Alien versus Predator
Character guide for Maj. Dutch Schaefer
June 10, 2002
=========================

Third draft.


This guide is copyrighted by Will. Please do not modify
this or use it on your site without my express written permission.
This guide should only be found at www.gamefaqs.com.
Aliens versus Predator is copyrighted by Capcom.
The general structure of the FAQ was made after Brian Yip's excellent
Linn Kurosawa character guide.

To report errors or omissions or to comment about the guide, drop me
an e-mail at ward.schellekens@planet.nl.


- About Maj. Dutch Schaefer
- Basics of the game
- Schaefer's strengths and weaknesses
- Schaefer's moves
- Eradicating the enemy
- Common Trouble Spots
- Glitches & Bugs


About Maj. Dutch Schaefer
=========================
From the Internet Movie Database (www.imdb.com):
'Dutch Schaefer (Arnold Schwarzenegger) and a team of commandos have
been sent into a Central American jungle to track down some missing
airmen that were kidnapped by terrorists. By the time they get to the
camp, the airmen have been butchered in a very violent fashion and the
commandos retaliate on the terrorists' camp. After that's over, they
wait for a helicopter to pick them up, but something strange begins to
happen in the woods. It isn't long before the commandos start getting
killed off and Dutch and a girl from the camp, Anna, are the only
people left and fighting for their lives. But what they discover is
too shocking for them to imagine. What's been killing them is the
Predator, an alien that hunts rare species and make his trophies out
of their skulls. And human beings are the new species he has
discovered.'

In Alien versus Predator, Major Dutch Schaefer is a synthetic, a
cybernetic human modelled after the original Dutch Schaefer.
Apparantly, Schaefer was created specifically to fight extra-
terrestrials (both Aliens and Predators). He lost his right arm to the
Aliens and has had it replaced with a smartgun. Schaefer lives
to fight, and fighting is what he does best.

In game terms, Schaefer is the slow but strong 'tank' type guy.


Basics of the game
=========================
Every character in the game has a unique fighting style. The Predator
Warrior uses a spear (actually, it's a combi-stick); the Predator
Hunter uses a naginata (a Japanese polearm) and Linn Kurosawa uses a
curved katana blade. Schaefer does what big, muscle-bound men with
robotic arms do best, and uses his fists to great effect.

Unlike the other characters who simply throw weapons other than their
own away, Schaefer can use any weapon in melee. This includes lead
pipes, the Warrior's spear, the Hunter's naginata and Linn's sword.
Schaefer can use these weapons to varying effects. Please note that
powerloaders and alien queens are not affected by hit stun from these
weapons, and may retaliate between your attacks!

Pipe:
Lead pipes knock down any enemy with a single hit, including bosses
and Royal Guard, but excluding Alien Queens (which are never knocked
down) and powerloaders. Lead pipes deal low damage; a basic combo
deals far more damage than a single pipe bash. Lead pipes have much
better range, speed and priority than regular melee attacks.

Sword:
Linn's katana is incredibly useful. It deals about as much damage as a
lead pipe, but it doesn't knock down enemies. This means that you can
pretty much lay into a group of enemies without fear of them
retaliating. The sword is also effective against jumping attacks,
because Schaefer swings it in a downward arc over his head. The sword
is very fast and has very good range. Just remember to time your anti-
air attaks correctly or you'll get hit after you complete the motion.
Normal enemies:		3 hits
Arachnoids, Smashers:	5 hits
Bosses, Royal Guard:	8 hits
Powerloaders:		12 hits (!)

Spear:
The Warrior's spear can also come in rather handy. Though it isn't as
fast as the pipe, it will knock down any normal enemy instantly and
deal decent damage to them. The naginata or the katana are much better
to have, though. The only time you want to have this weapon over the
others is when you're surrounded by enemies - the spear also hits any
enemies behind you.
Normal enemies:		1
Arachnoids, Smashers:	2
Bosses, Royal Guard:	3
Powerloaders:		6

Naginata:
The Hunter's naginata is the better of the two Predator weapons. It
knocks down regular enemies in one hit. It has slightly better range
and speed than the spear, with less lag after striking an enemy with
it. It is more effective for anti-air purposes than the spear as it is
swung in a wider arc.
Normal enemies:		1
Arachnoids, Smashers:	2
Bosses, Royal Guard:	3
Powerloaders:		6

The other weapons are decent to use, but unless the fight is against
marines armed with ranged weapons, melee weapons are preferred.

