ONE MUST FALL

STRATEGY

Robyrt: The Jaguar may be the starting bot, but it's actually one of the better robots in the game. He's both fast and moderately powerful, and although his one-player combos are fairly difficult and impractical for the damage they do, they're good enough to get the job done. Jag in general suffers from a lack of good moves: b+K is great, df+P is good, overhead throw is great, jumpkick is good, and Jag has the game's best throw and projectile, but aside from that, he's fairly slow and weak. This means you have to be careful with your moves, and play a pilot with high agility so that you can be sure of landing big throw combos whenever you need to. Jag is useful in high-level play mainly as a Gargoyle counter-character: since overhead throw will go right through an imperfectly timed Rising Talon and can actually beat a Wing Charge, Jag can put Gargoyle on the defensive where he really doesn't shine. One caveat, though: your opponent has also trained extensively in a Jag, so trying anything fancy will get you ignored. Jag's destruction/fire-ice moves are very easy as well, so Jag is a great bot to practice single-player with.

Strategy Guide: Jaguar does not have as wide a range of combos as some of the other characters, but he makes up for it with his powerful specialty moves and overall high agility. The Jaguar must be played actively to be effective, so always be on your toes and attacking. Jaguar doesn’t depend on lengthy strategies, just natural agility and playability, making it a great mech for beginners. Choose a pilot with high agility, otherwise you won’t be able to use Jag’s abilities to their fullest.

Matt: Fast and fairly powerful, the Jaguar’s a good basic choice for most players to learn on. All its Special Moves are very basic and easy to execute, and its Scrap & Destruction are best to use for learning how the timing of most Scraps & Destructions work. It does, however, have slow recovery time from its Sweep and Uppercut, leaving it open to quick attacks by the enemy. A very all-around, but not specialized when unmodified, ‘bot that’s great to learn the mechanics of the game with. However, if you have a fully-rigged Jaguar with both Enhancements in Tournament mode, this rig rocks! When playing with Rehit mode turned on, the Jaguar is my personal preference to beat the living cyber-shnot out of my opponents with. With a souped up Jag, you can take off nearly a third of your opponent’s energy with a single combo. However, should you be a little slow in the finger movement category, don’t expect to reap too many benefits here. But seeing your friend gawk as you completely destroy their pride’n’joy in a matter of seconds makes it well worth your while to take a course in "Reflex Enhancement".

Hardcoreprogramr (tournament mode): My baby, plain and simple. If somebody needs railed on, this is my bot of choice. It's quick, it jumps like a mother, and above all, you don't need rehit to seriously injure your opponent. I've got a number of 5-hit combos, a 6-hitter or 2, and a 7! No Rehit, no Hyper. With rehit, well, we all know what happens then ;-). Jag loses a lot of its functionality in Hyper, though...the concussion cannon just plain sucks outside normal mode. One of the most useful strategies for it is to force an opponent to either block (setting you up for a low combo) or jump (setting you up for AA and a combo as they're getting up). With Hyper on, the beam follows your keyboard input...you go to jump, and the beam goes up, flying over a distant opponent...and they're waiting for you. To sum: Concussion Cannon + Hyper mode = BAD combination. If you've got the cash in the tourney, I can't stress this enough. GET THAT LEG SPEED! A foot-in-your-face Jag can win the first tournament with nothing but leg speed and pilot speed. I've done it. Bow to the Jag. :-p

Crash: All you have to do to win with the Jaguar is keep on doing the air throw until the opponent is defeated. If you are really good with the jaguar, just do all sorts of moves; an easy 3-hit combo is to jump kick into them, roundhouse kick, and sweep kick, and you will have a good chance of winning that way.

MagFlare: The Jaguar's Overhead Throw, coupled with the computer opponents' anemic artificial intelligence, can win virtually any fight. Simply knock the opponent down and stand near his fallen body. Just as he's struggling to his feet, super jump straight up. The opponent with almost inevitably try an anti-air attack like an uppercut or roundhouse kick, both of which are easily countered with a well-timed Overhead Throw. When your opponent lands at the edge of the battlefield, repeat the process. On the off-chance that the opponent manages to block the Overhead Throw, immediately launch into a standing medium punch, then a Concussion Cannon. Follow up with a foot sweep. Very rarely will the computer, even on the highest difficulty levels, be able to block the final sweep--and even if it does, the combo will push you out of harm's way. Use caution when trying this corner trap against a Katana or Gargoyle. In fact, don't use it against the Gargoyle, -period-. His Flying Talon will knock you out of the Overhead Throw 100% of the time. The Katana, while more likely to fall to this tactic, can often break out of it with a Rising Blade.

