• 10/17/14 - Guide first published, still incomplete
  
• 10/19/14 - Added the rest of the Monster strategy section except Terracotta Demon and Cursed Emperor, next update will have a TL;DR section and other tips
  
• 11/7/14 - Finished Teracotta Demon and Cursed Emperor strategies, will add TL;DR section and finish Introduction and other stuff. Promise!
  
• 11/8/14 - Spruced up the formatting on the guide, splitted the basic ZMR points and MVM specific ones into separate sections. Added more info to MVM 101 section.
  
• 11/23/14 - Updated Bodyguard, Juggernaut, Cursed Emperor, Guerilla, Crusader, and Mech sections. The points table in MVM 101 has been updated to correctly reflect the current point system.

Most people step in from playing PVE without being completely familiar with the controls and quirks of the game that carry over to MVM. Here's a few reminders:

• When you backstep (W), you are moving at a slower speed than someone walking towards you.
  
• When you hold a direction key (WASD) and hold down Spacebar/Shift, your character will sprint in the direction of the key you pressed. That means if you hold A + Space, you'll sprint to the left, S + Space = doing a 180 and sprinting in the opposite direction, etc.
  
• For 0-500 Mercs, holding Spacebar/Shift after a dodgeroll will let you sprint automatically after the roll is finished. The last tip about holding a directional key and Spacebar after the roll still applies, so you can technically dodge in one direction and sprint in another immediately. EXTREMELY important to know for kiting.
  
• Melee moves will "track" enemies that you're trying to target. This is both a blessing and a curse, since it makes doing point-blank tackles very simple to do by pressing Mouse1 + Charge, and annoying enemies trying to circle strafe or dodge out of the way will still get hit. However, you become "locked" in a swing with an enemy which can leave you vulnerable. It's extremely difficult to try to swing at a target and then disengage, so plan your fights carefully.
  
• Right-hand advantage is still a thing, though it doesn't play as strong of a factor in this PVP mode. Refer to Fayygo's guide for a more in-depth explanation.

This goes without saying in pretty much any game. Always keep an eye on the minimap and hear for auditory cues of where enemies may be lurking. If you're an Assault class and happen to hear a Broken Bride taking out two of your Scout teammates inside a building, it's probably not a wise idea to venture there alone. If you're a Spearman trying desperately to go for that long range shot on a pesky Cyclone Trooper, and you notice Xs on the minimap nearby and EMP icons on the kill counter, watch your back for a Stealth Bot.

• Keep eyes on the minimap for red dots or Xs from recently killed teammates
  
• Learn the signature audio cues of each class; from skills, grunts, to even footsteps
  
• Check the kill counter to see what class the enemy is using

All of the above should determine what actions you should take while you're active on the map.


This is important not only to check your sick MLG kill/death ratio, but to keep tabs on the classes your teammates are using as well as their total amount of points. Someone going 3/10 as a Scout isn't necessarily feeding on purpose, but probably approaching enough points to save up for a Crusader. You might also want to pick a class on your next spawn that will compliment your team's current lineup, which brings us to our next section.

A well-rounded team is (generally) a better off team. I say generally because communication and situational awareness makes a well-rounded team better off, but lack of communication and poor play will get you stomped by obnoxious enemy lineups. Even though you might want to join the Terracotta Demon brigade, you might actually do your team better going as a support Concubine, or a Cursed Emperor/Bodyguard hanging out in the backline.

Learning counterpicks is extremely essential and can turn the tide of a team battle in the middle of a siege or even a nasty base rape. If there's too many of one certain class running amok, pick a class that is a hard counter to them. The most expensive hero isn't always the most advantageous to use, and even classes that are a tier lower than their enemy counterpart have the advantage or can outright kill them quickly. This will be covered more in depth in class discussion.


