[TC] Claymore Bomber - a bit disappointing

imung · Post by **imung** » Fri, 2. Apr 10, 12:32

I just bit disappointed with Claymore bomber.

What's you guys make a proper use of the Claymore?

The ship is slow, equipped with 4 EMPC turret, for defense.
And the main weapon is only compatible with Phantom missile (has 600k damage but nasty speed).

And the thing that make me more disappointed is the missile launched one by one.

I wish I could have a bomber that capable to launch several missiles at once.
That would surely make capital ships cries... just a wish...

Rive · Post by **Rive** » Fri, 2. Apr 10, 12:45

IIRC there is a command for missile barrage somewhere in the command menu. That launches eight missile.

Otherwise - don't fly a bomber personally. They are backups.

Ps.: they CAN make whole sectors cry...

imung · Post by **imung** » Fri, 2. Apr 10, 13:05

err.. what is IIRC? is that a mod/script??

Carlo the Curious · Post by **Carlo the Curious** » Fri, 2. Apr 10, 13:09

http://www.internetslang.com/IIRC.asp

AgamemnonArgon · Post by **AgamemnonArgon** » Fri, 2. Apr 10, 13:14

M8 Bomber, I think are more cruise missile carriers.
If an M8 gets close enough to an enemy vessel or fighter to use it's weapons, one would expect to lose it, as they are last chance, self defence weapons.
Check the comman menu. Usually, an M8 is better flown by a player, to destroy major threats, such as M1, M2, M7, that the AI has at it's disposal, and that the player AI units cannot deal with.

imung · Post by **imung** » Fri, 2. Apr 10, 15:28

Hello Rive, YYAR-P!

Btw, I found where that command hiding.
And really make sectors cry.
Now i feel fighting/blasting stuff is a bit too easy... Oh no..

Rive · Post by **Rive** » Fri, 2. Apr 10, 15:45

imung wrote:Now i feel fighting/blasting stuff is a bit too easy... Oh no..

What's difficult is to let the friendly stuff unharmed and keep the local police/military happy...

Sovereign01 · Post by **Sovereign01** » Sat, 3. Apr 10, 10:35

Claymore is the best M8, reason being that the Phantom is better than the Tomahawk in every respect- Phantom Missile does more damage, has greater speed, accl and range, and only takes up half the cargo space. Combine that with a bigger cargo bay than most other M8s and you have a ship that can carry far more missiles that pack a greater punch

OniGanon · Post by **OniGanon** » Sat, 3. Apr 10, 13:02

Personally I don't like M8s; they make things too easy.

Carlo the Curious wrote:http://www.internetslang.com/IIRC.asp

Ah Carlo- always super quick to link an answer to a faq, even the ones not X related!

Sam L.R. Griffiths · Post by **Sam L.R. Griffiths** » Sat, 3. Apr 10, 14:21

8 Claymores = 1 Skirnir basically.

A single Phantom missile does similar damage to a single warhead from a Shadow missile swarm.

The Claymore M8 is a lethal force that should not be underestimated.

AgamemnonArgon · Post by **AgamemnonArgon** » Sat, 3. Apr 10, 14:57

But is it easier for the enemy Carrier and it's fighters to shoot down one very powerful missile like the Phantom, or a dozen Tomahawks.
I'll keep to the Tomahawk, - for now....

Sam L.R. Griffiths · Post by **Sam L.R. Griffiths** » Sat, 3. Apr 10, 18:53

AgamemnonArgon wrote:But is it easier for the enemy Carrier and it's fighters to shoot down one very powerful missile like the Phantom, or a dozen Tomahawks.
I'll keep to the Tomahawk, - for now....

The Tomahawk is a single warhead as well, so on that score both commonwealth and Terran M8s launch 8 warheads.

In the commonwealth M8 it is Tomahawks in the Terran case it is Phantoms... and Phantoms are the more deadly of the two.

Etolf · Post by **Etolf** » Sat, 3. Apr 10, 21:34

Roger L.S. Griffiths wrote:
AgamemnonArgon wrote:But is it easier for the enemy Carrier and it's fighters to shoot down one very powerful missile like the Phantom, or a dozen Tomahawks.
I'll keep to the Tomahawk, - for now....
The Tomahawk is a single warhead as well, so on that score both commonwealth and Terran M8s launch 8 warheads.

