captured Xenon PX with no loses

[mallard]

Hey Everyone

I keep hearing how hard it is to cap Xenon capital ships and your guaranteed loses.

So is the fact that I capped a Xenon PX in AP with no loses unusual? I used 9 5* marines with 100 in everything. This was on my first attempt as well with 9 marines

[willyshop]

Nicely done. You have more balls than me.
I've barely attempted boarding xenon ships yet due to the reputation they have on these forums.
I did try boarding a PX once, and it only confirmed my suspicions.
Currently I'm training upwards of 40 marines with the hopes of capping an I; most are up to 5* in everything but fighting (I had to make friends with my only commonwealth enemy so I could buy their factories,which means boarding targets are few and far between)

Certainly having all your marines 5* in everything helped. If you want to see ho hard it really is, try doing that a few more times. (then get back to us!!!)

[Lunif]

I Boarded a P once. The marines I lost were lost because it was my first boarding job with less than 21 marines total. So about a third of them were lost because they could not get in and got shot. Then after that, each boarding attempt on a Xenon ship was a complete failure. Shortly afterwords, I got too tired of boarding to continue. I found the whole process annoying. However, for some idiotic reason I continued training marines.

Willyshop, board pirate ships. You can find plenty of their capitals in the sectors south of Merchant Haven. Also if you are not friends with the Yaki, their TLs make great boarding targets. There is also the Dukes M6s and M1 that is south of Heaven's Assertion that you can get.

[willyshop]

board pirate ships. You can find plenty of their capitals in the sectors south of Merchant Haven. Also if you are not friends with the Yaki, their TLs make great boarding targets. There is also the Dukes M6s and M1 that is south of Heaven's Assertion that you can get.

I wouldn't dare board my closest allies!!! My point was that xenon ships are far more difficult to board than commonwealth or even Terran ships.

[SIMON POPPLEWELL]

It's not unheard of capping a PX without casualties. The Ps are far easier than boarding Q, J and Ks. You would still need a round 30-40 marines to cap Xenon capitals. Saying that I believe someone did successfully board a Q with 20 marines, although it would probably need many reloads.

[brucewarren]

Was that 20 guys thing in TC?

The reason I asked is that AP was altered so that the save/reload per deck strategy doesn't work. The random numbers are set at the start of the board.

You *could* reload prior to launching the pods but it would be somewhat painful I think.

Anyway congrats to the OP on the PX

[Maahes]

I think the random events are set as the marines enter the ship (or attach to the hull) so you can save at that point. It's a little bit less painful than before launching because at least they've made it through the flak.

I usually save just as I hear "We've reached target ship" and reloads do give me different results, but for Qs, Js, Ks and Is reinforcements are a must. The best I've been able to achieve was 4 losses on an I, usually its 6 or 7.

[randomuser]

the result is determined once they break through the hull, so save when you hear "just a little more" save,
then activate SETA
have fun reloading

[ajax34i]

PX is an M6, right?

So, considering that the normal requirements for capturing an M6 are 8 marines with skill level 17, I'd say your 9 marines with skill 100 would pretty much guarantee no losses, no?

[brucewarren]

It's a Xenon M6, not a regular one. Xenon are 'special'

[ajax34i]

Not that special.

[Scott C.]

Simpleton enough to come off the production line like hotcakes.

Nice catch, OP.... and make no mistake, your meatbags will suffer deaths by toaster soon as you go for one of the big boys.

[bizbag]

The PX is a surprisingly good ship, considering Xenon tend to be subpar in their class. Solid if average M6+ speed, good shields, great weapon choice (EMPCs are efficient, ISRs for alpha strikes...) and best cargo in class (short of the it's-a-class-of-its-own-Hyperion/SB)

Honestly, the Springblossom and Hyperion could almost be considered M7-. The other M6 and M6+ ships are fairly consistent in power balance considering their armament, speed and cargo.. Then there's those two ships.

[SIMON POPPLEWELL]

Was that 20 guys thing in TC?

The reason I asked is that AP was altered so that the save/reload per deck strategy doesn't work. The random numbers are set at the start of the board.

True, but reloading after hitting first deck for me is cheating in any case.

[randomuser]

well its still hard enough to make 9 100 100 100 100 marines die before they reach deck 3
1 reload later i had it with 1 marine lost....

[Scott C.]

My first Xenon board was a first try 2 loss snatching of a PX. I carried on straight into a Q with a head full of steam, and pods full of maxed marines. The first deck ate all 20.... I really don't like to think about what a loss of that magnitude represents in time, energy, and credits.

Tread more carefully than my foolhardy super soldiers did.

[RayF]

very nice indeed
but i do have to ask: did you use pods or spacewalking??

I have boarded (in TC) 6 xenon Ps so far and even with reloads (dont think too many reloads..around 5-7..too lazy to keep reloading...)i think the best i could do was 1 casualty. My last xenon captures were by 5 star marines even in fighting...
So if u used spacewalking well done man!!!!

[Aragosnat]

Yes. Getting that PX with no marine loss could be considered divine intervention. Also for the change in boarding for AP. It was either be for they are fired / dropped (most likely) Or before they start cutting the hull that it becomes fixed for death loss rate. Safer just to save before attempting.

[randomuser]

its once they finish cutting the hull