Does anyone here EVER use Aurora Missiles?

[ThommoHawk]

How do you use them effectively? I know first time you press 'launch' the missile fires, then press 'launch' again and it detonates.

I know it is a 'proximity detonation' missile.

.... and I know I have never personally hit a targe with one - not from lack of missiles.

I fire at the target, if I am lucky, the target will remain steady in my gunsights, the missile is fast, I look at distances of missile/target. If I don't detonate, missile will cruise past untill it dies, or it hits an asteroid.

If I do detonate when I estimate it to be at the target, *boom*, but no hit.

I have learned a fair bit about using missiles in general, and this is the only one I can't seem to work out. I have over 400 of them left over from post battle ware-collection. Before I sell them off, I am just wondering if I am missing something.

Tip - load them into your wingmen and they know how to use them very effectively. It's embarrassing, as my wingmen are starting to tease me, calling me names like 'Aurora Tom' behind my back, I am losing their respect.

[Star_Raider15]

i once got a lucky shot with an aurora managing to kill a buster
they are really hard to use, i think that those are meant for "proffesional X3 pilots"
when u say that wingmen use them well, just how well?

[ThommoHawk]

Wingmen seem to know how to hit targets with them and blow them up. I guess that is... pretty well better than me. All I do is load them up, go into battle, and hear lots of impressive *booms* and see the enemy figters dissapear really fast. And I hardly get a chance to hit any myself to gain recognition - so I don't use that method very often anymore, but it helps wingment stay alive in a big battle. I usually just let them have one missile each, which is a lot of micro-management.

[infohata]

yeah... i'd like that these Hammerhead UOs could have possibility to detonate on damand :D:D then it'd be really easy to use them efficiently!!! jus BOOM and blast!!!

I use auroras very efficiently on bigger targets... 4-5 of them are enough to kill M6 Nemesis (i've blasted one while i was still in my Falcon capped from Pirates and not much experienced) it's a waste on M5/M4 because they're really too fast and hard to target even for Auroras... I use a 10xWasp (100 in total) and 5xHurricane combinations if i encounter a lot of fast M4/M5 and i'm in a big ship..

[ThommoHawk]

Yes, I have been trying to use them on smaller ships, but have not even been able to hit Xenon P with one... Have not tried them on capital ships, maybe I'll save them for my next Xenon Invasion to see how they go.....firing 400 of them at J, hmmm.....

[Tw122le]

I found the best way ( for me) was to frame the target with the gunsight and let fly, then immediatley press target which hopefully picked up the missile this will then show on your target monitor (F4) top left of screen or press F3 for a boosted image, then press the fire button to detonate again. Not very effective at all, it should have been directly pilotable via the F5 monitor immediatley after firing, though no doubt than would mean your own ships controls locking up for the flight duration.

[Gazz]

yeah... i'd like that these Hammerhead UOs could have possibility to detonate on damand :D:D:D then it'd be really easy to use them efficiently!!! jus BOOM and blast!!!

Actually, that could be scripted as a hotkey. Blowing stuff up is one of the easiest things.

The trick is to target the right missile. There is no command to easily fetch "missiles I have fired" and you need the grab the object first before you can do anything to it.

You can get the missiles firet at a specific ship, like your target, and you can "get owner race" of the missiles.
Race player ones would have been fired by any of your ships.

Once you found the missile you can do all sorts of things to it.
Command detonate, true proximity fuse (blow up when distance to target increases) or whatever else you might want.

[infohata]

Yes, I have been trying to use them on smaller ships, but have not even been able to hit Xenon P with one... Have not tried them on capital ships, maybe I'll save them for my next Xenon Invasion to see how they go.....firing 400 of them at J, hmmm.....

waste of missiles - i'll see how will you detonate all 400 one-by-one - the J will make you to dust until that... and half if not all of these missiles will not reach J because of it's turrets... i found it most effective on M6s and M3s... you can finish M3 with 2-3 on success...

