Trying it out now … gonna go back to the same CZ as before and see how it compares!
Some quick advice for an AX combat NOOB please!
- Thread starter GunnerBill
- Start date
Personally, I'd recommend the Modified Shard Cannon over the Modified Gauss Cannon (modified or otherwise) - especially if you can't get a full xeno scan.
The Grind isn't so bad - do a bit of reading, should only take an hour (maybe two) I use Synuefe GV-T b50-4 B1.
(Honestly, I think getting the Guardian Technology Components is harder than getting the Weapon Blueprint Fragments - grab em if you see em!)
As far as Xeno combat goes - watch some videos - it helped me greatly when starting out (I'm restraining from posting millions of video links and annoying everyone - but there are plenty out there) Take some notes, and test some builds!
Good Luck Cmdr @GunnerBill o7
The Grind isn't so bad - do a bit of reading, should only take an hour (maybe two) I use Synuefe GV-T b50-4 B1.
(Honestly, I think getting the Guardian Technology Components is harder than getting the Weapon Blueprint Fragments - grab em if you see em!)
As far as Xeno combat goes - watch some videos - it helped me greatly when starting out (I'm restraining from posting millions of video links and annoying everyone - but there are plenty out there) Take some notes, and test some builds!
Good Luck Cmdr @GunnerBill o7
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Hmmm … hard to say … I’ve end up in a random wing so it’s easy pickings … but when I do get caustic it definitely seems to tick down much slower.
okay … actually not sure now … on my own against 4 Scouts my hull took a real pasting. That - combined with having to power down my FSD when deploying weapons - means I’m going back to the G4 engineered ones.
On the plus side …. BASILISK DOWN!! I got a few decent shots in but most of the credit must go to the other three CMDRs I winged up with. Awesome stuff.
Yes, Scout caustic goes away easier
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The thargoid war is locked behind a grind wall, anyone that hasnt bothered to grind for the engineering/AX/Guardian tech is pretty much blocked from taking part, other than being a rescue tucker or whatever.
I'm fully expecting the Thargoids to steam roll through human space without much opposition, I doubt the small number of players that have grinded long enough to get decent enough gear will be enough to hold them back.
Most players dont grind like that, so unless FD add new weapons and shields etc. that can be purchased without grind, the ability for "casual" players to actually take part is very limited.
Only FDev could do something like this and think its ok.
No wonder the player count is so low these days.
I agree with this 100%...
to get player numbers to improve, the new content needs to be fully accessible to new (and returning) players ... and side missions like rescue attempts wont be enough.
I get that goids are supposed be end-game, but locking out new content to (dwindling) veteran players , will just lead to an initial spike of new interest, followed by an inevitable drop off, caused by players not 'feeling' part of the main action.
so, Im hoping for much better AX weapon (and defence) accessibility,... and we need it soon, before that 'spike' of interest goes.
I think it’s deliberate - we’re not meant to be able to stop them just now, just provide some futile resistance whilst the map is redrawn for a mixture of Human Controlled and Thargoid Controlled systems.
Then the fun starts … a drip, drip of improved capabilities allowing more CMDRs to get involved and for us to start to retake systems over several years.
Then the fun starts … a drip, drip of improved capabilities allowing more CMDRs to get involved and for us to start to retake systems over several years.
Sounds logical. But if it takes too long folks will lose interest and that'll be the end of it. Hard to say how this is going to play out
really just not true. All the AX guides basically assume you're hunting strong Interceptors solo, not taking on Cyclops in combat zones. That's why the tactics and piloting skills and mandatory Guardian railguns are listed. But with no Guardian gear whatsoever I have 250,000,000+ in Pilot Federation bonds from the warzone - much of it earned solo as there aren't that many Horizons CMDRs in the war. In atmospheric attack zones you can kill Cyclops interceptors with just Taipan AX fighters, they have a good ability to just keep pouring fire into the hearts.
