Best torpedo sensor type?

[Chuck]

So far the only tactic ive been able to use effectively is torpedo ambushes. Basically sit behind a rock until some poor ship comes within 3km of me then jump him with 12 mace torpedoes and wipe him out.

Im just getting back into this game after months away, and I wasnt particularly good or knowledgable with this game back then. I am making a fleet that does this, and im wondering what sensor type i should use for these torpedoes? I was trying SAH but they seem weirdly innaccurate. My test target isnt moving or jamming or using passive countermeasures, so it shouldnt be missing as long as the target is illuminated. Maybe my own jamming is interfering with them?

Like i said, i dont have much game knowledge, so i dont really know what to use when. From what i remember, there wasnt really any 1 sensor type that was the best, but im sure theres a best fit for my particular situation.

[CHOO CHOO]

Since Torpedoes are usually fired from very short range and on a direct, line-of-sight course, that means you should usually also have a good track - so Command guidance is what I would pick. It can be jammed though, so a backup seeker may be advisable.

[Firestorm🗿]

command/wake is nice because the wake ensures the torpedo runs straight under comms jamming. It also provides a *chance* to track the target under said jamming.

[Chuck]

I ended up going with electro-optical during my testing last night. Description said nearly impossible to decoy, and so far that seems to be true.

That being said. War. Has changed.

In testing, this strategy kinda sucks. point defense just takes them out too quickly, even with hardened skin, and this build can only really deal with jumping one ship at a time. I was testing against protectorate ships, and one of my own light cruisers with 4 defenders, 2 on each side. Even with both of my torpedo ships firing a salvo within 3km, all were intercepted.

Which sucks, because this strategy was fun but i think since i played last point defense has gotten better. I did this strategy to wipe out a solomon in like 30 seconds in a match, but now any decently defended ship isnt gonna have an issue with my torpedoes.

[Hardly]

Yeah, 20mm PD is fairly strong right now.

For getting past defenders/pavise, usually a torpedo will need >3.2G of manoeuvrability and a corkscrew terminal manoeuvre. Pavise is actually slightly better than defenders for defending against evasive torps, as its inaccuracy/wider spread makes it harder for the torpedo to stay ahead of the bullet hose.

For my corkscrew torps, I usually set them up for 205 m/s and 3.5G, then adjust the warhead size to get the range I want, usually somewhere in the 3km to 4.5km bracket.

CMD is a very reliable guidance for torpedoes, especially against OSP (which doesn't have much access to comms jamming - only the ocello can carry it).

CMD/ARAD is probably the deluxe seeker combo, but unilluminated CMD/SAH is a good cheap option. Even if the CMD is jammed by an interruption, it will failover to the secondary SAH seeker .... it won't be able to see anything (since you're not illuminating), but it will still at least run straight instead of lthe comms jamming diverting the torpedo, which will often allow for some hits.

The mega bling gold-plated version is probably EO/Decoy corkscrew torps, but only ANS can use those (since OSP doesn't get access to EO).

[CHOO CHOO]

20mm PD guns like defenders, which are naturally good against torpedoes, were buffed in a recent patch and are currently, as some say, a little overtuned.

To deal with them, you can either give your torpedoes terminal manoeuvres (waving helps a lot, but corkscrew makes them almost immune to 20mm), or jam the hell out of the ships you're targeting.

Or did you make them corkscrew already?

[Chuck]

Originally posted by Hardly:

The mega bling gold-plated version is probably EO/Decoy corkscrew torps, but only ANS can use those (since OSP doesn't get access to EO).

Well i am an ANS enjoyer after all so thats no issue. I think decoys are a bit prohibitably expensive though, but i swear by EO sensors, because I refuse to have my expensive missiles be decoyed by cheap flares/chaff or comms jamming.

Originally posted by CHOO CHOO:

Or did you make them corkscrew already?

I have not, ill have to try it. I usually do just jam the target ship with both of my cruisers jammers (theyre identical copies so they can both jam and torp).

I really need to find my niche. I like missiles as a playstyle but the ones i used before, S3H dual radar absorb coating sneeky beeky missiles, got (understandably) nerfed. Now i dont know how to missile warfare, i jam and launch missiles but most of the time they get intercepted.

[CHOO CHOO]

Pure missile play seems pretty hard right now. I know some people pull it off, but I can't get it to work either. The best use I get out of missiles is shooting down scouts that leave their fleet's PD umbrella. Beyond that - good luck!

[Chuck]

I do have some backup guns on my ships because eventually im out of missiles anyway but guns just feel so underwhelming. They might be doing more damage than i think but its not visually apparent how much damage theyre doing. At least with missiles you know when something is real messed up when the missile hits.

that and i know beam destroyers are good too. Basically the same playstyle i have but probably alot more viable than what im doing here. Its a little hard to intercept a laser beam.

[Hardly]

Decoys are expensive - but so are torpedos that don't reach your target.

You also don't need to put decoys on every torpedo!

If you're firing from sprinters, for example, you've got six slots on your CLS3. Could easily bring just one or two torpedos with decoys, and throw them into the mix when you're firing at something with lots of PD.

[Chuck]

Huh. I didnt think about that. Its more micro than what i am used to but i could do that.

Either way, the terminal maneuvers thing worked. I just use weave and sure it doesnt make the torpedoes 100% immune to damage but theyre thick enough that they can take a few hits (and a riposte) and still hit the target, so it works.

[CheapSushi]

Hey, maybe since you're having fun with an Ambush style tactic/approach, you can maybe combine it with Mines as an OSP player. Basically find ways for Mines do the initial damage, hopefully ruin some PD systems, and then Torpedo for a combo punch or finisher.

Tuna's Mine Guide: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2974324107

As ANS, another way you could maybe do an Ambush tatic/approach is with Beams and use the Torps as a decisive finisher.

[CHOO CHOO]

PD counters mines as well torpedoes, so hoping for the mines to destroy PD turrets seems inadvisable. If mines+torpedoes is to work, it would probably do so by timing the torpedo attack so that it hits simultaneously with the mines to overwhelm PD.

Combining beams and torps works, though. This I've tried with DDs, and it works. But it also requires that you double-specialize your DDs to a ridiculous degree; so they will end up sacrificing something important, probably their own PD, or EWAR. Overall not really worth it, since the beams and torps have similar ranges - it's better to make sure that you get the most out of the beams. But it can be situationally useful to have both, for example when you're surprised from behind, or when your spinal beams have been destroyed, or when a fast enemy outmanoeuvers you.

Combining beams and Torpedoes on a heavier platform - CH or BB - I never tried.