Picking up the pentagram basically makes you invulnerable for 30 seconds. It respawns
every five minutes, so be sure to keep a tab on it throughout the game. The pentagram
is one of the best items you can get in the game. There are no hidden clauses when
using the pentagram, no matter what hits you, be hit an axe or a quad rocket, you cannot
die. Your armor will deplete as it normally would when you get hit, but no health will
be taken away… until your 30 seconds is up. You can, however, be bounced around if you
are hit with rockets and the like.
The Pent can turn the tide
of an entire game.
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Advantages of Pent
Well, it's pretty obvious what the advantages are of having the pentagram. You
just can't die! In a free for all game, you can basically rack up frags like
it's nobody's business, especially if you have a rocket launcher. You can fire
randomly and without a care for the entire length of the power-up. In team
games, the pentagram can usually change the tide and momentum of a match. For
example, on dm3, if the opposing team has control of the rocket launcher room,
if you have rockets and can get a pentagram, you can take back entire control
of the level. In a one-on-one game, your opponent has no choice but to hide
until your pentagram runs out, because he can do nothing to stop you from charging
headlong into his rockets without worrying about dying, all the while firing madly
at you. A good tactic to use when you have the pentagram is to discharge underwater.
You can kill everyone in the water, as well as people who are standing too close to
the water. It is an easy and quick way to get frags. Be sure to remember that the
pentagram lasts only 30 seconds, because when your time is up, you will most likely
be armor-less and should head to a safer area before your pentagram is totally used
up.
Pent-discharge guarantees you a kill here!
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Disadvantages of Pent
The main disadvantage of having the pentagram is giving away your position. The
bright glow gives you away, and gives your opponent a chance to run away, taking
pot shots at you to drain away your armor while staying just out of range of your
own weapons. This lets him weaken you to a point where he can rush you just as the
pentagram runs out.
As are all things in quake, there are counters to everything you can do. No, there's
nothing you can do to kill a guy who has the pentagram, but there are other things
you can do to deter him from you or to set him up for a trap. One thing you can do
when a person has the pentagram and is chasing you, is to shoot a few rockets at the
guy's feet. If you are lucky, you can bounce him away, possibly into a wall, or off
a ledge, thus taking him off your trail. Another thing you can do is if he is coming
out of the water, wait for him, and when he's just about to get out, shoot him with a
rocket and knock him back in the water. If he doesn't have a weapon, you can keep him
from getting a hold of anything until the pentagram runs out, wherein you can finish him
off when he is naked and without a weapon.
You can also bait a person who is invulnerable by running away from him, while shooting
backwards. Most people who have the pentagram become very reckless, and don't care how
many times they get hit. They don't bother dodging or strafing but just straight out
charge at their enemies. This basically leaves them without armor after their pentagram
runs out. Knowing this, let your opponent chase you. When you hear the "bong… bong… bong"
(the sound of the pentagram running out), be ready to jump all over him after it runs out.
If he's a smart player, he will turn around and run the other way to get armored up before
his pentagram is totally up. If not, you can kill him easily with one or two rockets.
If you are the daring type, turn around to attack him before his pentagram is up (but while
the "bong… bong" is still going, thus taking away any chances of him escaping.)
Next:
The Ring of Shadows - Invisibility
