Fractal Softworks Forum
Starsector => General Discussion => Topic started by: Temjin on April 11, 2012, 09:51:17 AM
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All you guys who run solo, what are your favorite ships to do so in?
I've been most successful with the Enforcer in terms of taking down mid-sized to large fleets quickly:
Weapons:
-Dual flak in the two side turrets
-Dual Hypervelocity Drivers in the two diagonal turrets
-Heavy Mauler in the front-facing turret
-Four single Harpoon MRMs on the missile mounts
Hull Mods:
-Hardened Shields
Rest in vents.
I've loved playing with solo Tempest and solo Wolf too, but haven't had quite so much success in terms of taking down large fleets and dealing with overwhelming numbers.
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Independent Defense Force
Class: Negev
Type: Strike Cruiser
Even though it would be crazy to just "throw away its support" Using this baby as a lone wolf is good times...
I LOVE THIS MOD!!!! ;D
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I decided to do a high tech run (I mainly run low tech) and have fallen in love with a particular Medusa variant:
- 2 Heavy Blasters
- 2 Railguns
- 2 Tactical lasers in the front 2 small turrets
- 2 burst pd's in the rear side turrets
- back turret empty
- flux resistant conduits, all other points in vents. The small energy weapons could be switched up to whatever you feel like without changing the feel of the ship.
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Apogee with:
-2 Graviton Beams
-2 Burst PD Lasers
-MIRV Sabot
-Barricade SRM
-Tachyon Lance
-Augmented engines and then rest in vents...
Solo Apogee is a lot of fun, probably because those shields rarely ever come down.
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I've had good luck with the high tech ships.
Frigate: Hyperion. 2x pulse lasers, rest of your points into boosting shields & flux dissipation. Really only has issues against very large fleets - and that's only because very large fleets generate maps with lots of objectives, which your one ship can't hold, and then you get run down by swarms of enemy ships moving at high speeds & with extended ranges. Oddly, this should be an easier ship to fly solo once frigates & fighters no longer benefit from nav / sensor nodes.
Destroyer: Medusa. Grav beams, tac lasers, and 2x railgun. Can be tricky going up against high-tech fleets, since you've only got the railguns for generating permanent flux. But absolutely demolishes pirate fleets - you've got a huge range advantage over most stuff, and that many beams will tear through low-tech shields. For a more general purpose build, might be worth considering pulse lasers - though their increased flux generation will reduce your ability to take incoming damage.
Cruiser: Apogee as described here (http://fractalsoftworks.com/forum/index.php?topic=1930.msg23122#msg23122) worked fairly well solo. Aurora is also good; for solo play I tend to go light on the missiles and rely more on the energy weapons; pulse & ir pulse lasers in all the turrets that can aim forward; choice of pd lasers w/ extended range or tac/grav beams for the rear. A harpoon pod in the large missile slot isn't a bad plan, but I often spend the space on more hull mods instead. (If using my energy balance mod (http://fractalsoftworks.com/forum/index.php?topic=1832.0), I'll put burst PD into the rear turrets - but otherwise they're not really worth it.)
Capital: Paragon. Leave the front large slots empty & mount plasma cannons in the large turrets. Flak or dual flak in the universal slots. Grav beams in medium energy, ir pulse in small energy, lots and lots of vents. Takes a bit of care to use well - the flak guns can easily run out of ammo, so you often want to turn them off if you're good on flux and can just take missile hits to shields. Turn them on if you're taking down shields or dealing with bombers - the medium & small energy mounts can easily kill off bombers if you've got flak to punch a hole in their wall of bombs. And, of course, you have to get fairly good at aiming the plasma cannons. For hull mods, you want for sure resistant flux conduits, stabilized shields, and integrated targeting unit; you'll also want at least near max on flux vents.
Of course, any of the larger ships will function a *lot* better with even just a little bit of frigate support; a couple of AI-controlled Tempest or Hyperion frigates will help a lot - send them out to capture nodes, tie up enemy ships so you're not getting totally swarmed, chase down things that are smart enough to run away, etc.
