ARTILLERY DUEL (2 players)

Set up and take charge of a modern artillery emplacement complete with closed-circuit television monitor for viewing your target. Full controls and realistic sounds put you right into the action.

STARTING THE GAME

Choose ARTILLERY DUEL by pressing 1 on the keypad or by using remote game selection pull the trigger on hand control #1, turn the knob until 1 appears on the screen, then pull the trigger again).

The same procedure selects the RANK (skill level) of each player. PRIVATE requires the least skill to play, while GENERAL requires maximum care and concentration. Players may choose different ranks as desired, making the game just as challenging to the experts as it is to the new players.

PLAYING THE GAME

After a random terrain is drawn and the soldiers install the gun emplacements, players take turns lobbing shots at one another beginning with player 1 (or the loser of the previous round).

The gun control panel appearing at the top of the screen has 5 green buttons for controlling barrel angle (in 5 degree increments), powder charge (in .1 bag increments), and firing the gun. Select the appropriate control button by pushing the knob in that direction, making that button flash. The upper button increases the applicable setting while the lower button decreases it. Once a button is selected (and flashing), pulling the trigger "presses" that button for the desired effect.

On the far right of the control panel is the wind indicator. The number shows how hard the wind is blowing and the flag above it indicates the direction. The wind may change on each turn so it's wise to remember its strength on your last turn. The closed-circuit TV screen is for authenticity and does not affect your shot.

The rank you've chosen has three effects on your play. The most noticeable is the size of the destruction pattern made by the impact of your hit; PRIVATE has the largest pattern. The PRIVATE rank also has the best penetration through the terrain without hitting anything Olandy when a steep rise is in front of you) and the least amount of wind change to deal with (1 MPH maximum). The wind may change by up to 5 MPH for the GENERAL rank.

A gun may still fire even though it is damaged - it takes at least 50% damage to destroy a gun and its ammunition store. Damaged barrels are automatically replaced by the crew.

SCORING

When a gun is destroyed, a point is awarded to the player who made the hit. Both scores appear at the top of the screen as the winning soldiers march off the field. After a few seconds a new terrain is drawn and the next round begins.

STRATEGIES FOR WINNING

The effect of gravity on YOUR shot changes each game to prevent an experienced player from memorizing shot distances from game to game. Therefore, if you have the first shot simply use the "average" setting that is initially provided (i.e. 60 degrees, 7.0 base). If your opponent shoots first, learn from his shot.

The most important note is to remember the wind reading on your last shot so that you can adjust for it this time. (NOTE: Use .1 bag of powder to adjust for every 2 MPH of wind change at 60 degrees barrel angle as a rough estimate.)

Your overall approach may include tunneling through a mountain or shooting over it. Generally, the higher the barrel angle the easier it is to shoot over an obstacle without shooting over your target.

As a last resort, use verbal exchanges and bad advice to distract and confuse your opponent. This strategy works especially well when played by teams at a social gathering.

PLAYING AGAIN

To play ARTILLERY DUEL again, simply wait for another game to start. This will happen automatically after the last round is complete with the loser awarded the first shot. To reset the score or assign new player ranks, press the RESET button and follow the instructions for starting the game.