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There are many vehicles available for use in the first-person shooter game Unreal Tournament 2004. These vehicles are primarily used in the Onslaught game type, although there are a few Assault maps which utilise vehicles. The vehicles consist of air vehicles (the manta, cicada and raptor), and land vehicles (all others).
Three of the vehicle types (the SPMA, Cicada and Paladin) are only officially available on maps from the Editor's Choice edition or Editor's Choice bonus pack, but user-edited versions of the standard maps often include some or all of these extra vehicles.
This article provides details of each vehicle, its typical uses in the game, and tactical information.
Land vehicles
Hellbender
The Hellbender is an all-purpose vehicle which can carry 3, and is most effective when fully manned. Unique among the game's vehicles, the driver does not control any weapons, and can only control the vehicle and honk the horn, which is used to order bots to enter the vehicle, signal other human players to hop on or taunt/provoke the enemy. A feature of interest for the driver is the license plate on the back, which changes from "HELLBNDR" to an 8-character representation of the driver's name - cutting out vowels and then truncating if it doesn't fit.
The side turret is a weapon similar to the game's Shock Rifle. The differences are that the primary/alternative fire modes are reversed, and numerous slow moving "shock cores" fired by this turret can be detonated via a chain-reaction, whereas the Shock Rifle can only detonate one shock core at a time. Such an attack is termed a "Skymine Combo", and is capable of massive explosive damage along its chain. However, if the chain of skymines are too far apart, they may not necessarily all detonate.
The rear turret is a powerful dual laser beam which can be "charged up" to increase damage. Its alt-fire activates a variable zoom for pinpointing distant targets.
For a single player, the Hellbender can also be useful as a mobile gun emplacement by switching between seating positions. For example, a player can drive the Hellbender to a particular position, then man the laser turret by pressing '3' using it to provide 'sniper' fire, then switch back to the driver's position by pressing '1', driving closer to a battle, then pressing '2' to man the shock turret and lay down skymines. Without someone manning the driver position, the vehicle cannot move.
The Hellbender can run over foot-bound players. It is fairly well armoured, but can be easily defeated by larger vehicles.
3 positions:
- 1 Driver, honk horn alt-fire
- 1 Skymine gunner, shock lance alt-fire
- 1 Dual-laser gunner, zoom alt-fire
Scorpion
The Scorpion is a lightly armoured jeep, and is one of the fastest wheeled vehicles. Its primary fire is a chargeable "energy bola" which wraps itself around its target before exploding. This wrapping effect makes it especially effective against Mantas and power nodes. The longer the fire button is held, the wider the bola. Because the bola will tend to adhere to anything it hits, it is sometimes preferable to fire shorter bolas rather than fully charged, longer ones.
The Alternative fire button extends specialized anti-personnel blades on either side, which instantly (and grusomely) kill any foot-bound enemy it hits. The blades are spectacular to watch, but more or less ineffective against skilled human opponents, who can easily evade their limited range. However they can be deployed with some success against bots. The blades will break off if they strike solid objects such as terrain or other vehicles.
Although the Scorpion is a one-seater, it is possible for another friendly player to jump on top and hitch a ride, although they are very vulnerable to enemy fire, and may get knocked off. In addition, a player on top of the Scorpion may prevent the energy bola from firing as normal.
1 position:
- Driver/Enegry bola cannon operator
Leviathan
Type: Mobile Assault Station
The Leviathan is the slowest, most powerful vehicle in UT2004. Its main turret fires a continious stream of homing rockets, which are very effective against all targets. It has four energy turrets that can be individually manned to increase its defensive power against infantry and air vehicles, but are hard to aim accurately. Better defence can often be achieved by infantry escorting it on the ground rather than in the turrets, although the Levi can safely, if slowly, transport up to five players around, and this in itself is a useful capacity.
The alternative fire button causes it to transform into Assault mode. Stabilizer arms deploy, and its devastating Ion Cannon is raised and activated. This transformation takes some 10 seconds, during which serious damage can be done to the vehicle by enemy forces.
Its Ion Cannon delivers incredible damage, but has a very slow reload rate, and has a build-up time which makes it very clear just where the cannon's impact will be.