Saving points might be a good idea to buy more expensive champions, and you can still contribute by being delicious bait for a potential enemy to walk right into an ambush. 0-500 point Mercenary heroes in particular have insane mobility and can kite nearly every Monster hero with ease if you know how to, while still serving as a nuisance to higher tier threats. As Monsters, it's much more difficult to be bait when the enemy has guns and explosions.

Keep in mind though, this strategy could potentially backfire if the enemy gets fed off of killing lower tier enemies a lot, and further stretch the score gap between the teams. Point scoring from killing enemies or being killed is based upon the class you play as and the enemy class that you kill/were killed by. Let's say you're a Tier 3 Monster such as a Broken Bride and manage to kill one Merc of every single tier in the match. The points you would get from exactly one kill would be as follows:


On paper, it sounds mighty appealing to go after tiers higher than yourself since they fetch far more points per kill. Realistically though, a Broken Bride stands almost no chance of killing a Crusader or Tiger-Class Mech if they pay attention to you. Obviously, a better way of farming points would be to go after Mercs that are much easier to kill. One shot Scouts and Assaults for an easy 600-800 points each, or kill any Cyclone Troopers or Grenadiers for 1000 points if the opportunity presents itself. Just make sure the heavies don't kill you first, since they are more than capable of killing you from range for 1000 points of their own!

When you are in a horrible situation where you find yourself constantly respawning at base and don't stand a chance of scratching the enemy, it's usually wise to keep respawning as a Scout or Soldier at no point cost. The reason is that upper tier enemies farming you won't get as many points for kills due to the larger gap between tiers, you receive more points for dying as a lower tier enemy to higher tiers (unconfirmed), and you're able to save and accumulate more points faster to pick a stronger class that can fight back.

For example, a Merc player who managed to snowball early and picks Crusader is now exploding the Monster spawn solo. The monsters are unable to get enough points to get a T3 or higher class to deal with him. They can either:

• Keep choosing Mongrels, Archers, and Bombers and barely scratch the Crusader at all while giving him 600 points per kill and taking away 500-1000 points for themselves every time they spawn.
  
• Simply just take the beating as a Soldier, giving him only 400 points per kill. They can save enough points faster to pick a Bodygaurd or Juggernaut, both which will give the Crusader a hard time or even kill him instantly.
  
• The Monster team doesn't have to lay down and take the beating just because they're Soldiers. They can burn time leading the Crusader on a wild goose chase around the map, and kill accompanying lower tier Mercs to earn points faster.

This situation will happen on both sides a lot in early game. Good players know how to reverse this quickly, and single handedly turn the battle against the entire enemy team!

One last important tidbit: certain classes that are capable of damaging and killing themselves can abuse this to commit suicide and deny the enemy a ton of points, while still gaining some points for dying. It's an underhanded tactic, but useful to know if you're a higher tier like a Purge Trooper, Warmonger, Crusader, or Tiger-Class Mech.


Just as how it's easy to change the momentum of a battle, it's also important to preserve it! This is a Team Deathmatch game, and the goal is to win by killing more than your enemy can. Camp the enemy base, prey on weaker enemies whenever you can, and stop higher tier enemies from snowballing. If the enemy is not counterpicking against the Terracotta Demon brigade, feel free to join! Don't be coy about playing "fair", bring that Gundam you've been saving up for and rain freedom in the Monster spawn if they let you. Just remember that the enemy will also have the opportunity to play the other faction and do the same to you, but only if you let them. :)

How to play as: Has a surprising amount of utility for a starter hero. You can kite a lot of things and plink at and even kill bigger T3+ enemies, provided they're low on HP and/or conveniently distracted. Don't forget to dodge AWAY from melee attacks, not to the side or you'll likely catch that claw/sword/axe to the face right after.

How to kill: Cannon fodder and kill count/point booster. Can be surprisingly difficult to kill for certain classes due to his mobility, and don't be distracted by an easy kill when bigger targets are looking to ambush you. Broken Brides and Bodyguards easily dispatch any human foot soldiers.




