AX Combat Zones - possible to 'win'?

[GreyAreaUK]

For a large part of today I've been mucking around in an AX Combat Zone. Great fun, not very lucrative but good for the combat ranking. My non-AX Krait II performed admirably, despite being melted a couple of times (important lesson: do not fly through the exploded Thargoid ship debris!)

However, despite there being a progress bar for 'Defeat the Thargoid Incursion' (or whatever it says), when it's filled nothing seems to change. Does it serve any purpose?

 

[Armyofducks]

Same as the standard CZ. After the first wave is complete you should get more scouts + a Cyclops or two. Don't know about after the 2nd wave. I beat a tactical retreat for tea and medals

 

[GreyAreaUK]

Ah right, thanks. Yes a couple of times we got visited by the Big Yins, and yes I took that as my cue to leave

Must say, the AX zones make a nice change to the usual CZs and Res sites. Quite a bit more intense, and having to regularly pause to de-melt your ship adds an interesting aspect to it.

 

[Armyofducks]

I'd assume the longer it goes on the more of the harder variety turn up ending with a medusa or 3

 

[Stigbob]

Its possible in a wing, I've never managed it solo. Popping off scouts then one interceptor (if I'm lucky) and legging it is about my limit.

I did win one once but that was by dropping in as a player wing was departing who'd already taken the interceptors to pieces and were finishing up scooping hearts. There were only scouts left, I barely fired a shot and got full payout.

 

[GreyAreaUK]

Seems to be a bit inconsistent. Fairly sure I’ve had the bar filled on multiple occasions, but not all of them resulted in the beastie boys turning up. Odd, but ho hum...not like I could take one on yet anyway.

 

[Lightspeed]

After the first wave of Scouts have been dealt with, you usually see a bonus payment of 100,000 cr.

After that, the big Jellies are sometimes a no-show. Which is good news, because you get unlimited scouts coming at you until either you run out of ammo, or your trigger finger gets tired and its time for tea.

I've seen two bars (ie two CZs) simultaneously, one of which appeared to fill but never completed. Someone else reported having four bars at one time. They may be bugged (ahem) but it works out well, you just get more chance at honing your skills and ranking upward.

 

[GreyAreaUK]

After the first wave of Scouts have been dealt with, you usually see a bonus payment of 100,000 cr.

After that, the big Jellies are sometimes a no-show. Which is good news, because you get unlimited scouts coming at you until either you run out of ammo, or your trigger finger gets tired and its time for tea.

I've seen two bars (ie two CZs) simultaneously, one of which appeared to fill but never completed. Someone else reported having four bars at one time. They may be bugged (ahem) but it works out well, you just get more chance at honing your skills and ranking upward.

Ah, I was wondering why I occasionally got a mysterious 100,000Cr bonus. Thanks. And yes, I had three bars at one point so something’s a bit hinky.

 

[Dillon Fallon]

From what I've heard, the efficient thing to do is bug out as soon as you see the 100,000 credit reward, assuming you're looking to push the Thargoids out of the system. A kill is a kill in game terms apparently, so being able to concentrate on scouts means more kills leading to booting the Thargoids out of the system quicker.

That said, if you're there specifically to go for the big boys (girls? hermaphrodites?), you go kick bottom.

 

[ZAKALWEINC8876]

It often works to jump into supercruise if for instance, two Basillisks show up after the 100k bonus.
Often, but not always, if you jump straight back in the AXCZ it resets and gives the infinite sprouts.
The best i have done solo is two cyclops’ and a load of sprouts, the bar at the top was a long way off full!
I dont think it gives any bonus after the 100k when it is shooting fish in a barell time, had the bar full lots of times then, but no finish bonus.

o7

 

[PhanttoM]

The furthest I've gotten doing it solo was a full bar which ended with a single Hydra jumping in, along with an objective to destroy it.

I can take on a Cyclops or a Basilisk in my AX Clipper, but not a Medusa and up — so I promptly ran.