Knife:
Useful for knocking down large groups of armed marines, then stealing
their guns. Infectoids die after one knockdown hit, so the knife would
be moderately useful were it not that Infectoids rate below zero on
the threat scale. Not too good for anything else. Crap damage. By the
way, what kind of army sends it soldiers into the field carrying just
combat knives?!

Disc:
The Predator's hunting disc is a combat knife that deals better damage
and returns to the user. If you're skilled enough, you can keep your
enemies at bay indefinitely and finish the stage without a scratch. It
will knock down regular enemies in one hit, and Arachnoids in two.
This weapon is very useful in that it will kill small enemies
(Facehuggers, Chestbursters) on its way back.

Pulse Gun:
Actually a Pulse Rifle, this weapon is capable of totally decimating
humans and large targets. Against crawling aliens, it sucks. Highest
damage potential of any weapon in the game. Try to save one if you're
going up against a powerloader or a large group of Colonial Marines.

Smart Gun:
Not as effective as in the movie, it is still a deadly weapon if used
right. Its bullets penetrate through all enemies in its path,
decimating many foes at once. It deals less damage than the Pulse
Rifle, though, and has a tendency to miss or barely hit enemies right
in front of you.

Flamethrower:
Very good damage, but it lags after each hit. Tap the attack button
just once if you use it, and make sure you hit as many enemies as
possible. If one crawls up behind you, you can pretty much forget
about turning around to clobber it before it chews your head off. It
knocks regular enemies and bosses down in a single hit. The best thing
about this weapon is that if a burning enemy hits another enemy that
you missed, they both fall down.

Grenade Launcher:
Hand grenades on steroids. You get a good amount of shots. Try to wait
for the aliens in the front to move into your line of fire, then hit
the trigger. All enemies on the screen are knocked down. The damage is
not spectacular, but it is the ultimate 'crowd control' weapon.
Schaefer will usually miss any enemies standing between him and the
barrel of the gun, so beware.

Hand Grenades:
Useful for keeping powerloaders or large groups of enemies out of your
hair, but they suck at just about anything else. Crap damage and they
don't target Chestbursters or Facehuggers automatically.


Schaefer's Strengths and Weaknesses
=========================
Here I'll give a short rundown of Schaefer's skills and the trouble
spots to look out for.

Strengths:
- Use any weapon you find.
- No weapon to retrieve after getting knocked down.
- Weapons improve your chances, but you can get around without them.
- Gun attack hits downed enemies as well as pouncing aliens.
- Desperation attack comes out quickly and has good range.
- Take down many enemies at once with the rush move.
- A knee attack that can be ridiculously powerful when used right.
- Invulnerable grappling moves.
- Easy to combo into special moves.

Weaknesses:
- Schaefer is slow, which makes grappling much harder.
- Basic attacks have trouble outranging some enemies.
- The man can hardly jump!
- The punch rush comes out slowly.
- His slide attack is slow to come out and short-ranged.
- The rising knee comes down very slowly. Vulnerability = BAD.
- Schaefer's gun sucks against groups of three or more enemies.
- Gun doesn't work in the air outside of his knee attack.


Schaefer's Moves
=========================
Schaefer was made for dealing damage quickly and effectively. I've
used Brian Yip's move system here to avoid confusion.

Key:
u - up
d - down
f - foward
b - back
A - button A (gun button)
B - button B (attack button)
C - button C (jump button)


Basic Combo (B repeatedly):
Schaefer performs two punches with his mechanical arm, then hits the
enemy with a left hook and ends the combo with an uppercut from his
robotic arm. Good range and damage, and you can replace the final hit
with the rising knee attack/gun attack for better damage.

