Monaco
76 ratings
Strategy behind each pickup
By Gigazelle
A guide that explains the best scenarios to use each weapon to your advantage.
   
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Pickup types
There are currently 9 usable tools and weapons in the game. You start each mission with one available use, and every 10 coins collected by the player grants an additional use of that item. In order of appearance:

Shotgun: Fires a single widespread shot.
Smoke Bombs: Creates a cloud of smoke around the player.
Bandages: Heals yourself and allies.
Tranquilizer: A crossbow that puts a single enemy to sleep.
Wrench: Melee weapon that can complete most actions instantly.
EMP: Creates a temporary blackout on the entire floor.
Machine Gun: Fires a stream of shots in a tight spread.
C4: Creates an explosion after a short delay.
Rocket Launcher: Fires a rocket after a short delay.
Shotgun
The Shotgun is the first pickup you'll find in the game. If you have ammunition, you get an aiming cursor and a cone-shaped laser sight emanating from your character. When used, a spray of bullets encompass the entire cone, killing anyone in its path. It can also be used to break windows that you cannot normally pass through. Windows are any tiles that you can see through, but not pass through.

Firing the shotgun attracts immediate attention to other people in the area, who will revive them if given the opportunity. You can push their corpse into a bush to prevent them from being revived. Firing a shotgun from within a bush guarantees that you are not detected.

Practical single uses
The shotgun is best used when you're about to be exposed, especially in groups of enemies. Line up your shot so as many people are in the cone of fire, and let it loose.

Multiple uses
If you manage to save up 5+ shots in a mission, it is possible to wipe out an entire floor, making any objectives incredibly easy. You are then free to trip any alarms without any consequence (just watch out for automated turrets). Your first shot attracts attention - wait for a few people to begin reviving teammates, then let loose another blast.
Smoke Bombs
If being discrete is your main goal, smoke bombs are one of the best items to have. On use, it creates a 7x7 square of thick, black smoke that hides you perfectly for 4 seconds. When uses are available, the character has a backpack with a white smoke bomb decal. When it is empty, the smoke bomb icon is black.

Practical single uses
Smoke bombs are best used to prevent guards from seeing and firing at you. They DO NOT prevent automated lasers from detecting you. Some excellent uses for smoke bombs include:

- Giving the player an extra few seconds to escape into a vent, stair well, or escape vehicle
- Instantly stop enemies firing at you. If an angry guard sees you run into a bush, use a smoke bomb while in the bush and they'll walk away as if you magically disappeared.
- Granting the player some time to revive a teammate without being seen
- If playing as the Gentleman, allows you enough time to redisguise after your cover is blown

Multiple uses
Spamming smoke bombs does not have many practical applications, however using several to enter an escape vehicle or revive a heavily guarded teammate would guarantee your success.
Bandages
Bandages can be used in single player, but are by far most effective with a full team. On use, everyone in your vicinity (including you) gets instantly healed by half their total health.

Practical single use
If your team is below half health, gather them together in a single spot and use it to give everyone health. An excellent place to use this would be when changing floors, as everyone is in the staircase at the same time. You can also coordinate with your team to meet in a bush or vent.

Bandages have the ability to instantly revive a teammate. Instead of taking the time to sit there and revive them, run up to their body and use a bandage, and they will be instantly revived to half health. If your teammate is in a safe place to revive, pick them up then use a bandage, which brings them back to full health.

Multiple uses
If you have a lot of extra bandages, you (and your team) can make a break for an objective without regard to turrets or guards. Bandages are instant so you can use them on the move.
Tranquilizer
The tranquilizer, or crossbow, instantly puts a single guard or civilian to sleep. It is the exact same effect as the Cleaner gives to unsuspecting enemies. Firing the tranquilizer does not attract any attention to the area, unlike other guns. When uses are available, a white laser sight is seen. Unlike guns, tranquilizers hold the advantage that they cannot be revived until they wake up on their own.

Tranquilizers hold a distinct advantage in Zombie Mode, as they can be used to detonate Bloaters without attracting attention.

Practical single uses
Tranquilizers are best used on targets that are significant obstacles and have others nearby.

Multiple uses
The number of uses available directly scales with how large of a group you can discreetly take out for a short time.
Wrench
Out of all the pickups in the game, the wrench is the most versatile. Not only does it allow you to complete any action instantly, it also can be used to discreetly bludgeon an enemy.

Note that the wrench CANNOT instantly revive teammates. Only bandages can do that.

Practical single uses
Some greatly beneficial uses include:
- Instantly opening a keypad door or safe without setting off the alarm
- Instantly opening a double-locked door
- Instantly getting into an escape vehicle
- Instantly deactivating a laser
- Instantly killing any enemy

Multiple uses
If many wrenches are at your disposal, you have the luxury to silently take out any guard and push them into a bush, permanently removing them from play. If a breaker is on that floor, trip the breaker and bludgeon the first three or so guards that come. Once the backup power starts coming on, let the next guard turn the power back on, bludgeon them then trip the breaker again. Rinse and repeat until your teammates have cleaned out the floor, or until you run out of wrenches.
EMP
EMPs are devices that causes all power to go out on the floor for several seconds. Similar to how breakers work, power goes out in an expanding radius (not all at once). If a breaker box is accessible on the floor, EMPs are not necessary.