How to play as: Basically a hardier Scout with a sniper rifle and claymore. While claymores probably won't do very much damage against most things running around, they can certainly tip you off to nearby enemies like Broken Brides. Don't stare too hard through the scope for too long, just take quick potshots or you'll get sneaked on.

How to kill: Still extremely vulnerable to Bodyguards and Broken Brides, and even Archers and Spearmen since they have a tendency to stand still.




How to play as: Probably the best all-around class for 500 points since not only does he have a decent assault rifle, but smoke grenades to block vision. Capable of providing minor cc (crowd control) on monsters by slowing them down with automatic fire.

How to kill: Broken Brides and Bodyguards are still the best at killing these guys.




How to play as: The idea of using shotguns up close sounds pretty scary against a mostly melee-centric team, and the fragmentation grenade has the least utility. In return, you get great burst damage that is excellent at killing enemy T1-T2 monsters and Broken Brides that are uncloaked and not close enough to swipe you instantly. You need to learn to roll and bait out attacks then punish with a shotgun blast, a lot.

How to kill: Same as above. Needs to get closer than others to maximize his damage, but can dish out more damage between rolls so be wary.




How to play as: The major selling point of this hero is that he can see those pesky Broken Brides. Other than that, it might be difficult to go after any T3 and higher monsters not just because he has to get fairly close (and you don't want to get close to T3 monsters), but the difficult nature of hitting strafing targets with the flamethrower. Purge Troopers are mostly for spamming Firebombs for some small aoe denial and dot damage. Spam them at corners and in high traffic areas where enemies are concentrated. Purge Troopers can also apply some CC by slowing targets within range of his flamer.

How to kill: A Purge Trooper without cover to strafe behind is extremely vulnerable to Spearmen and Bodyguards, and Archers to a slightly lesser degree. If you're meleeing him, do not run in a straight line towards him.




How to play as: The annoying Warmongers in PVE are equally as annoying in MVM. While they are thankfully not capable of map-wide long shots with their grenade launchers, they are still devastating and capable of being a one-man siege against an entrenched group of monsters. Make use of walls nearby your enemies and use the splash to damage them, and mind gaps under walls that will let you damage monsters hiding behind them (e.g. wall in front of Dominion spawn). Stay near teammates, since you'll attract a lot of heat and have no good way to deal with people at point blank.

How to kill: Grenadiers that over extend their position are vulnerable to nearly every T3 and above. If they are unable to land shots nearby walls and floors for splash damage, they can be dealt with at range by Bodyguards and Spearmen.




How to play as: These guys are quite a force to be reckoned with. Shields will obviously block all ranged attacks except Bomber bombs and Bodyguard poisonballs, and while they are not impervious to melee damage from the front, they do have a very high damage reduction in effect. Abuse this as much as you can against all monsters; you're even capable of (sometimes) soloing Terracotta Demons in a brawl! Most smart monsters will be forced to flee or kite you if they see you charging in, so use that to your advantage to help support your ranged allies.

How to kill: Juggernauts will one shot them with a charge that is on low cooldown, and Bodyguards can kite and slowly blind them to death. Most people think Terracotta Demons can easily kill them if they're stunned, but the melee damage reduction seems to apply as long as the mouse camera of the player is facing directly towards the enemy, regardless of where the character model is facing. Cursed Emperors will flat-out one shot them from range with their Infernal Blast if they're not sprinting away.




How to play as: Just like the Grenadier, they're not really capable of accurate fire and won't do that much damage beyond close range. Up close though, they are quite deadly and can apply a debilitating slow CC that will force nearly all monsters to a halt. Almost any monster that tries to charge directly at you will either die or take tons of damage.

How to kill: Still vulnerable to T3 monsters in certain situations. If you're a Terracotta Demon, teleport behind them or in a blind spot and pray they're not smart enough to run in the opposite direction as soon as they hear the teleport. Otherwise, you will be solo'd.

