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[Sapling]

I usually go with two wasp drone wings, and then concentrate on fighters that have ion cannons and ability to disable shields.
My assumption is that fighters are not strong enough to destroy a bigger ship by themselves, but their superior mobility makes it easy to disable ships.

Any thoughts?

[Inventor Raccoon]

My current favourite 2-wing setup is Broadsword and Warthog. Simple, Broadsword raises flux, Warthogs kill armor, and the constant swarm of flares helps both of the wings survive. With 3 wings, you can add more Warthogs, some finishing power with Khopeshes, intercepting with Talons, disabling with Claws, or a little bit of everything with Thunders.

[Cik]

i basically go with khopesh

my strategy is that enough rockets can destroy anything

also you need broadswords to saturate PD

but then, rockets. they can destroy anything.

basically, rockets.

[Deshara]

If you're trying to intercept fighters, talons. If you're trying to screen missiles, talons. If you're trying to run down fleeing frigates, I think your best bet is talons. Running strikes on a capital? You'll definitely want to back up your talons with talons.
If the enemy is throwing talons at you, then,
quit your game, you've lost

[CrashToDesktop]

If you've got a pair of flight decks, than a Longbow and a Warthog are good.

If you've got three flight decks, then a Warthog, Longbow, and the Spark is a damn fine setup for overall performance.  Good shield-cracking and can-opening performance as well as an (overpowered) interceptor.

Another nice loadout for triple decks is a Broadsword and double Khopesh Rocket Bombers.  That's pretty much the ultimate ship-killer, even against cruisers.

[AxleMC131]

When it comes down to it, a combo of kinetic damage (Broadswords, Longbows) and HE strike damage (Khopesh, Warthogs, Piranhas) is a pretty safe bet.

[ANGRYABOUTELVES]

Most effective fighter setup for what? An Astral? A Drover? It really depends on the carrier and what you want to do with it. Fighters are very flexible, and I don't think there is any universal most effective loadout. Well, aside from putting Sparks in every slot.

[roacher]

If you're trying to intercept fighters, talons. If you're trying to screen missiles, talons. If you're trying to run down fleeing frigates, I think your best bet is talons. Running strikes on a capital? You'll definitely want to back up your talons with talons.
If the enemy is throwing talons at you, then,
quit your game, you've lost

Drover: Talon stands alone.
Astral:  Not alone! (throw 10000 more talons)

[Burlap]

I've run a lot of different combinations, and it's surprising how many of them work. My current fleet favors shock and speed, so I run 2 Herons full of Thunders and a drover full of Daggers.

I think this loadout would underperform out of a lot of fleets, but along with the really agressive close-in style that the rest of my fleet has, the instant flameouts from the Thunders and the significant threat of the 2(3.5) dagger wing torpedo strike makes sure anything that isn't a Paragon is exposed from some angle or other.

I'm considering that Kopesh bombers might do the Dagger's job for less OP, but unless the re-arm time is a lot faster I'm favoring the daggers for the Drover rounding error and the better punch for ships that can't angle shields to block them.

The speed edge on the Thunder has made it my go-to fighter wing. The middling armor along with all that speed makes them shockingly durable with the AI driving. General versitility as a stopgap interceptor, striker and support fighter have got me ignoring their miniscule wing size (which does hurt a bit, fighting against massive odds).

[The2nd]

For an Astral you really want a only bomber setup. As soon as they have dropped their ordinance recall them for the next wave. You have a insane damage output this way.  

[Igncom1]

I've been going for 1 Broadsword and 2 Khopesh bombers for my Moras. They all seem to work really really well! My Destroyers/Cruisers/Capitals all have converted hangers with a wing of Talons each, which serve very well as a light escort for them when I'm running without true Carriers.

My looted high tech fleet Only has a single Astral Carrier at the moment but it's compliment of 4 Dagger Torpedo Bombers and If I can recall correctly is 2 Lux fighters. Heavy anti-cruiser potential and the fighters seem to be as good at their screen as Broadswords. As for my looted high tech's converted hanger stock, I have mostly been using Sparks with the occasional wasp filling in where I have been short. Amazing interceptors those Sparks.

For general purpose I would personally suggest the Broadsword fighters as the best mix of flares and machine-guns to keep your better ships alive and safe. If you are looking for more duel-role fighters, some Warthogs or Thunders can serve as effective gunships and strike-fighters, while unfortunately losing anti-missile capability's in return.

[Giblodyte]

khopesh bombers for me, they inflict severe punishment. A Mora with 3 khopesh wings is my ideal setup.

[Megas]

For clunkers, Talons, Broadswords, and Piranhas.  Talons are overpowered for their cost, and they murder everything that is small, and their Swarmer spam distracts as well.  Broadswords for anti-shield, and Piranhas for big damage.  Talons and Broadswords are open market and common.  Piranhas are overshadowed by Khopesh, but Piranhas seems more accessible (in Black Markets) when makes them the perfect expendable bomber.

For elite ships, I use Claws instead of Broadswords and Khopesh instead of Piranhas.  Sparks may get used if I have them.  Wasps are weaker Sparks alternative.  I may use drones instead of Talons if other ships have Talons.

Astral is special.  Because of its system, I use only bombers.  Daggers are too expensive.  Khopesh get the same job done for much less cost.  However, a few homing torpedoes is nice as insurance and to mix things up.  For Astral, I use one wing of Daggers, three Khopesh, and two Longbows.

For Odyssey, it needs a way to hit for hard flux.  If I use beams on Odyssey, its sole wing is Broadswords to put hard flux on shields.

[Schwartz]

I use a couple of three-deck carriers with 1 Talon, 1 Khopesh, 1 Claw / Thunder. The two-deck ones get 2 Talons and emergency shuttles. This has been working pretty well so far.

I also give my extra carrier captains Tempests to pilot since I assume the drone benefits from fighter buffs. An Odyssey build I was playing around with used Tac Lasers and beams exclusively, and I gave it some Wasps for PD duty. It worked okay, but the Odyssey still feels a little awkward.

I'd like to use Broadswords more but don't think they're worth it when Talons remain 0 OP.

[Megas]

I'd like to use Broadswords more but don't think they're worth it when Talons remain 0 OP.

Many fighters, not Broadswords only.  Broadswords are superfluous if your ship can put hard flux on shields.  Thunders are watered-down combo of Claw and Talon.  They are nearly as fragile as Talons, but you only get two in a wing, rebuild slower, and cost OP.  Warthogs are too slow.  They lag behind other fighters, and by the time they show up, they get eaten alive like the fighters that went before them.  Gladius seems like a Broadsword that trades flares for IR Pulse Laser.  They too seem underwhelming.

However, Broadswords are okay if you absolutely need fighters to put hard flux on shields.  Gladius is worse (not open market, only two per wing), and Longbow is too slow as your only source of kinetic damage unless the carrier is the Astral.  Also, Broadswords are open market, but not the others.