FPU: Weird though it may seem, I have found that playing the Jaguar with a powerful character (like Shirro) is a really good choice, since it's both powerful and quick if you do. I have also found a quite nice little trick for it: an downwards-directed Concussion Cannon, in order to force your opponent to jump, and then a Jaguar Leap to catch him in the air, where he can't block. Somewhat tricky to perform, but worthwhile still. A proficiency with the Jaguar can serve you pretty well, since you will not need to spend extra money to buy another 'bot. Lethal mistakes: One of my most UNpleasant experiences when fighting with a Jaguar is getting cornered. It's very difficult to get out of it, and does do you a LOT of damage. I strongly believe that the corner should be avoided at all costs.

Robyrt: As cool as Shadow is idea-wise, he's hands down the worst bot in the game. Shadow punch can be used as anti-air in some circumstances, shadow kick is a good sweep substitute (but don't use it at long range), b+K is excellent short-ranged anti-air, jumpkick has some interesting hit properties, and db+P is your standard poke, but aside from that, there's absolutely nothing to commend him. While it's true that you get a free win once they're stunned with Shadow Grab combos, there's no way to get them stunned unless they're asleep at the wheel, and you can forget about landing a Shadow Kick infinite any time soon as well, considering that any time you miss, you eat half your lifebar from a combo on your shadow. Heck, Shadow doesn't even have a JAB, how can he be expected to be a good bot?

Strategy Guide: Shadow is a very difficult character to master, and a very difficult character to fight against. It’s always easy to block shadows and then hit the real Shadow, but a good player mixes them up enough to make this difficult to do. Therefore Shadow should be considered an advanced mech who takes much practice to learn well, but is like a scalpel in the hands of a master.

Hardcoreprogramr (tournament mode): My second choice when it comes to serving up 'Bot on a platter. Shadow's the only bot I know of harder to master than flail, but once you have, surgical precision is yours. The special moves are worthless in general melee combat...they're best used to get yourself out of a pinch or to cut a combo short. If they're expecting you to just hammer on them with your favorite combo repeatedly, cut it short a move or 2 and let 'em have it with a shadow. Need points? Stun 'em with cheap moves, add in a grab, and get that extra hit bonus.

Matt: Quick & fairly powerful, the Shadow is one of the easiest ‘bots in the game to win with. Using a combination of AI flaws & quick moves, you can easily beat the computer on the hardest difficulty level almost every time. The computer cannot (in my version) ever avoid the Shadow Grab once it’s thrown, with the notable exception of the Electra on the higher difficulty levels. The best strategy to catch the computer with the Shadow Grab is to make distance between you and your computer opponent, and then throw the Shadow Grab. Also, performing a Shadow Dive while jumping away from a computer opponent connects most of the time, even on the highest difficulty settings. However, the Shadow Punch and Shadow Kick are virtually useless against the game’s AI—unless you find yourself cornered by a computer opponent. Due to another AI flaw, when you are cornered, about 95% of the time you can perform a Shadow Kick with the computer at close range and it will not be blocked. (provided you are using a mid-to-fast speed character) The Shadow is definitely the ‘bot to use to find most of the games secrets, as a skilled player can almost always get a perfect, or at least near to perfect, round with it.

Crash: This is a good 'bot to use. If you're really good with this bot, you know what I mean. This one has awesome moves that you can use to keep your opponent away, like the Shadow Dive, which is very easy to beat the computer with. If your opponent is stunned, you can do the shadow grab, hit them and they will be stunned still. Be sure that you don't do the shadow kick all the time because the enemy will jump towards you. The shadow grab doesn't pay off all the time, sometimes when the shadow is about to grab the opponent, your opponent can hit your shadow. Your opponent can hit any of the shadows you unleash upon them. One thing, use your skills wisely.

Phreaky: This bot is the EASIEST second to the Electra to get a perfect round with. This bot has very fast low kicks when fully upgraded and the kick when holding back is hard to block when the opposition is on the attack. The best thing about the Shadow is the ability to perform outragous combos. For the Shadow my max I cannot remember, but it's always fun to do the combos. The Shadow has some good low punches and kicks which are amazingly fast. Above all this bot is easy to use with many powerfully effective special moves (including the upgraded Freeze ability of Ice), and is a brilliant bot to use. Not forgetting though, the shadow grab when the opponent is "dizzy", which lengthens the period they are "dizzy" for, to allow more chances of gettin hits. This CAN be considered cheating though. Find out others' opinions on the subject. Oh, and, whatever you think about this bot, don't you just LOVE the scrap/destruction move?!