In the commonwealth M8 it is Tomahawks in the Terran case it is Phantoms... and Phantoms are the more deadly of the two.

not only that, but the Claymore can hold more than twice as many Phantoms than most commonwealth M8s can hold Tomahawks, so it is more than twice as deadly...

Mithril Prime · Post by **Mithril Prime** » Sun, 4. Apr 10, 10:07

Someone should write a script that replaces the 'fire missile' hotkey with 'fire a barrage of missiles' thus making the M8 a far more fun and practical player ship. Its current controls lend to it more of an RTS style/feeling. Like, say, the Terran Valkyrie from starcraft.

But, that said, I still don't think an 8 missile barrage is something realistic of space warfare. A normal frigate would likely be capable of an 8 missile barrage, or at the very least a four missile rapid fire barrage.

Missiles are self guiding, so it doesn't matter what direction you fire them in, as long as they have the target information and last known quardinates. Mfrigates should be firing off 20 - 50 of these things at once.

Which is insane from a balance perspective I know, it would give turrets fitted with Impulse Ray Emitters one hell of a purpose, and it would look cool as all hell. But alas, se'la'vi.

fairywhipper · Post by **fairywhipper** » Sun, 4. Apr 10, 17:42

theres only 1 little nag about phantom v tomohawks : supply.

sure i like to nuke things, but a station with 30g shields takes about 6 barrage of tommohawks, so its a lot less with phantoms, but i struggle to get 50 phantoms.... not got terran shipyard....

Rive · Post by **Rive** » Sun, 4. Apr 10, 18:39

Mithril Prime wrote:... it would give turrets fitted with Impulse Ray Emitters one hell of a purpose, and it would look cool as all hell. But alas, se'la'vi.

It would mean only one thing: Mosquito Missile Defense as standard ship equipment.

Sleepydude · Post by **Sleepydude** » Mon, 5. Apr 10, 16:52

Mithril Prime wrote:Someone should write a script that replaces the 'fire missile' hotkey with 'fire a barrage of missiles' thus making the M8 a far more fun and practical player ship.

Someone already has, sort of

http://forum.egosoft.com/viewtopic.php?t=218502

AgamemnonArgon · Post by **AgamemnonArgon** » Mon, 5. Apr 10, 17:39

M8 is really effective, and I think that it's a good idea as a bird. Whatever missiles we use, the strategy is to hit the enemy Capital ship hard enough to either cripple it, (for the boarders amongst us) or sink it outright (for someone, like me).
It could be worth attaching a fighter to the M8 (such as an M3 with FTL), so that the M8 at least has some limited protection. Although the Argon type has several kills, and my Teladi one got blown up after jumping into a gate occupied by Pirates, my next M8 may well be the Paranid one.

imung · Post by **imung** » Tue, 6. Apr 10, 10:54

My claymore experience:

I fly the claymore alone and release 5 salvos of phantom's barage to a khaak destroyer. She can shot down all 40 missiles with the bloody laser. In return several khaak fighters/scouts make a short work of my claymore.

Pretty good against installations.
Haven't try to other M2/M1 yet.

Rive · Post by **Rive** » Tue, 6. Apr 10, 11:13

imung wrote:My claymore experience:

I fly the claymore alone and release 5 salvos of phantom's barage to a khaak destroyer. She can shot down all 40 missiles with the bloody laser. In return several khaak fighters/scouts make a short work of my claymore.

Pretty good against installations.
Haven't try to other M2/M1 yet.

Kha'ak bigships has superior missile defense... Kyons has long range and instahit. Of course your 40 missiles were useless.

A single Kha'ak destroyer requires 60 Typhoons - that means 480 warheads... A mixed salvo of flails and hammerhead torpedoes can do the trick, but that means an M7M ship.

Other M2/M1 ships are much easier targets.

Ps.: other bigships also requires some distraction, especially if they has some PSG or PBE defense, but the worst is the Kha'ak... Usual tactic is to order the bomber for barrages, and then start launch Wasps from your personal ship.