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Author Topic: Beam fleet loadout  (Read 1728 times)

Axolotl

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Beam fleet loadout
« on: May 31, 2023, 04:08:15 AM »

Hey guys!
Anyone tried out a beam heavy fleet and could make it work? With the new energy missiles and weapons I tried to make a thematic fleet, but it feels like its just not too viable.
Maybe i am missing something.
Suggestions for fleet composition and ship loadouts would be much appreciated.
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Doctorhealsgood

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Re: Beam fleet loadout
« Reply #1 on: May 31, 2023, 04:48:05 AM »

If i remember well the paragon is an excellent candidate for a disco build. That being said you should probably get your hands on burst lasers in general like the tachyon or phase lances. One big drawback of beams is that they only do soft flux so if your fleet is almost all beams you might want to consider the High Scatter Amplifier hullmod. Usually it tends to be seen as a bad idea but in your case it might be fine on the right ships. I doubt it works on the DEMs though.
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CapnHector

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Re: Beam fleet loadout
« Reply #2 on: May 31, 2023, 04:54:40 AM »

One thing I really want to try this version, but haven't yet, is Lion's Guard Eagle beamspam fleet. Since that ship can mount a total of 5 medium energies. That's more beams than any other cruiser. I imagine it might be good with 5x IR Autolance and Expanded Magazines, a HVD, and 3 Tactical Lasers. Maybe. If supported by something at least. Definitely needs advanced optics and range, although I suppose if you really want to you could also make a SO build with High Scatter Amplifier and Phase Lances.
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BigBrainEnergy

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Re: Beam fleet loadout
« Reply #3 on: May 31, 2023, 04:59:36 AM »

LG sunder with HIL, 2 gravitons, 2 tac lasers, and 2 gazers.
« Last Edit: May 31, 2023, 07:23:58 AM by BigBrainEnergy »
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BaBosa

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Re: Beam fleet loadout
« Reply #4 on: May 31, 2023, 05:05:57 AM »

The main problem is how to crack shields. Beams deal soft flux unless you use high scatter amplifier which cuts range a lot. Even then though they don't have great DPS. Also you'll need mostly cruisers and capitals as small beams are not good. Squalls really help a beam build.

looking at the main beams DPS you have
Tactical with 75
Graviton with 100 kinetic
Ion with 50 and 400 emp
phase lance with 217 and good burst but short range
Autolance with 100 fragmentation and good burst
High intensity with 500 HE
Tachyon with 346 and good burst

Ship energy weapon slots

Paragons has 4 large, 4 medium, and 4 small front facing slots plus the best range boost.
Executor has 2 large, 6 medium and 2 small front facing slots plus high energy focus and 2 large missiles 
Champion has 1 large, 2 medium and 4 small front facing slots plus high energy focus and a large missile.
Apogee has 1 large, medium and small front-facing slots plus a large missile.
Eagle LG has 5 medium and 3 small front-facing slots
Falcon LG has 4 medium and 2 small front-facing slots
Sunder has 1 large and 2 medium front-facing slots plus high energy focus.
Brawler TT has 2 medium and 2 small front-facing slots.

Your fleet would probably be a lot of brawler TTs for lots of gravitons and any large missile would want to be squals.
Otherwise, both Tachyon and HI lasers are good armor breakers so either work and tactical is your only real small energy option.
I probably wouldn’t suggest Falcon and eagle as you get more medium slots from TT brawlers for the same DP and gravitons don’t need much flux.
Actually do you just want a fleet with quite a few beams or a fleet with almost every weapon being a beam?

Edit: added autolance and LG ships.
Edit2: as CapnHector mentioned, Xyphos are really good. Beam build don’t need much dissipation or OP in general so putting OP into converted hangers and Xyphos for two ion beams is really good.
« Last Edit: May 31, 2023, 05:50:18 AM by BaBosa »
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CapnHector

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Re: Beam fleet loadout
« Reply #5 on: May 31, 2023, 05:32:38 AM »

Soft flux is bad. But to be fair you can do a lot of soft flux damage at a long range. For example this loadout:



Excluding the missiles this ship will do 5*200 + 3*75 + 276 = 1501 damage to shields per second. A Paragon or a Radiant can shield tank one, but if you deploy two of these they will in fact force the shields down. Although in practice in the sim, apparently sim Radiant figures it might as well just drop shields.