FPU: Shadow: His moves are not that good by themselves, so they must be mixed with his shadows to get any worthiness. The Shadow Dive is quite good, and can hit from a distance without the danger of your opponent jumping and hitting you. Lethal mistakes: Not using the shadow.

Robyrt: Thorn is a fairly standard power bot with one key weakness, predictability. Most of Thorn's moves are completely useless except in combos, forcing a Thorn player to rely on his long reach and excellent special moves for victory. The Speed Kick and Spike Charge are the bread and butter of a Thorn player, able to do amazing damage if you catch your opponent off guard. The sweep kick and jumpkick are Thorn's other outstanding moves, so get used to using those 4 until a late or air Speed Kick gets through and you get a 100% combo. A skilled player will be able to counter every one of these, though, so make sure you don't overuse any of his moves. All in all, you could be better off with another, more versatile power bot like Flail or Katana.

Strategy Guide: A real favorite among the populace, the Thorn unit was the first to use monofilament technology. The points of the "spikes" come to a single molecule, which gives Thorn a punch that can cut through normal metal like it is paper. This HAR can use its spikes to attack in several different ways. His long legs also provide a powerful weapon at medium range.

Matt: Thorn is a very versatile mech because he has both fast and powerful moves. He is not for beginners, as his combos are not easy and his moves require a lot of timing. If used correctly he can be deadly. Stout would best describe the Thorn’s fighting prowess. Able to take ungodly amounts of damage without flinching, having some of the most damaging moves in the game, and yet painfully slow, the Thorn is definitely to OMF what Zangief is to the Street Fighter series, to give you an idea. However, despite his lack of speed, the damage the Thorn causes with every attack (particularly his Speed Kick) & extremely tough armor more than make up for one or two extra hits your opponent may land. That, and a couple of AI flaws in One Player & Tournament Mode, makes the Thorn quite easy to win the game with on any difficulty level.

Crash: It isn't the best idea to fight as the thorn. The thorn is not all that good. But in some ways, it can be. The thorn's off-wall attack is more likely to be the move that pays off. If you do the move where your thorn runs up to the opponent to throw it, usually it is not a good idea, because the enemy can interrupt the move. The thorn's speed kick can be easily interrupted as well. So I wouldn't use this bot too often if I were you.

Crusher: The bird bot is surprisingly effective on the ground, other than it's specialty attacks. I like to get the opponent stunned with ordinary kicks and punches, then do a really nice specialty move, like the off the wall attack. However if you use this strategy it will take a while for the fight to be finished. If you're trying to beat the record (with the thorn HA!) then go for the specialty moves and air attacks right off the bat. They do take a bit of time to set up and the bot is more vulnerable, but they do WAY more damage.

Robyrt: Don't let the Thrust Attack fool you, Pyros is a defensive bot all the way. His flames have godlike priority, b+P and jumpkick are passable anti-air moves, and Jet Swoop is a fast, virtually unpunishable combo starter when done right. However, aside from the Swoop and df+K, everything Pyros has starts and ends way too slowly to make Pyros competitive. He can't even pull off decent combos compared to the others, with an average throw and slow jabs, so forget about doing damage. All in all, there are better options both on offense and defense.

Strategy Guide: If you have a fetish for flame, then Pyros is your mech. He’s easy to use and can turn an enemy to toast before you can say "Napalm". Unfortunately, he’s rather slow and doesn’t have many combos.

Hardcoreprogramr (tournament mode): I can't leave this one out. An honorable mention in the creativity department, his high power and low speed leave this 'bot as a more versatile version of the Thorn. And thankfully, it's faster. Watching a "new" thorn in tourney mode with a slow pilot is like watching bullets in The Matrix. Everybody disses the jump-kick. Just practice! It's a great AA move, and an even better defensive move. Jumping in, see they're gonna counter? Kick! You'll fly out of harm's reach, or, even better, set yourself up for a death-from-above with the dive. There's not many combos with this bruiser, but with how hard it hits, you don't need 'em. For those OMF players that like blunt force without the painful slow speed of the thorn, Pyros will be your new favorite toy.

Matt: The Pyros is another example of a ‘bot that relies primarily on raw power to win. Although many of its moves work fine against a human player, as there is minimal reaction time, you have to rely more on chipping away at your opponent in One Player or Tournament Mode as the computer blocks most of the moves every time. Although its flames aren’t nearly as powerful as its arms, they are invulnerable to attack. Any special move that comes into contact with the flames is almost always stopped cold. That, and AI flaws with the Pyros’s Crouching Heavy Punch & Fire Spin, make it an entertaining, yet challenging, ‘bot to use.

