Savage Moon: The Hera Campaign is now out for your PSP. Download it from the Sony Store via the PSN. If you want to know more about the game see here for the Sony US Blog post including trailer or also see the same on the Sony EU Blog. Thanks
Savage Moon: The Hera Campaign (named after the Aegophagus or goat eating aspect of the Greek goddess) is set within a huge gathering of Imoons, the Hera Cluster, that drifted into human space. As well and commanding the forces on the surface of the Imoon itself, the player also controls events for the whole campaign as well as each individual Imoon mission: choosing which Imoon to concentrate your resources on via the new Tactical Layer interface.
General Sections of this Help Guide:
Individual Level Guides:
Hints & Tips
Here's a few pointers that you might find of use if you are struggling with the game or just want to improve your score:
- Machine Gun Towers & Sniper Towers can attack both ground and air units.
- Death Blossom Insectocytes evolved to respond to the threats the Imoons has faced. The towers the Insectocytes have faced the most were the Machine Gun Tower and the Mortar Towers, so they are the ones that trigger the beautiful, but deathly, blossoms. Whereas, towers like Maser Towers are more recent technologies, so the Insectocytes don't see them as much of a threat (there is a clue to this in the Tech & Creature Library).
- Blocking Towers are very useful – they can take lots of punishment. As well as blocking routes you can build other towers on them. Another good trick is to use them defensively; when a unit (such as a Tank or Stinger Insectocyte) is attacking you they will tend to target the closest unit. If you make that unit a Blocking Tower you can protect other more vulnerable ones.
- Juggle 'em! You can choose to block a route, forcing the Insectocytes to re-route, then open it again, forcing another re-route. As they will always go for the shortest route, you can 'juggle' them around whilst you pick them off.
- Combinations of towers work best – a single repair tower is still vulnerable,. If either the tower itself takes damage, or the damage inflicted on the towers it is protecting increases, it can get overwhelmed. Amp towers are a great way of boosting the power of groups of towers.
- Regenerators behave just as they sound; they heal as soon as they take damage. You need to heap a barrage of fire power down on them to win. Iron Skin Insectocytes are altogether tougher and immune to non-upgraded towers.
- Drainers shut-down towers within their range – so you need to upgrade towers to hit them before they get into range. Using the range option on the Tactical Skills menu really helps with this.
- Create Kill-zones; these are areas of the Imoon where you concentrate towers, normally with Amp and Repair towers to back them up. When you can hit the Insectocytes with lots of fire from seveal towers at the same time is a great way to stop them. Death-Blossoms are the exception to this in that they look for concentrations of towers to attack – however they have bit of a blind spot for Masers and if the towers are spaced out at intervals, won't register with them so much.
- The last wave of a mission often contains the most dangerous Insectocytes. It is worth preparing for them; if you look at the Advance Wave menu it will show you the next waves. If the last wave's Insectocytes are ground based, then before they appear – and after the last flying units have been dealt with – sell your Anti-Air Towers and build more attack towers. If the last wave's Insectocytes are flying creatures, then before they appear – and after the last ground units have been dealt with – sell any towers that can't target air units (e.g Mortar Towers or Maser Towers) and build more anti-air attack towers.
- Tactical Skills; these can give you the edge, so make use of them. Good places to use them include using the base repair option before you repair your damaged base so it costs less credits and using the range boost when faced with Drainers so they can be destroyed before they can shut-down your towers.
- Boost your income; As a mission starts the Insectocytes start weak and grow stronger with each new wave. When you are confident with your gameplay use the credit boost from the Command Skills Menu on the early waves to increase your income.
- Easy difficulty increases the starting resources and also lowers the Insectocyte's health and damage.
- Campaign/Vengeance – Campaign is the main game of 20 levels. As you complete each level the same level is then unlocked in Vengeance mode. In this mode the waves of Insectocytes never ends but just gets tougher and tougher – the aim is to see how long you can last!
