=============================== Einhänder Score & Ranking Guide v1.07 =============================== by Lutepin lutepin@rocketmail.com ------------------------------- Contents: E0) Introduction E1) Score Graphs E2) Score E3) Shot Down E4) S Bonus E5) Tech Points E6) Highest % E7) Boss Bonus E8) Ranking Chart A1) Guide Version History A2) Legal/Copy Stuff A3) Thanks ------------------------------- ================== E0) Introduction ================== This is my first guide/FAQ. Einhänder is one of my favorite games ever. While previously existing guides and fansites covered many topics of this game, and were very helpful, I found myself wanting more. More details, exact numbers, deeper analysis. So, using my thirst for video game knowledge and enjoyment in all things Einhänder, I worked day and night for about 2 weeks and created this guide. In it, you will find never-before seen information, provided in unprecedented clarity. Exact score counts needed for each "Extended Play", a complete and accurate analysis of Tech Pts., and a Ranking Chart that unveils the inner workings of the rank system are just a few new things you will discover in this guide. Note that I write large numbers (usually 5 digits or more) with spaces: 1 250 000 means one million, two hundred and fifty thousand. This makes them easier to read. I avoided commas to make the numbers universally readable - some countries dont use commas the same way. ================== E1) Score Graphs ================== In the "File Option" screen, you have the "Score" and "Score Ranking" options, among others. 1) For details on the "Score" screen and info (basically the same as a "Flight Evauation", which you see after a Game Over/beating the game), see below. 2) "Score Ranking" is simply a list of the top 5 highest scores (using strictly your Score earned), separated by difficulty. The ship used is listed next to each score, and underneath that, the player who earned the given score. Score/Evaluation Screen: The Score screen is specific to a single user, which you select, then separated by ship, which you also select (once you see the graphs). If you got a game over/finished the game, you will see a "Flight Evaulation" - it will only display your current playthrough/ship, but otherwise has the same exact setup as the "Score" screen. All official scoring stops upon using a continue. You can know when this has happened by seeing if your score during gameplay is red. Red means you continued. White means you have not continued, and you are still being evaluated. Each Ship has six different scoring categories: Score, Shot Down, Secret Bonus ("S Bonus"), Boss Bonus, Highest %, and Tech Points. The Score screen starts you off on a top-down hexagonal graph (called the "Total Graph") showing that player's performance of the Endymion FRS Mk. II. Pressing left or right changes the ship, listed in this order, from left to right: Endymion Mk. II Endymion Mk. III Astrea Mk. I U.Fighter Type.I U.Fighter Type.II Showing the U.Fighters only if you have them. The list cycles, so after the last ship on the list, you will go back to the Endymion Mk. II. Likewise, pressing left at the Endymion Mk. II will take you to the bottom of the list, depending on which ships you have unlocked. The "Total Graph" displays stats from your last playthrough in the given ship. At the top left is the last stage you made it to, along with the difficulty you played it on. Each of the six score categories are given, with the letter grade you earned for each. (To learn about letter rankings, use the Contents section to search for the scoring field your interested in, or see the "Ranking Chart" in this Guide.) Pressing the down button takes you to the "Field Graph", a six-sided cylindrical graph. The Field Graph compares each score field of your last playthrough with the best scores recorded for that ship, by any player. The very first time you play the game, this graph will always be completely green and filled (as long as you got more than 0 in that category), because you will be the top player in every category, having the only record in the game. As you play more and more though, this graph will inevitably get harder to fill. Finally, there's the "Fight Graph". This graph will show a specific score category, based on which one was currently displayed on the Field Graph when you pressed the down button. It will graph up to your last 10 playthroughs as that ship, each marked with the Difficulty (as E, N, or H) and the stage you made it to (numbers 1-7). It also has a straight red line marking