Alternatively, an Odyssey plus a complement of fighters works very nicely - though that's kinda debatable if it really counts as "solo". Probably an ideal setup would use 2x tachyon lances on the left, and a plasma cannon on the right - though 2x plasma and 1x lance is, at least for me, more fun.
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FTR, I'd define "solo" as one ship, no support ships, no frigates, no fighters.
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Well, the only reason I suggested Odyssey + fighters is that it's a carrier - that fighter bay is a good chunk of its firepower, and not using it feels kinda like deliberately not spending all your ordnance points.
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Am I the only one who tries going solo with low- and mid-tech ships?
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Mine: Conquest-Class
Mjolnir Cannons and Hepatitus in the large slots.
Dual Flak and Heavy Autocannons for the medium slots
Tac Lasers in all the small energy slots
2 Pilums in the missile slots
Hull Mods:
Auxiliary Thrusters
Resistant Flux Conduits
The rest of points are split 60/40 in Vents and Capacitors.
It slaughters most everything. Also, if you get behind a slow moving, forward facing shielded ships (*ahem* Enforcers *ahem*) and they will pop like blood sausages.
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Hepatitus in the large slots.
I'm certain you did this delibrately it's still hiliarious.
I'll second everyone talking about the medusa and Hyperion.
And add my Onslaught, three storm needlers and a heap of Harpoons. Assualt Chainguns (they're the HE one right?) in the medium forward turrets (3) everything else in flak. Aux thrusters and expanded magazines.
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Am I the only one who tries going solo with low- and mid-tech ships?
I've done it... the low-tech is too slow without support to chase stragglers so the AI will escape a lot more, but has enough sheer firepower to make up for it. The mid-tech ships (with the possible exception of the hammerhead) are kinda suck at solo (much better with escorts): they can't be maneuvered into a dominant scenario because they don't have one (jack of all trades, master of none).
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hound
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Hepatitus in the large slots.
I'm certain you did this delibrately it's still hiliarious.
I'll second everyone talking about the medusa and Hyperion.
And add my Onslaught, three storm needlers and a heap of Harpoons. Assualt Chainguns (they're the HE one right?) in the medium forward turrets (3) everything else in flak. Aux thrusters and expanded magazines.
I guess the Aux Thrusters is how you keep everyone from circle-strafing your butt to death? I couldn't make solo Onslaught work for me.
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hound
Isn't that just like playing on easy mode? :P
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Fireant destroyer. (1 large ballistic hardpoint, 2 medium ballistic turrets, 4 medium universal turrets)
1 light gauss cannon
2 flaks
2 small PD weapons
2 small mid-range high-dps weapons
Small things die to flaks, cruisers&capitals get shot with the gauss until they overload or vent and then die to the other stuff when I go in.
No AI ship so far had anything that can match 1800 range (except for the paragon with tachyon lances which I wouldn't even attempt to face solo), and big ships are too slow to catch up.
The only thing that poses a challenge are the non-squishy frigates that don't instantly die to the flaks.
And obviously being outnumbered too much will mean death aswell, but up to medium-sized fleets can be handled with it.
Still, this is the first ship I buy on a new game and it usually serves me very well.
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hound
Isn't that just like playing on easy mode? :P
This might sounds kinda dumb but... how do you solo in a hound? Maybe it just doesn't match my playstyle but it seems kinda impossible to take on anything more than another frigate or 2. One meet up with a wasp wing and you're pretty much dead, right?
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the key to soloing anything is picking your battles, though.
I've taken out a lasher and a hound in one go before. Full health.
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Ah fair enough. I guess my point would be why solo in a hound instead of anything else? But if people find it fun then rock on!
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Haha a valid point. Hound's main strength lies outside of combat. :) It is a fun challenge, though.
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Haha a valid point. Hound's main strength lies outside of combat. :) It is a fun challenge, though.
Then is it just me who sucks in piloting capitals?