Quick Start Guide
(If you've switched the tutorials off in the option menu!)
Tactical Layer
This section has been introduced especially for the PSP. It acts as a level select screen and in campaign mode , it allows you to directly manage the resources you take into battle. Different Imoons uncover different research strands, for example, capturing the Imoon 'Ahpuch' gives you the ability to research Anti-Air technology, whilst victory on 'Hun-nal-ye' unlocks development of the new Maser Tower. The indicator in the bottom left of the screen shows you, as each Imoon is selected, the ratings of overall danger, flying Insectocytes, ranged-weapon Insecocytes and technology available upon capture. This helps you guide you, helping you decide which Imoon to assault, in which order and what resources you should assign.
Let the Assault Commence...
Once you have decided on an Imoon to attack you then assign the amount of drop-pods, block-pods and credits they will start each level with. The two types of pod are the transport used to bring a tower from orbit onto the surface of the Imoon. You can only build a tower if you have a pod available. The game recommends an amount for each type (on the right) from the total pool of each resource available (top left and right of the screen). However, if you choose to attack an Imoon further away from the one/s you have captured there is a loss of resources en-route to that battle. You will be assigned additional drop-pods throughout the mission as you completes certain waves. You won't be assigned any more block-pods, so take all you need in with you at the start.
Imoon Conflict
Once the battle starts you need to build towers to stop the Insectocytes getting into your base. The top left HUD shows you the block-pods/drop pods available. To build a tower simply press X and the build menu will appear – use the d-pad to select the tower type and press X to exit the menu and then X to build. The cost will be deducted from your credits (top right of the HUD) and cost you a drop-pod (for most towers) or a block-pod in the case of a blocking tower. You gain new credits from killing Insectocytes. Select toggles on/off the flying paths that some Insectocytes use.
To research new technologies press X to bring up the build menu, then up on the d-pad to select the research menu. Simply select a technology you wish to research – the cost will be deduced – and then a timer bar will appear indicating research is in progress. Once completed, the tower type is available in the build menu.
You can advance waves by pressing X and using the d-pad to navigate to the Advance Wave menu. When the icon is active – you can advance the wave. This brings out the next group of Insectocytes. You get extra points and credits for advancing waves.
Fundamental to the gameplay is the idea of upgrading towers. All towers (except Blocking Towers) have 5 levels of upgrade. The first two are always available (except a tiny bit within the tutorial on the first mission), the next stages (3 & 4 then 5) are accessed by researching the technologies. To upgrade a tower simply select the tower by moving the cursor over it and pressing X, then press X to select the upgrade option.
Other menu options of note are the Command Skills. These allow you to change the power of your tower's health, damage and/or the income from killing Insectocytes. If you increase one the others dip a little, if you increase two of them the remaining one will drop a lot. These can be changed any time and you are encouraged to use these to nudge the battle in your favour.
Also new for PSP is the Tactical Skills menu – unlocked after completing 'Ekchuah'. Similar to Command Skills it allows the relative manipulation of the cost of base health, score gained and tower range.
Post-Battle Results
If you capture an Imoon you will then be awarded credits, drop-pods and block-pods, depending on how well you did in the battle. You are always guaranteed to get back at least what you put in if you win. These resources are added to your pool ready for the next mission. Once a level has been captured you can replay it as many times as you wish, though the ability to acquire more resources drops off with each replay. If you fail a mission you will still recover some of the resources you took in with you originally.
In addition, if you fail in the mission, depending on how the battle went, the emboldened Insectocytes may mount a counter attack in the nebula and re-take another Imoon. The strength of their forces depends on how badly your forces performed. So, for example, if fighting for control of the Imoon 'Kauil' you lost with around 3000 points then you would loose control of a different Imoon already captured, say 'Dzahui', as well as any technology it had unlocked for you. You would need to re-capture the lost level by launching another full attack, having to replay the whole level again. If you had lost with around 15,000 points you would still have to recapture 'Dzahui' but the Insectocyte forces are weaker and you would only have to fight off 3 waves of bugs. If you had lost with about 18,000 points the Insectocytes would not have the resources or courage to attempt to re-capture 'Dhazui' and it would stay under your dominion. With all of these scenarios you would have lost 'Kauil' and you would still have to try to capture it again.
