
Z - OFFICIAL PLAYGUIDE: Four Player

(c) THE BITMAP BROTHERS 1996

by Martin G., Eric M., Steve K.

17th September 1996

Part 3/3


Level 1 - Desert : 4 PLAYER
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Overview:
---------

The four forts are in the corners of the battlefield. Each
player's home territories take up a quarter of the map. There
are a large number of bridges onto the island in the centre which
contains four factories each of which is likely to be controlled
by a different player. This leads to vicious battles in this
area. At the beginning of the battle you have no Robots to
capture the available pieces of hardware in your home
territories. It is important to gain control of your Robot
factories as soon as possible to take advantage of these.

Start Units :
-------------

1 APC / 2 Lt. Tanks / 2 Jeeps

Strategy:
---------

See z4pdes.gif

Send your APC over to the uncaptured Medium Tank (Point 1). Get
the driver out and pop him into the tank. This will give you a
major advantage over any player who fails to do this. Send one of
your Light Tanks over to support this unit.

Send your other Jeep and Light tank to defend the road junction
at  (Point 2).

Send a Jeep into the centre to get your robot factory working as
quickly as possible (Point 3).

Look for your opponents failing to defend their uncaptured
hardware. If this happens, mount a sneak attack to destroy it.

In the centre, try to poach your opponents' territories just as
his robot units are produced - This can be risky but fruitful.


Level 2 - Volcanic : 4 PLAYER
-----------------------------

Overview:
---------

The four forts are on the edges of the map in this level and
many of the territory boundaries lie along rock walls. Roads from
each of the forts meet in the centre and need to be heavily
defended. A lot of the action takes place around the edge of the
map as players break through these walls into enemy territory.

Start Units :
-------------

2 Psychos / 1 Sniper / 2 Lt. tanks

Strategy:
---------

See z4pvol.gif

Send your Snipers to capture the heavy tank (Point 1) and send a
Light tank to support it.

Send one Psycho unit into the centre to capture the Gun (Point
2) supported by a light tank.

Send your second unit of Psychos to capture the three vehicles
(Point 3). You should occupy the APC and bring it back from the
wall as a good tactic is to destroy your opponents' APC with your
heavy tank if it is not captured.

If any player is slow to get his troops into his gun in the
centre you can either occupy it with one of your Psychos or
destroy it with your Light tank.

Make Pyros or Snipers in your 4* robot factory to put into your
APC.


Level 3 - Arctic : 4 PLAYER
---------------------------

Overview:
---------

A ring road goes all the way around the map with bridges at very
strategic points. These bridges will need to be carefully
defended. Once again, a road goes from each of the forts into the
centre and there are also cross country routes, initially blocked
by rocks.

Start Units :
-------------

2 Snipers / 2 Psychos / 1 Tough / 1 APC / 1 Heavy Tank

Strategy:
---------

See z4part.gif


Send your Snipers to capture the Howitzer in the centre (Point
1) picking up the Medium Tank on the way. Send your Heavy Tank
into the centre to support this group.

Send 1 unit of Psychos to each of the light tanks (Points 2 & 3)
and destroy the bridges.

Get the driver out of the APC and replace him with your Tough
robots. Send the APC and the Grunt to the Gun by your 4* robot
factory (Point 4) and put the Grunt into it.

Use your second unit of Snipers to take the flag on the island
and leave them there to defend it - this territory is very
vulnerable.

If any of your opponents are slow to get to their Light tanks,
you can nip across the bridge to either steal or destroy them.

If you are careful you can use your APC to bombard your
opponents' 4* tank factory - but dont get too close to the
howitzer! However, it is easy to defend this factory and so it
should be used to make powerful units.


Level 4 - Jungle : 4 PLAYER
---------------------------

Overview:
---------

The four forts in this level are placed very close together in
the centre of the map. They are separated by a combination of
chasms and rock walls. The only road way between them lies around
the outside of the map and the points on this road where the
players home territories meet are, strategically, very important
indeed.

Start Units :
-------------

1 Snipers / 1 Psychos / 1 Tough
1 Pyro / 1 Lt. Tank / 1 Med. Tank

Strategy:
---------

See z4pjun.gif


Send your Snipers to capture the Heavy Tank (Point 1) and then
move it  to support the APC.

Send your Pyros to get into the APC (Point 2) and your Psychos
to capture the Medium Tank (Point 3) and send both your Light and
Medium tanks to join it.

If your hardware at (Point 2) or (Point 3) outweighs that of
your adjacent opponent you can destroy their vehicle factory.

Send your Toughs to the wall which is not defended by a gun. A
possible tactic here is to launch an attack on your opponents
fort if he does not defend this point this unit.

Watch for your opponents failing to capture hardware or leaving
factories undefended. Keep a balanced defence on all fronts and
be ready to react to the movements of your opponents forces.

Forming alliances with neighbouring players in this level can be
very beneficial to both parties.


Level 5 - City : 4 PLAYER
-------------------------

Overview:
---------

The forts are in the corners of the battlefield in this level. A
huge central island is divided into four by rock walls. Each
player has direct access to one of his opponents along a road.
However, access to the other players' strongholds is much more
difficult and vehicles have to go via the central area - leading
to major conflicts.

Start Units :
-------------

2 Snipers / 2 Psychos / 1 Tough / 1 Mobile Missile Launcher

Strategy:
---------

See z4pcit.gif

Send both units of Snipers across the river into the centre to
pick up all the hardware and take the territory (Point 1).

Send a unit of Psychos to capture the Light Tank by the 5* robot
factory (Point 2) supported by the Mobile Missile Launcher.

Send your second unit of Psychos and your Toughs across to the
4* tank factory (Point 3). Put the Toughs into the APC and get
the Psychos to capture the Light Tank.

If your opponent has left minimal defences at (Point 3) you can
take advantage of this by bringing your Heavy Tank and APC across
to capture this territory. Once captured you can further
frustrate your opponent by destroying the bridge to the main
island, preventing him/her from bringing in units to recapture
this territory.

The distance between the pieces of hardware prevent you from
stealing your opponents' vehicles unless they are very slow. The
main strategy is to maintain your defensive line whilst you build
up a strong force with which to make an assault. Control of
individual units during battles between equal forces is very
important in this level.

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Z: OFFICIAL PLAYGUIDE: Four Player : 17th September 1996

(c) THE BITMAP BROTHERS 1996

http://www.bitmap-brothers.co.uk

Not to be distributed/published without permission.
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