--------------------------------------- SILENT STORM SENTINELS Walkthrough/Guide ---------------------------------------- Ver 1.0 Silent Storm Sentinels is (c) 2003/2004 Nival Interactive, JoWood, and their affiliates. This guide is copyright 2006 Guiler (guilersk@earthlink.net) This guide is for personal use only and may not be sold, bartered, or used for any purpose that involves profit, including but not limited to, money, favors, slaves, and/or human babies. Unauthorized copying of this Guide will result in your horrible, agonizing destruction. I have beaten the game. If you want/need info on scenarios I haven't covered yet, go ahead and email me and I'll see what I can remember. I am in the process of replaying the campaigns now. The guide will continue to be updated as I do so. If you have further and/or better tips on how to beat the campaign, mail me at <guilersk@earthlink.net>. TABLE OF CONTENTS ----------------- TACTICAL HELP RARE ITEMS CHARACTER PROGRESSION -SNIPER -SCOUT -SOLDIER -MEDIC -GRENADIER -ENGINEER CAMPAIGN ------------- TACTICAL HELP ------------- Having trouble with even the basic missions? All of your guys are dying? Here are some basic tips. -S3 is all about the cash, and who you can hire with it, and what weapons can buy. Not only that, but near the endgame you need 100K to buy off somebody. Pick up all the stuff you can sell, and use the ALT key to figure out what is worth more. Do -lots- of random encounters, both to level up and get cash for better gear. -High-level mercs may seem good, and some come with real good equipment (even unique in the case of the katana), but they have their disadvantages, cost being one. The other disadvantage being that their skill points are already spent. I prefer hiring cheap guys, leveling them up and choosing their skills for myself. -Some weapons (like the Manlicher-Carcano rifle) are quite good, but have the disadvantage of having rare ammunition that cannot be gotten in bulk and can only be bought at base. While it's a great rifle, it's useless if you run out of bullets. Stick with something that you can buy MG magazines for, and with ammunition that your enemy may be using against you. Mauser 7.92x57 and 7.62x 53R USSR are great examples, as are .303, Springfield, and the ubiquitous .38 Parabellum. -Many people overuse SMGs, thinking that they are the coolest thing. Here's a tip: in most games like this (Jagged Alliance, XCOM, etc.) burst fire -sucks- if you're more than 10 feet away from the enemy. Don't think you're playing a movie where James Bond fires a machinegun from 100 feet away killing 3 goons. This is a -game-, and for game balance reasons, it's coded to make burst fire miss a lot unless you're right on top of your enemy. There is nothing quite like opening a door on 3 guys that are right there, and opening up on long burst, killing all three and ripping a hole in the wall. But if they aren't right there, you're going to blow your whole clip and be dead on their turn. As a general rule: 40% hit or more is safe to use short burst, and 30-35% is ok to use long burst. Keep in mind that you still run the risk of missing every time. I do it a lot. You are not immune to missing the whole clip, and don't think you are. Silenced SMGs, and/or those with cheap AP costs are best, especially ones with readily available types of ammunition, as you go through ammo on an SMG quite quickly, and you want to be able to pick some more up on the scene if you run out of ammo. -Use rifles. And don't think you can use rifles with just Snap Shot, either. Early in the game, when your hit % is really crappy, Snap Shot isn't going to cut it. Either hide behind some cover and do a Stand/Aimed Shot/Crouch routine, or find good cover, crouch, and used Aimed Shot. Many of your enemies early on are armed with crappy SMGs. Pick them off before they get to you with rifles. Rifles with scopes are better, BTW. The best rifles are either silenced (fire without losing hide), fast (low AP to fire), or have high penetration values (can go through walls and armor). While you really can't get a rifle that does all 3, the Carbine 98K scoped silenced, the DeLizl Silenced, and the SVT40 all have 2/3 of these features. The Manlicher- Carcano is also 2/3, but it has serious ammunition issues. -Use your scout to scout. Don't stumble into ambushes to get blown away. Set your scout on Hide [h] and crouch or crawl to a forward position behind cover. When the scout sees someone, start combat and use your other 5 guys to take pot shots at him from afar. You may miss a lot (although the sniper is good at this), but the enemy won't be able to retaliate