"It shoots and rams, mostly both at a time." ~ Gelly's tagline on Auto Smasher
The Auto Smasher, a level 45 tank known for delivering a new way of strategy it brings upon (despite it not being announced on a Changelog), isn't just what you think as an underrated tank. While many somewhat think it as a waste in the game of diep.io, it still got something to prove... https://dieprecords.moepl.eu/?queries
The Basic Things[]
As you probably know it, the Auto Smasher is a successor of, well, Smasher. Upon upgrading to it, an auto turret pops out on its body. What does that means? You got projectiles again. This time, though, you cannot control where you can fire bullets. Plus, bullet-related stats are back, with a capacity of 10 points each, making it the tank with the largest capacity from all.
Choosing Your Strategy[]
As said before, the Auto Smasher delivers a new way of strategy. You may either consider the auto turret an advantage or disadvantage, or even both. You may use it as a target pointer to an enemy, although since it's firing, you might end up getting exposed instead.
Best Thing to Remember[]
Whatever strategy you use to claim your way towards the leaderboard as an Auto Smasher, remember that the most important stat you need is Movement Speed. This helps for both your offense and defense. As offense, you can use your high speed to ram into your enemies when you're a real Smasher mode, or to circle down your enemies while using your turret, that is if you got your stats more on bullets. As defense, you can evade enemy attacks or escape when things get out of hand.
Building Up Your Stats[]
There is two main type of Auto Smasher you might choose after upgrading to, based on the way how you spell out your stats. While there are variations or really different types apart, these two types will generally let you learn how to use the Auto Smasher.
Rammer Type[]
Rammer Type Auto Smashers are generally those that got high health and body damage, but low or rather no investments on bullet stats. This type of build is rather easy to use, as long as you are familiar with using other Smasher classes. Ramming is your main way to deliver attacks, while using your auto turret as a pointer or a annoyance to your enemies. (Helpful Tip: When your enemies receive no injury after a while, fast regeneration rate occurs, which can only be stopped by making them receive damage. The bullet, even when they do almost no damage, can stop the regeneration.)
Glass Cannon Type[]
Glass Cannon Type Auto Smashers are those that make use their turret as the main weapon, leaving their main tank body vulnerable of being destroyed. This type is a risky one, added to the fact that the turret cannot be controlled. Note that to achieve the build it uses, you must stay as Tank until level 45, then upgrade to Auto Smasher (don't put stats while as a normal Smasher). Great skills of evasion is your tactic to utilize your effectiveness against enemies.
Other Types[]
Utilizing other builds for the Auto Smasher is a choice, especially those who are already weary of using both Rammer and Glass Cannon Types. While there is no certainty whether the builds you make would work, it is in your hand if you want to master them or not. As such, you have to choose how to play out with your Auto Smasher.
Best Training Grounds[]
Now that you plan what type of Auto Smasher you will choose, you now need to take practice. Below are the different game modes that may suit for what you think is the best experience to use Auto Smasher
- FFA (Free For All): Generally recommended game mode for practicing. The lack of bases and the fact that everyone is fighting each other here however are the problems you might encounter (which might prevent you from reaching level 45 at all). Arena Closing is pretty much random, although it should not happen very fast unless you are playing while in the time between two consecutive game updates.
- Survival: Levelling up is easier due to increased XP multiplier factor. The inclusion of win conditions for the arena to close can limit on how long you can be as an Auto Smasher, though. Also, waiting time to get players for the server to start is rather frustrating.
- 2 Teams: With the inclusion of a base and some teammates to help you, levelling up should be easier. The problem is that if either teams dominate the server you are in. If your team dominates, you are less likely to encounter enemies by yourself due to most of them hiding in their bases and are low on levels. If the enemy team dominates, levelling up is hard, due to you and all your teammates trying to scavenge Polygons near at your base, with going out being a risk of getting killed by your enemies.
- 4 Teams: Almost the same with 2 Teams, but the bases are only at corners.
- Domination: XP multiplying factor is increased. The inclusion of win conditions can limit your playtime as Auto Smasher. Dominators should not be fought by yourself alone, be you a Rammer or Glass Cannon type (Dominators have a hefty health, and ramming them is a suicidal act).
- Tag: Arena gets smaller as time passes by. Has increased XP multiplier factor so levelling up is easier. The way how the teams work in Tag however affects on how many enemies you may encounter and fight as an Auto Smasher.
- Maze: The addition of Maze walls is an additional challenge. FFA factors apply here, although a game lasts for 5 hours before closing and resetting.
- Sandbox: Since Sandbox are private games, you have to give people the party link for them to join. Be wary, though, since cheats are both helpful and harmful. With cheats, you can just simply hold a key to become level 45. Only give party link to people who you think you can trust with fair games and will not ruin your Sandbox server with Arena Closers and other special tanks.
Dealing Up With Enemies[]
Once you decided where you should practice, how to best against the enemies you may encounter in your journey as an Auto Smasher? Before saying that, remember that you have a Stage 2 FoV (Field of View), same distance with Sniper. Use this advantage against most other tanks to fight them. Below are the different tank classes and other hazards, and some advice to deal with them.
Snipers and Assassins/Hunters[]
"It can see further. Further than their enemies' death." ~ Gelly's tagline on Sniper
These tanks are general low in terms of movement speed and rate of fire. Their main advantage over you is that, they can see further than you (except regular Sniper, which has the same FoV with Smasher tanks). When about to fight them, they generally attempt to predict where would your movement be. Try to make some wavy movement while either ramming into them or patrolling over them to let your turret do the job. This way, they may get confused and end up vulnerable of being attacked.
