I am debating putting them on my cutter along with the 4 and 3 slots being dedicated to gimballed beams. Thoughts?
Are missiles effective in PvP?
- Thread starter torothin69
- Start date
Situationally, they're good for knocking out weapons and drives after your opponent's shields are down. There are some useful special effects like drag munitions that will help you with time on target by slowing down your opponents. However, you're going to find that gimballed beams don't give enough damage per energy to work out unless you're going for a healing build. Consider a full multicannon loadout that takes advantage of the MC special effects.
OP, if you have a gun with the emissive special, to ensure that your targets always have a high enough heat signature to get a lock, then stacking pack hounds on your Cutter will, once shields are down, strip the guns from anything:
[video=youtube_share;njDy9ZhTFOQ]https://youtu.be/njDy9ZhTFOQ[/video]
However, be aware that:
1. Stacked pack hounds + emissive are overpowered against ships with weak base shields and no SCB's but perform poorly against ships with strong base shields and SCB's.
2. If the Beta 2.3 Hull Hardness changes go through pack hounds will do only one third damage to the hard points of the 'Big 3', diluting the effect you see above considerably.
3. Some Cmdrs who see that you have stacked pack hounds may refuse to fight you and/or perhaps even refer to you in 'disdainful' terms...
[video=youtube_share;njDy9ZhTFOQ]https://youtu.be/njDy9ZhTFOQ[/video]
However, be aware that:
1. Stacked pack hounds + emissive are overpowered against ships with weak base shields and no SCB's but perform poorly against ships with strong base shields and SCB's.
2. If the Beta 2.3 Hull Hardness changes go through pack hounds will do only one third damage to the hard points of the 'Big 3', diluting the effect you see above considerably.
3. Some Cmdrs who see that you have stacked pack hounds may refuse to fight you and/or perhaps even refer to you in 'disdainful' terms...
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Interestingly I just qualified for Packhounds this morning, and I was thinking of putting some on my FdL to see how they work. What do you advise in that case? I was thinking 4x multi's & 1x Packhound, or possibly 3x PA's & 2x Packhounds? If you spam Packhounds against someone in a heavily shielded ship, is there any value at all or are you just wasting ammo?
As far as the disdainful comments from more respectable PvPers...that's a true phenomenon for sure, and there are some people who I would never even dream of dueling with Packhounds equipped, but in those cases the duel is typically agreed upon and the duelists can nip into the station to re-outfit before going at it. But if I'm going into a CG (for instance) and there are no pre-arranged duels, as far as I'm concerned it's jungle rules. Some of the people who would scream the loudest about "cancer" are more than happy to gang bang a solo pilot with a wing and not give it a second thought, so as far as I'm concerned anything goes.
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chaff does not affect guided munitions. can't believe how many people make this mistake.
Too right mate!
Be careful with using too many missiles as explosive damage is almost useless against shields, especially resistance augmented ones.
When I tried 4 seeker missiles on a Cutter (only in PvE) it was highly effective in disabling enemy weapons after shields went down but it left me with not enough damage to bring down shields of elite Anacondas in a reasonable time.
When I tried 4 seeker missiles on a Cutter (only in PvE) it was highly effective in disabling enemy weapons after shields went down but it left me with not enough damage to bring down shields of elite Anacondas in a reasonable time.
I don't fly this grimy and I still agree with you, even being on the wrong end of weapons in this game most times. There's really only sporting rules when there's a sport and rules; everyone involved has to agree it's a sport or it doesn't qualify. I'm pretty sure many animals such as deer wouldn't consider hunting a sport with rules, for example, even though to humanity it's a time-honoured sustenance tradition going beyond history. I like your jungle take on the game as an approach more representative of the game we have at hand. I find having a game element of such amorality (in the sense of personal freedom of action we are provided in Elite) allowable at will improves the game for me without directly participating in it myself to any great degree.
I enjoy the danger it adds to my galaxy and as well, how it highlights things like the Fuel Rats as "good" because they've chosen themselves to do what they do, and not because it's a game-forced entity to be a Rat(Goodguyfaction, free limpets!) or where you'd just not have the opportunity to do anything bad in the first place. It's not being good if there are just no other options on the table.
