shadowrun?

You may have heard some negative things about this game. For example, that
there is not enough content, or that it is boring, etc. Well, I must admit that
this game is all multiplayer. If campaign or single player modes are a
necessity for you in deciding whether or not you want to purchase a game, then
it would probably be best for you to go elsewhere. However, if you love online
multiplayer and competition this game may be right up your alley.

Many people ask what this game is like. The best description I ever heard was a
cross between Counterstrike and Jedi Outcast. In any case, this game is quite
unique.

II. Helpful hints

Before you get started, it is always a good idea to go through the tutorial. It
only takes about 2 hours, and will give you a good feel for the controls and
everything else in the game (not to mention get some achievements). Although I
disagree with a few suggestions made in the tutorial, it is a great place to
get your feet wet.

Some jargon I use or interchange in this faq:
Tree of Life=ToL
Resurrect=Rez
Sub Machine Gun=SMG
Magic=Essence

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2. General Info
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I. Controls
Left analog: Move
Clicking left analog: Crouch
Right analog: Look
Clicking right analog: Zoom (when available)
Pad left: Call for help
Pad up: report threats, or call for resurrect (rez)
Pad right: order team to move to a certain location
Y: Switch weapons, or hold to drop
X: reload, or hold to pick up an object
B: Hold for magic and tech menu
A: Jump
RT: Fire weapon, or cast from menu
RB: Open for tech/magic
LB: � � �
LT: � � �

II. Purchasing weapons and powers

Like Counterstrike, before rounds you must purchase weapons or powers before
you go into battle. Any magic or tech you buy will be available throughout the
game, but weapons must be purchased if you die.

III. Game modes

There are 3 game modes:
1) Extraction: Both teams can win by stealing the artifact, or killing the
opposing team.

2) Raid: Lineage attempts to escape with the artifact while RNA must defend.
Again, both teams may win by eliminating the opposing team.

3) Attrition: Both teams must eliminate the other to win. The artifact may be
picked up, but simply shows the location of the enemies.

Thank you to Mufinn Man for reminding me that another way to win attrition mode
is for one team to control the artifact if time runs out.

IV. Other info about multiplayer

You get money after each round, and depending on how well you play, you will
get more money before the round. The easiest way is by reviving fallen
teammates or killing members of the opposing team. On the other hand, team
damage or killing will deduct money, so watch your fire.

You can carry only 2 weapons at once, so select wisely.

This game features a karma system, meaning that if one team is behind, casting
magic will cost less. Their bodies will also take more bullets to clear from
the field.

While you have the artifact you are not completely helpless because you can
swing the artifact in a similar matter to the katana. If you would rather use a
gun you can always drop it too.

The artifact is said to kill minions in one hit (I�ve never done this
personally but I have word from someone that it does). It can also cut through
strangle and hit people while in smoke.

While playing extraction or raid, bodies may be eliminated from the field to
prevent resurrection. You do this by simply shooting the body while it is on
the ground.

Teamwork is critical in this game. Chances are, you will not be able to go
commando and take out the entire team alone. Be helpful. Rez and provide a tree
of life (ToL) for your team whenever you can. Cover a teammate who has the
artifact. Also, while you will run into annoying team mates who ask for money
every single round, sharing once in a while is important too.

If you are brought back to life, and the player who resurrected you died or if
you get stabbed in the back you will begin to bleed out, and gradually lose
health until you are dead. At this point you must either stand next to a ToL,
or get a rez from a teammate.

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3. Races
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When you join a game, the first thing you will have to do is select your race
you may select between a human, elf, troll or dwarf (I will go into more detail
shortly). It�s great to have a diverse team; but at the same time, if you are
new to the game it would be better for you (and probably the team) to select a
race you are comfortable with.

As for the stats:
Health refers to the amount of HP you have, essence refers the amount of magic
you have, speed is how fast you move, and strength refers to how much slowdown
your character will have when equipped with a heavy weapon. For example, elves
have the least amount of strength, and slow down a lot when equipped with a
heavy weapon. Trolls have max strength, and do not slow down at all with a
heavy weapon.

P.S. Thank you to Brad Santos for giving me some of the specific numbers, as
well as a few miscellaneous tips in each race.

I. Humans

Health: 7 (100 HP)
Essence: 6
Speed: 8
Strength: 7
Rating: *****
Humans are called the jack-of-all-trades of the game. I agree with this title
in the way that humans can play almost any role in the game (for example you
can have almost any build with a human and be successful). Humans however are
actually very powerful, fast, and in my opinion have the best abilities. While
not as fast as elves, humans are quick enough to chase down basically any
wounded foe.