Crash: With this HAR, you can burn your opponent to hell! This is another good robot to use. Since the Pyros does not have any legs to kick, instead it has two flame-throwers attached to it, which are very good. And you can do pretty good with it's thrusting moves like the jet swoop and the fire spin, but beware when you do the super thrust attack, your opponent can hit or throw you easily. It's scrap and destruction moves may be hard but they're not that hard compared to it's fire and ice move. Just don't have the speed up too much and you might get a chance.

Phreaky: This is a very powerful bot. It lacks in agility but use the power as best as you can. It has a great defense as it has the ability to "bluff" the computer. Here's what I mean: You are being attacked... u punch (high or low) and the comp contemplates what move to use... while it is doing so it is keeping MINIMAL distance from you... i.e. it is trying to stay close but is trying to stay safe. The flame (especially holding the back key) is quite long range compared to the arm and this means one or two hits from this will hit the opponent - the computer was "bluffed" into thinking it was safe. This works with other bots too but the Pyros is the most effective especially as it has power to boot!

Robyrt: Electra is all about priority: jump punch, df+K and Electric Shards have it in buckets (plus all are fast moves), so use and abuse these. Nearly everything Electra has is useful: a real throw, good pokes with db+P and f+K, good offense with b+P and b+K, in addition to the ones already mentioned. The only reason Electra isn't one of the best is because he has real trouble doing damage aside from rehit combos, none of which combo off his jump punch, so even when you land one, you have to hope he won't block.

Strategy Guide: Electra is one of the more powerful mechs because of the wide variety of moves it possesses. Beginners and experts can use this mech alike. It has very easy but effective combos, and some very useful regular and special moves.

Matt: The Electra, while great for use in Two Player Mode, requires taking advantage of a couple of those wonderful AI bugs that let us win when nothing else will in One Player & Tournament Mode. Relying primarily on lightning (yes, a pun WAS intended) fast moves and a great defensive Special Move(Electric Shards), the Electra is a ‘bot for none but the most nimble of thumbs. Those of you destitute of the requisite motor skills may wish to choose a slower ‘bot or go play Links 386.

Crash: It's time to give your enemy the shock treatment! You can do a lot of shocking stuff with the Electra's devastating sparking hands. The only thing that isn't shocking is its flying roll. Use your skills wisely when you are fighting. Your opponent can easily jump over your lightning ball. You can hit your enemy easily with your shards but be aware that your opponent may block most of the time but you can block too. You don't have to do your flying roll on the floor all the time, you can execute the move while you are in the air. All you have to do is just execute those moves and punch and kick.

Phreaky: For beginners who REALLY want to win, for those who want to have a perfect round and for those who want to be boring this is helpful. For example, repetitive moves like the fierce punch can almost always ensure a win, and often a perfect round, even on the hardest levels. Another tip is to use the electric balls after you've excecuted the low punches to give a bigger shock to the opposition. This is usually effective but even more so when you have the upgrades... work hard to get them! As for combos for Electra it's over 15 hits i think... (using the punches and stuff then the long range upgraded electric shards)

Robyrt: One of the best robots in the game, and my personal favorite. There is exactly one reason to play Katana: Rising Blade. The Blade is an invincible fast combo starter that can be done in the air: what more do you need? Actually, Katana comes with a decent suite of good moves as well: db+P is serviceable anti-air, b+P/P/f+P are good pokes, and you can force a slow-move guessing game with db+K and b+K. Plus, he's got a good throw and Razor Spin is useful as a low-trajectory jump. There's really no reason for Katana to lose, unless he gets careless and allows an opponent to avoid the second hit of the Rising Blade. Note that you MUST use a fast pilot (Crystal or Milano) to combo after the Rising Blade.

Strategy Guide: Katana has a variety of moves, deadly combos, and his Corkscrew Blade is invincible, making him one of the most powerful mechs in the game. Not too difficult to learn and nearly unstoppable when mastered, Katana is a great mech to make your own.

Matt: Definitely one of the most enjoyable ‘bots to play with, the Katana has a well rounded variety of basic Attacks and Special Moves, the latter of which, when used properly, can madden your human opponents to the point of less than tasteful dialogue. With some very strong attacks and a good assortment of possible combos, the Katana is about the most well rounded ‘bot to use.