How to play as: This hero is ridiculous, basically a Broken Bride on steroids at twice the cost. T1-2 monsters, Broken Brides, and Concubines will HATE you if you do your job well, and you can still be a massive pain the ass to everyone else due to your amazing mobilty. Your cloaking won't perfectly camouflage you or hide your mechanical stomping, but you also gain sprinting speed in ALL directions. That means you can instantly sprint sideways or even backwards without having to hold down spacebar. The juking potential on this character is high, you're still fairly tanky enough to absorb a couple of hits, and swift enough to take out a target and get out quickly. I've managed to kill several Concubines and Broken Brides trying to hide with T3s and Terracotta Demons for safety, while the latter desperately chase me around their spawn. Your EMP blast has some AOE and can also "track" targets like a melee attack; useful for catching cloaked Brides, but can get you in trouble if a Bodyguard or Spearman turns his back. Remember that direct hits with an EMP blast will one shot any T1-2 monsters and Brides, but T3 monsters require two direct hits to kill. Concubines only require an additional slap on the booty after a successful EMP blast to finish her off.

How to kill: Any T3 monster can dispatch these guys if they focus on one, but it'll be a pain. Bad Stealth Bots that move predictably can be whittled down by Bodyguards and Spearmen, and instakilled by Juggernauts. DO try to engage in a melee fight with them if possible, and you'll usually win 4/5 times. They are also vulnerable to Terracotta AOE stuns. Keep an eye on teammates that the Stealth Bot will go after, especially Concubines.




How to play as: This guy can be either terrifying or laughably incompetent, depending on if you can land his charges. Most of the Juggernaut strats (melee locking, wall sliding) work here too. Keep throwing down Constructed Fragbots for them to seek out the nearest unfortunate target, including cloaked Broken Brides. Against Terracotta Demons, Centurions have an even fight: he can oneshot/do serious damage with a charge, but if the Terracotta Demon lands his stun, it's over for the Centurion. Still considered a viable counter to Terracotta Demons, but obviously don't get too close and be outplayed.

How to kill: Centurions are extremely vulnerable to being kited around support beams, rocks, and buildings. Juggernauts are also capable of dealing with them through a 1 charge/1 slap combo, which will outright kill a full hp Centurion. Terracotta Demons can kill these guys if they land their stun, but kill the Centurion IMMEDIATELY or he'll mash his charge and his entire body will become a lethal hitbox. Concubines aren't really a hard counter but they can take Centurions on an endless game of tag, and obstruct their charges with ghosts.




How to play as: Like the Grenadier, but now capable of accurate fire and even tankier with a shield that's deployable. I don't even think writing a lengthy strategy for this guy is necessary, just don't get too cocky and overextend where you can get assassinated by a random Juggernaut or permanently blinded by 2 Bodyguards. Obviously don't let anything a Terracotta Demon get close, or he'll break your shield and then take you down in a couple of hits after. One other thing to note is that enemies that pass through the shield get damaged; not that much, but enough for them to notice that running back and forth through it will hurt.

How to kill: One of the biggest bullies in MVM ever. An enemy team going multiple Crusaders must be dealt with promptly and not be allowed to snowball; use a combination of Bodyguards, Juggernauts, and Terracotta Demons to take them down. Juggernauts in particular make nice, cheap disposable Crusader killers if they are able to get up close. I've seen some people actually go Spearman and bait the Crusader into a melee battle, which is hilariously effective if the Crusader is dumb enough to get his shield shattered and tries to punch back. I do not recommend this because you're bound to take a ton of damage while closing the gap, and most Crusaders are perfectly comfortable shooting rockets point blank to kill you and themselves (therefore denying you the kill).




How to play as: You've accumulated enough points to buy this Gundam? The enemy team is really in trouble now. You've got an accurate minigun on the left, and a howitzer cannon on the right. Yes, it does matter where the guns are positioned, especially if you're firing from cover. It ain't easy being large, so smaller enemies might be more difficult to deal with at point blank; mash your stomp on anything with the healthpool of a Broken Bride or less if they are close (unconfirmed if the stomp aoe can also hit through walls). While you might feel invincible piloting this thing, you're also quite vulnerable to being ganged up on by multiple T3s and Terracotta Demons, so have some T3+ teammates of your own to support you.

