What kind of weapons do the CZ Spec Ops ships use?

[CMDR Woland92]

I just got swarmed by the full spec ops wing in a CZ. I didn’t stick around for long. They burned through my ~1.5K MJ shields in about 10 seconds. It also looked like they were using some kind of modified beam laser or experimental effect.

Has anyone else noticed this? What weapons and/or effects are they using?

 

[Vasious]

Someone more knowledgable than I will no doubt answer more completely but I have seen
Imperial Hammer Rail Guns
Phasing Sequence Pulse lasers
Corrosive Shell Multicannons

Not sure the experimental on the Beam, the colour should give it away since each experimental gives a different weapon colour... I believe

 

[Jmanis]

They also use enzyme missiles.

 

[Dirtbird]

Phasing sequence beam lasers.

 

[ebbrell]

They also use enzyme missiles.

I'm not sure they do, I have been in many many CZs recently and have killed many spec ops. I haven't been hit with these type of missiles.

I could be wrong, but I haven't been hit with any of those

And yeah, it can get manic with 4 spec ops and a corvette hitting you.

 

[Marra Morgan]

They also use enzyme missiles.

Yep. Narsty stuff!

 

[Stigbob]

Good fun isn't it.

 

[Vasious]

I'm not sure they do, I have been in many many CZs recently and have killed many spec ops. I haven't been hit with these type of missiles.

I could be wrong, but I haven't been hit with any of those

And yeah, it can get manic with 4 spec ops and a corvette hitting you.

Definitely do, can check the sub targets, was just in a CZ and the Allied Spec Ops where using them

 

[B1rdy]

I just got swarmed by the full spec ops wing in a CZ. I didn’t stick around for long. They burned through my ~1.5K MJ shields in about 10 seconds. It also looked like they were using some kind of modified beam laser or experimental effect.

Has anyone else noticed this? What weapons and/or effects are they using?

They have engineered weapons, yes. What are your shield resistances?

 

[Starman 1966]

I can confirm phasing sequence beams as those of wing assassination vessels. And it's my gut feeling that these Vultures have some class 3 rail guns. Would be nice being able to try these as a human CMDR as well.

 

[Jmanis]

I'm not sure they do, I have been in many many CZs recently and have killed many spec ops. I haven't been hit with these type of missiles.

I could be wrong, but I haven't been hit with any of those

And yeah, it can get manic with 4 spec ops and a corvette hitting you.

Definitely do, can check the sub targets, was just in a CZ and the Allied Spec Ops where using them

You can also see enzyme missiles in the Contacts panel... the amount of time the "Target Hostile" key has targeted an enzyme missile flying around.

I've been hit by them, and I've also dogpiled enemies hit by them.

Spec Ops they don't always have them, I actually find they happen more in the high-CZs... could be coincidence though.

 

[CMDR Woland92]

I’m actually in the process of flying my cutter to 50 different stations to unlock Lei Cheung, so I haven’t engineered my shields yet. I just have max rated shields and shield boosters. So I guess I have the default resistances?

The beam lasers look dark red/orange. they stand out when you see them from a distance in a CZ and they absolutely melted me.

I have G5 rapid fire pulse lasers with phasing sequence and G5 rapid fire MCs with corrosive shell. I usually rip through CZ NPCs without breaking a sweat but if those spec ops ships team up on me I’m toast.

Granted, I’m relatively new to combat and not the greatest pilot. I fly with FA on and my combat strategy is pretty much to just hammer away at other ships in reverse and take it on the chin until my corrosive MCs eviscerate their hull. (Which is why I’ve avoided PVP for now).

I also have a question about rapid fire mods. I saw a Vindicator Jones video where he was absolutely wrecking people in a haz res with the same combo (rapid fire pulse w/ phasing sequence and rapid fire MCs with corrosive shell). I saw some threads recently, however, wherein people were trashing the rapid fire modification. Am I missing something?

I’ve been toying with the idea of short range burst lasers instead of my pulse lasers with the inertial impact effect. Any thoughts and/or suggestions would be very much appreciated.

 

[Vedmo]

I had a Vulture with twin phasing PAs make me go put some attention into a hull I had been ignoring due to an absurd shield value. Great fun, it's nice to have PVE show me a need to improve my build/tactics.

 

[CMDR Woland92]

Agreed. Any thoughts on what the laser effect might be though? I have phasing sequence pulse lasers and they don’t look like the lasers used by CZ spec ops.

What about the rapid fire mods vs short range burst and inertial impact?

 

[vindicator jones]

I also have a question about rapid fire mods. I saw a Vindicator Jones video where he was absolutely wrecking people in a haz res with the same combo (rapid fire pulse w/ phasing sequence and rapid fire MCs with corrosive shell). I saw some threads recently, however, wherein people were trashing the rapid fire modification. Am I missing something?

I’ve been toying with the idea of short range burst lasers instead of my pulse lasers with the inertial impact effect. Any thoughts and/or suggestions would be very much appreciated.

Rapid fire now generates a lot of extra heat. On the Corvette, its not an issue, but on ships like the FDL, it can become a big issue, even engineered. Still, Rapid fire is no where near as bad as some people say, and personally, I prefer them on my corvette. However, I am toying around with shortrange right now on my FDL as I like to get in close, and the results are interesting. I still need to do more testing tho.

 

[Xious]

Phasing beams? I want some

 

[CMDR Woland92]

That’s kind of bogus that NPC ships have weapons that are inaccessible to human CMDRS. Seems like a shortcut to more engaging gameplay.

Thanks for the response, Vindicator Jones. I agree with you re: the rapid fire pulse loadout. I have an A-rated battle python that runs very cool so heat is rarely-if ever-an issue for me.

I find phasing sequence to be a little underwhelming, however. By the time I drop the shields the hull is only down to 96 or 97%. I’m considering switching to thermal shock or a full rapid fire MC loadout. I would use two large MCs with the rapid fire/corrosive set up and one large and two medium MCs with rapid fire, incendiary ammo.

Has anyone tried this before? Is the the incendiary ammo comparable to lasers in terms of shield stripping ability? My thought is that it would allow me to deal more Kinetic/hull damage without compromising shield stripping ability.

 

[Morbad]

Has anyone tried this before? Is the the incendiary ammo comparable to lasers in terms of shield stripping ability?

Incendiary converts the weapon to entirely thermic damage, so it will do exact the same shield damage as most lasers of the same DPS value, provided you are landing the shots.

 

[CMDR Woland92]

But what about hull damage? Does the incendiary ammo deal more damage than a comparable pulse laser? Is the heat gain significant? I’ve read that FDev nerfed the heat gain effect shortly after introducing it because it was OP. Is it completely useless now?

 

[Morbad]

But what about hull damage? Does the incendiary ammo deal more damage than a comparable pulse laser? Is the heat gain significant? I’ve read that FDev nerfed the heat gain effect shortly after introducing it because it was OP. Is it completely useless now?

Again, it's all thermic damage, so thermic resistances apply. Projectile weapons still tend to have slightly high armor penetration values than lasers, so will usually do more hull damage to larger ships, but most NPC hulls have significant thermic resistance.

Incendiary has increased thermal load for the ship firing it, which can limit the ability to carry more than a few of the weapons unless the ship in question handles heat well. Incendiary doesn't add any thermal load to the target at all, it's only effect to change damage type.

Thermal shock is an effect you can put on MCs to deliver extra heat/thermal load to the target, but it's been nerfed about four times and is pointless in most situations.