The best thing about humans is the fact that equipping tech powers will not
cause them to suffer an essence penalty. With any other race, equipping tech
will cause them to lose essence points, limiting the amount of magic they can
use. So an elf with wired reflexes equipped will actually have less essence
than a human equipped with wired reflexes. Humans also start off with $500 more
than any race, giving you an advantage in the first game at least.

Pros:
-Have a good balance in their stats.
-Do not suffer an essence penalty with tech equipped.
-Start with $500 more.

Cons:
-The only con I can think of is that humans do not particularly stand out in
anything. While other races can become more specialized, humans remain a little
more generalized.

II. Elves

Health: 5 (72 HP)
Essence: 10
Speed: 10
Strength: 6
Rating: ****
Elves are good if you want to create a hit and run character, ninja/stealth
build, sniper, or medic. They have a lot of essence points, and are the fastest
race. Elves also have a unique ability in that their health will regenerate
when they are not taking damage (at the expense of their essence points).

On the other hand, they have the least amount of health; their speed decreases
when equipped with heavy weapons (including the shotgun), and seems to have the
largest essence penalty when equipped with tech (most notably wired reflexes
and enhanced vision at 4 points each).

Pros:
-Fastest race.
-Regenerate health.
-High amount of essence.

Cons:
-Slowdown the most when equipped with heavy weapons.
-Least health.
-Significant penalty for certain techs.

III. Dwarves

Health: 6 (90 HP)
Essence: 12
Speed: 7
Strength: 9
Rating: ***
Dwarves are my least favorite race, but that does not mean they are not
effective. Dwarves are tough little guys. They have the most magic, are very
strong, are a small target, and can survive 1 headshot. Dwarves are unique in
that they regain their magic very slowly (if you have smoke equipped it does
not regenerate by itself at all) but can regain it very quickly by stealing it
from other players. You can take it from enemies at a longer range, but if you
stand too close to your teammates you will also take theirs, so watch where you
stand. Dwarves are also unaffected by magical traps, including strangle and
summon (they can kill the minions simply by standing close to it). It may be
hard to believe, but a dwarf standing close to an enemy troll has an excellent
chance of killing it due to its magic-sapping ability.

While those are very positive aspects, there are many negatives as well. The
biggest one is regenerating magic. Waiting for it to regenerate is like
watching grass grow. Sure you can use a lot, but in order to get it back you
will have to find something to take it from. A dwarf can also destroy a ToL, or
your own things. It is hard to battle with a dwarf next to you because they can
steal your health. Many times it happens accidentally, but when it does it�s
annoying. They have a lot of strength, which allows them to carry big weapons
with a minimal slowdown. Unfortunately, they don�t really have the health to
match, so if you are tanking with a dwarf you cannot really do it the same way
as you would with a troll. Dwarves also suffer the second highest tech penalty,
giving up 3 points to use guided reflexes and enhanced vision.

Another interesting fact about the dwarf is that with wired reflexes, it will
run as fast as an elf while holding a minigun.

There is also a belief that a dwarf cannot be bled out by the katana. I�ve
never heard this before, but it is false.

Pros:
-Most essence.
-Small target.
-Strong.
-Can survive 1 headshot.
-Is able to steal magic from enemies or enemy strangle and summon spells.
-Can kill trolls quite easily (the trick is getting close to it though).

Cons:
-Low health.
-Essence regains too slow.
-Can (and often does) steal magic from teammates.
-Suffers a significant tech penalty.
-Second slowest race.

IV. Trolls

Health: 10 (120 HP)
Essence: 6
Speed: 6
Strength: 10
Rating: ****
Trolls are tanks. Period. They have the most health, do not slowdown at all
when equipped with a heavy weapon, and are deadly at close range. Their special
ability allows them to harden while being hit. This will cause spikes to grow
out of their skin at the cost of essence points. They will take less damage but
move slower while this is happening. Trolls don�t suffer as big of an essence
penalty when equipped with tech either.

On the other hand, trolls are the slowest race, have the least amount of
essence, and are large targets. Many players seem to target trolls when they
see them too. Their speed is a hindrance if you are ever trying to outrun
anyone. If you are ever in that situation you are most likely dead. For this
reason I would recommend always buying tree of life. Since you are so slow you
will not always be able to make it to another tree, so it always helps to set
up your own.

Pros:
-Most health.
-Do not slow down while equipped with a heavy weapon.
-Grow spikes when hit, allowing them to take more damage.
-Less of an essence penalty while equipped with tech than elves and dwarves.
-Do double the damage with melee attacks.

Cons:
-Slowest race.
-Least essence.
-Big target.

V. Final thoughts on races

While humans are probably the easiest to get started with, use every race and
experiment with them. You may find some lethal combinations or builds of your
own. Also, do not be deterred from using a race simply due to the cons I
listed. The key to succeeding is building on strengths and avoiding (or
minimizing) the weaknesses. For example, trolls are slow; so close the distance
quickly with wired reflexes. Or if you want to tank with a dwarf, do so with a
glider. His little butt may be harder to hit while he�s in the air. The best
race is really whichever race you are effective with.

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4. Weapons
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Before I get started, I feel the need to explain some things. No weapons
received a perfect score, but I would say this is due to the fact that no
weapon is severely overpowered, and most weapons have a specific role. This
means that if you are a hit and run player for example, you will not buy a
minigun. Also, just because a weapon gets a low score does not mean it is a bad
weapon, it simply implies that it may not be for beginners. Any weapon can be
dangerous and effective, so by no means avoid a weapon. This is just from my
experience. I would suggest trying every weapon anyway in bot matches at least,
because you may find a liking to it that I simply could not. Also, the type of
player you want to be should influence which weapons you end up buying each
round.

I. Pistol

Rating: ***
Range: Best at medium to close range, but someone who is good with the pistol
will be able to effectively use it at almost any range (except maybe extremely
long range).
Rate of Fire: Fast (semi auto).
Cost: Free
This is your default weapon (so it gets points because it�s free), and it�s not
too shabby if I must say. You will be able to take out most enemies with one
clip early on, and it remains fairly accurate. Of course, as the game
progresses and enemies get better powers it will be harder to kill people with
the pistol, or when they are standing right next to a ToL (but that can be said
about almost any weapon).

II. SMG

Rating: ****
Range: Medium to close range (possibly long range).
Rate of Fire: Very fast (full auto).
Cost: $500
At first I was not a fan of this weapon, but with some practice I have really
come to love it. The SMG is best used when firing in small bursts (like the
tutorial tells you). It is a solid weapon you can buy when you don�t have a lot
of money. Smartlink will help with accuracy, but once you have enough practice
with the SMG you probably won�t need it anymore.

III. Rifle

Rating: ****
Range: Medium to long range.
Rate of Fire: Fast (semi auto).
Cost: $500
I like the rifle because it is strong and pretty accurate. A very good marksman
can be almost as effective as a sniper rifle. It costs the same amount of money
as the SMG, and is a better choice because if you can afford only 1 weapon at
the beginning of the round and buy an SMG you will essentially have 2 close-
range weapons (because you keep the pistol obviously). The Rifle broadens your
range in this case.

IV. Shotgun

Rating: ****
Range: Close to very close.
Rate of Fire: Moderate to slow.
Cost: $750
If you want to take the fight up close and personal, this is the weapon to
choose. At close range even poor shots can take down a good player with the
shotgun. This is a heavy weapon though, so it will give you a little slowdown
with elves especially.

V. Katana

Rating: ***
Range: Close to very close
Rate of fire (or...swing I should say): Moderate to fast.
Cost: $1,000
This is more of a stealthy or hit-and-run weapon (unless you�re a troll). If
you are able to hit an unaware opponent (you can tell they are unaware if there
is a question mark over their head), they will begin to bleed out. In any other
case it takes a couple swipes (possibly 2-4 depending on which race you are
attacking) to kill someone. I do not like purchasing this because of its cost.
On the other hand, there is no ammo you need to buy for this. Also, while using
wired reflexes (a tech) you can block some bullets. While this is equipped your
vision will also change to third person, allowing you to get a wider view.

The main reason this gets an average score is for the simple fact that blocking
bullets is not very useful because in most cases, you are usually shot at from
multiple angles (and you can only block bullets in front of you). Also, there
are many players who want to play ninja and charge out into a firefight with
the sword. In any case, this is still an effective weapon, and combining it
with wired reflexes, teleport or smoke you can become a serious threat.

Another thing to point out about the katana is that you cannot score headshots.

VI. Minigun

Rating: ***
Range: Short and medium, but can be used at long range with smartlink (or if
you�re just that good).
Rate of fire: There is a delay at first because the barrels must start spinning
first. After that it fires very fast (full auto).
Cost: $1,250
Most people seem to only use this when playing as the troll or dwarf. It makes
sense because an elf would lose its speed advantage. A human could be effective
with this, but humans also slow down heavily with it. Trolls have the best
advantage with the weapon for the simple fact that they do not slow down while
holding it. The minigun is very strong, but if you plan on using it smartlink
is a must.

