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Topic: Better than banter: OUR single favorite ship (Read 66443 times)
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Death 999
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We did. You did. Yes we can. No.
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CRUISER V. DREADNAUGHT:
Fighter food? What game are you playing? The Ur-Quan will never launch fighters against the Cruiser -- one PD burst will fry every fighter in sight.
And if they do... well, fry 'em!
A good cruiser captain can typically get off about 6 shots on the 'quan before being chased down and mauled by the plasma bolt cannon. This is a little over 1/2 of the 'quan's life. This number is subject to much variation, principally the starting range of the two ships.
Additional strategies:
- Fire both missiles at first, but rotate a notch between shots, so one plasma bolt can't take them both out.
- Pay attention to alignment. If you're cruising north and so is the Quan, steadily overtaking you, then make sure you're just a touch to the east or west, so the bolts will fly on past.
- since you spin well, it's often worth it to turn to get a good firing angle, just for a moment. No need to make a direct shot, just 90° away instead of 180° away.
-Know when you're going as fast as you can, so you can concentrate on aiming.
- be ready to PDL away any asteroids that would knock you toward the quan. Don't zap slow-moving asteroids that won't hit you, though -- they might hit the 'quan, giving you a bit of breathing room.
- If you're going to be forced into a close pass, try to trick them into wasting shots by presenting a broad side, then quickly turning to make it vanish (you have to be at some range or you won't have enough time even with the fast rotation). This can confuse human opponents enough that you can get away with two, one, or perhaps even no hits, rather than the dreaded three of death.
PROBE:
Also, if the cruiser can get the two starting hits in on a probe, then you can just hold down the PDL and attrite to victory -- you only need 4 more hits, they need 18. If you miss the first two hits, well, that's pretty much the end of the line.
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« Last Edit: September 30, 2003, 01:10:30 am by Death_999 »
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Captain Smith
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Yeah Death999 I was going to say that too reading that description. In my system I've been using Earthling (you) vs. Ur-Quan is an easy to moderate as long as you can stay away from the Quan. The computer never sends fighters, but human ones might (I do just to keep the Earthling from sending nukes at me, the Quan is a HUGE target, and if they PDL they aren't nuking me) though you have to remember.
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Death 999
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We did. You did. Yes we can. No.
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Note that I was talking about human players. Smart ones will send them 2 at a time, so you burn down your PDL (my opponent did, the bast) and then send the rest of the squadron. It sucks.
Let me guess -- you left the PDL on while the rest of the squad was approaching, right?
You probably should have let the first few arrive, then zapped the entire squad at once.
Also, fighters are assigned to attack the left or right side of the ship. If you face sideways, then half of them will fly into your hull before firing. Do that and it's only half as painful to wait for them all to arrive. Also, you can try spinning around --the cruiser is long and spins quickly, so you might be able to swat some of them physically. I will need to try that out, though.
Lastly, if you are holding down the PDL while you launch a missile, it is not zapped. But if you turn the PDL on while a missile is 'in the air' exiting, it will be zapped.
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NECRO-99
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Androsynth Combat Tactics Specialist
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"Greetings Captain, how may we slaughter you today?"
Melnorme Trader
+: Good sized crew, excellent battery size, good battery regeneration, very useful secondary.
-: Average speed, moderate turning, BIG target, secondary eats around 45% battery.
General Tactics/Notes
-Fear me!: Those nice, aptly named Fear Orbs will scare any human player once they hit purple and red. Use this to your advantage, especially if they're in a slower ship. (Add a little insane cackle for added effect) This, obviously, doesn't do much to the computer, but it'll make a Pkunk, Arilou, or any other small ship run for it's life when playing the Comp.
-Two Modes: You've got choices when it comes to firing. Do you charge your Orb up to a massive 16 damage, the highest damaging single shot in the game next to Sa-Matra fireballs? Or, do you machinegun the hell out of your opponent with a rapid fire dish of 2ers? It all depends on who you're fighting. For ease of explanation, Full charge I'll just call Red, and machinegunning is Greengun.
-Conserve energy: The Trader doesn't recharge while holding a shot. Save enough energy before charging (if you are indeed charging) to be able to tag your opponent with a Confusion Ray aka Screwer-Upper in my previous posts.
-Range Finder: The Screwer-Upper has the exact same speed and range as the Orbs do. If you've got the energy, you can get an exact guess of how far (and if you're on target) your current Orb will go by firing off a Screwer-Upper. If you know you're on target, give 'em a double-whammy: Screw 'em and plug 'em.
-Sniper: The Trader is a sniper ship, for all intents and purposes. It doesn't have the range of the Cruiser or the Mauler, but it can outrange nearly every other ship. Use this to your advantage.
-Shield: The Purple and Red Orbs make great shields against projectiles; they'll STOP a Fusion Bolt or a Druuge Shell. However, don't touch asteroids, they'll blow your shot and you'll have to start all over. Use this to shred fighters, marines, and DOGIs. (DOGI's will blow the shot, though, the others don't.)
-Timing: It takes about 4 seconds per color level to charge. Keep this in mind when you're in a tight spot.
