What weaknesses do Scouts have ? What Weaknesses do Strike Fighters have ?

[AlrikFassbauer]

Hello,

 

I just want to learn more how to beat both kinds of fighters.

 

Right now, everyone wants to find out the weak spot of Gunships, but everyone is ignoring Scouts and Strike Fighters.

 

Now, since I'm often trying to hunt down both while using my Scout and my Strike Fighter, I'd like to learn what THEIR weak points are.

 

Maybe this helps other players, too.

 

Alrik

[cvak]

During normal (domination) game play, killing a fleeing scout can be tricky, esp if they have evasion/barrel roll up - you simply won't catch up with them. This can seem unfair, I mean, you can't kill them! However, thinking like this forgets a very crucial detail: Games are not won by who kills who. If a scout has been forced to speed away from a capture point, you have won that point.

 

Say a scout is defending, then he needs to stay put, which is not that fun if you're 1v1 with a comparatively skilled strike fighter. Also, don't forget range - a scout has a maximum range on their available weapons of 5000 meters, meaning a strike fighter can start shooting before the scout can do anything.

 

I usually play a scout, and the only thing I have issues with is when I meet a skilled strike fighter, simply because if he's parked somewhere, I can't do much outside of harrasing him and trying to lure him away. If he stays put, I'll just have to wait for backup. If I meet a gunship defending, it's he who's going to be on the run.

 

When talking about strike fighters, you can either be a gunship and just shoot them down from afar, or you as a scout can use the terrain to your advantage. One such example is the B point on the Makeb-looking map, where you as a scout can just boost around hiding behind all the stuff (which breaks missile lock on even if you just fly by one) and use your agility to wear the fighter down.

[paowee]

If you've seen IDM's video.. that's how crazy maneuverable scouts are and you coud only imagine the nightmare of trying to shoot him down as a scout or as a fighter.. Imo the weakness of Scouts is their low hp that is why Gunships are great for supporting your dogfights and 2 - shotting those pesky scouts >_< So to answer your question... Gunships sniping is their weakness/counter. Imo. I don't really know how to deal with crazy Scout pilots other than sniping them down. Alternatively they can decide to hunt the Gunship throughout the entire match and kill them in 3 seconds if they get the 5000m gank and rocket pod unload. Edited December 8, 2013 by paowee

[Gavin_Kelvar]

Scouts weakness is their weak hulls & shields. If they can't flee they will always loose an endurance battle. Generally in a striker my goal isn't going to be shooting them down but rather forcing them to flee and/or weakening them to be easy pickings for allied scouts. Sometimes in my striker I'll let them damage me if it allows me to return fire since most of the time I'll be able to shoot them down before they can do serious damage to me.

 

Strikers weaknesses are their low maneuverability (compared to a scout). If a scout can keep outmaneuvering a striker they will be able to shoot them down. The trick is to blend hit-and-run with a turning dogfight. Conversely the strength of the striker is their firepower and endurance. You can play chicken with enemies and win so long as you use good tactics.

 

Both scouts and Strikers can get shot down by the other, the trick is knowing how to turn a dogfight to play to your ship's strengths and their weaknesses.

[Vember]

Scout weaknesses

 

Crap damage

Crap armor

Crap shields

 

All of your fights become these 'turning on a dime but neither party can hit each other because of the wonky aiming mechanics" due to the fact that you can't take hits head on, and when you're in extremely close the way these fights end up, you cannot hit your target and vice versa....hits don't register.

 

Strike fighers

 

Good damage

good armor

slower than molasses

 

I loved GS when it first dropped, but now it's just getting annoying. For as fragile as scouts are, they should have better weapons loadouts available. The rocket pods do terrible damage, the thermite rockets take half a year to lock on (don't think i've ever been hit by one, ever). The quick locking missiles for the sting do less damage than light laser bolts. As for our cannons, you can either take extremely short range just so you can upgrade the damage, or take medium range and sacrifice your damage.

 

I've burned bypass and thermals and pumped my lasers into a gunship that wasn't moving and he still had time to come back to his desk and boost away.

Edited December 8, 2013 by Vember

[DarthVindictus]

Servo lock and anything that drains engine power.

[AlrikFassbauer]

Thank you everyone, that gives me some ideas.

[Serrit]

I'm generally fairly robust in my Strike fighter when defending or denying, weaving around the satellite arms whilst managing my directional shield and regen. Minor hull damage is healed every minute.

