How to defend with stealths
The information below is slightly out of date as it doesn't include the use of EMP mines, or take changes in the XC core into account.
It is perfectly possible to defend with tac. Your only demands from the commander should be i) Sig cloak 2 and ii) Hunter 2. Sig Cloak 2 will let you escape detection when you have to. Hunter 2 will let you actually hit stuff (Having said that, Hunter 2 is more important - it is not entirely impossible to defend with Sig 1, if circumstances permit)
Sniper 1 isn't worth it for std sfs. Snipers are only good when you get Sniper 2 (see below). Their usage during defense is DIFFICULT. If you don't get hang of everything else first, don't worry about snipers.
The key to tac defense: probes. Probe, probe, probe, probe. Tac D is SLOW. Very, ultra, super slow. You can't just launch as you can with figs or ints and hope to nuke the bomber. You already need to be in position when the bomber comes thorugh that aleph. You need to start lobbing those hunters immediately if you hope to eliminate the nans by the time they get to your base.
Of course this implies: RESPOND TO ALERTS. around chasing something not too critical?w GET BACK. Fiddling with your loadout? LAUNCH IMMEDIATELY. In a scout? DOCK AND CHANGE INTO THE SF. Once the alert's gone up, there is no time to fiddle around - the bomber will be upon you sooner than you think. If you are just launching when the bomber is already in sector, you'll be firing from an inefficient side-position. Your hit rate will plummet.
As for the actual defense - PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE - DO NOT MOUNT SHIELDS UNLESS YOU ARE EQUIPPED WITH SNIPER 2 THAT YOU INTEND TO USE. Shields + sniper 2 + EW2 = you can hover around the turret range and pick off nans with sniper while the shield absorbs the turrets that are pinging you. It'll also protect you from aggressive scouts. If you are NOT employing sniper 2 however, LEAVE THAT SHIELD IN BASE. Cloak and fire away at a safe distance from the bomber, uneyed.
If you launch early - then the turrets should be totally ineffective against you. There is NO reason to get close enough to the bomber so turrets can shoot you down, until such time that you need to open up with Sniper 2 - even then the turrets can't hurt you (see below). If you get podded by a turret, then you are not doing this properly.
Your hunters don't hit? Make sure you are either in front of the bomber (back tracking) or much, much preferably, behind the bomber. If you are behind the bomber (although not directly behind that you'd run into nan prox) ALWAYS add some forward speed before firing to increase the missile's range. Yes, the faster you go, the more range the missile has. Throttle up, fire, throttle back. Rinse lather repeat. Your hit rate will soar.
If employed properly, the only thing that'll defeat tac D is fighter/int escort for the bomber. Those figs and ints will hunt you down as the bomber merrily goes on its way. But guess what - IT'S A GAME OF NUMBERS! If you keep your situational awareness high, and don't let the fig/int pod you - it does NOT matter that you are no longer attacking the bomber. You have still tied up one attacker! You only lose if the fig/int manages to pod you and move onto the next defending SF.
If there is a buffer between the enemy sector and your own sector, the nice thing about sfs is they can pick off nans without fear of retribution from turrets. Make good use of this fact - do NOT wait at home - get into that buffer sector and own those nans before they get anywhere near your base.
Last, but not least, if your commander has enough money, he will get Killers. Killers are the dumbfires of tac world. They will own any bomber under ANY number of nans as long as you can get enough of them in the air. Killers have to be fired either head on or from the rear. For success, all sfs must start firing Killers AT THE SAME TIME. I can't emphasize this enough: a solo sf firing killers at the bomber is simply wasting its time. If that sf gets killed meanwhile, it's only diminishing his team's defensive firepower. Success formula for killers: 1) Stay together 2) Stay in position 3) Open up simultaneously. Nice thing about Killers is as soon as you get eye you can open up with snipers as well for even more added damage. Killer defense is not also easier, if you can work in sync, but is also much more resistant to fighter/int escort.
This might read like it needs a lot of skill. It does. But that's the fun part of it. Point is, it's been done. It works. Don't let anyone tell you "you can't defend with tac". Yes you can. You just need to know how.
--Spunkmeyer 03:39, 18 August 2011 (UTC)