One very useful tip that will make Monsters hate you is that the Mech is tall enough to shoot his minigun accurately through windows. The shattered horizontal blinds will allow you to peek inside the center pagoda and outside, while keeping you safe from nearly every monster ranged attack. Controlling this area is key if there are too many T3+ monsters reducing your effectiveness!

How to kill: There's only two situations where this guy shows up: either one of the enemy team is super fed, or one guy has been dying repeatedly as a Scout or Assault the entire round to save up for this guy. If it's the former, you're in hopelessly deep ♥♥♥♥ and pray that you or your teammates are fed enough themselves to go after him. In either situation, it requires a bit of teamwork to take one down. In most cases, the mech will outright kill anyone in a 1v1 so you'll need Bodyguards to blind him, Terracotta Demons to teleport in/stun and smack him, Spearmen to take potshots at him, and Juggernauts as a cheap burst damage source if they somehow manage to get close.

How to play as: This poor guy. He's capable of one shotting Scouts and two shotting Snipers/Assaults/Guerillas, but he needs to close the gap to do anything. Make your movements erratic and zig zag towards targets, try to flank through unmonitored areas and use teamwork take down Scouts and T2 soldiers. Do not sprint alongside a fellow Soldier when going after a hostile Scout, since you want him to turn his back on the other monster or on you. Smarter players will either take out one of you and turn around if they're good enough, or roll back and sprint away to keep you and your teammate in his field of view. Be very careful of being pistol whipped, since that usually means a death sentence by Deagle shot to the face right after. You can counter that by meleeing slightly earlier, but if the Scout dodges away, you'll be melee locked and running at a lower speed while he could potentially score a couple of shots on you.

How to kill: Come on now, you really need advice on how to kill this guy? If you're a Scout, don't try to fight more than one at a time and keep a healthy distance. Don't be an idiot and try to randomly pistol whip or roll to the side and not directly away, or you'll be slapped.




How to play as: Despite being a suicide bomber-type class, this pup is meant for sneaky flanks and back biting, not aggressive charging. His melee lunges him forward a bit but seems to lack "tracking" capability. Although you're a smaller and faster than a Soldier, you still have roughly the same HP and vulnerable to nearly everything. Funny as hell if you can sneak up a couple of soldiers or maybe a bigger guy that's about to die, but I usually avoid playing this class unless I'm messing around. I'm not sure if the MVM version of the Mongrel is similar to PVE suicide bombers where killing them will make them explode for less damage than letting them manually detonate. I've seen a couple of people who would rather bite as much as they can before being shot, while others prefer to self-detonate and not give the enemy points.

How to kill: He'll only give you trouble if you're a T1-2 merc. Simply run for help to other players if he gets too close and you aren't able to gun it down. Most people keep playing this guy to save points, but he's also notorious for being a horrible feeding class. Take advantage of that and farm as many points from dogs as possible.




How to play as: A pretty basic ranged monster that is more accurate with his arrow the longer he aims. You can oneshot Dominion T1-2s but it's actually quite difficult to hit them since your slower arrows can be easily dodged. Feel free to take potshots at any stationary human foot soldiers, along with chunking off the HP of any Merc T3s you see. If any foot soldiers try to close the gap to get easier shots, don't forget that you still have a melee attack that is functionally identical to the Soldier's.

How to kill: Can be killed even by Scouts for extra points if the Archer lacks cover and can't hit you. Extremely vulnerable to explosive spam, and Shock Troopers can completely block their shots.




How to play as: Your first monster class capable of ranged AOE. Dodging bombs is harder than dodging arrows, but this class comes at a 1000 points. Again, stick to cover since you're not that much tankier than the classes that precede you, and either kite away or pimpslap any foot soldier that is within melee range.