without running for your guys for a round or two (assuming he hasn't seen your scout), giving you ample time to take 5 or 10 free shots at him--and you'll be building Shoot experience for doing it. -Always Run when moving in combat. This is not to say run around like an idiot; run from cover spot to cover spot, crouch, and then fire. Crouching across the field is fine if you want to take 4 rounds to do it with no shots while you're doing it. But if you you move slowly and get caught out in the open during an enemy turn, you're done for. And the enemy certainly won't be gracious enough to wait for you to get into position before assaulting. In sentinels, where you move much slower than you do in the original S2, running is key. -Know your ammo. Why carry 10 clips of 5xMauser when you can carry 1 clip for a heavy MG of 50xMauser? There is no penalty for using the wrong clip size to reload--it just has to be the same ammo type. -Stealth is your friend. If the enemy can't see you, he probably won't hit you, right? The only thing is, if you fire a shot while hidden, it will reveal you-- unless you fire from a silenced weapon. Silenced pistols, SMGs, and rifles are invaluable for this sort of thing. Using a hidden scout to spot targets for your sniper can be an effective way of taking out anyone without retaliation. Using it in concert with Panzerkleins can be even better, considering PK's relatively poor sight/sound detection, and their heavy weapons that tear through obstacles. Park a PK outside, have the scout go in and look for targets, and then have the PK fire relentlessly at it, blowing away walls in the process. -Beam Panzerkleins (the ones with the green laser weapon) are the the most effective ways to take out enemy PKs. However, they have ammunition issues. While you can get infinite ammo at the base, they can only use short burst and have a clip of 16; not only that, but their clips take up 4 spots! ---------- RARE ITEMS ---------- Tremendous thanks to the Silent Storm Board at GameFaqs, without whom I would not have found any of these. KATANA The best melee weapon in the game (although it is a little big in inventory). It has a great critical rate. You can, with good melee skill, kill 3 enemies in a turn with it. The Katana is gotten by hiring a Japanese Mercenary for 40K. Not cheap. --------------------- CHARACTER PROGRESSION --------------------- SNIPER ------ In my opinion, the best class in the game. Always Inflict Ranged Crits cannot be beaten (unless you enable 'always critical hits' in the difficulty, which makes this skill useless). LOOK FOR FREE: Useful, but not earth-shattering. You'll notice it when you don't have it, though. PISTOL SPECIALIZATION: I see no need for this unless you are looking to get RIFLE SPECIALIZATION. The sniper's Shoot rating grows faster than any other class, so you don't really need the extra 10 points, in either of them. BETTER CAREFUL SHOT: Get this. It's not necessarily great, but you need it as a pre-req. SHOOT THROUGH COVER: Useful. You need it as a pre-req. FASTER POSE CHANGE: REQ: LOOK FOR FREE It's alright. It's more useful as a pre-req for FASTER SHOTS. FASTER CRAWL: REQ: LOOK FOR FREE I never crawl--I never see the need to. Useless unless you want it as a pre-req. RIFLE SPECIALIZATION: REQ: PISTOL SPECIALIZATION It's alright, but considering how fast the sniper's Shoot grows, you won't need it. AIM BEFORE SHOT: REQ: BETTER CAREFUL SHOT Useful, and also useful as a pre-req. NIGHT HUNT: REQ: SHOOT THROUGH COVER I love it--it makes you even more deadly at night, as compared to your enemies. FASTER SHOTS: REQ: FASTER POSE CHANGE Later in the game, as your AP grows, you'll be able to get in more shots. With this, you won't take the penalty on the first shot, and odds are you can squeeze in another shot at the end as a result. GOOD SHOT FROM ANY POSE: REQ: FASTER CRAWL Eh. It's alright. There are better things to spend points on, though. INCREASED FAMILIARITY: REQ: RIFLE SPECIALIZATION, AIM BEFORE SHOT Considering that you have to buy PISTOL SPEC, RIFLE SPEC, BETTER CAREFUL, and AIM BEFORE SHOT, it's not that much of a payoff. You're better off with an Easy Handling weapon than Familiarity. FORCE OF HABIT: REQ: AIM BEFORE SHOT, SHOOT THROUGH COVER It's useless by itself, but you need it as a pre-req. Get it. NIGHT VISION: REQ: NIGHT HUNT It is useful by itself, as well as for what comes after it in the tree. FASTER FAMILIARIZATION: REQ: FASTER SHOTS It's crap. FASTER SKILLS GROWTH: REQ: GOOD SHOT FROM ANY POSE Not worth it for the skills you have to sink points into to get to it. BETTER CHANCE OF CRITICAL: REQ: INCREASED