The Lerk

TyRLaguna · February 2003

<div class="IPBDescription">the one thing people see as useless....</div> In many games i have played the one thing that changes the outcome of the game is air support.
Lerks, for some people are little battylike skulks,
they have bite and they can shoot spikes with the first hive.
LERKS CAN FLY!
when a match starts i attack rush with a skulk till I have the needed 33 to go lerk. lerks are the most annoying thing that can happen to a marine base. if you sit in vents, small corners, etc. you can stall the marines long enough to help out your gorge's by getting the marines off their ****.
try it one time just go lerk and hide above their base, it really help to give your gorges the extra time and it helps them see where the marines are and what they are doing.

DoADrunkMonkey · February 2003

yup, lerks sure are really anoying.

but you gotta sum up.
stay at 33 and give xtra res to gorge to get 2nd hive, or go lerk with a single chamber, probably dc so u can`t get ardenline <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif'>
plus no umbra so i usually wait untill 2nd hive is up or at least safely growing untill i evolve.

Sycophant · February 2003

Agreed. Lerks at 1 hive are not nearly worth the financial hit on both you and your team.

In most games I've been involved in, it seems to be an unwritten rule for everyone (except the one gorge) to stay at Skulk until your resource count says 'xx/66'. This is usually enough to let the Gorge replenish the 80 res he just crammed into a hive, which will <i>really</i> come in handy once the second chamber is buildable.

TheHornet · February 2003

in my opinion, lerks are over looked way to much, people think that all they are good for is casting umbra for fades or spiking across a room. WRONG! Lerks are faster than skulks and there bite does the same damage, so you do the math. A skillful lerk can take out HMG rines with ease. Learn the flight patterns, Learn to control your speeds and turning and you'll be untouchable. The elite lerk syndicate(look down), the primere lerk guild, was created to show people that lerking is not just about sitting and being back-up but to fly out and decapitate marines without even having them know what hit them.

Etc · February 2003

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (TheHornet @ Feb 28 2003, 04:50 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> in my opinion, lerks are over looked way to much, people think that all they are good for is casting umbra for fades or spiking across a room. WRONG! Lerks are faster than skulks and there bite does the same damage, so you do the math. A skillful lerk can take out HMG rines with ease. Learn the flight patterns, Learn to control your speeds and turning and you'll be untouchable. The elite lerk syndicate(look down), the primere lerk guild, was created to show people that lerking is not just about sitting and being back-up but to fly out and decapitate marines without even having them know what hit them.  </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> 
Lerk's bite: 50 dmg
Skulk's bite: 75 dmg

p4Samwise · February 2003

I've been seeing people go early lerk more often recently. Sometimes it's some fool who dies shortly thereafter (prompting me to berate him), but sometimes it's a really elite lerk who makes himself useful. When the jetpackers come in, that lerk on top of the hive is a godsend. And I once saw a really tough game turn itself around because a 1-hive lerk played a pivotal role in killing an HMG rush - swooped in and bit their heads off before they could draw a bead. It was godly.

Elric · February 2003

The numbers in the manual or the tooltip aren't correct. They've been tested and shown to be 75.

Mythr1l · February 2003

as a gorge i would much rather have the 33 res than some lerk.... lerks are great for umbra but a few pistol shots make them pop. hardly anyone can fly while firing and they arnt the most manouverable enemy on the ground, lerk spikes, bang bang bang bang and lerks dead. any decent marine will get a lerk without umbra.

ZiGGY · February 2003

lvl3 cara lerks flying round like ikkle psychos dont usually die imo

matso · March 2003

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (ZiGGY^ @ Feb 28 2003, 09:23 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> lvl3 cara lerks flying round like ikkle psychos dont usually die imo  </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> 
*shrug* - depends on weapons upgrades. Lvl 1 weapons upgrade increases effective weapon damage by 50% for the LMG vs a lvl 3 carap lerk - 20 hits instead of 30 to kill.