How to kill: Same as the Archer, but can give T1-2s a harder time due to explosive splash damage. I personally don't like this class since he's still able to be dodged and charged by aggressive Scouts and Assaults/Guerillas. Be wary if you're a Shock Trooper, since a smart Bomber could kite you slowly to death.




How to play as: Difficult to play well, but extremely effective when so. Unlike Stealth Bots, your cloaking gives you perfect invisibility and you also walk silently, but you have a much stricter cloaking time and regeneration. Save your cloaking when you want to close the gap to an enemy without being seen, and preferably approach them in an angle where they can't retaliate immediately. T1-2s are easy pickings, but T3s require 2 hits to kill and are tough to deal with if they're wary. Always try to keep your presence to a minimum, don't sprint out in the open, and be conscious of the noise you make when slapping and cloaking.

How to kill: Stupid sexy Brides will feed themselves considerably while giving your team hell if not kept in check. They are incredibly vulnerable to T3s if they are actively hunted and not within swatting range. Contrary to what some people will conclude from the in-game descriptions, Purge Troopers are not a hard counter to Brides and are useful only for spotting and flushing them out. If your team has only T1-2s to deal with them, stay close to each other in wide open areas but spread far enough so that you all don't get chain swatted. Assaults and Guerillas are probably the best for dealing with them, since they can provide slowing and burst damage respectively.




How to play as: The other bully of MVM, Bodyguards are notorious for ranged AOE blinds and dot damage. You won't kill T3+ enemies quickly, but you're more than capable of literally annoying them to death, and you can also dispatch foot soldiers from range very easily. Play them like Bombers and stick to cover constantly, even if you are considerably tanky. Keep applying pressure on enemies, which means even chasing down T3+ enemies who are fleeing from you, and kite people who are pursuing you with a vengeance. An incredibly important asset to any Monster team.

One very important bug to remember is that Cursed Emperor auras will literally make your poison balls vanish in thin air. When you see a shield icon circling around your character, it seems to completely cancel where your poison balls are chucked. Be mindful if an Emperor is hanging out nearby and refrain from popping out of cover to throw balls, since you're as useless as a giant Soldier.

How to kill: Expect to see this guy, a lot. It's not easy to dispatch a good Bodyguard, and trying to deal with a team full of them plus Concubines is hell. Greater pressure has to be returned to prevent them from disrupting your team, and it must come with teamwork. Purge Troopers stacking incendiary grenades on a corner could discourage Bodyguards from using it, Grenadiers have longer range and splash damage of their own, a Shock Trooper bruteforcing his way in will force one to kite away, and even Cyclone Troopers can kill them if Bodyguards lack cover and can't melee. Stealth Bots can't combo them quickly to death, but 2 direct hits from an EMP ball will kill them, forcing Bodyguards to keep an eye out for them. Crusaders can deal with them beyond the range of their poisonballs, and can lay down shields to protect themselves, but you won't be killing them quickly. Centurions are your best bet at eliminating Bodyguards fast, so don't miss your superman punches!

How to play as: Another difficult class to master, but extremely deadly if you can. Any Dominion trooper unlucky enough to be caught its tackle will either be instantly killed (Stealth Bots and below) or have a disgusting amount of HP taken off. While people usually don't flock to this guy since he's easily kited by the majority of the enemy team, you are a massive threat to Shock Troopers, Centurions, and Crusaders. Centurions and UNSHIELDED Crusaders will not die from a single charge, but just need a slap right after to kill them. Shielded Crusaders will need additional hits to kill, so avoid charging one from the front and go for flanks/back hits if you can.

A neat trick that can catch people off guard is sliding along the edge of a wall and right into an enemy opponent. For instance, you find yourself hiding inside the middle building from a Cyclone Trooper (a counter to your class) not too far away. Running outside the door, aiming yourself at the guy, and charging would most likely be a fatal mistake. If you position your character so that he charges against the wall, slides across it, and suddenly lurches outside the building, you have a chance of instantly killing the Cyclone Tooper without taking much damage. I'll put up a video or drawing to better illustrate this tactic later.

