The Frontliner Mechanaught. Weapon Highlights. Practice Mode, Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch

Once most Exteel players complete the full range of tutorials and finish a few matches they probably won't want to stick with the Pinkett very much longer. Most players by this time should have enough in-game money (credits) to purchase something new, or at least acquire some different Mechanaught parts.

One of the Mechanaught sets available for a reasonable sticker price is the Frontliner, a medium Mechanaught design that is built for battling other Mechanaughts on the front lines (hence the name) and absorbing greater amounts of punishment. It's a popular purchase among new players, who want to stand and fight the enemy straight-up, rather than run away at the first signs of danger. The heavier armor of the Frontliner means it's a bit more armored than a Pinkett, but the Frontliner has superior energy generating and heat regulation capabilities without really slowing it down. Both the Pinkett and Frontliner have one MPU or Mechanaught Processing Unit, which dictate how many special skills you can equip your Mechanaught with at any one time.

Pilots upgrading from a Pinkett should take note however that the Frontliner does have a durability rating, meaning it'll degrade over time until it is either unusable or gets repaired.

Weapon Highlights
•Poseidon: The C model of this large two-handed underslung cannon is awarded to players for finishing the "Cannon Training" advanced tutorial. It fires large energy rounds at opponents and while the damage may not as great as other two-handed weapons, its ease of use and wide lock-on ability, coupled with a relatively low overheat rating, means it'll be a favorite for starting pilots who wish to yield the really big guns.

•Defender: Defenders belong to a set of non-weapon items that essentially are shields. The Defender itself looks like a police riot shield. While Mechanaughts can be armed with shields, the shield has to actually be in use (that is, you're clicking on the mouse button to bring it up to a shielding position) in order for it to work. Shields absorb damage from incoming fire¡ªthey more they absorb, the more heat they generate until they overheat and become unusable until the heat dissipates. Players commonly use a shield with a melee weapon since at close range it's easy to shield yourself from a melee attack, but other combinations are certainly possible (flag carriers in CTF matches for instance have been known to equip two shields at once).

•Death Hurler: The Death Hurler is a low-cost two-handed weapon similar to the cannon, except it fires high explosive-armed rockets. Rocket launchers have some distinct advantages over cannons as they don't generate as much heat or take as long to reload. Pilots can also fire a rocket launcher while moving or jumping, while cannon users have to remain standing still. The downside is that the rocket launcher requires manual aim; there's no locking on to an opponent, so the pilot must be very accurate when firing. Plus, a rocket launcher doesn't pack nearly as much punch as a cannon.

•Beam Spitter: One of the most popular SMG types in Exteel, the Beam Spitter is an excellent weapon in the hands of even a novice pilot, with exceptional range for an SMG and very good ratings for accuracy and reloading. Many pilots that wind up in close-range battles switch to the Beam Spitter for the kill. Like many SMGs, the Beam Spitter fires a one-second burst at a target with the single pull of the trigger.