But shield-piercing or sabotage drones are my greatest fear. Or being synch targetted by a brace of Gunships

 

Tbh most of my strike fighter deaths are from loving retro boosters too much and reversing into asteroids or other debris

[Luckyluzi]

Scout weaknesses

 

Crap damage

Crap armor

Crap shields

 

 

the flashfire /sting have a higher damage output than every strike fighter (just look at the record thread...), thanks to better speed and blasterovercharged/targettelemetrie, dont underestimate the additional damage from cluster missiles, using blaster and cluser at the same time is devasting

 

they have crap armor and shields yes but why the hell someone would ever investing in armor?!? use evasion! a scout can have a passive evasion of 40% , dissortion shield is one of the best shields atm giving you a seconds lockon break, good scouts are very difficult to kill

 

the only weakness scouts have are group fights where you cant predict damage from differnt enemies, strikes are better for this

Edited December 9, 2013 by Luckyluzi

[Zoom_VI]

the flashfire /sting have a higher damage output than every strike fighter (just look at the record thread...), thanks to better speed and blasterovercharged/targettelemetrie, dont underestimate the additional damage from cluster missiles, using blaster and cluser at the same time is devasting

 

they have crap armor and shields yes but why the hell someone would ever investing in armor?!? use evasion! a scout can have a passive evasion of 40% , dissortion shield is one of the best shields atm giving you a seconds lockon break, good scouts are very difficult to kill

 

the only weakness scouts have are group fights where you cant predict damage from differnt enemies, strikes are better for this

You realize that the kills and damage portions of the records thread are just people who sit and do nothing but number chase?

 

And whats wrong with better damage since they can be obliterated by a single slug?

Edited December 9, 2013 by Zoom_VI

[HoboWithAStick]

Scouts can be killed very easily, as a matter of a fact a maxed out gun ship can one shot them in some circumstances. Scouts do have the advantage of being fast and hard to hit and also if you pick up evasion it makes it almost impossible to hit them while its up. If you are coming towards a scout head on and they pop evasion and a damage buff you are going to die.

 

Strike fighters have a couple weaknesses, I would say the biggest one is their speed and mobility. They can be pretty easy targets for scouts and gunships, this issue snowballs worse then it needs to as well because most players using strike fighters love flying slow and trying to get missle lock ons. This leaves them pretty exposed if they use that play style. They do have good shield and cooldowns though and can dish out a ton of damage as well if played right.

[Luckyluzi]

You realize that the kills and damage portions of the records thread are just people who sit and do nothing but number chase?

 

And whats wrong with better damage since they can be obliterated by a single slug?

 

nothing is wrong with their damage i only answerd to the statement that the damage is low lol

[Itkovian]

Scout weaknesses

 

Crap damage

[...]

I loved GS when it first dropped, but now it's just getting annoying. For as fragile as scouts are, they should have better weapons loadouts available. The rocket pods do terrible damage, the thermite rockets take half a year to lock on (don't think i've ever been hit by one, ever). The quick locking missiles for the sting do less damage than light laser bolts. As for our cannons, you can either take extremely short range just so you can upgrade the damage, or take medium range and sacrifice your damage.

 

That's really not true: scouts can get absolutely DEVASTATING blaster fire, particularly the Flashfire/Sting. Blaster Overcharge and targeting telemetry (when upgraded) give some MASSIVE boosts to primary weapon damage. When that buff is active, a scout does more damage with his primary weapons than a strike EVER could.

 

Secondly, the rocket pods are ALSO very devastating when upgraded, and will tear gunships apart with ease (especially if coupled with buffer primary weapon damage), and sabotage probe is a murderous weapon in the right hand and properly upgaded. Anyone you hit with it is a sitting duck for a scout's primary weapons (which, as has been said, are awesome).

 

That said, the Novadive is not really meant to be a killing machine like the sting. It's a pure scout, which means it's advantages are sensor and scouting related,. like the sensor beacon and communications range and such. Though rocket pods gives it a NASTY anti gunship capability.

[LeonBraun]

As a scout I don't do a whole lot of damage. A good fight for me might be 10-15K damage with a few fighter kills. Our main strength is satellite capture and support. Edited December 9, 2013 by LeonBraun

[Flintfire]

Weaknesses

Scouts:

Probably lowest blaster damage of the three classes BUT with right upgrades is viable, just manage your resource pool and find your play style.

