Strategy:Chainsaw

(v 0.9.9.3) The chainsaw is the staple of any melee game, for two reasons: it is guaranteed on an early floor, and it is the best melee weapon you'll find for a long while. Compared to fists or a combat knife, this weapon is what starts to make the Angel of Berserk feasible if not outright easy. For just about any melee-based game, you'll be using a chainsaw until you find something better.

The chainsaw is a part of the following achievements:

• Strongman Bronze (beat the game using any standard melee weapon: the chainsaw is the most powerful in this group)

Using the chainsaw is very straight-forward: equip it and run toward your target. There are no alt-fires or nuances to learn about this weapon, although you'll definitely want to memorize the double chainsaw schematic for special occasions. If you're not Whizkidding, a single Bulk mod trumps a single Power (5d6 for 5-30 avg 17.5 > 4d7 for 4-28 avg 16).

If you're relying solely on melee and happen to have the chainsaw, it shouldn't take more than two or three hits on most enemies (and less if you're zerked) to get the kill. At the same time, you should try to know what enemies are good to leave be at a distance and what enemies can seriously hurt you during the approach. Most boss enemies (save the Arena Master, though the level itself is practically designed for melee) aren't a problem, although a few will rip you to shreds if you don't zerk soon enough. The most hated trio of standard enemies, VMR (Viles, Manucbi, and Revs), are all extremely deadly when you can't afford to attack them from off-screen or the like.

Most of the time you'll be relying on berserk in order to plow through the hardest parts of the game. When this isn't available, there are a few things to try, like gift-dropping (the act of enticing certain enemies with items placed on the ground), throwing knives, or simply running toward the enemy. These all work with varied results, and you're better off taking Berserker and hoping to activate its effect as often as possible. Game Hunter 18:51, 9 August 2011 (CEST)