FAMILIARITY Useless, except as a pre-req for BETTER CRITICAL INCREASED SHOT RANGE: REQ: FORCE OF HABIT Very nice, both as a pre-req and by itself. INCREASE SIGHT ANGLE: REQ: NIGHT VISION A great little skill, both as a pre-req and by itself. While it might seem useless with LOOK FOR FREE around, it is not. You have a wider sight angle to spot enemy ambushes (before it's too late) and, most especially, to spot enemies during their turn and interrupt them. More sight range = more interrupts, and interrupts are good. SOLO: REQ: FASTER SKILLS GROWTH If you are going for a stealth sniper who hides alone, it might be worth it, but for me, there are better skills out there. Your shooting is great as it is, and if you're hidden, Evasion isn't much of a factor--they need to see you to shoot you. BETTER CRITICAL SEVERITY: REQ: BETTER CHANCE OF CRITICAL Marginal. Might give better hits, but the point cost to get there isn't worth it in the long run. INCREASED RANGED DAMAGE: REQ: INCREASED SHOT RANGE Now we're talking. Every shot will do a little more damage. Plus, it's one step away from Always Crit. INCREASED SIGHT RANGE: REQ: INCREASE SIGHT ANGLE Very nice for a sniper. Because you can shoot so far and so well, you'll now have even more runway to take someone out before they get to you. MASTER SNIPER: REQ: FASTER FAMILIARIZATION, SOLO Too far down the tree to be worth it. Too little, too late. Who needs 'critical more' if you have ALWAYS CRITICAL? FASTER AIMING: REQ: SOLO, BETTER CRITICAL SEVERITY Again, too far down the tree and too expensive. I almost never snipe because a Careful Shot will nearly always yield 100% later on in the game, and it's only later in the game that you can get to this area of the tree. ALWAYS INFLICT RANGED CRITICAL: REQ: INCREASED RANGED DAMAGE The holy grail of sniper skills. It's relatively easy to get to (only 6 pre- reqs, as opposed to 8 for MASTER SNIPER, an inferior skill), as well as having the pre-reqs be mostly great skills in themselves. Every shot you fire will be a critical, including bursts. This means more damage (lots if it is a head shot), nearly always bleeding (if they don't die outright), and all sorts of other fun, crippling malaises. AMBUSH: REQ: INCREASED SIGHT RANGE Useful for a sniper with the 98K Silenced, but ultimately I think it's too far down the tree, especially considering that you will probably already have ALWAYS RANGED CRIT. SCOUT ----- The scout often gets a bad rap, but I love the scout. Their great stealth + their high AP means more surprise attacks (especially with silenced SMGs) and a better chance to stay hidden as a 'spotter' (hidden in a forward position, seeing enemies that squad-mates further back can shoot at). Their skill tree focuses on enemy detection and critical hits, but is admittedly rather anemic overall. THROWING SPECIALIZATION: You can create a melee/throwing scout, especially if you use the katana and shuriken. If you decide to go this route, take this skill. LOOK FOR FREE: Very important for a spotter. Make sure to get it. AWARENESS: It's not clear what the penalty for having the first turn in combat is, but you might need this as a pre-req for something down the line. HIDE IN THE DARK: Useful, but more useful as a pre-req. FAST THROW: REQ: THROWING SPECIALIZATION Take it if you are going shuriken master. Otherwise, skip. MELEE SPECIALIZATION: REQ: THROWING SPECIALIZATION Take it if you are going shuriken master. Otherwise, skip. FASTER POSE CHANGE: REQ: LOOK FOR FREE Meh. You might need it if you're crammed for time, but it's certainly nothing special. Considering all the Scout's APs, you shouldn't need it save for a pre-req. STEADY GUN: REQ: AWARENESS More useful than you might think. If you ran your scout around like I did, you will find that this allows a great hit % even after running 40 APs worth. NIGHT VISION: REQ: HIDE IN THE DARK The Scout's job is to scout. NIGHT VISION helps them do just that. Get it. BETTER HEARING: REQ: HIDE IN THE DARK A great skill for spotting unseen enemies. Get it. FASTER MELEE HIT: REQ: MELEE SPECIALIZATION If you're going melee, by all means get it. If not, don't bother. PISTOL SPECIALIZATION: REQ: MELEE SPECIALIZATION Marginal. There are better skills do get with better pre-reqs than this. FAST CROUCHING: REQ: FASTER POSE CHANGE While not useful in S2, in S3, with increased movement costs, this can be good. RUN FOR YOUR LIFE: REQ: STEADY GUN This may help you if you move around a lot to avoid enemy attacks. Every step you take reduces their accuracy (a 'movement' penalty). This doubles it, potentially making a decent shot completely useless. STEALTH RUN: REQ: NIGHT VISION Bah. INCREASED SPOT: REQ: BETTER HEARING It's ok; not bad for spotting hiding enemies. Good as a pre-req. INCREASED THROWING RANGE: REQ: PISTOL SPECIALIZATION Take it if you are going shuriken master. Otherwise, skip. FASTER ATTRIBUTES GROWTH: REQ: FAST CROUCHING Potentially useful, in a tree full of useless skills, but it has 2 useless pre-reqs. SOLO: REQ: FAST CROUCHING, RUN FOR YOUR LIFE, STEALTH RUN Could be good, except for the heinous (9 point) pre-req cost, 3 of which are pretty useless. INCREASE SIGHT ANGLE: REQ: INCREASED SPOT A great little skill, both as a pre-req and by itself. While it might seem useless with LOOK FOR FREE around, it is not. You have a wider sight angle to spot enemy ambushes (before it's too late) and, most especially, to spot enemies during their turn and interrupt them. More sight range = more interrupts, and interrupts are good. VANGUARD: REQ: SOLO While it can be useful, it can also be jarring, where it's suddenly your turn, and you make plans and then find out your scout is the only one who gets to go. This can lead to problems, but it can be potentially useful if you are careful. ALWAYS INFLICT MELEE CRITICAL: REQ: SOLO This would be the holy grail for the melee-based scout, but it's on a different leg of the tree from all the other melee skills. What a pain. AMBUSH: REQ: INCREASE SIGHT ANGLE Get it if you plan on having your Scout hidden often. It will really help, trust me. INCREASED RANGED DAMAGE: REQ: INCREASED THROWING RANGE, FASTER ATTRIBUTE GROWTH Gee, this one would be great if it were not hidden behind a pile of useless pre-reqs. 8 pre-reqs, 6 of which are useless? No thank you. Only get it if you are going Shuriken. SURVIVAL: REQ: FASTER ATTRIBUTES GROWTH I generally do not let my soldiers get below 25% hp, and if I did, 10% evasion is -not- going to save them. RAGE: REQ: SURVIVAL, EVADE AREA ATTACKS I do not like to get my soldiers below 50% health, and I don't melee. Even if I did melee, I would not send my soldier into melee with 50% health. EVADE AREA ATTACKS: REQ: INCREASE SIGHT ANGLE +10% evade to grenade attacks? Woo-hoo. I don't think so. I'd rather put my points elsewhere, thank you. SOLDIER ------- The meat-and-potatoes of your squad. While you don't technically need one, it's always good to have a solid guy around who can haul stuff and take a hit for the team if it's needed. FASTER FAMILIARIZATION: More useful as a pre-req than anything else. IGNORE WOUNDS: Useful as a pre-req, or if you let yourself get shot often. I try not to. LOOK FOR FREE: Useful. you'll notice it when you don't have it. SMG SPECIALIZATION: REQ: FASTER FAMILIARIZATION I use SMGs, so this is useful for me. Plus, it's a pre-req for other good skills. Even if you just use Heavy MGs instead, you need to get this one first to get that far down the tree. FASTER SNAP SHOT: REQ: FASTER FAMILIARIZATION Not a bad skill, once your shooting is high enough. If it's low, you're better off with an SMG burst at short range than you are with a few snap shots. At long range, you won't hit anything with a snap shot till much later in the game. SURVIVAL: REQ: IGNORE WOUNDS I generally do not let my soldiers get below 25% hp, and if I did, 10% evasion is -not- going to save them. Unfortunately, you'll probably need it as a pre- req. FASTER ATTRIBUTES GROWTH: REQ: FASTER POSE CHANGE Useful by itself and as a pre-req. Feel free to get it. FASTER POSE CHANGE: REQ: LOOK FOR FREE Crap. Get it as a pre-req for better things or not at all. FASTER SHORT BURST: REQ: SMG SPECIALIZATION Not a bad skill, although if I burst I tend to use Long Burst. RUN FOR YOUR LIFE: REQ: SURVIVAL This may help you if you move around a lot to avoid enemy attacks. Every step you take reduces their accuracy (a 'movement' penalty). This doubles it, potentially making a decent shot completely useless. BETTER HEARING: REQ: FASTER ATTRIBUTES GROWTH A great skill for spotting unseen enemies. Get it. GOOD SHOT FROM ANY POSE: REQ: FASTER POSE CHANGE Eh. It's alright. There are better things to spend points on, though. MACHINE GUN SPECIALIZATION: REQ: SMG SPECIALIZATION Very nice, especially later on for the Panzerkleins. Don't miss it. LONGER SHORT BURST: REQ: FASTER SHORT BURST Not only are your bursts faster (the pre-req) but also get an extra bullet. Nice. FASTER SHOTS: REQ: FASTER SNAP SHOT Later in the game, as your AP grows, you'll be able to get in more shots. With this, you won't take the penalty on the first shot, and odds are you can squeeze in another shot at the end as a result. INCREASED SPOT: REQ: BETTER HEARING For a soldier who probably isn't going to do much scouting, it