Cadet PRS Tactical Lab Defence

Introduction

It is vital that you have a good probe net when you go Tac to give you warning of enemy bomb runs. Sfs are not built for defence and the enemy team will often try to bomb your tac as soon as possible. They take longer to get in position, and if they are away from base when the bbr is spotted take longer to rip home.

Defending vs. Expansion

Exp has HTT's and Hvy Ints.

Heavy Troop Transport

These are almost as sneaky as SB's and will often be escorted by at least one int when on long range missions. Anything closer, expect the whole team supporting their HTT.

• Catch them at the alephs. Probe your alephs and have at least one sf on each.
• Form up and spike the HTT, then concentrate on shooting nans.
• Ram the HTT away from your green door when it is close.
• Prox in front of green doors.

Defending vs. Supremecy

Sup has the most variety in choice when it comes to ending a game.

TP2 Scouts

These guys are tricky, a good TP2 Scout Pilot will be low sig and avoid the scan ranges of enemy eyes. There are a few sure ways to catch them though.

• Catch them at the alephs. Probe your alephs and have at least one sf on each.
• Probe each rock around your around your sup, drop a probe on the opposite side of the rock facing your sup.
• If a TP2 does drop, aim to kill the TP2, you may need to kill the scout first if they are nanning it.

Fighter Bombers

These often come after a successful TP2 drop and soon your sector will be flooded with ten or more FB's loaded with AB 2/3.

• while you fly towards the start firing our missles early those FB's are flying toward you so will close the gap.
• Free for all - dont nit pick over who to shoot, shoot anyone and everyone.
• While you are flying towards them look for the FB's with high kill bonus, take them down first.

Hvy Bombers/XRM

These are often considered the unstoppable end gamers. A team with the resources to spare will come at you from all directions.

• Keep firing killers at them. Get to them before they get in range.
• Target those with high KB first.
• Drop emp mines in their path.

Defending vs. Tactical

Tac has bombers that cant be seen until they load missiles, so pretty much you wont see them until they are in firing range. Also there will be SF's firing missiles at you.

Stealth Bombers

With a good probe net and some random flying scout you may spot a SB while it is en route, with a bad probe net or just against good SB pilots you will spot a SB as it destroys a base.

• Catch them at the alephs. Probe your alephs and have at least one sf on each.
• You want to be outside your base waiting to fire missiles. Preferably quickfires.

Stealth Bomber NG

Not really used because certain game conditions are needed.

• Kill them.

Defending vs. Shipyard

The shipyard/drydock has a variety of ways to end the game also. It is like a bigger badder version of sup/exp/tac combined.

Frigates

These cannot rip so once it is eyed it is just a case of knowing where it is going and waiting on the other sie of the aleph.

Cruisers

These can rip so it will require you to be ready to rip and/or dock change location and get to the aleph.

Assault Ship

These guys are fast, should have at least on turret gunner and they can cloak. Follow them low sig in a scout. Destroy them at alephs.

• When fighting caps have your killer missiles loaded.
• Be ready unload them at the slightest damage done to your ship.

Extra Stealth Tips

For defence you want snipers and a full load of hunters. You can probably even launch with a rack loaded. You want to camp the aleph slightly off to one side, about 300m closer than your hunters range. This gives your missiles 300m to curve around as they track your target (see pic on right).

Example If you have hunt1 your range is ~1700m so you want to camp about 1400m.

A good time to cloak is when someone yells "drop", so you're low sig when the bbr enters. Once the bbr is in target a nan and start lobbing hunters. Hopefully someone on your team will start calling "Attack my target", press Insert to accept and concentrate your fire - this is especially needed if you have bad tech and/or the enemy are cross-nanning each other.

Once all the nans are dead start killing the bbr. As he flys toward the base use your side thrusters to stay at the same distance. Do not move straight into the bbrs path! You'll become mince meat. Similarly, avoid falling into the bbrs rear because you'll eat prox.

If the bbr reaches firing range you may need to target him and hope you can outdamage the surviving nans before he kills the base. If the comm or a veteran starts spamming "Attack bomber!" then you should probably switch to the bbr.

Tip: Having one stealth fighter staying out of the fight completely in order to pick up pods can be incredibly useful.

If you get eyed chances are someone will start shooting at you. Especially if they are force-bombing with int escorts. Dodge the bullets as best you can, you may even need to drop missiles and fall back a little. It's better to have one sf out of the fight temporarily than having an eject pod. You may even act as a pod pickup.}}

Capital ships have a lot of shield, it regenerates quicker than you can reload missiles, and their turrets can outrange you. All in all, they are quite hard for a sf to kill - alone. The key to taking down cap ships as tac is to work in groups, and use LRM Killers. Staying behind the capital ship will make it less likely that you will be eyed. It will also make it easier to land LRM Killers, as your missiles will not have to turn to hit the cap.

LRM Killers have a damage bonus vs cap ships, but a lot worse tracking than hunters. To ensure they hit you need to aim them like you would a dumbfire.

If you do encounter a cap ship by yourself and you're armed with hunters, then concentrate on taking down the nans. Be careful, as the turrets will beginning firing in your direction as soon as the missile is spotted, even if you're uneyed. If it doesn't have nans then trail the cap ship and give info to your team about what it is doing.