Am I the only CMDR that kites the big targets?

[Ahriakin]

I've read so many posts on taking on the Elite 'Condas that describe getting in close, staying on it's 6, popping shield cells and chaff etc. But personally I find it easier to just kite them - I'm guessing it is kinda odd since I had a CMDR help out at a nav beacon earlier when he thought I was in trouble since I was in reverse, implying it's not seen/done often.

Different loadouts would handle this differently but currently In a Viper, well equipped: 'A' shields/power/thrusters, 'D' fixed Beams and gimballed cannons.
- First run past do as much damage to his shields as possible then roll under and into reverse, pop chaff as you get reverse speed up (if you didn't use FA-OFF as you rolled)
- Get to approx 2k and match speed to maintain distance, using lateral thrust will help avoid any kinetics aswell. The target will keep turning to get you head on so it won't affect distance.
- 2 pips to shields, 4 to weapons, target the power center since it can still be hit while the 'Conda is nose towards you and just pick away at it. The target will be too far for effective kinetic hits, well depending on what you have equipped for cannons anyway so beams it is.
- If your shields are dropping then pop chaff, put a 3rd pip into SYS temporarily and increase reverse to move out of the turret effective range.

Probably not the fastest or most exciting way to finish them off (Takes approx. 10 mins.) but using this method I've never taken hull damage or had to use a shield cell.

 

[Zeeman]

That's how I used to play Elite on my Atari ST.

Take aim, fire, and when they got too close, fire a retro rocket.

I find a good dogfight more fun, though...

Z...

 

[Ahriakin]

I agree on the dogfighting (I'm primarily a bounty hunter with about 1200 kills at the moment) but NPC Anaconda's don't really fall into that bracket for me. Since hitting it is not an issue it's really about dodging it's fire, which being primarily turret/gimbal based means the AI is simply calculating hit and miss against you regardless of how you maneuvre. Anyway it's a relatively easy $160k

 

[Derath]

yeah I called this the cheesy method of killing condas lol, did this in the asp with 6x multis it was flawless!... but cheap lol

 

[Vagabond]

Hmm. 10 mins sounds a little long to down a Conda in a Viper. Keeping a 2k distance significantly reduces beam effect. Staying on their tail, close, and below turret guarantees a relentless pummelling of their rear-end (oh dear).

Having said that, each to their own. Variety being the spice of life and all that...

 

[Evil]

I've read so many posts on taking on the Elite 'Condas that describe getting in close, staying on it's 6, popping shield cells and chaff etc. But personally I find it easier to just kite them - I'm guessing it is kinda odd since I had a CMDR help out at a nav beacon earlier when he thought I was in trouble since I was in reverse, implying it's not seen/done often.

Different loadouts would handle this differently but currently In a Viper, well equipped: 'A' shields/power/thrusters, 'D' fixed Beams and gimballed cannons.
- First run past do as much damage to his shields as possible then roll under and into reverse, pop chaff as you get reverse speed up (if you didn't use FA-OFF as you rolled)
- Get to approx 2k and match speed to maintain distance, using lateral thrust will help avoid any kinetics aswell. The target will keep turning to get you head on so it won't affect distance.
- 2 pips to shields, 4 to weapons, target the power center since it can still be hit while the 'Conda is nose towards you and just pick away at it. The target will be too far for effective kinetic hits, well depending on what you have equipped for cannons anyway so beams it is.
- If your shields are dropping then pop chaff, put a 3rd pip into SYS temporarily and increase reverse to move out of the turret effective range.

Probably not the fastest or most exciting way to finish them off (Takes approx. 10 mins.) but using this method I've never taken hull damage or had to use a shield cell.

Nothing wrong with this, and its great that elite supports many different styles, if you think about it you will be an ideal wing member, you have one player doing the close in work and 3 other players doing what you do !

 

[tagos]

I've read so many posts on taking on the Elite 'Condas that describe getting in close, staying on it's 6, popping shield cells and chaff etc. But personally I find it easier to just kite them - I'm guessing it is kinda odd since I had a CMDR help out at a nav beacon earlier when he thought I was in trouble since I was in reverse, implying it's not seen/done often.

Different loadouts would handle this differently but currently In a Viper, well equipped: 'A' shields/power/thrusters, 'D' fixed Beams and gimballed cannons.
- First run past do as much damage to his shields as possible then roll under and into reverse, pop chaff as you get reverse speed up (if you didn't use FA-OFF as you rolled)
- Get to approx 2k and match speed to maintain distance, using lateral thrust will help avoid any kinetics aswell. The target will keep turning to get you head on so it won't affect distance.
- 2 pips to shields, 4 to weapons, target the power center since it can still be hit while the 'Conda is nose towards you and just pick away at it. The target will be too far for effective kinetic hits, well depending on what you have equipped for cannons anyway so beams it is.
- If your shields are dropping then pop chaff, put a 3rd pip into SYS temporarily and increase reverse to move out of the turret effective range.

Probably not the fastest or most exciting way to finish them off (Takes approx. 10 mins.) but using this method I've never taken hull damage or had to use a shield cell.

