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Laser Squad: Nemesis – Windows Manual – English

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Language: English
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LASER SQUAD NEMESIS MANUAL VERSION 1.1 (BASED ON 1.06 OF LSN CLIENT)

LASER SQUAD NEMESIS

DO YOU HAVE THE LATEST MANUAL? CLICK HERE AND FIND OUT.

CONTENTS

Based on original material written by Codo Games Ltd.
Designed, edited and compiled by Julian Knott
Manual website: www.lsnmanual.co.uk
Manual email: [email protected]
Special thanks to: David Haslett (Emporer Ming) & Peter Lewis (Scaramanger)
If you have any comments, queries or general feedback you can either email me directly or
fill out an anonymous feedback form at www.lsnmanual.co.uk in the feedback section.

14 April 2002
All products are the copyright of their respective owners.

USING THIS MANUAL
This manual has been developed using Adobe Acrobat and which allows for
range of options to make navigating around easier. The bookmark feature
principally allows you jump anywhere within the document and is
supported on the contents page of each chapter as well as the top bar.
LINKS AND HIGHLIGHTS

➧ When clicked on, any text highlighted in this colour will
either take you to a related article within the document
or to a website link.

➧ Any text highlighted in this colour is used to highlight
important or especially relevant information.

LINK TO CHAPTER
CONTENTS PAGE

LINK TO MAIN
CONTENTS PAGE

PROLOGUE
CHAPTER 1 – INTRODUCTION
Welcome to Laser Squad Nemesis . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1–2
Game mechanics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1–2
Subscription . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1–3
Client software. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1–4
Developer background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1–3
CHAPTER 2 – GETTING STARTED
System requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2–1
Installation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2–1
Configuration settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2–3
Launching Laser Squad Nemesis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2–3
Tutorials. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2–5
Starting a new game . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2–6
Sending a game challenge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2–8
Recieving a game challenge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2–9
Important information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2–10
Special game orders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2–11

➧

CHAPTER 3 – PLAYING THE GAME
Choosing a race . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–4
Deployment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–6
The interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–8
The first game turn. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–9
Moving around the map. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–10
Moving units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–10
Combat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–13
Miscellaneous . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–15
Differentiating the enemy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–16
Rules of engagement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–17

CHAPTER CONTENTS | MAIN CONTENTS
LASERSQUADNEMESIS.COM

LASER SQUAD NEMESIS

CONTENTS

...CHAPTER 8 – TROUBLESHOOTING
Email . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8–6
Gameplay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8–6

...CHAPTER 3 – PLAYING THE GAME
Orders control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–18
Reviewing a game/turn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–20
A units status bar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–21
Game over . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–22

CHAPTER 9 – MAPS
Crossroads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9–3
Bunker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9–4
Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9–5
Front Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9–6
Factory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9–7

CHAPTER 4 – ENVIRONMENT
Walls and reinforcements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4–2
Flora and fauna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4–4
Machines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4–5
Furniture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4–5
Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4–6
Street furniture. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4–6

CHAPTER 10 – LINKS

CHAPTER 5 – FACTION GUIDE
Marines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5–1
Machina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5–2
CHAPTER 6 – STRATEGIES
General strategies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6–2
Faction strategies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6–7
CHAPTER 7 – THE LEAGUE
The league tables. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7–2
Active games list . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7–4
The LSN Cup Tournament . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7–5
CHAPTER 8 – TROUBLESHOOTING
General configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8–2
Specific graphic card issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8–4
General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8–5
Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8–5

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CHAPTER CONTENTS | MAIN CONTENTS

PROLOGUE

“War? But we are human;
war is not in our nature.”
Attributed to Darrow Gygax: Chairman of the Council of Civilised Worlds
and First Minister of New Sirius. Said in chambers shortly after the
'Spawn Declaration' of 5472.

THE GOLDEN AGE
Nearly five and a half millennia had passed since the day
the Age of Fire ended. That historic, glorious day on which
weapons were downed and representatives of humanity's
surviving worlds and colonies
met and made solemn attempt
The scientific accomplishments of a unified to save the species from selfmankind led to a vastly increased lifespan, destruction. The agreement
that was made that day marks
a life of comfort for all citizens and the
the passing of humanity from
exploration and colonisation of the very
its adolescence into a mature
fringes of the Galaxy.
species, ending centuries of
civil war. This agreement is
based on a profoundly simple notion ‘all sentient life is
sacred’. Once this concept is accepted, differences in
ideology, racial origin and perceived wealth are rendered
trivial to the similarities of intelligence and life.

LASERSQUADNEMISIS.COM

Two centuries of tense truce passed, shattered colonies
were rebuilt and after several generations had lived and
died knowing only peace and growth, humanity began to
heal. The Galactic Calendar was recalibrated; the end of
the Age of Fire was counted as year one and as a united
race, humanity moved forward.
Millennia passed in peace and
prosperity. The scientific
accomplishments of a unified
mankind led to a vastly increased
lifespan, a life of comfort for all
citizens and the exploration and
colonisation of the very fringes of
the Galaxy. Remnants of long
dead alien civilisations were
discovered alongside the
newborn worlds of infant races,
all were studied voraciously. This was the Golden Age of
humanity; true 'civilisation' had been achieved. No one
predicted that the seeds of humanity's downfall had
already been sown.

The simple edict on which humanity's
greatest triumph had been based; that
'all sentient life is sacred' contains
within it two areas for debate when
applied to non-human species, 'what is
sentient?' and 'what is life?'

THE SPAWN THREAT
The simple edict on which humanity's greatest triumph
had been based; that 'all sentient life is sacred' contains
within it two areas for debate when applied to nonhuman species, 'what is sentient?' and 'what is life?' One
species that fell into this semantic gap has become known
as 'The Spawn'. Undoubtedly alive this species was of
particular interest to human scientists due to its' ability to
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PROLOGUE

PROLOGUE
move between worlds.
Gargantuan hives shot like
comets through vast tracts of
space, a 'tail' of seed-hives
dispersing in its' wake like
pollen. Numbering in
unknowable billions with uncountable genetic
permutations, this vaguely insectile species seemed to run
on a strict hierarchy and with some evidence of
communication and co-operation between hives, but were
they intelligent? In lab isolation certainly not, numerous
dissections found no sign that the capability for thought
existed within them, but then how did they communicate?
The question of sentience was answered with concrete
certainty in 5472.

THE HUMAN RESPONSE

Gargantuan hives shot like comets through
vast tracts of space, a 'tail' of seed-hives
dispersing in its' wake like pollen.

Within a period of eight months seventeen colonies were
devoured. The people, the cities, the history, everything,
consumed as if by nightmare locusts. Expeditionary craft
discovered millions of Hives had redirected towards
human space. As the Council of Civilised Worlds met to
discuss this, the worst crisis in its' history, a broadcast was
received, a broadcast from 'The Spawn'. When this
terrifying hiss of static was analysed several things were
determined. It contained elements of several human and
computer languages. It was broadcast in fragments from
multiple locations indicating a 'hive mind', a species wide
intelligence. And, although the message was blunt in
syntax the content was clear; this was a declaration of
war.

With a sense of panic rivalling any at the height of the
Age of Fire, the question of how to respond to this threat
was debated endlessly. After the declaration of war 'the
Spawn' fell silent and unwilling to negotiate, vast numbers
of Hives were swiftly encroaching on human space, action
was required, but what?
Some colonies chose to flee,
whole civilisations formed
armadas of ships and mobile
living environments and set
decades long course for the edges
of the Galaxy. Others did nothing;
chains of worlds went about their
business until they were swept
away by a wave of carnivorous
terror. With vital resource-worlds
disappearing and the borders of 'safe space' gradually
drawing in, the Council of Civilised Worlds eventually
accepted the unpalatable reality of the situation; Humanity
must re-learn the art of war.

With vital resource-worlds disappearing
and the borders of 'safe space'
gradually drawing in, the Council of
Civilised Worlds eventually accepted the
unpalatable reality of the situation;
Humanity must re-learn the art of war.

Martial wisdom from the ages was researched and
analysed, the black sciences of combat technology were
reborn and machines designed to save mankind were
built. These 'Machina' were self-replicating and
constructed with the intelligence to plan and execute a
campaign, evolving their own design to better achieve
their task. The first warships to be built in over five

Humanity had met its Nemesis.

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PROLOGUE

to humanity a decade previously, a declaration of war. The
Hive mind had recognised the Machina as a race in their
own right. It would be a full year before humanity would
be forced to the same conclusion.

thousand years were launched at Spawn space. Humanity,
still questioning its decision to revisit its warlike past,
waited.

THE MACHINA REVOLUTION
"It is with grave uncertainty I ponder this question, have
we been mistakenly convinced of our species' maturity,
long after it has passed into senility?"
First Minister Darrow Gygax: Said in conversation on
hearing news of the Machina Revolt and shortly before
the 5594 Spawn invasion of New Sirius.
In 5481 the trickle of reports of
Machina attacks on Spawn hives
and occupied worlds became a
flood. The early visual footage of
disastrous Machina sorties had been
replaced by images of cunningly
won victories and evidence of
increasing firepower. The Spawn
changed their tactics accordingly, the hives' ceaseless
movement ended and with a static concentration of great
numbers in key areas of space. In 5593 a landmark in the
conflict occurred, the Machina re-took a Spawn occupied
world, humanity's 'war by proxy' was bearing fruit.

The early visual footage of disastrous
Machina sorties had been replaced by
images of cunningly won victories and
evidence of increasing firepower.

In 5594 the Machina invaded a lightly populated but
mineral rich Human outpost, the occupants unharmed but
forced to leave. Simultaneously, a succinct message
The Council of Civilised Worlds crumbled,
was sent to the Council of
Civilised Worlds, it stated that
hundreds more colonies fled despite
the Machina had evolved their
knowing that this was merely delaying an
own sense of identity and
eventual confrontation with the Spawn or were an independent species.
They clearly defined areas of
the Machina.
space as their own and
promised retaliation against
any who trespassed. Between the brutal migration of the
Spawn and the immutable wall of the Machina border this
was a death sentence for humanity.
The Council of Civilised Worlds crumbled, hundreds more
colonies fled despite knowing that this was merely
delaying an eventual confrontation with the Spawn or the
Machina. Those who remained did so knowing with crystal
clarity that yet again humanity had brought itself to the
brink of extinction. In not recognising a rival species as
intelligent and in not crediting their creations with life,
their fate appeared sealed. One option remained.

The Spawn then broadcast a message to a Machina
Central AI Core. Its content broadly similar to the one sent

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CHAPTER CONTENTS | MAIN CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

PROLOGUE
THE LASER SQUAD

CONTENTS
WELCOME TO LASER SQUAD NEMESIS . . . . 1–2
Game mechanics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1–2
Subscription . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1–3
Clients software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1–4
Developer background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1–5

Modelling themselves on the efficient, cell-based structure
of Marine Corps from human history, mankind took up
arms, refusing to be vanquished. To one side, a horrifyingly
alien force, outnumbering
humanity at least a thousand
To one side, a horrifyingly alien force,
to one and possessing an
outnumbering humanity at least a
incalculable and
incomprehensible Hive IQ. On
thousand to one and possessing an
other, the sentient
incalculable and incomprehensible Hive IQ. the
weapons built to stop them,
evolving, self-replicating
artificial beings programmed with the sum total of human
strategic knowledge. But humanity, far from being
unarmed against these two seemingly unstoppable forces,
had a unique weapon of its' own. Humanity was united
and possessed an unwavering spirit to survive.

1–1

Written by Global Toast

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CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION
WELCOME TO LASER SQUAD NEMESIS

➧ The ability to test your orders before you send your
turn. You can use this to see where your units may
finish their move, but it is particularly useful for tricky
timing situations. You may, for example, want to
simultaneously enter a room from three different points
in order to maximise firepower against the enemy units
inside.

Laser Squad Nemesis (LSN) is the new multiplayer turn
based strategy game from the makers of X-com. It is a
squad level tactical combat game for two players using
email to transfer data where each player must use
strategy, bluff and tactical cunning to outwit and
defeat his opponent. There are three different
races to choose from, a variety of scenario
types and a large number of maps.

1–2

The ‘AI’ is the elite
unit of the Machina
Ground Assault
Force, acting as a
command unit and
a mobile repair
centre.

➧ The ability to replay each turn, or the whole game
using VCR style controls. The ability to review any part
of the game played so far enables you to analyse the
combat in as much detail as you want. At the end of
the game you can keep the game file so that you can
review it in the future. If you play against an opponent
you have played before you can go back and analyse
the games in order to devise some counter strategies.

