High angles are a basic boomer skill, even though they look like showing off. They are best used in 0 or 1 wind, and if there's wind it's best if the wind is low and pointing towards the target. The way to execute a high angle shot is pretty simple: choose an angle (usually over 80) and then cut loose with a full power shot. If you choose the correct angle, you can hit any enemy on the screen and even enemies beyond 1 screen's distance. The hard part is choosing the right angle and figuring out how to adjust for slight differences in height, distance, wind, etc. High angle shots are nice because they allow you to use so many aim tricks to make a guaranteed hit, and you earn a ton of money for them.Some high angle terms:
Full = four bars/full power.
Unfull = 3.85 bars, necessary in some situations.
SD = Screen Distance, the distance from the left side to right side of 1 screen. When shooting 1 screen distance, assume boomer should be positioned half on and half off the edge of the screen, and he will hit an enemy who is half on/half off the opposite edge of the screen.
High angle pointers
- You can measure 0 wind high angles using the little buttons and boxes on your screen. Because you use your screen, it never changes and isn't like using a ruler (i.e. 'cheating' haha). Once you memorize these measurement tricks, you should never miss 0 wind high angles on relatively level ground. Big props to Wood and Lithium for developing/passing on these tricks. A few tricks I use all the time:
- A sure 87 full shot: The distance from your 'all/team' button to the 2nd bar/half power mark on your power meter.
- A sure 84 full shot: The distance from the 'all/team button' to the ... this depends on your playing mode. In tag/solo/jewel it's to the left edge of the black and yellow striped section at the bottom right. In Score, it's to the red number showing how many team lives you have remaining (the number on the left).
- A sure 81 full shot: The distance from the left edge of the screen to the right edge, you and the enemy should both be half off the screen.
For easy shortcuts to measure other angles, here's a visual aid from Lithium.
- Beyond 1 screen distance, you can measure by simply mentally marking where one screen would be and then measuring from that point to the enemy.
- The distance between angles is large enough that an enemy can be sitting in between two angles... i.e. an 85 full shot lands a bit in front of them, while an 84 full shot lands behind them. There are two tricks you can use in these situations:
-Move boomer a little forward or a little back until
the enemy can be hit with the angle you want to use.
-Use 'unfull' power, about 3.85 bars instead of 4 bars.
Sometimes moving is not an option or moving will force you to use untrue/weak angle.- Speaking of untrue/weak angle, don't use high angle shots if you are forced to use weak angle to do it. As always, a true angle shot is ALWAYS better damage than a weak angle shot. There will be times though where you must decide what's more important: Taking a guaranteed, easily measured high angle shot that you know you'll hit with, or gambling on a true angle shot without measurement tricks. Many players take the sure shot, but if you learn the fixed power lob method you won't have to use weak angle as often.
- The path your shot takes as it falls to earth is sort of diagonal, not just up and down. Therefore if your enemy is a ways above or below you, then your full power angle will be harder to estimate. An enemy who is higher than you needs a lower angle than what you might see on your screen, and an enemy who is lower needs a higher angle. An alternate method for hitting lower enemies is to lower power but it's sort of guesswork how much to lower by... usually no more than 1/3 bar.
- It is still possible to make shots with a bit of wind. The basic adjustment if wind is blowing towards the enemy is to raise your angle by (wind-1) degrees... so if you wanted to hit an enemy 1 screen away, normally you'd use 81 full... but in 5 wind you'd use 81 + (5-1) = 85 degrees. Another guide suggests that you need to move your boomer back a bit (about 1 boomer's width) and then raise your angle using that formula. I'm not sure what's best.
If wind is blowing against you, high angles don't work anything like described here, and often you'll find yourself in irritation situations where the wind switches from 0/1 to 2 against you, and your shot must completely change from one turn to the next.
- If wind is with you, but it's so strong that using formula listed earlier means you'd have to raise your angle more than 90 degrees, there's a neat power substitution formula you can use instead.