Gordon Freeman walked out of Black Mesa with an arsenal, and on the Zone every last piece of it earns its keep. Here is the Internet Gaming Zone rundown of what to grab, and when to grab it, in Half-Life deathmatch.

Crowbar. Never underestimate the classic. Silent, ammo-free, and murder in tight corners like the vents of stalkyard or the corridors of subtransit. When an opponent rounds a blind turn, a couple of quick swings end the argument.

Glock 9mm and .357 Magnum. The Glock is your reliable sidearm -- steady damage and plentiful ammo for cleaning up wounded runners. The .357 hits far harder but empties fast, so save it for a sure kill.

MP5 (with grenades). The all-rounder. The rifle fire keeps pressure on at mid range, and the underslung grenades are perfect for bouncing into a nest of campers or flushing someone off a ledge on gasworks.

SPAS-12 shotgun. The king of close quarters. Fire both barrels the instant a foe fills your screen. On boot_camp and bounce it rules the doorways.

Crossbow. Your sniper rifle. Zoom in and pick off targets across the long sightlines of undertow or datacore. Bolts are quiet, so a patient shooter racks up frags before anyone spots the perch.

RPG. Laser-guided -- paint the target and steer the rocket home around cover. Deadly on open maps, but the dot gives you away, so shoot and relocate.

Gauss / Tau Cannon. A Zone favorite. Tapped, it fires fast; charged, it punches through walls and multiple bodies. And yes, the famous Tau jump is real -- aim straight down, charge, and fire to rocket yourself onto rooftops and shortcuts. It costs health and cells, so use it to seize a power position.

Gluon gun (Egon). The room-clearer. That continuous green beam melts anyone it touches, ideal for holding a choke point. It drains ammo greedily, so plan your escape before the tank runs dry.

Hornet gun and Snarks. Xen exotica. The hornet gun recharges its own ammo and homes slightly -- handy harassment. Snarks are live ammo: toss the little biters into a crowd and let them do the chasing.

Tripmines and satchel charges. The trapper's tools. Laser tripmines guard doorways and flag routes; satchels are your remote-detonated ambush -- drop them, wait, and press the trigger as a rival strolls past. Great for defending the base on team maps.

One last word: everyone in a room must run the same version. Grab the latest WON patch from the Downloads page, then meet us on crossfire -- and mind that tactical nuke!