Are missile launchers worth it?

[Despiser]

I've ignored them up to now but considering to install a few on a Nemesis since I primarily use it for long range (It's not my primary ship in the fleet). I see they are very cheap but no info in the encyclopedia. If you do use them, which type, tracking or torpedo? I assume nobody bother with dumbfire.

[Humble]

Oh, people often use heavy dumbfire to take out station, little faster than torpedo, so heavy dumbfire and torpedo are worth it to take out station without lost of destroyer, just 10 or more "bomber" full layout launchers, not single normal weapon, so that way, a.i bomber would fire dumbefire and torpedo at max range, outside of stations range, to take out. but other than that, most people do ignored most type of missiles, other than heavy dumbfire and torpedo to take out station at max range.

Most prefer normal weapon, not spent lot of money and resource, even time to get missile but a expected circumstances to take out station with heavy dumbfire/torpedo is useful before you build mass destroyer with main weapon long range from your own shipyard (be sure set all turret as anti fighter even that weapon was meant to be fight XL, it's just forced a.i shoot with main long range weapon, and not use turrets to get closer to station in same range shooting at your destroyer.

So heavy dumbfire/torpedo are useful for take out station before you mass product destroyer out of your shipyard.

[Lucifer69]

You should probably stop saying "most people" and just give your own suggestions. That said, a popular build used to be the Rattlesnake with all frontal as dumbfire. Plasma turrets elsewhere. Pulse or beam in the back for cover/ missile defense, depending needs.

A really hilarious build is covering the Raptor in missiles/ torpedoes and then loading it up full of chimeras and dragon raiders all with missiles and torpedoes. Just turn that thing loose on the enemy.

As for usefulness, depends. I like having at least one or two ships with me with torpedoes or missiles. Sometimes, I just want something to die.

[Pumpernikkeli]

IMO they are quite underwhelming apart from heavy dumbfire and heavy torp, all of them are just way too slow so when you hit you wanna hit hard. And lighter missiles can be easily replaced with conventional weaponry too so there's very little left for them.

I wouldn't even bother without auxillary ship tho, it's such a pain in the ass (with aux it's still pain in the ass but less so)

[Wraith]

Originally posted by Pumpernikkeli:

IMO they are quite underwhelming apart from heavy dumbfire and heavy torp, all of them are just way too slow so when you hit you wanna hit hard. And lighter missiles can be easily replaced with conventional weaponry too so there's very little left for them.

I wouldn't even bother without auxillary ship tho, it's such a pain in the ass (with aux it's still pain in the ass but less so)

Missile might be slow but fighters AI use their travel drive to boost missile speed which inherit their speed.

Like here you can see the missile move significantly faster because of it

https://youtu.be/J0ygx2oiddY

[Lucifer69]

It takes quite the missile component production to keep up with how fast you can blow through them. I consider them more late game. Buying them isn't really worth it imo. Plasma can cover the bombing role without all the logistics.

Man though, once you can handle 10+ torpedo ships and adding dumbfire to your destroyers for station and capital killing, the sheer dps they will put out can be terrifying. On top of torpedoes deleting multiple surface elements at the same time.

Edit: Their speed isn't all that impressive and resupplying them can be a pain. Still, it's worth it for the "Fire all missiles" meme and watching everything blow up around you.

[blackphoenixx]

Heavy starburst missiles are good against capitals and light interceptor missiles are hilarious IS if you use a lot of tracking turrets. Their dps sucks but they have nearly 30km range so just use a lot of them.

Originally posted by Lucifer69:

It takes quite the missile component production to keep up with how fast you can blow through them.

If you switch to closed loop economy you only need ecells for everything but torpedoes.

[Wenzilber]

Smart missiles are fun in dogfights.

You could see it lock and track a new target if your AI Wingmates or your turrets destroy the one it was chasing.

I think they're also not easily fooled by flares but the very fast and agile Xenons can outmanoeuvre it.

I use it on my personal taxi - the free frigate we all get when getting the Player HQ.

Edit: L Dumbfire is VERY devastating against Xenon I's, K's, and stations.

[seePyou]

Is there anything else that can reply to an I other than a missile boat?

[trooperrob]

For taking out turrets / heavy damage dealers they are excellent.
I want to try emp missiles, and the light smart or swarm are good if you are faced with fighters..

[Lucifer69]

Any destroyer piloted by the player can easily solo the Xenon battleship. The main batteries from all the factions outrange the L Graviton Turret MK1. 5.2km vanilla, iirc. Fill the frontal battery of a rattlesnake with L Plasma Turrets and watch it melt the Xenon. Though I like dumbfire more for that burst dps, Plasma would be the more economical choice.

Then there's attacking from the blind spot and holding down the mouse button. Basically any small/ medium ship can do it, but corvettes can bring the biggest guns and have more of them. Don't expect this to be a quick fight. Like 340k MJ hull and 615k MJ shield, you'll be sitting pretty for a while.

An easy way is to just dump a few hundred laser towers. Destroyers can hold up to 250 of them. That'll kill the I in like a minute or so. Technically this counts as a solo kill. Alternately, 250 mines should be enough to kill two I's. At the very least, you're going to strip the thing naked with mines. No guns, shields, or engines. I still call that a kill even if it's not destroyed.

[Humble]

launched laser tower from your personal destroyer is little messy, can throw off ship for some reason, depend where laser tower launched from so not any destroyer, some work and other do not work.

[Lucifer69]

OOS and command it. This comment isn't taking into account the feasibility of deploying before a big fight. Just a blanket statement. Choking a gate with a couple hundred towers is a valid tactic though.

There's obviously the brute force method. Build the Asgard, maybe apply some shield/ mobility mods, and then just ram the damn Xenon battleship with it. The beam and battery can take it out in less than a minute.

Edit: Missiles/ torpedoes not needed, but why not? You already have a delete button for a main gun.

[Humble]

Originally posted by Lucifer69:

OOS and command it. This comment isn't taking into account the feasibility of deploying before a big fight. Just a blanket statement. Choking a gate with a couple hundred towers is a valid tactic though.

There's obviously the brute force method. Build the Asgard, maybe apply some shield/ mobility mods, and then just ram the damn Xenon battleship with it. The beam and battery can take it out in less than a minute.

Edit: Missiles/ torpedoes not needed, but why not? You already have a delete button for a main gun.

I assumed this is early to mid game, very hard to get on asgard, it's requirements couple billion and time to get blueprints and set up shipyard with product after already investment lot of automine in peace way, not all player are risk taker to board Asgard early of game.

[Lucifer69]

No, but the guy above asked how to kill an I without torpedoes. Several ways that don't require a big fleet.

Edit, FYI, you can board the Asgard with the Shuyaku in travel drive. Just aim so you barely pass under it. Pause then hit the boarding operation with everything at max. Keep on trucking in travel drive. It's likely to take at least two passes because they usually have at least 1 vet marine that wrecks rookies. I have two now from this. Worth the hundred+ rookies lost considering just one can wipe out Matrix #79B without shields ever dropping below 75%.

Anyways, there's quite a few missions where smart missiles have really saved my skin. At least early on.

[Wenzilber]

Originally posted by seePyou:

Is there anything else that can reply to an I other than a missile boat?

From experience, at least 12 Behemoths with all Plasma turrets will make short work of any Xenon capital ships without any losses.

Unless it sends its own Fighter swarms at your Destroyers ... so have your own drone or fighter swarm take care of those