Worms computer games

Worms is a series of computer games, consisting of the original Worms game, Worms DC, Worms 2, Worms Armageddon, and Worms World Party.

These games have been released regularly since the mid-1990s, and are available for Windows-based computers, Sega Dreamcast, Nintendo 64, Nintendo Game Boy, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and probably others. The game was invented by Andy Davidson[?] of Team 17 originally for the Commodore Amiga computer. It was written in Blitz BASIC. The game is similar a game called Scorched Earth, the mother of all games, or just "scorch" for short, which itself is part of a long tradition of basically similar games. These are all turn-based games which involve characters placed on a two-dimensional landscape attempting to attack each other with projectile weapons, controlled by varying angle and velocity.

A game of Worms (regardless of version) involves teams of worms trying to kill one another, until all members of opposing teams are dead. To do this, a variety of weapons are available.

The strategy enters the game when a player must decide which course of action best advances his team's interests. Choices may include which enemy worm to attack, which weapon to use, whether to use one's turn improving one's position or one's arsenal, rather than attacking, how much damage one can inflict upon one's own worms in attacking the enemy, etc.

Games take place on a cartoonish, two-dimensional landscape. Much of the landscape can be destroyed with exploding weapons.

A worm is killed when its energy level is reduced to zero, or when it drowns in the water that surrounds each landscape.

Table of contents 1 Air Strike 2 Aqua Sheep 3 Armageddon 4 Banana Bomb 5 Baseball Bat 6 Battle Axe 7 Bazooka 8 Carpet Bomb 9 Concrete Donkey 10 Cluster Bomb 11 Dragon Ball 12 Dynamite 13 Earthquake 14 Fire Punch 15 Grenade 16 Handgun 17 Holy Handgrenade 18 Homing Missile 19 Homing Pigeon 20 Kamikaze 21 Land Mine 22 Longbow 23 Mad Cows 24 Magic Bullet 25 Mail Strike 26 MB Bomb 27 Mine Strike 28 Ming Vase 29 Minigun 30 Mole Bomb 31 Mole Strike 32 Mortar 33 Nuclear Test 34 Old Woman 35 Parachute 36 Prod 37 Sally Army 38 Scales of Justice 39 Sheep 40 Sheep Launcher 41 Sheep Strike 42 Shotgun 42.1 Useful strategies include: 43 Skunk 44 Suicide Bomb 45 Super Banana Bomb 46 Super Sheep 47 Uzi 1 Tools 1.1 Blow Torch 1.2 Bridge Kit 1.3 Bungee 1.4 Freeze 1.5 Girder 1.6 Ninja Rope 1.7 Pneumatic Drill 1.8 Teleport 2 On-line Play 2.1 Battle Race 2.2 Bazookas and Grenades 2.3 Capture the Flag 2.4 Dark Side 2.5 Fort 2.6 Full Wormage 2.7 Guns and Roses 2.8 Rope Race 2.9 Roper 2.10 Shopper 2.11 Warmers 3 Controls

Air Strike

The air strike is a very useful weapon because it can be launched from anywhere against any target on the landscape. This is because the attack comes from the sky above the landscape.

The shortcomings of the air strike are that it is only effective against a target that is exposed; a target underground or protected by landscape cannot be hit. Additionally it does not cause a powerful explosion, so the damage is often slight.

The air strike consists of five missiles that are spaced a little ways apart from one another. Each missile does up to 30 points of damage. Typically an enemy worm can be hit by only one or two missiles per attack. However, if enemy worms are close together, you can damage all of them with one strike.

The air strike also causes crates and oil cans to explode, and can knock a worm off a ledge.

Aqua Sheep

The aqua sheep is an enhanced version of the super sheep. In addition to doing all the things the super sheep can do, it can swim underwater. After it emerges from the water, it can still fly around.

You can fly the aqua sheep off the screen, and therefore past the edge of the landscape, then steer it into the water, then turn it around back towards the landscape and into view. An arrow appears to indicate the aqua sheep's position off screen. Keeping an eye on the arrow it is fairly easy to manouevre the sheep even when you cannot see it.

