Build-your-own-nightmare

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We get deep into Chromehounds to build each of the 6 breeds of Hound

While fiddling around during our hands-on time with Chromehounds, we discovered a few tricks of the trade we'd like to clue you in on so that you'll be fully prepared to slap together a brutal robot of ultimate destruction. We've compiled our little handbook of how-to horror, and to seal the deal we captured video of the building process (sped up for the sake of time) along with our titanium terrors in action on the battlefield. So drink deep from our well of kill-bot carnage knowledge.

You can check out the movies we've made of the process that went into each different build by clicking the Movies tab above.

On top of that, we're happy to offer some hints and tips to make your Hound the best it can be.

  • Watch the Load limit of your Hound. While the game will let you leave the garage with an overloaded Hound, you'll suffer crippling movement penalties for being overweight.
  • Tactics Commanders must have some kind of radar package in order to do their jobs properly. The radar is very heavy, so adjust your weapons load-out appropriately (meaning: TCs don't get as many guns).
  • Decide what roll you want to fill before you start building, this will inform every decision you make as certain parts are way better suited to particular roles.
  • Don't try to be too many things at once, you alone cannot play every role in the squad so focus on doing one thing better than anyone else.
  • Cluster your weapons. Ballancing large cannons on opposite sides of your Hound can help deal with the incredible recoil that comes with them.
  • Be sure to include at least one weapon with tons of ammo. There's nothing worse than running completely dry.

Check out the annotated screen below for even more info.

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  1. This graph lets you know which role your mech is best suited for
  2. Max Speed clues you into how fast you'll be rollin'
  3. Load is essential for measuring how many parts you can pile on
  4. Weight is the parts' counterpart to Load - heavy parts can weigh down your Hound
  5. Range tells you from how great a distance you can effectively attack
  6. Ammo comes in different flavors for some weapons, each with its own characteristics
  7. This set of icons will let you know if you've made any errors while building
  8. Max Ammo is important for the simple reason that you don't want to run out during a fight