ZERG · March 2003

I thought level 1 gave a 10% boost. <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/confused.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='confused.gif'>

Anyway, the lerk gets the most out of carapace. I remember some chart somewhere that showed the lerk getting the most out of carapace. I'ved tried regeneration and redemption... not very suitable for a heavy combat lerk.

Shockeh · March 2003

Actually, weap upgrades don't bother me as Lerk.

It's **** armour upgrades, cos it means I have to manage THREE bites on the first swoop.

1 hive Lerks are amazing, and very good for harassment. 2 hive Lerks can take on bases.

matso · March 2003

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (ZERG!! @ Mar 1 2003, 04:12 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> I thought level 1 gave a 10% boost. <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/confused.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='confused.gif'>

Anyway, the lerk gets the most out of carapace. I remember some chart somewhere that showed the lerk getting the most out of carapace. I'ved tried regeneration and redemption... not very suitable for a heavy combat lerk.  </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> 
Yea, but the rounding errors (damage to health always drops fractions) means that a standard LMG does 2 hits to health, while an upgraded does 3. As a lerk always dies with armor left over, you can just divide those 60 health with 2 or 3.

An uncarapaced lerk dies to 9 LMG shots. 9->30 is a pretty impressive improvement.

xxtaexx · March 2003

1 hive lerk > jpers ... imho =D lerks are so underated cuz you guys dont know how to use lerks to its full potential.. so what if the rines jp/hmg rush.. chances are they wont have their armor upgraded ... 2 bites and their toast =] .. and i dont care if you say lerks sucks or what not.. you just dont know how to use them and your jealous that i do =D =x=x=x

[ReD]TaE

RyoOhki · March 2003

Yeah, I like lerks, but at one hive? It's not quite worth the investment personally, because whilst yes, they can fly, they're basically just bigger skulks until the 2nd hive brings them into their own. If you're a really "elite" lerker then sure go for it when you can but I've seen few people who are really "elite" with this critter. Fact remains that the average jper is far far more manuverable in the air than the lerk, so many times I've been killed as a lerk because I can't fall fast enough, or I can't turn properly quickly in the air. Do I want to see 33 res taken away so quickly by simple flaws in the flying design? No, not really.

ZiGGY · March 2003

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (matso42 @ Mar 1 2003, 01:05 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> </span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (ZiGGY^ @ Feb 28 2003, 09:23 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> lvl3 cara lerks flying round like ikkle psychos dont usually die imo </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'>
*shrug* - depends on weapons upgrades. Lvl 1 weapons upgrade increases effective weapon damage by 50% for the LMG vs a lvl 3 carap lerk - 20 hits instead of 30 to kill. </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'>
you plan to be around for that long? all weapon upgrades(bar default) vs lvl 3 cara require 20 hits to kill. Theyre the fastest unit in the game by some margin, I suggest you try it out more for an extra 33 res distributed at an average detriment of res rate/(number of people +2*number of gorges). A lerk/skulk combo can keep marines at bay quite comfortably, skulks will struggle, I have never tried all lerks so cannot comment.

Fantasmo · March 2003

I think it has been mentioned but I'll say it again.

It hurts your team to go Lerk before the second hive goes up. However if JPers are inevitable you'd better sacrifice a quick 2nd Hive for Lerks cause they'll be vital for Main Hive defence.

I don't think people think Lerks are useless, they are just more difficult to use.

Nicator · March 2003

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Mythr1l @ Feb 28 2003, 08:52 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> as a gorge i would much rather have the 33 res than some lerk.... lerks are great for umbra but a few pistol shots make them pop. hardly anyone can fly while firing and they arnt the most manouverable enemy on the ground, lerk spikes, bang bang bang bang and lerks dead. any decent marine will get a lerk without umbra.  </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> 
This, however, is the belief that makes people think that the JP rush is uncounterable. IMO it's now necessary to get a couple of one hive lerks (I usually go just as hive 2 starts to build) to help counter JPers.