Look.

Pro-tip.

The correct way to handle these situations is to start lobbying the devs to make things easier for you. The last thing this game needs is people like you thinking about and experimenting with different tactics to find ways to overcome obstacles.

now go away and think about what it is you've done. ;-)

(+rep)

 

[mdlman]

I used to get fancy. Reverse, rolls, etcetera and so forth. Now I just stay behind (like you said) and just above at about 400 m and burn his shields down. Then vertical thrust down as I switch to (gimbaled) multi cannons to hit the power plant.

I do this with chaff but without shield cells. I find the power better used on my (fixed) beam lasers. Anaconda goes down fast, very rarely even gets a shield recharge.

Flicking FA off/on and doing quick transitions from forward to reverse and back seems like enough to stay in the blind spot. It's really worth losing a couple vipers to get the tactic down, IMO.

Edit: do what works for you, of course. If you prefer kiting, do so.

 

[thorn-]

I've seen this "kiting" term alot, but didn't know it was referring to this sort of "reverse thrust and shoot from 2KM" technique.

If all you want to do is kill an NPC, then I guess it's a fine enough way to do things. But against a skilled human target, I think that's going to get you killed. I fight NPC Pythons and Anacondas just like I would a human. I get in close, and try to stay on their back at 500-800 meters. Have definitely used chaff and cells to do it, but have never been killed by one. Not that I've never died in combat, but half of those deaths were due to head-on collisions that I was too stupid to avoid sooner.

Since you get far more chances to practice combat against an NPC, I'd suggest people use those opportunities to learn to actually dogfight, so that you'll be more prepared when you have to deal with a human.

 

[Starbuckz]

I've tried what you described a couple of times but it just takes too long. I prefer a quicker approach but yours totally works and is very secure.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOw_Kv8fb6A

 

[A Titan]

If I know I am hunting Conda's in my ASP will make sure to have 4 dumb fire racks in my small hard points. First burn shields down with my C2 fixed beams from about 1.5 to 2 km and then move in closer firing chaff and burn down quick with dumb fire missiles.

 

[Zeeman]

Always good to see a variety of styles and methods.

I like using cannons myself. For no other reason that it reminds me of the Base Stars taking on the Galactica in the new version of Battlestar Galactica.

Z...

 

[Cowboy Bats]

What I miss the most about the original game is the rear guns. Now that was kiting.

 

[Morbad]

Probably not the fastest or most exciting way to finish them off (Takes approx. 10 mins.) but using this method I've never taken hull damage or had to use a shield cell.

And when you get better at getting in close and using maneuver rather than kiting to avoid damage, you won't take hull damage or have to use shield cells or SCBs either, and you will cut your time to kill by 50-90%.

 

[Rikk]

I've seen this "kiting" term alot, but didn't know it was referring to this sort of "reverse thrust and shoot from 2KM" technique.

If all you want to do is kill an NPC, then I guess it's a fine enough way to do things. But against a skilled human target, I think that's going to get you killed. I fight NPC Pythons and Anacondas just like I would a human. I get in close, and try to stay on their back at 500-800 meters. Have definitely used chaff and cells to do it, but have never been killed by one. Not that I've never died in combat, but half of those deaths were due to head-on collisions that I was too stupid to avoid sooner.

Since you get far more chances to practice combat against an NPC, I'd suggest people use those opportunities to learn to actually dogfight, so that you'll be more prepared when you have to deal with a human.

Kiting basically means staying out of the targets effective range while still keeping your DPS, albeit lower, on him.

Essentially your tank is his inability to hit you, or indeed close distance on you.

 

[Darkwolf]

This is what I usually wind out doing when I run out of shield cells. Last 'conda I took out, I rushed him and blew out his drives. Then, when I was out of shield cells, I just followed alongside his out-of-control spinning hull plinking him at 2.6km with beams until I eventually cut through the hull (couldn't hit the powerplant because he was rolling rapidly while also moving 160m/s out of control).

It took ages, but he couldn't fire back.

 

[Hell Razor5543]

I have found that, once you have taken out his shields (and that you have targeted the power plant) there is a large port on the underside, in the main engine housing. If you can get into the position whereby the PP targeting is lined up on that port, open fire and watch the power plant percentage drop so fast it hits the gutter and keeps going down. My Asp has 6 gimballed beam lasers and no kinetic weapons.

 

[Darkwolf]

I have found that, once you have taken out his shields (and that you have targeted the power plant) there is a large port on the underside, in the main engine housing. If you can get into the position whereby the PP targeting is lined up on that port, open fire and watch the power plant percentage drop so fast it hits the gutter and keeps going down.

Yes, that's where it is. But it's a bit hard to hit that when they're rolling at about 60 rpm and flying sideways at 160m/s out of control, while you're 2.6km away

 

[Hell Razor5543]

I don't let them get that far away if I can avoid it, as (if they have very heavy weaponry) I do not want them to be able to get main weapons lock on me. My Asp also has an A5 shields and thrusters, so I can take a bit of a battering and stay in close.