has reduced usefulness. If you don't have a Scout, feel free to get it. FIND COVER: REQ: GOOD SHOT FROM ANY POSE Having never gotten it, I can't speak to it. Sounds pretty good though, aside from the crappy pre-req. CONTROLLED LONG BURST: REQ: MACHINE GUN SPECIALIZATION If you're going full-auto, you're in it for the long haul. This saves you some bullets (which you might not want if you're hoping to hit multiple guys) and time (which if you valued, you'd use Short Burst instead). I don't think it's worth it. INCREASED RANGED DAMAGE: REQ: FASTER SHOTS Very nice. Get it. STEADY GUN: REQ: RUN FOR YOUR LIFE The soldier probably isn't going to run around much, so this probably won't help you any. AWARENESS: REQ: BETTER HEARING It's not clear what the penalty for having the first turn in combat is. Too many pre-reqs to be worth it. HEAL ME BETTER: REQ: FIND COVER If you don't plan on getting shot, you won't need this. REDUCED RECOIL: REQ: CONTROLLED LONG BURST, LONGER SHORT BURST, INCREASED RANGED DAMAGE Sounds nice, but it's very far down the tree and there are nicer skills out there. Unless you burst all the time (IE are a Panzerklein ShKAS junkie), I think you can skip it. SECOND SKIN: REQ: STEADY GUN, INCREASED SPOT While it's not clear what all the penalties for using Panzerkleins are, it is true that it reduces shot time and increases movement. If you plan to PK often, consider it. VANGUARD: REQ: AWARENESS Having never gotten it, I really can't speak to its usefulness. INSPIRATION: REQ: HEAL ME BETTER Not bad, but with some meh pre-reqs up the tree. I can find better things to spend points on. MEDIC ----- A medic is less useful than you think, especially if you don't plan on getting shot too much. Even if you do, the skill progression in the game is broken (as of 1.2), virtually assuring that you won't be able to use the best medical items in the game. Still, the Medic has a few team-related skills that can make up for this. In S3, you can train up skills at the base for $$, presumably to get around the skill progression block. Keep in mind that an engineer can often use many medical items to start off with and you may find that you do not need a medic at all. BODY CARRIER: This can be oddly useful in S3, especially for stealth missions where you have to move a body, and fast. BANDAGES MASTER: Woo-hoo, I can bandage a little better. Pre-req, nothing more. SURGEON: Potentially useful, although I tend to avoid getting critically hit when I can. FASTER SNAP SHOT: Useful as a pre-req, and then useful later on in the game when you can shoot something a decent distance away with a snap shot and not have a 2% hit chance. IGNORE WOUNDS: REQ: BODY CARRIER Useful as a pre-req, or if you let yourself get shot often. I try not to. KNOW ENEMY HEALTH: REQ: BODY CARRIER, BANDAGES MASTER I LOVE this skill. Get it ASAP. It's one of the best reasons to have a medic. You save yourself shots on guys who are going to bleed to death next round and know which guys you can kill in 1 shot and which will take more. FASTER CRITICAL HEALING: REQ: BANDAGES MASTER, SURGEON Since I usually heal outside of combat mode, speed is not an issue. INCREASED MELEE DAMAGE: REQ: SURGEON While it sort of makes sense, who makes a melee-medic? FASTER AIMED SHOT: REQ: FASTER SNAP SHOT Useful as a pre-req, and then useful later on in the game when you can shoot something a decent distance away with an aimed shot and not have a 12% hit chance. RESIST CRITICAL: REQ: IGNORE WOUNDS Not an issue if you don't let yourself get shot. RESIST CRITICAL SEVERITY: REQ: KNOW ENEMY HEALTH Not an issue if you don't let yourself get shot. MASTER MEDIC: REQ: FASTER CRITICAL HEALING Meh. Less of an issue now that you can train skills up with cash. FASTER MELEE HIT: REQ: INCREASED MELEE DAMAGE While it sort of makes sense, who makes a melee-medic? BETTER CAREFUL SHOT: REQ: FASTER AIMED SHOT Useful. Get it. BETTER CHANCE OF CRITICAL REQ: RESIST CRITICAL Pretty decent skill. Never hurts to crit more. BETTER CRITICAL SEVERITY REQ: RESIST CRITICAL SEVERITY Very nice, paired with BETTER CHANCE OF CRIT. FASTER SKILLS GROWTH REQ: MASTER MEDIC Potentially useful, although hidden below useless skills. MELEE SPECIALIZATION: REQ: FASTER MELEE HIT Again, who makes a melee-medic? FORCE OF HABIT: REQ: BETTER CAREFUL SHOT Only useful as a pre-req. WISDOM: REQ: BETTER CHANCE OF CRITICAL, BETTER CRITICAL SEVERITY Very nice skill, but costly (7 pre-reqs). PERFECT MEDICINE KNOWLEDGE: REQ: FASTER SKILLS GROWTH Meh. You could go this far down the tree to be able to use all sorts of medical items, or you could survive on bandages and forceps and get better