-Crushify your Enemies!: A stupid K'tang saying, but I'll use it to describe this. When you've got an Orb charged (Red is when I usually do it) and you've got spare energy, if you don't want to try to snipe your opponent with it, rush them! When the Orb touches, it dispels, dealing all it's massive damage, and another one charges up instantly as long as you've got the energy. This means, all you have to do is, with a full tank, charge up and poke your opponent. The first one blows up, a second one appears instantly afterwards to begin charging, but is still on the hull of your opponent! This one also destructs, dealing 2, and repeat until you're out of juice or they're dead.
Specialized Tactics
-Avatar: A Red will destroy a ZapSat, but usually one doesn't have enough time to charge up. If you're lucky enough to get a Red, aim for a wing. It'll smack a ZapSat and keep going, possibly polishing off another one if they're lined up right. If you're near the planet, try to stay there, as you can usually orbit to partially negate the Tractor Beam. Get shots off wisely, and make sure to Screw-Up the Avatar. Getting rid of the Tractor, even if only for 15 seconds, is the difference between victory and having your ashes spread on the solar winds.
-Avenger: You're quick enough to drift facing the Avenger and be out of range. Watch out for asteroids, and Greengun into space until you've hit a few times, then Red them into oblivion.
-Blade: Unless you're really accurate, Reds are not advised, as the Blade can dance around you with relative ease. Use the Screwer-Upper to negate their dancing power and Greengun the Greenies.
-Broodhome: DOGI's can be a pain, sucking out a potential Screwer-Upper. 2 Greens or a Blue will toast a DOGI, but concentrate on the Broodhome. 4 Reds will kill it. Don't try the Crushify tactic, as the Ak-Ak will surely get you. Box the Brood between the planet and yourself, and Screwer-Upper them while they're in the well. The engines are too weak while they're spinning, and they'll probably crash at least once, making your life a bit easier.
-Crusier: Get at least a Blue to defend from Nukes. One Red and a Green to finish it. Don't bother with the Screwer-Upper, as they naturally spin like a top anyway. If you do decide to Screw them up, crushify afterwards, preferably with a Purple or Red to make it quick.
-Dreadnought: Screwer-Upper is essential in this fight, as you don't turn fast enough to shield from fighters, and you present a great big target for Fusion Bolts. Get them confused, or run their fighters into asteroids, charge up, flank and crushify. If you're feeling particularly mean, Greengun them.
-Drone: Mwah. Purple and Red shots pass through the cone if you're attacking head on. If they zip, make it right into your charging shot. If they manage to get to facing you, Screw em up. Otherwise, flank and fire.
-Eluder: The Eluder might have a large crew compliment, but your Red shots and it's relative size (about as big as you) will make it easy prey. Screw it up if you're having a problem with BUTTs, but otherwise, smash it with a Red, then follow up with a Purple or another Red.
-Fury: Ugh. A tactic that seems to work is to come as close as you can to a complete stop, camp and Greengun the hell out of them when you get the chance, or charge and point-blank Purple them. Otherwise, you'll lose lots of crew as they mercilessly walk circles around you and pick you apart.
-Guardian: Get to the gravity well, ASAP. The Blazer mode can circle and flank you with relative ease, but if they're dumb enough to Blaze you head on, let 'em have it. A real fun trick is to Screw them when they're in Blazer mode. It's easy to hit a Blazer stuck going in circles.  If they are a bubbler, the Orb won't make a very good shield vs. them, so just steer clear and use your superior range to pick the spittlebug style apart.
-Intruder: If he's warping in, KEEP MOVING. If you really want to mess up a VUX (and this works for any ship), be near the planet when you know a VUX is next. Anyway, once you're out of laser range, Limpets die against even a Green. Get Red, and get accurate. One won't do the trick, so Greengun them afterwards. If you're both warping in (the start of the fight), pray that they warp in past you, or facing away slightly so you can get away.
-Jugger: Most people cannot shield fast enough to stop the fast shots of the Trader. Don't Greengun them, they WILL shield and soak it up. Get Reds or Purps and smash them. Don't get caught by the quad-cannons! Remember, you are faster than the Jugger, and you have about 2.5X range. Use it.
-Marauder: Screwer-Upper is essential here. Do this to negate the FRIED, then Crushify. If you prefer sniping, 3 Reds will do the trick. Greengunning isn't recommended here, but if you're feeling courageous, stay away from the blades. Note that the FRIED does NOT stop a Red shot. At least, not that I've seen.
-Mauler: Trade wars! Too bad you've got it easy. Dance around in front of their gun to get them recoiling, getting a Red charged up all the while. Screw them, or, if you're really accurate, just paste 'em. Remember, a Red will soak up a Shell, but be careful, as those shells DO hurt if they connect.
-Nemesis: Get to the planet and get Red ASAP to smush the Marines that are undoubtedly coming. Once they stop sending Marines, simply blast them. Their Howitzer can't get through a Red or Purple, so use this to your advantage.
-Penetrator: Most will try to get close to suck you dry of crew. At base, the Penetrator only has 12 crew. Gee, a Red kills 16...one is all it takes, and most people will try to turn away when you bring to bear, presenting a nice, wide side of a ship to annihilate.  If you're really worried about getting sapped of crew, Screw em up.