VII. Sniper Rifle

Rating: ***
Range: Long to extremely long range (could possibly be effective at medium
too).
Rate of fire: Slow (bolt action)
Cost: $2,500
This is a strong weapon. It will take a player down with one headshot (or a
couple of shots otherwise). The only reason it gets an average score is because
it is a specialty weapon. Meaning if you buy this, you pretty much have to
assume a sniper role. This is totally fine, but just remember to stay at long
range, and let no one close the distance on you.

Another thing I do not like about this is the fact that you must be zoomed in
order to fire this weapon. Firing at close range will result in a melee attack.
It is pretty useless though. This is also a heavy weapon, so it will slow
certain races down.

VIII. Rocket Launcher

Rating: ***
Range: Medium to long
Rate of fire: Slow
Cost: $5,000!!!!
This is a heavy weapon (like the minigun) and it is basically a juggernaut. It
is very powerful, capable of killing multiple opponents with one rocket. So why
don�t I like it? Well, for one it is extremely expensive. Another is the
potential for team damage (or self damage). As a new player, I accidentally got
many team kills with this. Also, you have to realize if you die, you
potentially gave the other team a rocket launcher.

While this weapon should not be avoided, I would suggest some heavy practice
with this before you plan on investing the money to take this into online
competition.

One effective use at close range is to shoot a rocket at the ground and
immediately use smoke. You have about 1-2 seconds after you shoot the rocket to
do this, so that should give you plenty of time.

IX. Ammo

After you purchase a weapon, you have the option of buying extra ammo. The
weapon will come with some extra clips to begin with, but for $100 you can buy
more ($1,000 more for each rocket). I would advise against it. I used to max
out on ammo when I first started playing and it is really a waste of money. I
rarely ended up using that many rounds, and for most weapons you can simply
find ammo during the round from fallen enemies. The only weapons I would advise
buying extra ammo for are the shotgun (maybe just one extra clip), the sniper
rifle, and the rocket (if you can afford it).

Also, just because I rated the SMG and pistol higher than the minigun or sniper
rifle does not mean they are necessarily better. It only means they are more
diverse, while the latter two are more role specific. For example, an SMG would
be useful to someone who has an elf with a ninja build as well as a troll who
is being a tank; while the minigun would not be as useful to the elf, but would
be deadly while used by the troll. The main thing to keep in mind is the build
of your character when purchasing your weapons, so remember to buy weapons that
will be enhanced by the powers or tech you have.

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5. Magic
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Along with weapons, you can also buy magic. Now, magic is more expensive than
most weapons, and you probably only need to buy a few each round. In this
section I will give an overview of the magic abilities.

I. Resurrect

Rating: *****
Essence cost: 4 (holds 4 essence points)
Cost: $2,000
Basically, this power is a must. A few people on your team need to have this
power. I have never seen a team without rez win a match. This is a necessary
power in almost any game type because it brings back fallen characters. If you
are out numbered 3 to one, you can better your odds by bringing a teammate
back. This also stops someone from bleeding out. If you have the money to
spare, this power is always good to have no matter which race you pick. Now,
the only race that possibly should not have this power is the troll, simply
because it makes some essence unavailable after you rez someone (and a troll
has little essence to begin with).

Now, do you have to buy it? Not necessarily, but just make sure you are helping
your team some other way. If you are an offensive machine and can get lots of
kills, than it would probably be better to invest in weapons. The main thing to
keep in mind is helping the team.

Also, if the round ends you still have a few seconds remaining to rez fallen
teammates to get some extra dough.

II. Tree of Life

Rating: *****
Essence cost: 3
Cost: $2,000
This power sets up a tree that will replenish the health of anyone (regardless
of the team) who stands near it. Like rez, this power is also a must have by a
few members of the team. If you have the money to spare, this would not hurt to
pick up either. You may not want to assign it to a button though, because you
will only put out one tree every once in a while. Unlike a few other powers,
once you set up the ToL, the points you used will replenish.
In my opinion, this is an especially good power to have for trolls. The only
race that may not need the ToL are the elves since they can replenish health on
their own (but an elf should have rez).

