Best Aircraft?

[Vault]

So I recently unlocked the phantom and assumed it was just objectively better than the Angel but I found I was still losing so I looked around on the discussions and some people are saying the Angel is objectively better... I'm hoping I didn't just waste 5 million dollars. And also what's the best weapon slots? I see people saying laser lance is crazy good due to range, but is it best mixed? And are missiles even worth it, because I can't tell..
I know I seem really clueless, it's because I am lol.

[Zeke & Sil]

The Angel cannot keep pace with many UFOs. Having more firepower than the Phantom means nothing if you can't catch up.

They're still useful for fire support when ships slow down, esp if you have a Phantom with them to tank shots.

[Shrinkshooter]

Originally posted by Vault:

I found I was still losing so I looked around on the discussions and some people are saying the Angel is objectively better...

Anyone saying the Angel is objectively better is wrong. The angel and phantom are situationally better than one another, and which one(s) to use depend on range, speed, and armament.

Generally, the phantom is better, but the angel is more heavily armed because of its 3 slots to the phantom's 2. If a UFO is within radar range and not particularly fast, angels are better. If a UFO is fast or far away, phantoms are better.

If there's a squadron of enemy interceptors flying around, just send all your aircraft after them armed only with light missiles; they will come after you, you fire all your missiles and retreat back to base, then go back out and do the same thing again.

[83athom]

Originally posted by Shrinkshooter:

Generally, the phantom is better, but the angel is more heavily armed because of its 3 slots to the phantom's 2. If a UFO is within radar range and not particularly fast, angels are better. If a UFO is fast or far away, phantoms are better.

Eh, that only really applies before you get the fun weapons and if you never make asymmetric builds. Laser Lance + Accelerated Cannon tears apart pretty much any UFO currently in the game, and Gauss and the laser upgrade later on only makes that even better. Hell, a Gauss will to the same damage as the highest damage missile in game within 1 second and in that time strip 4x the armor from it. The only downside to the Lance is that it disables rolling like the Torpedoes, but the Phantoms don't really need to roll to survive like Angels do.

[Warhunter]

phantoms has 2 slots that can fit anything. angel has 1 slot that can fit anything and 2 missile slots

so for phantoms you want to use 2 guns such as laser lances. they arent that great for missile loadouts and even then missiles are really bad in this game
angels can either go 1 gun + 2 missiles or 3 missiles. through their poor speed means they'll never catch a ufo past the starter type

torpedoes are low damage, high armor shred
missiles are high damage, no armor pen
both only have 1 ammo which means they are more of a support weapon than your main source of damage. you can technically just go all missiles but you'll need alot of missiles before you can down most ufos.

only a few UFOs have armor at all so torpedo is mostly useless. at most you'll only need 1 to strip armor, maybe 2 against the large type ufos.

laser lances are quite good because of high armor strip + double range of cannons.
you can get the gauss version of autocannons which deal as much damage as laser lances, shoot 4x faster but lose the extra range laser lances have.

Originally posted by 83athom:

The only downside to the Lance is that it disables rolling like the Torpedoes, but the Phantoms don't really need to roll to survive like Angels do.

was there a patch recently that did this? when i played a couple days ago my phantoms could still roll with laser lances equipped

[Vault]

Originally posted by Shrinkshooter:

Originally posted by Vault:

I found I was still losing so I looked around on the discussions and some people are saying the Angel is objectively better...

Anyone saying the Angel is objectively better is wrong. The angel and phantom are situationally better than one another, and which one(s) to use depend on range, speed, and armament.

Generally, the phantom is better, but the angel is more heavily armed because of its 3 slots to the phantom's 2. If a UFO is within radar range and not particularly fast, angels are better. If a UFO is fast or far away, phantoms are better.

If there's a squadron of enemy interceptors flying around, just send all your aircraft after them armed only with light missiles; they will come after you, you fire all your missiles and retreat back to base, then go back out and do the same thing again.

I wasn't aware you could retreat from air battles. Are they not able to match your speed retreating? Is it phantoms only should use for this or does it matter? Thanks for the insight!