-Podship: Regeneration is annoying, but not a significant threat. Red will stop all Plasmoids, but a point-blank Plasmoid will also destroy the Red. Bust 'em with the Screwer-Upper so they can't regenerate and then either Greengun them or Red-Blue them. If you've had a bad day and need to vent some steam, Crushifying is also valid, and quite fun to boot. 
-Probe: Ugh. As described on another post, its like fighting Emperor Palpatine on speed. Greengunning, I've found, is an effective tactic, as the contorting body of the Probe is too chaotic to accurately punch with a Red. DON'T ever let them get behind you. To really make your life easy, however, try to connect with a Screwer-Upper. They're stuck making really tight circles, and just about anywhere within that circle = a hit. This is the time to Red them.
-Scout: Run, and Greengun. All they can take is two shots, or a lucky Blue. You cannot withstand a Glory Blast, so keep your distance, or, get a lucky Screwer-Upper shot in so they can't explode.
-Skiff: If you can manage a Screwer-Upper, more power to you. Greengun them into oblivion, as they usually teleport when it's too late. Don't let the Skiff flank you, or even get NEAR you, or it's history.
-Stinger: 1 Red will destroy a Stinger. Keep it at bay with light Greengunning, then go for the kill. You can only withstand two licks, so be careful. Screwer-Uppering here can actually be dangerous, as the spread gun seems to hit more often while they're spinning.
-Terminator: No one can shield fast enough to block a charged shot. If the person is one of those hold-special-down types, Screwer-Upper them, then laugh as you stay out of range and Red-Blue them to death. Note that the computer can't even shield vs. any kind of Orb, making life easy.
-Torch: Sit. Stay. Let it come to you, and Greengun them. Don't even bother with a Screwer-Upper, they die too fast, and it's a waste of energy. 
-Trader: Ah, Melnorme Trade Fleet Combat Practice. Get and KEEP a charged shot. This will stop all Greengunning that comes your way, but beware the Screwer-Upper, as it passes through the Orb. Screw them up first, then Red-Purple. If you can manage to get to the planet, aim for it and drift in reverse (only moderately difficult). When they chase you, Screwer-Upper them when they get into the well's effects, and Greengun at will. They'll either go down from your fire, or will crash and burn.
-Transformer: Whap a X-Form with a Screwer-Upper and life is easy. Just Red-Blue them. Y form is a bit different. If you can manage to hit with a Screwer-Upper, those annoying little missiles keep coming at you regardless. Get close (if possible) and crushify. If you can't get close, Greengun at them as they strafe past you.
"We thank you captain, for your gracious gift of RU from the smoldering wreckage of your ship."
And who says the Melnorme don't give anything away? Flaming death is one thing they'll gladly hand out!
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I love being a clone. Everything I do bad gets blamed on the real me!
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Spurk
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Alright. I'm bored at work:
Syreen Penetrator
+: Relatively fast, turns well, sucks crew; good gun range
-: Puny gun (but not that bad); puny firing rate; opponent can reclaim crew
General tactics:
- This always come back to crew sucking. You can either a) suck crew and immediately pick them up, b) suck crew and leave them until you kill your opponent, or c) suck crew next to a planet leaving them for no one.
- Being a good sharp shooter is essential for ending a matchup.
- A Penetrator with full crew is incredibly powerful. A Penetrator with few crew is incredibly weak. This is because the ship will typically lose some crew up front, but redeem them (and more) at the end.
Specialized tactics:
Avatar: Next to impossible. If I can get to the planet, I try to suck crew and let the gravity help me escape the tractor beam; unfortunately, he has a lot of crew. Even after getting out all of his crew, taking that last shot is really hard with the zap sats and all.
Avenger: Easy. Get close to him, but not too close and then suck all his crew. Turn and finish him off, then reclaim crew.
Blade: Fairly easy. Suck and claim the crew. Finish him off.
Broodhome: Moderate. DOGIs are annoying. Suck and claim the crew. Then finish him off.
Cruiser: Easy enough. Suck the crew, finish him off, claim the crew.
Dreadnaught: Annoying. You can outrun the fighters, but doing that and getting close enough to him to suck crew is a pain. Either fire at him from a distance with your gun, or get him near the planet and suck from there.
Drone: Easy. Suck, kill, claim.
Eluder: Easy. Suck, claim, kill.
Fury: This has disturbing theological implications, but its a fun one. This is the only time I pray my opponent's Fury will be resurrected because you almost always come out better on the deal. Suck, claim, kill. (or Suck, kill, claim, either way)
Guardian: Empty victory. The bubbles eat the crew. Watch out for Blazer form, but a good pilot can outmanuever it.
Intruder: "Not all that glitters is gold" and not all that's green is crew. Stay back and kill him with your gun.
Jugger: Getting close to this guy is a pain, I normally planet suck him. Getting that last shot can be hard depending on the skill (and luck) of the pilot.
Marauder: Suck, claim, kill works best for me. Just watch out for the blades. Like the sucked crew, they move towards you.
Mauler: The Penetrator is agile enough to avoid Mauler shots typically. If he gets some speed then suck the crew while he flies by. Otherwise, make him burn his own crew.