Destroyers[]
"Bringing up a big gun, it's ready to rock things and roll them out." ~ Gelly's tagline on Destroyer
Depending on the build and strategy, Destroyers can be a large major threat to just simple annoyance with no threat at all. Rammer Destroyers are pretty much useless against Rammer Auto Smashers, while Glass Cannon Destroyers could cause major damage on any Auto Smasher. Remember that in most cases, they can escape (or chase you) with the use of their heavy recoil. It's best to caught them off guard, just make sure that they are at the edge of your FoV, or else, your auto turret might end up showing where you are.
Triplets, Twins, Gunners and a Lot More Tanks With High DPS[]
"Triple is more than double, and so it brings forth triple threat." ~ Gelly's tagline on Triplet
All those tanks mentioned are real threat you should be careful around when attempting to do some kill. Their main strength is the barrage of bullets they can release right on their front (or other sides if you include Octo Tanks, Triple Twins, etc.). While a single bullet seems useless against a Rammer Auto Smasher, a bunch of those is deadly enough, not to include that the knockback they can do, which can prevent you to reach them. Sneaking up to beat them is a possible way to deal against these enemies.
Trappers[]
"Laying down injuring barriers, it never leaves every passage unchecked and untrapped." ~ Gelly's tagline on Trapper
Probably the main problem every pure ramming tanks face are Trappers. Most Trappers are always on their defensive mode, laying down traps to protect them to any sort of damage. Since traps does twice the damage a normal bullet can do, and they last around few seconds, it is generally hard to fight Trappers, especially if you are a Rammer type. It is advisable to let other tanks, whether those are your teammates or just enemies of other teams, distract the Trappers long enough for the trap barricade that are blocking your way disappear and be on the other areas. This way, Trappers have rather to react fast on where they should fire down traps. If it happens that they can't do it, better take the opportunity to kill them.
Smashers[]
"No gun, no problem. It's the philosopher of the play of bringing knife to a gunfight." ~ Gelly's tagline on Smasher
Smasher versus Smasher situations are rather rare, but when you got into that situation, it's much like hanging on a thin thread. One wrong move and you're down. In order to survive in these situations, its best to analyze first what build the enemy Smashers had. Try to force them strolling through fields of Polygons to make them receive body damage which, while not much effective at doing damage, can slow them down. You may also lure them into a bullet zone, although you should also watch out if you are about to get hit by the bullets. However, when you happen to meet up an enemy Spike, it's best to escape rather than fight it to death, since they have an increased body damage.
Overseers[]
"Watching the job of its minions, it commands them to bring death upon enemies." ~ Gelly's tagline Auto Smasher
Overseers and their successors are one of the feared tanks in the arena. With the group of their drones, they can easily take down other tanks in a single swipe. As an Auto Smasher, try to distract their drones. Be aware, since drones often move faster than you, so you need to react fast if you want to fight Overseers. Mostly, Overseers attempt to flee when being chased down by ramming tanks, while letting their drones to protect them. If this is the case that happened, retreat and find another opportunity to kill them. Necromancers have lot more drones, but once they are destroyed, they are helpless and needs to find Squares to replace their drones. Use this chance to destroy them.
Factories[]
"Recreating tanks isn't just its job. If some aren't behaving good, it does the action of scrapping it." ~ Gelly's tagline on Factory
Factories are considered to be tanks with the most complicated controls. Facing them should be taken with caution, though. It's best to analyze first how they do movements and attacks, since play style of each Factory may differ, depending on the skills of those who play as them. If you think the Factory have difficulty on utilizing its drones at its finest, then try to attack. Retreat immediately when you failed, as the continuous stream of bullets from the Factory's drones can swiftly drain your health. It's advisable not to ram into drones, as they still got high health and body damage.
Crashers[]
"Pink ain't always pretty. That's why these pesky suicidal beings likes to pin you down." ~ Gelly's tagline on Crasher
While a single Crasher isn't a threat, a massive swarm of them is fatal, even if you are a Rammer Auto Smasher. The consecutive damage stack quickly, often leading to heavy damage. If you are about to go to the Pentagon Nest, better move slowly than normal, so that you will not disturb lot of Crashers in your first arrival. If necessary, retreat and return again once you are ready.
Bosses[]
"If ramming is criticized, better expect this once-speedy now fallen crash derby to come and wreck you down." ~ Gelly's tagline on Fallen Booster
Known for their high threat, it isn't recommended to fight Bosses as an Auto Smasher, even if you are a Glass Cannon type. Bosses have high body damage, so touching them is not recommended, making Rammer Auto Smashers on a difficult situation. It's best to stay away from them until other tanks do the damage, and if the Boss is near death, try to make the opportunity to steal the kill.
Auto Smasher in the World of Arras.io[]
When talking about arras.io, strategies for Auto Smasher used at diep.io should work as well. With its auto turret having twin cannons rather than just a singular one. The only thing that might causes difference is the addition of shield stats, features exclusive only to arras.io. Shield stats are somewhat similar with health, so it shouldn't be a problem.
In The End[]
After becoming a great player utilizing the once-called "underrated tank of diep.io", and reached a high score with it, would you still call the Auto Smasher underrated? Better think first. Afterall, it is a feature, and if it is about to be gone, better enjoy with it before you lose the last chances you get.