Mission Force: Cyber Storm

Herc Base
Herc Management 
Most games encourage you to be frugal with your finances, not so Cyber Storm 
where the golden rule is: if in doubt, splash out. Theres really no point in keeping 
money in the bank, when an extra Herc or more advanced weaponry could make 
all the difference where it really counts, out on the battlefield. Spend, spend, 
spend!

Buying and Outfitting Hercs
Theres really nothing complicated about purchasing new machines, simply aim to 
get the biggest and hardest Hercs as soon as is humanly possible. When the 
Demon, Reaper and Juggernaut become available, youll find that adding just a 
single one of these machines will increase the power of your Herc force 
exponentially.

Herc Upgrades
Okay, so its all very well lashing out fifty thousand credits on a brand new, 
custom built Herc, but you can save money and substantially improve the 
performance of your existing team, by making sure their internal structures and 
systems are up to scratch.
Money is always a consideration, so you should work out a rough order of priority 
when it comes to upgrading your machines. On the defensive side, armour and 
shields should probably be your first concern, after all, youll need to survive in 
order to prosper. However, try and improve your reactor rating as soon as 
possible, as this will significantly raise power levels and weapons potential across 
the whole spectrum.
Sensors are a vital component of any Hercs make-up and every machine should 
be outfitted with the best sensor package available. Targeting computers and 
improved life support make relatively cheap and effective acquisitions, while 
reinforced legs will substantially aid your chances of er, well, remaining standing.
Hardpoint accessories are the fluffy dice and go-faster stripes of the Herc world, 
those optional added extras which can turn the tide of any battle and you should 
definitely take advantage if youve got cash to burn. As a rule, cannon and missile 
heavy Hercs should always carry a supply drone as theyre relatively ammo 
intensive and can often need a reload during heavy fighting. When nano-
technology becomes available, make sure all your premier Hercs have a package 
fitted as standard. Stealth and ECM systems are also extremely handy on bigger 
Hercs such as the Demon, Reaper or Juggernaut which naturally draw more 
enemy fire.

Weapons
Its difficult to be dogmatic about which weaponry you should fit on individual 
Hercs and indeed, endless experimenting with payload is one of the finer aspects 
of the game, so just enjoy! However herere some general guidelines: Buy the best 
of everything. Have a look in your weapons bay, if theres a more expensive 
option, it will usually be worth it and a quick right click will reveal the gory 
details. New weapons which become available as a result of increases in rank are 
particularly exciting to the easily impressed and should be fitted immediately. If 
not sooner.
Individual Hercs will probably specialise in a particular kind of weapons package, 
but a balanced machine which mixes several different types of payload is usually 
the most effective in combat. Beware of making your bigger Hercs totally reliant 
on weapons such as Energy or ELF which run off the battery, as you might not be 
able to muster sufficient power to fire them all in one round. 

The Bioderm Business
Bioderms are the weird, protoplasmy things which pilot your Hercs. A strange lot, 
they require some fairly detailed management, but manipulating Derms 
successfully is a key strategy for success as a Herc Commander.
When youre creating Derms from scratch in the Biovat, you should obviously 
aim for quality, and lifespan and price are key considerations. Secure Derms 
which have longevity and youll be able to build up their skills and experience 
which in later missions, will produce pilots of ace status. Remember, theres little 
or no point in investing money in a Derm which wont last the distance. 
Next, consider the Derms base skills, and more importantly its learning curves. 
VR training is essential to realise a Bioderms full potential and its a very cost 
effective way of turning average Derms into reasonable pilots and good Derms 
into absolute killing machines! Youll notice that some Derms, because of their 
parentage and history, are adept at certain weapons skills. Wherever possible you 
should try and match them with appropriate Hercs. For example the Tarsus Derm 
is tailor-made for the Giant Herc, because of its superhuman cannon skills. 
Beware of Derms which have low stability and slight resistance to toxins, they 
wont handle the heat of battle too well.
Take special care of the Guest Star Bioderms such as Vryl, Tarsus and Qabal 
which accompany your promotions. They usually come with exceptional or 
enhanced abilities and will often be able to play a pivotal role in the operation of 
your Herc force. 

Financial Rewards
Running a Herc squad for Unitech is an expensive business and requires copious 
amounts of the folding stuff to keep the machines rolling. However, generating 
sufficient cash shouldnt be too difficult if you choose your missions carefully and 
complete them successfully. 

Your primary source of income comes from completing tasks for Unitech, so 
select your missions with this in mind. Remember the highest payers will 
undoubtedly entail more risk, but youll find the rewards are much greater, not 
least in the amount of bounty generated by Cybrids you destroy.
 
After youve cleared the map of enemy forces hang around and sweep up any 
spare surface ore with your mining extractors. As well as gaining a percentage of 
the profits from automining, this additional revenue will go directly into your 
coffers. 
 
Be patient! Theres no shame in taking lower risk mining or reconnaissance duties 
and gradually building up your wealth and forces until youre able to tackle 
military missions. Likewise, the Cybrid Command Centre mission in each system 
will require a substantial investment in advanced Bioderms and Hercs. 