Practical single uses
EMPs allow the team to only worry about guards for several seconds. If an area is unguarded, a player can rush in, accomplish an objective, and run out undetected. Since an EMP kills the lights as well, guards are less likely to notice you.

Multiple uses
Using multiple EMPs in a row simply lengthens the amount of time the power is out. This can be used to make an escape on a floor, or break into a safe before power is restored.
Machine Gun
The machine gun serves the exact same function as the shotgun - to kill enemies in a loud and attention-attracting manner. However, instead of a wide arc of bullets, you get a small, steady burst of bullets. Moving your cursor while firing allows you to adjust your aim, spraying bullets in a small arc.

Practical single uses
Machine guns outclass shotguns when there are many enemies in a straight line. Try to line guards up as narrowly as possible before spraying bullets.

Multiple uses
Similarly to the shotgun, try to execute everyone on the entire floor - they will come to you after you fire the first shot. If you run out of bullets, push all the bodies you did kill into a bush.
C4
C4 drops an explosive device that explodes everything in a 5x5 tile after 3 seconds. Vents, stairs, escape vehicles, and unbreakable walls cannot be destroyed.

Practical single uses
C4 has many practical uses. Drop it next to:
- A wall, to break it so you can pass through
- A safe, to break it and drop all its coins
- An alarm or turret, to break it so the laser is useless and doesn't trip anything
- A laser, to break it so the alarm or turret is useless and can't be activated
- A guard to gib them (they permanently die)

Multiple uses:
If many charges are available, you can freely use them to obliterate any and all stationary obstacles.
RPG
The RPG (or rocket launcher) is the last pickup you find in the game, and does not come with any formal introduction or explanation. They are commonly tucked away or hidden in secret locations.

When equipped, the wearer gets a wide red cone (similar to the shotgun) and a white laser (similar to the tranquilizer). On use, the red cone narrows to the white laser, and after exactly one second, fires a rocket that instantly explodes on the wall or person aimed at. The rocket produces a 3x3 explosion, destroying all breakable tiles in its radius.

If moving while firing a rocket, your aim is unsteady and most likely causes you to miss your target. Because of its inaccuracy while moving, it is a less useful weapon for retreating or making an escape. It is however 100% accurate while standing still, making it much more viable for executing coordinated plans. Players lose half their health if caught in the explosion.

Practical single uses
As long as there is a nearby wall for the rocket to collide with, RPGs can break open safes. If nobody is killed in the blast, no attention is attracted to that area. They can also be used to destroy alarms or lasers that could normally not be reached using C4, however this tactic also requires a wall for the rocket to collide against.

Multiple uses
Similarly to C4, use it to destroy any walls or guards to complete the objective.
21 Comments
RAWDEAL 30 Oct, 2020 @ 8:33pm 
pick up a dead guy and you got a "skelliton key" for the hand print locks and ATMs.
MonKey 26 Feb, 2015 @ 2:37pm 
Wow Cool and yes the bandage is also called the trauma kit
the tranq gun can also be shot through 2 windows and still hit the person.
Emp's also shut down every electronic (power outlets computers etc)
also if u revive a team mate he gets half health (10) same with the bandage it gives half health (you have got 20 health in all) u can also heal people through walls.
Wrenches can pretty much finish an action the only thing it cant finish is healing people.
Smoke bombs are also used for getting through hand doors without getting caught but keep in mind if u smoke u cant go through lasers without a gun or alarm going off.
C4 is very helpful it can be used from blowing up walls to escaping with no guards but if u use the C4 it will make a boom so make sure u can hide before u set it off.
Boomyz 1 Feb, 2015 @ 6:32am 
A small hint about the Bandages.
If someone dies under a vent, and you go up INTO the vent and are directly above them, usage of the bandage will revive whoever is not in the vent.
Verygudstratyes
SPRÆY 11 Dec, 2014 @ 11:48am 
in my game version is called bandage too :P
good guide, playing with gentleman using only wrenches and smoke bombs mostly the game turns easy
Oxalis 3 Oct, 2014 @ 9:52pm 
isn't the bandage called a trauma kit??? Or I am wrong?
Sir Duckyweather 28 Sep, 2014 @ 8:15am 
Oh yeah, I forgot a couple of things. The Smoke Bombs can be either useful or a hinderance to the Red Head, as they can get rid of your admirer. EMPs are quite useful but they will also kill any active hacks in place by you or your team. I'm sure you already knew all of this, though, but I thought I'd throw it out there anyway.
Sir Duckyweather 27 Sep, 2014 @ 9:04am 
Nice guide! I learned a few things that I did not previously know. I'd like to add that the Bandage can actually revive multiple teammates with one use if they died close enough to be within the heal radius. Also, I think you can push an enemy corpse into a security door to open it without setting off an alarm, although I guess that's more of a tactic than a direct use for the guns.
Eandic 10 Jun, 2014 @ 1:34pm 
Smoke bombs let the cleaner put aware guards to sleep
76561198054022892 13 May, 2014 @ 10:05am 
Very usefull.
Muggleman 25 Aug, 2013 @ 5:33pm 
Wrenches are very good at opening a heavily guarded safe instantly. Then, you can get out without tripping lasers.