Rush (C):
Instead of performing a jump, Schaefer dashes across the screen,
damaging any enemies he touches. If you hit an attack button during
this move, Schaefer will perform a multi-hit rush punch attack.

Escape Combo (A, B, C):
Shoot an enemy with your gun; if they are half a screen or less away
from you, you can use their hit stun to perform a rush punch and knock
them down. This is useful for preventing Warrior aliens from spitting
acid. Hit the gun button, turn around during the gunfire and charge at
the enemy. It will give you some breathing room.

Spinning Lariat (up + C, B):
If you press C and up, Schaefer will jump a small distance. If you
attack during this time, Schaefer will perform a leg drill attack that
deals decent damage and stuns enemies it hits. If it hits, you can
chain into Schaefer's regular combo or the rising knee attack.
Schaefer can also jump backwards by pressing back, up and C
simultaneaously. A backwards drill kick can be performed during this
backwards hop. This move is useful for getting rid of an enemy
standing right behind you - you will jump THROUGH the enemy and knock
them down or stun them, leaving them open to further attack.

Slide (down + C):
This attack has short range and comes out fairly slowly, but can be
chained into the rising knee attack or the rush punch. It will hit
downed enemies.

Up-down Attack (down + C, B):
Schaefer performs a slide attack which immediately chains into a punch
rush. This will 'uplift' downed enemies and immediately knock them
back down. It deals decent damage if you let the slide attack finish.
Use it against groups of downed enemies, but don't rely upon it
against bosses.

Rising Knee (down, up, B):
This is Schaefer's only 'special' move. He does a quick knee uppercut
followed by a slow, vertical descent. While he is descending, he can
fire his gun in any direction. It's best to stop firing just before
you hit the ground so that you don't overload the gun. It's not a good
idea to use this against groups of aliens; you WILL get hit on the way
down. Instead, use it against single enemies or bosses.

Desperation Attack (any two buttons):
Schaefer overloads his mechanical arm and sends everyone around him
crashing to the ground. Comes out very quickly and will save your
bacon in many situations. Use it when you are getting attacked from
all sides, but don't go overboard with it - it takes away a little bit
of your life meter every time you use it.

About Schaefer's Grappling Moves:
Schaefer can walk up to an enemy and grab them, then use a variety of
grappling attacks. Hitting either direction and an attack button
results in a suplex attack. This deals rather low damage, but it's
decent for clearing out groups of enemies. If you jump and then hit
attack, Schaefer will smash the enemy down on anything below him. This
is his single strongest move, and you should use it whenever the
opportunity arises: it will make you invincible during execution!
Schaefer's final grappling move should only be used against bosses and
single enemies: hit B rapidly to have Schaefer pummel the enemy. This
will usually kill Warrior aliens instantly, but it leaves you
vulnerable to attack from behind.

About Schaefer's Smart Gun:
Schaefer's right arm has been replaced with a Smart Gun rig. He
usually fires it in bursts, from the floor to the ceiling back to the
floor again. It will usually hit any Facehuggers or Chestbursters in
its line of fire. Enemies that are up close are hit by nearly all the
bullets Schaefer fires. Other than that, it is slow and deals a pretty
pathetic amount of damage. Use it on that one alien that...just...
won't...die!
Super Clips are not very useful for Schaefer, as keeping the gun
button pressed is a bad idea - enemies will return fire or jump over
the bullets when you are shooting at the ground. It's best to fire
your weapon in short, controlled bursts.
Finally, don't overheat the gun if you plan on using the rising knee
attack! You are extremely vulnerable while coming down, and not being
able to fire at the welcoming committee below that's aching to greet
you with razor-sharp death isn't going to make things much better.


Eradicating the Enemy:
=========================
In this section, I'll touch on the different types of enemies that
Schaefer will encounter during the game, and provide you with some
ideas on how to dispose of them.
There are two different types of 'regular' alien with multiple sub-
species, and only one type of human with three sub-species.