Nemesis: Too bad you can't suck the marines out of their suits.... You can suck the Nemesis' crew, but I find it easier to just shoot him at long range.
Penetrator: I typically stay out of range and shoot when the other ship gets near, though it is kinda fun to run in close and have both sucking out the other's crew.
Podship: You're faster than its fire, but barely. When outrunning a plasma blast, don't turn directions. You're acceleration is just poor enough to let it catch up with you. Get close and suck, kill, claim.
Probe: This ship would be simple if you could actually suck its crew! As it is, it's one of the two hardest ships for the Penetrator (along with the Avatar). At least your shots take off two and not one. Good luck. You need to be a sharp-shooter.
Scout: Suck the crew from the farthest distance possible. If that doesn't seem to work for you, then just fire at him.
Skiff: Suck, kill, claim. Not easy though. Getting a shot on the Skiff is pretty difficult at times.
Stinger: Free crew. Watch out for the tongue. Easy.
Terminator: Like the Jugger, though I fare a little better. Suck the crew (near the planet or not), claim, then try to kill. I find flying head on and shooting works well.
Torch: Like the Guardian, an empty victory often enough. The crew will often fly into the Torch's fire trail. Still an easy enough kill.
Trader: Don't get hit by the confusion ray. The trader has a lot of crew, and sucking works best. Suck, claim, kill.
Transformer: Either form is pretty easy. X: Suck, kill, claim. Y: Suck, claim, kill.
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Captain Smith
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Ilwrath Strategy Guide
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More strategy list fun. Thought I'd do a writeup on the Ilwrath. This fits with the computer in awesome, but probably will work on human targets as well to some degree. And this also assumes starting out with a Ilwrath that has full crew, in terms of win possibility.
The key tactic here is getting on top of the other ships so they can't react fast enough. Your cloak will help on that one, but more with a human player than a computer. The computer does react differently to the cloak so it applies well with both. One useful thing to remember is that when you materialize from the cloak you'll always be pointing in the direction of the ship. Very useful to know - you can set up a maneuver I will call the slingshot through the rest of the document too - get them to chase you and when they move towards you, decloak and fire and keep going straight. You should almost always cloak anyway. This is a hard ship to master, and most matches end up as endurance contests anyway.
Ur-Quan: Moderate fight. It tries to launch it's fighters, but they promptly return, so this makes it a match against the ship itself. You should be able to charge the ship and easily get around to it. When they get a possible shot or the fighters start coming out, cloak and move away.
Orz: Moderate fight. Same thing happens as the Ur-Quan. The marines won't even launch - for the computer OR the player. Quite easy to get on top of too. Of course, at close range this ship WILL launch marines so get your shot in and cloak fast.
Chmmr: Impossible fight. Just get your shots in and move on to the next ship.
Mycon: Moderate fight. Cloak and chase it down. You'll have to alternate screens to do this and it'll take a while. Keep away from the direct line of fire of the Mycon and keep in mind those plasmoids WILL seek you once you decloak - the ones fired and active will likely have enough range to come back at you.
Earthling: Moderate fight. Same pretty much as the Mycon, you'll have to chase it down by alternating screens.
Ilwrath: Difficult fight. Basically an endurance fight - whoever has more crew will win.
Chenjesu: Moderate to difficult fight. Chase down the ship. The DOGIs will be of no concern, because of the cloak. If you get close, stay and fire away. An endurance fight, but if you come in right after a DOGI gets launched they won't have the energy to take you out - otherwise, you'll make the Chenjesu severely regret ever meeting you (but he'll live to regret you).
VUX: Moderate fight. Cloak and stay away from the limpets if fired, then come in. Make sure your fire is concentrated on the front of the ship or you're getting limpeted.
Arilou: Easy to moderate fight. Cloak, Fire, Cloak, Fire. Repeat until the Arilou goes down - sometimes you can have the nose of your ship right on the Arilou too.
Shofixti: Impossible fight. You're getting a glory device - hope you have enough crew to survive it.
Mmrnmhrm: Moderate fight. Cloak and wait until the X-form comes to you and then blast away. This is an endurance fight, after that.
Slylandro: Difficult to Impossible fight. Too fast to catch. If you get close and let it attack you can try to slingshot against it and hurt it some, but even cloaked that lightning has a way of hitting you.
Pkunk: Difficult to impossible fight. Read the Slylandro section.
Kohr-Ah: Difficult to impossible fight. Cloak and get them to use their energy up trying to hit you then come in and fire away until they go down.
Druuge: Impossible fight. The cloak is useful to get them to try and fire, but the truth is you're just too big of a target and those shots will hit you.
Supox: Moderate to difficult fight. Slingshot, move, whatever it takes. Basically a dogfight where you need to get on it's side.
Umgah: Moderate fight. An endurance match, since you aren't getting around that anti-matter cone.
Spathi: Difficult fight. Uncloak and use the planet to gravwhip at the Spathi.
Utwig: Impossible fight. You're getting chewed up by the cannon. Don't fire on it though, or you'll fill its batteries up.
Syreen: Moderate fight. Cloak come in...the song will happen and be ready to fire on the ship (cloaked) if it comes after your crew.
