Greetings. This is Euridious, and welcome to the third in a series of Dino D-Day character guides.

In this episode, We will be looking at Joe, the second Allied class.

Corporal Joe Spencer is high school track star ready to battle Nazi dinosaurs. He joined Hardgrave's squad hungry for action and adventure, blood pumping and Thompson firing. Joe carries an M1A1 Thompson or M3A1 Grease gun into combat, both of which are excellent Submachine-guns. Along with them, he carries an M1911 sidearm, and Sticky bombs.

The M1A1 Thompson is amongst the faster firing weapons in the game. It's the same as the STG-44 on Axis. The M3A1 Grease gun is a unique submachine-gun. It shares staticstics similar to that of the Sten, and MP40, but has the magazine size and reserve ammo count of the Thompson. A total of 210 bullets to use for each primary weapon. Your M1911 behaves in the same manner as the Tokarev and P38 sidearms. For an SMG class, however, it is a more reliable longer-ranged weapon than your SMGs, as when aiming down the sights, your pistol is 100% accurate. Your fists are the default Allied melee weapon, and your sticky bombs will (usually) stick to surfaces and enemy players. There's not much more frightening or infuriating than seeing a sticky bomb stuck to your face.

Your primary SMG is by no means a weapon of precision. The random bullet spread is unpredictable at the longer ranges. In the event your bullet hose tries to take on a sniper, for example, they can snuff you faster than you can deal a reasonable amount of damage to them. As aforementioned, if you truly wish to eliminate a target at the longer ranges, you're better off using the Colt .45. It's best to avoid open areas unless capping, as it is all too easy to be killed by someone with a long-range weapon. Where you truly shine is up close and personal.

Submachine guns have a fast fire rate, which makes them excellent at killing smaller dinosaurs, and lower-armour classes. Running toward a Dilophosaurus or Desmatosuchus with the trigger pinned is almost as good as suicide. It takes more than one magazine to take on a freshly spawned Desma, and both classes can kill you faster. Your sticky bombs, like the Steilhandgrenates, are silent, and can be used to better advantage than the distinctive Mk. 2 Frag grenades. Also, the sticky bombs are harder to notice. Their smaller size is a huge advantage over the Steilhandgrenates.

In the event you find yourself having problems with deciding between the Thompson and Grease Gun, it's really up to personal preference. The M1A1 has some flaws,however. The lower damage-per-shot is a major sacrifice against the tougher opponents. It is in rate of fire where the Thompson makes up, however, as the weapon's cyclic rate is an impressive 750 rounds per minute. The faster fire rate is almost double that of the other SMGs, making the M1A1 a bullet hose. It is this trait that makes it perfect for those who are less confident in their aim. The fire rate means that it's more forgiving, as follow-up shots are made faster, for a quicker chance at landing a killing shot. The M3A1 Grease Gun, however, is a better use of your bullets. Each one does more damage, but is fired at a slower rate. If you like jumping and running, you can kill a lone fully healed and armoured Desmatosuchus by yourself, as the Desma's fire rate is low by most weapon standards. The non-zero travel time makes hitting you all the more difficult, thus scoring easier kills for yourself.

As Joe, you are devastating in Capture Point, Objective, and King Of The Hill games. Your increased speed, for one is an excellent asset. You'll get to the flags faster than your peers, and all but one Axis class. Your airstrike special ability is furthermore helpful, making it easy to lock down the centre flag in KoTH games. You can effectively deny the enemy a good chance of capturing said flags. Finally, you can secure satchel charges when bombing the gate or bridge the best of all classes. Call an airstrike on or near the satchel, and throw down ALL your sticky bombs, denying any hope of defusing said charge. After deploying your charge, bump into the resupply crates to restore munitions, pick up another satchel charge, and repeat this tactic.

Joe's airstrike can be activated by holding the special ability key (E by default), and pressing attack button 1 (left mouse button by default). This means that soon after you call one in, a barrage of explosives will rain death in the selected area. Explosive ordinance are your only effective way of damaging the high-health classes, the Tyrannosaurus and Styracosaurus. Try to predect where they will be, however. It takes twelve seconds after calling a strike to rain death. The recharge is slow, taking twenty-five seconds before you can call in another strike. When the strike does go through, however, any enemy unfortunate enough to be caught in the blast radius will meet an untimely end. Chances of escaping the barrage of explosives is very slim. If you are incredibly unlucky, your strike will only deliver one or two such explosions. This is rarely the case, but it can and has happened. It is also reccomended you stay away from the marked explosive area, as unfortunate suicides can happen.

Be aware of other players on your team who are also playing as Joe. You may find yourself unable to you your airstrikes, and for some, this is incredibly frustruating. This is because one airstrike can be used at the same time, and a penalty will still be enacted if another player uses their airstrike before you do. This is very much the same as the Team Invulnerability special ability in the Last Stand DLC. There's no penatly to switching to another class if someone on your team is already airstrike-happy, so playing as Nigel for your explosive taste isn't necessarily a bad idea.

Joe Spencer is an excellent CQC class, the WWII bullet hose that is the M1A1 Thompson proving excellent for quickly and reliably dispatching most classes. The Grease Gun is probably the better choice for more skilled players, as the higher damage-per-shot makes it a better use of bullets. Your speed and airstrikes make you perfect for non-Team Deathmatch games, and you're still effective in said gamemode. Your lack of ranged ability makes you vulnerable outside your CQC comfort zone, however. You're better off flanking said foes. The dinosaurs aren't used to food that shoots back, especially fast ones. Any hapless foe without a high school diploma in their pocket is as good as a bullet sponge. Show them your fury, a class all about speed, and an explosive taste to boot. Race your competition to victory, with your SMG blazing...

And leave their corpses in the dust.

Thank you for watching, this has been Euridious. We will meet again, when I'll be discussing Karl Hissman, the Axis sniper with a similar bombing ability. Until then, farewell.