skills instead. ALWAYS INFLICT MELEE CRITICAL REQ: MELEE SPECIALIZATION Melee-medic? INCREASED SHOT RANGE: REQ: FORCE OF HABIT Never hurts to have a little extra range on the weapon. TEAM SPIRIT: REQ: WISDOM A decent skill, as long as you leave the medic with friends. LITTLE BLOOD: REQ: PERFECT MEDICINE KNOWLEDGE I never had that much trouble with bleeding. Either I could cure it, or I could not. I'm not going to waste this many skill points on a rare problem. PROLONG MEDICAL TREATMENT: REQ: PERFECT MEDICINE KNOWLEDGE Again, too far down the tree for me, although potentially useful. INSPIRATION: REQ: INCREASED SHOT RANGE As long as your medic is with the group, this will help them all out. Considering the usefulness of the pre-reqs, you won't be hurting if you splurge the extra point here. GRENADIER --------- Although they may not seem useful, you'd be surprised how badly everyone else throws a grenade. I keep one around for just such an issue. Their skill tree isn't bad either; comparable to a soldier's in many aspects. IGNORE WOUNDS: Only get this if you're going for SECOND SKIN. FORCE OF HABIT: Useless except as a pre-req. FASTER ATTRIBUTES GROWTH: Put your first point here at level 2. You'll have it all game, and you won't regret it. RESIST CRITICAL REQ: IGNORE WOUNDS Only get this if you're going for SECOND SKIN. SMG SPECIALIZATION: REQ: FORCE OF HABIT Get it, and get it early GRENADE MASTER: REQ: FORCE OF HABIT A grenadier is supposed to throw grenades. Help him do so with this skill. FAST THROW: REQ: FASTER ATTRIBUTES GROWTH This is only necessary if you want to throw 4 grenades a round. Nothing should survive 3 grenades in a round, so you probably shouldn't bother. BETTER EVASION: REQ: FASTER ATTRIBUTES GROWTH Very nice. Unlike a lot of other skills which put requirements on raising evasion, this is a blanket skill. RESIST CRITICAL SEVERITY REQ: RESIST CRITICAL Only get this if you're going for SECOND SKIN. FASTER AIMED SHOT: REQ: SMG SPECIALIZATION Get it, both for itself and for the abilities below it. THROWING SPECIALIZATION: REQ: GRENADE MASTER Only applies to knives. Bah. GOOD THROW FROM ANY POSE: REQ: FAST THROW Might be useful. SURVIVAL: REQ: BETTER EVASION I generally do not let my soldiers get below 25% hp, and if I did, 10% evasion is -not- going to save them. EVADE AREA ATTACKS: REQ: RESIST CRITICAL SEVERITY Only get this if you're going for SECOND SKIN. BETTER CAREFUL SHOT: REQ: FASTER AIMED SHOT Get it, it's good. FASTER SHORT BURST: REQ: FASTER AIMED SHOT Another good one. BETTER GRENADE TIMING: REQ: THROWING SPECIALIZATION Because I do not use the grenade-timing feature, I do not use this skill. INCREASED THROWING RANGE: REQ: GOOD THROW FROM ANY POSE This is very useful for heavy, heavy grenades (which do the most damage). FIND COVER: REQ: SURVIVAL Too far down a crappy tree to be worth it. STEADY GUN: REQ: EVADE AREA ATTACKS Only get this if you're going for SECOND SKIN. ROCKET-LAUNCHER SPECIALIZATION: REQ: FASTER SHORT BURST, BETTER GRENADE TIMING I do not use rocket launchers, so this is not useful to me. HEAL ME BETTER: REQ: FIND COVER Too far down a crappy tree to be worth it. SECOND SKIN: REQ: STEADY GUN, BETTER CAREFUL SHOT While it's not clear what all the penalties for using Panzerkleins are, it is true that it reduces shot time and increases movement. If you plan to PK often, consider it. FASTER RELOAD: REQ: ROCKET-LAUNCHER SPECIALIZATION Always useful, but too far down the tree for me. FASTER SNAP SHOT: REQ: ROCKET-LAUNCHER SPECIALIZATION Always useful, but too far down the tree for me. INCREASED AREA ATTACK DAMAGE: REQ: ROCKET LAUNCHER SPECIALIZATION, INCREASED THROWING RANGE Too far down the tree for me, although if you use grenades and rockets often, it's probably worth it. TEAM SPIRIT: REQ: HEAL ME BETTER A useful skill, but ultimately too far down a crappy tree to be worth it. ENGINEER -------- The engineer has a few useful skills, but is mostly useful for their abilities to pick locks, and set and disarm traps. Because in S3 you can train up skills with cash, the old limitations of S2 are pretty much removed, and with time you can use all the best stuff. In a pinch, an engineer makes a halfway decent medic. Probably the worst problem with Engineers is their generally low AP. RIFLE SPECIALIZATION: Get this as both a pre-req and a crutch for a generally low shooting score at the start. PISTOL SPECIALIZATION: I use pistols infrequently, and so saw no need for this, except as a pre-req BURGLAR: A very nice skill for picking locks, as well as a pre-req. FASTER RELOAD: REQ: RIFLE SPECIALIZATION You'll be surprised how often you'll be