Manta

The Manta is one of the six vehicles introduced in Unreal Tournament 2004.

Description
The Manta has neither strong armor (200 HP) nor much firepower. It's main strength is it's agility. Due to this, it is mainly feared by infantry which can easily get squished by the Manta. The Manta's fans suck in the ribbon which the Scorpion shoots and receives additional damage from it. However if the Manta can stay away far enough it can dodge the Scorpion's shots and kill it with ease.

Usage in VCTF
If a flag carrier enters a Manta in VCTF, he drops the flag immediately as he does when he enters the Raptor or Ciccada. This is due to balancing, because a Manta driver could get quickly out of range of everything and would therefor be nearly uncatchable. The Manta can also get useful for squishing enemy flag carriers, especially if the carrier is distracted by other players.

Manta run
As described in the VCTF-Section, a flag can't be transported in a Manta. However a flag carrier can stand on the Manta either on one of it's wings or (more infrequent) on top of the Manta. This is called a Manta run. Some people see the Manta run as a exploit, some see it as a valid tactic, however most VCTF server allow Manta runs. Please note that Manta runs are also usable and useful in Onslaught when vehicles are rare and the team needs to get to the front as fast as possible.