Warhead/Walkthrough

These are the on-screen notifications you will receive during gameplay.
 * PwS (Proceed with Sortie): Announciator seen in the beginning of each mission. Press L to begin mission.
 * NOr (New Orders received): Press M to see new orders.
 * FMO (Fresh Message Outstanding):Same
 * IcM (Incoming Missile II):

Mission 1
This is the first mission and therefore training task; simply launch and follow orders.

Press M to see your orders then F to return to the main view. Now press L to launch.

As soon as you launch you get a new FMO, press M to see the orders to take the ship away from SolBase. Press F to resume and just left-click the mouse to gain some speed and fly outside. Try not to lose sight of the SolBase.

Soon a new FMO will appear, to return and stop near the outermost Navig Marker. Press F to resume and 9 for full stop, and try to navigate towards the SolBase so that you have the Navig Markers in your sights. Point the outermost with your crosshairs and press Space to select it (perhaps it will help to press Z and zoom-in). Now simply press 6 to autofly there. Once the craft stops press left-click a few times to approach it and receive your next orders, to dock with the base.

Now the tricky part (which must be repeated in every mission) is to approach the base keeping in alignment with the markers. Simply try to thrust forward until you are close enough. Perhaps it could help if you press 5 and approach the base with short thrusts (briefly clicking the mouse) and correct your course as you go. If you are sure that you are approaching in a straight angle, press 1 and click the mouse once so that you approach slowly the hangar. Once you are close enough, the auto-docking sequence will be enabled. If you aren't aligned correctly, you will simply crash onto the base.

Make sure that you get used to this procedure as it will be repeated in every mission.

Mission 2
In this mission the craft is supplied with a quad-space drive which you must test by jumping to Earth.

Press M to see your objectives, then F to resume and L to launch.

You don't need to navigate in this mission at all. Once you are outside, press S to access the solar system chart. Either find and click on the planet of the 3rd orbit or (more simply) press Space and type Earth. Once Earth is selected, directly press Q to jump.

Now you are transported to Earth orbit. There is nothing there to do other than observing a tech ship. You receive a message that you must return to SolBase. Again press S and now either locate the SolBase or Space and type Solbase. Again press Q.

Locate the SolBase in your sights and perform the docking procedure.

Mission 3
In this mission you are equipped with Stinger Missiles; you are to quad to Deimos, test your missiles against an asteroid and return.

Press M to see your orders, F to resume, L to launch. Once out, press S for the Sol system chart, and Space to type "Deimos". Once you lock on, press Q.

Pres M to receive new orders to fire at will, and F to resume. Luckily the asteroid (along with a couple of tech-ships) will be on sight. Mark on the asteroid and press Space to lock. Then press F2 to deploy all your missiles against it. Once you deploy all 6, press M to receive your orders to return to SolBase. Press S for chart, Space and type SolBase. Press Q to transport, and perform docking procedure.

Mission 4
You are equipped with a Mass-Driver Cannon which you are to test near Venus.

Once out, lock on Venus and press Q.

When you arrive you will have a new message. You should have some tech-ships and a Dummy Target on your sights. Lock on the target with Space, although not necessary, and waste all your ammo with Enter. You then receive a new message to return to Base.

Mission 5
In this mission you must travel to Io and test the Pilot Recovery Module. You are equipped with 10 MD and 4 Stings.

Travel to Io. Once there receive the new orders with M and F to resume. Simply press ESC to deploy the PRM and you automatically are returned to the Base.

Mission 6
After training, this is the first "real" mission. You are to patrol near Mercury. You have 12 MD, 10 Stings and 4 Data Gathering Missiles.

Once out, travel to Mercury. Wait a bit. It seems that the area is quiet so wait until the message arrives to return to the SolBase. Press S, return, and dock.

Mission 7
You are to investigate a multi-sensor damage near Triton. You are equipped with the same arsenal as before.

Travel to Mercury and wait for a few seconds. An unknown hostile ship (a Drone) appears that launches missiles against you. It is advised that you press 4 to have complete control of your speed. Try to accelerate to dodge the missiles while also lock on the hostile ship with Space. This is the trickiest part as the drone keeps firing missiles, making it difficult to lock on it, and not the missiles.

(Optionally you can fire a Data-Gathering with F3, the ship will be identified as a Drone and will be classified in the Data list of ships. You can press D to see the list and its specifications. Actually you don't need to do this as the list will be updated in the end of the mission anyway).

Then fire your missiles at will with F2. When you are successful you will receive a new message congratulating you for your first kill.