reloading weapons, especially rifles, with their small clips. This skill is great. FASTER SNAP SHOT: REQ: PISTOL SPECIALIZATION. Useful as a pre-req, and then useful later on in the game when you can shoot something a decent distance away with a snap shot and not have a 2% hit chance. FASTER AIMED SHOT: REQ: RIFLE SPECIALIZATION, PISTOL SPECIALIZATION Useful as a pre-req, and then useful later on in the game when you can shoot something a decent distance away with an aimed shot and not have a 12% hit chance. FASTER SKILLS GROWTH: REQ: BURGLAR Good, and easy to get. Get it. TRAP SENSE: REQ: BURGLAR This skill would be better if skill progression were not broken. That said, it helps a little. MACHINE GUN SPECIALIZATION: REQ: FASTER RELOAD Very nice, especially later on for the Panzerkleins. Don't miss it. SMG SPECIALIZATION: REQ: FASTER SNAP SHOT Also a very nice skill, as long as you use SMGs (which I do). INCREASED FAMILIARITY: REQ; FASTER SKILLS GROWTH Useful as a prereq. It's not clear to me that it's useful beyond that. DISARM TRAPS: REQ: TRAP SENSE Assuming you can find a trap to disarm, this will help you. It's a pre-req. INCREASED SHOT RANGE: REQ: MACHINE GUN SPECIALIZATION Good and relatively easy to get. Always useful. ROCKET-LAUNCHER SPECIALIZATION: REQ: MACHINE GUN SPECIALIZATION, SMG SPECIALIZATION Since I did not use rocket launchers, this did not help me. AIM BEFORE SHOT: REQ: SMG SPECIALIZATION Gives a slight bonus on all 'first' shots. Not too bad if you can afford it. DIFFICULT TRAP: REQ: DISARM TRAPS If you plan on trapping often, get this one, and watch the enemy blow themselves up. I did not often use traps other than to blow up stubborn doors and chests, however. DEMOLITION: REQ: ROCKET-LAUNCHER SPECIALIZATION Assuming you want to blow up buildings...ok. If you want to blow up a building, though, it's pretty easy anyway. You don't need this skill. EVADE AREA ATTACKS: REQ: ROCKET-LAUNCHER SPECIALIZATION Too far down the tree and too little bonus. MASTER ENGINEER: REQ: WISDOM Only get this one if you are going to get PK skills. WISDOM: REQ: INCREASED FAMILIARITY, DIFFICULT TRAP A very nice skill with a pricey pre-req list. In general, the exp gain doesn't seem worthwhile enough to justify the cost by itself. Get it if you want the PK skills. ALWAYS INFLICT EXPLOSIVES CRITICAL: REQ: DIFFICULT TRAP If you use traps offensively and often, feel free. I don't. TEAM SPIRIT: REQ: WISDOM If you got WISDOM, get this one. If not, don't go out of your way to get it. PANZERKLEIN TECHNICIAN: REQ: MASTER ENGINEER This may be necessary to use the best stuff, although you can get by with less than the best stuff. SECOND SKIN: REQ: MASTER ENGINEER While it's not clear what all the penalties for using Panzerkleins are, it is true that it reduces shot time and increases movement. If you plan to PK often, consider it. INCREASED SENSOR RANGE: REQ: MASTER ENGINEER Your spot ability is decreased dramatically while wearing a giant suit of metal. If you use PKs, get this one. APPRAISE PANZERKLEINS: REQ: MASTER ENGINEER Very useful if you intend to destroy or disable Panzerkleins. With beam weapons much harder to come by in S3, as well as the abundance of enemy PKs, you'll probably want to destroy a few, and this will help you do it. LOWER PANZERKLEIN NOISE REQ: MASTER ENGINEER Um, if you are using a Panzerklein, you are not planning on being stealthy. Don't bother with this one. ITEM VALUE CHART ---------------- This chart is provided so you can see which items are worth more money per square, so you can maximize the amount of money you get out of a large encounter. Items may vary slightly in value based on durability and whether or not they are loaded with any ammunition, or how many uses (charges) they have left. At a glance, you can sort of see that Scoped rifles, compact SMGs, and high-end grenades/rockets/explosives are the way to go, along with scoped rifles. Also, Surgical Plaster is surprisingly valuable considering its ubiquity. SELL NAME PRICE SPACE COST/SPACE ---- ----- ----- ---------- 36M Mk1 $ 154 4 $ 38 Acetophenetidin Analgesic $ 24 1 $ 24 Adhesive Surgical Plaster $ 75 1 $ 75 Advanced Picklock $ 75 4 $ 18 AGS Cartridge Belt $2610 4 $652 AGS Rocket Launcher $4830 16 $301 AVS-36 $2580 14 $184 Bazooka M1 $2767 21 $131 Bazooka Rocket Propelled Gren $ 658 3 $219 Bazooka Rocket (Armor Piercin $ 738 3 $246 Beretta M38-42 $2113 10 $211 Beretta M38-42 Silenced $2134 14 $152 Beretta M1938A $1618 12 $134 Billy Club $ 52 8 $ 6 Breda $ 114 4 $ 28 Bren ` $2352 21 $112 Browning HP $1387 6 $261 Browning M1922 $1450 21 $ 69 Browning M1922 Magazine $ 30 1 $ 30 Carbine 1938 $1415 12 $117 Carbine 98K Scoped, Silenced $4042 14 $288 Carbine DeLizl Silenced $1577 14 $112 Cardiac and Respiratory Stimu $ 240 4 $ 60 Cash $ 990 2 $495 Chakra $ 195 4 $ 48 Chatellerault M1924/1929 $1254 18 $ 69 Chatellerault Magazine $ 30 2 $ 15 Colt M1911 $1187 6 $194 Colt M1911 Pistol Clip $ 9 1 $ 9 Compressed Gauze Bandage $ 120 4 $ 30 Defused TNT Charge $ 180 2 $ 90 Diamond Necklace $3600 4 $900 DP $2833 21 $134 DP Drum Magazine $ 84 4 $ 21 DShk Boxed Cartridge Belt $ 270 4 $ 67 F-1 $ 211 4 $ 52 Fast Haemostatic Powder $ 135 4 $ 33 Fairbairn Sykes Knife $ 58 3 $ 19 FG 42 $3150 12 $262 FG 42 Scoped $4710 12 $392 Finnish Knife $ 327 3 $109 Flak38 Magazine $ 660 4 $165 Forceps, Abbey $ 195 6 $ 32 G-41 W $2350 14 $167 G-41 W Scoped $3012 14 $215 Garand M1 $1742 12 $145 Garand M1 Rifle Clip $ 12 1 $ 12 Garand M1 Scoped $2370 12 $197 Gatling Drum Magazine $ 600 4 $150 Gold $1500 2 $750 Golden Goblet $2700 6 $450 Golden Ring $ 600 1 $600 Golden Watch $1560 4 $390 Haemostatic Forceps $ 135 6 $ 22 Haemostatic Liquid $ 150 6 $ 25 Hank of Wire $ 84 4 $ 21 Heavy Mortar Shell $ 615 3 $205 Hecsogen Charge $ 870 6 $145 Jewels $3000 4 $750 Johnson Light Gun (clip) $ 27 2 $ 13 Ka-Bar Knife $ 609 3 $203 Kappmesser Knife $ 27 3 $ 9 Khukuri Knife $ 495 8 $ 61 Lee-Enfield 10r Rifle Clip $ 9 1 $ 9 Lee-Enfield Mk1 $ 157 14 $ 11 Lee-Enfield Mk1 Scoped $1038 14 $ 74 Lewis Mk1 $ 559 21 $ 26 Lewis Mk1 Magazine $ 42 4 $ 10 Light Mortar Shell $ 294 3 $ 98 Liquid Cardiac Stimulant $ 120 4 $ 30 Luftwaffe Machete Knife $ 346 8 $ 43 LZ-System Energy Charge $ 307 4 $ 76 M-24 $ 249 3 $ 83 M-39 $ 117 4 $ 29 M1917 Knife $ 121 8 $ 15 M20 Bazooka $4645 21 $221 M20 Bazooka Shell $ 865 3 $266 M20 Bazooka Rocket (Armor Pie $ 952 3 $317 M3 Knife $ 384 3 $128 M3A1 $1318 15 $ 87 M3A1 Silenced $1637 10 $163 Manlicher-Carcano M38 $1161 12 $ 96 Manlicher-Carcano M91 Scoped $2114 14 $151 MAS 1936 $ 679 12 $ 56 MAS Rifle Clip $ 6 1 $ 6 Mauser K96 1912 $ 111 8 $ 13 Mauser M.712 $1269 8 $158 Mauser M29 $ 532 12 $ 44 Mauser M98 $ 310 12 $ 25 Mauser Rifle Clip $ 7 1 $ 7 Medium Mortar Shell $ 396 3 $132 MG 34 $4675 21 $226 MG42 $5077 21 $241 MG91Z Magazine $ 450 4 $112 Mine Probe $ 21 3 $ 7 Mine Shovel $ 96 8 $ 12 Mk3A1 $ 43 2 $ 21 Morphine Sulfate Anagesic Pil $ 52 4 $ 13 Mosin 1891-1930 $1184 14 $ 84 Mosin 1891-1930 Scoped $1824 14 $130 MP 28 - Bergmann $ 543 10 $ 54 MP 38 $ 306 12 $ 25 MP 40 $ 327 12 $ 27 MP 40-II $ 549 12 $ 45 MP 40 SMG Magazine $ 28 2 $ 14 MP 41 $1118 10 $111 Nagant 1910 $ 60 6 $ 10 O-23 $ 135 4 $ 33 OF-37 $ 96 4 $ 24 Painting $4200 6 $800 Panzerfaust $2320 21 $101 Panzerfaust Rocket (Armor Pi $ 673 3 $224 Panzerfaust Rocket Propelled $ 550 3 $183 Panzerklein Repairing Tool $ 135 4 $ 33 Panzerklein Repairing Tool $ 285 6 $ 48 Panzerschreck $3810 21 $181 Parabellum Pistol Clip $ 7 1 $ 7 Part of the "Amber Room" $9000 12 $750 Picklock Set $ 204 4 $ 51 PIAT $1693 21 $ 80 PIAT Rocket Propelled Grenade $ 433 3 $144 PIAT Rocket Armor Piercing $ 511 3 $170 Picklock $ 15 3 $ 5 PPD-40 $ 746 10 $ 74 PPS 42 $1590 12 $132 PPS 43 $2298 12 $229 PPSh 41 $2568 10 $256 PPSh 41 Modified $3213 10 $321 PPSH/PPD SMG Drum $ 85 4 $ 21 PPShm/PPS SMG Magazine $ 42 2 $ 21 PTR Boys Gun $2689 21 $128 PWM-1 $ 795 3 $265 Rifle 33-40 Scoped $1260 12 $105 RG-42 $ 354 4 $ 88 RGD-33 (Offensive Mod) $ 72 3 $ 24 RGD-33 (Defensive Mod) $ 289 3 $ 96 RPD $3912 18 $217 RPG-40 $ 471 6 $ 78 RPG-41 $ 663 6 $110 RPG-43 $ 508 6 $ 84 RPG-6 $ 577 6 $ 96 Sauer 38X $ 202 4 $ 50 Screwdriver $ 30 4 $ 7 SHKAS Clip $ 450 4 $112 ShKAS Machine Gun $1860 21 $ 88 Shuriken $ 117 1 $117 SKS45 $3756 14 $268 SKS45 Scoped $5289 14 $377 Smatchet Large Combat Knife $ 177 8 $ 22 Smiz-35 $ 232 2 $116 Springfield M1917 $ 742 14 $ 53 Springfield M1917 Rifle Clip $ 7 1 $ 7 Springfield M1917 Scoped $1400 14 $100 SRCM mod .35 $ 63 4 $ 15 Sten Mk II $ 712 10 $ 71 Sten Mk III Silenced $1353 12 $112 Sten Mk IV $1858 10 $185 Sten Mk V $2608 10 $260 Sten SMG Magazine $ 28 2 $ 14 Sterling Patchett $3523 21 $167 Sterling Patchett Para $4231 12 $352 Sterling Patchett Silencer $4341 10 $434 STG 43 $4362 18 $242 Stocks $1800 4 $450 Stun Air-Rifle Silenced $2550 14 $182 Stun Pistol Silenced $ 202 8 $ 25 Stunning Dart $ 150 2 $ 75 Suomi $2039 12 $169 SVT 40 $2883 14 $205 SVT 40 Scoped $3722 14 $265 Thompson 1923 $3909 10 $390 Throwing Knife $ 63 2 $ 31 TKB408 $5937 10 $593 TNT Charge $ 289 6 $ 48 TT 1933 $ 95 6 $ 15 TT Pistol Clip $ 9 1 $ 9 Vickers Machine Gun $2811 21 $133 Volksgewehr45 $2180 18 $121 Walther P38 $ 999 6 $166 Weapon Brush $ 90 4 $ 22 Webley-Scott $1554 6 $259 Welrod Mk1 Silenced $ 277 8 $ 32 Wood Chopping Axe $ 240 8 $ 30 Z-23 $ 102 4 $ 25 ZB 26/60 Magazine $ 45 1 $ 45