I do have Clean Drives 3, and I'm the last to defend engineering grind, but realistically if people have any engineering at all they have probably Elvira Martuuk.
And we already have improved AX weapons coming from the CGs
I think @ChaseBears you have a good point...
I think, perhaps, minimal engineered ships can have a good/fun fight in some scenarios.
however, there's little discussion about this,
even the anti xeno website beginner builds (a common pointer), have engineering and guardian components.
or where (given U14) you might go to build up experience.
perhaps what we need is some solid examples of really minimal setups, and situations where you can give it a go... to get a feel.
Ive been doing rescue missions, and actually, this has taught me... I think the if you have the boost, you can give a try near stations.
... and if all goes wrong, just run away !
this gives a way to build up experience, without constantly facing 8m+ re-buys (even on a minimal krait!)
I just need to clarify, what I do with caustic damage, as I remember in the past this caused me a lot of grief...as I struggled to get back to a station in time.. so perhaps need to practice decontamination limits.
btw: Ive seen many stations seem to have npc's sending over repair limpits, will they also decontaminate you as well?
overall, I do think U14 already gives new xeno warriors some more options, and for sure, more weapons / defence capability are incoming soon.
I think, perhaps, minimal engineered ships can have a good/fun fight in some scenarios.
however, there's little discussion about this,
even the anti xeno website beginner builds (a common pointer), have engineering and guardian components.
or where (given U14) you might go to build up experience.
perhaps what we need is some solid examples of really minimal setups, and situations where you can give it a go... to get a feel.
Ive been doing rescue missions, and actually, this has taught me... I think the if you have the boost, you can give a try near stations.
... and if all goes wrong, just run away !
this gives a way to build up experience, without constantly facing 8m+ re-buys (even on a minimal krait!)
I just need to clarify, what I do with caustic damage, as I remember in the past this caused me a lot of grief...as I struggled to get back to a station in time.. so perhaps need to practice decontamination limits.
btw: Ive seen many stations seem to have npc's sending over repair limpits, will they also decontaminate you as well?
overall, I do think U14 already gives new xeno warriors some more options, and for sure, more weapons / defence capability are incoming soon.
Decontaminate or burn it off (i.e. overheat your ship >100%). Looks scary, but your ship will stand more than you'd think.
Edit: docking on a port will automatically decontaminate your ship
Yes.
a couple of (noob) questions
a) burning off contamination
can you do this with silent running (internal heat) , or do you need to jump to a star
b) heatsinks (and fire groups) - how do you handle?
I thought heatsinks stacked like limpets, so if you put 4 modules in one fire group e.g. on button 2, that each press would fire ONE heatsink from ONE of the modules...
so one button (on one fire group) can be used for (e.g) 4 heatsink modules, so 8 heatsinks.
but when I tired this, it seems one heatsink was fired from every heatsink module i.e. it fired all 4 heat sink modules)
so I ended up putting each heatsink in a different fire group, but find this a bit of a handful!
or, I guess could put them all in one fire group, and deactivate the modules... and activate as needed.
but thats also pretty cumbersome.
c) xeno controller vs decontaminato limit?
I guess the newer G3 xeno controller seems a better option (in similar was as multi controller is for mining) in small setups
d) xeno scanner - is this active or passive?
do I need to trig it to scan every I want to know about my target, so needs to be on a fire group.
or is it passive, so just makes the normal shield scanner show info if its present?
------
Im going to probably give this all a go tonight...
my anaconda is doing 20M rescue runs, so even if I loose a few Kraits, I can just do a run or two to recover losses
though, my basic strategy is fight until damaged, then run... rinse and repeat for experience.
I guess outside I'll try an outpost in hip 23716, hopefully that'll be suitable.
a) burning off contamination
can you do this with silent running (internal heat) , or do you need to jump to a star
b) heatsinks (and fire groups) - how do you handle?