It is set far in the future when the human race is battling
for survival against an alien menace, know as the
Spawn, and the Machina who are descended from the
AI defence systems originally intended to protect the
human race against the Spawn. Each of these three forces
are represented in LSN with unique strengths and
weaknesses.
GAME MECHANICS
LSN features a brand new game system that is
significantly advanced from the original Laser Squad and
X-Com games. Players issue orders to their units that are
submitted to our central game server for the game turn to
be processed. Each player then receives a results file that
shows the action in simultaneous, real time mode. There
are a number of features provided by the game system:

NOTE: It is possible
to play LSN without
subscribing but you
will not be able to
initiate games or
take part in league
matches.

SUBSCRIPTION
LSN is a subscriptions based game but does allow nonsubscribers to play. The cost of subscription is $15 for a six
month gaming contract. As an LSN subscriber you will be
able to:

➧ Initiate games with other subscribers
➧ Initiate games with non-subscribers
➧ Take part in the world LSN leagues, which will give
you a ranking for a division and promotion to higher
divisions based on performance (see Chapter 7 for
more information).

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CHAPTER CONTENTS | MAIN CONTENTS

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

GETTING STARTED

➧ Download additional game features, such as

CONTENTS

extra units, races and scenarios when they become
available.

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2–1
Minimum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2–1
Recommended . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 2–1

This subscription will allow CoDo games to offer continued
development and support after the game is released.
However, it is possible to play LSN without a subscription
but you will not be able to initiate games.

1–4

INSTALLATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2–1
CONFIGURATION SETTINGS . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2–3

In order to subscribe visit:

LAUNCHING LASER SQUAD NEMISIS . . . . . . 2–3
Your player name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2–4
Your Password . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2–4
An email address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2–4

www.lasersquadnemesis.com/Subscription_LSN1.htm
The ‘Buzzer’ is a
small winged
spawn drone that
can move rapidly
without being
spotted.

CLIENT SOFTWARE
The LSN client software is a free download of around 7.5Mb
and will be updated regularly with new features and maps.

TUTORIALS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2–5

DEVELOPER BACKGROUND
CoDo games are Julian Gollop, Nick Gollop and Stephen
Moorhouse. These individuals were responsible for the
X-Com series of games with the brothers Gollop the minds
behind such classics as Rebelstar Raiders and the original
Laser Squad. With such a well respected and mature
heritage, Co-Do games was formed in 2001. Their remit; to
provide games directly to the people who matter, you the
gamer. With a business model circumventing a publisher’s
stranglehold, Co-Do released the natural and only real
successor to Laser Squad and XCom; Laser Squad Nemesis.
With rave reviews, a loyal and supportive following and
continued development the game can proudly sit alongside
their previously successful backcatalogue of seminal titles.

LASERSQUADNEMESIS.COM

STARTING A NEW GAME . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2–6
Select opponent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2–6
Game type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2–6
Map. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2–7
SENDING A GAME CHALLENGE. . . . . . . . . . . 2–8
RECIEVING A GAME CHALLENGE . . . . . . . . . 2–9
IMPORTANT INFORMATION . . . . . . . . . . . . 2–10
Email accounts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2–10
Email addresses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2–10
SPECIAL GAME ORDERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2–11
Resend orders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2–11
Get last results. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2–12
Get game results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2–12
Rebuild game. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2–11

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CHAPTER 2

GETTING STARTED

2–2

The Hunter is a fast,
flying Machina unit
armed with light
plasma gun.

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

CONFIGURATION SETTINGS

MINIMUM
• A Pentium™ II PC
• Windows 95, 98, ME, 2000 or XP
• DirectX 7 compliant 3D accelerated video card
• DirectX 7 compliant sound card
• DirectX version 7 or later
• A 3D graphics card
• 64Mb of memory
• 40Mb hard disk space
• An email account

General configuration takes place in the general.cfg file which can be found in
your laser squad install directory in the subfolder \configs\. From here you can
set whether the game plays in full screen or windowed mode and also set the
texture resolution for those if your graphics cards which are old or/and don't have
much onboard memory. This is also worth trying if the game is running a little
slowly.

RECOMMENDED
• AMD Athlon™ or Intel Pentium™ III processor
• Windows 95, 98, ME, 2000 or XP
• DirectX version 7 or later
• A 3D graphics card with 16Mb RAM
• 128Mb of memory
• 40Mb hard disk space
• An email account

For further technical guidance and support see Chapter 8.

LAUNCHING LASER SQUAD NEMISIS
Launch Laser Squad Nemisis (LSN) by double-clicking on the desk
top icon, or by selecting it from the start menu.
MAIN SCREEN
Only registered
players may start a
game. If you do not
have an LSN game
account you can
register or request
games at the
official laser squad
website.

INSTALLATION
You can chat with
LSN players in realtime by visiting the
chat room at the
official wbsite. See
Chapter 11 for more
details.

➧ Locate the folder where you downloaded LSNinstall.exe
➧ Double click on LSNinstall.exe
➧ Follow the on-screen instructions
It may be necesssary to update your hardware drivers
before playing.
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CHAPTER 2

GETTING STARTED

2–4

LAUNCHING LASER SQUAD NEMISIS (contd)

TUTORIALS

If you are a registered player with an LSN account you must enter the following
information (click inside the text box and start typing):

Three tutorials have been included in order to familiarise with the game
mechanics and interface.
TUTORIAL SCREEN

YOUR PLAYER NAME
This must be identical to the one you created when you registered. If you are a
non-registered player you can enter any player name, and there is no need to
enter anything for the password or email address. Please note that your player
name is case sensitive i.e. you must use the same upper case and lower case
letters that you used in your registration submission.
YOUR PASSWORD
This must be identical to the password you supplied when registering your
account, and like your player name it is case sensitive.
AN EMAIL ADDRESS
This will be used for playing the game. You can choose any email address you
want to use (see below). The email addresses are not case sensitive and
you can enter them however you like (see page 2-10 for important information
regarding emails).

➧ Click New Game to create a new game.
➧ Click Options to access special game options
(see page 2-11)
➧ Click Quit to leave Laser Squad Nemesis.

2–5

The third tutorial is
a self contained
game which is useful
for practicing and
refining techniques
and strategies.

TUTORIAL 1
The first tutorial familiarises the player with unit deployment, basic movement and
combat as well as guidance for scolling around the play area. The tutorial also
introduces the concept of the ‘rules of engagement’ options.
TUTORIAL 2
The second tutorial includes advanced movement techniques and further insight
into the ‘rules of engagement’ set of options.

The Grunt is the
mainstay of the
Space Marine Corp,
representing the
vast bulk of the
combat troops
available to the
Federation.

TUTORIAL 3
The third tutorial is a proper game scenario which will test tactical abilities before
taking on a human opponent.

LASERSQUADNEMESIS.COM

CHAPTER CONTENTS | MAIN CONTENTS

CHAPTER 2

GETTING STARTED

GETTING STARTED
NEW GAME

➧ Find me any available opponent

NEW GAME SCREEN

This option instructs the LSN central game server to find an available opponent
for you as soon as possible. There is no guarantee that you will find an
opponent immediately, since there needs to be at least one other player who
has also selected this option.

2–6

NOTE: the player
name information is
case sensitive. If
you do not know
the name of
another player,
then do not choose
this option.

The start new game screen allows you to configure various options for a game.
SELECT OPPONENT
There are three ways that you can select an opponent. Click on one of the three
arrow buttons, and enter any other information required in the text box to the
right.
➧ By email address
Enter the email address of somebody you know. Even though they are not a
subscriber, they will still be allowed to play a game. You can copy an email
address (Ctrl+C) and paste it (Ctrl+V) from an external application (eg
Outlook Express).

GAME TYPE
You can choose either a league game or a friendly game. A league game
means that the results of the game count affect your league score (see Chapter
7). A friendly game means that the results of the game do not affect either
player's score.
If you play a non-subscriber (selecting an opponent via email address) then the
game will automatically be friendly, regardless of the option you select here. If you
select an opponent by name, the game will only count as a league game if both
players are in the same division. If you have asked the game server to find you an
available opponent, then you will be matched with a player requesting the same
game type only.
CHOOSE MAP
If you know the name of a map you can choose it by entering its name here (the
names are not case sensitive). The default option is Random which if used, or an
unknown map name is given, a map will be chosen randomly from those currently
available. Visit www.lasersquadnemesis.com for a list of latest available
maps (Chapter 9 contains a guide to all maps currently available).
After selecting your options press one of these buttons:

➧ By player name
Enter the player name of another registered player.

➧ Click Start Game to proceed with the game challenge.
➧ Click Cancel to return to the main screen.

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CHAPTER 2

GETTING STARTED

GETTING STARTED
SENDING A GAME CHALLENGE

LSN Game-number, deployment, vs playername (start
confirmation)

GAME CHALLENGE SCREEN

Where number is the game number and playername will either be the first part
of the email address of the selected non suscriber (with an @ suffix) or the
registered player’s name.

2–8
If you are running
the game in full
screen mode with a
dial-up internet
connection it is a
good idea to
connect to the
internet first before
launching the LSN
client programme.

Before you send your challenge you can enter an optional message for your
opponent.

➧ Click Send to send the challenge
➧ Click Save File if you wish to save the turn file to disk as an attachment to an
email (useful if your having problems sending your challenge).
➧ Click Cancel to return to the Start New Game screen.
If you are not already connected to the internet you will see a connection window
pop up. A textbox will show a dialogue of the mail transaction.

Once your opponent has received and opened the challenge file, deployed their
contingent and sent the resulting turn file, you will recieve your deployment
phase file in your in-box with the following subject line.
LSN Game-number, deployment, vs username

RECEIVING A GAME CHALLENGE
As a recipient of a game challenge you will receive a challenge file in your
regular mail inbox with a subject line like this:
Laser Squad Nemesis, game-212 challenge, vs
playername
Open the mail and double click on the attachment (if
you are using a regular mail reader like Outlook
Express) and then open the file.

Difficult to detect,
very fast and agile, the
drone will run towards
its target and attack
with its large jaws,
equipped with
extremely acidic saliva

➧ If all is OK, click done.
Your game challenge will now be sent to the LSN central game server and
subsequently to your opponent. A confirmation of your sent challenge will then be
posted to your email account with a subject line like this:-

LASERSQUADNEMESIS.COM

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CHAPTER 2

GETTING STARTED

SPECIAL GAME ORDERS
IMPORTANT INFORMATION

2–10

This screen allows the you to conduct various functions spefically geared towards
past games or games in progress.

EMAIL ACCOUNTS
It is strongly recommended that you use a POP
account for playing LSN (where mail is transferred from a
remote mail server to your computer). If you are using AOL
you will need to download the attached file to a folder, then
double click on the attachment to start the game. It is not
advisable to use a Hotmail account as the results file are
known to get delayed.

SPEICAL OPTIONS
2–11

EMAIL ADDRESSES
You can change the email you wish to use for playing
the game by entering a new address in the main
The Exterminator is
the standard
screen and sending a new game challenge. Your email
combat unit of the
will then be changed for this game, and future games,
Machina Ground
Assault Forces.
but any existing game will use the email address that
was supplied when the game was started. You can use
this feature to play the game from different locations,
but remember that your address is only changed when
you issue a new challenge. If another player challenges
you, the mail will be sent to the address you last used for a new game
challenge. If this is inconvenient you can simply ignore the challenge (you
are not penalised in the league competition).

LASERSQUADNEMESIS.COM

RESEND ORDERS

RESEND ORDERS
You can resend the last orders for
a particular game if you suspect
that the game server has not
recieved them. You will be asked
for your game number which can
be found on a previous incoming
email header.

LASERSQUADNEMESIS.COM

CHAPTER CONTENTS | MAIN CONTENTS

CHAPTER 3

CHAPTER 2

GETTING STARTED
GET LAST RESULTS

GET LAST RESULTS
You can request the last results for
a particular game if you suspect
that you have not recieved them,
or that they may have been lost.
You will be asked for your game
number which can be found on the
incoming email header.

2–12

PLAYING THE GAME
CONTENTS
CHOOSING A RACE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–4
Marines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–4
Machina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–5
Spawn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–5
DEPLOYMENT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–6
Deployment steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–7
THE INTERFACE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–8
THE FIRST GAME TURN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–9

GET GAME RESULTS

GET GAME RESULTS
You can request all the results files
for a particular game. Once you
have recieved the self-extracting
file and run them, you must then
select the ‘Rebuild Game’ option
(see below) in order to play that
game.

REBUILD THE GAME
This option is used for reconstructing games from turn files (specifically those
which have recieved them via the ‘Get Game Results’ option or downloaded
from elsewhere). Once activated, the LSN client detects an unbuilt game and
automatically rebuilds it up until the latest turn which will then make it playable.
For an in-depth walkthrough visit www.lobo.net/~mike/lsn_rebuild.txt
which has been compiled by an LSN player or see page 8–5 for guidance on
viewing downloaded files.

