The Missile Boats concept

[LTerSlash]

So i decided to get in the unofficial "missile boat" concept, a missile boats should be cheap, easy to adquire, and able to carry at least the 160 maximum that can be set as missile resupply.

First i searched for candidates:
(the Hyperion does not need presentation, we all know what it can do)

Wraith Missile Boat VS M7/M2/M1
-Terran Katana: 6.5M, 1000 cargo, 5x200MJ, 6 guns in turrets.

Odd enoght the cheapest M6 can carry the more usefull missile an M6 can ever have, no point in equiping the turrets and even with full shields it will not cost more than 7.5M.

Heavy Missile Boat (Typhoon) VS M7/M2/M1

-Boron Hydra: 9M, 1500 cargo, 3x200MJ, 1 gun in turret
-Argon Centaur: 10M, 1250 cargo,3x200MJ, 3 guns in turrets

The Teladi Osprey and the Pirate Osprey can be used too, but the osprey is way too expensive and the Pirate Osprey need to be boarded or produced at HQ, the Boron Hydra is just the best.
i do not recomend to waste cargo on primary guns for these, as they are VS capital, equip turrets only.

Note: I know that bombers are a better option cost wise, but these are fun.


Medium Missile Boat (Thunderbolt/Tempest) VS M3+/M6

-Argon Mistral(TS): 600K(L), 4000 cargo, 4x25MJ, 6 guns in turrets
-Argon Zephyrus(TM): 470K(with 1x200MJ), 1250 cargo, 3x200MJ, 4 guns in turrets + 2 main

Both of them has their uses, total cost of both are very similar, the Zyphyrus can carry up to 350 ecells. Watch range for the return trip.
The Mistral has a very badass looking and can be fitted on the Ozias.



Light Missile Boat (Hurricane/Silkworm) VS M5/M4/M3

-Teladi Geochen(TP): 1.7M(M version with 2xPRG), 1100 cargo, 1x200MJ, 6 guns in turrets + 4 mains

The Geochen is a highly overlooked ship, when i first look at him i see, M3 Price, M6 level turrets, TM level cargo and M3+ level shields and speed.
I first noticed when i was looking for a fighter candidate to be used on the Ozias, and this one fills the job nicely, can fit EBG on on every slot but the rear turret where you can fit RPG (thats why the M version). But the L versión comes with 4xEBG.


My first test ever was using 3 Hydras, 10 Mistrals and 4 Geochen, my idea was to use the Hydras as anti-capital, 5 Mistrals assisting them, 5 Mistrals has anti-fighters and the 4 Geochen helping with the smaller fighters.
No so easy to do using wing commands!

Other possible Missile Boats for player usage:
-Split Elephant(TL): Typhoons/Tempest/Thunderbolt/Hornet/Firestorm/Silkworms/Hurricanes + drones + fighters + lot of cargo
-Paranid Hyperion: best M6, lot of cargo and Wraiths, you cant ask for more.
-Split Acinonyx Prototype(M6): Hammer torpedos on a M6....


This was my first test:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBQzIGfsKrw

The Geochen attacking the PX was the best part

What ive learned:
-Its better to no engine tune them, slower means it takes longer for them to get too close.
-They only seems to launch missiles if they are facing the target, they dont fire to the back or the sides outside view angles.
-I need to get a workaround to the limited wing comands.
-I need more than 3 hydras if i gona be in such intensive fight.
-It maybe better to stick with Tempest, specially if used to attack fighters.
-Geochen are dangerous, specially if you crash intro one.

IMPORTANT!
--------------
at least 1 weapon is needed on each ship, they do not fire missiles if no gun is installed.

[TTD]

very good ideas there.
Maybe a bit more research will reveal what you are looking for.

I do not get entangle in battles...if I can avoid them... but anyth new ideas like this always intrigues me and I save them for when I might need to test them myself....like the fire torpedo and jump OOS trick.

[AgamemnonArgon]

I too, prefer to avoid a fight, unless I have to order my ships into combat.
However, I also like to utilise ships for things other than they were designed for - such as using a Shrike as a forward combat support and supply ship.

As long as the missile ship concept is piloted by a player, then it sounds fine, but it is a shoot and scoot option, as, with all missile attacks, one needs to leave as soon as possible, after trying to engage fast, with plenty of missiles.

[Timsup2nothin]

I have found that wing commands are best avoided completely. Haven't done anything with missile ops, but in general.

I set up my own 'wings'.

Start with a 'wing commander'. This is the guy who takes orders.

Add attackers. These guys get 'attack target of' orders using the wing commander.

Add defenders. These guys get 'protect' orders. The wing commander and every attacker gets one of these. Wing commander may get more than one.

Second tier. These guys get 'attack target of' orders using the defenders, then get defenders themselves.

When the wing commander gets a target (either you tell him to attack or he picks up something through patrol or defend orders) the whole wing will attack it until some element of the wing gets targeted. Any enemy that targets an element of the wing will immediately be targeted by at least a couple elements of the wing so nobody gets targeted for an extended period without action being taken to solve the problem.

