Which weapons for craft vs. small ships?

[ulzgoroth]

Size 3 missiles and (on occasion) bombs are cool vs. large targets, but what's the best payloads against ships below cruiser size?

I've seen the 35mm guns recommended, but I don't quite understand why. They sure didn't make a big impression in the basic tutorial with the skiff shooting at the shuttle. Haven't checked how it goes against a live target yet.

So what else?

Specialized cost-effective S2 missiles? (I see from guides that S2s are considered effective killers against many small units...)

Dedicated S1 missiles with impact warheads??

Probably not rocket-propelled bombs? Maybe the small rocket packs for OSP fighters?

I'm sure the 100mm cannon on OSP bombers would work very well indeed, though I'd like to think you don't need a bomber-exclusive weapon for this.

[Bebop64]

I use T20s with Flak ammo for bombers and strike craft

[ulzgoroth]

Originally posted by Bebop64:

I use T20s with Flak ammo for bombers and strike craft

Asking about the opposite direction.

[Fennec E Fox]

I'm very slow to learn things about this game so take all of the following with a sizable grain of salt.

I'm not sure about any of this myself, but I think the 35mm is so highly recommended specifically due to OSP's 35mm Fletchette round being very good against ANS fighters. I myself am experimenting with Tantos fielding a single S2 missile, 35mm nose gun and gunpods for anti-shuttle work and so far haven't been impressed with the 35mm slugs. Mostly I'm just bad at the game but the 35 in the hands of ANS seems rather ineffective against ships and horrible for dogfighting. OSP fletchettes on the other hand seem to clear strike craft fairly well but probably can't hurt proper ships at all.

While those experimental Tantos can't seem to accomplish anything meaningful with their guns, a simple S2 missile does seem adequate to kill a shuttle when mustered in packs of four. I favor command guidance though, so mine aren't exactly cheap.

The OSP gunpods are murder on corvettes and frigates, but they do very much need escorts and don't fare well if the target has solid PD. Word of warning; they might well mess up a Destroyer as well, but beams can target strike craft too and WILL delete them if they can touch them for a half second. Not too sure about their rockets, but considering how well rocket shuttles used to work I imagine a decent group of bombers could do just as well, though they might need to use those on larger ships because bigger target = easier to hit.

[ulzgoroth]

I don't think anybody recommended using the 35mm against small ships because of the flechette round. Which is the recommendation I was referring to having seen.


I've just had experience that makes me think the rockets would probably work quite well (rocket shuttles murdering my frigates a bunch). Rocket ammo isn't super efficient in terms of points to damage, except for the bomber rockets, but it's not bad and avoids the problem of softkill. Not available to ANS though, except for the rocket-propelled bomb. Which I have to say is would be really funny to use if it's accurate enough. But also actually a pretty bad ratio of points to damage? It's just nice because it fits in the small slots.

If it takes that many S2 missiles, that's getting to a point where just clubbing them with a torpedo or two would be more cost effective - but of course those don't fit in a fighter.

I really have got to try an S1 strike missile. It looks like it should be able to work to some extent against anything softer than an Axford and beat the economy of an S2 missile when using cheap guidance. Mostly motivated by the Tanto S2 bay being so clunky. But hard to tell from theory alone...

[Fennec E Fox]

"If it takes that many S2 missiles, that's getting to a point where just clubbing them with a torpedo or two would be more cost effective - but of course those don't fit in a fighter."

With my s2 missile, it's the same one I use on my CL duo. One or two is usually sufficient to kill a shuttle, but I send craft up in flights of four which is why a shuttle targeted by them tends to eat up to four. Prob a waste of points, but I feel better overkill than no kill.

[Etrigast]

For OSP:
-100MM ap and he. This is very effective against anything from sprinters to vauxhalls
-r2 good enough for general use, can't pen axfords or solomons without multiple hits
-dumby bombs are good against small craft that have little in the ways of pd
-r1 rockets for sprinters, don't think they can't pen anything bigger than the raines

For ANS:
-s1 sah hei missiles, cost 1 point each and can fit 6 of them on a tanto with fuel pods and nose illuminator. Just can't use this vs monitors and ocellos very well unless their armor is stripped
-dumby bombs again can be useful in situations where the target ship is isolated or already crippled
-guess you could also use cheap s2's with sah tantos or something with weave