Besides the homing missile, the aqua sheep is the only thing in Worms that can enter the water without drowning.

Armageddon

Armageddon is a lethal weapon which does not appear in many weapon schemes and can normally only be used once per worm (one would probably only have the chance to use it once, anyway). When the Armageddon weapon is activated, a large number of meteors fall[?] to earth for approximately 30-40 seconds. Each meteor has the power of approximately a grenade , and the concurrent explosions can easily kill and/or knock into the water any worms on the surface. The best way to survive an Armageddon strike is to dig a tunnel deep into the landscape with Pneumatic Drill.

Banana Bomb

The Banana Bomb is a more powerful version of the Cluster Bomb. The Banana Bomb's fuse can be set to between one and five seconds, which starts ticking as soon as it is thrown. When the banana bomb explodes, it scatters five bananas outward from the main bomb. When these bananas touch anything solid they explode with the power of Dynamite. A banana bomb set off in a tunnel will easily kill a worm; it is possible to knock off up to 300 health points in this way, even more.

If a banana bomb hits the sea, it does not explode, but instead sinks slowly.

Baseball Bat

The baseball bat is a highly effective weapon for targeting a single enemy worm. After moving alongside your victim, aim the crosshairs for the angle you want and whack.

The effectiveness of this weapon lies in the fact that you can aim a victim into the water (this is the baseball bat's most common usage), thus killing him instantly regardless of how much energy he has. Additionally, you can aim so that the first victim flies into a second victim, knocking them both into the water. If two enemy worms are right next to each other, you can whack them both. If you knock an enemy directly into the water, you can hear a special sound effect.

If you cannot hit the victim all the way to the water, you can aim towards a land mine, or over a precipice. In games with more than two players, the bat can be used drive an enemy closer to another team's worm, so when the first worm's turn comes around he will go after the other team's worm.

Usually, however, if the water is out of reach it is better to use the fire punch to knock worms around, because these are unlimited in most schemes, unlike baseball bats.

Battle Axe

The battle axe cuts a victim's energy level in half (note: sometimes, in certain versions of Worms Armageddon, the health is only cut by a quarter). As such, it can be an effective weapon against powerful worms, but is pretty much useless against weak worms; a worm with one health point will not die if hit with the Battle Axe.

The battle axe is a safe weapon in that you cannot accidentally harm yourself or cause other collateral damage, but it is of very limited strategic value.

Bazooka

This is the most useful of all weapons. It does 50 damage in all worms games up to and including Worms 2. In the remaining games, it does only 45 damage. It is affected by the wind, so if the wind is blowing behind your worm very strongly and you fire the Bazooka at a 45 degree angle and at max strength, it'll go over your head! It can also be skipped across the water. It is unlimited in almost every default scheme.

Carpet Bomb

Concrete Donkey

The Concrete Donkey is a powerful weapon capable of destroying the most powerful worm, even if he is hiding deep underground.

The Donkey descends from the sky and smashes its way down through the landscape until it sinks in the water underneath. Any worm in its path gets hammered. Not only this, the Donkey's vibrations are so great that worms in the vicinity suffer damage and will be knocked off any precipice they are near. Any crates or oil cans in the way will explode, wreaking further havoc.

Worms bearing the full brunt of a Donkey strike may suffer 500 points of damage.

The strategic advantage of the Donkey, besides its power of wholesale slaughter, is its ability to kill worms that think they are safe because they are hiding deep underground. It can therefore completely upset an opponent's strategy.

The Donkey is sufficiently powerful that one should consider teleporting to grab it, because you don't want it in the hands of your enemies.

The Donkey makes donkey noises, despite the fact that it is concrete.

In the Worms universe, the Concrete Donkey is God, while its counterpart, the Foul Smelling Buffalo Of Lies, is Satan. The Buffalo is yet to make an appearance in a Worms game.

