Is Reload the best stance to use?

[Namelesswanderer]

Been debating on this and figuring it out.
As Imperial Navy I find some people point to using Brace for Impact as the default one. I'm beginning to find this one not good because no matter what the AI is able to still deal critical hits (sometimes even faster) on my fleets.

Lock On I'm finding isn't really useful...especially in later stages in the campaign when the AI starts fielding more BCs and Battleships.

Reload seems to be the best. Not only do skills recharge faster but weapons shoot faster and I find firing more shots does a better job than improving accuracy (when you have other accuracy improvement options and lances never miss) or critical chances with Lock on.

Even as Necrons once the enemy fleets are reduced enough I switch to Reload so I can shoot faster.

Thoughts or what you guys have encountered?

[Ashardalon]

lock on is for range and kiting
and getting more crits obviously
if the ai brings more battleships it means it has more slower ships so more time to kite

reload is a good all round stance that does great stuff once you dont need the extra range

brace is for ramming
morale damage is a big part of ramming and brace removes that

and yes once you have less then 3 enemies to shoot at as necrons reload is better then scattershot

[Hyndis]

Lock On gets you more range, more accuracy, and more crit. Its useful if you need extra range. It lets you both shoot things further away and actually hit those further away things. Chaos fleets using the Lock On stance can deliver full broadsides from seemingly halfway across the galaxy.

Reload is my preferred for close in, where ships are close enough that all weapons are fully in range and accuracy isn't much of a problem. I start with Lock On for range (combined with escorts to do scouting) and then switch to Reload when things get close.

Brace for Impact feels lackluster. It reduces damage you take, but not by enough to matter. The damage reduction doesn't feel large enough to be worthwhile. It does nothing against crits either. IMO, Brace for Impact could use a buff. Maybe make it automatically repair light crits every X number of seconds? Maybe even give it a minor hull HP regen of 1/second? Its the stance where you have your crew shore up the ship. They're not shooting faster and they're not shooting more accuracy. It should be the turtle stance, but it doesn't do that very well.

[Uporcpine]

Brace for Impact is for

1 Negating morale loss from ramming and getting rammed
2 Enchances defense turret accuracy, so you can shoot down more figters and torpedoes
3 Gives damage mitigation

It does not protect from critical hits

Lock On

1 Increases range
2 Improves accuracy
3 Increases crit chance

For fighting at medium to long range, it's usually the best

Reload

1 Increases standard weapon firing range (does nothing for lances)
2 Combustion gauge refill (more manouvers)
3 Also skill recharge rate also i believe

It's if you want to deal damage up close, or manouver lots

You should pick stances based on your situation and weapons. If you're ramming (and as IN you should ram lots) brace. If you're ships getting focused down, brace. If you're getting swarmed by fighters, brace (and also boost away)
If you fight at close range with macro weapons, use reload.
If your ship mainly uses lances, use lock on, reload is useless. If you're fighting something that you don't want to get close to, use lock on.

[OPFOR]

Originally posted by Hyndis:

Lock On gets you more range, more accuracy, and more crit. Its useful if you need extra range. It lets you both shoot things further away and actually hit those further away things. Chaos fleets using the Lock On stance can deliver full broadsides from seemingly halfway across the galaxy.

Reload is my preferred for close in, where ships are close enough that all weapons are fully in range and accuracy isn't much of a problem. I start with Lock On for range (combined with escorts to do scouting) and then switch to Reload when things get close.

Brace for Impact feels lackluster. It reduces damage you take, but not by enough to matter. The damage reduction doesn't feel large enough to be worthwhile. It does nothing against crits either. IMO, Brace for Impact could use a buff. Maybe make it automatically repair light crits every X number of seconds? Maybe even give it a minor hull HP regen of 1/second? Its the stance where you have your crew shore up the ship. They're not shooting faster and they're not shooting more accuracy. It should be the turtle stance, but it doesn't do that very well.

Brace for Impact doesn't need a buff. You don't just go BFI like you'd go for Reload. Your ship goes BFI when it you start ramming/ getting rammed.

It's not there to turtle it's there for the exact opposite. You'll give the order just before hitting the enemy cruiser with full speed ahead into the broadside or when you are getting into an Ork gang-bang and need to charge out of it. Normally your ship will go into mutiny after such a moove but not with BFI.

To OP: don't use BFI in normal firefights.

[Relkathi]

Originally posted by Hyndis:

Lock On gets you more range, more accuracy, and more crit. Its useful if you need extra range. It lets you both shoot things further away and actually hit those further away things. Chaos fleets using the Lock On stance can deliver full broadsides from seemingly halfway across the galaxy.

Reload is my preferred for close in, where ships are close enough that all weapons are fully in range and accuracy isn't much of a problem. I start with Lock On for range (combined with escorts to do scouting) and then switch to Reload when things get close.

Brace for Impact feels lackluster. It reduces damage you take, but not by enough to matter. The damage reduction doesn't feel large enough to be worthwhile. It does nothing against crits either. IMO, Brace for Impact could use a buff. Maybe make it automatically repair light crits every X number of seconds? Maybe even give it a minor hull HP regen of 1/second? Its the stance where you have your crew shore up the ship. They're not shooting faster and they're not shooting more accuracy. It should be the turtle stance, but it doesn't do that very well.

Same here. I use Lock on until I get into brawling/boarding range. BFI is used for when I am trying to get a ship out of combat or I feel like ramming.

[Frosty the Pyro]

I find lock on is important for fighting those Emperor-be-damned eldar.

[OPFOR]

Originally posted by Frosty the Pyro:

I find lock on is important for fighting those Emperor-be-damned eldar.

Yes it is. Try to use your fighters to build recon. With lock on you'll be able to down their engines quite effectively and then you can start your hunt.

Hunting Eldar is quite similar to Wale hunting. You need to cut down their escape roots. But keep in mind how many Capital ships your enemy has left. Because those are shooty Wales. You don't want them to backcap or ambush you.

[Beldr]

If you're fighting eldar in the campaign the best way to do it is to bring 2 admech fleets and go stasis bomb into mass nova shots. Stances are whatever, probably best to use reload for the maneuver boost.

[Empiro]

Brace definitely should't be the default stance. It doesn't help you avoid hits, nor does it help you reduce shield damage, so if your shields are up, it's not doing you much good most of the time.

I like to start off with Lock On, since it lets you get shots off earlier in the battle. By the time you close in, you can switch again. The AI often will focus a target, so as soon as the shield goes down, I switch to Brace. I will often switch to Reload on ships that aren't getting shot.

[Jukelo]

Lockon is great for outranging stations, and most importantly to score those lovely engine crits on eldar cruisers.