I got my shiny conquest swarmed by hounds and utterly obliterated.
And now I only pilot cruisers, no capitals anymore...........
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Hmm did you have integrated targeting? I find its absolutely necessary for capitals. If you have it though you should have heavy weaponry slamming into Hounds from beyond their firing range. Of course, it really depends on how many and hounds are slippery enough to dodge a lot of fire. :P
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What? I never take ITU with a Conquest. The Conquest is fast and maneuverable enough that it can and should get relatively close to do work. Plus its broadside encourages circling maneuvers or passes, not static standoffs.
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Ah, let me explain: I find it absolutely necessary for capital ships that have to engage multiple smaller targets. The ITU makes their tactics of "swoop in, fire, swoop out" much less effective because you have a much longer fire time and also because much of that fire time they can't fire back. The Conquest is fast and maneuverable enough to go up against other caps without it but not, at least in my experience, swarms of fighters/frigates/destroyers. I was responding to being swarmed by hounds but should have been clearer. :)
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I don't trust the computer to do anything but waste ammo at those ranges, and I fly with an elite crew. In my opinion, unless you're willing to pay for a goatload of tactical lasers, the Conquest just isn't a good swarm stomper. It's a dragonslayer of sorts, going after big fish. It needs to be supported, which is why I don't fly it solo.
I prefer ships like the Enforcer, Lasher, Tempest, and Hammerhead for that.
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Yeah I also feel this way.
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Hopefully that'll change though. A reduced time on target for ballistics would do wonders for gunnery.
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I'm in love with the Lasher at every fleet size, so yeah. Two harpoons, expanded missile racks, as many MGs and dual MGs I can fit, accelerated shields...
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Yeah I've been playing a similar build. It's pretty dang nasty. :D
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Then is it just me who sucks in piloting capitals?
I got my shiny conquest swarmed by hounds and utterly obliterated.
And now I only pilot cruisers, no capitals anymore...........
Its not just u that sucks at cap ship flyin. :'(
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In my opinion, unless you're willing to pay for a goatload of tactical lasers, the Conquest just isn't a good swarm stomper.
Yeah. A solo Conquest has to take into account what kind of fleets it can catch, and then outfit very exactly to those threats.
Hmm, depends on whether I can get PD lasers and four Mjolnirs.
I'd go PD everywhere with ITU, plus two grav lasers, railguns, and quad Pilums - the swarm ends up being very much like a fighter escort. Definitely needs at least armoured mounts + bonus gyros, as it doesn't have a full shield.
If I could get Mjolnir, I'd use those and railguns. If I couldn't get PD, I'd go with tac lasers and integrated PD AI. If I couldn't load down with Mjolnir, I'd check to see how effective the hypervelocity's EMP was at keeping things locked down, and use Hephaestus in the large mounts.
Depending on how much the defensive hull mods cost, I might not even use large ballistics at all. Pretty much overkill against frigates, and doubtless the real issue will be fighters.
Actually I think I might go try this now.
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Mjolnir AND railguns? Do you care nothing for the flux of your ship?!
....yeah, anyway, not what I'd recommend.
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Most efficient "Solo" ships are High-Tech, unfortunately.
Tempest, Medusa, Aurora...all are easy to solo with.
For Lower-Tech, it pretty much falls to the "All-Rounders". Some good ones are the Lasher, Enforcer, and Hammerhead.
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Independent Defense Force
Class: Negev
Type: Strike Cruiser
Even though it would be crazy to just "throw away its support" Using this baby as a lone wolf is good times...
I LOVE THIS MOD!!!! ;D
Most Op ships ever, more then Nomads :3
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Railguns cost five more flux/sec than hypervelocities, weigh six less OP, and do 50% more dps. 30% less range, though.
The Conquest can spend out its flux just with shields, lasers, and the medium mount, let alone the heavies. So I'm going to go with yeah, I care nothing for flux.