your average, displayed to the left. This graph is restricted to the selected user (not compared to other users), so any time you get your own highest score in that field, it will reach the top of the graph. ================== E2) Score ================== In Einhänder, as with most shooters, Score is a pretty simple concept. Score Basics: Destroy enemies (and some environmental hazards) to gain points. Every destroyable object in the game has a pre-defined point value. For example, most one-shot-kill fighters are worth 100 points. The first Stage boss (core) is worth 100 000 points. Even many parts of enemies are worth points. Your score can also be greatly increased when effectively using the multiplier gauge. (For lots of info on the score multiplier gauge, go to the "Highest %" section.) Score Bonuses: There are many ways to get points other than directly destroying enemies. Some of the score fields discussed in this guide give point bonuses when you perform well (S Bonus, Highest %, and Boss Bonus). You also get extra points upon completing a stage, at the end-stage "Results" screen: Shot Down: Not the same thing as your ranked "Shot Down" score; this measures the number of enemies destroyed within your current life, and is reset when starting a new stage. 500 points awarded per Shot Down. Gunpods Gained: The number of Gunpods you picked up within your current life, reset when starting a new stage. 500 points awarded per Gunpod Gained. Boss Repulse Time: Directly related to your "Boss Bonus" score, which is the average of all of your "Boss Repulse Time" bonuses. You get 300 000 points for defeating a boss within 30 seconds. Each second over 30 is minus 3000 from the initial 300 000. For much more information on Boss Repulse Times and how they are scored, see the "Boss Bonus" section. Fighters Remaining: The number of lives you have. Remember that the life count includes your current life, so if you pause the game and it says "0 Fighters Left", you actually have 1 "Fighter Remaining". 10 000 points are awarded for each life, for stages 1 through 6; Stage 7 awards 1 000 000 points per life. Extended Play: You are rewarded an extra life at the end of a stage if your score has reached or passed a certain amount: 2 000 000 5 000 000 10 000 000 15 000 000 20 000 000 25 000 000 Sadly, the extra lives stop there; only 6 lives can be earned. Since you start with three lives (including your current one), it is only possible to obtain 9 lives total, or "8 Fighters Left" on the pause screen. Keep in mind that lives can only be earned at the end-stage "Results" screen. Also, since lives are earned after the totals are counted, any newly earned lives are not in your "Fighters Remaining" for that stage. Lives are not given after the last boss, so any lives you have when you reach Stage 7 are all you will get. Stage Score totals: "Score for this Stage" and "Subtotal" apply only to the stage you just cleared, and the ship you are using; difficulty is disregarded. If you are clearing a stage for the first time in a given ship, these will only display "Player" scores. If the stage has been cleared before in the current ship, you will see the user name, and high score of that user. The game displays the difference of your score to the high score. A negative number (in red) means you did not reach the previous high score. A positive number (in green) means you surpassed the previous high score. If you continued, your current score will still be compared, but it will not be saved. If you happened to equal the high score, a white zero is displayed as the difference; the original high score will remain. "Score for this Stage" details: If you have not used a continue and your "Score for this Stage" is higher than the previous one, your score will become the new listed high score for that ship on that stage. Any user playing as the same ship will see your name and score when they clear that stage. "Subtotal" details: The Subtotal field compares your current score to the highest overall score earned in the selected ship. (This is the same as the TOP score that you see in the "Field Graph".) This TOP score is saved in its component parts over each stage, so you will be compared to what the TOP score had when it cleared the same stage you just cleared. This means that, even if you get a positive number showing that you surpassed the previous best, you will not become the listed "Highest Scorer" until your total score is the best score (the new TOP score) earned in your current ship. Score Ranking: Your Score is ranked based on