[Vault]

Originally posted by Warhunter:

phantoms has 2 slots that can fit anything. angel has 1 slot that can fit anything and 2 missile slots

so for phantoms you want to use 2 guns such as laser lances. they arent that great for missile loadouts and even then missiles are really bad in this game
angels can either go 1 gun + 2 missiles or 3 missiles. through their poor speed means they'll never catch a ufo past the starter type

torpedoes are low damage, high armor shred
missiles are high damage, no armor pen
both only have 1 ammo which means they are more of a support weapon than your main source of damage. you can technically just go all missiles but you'll need alot of missiles before you can down most ufos.

only a few UFOs have armor at all so torpedo is mostly useless. at most you'll only need 1 to strip armor, maybe 2 against the large type ufos.

laser lances are quite good because of high armor strip + double range of cannons.
you can get the gauss version of autocannons which deal as much damage as laser lances, shoot 4x faster but lose the extra range laser lances have.

Originally posted by 83athom:

The only downside to the Lance is that it disables rolling like the Torpedoes, but the Phantoms don't really need to roll to survive like Angels do.

was there a patch recently that did this? when i played a couple days ago my phantoms could still roll with laser lances equipped

My setup rn is 1 laser lance and 1 gauss cannon. I'm able to beat most dudes with this, unless it's 3 interceptors. I also have trouble with the Abductors, the big circles with a 360 fire arc, but I'm able to beat them without losses. I haven't experimented much with missiles and torpedoes bc early game I found they weren't very useful but maybe I should try them again.

[Bird of Few Birds]

Originally posted by Vault:

My setup rn is 1 laser lance and 1 gauss cannon. I'm able to beat most dudes with this, unless it's 3 interceptors. I also have trouble with the Abductors, the big circles with a 360 fire arc, but I'm able to beat them without losses.

You can beat them with one craft and minimal damage, just attack from the side, afterburner close, then spam roll to their back until it dies. Should be between 5-20 damage to your phantom max.

[Shrinkshooter]

Originally posted by 83athom:

Eh, that only really applies before you get the fun weapons and if you never make asymmetric builds. Laser Lance + Accelerated Cannon tears apart pretty much any UFO currently in the game

I started with asymmetric builds. I got rid of them for missiles only. I got tired of having to constantly deal with slow repairs. You want to deal with that? Go for it. I don't.

The only downside to the Lance is that it disables rolling like the Torpedoes

Since when?

Originally posted by Warhunter:

so for phantoms you want to use 2 guns such as laser lances. they arent that great for missile loadouts

Correction: Phantoms are just fine with missiles, assuming you don't mind doing some light manual micro. Their very fast map speed allows them to get to targets swiftly, return to base, rearm and repeat pretty well. The only time this doesn't work out is with enemies very far from base (which the Phantoms can still reach but you don't want to burn all that time heading back and forth.

and even then missiles are really bad in this game

I don't consider the ability to hit enemies with total impunity to be "pretty bad."

Originally posted by Vault:

I wasn't aware you could retreat from air battles. Are they not able to match your speed retreating?

It's a 3 second timer, and then your planes just go poof. It makes it very easy to juke enemies. X1 didn't have that because you had to make it to the "edge of the airspace" in battle to retreat, which means the enemy craft could catch and kill you.

[Vault]

lol Y'all are making me realize I really don't know how to do air combat, I would never have managed all this without this post. I'll definitely do a lot of experimenting via save scumming, thanks!

[baddoggs]

The best aircraft is... The one that comes after the Phantom.

[Twitch.tv/KAEN_SG]

after playing to day 461 in my last run... I believe you can beat ANY ufo encounter in the EA game with just 2 phantoms... good luck doing that with 2 angels.

[Bird of Few Birds]

Ehhh I don't blame you, the air combat can be kind of annoying. I didn't like it for the longest time.

[Vault]

Originally posted by Bird of Few Birds:

Ehhh I don't blame you, the air combat can be kind of annoying. I didn't like it for the longest time.

I'm mostly just having trouble with the interceptors. Which I do understand is the point lol

[jarpe]

Phantoms with two gaus guns shred any ufo in seconds without problem.