Crash: The best robot for a warrior. The Katana can cut through anything. The Katana can also give your opponent a major headache with its horrifying head stomp. The Katana will tell your opponent who's best. Try not to make your Katana look like a wimp, just use your bot slicing techniques like the razor spin and the rising blade. If your opponent is at one side of the wall, you can do the head stomp repeatedly by doing down and kick at the same time over and over. Your opponent would feel dizzy after all that.

Phreaky: A REALLY fun bot to use. Equipped with sharp blades and speedy-looking moves, this bot has it's own sense of style and power. The rising blade leaves you untouchable, and the raor spin and heed stomp are effective moves also. THe razor spin works well on quie a lot of robots, Shredder being one its quite effective on. Flail is very vunerable to Katana. The rising blade attacks Flail from low, while the heel stomp is very beneficial as Flail is very small. As most people sometimes have trouble with Flail (I DID, my sister does as does my cousin) this move is good - as well as Razor spin whcih hits the low bot quite well when at correct range. Low fast punches work for combos on bigger bots with Katana. Also Katana is very good for combos - attack high with a kick (attmpt heel stomp if poss) then do a normal kick and then a low kick... move back up slashing with the blade and work on the bot (sometimes hit lower too) that way before retreating and trying again... Can't lose! This should work with most bots.

FPU: Katana: Ahh, the Katana... 'Twas the first 'bot for me to beat Kreissack with! Really powerful and quite fast, the Katana can be lethal in the hands of a master, but can perform well in the hands of a rookie, too. Any pilot you might use will work well in a Katana, since it has it all equal, and anything you might add is welcome. All you have to do when piloting a Katana is to find good ways to hit your opponent: the rest is unneeded. Lethal mistakes: DON'T wait for the other guy to come to you! With the Katana you must be extremely agressive if you want to survive! With a Katana it would never hurt to use a Head Stomp while you are going down from a jump, as it will prevent the opponent from hitting you.

Robyrt: Shredder is widely considered the best bot in OMF, simply because it's got the craziest combos. Any time you land a headbutt, Flip Kick, or jumpkick, your opponent should die, which is why you should always be fast to maximize your chances of landing one. Strategy is much the same as for Electra: charge in with a jumpkick, headbutt, or flip kick, then either start a huge combo or mix up attacks until the opponent fails to block, then start a Flip Kick mega-combo. The Flying Hands can be hit, but they're still a good keep-away move and set up his infinite combo against slower pilots. Fighting against a Shredder is a simple matter of defeating the Flip Kick and headbutts, then moving in with impunity.

Strategy Guide: Like Jaguar and Chronos, Shredder is a wiry character who must depend on fast moves and quick thinking to keep ahead of his opponent. His regular moves don’t do much damage, so rely on combos and special moves to inflict serious pain.

Matt: The Shredder, while it is probably one of the best rounded ‘bots in the game, doesn’t really excel in any particular area. It has a couple of great Special Moves, some powerful Basic Moves, and looks cool to boot. But, the computer doesn’t seem to respect its cool looks, as it plays against the ‘bot quite well on the higher difficulty levels. However, I’ve been able to find a couple of cracks in the game’s AI to let you win despite the fact that you’re strategically challenged. Most important to remember when using the Shredder is that this ‘bot’s only advantage over the other ‘bots is its virtually unlimited assortment of powerful combos. All of its Special Moves complement each other by being able to work together in one combo.

Crash: Now here's another good robot to handle. The Shredder can do all sorts of amazing moves. He can throw his hands at the enemy making them detachable. He can also use his head if you know what I mean. He can even do a flying kick. A good way to hit your enemy is hold down back and kick at the same time and he will spin on one foot while doing a roundhouse kick. If you hold down back and kick for a certain amount of time, the shredder will do multiple roundhouse kicks. You can also do the shredder's headbutt in the air, pretty cool huh?

Phreaky: The best way to keep an oponent down is the headbutt.. once done try it again very quickly... You can then move and punch low and kick low and then when u retreat try it again. Other good tips are when ur just a milisecond away from being cornered - use the flip kick to escape and fight back. also if an opponent is JUST within range the hands can be used then at best so they act as a deterrent when u send them out. This bot is good for its agility and speed and use these to your advantage.

Robyrt: The hardest robot to learn, the Flail is the most original fighting character I have ever seen. Flail actually has decent combos, but they're very hard to pull off, most requiring a wall throw. Fortunately, with the Slow Chains / Charging Punch lockdown, your opponent will be in the corner a lot. Flail's main weakness is, of course, the air. He is basically helpless against a Gargoyle, since neither his jumpkick nor the crouching short (both excellent defense moves) will protect him from a Diving Claw. Flail has a good sweep, a good slide, and good pokes (df+K and b+P), complementing its two staple moves (the Chains and Charging Punch), both of which serve as good counter moves as well as attacks. Flail is a great defensive bot because of his priority and range, but overusing any of his moves will get you nailed. Just keep them on the ground, chipping away at their life with the Chains, and eventually they'll make a mistake.