Another tip to help you land your charges is to melee lock an opponent and perform the tackle after. Simply slap and the camera will track your target, then charge.

How to kill: Cyclone Troopers will grind Juggernauts to a halt, and can simply strafe away while killing them. Assaults and Guerillas are a very cheap option as well and are better kiters, but you won't be killing them as fast. Centurions can also still oneshot with their own charge, but try to avoid butting heads or it'll make your 6000 point investment dead or at 10% HP. I've been told by some that charging after your opponent will beat their charge without taking damage, but I've had mixed results.




How to play as: Another relatively simple class, but still difficult to do well. Snipe any unfortunate T1-2 that's standing still, but you also want to prioritize T3s and Centurions. Forget about fighting Shock Troopers and Crusaders, but definitely take a shot at them if they're exposed. You don't go down easily in a melee brawl like the Shock Trooper since your shield not only blocks most bullets, but also reduces melee damage taken from the front. However, this only helps solely against Shock Troopers and will not help you with charging Centurions and EMP backstabbing Stealth Bots.

How to kill: Still extremely vulnerable to explosives. However, Grenadiers aren't capable of accurate fire while Spearmen are, so be careful engaging one. Shock Troopers can block spears and force them to flee or melee, but you can't do much more than that. Crusaders are the best at dealing with them since they can block spears and return accurate rocket fire back. Centurions work too, but be prepared to eat a couple of spears to the face.




How to play as: An upper tier support class that has the ability to spam AOE heals. Very useful for siege situations, since you can keep Bodyguards, Spearmen, Terracotta Demons, and Cursed Emperors topped off and forever immortal if the humans can't break through. Your spammable ghosts must be held down fully and not be interrupted by enemy fire to cast. Even though you're a fragile support class, don't be afraid to run in and catch T3s and below off guard. Your slaps are just as potent as a Bride's, you can hit much faster than her, and you're noticeably more tanky and can heal yourself back up. Obviously don't charge in on a T3 trooper waiting for you, and be extremely wary of Stealth Bots hunting you. Stay near teammates that will keep an eye on you.

Your healing totem not only heals, but damages enemies who stand in it. Be clever about where to place them, since the AOE is constant and goes through walls. You can heal allies and damage enemies without having to put yourself in the middle of the battle or line of sight.

How to kill: Stealth Bots absolutely destroy Concubines that are unguarded, only needing an EMP/slap combo to kill them from full HP. Any lone Concubines should be a priority target for them. Otherwise, Concubines are actually weak in direct confrontations with T3 enemies or higher, provided they aren't within slapping distance and easily kited. Be wary of ghosts she'll keep sending your way, since they are the equivalent of Soldiers in terms of HP and damage they dish out. Conveniently for Concubines, ghosts also function as meatshields that can block bullets or attacks (Centurion charge). Don't be stupid and chase a Concubine around a wall while constantly soaking in her healing totem AOE.




How to play as: Scary, but not quite as easy to play as the Merc equivalents. Your teleport has a very short cooldown and can travel large distances, and even past staircases and balconies. Unlike the PVE version, you lack a charge so you must rely on your teleporting to close the gap quickly to an enemy. Since 90% of the entire Merc team is ranged, you are going to take a serious amount of abuse if you hang within their line of sight for too long. Play like a Stealth Bots and move in undetected quickly, take out an enemy or two, and dart out as quickly as possible.

Your F key activates an AOE stun around your character, and is a great asset for taking on heavier foes. It has a long cooldown, and missing it usually means taking a tremendous amount of damage or certain death. Playing a Terracotta Demon well depends on how often you can teleport, land stuns, and avoid damage. If you can't do any of these, you're basically a free 1000+ point kill for the enemy team.

Go after any stationary targets that pose a significant threat to your team from range; that means prioritizing Grenadiers, Crusaders, and Tiger Class Mechs. You can go after Centurions as well, but land your stun and kill quickly, or they'll mash their rocket punch and do 90% of your hp instantly.

