MILITARY INTELLIGENCE GATHERING: Thargoid combat tactics

M. Volgrand

M. Volgrand
Commanders, we are facing a whole new enemy. We still don't know how to defeat it. Place down there your hints and tricks on how to face this enemy when it turns hostile. This thread is not intended as a declaration of war, but as a way to learn how to defend ourselves.

I will keep updating the first post as you write down your observations.


1) Heat sink missiles are useless against the Thargoid Interceptor. Most will "bounce" when hitting the ship, it seems to be equipped with a very advanced form of ECM. I have estimated a 10% chances of successfully hit the thargoid ship.
2) Pulses and Beam lasers seem unefective against the drone swarm. The computer will simply aim "to the middle" of the swarm, and not against individual ships. Area effect weapons, such as explosives are very effective. https://youtu.be/Otz3DOIb8U0?t=275
3) It is possible to disband partially a swarm, but seems to regenerate with new drones very fast.
4) Despite its size, the alien interdictor is highly manoeuvrable. It is able to easily drift around our bigger ships, getting out of the firing angle of any inexperienced commander. Don get fooled by their size, they are fast and agile! https://youtu.be/Otz3DOIb8U0?t=314
5) The drones follow a very effective swarm tactic, changing formation and dodging as a single entity. I obseved this behaviour myself as I saw how the swarm did dodge my missiles. https://youtu.be/Otz3DOIb8U0?t=328
6) The enemy weapons can partially bypass our shields.
7) Focused fire of the Interdictor and the Drone Swarm wil cause heavy damage to human ships in a matter of seconds. Our best bet right now is to use fast and agile ships. https://youtu.be/Otz3DOIb8U0?t=222



I wait for your input and experience, commanders!
 

Johnny Cairns

J
Me and my wing went up against these things in 2 corvettes and a cutter and held out for around 40 mins. They deployed more swarms the longer you are engaged. With 3 swarms and the smaller of the ships engaging us we eventually had to run. Lost the cutter in the battle and the corvettes were lucky to escape at all. Our npc fighters were not affected by the thargoid pulse. As we floated adrift we could see our fighters still engaging them. I couldn't help but feel it was getting angrier as it was being damaged but with no way to tell its hard to know.

Edit: Point defences will target the drones only when they become missiles and charge at you.
 
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Hossi

Hossi
I didn't realy fight them, but I took some samples. I'd say a SLF is highly effective. The flowership chased my npc pilot long enough to apply the research limpet while completly ignoring my research conda. Didn't take a scratch.
 

Han_Zen

Han_Zen
I think numbers will significant in the begining.
In the Aegis video, five ships of different sizes fire their misiles. This takes the Thargoid ship down to 50%.
It then regenerates quite fast.

To kill one with the alpha strike, will take a lot of firepower. If those misiles reload slowly, it may be the only way.
 

Cmdr Tel

Cmdr Tel
They don't appear to like being rammed and take evasive action. No way of knowing at the moment whether it damaged them or not when I did connect.
The Thargons likewise but it did appear to thin their numbers although I couldn't tell if they turned into missiles. PD seemed to work because they spammed a lot of missiles against my hull tanked shield less FAS.
Took a lot of module damage though despite MRP's. AFMU helped a lot. Will experiment some more tonight.
 

M. Volgrand

M. Volgrand
An interesting thing I observed today is how differently they react to the thargoid probes.
[video=youtube;-bsHfgHhKMY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bsHfgHhKMY&feature=youtu.be[/video]
 

Cognitiv

C
Trojan Horse ?

Hello CMDRS,

I think we should try the Trojan Horse method.

They have great shields and they gather pods or meta alloy. Can we ask engineers to put a big bomb into a meta alloy pod or similar ? Then give it to 1 Thargoid.

Or maybe we should hit them exactly when they gather something (they might shut down the shield to let it pass).

Best regards.
 

Jaylem

Jaylem
noticed that fighters can be deployed to distract them. a good tactic for slow ships making an escape.

giving them meta alloys is also a interesting response. I gave it one and once it swallowed it, it turned hostile immediately. almost like I gave it food poisoning. :D
 

Cognitiv

C
I've been interdicted. When the thargoid came to me, I waited he ignitiate his green light (begin of EMP) and ignitiate my boost. I made my way at his right and he didnt manage to shut off my vessel.

So we can escape the thargoid's EMP by boosting at the right moment or maybe at the beginning. Don't stare at them just run for your lives.
 
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