Long range cruiser combat is dominated by missile spam. Short range cruiser combat is dominated by Cruiser Lasers and Howitzers. In this challenge I am exploring a fleet designed to operate in between the two at a distance of about 700. Please try it out against anything, but I am particularly interested in midrange fleets that can defeat it.
That’s beam range; and rockets. …will have to check it out.
I guess you could get to missile cruisers faster, but I think it’ll be too easy to close with CLs. We’ll have to see, though.
I’ve noticed that when I can get my cruisers to attract most of the focus, normally by taking fire head on and sponging with their shields/anti-missile things, I can sometimes get a row of frigates to come in from the side and really tear things up.
I have a frigate config with speed 35, and at least 2 ion turrets. They chop a busy cruiser down pretty nicely. Of course, once they come under fire they’re not much good, but I find them useful against people who like to spam missiles. I get big enough shields/anti-missle stuff on my lead cruisers, stick a bunch of frigates with a healthy mix of plasma, torpedoes, and the beams in order to bump up DPS. If you can get the fast ion frigates to come in on the flank, that side will normally collapse and turn the battle for you. Obviously it doesn’t work with all enemy formations, and you have to put the frigates pretty far away from the main fleets to get them to come in at the right time/angle.
personally i find megaton missiles good for middle range