LASERSQUADNEMESIS.COM

MOVING AROUND THE MAP . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–10
General movement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–10
Zooming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–10
MOVEMENT ORDERS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . 3–10
Movement time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–11
Forced movement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–12
Following . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–12
Hold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–12
COMBAT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–13
Direct fire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–13
Terrain fire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–13
Opportunity fire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–14
Pursue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–14
Force fire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–15
Shooting time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–15
continued...

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CHAPTER CONTENTS | MAIN CONTENTS

CHAPTER 3

PLAYING THE GAME
CONTENTS (CONTD)

3–2

PLAYING THE GAME
CHOOSING A RACE

MISCELLANEOUS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–15
Doors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–15
Reloading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–15
Healing and Repairing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–16
Undoing orders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–16
Selecting next unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–16
Toggle shading. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–16

3–3

DIFFERENTIATING THE ENEMY . . . . . . . . . . 3–16
RULES OF ENGAGEMENT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–17
Continue on sighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–17
Halt on sighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–17
Fire on command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–18
Fire at will . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–18
ORDERS CONTROL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–18
Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–18
Issue orders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–18
Test orders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–19
Send orders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–19
REVIEWING A GAME/TURN . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–20
A UNITS STATUS BAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–21
GAME OVER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–22

LASERSQUADNEMESIS.COM

To help with
deployment see
chapter 9 for an
overview of all the
maps available.

LASERSQUADNEMESIS.COM

nce the turn file is opened, LSN will
automatically start. Your first priority will be to
choose a race. Each race has been carefully
balanced to ensure that no group has immediate
superiority over the other. However each faction will have
suitable play style which will greatly increase their
effectiveness (see Chapter 5).

CHAPTER CONTENTS | MAIN CONTENTS

CHAPTER 3

PLAYING THE GAME

CHOOSING A RACE

3–4

THE MACHINA
The Human Federation built powerful intelligent machines
to fight the alien Spawn that threatened the existence of
the human race. These machines were designed to operate
independently and automatically in deep space.
Unfortunately the vast military AI started to think about its
own best interests and turned against its human overlords.
It began to build a new race of sentient robots that utterly
detested anything organic and mushy. It seems that
humanity may have created its own nemesis.

Your can choose to play Marines or Machina, which can be accessed by clicking
on one of the icons at the base of the playing area. You may scroll around
the map inspecting the deployment area before you decide which
race to deploy (use the arrow keys or hold down the middle mouse button, or
mousewheel, while pointing at the map window and moving). See Chapter 5 for
a complete description of each faction contingent and their abilities.
THE MARINES
The Marines are the first line of defence for the human
race, but they are no ordinary soldiers. They are tough,
hard-bitten veterans, trained to fight to the death in
defence of human civilisation.

The Machina are made up of Missile Tanks,
Exterminators, Scanners, Hunters, AIs, and Ammo
Stores.
THE SPAWN (not implemented)
Some time after human colonists had settled across the
galaxy they encountered a rapacious alien species that had
been spreading like an insidious cancer. Nobody knows
where they came from, but they certainly know what they
want to eat. The Spawn brood are genetically adapted for
hostile environments, and they can reproduce very rapidly
until they overwhelm their opponents.

Marines are typically deployed in Laser Squads consisting
of ten to fifteen soldiers, including specialised units such
as Medics, Snipers and Grenadiers. They are heavily
armoured and well equipped, employing the latest
Federation technology.
TIP: To scroll around
the map use the
arrow keys or hold
down the middle
mouse button (or
mouse-wheel) while
pointing at the map.

The advanced laser weapons employ mini-nuclear
reactors as power cells, allowing mobile operation in all
environments. They may not be as well armoured as the
Machina, or as reproductive as the Spawn, but they make
up for it with ingenuity and good equipment.

The Spawn are made up of Queens, Drones,
Splatters, Goo Spitters and Buzzers

The Laser Marines are made up of Grunts,
Commanders, Snipers, Medics, Grenadiers
and Ammo stores.

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CHAPTER 3

PLAYING THE GAME
DEPLOYMENT

3–6

Each unit costs between one and four Force Points to deploy. You have 20 Force
Points to spend on deploying your force. The screen will display all available units
and their Force points on each side of the screen, at the top the Force Point
counter displays force points remaining. Your initial deployment area (of
which there are two possibilities) is governed by whoever
initialised the challenge.

PLAYING THE GAME
There is no other
movement or
actions during the
deployment phase.

DEPLOYMENT STEPS

➧ Select a unit by clicking on a unit graphic in one of
the boxes on either side of the playing area.

➧ Left click on an open space somewhere on the
visible portion of the map.

➧ Repeat to deploy more units of the same type, or
select a different unit to deploy.

➧ Remove a unit by clicking on it
➧ Repeat deployment actions until you have spent

DEPLOYMENT

all your Force Points
➧ Click Send Orders to finish your deployment phase,
and send your instructions to the LSN game server. You
must spend all your your Force Points before you can
'Send Orders'.
Your deployment orders will be processed and you should
receive an email with a turn attachment as follows:
LSN Game-number, turn-1, vs playername
Once opened you will be ready to start your first game
turn proper.

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CHAPTER 3

PLAYING THE GAME

PLAYING THE GAME
THE INTERFACE

THE FIRST GAME TURN

GAME INTERFACE

➧ On the playback controls panel at [7] press the play

button.

➧ Wait 10 seconds for the deployment and first turn to finish. Not much will
happen because units don't move on the first turn.

11
3–8

➧ Click on the Issue Orders

button in the orders control panel at [10].
You can now issue orders to your units. To undo any orders use the either the
icon
at [5] or the <U> key.

➧ Click on Test Orders

in the orders control panel to at [10] try your
orders without the opponent moving.

➧ You can View Results

, Issue Orders

and Test Orders

as many times as you like.
8

➧ When you are happy with your orders click on Send Orders

. You will
be prompted to enter a message for your opponent (this is optional and
requires you to select the box before typing) before the orders are sent to the
LSN game server. The application will pause while the data is transferred and
subsequently a confirmation message that the turn has been sent.

1. MAIN PLAY AREA

6. CURRENT SCORE

2. UNIT HEALTH/AMMUNITION

7. OPTIONS (not implemented)

3. CURRENT UNIT SELECTION

8. TIME IN SECS (1 TURN=10 SECS)

4. RULES OF ENGAGEMENT
& MOVEMENT CONTROL PANEL

9. PLAYBACK CONTROLS

5. UNDO LAST ORDER

11. MAP SCROLL

When both players have sent orders to the game server results files will be mailed
to each player.

10. ORDERS CONTROL PANEL

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CHAPTER 3

PLAYING THE GAME
MOVING AROUND THE MAP

PLAYING THE GAME
+ UNIT + AREA

GENERAL MOVEMENT
To move around the battlefield use one of the follow
options.

In order to move a unit from one location to another:-

➧ Left-click on one of your units to select it. You
will see it appear in the vid-screen on the bottom left
of the screen.
➧ Left-Click on a destination space. You will see a
path drawn from the units position to the cursor, if the
destination is accessible.
➧ Repeat Left-Clicks to add more movement orders.

➧ click on any of the scroll bar icons surrounding
the edge of the interface (see item [11] on the
previous page)

➧

3–10

➧

➧ hold down the middle mouse button (or

➧

mousewheel) somewhere inside the window. The
view will scroll according to the position of the mouse
pointer relative to the centre of the window.

➧

A unit does not need to be facing a particular direction to
spot an enemy unless they are moving or have
opportunity fire set (see page 6-4 for more information
on unit vision).

➧ Alternatively, use the arrow keys on the keyboard.
ZOOMING

MOVEMENT TIME
Although there is no limit on the orders you can give a
unit, it can only travel a certain distance in a turn. Use
the Test Orders function to see how far the unit will
actually travel. The time counter next to the unit display
shows the estimated time cost for all orders issued to the
unit. Since a turn only lasts 10 seconds, any orders issued
beyond 10 seconds are very unlikely to be executed
during the next turn.

➧ Roll the mouse wheel up to zoom in, and roll
down to zoom out.
➧ Alternatively use the + key of the number pad on the
keyboard to zoom in, or the - key to zoom out.

➧

HOLD

➧

OPPORTUNITY FIRE

➧

DIRECT FIRE

➧

TERRAIN FIRE
LASERSQUADNEMESIS.COM

MOVEMENT ORDERS

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CHAPTER 3

PLAYING THE GAME
<CTRL> +

3–12

+ FRIENDLY

FORCED MOVEMENT
➧ <CTRL> + Left Click on object
You cannot move through walls or other obstacles, but
you can issue a command to walk into an obstacle, in the
anticipation that it may be destroyed during the turn.
Additionally other friendly units can obscure a movement
destination. If you click on empty terrain and hold down
the mouse button, then move the cursor over a unit and
release the mouse button, a movement orders will also be
forced.

PLAYING THE GAME
COMBAT ORDERS
➧ Left click on one of your units to select it.

+ ENEMY

FOLLOWING
➧ Right Click on friendly unit
You can instruct a unit to follow another friendly unit.
Select a unit and then right-click on the target unit.
Medics and AIs will always attempt to heal if they reach a
followed unit.
HOLD POSITION
➧ Use icon or press <H>
Sometimes you will want a unit to pause before
continuing with further orders. If you press <H> the unit
will be instructed to hold its position for one
second. Further presses can be used to issue longer
pauses.

LASERSQUADNEMESIS.COM

<SHIFT> +

LASERSQUADNEMESIS.COM

DIRECT FIRE (RED LINE)
➧ Click icon then enemy target
or
➧ Right Click on enemy unit (RED).
➧ Repeat for multiple shots.
Use this command to fire a single shot at a spotted
enemy unit. If the unit is moving it may go out of view
and the shot will not be fired, and the time spent aiming
will be wasted. If a friendly unit is close to the line of fire
then the shot can also fail.
TERRAIN FIRE (ORANGE LINE)
➧ Click icon then area on terrain
or
➧ <SHIFT> + Right Click on terrain
Use this command to target a wall, floor or door.
If the terrain is destroyed then subsequent ‘target terrain’
orders will be ignored.

3–13

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CHAPTER 3

PLAYING THE GAME

<SPACE> +

3–14

+ ENEMY

OPPORTUNITY FIRE (YELLOW LINE)
➧ Click icon then area
or
➧ <SPACE> + Right Click on terrain
This command is issued like any other fire order i.e.
selection of a target point for a single shot. It is not a
direct order to shoot, but an instruction to find an enemy
in that direction and shoot if possible. If there is no enemy
within the field of view selected (62.5 degrees either side
of the target line), then the unit spends his 'reaction time'
looking for a target (on average about half a second). If
there is a unit in the field of view, then the closer it is to
the direction you selected, the less reaction time is
expended acquiring the target. This tactic can be employed
effectively for ‘pop up’ attacks.
PURSUE
➧ Left Click on enemy unit (PINK)
If the unit is within half its firing range of the enemy unit
and has clear line of fire it will continuously fire at the
enemy unit. Otherwise it will start moving towards the
enemy unit until it satisfies those conditions. If the enemy
unit has disappeared it will move to the enemy’s last
known position where if it spots the enemy unit again it
will continue with the pursue order, otherwise the pursue
order will come to an end.

LASERSQUADNEMESIS.COM

PLAYING THE GAME
+ TERRAIN

FORCE FIRE (PINKY PURPLE)
➧ Right Click on terrain
This order targets a specific position, ignoring any
concerns about intervening friendly units.
SHOOTING TIME
Although there is no limit to the number of fire orders
you can issue, there is only a limited amount of time for a
unit to fire. Experiment by using the Test Orders (see
page 3–17) function.

MISCELLANEOUS
DOORS
Sometimes you will find doors blocking your way. All the
doors are locked and you have no key. You have to shoot
the doors to get past them, but fortunately they are
not very strong.

+ AMMO DUMP

LASERSQUADNEMESIS.COM

RELOADING
➧ Right Click on ammo dump or HQ unit.
When a unit runs out of ammo, no more shots can be
fired. You will see a movement path plotted to the
location of the HQ. Once the unit arrives at an ammo
dump or HQ it will be resupplied.

3–15

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CHAPTER 3

PLAYING THE GAME
+ UNIT

HEALING AND REPAIRING
➧ Right Click on injured unit
Only the Medic and the AI can heal other units. Select
the Medic/AI and right-click on the injured unit. A path
will be plotted to the unit, and once there the Medic/AI
will begin to heal the injured unit.

PLAYING THE GAME
RULES OF ENGAGEMENT

➧
SIGHTING

➧

FIRING
3–17

3–16

UNDOING ORDERS
➧ Click Icon or press <U>
You can press <U> repeatedly until all orders for a unit
are revoked.

Each unit can have individual rules of engagement set to
control how that unit reacts when spotting enemy units.
The default setting for each unit is different; for instance
the Marine Commander uses the combination of
‘continue of sighting’ and ‘fire at will’ whereas the
grenadier has the same sighting set but with firing set to
fire on command. You can change the settings by pressing
the buttons which toggle between the different modes.

