Shotgun
From Worms Knowledge Base
(Up to Weapons)
 Shotgun
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| Type: | Firearm (2 shots) |
| Keyboard selection: | F3 (x1) |
| Standard effects: | 25hp injury (max.), very small circular crater (for each shot) |
| Present in: | Worms, Worms DC, Worms 2, W:A, WWP |
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| Values are per shot. |
The Shotgun is one of the weapons that makes up the backbone of the Worms arsenal, together with such weapons as the Bazooka, the Grenade and the Fire Punch. The Shotgun is markedly easy to use: it fires in a straight line regardless of wind or gravity, and its blast radius is far smaller, giving it more utility in a close quarters situation.
The one aspect of the Shotgun that makes it so powerful a weapon is its two shots, which can be fired in separate instances. Once the first shot has been fired, the player is free to move around the terrain for the remainder of his turn time before taking the second. This quality, shared only by the Longbow, vastly increases the number of possibilities available and deepens the strategy of the game.
Common tactics
A worm escaping from the girder block, using the 4 stars (bigger crater) shotgun of Beginner scheme.
The ability to fire two shots independently of one another makes the Shotgun a powerful tactical weapon.
- The Shotgun can be used to shoot two different worms in two different locations.
- The first shot can be used to move an enemy worm to a more perilous location (e.g. nearer water or a mine), before finishing it off with a the second shot.
- The first shot can be used to prepare the terrain for the second shot (e.g. shooting a hole through a bridge and then shooting the enemy worm through the hole)
- The first shot can be used to overcome an obstacle (e.g. to get access through a Girder), then the second shot to attack.
- On a long-distance shot, the first shot can be used as a "tracer" for the second (i.e. firing the first shot in the general direction required, and then refining the second shot based on the results of the first).
- If there is no better use for the second shot, it can be used to make a safer retreat location out of the land (e.g. a foxhole).
- At fairly close range, the Shotgun gives it a near-guarantee of 50hp damage.
- If your worm's health is low enough, the shotgun can be used as a suicide weapon. With your second shot, simply stand on your opponents head, aim straight down, and fire. Your deceased worm's death explosion should do 25 damage.
- Because Worms and WormsDC do not feature retreat time, the Shotgun offers the player a rare opportunity to reposition a worm after a shot. For instance, the Shotgun could be used to take down an enemy worm with less than 25 HP, then the player can use their remaining turn time to move their worm somewhere a little more protected, then either fire the second shot into the air (or at a viable target), or simply wait for the countdown timer to reach 0.
Trivia & detail
- The Shotgun has a curious quirk whereby worms will always be propelled in the direction of the shotgun shot, regardless of where they stand within the shotgun blast (except for the shooter that will always be propelled away from the blast). In exceptional circumstances this can look like the victim worm is getting "sucked into" the blast, and a particularly skilled player can use this quirk to gain an advantage.
- Gaining a Gold Medal on the Rifle Range training mission unlocks the Golden Shotgun scheme cheat. When activated, the Shotgun deals twice the damage, twice the blast range and twice the shots (firing 2 bullets per round, for a total of 4 bullets per turn).
Tricks and glitches
- With careful worm positioning, the shotgun can be fired at a target beneath an overhang from the overhang edge.
- If there is an Oil Drum above an horizontal map girder and your worm is below, you can shot the girder with the shotgun to drop the Oil Drum (it will not explode) an then explode it using the second shot.
- If your worm is positioned behind another worm (extremely close, touching the worm), depending on the angle (aiming upwards or horizontally usually works, downwards sometimes doesn't), the bullet will not hit the worm in front of your worm, it will pass through the worm. This can be useful to unblock your worm while damaging the worm infront of you, still having the second shot to use. This trick is known as Ghost Shot in Worms Terminology.
- In WormsDC, the active worm still gets to fire its second shot even if it injures itself with the first one, or before taking the first shot at all.
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