[AgamemnonArgon]

I have found that wing commands are best avoided completely. Haven't done anything with missile ops, but in general.

I set up my own 'wings'.

Start with a 'wing commander'. This is the guy who takes orders.

Add attackers. These guys get 'attack target of' orders using the wing commander.

Add defenders. These guys get 'protect' orders. The wing commander and every attacker gets one of these. Wing commander may get more than one.

Second tier. These guys get 'attack target of' orders using the defenders, then get defenders themselves.

When the wing commander gets a target (either you tell him to attack or he picks up something through patrol or defend orders) the whole wing will attack it until some element of the wing gets targeted. Any enemy that targets an element of the wing will immediately be targeted by at least a couple elements of the wing so nobody gets targeted for an extended period without action being taken to solve the problem.

I usually just fly an M8, get in close, let twelve to fourteen missiles at the bad guys, the. run away.

I like your idea, although they sound more like 633 Squadron....

[Timsup2nothin]

I usually just fly an M8, get in close, let twelve to fourteen missiles at the bad guys, the. run away.

Overkill. In my first bomber experiment (recently done) I didn't bother getting close, shot ten and vaporized a Q. M8 is a very handy thing.

[AgamemnonArgon]

I usually just fly an M8, get in close, let twelve to fourteen missiles at the bad guys, the. run away.

Overkill. In my first bomber experiment (recently done) I didn't bother getting close, shot ten and vaporized a Q. M8 is a very handy thing.

Yep.
Overkill. Exactly.

Each time they destroy one of my ships, I personally sink an enemy Capital.

A mans gotta do, what a mans gotta do.

Plus, it's kinda cool watching those missile trails cutting through space, and then start to clobber the frak outa Pirate or Xenon M2 or M1....

[LTerSlash]

I also prefer to stay out of range but it gets boring, i had more fun on the video i had in a while, i just need to fine tune the orders, i was thinking in doing exactly what Timsup2nothin said.

Also remember that all of this is very very cheap if you have the missile fabs, M8 and M7M are just too overpowered.

Using Mistrals and Zephyrus is a very very cheap option.

[AgamemnonArgon]

Yes, indeed.

When I go hunting in an M3, I have a TM with me and also a Superfreighter, of one type or another.

Since I own two silkworm factories, they can each generate over two hundred missiles in a fairly short time, I just fire as many as I want or need to at enemy fighters, that seem to keep attacking me in two groups of four and also five.

Good tactics. I find running away most useful....

Using my silkworms gets them down to manageable numbers, and the. I g into dogfight mode, guns on guns, usually HEPTs, after making sure to evac the TS and TM, of which I have lost severalof each, usually at the most inconvenient of times, when they are usually fully laden.

Overpowered ships or not, the Game will always win some of the time, and that is one aspect of the challenge, when one is racing headlong into the faces of two enemy ships coming in the opposite direction, with lasers blasting....

[LTerSlash]

TS and TP lack the advanced "Attack fighters" "Attack capitals" from normal ships, but the TMs have them, that gives an extra edge to Zephyrus.

As for tactics goes, i still keep them in wings so i can give general commands faster, but i set their own orders from each one inside the wing commands menu, its faster to give orders.

As for efficiency, i just killed 3 K, 1J, 2 Q, a I and fighters/ some M6 with just 10 mistrals, 4 geochen and 3 hydras, using basic wing commands, like attack my target and protect for the geochen.

Still the Hydras do most of the job, so with 6-10 of them you can kill capitals quite fast. Mistrals and Zephyrus will work best VS fighters and M6, and even an M7.

And the 4 Geochen did all the anti-fighter role.

Now i placed a SPP on top of OTAS Shipyard.

[KayEss]

Just out of curiosity, where is the missile fire percentage set on an M7M? I can never find it (X3TC).

I've just been playing with having one full of flails and another full of hammers. I set the flail turrets to hit fighters and give it that combat command. For the hammer one, I set its turrets to hit capitals and give it that command.

They seem to spend all of their time wandering around and trying to use the flak guns (which are set to missile defence) instead of their large compliment of missiles

I hadn't thought about using something like a TM for this sort of role. They'd be cheap enough to be entirely disposable, easy to kit out and can be bought in batches of ten.

[dubnium]

in AP at least M7M turrets under attack enemies orders are smart enough to use the right type of missile for a particular target. attack fighters/capitals on the other hand will act like attack enemies if no targets of the specified class are in range and cone of fire.

[Triaxx2]

M7M's don't have it because missiles are fired as their primary weapons, instead of the normal method.

I find large swarms of smaller ships launching missiles to be more effective, if less efficient than single ships.

[NUKLEAR-SLUG]

I find large swarms of smaller ships launching missiles to be more effective, if less efficient than single ships.

Yes, a swarm of smaller ships launching missiles spreads your warheads over a vastly greater area and makes them extremely hard to shoot down. M7M can dump a lot more firepower in a given area but it's much more focused and therefore easier to defend against.

[LTerSlash]

I still find M6 Hydras extremly powerfull with Typhoons, at least vs capital. You just need to remember to no engine tune them, the slower they are the better. I even thinking to damage them to 50% or something.