Strategy Guide: Flail, like Shadow, takes time to learn and can only be especially effective after much practice. His combos are difficult, but pay off with more damage. The Flail will give an equally matched player a slight advantage against any other mech.

Mr. Flail: In two words, Flail rocks! Armed with a devastating array of special moves which are fairly simple to execute, the key strategy for flail is raw aggression: hit hard, hit often, and hit repeatedly, because if your flail gets caught back in the corner there isn't much he can do but take damage. Since flail must be constantly attacking, it is vulnerable to stunning, and a stunned flail is a sitting duck. Fortunately, the flail is built for just this: raw aggression. :) The Flail may be the only robot in the game that is actually easier to control from the keyboard. Take the time to learn all of the Flail's special move;: they will serve you well if you choose the right one for every situation. The staple move for flail is the slow chain spin. Spin and inch forward, forcing your opponent to either give up ground or status bar. With practice you can keep the chains in almost constant motion, giving you an excellent peimeter sheild, and allowing you to control all of the ground. (You shouldn't ever put your flail in the air! Bricks don't fly.) Be careful not to get swept while spinning. The trick is to keep the battering ends of the flails centered on your opponent's chasis. Use a series of slow chain spins to back your opponent into his corner, then nail him with a charging shadow punch or two (or three). Use a low back kick (looks like an old push-mower) to cover your rear while you back up for charging punches. Finish with a spinning throw, then repeat as neccesary. A well managed flail will dominate every round, indeed it must; for the flail has few good defensive moves. If you find yourself caught in the corner, crouch and repeatedly whack with your forward chain. If your opponent catches you in a combo, you're toast, so don't go there. Better to keep him in his own corner, where you can flog him with impunity.

Hardcoreprogramr (tournament mode: How can anybody not like this lovable outcast? He's got no legs, a pain in the neck to learn, but once you have...look out. A player that knows the Flail is a force to be reckoned with. I just wish I knew how to use it better. There are ways to anti-air with the big guy, just like there's ways to get out of a combo. My favorite AA move is block and do the spin toss. As soon as your opponent is blocked, you can get the motion in, and there's nothing they can do. And like the Thorn, this guy can duck any projectile, making him all the more useful. Then of course, there's Mr. Flail's 'Flog 'em to death" strategy, which works just as well. Hit hard, hit fast, and watch the other guy drop.

Matt: Definitely the oddball of the group, I can imagine the Elams conceptualizing the designs for the Flail after one too many slices of a Meat-Lover’s pizza with extra pepperoni. This ‘bot looks like it could handle anything from smart missiles to heavy indigestion. And it can, too. (I’m guessing on the indigestion part) Although discouraging to learn, the Flail is one of the more interesting, and fun, ‘bots to use. And although he’s hard to use against the instantaneous reflexes of the computer, he’s a blast to use against your friends-turned-enemies in Two-Player Mode. However, to even things up in your battle against unfair AI response time, there are a couple of bugs that you can use to win your personal war against the evil Major.

Crusher: Are you kidding? You WANT to fight with the Flail? I have two words for you...DO NOT! It is really hard to win with and to not lose with (I know, I know it's called One MUST Fall). If do feel the need to fight with the flail or you're doing it on a dare then I guess I can give you some pointers. Do not back into a corner and expect them to come to you so you can hit them. They will kick your butt swiftly and efficiently. Do not block, it wastes time that you could be using to put damage on the other bot. ABSOLUTELY DO NOT JUMP! The flail doesn't jump very high and leaves you VERY vulnerable for attack. Finally do not use punches and kicks as attacks because they just don't do much damage. You're better off to just use the specialty moves.

Crash: With this HAR, you can wrap your chains around the opponent's neck. Like the spinning throw for example, you can also do that in the air. It'll be like dancing. Just whip your enemy with the chains you possess. You can spin with your chains. Depending on whether you press punch or kick after pressing down, the spinning chains are strong if you use the kick button and weaker if you press the punch button. You could even try running your fist into the enemy and WHAM! Your enemy is on the floor.