SELECTING NEXT UNIT
➧ <TAB>
The <TAB> key will select and centre on the next unit
TOGGLE SHADING
➧ <L>
By pressing <L> you can turn off/on the shading on
a map.

CONTINUE ON SIGHTING
The unit will continue with its original orders, ignoring
any spotted enemy units.

DIFFERENTIATING THE ENEMY
ENEMY

HALT ON SIGHTING
The unit will stop as soon as it spots an enemy unit and
will not move until the end of the round. This instruction
only applies to enemy units that become
spotted during the turn, not those already visible at
the start of the turn.

In order to know who is the enemy if both players choose
the same faction the cursor changes colour when over the
selected unit.

FRIENDLY

LASERSQUADNEMESIS.COM

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CHAPTER 3

PLAYING THE GAME

PLAYING THE GAME
TEST ORDERS
A very useful option to see how well your orders will
execute and can also be used in conjunction with a
selection of the VCR controls (see over). Bear in mind that
not all outcomes will be the same, ie a grenadiers bomb
may not always launch in the same way or an enemy may
not be in the same place (they are always stationary
during this phase).

FIRE ON COMMAND
The unit will only shoot if given explicit fire orders.

3–18

FIRE AT WILL
If the unit has no specific orders ,or when finished with
other commands, it will shoot at any spotted enemy unit.
However, a unit will always take its ‘reaction time’ to
acquire a target before shooting commences.

SEND ORDERS
Allows you send orders to the LSN Central Server.

ORDERS CONTROL
REVIEWING THE GAME/TURN

VIEW RESULTS
This button is on by default at the beginning of every new
round and can be used in conjunction with all the VCR
type controls (see over).

In use with the results and test orders buttons these
VCR type controls allow you review a recently completed
turn or an entire game up to the last turn.

ISSUE ORDERS
This button needs to be active in order to issue
movement/combat orders.

LASERSQUADNEMESIS.COM

PAUSE
Pauses the action.

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PLAYING THE GAME

3–20

PLAYING THE GAME

PLAY
Use this key at the beginning of the each new turn.

A UNITS STATUS BAR

HALF SPEED

Above the units are a health bar (top) and a current
standing bar (below). The two markers which make up the
standing bar reflect the current settings in their current rules
of engagement

QUARTER SPEED

GREEN/GREEN
➧ Continue on sighting ➧ Fire on command
The unit will continue with its original orders, ignoring any
spotted enemy units and will only shoot if given explicit fire
orders.

REWIND TO FIRST TURN

SET TIME TO START OF CURRENT TURN
GREEN/RED
➧ Continue on sighting ➧ Fire at will
The unit will continue with its original orders and will
automatically shoot spotted enemies when halted or when
finished with other commands.

REWIND TO PREVIOUS TURN

FORWARD TO NEXT TURN

RED/GREEN
➧ Halt on sighting
➧ Fire on command
The unit will stop as soon as it spots an enemy unit but will
only shoot given explicit fire orders.
RED/RED
➧ Halt on sighting
➧ Fire at Will
The unit will stop and shoot as soon as it spots an enemy unit.

LASERSQUADNEMESIS.COM

3–21

CHAPTER CONTENTS | MAIN CONTENTS

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 3

PLAYING THE GAME

THE ENVIRONMENT

GAME OVER
CONTENTS

WIN
➧ You have killed all the enemy units, excluding HQs.
➧ It is the end of turn 30 and you have the highest score

3–22

DRAW
➧ You have equal scores and the last units on both sides die simultaneously
➧ It is the end of turn 30 and you both have equal scores
LOSE
➧ All your units have been killed
➧ It is the end of turn 30 and you have a lowest score

WALLS AND REINFORCEMENTS . . . . . . . . . . 4–2
Reinforced tall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4–3
Reinforced short . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4–3
Standard tall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4–3
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4–3
Sandbags. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4–4
Doors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4–4
FLORA AND FAUNA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4–4
Potted tree. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4–4
Planted tree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4–5

Whatever the outcome you will be notified by two emails; one showing the final
round and the other a note on your success, demise or draw. This note will also
provide player statistics such as current rank, rating, division and a breakdown of
of total games played (including non-league games) complete with success rate.

MACHINES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5
Generators/pumps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4–5
FURINITURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5
Tables and chairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4–5
STORAGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-6
Stacked crates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4–6
Crates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4–6
Stacked barrels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4–6
Barrels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4–6
STREET FURNITURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-6
Lamppost. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4–6

LASERSQUADNEMESIS.COM

4–1

CHAPTER CONTENTS | MAIN CONTENTS

CHAPTER 4

THE ENVIRONMENT

ach map in Laser Squad Nemesis is full of natural
and man-made objects which can be used as
effective cover and ambush points. Some objects
and constructions are hardier than others and some
provide better cover than others. Knowing your
environment and how it can help you is as important as
knowing your enemy. This chapter explains some of the
structures found in a typical map and how best utilise
their presence in order to maximise your chance of
survival and ultimate victory.

E
4–2

The Scanner is a
slow moving
tracked vehicle
equipped with a
special scanning
device that can
detect the brain
waves of sentient
organic life forms.

REINFORCED TALL

➧ Resistance: 60

➧ Cover: Unparalled
These walls are made of high-tensile alloys which are
impervious to any form of heat, acid or impact attack.
REINFORCED SHORT
➧ Resistance: 60
➧ Cover: Good
Made of the same material as the wall above these low
walls offer a combination of semi effective cover but with
the added bonus of being able to fire over.

WALLS AND REINFORCEMENTS

STANDARD TALL
➧ Resistance: 10-12
➧ Cover: Unparelled
These standard concrete walls a fairly weak when faced
with the firepower of a Mark 7 Heavy Laser Cannon or
equivalent. However they do provide some degree of
protection and additional functionality for surprise attacks
or hasty retreats if blasted through.

Walls can be a highly effective form of protection and
can also provide a useful ally when a surprise attack or
ambush is needed. Blasting through a wall and engaging
the unaware enemy where least expected can make the
all difference between victory and defeat. Additionally
even though some walls maybe inpervious to attack this
can be a boon and curse in equal measure. For example
one may want to engage an enemy at close range but a
short, impenetrable wall is blocking the way. Whereas a
path can be blasted through sandbags or concrete
structures, this is not the case with the highly durable
reinforced variety. As a result the unit will have to walk
around the wall to find the exit and then find the enemy
who may have disappeared.

LASERSQUADNEMESIS.COM

WINDOWS
➧ Resistance: 10-12/60
➧ Cover: Very Good
Windows can provide maximum protection with a great
degree of visibility. The high-tensile alloy window frame
variety gives a unit a fair degree of comfort in the
knowledge that, unlike its concrete equivalent, will not
collapse or disintegrate when fire upon. For units such as
the grenadier, placement is crucial if one wants to launch
a grenade through such constructions. Errant grenades
which have bounced off a windowframe create
unnecessary panic and carnage for the player .
LASERSQUADNEMESIS.COM

4–3

CHAPTER CONTENTS | MAIN CONTENTS

CHAPTER 4

THE ENVIRONMENT

4–4

THE ENVIRONMENT
PLANTED TREE
➧ Resistance: 7
➧ Cover: Average
A single tree is not really a option to consider when
under fire. However when crossing large expanses of
empty space dont forget they can offer than much need
cover, especially in groups.

SANDBAGS
➧ Resistance: 8
➧ Cover: Good
Sandbags are an old but highly effective and efficient
form of protection. Placed judiciously, sandbags can give
a unit that all important cover while running across large
open spaces. Offering a better-than-nothing alterative in a
ferocious firefight with an AI, sandbags should be
considered a temporary occupancy.

MACHINES

DOORS
➧ Resistance: 3
➧ Cover: Good
Doors are only accessible if destroyed. Their relative
weakness allows access to most units and sometimes
only after a good few hits. Under certain situations
destroying a door can also be an indication to the
opponent of your possible location.

GENERATORS/PUMPS
➧ Resistance: 8
➧ Cover: Average
General machinery can provide a decent amount of cover
within an enclosed space. Their height, mass and relative
strength make a good position from which remain hidden
and thus a surprise ambush.

FURNITURE

FLORA AND FAUNA

TABLES & CHAIRS
➧ Resistance: 2
➧ Cover: Poor
If these articles are used effectively by a unit for
protection then surely the Gods were on their side. Such
items do not operate well under combat conditions,
unless one hides beneath them (which is not possible
here). An astute unit will ignore these items within a
combat situation and find something a little more useful
(a potted tree perhaps?).

In some missions the abundance of trees and bushes can
provide a great opportunity for cover and can be a bane if
an misfired projectile comes into contact when with one
when least expected (notably in heavily wooded areas).
POTTED TREE
➧ Resistance: 10
➧ Cover: Average
Trees can offer a surprising amount of cover and a fair
degree of resistance to general attacks. Because of their
stability, potted trees are slightly hardier than their
planted cousins.

LASERSQUADNEMESIS.COM

4–5

CHAPTER CONTENTS | MAIN CONTENTS

CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 4

FACTION GUIDE

THE ENVIRONMENT
STORAGE

GUIDE TO STATISTICAL DATA . . . . . . . . . . . . 5–2

STACKED CRATES
➧ Resistance: 6
➧ Cover: Average
Made of wood and metal, stacked crates offer a fair deal
of cover but their weakness should also be considered.
4–6

CRATES
➧ Resistance: 6
➧ Cover: Below Average
Non stacked crates provide the opportunity to have small
degree cover and the ability to be able to fire over.
STACKED BARRELS
➧ Resistance: 7
➧ Cover: Average
Stacked steel barrels offer a good degree of cover but a
shade more durability than their crates counterpart.

MARINES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5–3
Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5–3
Commander . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5–4
Grunt. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5–5
Sniper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5–6
Grenadier. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5–7
Medic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5–8
Ammo Dump . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5–9
MACHINA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5–10
Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5–10
Missile Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5–11
Exterminator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5–12
Scanner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5–13
Hunter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5–14
AI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5–15
HQ. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5–16

BARRELS
➧ Resistance: 7
➧ Cover: Average
Useful for their durability in favour of crates, non stacked
barrels can also leave the unit exposed in a firefight.

STREET FURNITURE
LAMPPOST
➧ Resistance: 5
➧ Cover: Very Poor
Lampposts are too narrow to provide any cover but can
be a godsend if they get in the way of that mortal laser
bolt. Luck is the order of the day here.
LASERSQUADNEMESIS.COM

LASERSQUADNEMISIS.COM
LASERSQUADNEMESIS.COM

4–1
5–1

CHAPTER CONTENTS | MAIN CONTENTS

CHAPTER 5

FACTION GUIDE

FACTION GUIDE
ach faction within the Laser Squad Nemeses universe are unique; units are
carefully balanced to make sure that no group has any initial advantage
over the other. However how you deploy your units, in what configuration
and how you use them (based on their relative strengths and weaknesses) will
have an affect on the outcome of a game. For more information on the various
strategies and tactics see Chapter 6 - Strategy Guide.

E
5–2

5–3

GUIDE TO STATISTICAL DATA
The statistical data provided and the bottom of each profile is intended as a
comparative guide to each faction and the various units with it. The following key
provides a quick description of each statistic. These statistics are not
exhaustive, for a more detailed breakdown of unit statistical data visit either
www.laser-squad.co.uk or www.glenmurphy.com/lasersquad.
COST
Cost of deploying a unit.

WEP.SPEED
The speed of units weapon

SPEED

REACTION
A units sighting reaction

The units speed
ENDURANCE
The units health.
SIZE
The units size
WEP.RANGE
The range of units weapon

AIM TIME
A units combat reaction
DAMAGE
The damage casued by
units weapon
ACCURACY
The possible variation from
the aimed direction, in
degrees.

AMMO
Amount of ammunition a
unit carries.
VISION
How far the unit can see
TRACKING
The units tracking range
(scanner only)
EXPL.RADIUS
Explosion radius when
unit dies.

LASERSQUADNEMESIS.COM

THE MARINES
The Laser Marines are the first line of defence for the human race, but
they are no ordinary soldiers. They are tough, hard-bitten, veterans trained
to fight to the death in defence of human civilisation. Marines are
typically deployed in Laser Squads consisting of ten to fifteen soldiers,
including specialised units such as Medics, Snipers and Grenadiers. They
are heavily armoured and well equipped, employing the latest Federation
technology. The advanced laser weapons employ mini-nuclear reactors as
power cells, allowing mobile operation in all environments. They may not
be as well armoured as the Mechanoids, or as reproductive as the Spawn,
but they make up for it with ingenuity and good equipment.