III. Strangle

Rating: ***
Essence cost: 2 (Holds 2 essence points)
Cost: $2,000
This power creates a crystal formation that can trap enemies (and teammates)
and will gradually drain their health and essence. This is a good power to have
when you need to block an entry point, or if you are defending the artifact. It
is also helpful to cast this in confined areas. I am not a big fan of strangle,
but I have seen many people use it very effectively, and this can definitely be
a great spell.

IV. Gust

Rating: ****
Essence cost: 2
Cost: $2,000
This power pushes enemies back, stunning them briefly. When used against
someone while they have smoke, it will do some heavy damage to them. I like
having this power because it has gotten me out of many tough situations. There
are also a lot of online users who use smoke to try to get away. Having gust
can stop them dead in their tracks. This is also good to use against trolls, or
for trolls to keep those pesky dwarves off of them.

V. Smoke

Rating: ***
Essence cost: 1 per second
Cost: $2,000
This power allows you to camouflage into gold or blue smoke (depending on which
team you are on). While using smoke, the only thing that will be able to damage
you is gust. You will not be hurt from falling, being shot, or bleed out. On
the flip side, your essence will be gradually used up, you cannot attack, and
your essence will regenerate slower if you have it equipped to a hot key.

I don�t buy smoke that often for a few reasons. For one, I don�t like having my
magic regenerate at such a slow pace. Also, if you use it as a means of escape,
the enemy will most likely just chase you down and kill you when it wears off.
It is also not very stealthy, because people can still see you; and if they
have gust you will be in big trouble. Does that mean it�s totally useless? Not
at all, it is a great escape if you use it to jump off a bridge or high
platform and if you have enough to buy a rocket launcher you can use it as a
deadly combo.

VI. Teleport

Rating: ****
Essence cost: 3
Cost: $2,250
This is a great power for a hit and run, or any stealthy build. It can provide
an excellent escape since you can teleport through walls (in any direction).
Once you practice with it and learn how to use it effectively, I would choose
this over smoke. It�s a little more expensive, but I would say it�s worth it.

VII. Summon

Rating: ***
Essence cost: 4 (Holds 4 essence points while minion lives).
Cost: $3,000
This power summons a monster that will fight for you. They are a little
powerful, but are generally easy to kill. They will attack an enemy it sees,
unless there is another minion. In this case it will immediately attack the
other minion. I would recommend this power only for elves and dwarves since
they have enough essence for a rez and a summoned minion. I would personally
rather rez a fallen teammate that summon a minion, but since it�s not always an
option to rez, I guess this would be the second best thing. Summon can also be
good if you want a certain point defended. It�s a good power if you are staying
back to defend. Otherwise, I wouldn�t recommend picking it up.

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6. Tech
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Along with magic, you may also purchase tech abilities. Tech abilities usually
cost no essence, but rather may hold some essence points. As I went over
earlier, some races have less of a penalty while using tech (remember that
humans have no essence penalty). Like magic, you can also assign these
abilities to a hot key.

I. Grenade

Rating: ****
Essence held: None (2 grenades)
Cost: Free
This is basically your default tech. You have 2 grenades each round. You can
have only two at a time, so if an enemy dropped one, you cannot pick it up
unless you used one (or both). They are very powerful and can be thrown a long
distance. Just be careful because it can be easy to kill your own teammates by
accident using one.

II. Glider

Rating: ***
Essence held: 2 (except for humans)
Cost: $2,000
The glider allows you to soar in the sky for a short amount of time. It does
not cost essence to operate, but holds 2 essence points, making those points
unavailable (except for humans).

I have seen many good players use this, however; the map you play on really
limits its effectiveness. Nevertheless, it�s still a great tech to have when
playing with certain races or builds. You can combine this with a powerful
weapon and smartlink to rain down some heavy fire on opponents.

III. Enhanced Vision

Rating: ***
Essence held: 3 for elves, 3 for dwarves, 3 for trolls, and 0 for humans
Cost: $2,000
This allows you to locate friends and foes through any obstacles within 60
meters of your location. While you are looking, you can press up on the d-pad
to tell your team where everyone is. Using this does not cost any essence
points, but having it equipped on your hot keys holds some essence points. The
window is only open for about 5 seconds though, so look around as fast as you
can. This is good for a stealth/ninja build for finding targets to sneak up on.
Also, you will not be able to see someone using smoke.

An important thing to keep in mind is that this cannot be quick casted from the
menu. You must have this equipped in order for it to be used.

