Need some tips on fighting the swarm

cmdrGVO

C
Good evening Cmdr's

I outfitted my Cutter to be able to fight Interceptors but are struggling with the swarm.
I have a fully engineered ship with AX weapons, flak etc. Followed all the good advices on this forum and watched a lot of videos.
in 6-7 attempts/fights, I managed to kill 1 heart before I had to bail. I would say I know how to fight, never had any problems before in smaller ships vs bigger.

Here is what happens:
1: I scan the interceptor
2: Attack and fly away to deal with the swarm.
3. Kill most of them and turn my attention towards the Interceptor.
4: Start attacking the heart
5: at some point the swarm is too big, so I have to turn my attention to them again.
6: kill some and back to the interceptor again. Have to get the heart out again.
7: Start attacking the heart and the story starts over
etc ec etc

Its really frustrating. Is it a normal long learning curve to kill them?

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks o7

My loadout:
4A Multi
2 x 3C AX Multi
2 x 2B AX Missile rack
2 x 2B Remote release flak launcher
6 x shield boosters
A lot of module and hull reinforcement packages.
 
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CmdrZaratan

C
Kill the whole swarm. Then you can see when it respawns.

The swarm respawns on a 7 minute timer. If you don't destroy a heart in that 7 minutes, the Thargoid enters beserk mode and keeps launching swarms each time the old one dies. Beserk mode ends when you kill a heart.

Swarms are easy to kill if you stop and let them fly at you. If you launch a fighter, swarms become much harder to hit because they follow the fighter.

That's pretty much all you need to know about dealing with swarms :) There is a fair learning curve to beating Interceptors, but it gets easy with practice after you master the basics.
 

ilo

ilo
In multicrew if you have a good pilot friend you can get him to distract the swarm in a fighter. Just make it loop around 7km from the thargoid. If he goes too far the swarm will come back to its mama, if done correctly the swarm will not be a problem for the cutter and the fighter won't die.
 

Urazz

U
From what I've seen in videos of people fighting Thargoids solo, most people just boost away from the Interceptor after they get a heart down quickly and then boost away and then reverse ski to get an easier shot on the thargons since they are trying to catch up.
 

cmdrGVO

C
Had a couple of tries again. What I noticed is, that even before the 7 mins, the swarm will get back to full numbers if you don't kill all of them. Do anyone know how long time you have?
Decided to only focus on training to finish the swarm.
Seems like I could use the Remote Release Flechette Launcher, to know when to detonate especially in long range.

I wonder if it's easier in a Python? More agile and smaller target.

Edit: how many of you play with mouse? Is it easier to hit with a non gimballed weapon using mouse?
 
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Urazz

U
cmdrGVO said:
Hell yes, first one down :)
More to follow
Click to expand...

Gratz. Got my first Cyclops down as well not too long ago today as well after 2 attempts. I went with a FDL with it's high mobility. Makes getting distance from the Cyclops more easier when trying to focus down the Thargon swarm.
 

BDelacroix

BDelacroix
cmdrGVO said:
Good evening Cmdr's

I outfitted my Cutter to be able to fight Interceptors but are struggling with the swarm.
I have a fully engineered ship with AX weapons, flak etc. Followed all the good advices on this forum and watched a lot of videos.
in 6-7 attempts/fights, I managed to kill 1 heart before I had to bail. I would say I know how to fight, never had any problems before in smaller ships vs bigger.

Here is what happens:
1: I scan the interceptor
2: Attack and fly away to deal with the swarm.
3. Kill most of them and turn my attention towards the Interceptor.
4: Start attacking the heart
5: at some point the swarm is too big, so I have to turn my attention to them again.
6: kill some and back to the interceptor again. Have to get the heart out again.
7: Start attacking the heart and the story starts over
etc ec etc

Its really frustrating. Is it a normal long learning curve to kill them?

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks o7

My loadout:
4A Multi
2 x 3C AX Multi
2 x 2B AX Missile rack
2 x 2B Remote release flak launcher
6 x shield boosters
A lot of module and hull reinforcement packages.
Click to expand...

How do you have 6 anti alien weapons? Or do the flak launchers not count as such?
 

BDelacroix

BDelacroix
So is failing to have these flak guns to get rid of the swarms the reason you get a 25% schwack on the hull in one pass or is that due to needing to buy the insanely priced special bulkheads?

EDIT: TO clarify, I wasn't near the basilisk when the 25% hit came. I was examining the behavior of the swarm from several K away. Realized nothing I had hurt them and then when they arrived I was 25% less hull. The basilisk, of course, was upset from my first punch using guardian weapons as I zipped past.
 
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cmdrGVO

C
BDelacroix said:
So is failing to have these flak guns to get rid of the swarms the reason you get a 25% schwack on the hull in one pass or is that due to needing to buy the insanely priced special bulkheads?

EDIT: TO clarify, I wasn't near the basilisk when the 25% hit came. I was examining the behavior of the swarm from several K away. Realized nothing I had hurt them and then when they arrived I was 25% less hull. The basilisk, of course, was upset from my first punch using guardian weapons as I zipped past.
Click to expand...