Having large elements of ruthlessness freely available makes any positive human interaction with other pilots or groups have real meaning, as the choice is easily there to not do that at all. We're not forced to be nice nor evil to each other and we can even ignore everyone else right inside the bubble or eff off into deep space all as circumstance and desire dictate, and I like that option set as part of my game experience.
Edit below: EVE takes the ruthlessness IRL and with real monies involved; too rich for my blood at that table.
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I come from Eve Online. I know all about ruthlessness.
Typical, flares are used for a counter to heat guided munitions, but, in ED, we do not have these...
Unless heat sinks work?
Z...
Using a heat sink and/or employing silent running will reduce a ship's heat signature, meaning that seekers and pack hounds cannot lock onto it. It is actually possible to 'pulse' silent running indefinitely, with good timing, meaning that an opponent can never get a lock ... unless he has emissive, which amplifies thermal signature and ensures a lock at all times. This is why emissive is obligatory if fitting seekers.
An endgame PvP build has more or less equal resistance to all three damage types, meaning that the explosive damage type of missiles is not a handicap. It's more that they are a relatively inefficient way of delivering absolute damage (due to time without lock due to opponent moving out of fire arc, flight time, counter-measures, fuses, confusion, fuel etc their 'fer real' DPS can be much lower than 'paper' DPS) and they require inordinate amounts of synthesis to re-arm in a long duel.
See above, Jason. Pack hounds plus a ton of synth certainly can be effective.
Due to practical DPS limitations I wouldn't rely upon them as main armament against heavily shielded ships, though. Also, although they have no Draw, they run very hot if more than one are fired at once.
As ever the precise build comes down to flying style. Alexander the Grape I believe currently uses 1 x drag seeker to slow his opponents for his 4 x plasma barrage ... either of the builds you mention sounds good to me, although note the potential heat issue if using 2 x pack hounds as above.
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I don't do PvP, but i find missiles extremely effective in damaging hardpoints and thrusters.
My Python and Anaconda both run with a pair of guided missile launchers. Soon to be Packhounds, heat depending.
My Python and Anaconda both run with a pair of guided missile launchers. Soon to be Packhounds, heat depending.
I only thought I qualified for Packhounds yesterday...when I logged on last night in anticipation of buying my new toys it turned out that I missed the tick. I acrued all my merits on Wednesday evening in the belief that the PP cycle ended that night, but I guess I missed the tick because now I have to wait 4 more days
I am under the impression Missiles only target External Modules! So whilst the Drives are a prime target, the FSD is internal and under my interpretaion will not be effected by Missles.
So get the drives down, then target the weapons = sitting duck!
Pack Hounds are SOOOOO Much fun!
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I only thought I qualified for Packhounds yesterday...when I logged on last night in anticipation of buying my new toys it turned out that I missed the tick. I acrued all my merits on Wednesday evening in the belief that the PP cycle ended that night, but I guess I missed the tick because now I have to wait 4 more days
IMHO, JB, Well worth the wait
I did the same thing. LolI only thought I qualified for Packhounds yesterday...when I logged on last night in anticipation of buying my new toys it turned out that I missed the tick. I acrued all my merits on Wednesday evening in the belief that the PP cycle ended that night, but I guess I missed the tick because now I have to wait 4 more days
I was all geared up, ready to go and buy loads of Packhounds on Wednesday.
Travelled to the station, and entered outfitting.
None for sale. Tried several different stations. None.
Then finally checked my PowerPlay stats.
3 weeks and 3 days. Curse you!
With any luck, that puts me at the 4 week mark on Monday, which is my next day off anyway.
Just in case, i also earned 700 merits to last until the following tick. Lol
I am under the impression Missiles only target External Modules! So whilst the Drives are a prime target, the FSD is internal and under my interpretaion will not be effected by Missles.
So get the drives down, then target the weapons = sitting duck!
Pack Hounds are SOOOOO Much fun!
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IMHO, JB, Well worth the wait
Heheh, sounds like it! After reading what Truesilver wrote I'm thinking of just going with one rack (at first) to supplement either the 4x multi's or the 4x PA's. Can't wait to give 'em a spin. Once I have them, though, I'm not sure which PP special to go for next...
Yes, by default missiles, torpedoes and mines can damage only the hull or the hard points, utilities, drives or canopy.
However, the penetrator special permits dumbfire missiles (not seekers / pack hounds) and torpedoes to damage internal modules.