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General Discussion / Non-SO enforcer: is it outclassed?
« on: January 25, 2022, 09:42:01 AM »
So, I ran a game with only vanilla ships to try out the new update stuff, and I found the enforcer without SO to be kind of a bad choice now. Here's why I think so:
- Tanking: despite heavy armor + reinforced bulkheads enforcer being probably the toughest to kill destroyer in the game, I still don't feel like it's quite enough to armor tank. Especially with eradicators providing a fast cruiser option for low tech and pirates, it's not hard to rush down an enforcer and kill it in one go. So you more or less have to have them operate in teams, at which point you might as well use something with more firepower and less armor (like a hammerhead).
- Close-range brawling: Might as well put SO on it if you're gonna do that, and I'm complaining about enforcer without SO.
- Mid-range combat: The enforcer's rather lacking flux stats means that you can't pack much mid-range firepower. Two arbalests and a heavy mortar is close to nothing compared to stuff like the hammerhead, and it doesn't really excel at trying to deal its damage in a burst, either (compare to hammerhead or medusa).
- Long range support: The enforcer used to be a pretty good destroyer for escorting larger ships with weapons like the HVD, but now there's the manticore which really takes over that role.
- Missiles: Admittedly, 4 small missiles is very nice, but I feel i'd rather take the two medium missiles on the manticore.
- Low cost: I find that the cost range of destroyers makes DP cost something I don't really consider too much. Enforcers also don't particularly excel at a niche, like the shrike does (it's great at killing frigates), so I also don't have a reason to bring one along for a specific task.
- Tanking: despite heavy armor + reinforced bulkheads enforcer being probably the toughest to kill destroyer in the game, I still don't feel like it's quite enough to armor tank. Especially with eradicators providing a fast cruiser option for low tech and pirates, it's not hard to rush down an enforcer and kill it in one go. So you more or less have to have them operate in teams, at which point you might as well use something with more firepower and less armor (like a hammerhead).
- Close-range brawling: Might as well put SO on it if you're gonna do that, and I'm complaining about enforcer without SO.
- Mid-range combat: The enforcer's rather lacking flux stats means that you can't pack much mid-range firepower. Two arbalests and a heavy mortar is close to nothing compared to stuff like the hammerhead, and it doesn't really excel at trying to deal its damage in a burst, either (compare to hammerhead or medusa).
- Long range support: The enforcer used to be a pretty good destroyer for escorting larger ships with weapons like the HVD, but now there's the manticore which really takes over that role.
- Missiles: Admittedly, 4 small missiles is very nice, but I feel i'd rather take the two medium missiles on the manticore.
- Low cost: I find that the cost range of destroyers makes DP cost something I don't really consider too much. Enforcers also don't particularly excel at a niche, like the shrike does (it's great at killing frigates), so I also don't have a reason to bring one along for a specific task.