your progress through the game. See the "Ranking Chart" in this FAQ for more info. ================== E3) Shot Down ================== Simply the number of enemies you destroyed. Shot Down basics: All enemies, regardless of size or boss status, are worth 1. Generally, pieces of enemies and projectiles do not count. Shot Down techniques: Shooting down more enemies is just a matter of being aggressive, which is often risky. A good Gunpod helps, though. Using a Wasp can prove very effective - this applies to the Unknown Fighter I, as well. Getting a "Timeout" on a boss gives you a shot down. This may apply to midbosses too. Shot Down ranking: The "Shot Down" category is ranked based on progress through the game. See the "Ranking Chart" for more info. ================== E4) S Bonus ================== By now, S bonuses are well documented. I will include a (very) brief outline of each bonus here. For more specifics or strategies, I recommend one of the many more detailed guides located all over the web. S Bonus Basics: There are 3 in each level, and certain things must be destroyed in order to get them. There are 7 stages in the game, so there is a total of 21 S Bonuses. Stage 1 ------- 1: Destroy all of the neon signs. 2: Destroy at least 50 ships before the gasmask sign; destroy the rocket- mounted Uhus that will appear. The 2nd one is the Bonus. 3: Destroy the bottom part of the mid-boss. Stage 2 ------- 1: Quickly destroy the hovertanks near the beginning. The red one is a Bonus. 2: Destroy 10 turrets on the first turret-loaded train car. 3: Destroy 10 turrets on the second turret-loaded train car. Stage 3 ------- 1: Quickly destroy the disc-backed enemies before the midboss. Red is Bonus. 2: Destroy 8 rail-mounted enemies during the midboss fight. 3: Destroy all of the falling enemies after destroying the elevator. Stage 4 ------- 1: Destroy the submarine core, after it detaches. 2: Take the lowest route after the midboss. Destroy the red sliding mech. 3: Destroy the reactor floor, just before the boss. Stage 5 ------- 1: Destroy all of the crane arms on the wall. 2: Knock down the midboss four times. 3: Destroy the red laser-shooting ship that flies in front of the screen. Stage 6 ------- 1: Destroy a red ship at the rocket. 2: Destroy 3 dispenser tubes that appear from the rocket. 3: Destroy the tiny disc on top of the boss, then kill the enemy that follows. Stage 7 ------- All: Destroy each of 3 red ships before the boss. S Bonus techniques: As soon as you earn an S Bonus, it is saved to your final S Bonus count (assuming you haven't continued). This means that if you die after earning an S Bonus and respawn at a point before that S Bonus, you will still have that S Bonus counted to your score/S Bonuses found. You can get the same S Bonus multiple times; each time you get it, it will award you the appropriate amount of points (see "S Bonus Bonuses", just below), but it will not increase your final S Bonus count any more after the first time. (The S Bonus limit is always 21.) S Bonus Bonuses: On each level, you recieve bonus points for getting S Bonuses: 10 000 for one S bonus on a stage, 30 000 for two S bonuses on a stage, 100 000 for all three S bonuses on a stage. These points are awarded upon earning the S Bonus, so getting all three S Bonuses would give you 140 000 points per stage (10 000 + 30 000 + 100 000). S Bonus Ranking: The Rank you recieve is based on a percentage of S Bonuses you have gotten, out of how many you've could have gotten. This means you can technically get 1 S Bonus and recieve an A rank, if you've only passed 1 Bonus opportunity. Below is a listing of percentages and what rank they are worth: Formula: (S Bonus acquired) / (S Bonus Opportunities) = decimal, converted to %. D: 20% C: 40% B: 60% A: 80% S: 100%* *An S rank can only be given if you beat the game (cleared stage 7). If you have 100% of the S Bonuses you could have gotten, but have not completed the game, you will recieve an A. ================== E5) Tech Points ================== For a long time (pretty much until this FAQ), Tech Points were pretty mysterious. The manual says they measure "Defensive Ability", which isn't necessarily wrong, but very ambiguous. Most guides you'll read say something like "to get an S, don't die", which is also not wrong, but still not very helpful. After a couple days of research and dusting off the number-crunching part of my brain, I have discovered (what I believe to be) EVERYTHING about Tech Points. Enjoy. Tech Point basics: Tech Points are kept in multiples of 5. You start the game