And by your estimation, the vast, vast majority of marines aren't decent. The perception that lerks are easy to kill comes from fools taking regen or redemption. Even with my sadly depleted skills (spent too much time going fade, and I've lost the knack with the lerk <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/confused.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='confused.gif'> ) I can kill most marines with ease one on one. You don't have to fly and spike, just fly and bite. Lots of people can do that. Versus Jpers, just stay in the healing of the hive and DCs and you'll be fine.

Proctologic · March 2003

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> ({DoA}DrunkMonkey @ Feb 28 2003, 03:13 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> yup, lerks sure are really anoying.

but you gotta sum up.
stay at 33 and give xtra res to gorge to get 2nd hive, or go lerk with a single chamber, probably dc so u can`t get ardenline <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif'>
plus no umbra so i usually wait untill 2nd hive is up or at least safely growing untill i evolve.  </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> 
Amen!!!
TESTIFY!!!!!
PREACH ON!!!!
I Get so frustrated when people go lerk when theres no need to.
The moment u see jpers is probably the only good reason for having lerks.

Ohh yeah DONT forget to aim for the head folks.
Most people do not realize this but u get bonus damage if u aim for heads.
If you have 33 res SAVE IT!!!!!!
The more people have 33 res the faster the gorge will get res.

Decimator · March 2003

Um, no, you don't do extra damage by aiming for the head.

Mythr1l · March 2003

its not that lerks are bad, its just that their so easy to kill, regen lerk is just a joke, what like 3 pistol shots and its dead? well in my experiance most lerk encounters have been me seeing a bunch of spikes coming from a vent and landing on a phase gate, i just aim my pistol and fire off 10 rounds into the lerk before it can react, pistol has a good rate of fire, and can empty its mag before a lerk player can touch his keys to moove.

also on point of jetpack rushes, yea lerks are needed, i wasnt meaning that i just ment the players who get bored of skulking and lerk, wasting gorges much needed res.

Ankle-Biter · March 2003

Well, really, i favor the lerks more than fades or onos, an experianced lerk can take out 2 HMG/JP'ers with ease, by staying hiddin till they are at a fair distance, and looking the other way, on most occasions, theyer looking my way, so i wait for them to pass by, then i pounce and 90% of tries becomes a kill for me, about the pistol against the lerk with regen, the regeneration is good for only one thing, wich is ofcourse to heal, but if your in an isolated spot, it can become real handy, and back to the pistol, if you just fly in a straight line then, well, prepare to be shot down, but if you varrie the flight path, and maybe use the spike weapon EVEN without adrenaline, you can do some damage to the marine, and get away, heal with the regen, and get back at him, only this time, your fully healed, and hes still on low armor, atleast, but it does make a difference... once in, im not sure of the map, but it had the hives by the name of Port Engine room, and Sub Space hive, ne way, in the noname hive, i had to defend cause marines were coming through with JP's and HMG/GL's via the vents, i was lerk at the time, and because of taking advantage of the shape of the room, i was able to keep flying Against the wall, above the hive (the little roof-trenched area) and as i got lower to the marines, i circled about 2 times, picked the marine i was gonna kill, and just drop a bit, that way youll just fling right at him, and keep chomping away, sometimes I miss and he blows my back with a HMG but it does work most of the time not only at that moment, in the end i managed to kill about 4 marines, untill i was stupid enough to fly into the vent, and a Grenadier was waiting there ,and, yeah he fertilized the wall with my guts...

but Im not too keen on underestimating a lerk, they are dangerous, fast, and manouverable in the hands of a experianced player...

taboofires · March 2003

If you can do enough damage to validate preventing your whole team (!) from having level 2 abilities, upgrades, and evolutions, for an extra min or 2 then by all means go lerk. However, that's a heavy burden, and unless you do something that you can't do as a skulk well enough to count (86 jpers on some open maps, take out key, well defended structures from afar like in power silo, etc), just stay skulk. Fades can take out jper's too, so don't worry about that unless it's an immediate threat (ie can't wait 2 minutes).

Please please please take an escort with you if you go lerk, at least most of the way to your destination. A lone rambo who gets the jump on you is enough to make the 33 res absolutely worthless.

Shockeh · March 2003

Hmmm... extra minute or two eh? Sure.