Warrior:
The black aliens we all know and love. They are not exceptionally
dangerous as long as you keep them on your front side. As soon as you
see one jump up and slightly backwards, either shoot it, punch rush it
or move up or down; it is preparing to use its acid spit attack. Do
not allow yourself to be surrounded by Warriors; their tail slaps
will kill you dead. Instead, punch rush the group in front of you
(turning around takes too much time) then start bashing on the ones
behind you.

Stalker:
The brown, dog-like alien from the third movie. Stalkers are rather
weak, but make up for that by sheer force of numbers. In later levels
they are irritatingly quick and will usually make you think twice
about jumping into the thick of the fray. Their leap attacks are
rather annoying because Schaefer isn't too good at anti-air without
his weapons. Their tail attacks have slightly more range than
Schaefer's punches, and I guarantee you that it will cause you endless
headaches if you try to take them out bare-handed. The best way to deal
with these pests is to repeatedly smash them to the ground with a rush
punch, or to grab one and smash it into the rest of the group.

Chrysalis:
The newly hatched alien that is also the first boss. They are a type
of armadillo-like alien. These critters CAN retaliate when they get
up, so keep away from them. Keep them at arm's length and they won't
be much of a threat. If they roll at you, use a well-timed rising knee
to knock them down. They can be hit even while preparing to roll - the
final hit of Schaefer's combo or a rising knee attack will knock them
down.

Arachnoid:
A Warrior subspecies. Arachnoids rarely walk upright, and instead
prefer to use pouncing attacks. Not too dangerous if you keep using
grapple moves. When they get into medium range, prepare to get out of
the way; they will undoubtedly use a leap attack. Arachnoids' leaps
are quickly than those used by Stalkers and Defenders. The purple
version also has a kind of rotating uppercut attack - this deals a lot
of damage, so be wary of it. They don't use it too often, though.

Royal Guard:
The biggest non-boss alien; as far as game mechanics go, they are
bosses though. Keep punching when they are down; they can't retaliate
like 'true' bosses can. If they start spitting acid, move directly
above or below them or just shoot them from a distance. They will
often start spitting acid when they get up from the ground. If you are
standing next to them trying to hit them, you'll regret it. Always
make sure you're standing right in the middle of their body if they're
down. Royal Guard aren't very dangerous if you keep them on the screen,
preferably at close range so you can quickly respond to their attacks.
Against their charging attack, punch rush them or use the drill kick;
against their leap attack, use your rising knee. Don't turn your back
on them - you could get grappled for big damage.

Razor Claws:
The second boss. Try to wear it down with the Pulse Rifle before you
engage it in hand-to-hand combat. You know that nifty reverse sweep
attack your character does when an enemy attacks you from behind?
Well, this boss has one too. Don't try to combo it when you're not
sure if you're in range. Razor Claws has more range than Schaefer, so
attacking it with a normal combo will be difficult There are three
ways to reliably attack this boss. The first way is to use your gun to
stun it and your punch rush to get close. Then move up or down to
avoid its retaliation when it gets up. This also works if it's about
to get up from the ground!
The second way is to use continuous drill kicks from medium range to
stun it, then do a normal combo followed by a rising knee. Shoot Razor
Claws on the way down, and it will be a short distance away from you.
Then when it gets  up you'll still be falling from the rising knee -
shoot it horizontally, and it will stun Razor Claws long enough for
you to make your escape (move up or down). Make sure you don't
overheat your gun, and shoot any remaining Warrior aliens as well when
you're falling down - a tail slap will hurt you just as bad as a punch
from the big purple guy. With some practice, you can beat this boss
without getting hit at all. I wish the second Alien Queen was this
easy!

Smasher:
Another subspecies of the Warrior. It has a green crest on its head
which it uses for ramming attacks. If you see one hiss and rear its
head, start punching so it will walk straight into your combo. If
multiple Smashers are coming, punch rush one group and then shoot the
others. Start your punch attack early, or you'll get rammed by
charging Smashers. They are quick to use melee attacks, so it's best
to not try and grapple with them.