with 60 Tech Points, regardless of ship or difficulty. There are ways to lose and gain Tech Points: Tech Point loss: A single death (in any checkpoint area) is minus 15 points. More deaths in a row (as in, within the same area/without passing the next checkpoint) carry bigger penalties: -20 for the second death, -25 for the third, -30, -35, etc. Once you pass a checkpoint, the penalty for your next death is reset to -15. Tech Point gain: Bosses (mid and endlevel) are worth 5 points upon defeating OR getting a "Timeout"/passing them. Clearing the game adds 5 points, as well. (So defeating the final boss essentially adds 10 points: +5 For a boss kill, and +5 for clearing the game). In order to get an S, you must not die on stage 7: you can only get 10 points from stage 7, and a single death is -15. Note: stage 6 and 7 have NO midboss Tech Point bonuses. The rocket (6) and EOS fighters (7) are NOT considered midboss fights, as far as Tech Points are concerned. 10 points are rewarded for each extra life earned at the completion of a stage. This extra life Tech Point bonus is capped to 30 per stage. You cannot earn extra lives after the last boss, so this bonus is not in effect once you reach Stage 7. Tech Point limits: 100 points is the maximum, 0 points is the minimum. The game does NOT keep track of points above 100 and cut it down to 100 at Game Over. For example, even if you should mathematically have 145 points, your next death, assuming it's the first in an area, will put you at 85 points (100 - 15). The same goes for 0, too: even if you've died many times and should have -30 points, passing a boss will put you at 5, not -25. Tech Point Rankings: D: 20 C: 40 B: 60 A: 80 S: 100* *Again, an S can only be acquired if you've cleared stage 7. Otherwise, an A is the highest rank you'll get. ================== E6) Highest % ================== Highest % counts the number of times your score multipler has reached a maxed x16. Why is it called "Highest %"? Honestly, I think it was a mistake. Perhaps they meant "Highest X", as in Highest Multiplier? Who knows. But I have tested various scenarios of this, and it seems to have nothing to do with percentages. It appears that the original Japanese text translates to "Highest Magnification", which definitely makes more sense. Highest % basics: Your score guage is separated into 10 little pieces. Most enemies (not all), when destroyed, will partially fill the pieces of this gauge (I call this an enemy's "gauge value"). When all ten pieces fill, your multiplier goes up by one (x1 -> x2) and everything you destroy will give points multiplied by that multiplier. The gauge is contantly draining, so you need to kill quickly and effectively to get higher multipliers. Filling the gauge while it's at x16 will max-out the gauge, which counts as a "Highest %". While the gauge is maxed-out, it will flash red and display how many "Highest %"s you have gotten so far. Highest % techniques: To get the most Highest %s, you want to be able to fill your gauge as quickly as possible, as often as possible. There a couple of ways to make your gauge rise faster: 1) By Weapon: The gauge rises faster when you destroy an enemy with certain attacks: Machine Gun: x1 (multiplication of gauge value on destroying an enemy) Speed Burst: x1 Manipulator: x3 Gunpod Contact: x3 Gunpod Shot: x2 Note: Unknown Fighter I gets x2 gauge value for destroying an enemy with its leveled-up shots (the balls). 2) Chain hits: Destroying multiple enemies with a single shot will not only increase the gauge for each kill made, but also add a bonus based on # of hits. The # of hits is briefly displayed over the score gauge when you make a chain hit. I'm not sure exactly how the bonus is calculated, but here is an example: Example: Destroying one enemy Schabe (police car) raises the gauge by 5 pieces. Destroying a Schabe with a Gunpod is 10 pieces (one full gauge, pushing you to the next multiplier). Destroying two Schabes with a single Cannon shot gives 25 pieces (+5 per Schabe [10], x2 for Gunpod use [20], then +5 extra for killing two at once [25]: the chain bonus.) I believe that the chain bonus would increase, based on the gauge value of the ships killed, and # of hits. Note that some weapons, while able to kill multiple enemies with one shot, do NOT give chain bonuses. Weapons that cannot get chain bonuses: Vulcan Wasp Spreader Juno Blade Mosquito Weapons that can get chain bonuses: Cannon Grenade Hedgehog Riot Flash Python With weapons that can get chain bonuses, it is possible to stack (combine) chain hits when