Incomplete Starfighter Guide

Why incomplete? Well I haven't had much opportunity to play all the ships and use all the equipment yet plus I refuse to play League. Only League ships I've flown I've stolen. So a lot of this is going to be opinion based on limited flight time with craft and engagements against other craft. Feel free to add stuff to it to fill in the gaps. It will most likely change as the game gets updated as well, providing there are people around to update it.

Disclaimer

This is not a complete guide and may not be entirely accurate. A lot of it is based off opinion and potentially biased from an Antarean point of view. Lore is from the incomplete AFF Wiki. [www.affuniverse.com] Lore should not be taken as the true capability of craft in game.

Also note this guide is hilariously out of date. When I get back into this game I'll think about updating it, Don't hold your breath though for quick updates.

Antarean Starfighters

List of Antarean Empire Starfighters.

Iret Light Interceptor

Lore
The partnership between Foyeri-Labs and TCI-Systems has produced a majority of the drone-designs currently in-service with the Antarean Navy. Utilizing the research done by Foyeri when developing the Qetesh class Light-Interceptor, researchers at TCI were able to develop a heavier attack-chassis for use in attacking enemy capital-ships. The new craft's drone-brain benefited from newer Pseudo-Neural Control Matrices (PNCM), and more advanced propulsion and control systems, which boosted its performance both in isolation, and within larger group-swarms.

Though far heavier then the Qetesh or Bes class, this new drone, dubbed "Iret" for its somewhat reptilian countenance (the snout shaped cowling that protects the drone's sensor-iris), poses a serious threat to larger craft. Though most commonly found in its Type-A configuration, the Iret, like many Antarean Drone designs, is highly modular. Type-A armament includes a pair of Fracas Heavy Missile pods, which allow the drone to launch deadly strikes directly on the armor of enemy capital-ships from close range. This ability, when combined with the craft's high-speed and small profile, make the Iret a serious threat to most larger craft, especially when employed in numbers.

It was later found that Irets suffered tremendous losses when closing to the missile's relatively short firing range, as a result, AISN high-command requested a refit of many of the drones currently in service. In response to this request, TCI introduced the Type-B Armament kit, which swaps the missile pods for paired, micro-plasma cannon turrets for greater range and destructive power. This now made group-swarms of mixed configurations capable of taking down a target's plasma shielding, then quickly destroy the hull itself with relative ease. Since the cannons were turreted, this allowed the Iret greater flexibility in attack vectors. Likewise, the Type-B was also more effective against strike-craft then the class had ever been before.

A newer version of the Iret drone sports anti-fighter missiles instead of anti-capital weapons, these have been successful against fighters, however need to re-arm after useing the missile. Too small for spare missiles they're only really used to quickly wipe off the enemy fighters and leave the clean up to other craft. High expenses on the transport for the missiles has largely made this tactic useless. As the missiles are often more expensive to fire then the fighters it destroys.

The Iret is a heavy-attack bomber without equal in the Antarean Navy. Despite suffering many of the disadvantages which usually plague AISN drones (inadequate armor protection, electronics-failures, ammunition shortages, and operational range deficiencies), the Iret still manages its combat-role with surprising alacrity. Though it does not match up the power of the USN's Scimitar class bombers, it uses its numbers to its advantage and has proven itself a worthy addition to the AISN armada.

Capabilities
Quick and agile fighter with low armour and low firepower. Excellent at harassment and interception.

Opinion

Originally posted by Strayed:

I am not much of a fan of this ship although it is a quick little bugger. Try to perform hit and run tactics with this thing and avoid being hit, or else you'll be a pile of floating scrap in a second.

Firefly Fighter

Lore
Firefly is one of few AISN manned fighters. Because of the man shortage needed fly the fighters AISN uses mostly drones.

The origin of the Firefly is actually racing sport sector. It was adopted for military use. Fireflies are therefor essentially the fastest ship on any given battlefield.

Capabilities
Jack of all trades fighter that offers no glaring weaknesses. Not as tough as a Heavy Fighter, not as agile as an Interceptor and does not carry the firepower of the Bomber, but can easily hold it's own in most situations. Avoid engaging Capital Ships unless armed with long range missiles.