Cluster Bomb

The cluster bomb is a red bomb the same size as a grenade (when unexploded); it also has the same weight as an unexploded grenade. A cluster bomb can have its fuse set to anywhere between one and five seconds. As soon as it is thrown, the cluster bomb's fuse starts to burn and after the specified number of seconds (three is the default) it explodes, scattering five smaller bomblets around. This can be quite effective in either a very confined space (since all the bomblets blow up in the same place and can thus remove over 100 health points) or if exploded mid-air, so that the bomblets scatter across a wide area. The Banana Bomb is a more powerful version of the cluster bomb.

Dragon Ball

Ever watched the show Dragon Ball Z? Well it's pretty much self-explanatory. Make sure you're well aligned with your opponent before using this weapon. The worm fires a slightly huge purple fireball and sends it towards the enemy throwing them back with a fair amount of force. Be sure to be fairly close to your opponent before using this for the fireball only travels a certain amount of distance. Also, since it's damage is rather weak with a max damage of 30, I advise you use this weapon to worms who are near the edge of the terrain to ensure they will be knocked off. Exceptions can be made on several different occasions.

Dynamite

Dynamite is exactly that in Worms - a small, red stick of dynamite which can only be dropped (NOT THROWN). As soon as the dynamite is dropped, its 5-second fuse (the length of time can't be changed) starts counting down. When the dynamite detonates, it leaves a large physical blast circle (approximately twice that of a grenade) and sends out a shockwave which extends a little further. An adjacent worm could probably lose 70-80 health points, and would be catapulted outward, away from the explosion. This can lead to some spectacular sea deaths.

Earthquake

Fire Punch

Grenade

The greande is one of the most simple explosive weapons in Worms. One sets the timer to between one and five seconds, chooses between very bouncy or not bouncy grenades, aims, and throws. The timer ticks down as soon as the grenade is thrown, and when it reaches zero, the grenade explodes leaving an empty blast circle around it. If it lands in the sea before the timer hits zero, the grenade just sinks and nothing happens.

Handgun

Holy Handgrenade

The Holy Hand Grenade is a much more powerful version of the regular grenade. It also differs in that it will not explode until it comes to a rest, and the fuse cannot be set. It also appears to be a little heavier, so that it won't go as far when thrown, or bounce around as much when it lands.

The Holy Hand Grenade causes significant amounts of damage and will typically kill any worm nearby. Its shockwaves will cause damage to worms through landscape, and can knock a worm over a ledge. The shockwaves can also launch a nearby worm across the screen, usually with enough force to cause death.

Before it explodes, the Holy Hand Grenade emits a cloud of purple vapor, and a choir of angels sings Hallelujah!

The name of this weapon references the Monty Python movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

Homing Missile

The homing missile in worms is an unreliable weapon that does minor amounts of damage. It is useful in that it can hit a target at a distance. Unfortunately, it requires a more or less clear path to the target or it will explode into whatever is in its way. It creates little collateral damage and should be used only against well-exposed targets. To a limited extent you can adjust the angle of fire as well as the force of fire to control the missile's path.

The homing missile can travel underwater and remain functional, although if fired too deep it will sink.

Homing Pigeon

The homing pigeon is a weapon that allows you to strike an enemy from a distance. You first choose your target, then you launch the homing pigeon, which will then fly across the landscape and explode into the target.

However, the pigeon is notoriously stupid and will often attempt to fly through the landscape, causing itself to blow up. Because of this is advisable to use this weapon only if there is a more or less clear path to the target.

The homing pigeon's explosion does only a moderate amount of damage.

Kamikaze

Land Mine

Longbow

The long bow is a projectile weapon that does a small amount of damage to an enemy. It's advantages are that you can fire it twice in a turn, and so hit two different targets; and that it does not cause an explosion and so may be safer than other weapons in some situations when collateral damage is a danger.

Each arrow from the longbow does 15 points of damage.

You cannot aim the longbow down.

Arrows are effected by the wind.

Mad Cows

Magic Bullet

The magic bullet is a superweapon that is seldom available in regular play. It is one of the most powerful and accurate weapons in the game. The magic bullet can be fired at almost any target on the landscape and it will find a path to the target, going around corners, through tunnels, etc. Occasionally it will fail and explode into some impediment, but this is usually only when there is little room to manouver. The explosion caused by the magic bullet is quite powerful. Because of this it should not be used in close quarters.