using two weapons simultaneously. For weapon hits to be stacked, both weapons have to be fired at almost the same time (there can be a delay, but it is very brief - this may vary depending on weapon). This is much easier to do when both weapons are the same; using two different weapons is more difficult and requires better timing. Highest % bonus: Maxing-out your gauge awards you 100 000 points. This bonus is given over time, as the gauge drains. Highest % Ranking: Highest % is ranked based on your progress in the game. See the "Ranking Chart" in this FAQ for more info. ================== E7) Boss Bonus ================== Boss Bonus is the average of your "Boss Repulse Time" scores, recieved in the end-level "Results" screen. Boss Bonus basics: For every Stage's boss, you are timed on how fast it took you to kill them, starting when they are vulnerable, until the instant the boss is defeated. You get 300 000 points for defeating a boss within 30 seconds. Each second over 30 is minus 3000 from the initial 300 000 (a time of 2'09 is worth 3000 - after that second, you recieve zero points). It is also possible to avoid bosses for about 3'25, and you will pass them anyway. This will give you a "Timeout" for your Boss Repulse time, and you will earn zero points. "Timeout"s can be performed on any mid-boss and Stage boss, except for the final boss. A "Timeout" is also given if you do not pass the first area of Stage 6. Even though it is averaged, your final Boss Bonus score is a multiple of 3000. You could probably take each of your Boss Repulse Time scores, average them, then round to the nearest multiple of 3000 to get your Boss Bonus. Boss Bonus techniques: Kill all Stage bosses quickly to get high Boss Bonus scores. This largely depends on your knowledge of the boss' patterns and weakpoints. Gunpods are an invaluable asset in earning >30 second Boss Repulse times. Use powerful, armor piercing weapons (Riot and Flash come to mind) to make things even easier. Note that some weapons are more effective against certain bosses than others - sometimes a Riot or Flash isn't the best choice. Using the Unknown Fighter I can make earning a high Boss Bonus very difficult. When using this ship, try to get as leveled-up as you can, and focus on those cores. Boss Bonus ranking: I'm pretty sure that Boss Bonus ranking requirements are static, but there is a chance that they may adjust, based on your previous performance. Here are the numbers I have seen, for your reference: D: 57 000 C: 114 000 B: 168 000 A: 225 000 S: 282 000* *S can only be earned if you have defeated the last boss. Also, notice that there is a margin for error in the S rank... unlike S Bonus and Tech Pts., which require perfect scores to recieve an S. Again, though, these requirements may rise if you have recieved perfect Boss Bonus scores in the past - so it may be for most players that a perfect 300 000 is required for an S. ================== E8) Ranking Chart ================== I believe the requirements for ranks change (increase, generally) as you pass each checkpoint, or at least every boss, so this is by no means a complete, comprehensive chart. Making a complete chart would be incredibly time- consuming, extremely repetitive and boring, and just not that useful to Einhänder players. This is meant to give you an idea of how the requirements change as you play through the game, so you can know where you stand when you see your ranks. I wrote the Score and Boss Bonus numbers with spaces, to make them easier to read. (ten million, for example, is 10 000 000). The numbers listed next to each Rank are the MINIMUM amount required to get that rank. If you reach or surpass the number listed at the next highest rank, you will be awarded that rank instead. Any numbers lower than the number listed for D means you'll get an E. Notes: 1) The Score, Shot Down, and Highest % requirements change as you play through the game. S Bonus ranking is based on the percent of S Bonuses you've earned; Tech Point rankings are static. I'm still not quite sure whether Boss Bonus ranks change, but if so, it may be based on prior performance. Therefore, I included S Bonus, Tech Points, and Boss Bonus scores on a seperate chart, just underneath this one. 2) All of the scores listed can apparently change (as far as I know, only increase). I've tested different ships and difficulties, and there didn't seem to be any difference in the rank requirements (this chart was made using the Endymion Mk. II on Normal). This could mean that perhaps the rank requirements are based on your