Also, as you probably know, it has the least armor, so under concentrated fire will be the first of the three ships to blow up.

 

Strike Fighters:

missiles take a longer time to lock than scout.

Also not as maneuverable or fast as scout but still a cheetah compared to a gunship.

 

Gunships:

slow! so slow you want to tear your hair out, and when a fighter or scout engage you and then shoot behind you it takes forever to turn around.

useless in a dogfight if the enemy keeps going behind you

 

Strengths

 

Scouts:

very good missile lock time

amazing speed, may not have best armor but when in a dogfight are pain in the *** to hit, so can compensate

 

Strike Fighters:

best up front blaster fire

decent defense

 

Gunships:

amazing range, and that rail gun has very good damage, and if you start out with ion rail gun you can deplete their shields, then finish em off with the plasma rail gun

best armor/shields, take a good beating

[HoboWithAStick]

That's really not true: scouts can get absolutely DEVASTATING blaster fire, particularly the Flashfire/Sting. Blaster Overcharge and targeting telemetry (when upgraded) give some MASSIVE boosts to primary weapon damage. When that buff is active, a scout does more damage with his primary weapons than a strike EVER could.

 

Secondly, the rocket pods are ALSO very devastating when upgraded, and will tear gunships apart with ease (especially if coupled with buffer primary weapon damage), and sabotage probe is a murderous weapon in the right hand and properly upgaded. Anyone you hit with it is a sitting duck for a scout's primary weapons (which, as has been said, are awesome).

 

That said, the Novadive is not really meant to be a killing machine like the sting. It's a pure scout, which means it's advantages are sensor and scouting related,. like the sensor beacon and communications range and such. Though rocket pods gives it a NASTY anti gunship capability.

 

I agree, scout damage is actually really good if done right. I'm running the sting and between the passive 8% crit chance on my blasters, HK-47 and targeting telemetry I can totally rip people apart. I do between 30-48k each game.

[Vember]

That's really not true: scouts can get absolutely DEVASTATING blaster fire, particularly the Flashfire/Sting. Blaster Overcharge and targeting telemetry (when upgraded) give some MASSIVE boosts to primary weapon damage. When that buff is active, a scout does more damage with his primary weapons than a strike EVER could.

 

 

Yes, but ONLY when those two buffs are active, so once a minute for 6 seconds, which means you also have to sacrifice booster charge which is a key function of scout survivability/maneuverability. As for the novadive/blackbolt, they have nothing hard hitting at all and are even weaker than the sting. My personal preference is the novadive/blackbolt with rocket pods, but as I said in my first post, fights with them end up being these extremely close range turning matches where neither party can hit the other. Your only choice at that point is to fly away or gain distance for head to head passes which you'll lose.

[Avanael]

If you guys use the scout like novadive, then it may be obvious that you don't do that much damage because it's more likely a scout than a "fighter" actually. But as already said, it can be viable when upgraded.

 

The FlashFire actually does huge damage, I'm 2-hitting scouts already if one critical hit appears and this without blaster overcharge

[Andryah]

the only weakness scouts have are group fights where you cant predict damage from differnt enemies, strikes are better for this

 

There is a bigger weakness IMO. A scout on the run is a player out of play. Scouts often have to run because they are easily crushed when hit. A scout relies on avoiding getting hit. So if you can make them tuck tail and run.. you have won for the moment.

 

The real trick in GS is to cause more loss of play efficiency then you are caused. Because at the end of the day.. it's about bringing as much of your team into engaging play as possible, while denying same to the opponents.

 

Your worst nightmare in GS, IMO -----> three players in scouts that really know what they are doing and play as an integral unit all the time. If you cannot separate and scatter them.. you have real problems on your hands.

Edited December 9, 2013 by Andryah

[AlrikFassbauer]

Your worst nightmare in GS, IMO -----> three players in scouts that really know what they are doing and play as an integral unit all the time. If you cannot separate and scatter them.. you have real problems on your hands.

 

This is why I fear coordination so much.

And I fear that threads about premades might come to light one day because of that as well.

 

On the other hand, that's why I *love* & completely prefer the Lowbie ground PvP : It is so much uncoordinated that it is simply fun !

 

If you want to play PvP for fun, then go into the Lowbie brackets - and don't use any form of voice chat !

Edited December 9, 2013 by AlrikFassbauer