DARK HEARTLAND in PLATINUM TIME

Get out your good luck charm, Dark Heartland is going to require some amount of luck to earn a platinum medal. But you can help Lady Luck by using the following methods. Assume the Ballista is facing north at the start.

• Think of it like "Mica Park", only with less ammunition. It's easier to aim if you're not "bouncing off" buildings in this level. But you need to get close enough to make every shot count.
• Make sure that you shoot the stair steps (there are two of them). They are a small item, but will cost you lots of time if you have to drive the Ballista into them to destroy them.
• Shoot deliberately. Squeeze off one shot at a time, but in rapid succession. The auto-fire button will shoot faster, but you'll run out of ammo on this level. Save 10 for the 10th. Try to save have ten shots for the 10th building and pick up the last ammo box for the final structure. The tenth building is in the southeast corner of the level, and the final building is directly to the Ballista's right at the start.
• Where possible, approach buildings from the narrow side, so you are shooting in the direction of the next section when part of the building is destroyed.
  |---------------| In this example, shoot from the left to destroy sections 1,2,3, and 4
  | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | with one "burst" from the Ballista's guns. This way,
  |---------------| you can keep shooting until the building destroyed.
• Plan to position the Ballista for the next building like a billiards player would plan to position the cue ball for his next shot. You're ahead of the game if you can destroy one building and have the Ballista positioned to shoot directly into the next.

Here's how to take out each building:

1. Immediately turn to the west and approach the building cluster from the south. Stay far enough away so you can roll forward as you sweep the buildings. Take out the building on the right first.
2. Sweep to the left for building two. Make sure you get the steps.
3. Finish off what's left of the cluster.
4. The large building to the north is probably half gone at this point. Finish it off and grab the ammo sitting behind it.
5. The Hotdog building should come out from a distance. If you need more than two or three shots to take it down, you still need practice. You should be positioned southwest of next building.
6. Turn north and concentrate on taking out the west end of the irregular-shaped building first. The east end will nearly take care of itself.
7. Grab the ammo as continue northeast and take out the building with the north-south orientation.
8. Turn straight east and keep shooting as you approach the building in the northeast corner. Concentrate on the northeast section. It's the most stubborn.
9. This is the building directly south of the previous building. Don't get behind it. Stay to the west. You can't shoot what you can't see.
10. Approach this building from the northeast. Make a quick mental note of your ammo supply. If you have ten shots for this building, get positioned and lay on the fire button.
11. Grab the ammo as you approach this building and take it out quickly, then turn the corner and take out the steps to finish. Just keep at it. You'll know you're good enough to earn a Platinum if you can consistently finish this level in more than 1:00 remaining. When you finish at least 1:16 on the clock, you've done it!