Type 36 Hachimoto

The ability to pilot a speeder effectively is one of the most difficult skills to learn in 2142, since it moves in a different way than normal vehicles. First off, you need to get a feel for it, so move around a map for about 5 minutes and see how far you have to move your mouse to get the right turns at the right time and so on. Remember the speeder is a hover vehicle, so you use your mouse and the wasd keys to manuver it. Being able to maneuver the speeder effectively is a skill that needs to be learned in the field and is a basic skill.

As a speeder pilot it is your job to keep your gunner alive and transport him from location to location eliminating enemy infantry and vehicles. If a flag goes neutral, get there as quickly as possible and clear out the threats so your team can move in and recap the flag. Your best ability is that you are faster and more manuverable than all other vehicles, so be speedy, move quickly and use your boost at any opportunity you can. A key time to use your boost would be while turning and allows for a sharper turn. Always leave a portion of boost left in case you run into motion mines, for your best defense is to out-run them.

Always know how much you can handle: your armor is weak, but don’t be too easy on it. The speeder can take a lot of damage as long as you are able to repair it from time to time. The speeder can also fit into tight places but it may take some damage in doing so. However, always know when to run from enemies - if there is a walker far away, let your gunner take some shots on it, but if it's right in front of you GET OUT OF THERE!

Always repair when you get hit. Don’t give up right away if you get hit hard, just hop out quickly, repair the speeder and then get to a safer position. In order to be able to repair your speeder and clear out mines, always have the engineer kit with motion mine bait. Also, be mindful of where your armor is; you are open on your left and right sides, and your gunner is completely in the open. For example, when being fired upon from the front don't twist around, keep your open sides safe and back up as fast as you can until you are safe to turn around and leave quickly.

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As a speeder pilot it is important you know both basic and advanced piloting skills. Use your ‘Mouse holes’. In every map there are a number of small ‘Mouse holes’ with which you can make an escape if you need to, or to use as shortcuts. Examples of these mouse holes would be the fallen billboard in Leipzig, or the ‘road blocks’ of Remagen.Attachment 160

These areas are small enough for you to fit through where other vehicles can't. At times, these mouse holes can lead to drops that inflict some damage, or you may just be able to zip right through. When attempting these kinds of manuvers, always be ready to get out and repair. There are also some mouse holes which lead to areas nobody goes, which you can use as your 'pit stops'. One example of a pit stop would be behind the buildings at Remagen.

Getting kills as a pilot:

Get as many road kills as you can, since your gunner can’t do it all. Also be sure to know how to use your main guns: they rarely ever get to the center of the crosshair, so pick a side of the crosshair to aim at infantry with and fire away. The best way to maximize your kills for your gunner, your guns, and your road kills in a large concentration of infantry is by executing the so-called ‘death blossom’ maneuver. In this maneuver, you take out as many infantry as you can by spinning around a center location in a mass of infantry firing off your main gun while your gunner is firing off grenades.

Being a fast troop transport is another way to be an effective asset for your team. If you are a squad leader playing as EU and you happen to come across a speeder, run it past all the enemies' main defenses and grab all the capture points you can by moving to a base, dropping off a team mate, getting another to spawn on you, taking him to another flag using your knowledge of mouse-holes, and being able to capture most of the flags that are undefended (Most effective on Bridge at Remagen). With mastery of these advanced skills, you can be the greatest speeder pilot possible.

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The difference between being an effective speeder and just moving around randomly is based on the skill of the gunner. Similar to piloting Gunships or Helicopters, the gunner generally gets the most kills and inflicts the most damage. A gunner therefore needs to know how to effectively use the grenades and TV missiles.

The gunner's most important job is to take out enemy vehicles. TV missiles are accessible via the secondary fire button, which will switch your view to the TV missile view. From this view, your primary fire button will fire the missile, which you then guide to its target with your mouse. Speeder missiles are much less sensitive than the gunship missile, so make sure you practice and move it as much as needed. The TV missile can take out a walker in two shots, and can take out a goliath if used correctly in a true David VS. Goliath moment (more on that later).

Taking out infantry as fast as possible is also a required skill in being an effective speeder gunner. You need to know where your driver wants you to look, but in most cases it's best to keep your eyes facing forward. Being able to hit an area before you reach it is a great skill to learn, make sure to practice launching grenades ahead of your position to hit distant targets before you're right on top of them.

Be mindful of your splash damage - it can both help and hinder you. First of all, Make sure you don't shoot your own pilot out of his seat! If you're moving towards a wall, don't fire at it since the splash damage can kill your pilot. If you unfortunately manage to shoot your pilot out of his seat, quickly switch seats and get the speeder out of hostile areas to reunite it with your pilot. Using splash damage against your enemy is a great ability: try shooting at walls, the ground, and other obstructions instead of trying to hit your enemy directly with the grenade.

An effective gunner is what makes the Hachimoto into David. Don't be someone who does not know how to use the TV missiles, how to shoot a goliath. Don’t be randomly moving around.

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Being on the receiving end of a Hachimoto can be difficult at times and very embarrassing. Your best weapon against a speeder is to hope there is not a good pilot in the seat… Happy Hunting.

Enjoy.