X3R-Coping with PSG wielding Pirates?

mystikmind2005 · Post by **mystikmind2005** » Sat, 13. Jun 09, 05:00

Pirates weilding PSG's are quite rare so its not too big an issue, but i was wondering if there is any other possible strategy apart from reaching for the escape key and reloading?

Frostynso · Post by **Frostynso** » Sat, 13. Jun 09, 05:02

Try to outrange them, or use missiles. Make sure you're well out of range before you start lobbing missiles though.

This advice works for pirates using PBG too when you move to X3:TC(which isn't as rare).

mystikmind2005 · Post by **mystikmind2005** » Sat, 13. Jun 09, 05:17

Frostynso wrote:Try to outrange them, or use missiles. Make sure you're well out of range before you start lobbing missiles though.

This advice works for pirates using PBG too when you move to X3:TC(which isn't as rare).

I'm in a Pirate nova raider and i find i'm usually dead well before i can entertain any evasive action!

Obviously if i reload, then i know how to deal with they guy, that is not a problem! It is when i am taken by suprise and there i am getting hit by that weapon..... all i can do is reach for the escape key and reload.

May as well have a random timer in the game that goes off and says "ok your dead"!! surley there has got to be another way apart from reloading?

pjknibbs · Post by **pjknibbs** » Sat, 13. Jun 09, 07:05

You're getting in too close. PBGs have a very short range (less than a kilometre), so once you've realised the enemy is packing them, you can nibble away at their shields from a distance.

Of course, if you've encountered multiple pirate ships who are all mounting PBGs--well, in that case you need a better ship, because a lone M3 isn't going to survive that.

Anyway, pirates armed with PBGs are small fry compared to every Xenon ship larger than an M5 having PBEs--those things will strip your shields and be eating into your hull before you can do much more than blink!

Lancefighter · Post by **Lancefighter** » Sat, 13. Jun 09, 08:12

pjk, x3r and psg, not x3tc and pbg...

about psgs -
me, in my mamba/nova raider, would usually just target the guy with the psg, and get behind him - he doesnt shoot psg if your behind him.

If there are more than one, youve really got no choice but to go 1 by 1 and take them out as per above.

If your not in something with enough shields... well, not much really can be done.

mystikmind2005 · Post by **mystikmind2005** » Sat, 13. Jun 09, 12:41

Lancefighter wrote:pjk, x3r and psg, not x3tc and pbg...

about psgs -
me, in my mamba/nova raider, would usually just target the guy with the psg, and get behind him - he doesnt shoot psg if your behind him.

If there are more than one, youve really got no choice but to go 1 by 1 and take them out as per above.

If your not in something with enough shields... well, not much really can be done.

Mamba Raider may only have 2X25 shields but that speed of 200 means it can indeed evade PSG pretty good. The 145 speed of the Pirate nova raider just dousn't cut the mustard tho.

Dunkz123 · Post by **Dunkz123** » Sat, 13. Jun 09, 12:58

I never liked the Nova, it's too slow. I actually rate a Falcon a little better(not much though) and they're easy to capture.

Your best basic M3 that I've found is a Mamba.

My Favourite personal ship I find is a Xenon LX; if you can cap one early on in the game your laughing.

LX : speed 153
5x25MG Shields
Can also mount Beta and Alpha Pulse Beam Emitters.
Cargo bay is about 350, if I remeber correctly.

But it's a case of 'Horses for Courses' and whatever suits your needs most.

autosave22 · Post by **autosave22** » Sat, 13. Jun 09, 13:23

The best way to deal with a ship with PSG is with extreme prejudice. You need speed and shields, preferably both. Afterburners are a good addition.

If there's only one PSG wielding pirate (usually a Falcon Vanguard), the best tactic is to charge straight at 'em, along the radius of the expanding cloud of death. This should force the fool to kink away, allowing you to tuck in behind.

If there are 2 or more Pirates with PSG, and you don't feel up to it, start the jumpdrive for the gate, and see if you can cripple one of them before you jump. At least they'll be staggered when they catch you up at the gate.

Or CIG's from 3km away...
Missiles can be good too...

mystikmind2005 · Post by **mystikmind2005** » Sat, 13. Jun 09, 17:19

havn't used the LX. Capped a Pirate nova raider right after claiming the empty mamba raider. I think it was the second Nova i attacked and it surrendered.

I had a good number of pirates surrendering at the start come to think of it. No more useful surrenders of any kind for the last couple of weeks except m4's or m5's. I have killed about 15 LX so far and no hint of surrendering yet. I guess it is easily possible to play through the game several times and never get one, so no point in bothering with it.

I forgot about afterburners... that should do the trick with PSG pirates!

donotdespisethesnake · Post by **donotdespisethesnake** » Mon, 15. Jun 09, 00:10

Sun Tzu says: scan them first. It's a bit tedious, but so is reloading...

QuitSmokin · Post by **QuitSmokin** » Mon, 15. Jun 09, 00:33

Change your tactics a bit, going after a pirate nova with 2 PSG falcons on your tail is what they want you to do

.

