Experimental Anti-Kawangi Tactics

[TaoLibra]

I'm fresh out of the Glory system and poking around the nearer stars, when suddenly -- BOOM! A star at the top of the map is gone.

"Oh great," I think. "That slimy yellow phlegm-wad is coming." In fact, I've already found the Klakar and traded for the Continuum Renderer Array from him, so I can see right where he is.

Happily though, the next star I reach has the Mirror -- so I begin swapping places with everybody on the map, trying to find anything useful to stop Mr. Phlegm. Eventually I find the big LVC bomb, but I'm hesitant to use it because there's nowhere good to set it off that won't wipe out other stuff I'd rather not wipe out.

But then I find the Anti-Graviton Shunt.

"Ah HA!" I think. "I've got a surprise for you, phlegm-ball," and off I go to the nearest black hole. I reach it, then fast-forward the time a bit to let him reach the star he's heading toward; then, "HA! Eat THIS, sucker!" And I use the mirror to swap places with him, expecting to flush him down the black hole.

Turns out, Mr. Phlegm had a surprise for me: HE DOESN'T FLUSH.

Make that two surprises -- because when I shake the disappointment off and start moving toward an unexplored star to look for some allies, HE BLOWS THE BLACK HOLE UP.

No kidding. He blew it up, turned it into a Neutron Star.

I believe my exact response was, "Oh crap." (And I thought I'd already seen everything in this game.)

So then I'm racing around trying to find anything that might let me beat the phlegm-ball in a fight -- fat chance, and meanwhile, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! he takes out three more systems -- and then I get the general distress call because he actually reaches Glory.

"Oh, no you don't, scumbag." The Zorg Helmsman I've found folds me over to the nearest black hole, and then I Mirror Mr. Phlegm up to it -- yeah, now I know that won't stop him, but it's either that or watch him destroy Glory.

Fold from Glory to a nearby star, then another, then a few more, up to another black hole. I pop into it, and suddenly find myself on the far side of the sector -- very close to the Tan Ru homeworld, which I'd previously looted with the Mirror (and I'd even put the Tan Ru back when I was done) and which happens to be in the upper right corner of the map.

"Hmmm…"

The nearest star (between me and the Tan Ru homeworld) is just a bit too far to fold -- so the plan comes together in my head, and I engage.

While en route, BOOM! There goes that black hole, and Mr. Phlegm is moving again. He appears to be heading toward an unoccupied star. "Good. So much the better." I reach the unoccupied star beside the Tan Ru homeworld's system.

Then I Mirror the Tan Ru, so I'm sitting on their homeworld (and they're sitting about 4 light-years away, scratching their shiny little heads). I pull the map over to watch Mr. Phlegm, and briefly fast-forward to let him reach his destination; then I set the big LVC bomb on that Tan Ru-infested hell-hole… with how much time on the clock? HA! 3 days. Then I Mirror the phlegm-ball.

Pull the map up to the top right corner for a good view. Click the fast-forward, and instantly -- BOOM! One phlegm-ball, one Tan Ru homeworld, and a whole bunch of bewildered Tan Ru, GONE.

Of course, so are three unoccupied systems that I'd already looted, and a big swath of nebula… but hey, you gotta break a few eggs to make an omelette.

And I think I ought to have gotten extra points for spitefully wiping out the Tan Ru homeworld in the process of saving the galaxy from Mr. Phlegm.

[Ace_Garp]

Nice story.
Also had a happy ending (unless your a Tan Ru mechanistic fiend that is).
I particularly enjoyed it as I've yet to kill that vandalous yellow slimeball.

One day . . .

Now does anyone know how to kill Esmerelda?

[nihilix]

>I< give you extra points for the brilliant destruction of a nest of galactic baddies - and for the perfumed prose!

As for Esmerelda - I suppose, if one had *somehow* captured her, then (if it's possible) traded her off for some second-rate galactic junk, and then someone were to - err, accidentally detonate a Limited Vacuum Collapser in the region where she had been traded... well, that would take care of her for good.

Or would it?

[Michaelis_Rex_Ailurii]

Neat anti-Kawangi tactic, as long as you can find the aethric mirror & the anti-graviton shunt in time. Alas, my luck is seldom that good.

Ugh, I hate Esmerelda, too. I usually get rid of my one-coin items immediately, but I always keep the lookout frogs or the toy robot if I find them, since either one enables you to capture Esmerelda.

[Ygorl]

I was real proud of myself a couple weeks ago - I managed to beat the waspy thing with, of all ships, a science vessel!
No funny tricks, no sidekicks, just a beam weapon, the cloaking device, the fastest combat drive, and some patience...

[nihilix]

Ygorl was using the 'flea riding the tiger' strategy, wasn't he?
http://www.shrapnelcommunity.com/thr...b=5&o=&fpart=1

[James Sterrett]

Cool , Tao - I've wanted to do that, but never had the necessary parts lined up when the phlegm came calling.

[ZylonBane]

TaoLibra said:
So then I'm racing around trying to find anything that might let me beat the phlegm-ball in a fight -- fat chance, and meanwhile, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! he takes out three more systems -- and then I get the general distress call because he actually reaches Glory.

You do realize you can use the Mirror to bounce the Kawangi back to systems he's already destroyed, yes? With that tactic you can hold it at bay pretty much indefinitely.

[TaoLibra]

Yeah, I've done that to him, too -- and I've also used the Mirror to swap places with him when I find a star that's about to go Nova. That's terribly satisfying, by the way.

[Ygorl]

Nothing that refined... But a stupider version of that technique, yes... I'd get behind the big yellow jerk, shoot him until he was almost pointed at me, and then disappear... Reposition myself behind him, repeat, voila!