Level 1 - Ahpuch
This mission is best handled by blocking the short route and the one north-eastern route in to the base area so that the Insecoctyes can only spawn in from the south and have to go down to the bottom of the Imoon and back up – giving the towers lots more time to attack.
Level 2 - Bacab
A good strategy is to make the Insecoctyes come in from the north-east – this means they are all funnelled in via one main route and you can then line this route with towers to kill them off. The exception to this is the Flying Soldiers who follow their own route – use Select to toggle on the flying paths and line this with Anti-Air Towers.
Level 3 - Cizin
The Insectocytes start in the north western spawn point so block access to the base from that route. Then to the north of the base concentrate MG Towers and Mortar Towers so they can hit at targets as the make their way to the base. Use the Blocking Towers to secure access to the base from all approaches except the north.
Level 4 - Dzahui
Block the south-most route that connects the spawn areas on the west to the base on the east. Then create a chicane for the Insectocytes to follow through the centre by then blocking the north route. Don't forget to get some Anti-Air towers early on too. Also the spawn to the south-east is sneaky but not too dangerous, so a blocking tower or two to funnel the Insectocytes into a killing zone is of help. When the Tank Insectocytes spawn at wave 7, build a blocking tower or two to the west of all the other towers so they focus on these, giving your other towers plenty of time to pummel them. Use the Command Skills to boost your towers if you are feeling under pressure.
Level 5 - Ekchuah
Block the route to the base from the nearby western spawn point. Then as the level progresses, build out a line of blocking towers from the base in a roughly north-eastern route to create only one way in – then line the route with towers. Note that the flying Insectocytes come in early (wave 3) from the north-west nest – so be ready for them and use the same trick as in Dzahui (above) for the Tank Insectocytes.
Level 6 - Fext
Block the middle and southern routes to the mining base by building Blocking Towers between the two large raised areas just to the east of the base and at the south too. Then create a killing ground to the north entrance of this route in you've just created. The Tank Insectocytes spawn in early (wave 2) so prepare with a couple of Blocking Towers positioned as the eastern most towers to soak up their shots while you use Mortar Towers to pound them. As the mission progresses reinforce your position – especially in the centre as when the Gargantuans spawn (wave 6) they often like to try and punch through your defences here. Put Machine Gun Towers opposite the mining base to hit any Insecoctyes that get though – but not too close, else you'll block the route in you created for them. Also use Select to bring up the flying routes and keep Anti-Air Towers on those routes ready.
Level 7 - Gukumatz
Once the level starts research Anti-Air technology and build Anti-Air Towers on both routes as the first wave is Flying Soldiers. Wave 3 sees Stingers arrive from the north so use blocking towers built in front of your Anti-Air towers to soak up their fire. Wave 5 sees Tank Insecoctyes from the south – use the same trick to protect your attack towers again. On this level the waves can sometimes be close in to the base so don't hesitate to block all routes to the base, especially for Sprinter Insecoctyes, so delaying them as they try to eat their way through the blockage, giving you more time to blast them. The last wave has tough Stinger Insecoctyes – so sell any non-anti-air towers just prior to advancing this wave.
Level 8 - Hun-nal-ye
Early on develop Anti-Air and Blocking Towers. You are aiming to make sure there is only one way in to the base – the east route in. Also develop Maser early on and use these as your main attack towers for land-based Insecoctyes as there are lots of Death-Blossom Insecoctyes on this level and they tend not to target these towers as much. This especially helps with wave 11. The last wave (12) features tough Stinger Insecoctyes – so sell any non-anti-air towers just prior to advancing this wave.