Usually it's a falcon that packs the PSG's so whenever you engage a group of pirates with a falcon or two make those your priority.

You need a fast M3 so you can go around and blast em from behind, big weapons with a large range like HEPT's help a lot too because if you stay 1km away from the PSG they can't hit.

Fast ship and long range weapons are essential, specially when fighting those nasty Pirate PSG's or Xenon PBE

Lancefighter · Post by **Lancefighter** » Mon, 15. Jun 09, 00:38

donotdespisethesnake wrote:Sun Tzu says: scan them first. It's a bit tedious, but so is reloading...

scanning only works to 4 km... at that range, youve already got m4s all over you.

I believe in globals.txt you can increase the range of the scanner, but you might have to restart for that :\

pnr vs mamba raider - if i remember right, mamba raider only has one shield... pnr has 3. Id rather be in the pnr, one shield doesnt cut it for me.

mystikmind2005 · Post by **mystikmind2005** » Mon, 15. Jun 09, 02:11

No the Mamba Raider has two shields, it is a fine ship, especially when fighting near gates or stations - because the rear turret only takes mass driver and your not going to want to loose precious cargo space to mess around with that, so effectively it has no rear turret. That means there is no idiot turret to shoot the gate or station you are near! Even on missile defense, the idiot rear turret in my PNR is always causing me worry with friendly fire incidents, it is almost enough to warrant not using it at all even in the PNR!

Lancefighter · Post by **Lancefighter** » Mon, 15. Jun 09, 02:17

According to rougey's site (the only source of x3r data i have at the moment), the mamba raider only has one shield.. The default mamba from the bankrupt assassin start has 2 shields though, maybe thats what you were thinking of? rougey's site agrees with you on the speed though... weird.

palenaka · Post by **palenaka** » Mon, 15. Jun 09, 03:37

I've taken out Falcons wielding PSGs in a discoverer. The trick is mosquito missles.

I noticed that pirates stop firing after being hit by a skeeter. So about 5k away I launch one, then another at 4k then again at 3k. By that time the pirate will be all confused from the skeeter and you'll be able to slip behind him and take him down.

With Nova's wielding PSGs........ just run away or use a M3 or better ship that can take the heat.

mystikmind2005 · Post by **mystikmind2005** » Mon, 15. Jun 09, 04:34

Lancefighter wrote:According to rougey's site (the only source of x3r data i have at the moment), the mamba raider only has one shield.. The default mamba from the bankrupt assassin start has 2 shields though, maybe thats what you were thinking of? rougey's site agrees with you on the speed though... weird.

The Mamba Raider i got was the empty one from pirate sector with mines around it.

I checked my own ship stats sheet i downloaded and it is supposed to have only 1, however, often the empty ships have unique atributes - either that or i have mistakenly been using an extra shield all this time for no reason!

Biroboy · Post by **Biroboy** » Mon, 15. Jun 09, 09:02

My M3 of choice is the Falcon Vanguard, strap a few HEPTs onto that and you can survive a nose-to-nose pass with anything PSG equipped, your target'll be dead before he's had a chance to get more than 3-4 PSG shots off. If in doubt it also gives you a solid range advantage, so you can put a burst in, then peel off turn thru at-least 90 degrees. You can normally stay outside of PSG range and it'll only take a couple of passes like that to knock down pretty much any pirate M3.

-- Biro

QuitSmokin · Post by **QuitSmokin** » Mon, 15. Jun 09, 09:08

The empty ships do not have unique attributes, you picked up a Mamba Raider with 1 x 25MJ shield and a rear turret.

The raider is the only Mamba which can mount a turret, but dont put a MD in it, use an A-PAC and after buying fightcommand software mkII set the turret to missle defense.

It's a fine ship but the shields are really minimal, fun to fly but with 1 x 25MJ shields there's no room for mistakes.

Gavrushka · Post by **Gavrushka** » Mon, 15. Jun 09, 09:35

Biroboy wrote:My M3 of choice is the Falcon Vanguard, strap a few HEPTs onto that and you can survive a nose-to-nose pass with anything PSG equipped, your target'll be dead before he's had a chance to get more than 3-4 PSG shots off. If in doubt it also gives you a solid range advantage, so you can put a burst in, then peel off turn thru at-least 90 degrees. You can normally stay outside of PSG range and it'll only take a couple of passes like that to knock down pretty much any pirate M3.

-- Biro

Assuming a single attacker - I think the issue comes when dealing with multiple targets -Being able to get out of range after an attack run when being faced with a swarm is surely the biggest problem - My personal feelings are, whenever possible, is to divide an conquer - Use a missile - even a Mosquito to get the pack to follow and deal with them individually- They all approach at their maximum speed -A fast M3 with rear turret will allow an attack on approaching object LONG before it's weapons come in range - firing from the turret manually (physics means approaching speed is added to your weapon speed and even a PAC with an approaching craft at 300 has its range extended to nearer 3kms) - Personally I fear PBEs more than PSGs.

... This works with PPCs on capital ships too

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X3R-Coping with PSG wielding Pirates?

X3R-Coping with PSG wielding Pirates?