Xenon Station Attack, Ideas?

[Flavalicious]

Built up a nice fleet to take out a station, around 8 or 9 destroyers, a carrier with 60 fighters of mixed type and a supporting supply ship. Was pretty disappointing when I attacked it, about half of the destroyers flew into a host of those plasma batteries the xenon have, blew up in no time. The rest found a nice little place to LOS the turrets and got the station very low until a bunch of K/Q/I's showed up to chase me away (ship mod for the Q, in case wondering). Pretty terrible outcome on my end, i observed it in sector because it looked neat. I was figuring the next time i try it, maybe send in a bunch of medium class ships in advance and try to focus the big turrets down and then send in the destroyers?

But if anyone else has ideas, im curious

My only condition is i don't want to siege it from out of range, I didnt spend 140 hours building up to this point to cheese the fight out lol. I have access to everything but the Terran Battleship to work with.

[[Vilu]]

What ever you use, don't use rattlesnakes or anything with <8km gun range, because they'll just run into the station guns (nothing in the game can 'tank' the Xenon plasmas, gravitons or w/e they are called...). Also make sure your destroyer pilots are 3+ stars or they wont properly use their max range even if it's >8km.

You did not mention station drones, but I usually send in just 1 fighter or bomber first, and immediately when the station launches drones I pull it back and lure the drones into all my anti-fighter turrets. After that I setup my destroyers to attack from different angles so modules get destroyed equally from all sides, so no destroyers ends up running in to turrets because they don't have line of sight. Then I send in my torp bombers to speed things up. I'm using Takobas with TER mk3 combat engines (500+ speed. split ships and engines probably can pull up the same for cheaper) and they seem be doing ok'ish with staying alive. All are 2+ star pilots, and didn't lose any against the xenon wharf I destroyed earlier today.

Torps are also nice with their aoe damage, as those often end up clearing out alot of the station turrets.

edit: you mentioned not wanting to use out of range as a tactic. If you really want to do that, find a mod that nerfs the xenon plasmas, or use ridiculously large fleet for the task. 60+ torp bombers, 100+ fighters with destroyers, like something way overkill, or prepare to take 80%+ casualties. Because there are no ships in the game yet that can take on those turrets and either the turrets or station needs to die fast.

[Flavalicious]

Originally posted by Vilu:

What ever you use, don't use rattlesnakes or anything with <8km gun range, because they'll just run into the station guns (nothing in the game can 'tank' the Xenon plasmas, gravitons or w/e they are called...). Also make sure your destroyer pilots are 3+ stars or they wont properly use their max range even if it's >8km.

You did not mention station drones, but I usually send in just 1 fighter or bomber first, and immediately when the station launches drones I pull it back and lure the drones into all my anti-fighter turrets. After that I setup my destroyers to attack from different angles so modules get destroyed equally from all sides, so no destroyers ends up running in to turrets because they don't have line of sight. Then I send in my torp bombers to speed things up. I'm using Takobas with TER mk3 combat engines (500+ speed. split ships and engines probably can pull up the same for cheaper) and they seem be doing ok'ish with staying alive. All are 2+ star pilots, and didn't lose any against the xenon wharf I destroyed earlier today.

Torps are also nice with their aoe damage, as those often end up clearing out alot of the station turrets.

edit: you mentioned not wanting to use out of range as a tactic. If you really want to do that, find a mod that nerfs the xenon plasmas, or use ridiculously large fleet for the task. 60+ torp bombers, 100+ fighters with destroyers, like something way overkill, or prepare to take 80%+ casualties. Because there are no ships in the game yet that can take on those turrets and either the turrets or station needs to die fast.

Can anything Terran use torps? I have the blueprint but i cant seem to get it installed as a munition in any of the terran launchers. Unless im blind and or dumb lol

The destroyer pilots were all 2.75 - 3+ stars, only the Syns really stayed back out of range, the smaller terran destroyers all rushed in lol

[hurepoix]

I usually dont let a chance to the ennemy. Last xenons attack station was made by 2 fleets of 40 odyseus each (L paranid plasma and Medium flak) and 2 flotilla of 80 peregrines each.
I think only destroyer commander fleet were 3 stars, and all others rookies. It was day 4 and 3 stars pilots are very rare at this time.

I have no tactic, just a an economy strategy that allows to crush ennemy by the number.

[[Vilu]]

Originally posted by Flavalicious:

Can anything Terran use torps? I have the blueprint but i cant seem to get it installed as a munition in any of the terran launchers. Unless im blind and or dumb lol

The destroyer pilots were all 2.75 - 3+ stars, only the Syns really stayed back out of range, the smaller terran destroyers all rushed in lol

They require torp launcers.

I think all of their S/M combat ships have 'missile' flag for their frontal weapons, so they all should be able to use them. They (terrans) just don't have the torp launcher blueprint themselves, so have to refit at any of the commonwealth factions or build them in your own wharf.

edit: at least the Takoba can, as I'm using them as torp bombers :)

[Gregorovitch]

Three options work against Xenon stations, with the third being dependant on the size of the defence drone swarm the Xenon's put up:

1. Turret sniping: you jump into a destroyer yourself, and Odeyseus for choice, and shoot out the L Graviton turrets manually. Then send in the fleet to mash up the station.

2. L Plasma turret creep: You carefully position your destroyers so that their L plasma turrets, set to attack capital ship (which includes stations) are just in range. You do not give them attack orders (so they won't fire their main batteries) and you must give them remove all orders to get them to hold position once the their turrets are firing so they stay in position out of the range of the stations turrets. You also have to move them on a bit after dealing with the nearest station modules to get at the next ones. This is a micro-intensive method.