IV. Antimagic Generator

Rating: ***
Essence held: None (4 grenades)
Cost: $1,500
These are small objects you throw like a grenade, but instead of exploding,
they create a small field in which any thing standing near it will get its
magic drained. This includes enemies, strangle, trees, or minions. It has also
been brought to my attention that it will stop teleportation (meaning no one
can teleport through the field). They will last until they are destroyed (by
being shot at). These are very good against trolls, clearing enemy strangle,
and could be devastating for dwarves too since they regain essence incredibly
slow. Just keep in mind that these do not discriminate. Anything standing near
it will get drained, friend or foe.



V. Smartlink

Rating: ***
Essence held: 2 (except for humans)
Cost: $2,000
This device will help you with targeting and remain fairly more accurate than
without it. This will slightly help if you ever need to go fully automatic with
the SMG, or if you are using the minigun. One drawback is that it gives off a
laser sight that is very visible to anyone looking. This can easily give away
your position. I do not buy this as much, and tend to only use it if I am
attacking from the air (combined with a glider). An easy remedy is to switch it
on and off at certain times. While you are not engaged in combat you should
probably keep it off, and turn it on when you are about to start shooting.

VI. Wired Reflexes

Rating: ****
Essence held: 4 for elves, 3 for dwarves, 2 for trolls, and 0 for humans
Cost: $2,000
At first I wasn�t a fan of this at all, but then it grew on me. When cast it
will boost speed, jump height, and reload time. I like to use this as a troll
to charge at someone with the katana or shotgun. It can serve to close the
distance or escape very quickly. While equipped with the katana it will also
deflect bullets (not all) when you are facing the shooter (not pressing any
buttons) but that really is not a very important thing for me.

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7. Recommended builds
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Up to this point you should have a rough idea of how well things can be put
together, but if you still need a little help getting started I will list some
builds you can use to get started. Remember what I have been saying over and
over; EXPERIMENT! Just because I (or someone else) give you a build doesn�t
meant it�s the end all be all. Hotkey different powers, substitute different
powers and weapons. You may find something wrong with my recommendations, and
that�s fine; just add something else that fits better to your liking. Also,
keep in mind that you will not always be able to buy all the weapons you need.
In which case you will simply have to make due with whatever you have. You can
always ask to borrow a little money from your teammates too (just don�t make it
a habit).

Also, as the match progresses, find out what will be useful. For example, if
the opposing team is blindly rushing the artifact, strangle will be a good
investment. Also, if most of the other team uses smoke, buy gust.

1) Soldier
Race: Human, Elf
Powers: Smartlink (or wired reflexes), rez, gust, strangle
Hotkey: Smartlink (or wired reflexes), gust, rez
Weapons: SMG, Rifle

2) Medic
Race: Elf, Dwarf
Powers: Rez, ToL, teleport (or smoke), summon (if funds are available
Hotkey: Rez, ToL, teleport or smoke
Weapons: SMG or Rifle, Shotgun or Katana

3) Tank
Race: Troll
Powers: ToL, Smartlink, gust or strangle
Hotkey: Grenade, smartlink, gust or strangle
Weapons: Minigun or SMG, shotgun or Katana

4) Little Tank
Race: Dwarf
Powers: ToL, smoke, rez, smartlink
Hotkey: Grenade, rez, smartlink
Weapons: Minigun or shotgun, SMG or pistol

5) Air Tank
Race: Troll, Dwarf
Powers: Glider, ToL, smartlink
Hotkey: Glider, grenades, smartlink
Weapons: Minigun, rifle

6) Berserker
Race: Troll
Powers: ToL, wired reflexes, gust
Hotkey: Wired reflexes, grenades, gust
Weapons: Katana, shotgun or SMG

7) Regular Sniper
Race: Any
Powers: Wired reflexes, glider, ToL, rez
Hotkey: Grenades, wired reflexes, glider
Weapons: Sniper rifle or rifle, pistol or SMG

8) Magic Sniper
Race: Human, Elf, Dwarf
Powers: rez, smoke or teleport, gust, summon
Hotkey: Smoke or teleport, gut, grenades
Weapons: Sniper rifle or rifle, SMG or Katana

9) Defender
Race: Human, Dwarf, Troll
Powers: Rez or ToL, strangle or gust, summon (not for the troll), antimagic
generator
Hotkey: Strangle or gust (or both), grenade, antimagic generator

10) Ninja
Race: Human, Elf
Powers: Smoke or teleport, glider, enhanced vision, wired reflexes
Hotkey: smoke or teleport, enhanced vision or glider, wired reflexes
Weapons: SMG or rifle, katana

Contributions from Gamefaqs users:

From Blue Shark:

-Ninja Elf

This build is the most common out there. Here's my version of it. You
absolutely mustn't have a twitchy trigger finger

Race: Elf, but you can be a Dwarf, thus changing the build name to Mini-Ninja.
RB: TP
LT: Gust
LB: EV
Weapons: Katana, then anything.

