Topic: SFCOP mission: Hell and Back

[sarcastro]

Greetings!

I'm playing through the single player campaign as the Orion Cartel in SFCOP, and I'm stuck on the "To Hell and Back" mission. This mission involves assaulting an ISC fleet and Starbase. I just can't seem to win this one. The fleet is no problem, and I usually end up capturing most of the 3-4 ISC ships that show up. The Starbase itself though is a nightmare. At range 20-25 I can still reinforce shields enough to stay alive for a while, but can't do any damage to the base. At 10-20 I' getting worn down pretty bad by PH4's. Inside 10 I can dent a shield maybe, but the base launches plasma and shreds me with phasers so hanging out this close doesn't seem to be an option.

I've tried this mission in everything from a photon-packing cruiser to a plasma-laden dreadnaught. Any ideas on cracking these big starbases? Or maybe I'm missing a trick somewhere? I've tried hailing everything in sight, but my Orion buddies just want to talk about playing cards later, if we survive....which we don't.

 

[GDA-S'Cipio]

Define "plasma laden dreadnought".

You should be able to take it out in a mechanical fashion if you have two S plasma torpedos.

Get to range 14, come to a complete stop, and put up 6 ECM.  Also put all power in your front shield reinforcement.

Make sure you fire the two S torps at the same shield every time.  Watch the bases UI to see which shield you are facing.  If you fire as soon as you switch to a new shield, you should hit the next shield.  Then go pour yourself a drink and wait for your plasma to rearm.  Rinse and repeat.  The first dozen or so time will get him to burn a wild weasel shuttle, but after that you'll start slowly accumulating a little shield damage with each volley.  Put on some music.  Start cooking dinner.  You're looking at an hour or more of effort.

Range 14 and 15 are the same for your plasma, but 14 should lure him to fire his phaser 3's.  (Thus robbing him of energy for shield reinforcement.)  Avoid firing your phasers.  Save the power for shields.



You can get a quicker couple of vollys with drones if you can get two waves going in.  (2 scatterpacks, or a wave from your bays and scatterpacks.)  As soon as he pops the weasel for the first wave, dump out the second wave or scatterpack.  The WW will be gone by the time the second wave is ready for impact. 

You need to be able to do this at a time when you can follow up, however.    If you just wound the sheild and then go back to facing Wild Weasels, the shield will just repair over time and you will have wasted your drones.


-S'Cipio   

[sarcastro]

Thanks a lot S'Cipio, this is exactly what I was looking for.  Looks like I was operating either too close or too far most of the time. Watching the base UI for shield facing is a greatl tip too, I can't believe I didn't think of that.  I'm pretty sure I've got a Dreadnaught with at least 2, maybe 3 plasma S torps available so I'll try this out tonight!

[sarcastro]

Well, this worked perfectly. I got through it first time I tried last night in a DN1 with 3 Plasma S torps. Since the plasma reload is longer than the time it takes for the station to revolve completely, it turned out to be a better strategy to shoot 2 groups of torps (2 at a time then 1 on the next rotation)  rather than shoot 3 torps every 2 rotations.  I had to  rotate shield facings and do some repairs a couple of times in the early going but once I started scoring internals it got a lot easier. Even once I was through the shield though I had to pound that thing forever! Those things are tough.

Thanks again for the help.

[GDA-S'Cipio]

Well, this worked perfectly. I got through it first time I tried last night in a DN1 with 3 Plasma S torps. Since the plasma reload is longer than the time it takes for the station to revolve completely, it turned out to be a better strategy to shoot 2 groups of torps (2 at a time then 1 on the next rotation)  rather than shoot 3 torps every 2 rotations.  I had to  rotate shield facings and do some repairs a couple of times in the early going but once I started scoring internals it got a lot easier. Even once I was through the shield though I had to pound that thing forever! Those things are tough.

Thanks again for the help.

No worries!  I'm glad that worked out for you.  Yes, having a third plasma S is a blessing.  Sounds like you used it perfectly.

-S'Cipio