It must be on level ground to transform to Assault mode, and when thus transformed, it is immobile, making it extremely vulnerable to air vehicles and nimbler enemies, such as mantas and raptors, although (if manned) its corner turrets can provide some defence. The Levi (as it is frequently abbreviated) is extremely difficult to destroy. While Raptors and Mantas can avoid its devastating deployed attack and sometimes its homing rockets, the Levi is extremely resilient, and they can seldom do enough damage on their own to bring it down from the 5000 armour it spawns with. Infantry can get close enough to get under the range of fire of the corner guns (although they are vulnerable to being squashed), and can do serious damage before they can be destroyed. Similarly, it's difficult to repair the Levi back to full health after any notable encounter.
Stealing a Leviathan is a very lucrative proposition, and can easily change the tide of the match.
5 positions:
- 1 Driver/Main Turret/Ion Cannon gunner
- 4 Corner Turrets
Goliath
Type: Battle Tank
The Goliath is a standard tank with a powerful main cannon that devastates infantry, energy nodes and other vehicles alike. It has limited vertical elevation, however, which makes it vulnerable to the Raptor. In addition, its turret is slow-moving, taking time to position, making it difficult to draw a bead on a quick moving target.
Its 2nd position offers a zoomable machinegun turret atop the main turret, that can offset these weaknesses to a limited degree, although it is also unable to point straight up, one of the preferred places to attack the Goliath, either on foot or in a Raptor.
2 positions:
- 1 Driver/Main Cannon gunner
- 1 Machinegun Turret gunner
SPMA
Type: Long-range Artillery
The Self-Propelled Mobile Artillery, introduced in the UT2004 Editor's Choice Pack, is a powerful support vehicle that fulfils a role largely ignored by the original vehicles. The driver has control of the main cannon. Its primary fire is a limited-range arcing shot, which is powerful but difficult to aim over a long distance.
The secondary fire is where the SPMA shows its true prowess: it fires a special shell that transforms into a stationary floating field camera when the secondary fire function is used again. Once the camera is deployed, a targeting reticle appears superimposed on the camera's view of the map, and the vehicle's driver is able to use the driving keys to aim and pinpoint distant targets. This camera is clearly visible to others and is easily destroyed. Also, if an enemy AvRil rocket locks onto the SPMA field camera, it will often automatically home in on the SPMA itself, rather than taking out the camera. This allows ground troopers to take out a well-concealed SPMA from great distances.
Prior to landing, the SPMA shell breaks apart above the target area, spreading its explosive shrapnel to all below. A single well-aimed artillery shot can cripple all but the strongest of vehicles (although nimble Manta drivers can avoid it). The long range, high-damage capability provides reasoning in to the anagram of this vehicle's name (SPAM).
The gunner's seat fires a Shock/Skymine turret much like the Hellbender. The vehicle handles like a much lighter Hellbender, although it is more heavily armoured, and is surprisingly faster and more agile. The profile of the vehicle resembles the buggy in the classic game Moon Patrol.
2 positions:
- 1 Driver/Artillery gunner
- 1 Skymine gunner
Paladin
Type: Defensive Tank
Although it somewhat resembles a Goliath with a shield at first glance, the Paladin's role is very different on the battlefield. It is very slow moving, has similar armour, and is capable of climbing steep inclines that the no other land vehicles can match.
The Paladin's primary attack fires a somewhat slow-moving energy ball from the cannon in its turret. The projectile's lack of speed, and the lack of a zoom facility makes accurate long distance aiming far inferior to that of a Goliath or even Hellbender rear turret.
The unique feature of the Paladin is its ability to generate an energy shield with the secondary fire. This shield consumes no energy itself, and can be maintained indefinitely, or until it absorbs enough damage to be destroyed, It can take a great deal of direct damage (several Goliath shots) but is not as strong against large amounts of splash damage (extremely vulnerable to a Leviathan's deployed gun). The shield extends over a fairly wide area around the direction the turret is aimed, and is quite useful at protecting friendly infantry (the vehicle only has one seat).
In addition, firing the primary cannon while its shield is activated creates an energy explosion to radiate in all direction of the tank, deal great damage to anything within its short range. While it can fire as soon as its shield is lowered, the Paladin's primary attack consumes a lot of energy, and it cannot regenerate the shield again for several seconds after firing. Also, its turret is very slow moving, nimble opponents can circle-strafe around the tank faster that it can aim/redirect its shield, making it an easy target to such attacks.
In short, the Paladin is well-designed to defend an area from infantry and has a decent discouraging effect against lighter vehicles. A Paladin is not well suited for offensive unless it is supported by troops or other vehicles.