Opinion

Originally posted by Strayed:

The Firefly is one of my favourite fighters. If you don't know what to take, you can't go wrong with a Firefly. Can be a bit unstable in flight but in turn gives it an edge in manoeuvrability.

Salamander Heavy Fighter

Lore
Pioneered in the Iron Angels tournament, this new hi-tech craft is the dream of any pilot to control. Salamander pilots often joke to others that they can fly circles around them, and indeed often they actually can.

Capabilities
Heavy Fighter that trades speed for strength and stability. Better protection allows it to survive longer in engagements against tougher targets like Capital Ships or Dropships.

Opinion

Originally posted by Strayed:

I normally pick a Salamander if I am in a tight quarters map. The handling is a lot more predictable than the Firefly and that extra protection gives it some needed survivability in circumstances such as engaging Capital Ships.

Rakshasa Heavy Bomber

Lore
The Antarean navy wanted an all in one bomber with the wing design of the Rakshasa. As such it can operate even in very low atmosphere planets where other fighters would expend too much fuel to be effective.

Most fighter design have foregone ion cannons for their power requirements and length. The engineers working on the Rakshasa have managed a small ion cannon and six anti-ship tubes in just one bomber. Completely dedicated, these are easily destroyed by enemy fighters.

A variant exists where the ion cannon has been replaced by energy cells to make a long range bomber.

This is a bomber. It can devastate slow moving ships such as battleships and carriers. After a bombing run it must return to carrier to reload.

Capabilities
Armed with up to 32 Anti-Capital Ship Torpedoes, the craft is devastating against warships. Torpedoes can also be used to dispatch Dropships if your aim is good enough. While not that agile, it is decently protected it and can hold it's own against some fighters with aid from a turret mount. It is most vulnerable when lining up for a run on a Capital Ship.

Opinion

Originally posted by Strayed:

When you want that Battleship sunk, get a wing of these babies going. You are a sitting duck during your bombing run so may want to get a group of guys in Salamanders or Fireflys to cover and distract the guns of the Capital Ship with HAL4's. While it is decent against Battleships it isn't that great against smaller Capital Ships like Destroyers which can evade a lot of your Torpedoes unless you get in very close which is where you are most vulnerable. Don't be afraid to get into a dogfight with this, it is surprisingly capable. Just don't expect to do well in it.

League Starfighters

List of League Starfighters.

Rapier Interceptor

Lore
For decades, Draymark Aerospace has been a leader in strike-craft design within the League. With the success of its Sword and Scimitar lines, the corporation was the most prosperous it had ever been. However, the staggering rate of losses within the USN fighter corps during Solesian War highlighted many fundamental weaknesses in Draymark's current models. The fighter corps of the Hegemonic Navy was largely composed of T191 "Tigershark" class strike-fighters, a Solesian design that, while inferior to USN fighters in terms armor and weaponry, consistently out-performed and out-maneuvered their opponents in almost very engagement.

The frightening death toll among Sword pilots easily convinced Draymark's designers that there was a definite need to correct the deficiencies within their existing line-up of strike-craft. Their answer to the Solesian T191 was the RPR-M30 "Rapier". The RPR-M30 was designed from the ground up to be a high-speed fighter-interceptor. Much of its frame is composed of light-weight ceramic-steel, which is remarkably sturdy despite being relatively lightweight. The craft lacks any weapons that would be menacing to larger-ships, and instead focuses on purely anti-fighter armaments. With its four Exeter-900 vulcans, it can easily chew through relatively light armor, while its massive, twin, Corsair-ASM mini-missile racks allow it to engage multiple moving targets at once, without requiring it to perform much additional maneuvering. The Rapier's huge Vector-Z92 PI Engine gives the ship the thrust necessary to reach an astounding sublight acceleration rate of 2271GPS, making it one of the fastest ships in service with the USN.

The Rapier has it flaws however. Despite the exclusion of heavy-weapon mounts in the design, the craft still pays for its speed and handling by sacrificing much of its armor coverage. As a result, pilots often equate flying a Rapier to being strapped to a "massive engine, and armed with pop-guns". Rapier pilots are often considered hot-rods by they're fellows. As one once remarked;

"Flying a Rapier does something to a man, its like riding on pure speed with no harness. One mistake, one late turn, one missed warning, and you'll just disappear. But its that feeling of constantly dancing on the edge that makes us who we are. We pilots of the USN know that we're the best, and that our lives are only as good as our reflexes. To us space is our playground and, ultimately, our graveyard. But that just makes every day a good day to die."

