2 The game

Each player controls a team of several worms. During each turn of the game, a player may move one of the worms in their time, fire a weapon, and then (in some variations) have a few seconds to move their worm into a defensive position. They can move over the landscape in various ways, but their movement is restricted by a time limit. Over fifty weapons may be available, but games are usually played with a reduced arsenal, and many weapons did not exist in earlier versions. A team can gain more weapons by picking up crates that randomly appear on the landscape. Most weapons cause explosions that erode the terrain. The landscape is an island floating on a large body of water. A worm dies when it enters the water (either by falling off the island, or through a hole in the bottom of it), or when its health is reduced to zero.

3 Weapons and tools

Main article: Worms weapons and tools

A feature that makes Worms known among many gamers is its wide variety of weapons. As new versions are released, new weapons are added to the collection, and very few are removed, if any. As a result, newer games offer about 50 weapons.

Since Worms Armageddon, weapons that were intended to aid as utilities rather than damage-dealers (though some of them can also be used to deal damage when used in certain ways) were classified as tools. This classification mainly differs in the fact that they don't fall in ordinary weapon crates, and instead appear on toolboxes.

4 Online play

On Worms Armageddon and Worms World Party, there is a special feature called Wormnet, which allows players to compete over the Internet, using a Metaserver . There are several specially developed games for Internet play, which include:

4.1 Battle Race

You place your worm or worms at the location marked start. Worms do not have any health, so the only way to kill a worm is to knock them into the water. However, attacking other worms to kill is not encouraged, and often is a cow. It is quite all right to attack another worm to disadvantage them by moving them backwards. Be aware of all the types of jumping. You can launch yourself across large distances with nades. You should lay mines, because even though they take no health, if your opponents are hit, they lose their turn. Petrol bombs are also useful as obstacles to players behind you.

It is a good idea to fire weapons, even if no-one is there, so that you can get escape time. The first player to get their worm to the area marked finish wins.

4.2 Bazookas and Grenades

You are allowed only to use bazookas and grenades to attack the enemy. You are not allowed to fire a bazooka in a straight line at the enemy; you can only fire in arcs. Most hosts also disallow setting grenades at 1 or 5 second fuses, and intentionally throwing a grenade that comes to a rest before exploding. Teleporting, digging, or girdering in moderation is usually not considered bad in B&G. Darksiding, however, is discouraged. In B&G, you usually cannot move from the spot you initially start at, unless you dig or teleport. This game is designed for expert "throwers", and you will earn a lot of respect in B&G if you are good at throwing trick shots with grenades. To win, destroy all opponents.

4.3 Capture the Flag

Players are divided up into two teams. You place your worms on your teams side of the map. The first team to get one of its worms over to the enemies flag wins the game. It can be important to leave some worms on your side for defensive purposes.

4.4 Dark Side

The Dark Side strategy is normally the last resort of a player who has lost all but one of his worms, although it can be used from the very start of a game to great effect.

Dark side play involves the use of tools such as the Pneumatic Drill, Blow Torch and Girder to effectively burrow a worm deep inside the landscape away from harm. From this point an elaborate Vietnam style system of tunnels and shafts can be fashioned with chambers blown using Dynamite.

Games involving Dark Side play on both sides can last much longer than regular games. Dark Side is the strategy of choice for some players while others may consider it tantamount to cheating.

4.5 Fort

Players are divided up into two teams. You place your worms on your side of the map. You are not allowed to enter the enemies fort. Some hosts allow you to fish, some do not. In most fort maps, there is a neutral middle ground, where anyone can go. To win, destroy all opponents.

4.6 Full Wormage

A standard worms game, but with all or most weapons enabled. To win, destroy all opponents.

This mode is specially named after a secret scheme in Worms Armageddon. To earn this scheme, you must completely finish to the maximum rating all the 1st player Deathmatch levels, Missions, and Training Disciplines. Once you do this, you receive the Full Wormage scheme, which has unlimited of all weapons, including Super and Secret weapons, which are otherwise unavailabe. Many Full Wormage games on Wormnet do not use the real Full Wormage scheme, both because it is incredible difficult to earn, and because it's extremely cheap to have unlimited Concrete Donkies at your disposal.

Place your worm carefully because, as in golf, location is everything. Worms have no health, so the only way to kill a worm is to knock it into the water. Use low gravity and rope to knock a lot. To win, destroy all opponents.

4.7 Rope Race

You place your worm or worms at the location marked start. Worms do not have any health, so the only way to kill a worm is to knock it into the water. However, attacking other worms to kill is a cow. Try to keep your parachute active, so you do not lose your turn if you fall. To win, get your worm to the location marked Finish, or in some games, there and back. If you have two worms, you can win either by getting both to Finish, or one there and back.

4.8 Roper

Roper games often have very short time limits. Roper games are cba. Learn how to rope very well before joining a roper, especially a proper, or one in the IRC channel #RopersHeaven. In ropers, all four borders are turned on, so do not be afraid do drop onto water. In some ropers, weapons fall through borders, making droppping on water a good protection against nades that land right near you. It is a good idea to fire weapons, even if no-one is there, so that you can get escape time. To win, destroy all opponents.

4.9 Shopper

Most shopper games are cba. You start out with little or no weapons, except ropes and chutes. Collect weapons from the crates that appear constantly. To win, destroy all opponents.

4.10 Warmers

Warmers are ropers with no health, no objectives, and very high time limits. Warmers are generally used as a practice session for ropers to get warmed up. Warmers are also often used as a way of showing off rope skills and tricks you know, often for the purposes of qualifying for a clan. Just do whatever you feel like, and look good doing it!

Most of these game types require maps that are specially developed for each game type.

In addition, there is a huge array of Acronyms that are in popular use.

5 External links

• Moby Game's entry on the Worms series
• Official Worms 3D website
• Official Worms Forts website
• Official Worms website – information on older releases

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