Also how could I forget the Xyphos. No more time now but this build should seriously have a Xyphos for 2 more beams (and also it would actually be pretty good because it severely punishes for lowering shields). Maybe this Eagle should be mixed with the HIL Sunder BBE posted because then there would be serious follow-up if the enemy does lower shields.
« Last Edit: May 31, 2023, 05:34:10 AM by CapnHector »
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Void Ganymede

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Re: Beam fleet loadout
« Reply #6 on: May 31, 2023, 05:34:33 AM »

Beams are neat because you can do an overlapping defense grid with 'em. Try stacking the following on multiple cruiser-sized ships:

- ITU + Advanced Optics
- built-in IPDAI to turn tac lasers into PD, then an officer with elite Point Defense to add extra range
- Advanced Turret Gyros for smooth target switching, maybe Gunnery Implants for peak range

This takes care of point defense, air superiority, and provides solid mutual support between ships. You can then pretty comfortably dump everything else into offense. Bomber Herons supporting KE ballistics Eagles? Broadsword Herons supporting an MRM Harpoon volley fleet? Broadsword Herons setting up Pegasus missile spam? All probably decent!

I do think beams are a support weapon for a varied fleet. Gravitons buffing kinetic projectiles, Ion Beams keeping shields up for those projectiles to connect, etc. Maybe high tech can do an all-beam tach lance HIL fiesta but I'm not convinced.
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Igncom1

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Re: Beam fleet loadout
« Reply #7 on: May 31, 2023, 05:45:04 AM »

The only issues I've had with beam fleets is getting the AI to focus fire rather then spreading out their lasers.

Otherwise you only need a little burst fire-power to tip a 99% beam fleet into godly territory.
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CapnHector

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Re: Beam fleet loadout
« Reply #8 on: May 31, 2023, 05:47:00 AM »

Shouldn't forget the Executor just because it's new. 2x High Intensity Laser + Gravitons + Squalls + HVDs in the front mounts should be plenty strong and beamspammy.
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BaBosa

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Re: Beam fleet loadout
« Reply #9 on: May 31, 2023, 05:59:02 AM »

Shouldn't forget the Executor just because it's new. 2x High Intensity Laser + Gravitons + Squalls + HVDs in the front mounts should be plenty strong and beamspammy.
Ehh but it only has 500 flux dissipation and maxing vents only brings it up to 1000. Better to bring two champions.
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CapnHector

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Re: Beam fleet loadout
« Reply #10 on: May 31, 2023, 06:04:08 AM »

Shouldn't forget the Executor just because it's new. 2x High Intensity Laser + Gravitons + Squalls + HVDs in the front mounts should be plenty strong and beamspammy.
Ehh but it only has 500 flux dissipation and maxing vents only brings it up to 1000. Better to bring two champions.

Yeah Executor needs Ordnance Expertise really badly. Don't bother without it. If you do have it though, the layout I mentioned works decently for Ordo fighting. Not so much experience with it that I could compare it to a Champion though. In theory the Executor at least has better range and shields.
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BaBosa

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Re: Beam fleet loadout
« Reply #11 on: May 31, 2023, 06:08:33 AM »

I cheated in a fleet and I’ve ended up on;
A Paragon with tachyons, gravitons and tacticals with LR PD in the back. Max vents and distributor, advanced optics and Xyphos plus other hullmods.
Apogee with HI, gravitons and tacticals with LR PD in the back. ITU, advanced optics and Xyphos plus stabilised shields and remaining vents.
Brawler TT with gravitons and tacticals. ITU, advanced optics and auxiliary thrusters plus stabilised and hardened shields and 7 vents with remaking as caps. Some have 1 ion with 9 vents and no caps.
Edit: I might actually swap brawlers for tempests with phase lance and graviton to deal with other frigates and destroyers.
« Last Edit: May 31, 2023, 06:11:45 AM by BaBosa »
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Hiruma Kai