Capabilities
Fast and manoeuvrable interceptor that compromises on firepower and toughness. Useful for harassment and hit and run.

Opinion

Originally posted by Strayed:

Overall, more annoying than a worry to face. This is a tricky little bugger to shoot at but generally has no firepower and goes down rather easily. Use Corrosive Rounds if you are having trouble keeping lock on it. That will often slow it down.

Sword Fighter

Lore
Originally developed in a joint program between Draymark Aerospace and the Cinnabar government prior to the first ULP treaty of 849 AE, the original design documentation called for a cheap, versatile strike-fighter capable of sustaining long-term space and ground engagements with as little reliance on support assets as possible. Following these specifications, the first SWD-A01, dubbed "Sword" for its thin, angular appearance, rolled off the production lines in late 821 AE and since has become one of the most widely used and most versatile designs in the galaxy. Starting its life as an insystem-patroller and pirate-hunter, the Sword was quickly recognized as a small and lethal package, and often found itself used to escorting vulnerable merchant craft through the pirate infested outlying systems of Cinnabar.

When conflict commenced between Cinnabar, its allies, and the Antarean Empire, the Sword class quickly proved itself a solid design even when compared to the more heavily armed and venerated Antarean fighters. More Swords were produced from 849 to 861 AE then any other fighter and the design quickly found itself in service over hundreds of worlds. With the war now over, the Sword would be pressed into service in a role that more closely matched its original design specifications, as a deep-space patroller.

In 881, Draymark Aerospace acquired Mournecreek based Soltano Systems, a sector-wide leader in the field of starship propulsion and circuitry. The partnership produced dozens new designs as well as many new improvements and modifications to the SWD chassis. Most notable are the SWD-H11, the first fighter capable of generating its own particle field. The SWD-J29[s] an unmanned scout capable of traveling through subspace Finally, the current SWD-M10i model, which, despite its relatively advanced age, is still the primary strike-fighter in the USN arsenal.

Though capable of mounting a variety of weapon systems, the primary configuration retains the older model Manta-X plascannon as its main weapon, supplemented by paired Murchison FF-27 high-speed vulcan cannons and adds two Puma Interceptor burst-missile triple-packs, making the Sword a danger to both strike-craft and larger ships.

Capabilities
General purpose fighter blending firepower, speed, agility and armour.

Opinion

Originally posted by Strayed:

I rarely engage this craft although have managed to fly it on a few occasions. It is generally like the Firefly except a bit more stable in flight. Not much to write home about. More people seem to prefer the Katana anyway.

Katana Gunship

Lore
N/A - No data

Capabilities
Heavy Fighter compromising some speed for strength.

Opinion

Originally posted by Strayed:

This Heavy Fighter is deceptively quick and agile. Treat it more like a slower and better protected Sword. Still a pain to engage.

Scimatar Bomber

Lore
The Scimitar shape has been in use by the same factories for a long time.

Capabilities
Bomber capable of carrying anti-capital ship torpedoes or railguns. Well armed and decently protected. Comes with a gun turret.

Opinion

Originally posted by Strayed:

While slow this Bomber is actually pretty manoeuvrable and a tough nut to crack. It's gun turrets are also something to watch out for. Don't underestimate it.

Weapons - Primary

Most I haven't tried a lot so kept the ones I have something really to say about to the top.

MGA2

Lore
N/A - No data

Capabilities
Standard weapon for Antarean Fighters. Respectable firepower. Effective at ranges up to 4.8km. Up to 300 round magazine. Can overheat. Can use different ammo types.

Opinion

Originally posted by Strayed:

This is your bread and butter of space combat. It's not going to do much to Capital Ships or Dropships but is an excellent choice for dogfights. Try to do 1 second bursts to keep the weapon from overheating and consider using different ammo types. Shock can be quite devastating to high armoured targets and incendiary works wonders.

TT402

Lore
N/A - No data

Capabilities
Standard weapon for League Fighters. Respectable firepower. Effective at ranges up to 4.8km. Up to 180 round magazine. Can overheat. Can use different ammo types.

