Tips on conflict zone missions?

[Olymp]

Hello Commanders,

Can I get any tips on massacre missions? I grabbed a mission for 20k credits to sink 2 ships of enemy faction. Mission rank and reward was adequate to my experience. I went to 3 different conflict zones and was instantly wiped by superior ships after I tried myself with the weakest one. Is there a trick to those missions? Why even offer them if it's pretty much impossible? I doubt I would be able to finish them even if I grabbed a friend with me.

 

[ForeverN00b]

Stick to the edge of the CZ. Since you only need 2 kills, sit and watch the action before declaring a side. Once you see a ship from the would-be enemy faction engaged with other opponents, declare a side and get in a few licks to claim the credit.

Make sure to stay with your friendly NPCs, it is easy to get focused in on a target and wind up alone and outnumbered in a CZ. Don't forget, if things get too bad you can always flee, jump into SC, and go back to the CZ when your shields are full.

Edit: What ship are you flying, OP? Is it upgraded? CZ missions can be very difficult for newer players or players with little money.

 

[JacoTheBad]

Don't choose a side right away. When you drop into the instance, boost away from the furball until all ships are loaded but out of sensor range. Then choose a side and make your way back; note clusters of more green then red, & engage those reds that have more of your side around them, and try to avoide finding yourself alone with too many enemies.

You can write a book about these things, and combat strategy... This is just one quick tip that can make a sizable difference.

If you find yourself heavily outnumbered & outgunned, and/or have drifted too far away from your pack, be ready to run at a moments notice. Have an escape route out (having a key bound to select next jump coordinates helps with this).

 

[Arry]

Combat Zones are not good places for the new guys. At the same time, we all have to start somewhere and at sometime and taking missions to kill a low number is a good start. You didn't have a choice about which side you had to kill, but as stated above; you don't just dive straight in and select a side. I will hover at the edges and scan every ship I can, before hitting that 'choose faction' button; that way I can see, not only what I am up against, but how much damage they have. Now the naughty bit: They call it farming; where you watch an enemy ship, being taken down and join in at the last few hit points; but be aware, as soon as you start to 'join the fight', the NPCs have a tendency to forget who they were fighting and attack you. Which comes to the second point or tip, of CZs: Knowing when to run. Don't be greedy, if things are going bad, or you are taking a lot of hits, it is time to leave and so one of the first things to do, upon entering the combat zone, is to set up your exit strategy. Even if that means, you are only taking down one ship at a time, running back for repairs and coming back, again and again.

 

[Olymp]

Thanks for the tips. I will experiment on my next flight into conflict zones.

Stick to the edge of the CZ. Since you only need 2 kills, sit and watch the action before declaring a side.

In all zones ships were really passive. I actually stayed for like 10 minutes in 3rd conflict zone waiting for them(target faction vs federation) to engage with each other, but no dice. Unlucky?

What ship are you flying, OP? Is it upgraded?

I am new player so Sidewinder for now. It's upgraded a bit. I didn't want to go overboard with stuff. Trying to gather creds for sexy Cobra. I didn't have problems defeating single elite eagles with it.

CZ missions can be very difficult for newer players or players with little money.

Risk/reward is a bit inadequate in that case.

If you find yourself heavily outnumbered & outgunned, and/or have drifted too far away from your pack, be ready to run at a moments notice

I didn't even have a chance to blink. They were always flying in wings. Damn anacondas and cobras with their superior fire power.

 

[ForeverN00b]

Risk/reward is a bit inadequate in that case.

You get more than just the mission payout, you also get a sum for each ship destroyed. After you kill the 2 targets, make sure you go to "contacts" at the space station and turn in your combat bond vouchers. Each ship has a fixed value associated with it. This, plus the mission value, makes a little more sense.

 

[Arry]

You get more than just the mission payout, you also get a sum for each ship destroyed. After you kill the 2 targets, make sure you go to "contacts" at the space station and turn in your combat bond vouchers. Each ship has a fixed value associated with it. This, plus the mission value, makes a little more sense.

Also, the more you do, the better the pay outs. Faction and local reputation, will improve the pay outs as well.

 

[Olymp]

You get more than just the mission payout, you also get a sum for each ship destroyed. After you kill the 2 targets, make sure you go to "contacts" at the space station and turn in your combat bond vouchers. Each ship has a fixed value associated with it. This, plus the mission value, makes a little more sense.

Oh I didn't know that. Thanks.

 

[Codger]

Use your functions panel to declare a side, by the way. In case you weren't.

 

[Connolly91]

I'm combat ranked Elite but I wouldn't run a sidewinder in a conflict zone, OP. Much less, one that isn't upgraded or engineered to any capacity.

But I would reiterate the advice that's been given so far.

1) As soon as you drop out of supercruise, boost, boost and flip so you're facing the centre of the conflict zone, but far away enough not to attract attention.

2) Use the right functions tab to select a side in the conflict. Obviously, the opposite side to the ships that you're tasked with destroying.

3) Now that roughly half the ships should be green, find the biggest meanest green ship you can (Anaconda/Cutter/Corvette) and stick to it like white on rice. Engage its targets and don't stray too far from it.

4) Eventually, you and your improvised wingman will kill enough enemies that the remainder of the greens will steamroll the rest of the targets.