Level 9 - Ixchel
This level has no flying enemies – so don't worry about developing any technology to deal with them. Develop Blocking technology and block the route into the base from the south – this gives you only one way in – the path going north-east. Also develop Maser technology early on and use these as the main attack towers on the edges of your skill zones (ready for the Death-Blossoms on wave 7). When the Tank Insecoctyes come in (wave 4) if you've not developed Repair Towers by then use blocking towers built in front of your towers to soak up their fire. Drainers arrive for the first time on wave 5 so use Mortar Towers and up the range using Tactical Skills to destroy them. The final wave sees a mixture of strong Sprinters and a tough Drainer, seeking to switch your towers off while the fast units get into the base; develop Amp technology to break though this.
Level 10 - Jentil
Develop Blocking Towers then block the southern-most route into the base (coming from the east) and also block the route directly to the east and west of the base itself. Flying Swarmers come in from the spawn-pod to the west of the base in wave 2 so be ready for them as it is a short route for them from spawn to base. Also get ready for Tank Insecoctyes on wave 8 by developing and building Repair Towers (also site them well so they also cover your Anti-Air as there are Stingers on waves 12 and 13!). By Wave 12 look to develop and deploy Amp towers to and it can get tough so use Command Skills and Tactical Skills to tip the balance. The last wave is a tough group of Stinger Insecoctyes – so sell any non-anti-air towers just prior to advancing this wave and build more Anti-Air and Repair Towers.
Level 11 - Kauil
Block the northern-most route and build up the middle area into a kill zone. From early on in the mission try to develop Anti-Air and Maser technology – as you face both flying and Death-Blossom Insecoctyes from an early stage (waves 3 and 5 respectively). Use Masers placed at regular intervals to weaken and kill the Death-Blossoms before the can get to where you've clusters other towers by the base as your kill zone. Don't block both sides of the middle route to the bugs – as the final level has some pretty tough Soldier Insecoctyes to kill – so pump up the damage done using Command Skills (and the range if using Mortar Towers etc. using Tactical Skills). If they look like they are going to get though, build a blocking tower on the bottom route so they turn around and go back the other way, then sell it, so they come back – juggle them in this way until your towers finish them off.
Level 12 - Lubaantun
Develop Blocking technology and block from the east-side of the base, down in a straight line to the raised area with the two chimneys. This forces the Insecoctyes to go round the bottom of it to get to the base. Build towers on this raised area and make it a kill-zone. There are lots of waves of regenerators on this level – Insectocytes that heal – so make sure your towers are clustered in groups and have Masers ready for the Death Blossoms on wave 7. From wave 10 onwards this gets tougher – more Gargantuans and Death Blossoms, so use the Command Skills and Tactical Skills to boost the damage and range of your towers. The final wave is three very tough regenerator Gargantuans – so sell any anti-air towers and bolster your ground-to-ground defences.
Level 13 - Mextli
You are aiming to make the Insecoctyes go the long way round to the north and back south to the base when they are directly above it. This also means blocking the middle channel and the southern route to the base. Develop Masers and have a strong line of of them. Tank Insecoctyes come in at wave 7 so get ready for them with repair towers (you'll also need them to protect against a Stingers at wave 11. Also use lots of repair towers and blocking towers to make sure that the Gargantuans don't mess up your defensive plans by eating through the middle channel to the base. The final wave is some very tough Gargantuans – so sell any anti-air towers and bolster your ground-to-ground defences.
Level 14 - Nohochacyum
The first wave is Flying Solider – so develop anti-air and upgrade them ready for the regenerator Flying Soldiers that follow. Then as the waves progress, build a ring of defences around the base so the only entrance for the Insectocytes is to the east. Build mortar and Maser towers out-lying this defensive formation to weaken the Insecoctyes before they approach the base. The small mound to the South-East of the map is good for this. The last wave sees bigger Flying Soldiers and Gargantuans so make sure your defences are ready for them.
