This weapon and item guide for Unreal Tournament is a subsection of “Cleaner’s big unofficial FAQ for Unreal Torunament”. For information about the game, the author, download, and much more, please read that FAQ!

This is an unofficial FAQ. Nothing of what is written herein has been authorized by the makers of UT: Epic Games, Digital Extremes or GT Interactive Software.

I wrote the FAQ based upon my best knowledge, but like any human, I make errors. ;-) What is stated in this FAQ shall not be considered as fact, but only my very own personal opinion. If you feel, that I am wrong about anything written in this FAQ, please e-mail me to Cleaner.CH@gmx.ch and your input will be checked.

Credits

Special credits for this weapon guide go to mTw|Kronon and NUB-garfield, who looked into the UT sourcecode and found out some interesting things about the way the damage of weapons is calculated and what the values for damage and splash radius of the various weapons are.

Further credits to [GTF]Morningstar for his great weapon guide. I picked several details out and copied them into this FAQ.

The weapon images are taken from GT Interactive’s official UT site: www.unrealtournament.net

2 The Weapons

2.1 Weapons General

One of the fascinating things about UT is it’s variation of weapons with a very different way to use them. To make it even more interesting, each weapon has two firing modes: A primary mode (fire) and a secondary mode (alt-fire), which can be very different in use. See below for details.

Each weapon and mode has very different strengthes and weaknesses, depending on range, situation and environment. To choose always the right weapon for the situation is one of the basic requirements to become a good UT player.

What is a “trace-hit” weapon?

A weapon is called „trace-hit“ or “hit-scan”, when it’s bullets need no time to travel to the target, i.e. the bullets impact in the very same moment, when you shot. The bullets can not be seen and dodged. This makes trace-hit weapons superior to some other weapons over longer distance.

Trace-hit weapons in UT:

Enforcer
Minigun
SniperRifle
ShockRifle primary (Don’t be mislead by the beam animation!)

Disadvantage of these weapons: As they have no splash damage, you need a good aim (and low ping) to use them effectively.

Which weapons do more damage with headshots?

UT checks, if a hit is in the upper 1/3 of the body. If yes, this is a headshot. But only 3 weapons do more damage with headshots:

Chainsaw secondary
Ripper primary
Sniper Rifle

None of the other weapons does more damage with headshots!!!

Does crouching eliminate headshots?

Yes, it does! It makes it impossible to be beheaded by SniperRifle, Ripper and Chainsaw. It will also improve the accuracy of your weapon. Thus it is recommended to crouch, when you snipe (especially against other snipers), when an opponent fills the room around you with razors or in a chainsaw melee.

Does it matter, if I aim at the head, chest or legs?

Don’t be mislead by the local damage indication in the HUD. Except the headshot (but only for the 3 weapons listed above!), UT does not check the location of damage. The armor, shieldbelt and tigh pads protect the whole body equally, this means the thing pads will reduce damage for hits in the chest.

Is the weapon damage weakened over distance?

No, a bullet, rocket, razor, … does the exact same damage over long distance as a point blank, if it hits. But certainly most weapons spread over distance, means it is more difficult to hit.

It is very annoying to run out of ammo in mid-fight. How can I prevent the surprise?

Note that UT gives you a warning beep 2 rounds before you run out of ammo. Useful especially for the RL, when loading multiple rockets.

How can I turn off weapon autoswitch?

It’s a checkbox in the [Options] à [Weapons] menu.

How can I turn off the weapon in my view?

Especially the Redeemer, but also other weapons take a lot of your field of view. If you wanna make it invisible for you (certainly it is still there):

In the [Options] à [Preferences] à [Game] menu, there is a choice for the “Weapon hand”, that you can set to “Hidden”.

2.2 Translocator (TL)

What is the Translocator?

The Translocator (TL) is not really a weapon. It can also be used as a weapon (see section below), but it’s main purpose is movement. It is a „teleporting“ or „beaming“ (to use StarTrek expression) device to move faster and reach places, that can not be reached by normal running and jumping.

Proper use of the TL is a basic requirement to become a good player in UT!

Where can I find the TL?

You do not have to find it. If it is enabled in the game setup by the server admin, every player has it available as weapon 1 at any time. You can not drop the TL and if it is not enabled by the admin, you can’t find it anywhere.

The key [1] switches to the TL, between the TL and the impacthammer respectively.

How do I use the TL to teleport?

Throw the TL “disk” (aka “beacon”) with primary fire to the place, where you want to go to. The disk flies not directly to the direction of the crosshair, but in a curve. It needs some training to throw the disk with precision. If the disk does not land where you want it, you can call it back with pressing primary fire again. If the disk lands in the right place, you can teleport to the disk by pressing secondary fire.

