This is the first weapon you will use in Quake 3 Arena pick up or change weapons as soon as possible. Most Quake 3 players dismiss it as a small puny weapon but it does have its uses.
The machine gun can be used at distance does limited damage mainly used for finishing off a player with a few health points left if its the only weapon you have use it.
ShotGun
Deadly at close range also useful at long range for bleeding off the last few health points in a clan arena match. Tip get as close as possible with this weapon for maximum effect.
Plasma Gun
Powerful weapon no good at distance but used correctly can be devastating. Tips best used as a spam weapon into a group of players wash the stream of plasma pulses over the player/players by moving the plasma gun left and right. The plasma gun can be used as a distance weapon when you think a player is about to appear (eg from round a corner) let off a burst of plasma and move. It is possible to climb walls with the plasma gun but it has no real use.
Lightening Gun
Much loved weapon of the low ping player why ? they can frag a modem player in seconds with this weapon.Tip short range skill weapon learn how to use this weapon and frag more players the secret is to keep the lightening beam on the player your fragging at all costs.
Grenade Launcher
Not as good as Quake II grenade launcher but it does the job. Get one of these babys in the face and you will know about it major damage weapon. Tips most Quake 3 players call it a spam weapon or no skillz weapon. lob a few into a group of players from above and listen to them moan remember to move it left and right as you fire to spam as many players as possible try quake 3 death match 6.
Being followed cover your line of retreat drop a few grenades. The grenade launcher can be used to frag around corners by bouncing the grenades off walls.
The Rocket Launcher
Bread and butter weapon of the Quake 3 player its very important that you master this weapon. Great splash damage mid range weapon.
Splash damage is one of the most important things about this weapon if you don`t hit the player your aiming at hitting the wall or floor near him will still course some damage in fact sometimes its easier to hit the floor or wall and just go for splash damage. Be careful don`t get to close to the player your aiming at or you will suffer splash damage from the rocket as well.
Rocket jumping can be used for getting out of trouble and moving around the map. Rocket jumping in vanilla Quake 3 will cost you health points and armour but playing cpma or osp clan arena it plays an important part of the game.
How to rocket jump well its easy no seriously like everything else practise lots and lots.
What you what more detail ok.
1. Stand still look down point weapon down press fire. See you jumped ok now before you get too excited your health points and armour suffered do that a couple of times and you will frag yourself.
2. Same as before stand still look down point weapon down press fire but this time press jump at the same time. See how much higher you jumped and suffered less splash damage.
3. Ok got that now try moving forwards pointing your weapon down pressing fire and jumping at the same time master that and a rocket jumper you will be.
A good place to practise rocket jumping is death match 6 rocket jump from.
To download a quake 3 demo of a simple rocket jump click on download button.
To play demos you have downloaded place the demo file in C:/Program Files/Quake 3 Arena/baseq3/demos/ assuming you installed Q3 Arena to the standard directory if the demos directory does not exist you will have to make it and place your demo files in here to be played.
Prefered weapon of the the elite Quake 3 player you won`t stand a chance against the masters of this weapon. Slow to regenerate difficult to use practise practise practise hitting bots is easy humans are much harder to frag.
Railing is hard hitting a moving target is not easy so practise railing players at the top of bounce pads and where players movement is confined tunnels arches as they appear around a corner etc. Don`t be afraid to take some damage remember you only have to rail them once or twice and there history. Lots of the better quake 3 players will crouch down when railing to reduce there target area.
To download a quake 3 demo of me railing a few bots click on download button.
To play demos you have downloaded place the demo file in C:/Program Files/Quake 3 Arena/baseq3/demos/ assuming you installed Q3 Arena to the standard directory if the demos directory does not exist you will have to make it and place your demo files in here to be played.
Don`t be fooled by this weapon this is a great close combat weapon. Tips with only a few points left sometimes I just charge at my opponent with the gauntlet and have a go I get fragged most of the time but not always scares most noobs. Your being chased the gauntlet is the only weapon you have turn a corner if you have time and side step out of there way wait for them to go running past and attack from behind. Or as you go round the corner quickly turn and run back in the direction you came from with the gauntlet ready to frag.
Machine Gun 
ShotGun 
Plasma Gun 
Lightening Gun 
Grenade Launcher
The Rocket Launcher
Rail Gun
The Gauntlet