Level 15 - Oxlahuntiku
Use Blocking Towers to restrict the entry to the base to just one point. This way you can create a whole route of kill zones. They flyers spawn in early on in this level (starting at wave 2 and coming in from the western spawn-pod). When the Tank Insecoctyes spawn in wave 6 if you have not developed rpair towers, use the trick of building some Blocking Towers near their spawn point (the south-east one) to soak up their fire. There are lots of Iron Skin Insecoctyes on this level so try to upgrade any attack towers you build. The final wave is three very tough regenerator Gargantuans – so sell any anti-air towers and bolster your ground-to-ground defences.
Level 16 - Patecatl
Develop Blocking Tower technology and build a line of Blocking Towers to block the western approach to the base. Then develop Anti-Air technology and mortars and then over the first few waves, build more and more towers to also block the direct approach to the base from the south so that the Insecoctyes have to go round the blockage to enter via the east. Make this your kill zone. While the first wave of Flying Soldiers comes from the east, don't forget to also bolster the defences on the west as later on in the mission flying waves will spawn from there (especially wave 10 which is Stingers and can make a mess of your defences if not planned for!). Keep bolstering your defences and keep up a mass of fire.
Level 17 - Qaholom
Funnel the Insecoctyes by stopping them getting direct access to the base. This can be done by blocking the direct north routes to the base and make them go around to the west and then along the north of the Imoon. Use lots of Anti-Air towers, Machine Gun Towers and Amp towers to make these kill-zones a major obstacle for the Insecoctyes. This level has some nasty waves of Sprinters so watch out. The last wave is large Stinger Insecoctyes – so sell any ground-to-ground only attack towers just prior to advancing this wave, and boost your anti-air defences.
Level 18 - Rougarou
A good strategy for this level is to force the Insecoctyes to go the long way round – so block the south and western approaches and force them to march down to the south and around and up the eastern edge of the Imoon and in from the north. The Tanks Insecoctyes (waves 4 and 12) on this level can cause havoc with your plans so the trick of using Blocking Towers to soak up their fire is a helpful one here. The last wave see a tough mix of both flying and ground based attackers so use the Command Skills and Tactical Skills to boost your attack towers.
Level 19 - Simbi
A strong method to defeat the Insecoctyes on this Imoon is to use the path to the base that is directly south of it as the main route in and then fill the other paths with towers so there is a strong pool of Anti-Air and Mortar Towers in the middle protected by Masters and Repair Towers. This can then hit the Insecoctyes as the pass around the blockage on route to the base. The final level is two Solider and one Tank Insecoctye, so you won't need the anti-air power you've built up after wave 13.
Level 20 - Tepeu
The final battle! A solid strategy is to ensure there is only one entrance to the base – from the east along the southern edge of the Imoon. This makes all the Insecoctyes (except the flying ones) move clockwise around the map. This gives lots of places to create kill-zones. Note that there is only one flying route to the base, however, it is a short path so you need to be hammering them hard as they approach. This level needs a good mix of towers, but use Masers and repair towers on the outer edges to protect against Death-Blossoms and Machine Gun Towers on the inner edges to stop the waves of Sprinters. Don't forget to use the Command Skills and Tactical Skills!
Bonus Features & Content
In addition to unlocking Vengeance mode, each of the 20 levels has two awards that can be achieved; health bonus – for completing a level without taking any damage to the base and score bonus – for completing a level and getting a high score.
As you encounter each Insectocyte and tower type it is also unlocked in the 'Tech & Creature Library' (accessed via the front-end). This displays a high-res image and accompanying text. This text often has helpful hints and information in it.
In addition to the default music there are 4 new unlockable soundtracks by exciting Bristol artists. These are unlocked by winning 4 Imoons (so completing Ahpuch, Bacab, Cizin & Dzahui for the first set of bonus tracks and so on...). They are accessed via the front-end options menu using the d-pad to change between artists.
Additional Resources
That you may be interested in...
Thanks, Tomas - Designer on Savage Moon (follow me and Ana on Twitter)
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