P.S. i use my "monitor" screen to see how missile enters that tiny topleft screen (it "blinks" on that encounter if you don't change flight direction), and on that encounter after some milisecs (enough for reaction) you boom it

[maphys]

With a bit of practise the Aurora is amazingly useful for Kha'ak clusters. Line it up, wait for them to disengage and watch the monitor. When you see a flash of purple hit L again and you are usually only left the fighter to kill! A lot better than Hurricanes, I found. But not as much fun as a Hammerhead missile. I cannot get my head around figthing the Kha'ak, they toast me in an M3+ with embarrassing regularity. So I always keep a couple of Auroras to deal with any clusters I notice threatening a sector I like.

M

[ReggieReddog]

I cannot get my head around figthing the Kha'ak, they toast me in an M3+ with embarrassing regularity. So I always keep a couple of Auroras to deal with any clusters I notice threatening a sector I like.
M

Super easy in anything that can fit BPSGs. PirateFalcon, PirateFalconVan, etc. Get just in range, hold down the trigger, and hit full reverse. A loadout of 2 x BPSG + perhaps 2 x BPAC for strays as they come at you is usually enough. and then switch to AHEPT for the last fighter. If you are taking a cluster on with normal weapons, destroy the fighter first because he can hurt you the most.
I just hate wasting profits on fireworks.

[maphys]

Super easy in anything that can fit BPSGs

That's be my problem then! I always fly with APAC and AHEPT, plus I am such a bad shot that by the time I have nailed the fighter and a couple of scouts I am out of shield energy. And I hate losing hull to an M5! I've even been known to jump an M7 in to take one out, just to make sure.

After getting a GPSG in the back from my 'friendly' helper in an XI (and nearly having a fit at the flashing colours and frame rate drop), then trying them myself and doing untold rep damage by frying every police scout in range while trying to get a Harrier, I decided that perhaps PSGs were not the weapon for someone of my, er, talents...

M

[darkson02]

learn to lead the target and you can hit with them. not easy to do.

[Switch 9]

I use them like any other missile. Pretty good if there are a few M5s nagging you.

[dterror]

You could always use 'hit and run' tactics with them. Start your jumpdrive charging for an in-system jump to a distant gate when you are about 2.5-3k away from the cluster. Hopefully you can destroy a few of the scouts before it activates. Fly towards the Kha'ak, or just sit and wait near the gate, and all the Kha'ak will be flying towards you but stringing themselves out in a long line. Pick them off as they come in range, leaving just the fighter for last. Gives you the best shot at capping the fighter without interference.

[jlehtone]

Tip - load them into your wingmen and they know how to use them very effectively.

Interesting. Have to try. Too bad dumbfires are quite weak. Then again, they are not so fatal if someone shoots them while they are still in launch tube.

Fast missile is difficult to time. I rather enjoy watching from the Missile Monitor how FireStorm (83 m/s) sneaks on cruising Xenon L (80 m/s).

[Mightysword]

Since the Aurora is a little inconvience to use I don't like it.

I have another way to detonate my own missile. Load a hornet, or a silkworm and fire at a cluster. Then when the missile nearly hit (monitor) I fire my own barrage at the cluster, so right when they disperse the tray shot also blow up my own missile and the splash damage kisses everything goodbye

[XanII]

Nothing is more fun than enter a sector with 3 khaak super clusters cruising around in the outskirts of the sector and then you dispatch a torpedo against each one of them. Takes awhile but after a little waiting the clusters are no more.

[arcana75]

I use auroras as dumbfire missiles. Very powerful against TLs and M6s.

Against clusters, the best missile is the hurricane. 2 can wipe out the biggest cluster leaving the M3.

[NavyAICS]

With a bit of practise the Aurora is amazingly useful for Kha'ak clusters. Line it up, wait for them to disengage and watch the monitor. When you see a flash of purple hit L again and you are usually only left the fighter to kill! A lot better than Hurricanes, I found. But not as much fun as a Hammerhead missile. I cannot get my head around figthing the Kha'ak, they toast me in an M3+ with embarrassing regularity. So I always keep a couple of Auroras to deal with any clusters I notice threatening a sector I like.

M

This is the key to using this missile. Just line up the target (better on a target that hasn't seen you yet or a slow target) then when you see the ship come into view next to your missile, hit the 'L' and watch it go -BOOM-.

It will take some practice but over time, you'll see yourself get some pretty effective shots. Good luck and good hunting.
-NavyAICS.

[biggie1447]

do arouras detonate properly if they actually hit the target instead of being detonated remotely?