LASERSQUADNEMESIS.COM

CHAPTER CONTENTS | MAIN CONTENTS

CHAPTER 5

FACTION GUIDE

FACTION GUIDE
THE MARINES

m
5–4

ADVANTAGES
POWER
ENDURANCE

DISADVANTAGES
EXPENSIVE
LIMITED BURST

THE MARINES

COMMANDER

GRUNT

The Marine Commander is an elite soldier, combining
physical toughness, advanced weapons skills and
outstanding leadership qualities. He is equipped with the
Mark 7 Heavy Laser Cannon (Mk7-HLC) which packs an
immensely powerful punch. The only downside to this
weapon is its bulk and the limited quantity of bursts
available from the power cell. However, the Commander
normally uses his combat potential wisely and sparingly,
and devotes much of his effort to organising and leading
his forces. When a Marine loses his nerve the Commander
will keep him going. If a Marine panics, then a nearby
Commander can restore his morale and combat
effectiveness. Without Commanders a Laser Squad is
vulnerable to demoralisation and disorganisation, but they
are rare and expensive to deploy

The Grunt is the mainstay of the Space Marine Corp,
representing the vast bulk of the combat troops available
to the Federation. He is a well armoured soldier equipped
with a Mark 5 Rapid Firing Laser Gun (Mk5-RFLG). These
impressive weapons have a high fire rate but are limited
in range and accuracy. They are designed for close quarters
combat situations as well as mid-range engagement. The
limitations of the power-cell and the high burst rate can
often leave the grunt without firepower, but this can be
replenished from a nearby ammo supply.

STATISTICAL DATA

5–2

ADVANTAGES
CHEAP
HIGH FIRE RATE
CLOSE COMBAT
DISADVANTAGES
AMMO DEPLETION
LIMITED RANGE
INACCURATE

STATISTICAL DATA
Cost
Speed
Endurance
Armour
Size

3
15
13
3
2

Wep.Range 40
Wep.Speed 200
Reaction
0.4
Aim Time
0.2
Damage
12

Accuracy
Ammo
Vision
Tracking
Expl.Radius

1.5
20
25
–
–

LASERSQUADNEMESIS.COM

Cost
Speed
Endurance
Armour
Size

LASERSQUADNEMESIS.COM

1
15
9
2
2

Wep.Range 30
Wep.Speed 200
Reaction
0.5
Aim Time 0.08
Damage
4

Accuracy 2.2
Ammo
35
Vision
25
Tracking
0
Expl.Radius –

CHAPTER CONTENTS | MAIN CONTENTS

CHAPTER 5

FACTION GUIDE

FACTION GUIDE
THE MARINES

5–6

THE MARINES

SNIPER

GRENADIER

Lightly armoured, the Sniper relies on its excellent spotting
capability to stay one step ahead of the enemy. He is
equipped with a highly accurate laser rifle Mark 9 Laser
Sniper Gun (Mk9-LSG). This weapon is deadly at long
range, but requires time to aim. A Sniper should be
deployed very carefully in order to avoid close combat
situations where he is highly vulnerable.

The Grenadier is a specialised infantry-artillery unit
equipped with a Mark 4 Grenade Launcher (Mk4-GL). This
devastating weapon propels a grenade over a short
distance before its time fuse triggers the micro-nuclear
explosive. A skilled grenadier will be able to deflect
grenades round corners to take enemy units by surprise,
while protecting friendly troops. Explosions can also be
used to generate smoke cover for Grunts to advance or
retreat safely. Since the Grenadier can only carry a small
supply of grenades he will need to retain access to an
ammo dump to remain effective. The Grenadier is an elite
unit which is fairly costly to deploy.

ADVANTAGES
LONG RANGE
ACCURACY

5–7

ADVANTAGES
POWER
DEFLECTION

DISADVANTAGES

LONG AIM TIME
LOW ARMOUR

COST
LOW AMMO

STATISTICAL DATA

STATISTICAL DATA
Cost
Speed
Endurance
Armour
Size

2
15
9
1
2

Wep.Range 40
Wep.Speed 200
Reaction
0.6
Aim Time 0.3
Damage
9

Accuracy 0.4
Ammo
15
Vision
40
Tracking
0
Expl.Radius 0

LASERSQUADNEMESIS.COM

Cost
Speed
Endurance
Armour
Size

LASERSQUADNEMESIS.COM

2
15
11
2
2

Wep.Range 20
Wep.Speed 50
Reaction
0.7
Aim Time 0.25
Damage
12

Accuracy
Ammo
Vision
Tracking
Expl.Radius

1
8
25
–
10

CHAPTER CONTENTS | MAIN CONTENTS

CHAPTER 5

FACTION GUIDE

FACTION GUIDE
THE MARINES

5–8

THE MARINES

MEDIC

AMMO DUMP

Medics are battlefield surgeons equipped with hi-tech
medi-kits. They can restore injured Marines to combat
capability through the use of stimulants, nano-bots,
robotic implants and blood transfusions. These specialists
are exceptionally brave, but they should be kept away
from the frontline if possible. They are equipped with the
highly efficient Mark 2 Laser Pistol (Mk2-LP) for self
defence purposes

The standard ammo dump is an automated, fortified
repository for power cells and grenades. It is deployed in
advance positions by combat engineers prior to engaging
the enemy, and will allow any Marine to retrieve a fresh
supply of ammunition. Although the ammo dump is not
invulnerable to attack it will never let its contents by
accessed by enemy forces

5–9

ADVANTAGES

HEAL

AMMUNITION
HIGH ARMOUR
SECURE

DISADVANTAGES

LOW ARMOUR
WEAK WEAPON

COST

STATISTICAL DATA

STATISTICAL DATA
Cost
Speed
Endurance
Armour
Size

1
15
8
1
2

Wep.Range 25
Wep.Speed 200
Reaction
0.8
Aim Time
0.1
Damage
4

Accuracy 2.8
Ammo
20
Vision
22
Tracking
–
Expl.Radius –

LASERSQUADNEMESIS.COM

Cost
Speed
Endurance
Armour
Size

LASERSQUADNEMESIS.COM

1
0
40
2
3

Wep.Range
Wep.Speed
Reaction
Aim Time
Damage

–
–
–
–
–

Accuracy
Ammo
Vision
Tracking
Expl.Radius

–
–
–
–
–

CHAPTER CONTENTS | MAIN CONTENTS

CHAPTER 5

FACTION GUIDE

FACTION GUIDE
THE MACHINA

MISSILE TANK
The Missile Tank is a heavily armoured, tracked vehicle
equipped with a devastating rocket launcher. This weapon
is so powerful it can blast through thick steel walls and
knock most units out with a single blast. The Missile Tank
is very large, limiting its mobility, but since it can blast a
path through most terrain it rarely has a problem getting
around. Its major weakness is its limited ammo capacity,
which means that rockets must be used sparingly, or
ammo-dumps must be reasonably accessible.

5–10

THE MACHINA

5–11

ADVANTAGES

POWER

The Human Federation built powerful intelligent machines to fight the
alien Spawn that threatened the existence of the human race. These
machines were designed to operate independently and automatically in
deep space. Unfortunately the vast military AI started to think about its
own
best interests
STATISTICAL
DATA and turned against its human overlords. It began to
build a new race of sentient robots that utterly detested anything organic
and mushy. It seems that humanity may have created its own nemesis.

LASERSQUADNEMESIS.COM

DISADVANTAGES

MOBILITY
LIMITED AMMO

STATISTICAL DATA
Cost
Speed
Endurance
Armour
Size

LASERSQUADNEMESIS.COM

4
10
45
3
3

Wep.Range 50
Wep.Speed 60
Reaction
1.2
Aim Time
0.5
Damage
14

Accuracy 0.5
Ammo
3
Vision
20
Tracking
–
Expl.Radius 12

CHAPTER CONTENTS | MAIN CONTENTS

CHAPTER 5

FACTION GUIDE

FACTION GUIDE
THE MACHINA

5–12

ADVANTAGES

THE MACHINA

EXTERMINATOR

SCANNER

The Exterminator Machina is the standard combat unit of
the Machina Ground Assault Forces. It was designed as
humanoid simulant with the advantages of bipedal
motion, and is armed with a built in plasma beam gun.
Despite the attempt to mimic human physiology the
Exterminator is slower, less aware and more dim-witted
than a human Space Marine. However, they make up for
these weaknesses with heavier armour and an unswerving
determination to kill the organic enemy.

The Scanner is a slow moving tracked vehicle equipped
with a special scanning device that can detect the brain
waves of sentient organic life forms. Acting in conjunction
with other Machina units it is used to seek out and
destroy organic lifeforms. The Scanner is an expensive unit,
and vulnerable to enemy attack since it has no weapons
systems and only light armour.

5–13

ADVANTAGES

CHEAP
ARMOUR

X-RAY SENSORS

DISADVANTAGES

SLOW REACTION

SLOW
LIGHT ARMOUR
NO WEAPON

STATISTICAL DATA

STATISTICAL DATA
Cost
Speed
Endurance
Armour
Size

1
13
15
2
2

Wep.Range 30
Wep.Speed 200
Reaction
0.6
Aim Time
0.2
Damage
6

Accuracy
Ammo
Vision
Tracking
Expl.Radius

2
25
20
–
–

LASERSQUADNEMESIS.COM

Cost
Speed
Endurance
Armour
Size

LASERSQUADNEMESIS.COM

2
12
25
3
2

Wep.Range
Wep.Speed
Reaction
Aim Time
Damage

–
–
–
–
–

Accuracy
Ammo
Vision
Tracking
Expl.Radius

–
–
50
15
–

CHAPTER CONTENTS | MAIN CONTENTS

CHAPTER 5

FACTION GUIDE

FACTION GUIDE
THE MACHINA

5–14

THE MACHINA

HUNTER

The Hunter is a fast, flying Machina unit armed with light
plasma gun. It is mainly deployed for reconnaissance
purposes, or for hunting and killing civilians and other
weak organic entities. Unfortunately it is quite weakly
protected, and relies on its speed and low visibility to
survive in the battlefield.

The AI is the elite unit of the Machina Ground Assault
Force, acting as a command unit and a mobile repair
centre. It has extremely tough armour and is equipped
with a powerful plasma gun that propels an intensely hot
beam of plasma at high speeds. Due to its heavy
protection and large amount of equipment the AI is a
large and slow moving mechanical beast. Its large size
prevents it from navigating narrow corridors and small
openings. The AI has the ability to repair other Machinas
using its highly articulate claw and a variety of other tools
and materials. If it is destroyed it will trigger a huge
explosion, which makes close engagement of this
unit suicidal.

ADVANTAGES

SPEED
LOW VISIBILITY
DISADVANTAGES

ARMOUR
WEAPON

5–15

ADVANTAGES
REPAIR
DAMAGE
ARMOUR
DISADVANTAGES
SPEED
SIZE
COST

STATISTICAL DATA

STATISTICAL DATA
Cost
Speed
Endurance
Armour
Size

1
24
6
1
1

Wep.Range 25
Wep.Speed 200
Reaction
0.5
Aim Time 0.15
Damage
4

Accuracy
Ammo
Vision
Tracking
Expl.Radius

1.5
15
22
–
–

LASERSQUADNEMESIS.COM

Cost
Speed
Endurance
Armour
Size

LASERSQUADNEMESIS.COM

4
10
50
4
3

Wep.Range 40
Wep.Speed 200
Reaction
0.8
Aim Time 0.3
Damage
14

Accuracy
Ammo
Vision
Tracking
Expl.Radius

1.5
30
30
–
0

CHAPTER CONTENTS | MAIN CONTENTS

CHAPTER 6

CHAPTER 5

STRATEGIES

FACTION GUIDE
THE MACHINA

MACHINA HQ

CONTENTS

The Machina need to deploy ammunition dumps to
support their Ground Assault Forces in the same way as
the Marines. These are immobile stores deployed by
Techbots prior to battle initialisation.

5–16

ADVANTAGES

AMMUNITION
HIGH ARMOUR
SECURE

GENERAL STRATEGIES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6–2
Keep moving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6–2
Manipulating firing commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6–3
Tming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6–3
Know thy enemy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6–3
Reviewing a turn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6–3
Co-ordinated attacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6–4
All round vision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6–4
Aiming time, survival time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6–4
Shortening grenade range . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6–4
Tree clearing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6–4
Natural selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6–4
Door/wall breaching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6–5
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6–6
Opportunity Fire or direct fire? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6–7

DISADVANTAGES

FACTION STRATEGIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6–8
Marines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6–8
Machina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6–11

COST

STATISTICAL DATA
Cost
Speed
Endurance
Armour
Size

1
0
40
2
3

Wep.Range
Wep.Speed
Reaction
Aim Time
Damage

–
–
–
–
–

Accuracy
Ammo
Vision
Tracking
Expl.Radius

–
–
–
–
–

LASERSQUADNEMESIS.COM

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STRATEGIES

STRATEGIES
The following individuals are responsible for many of these useful insights.
In no particular order they are: Alamar, Fred Bird, Kilted, Ali, Scaramanger,
Zam, Solitaire, Gorecki, Emporer Ming, Regal, Gomisan, Mel C, Phigment,
Crank, ColaBoy, Milton, Doctor Worm and Mr Wonderstuff. If I have not credited
any person whose contribution is here please notify me and Ill make sure you get
a mention.