previous performance, either within the current playthrough, or overall. For example, I have seen the Unknown Fighter II recieve a D for Shot Down when, according to this chart, it should have gotten a B; but in a different scenario with the same difficulty and same stage, it did earn a B. 3) You can only get an S rank if you have beaten the game (cleared stage 7) on that playthrough. ----------------------------------------------- | Score | Shot Down | Highest % | --------------------------------------------------------- | | D: 142 000 | D: 48 | D: 1 | |Stage 1 | C: 219 000 | C: 56 | C: - (n/a)| |(start) | B: 296 000 | B: 64 | B: 2 | | | A: 373 000 | A: 72 | A: 3 | --------------------------------------------------------- | | D: 1 240 000 | D: 240 | D: 2 | |Stage 2 | C: 1 780 000 | C: 280 | C: 3 | |(start) | B: 2 320 000 | B: 320 | B: 5 | | | A: 2 860 000 | A: 360 | A: 6 | --------------------------------------------------------- | | D: 2 480 000 | D: 336 | D: 3 | |Stage 3 | C: 3 360 000 | C: 392 | C: 5 | |(start) | B: 4 240 000 | B: 448 | B: 7 | | | A: 5 120 000 | A: 504 | A: 9 | --------------------------------------------------------- | | D: 3 800 000 | D: 462 | D: 3 | |Stage 4 | C: 5 100 000 | C: 539 | C: 6 | |(start) | B: 6 400 000 | B: 616 | B: 9 | | | A: 7 700 000 | A: 693 | A: 12 | --------------------------------------------------------- | | D: 5 260 000 | D: 588 | D: 5 | |Stage 5 | C: 6 820 000 | C: 686 | C: 9 | |(start) | B: 8 380 000 | B: 784 | B: 13 | | | A: 9 940 000 | A: 882 | A: 17 | --------------------------------------------------------- |Stage 6 | D: 7 640 000 | D: 744 | D: 5 | |(start) | C: 8 980 000 | C: 868 | C: 10 | |[bad | B: 10 320 000 | B: 992 | B: 15 | |ending] | A: 11 660 000 | A: 1116 | A: 20 | --------------------------------------------------------- | | D: 8 880 000 | D: 756 | D: 6 | |Stage 7 | C: 10 160 000 | C: 882 | C: 11 | |(start) | B: 11 440 000 | B: 1008 | B: 16 | | | A: 12 720 000 | A: 1134 | A: 21 | --------------------------------------------------------- | | D: 13 680 000 | D: 756 | D: 6 | | Game | C: 14 800 000 | C: 882 | C: 11 | | Cleared | B: 15 840 000 | B: 1008 | B: 16 | | | A: 16 920 000 | A: 1134 | A: 21 | | | S: 18 000 000 | S: 1260 | S: 26 | --------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------- | S Bonus | Tech Points || Boss Bonus** | --------------------------------------------------------- |These | D: 20% | D: 20 || D: 57 000 | |ranks | C: 40% | C: 40 || C: 114 000 | |don't | B: 60% | B: 60 || B: 168 000 | |change. | A: 80% | A: 80 || A: 225 000 | |(maybe**)| *S: 100% | *S: 100 || *S: 282 000** | --------------------------------------------------------- *: Again, you cannot earn an S if you don't clear Stage 7. **: Surprisingly, there is margin for error in the requirements for an S in the Boss Bonus category. I'm not positive, but the Boss Bonus rank requirements may increase as well, as I've said earlier, probably based on prior performance. ========================= A1) Guide Version History ========================= Version 1.00 completed on January 25, 2011 ------------------------- Version 1.02 completed on January 27, 2011 - Added info about stacking chain hits - Fixed the info about S Bonus 2 in Stage 6. ------------------------- Version 1.05 completed on January 30, 2011 - Rearranged and fixed info about "Score for this Stage" and "Subtotal" - Fixed some info about the "Fight Graph" ------------------------- Version 1.07 completed... on February 12, 2011: - Added the "S Bonus techniques" section - Added addition info to the "S Bonus Bonuses" section on April 4, 2011: - Added translation info for "Highest %", and removed the name-switch theory. ==================== A2) Legal/Copy Stuff ==================== I want people to read and enjoy this guide, for free. I don't like it when useful things are heavily controlled. That being said: Copyright 2011 J. Davis. This document is provided free of charge. Any re- printing, redistribution, or other method of providing any part of this guide (except using a web link to GameFAQs.com) should include the original author information: "by Lutepin, lutepin@rocketmail.com". Originally published through GameFAQS.com. ==================== A3) Thanks ==================== Thanks to everybody who wrote guides on this great game; I've probably read every one on the Internet. Thanks to some of the awesome fansites out there, namely: einhander.org (spanish) geocities.jp/wenig_stimme/ (japanese) Big, belated thanks to Square, for giving the world some fantastic video games. Thanks to you, for reading this!