Starguard/Rycer guns

[Altheran]

Running Interference from the Tactical slot (which you set as copilot) and then running Nadia in the Defense slot for her passive evasion buff (but not picking her as copilot).

 

Okay. I wasn't understanding it that way.

[Pilgrim_Grey]

The above combination is rather poor. Quads are ineffective at close range and in this build you will constantly be out of weapon power due to the high drain of both weapons. So when you get to your kill shot, you'll be scrambling for power.

 

I use that combo and I don't have power issues. I don't really spray and pray either, of course. I like the combo, actually, because I don't like Heavies when I'm turning... they're good for long range shooting and I don't like them as much for a turning fight around a satellite.

 

Now if we had light laser cannons (what a concept that would be, as an option with heavies!), I would argue more against using quads and argue for LLC. But rapids aren't all that great period, even if you get in a hit or two more than you would with quads. And really, I get plenty of hits up close with quads... when I'm missing, most lasers miss because of how close the target is or how we're turning. Burst is about the only laser that gets crazy good in situations like that.

 

Basically, it's about options. Heavies aren't as good in a turning fight, ions have far too short a range for a strike and for what they do, and rapids do terrible damage. Quads with Heavies makes the most sense to me, but YMMV. Energy usage shouldn't be a YMMV, though.

 

I may try rapids when I get the req to give them a go, but I tried for awhile with my Starguard and hated them... there was a pretty big difference for me when I switched to quads even before I switched. But that may be playstyle more than anything--I like my targets in the 4-7k m range.

[Yndras]

 

If you have to kill with rapids, of course you can- and the fact is, this is becoming the dominant build that I'm seeing (heavies/rapids). But I'm trying to figure out if that's some local meta call, or if that really is the generally strongest type 1 strike build.

 

The majority of my kills are from RFL. Out of the available options, these options provides more flexibility and damage at all ranges. If you only want to be effective at a certain range then that's fine, personally I cant stand a ship where im bound to one type of lasers.

 

Brief story: While the rapid fire laser does have an extra 4 degrees to its firing arc, the light laser firing arc is quite large enough. While rapids have a -0.8 tracking penalty, and lights have a -1 tracking penalty, the lights have 5% more base accuracy at all ranges but close- meaning that at most ranges and angles, lights will be way more dps, given that they start with 13% more at the only range where they have similar accuracy, and falling down to 7% more at the ranges where the lights have the 5% base accuracy advantage.

 

So no, RFL is worse than LLC at angles, because:

At very close range, the damage is much worse. At moderate ranges, the damage delta shrinks, but an accuracy delta is injected. The tracking penalty never helps RFL over LLC.

 

Although I do not agree with all of the above, i'm not going to argue the matter. Purely because we are talking about type one strike fighter weapons and the light laser cannons are not an option so the argument is moot.. Given the option for a new laser type for the type one strike, LLC would not be my preference. I would take burst laser cannons.

 

Interesting. You're the first to ever say something for this build, or to run double shield damage lasers. I assume you simply have to ignore armored targets etc. I will try this out at some point.

 

When given a choice between hull and shield damage, with out native shield piercing, which neither of these weapons have, you waste the +damage as you have to lower the shields first. Against charged plating, shields count for much of the negation to your weapons. You have to be patient and watch for the charged plating to expire before finishing them off, but you can "tap" them to keep recycling the shield regen.

 

Armoured targets don't really matter when your firing Gatling gun speed rounds into them. the extra absorb is negated by the two extra shots you get in.

Edited May 8, 2014 by Yndras

[Sidenti]

Pft. I don't need firepower

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[Ramalina]

HLCs and Quads.

 

Ions are pretty strong at close range when paired with upgraded cluster missiles.

 

I don't favor the rapids because they suffer if you can't stick with the target to keep pelting them with shots, and strikes are in a, "speed or turning, pick only one," situation so you can't reliably do that the way you can with a scout.

 

Quads are actually better than rapids if your distance is varying from short to medium which is what often happens for a strike.

 

I do like light lasers on my Clarion, and would probably drop quads for them if they were available, though that would require changes in flying style to exploit, and I might wind up just switching back to quads eventually. Hard to say without trying it.

 

 

 

Missile wise it really changes with mood. At one point I was doing lots of medium to close range work and preferred clusters for the super rapid lock times. These days I run concussions and start locking them at about the same time I open up with HLCs with range capacitor. I might consider switching to p-torp though. I've gotten very used to landing kills with them on my Pike and Clarion, and now I sort of miss them if they're not equipped.

[SammyGStatus]

HLCs and Quads.

 

This + Concs + CF = ZOMG DEADLY. Heavies for turrets and bombers (dunno about gunships cuz I just kill em with quads pretty quick) and Quads for everything else that doesn't have armor or when you have DF up. Ramalina = Correct!!!

[mr_sim]

This + Concs + CF = ZOMG DEADLY. Heavies for turrets and bombers (dunno about gunships cuz I just kill em with quads pretty quick) and Quads for everything else that doesn't have armor or when you have DF up. Ramalina = Correct!!!

 

HLC is my pick for GS kills, I never match HLC with QLC.