6–2

GENERAL STRATEGIES
KEEP MOVING
The phrase ‘sitting duck’ has never before been more appropriate. It should be a
rare occurance when you don't move a unit in a turn - that is unless it is in the
process of being healed, is a slow-firing unit shooting from cover, or is an ammo
depot. It doesn't matter how accurate your opponent's shots are if you aren't
there when they reach your recently held position (this is especially applicable
when under fire from snipers at long range). Additionally, if your opponent is
using ‘opportunity fire’ and you can circle around them, you may be able to get in
a free shot or two while they’re aiming at empty air.
DON’T BUNCH
Try and keep any groupings of squads relatively spaced apart as a tight knit party
will be vulnerable to wide area attacks from Granadiers or Missle Tanks.
MANIPULATE FIRING COMMANDS
Utilising the rules of engagement ‘Fire at Will’ and ‘Fire on Command’ options are
useful dependent on the unit. As a rule of thumb, setting the option to Fire at Will
for units with non-explosive ammunition will allow your units to fill in a bit of
shooting time if they end up with any 'slack time' in a turn. It may be advisable
to switch to ‘Fire on Command’ if you're running low on ammo (if a depot isn’t
nearby or available at all) or your unit is a Grenadier or Missile Tank whose
impulsive high explosive discharge may be initiated when you least want it to.

LASERSQUADNEMESIS.COM

TIMING
Using the hold button <H> will help stop your units from running into each other
during movement and should be used to time an attack carefully. Each time you
press <H>, the unit will wait around for 1 second – using the 'Test Orders'
feature will help you fine tune your orders so your troop movements are coordinated successfully.
KNOW THY ENEMY
If you've played your opponent before, take a few minutes to look over the
previous match(es) in the league found at the Laser Squad website. Look for
patterns. Do they frequently use snipers? Are grenadiers a common emphasis?
Maybe there’s an unholy liking for AIs? If you can guess what troops they’ll likely
deploy, you can tailor your strategy and unit/faction choice to match. It is
suggested that this tip is used judiciously as, at most, you should be changing two
or three units in your deployment as you need to remain flexible in case you're
wrong!
REVIEWING A TURN
Always review a previous turn outcome with at least the camera fully zoomed out
for one of the viewings. A split second of a seen enemy, over in the right hand
corner behind a loose crate, can help and is something you may miss if your not
looking.
CO-ORDINATED ATTACKS
Attacking your opponent with enough mass, from different directions and with
considered co-ordination can repeat untold benefits. Forcing a unit to divide its
fire to cover attacks from different directions is a classic piece of logistics and the
basis of flanking and other maneouvres. Timing has to be perfect though. If you
move simultaneous units into a fire position they may arrive at different times
thus presenting a sequence of easy targets for your opponent.

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STRATEGIES

STRATEGIES
ALL ROUND VISION
Units who are on ‘Hold’ (<H>) can see 360 degrees as can those with no
additional orders. Moving units can only see in direction of movement. Units who
have ‘Opportunity Fire’ set (yellow line) can see 65 degrees to each side of line.

6–4

AIMING TIME, SURVIVAL TIME
Wherever possibly utilise ‘hit and get cover’ tactics and learn the aiming time for
each set of enemy units. For example, Grunts shoot faster than Hunters, Hunters
shoot faster than Commanders, Commanders shoot faster than AI, and so on...
SHORTENING GRENADE RANGE
Help reduce the ‘fuse time’ of a grenade, target the square immediately in front of
the grenadier. When launched, the grenade will bounce higher within a short
distance and thus the best post-launch advice is to find cover immediately.
Additionally, by launching it down a corridor in a zig-zag type fashion as opposed
to straight projection can achieve similar results.
TREE CLEARING
It may be useful to clear any trees before you using a Missile Tank. This will help
to avoid missiles getting caught by them and exploding when least desired.
NATURAL SELECTION
Always consider your selection of units/faction according to the map/deployment
area being played. Each map (see Chapter 9 Maps) will have an associated ideal
strategy which you may choose to ignore or use.

Some rooms which have not been explored will not allow you to enter entirely
(blacked out) and thus progression can be hindered until the next turn. Look at
the room to see if there are any ‘light areas’ around the inside edge of the room;
they can give you space within which to move.Using two units is advisable as one
can provide backup once inside the room.
For the unit closest to the door (Unit 1) the orders are as follows:

➧ Attack door two or three times (shift-right click on door) to verify doors
destruction (random damage values may make first attack ineffective).
➧ Press the <H> key twice to hold position for two seconds.
➧ Force move into room (Ctrl-Left mouse click on floor where the door is and
then Ctrl_Left click on the room beyond, ideally where there are light areas).
For the supporting unit (Unit 2) the orders are as follows:

➧ Press the hold key twice or even three times (<H>) .
➧ ’Force move’ onto door. (Ctrl-Left mouse click on door)
➧ ’Force move’ into room (Ctrl-Left mouse click on floor)

UNIT 2

DOOR/WALL BREACHING
Breaching a door and entering into a new and unexplored room holds many
uncertainties. Firstly, always assume there’s an enemy waiting on the other side
and thus be prepared for any eventuality. Always shoot doors and walls multiple
times – just in case it doesn't work the first time when you send your orders in.
If you do destroy the door/wall on the first shot, the excess shots will be ignored.
UNIT 1

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UNIT 1

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STRATEGIES

STRATEGIES
Make sure you have ‘Hold on Sighting’ off on Unit 2 as it will engage the enemy
immediately on sight, blocking Unit 1 from providing essential support. The use of
the ‘Hold’ key (<H>) will help make sure they time their attack without running
into each other or holding one another up.

6–6

WINDOWS
Shooting through windows is an effective and relatively safe way to engage the
enemy. While most units don’t have a problem with this, the grenadier has a
harder time than most due to the nature of the bouncing projectile grenade
within such a small taget area. In order to fire a grenade through a window
without being seen follow this simple rule. Place your Grenadier one square to
one side of the window and target the window frame itself. The grenade should
hit the inside of the window frame and bounce outside/inside. The test orders may
well show a successful shot but consider the random occurance of this not going
according to plan and thus a subsequent retreat order built into the turn
command list should be implemented.
Another general rule of thumb (for any unit) is to give a temporary ‘Forced Fire’
order (Right Click) and watch what happends during the ‘Test Orders’ phase. If the
shot passes cleanly through then delete the order and in its place put the
‘Opportunity Fire’ command along the exact same path. As to dropping grenades
through windows from a distance, control the grenade's bounce height. Aim
behind the actual window, so that the grenade passes through at the height of its
arc instead of bouncing at the bottom.

1. Get in position.

2. Fire.

If an enemy unit uses a window as a regular sniping point (using ‘pop up’ attacks
to avoid being shot) use the ‘Force Fire’ command to create a constant stream of
laser fire which will increase your chances of a hit as it ‘pops up’.
DON’T USE ALL AVAILABLE TIME
If you make sure your units end the moves before the 10 seconds (9.x) then at the
start of the next turn they have 360 vision.Whilst moving or firing your units can
only see in front of them whereas if they are standing still they can see all around
them. Therefore if you make sure that most of your units stand still for the last 0.1
seconds of a turn you will have a much better picture of the battlefield situation
when it comes to issuing your next orders.
OPPORTUNITY FIRE OR DIRECT FIRE?
Q. I have a unit which can see another unit. Assuming I will have a
clear shot at him whether he moves or not, is it better to use
Opportunity Fire in that direction (yellow), directly targetting
the unit (red), or using Pursue fire (purple) (assuming he's
within half range). By "better", I mean more accurate/ faster to
fire, etc.
A. Opportunity fire takes a fraction more time to aim than a properly directed
shot and is hence an inferior option in terms of initial shot speed. However if
there is a chance that target will move into cover (and possibly reappear
from it) you at least will be ready for them using opportunity fire.
The difference between targetted fire and pursue is purely if you wish your
unit to move from its position if its view gets blocked

3. Get cover

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STRATEGIES

STRATEGIES
FACTION STRATEGIES

Additionally, a good use for a Medics idle time, during the
first few turns of a round, can be to used to send them
around the immediate vicinity opening the doors which
may be needed to get through later on. This works
especially well when defending the ‘bunker’ map – start
your medic near one of the wings, have him open those
doors and move over to the other wing.

MARINES
Marines are generally faster than the Machina and are
more multi-disciplined. As such its quite possible and
useful to break up a Marine deployment into smaller
groups.
6–8

Grenadier
Devastating when used effectively, the Grenadier is a unit
to be used with relative care in any situation. Using them
to provide suppressive fire with a salvo of grenades is
enough to demoralise the most hardened soldier and is a
useful strategy to employ. As well as being used to clear
terrain, grenades can also bounce off walls. This double
edged sword allows for some inventive maiming scenarios
and also can be used to make the enemy think you
located elsewhere.

Commander
The Elite troop and a worthy addition to any Marine
deployment, the Commander can be a formiddable
opponent and is ideally suited to medium range combat.
In any game two or more can make a big difference
especially if supported by Medics in the field. A little
inaccurate at long range, they can take down enemy
grunts, medics, hunters in one shot as well as blast
through doors and walls with relative ease. Their power,
speed, armour and health are all reflected in the cost to
deploy these units.
Medic
Medics should be treated in a purely supporting role
within any conflict (unless they are the last unit alive).
When starting out a new deployment phase, it may be
worth taking a couple of these units into the theatre of
war – the longer you can keep your troops alive, the
better chance you'll have. Keep them away from the
fighting, but allow them to be close enough so that they
can heal quickly (remember to move the wounded unit
*to* the medic, not the other way around, or the medic
may be in danger). As a last resort, their pistols can
provide a bit of extra firepower. Unfortunately Medics
cannot heal themselves which is all the more reason to
keep them out of harms way.
LASERSQUADNEMESIS.COM

One should use the
‘Fire at will’ option
judiciously with
such units (Grenadiers) as without
proper player
involvement a selfinitiated grenade
launch can have
very unpre-dictable
results.

In order to shorten a grenades bounce, aim at the floor at
your grenadiers feet using <SHIFT> Right Click – that way
you get shorter, higher bounces without the
unpredictability of ricocheting from walls.
Remember that one should use the ‘Fire at will’ option
judiciously with such units as without proper player
involvement a self-initiated grenade launch can have
very unpredictable results.
❖ Anti grenadier tip: Charging them directly can be a rewarding yet
unpredictable undertaking. The likelihood of a grenade either bouncing
of your units armour or missing altogether is high. A nimble and astute
unit will manage to avoid the subsequent blast area caused at
detonation.

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STRATEGIES

6–10

MACHINA
The Machina are a less independent faction than their
Marine counterparts and a tighter, more group focused
degree of control is required when playing them.

Grunt
Unfairly labeled as ‘cannon fodder’ by some, the Grunt is
a very versatile unit and one which can be highly
effective in groups. Providing covering fire across wide
open spaces (use the ‘opportunity fire’ command) their
rapid rate of fire can be a distracting, if not a lethal
attack strategy. While effective in groups it also worth
knowing when to split them up and take cover in order to
avoid incoming explosive charges from enemy Grenadiers
or Missile Tanks. However the use of a grunt as a
distracting element whilst employing covert operations
against the enemy should not be forgotten.
Sniper
At long range Snipers offer not only a valuable attack but
also act as long range scout with their astute eyesight
(which is not matched for distance by any other unit).
Using them to track enemy units from afar can be a
invaluable source of information for a player. Snipers
come into their own within environments with large open
spaces but due to their low armour and long reload
should never be used in close combat situations.
Ammunition depots
It maybe prudent to include ammunition depot within the
starting deployment. At only one force point they're fairly
cheap, and can be very useful when your grenadier runs
out of ammunition. For effective placement, deploy the
unit near the front edge of your deployment zone where
it's easily accessible (unless you want to stick in your
start zone and defend, which is inadvisable). Their
hardiness will ensure their survival for a good portion of
the turn, however in some quick games, their usefulness
may go unused.
LASERSQUADNEMESIS.COM

Missile Tank
An exceptionally slow unit, the Missle Tank can wreak
devastation within a relative short timescale. Indeed, its
been know that with the use of two of these goliaths a
whole map can be reduced to rubble with little effort.
They are best placed within easy reach of an Machina HQ
as its payload is exceptionally limited (only three
missiles). Strategic placement is crucial for these units,
where an unobstructed field of view is a priority. A
Missile Tank’s ideal targets include; sniper emplacements,
tight concetrations of enemy units and slow enemy units
such as other Missle Tanks and AIs. An additional effect
of the broad-based devastation employed by these units
is the removal of cover or shelter for the enemy units as
well.
Keep your Missile
Tank in the
company of
supporting units as
they are relatively
weak, cannot
defend themselves
and are one unit
you should not wish
to lose early on.