Return to SolBase and dock. At the end of the debriefing press D to see that alien ship will be classified as a Drone.

Mission 8
You are to intercept intruders near Triton.

Launch and quad for Triton. Once there you will receive a translated FMo from the aliens. Resume with F.

The situation is the same as in the previous mission only that there are now two ships. Having on the 4 Autopilot and dodge the missiles fired against you, trying to lock on the drones themselves and kill them with a missile (F2). No hints can be given here. When you kill both drones you will know it by the incoming message.

Return to the base. At the debriefing you will be notified that the new ships have been classified as A-Wings.

Mission 9
You are to escort a convoy of 4 Corsairs near Miranda until relieved.

Upon your arrival you are hailed/welcomed by Corsair Wailer. Wait a bit and 3 A-Wings will attack you. The good new is that you are not the sole target as they will occupy themselves with the convoy, so you have some liberty to act. As soon as you eliinate them, a Tech-Ship will return to relieve you.

Mission 10
Investigate graviτational radiation near the star CH-010, as reported by the Mimas telescope.

This mission is the first extra-solar. So once you launch, press N, Space and type CH-101, then Q. You are transported there. You soon receive a message that you discovered a new black hole. Immediately press N, Space and type SOL; once you lock, press S, Space type SOLBASE, and Q. You receive a new order to return for debriefing.

Mission 11
Patrol planet Bainks, Alpha Centauri.

Launch, press N, Space, type ALPHA CENTAURI. Once you lock, press S, Space and type BAINKS, then Q. Wait for a bit until a new message to return to SolBase. The mission was based on false information.

Obviously the purpose of the last two missions were to familiarize yourself with extra-solar quading.

Mission 12
Go to Niven, Tau Ceti and use a DGP on a new type of Sirian vessel.

Quad to Niven and dogfight with the enemy craft. The story is the same, avoid the missiles and try to lock on the craft (tagged as "unknown") instead of the missiles. Launch some DGPs with F3 agaisnt the unknown vessel. You will be notified with a message when your identification is successful, and ordered to return to base. It is very hard, if not impossible, to destroy the ship.

The new ship will be classified as a C-wing.

Mission 13
Assist a cargo convoy in the Black Veil Nebula.

Quad to Black Veil. There you will have zero visibility so switch to tactical view with T. Once you arrive you will keep receiving messages from the Corsairs convoy asking you to come closer. Locate them and approach the leading Corsair. Try to come as close as possible (without colliding), and you will automatically transmit some energy. You will then receive a message that all is well (possibly another one saying that you are obstructing their route).

Mission 14
A data-gathering C-Wing has been detected near Mars.

Quad to Mars, immediately switch to tactical with T and lock on the target with Space. It is quite far from you so press 3 to auto-track it. When you are about 20000 units away, press 4 and deploy your missiles with F2. Luckily it will be destroyed at you will be ordered back to the base.

Mission 15
Go to Venus and test the new proximity mines. You are equipped with 8 of them.

Go to Venus. There is a couple of Tech-ships and 4 target dummies. The Mines are deployed with F4 but are very tricky. They detonate immediately when they fly near another object, but as you will see, they are not always successful in destroying the targets. Anyway it's not necessary to destroy all 4 of the, so once you deploy all 8 mines, you will be ordered to return to the base.

Notice that if you attempt to destroy the targets with the MDC, you will be scolded for bad performance and the mission will fail.

Mission 16
Go to XI space and identify a mysterious alien (that means, not even Sirian) craft. You are equiped with 12 Stings, 4 Data-Gathering, and 4 Mines.

Go to Xi. You will see a featureless cylinder patrolling around. First you receive MFos about scanning, then the object will attempt to communicate with you. If you want, you can try lock on it and launch a DGP with F3 but it is not important. You will receive further messages where the object identifies itself as the Berzerker, a non-organic lifeform. Then it will send a hostile message ("FEE FIE FoE FUM", alluding to the fairy tale) along with a missile. Avoid the missile by thrusting backwards and the next message will be a threat to leave this system or else it will eat you.

Note that the Berzerker is a recurring villain, and you must weaken it before the final confrontation in. Each time it appears you must hit it with all your arsenal so that you can kill it in the end. Shoot it with everything you have and make sure it is hit, before you Quad back to base.

Notice that if you Quad to the base before that specific threatening message, the jump will be considered unauthorized and you will have failed the mission.

Mission 17
The Berzerker has seen in Sirian space. Go to Protector, Tau Ceti and observe.