You're reducing the rez income by 1 'tick' in total, not going to break the bank if you're near getting hive 2. (which you should be near, if you can afford to go Lerk in the first place)

I feel the cries of killing the whole alien team is a little reactionary. And yes, it is worth holding off hive 2, if I eat the 2 Jp/Hmgers who would otherwise gun down hive 1, making you a 1 hive alien team anyway.

So yeah, it is worth it. Ta. <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'>

TheHornet · March 2003

going lerk at one hive doesn't ruin an alien team, and can help greatly. Ramboing marines stand no chance agianst me as a lerk especcialy at the beginning of a game when they have no upgrades. I just dont like people getting the idea that lerks are made to just sit and spike from a far. Not enough people try to go out there and bite. I love the physics of lerk flying the way they are, how i can turn around and spike or face one way and still be moving in an opposite direction. It requires effort and skill to learn. Just practice flying around maps and you'll eventually learn its not that hard to control lerks and you will soon find out there true speed and power.

iwilleatyou · March 2003

i must agree that i used to think the lerk useless, a thing for noobs to waste our money on. then, one day while playing eclipse, i figured why not. we had eclipse command for our hive and were takin it hard from ha/hmgs and jp/hmgs, so i figured id lerk, i had nothin to lose. i swooped in on one ha, bite bite bite bite bite and hes dead. then another and another and another. then a gorge got comp core up. then it was umbra bite bite bite. with the help of maybe one other lerk, i managed to reverse the game. then the bonehead gorge built sensory and a bunch of losers f4ed. <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif'>

Shockeh · March 2003

Possibly start a Pro-Lerk association?

I can name 4 members already. <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'>

Trojan2 · March 2003

well, i LOVe the lurk, i would even consider myslef an 'Ace. Genrally if i have a good team i stick with sulk so that once i hit 33 res the gorge gets my overflow which means that we get 2 hive and all the goodies that come with it. If im ona no-so-good team, or have a bad gorge I so lurk as soon as i get 33 res. I act as a fast scout zipping around and making sure 'rines dont get any vent bases, conduct ambushes, kill res points and on certain maps lock as many marines in base by attcaking from vents as possible.
After gorge a elite lurk is probley one of the best single assests a Khara team can have.
Any one can fade, it takes a good player to lurk well.

ZERG · March 2003

I haven't played lerk in awhile. The last time I lerked, I beat the marines single handely several times. They weren't newbies or anything, I was pulling quite a few advanced maneuvers. Now that I've been going lerk lately and, man, I suck, but one thing is certain is that the marines are sure a lot more heartier. A lot of marine teams I go up against lately have the armslab up and armor 1 by the time I think its ripe to go lerk.

The armor really diminishes the spikes effectiveness. Maybe if there was an upgrade to increase attack speed... like maybe a Frenzy upgrade that would go under movement, now that would be up the lerks alley.

Church · March 2003

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (iwilleatyou @ Mar 2 2003, 01:07 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> i must agree that i used to think the lerk useless, a thing for noobs to waste our money on. then, one day while playing eclipse, i figured why not. we had eclipse command for our hive and were takin it hard from ha/hmgs and jp/hmgs, so i figured id lerk, i had nothin to lose. i swooped in on one ha, bite bite bite bite bite and hes dead. then another and another and another. then a gorge got comp core up. then it was umbra bite bite bite. with the help of maybe one other lerk, i managed to reverse the game. then the bonehead gorge built sensory and a bunch of losers f4ed. <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif'>  </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> 
Wow, please teach me how? The last time I tried to chomp a HA 10 times in a row, he killed me before I got in 4 bites. Plus, HAs welding each other are ridiculously hard to take down.

HungryHippo · March 2003

I hit and run as a lerk a lot, so long as i have some DCs to heal at i can go all day.

Swoop in, eat a marine, swoop out.

When the second hive goes up, thats when the fun really starts,

Swoop in, umbra, eat every marine in reach, swoop out.

and when you get adrenaline, well then you can really take the p*ss. <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'>

Lerks, I love em.

The Lerk

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