When targetting its always advisable to target the
ground and not the unit as its quite possible they will not
be there next turn (slow targetting and a slow missile
speed do not help either). Predicting a targets route is
one necessary skill to use when launching.
Keep your Missile Tank in the company of supporting
units as they are relatively weak, cannot defend
themselves and are one unit you should not wish to lose
early on.
❖ Anti Missle Tank tip: A rather drastic but possible to literally stop
the unit in its tracks is to stand in front of it. Blocking a Missle Tank or
AI is quite feasable as they cannot run enemy units over (additionally
Missle Tanks could commit suicide by shooting).

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STRATEGIES

STRATEGIES
Exterminator

6–12

Machina forces, they are quite capable of quickly
maneuvering out from behind a wall, snapping off a
shot on opportunity fire, then nipping back out of sight
before the enemy unit has had a chance to fire back –
rinse and repeat this tactic to fill both a turn
productively, and a static adversary with holes.

The Exterminators can be considered one of the most
versatile units in the game. Having more health than
Grunts and a little more accuracy, Exterminators are best
used within squads of three or more. Their weakness
is their low firerate and speed, which means using
them for hit and run/cover should only be done against
slower units such as Snipers, AIs, Missile Tanks and
Grenadiers). On their own they can become vulnerable
and are not the brightest tool in the set but their high
armour level can save those circuits if caught unawares.
Ideal combat situations are where theres little cover for
the opposition and at medium range.

The Hunters are also potent psychological tools; in the
hands of a skilled general they can flit around the map
and harry the enemy from all sides, killing a few units,
then disappearing, only to re-emerge a turn later, on the
other side of the enemy's position.
It's worth considering Hunters as an alternative 'core'
unit for a Machina force, instead of Exterminators. While
Hunters have less armour, do less damage and have
lower endurance, their speed, manoeuvrability and rapid
firing rate still make them deadly opponents.

Scanner
As someone once remarked “Scanners see beyond the
walls: fear it or use it “. Because scanners don’t have any
offensive weaponry and cost two force points they can
seem an extravagence you can live without. However, not
only can the Scanner detect enemy units through 360
degrees and through any wall (all on the move), what is
less well known is that the Scanner has a visual range
equalled only by the Sniper. Scanners are also reasonably
well armoured and agile so getting them into position (or
out of a suddenly hostile zone) is fairly easy.

The one tenet to stick to with these units is keep them
moving - a stationary Hunter, with its light armour and
low endurance, is a dead Hunter. Given the number of
shots they can loose in one turn, it's advisable to have
an ammo depot to hand - the Hunter is fast enough to
return and reload quickly with minimal disruption to
your plans.

Hunter
The Hunters are some of the most versatile units in the
Machina army. The Hunter's high speed, low visibility and
flying ability make them excellent scouts, but their
potential as skirmishers should also not be
underestimated. As the fastest unit in either the Marine or

LASERSQUADNEMESIS.COM

❖ Anti Hunter tip: The most effective way of swatting these irksome
characters lies in the unsubtle art of bombing. Missile Tanks with their
large blast area can take down groups of Hunters even when directly
within the explosion. Shrapnel from missles and grenades (from
grenadiers) are highly effective if one can pre-judge their movement
pattern.

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CHAPTER 7

CHAPTER 6

THE LEAGUE

STRATEGIES

6–14

A very effective
close combat unit,
the AI suffers at
longer range combat,
requiring a
Nostradamus-like
foretelling ability to
predict the
movement of the
Marine enemy.

CONTENTS

These intimidating units can prove a headache for any
enemy. On initial deployment it is not a good idea to
place the unit on it’s own or in a position where it cannot
escape from (it cant really go backwards without
becoming grenadier fodder). Don’t separate an AI unit
from its fellows as mechs aren't the fastest faction in the
world so support may be too far away. If your AI is faced
with a group of Marines its imperative that it takes down
the ones which pose most threat (ie. Commanders as a
top priority, then grenadiers followed by Snipers and
Grunts). It isn’t worth the time to maneuver into a
covering position or running away if besieged by marines
as, due to their swiftness, they will easily outflank it thus
wasting precious firing time.

THE LEAGUE TABLES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7–2
Rank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7–3
Player name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7–3
Rating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7–3
Played, Won, Drawn, Lost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7–3
ACTIVE GAMES LIST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7–4
Game ID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7–4
Waiting for player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7–4
Turn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7–4
Results sent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7–4
Expiry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7–5
THE LSN CUP TOURNAMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7–5

A very effective close combat unit, the AI suffers at longer
range combat, requiring a Nostradamus-like foretelling
ability to predict the movement of the Marine enemy. As
a guide if the enemy have a lot of cover, it may be better
off 'shooting at a position' (Right Click) rather than trying
to target a specific enemy (the AI's are mostly too slow at
shooting for that).
❖ Anti AI tip: The best way with which to deal with such units are
guerrilla warfare tactics (ie hit and run with units such as
Commanders). Supporting fire from Snipers at long distance and
additional firepower from grenadiers can also help disable and destroy
an AI in moments. Additionally getting the AI on its own will increase
its vulnerability and reduce its life expectancy.

Machina HQ
See the section under the Marine Ammo Depot as it
identical to the Machine HQs strategy.
LASERSQUADNEMESIS.COM

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CHAPTER 7

THE LEAGUE

THE LEAGUE
ne of the benefits of being a registered player of Laser Squad Nemesis is
the ability to take part in the official league and various cup tournaments.
Having played your first game against another registered player your
score details will be entered into the player database and made available for
comparison at the official website:

➧ http://www.lasersquadnemesis.com/League_Main.htm
7–2

From this webpage you will be able to access two sections; The League Tables
which host the latest player rankings and the Active Games List which displays all
games which are currently initiated and the players who have yet to action their
turn (not those challenged but those or instigated a challenge).

THE LEAGUE TABLES
A LEAGUE TABLE

The League Tables provide information for players at each level. There is only one
level currently, but players will be promoted to a higher level based on their rank
and the number of players in the level. Promotions are triggered when a level
contains a certain number of players. All players start at level 1 and progress to
level 2, and so on. Players will only be listed in the league tables if they have
finished at least one league game.

LASERSQUADNEMESIS.COM

The level tables contain the following columns:
RANK
Your rank is determined by your current rating - the player with the highest rating
will be ranked number 1. However, players can share rank postions if they have
the same rating.
PLAYER NAME
You can use the player names listed here to select opponents. Remember that you
can select any player to challenge if you enter their name after selecting the 'find
opponent by name' option.
RATING
When you start playing the game, or when you get promoted to a new level, you
are assigned a rating of 1000 points. When a game is won or lost, points are
gained or deducted based on the two ratings of the players at the conclusion of
the game. If you beat a higher rated player you will gain more points than if you
beat a lower rated player. Conversely, if you lose to a lower ranted player you will
lose more points than if you lost to a higher rated player. The points gained and
lost can range from 1 to 20 points according to a mathematical formula (the Elo
rating system). Evenly rated players will gain or lose 10 points for a battle.
PLAYED, WON, DRAWN, LOST
Total league games played, won drawn and lost in the current league level. These
statistics are for information purposes only, and do not have a direct relationsip
with your rating.

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CHAPTER 7

THE LEAGUE

THE LEAGUE
ACTIVE GAMES LIST

EXPIRY
The time left before an inactive game is no longer listed in the table, specified as
‘days:hours:minutes’. There is a maximum of 10 days before the game is no
longer listed.

AN ACTIVE GAMES LIST

CHESS CLOCK
A chess clock system has been implemented to enable those who are awaiting
turns the benefit of the win if their opponent does not reply within a given
timescale (which, as of 1.06, is 30 days per new game). The clock does not start
until the deployment orders have been fulfilled by both players. Later versions of
the client software will include the ability to set your own time limits.

7–4

For each division there is a list of games in progress. The table columns are:
GAME ID
The number of the game. This corresponds to the game number indicated in
results files.
WAITING FOR PLAYER
The name of the player who has not yet sent in orders for the current game turn.
If both players have not sent orders then both players are listed. You should check
for your player name in this column in case there are turns you have forgotten to
respond to.
TURN
The latest game turn for which results have been sent to players. You should have
a results file for this game with this turn number in your mail inbox, otherwise the
mail failed to reach you, or you have lost it.
RESULTS SENT
The time and date that the last results files were sent to each player, as
'hour:minute - day month' Greenwich Mean TIme.

LASERSQUADNEMESIS.COM

THE LSN CUP TOURNAMENT
The LSN Cup Tournament is a completely player organised knock-out tournament
which runs alonside the main league. Individual games within tournaments can
be played as friendlies or as league matches (where the outcome will affect
league positioning).
Registration is simple and can be done at the following address where cup rules,
current cup standing and the ability to sign up for future tournaments can be
accessed:-

➧ http://www.reinhold.dk/lsn-cup/
For latest information and feedback on current tournaments taking place it is
advisable to visit the World Tournament Forums at:-

➧ http://pub73.ezboard.com/fcodogamesfrm9

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CHAPTER 8

CHAPTER 7

TROUBLESHOOTING

THE LEAGUE
NOTES

CONTENTS
GENERAL CONFIGURATION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8–2
Fullscreen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8–3
Screen width/height . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8–3
High texture resolution. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8–3
SMTP server. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8–3

7–6

SPECIFIC CARD ISSUES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8–4
Voodoo 2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8–4
Voodoo 3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8–4
GENERAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8–5
DISPLAY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8–5
SOUNDS CARD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8–5
PERFORMANCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8–5
EMAIL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8–6
GAMEPLAY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8–6

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CHAPTER 8

TROUBLESHOOTING
aser Squad Nemesis has been thoroughly tested. However in those rare
cases where you may be having problems, this section answers the
commonly asked questions. In order to prevent any problems its always
advisable to be running the latest hardware drivers and LSN Client. It is
also suggested that you have the latest version of DirectX installed (currently
8.1a) in order to avoid any potential problems. However if the answer to a
question is not here, please visit the offical forums at
http://pub73.ezboard.com/bcodogames and file a question in the section
entitled ‘Bug Reports’ with you computer system’s specification.

L
8–2

It is always worth looking at the accompany readme.txt file which is
distributed with each LSN Client. This can contain last minute information and
advice which may not be available here.

GENERAL CONFIGURATION
General configuration takes place in the general.cfg file which can be found in
your laser squad install directory in the subfolder \configs\. It can be opened
and edited by just about any text editor and should look something like this (it
will have added comments for clarifcation):

TROUBLESHOOTING
FULLSCREEN

Setting the FullScreen variable to FullScreen = Yes will cause the client app to
work in full screen mode. This is useful on certain older graphics cards that will
not work/accelerate graphics in a window.
SCREEN WIDTH/SCREEN HEIGHT
This option are related to FullScreen mode and are only relevant if fullscreen
mode is set to yes. They set the resolution the client uses for the display.
HIGH TEXTURE RESOLUTION
This variable scales the textures used internally depending on the setting.
Set this to ‘HighTextureResolution = No’ if your graphics card is old or/and
doesn’t have much onboard memory. It is also worth trying if the game is
running a little slowly.
SOUND
If you are getting unexplained crashes that prevent you playing the game, its
often worth trying to set the SoundOn variable to SoundOn = No.
SMTPSERVER
If you are unable to send email due to a connection error, or the client is always
try to connect to the wrong SMTP server, you can try filling this field with your
own SMTP server name if known.

FullScreen = No
ScreenWidth = 640
ScreenHeight = 480
HighTextureResolution = Yes

If your machine is on a local area network with a local mail server this field is the
name of the mail server on the network (your system administrator should be
able to tell you what this is).

