Branching out now, to slay the covies in other delightful ways.

(6:48) Level 5 ('Assault on the Control Room') on Normal. My set-up for reverse trough defence can also be used for other battle plans. Here are four examples, the first three being explosive short plays using my existing combo of plasma rifle & launcher, the fourth being a longer affair involving sniping. Lot of fun here.

Released December 27th 2025, gameplay recorded December 25th-26th 2025.

00:02 (Play 1 - Back left corner) Defending at this area was a tough challenge as the mob is quickly at close quarters and there's very little cover. With the aid of some good explosions though, I manage to survive on this occasion, albeit only with one health bar left. Good job I managed to tag that red Elite at 0:39, or I probably wouldn't have lasted another twenty seconds.

01:15 (Play 2 - Back right corner) This area was likewise very tough to defend at, but at least there's a bit more cover. I again survive with just a single bar of health left. At the end, a yellow-shielded Jackal is amusing killed by his buddy with a plasma ball to the back. After I rocket the shooter it looks like things are over, but then a Grunt comes out from behind a rock. Silly fellow. Should've stayed quiet!

02:38 (Play 3 - Container area) This time I defend from further back, in the area with the purple container. It gives me more time to work on the approaching mob, plus there's good cover here. I have a nice little run-around and prevail with full health. This was certainly the easiest battle plan of the movie; the others were all hard to survive.

There's actually a blue Elite who stayed behind though, at the back of where the mob had been. You can faintly see him in some of the footage, including right at the end. I didn't notice until later.

04:16 (Play 4 - Divided mob) Something quite different now, and not just because of using a sniper rifle and pistol. By getting some of the mob well into the trough and then whizzing off towards the door, I set things up so they'll be attacking me from two directions. The task then is to try and work efficiently enough to survive. This was a very tough challenge and I usually died, usually because one or more Elites got close enough that my control broke down and I was soon overwhelmed. But on this occasion I do a fairly good job of maintaining control, and make it through.

Bringing down Elites fast, and ideally while they were still distant, was of high importance. I'm constantly on the watch for them here, and seeking to prioritize them when spotted. All but one is killed via sniping, with 8 Elites coming from the left and 5 from the right. A blue with a needler gets in close around 6:00 however, so I go for a point-blank tag, which works nicely.

That was Elite number 12. When I kill the next and final Elite (with my final sniper round, no less), there's still significant danger from the remaining Grunts and Jackals. And indeed, I get caught by a plasma ball, causing me to shelter behind a tree for a few seconds. Fortunately that's enough. The covies don't press the advantage, and I soon finish them off.

Closing remarks Further examples of other uses coming next!

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