Zot-Foq-Pik: Easy to moderate fight. The slingshot maneuver is perfect here.
Yehat: Moderate fight. Another endurance match.
Thraddash: Easy fight. Wait for him to come to you and shoot away. No need to even cloak.
Melnorme: Moderate fight. If you get caught by the confusion ray, don't bother to fire unless you're really close and know it's about to wear off - you stay mostly stationary when that happens (and a VERY easy target I might add). Basically though, if you can stay away from getting hit, just charge it when it comes your direction and fire as it passes - it steers so like a box that it won't be able to avoid you without getting hit some.
Androsynth: Moderate fight. THis ship tends to bubble with you cloaked. Good reason, if he comets you when you're cloaked, you fire and your nose is right there ready to hurt him. Maneuver to snipe at this guy when he's not cometing you and he'll go down.
P.S. Necro, has the game changed that much between SC2 and UQM? I don't notice half the things happening between your observations and mine about the Melnorme.
One in particular is the computer vs. human thing. If anything the computer has it over the human on the kind of reflexes and ship positioning and so forth - as an example, in my play-testing, Melnorme (you) versus Arilou, you aren't hitting that ship for anything because it'll teleport away (basically same problem as I had with the Supox). What I ended up having to do was charge to red, let the Arilou pick on me a little as I maneuvered so the red ball would touch it. Then as another example, I notice in SC2 that the Utwig WILL block any and all things you send it's way, INCLUDING the confusion ray (blocking that don't work too well, but it does try it).
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Death 999
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We did. You did. Yes we can. No.
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Melnorme vs. Jugger tactics should definitely include the use of the screwer-upper...
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NECRO-99
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Androsynth Combat Tactics Specialist
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For the Trader vs. Jugger/Terminator battles, I was fighting the computer on Awesome difficulty. I would outrun both, get them to start chasing me, turn and slow slightly, just enough to stay even with them, drift, and charge a shot. When I fired, neither ship shielded, nor even attempted. Human players just freak out and constantly shield as Yehat and tap-on as Utwig. As for the Arilou, I usually get chewed up so I try for the planet ASAP, greengunning to keep them at bay. I wound up, after repeated testing, Holding a red and trying to get them to smash into it, or, if I was feeling good, trying a point-blank.
ADD: I only mentioned the Screwer-Upper when I thought it needed emphasis. It's in my General Tactics, so I just assume that people use it whenever, but would concentrate on trying to use it when mentioned in a specialized tactic.
ADD: Smith, are you playing SC2 or UQM? I'm on UQM.
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« Last Edit: October 01, 2003, 10:09:03 pm by NECRO-99 »
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I love being a clone. Everything I do bad gets blamed on the real me!
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NECRO-99
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Androsynth Combat Tactics Specialist
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Allright, time for the most overrated ship in the game.
Chmmr Avatar
+:Massive crew, massive battery, superb battery regeneration, defensive sattelites, powerful laser, tractor beam.
-:Becomes weak when ZapSats are gone, laser and tractor beam drain battery very quickly.
General tactics/notes:
Get over here!: Suck most opponents toward you for a quick fight. If the ZapSats don't get them, your Terrawatt laser will.
Ship masses: I'll put in the relative mass of each ship, Light, Middle, or Heavy. This significantly affects your Tractor's power over the craft. Graphic size does NOT equal weight. Note the Umgah. Heavy ships are harder to pull initially but have problems slowing down, whereas lighter ships can get going to speeds where hulls should be burning off but can recover with ease.
Ping-Pong: Get between the planet and your opponent, then Tractor them in, and (heavy ships especially) they'll richochet off the planet, scoring some damage.
Alternate Tractoring Methods: Slingshot for short. Get into a position where you are somewhat at an angle with your opponent, 45 or thereabouts is best. Tractor your opponent when they're about to wraparound. This will pull them (usually slowing them down is all) and when they wrap, keep pulling for but a moment longer. It will give them what is best described as a pseudo grav-whip. Ships with weak engines, ala Broodhome, are powerless to resist this, and once they're sailing, all you have to do is line up and fire. The other great thing about Slingshotting is it will totally hose most human player's aim, making sniper ships difficult.
Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Again for heavy ships with weak engines. Tractor them when they're in the real gravity well to play hell with their engines. Some ships can be brought to a standstill right in the well, which is amusing. One way of doing this is simply being opposite them across the planet, and magnifying the whip, causing most ships to sail away out of control for a moment, or, the cruel method is to be behind the ship when it attempts a whip. Tractor right as it gets to the well. Results can vary from them banging into the planet to them getting launched in a straight line inbetween this planet and the Avatar (only once, I was fighting a Drone and caught it when it was about to whip. I think it was a bug, but it just SAILED [no zipping]).
Mobile Tractor vs. Standing Tractor: Sitting still, you'll always pull the opponent right at you, but while moving, it usually pulls the ship to a spot behind you (the last place where it was tractored, updated really, REALLY fast.) Moving makes it easier to Slingshot, but harder for a direct pull.
Playing with the Lightweights: Most of these ships, while slightly resistant to your Tractor, cannot take severe punshiment. Give them severe punishment by Ping-Ponging them a few.