SoundOn = Yes
SMTPServer =

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CHAPTER 8

TROUBLESHOOTING
Usually your smtp server is your isp name with ‘smtp.’ or ‘mail.’ in front of it.
For example, if your isp is NTLWorld your smtp server is probably:

➧ smtp.NTLWorld.com

8–4

Another way to guess your smtp server will be your email address with everything
before the '@' sign stripped away and replaced with 'smtp.' or 'mail.'. Though the
laser squad client will try this automatically if all else fails. For example:

➧ [email protected]

TROUBLESHOOTING
GENERAL
Q. CAN I PLAY WITHOUT SUBSCRIBING?
A. You can play without subscription but only if you are challenged by a
registered player. Post a request in the Game Request forum within the Laser
Squad Nemesis website and someone will challenge you. If neither you nor
your friend is registered, you can still both be challenged by registered
players but can’t play each other.
Q. ALT-TABBING IN FULL SCREEN MODE CRASHES COMPUTER
A. If this is happening and you are receiving an “dderr_wrongmode Failed to
restore back buffer” then at present the only solution is not to Alt-Tab. This
will be fixed in later updates to the LSN client software.

becomes:

➧ smtp.NTLWorld.com

Q. ERROR “ CREATE CRITICAL ACTIVEX CONTROL” ERROR
A. Try setting your desktop colour depth to 16bit.

SPECIFIC GRAPHICS CARD ISSUES
If you are experiencing problems with your graphics card, try suggestions for
other cards above. If these do not work, submit a bug report to the bug report
forum (recomended as workarounds are often supplied very quickly by other
members of the LSN community). Or send an email to
[email protected] detailing your problem.
VOODOO 3
To run LSN in a window with this card, you must set your desktops colour depth
to 16 bits.
VOODOO 2
To run LSN with this card, you will need to run full screen. This can be set in the
general.cfg (see page page 8–4). Consider turning down your ‘hardware
acceleration’ in you video properties dialogue box (right click on your desktop).

LASERSQUADNEMESIS.COM

Q. I RECIEVE AN EMAIL SAYING I CANNOT START A GAME WITHOUT
AN ACCOUNT EVEN THOUGH IM REGISTERED
A. Make sure you have spelt your name and password exactly how they were
originally. The names are case sensitive so try it with or without a capital at
the start.
Q. HOW DO I VIEW DOWNLOADED TURN FILES?
A. Make sure all necessary files are stored within a folder with the number of
the game (eg 00004272). This must be located in the games directory of
the laser squad nemesis parent folder (eg c:\program files\laser squad
nemesis\games). Within this numbered folder will be a file (amongst others)
for the last turn played in the game with an LSN prefix
(eg LSN_G00004742_T11.lsn). Double click this file and the LSN Client
Program will run the new file. If you have difficulty running the file try
‘rebuilding’ the it (see Page 2-11 for more information on rebuilding files).

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CHAPTER 8

TROUBLESHOOTING
Q. MY COMPUTER LOCKS UP WHEN ISSUING ORDERS
A. If you are you running in windowed mode try running in full screen mode at
your desktop resolution (see page 8–4).

8–6

Q. NORTON REPORTS A BACK DOOR TROJAN VIRUS ON THE LSN
UNINSTALL FILE!
A. There are no viruses in any of the LSN files. Upgrading to the latest Norton
defnitions for your virus software should clear this up.

DISPLAY
Q. MY SCREEN HAS FLICKERING TRIANGLES AND SEEMS CORRUPT
A. If you are getting screen corruption, ie flashing triangles or similar then
updating your video card drivers to the latest version should possibly
alleviate this problem.

TROUBLESHOOTING
Q. CAN I SEND A MESSAGE, OUTSIDE OF THE GAME, TO A PLAYER?
A. If you dont know their email address and they are a registered player then
visit http://www.gamelens.com/LSN/msg/pages/login which provides
the ability to do this.

GAMEPLAY
8–7

Q. WHEN I SELECT ANOTHER UNIT THE GAME APPLIES NEW ORDERS
TO THE PREVIOUS UNIT.
A. When you select another unit, make sure the cursor turns yellow and doesn’t
stay green. If green, your unit (whose orders are already given) will be
ordered to go to that spot; if yellow, the new unit will be selected. Also, you
can use the <TAB> key to cycle through your units. Another suggestion
suggest that if you accidentally move a unit where you didn’t mean to, press
the <U> key and that will undo your last order for the selected unit.
Q. HOW DO I SELECT NEXT UNIT?
A. Use the <TAB> key to select your next unit.

EMAIL
Q. CAN I HAVE TURN FILES RESENT?
A. Yes, see the section concerning additional game file options in Chapter 2.

Q. HOW DO I TIME A UNIT TO MOVE WHEN I SPECIFY?
A. Use the <H> key to Hold, where each press equates to 1 second of game
time. You can utilise this feature at any given waypoint set.

Q. I HAVENT RECIEVED MY TURN FILE
A. There are many reasons for this. It will either reside with our servers or, more
likely, with your service provider. If your opponent has recieved their turn file
and they are with another provider this would seem the logical conclusion.
Visit www.lasersquadnemesis.com to check and see if the LSN servers
are fully functional.

Q. CAN I PLAY MY LSN TURNS ON TWO DIFFERENT COMPUTERS?
A. Yes you can but you must copy ALL the files in the games directory on one
PC to the other (It won’t work with just the latest turn – it needs all of
them). All games from 1.02 of LSN will place all games into folders which
can be found in your LSN directory under games.

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CHAPTER CONTENTS | MAIN CONTENTS

CHAPTER 8

CHAPTER 9

TROUBLESHOOTING

MAPS
CHAPTER 9

NOTES

CONTENTS

MAPS

CROSSROADS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9–3
BUNKER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9–4

FOREST. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9–5
FRONT LINE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9–6

8–8

FACTORY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9–7

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CHAPTER 9

MAPS

he maps available offer a variety of scenarios which require strategies and
tactics that may differ significantly from map to map. The descriptions
accompanying each map are not exhaustive, but are included to give a
broad overview of how play might progress on each (if you require further field
tactics either see Chapter 6 or visit the official forums).

DEPLOYMENT AREA: CROSSROADS

If you would like larger versions of the maps seen here visit the following site:
http://www.gamelens.com/LSN/.
9–3

9–2

The range of maps are constantly being updated so check the official site at
www.lasersquadnemesis.com for the details of any new maps available.
All maps presented here are Codo developed and, as yet, no official facility has
been released to enable players to create their own (this is in the pipeline and will
be addressed in a future release). However third party utilities have been
developed such as Kilted’s map editor found at
http://www.kilted.demon.co.uk/lsn/tools/. Codo do not accept any liability
for using such a program and any questions should be directed to the author of
the program.

CHALLENGER DEPLOYMENT AREA

CROSSROADS
Blndly sending a
salvo of grendaes
down the main
north/south road
and alleyway to the
west can reduce the
chance of an all out
assault from whichever direction.

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OPPONENT DEPLOYMENT AREA

LASERSQUADNEMESIS.COM

Crossroads is one of the more straightforward maps to
play as it contains an equal amount of open areas as
well as enclosed environments (alleyways and buildings).
Generally, it has three major points of conflict all of
which require slighty different strategies; the western
edge with its north/south alleyway (favours short to mid
range units), the centre with its grove of trees (favours
mid to high range units) and finally and the eastern side
building (which favours a mix of the two). The central
area can become a hotbed of crossfire so deploy any
units in or around that area with care. The map doesn’t
favour one faction over the other as both can effectively
use the terrain to each others strengths.

CHAPTER CONTENTS | MAIN CONTENTS

CHAPTER 9

MAPS

DEPLOYMENT AREA: BUNKER

DEPLOYMENT AREA: FOREST

9–5

9–4

OPPONENT DEPLOYMENT AREA

CHALLENGER DEPLOYMENT AREA

OPPONENT DEPLOYMENT AREA

BUNKER
Grenades become
extremely useful
for both attacker
and defender
because of the
restricted terrain.

CHALLENGER DEPLOYMENT AREA

FOREST

In this map the challenger is assaulting the well forrtified
bunker wherein lies the opponent. The attacker has greater
mobility than the defender and this can result in strategies
whereby the attacker finds a way to sneak around the
mostly static defender positions. Invariably this utilisies the
buildings on the map edge which, while destructable,
afford a degree of cover for a rear assault. The defender
should try to inflict as many casualties as possible before
being completely surrounded. To help, the defender has the
option of utilising the Scanner (Machina faction) which can
see through walls and help monitor incoming enemy
movements - not all corridors inside of the bunker are
accessible to larger Machina units (Missile Tanks and AI).
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This map affords
the greatest first
turn visibility of
any map - expect to
be under long range
fire from the
beginning (especially from
Snipers).

LASERSQUADNEMESIS.COM

Forest has two main routes of attack – The indirect
northern avenue and the direct central avenue. As the
game progresses, the more powerful units or units with
explosives will tend to create their own path. There are
numerous impediments to movement including sandbags
and crates as well the trees themselves. The deployment
areas are almost visible to each other at the longest
range, and need to be vacated as quickly as possible. The
numerous terrain blockers, including sandbags and the
Be aware that the map is larger than Crossroads or
Bunker, and this can cause units that tend to run out of
ammunition to be a turn or two farther away from
reloading than in the smaller maps.

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CHAPTER 9

MAPS

DEPLOYMENT AREA: FRONT LINE

DEPLOYMENT AREA: FACTORY

9–7

9–6

CHALLENGER DEPLOYMENT AREA

OPPONENT DEPLOYMENT AREA

FACTORY

FRONT LINE
Although the
terrain features are
different, Front Line
shares three main
combat areas
similar to Crossroads. Namely, the
south (lower left),
the center, and the
north (upper right).

CHALLENGER DEPLOYMENT AREA

This map provides each player with an indestructible
building which are useful for launching hit and run
tactics against the weaker buildings opposite. Grenadiers
and Missile Tanks can flatten these central buildings in
order to deprive the enemy of useful cover. Because of
the blind alleyways, particularly in the middle, surprise is
generally on the defenders side when assaulting. Snipers
are a useful as they to relish the available cover as well
as the large avenues surrounding the center buildings.
Larger than Crossroads or Bunker, this map can cause
problems for those units who run out of ammunition
while a turn or two away from a reloading point.
LASERSQUADNEMESIS.COM

Factory is an
extremely
constrained map,
but is also fully
destructible which
can provide
surprise ambush
opportunties for
the unwary.

LASERSQUADNEMESIS.COM

Since the deployment areas are so large, it is difficult to
identify any particular typical combat areas (with
exception to the Factory itself, located in the center of
the map). The only long range fire opportunity is across
the main Factory floor, with all the surrounding areas
comprising short range guerilla fighting. Because of the
abundance of alleyways, large numbers of units or a
Scanner are required just to keep track of the enemy.
The number of windows can provide an attack or
supporting role (maneoverability through the scattered
buildings is crucial). Set up ambush areas around the
narrow chokepoints where two or three units can pick off
the enemy coming through one at a time.

CHAPTER CONTENTS | MAIN CONTENTS

CHAPTER 9

CHAPTER 10

MAPS

LINKS

NOTES

CONTENTS
OFFICIAL SITES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11–2
Main website . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11–2
Forums. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11–2
League information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11–2
Chat room . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11–2

9–8

UNOFFICAL SITES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11–2
General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11–2
Tournament and competitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11–3
FAQs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11–3

LASERSQUADNEMESIS.COM

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CHAPTER 11

LINKS

his section provides information on the LSN related websites. This list is
current as it can be, however visit the official website for a complete up to
date and exhaustive list. All links are accessible.

Tournament and competition
➧ www.reinhold.dk/lsn-cup
LSN world cup (player organised knock-out tournament)

➧ www.lewis.icom43.net/LSN

OFFICIAL SITES

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LSN campaign site which is currently running The Battle for New Haven.

➧ Mr Whippy’s LSN World

Main website
➧ www.lasersquadnemesis.com

- http://lsn.mrwhippy.org
The home of Little Sis, a small but interesting campaign set in a hypothetical
environment in which the inhabitants live cheek by jowl and try and kill each
other an a regular basis.

Forums

➧ pub73.ezboard.com/bcodogames

Statistics
➧ www.glenmurphy.com/lasersquad
Interactive statistics guide, useful for at-a-glance comparison of units.

League information
➧ www.lasersquadnemesis.com/League_Main.htm
Chat room
➧ www.lasersquadnemesis.com/Chat

Manual
➧ www.lsnmanual.co.uk
The official home to this manual.

UNOFFICIAL SITES
General
➧ www.lasersquad.co.uk
Blade's fansite which contains up to date information and player contributions
such as maps, tips, screenshots, unit stats etc.

➧ www.gaminglounge.net
General gaming site with a healthy dose of LSN related content.

➧ bmowats LSN Homepage - www.wolfchild.freeservers.com
A personal site detailing their trials and tribulations within the LSN gameworld.

➧ http://www.renoiro.com/lsn_ru/

Utilities
➧ http://www.gamelens.com/LSN/
As well as an informative and regularly updated FAQ, this site also hosts the
following are third party utilities created by LSN players which can be found at
the above address. CoDo do not support these products and do not accept any
liability if they do something horrendous to your computer.
• LSN Messenger
• Turn file description
• Chat tool
• Mail Helper Tool

• Bot framework
• LSN to XML transformer
• Unit Stats Chart

➧ http://www.kilted.demon.co.uk/lsn/tools/

A Russian website dedicated to all things LSN.

Home to the unofficial LSN Map editor written by Kilted.
LASERSQUADNEMESIS.COM

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11–3

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