Armor and reinforced modules is key. You almost certainly will take a lot of damage during the fight. But with upgrades, modules and engineering, you can keep it low. Most fights now (with an interceptor), I leave with 65-75% hull left.
Thing is, I still can't hit anything with those damn flaks, so I do my best to turn around the incoming missiles from the swarm.
 
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Deleted member 103587

D
Seems to me that there are 3 options to deal with the Thargon Swarms, and only ONE of those options is semi-acceptable.

1) Use fighter as decoy. All fighters cannot hit the Thargons, this includes the AX fighter. I for one am discouraged that my fighter is solely a decoy when fighting Thargoids, and is a total non-existent daka-daka on these swarms. *Feels Usesless

2) Sacrifice your shield/ hull to "splat" the Thargon swarms. This typically can only be done in F/A off, as the swarm typically moves to avoid. This only destroys up to 8 Thargons at a time. *Feels Stupid

3) Remote Release flack cannon. (Currently the only best option) This typically involves a "kiting" technique (boost away from swarm, F/A off flip, maintain reverse trajectory, fire away). *Feels As Awesome as Heavy Reliance of RNGesus

I truly am disappointed at these options. I feel FDEV haven't thought any of this through.
*To be clear, ***IMO*** I feel FDEV rarely think anything fully through before implementing it into the game.

While the Thargoids are almost to Sol, today's CGs are for building a new Prison colony?!
I'd be out there retaliating against this Obvious Thargoid INVASION, but Thargons exist, and I do not like seeing the Rebuy screen.
My favorite part of the game is flying a MC fighter (Tai Pan Rogue F), but not many people open MC sessions.
* I'm wary of opening my own MC session for this task, as I understand random CMDRs will have just as bad luck (or worse) being effective in a fighter as I am.
I'd fly a wing, but rarely find CMDRs other than at non-relevant CG star systems, and from my list of hundreds of friends rarely do I see anyone doing the same, or even logged in anymore.

I feel we (humans) would be more inclined to deal with the Thargoid invasion if only FDEV hadn't introduced the Thargons.

EITHER REMOVE THARGON SWARMS OR GIVE US AN ACCEPTABLE METHOD OF DEALING WITH THEM!

"BUT BUT BUT...THERE'S MORE UPDATES COMING, SCOOBS" I hear people say.
Yeah, more bugs to be had without correction. Woopie.

#FdevFixYourSssh
(or)
#SellEliteDangerous2AGoodDeveloper
 
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El Guido

El Guido
Well. I've given and gone off to do something else. I can take down a cyclops in about 3 minutes by completely ignoring the swarm and still come out with 70% hull. But I realised to go to tougher interceptors, I would have to hone my technique. Since, get close and blast away with guardian shard cannons is not really technique.
So I outfitted my FDL for swarm fighting only and found to my distress, that in reverski, FA off I cannot hit a barn door with a shovel, let alone a swarm with a flak cannon. I have watched the Gluttony Fang videos and tried the aim half way between reticule and swarm trick, but I can't keep the head steady.
If I switch FA on in order to steady for the shot, the swarm catches up with me.
Ah well.... Back to mining and waiting for fleet carriers.
 

Dr. Nagi

Dr. Nagi
El Guido said:
Well. I've given and gone off to do something else. I can take down a cyclops in about 3 minutes by completely ignoring the swarm and still come out with 70% hull. But I realised to go to tougher interceptors, I would have to hone my technique. Since, get close and blast away with guardian shard cannons is not really technique.
So I outfitted my FDL for swarm fighting only and found to my distress, that in reverski, FA off I cannot hit a barn door with a shovel, let alone a swarm with a flak cannon. I have watched the Gluttony Fang videos and tried the aim half way between reticule and swarm trick, but I can't keep the head steady.
If I switch FA on in order to steady for the shot, the swarm catches up with me.
Ah well.... Back to mining and waiting for fleet carriers.
Click to expand...
Maybe it's your control settings?
What are you playing with?
 

ZAKALWEINC8876

ZAKALWEINC8876
El Guido said:
Well. I've given and gone off to do something else. I can take down a cyclops in about 3 minutes by completely ignoring the swarm and still come out with 70% hull. But I realised to go to tougher interceptors, I would have to hone my technique. Since, get close and blast away with guardian shard cannons is not really technique.
So I outfitted my FDL for swarm fighting only and found to my distress, that in reverski, FA off I cannot hit a barn door with a shovel, let alone a swarm with a flak cannon. I have watched the Gluttony Fang videos and tried the aim half way between reticule and swarm trick, but I can't keep the head steady.
If I switch FA on in order to steady for the shot, the swarm catches up with me.
Ah well.... Back to mining and waiting for fleet carriers.
Click to expand...
Stick at it and you will get there. It took me plenty of practice to be able to deal with even a Cyclops 32 swarm, but it is doable. Though a Medusa/Hydra swarm is no joke it has to be said!

o7
 
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