FPU: Flail: At last, I finally come to the Flail! Man, this lil' dude is AWESOME! (I call it «my woe-bot») I originally chose it because it hits from afar, and I have been in love with it since! First, it can corner large and cumbersome robots (such as a Katana, a Nova, a Thorn etc.), then if they try to move, jump or hit, it can hit them with those cute lil' five-ton chains before they finish their movement! Do try that latter technique against a Gargoyle, too, it works. The Flail has some really good, score-rewarding and EASY combos (that is, if they include his Fast Swinging Chains). An air spinning throw is damn hard to execute, but will certainly reward you. Tactics: You can always connect a Fast Swinging Chain at the end of a combo: it will give you score and more hits. Also, you can always stand at your opponent's feet, in order to do a Spinning Throw just as he gets up. Stand away enough for him not to hit you, though, will you? Lethal mistakes: Use the db+K move with thrift, as it can put you in a REALLY bad place once it reaches the later frames. Also, always keep in mind that, once an opponent is above you, there is nothing you can do to stop him, so quickly get away from under him, so you can hit him when he will be getting down. Lastly, beware of sweeps and jump attacks when you are swinging your chains. If your opponent manages to get above you while you are doing this, you are in for a nasty Diving Claw, Head Stomp, Overhead Throw or whatever. Just make sure you hit them as they are getting up, OK? (Hey, don't the Flail fans just RAVE about this mech?) With a Flail, if the opponent jumps towards you, a Jump Kick would be perfect to knock him out of the skies.

Robyrt: This ruler of the air is also a break from traditional fighting, and the best robot in the game. Just like usual, most of Gargoyle's normal moves are useless (with the exceptions of his fierces and jab), making you rely on the overpowered triangle jump: Rising Talon into Wing Charge into Diving Claw. Rising Talon is the game's best anti-air move, with priority over every other air attack (it goes right through an air Rising Blade), and it beats most ground moves as well. If you miss completely or hit a grounded opponent, cancel into Wing Charge for a fast horizontal attack and combo starter. If that is about to miss or get blocked, tack on a Diving Claw to force them into blocking plus eat almost any retaliation. Most robots have no way to jump against Gargoyle or prevent him from jumping thanks to this. Basically, only Jaguar, Katana and Chronos have even a hope of surviving an air match against the Gargoyle, making it one of the game's best bots. Be careful, though: if your opponent backs you into a corner, Gargoyle has no way to get out.

Strategy Guide: Gargoyle players must be able to think and react quickly. Gargoyle does have a move for every situation, but knowing when to use these moves takes practice. Since his regular moves don’t have great range, every aspect of his special moves must be mastered. His special moves are so powerful that a beginner with Gargoyle will usually beat a beginner using any of the other mechs (mostly by depending on the Diving Talon).

Matt: The Gargoyle is really one of my favorite all around ‘bots to use. This may be because of his unique appearance, differing from anything in all other fighting game out there. Or it may be because all of its moves are easy to learn and no problem to get off in a pinch. But whatever the reason, the Gargoyle is one of the easiest ‘bots to win against the computer with, and one of the hardest to beat when controlled by a quick-fingered friend. Combining a mixture of speed and a great defensive Special Move (Flying Talon), this ‘bot is one of the most fun to use in One Player, Two Player, or Tournament Mode. Be sure to note that you can control the direction of the Gargoyle’s jump by pressing Up & Back or Up & Forward to go, respectively, either Back or Forward while jumping. This is really handy when a change of direction in mid-air is preferrable to landing in your opponents arms.

Crash: Ever wondered what it would be like to fly? Well, here's your chance to get your very own wings, hahaha. Now, as I was gonna say, there is one very easy way to win with the gargoyle. All you could just do is its diving claw. Do it repeatedly until your opponent is finished. But there's one problem... it would be boring wouldn't it? Just charge at em, and talon the crap out of them! And sometimes the diving claw can be blocked so use the gargoyle wisely.

FPU: In six words, use the air to your advantage. The air is your territory, so be constantly there. It is from there that you can release your most effective attacks! The Gargoyle's «melee moves» (I mean punches and kicks) are not to be used that much, but if cornered, be not afraid to use them. Remember, though: not in the offense, definately not in the defense: in the AIR!

Robyrt: Chronos is the only bot that's actually easier against humans (the computer can react instantly to a teleport or phasing). Chronos must be used offensively, but he can easily run and hide from guys like Flail and Gargoyle with the matter phasing and teleport. He is fairly slow, but a good poke (df+K) and a fast combo starter (f+K) allow him to use his slower good moves (jumpkick, b+P, b+K) with impunity. Note that with a fast pilot, Chronos has instant stun combos off b+K, jumpkick, and f+K. Basically, using a Chronos means attacking from all sides until the opponent makes a mistake. Humans in particular have trouble anticipating a Matter Phasing attack or defensive teleport (hold left/right). Great fun, but with only f+K to put him ahead of other combo-friendly bots like Shredder, Gargoyle, and Electra, he's not that great.