Round 1: Get rez.
Round 2: Katana
Round 3-7: TP ASAP, then EV, then Gust
Afterwards: More Katanas.

Get around where they can't see you. This build is pure stealth.
Let's take Power Plant as an example. TP onto the right side as Lineage. Then
TP in, observe, and GET OUT. This is an annoying little trick. Now, on top of
the plant. Then crouch, and use TP. Hit them with a mortal wound, but no more
than 3, and that is if you're daring. Then get out.
Stealth is the key to success on this build. That, keeping your head, and not
sending your voice up 3 octaves when you see an enemy.

-Pirate/Anti-Ninja

This build is absolute suicide for beginners

Race: Elf, Dwarf, maybe Human if you're good.
RB: TP
LT: Gust
LB: Enhanced Vision
Weapon: SMG and Katana (to block, and if you get that lucky mortal wound)

Round 1: Buy Rez
Round 2: Save
Round 3: Get EV, SMG, Tree, Gust ASAP.
Round after you have Gust: Save, get a minion.

Two words: Hang Back. This build doesn't work on the frontline.
Have EV spot them a mile away.
SMG them at close range.
Gust them away, and when they smoke.
If you get a mortal wound on you, TP out, and plant a tree. Pull out your
katana, and face the target, don't attack.

-Wolf Hunter

This build is not recommended for beginners. It needs skill enough to hold your
trigger finger until no one is watching.

Weapon 1: SMG (Always)
Weapon 2: Shotty/Katana

RB: Glider
LT: Gust
LB: Enhanced Vision

Round 1: Rez OR Glider. (On Nerve Center and Lobby DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT get
glider.) SMG if wanted.
Round 2: Save, SMG if needed.
Round 3: If you have enough, get EV. If not, save.
ASAP Afterwords: Gust, Tree, Summon.

This is a VERY hard build to play. It does miracles in a team, but is made to
pick out individual targets.

1) Enhanced vision, find a target.
2)Try to fly around him. If you have a shotty or Katana, use it. If you are at
some range, use the SMG.
3) Tea bag if you don't have te achievment, glide on top of some structure,
wait for someone else to come rez, and have grenades ready. Throw them at the
rezzed target right when he gets up, so they explode when he takes damage, and
can't run.

From smashbrother641:

-Healer/Katana Troll:

LB: Grenades
LT: Gust/Tree of Life
RB: Wired Reflexes

Weapons:
Katana
SMG/Minigun/Rifle... generally whatever you can get your hands on from the
enemies early on, then when you have spare cash it depends on the map.

Start with Tree of Life, then get Wired Reflexes as soon as you can. Buy an SMG
or a shotgun if you have to, but the earlier you get Wired, the better. Then
buy a katana. Once you get this far, you're pretty close to set since you can
now deflect those pesky headshots that trolls tend to have a problem with, and
if you're in a bad spot you can use Wired to escape-- note that your harden
ability reduces this damage considerably. Depending on how many dwarves the
other team has, you might invest in Gust just to throw them back in case they
corner you.

Your general strategy for kills is to keep your katana out to look around
corners. When an enemy is close enough, mash your Wired Reflexes and chop him
to bits. Almost everyone goes down in three or less hits, even other trolls
since the Katana for some reason doesn't cause hardening. Watch out for
Dwarves, though-- don't ever katana one unless he's got his back to you or is
fighting one of your allies. This is what your SMG/Minigun/Rifle is for. Elves
can also be a problem if they start to SMG you while running backward. it's not
likely to kill you, but the hardening slows you down enough where you won't be
able to reach them, even with Wired. Again, this is when you switch to your own
SMG/Minigun/Rifle.

Make no mistake, though, this isn't a "Ninja" build and is not conducive to
running off by yourself. As fun as cutting people apart is, you should spend
much of your time hanging out with your teammates early on so they can benefit
from your trees, and later on so you can provide them with a great point-man.
Anytime your team is about to cross through the open, you should go first,
because your damage soaking combined with bullet deflection eliminates almost
all risk of getting sniped. You can often draw the attention of enemies while
your faster teammates move in to flank, and you can also stand in front of
injured teammates to block them from fire while they heal. If you have Gust,
you can even help defend them from grenades by deflecting them.