Mail Strike

A Mail Strike works in basically the same way as the Air Strike; the direction of the bombing (from the left or from the right) can also be changed, like Air Strike. However, the Mail Strike does not drop small, normal bombs, instead dropping five letter bombs which have a power somewhere between that of a grenade and a dynamite. These letter bombs are affected by wind, and flutter from left to right slightly at random, meaning that a mail strike is a very imprecise weapon; it is best used for bombing a very wide area.

MB Bomb

MB Bomb is a kind of Air Strike; in this case you throw a big balloon that can be removed by the wind. It's very effective and when you have it, for use it you gotta press F9.

Mine Strike

Ming Vase

The Ming Vase is a very powerful cluster-type weapon that is typically dropped from above via the ninja rope or the rocket pack. The Ming Vase explodes into five chards, each which carries the explosive and propulsive force of dynamite. Occassionally, you can use the Ming Vase next to a worm which will be knocked into the air during the initial blast. Then a chard will hit the worm in mid-air, directing the worm far off the map.

Woe to he who uses the Ming Vase in a confined area such as a tunnel or bridge, although this is possible if you evacuate the area quickly. This will inclict a sick amount of damage to another worm.

Minigun

Mole Bomb

Mole Strike

Mortar

Nuclear Test

This weapon makes the water rise a decent amount and poisens worms with radiation so they lose 2 health every turn. I suggest staying away from water when you use this

Old Woman

Parachute

Parachute is something you need for safety (you don't wanna fall to fast)

Prod

The prod is used to push an enemy worm over an edge. Usually you would use prod to push an enemy into the water. You can also push a worm over a ledge so he falls to the ground, in order to kill a weak worm, especially if there are mines over said edge. This is the most sarcastic way to kill an enemy, and is considered poetic justice if you cross half the map to prod your opponent off the map rather then just fire your last Holy Hand Grenade.

The victim does not have to be standing on the very edge but close to it for the prod to work. The advantage to using a prod is that there is no risk of collateral damage.

A danger is that, if you are standing slightly above the intended victim, you may prod right over his head, missing him and wasting your turn.

A suggestion would be to do it to worms that are by the edge of a cliff overhanging water, since if worms fall into water, they die.

(TIP) If there are a trio of worms lined up right below each other with some distance ahead from one to the other, you can prod the one on top and it will send a chain reaction through the entire trio and hopefully push all three of them into the water (or wherever you are aiming for).

Sally Army

Scales of Justice

The scales of justice redistribute the total life points equally among all suriviving teams (first) and all worms within each team (second). This weapon should only be used if your team has the least life points of all surviving teams.

When used, the Scales of Justice emits a powerful booming laugh and snappy comments like "x evens the score", "even stevens", or "x calls it even."

Sheep

The sheep is a convenient weapon that can cause significant damage to enemy worms. When fired, the sheep bounces off in the direction your worm is facing. By firing a second time you cause the sheep to explode. Alternatively, the sheep will explode on its own after about 10 seconds. A sheep explosion is fairly powerful. It will not kill a worm with full strength, but can kill a worm with 50 or so energy points.

The sheep explosion will propel a worm, so a victim can be launched and possibly drowned. The explosion will also detonate oil cans and crates, which may cause enough additional damage to kill even a strong worm.

A sheep attack is especially useful early in a game, when the explosion can be centered among multiple victims. This works especially well if the sheep explodes in a tunnel. Because the sheep can travel quite a long way, and can drop down over a ledge without hurting itself, it is also a useful weapon for long-range damage, especially when a there is not room for a projectile weapon.

There are dangers to using an exploding sheep. The sheep will turn around if it bumps into an obstacle, and may walk right back towards your worm, or in the very least, away from its intended target. A sheep will walk right off a ledge, and if this is above water, it will drown.

The sheep is also a tool in that it can collect crates that are in its path. If it walks into a crate, then you get the contents.