How to kill: Extremely vulnerable to to a very cheap and very effective hard counter, Cyclone Troopers! Bait their teleport, run in the opposite direction away from their stun radius, and hold down Mouse1 to win! Tiger Class Mechs can do the same thing too! Shock Troopers can also tank quite a few hits from the front and will kill TC Demons if they are wounded; stunning a Shock Trooper is useless since all he needs to do is keep the screen facing towards a circle strafing Demon, and the melee damage reduction will still kick in. Centurions have an even fight against these guys and have the mobility advantage, just don't get stunned and make sure the TC Demon is wounded enough for your charge to oneshot.

How to play as: The main thing to know about this guy is that he has nothing in common with his Merc equivalent. He can actually have a hard time fighting kiters, can be easily solo'd by something as lowly as a Cyclone Trooper, and desperately needs the support of Concubines and other teammates to heal and keep pressure off of himself and back to the enemy team. With that in mind, it's not always a good idea to instantly pick him the moment you have 16k points.

When is the best time to play him?

• The enemy team is playing safe and fighting from afar, yet refuses to push in beyond a simple siege. Scattered skirmishes and flanking are not happening or very rare, and the ones who are do not pose a significant threat to you or your team (T4+ Mercs).
  
• There are multiple Crusaders, Warmongers, and other various enemies concentrated in a general area.
  
• You have multiple T3+ monsters and Concubines to support you, or at least distract the enemy.
  
• Your team is parked just outside/inside the Merc spawn and is in the middle of base raping them.

When any combination of these factors are occurring, it's time to let 'er rip!

Your main method of killing is your Infernal Blast, the skill on your right mouse button. For it to activate and instantly kill anything Crusader/Centurion or less, enemies must be highlighted and within range and field of vision. I'm not sure if charging it has any effect on the range and size of the Infernal Blast, but it does allow you to acquire more targets if they happen to wander within range. After a few seconds, blades will erupt from the ground under highlighted enemies, and if they're not fully sprinting away, the blade will kill them. The potential for this monster to instantly annihilate groups of heavies is massive, but this same strength becomes his greatest weakness when he's dueling an individual who can simply run away from the Infernal Blast and turn around to shoot him again.

You've also got a chargeable melee that has extended range and damage the longer you hold it. The range can be surprising and catch people off guard, and can even hit across fences but NOT through solid walls (I'll provide a screenshot example later to illustrate this). If there is an enemy just around the corner trying to sneak hits before hiding, approach the corner while charging the sword. If he's dumb enough to strafe out again and isn't a healthy distance away, he'll either get oneshotted or have a considerable amount of health chopped right off. This is the only way Emperors can "duel" individual Mercs who aren't clueless and will not stand still to let a flaming sword shoot up their butts.

One final note: keep in mind that your presence will render most Bodyguards nearby useless, since the defense buff screws with the poison ball. Try to keep away from Bodyguard teammates so they can continue blinding, while you can still Infernal Blast the enemy team.

How to kill: Initiate fights with him when he's unaccompanied. He's not very hard to kill with a variety of Mercs able to harass him to death at range, and even Shock Troopers can give him a lot of grief up close before they go down. Centurions make great mobile Emperor assassins, since two rocket punches will end his reign prematurely. If that Emperor is being supported by a smart team full of Concubines, Bodyguards, Spearmen, etc and is committing systematic genocide in your base...

If the fight is on neutral ground, take out the Emperor's key supports before going after him. Get a Stealth Bot and swiftly eliminate his Concubine healers, and force away or kill his Bodyguards and Spearmen up close and afar. Engage him in the open, a healthy distance away from him and your own teammates, and do not try to force yourself around a corner with an Emperor waiting with a charged sword. And most importantly, DO NOT STAND STILL OR MOVE SLOWLY WHEN HE ACTIVATES INFERNAL BLAST!!!