From daveyman23:

Defensive/Healing Dwarf

RB:Rez
LB:Smoke/Teleport/Tree of Life
LT:Smoke/Teleport/Tree of Life

I use this build often and i find its great for helping out the team.
This build is really only for helping your teammates. It doesnt focus on
killing the enemy team as much as helping your team do that part. With a good
healer on the team, your succes rate should go up.

The smoke is to help you get out of cross fire and get around, maybe flank and
pull out some support fire for your teammates. Weapons are generally small cash
weapons like the SMG or rifle, because you'll need your cash for the spells.

From Kuja900

-The Packing Medic

Race: Dwarf

Wep: Minigun/Shotty Katana when situation requires (trolls or need of speed)

Magic/Tech: Enhanced Vision, Smartlink, Resurect

Off Magic/Tech: Tree of Life, Gust

Round Buy Order:

1. Resurect
2. Enhanced Vision, if cant afford save.
3. Smart Link
4. If not already purchasd Minigun.
5/Onward: Buy tree of life and gust to offuse when needed

It is a high tech build and reviving people comes before the smart link so when
essence is needed to res smartlink should be unequipted. However you still have
enough essence with all that tech for a res and after that you still have
enough for gust or tree making for a very nice flow.

Strengths: This build takes full advantage of the dwarfs high essence, it also
uses enhanced vision which is something the troll cannot do and be effective
with a minigun build. This build has high fire power and alot of support for
the team with tree and res.

Weaknesses: Lack of mobility is worth mentioning which is why it is a great
idea to use a sword to get around but when see someone with enhanced vision
pull out the minigun and spray. With res you should be able to get most of your
stuff earlier then round 4 however there is a lack of tree of life so ask your
team to lay them all over. Lack of mobility and no tree is not good but luckily
there are those ways around it I mentioned.

From TreGooda

-Fast Healer

Race: Elf
RB: Resurrection
LB: Glider
LT: Teleport

First Round: Buy REZ
Second Round: Save
Third Round: Buy Teleport
Fourth Round: Buy Glider

This is a good healing build for almost every map, it works especially well on
power station.

-From Matt (Hellfire Sarge)

Scout
Race: Elf idealy due to speed, or Human to negate tech/essence restrains
LB: Teleport
LT: Glider
RB: Possible smartlink or any magic that could be of use
Weapons:
1st: Sniper rifle or normal rifle
2nd: Katana, Smg or Shotgun if human.
Basically this build acts like a ninja by observing, but can potentially take
out threats, ie minigun, rockets, other snipers with the Sniper rifle/rifle,
and has the ability to either fight at close range (katana , smg, or shotgun)
or to flee with the Teleport power and glider. i havent tested this yet but
will be in the forseeable future and will be sending feedback if it is
successful, and criticism/advice is welcomed.

-From Heritagesoccer19

Human Artifact Carrier
1st Buy: Teleport
2nd Buy: Rez
3rd Buy: Tree or Shotgun (depending on the ability of teammates)
4th Buy: Tree or Shotgun
5th Buy: Smartlink

A good hotkey guide would be:
LT: Teleport
LB:Rez
RB: Smartlink

Alternate (when using Glider):
LT: Teleport
LB:Smartlink
RB:Glider

Notes: As I was going along writing this, I thought of some things that would
also  be very helpful to know. First of all, know the map. It doesn't do anyone
any  good to have a carrier that doesn't know the map. Since there are not a
lot of maps, it is easy after a few days of playing to know all the routes
between the artifact and drop off point on all the maps for both teams.

Second, adapt to the map. Sometimes a glider will do a lot better for getting
to the artifact or getting around the map (particularly in Maelstrom). If there
is one particular way of getting to Artifact or drop off, use it, but always
have a back up route in mind.

Third, never have a huge bodyguard. Nothing attracts more attention to you than
7 other players running around you. You want as little attention drawn to you
as possible. One good strategy is to have 1 or 2 with the carrier and sending
everyone else to the drop off point for distraction.

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8. Conclusion and contact info
###############################################################################

So this wraps it up. I hope what I wrote was very helpful for you in getting
started. Remember to always be a team player, and experiment with various
builds. As I stated earlier, the best build is the one that works for you.

If you have any other info you would like to add (like if I missed something,
or you have an awesome build you would like to share) go ahead and email me at:
[email protected]

Also to remember to leave a name you would like to credit your contribution to.
Again, find out what works for you, and have fun with Shadowrun.