If the disk lands somewhere, where there is not enough space for you to appear or where a teammate would be telefragged (see next section), the disk is returned when pressing secondary fire.

You can leave the disk somewhere as long as you want and translocate to it later. Switch to an other weapon and switch back to the TL and the disk will still be there. Look at the TL weapon. It has a different look when the disk is sent out, so you can see the difference. But beware, an enemy might have damaged the disk in the meantime (see below).

If you jump in the same moment, when you shot the disk, it will not fly in a curve, but straight forward. This can be useful sometimes, e.g. for “translo-skipping”.

When you translocate while carrying the enemy flag, you drop the flag!

How do I use the TL as a weapon? („Telefragging“)

The TL is quite difficult to use as a weapon, but 100% deadly, when used right. It can even kill an opponent with full armor, health and shieldbelt with a single shot.

If you translocate to the disk in the moment, when your opponent is standing very close to it, your body will appear right in the place, where his body is. And since two bodies can not be in the same place at the same time, he will die, no matter how strong his armor was. This is called „telefragging“. It can also happen with stationary teleportals, that are installed in some maps or if a player respawns after death in a place, where an other player is standing.

To telefrag an opponent, throw the disk right at him and translocate, when it reaches him. This is quite difficult and only effective at close range.

An other way is to use the TL disk as a trap. Place the disk somewhere, where you think an opponent might pass by and when he steps close to it, press secondary fire. Caution, he has to stand very close!

I translocated and died. What happened?

An opponent can damage your disk! If you translocate to a damaged disk, you will die instantly and the opponent who damaged the disk, will recieve a frag point for it.

So, if you place your disk somewhere and want to translocate to it later (for example to escape from a firefight heavily wounded), think of the fact, that it’s beeping and blinking will bring it to the attention of all nearby opponents. So you better place it somewhere hidden. Water is always a good place, as it damps the beeping.

From the other point of view: If you see an opponent’s disk laying around somewhere, damage it and give your opponent a bad surprise, when he wants to use it. Not all weapons can damage a disk; only explosive weapons. A damaged disk does not blink and beep anymore, it’s light beacon will not be visible, and if you watch it long enough it will crackle. You can also use most weapons to move the disk around. By shooting near the disk, you can bounce it into lava or acid if it is nearby.

Fast switching between TL and weapons

It is highly recommended to bind the TL to an easy to reach key. (I use the [space] key.)

To switch back to the weapon you were holding before you switched to the TL, hold down the secondary fire button after translocating and press primary fire. This also works, if you recall the disk instead of translocating: Hold down primary and press secondary.

An other way is to define an alias for switching between TL and weapons. See section the keybinding and alias guide.

Use the TL to run faster (“translo-skipping”)

Since the TL disk flies faster than you can run, you can travel (a little) faster through corridors by repeated translocating. For example this can be useful to catch up with a fleeing enemy flagcarrier. The obvious disadvantage is, that you cannot shot, while doing this.

As a welcome side effect, TL-skipping will confuse your opponents and make it much more difficult for them to aim on you. Thus it is useful to pass through typical Sniper areas (e.g. CTF-Face midfield).

Use the TL to prevent damage from falling

Falling off very high places will either cause you damage or will kill you completely. Good examples for this are the tower in CTF-Face or the buildings in DM-Morpheus, DM-Peak or DM-Pyramid.

To prevent damage/death, place the disk somewhere safe on the ground (Caution, think of the above). Now play as usual. When you fall off a building, switch to the TL fast and translocate to the disk.

Caution: Translocating does not change your vertical velocity! When translocating, you do not take the speed/direction of the TL disk, but you keep your own, old momentum, that you had before TL'ing. Means: When you translocate while falling down with high speed, you will still be falling down with the same speed afterwards, only in a new place. If you are too fast falling down already, TL’ing will not save you from taking damage or being smashed like a ripe tomato. Ketchup!

Multi-Translocate

You can reach places very high up by throwing the TL disk in the air and when it reaches it’s apex, translocate to it and instantly aim and throw the disk again. You have to be fast and it needs some training, but when you can handle it, you can reach places, that can not be reached in any other way. For example, it is possible to double-translocate up the side-entrance pipe into the blue base of CTF-November or to get onto the central ledge on CTF-LavaGiant.

Because of the fact, that TL'ing does not change your inertia (see above), you may take a little damage from falling when landing after a successful double TL. But it may be worth it.

Double TLs work even better, if you jump, fire the disk when you are at the apex of your jump, land, jump again and press alt-fire when the disk reaches it’s apex. This way, you can make the disk hit the ceiling when double-TL’ing up the side-entrance pipe into the blue base of CTF-November!

A triple TL is very difficult to do because you constantly accelerate falling down; it will give you much more damage from falling and is therefore not recommended.