I thought heatsinks stacked like limpets, so if you put 4 modules in one fire group e.g. on button 2, that each press would fire ONE heatsink from ONE of the modules...
so one button (on one fire group) can be used for (e.g) 4 heatsink modules, so 8 heatsinks.
but when I tired this, it seems one heatsink was fired from every heatsink module i.e. it fired all 4 heat sink modules)
so I ended up putting each heatsink in a different fire group, but find this a bit of a handful!
or, I guess could put them all in one fire group, and deactivate the modules... and activate as needed.
but thats also pretty cumbersome.
c) xeno controller vs decontaminato limit?
I guess the newer G3 xeno controller seems a better option (in similar was as multi controller is for mining) in small setups
d) xeno scanner - is this active or passive?
do I need to trig it to scan every I want to know about my target, so needs to be on a fire group.
or is it passive, so just makes the normal shield scanner show info if its present?
------
Im going to probably give this all a go tonight...
my anaconda is doing 20M rescue runs, so even if I loose a few Kraits, I can just do a run or two to recover losses
though, my basic strategy is fight until damaged, then run... rinse and repeat for experience.
I guess outside I'll try an outpost in hip 23716, hopefully that'll be suitable.
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Heat is heat - silent running will kill your shields, though. Some people manage it just by firing their weapons.
Heatsinks (like chaff - and, since U14, the shutdown pulse protector) can be assigned to dedicated buttons. Which is what I do. That fires then one sink at a time, from alternating (active) heatsinks. Having the heatsinks in a fire group should do the same, unless your fire button bounces (or some gamuing utility sends multiple pulses for each press of your fire button).
For decontamination, I use the following methods:a couple of (noob) questions
a) burning off contamination
can you do this with silent running (internal heat) , or do you need to jump to a star
b) heatsinks (and fire groups) - how do you handle?
I thought heatsinks stacked like limpets, so if you put 4 modules in one fire group e.g. on button 2, that each press would fire ONE heatsink from ONE of the modules...
so one button (on one fire group) can be used for (e.g) 4 heatsink modules, so 8 heatsinks.
but when I tired this, it seems one heatsink was fired from every heatsink module i.e. it fired all 4 heat sink modules)
so I ended up putting each heatsink in a different fire group, but find this a bit of a handful!
or, I guess could put them all in one fire group, and deactivate the modules... and activate as needed.
but thats also pretty cumbersome.
c) xeno controller vs decontaminato limit?
I guess the newer G3 xeno controller seems a better option (in similar was as multi controller is for mining) in small setups
d) xeno scanner - is this active or passive?
do I need to trig it to scan every I want to know about my target, so needs to be on a fire group.
or is it passive, so just makes the normal shield scanner show info if its present?
------
Im going to probably give this all a go tonight...
my anaconda is doing 20M rescue runs, so even if I loose a few Kraits, I can just do a run or two to recover losses
though, my basic strategy is fight until damaged, then run... rinse and repeat for experience.
I guess outside I'll try an outpost in hip 23716, hopefully that'll be suitable.
If still targets available:
- Silent running
- Fire Plasma Charger shots at the remaining targets until heat spikes to 125% (for Scout goo) or 250% (for Interceptor goo)
- Cancel Silent Running
- (Optional) Pop a heatsink (if only at 125% I often don’t bother)
If no targets available:
- Silent Running
- Repeatedly charge / cancel FSD until required heat reached
- Cancel Silent Running
- (Optional) Pop a heatsink
Now - that does take your shields down but since I switched to a shieldless build it’s really not an issue for me.
Not at all. GTCs are easily farmable from the slanting towers with three breakable panels - every tower yields at least one GTC, and respawns on relog. Just park your SRV near a couple of those towers and farm.
WBFs, on the contrary, require you to do the entire Guardian Site loop - which is definitely much, much longer than just shooting a few panels and relogging.
Are the AX fighters good vs. interceptors then? I've kept hearing the Guardian ones are worthless.
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