Specialized Tactics:
-Avatar: Heavyweight. A suckfest, literally! Most often what will happen is you will wind up sailing inches past each other, your ZapSats furiously picking at one another. If you happen to be on a collision course, try to get aimed right so you can cook the other Avatar before it cooks you.
-Avenger: Mediumweight. Don't be too quick to Tractor when they're invisble, you may get a nasty suprise. Calculate a good idea of where they are, drift with them, and Laser them to atoms.
-Blade: Lightweight. Playing Ping-Pong can be difficult with their special ability, but if you can just pull them in close enough as-is, you'll manage to cook most of them. Against people that know how to use this ship, it can wind up being a nightmare, as their engines outpower (or equal) your Tractor's pull.
-Broodhome: Heavyweight. Mwah. Ping-Pong to soften them up. Don't worry too much about DOGI's; even if you've lost ZapSats and they manage to sap you, you regenerate it so fast that it won't matter. The DOGI's are actually a bit beneficial for this ship, as they can give it a speed boost. If you're feeling mean, Slingshot it but beware those Crystals, they'll wreck your ZapSats and punch you a square one too. Shards will be Zapped, but the big crystal won't. Nothing like killing one's genetic ancestors, eh?
-Crusier: Heavyweight. Mwah. An amusing trick is to Tractor it into it's own Nukes. Simply sit still, get it to face you, and right as it fires, pull. It can only suffer 4 of it's own missiles. If it manages to make it to you, finish it with Terrawatt power, or give the ZapSats a chew toy if you're feeling generous.
-Dreadnought: Heavyweight. If your opponent is stupid enough to send fighters, so be it. The Computer won't, so play Ping-Pong with them a few times, or Tractor when they're in the gravity well to ruin their day. Once they're softened up, Slingshot and kill.
-Drone: Heavyweight. This scared the crap out of me when I first pulled it and got a faceful of antimatter cone. Most people are smart enough not to zip, so if you can Ping-Pong them against the planet three times (guess the speed is relative, twice could potentially do it), go for it. If not, close, turn around, "flee", drift with them, get into range and cook.
-Eluder: Middleweight. The punt gun and BUTTs are no threat. I usually get to a near stop, pull them in and have my way with them.
-Fury: Lightweight. Man, this thing can get CRUISING if you Slingshot it for an extended period of time. Sit still, pull it in, and let the ZapSats do what they do best. If it ressurects, so what? Do it again. If you're feeling particularly nasty, you can Ping-Pong them if you catch them near the planet.
-Guardian: Middleweight. A bit dangerous to Tractor, as it can go Blazer and rain on your parade. Bubbles can cause a moderate problem, as they take three hits to destroy, so a cloud can have potential ones sneaking in. Ping-Pong it, and if it goes Blazer, get your aim straight, or you'll have a pissed off fireball lodged in your wing crevace.
-Intruder: Heavyweight. Another ship not to tractor in, as it's Laser will chew up your ZapSats at alarming speed. Ping-Ponging is very recommended here, as the VUX engines are quite weak. Unless you've lost ZapSats, don't worry about Limpets, they get cooked. If you're feeling like a hotshot, Slingshot the Intruder and Laser it on the flyby.
-Jugger: Middleweight. Ugh. Don't EVER fire on the Jugger, because all you are is a 5-course meal for it's batteries, just waiting to be devoured. Ping-Ponging is the only strategy I can recommend here, and the engines of the Jugger seem to be quite prone to this. Just keep whapping them against the planet, and run if you get out of alignment.
-Marauder: Heavyweight. Beware FRIEDs, they destroy ZapSats with a touch. Get them to unload with Shurikens, then pull them in and give them a severe hosing. If you've lost some Sats prior, Ping-Ponging is highly advisable. Slingshot and cook.
-Mauler: Middleweight. Shells will penetrate your ZapSats, so make sure to stay off-line with the Mauler. Ping-Pong it to suffer it's already miserable crew(energy ). Stop-Tractoring isn't too advised, as the Mauler can simply line up with you, and it's firing kickback negates tractor pull, all the while you're being pelted with Shells. Try to Slingshot it and catch it on the flyby.
-Nemesis: Middleweight. Marines can survive your ZapSats, but not your main Laser. Cook them whenever you get the chance, and once the Nemesis is low on crew, Ping-Pong it. A grav-whip on your part will keep the Marines at bay for awhile.
-Penetrator: Middleweight. The Avatar's weakness. If the Penetrator get's close and sucks crew, they get zapped. (This is in my case, if your version doesn't cook spaced crew, you're lucky.) Ping-Pong the Penetrator a couple times, it only starts with 12 crew. Slingshotting isn't advised here as the Penetrator has decent engines to counteract this.
-Podship: Heavyweight. Cook those Plasmoids, as your ZapSats cannot do it for you. Tractor in, Laser. Don't Slingshot, because that's what a Podship wants. Ping-Ponging isn't effective against a ship that regenerates crew, either.