The Translocator / Impacthammer Combo (“cleaner-kicking“ or „tele-punting”)

I can claim to be the 1st to have published this trick on GT’s UT forum back in Oct. 99. As far as I know, nobody has published it anywhere else before that date. (Which certainly doesn’t mean, that nobody has found it before.) Thanks to the people on the board, who named the trick after me due to this origin.

It works like this: Place the TL disk somewhere. Now switch to the impacthammer, charge it and give the disk a full kick with primary fire from a flat angle (crouch for this). The disk will make a huge flight and neither you nor the disk will take any damage from this. (Just be careful where it lands. ;))

This can be used to travel very long distances in short time without being seen or to reach places, that can not be reached easily normal ways.

The trick is most useful on wide-open outdoor maps like CTF-Face (travel from one tower to the other) or on CTF-LavaGiant (travel onto the central cliff). Most indoor maps don’t offer enough room to make cleaner-kicking a real advantage.

John “Jibe” Fraser from Zeroping has written an extended guide on (as he calls it) “telepunting”. Get it here: http://zeroping.home.att.net/telepunt.html

Instead of the IH, you can also use other weapons as the „golf club“. For example use the ShockRifle, to combo (see section 2.7) the disk in mid-air and it will fly even further than with the IH. The ripper secondary or a RL rocket does also make the disk fly a long way. But: No other weapon is as precise as the IH by far.

2.3 Impact-Hammer (IH)

What is the IH?

The Impacthammer (IH) is a short range (melee) weapon and a useful tool (for defense, jumping, advanced translocating, ...).

Where do I find the IH?

You do not have to find it. Every player has it available as weapon 1 at any time. Pressing key [1] once or twice switches to the IH, between the TL and the IH respectively.

How do I use the IH as a weapon?

Primary fire: Press and hold down primary fire to charge the pneumatic piston. When it is fully charged, it will rumble and make a loud noise, that can be heard by you as well as your opponents. When it’s charged, you „only“ have to bump into an enemy and the piston will be released automatically. This is difficult to do, as all enemies will try to run away from you when they hear the rumble noise, but if you manage to strike, it will be a one-shot-kill (w/o armor).

This means: When used right, the IH is a powerful weapon. On a crowded server, where you bump into enemies at every corner, someone with an IH can score very well. He will die very often, but he will also kill very often. I’ve seen someone winning a match, only using the IH.

Secondary fire: This causes a single punch with the hammer with a little longer range and less damage. It’s most useful effect is, that you can reflect projectiles with this! It’s very difficult to time, but might save you from a rocket when used right.

How do I use the IH as a jumping tool?

You may know the rocketlauncher as a tool for higher jumping from other FPS. This is not recommended in UT, as you will too much damage. Instead, the IH takes this role in UT.

It’s simple: Charge the IH, point the crosshair to the ground, jump and release the IH right afterwards. The recoil will accelerate you and you’ll do a huge jump. It allows you to jump even higher than with jumpboots and to reach places, that can not be reached elseway.

IH jumping causes you considerable damage (54 pts w/o armor), so use it only, if necessary!

You can define an alias for easier hammer-jumping.

To check, if you do the hammer jump right: You can jump up to the damage amp in DM-Liandri from the ground level below the 1^st step of the stairs!

2.4 Chain-Saw (CS)

Where do I find the CS?

You do not have to find it. If the „Chainsaw Melee“ mutator has been chosen by the server admin in the game setup, the IH is replaced by the CS and every player has it available as weapon 1 at any time. Pressing key [1] once or twice switches to the CS, between the TL and the CS respectively.

How do I use the CS?

As anybody can imagine, the CS is a melee weapon with short range, but high damage.

Primary fire: Press and hold down fire. Run into your opponent. That’s all. ;)

Secondary fire: A side swing with the CS. Will make your opponent 1ft shorter, when successful.

2.5 Enforcer

How do I use the Enforcer?

The enforcer is UT’s basic weapon. Like the IH and TL, you always have it right after (re-)spawning. It is quite weak, but better than nothing. And it is sooooo satisfying to kill an opponent carrying a superior weapon with the enforcers.

Think of the fact, that the enforcer is a trace-hit weapon. This makes the enforcer superior to some weapons over longer distance, despite it’s bad accuracy.

Pick up an enforcer dropped by a killed opponent and you have double enforcer, means double fire rate. Needless to say, that an opponent with dual enforcers is twice as dangerous. The second enforcer can not be seen in the player’s hand from “outside”; you only notice the double rate of fire.

To use it, pull the trigger. ;)

Primary fire: Slow fire rate, medium accuracy.

Secondary fire: Higher fire rate, lousy accuracy. Use this mode only at very short range! You will hardly hit an elefant from more than 3 meter distance.

Enforcer Weapon Data?

	Fire	Alt-Fire