Currently trying out storm needlers, mjolnir for backup, and heavy maulers. A single broadside of lasers and needler is enough to own the Conquest's flux management. Luckily it owns other things just a bit faster. No pilums because it makes stuff too easy.
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It's more the Mjolnirs. Terribly inefficient weapons, and not particularly useful in my opinion either. Forget pilums, four sabot pods is where it's at.
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The point of Mjolnir is to disable weapons, which it does effectively. Especially if sabots are helpfully moving the shield aside. Things take longer to die but can hardly shoot back. Perhaps better as a support weapon. Mainly better because black holes LOL.
Effective solo Conquest loadout, plus or minus some PD lasers.
4x Heavy Maulers, 2x Flak Cannon, 2x Storm Needler, 2x Sabot rack, 2x sabot pod, 2x Grav beam, 4x PD lasers.
Mods: armoured emplacements, gyros, ITU, hardened shields. Ton of vents.
PD lasers are better for fighting anything with Pilums. Tac lasers are better for swatting fighters. Set everything to autofire and this things' broadside won't let an Aurora survive its vent. The sabots can also be used to chase down pesky frigates.
The flak is wonderful against MIRVs, and covers missing PD laser spots. +Armour so it doesn't have to shield most shots. +gyros to compensate for the armour debuff. The massive vents are so that it can fire almost continuously. Tri-tach attack fleets like to fire massive Harpoon volleys if I'm high on flux, and so my Conquest needs to kill them before it gets high on flux.
Storm Needlers are also great against Piranha bomb volleys.
You can also do Pilums, which screw with the AI and the swarm often makes dropping their shield lead to an instagib. Sabots are better against larger ships, like the Aurora, though.
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So phase charges. Pretty frickin ridiculous.
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What are they anyway?
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What are they anyway?
Phase Charges are like Depth Charges (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depth_charge) in space.
They will be used to hunt P-ships later when they are introudced ;)
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The point of Mjolnir is to disable weapons, which it does effectively. Especially if sabots are helpfully moving the shield aside. Things take longer to die but can hardly shoot back. Perhaps better as a support weapon. Mainly better because black holes LOL.
I guess I can't disagree with that last point, but things taking longer to die isn't a point of favor for the Conquest, since it's flux management is terrible in comparison to other capital ships.
If I'm doing a double sided Conquest, I completely eschew point defense in favor of killing power for reasons I've already mentioned.
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Not gonna lie, the Dominators can handle themselves well,
especially due to the 3 front-facing medium missile slots.
2 large hammery death-slots are helpful as well,
which are then backed up by IIRC 2 medium ballistic slots for HV drivers or flak (for more PD independence).
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Redoubt-class in ograms(sp?) minimash is a very fun ship. I can take out most pirate fleets easily with just that.
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The Conquest can be both a dragon slayer and swarm stomper at the same time, which makes it the best solo ship imo.
4xPD laser in front and back small slots, rest of small slots IR pulse lasers.
2x Pulse laser
4x Hellbore
4x Hyper Velocity Driver
40ish vents
Integrated targeting unit
Accelerated Shields (this is your main PD, you have to actively raise/lower to block threats)
then:
2x 10 OP missile of your choice in the front + Auxiliary thrusters
OR
2x MIRV in the front
Keep the Hellbores from firing until you engage bigger targets, so you can fire all the smaller guns indefinitely due to all those vents. Then basically drive into the thick of things and cut everything around you to ribbons. When you run into something big, get it's flux up from a distance with the HVDs, then close in and blast it with the hellbores. Best all around-solo everything ship/build I've encountered yet.
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Not gonna lie, the Dominators can handle themselves well,
especially due to the 3 front-facing medium missile slots.
2 large hammery death-slots are helpful as well,
which are then backed up by IIRC 2 medium ballistic slots for HV drivers or flak (for more PD independence).
I haven't tried the Dominator solo yet, but the slow speed and slow turn speed combined with fixed front shield with poor coverage seem like you'd get slowly picked apart by circling frigates and destroyers.