-Probe: Probably a lightweight. Immune to your Tractor beam, you'll just have to close and Laser it to death, or let the ZapSats do the work. Those lightning bolts can outreach your ZapSats, so if you're not careful, you'll find yourself without automated defenses after too long a time. If the ship has been in combat with the VUX and caught limpets, it can be tractored, but the odds of this are so low that I won't even bother.
-Scout: Lightweight. Tractoring a Scout in is akin to playing catch with a live atom bomb: Don't do it. Ping-Pong twice against the planet.
-Skiff: Probably Lightweight. Immune to your Tractor, so just Laser it when it gets too close. If it's acquired Limpets...well...no one sucks enough as Arilou to get Limpeted. Nevermind.
-Stinger: Lightweight. Mwah. Pull it in and vaporize it. No tactic, just kill.
-Terminator: Middleweight. Give it a yank when it's near the planet to screw it all up, or Ping-Pong if you get the chance, shields don't defend against that. Those Dual Cannons will eat your ZapSats for an appetizer and then come for the main course. Don't let this be the case. Slingshot and catch them after they've tried (and possibly connected a bit) firing on you. No energy = no shield = Serpentis Fried Yehat.
-Torch: Lightweight. Sit still, pull it in, and vaporize it. DON'T ever chase an Afterburnering Torch, you will lose ZapSats/crew at a horrendous rate. Watching a Torch Afterburn while being pulled the same way by your Tractor is an awesome lesson in Physics. Until they smash into the planet.
-Trader: Heavyweight. The Screwer-Upper will penetrate the ZapSats, leaving you a spinning target. If you can, Ping-Pong them a few times, and watch out for Red Orbs. As I mentioned in the Trader Tactics, they WILL burn up a ZapSat and keep going for more. Once the Trader is low on energy, Tractor it in and cook it.
-Transformer: X-form is Middleweight, Y-form is Lightweight. The X-form will do a considerable amount of damage to you before it falls with those Twin Lasers, so be careful when you pull. A Y-Form essentially Slingshots itself, so if you can get to facing perpendicular (90 degrees from it's nose), Tractor it to play hell with it's turning ability. When it gets close, cook this half of your grandparents with glee.
Well, 'nuff said.
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« Last Edit: October 01, 2003, 11:27:48 pm by NECRO-99 »
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I love being a clone. Everything I do bad gets blamed on the real me!
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Spurk
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-Dreadnought: Heavyweight. If your opponent is stupid enough to send fighters, so be it. The Computer won't, so play Ping-Pong with them a few times, or Tractor when they're in the gravity well to ruin their day. Once they're softened up, Slingshot and kill.
As much as these guides aren't about beating the computer, the best way to kill the computer Dreadnought is to fly straight away from it. It will eventually start to turn around so it can meet you going the other way. At the point turn around, tractor and fire. He won't be able to turn back around quickly enough and you can kill him with no loss of crew or zapsats.
-Penetrator: Middleweight. The Avatar's weakness. If the Penetrator get's close and sucks crew, they get zapped. (This is in my case, if your version doesn't cook spaced crew, you're lucky.) Ping-Pong the Penetrator a couple times, it only starts with 12 crew. Slingshotting isn't advised here as the Penetrator has decent engines to counteract this.
Wait a second! When I play the Penetrator vs. the Avatar, its crew doesn't get zapped! Are you sure that's what happens?
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« Last Edit: October 02, 2003, 01:45:02 am by Spurk »
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Sage
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Ur-Quan Dreadnaught:
Avatar: Moderate battle. Keep your distance and take potshots. This way you stand a good chance of getting rid of the zapsats. If the Avatar has no more zapsats, launch launch launch fighters! Stay away from a gravity well as you're too slow to compensate for the Avatar's tractor beam and will likely end up crashing into the planet. If it closes or manages to drag you in, blast and hope you live.
Avenger: Easy battle. Stay away from him at all costs. As stated before, fighters won't home in him while cloaked. Take potshots and get his location, keeping just enough distance to stay out of the hellfire. A useful tactic for locating an Avenger is to get him to follow you in a gravity whip, then turn around and blast in the direction you came from. If he decloaks, sacrifice a few fighters to keep him that way, and start blasting.
Blade: Easy to moderate battle. The Blade's gun will chew up fighters like candy, and its manuvuering makes tagging it with your blaster tricky at best. Send some fighters as a distraction, close in, drop a few more fighters, and fire away.
Broodhome: Difficult battle. Don't send fighters if you are being hounded (haha) by the DOGIs, as they'll eat your fighters without mercy. Do your best to destroy DOGIs as they come to you, otherwise you won't have any energy left to intercept incoming crystals. If you have a full compliment of ack-acks on you, try to position them between you and the Broodhome, and hope that he shoots them instead. They have a nasty habit of avoiding the nose of your ship, and with the Dreadnaught's slow turning, this is a major problem. Do your best to close in and fire.
Cruiser: Easy to moderate battle. Take advantage of the missile's wide arcs and evade them. Don't send any fighters unless you're fighting someone completely inept. Close in and annihilate.
Dreadnaught: Moderate battle. If your opponent sends droves of fighters, get him to chase you and send droves of your own. When being chased your fighters have less distance to travel and will often meet with him sooner. If he manages to close, just start blasting and pray.
