Swap Statue is one of the original six missions in SpyParty. It is also one of the four suggested beginner missions.
Mission Description[]
To accomplish this mission, the spy must pick up a statue, then change it to a different one. This can be done with any statue, even one previously inspected. Swapping requires two hands, so the spy cannot attempt this mission while holding an object. There are three different statue models; once swapped, the statue will randomly change to one of the two other models, and both parties will be able to see the change. The spy will see a swapped statue turn green, but for the sniper it remains gold. Performing the statue swap requires an action test.
Action Test[]
The action test determines how stealthily the spy swaps the statue:
- Green: The statue doesn't swap immediately, but the spy can see the statue start blinking green. After the spy leaves the pedestal, the next NPC to visit the statue that is not one of the cast (ambassador, double agent, suspected double agent or seduction target) swaps it, causing the statue model to change almost instantly. This can result in unlimited overtime.
- White/ignored: The statue morphs from the old model to the new one in the spy's hands.
- Red: The statue morphs back and forth between the old and new models in the spy's hands for a few seconds before ending at the new model.
- Aborted: If the spy moves while holding a statue, it will fall back to the pedestal with a loud clang, which is audible to both the spy and the sniper. There will also be an on-screen caption of the sound effect if the option to display it is enabled. If the statue is dropped while a swap is in progress, the swap will fail.
Spy Strategy[]
As with most other missions, try to swap when the sniper isn't looking or when the sniper's view is obstructed. On certain maps, it is possible to entirely block the sniper's view of the statue.
Some players like to rush the statues during the Time of Chaos in the hopes of performing a swap before the sniper has a chance to memorize them. However, be aware that some snipers will highlight people for early statue visits. Some spies like to make the statue swap their last mission, limiting the amount of time that the sniper has to notice the change.
Statue swapping is often performed in conjunction with the Inspect Statues mission, but you should avoid standing too long at a statue. NPCs won't hold a statue for more than two animation cycles.
Sniper Strategy[]
If you see a statue oscillate between two models or morph gradually, you can safely shoot the person holding it. If you see it morph almost instantly, the spy would have been the character who previously picked it up, unless it was a cast member. Note that the seduction target (and on some maps, the suspected double agents) are not visible to you, so you may not realize that the previous character that picked up a green-swapped statue was in fact a cast member.
Generally, it's a good idea to memorize the statues at the beginning of the match so that you will be able to notice if a statue has been swapped. Most snipers have some form of mnemonic, making them easy to recall. For example, in Chris Hecker's release streams, he can be heard muttering the numbers one, two and three under his breath, corresponding to the height of each statue. It's also helpful to ensure that you memorize the statues in a certain order, and use that same order every time you play the map. For example, in Ballroom you might memorize the statues from left to right.
Keep an eye out for spies who like to rush statues. If you're not careful, a spy can pull off a swap before you've had a chance to memorize the statues.
Map Specifics[]
- Ballroom: The two statue clusters are at right angles to each other, which can make it hard for the sniper to be able to get a good view of both sets at the same time, especially with the conversation circle blocking the view of the back set. Note that the corner of the alcoves that the statues are located in can block the sniper's view of one of the statues from certain vantage points.
- Courtyard: There are four statues, one pair in each of the two alcoves in the center pillar. The pillar provides fairly good cover, although if the statue pad adjacent to yours is unoccupied, the sniper can easily get a very good view of what you're doing.
- Gallery: There are four statues lined up near the front of the gallery where they are clearly visible to the sniper. They are positioned such that someone holding a statue must face the sniper on two of them, and face away on the other two. A spy will likely prefer the ones where they face the back of the gallery so that their body will block the sniper's view of the statue.
- High-rise: There is no position where the sniper can clearly see all the statues. When on the long side, the rightmost cluster is obscured by a frosted glass pane. If the sniper moves to get a clear view of that cluster, the leftmost cluster is obscured by another frosted glass pane.
- Library: The six statues are arranged in two groups of three, which are far enough apart that the sniper cannot view both groups at once. Because the sniper can only view about one third of the map at once, the spy can often pull off a swap when the sniper's attention is elsewhere.
- Pub: There are only two statues. The one in the corner furthest from the door is generally the more difficult of the two to see.
- Terrace: There are two pairs of statues on opposite corners of the map. Because there is so little cover, this is a difficult map for secretly swapping statues. However, from some angles, the statues on the right can be partly hidden by guests in the nearby conversation circle.
- Veranda: This map has eight statues, more than any other map. The four in the back (one pair on each side) are generally easier for the spy to swap, since they can take advantage of their relatively hidden position and cover from people in the nearby conversation circle. However, the sniper can move over to get a much clearer side view if they want, at the expense of losing sight of almost everything else on the map. The four front statues (two at each corner) are much more visible to the sniper, and therefore more difficult to swap unnoticed.
The Swap Statue mission is not available on Balcony this map does not have statues.
Missions |
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Bug • Contact • Fingerprint • Inspect • Purloin • Seduce • Swap • Transfer |