The Berzerk Carrier: Why?

[Darmandorf]

The Berzerk is described as a carrier class meant to be used as a force multiplier, but not take place in frontline fighting. However, it only has one squadron slot. The Adamant Frigate has a squadron, a munitions slot, and is more combat capable than the Berzerk. So then, why EVER use the Berzerk when for only 100 fleet points more you could get what seems to be a much better ship? Is there some kind of benefit to the Berzerk I'm not aware of?

[dv]

Originally posted by Darmandorf:

... why EVER use the Berzerk ...

a) Better weapon range and firepower.
b) Better hangar evade.
c) 650 points compared to 750.

The Berzerk cannot take damage. But it can deal damage.

[Colonel Clank]

three berzerks vs 3 adamants, and the Adamants will get rocked

[Sral93]

Realy ? I didn't manage that. 1 Admant vs 1 Berzerker and my berzerker got wrecked, with the adamant surviving with 45 hull points.

With 2 Berzerkers I barely managed against 3 Nemesis, one of my Berzerkers almost dead (3 Hull points).
With 2 Adamants I can manage against 4 Nemesis, with neither Adamant taking hull damage.

I keep reading that Berzerkers are very usefull, but I seem to be unable to make them so :(

[Hannibal0216 도마도 재배자]

Bezerks are crazy good for the early game. They are faster and can put out more damage than an Adamant and they have a hangar as well.

[jakmorahan]

Bezerks are good once you get some Rangers but still have few ships to work with in your fleet. Adamants can support Rangers at long range with their missiles but slow reload times leaves them with only light guns if the carriers get flanked whilst the Rangers have drawn ahead. Having a Bezerk with the Adamants multiplies your squadron force and gives some medium guns whilst their missiles are reloading to make short work of enemy ships the Adamant guns can barely put a dent in. You can keep the Bezerk behind a couple of Adamants for this extra gun firepower and hide behind them so they can soak up the majority of hull damage the Bezerk would receive on its own. Thankfully enemy AI tends to attack the bigger Adamants and leave the Bezerk so if it's behind and shooting over or under them it barely takes damage but certainly deals a lot of it out each turn. I've had some good success with it but only started equipping it after I already had some Rangers and Adamants and use it just to give the carrier force some gun firepower on its own.

In my first secondary fleet I have 3 Manticores as a fast attack force, a Ranger as a slower gunship, supported by the missiles of an Adamant and a Bezerk to support the Adamant with its guns. Sometimes a Cylon ship or two flanks around behind the Ranger, whilst the Manticores are off at a distance combining on some other target and the Adamant takes too long to take down these threats with guns, whilst waiting for missiles to reload. The Bezerk popping up from behind it, shooting over the top makes short work of these flanking threats and rarely takes any hits, they're busy attacking the Adamant, which can handle it so long as too many enemies don't get there and combine on it. The Bezerk guns prevent that from happening but the Adamant's light guns won't.

[dv]

Originally posted by Sral93:

Realy ?

Really.

Originally posted by Sral93:

I didn't manage that.

Did you try 3 vs 3?

Originally posted by Sral93:

1 Admant vs 1 Berzerker and my berzerker got wrecked, with the adamant surviving with 45 hull points.

Three Berzerks destroy the first of three Adamants before the Adamants can shoot back with their own guns.


Edit:
This guide gets you started with Berzerks:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1403077752

[Sral93]

Thanks for the guide :) I adjusted it a bit to be more of a stacked zig-zagged line, with an Adamant in the front, to still have vertical freedom, but it works great. Last Battle the Berzerkers did 400 damage each, while my 3 manticors did 150-200 each plus 50 missile damage or so. Looks funny to see the enemy try my formation and turn heads to tails as soon as the first salvo shreds their armor XD

Feels stupid though to rely on the stupidity of the AI to target the Adamant in front and ignore the Berzerkers on the back while slowly drippling in their Nemesis who get wrecked in almost one turn in most cases ... :D