Chestburster:
The second stage of the alien life cycle. Move to the bottom of the
screen and start sliding left and right. If they jump you, quickly
wiggle the joystick to get rid of them without sustaining much damage.
Your gun won't be effective against large groups.

Infectoids.
Pathetic infected humans. Wiggle the joystick if they grab you.
Otherwise, just use them as punching bags. Any knockdown attack kills
them instantly.

Facehuggers:
The first stage of the alien life cycle. They are fairly harmless and
easy to hit. You can mostly ignore them. Wiggle the joystick to get
them off your face without sustaining any damage.

Defender:
A subspecies of the Stalker, this green-colored alien has a white dome
on its head. Defenders are more dangerous than they look - they are
extremely good at countering your moves and attacking you while you
are recovering. If you are up against multiple aliens, try to steer
clear of the Defenders. If they get close, let them have it with your
gun, then retreat. Whatever you do, don't use any aerial attacks when
one is around, and don't turn your back on it. I recommend that you
don't grapple these aliens; they will walk backwards and bite your
face off before you get a chance to grab them. They can't block
Schaefer's final combo hit or the uppercut part of his rising knee
attack. Spinning drill kicks are effective for getting close. Remember
that Defenders are a subspecies of the Stalker and will therefore use
pounce attacks.

First Alien Queen:
Big Bertha herself. Wear her down with the Pulse Gun, then keep doing
the rising knee attack, wearing her down with your gun on the way
down. If your weapon overheats, go throw some aliens into her. If you
think she's going to use her acid spit, punch rush her to get closer -
the acid spit can be used as a nasty combo...if you're unlucky she'll
keep spitting and you won't have a chance to retaliate.

Colonial Marines:
Annoying, at most. Watch for their kick attacks right after they pick
up a weapon. The best approach is to have a knife ready, then steal a
gun and shoot anything that comes to pick up a weapon. Stay out of the
line of fire of their Smart Guns. Advance cautiously and Marines will
hardly ever bother you.

Powerloader:
Boss of the fifth stage. It is not affected by block stun, so fighting
this thing is tricky. The best approach is to use a weapon to smash it
to bits from a safe distance. Always try to wear it down with Pulse or
Smart Guns in advance. If you hear the tell-tale 'whirrrr' sound,
prepare to vacate the area: it's going to charge you! A good approach
is to have it walk into your basic combo, which you can then chain
into the rising knee attack. This won't knock it down, so you get to
shoot it from above! This will always knock it down, giving you time
to escape. Don't expect to kill this thing quickly.

Mad Predator
Penultimate boss. Punch him from as far as possible, and you'll wear
him down. If he jumps up, rush away from him. When you see him
preparing to shoot his cannon from the railing, move to the upper
right or upper left corner. Just don't grapple him, and don't be near
him when he recovers. Alternatively, you can try the Razor Claws
approach, but if he jumps immediately after getting up you're probably
screwed. Spinning drill kicks are excellent for anti-air and getting
close.

Second Alien Queen:
She's back! Again, wear her down with the Pulse Guns. Use the rising
knee attack/gun drop to deal good damage to her, then throw the
Chrysalises into her (beware of their quick claw attacks; approach
them from below). If she comes after you, punch rush/rising knee her
repeatedly. I recommend quickly taking care of the Smasher aliens when
they appear; if they trap you in their midst, you'll die without
getting a chance to retaliate. When the Queen takes to the ceiling,
grab an enemy and use Schaefer's air throw attack to make sure you
won't get hit - a tail piercing through the chest is usually lethal
if you're slightly damaged.


Common Trouble Spots
=========================
The beauty of the game is that some characters are more adept than
others at handling certain situations. Here, I'll briefly explain
Schaefer's trouble spots throughout the levels, and come up with a
general strategy outline for how to handle them.

Schaefer tends to have trouble with large groups of Stalkers; the
annoying critters leap over your bullets and bite you in the head, or
you desperately try to get close enough to punch them while they
happily tail-slap you to death.