On the Battlefield
Mission Preparation
Good preparation is essential for successful missions and you should study 
planetary briefings carefully and take account of local conditions before settling 
on the final combination of your team. Be cautious of accepting missions on 
planets which negate some of your weapons advantage or encourage premature 
ageing in your Derms. Always select a Herc team which will take maximum 
advantage of planetary conditions.

Force Selection
Its tempting to lay all your eggs in one basket and go for the heaviest, most 
powerful Hercs available but in fact, most successful Herc teams are a 
combination of various types of specialist unit. Scouts are absolutely vital, 
functioning as your eyes on the battlefield and you should use lightweight Senseis 
and Shadows which are stripped for speed in this role. If you know the 
composition and armament of Cybrid forces well in advance, youll have plenty of 
time to organise your own battle formation. By all means deploy the heaviest 
firepower available, but complement it with appropriate supporting forces.

Combat Tactics
Defensive Ploys
Hercs definitely benefit from strength in numbers, so keep your main force 
together and able to support each other with overlapping fields of fire. By 
displaying multiple targets to the Cybrids, you should weaken their overall 
firepower and enable stronger Hercs shields to cover their weaker brethren.
When engaged in combat, constantly tweak and modulate your individual Hercs 
shield harmonics, concentrating strength in the directions where youre likeliest to 
come under sustained fire. Beware of being caught on the blind side though, 
small, fast Cybrids like the Verminus can nip in behind you and deliver a 
devastating attack on weakened rear shields.

On the Attack
When on the offensive, concentrate your forces fire onto a single enemy at a 
time, bringing multiple weapons to bear which will rapidly wear down their 
shields and armour. Target smaller Cybrids especially, since they usually carry an 
equivalent payload to their bigger stablemates, but are more vulnerable to 
sustained fire. Remember, its always better to take out a single Cybrid per round, 
rather than just damaging several, because it reduces overall Cybrid firepower and 
increases your own chances of survival. 
Once youve actually closed within firing range, keep moving and try to 
manoeuvre so that youre aiming for the weakest side of your opponents shields. 
Use weapon loads which deplete shields first, then, once youve created a breach, 
pour fire into the exposed armour. Weapons which affect both shields and armour 
and weapons which ignore shields completely can be devastating.



Top five management tips

1. Promotion is the passport to all those groovy new Hercs, technologies and 
Derms. Obtaining an 80% + ranking for missions will substantially increase your 
promotion chances.

2. Be ruthless about selling off redundant Hercs and equipment and returning 
Bioderms to the sludge, to fund your new forces. Upgrade everything, constantly!

3. Keep an eye on your Derms between missions and use the Medvat universal 
heal and detox functions to keep them fresh for the next battle.

4. Bioderms with naturally high command abilities should be nurtured carefully, 
as they can alleviate the worst effects of  instability in lesser team mates.

5. You can also employ the old trick of naming Derms after your mates or people 
you know, to increase familiarity with their abilities. This is especially important 
after you get to Squad Leader rank, when you can own more Bioderms than 
Hercs.


Top Herc combat tips
1. Speed is everything on the battlefield, it doesnt matter how heavily armed or 
powerful your Hercs are, if they cant be in the right place at the right time. If 
youre having problems getting your bigger Hercs to the front line, monitor their 
speed in the Herc bay and change configuration, or use Overdrive and AG 
systems to compensate. 
2. Derms with good Piloting skills reduce the amount of reactor power required to 
perform movement. Good pilots will be able to cover greater distances and deploy 
more firepower and therefore should be reserved for your hardest Hercs.
3. Terrain plays a key role in combat in Cyber Storm and you should try and make 
terrain work for you. Crouching in canyons or behind hills at the end of your 
movement phase will reduce the chances of being hit by enemy fire. 
4. Small, nippy HERCs such as the Shadow or Sensei can be held back behind 
your front line but are good at darting in to deliver the coup de grace to exposed 
targets, once your bigger guns have worn them down. Make sure you leave 
enough energy left to retreat to a position of safety afterwards though.
5. Although its usually best to deliver your full payload in a single round, if 
Cybrids are out of range or present poor targets, reserve some of your weapons 
for return fire 
6. Jackup and Stimgland should be used cautiously, especially on unstable Derms. 
With prudent Derm selection and appropriate training, your chances of hitting a 
target should be good enough anyway without the meagre 6% increase in 
accuracy. If you must indulge, have a Bioderm with good leadership qualities on 
hand to stop them going crazy during cold turkey.
7. Always angle your shields towards your target before firing. Otherwise you 
might find that a Cybrid thats set to return fire could deal you a very nasty 
surprise indeed.
8. Are you fed up with recycling, old, unwanted Bioderms back into the sludge 
tank? Why not try sending them off with a bang? Suicide tactics can be incredibly 
effective against massed Cybrid forces. Sneak a fast, cheap Herc fitted with a 
detonation device into the midst of the enemy, press the button and watch the fun. 