3. Turret stripping with fighter swarm: You order your fighters to attack the station. They will target turrets in the process. Once the L Graviton turrets are down (you need to be piloting a ship in range sub-targeting the station turrets to monitor this) you send in the destroyers to mash up the station. This doesn't work so well if the Xenon have a lot of defence drones available.

The easiest and most automated way is turret stripping fighter swarm, but the more opposition the Xenon put up (defence drones/fighters and P's etc) the less it's likely to work and the more losses you'll take. Personally I find the the turret sniping option is the safest and ultimately the quickest way to do it if fighter swarm turret stripping isn't viable for a particular station. First time you do it is tricky while you get the hang of how to do it but by the third or fourth station you get to be a pro at it.

[Flavalicious]

So i reattacked the same solar plant later yesturday. Basically did a combination of what everyone expected, i had the destroyers follow me and i made them approach slowly and directly level with the center of the side of the station so only the plasma turrets on the end module could reliably fire on us. Then once close enough i got them all to attack with me command, and while i was targetting the 4 plasma turrets on my side and opening on fire, they actually fired at the same turrets i was, which was a nice surprise. Once those were removed I went from module to module picking off the turrets in a maxed out Syn, got a bit dicey at one point when i got stuck on the station and was a bit too high off the top of the xenon base and was getting hit by multiple batteries lol. By the time i got back into cover i had 40% hull left.

Xenon sent a K, I and Q to defend, had to get the entire fleet to back way off and engage them away from the station, i had reserved my fighters this time so with them i got everything to attack all at once. Ended up losing a Syn and smaller destroyer to the xenon ships but took sometime and repaired at my supply ship, and went back in. Destroyed the station, lost another Syn to a ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ captain who went vertical and got his ship nuked, but i was able to pick off the last of the turrets with his distraction

so station and defense fleet destroyed, that time only cost me 2 Syns and 1 Osaka, but im pretty happy overall, i did it the "hard way" and had some great fights doing it. After i take out 3 or 4 stations, ill probably do it the easier way since microing station battles that take 2 hoiurs each will get old fast lol


Good tip about getting the torps from the commonwealth, i didnt even consider that option.

Thanks all, insight helped alot!

[Flavalicious]

So attacking faction stations, much easier lol.

ANT and me havent been getting along, on the way back from destroying the xenon station they decided to jump my carrier with some destroyers and battleships. This was a mistake lol. Rolled their fleet and took out like 10 of their production stations. Now to figure out how Getsu is contested by them when they have no stations left....

[=X-men=]

40 L destroyers minimum number do it not too long (Prefer Odyssey L plasma Argon or Paranids).
I'm using 61 Rattlesnake to do it fast in OOS.

Even build 100 Osaka, and same Asgard, but not tried them still needs some engineering.
Asguard are best CAP ship after engineered it become real beast, it fast destroys stations 4-10 Asgard is enough.

In my game I am not destroying xenon they too weak. I'm leave them alone, some time they barely defend themselves.
Terrans every time send some Asgard, Tokyo, with escort Osaka, and large m, n ships number to destroy xenons, and 2xTeladi,CUB, ARG,ANT, RHA they harass xenon really heavy lol.

[Flavalicious]

Originally posted by =X-men=:

40 L destroyers minimum number do it not too long (Prefer Odyssey L plasma Argon or Paranids).
I'm using 61 Rattlesnake to do it fast in OOS.

Even build 100 Osaka, and same Asgard, but not tried them still needs some engineering.
Asguard are best CAP ship after engineered it become real beast, it fast destroys stations 4-10 Asgard is enough.

In my game I am not destroying xenon they too weak. I'm leave them alone, some time they barely defend themselves.
Terrans every time send some Asgard, Tokyo, with escort Osaka, and large m, n ships number to destroy xenons, and 2xTeladi,CUB, ARG,ANT, RHA they harass xenon really heavy lol.

Xenon in my game are pretty strong, they took over most of the void before they got fought back, but the war module and expanded ship pack means they get more tools. Still even before the mod they would regularly repel the terrans attacks, but i guess it varies a ton from game to game

[Wraith]

yep it varied game to game.
My game right now the Xenon main base of operation is Scale Plate Green.
With the one in Atiya misfortune dying to a mix Terran/Ant Attack

[Flavalicious]

Originally posted by Wraith:

yep it varied game to game.
My game right now the Xenon main base of operation is Scale Plate Green.
With the one in Atiya misfortune dying to a mix Terran/Ant Attack

I watched a single xenon I destroy like 4 ANT destroyers without them getting the shields down. Laughed my ass off. poor bastards.

I could see an ANT/TER tagteam being a deadly combo though.

[Interloper-69]

I use only one Syn.
No fighters, no support. Just me and my lonely Syn. With proper modifications, those main batteries rip Q''s and I's so fast they can't do a thing. Also stations go pop fast enough.

[Xenomorph]

Originally posted by Wraith:

yep it varied game to game.
My game right now the Xenon main base of operation is Scale Plate Green.
With the one in Atiya misfortune dying to a mix Terran/Ant Attack

I'm allied with the Xenon, and i wanna see them meatbags try do the same on my game 😂

[Flavalicious]

Turns out 12-14 Terran Destroyers with a high preset make pretty short work of xenon bases OOS. lol.

[The Big Brzezinski]

I'm thinking swarms of cheap fighters with blast mortars, combined with destroyer sniping.

First step would be reconnaissance, of course. Do that WHOLE sector in advanced satellites. Once you gotta find their ships, smash 'em. Then get the gates covered with guard destroyer squadrons. Nobody gets in, nobody gets out. After that, you can take apart the stations safely.

Think of it as Kantai Kessen done right.