Sheep Launcher

Sheep Strike

Shotgun

The shotgun is a valuable weapon because you can fire twice in a round, the blasts destroy small parts of the landscape, and a victim is propelled when hit. These advantages make up for the comparative weakness of the weapon, which causes a maximimum of only 25 points damage per shot.

Useful strategies include:

Shoot one weak enemy worm with the first shot, and another with the second.

Shoot a weak enemy worm so he is propelled next to a stronger worm. When the weak worm dies and explodes, he does damage to the strong one. Then you use the second shot to finish off the strong one.

Shoot a worm so the blast carries him over a ledge, then take a shot at another target.

Use the first shot to hit a crate or an oil can near an enemy worm. If the resulting explosion doesn't kill him, finish him off with the second shot.

Blast a hole in the landscape with the first shot to give yourself a clear second shot at an enemy.

Shoot the landscape out from under an enemy, causing him to fall.

Skunk

Suicide Bomb

Super Banana Bomb

The Super Banana Bomb has exactly the same explosive power as a Banana Bomb, the only difference being that the main banana bomb and the five banana bomblets can be detonated by remote control, instead of exploding after a set number of seconds.

NOTE: If left for long enough, the super banana bomb will explode spontaneously.

Super Sheep

Uzi

Tools

Blow Torch

The Blow Torch is used to create horizontal tunnels in the landscape. It's use is almost entirely defensive, although it can in some circumstances be used with the Pneumatic Drill and Dynamite to launch an attack from below.

The Blow Torch can be used to directly inflict harm on another worm. Although it's damage is somewhat limited it can be used as a comical way to 'finish off' an very weak worm.

The Blow Torch is one of the tools of Dark Side play.

Bridge Kit

Bungee

The Bungee tool allows you to walk over a cliff without falling and hurting yourself. To use it, you activate the Bungee and just walk off of the cliff. You will fall down on a long elastic rope which will pull you down very close to the ground. To release yourself from a bungee and land without injury, you just wait until the bungee is close to the ground and let go. You can then finish your turn as normal, free of injury.

Freeze

Girder

The girder can be used either as a bridging mechanism or to to build a protective sheild around one or more of your worms. It should be noted however that the girders are by no means indestructable. Girders, when used in this way, and in conjunction with the Pneumatic Drill and Blow Torch , constitutes what is known in some quarters as Dark Side play.

Ninja Rope

Pneumatic Drill

The Pneumatic Drill is used to create vertical tunnels in the landscape. It's use is almost entirely defensive, although it can in some circumstances be used with the Blow Torch and Dynamite to launch an attack from below.

The Pneumatic Drill can be used as an offensive weapon, to limited effect, by first standing on the head of the victim, (not always easy) and then using the drill.

The Pneumatic Drill is one of the tools of Dark Side play.

Teleport

The Teleport tool does exactly what it says on the tin; if you use a teleport, you can choose a point to teleport to, and if there is sufficient room at your desired destination for your worm to teleport into, the worm teleports. This can make it difficult to teleport into a tunnel. Once you teleport, your turn ends, and if you teleport into mid-air, your worm will merely fall to the ground. And then its turn ends.

On-line Play On Worms Armaggedon and Worms World Party, there is a special feature called Wormnet, which allows players to compete over the Internet, using a Metaserver[?]. There are several specially developed games for internet play, which include:

Battle Race

You place your worm or worms at the location marked start. Worms do not have any health, so the only way to kill a worm is to knock them into the water. However, attacking other worms to kill is not encouraged, and often is a cow. It is quite all right to attack another worm to disadvantage them by moving them backwards. Be aware of all the types of jumping. You can launch yourself across large distances with nades. You should lay mines, because even though they take no health, if your opponents are hit, they lose their turn. Petrol bombs are also useful as obstacles to players behind you. It's a good idea to fire weapons, even if no-one is there, so that you can get escape time. The first player to get their worm to the area marked finish wins.

Bazookas and Grenades

You are allowed only to use zooks and nades to attack the enemy. You are not allowed to fire a bazooka in a str8 line at the enemy. Most hosts also disallow setting nades at 1 or 5 second times, and intentionally throwing a nade that comes to a rest before exploding. Teleporting, digging, or girdering is usually not considered a miss in ftm bng. Darksiding is a cow in bng. In bng, you ususally cannot move from the spot you intially start at, unless you dig or port. You will earn a lot of respect in bng if you do cool things with nades. To win, destroy all opponents.