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Re: Beam fleet loadout
« Reply #12 on: May 31, 2023, 06:30:17 AM »

Shouldn't forget the Executor just because it's new. 2x High Intensity Laser + Gravitons + Squalls + HVDs in the front mounts should be plenty strong and beamspammy.
Ehh but it only has 500 flux dissipation and maxing vents only brings it up to 1000. Better to bring two champions.

With skills it is not so bad:
500 base
500 vents
50 + 50 Flux regulation
200 OP on weapons -> 400 with Ordinance Expertise
150 Flux Distributor
Total 1650 flux dissipation/second
2x HIL + 4 Graviton + 3 HVD = 1625 flux/second
So you are slightly overfluxed by shields (200/second).  Technically Elite Energy Weapon Mastery and Stabilized Shields gets you to flux neutral.  Finish off with say 2 Squalls, 3 Flak, 2 Burst PD, 2 LR PD Laser, so 199 weapon OP.

Spend 20 on Flux Distributor, 55 Vents, 15 OP on Stabilized Shields, 10 on Advanced Turret Gyros, 25 on Advance Optics, 25 on ITU, Expanded Missile Racks s-modded, ECCM s-modded (immunity to ECM range reduction/buff Squalls), 1 capacitor.  If Best of the Best, s-mod Hardened shields.  Seems like a reasonable long range (1800 on the beams) fire support battleship.

You're down 1 HVD compared to a pair of Champions, but up 4 Graviton beams and have better point defense.  200 more range with ITU, but slower speed at 50.
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CapnHector

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Re: Beam fleet loadout
« Reply #13 on: May 31, 2023, 06:38:31 AM »

Shouldn't forget the Executor just because it's new. 2x High Intensity Laser + Gravitons + Squalls + HVDs in the front mounts should be plenty strong and beamspammy.
Ehh but it only has 500 flux dissipation and maxing vents only brings it up to 1000. Better to bring two champions.

With skills it is not so bad:
500 base
500 vents
50 + 50 Flux regulation
200 OP on weapons -> 400 with Ordinance Expertise
150 Flux Distributor
Total 1650 flux dissipation/second
2x HIL + 4 Graviton + 3 HVD = 1625 flux/second
So you are slightly overfluxed by shields (200/second).  Technically Elite Energy Weapon Mastery and Stabilized Shields gets you to flux neutral.  Finish off with say 2 Squalls, 3 Flak, 2 Burst PD, 2 LR PD Laser, so 199 weapon OP.

Spend 20 on Flux Distributor, 55 Vents, 15 OP on Stabilized Shields, 10 on Advanced Turret Gyros, 25 on Advance Optics, 25 on ITU, Expanded Missile Racks s-modded, ECCM s-modded (immunity to ECM range reduction/buff Squalls), 1 capacitor.  If Best of the Best, s-mod Hardened shields.  Seems like a reasonable long range (1800 on the beams) fire support battleship.

You're down 1 HVD compared to a pair of Champions, but up 4 Graviton beams and have better point defense.  200 more range with ITU, but slower speed at 50.

Also worth a mention: 0.6 base shields making it extremely tanky especially with S-modded hardened shields, HEF boosts the Gravitons. It is absolutely not a bad ship.
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PsychoThruster

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Re: Beam fleet loadout
« Reply #14 on: May 31, 2023, 06:49:03 AM »

I'd get champions with gunnery implant officers and go 4 tac, 2 grav, 1 hil. With their system running they're pumping out 1400 shield DPS, and 2250 armor DPS. Build the fleet around high intensity lasers, they do the most shield DPS of the beams despite being HE.
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