Whenever you encounter large groups of Stalkers, try to grab the first
one that wanders onto the screen. Usually, they haven't switched to
'fight mode' yet and will still be walking towards the middle of the
screen. Smash this stalker into the ones coming after it. Rush away,
using the escape combo and punch rush back again to keep them down.
This should kill most of the first batch of Stalkers. When you see one
leaping towards you, rush under it, then immediately punch rush back.
For the damage one tail slap does, Schaefer can do four desperation
attacks - so use them! Whenever you think you might be in danger of
getting hit, zap them.

The second boss, Razor Claws, can be a bitch to kill without losing a
life because it is faster than you and it has more range than you.
What you want to do here is shoot it as soon as it appears, then combo
into a punch rush to knock it down. Then move to the upside of the
screen and shoot the boxes - get the Pulse Rifle. Stay up there, or
you'll get jumped. When it gets to your level, let rip the Pulse
Rifle; shoot about 3/5ths of the gun's capacity, that should knock
Razor Claws down. Get on another level so that it will not hit
you as soon as it gets up; then pump the rest of the rifle rounds into
its ugly head. After this, you could get the lead pipe from the top
right of the playing field (sometimes you'll get food instead; this is
even better). Keep switching to a different level and punching it when
it walks up to your level. If it is right in front of you, fire your
gun, then immediately knock it down with a punch rush. This also works
if it's on the ground - Razor Claws will get up and get stunned
immediately! You can then punch rush or combo it at your leisure.
If you're really sneaky, you could kill two of the Warrior aliens
right away...as long as one is alive, there won't be new ones. One
alien is easier to avoid than three.

The third situation Schaefer has trouble with, is when you first
enter the hive. Smashers attack from both sides of the screen,
sandwiching you between their ramming attacks. It's hard to take down
one batch without getting backstabbed (rammed) by the other. Shooting
them isn't very wise - if more than one is coming at you, it will
barely slow them down.
What you CAN do is drill kick the enemies in front of you (start the
kick attack EARLY on your jump) and immediately do a rising knee
attack. This will knock the Smashers in front of you down, and leaves
you free to use the more focused fire provided by the knee uppercut to
keep the other Smashers at bay.

Another problem area for Schaefer is the basement of the alien hive.
Two defenders and a Royal Guard will cause you lots of irritation -
hit the Guard, the Defenders retaliate. Hit either Defender, and the
Guard pounces or rams you. The smart thing to do here is to try and
get all three aliens on one side (easier said than done) and then
combo them repeatedly so that the Defenders won't be able to
retaliate. What you can do is use a spinning drill kick to stun the
Royal Guard as soon as it appears, and then grab it and start hitting
the punch button. If you time it right, you will kick the first
Defender in the face right when it appears. Move to the middle of the
screen, and punch rush the other Defender as soon as it shows up on
the left side of the screen. Then repeat the cycle. A few Warriors
will show up a bit later, but they shouldn't be a problem with the
Defenders out of the way.

The final and most frustrating problem areas are where there are
groups of marines with Smart Guns on both sides of you. This kind of
ambush can easily cost you a life, as the marines will be shooting
from both sides. Using your own gun is usually too slow, and the rush
or slide are not effective - they start out by shooting downwards!
Whenever you see a Smart Gun on the right side, that means that there
will probably be Smart Guns coming up at the left side of the screen
as well. Shoot the marines one by one as soon as you see them appear
on the right side of the screen, and let them come to you. Then when
you walk into the 'ambush', you'll have a Smart Gun and all your
enemies on one side of the screen. Hasta la Vista, Baby!

Most other potentially sticky situations can be avoided likewise:
advance slowly but surely, and your enemies won't get the drop on you.


Glitches & Bugs
=========================
There's one GLARING example of sloppiness in the game; I know it's
nitpicking, but everyone who sees the game for the first time will
mention it - Schaefer's robotic arm switches from right to left as he
turns. Tisk tisk, Capcom. Tacky.




That about wraps it up :)

Comments and criticisms to sixohfour@planet.nl

-Will