Strategy Guide: Chronos, like Jaguar, is easy to use, making him a great mech for beginners. Experienced players will make good use of his teleport and many combos.

Matt: Being much better suited for Two Player games than the vs Computer Modes, the Chronos is a kick to beat your buddies with after you’ve mastered the timing required to use him effectively. Not really excelling in any particular strengths nor garnishing any real flaws in regards to Speed, Power,and Armor, the Chronos is pretty well-rounded, but by no means special either. In regards to One Player & Tournament modes, expect to have more trouble with the computer than you do against your friends using the Chronos. Almost all of its moves require that your opponent doesn’t react immediately; and as you know, this is basically the only defense the computer knows. And on the higher difficulty levels the computer almost always blocks your attacks or thwarts your Teleport by grabbing you before you even finish materializing beside him. There are some ways to cheat the computer, though.

Crash: With this 'bot, you can get away with a lot with your teleportation techniques. But, you can't get away with everything. Sometimes your opponent can hit you while you are phasing. When you press down and punch to teleport, just press left or right as you are teleporting and you'll be able to make a good getaway but not for long. You can't get away all the time with the matter phasing, if your enemy blocks, you get hit unless you do something. So if you chose this HAR, you chose well.

Crusher: Try to use the stasis activator move often so that you can regenerate your stun res often. The bot does take damage easily and so you have to use every opportunity to regenerate. There is no stunning and effective attack moves for the Chronos so use the defensive kicks and punches with one finger on the back key to block. Should your opponent ever get stunned ALWAYS USE defensive moves and jump moves if you have to. Get a good combo in and then get back!

FPU: Chronos: The perfect robot for starters: really easy to perform moves, a two-hit combo just by holding b+K and some quite good ways to «run away». All in all, the perfect way to learn OMF. If you want to learn to fight with it, simply experiment with any move that comes to mind and use the small-scale teleportation to get out of difficult situations like cornerings. You should be able to get some basic lessons about fighting in no time.

Robyrt: The game designers would like you to think Nova is the ultimate robot, but he's seriously lacking in actual combat. The vaunted projectiles are almost useless (except for Mini Grenade as anti-air), and he has the worst combos and throw of any bot, plus his big size and slow speed make him an easy target. Fortunately, he has some good pokes: P, belly flop, sweep and b+P are basically all you need to use on most of offense or defense. Beware, though, Nova has a hard time doing any damage and must make the opponent come to him, since he's slow. Overall, while he's great fun, you could be using Flail or Katana for much the same experience.

Strategy Guide: The pet project of Major Kreissack, Nova is the ultimate fighting machine. An array of range weapons, long-range double-hit regular moves, and the earth shattering Earthquake Smash will make your tournament opponents think twice about their snide remarks.

Matt: If you can’t win with the Nova, then you might want to go back to Karate Champ in your local arcade. But if you prove effective at utilizing raw power, hate racking your brain in an effort to devise brilliant combos, or just like to feel BAD, the Nova will obviously be the ‘bot of choice for you. If the Nova were a weapon in DOOM, it would be a quadruple-barrel Shotgun—not the prettiest of toys, but definitely carrying that feeling of unstoppable destruction. The Nova, when fully rigged, is fast, powerful, & tough. It surpasses all the other ‘bots in terms of basic Attack superiority, Special Move damage, and an almost unlimited number of incredibly powerful combos. Even if you’re the finesse player who prefers the grace and eloquence of motion of the Katana to the brute force of the Thorn, you’ll love using the Nova if for no other reason than to see it smash the top half of your opponent off with sheer strength during its Destruction. All you DOOMers out there have fun!

Crash: With this devastating HAR, you will show your opponents whom is boss. To show them, knock them down on the ground with your horrifying chest slam. Throw a grenade at them and they'll be down. Launch a missile at em and they will feel like complete wimps. But beware, some HAR's might be able to defeat you but with the Nova, your job is to not let that happen. You're the best bot, no other bot is. So even if you are gigantic, it is still possible to be knocked down, and that will make your nova laugh.

Crusher: OUCH! Why anyone (including the computer) would choose a nova is beyond me. It is slow, cumbersome, easy to hit but I guess that it is powerful. The wide amount of projectiles makes it a good bot to just hang back with and shoot. Don't let your opponent get too close when fighting and for goodness sakes DON'T JUMP! A nova airborne is an even easier target than a flail!