Drone: Easy battle. The Dreadnaught's blaster is one of the few ships whose weapon can survive the antimatter cone. Use this to your advantage. Keep your distance and take potshots. Fighters will get chewed on by the antimatter cone. If it zips near you, send a few fighters out. This should force it to turn away from you long enough to a) send fighters to its exposed rear or b) blast away.
Eluder: Moderate to difficult battle. Fighters force this ship to keep distance, which can be used to an advantage. Sadly it seems that BUTTs have just as much range as fusion bolts, so that distance might not be too helpful. Droves of fighters make life difficult with enough potshots.
Fury: Moderate battle, up to impossible if it reincarnates a lot. Ugh. This ship is good at taking advantage of the Dreadnaught's slow turning. Fighters do a good job of keeping it at bay shortly, but ultimately it's just a matter of getting in two lucky shots.
Guardian: Moderate battle. Bubbles will make fighters all but useless, but if you send some before it gets too many bubbles out, this will coax the Guardian into comet mode. Whether this is a good thing is debatable. Fighters can be helpful against this ship in comet form, but obviously thier usefulness will last only as long as they don't contact one another. If it wedges itself on your nose, fire away and pray. If it wedges itself in your wing, launch as many fighters as you can and pray, again.
Intruder: Easy battle. If its warping in, get as much distance as you can. Keep your distance and send as many fighters as you can. Limpets are dangerous. Keep away from them, you're already slow enough as is.
Jugger: Moderate to difficult battle. Sending large droves of fighters forces the ship to stay shielded, and if there's a significant gap between shots it'll lose energy this way. Alternatively, trick it into shielding by shooting near but not at the ship. Once it runs out of energy, flank it and blast away.
Marauder: Moderate to difficult battle. Close in and drop a few fighters in his lap. While it's busy cutting/burning those, open fire. Wash, rinse, repeat. If you're unable to stay close to him and are feeling suicidal, gravity whip and take potshots. Don't send fighters from a distance unless he's out of energy, otherwise they're toast.
Mauler: Easy to moderate battle. Do not let yourself get lined up with him. Flank at a distance and send a few fighters. This'll cause him to start blasting them and wasting away fuel, and hopefully take some more fuel (crew) down with it. As it sails away, intercept him and blast. Wash, rinse, repeat.
Nemesis: Easy to moderate battle. Blast marines as they come in, and stay away from the gravity well while they're out. You're too slow to try to evade without a lucky gravity whip. Launch fighters, close in, and begin blasting at random.
Penetrator: Easy battle. Keep your distance and send fighters, taking potshots when you're close enough.
Podship: Easy to moderate battle. Fighters get eaten by plasmoids without mercy. You're too slow to evade without a gravity whip, but doing that can be costly. Instead, attempt to drift away from the Podship until you wrap back around, keeping your gun trained on any plasmoids that come your way. Once you get close enough to him, drop a few fighters in his lap and blast. Be persistant against this ship, as regeneration can drag battles out for far too long.
Probe: Difficult battle. Your turning is too slow for shooting this ship. Fighters force some distance between you and it, but the lightning will toast them eventually. Do not let this ship flank you. Once it runs out of energy and starts to retreat for more fuel, launch and blast. Large droves of fighters will also make life difficult for the Probe. Basically this comes down to getting lucky shots.
Scout: Easy battle. Send some fighters, keep your distance, and pray it doesn't get close enough to detonate. If you're at full or even half crew you can still take a full blast from the Glory Device and keep on going, though.
Skiff: Difficult to impossible battle. This one also takes advantage of your slow turning. Fighters will prompt this ship to teleport away, but on the flip side it forces the Skiff to keep distance. Use this to your advantage and take potshots. Every time it closes in or teleports close, send two more fighters. Wash, rinse, repeat. A simpler tactic for those without patience would be to continuosly send fighters out. Eventually the skiff will teleport in the middle of a field of fighters and get wasted.
Stinger: Easy battle. Just blast away.
Terminator: Moderate to difficult battle. The Terminator's twin blasters will destroy any fighter easily. Close in, flank, blast and hope a few shots get through. Alternatively you can send out a lot of fighters, which will prompt it to start blasting them, but some of them should get some shots in. While its distracted you can close in and take some shots of your own.
Torch: Easy battle. Pillbox and take potshots. Fighters are worthless except to keep (temporary) distance. They might also be a viable option if the Torch is on a fast approach. Fighters intercept and boom.
Trader: Flank and blast. Staying in front of this ship is the equivalent of suicide. If the screwer-upper connects, get away from him by timing your thrusts and riding on intertia. Evasion is actually a bit easier while screwed up, I find, but blasting become much more difficult. If its not charging a ball sending fighters will prompt it to greengun them to death, but can be useful as a distraction while you try to flank. Sending fighters while its charging red will often cause a panic, and give you an opening for uberblasting.
Transformer: Moderate battle. When in Y-Form, keep your distance and send a bunch of fighters his way. This should force him to turn to X-Form. As he's trying to shoot out the fighters, come in from the opposite side and start blasting, that is assuming if it lasts long enough for such.
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« Last Edit: October 03, 2003, 11:42:27 am by sageallen »
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Deep Jiffa Owns j00!