Guardian reinforcements are absolutely worth the effort! But how can that be? After all, they do give a substantially lower amount of absolute reinforcement. However, that isn't the entire story, and I would like to give a few arguments in favor of these rarely seen modules.
The most important aspect people don't consider is the effects of Repair Limpets. After all, repairs are boosted by caustic resistances, too! On a ship without resistances, a class 5 repair limpet heals 310hp, but on a ship with 5% resistance, that same exact limpet repairs 326.5, a 16.5 point difference!
The second aspect to consider is module reinforcement. It's a little-known fact that resistance also effects the damage taken by your modules, including your canopy! So while a player may lose some hull reinforcement, they may more than recoup their losses in module integrity. And of course, that also makes your afmu faster and more effective by proxy, too!
Consider, for example, the meta shieldless chieftain. It carries 3x c4 heavy duty hrps, and has 3270 armor, and 578 module reinforcement.
Now, swap one hrp for a c4 guardian hull reinforcement; the build loses 50 armor, true. But in exchange, each repair limpet used repairs 16.5 more, making up the difference in just 3 repair limpets!
In addition, the build gains 30.5 module reinforcement!
So, your build sacrifices about 1.5% max armor, in exchange for 5.5% better repairs and module integrity. To me, that's a pretty good trade.
Lastly, and probably the least importantly, Guardian modules are quite a bit easier to acquire and replace, once you have them unlocked. Assembling a new human reinforcement can mean lengthy journeys collecting materials and visiting Engineers, while a Guardian module can be purchased on the fly, sold, and bought back just as easily. This is relatively minor, but can save a lot of time in the long run.
Of course, there are a few downsides. Guardian reinforcements take power, power which may not be available. But on the other hand, I've seen many builds that have more power than they need, so swapping out some standard reinforcements for Guardian ones could be a low-cost trade in that regard.
The other vulnerability is to missiles from the Swarm, since they do absolute, not caustic damage. That is definitely a point worth considering, and if you find yourself often hit by missiles, it may be a good idea to stick with the human reinforcements. Personally, however, the real danger of missiles has never been the outright damage, but rather the way it shreds my modules, which won't be affected one way or the other by which type of reinforcement you choose.
At the very least, don't immediately assume that one is outright better than the other. They both have their pluses and minuses, and can offer significant benefits in the right circumstances.
The most important aspect people don't consider is the effects of Repair Limpets. After all, repairs are boosted by caustic resistances, too! On a ship without resistances, a class 5 repair limpet heals 310hp, but on a ship with 5% resistance, that same exact limpet repairs 326.5, a 16.5 point difference!
The second aspect to consider is module reinforcement. It's a little-known fact that resistance also effects the damage taken by your modules, including your canopy! So while a player may lose some hull reinforcement, they may more than recoup their losses in module integrity. And of course, that also makes your afmu faster and more effective by proxy, too!
Consider, for example, the meta shieldless chieftain. It carries 3x c4 heavy duty hrps, and has 3270 armor, and 578 module reinforcement.
Now, swap one hrp for a c4 guardian hull reinforcement; the build loses 50 armor, true. But in exchange, each repair limpet used repairs 16.5 more, making up the difference in just 3 repair limpets!
In addition, the build gains 30.5 module reinforcement!
So, your build sacrifices about 1.5% max armor, in exchange for 5.5% better repairs and module integrity. To me, that's a pretty good trade.
Lastly, and probably the least importantly, Guardian modules are quite a bit easier to acquire and replace, once you have them unlocked. Assembling a new human reinforcement can mean lengthy journeys collecting materials and visiting Engineers, while a Guardian module can be purchased on the fly, sold, and bought back just as easily. This is relatively minor, but can save a lot of time in the long run.
Of course, there are a few downsides. Guardian reinforcements take power, power which may not be available. But on the other hand, I've seen many builds that have more power than they need, so swapping out some standard reinforcements for Guardian ones could be a low-cost trade in that regard.
The other vulnerability is to missiles from the Swarm, since they do absolute, not caustic damage. That is definitely a point worth considering, and if you find yourself often hit by missiles, it may be a good idea to stick with the human reinforcements. Personally, however, the real danger of missiles has never been the outright damage, but rather the way it shreds my modules, which won't be affected one way or the other by which type of reinforcement you choose.
At the very least, don't immediately assume that one is outright better than the other. They both have their pluses and minuses, and can offer significant benefits in the right circumstances.
Last edited:
