Besides the red and orange spikes, every VectoFly map has its own special threats. They look different and behave differently, but they share rules that make them fair: every threat shows a warning first, a text alert appears for most of them (“ENEMY FIGHTER!”, “METEORS!” and so on), and big threats never overlap. This guide explains each one. To see which map spawns which threat, use the maps page.
What it does: a fighter flies in from the right, holds a position, and tracks your height while firing aimed shots. After a few shots it flies away. Later levels give it more shots.
Warning: its nose flashes red a fraction of a second before each shot.
How to dodge: watch the nose flash and slide away just after it, not before. A shot flies in a straight line, so a small move up or down is enough, and because the fighter follows your height slowly, steady zig-zags work better than long swerves.
What it does: the saucer hovers like a fighter, but fires a fan of three plasma bolts with more time between volleys.
How to dodge: because the fan is spread across heights, you cannot dodge it with a tiny move. Slide a larger distance and aim for the gap between two bolts, or go above or below the whole fan. The longer pause after each volley gives you time to reposition.
What it does: a bomber sweeps across the top of the sky and releases a carpet of bombs, three at first and more at higher levels. The bombs are timed so that they pass your position at different heights, with space between them.
How to dodge: read the spacing and slide into one of the gaps between bombs, then hold still. Bombs that reach the ground burst harmlessly. Do not fly to the very bottom of the screen “to be safe”: the lowest bomb crosses down there.
What it does: flaming rocks fall from above along a marked path. At level 1 you see one, from level 3 you get a second and from level 7 a third, arriving one after another.
Warning: a red path shows exactly where each meteor will pass.
How to dodge: never stand on a red path. Move off it early and look for where the next path will be. Because they come one after another, return to the middle after each one.
What it does: a storm strikes in several places in sequence.
Warning: a ring appears in the sky first, then the lightning hits inside the ring.
How to dodge: the ring is your cue. Leave the area under it before it flashes and stay outside until the strike finishes. Remember that the next ring may open somewhere else, so keep your eyes on the sky rather than on one spot.
What it does: a beam crosses the whole sky horizontally. Because it spans the entire width, you cannot go around it, only above or below.
Warning: a flashing line appears at the beam’s height before the beam turns on.
How to dodge: as soon as you see the flashing line, move to a height clearly away from it. Several lines can follow one another, so plan the path from line to line.
What it does: fireballs are lobbed up from below in an arc. At level 3 a second one follows, and at level 8 a third.
How to dodge: a fireball rises, peaks and falls, so the danger zone is a curve, not a line. Fly above the peak or let it pass below you, and do not hover at the height where the arc turns around.
What it does: icicles hang from above, shake, then drop as you fly under them. From level 4 a second icicle follows.
How to dodge: a shaking icicle is about to fall. Stay below the shaking one only if you can leave its path quickly, or rise past it before it drops. Never stop beneath one.
What it does: a flock crosses the sky. Birds are the gentlest hazard: a hit does about half the damage of the others.
How to dodge: flocks are staggered above and below a centre line, so look for the opening between birds and slide through it, or simply fly over or under the flock.
What it does: a gust pushes your plane up or down for a moment. It does no damage at all. Higher levels make the push a little stronger.
Warning: the gust is announced shortly before it starts.
How to dodge: you do not need to avoid it. Steer gently against the push and keep your eyes on the next spike wave, because the real danger is being shoved into a wall.