Opinion

Originally posted by Strayed:

Pretty much similar in everyway to the Antarean counterpart except for ammo count and fact that it seems to take slightly longer to overheat.

LSP

Lore
N/A - No data

Capabilities
League energy weapon. 42 round magazine. Average firepower. Can overheat. Very accurate.

Opinion

Originally posted by Strayed:

Have not used this myself but have been on the receiving end of it. It can be pretty accurate and annoying but usually overheats as soon as it gets your armour down.

Sigurn-Fost S16

Lore
N/A - No data

Capabilities
Rapid fire cannons effective at short range. Slow projectile speed. Can overheat. Low damage.

Opinion

Originally posted by Strayed:

Tried using this and it was frankly useless, along with most other primary weapons for fighters. Barely did any damage and projectiles are too slow to hit anything. Avoid.

S77-B

Lore
N/A - No data

Capabilities
Accurate rapid fire flak cannons effective up to 5km. No heat generation. Small magazine. Fast reload. Good against hulls. Weak against armour.

Opinion

Originally posted by Strayed:

This is a good alternative to the MGA2. Small magazine but fast reload speed. Combine with Shock ammo and it'll chew through opponents. Do not use it on dropships though despite what it says in the description.

TIR-Boda 28 200EU

Lore
N/A - No data

Capabilities
Rapid fire cannons effective at short range. Slow projectile speed. Can overheat.


Opinion

Originally posted by Strayed:

Tried using this and it was frankly useless, along with most other primary weapons for fighters. Projectiles are too slow and when they do hit they do barely any damage. Avoid.

Sigurn-Fost C90

Lore
N/A - No data

Capabilities
N/A = Not enough experience with the weapon to make an accurate assessment.

Opinion

Originally posted by Strayed:

Tried using this and it was frankly useless, along with most other primary weapons for fighters. Does some fair amount of damage but is far too inaccurate to recommend. Avoid.

Weapons - Ordnance

Ackerson Red4

Lore
N/A - No data

Capabilities
General short range dumb fire rockets. Inaccurate although decent firepower against Capital ships and other static targets. Relatively quick reload.

Opinion

Originally posted by Strayed:

Only real use for this weapon is to engage Capital Ships which to it's credit, it does a fair bit of damage to. I would suggest also against dropships but there are far better alternatives for that.

AF1-AS Homing Missile

Lore
N/A - No data

Capabilities
N/A - Have not used enough to make an accurate assessment.

Opinion

Originally posted by Strayed:

Have not used enough or seen it enough to make an accurate assessment.

M8LM-AS Swarm Missile

Lore
N/A - No data

Capabilities
Medium range missile that can fire up to 8 missiles at once at multiple targets. Nimble and accurate. Individual missiles are rather weak although provide decent overall firepower.

Opinion

Originally posted by Strayed:

Pretty decent missile. Normally scores at least a few hits per salvo and can be useful against dropships. Can't go wrong with it honestly. Just don't become reliant on it.

AFX-AS Homing Missile

Lore
N/A - No data

Capabilities
Long Range Seeking Missile that can lock up to two targets at once. Moderate damage.

Opinion

Originally posted by Strayed:

I only really use this if I don't have space to put on a HAL4. It is often evaded easily and any target that is going to get hit by it is really also going to be hit by a HAL4 as well.

HAL4 Heavy Homing Missile

Lore
N/A - No data

Capabilities
Long Range, High Damage, Low Manoeuvrability Missile. Useful for hitting slower moving and bigger targets like Dropships and even Capital Ships.

Opinion

Originally posted by Strayed:

Don't expect to hit a fighter with this, but it is a good weapon to bring if you find yourself encountering Capital Ships. Using it on larger warships will hurt them and may draw the attention of their defence guns to you allowing a bomber wing to sneak in. Also really hurts dropships.

Torpedo

Lore
N/A - No data

Capabilities
Slow moving, High Yield, dumbfire warhead for Capital Ship destruction. Effective at short range.

Opinion

Originally posted by Strayed:

Not much to say about this to be honest other than it's an Anti-Capital Ship torpedo. It's heavily affected by your movement so you need to remain steady to guarantee where you warheads are going. Also use at short range as some Capital Ships can evade them.