Capture the Flag

Players are divided up into two teams. You place your worms on your teams side of the map. The first team to get one of it's worms over to the enemies flag wins the game. It can be important to leave some worms on your side for defensive purposes.

Dark Side

The Dark Side strategy is normally the last resort of a player who has lost all but one of his worms, although it can be used from the very start of a game to great effect.

Dark side play involves the use of tools such as the Pneumatic Drill, Blow Torch and Girder to effectively burrow a worm deep inside the landscape away from harm. From this point an elaborate Vietnam style system of tunnels and shafts can be fashioned with chambers blown using Dynamite.

Games involving Dark Side play on both sides can last much longer than regular games. Dark Side is the strategy of choice for some players while others may consider it tantamount to cheating.

Fort

Players are divided up into two teams. You place your worms on your side of the map. You are not allowed to enter the enemies fort. Some hosts allow you to fish, some do not. In most fort maps, there is a neutral middle ground, where anyone can go. To win, destroy all opponents.

Full Wormage

A standard worms game, but with all or most weapons enabled. To win, destroy all opponents.

This mode is specially named after a secret scheme in Worms Armageddon. To earn this scheme, you must completely finish to the maximum rating all the 1st player Deathmatch levels, Missions, and Training Disciplines. Once you do this, you receive the Full Wormage scheme, which has unlimited of all weapons, including Super and Secret weapons, which are otherwise unavailabe. Many Full Wormage games on Wormnet do not use the real Full Wormage scheme, both because it is incredible difficult to earn, and because it's extremely cheap to have unlimited Concrete Donkies at your disposal.

Place your worm carefully, because in golf, location is everything. Worms have no energy, so the only way to kill a worm is to knock them into the water. Use low gravity and rope knock a lot. To win, destroy all opponents.

Guns and Roses

Rope Race

You place your worm or worms at the location marked start. Worms do not have any health, so the only way to kill a worm is to knock them into the water. However, attacking other worms to kill is a cow. Try to keep your parachute active, so you dont lose your turn if you fall. To win, get your worm to the location marked Finish, or in some games, there and back. If you have two worms, you can win either by getting both to Finish, or one there and back.

Roper

Roper games often have very short time limits. Roper games are cba. Learn how to rope very well before joining a roper, especially a proper, or one in #RopersHeaven. In ropers, all four borders are turned on, so dont be afraid do drop onto water. In some ropers, weapons fall through borders, making droppping on water a good protection against nades that land right near you. It's a good idea to fire weapons, even if no-one is there, so that you can get escape time. To win, destroy all opponents.

Shopper

Most shopper games are cba. You start out with little or no weapons, except ropes and chutes. Collect weapons from the crates that appear constantly. To win, destroy all opponents.

Warmers

Warmers are ropers with no health, no objectives, and very high time limits. Warmers are generally used as a practice session for ropers to get warmed up. Warmers are also often used as a way of showing off rope skills and tricks you know, often for the purposes of qualifying for a clan. Just do whatever you feel like, and look good doing it!

Most of these game types require maps that are specially developed for each game type.

In addition, there is a huge array of Acryonyms that are in popular use.

Controls

The controls for Worms Armageddon are as follows:

Arrow Keys
Move your worm around
Aim current weapon up and down

Space bar
Fire currently selected weapon or utility
Activate Skip Go, Surrender, or Worm Select

Tab
Select a different worm for use (not enabled in all game schemes)

Backspace
Jump straight up a short distance

Double Backspace
Backkflip a good distance up, and a little bit backwards

Enter
Jump forwards
Send a chat message (only if chat window open)

Double Enter
Jump backwards

Backspace, followed quickly by Enter
Short backflip

Page Down
Activate or deactive the in-game chat window

Shift+Del
Keep up the score screen, useful to avoid abl or leader cowing in several game schemes (see Wormnet Acronyms[?] for definition of these terms)