1 position:
- Driver/Main Cannon/Shield
Air vehicles
Manta
Type: Hovercraft
The Manta is the fastest but also the most vulnerable of the vehicles. It does not technically fly but "hovers" across terrain just a few meters above ground level. It is capable of a "jump" manoeuvre, as well as a "dive" which give the Manta its notoriety for "squashing" opposing infantry. Proper use of these unique abilities can allow a speeding manta to fly in high arcs above otherwise impassable terrain, and cover ground very rapidly. A skilled Manta pilot is very difficult to deal with.
The Manta is particularly vulnerable to the primary fire of the Scorpion, its energy bolas are well suited to affix to the Manta's fans. One shot from a Scorpion is usually enough to destroy the Manta, however, the delayed nature of energy bola damage allows the Manta pilot enough time to eject before the craft is destroyed.
It possesses dual plasma casters which do light damage, but can effectively destroy stationary or slow moving targets. The weapon has some splash damage, if the Manta is too close to its target, it will damage itself.
Although it only has one seat, it is possible for two or more players to "ride" on the Manta's wings. As with the Scorpion, such riders run the risk of falling off if the ride gets too bumpy.
1 position:
Raptor
Type: Airfighter
The Raptor is an aircraft well suited to take out other flying craft, such as Mantas or other Raptors. It has a fairly fast top speed, but is slow to accelerate, elevate and descend, and has very minimal cornering ability, making it vulnerable to infantry AVRiL rockets.
It possesses a Plasma cannon similar to, but much more powerful than that of the Manta. Its secondary attack launches a rocket that automatically homes in on Mantas and other Raptors and does light damage. These rockets are not nearly as agile as the Levi's homing rockets, and skilled opponents can dodge/evade them. It takes about 2 rockets to take out a Manta, 3-4 to destroy another Raptor.
1 position:
- Pilot/Plasma turret/Homing rocket
Cicada
Type: Ground Assault Craft
The Cicada is an air vehicle that, while quite ineffective against other air vehicles, is superb at decimating enemy ground forces and energy nodes with volleys of missiles, anti-AVRiL flares, and a rapid firing laser turret for distant and hardened targets.
The pilot is tasked with control of the vehicle itself (which is quite different from the Raptor, as the Cicada is much slower, and lacks as much horizontal control but is much more impressive in climbing and diving) and the side-mounted missile batteries. The pilot's primary fire causes a continuous barrage of missiles to fly towards the target in a wide drunken pattern. Secondary fire "Starburst attack" locks on to the fixed area indicated by the targeting cross-hair, and begins loading up to 16 missiles. Once the missiles are loaded (indicated on the cross-hair), they simultaneous launch at the locked-on point, causing great damage. It is useful to note that between locking and launching, the Cicada can safely duck behind an obstacle for cover.
The gunner position is vital to the defence and use of the vehicle. Their primary attack triggers an accurate, powerful, rapid-firing laser from the bottom turret, and the secondary attack launches a flare that will lure any AVRiL missiles locked onto the vehicle. The gunner's targeting camera clearly identifies the location of inbound AvRils, aiding in properly timing the flare launch.
It is worth noting that the Cicada will continue to hover in place if the driver switches seats, or if the driver bails out while the gunner is still on-board. An empty Cicada will fall to the ground.
2 positions:
- Pilot/Missile gunner
- Flare/Laser gunner
Non-standard vehicles
Ion Tank
Type: Battle Tank
Found only in AS-Glacier in the official releases (although occasionally used by custom level-makers elsewhere), this is a huge, slow, tank with a massive ion-blast weapon which takes some time to recharge. It also has a secondary machine-gun turret identical to the Goliath. It has very thick armour and takes some time to destroy. Its prowess against other vehicles is unknown, as it is the only vehicle on the level.
2 positions:
- Driver/Main Ion Weapon
- Mini gun turret
Bulldog
The Bulldog in an example edited level of UT2004 The Bulldog is not dissimilar to the Hellbender in appearance. Its functionality is unknown, and was not fully coded by the authors so if it appears, this could vary. It appeared in the code for Unreal Tournament 2003 but was never used in the official game release. However a few user-made maps were available which used the vehicle - at the time a unique and much discussed feature of the Unreal series, and obviously a precursor to the vehicles in Unreal Tournament 2004. It still exists in the code for Unreal Tournament 2004 but no examples of the vehicle being used actively by level creators in the latest game are known, as the official vehicles provide a superior alternative.
A 'wrecked' and non-functional Bulldog chassis can be seen in some of the Junkyard levels of Unreal Tournament 2004, providing perhaps some ironic comment on the superiority of the new vehicles.
Positions: Unknown/variable
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