[X3TC] Khaak sector 841

[Zeebie]

I keep getting crushed doing the Final Fury mission in sector 841 (the one where you defend the outpost). I'm flying a Vidar with a Springblossom (fitted as anti-fighter platform) and 4 M3s all set to protect me. My combat rank is Militant, and the opposition is usually three corvettes (plus one near the outpost) escorted by about fifteen fighters. I've tried a few different strategies:

- Go right for the station and try to defend it. All enemies concentrate their fire on me instead of the station, I die as soon as the main force arrives.
- String along the main attack force, picking off individual fighters. The idea here was to strip away the escorts so I could hit the corvettes. However, new fighters seem to appear infinitely and I eventually die.
- Go right for the corvettes and try to take them out. They concentrate fire on me and I explode after taking out one or two.

I've tried missile spam, setting my escorts to attack my target or enemies in general, nothing seems to matter. There is also the more general problem that once I have a dozen beams hitting me it becomes impossible to see what is going on.

Are there specific or overall strategies anyone can recommend?

[Cpt.Jericho]

Are there specific or overall strategies anyone can recommend?

Yes, get a bigger ship with more firepower. I use a Panther with lots of IBLs and Flaks. That way you can concentrate on the corvettes and forget about the rest. When I feel generous I even start my fighter wing.

[Monkeyfister]

Yep. Panther is the way to go.

While I was still playing TC, this very mission was the reason I ended up buying the Panther. Best ship for the job.

Wasp Missiles, Hurricanes and Thunderbolts are useful. The Wasps keep their Kyons busy, and kill the scouts quickly. Three Hurricanes take out fighters and reduce the size of the scout clusters with ease, because the Hurricanes have an area of effect.

Dropping a load of lasertowers to hide behind to let shields and weapons recharge is also helpful until the rest of the fleet arrives.

[IanFitzJo]

I did it with an Osaka, packed with Poltergeists and Spectres. Just sat there and slugged it out, it stood up pretty well.

[Earth Ultimatum IV.]

Also used Osaka. Destroyed everything

[Black_hole_suN]

Hide inside the outpost's structure?? The Vidar can fit there

[Zeebie]

Ugh, it's going to take me a long time to save up enough cash to buy and kit out a panther. I feel like I've had to buy a new ship for every other mission in OFF!

Hide inside the outpost's structure?? The Vidar can fit there

What does it mean to hide inside a structure?

[Cpt.Jericho]

It means to find a place in the station where you ship does fit in without coliding. That way you can recharge your shields while all enemies cannot hit you.

[TycHouse]

I've just completed this mission three times in a Tiger with ISR's front and back and EBC's everywhere else.

Unfortunately that's the problem ! It just keeps giving me the same mission over & over & over again !

Vanilla TC ver 3.2 with bonus pack - any suggestions as to how i can nudge onto the next mission ?

[ancienthighway]

You will remain in the mission roulette of defend a station or protect a convoy until you have enough rank within the task force.

[TycHouse]

Well i've now done it five times with a sixth time being defend the useless convoy and... just been offered it again !

How do i know what 'task force' rank i am and what rank do i have to get to ?

[unavoidablefate]

Well i've now done it five times with a sixth time being defend the useless convoy and... just been offered it again !

How do i know what 'task force' rank i am and what rank do i have to get to ?

Check your Pilot Status window (where it shows race ranks), you'll see an entry for your OFF rank. You will keep doing roulette missions of defend station, escort convoy, or assault kha'aak sector....

Spoiler

Show

until you reach the rank of captain and then you better have a destroyer or frigate + bomber or M7M perhaps.

BTW I completed all but the final mission of OFF in a Paranid M7 Deimos. The PSG is the best anti-kha'aak fighter weapon out there. Don't count on getting any wares or abandoned ships though.

[Threesixtyci]

On the default random missions, about 12 Mk2 Fighter drones will raise your survivability rate off the charts.... So make use of MK2 fighter drones or the Terran ones, if you wish to continue using a M6 for those missions. Mk2's are easier to acquire, though.... (by making them, yourself). Personally I rebind the protect me and attack buttons for the drones to easy to reach keys, as well. (I rebind them to the arrow directional keys, but I use a joystick thus don't need them for anything.)

The unfocused jump drive can also be a savior in restoring your shields. In that it's much quicker to activate it than to manually jumping out to safety. Though it's a gamble in whether or not you'll jump to a safer sector, or if you'll lose an upgrade or item.

[Nanook]

Zeebie, remember, the quality and quantity of enemies you face in these missions is dependent on your combat rank. If you want easy, do it before you get very high up in that ranking. Or wait until you can afford a lot more firepower.

[jack775544]

When I did this mission it was using a Springblossom with P/MAML in the front, P/SSC in the sides and E/EMPC in the rear turret.
I try to swoop in and get the pack to follow me with and use the speed of the Springblossom to separate the faster ships from the slowest ones. The small ships will be destroyed by your turrets and the differeing speeds of each corvette will make the separate for some easy pickings.
Also remember the Kha'ak Corvettes have most of their firepower focused on their front turrets. If you can get behind them then they are pretty useless, to the point where a M3 can kill a Corvette.