Topic: Needing Some Mission Tips.

[Beeblebrox]

I'm playing through the EAW missions on OP and I'm seriously getting my butt kicked on one particular mission.  It's the one where you have to capture a sunglider after fighting off the Hydrans.  My problem comes in the form of roughly 30 or so fighters in groups of 4 or 5 and their carriers, H-INS.  I've managed to get as far as wiping out 90% of the fighters before I'm overwhelmed by the H-INS.  I have tried going after the H-INS rather than the fighters but getting close enough to hurt the motherships means exposing myself to large groups of fighter-based fusion cannons at nearly point-blank range.  I would be sincerely appreciative of any tactical advice.

[Roychipoqua_Mace]

Oh heck! That's the one bad thing about the patch. Instead of facing a balanced Hydran ship, you get all those INS and their fighters. I could never do that mission. Usually, I just forfeit that mission or run off the border, and then get zero prestige points. Fortunately, it's not like SFC1 when you fail a mission, you don't get "kicked out" of being a pirate.

If you really wanted to beat the mission, maybe you could load your game whenever that mission shows up. Then, you could play different missions and build up your fleet. When you finally were strong enough, you could try the mission. My fear is, however, that if you go in with a bigger ship, there may be even more H-INS+, like 10 of them.

I would also like to know how on Earth someone would win this mission.

[Don Karnage]

what mission are you talking about?, what race are you playing??

seem interesting 

[Beeblebrox]

I'm playing the Orions with the SFB Mod working.  My ship is a heavy cruiser with the standard pirate phaser arrangement plus two photons torpedoes and a pair of double drone launchers.

[Don Karnage]

eeeww i don't have any of the sfb piate ship, never like the look of them.

[Panzergranate]

Is there a star on the map??

Star radiation belts and fighters don't go well together.

I always make a run for a star when faced with masses of fighters until the radiation deals with them all.

Generally, running at full speed screws a fighter as their limited power means that they can't pursue at high speed and charge weapons very well.

Skimming asteroids and breaking into a slight turn so that the fighters fly through the dust clouds is another way of thing the herd chasing you.

I've also dumped suicide shuttles and cluster packs into fighter before now with some success, though timing is everything.... the fighters must have just fired so they can't take it out when launched.

[Czar Mohab]

I don't know this mission, or the H-INS off hand, but, I will try to help as best I can. Second, if it sounds as if I am writing to a two year old, I must appologize. I realize that you are to one extent or another an expert, however, I do not know what all you know, so I assume that you know not so much everywhere rather than assume you know something and you not know that something and I miss it and you still don't know, ya know?

Now that you're lost, start here:

Photons -> off-line. Drones -> save. SP -> cookin'

Don't bother with the photons right away, you'll need the power for movement so long as those fighters are in play. You'll want to engage the fighters while pulling them away from their carriers. Make the fighters have to go a long way to get back to rearm/refuel; this will buy you precious precious time. Also keeps the pesky carrier weapons off of you to some degree. If you have to fly the whole bloody map to do it, then go for it, just keep the distance as open as possible.

Your power while going for the fighters should be balanced between phasers, shield reinforcement and movement. If you can spare it, go ahead and try to get the EW into check, improving your phaser shots. Don't worry about actually saving all of your drones, just save them long enough to fire at targets of opportunity, like fighters that just dumped their weapons, free and clear shots of fighters in retrograde, etc.

Play this portion of the mission with your fingers over "[" and "]", slow it down to '1' before and when you take a shot(s) at a fighter, one phaser at a time. If he's still alive, fire something else. When he's dead, move on to the next. When your weapons are dry, speed it up to where you are comfy and let your weapons recycle. Its not SFB Aegis, but it is close enough.

I don't know what's on the INS, but I am assuming that they are slower than you. So it shouldn't be too hard to keep out of range for a bit while you repair your fighter damage. Remember those nice torps you took off line? as soon as you are ready, power them up and drop speed to compensate for the power, you'll probably want to reinforce the shields more anyway. Remember that SP you had cookin'? Should be well done by now. If you have the drones to spare, a second one (even a third) wouldn't be too bad.

Almost always, the AI will pack the enemy ships together, nice and tight, when they are chasing you (and especially if their the same type/hull/class). Sometimes one gets loose, either had a breakdown (doing the famous AI HET for no reason), wasn't fast enough on the power shifts (e.g. you turned, he slowed, range opened, but the rest didn't slow), or whatever. If this slowpoke is present, he'll be your first target. If not, you'll have to do something, like drop a T-bomb, brave an anchor, etc... to pull one out of the herd. Think like a Lion (fitting, no?), isolate your prey and pounce.

You'll need to make your approaches keeping the rest of the herd away from you, and if you are using your drones, away from your prey. This is where the SP comes in handy. You're going to use it to either 1.) force a WW out of him, 2.) waste power and weapons to clear the map of the drones and/or hold on to them, or 3.) eat some drones. If he pulls #1 wait for the WW to fade, otherwise follow up with drones from your racks. When you've closed enough, let loose your energy weapons.

The AI won't render aid to your prey. If your initial attack run was a success, you'll have done some internals on him. Just remember to pull away and keep the herd at a distance. The prey should be just a tad slower, but still trying to keep up. Repair if you need to while you're pulling away.

Your second run on the prey should be similar, however drones should be considered optional (I don't know how many INS's you are up against, but saving some for at least one more would be prudent) and not required. Find the shield(s) that you've already weakened and hit him there. I would highly recomend Mizia firing the weapons for the most potential damage to weapons. Keep repeating this and eventually, he'll go down. Then its just a matter of picking your next target and repeating the above.

I will ask your forgiveness again for "dumbing this down". I know you're good at the game, and know your own tactics, I just don't know what you know.

If there is any terrain features that you can use to your advantage, then feel free to do so. Such as stars, asteroids, planets, etc. Shove the suckers into the big rocks if you can, and use the star's radiation as your friend. And thank Panzer for posting that part .

Czar "I hope that was helpful" Mohab, who also hopes it works.

[Panzergranate]

I'll rig up a FMSE game on SFC 1 with the H-INT and O-CA to work out a possible strategy.

Generally I just dump out my own shuttles to deal with fighters, who seem more interested in myself. Unfortunately the shuttles are slower than the fighters and I have to turn and pass over them a few times for them to be able to engage the fighters, if running at full tilt.

My son is damned good at rapid dropping a series of T-bombs, whilst on a turn to protect the exposed hull, on fighters so that they can't avoid then. The quick hitting fo teh T-bomb key and targetting the mouse in the tight V shaped pattern whilst at speed is key to this tactic and takes practice. The order of the T-bombs forces the fighters into the others.

He's also managed to drop T-bombs during an HET before now.

I've never bother with the helm order, as I see it as a waste of a power point or two, but does "evasive action" screw up the aim of the fighters??

Don't forget you can tractor a whole squadron and smash it into an asteroid at an opportune moment.

Remember that a fghter's weakness is no shields and limited power. Hydran Stingers, of all types, will drop to speed 8 to recharge their Fusion Beams.... play this to your advantage.