Murchison RCLD Railgun

Lore
N/A - No data

Capabilities
N/A - Have not used enough to make an accurate assessment.

Opinion

Originally posted by Strayed:

Have not used enough or seen it enough to make an accurate assessment.

Light Mines

Lore
N/A - No data

Capabilities
N/A - Have not used enough to make an accurate assessment.

Opinion

Originally posted by Strayed:

Have not used enough or seen it enough to make an accurate assessment.

Weapons - Countermeasures

Flares Package

Lore
N/A - No data

Capabilities
General countermeasures useful for evading missiles.

Opinion

Originally posted by Strayed:

Not much to say other than it does it's job well.

Orbiting Lance Drone

Lore
N/A - No data

Capabilities
N/A - Have not used enough to make an accurate assessment.

Opinion

Originally posted by Strayed:

Have not used enough or seen it enough to make an accurate assessment.

Shield Projector

Lore
N/A - No data

Capabilities
Creates a Shield Bubble around your ship that absorbs incoming damage for a short duration.

Opinion

Originally posted by Strayed:

This is a very useful piece of hardware especially for those who find themselves in thick dogfights. It can and will keep you alive. Only issue is that it is quite costly to install and there are a few modules that could increase the survivability of your craft that may be better choices at times.

[Bovril Brigadier]

Came back to this after close to two months. Got so much work to do.

[Syrinx The Dragoness ΘΔ]

The Sigurn Frost C90, as a fun fact, is the EXACT same cannon that the ULA uses on their Partisan Tanks.

It's also a monsterous weapon against capital ship subsystems, and dropships. If you want to take on heavy opponents, this is the weapon to use. And for the AIA, combining this with torpedoes on a Rakasha Bomber makes you a terror to anything that isn't a standard fighter, bomber, or interceptor. The AI in the turret is also an uncanny unholy horror of a shot with this thing, and it's an incredible way to rack up command XP, since AI turret kills count towards command experience.

[Whiskey144]

A side note about the Anty plasma cannon, the TIR-Boda: it's really difficult to hit with, since it's very much non-hitscan, but when it does hit, it tends to smash whatever is in its way. I managed to get behind a ULA fighter and vaporized near-instantly... but it was also a dead-on tail chase, and the ULA fighter didn't move to the sides or up/down at all.

It might be a good pick if you're flying capital-attack missions for the purpose of tearing up turrets or subsystems.

[Whiskey144]

Played some more with the LSP, and I find I like it better than the TT402, though the latter is definitely great. In terms of range, they're AFAIK identical- I generally got red reticle at around 4.8 kilometers.

I can however say that the LSP needs the Coolant mod. Overheat usually occurs about halfway through the mag without it, while if you pace your shots a little, you can pretty much dump the whole thing out without overheating if you've got that coolant mod.

Also, the AF1-AS is a pretty good dogfighter's missile; it's got a pretty fast lock, and seems very maneuverable. I found it to be the most consistent missile system for fighter duels.

And a note about the Rockets- they're a great option to carry as an offensive, objective-oriented weapon for ULA players when playing the Incursion mode on Ixion and Meudeverre; the rockets are pretty deadly against static targets, like the mines and scan/defense platforms.

[Whiskey144]

LSP does overheat, has a 42-round magazine. It generally tends to kill other fighters in about that many shots.

I'll have to test the shots-to-overheat later, but I was also using the coolant mod IIRC so that probably affected things.

[Bovril Brigadier]

Also any specific stats about the LSP? Does it overheat, TTK so I can get an idea of performance? Range? Each time I've encountered someone using the LSP I've raped them in space combat.

[Bovril Brigadier]

The Railgun weapon is used on the ULA Bomber as an alternative to the torpedo.

[Whiskey144]

The one match I flew ULA on Ixion I picked the LSP.

LSP is the bomb . Seriously, it's incredibly accurate and lethal, and just shreds anything you point it at.

One thing I have started doing is taking Rockets as my ordnance when flying fighters, and just using the guns to dogfight- it's incredibly effective when packing the LSP (which is an amazing dogfighting gun), and the Rockets let you help take out static targets like the mines on Ixion or the platforms on Meudeverre (admittedly I haven't yet flown ULA on Meudeverre).

Also, where did you see the Railgun weapon? Is it exclusive to a particular ULA fighter?