I’m trying to finish the Chaos Nebula on Normal mode but i’m finding it quite impossibile. There is a center group of about 5 frigates, with a frigate in front that’s escorted by a full squadron of very good fighters. The problem is that the fighters eat my cruisers, i tried anti-air and while i did manage to clear them out some times, the actual problem are the last frigates. They are chock-full of Fast Missiles which tear amazingly huge holes in anything.
I especially made a tank 9 shielded cruiser, with a Frigate Platform with 5 support beams holding it up… enough to delay them until my other ships finish the flanks, but even that, it got dropped easily. Tried frigates in 3-4 configurations, different fighter configs, and a ton of cruiser builds, but i just CANNOT take that singular group down.
Tips? I’m playing Empire… and i tried Federation/Order/Tribes… still no go.
Are you remembering to put armour on your cruisers? There are what - 4 squads of fighters on normal, there shouldn’t be enough to harm a single cruiser. Make sure your average armour is higher than what a fighter laser can dish out. I usually use 2 of the heaviest armour available and back it up with an armour repair unit. This should make your cruisers invulvnerable to fighters for a good time.
Watch out for shields - they become less and less efficient the more you use - I think 6 is about the max. So those three shields you used are now nothing but HP sinks that you could have used for weapons or - Armour. Armour is your friend.
Those aren’t frigates in the centre - well one is with the fighters - they are smallish Cruisers (fenrir I believe). Multiple Warhead Missiles out range the fast missiles. You can try putting your fleet in one corner - that means you will hit the groups individually not all at once (centre deployment). Also the range of fast missiles is just slightly over EMP missiles of your frigates. Set frigates with affinity to target cruisers over other frigates - don’t waste EMP’s on the enemy frigates.
I also believe those fighters will first go after your fighters if you have them - give them something to chase around the map. A few half squads of one rocket one engine set to attack fighters/frigates/cruisers will keep those fighters off your cruisers for a good while.
Try that and see how it goes.
And remember don’t forget the armour! Laser fighters can fire underneath the shield and without armour or not enough they just happily eat up your hull.
Yes, tried, and that worked to clearing out the fighters somewhat so they don’t obliterate my cruisers instantly.
Yes, but due to the missile spam and close range it doesnt matter. Really, i take out maybe 20% of the missiles? That still leaves about 120 dps >.> atleast 4 missiles worth 30 damage striking my cruiser.
Yes, but as said, the fighters are not my main issue, i can deal with them one way or another
Yes, tried both rockets and torpedoes, tried sending them in waves with frigates, tried actually coordinating a huge battle fleet so that the fighters go in, them immediately after a sacrificial cruiser to soak up damage and group the enemies together, then frigates to neutralize what’s left of the fighters and EMP/Destabilize the cruisers, then my real cruisers to hopefully take them out. And guess what? No. -.-
Yes i put atleast one piece of armor on any shield-cruiser to soak up what whould’ave went to the hull. I tried both shield-tanking (5 Reflective shield’s and a ultraheavy plus a nano) and armor tanking (5 ultraheavys and a nano). The main reason i have issues with fighters is because they go UNDER the shields. I don’t know why or how but these fighters in this mission in special, go under shields easily. Tried using smaller frame cruisers, but it still happens, albeit a bit later.I know that they decrease in efficiency and that uber-tank was just a test to see exactly how much they actually dish out.
I’m having 3 cruisers up, 3 cruisers down, which win 100% of the time… so all i have to deal with is the bloody middle squad, which if they go out, they nuke all the cruisers on the map, doesn’t matter if i have 10 or 20.
Amusing enough, i finished both Hard and Expert on this level, but i can’t beat normal. -.-
Imperator hull
3x Fast Missiles
2x Imperial Laser
1x Cruiser Laser
1x Supercharged Tractor
2x Fast Recharge Shield
2x Powered Armour
1x Engine I
1x Reinforced Powerplant
1x Nanobot Repairs
1x Crew Module II
Delete attack fighters
Attack cruisers and frigates both 80% / range 800
Co-operative
Vulture
Retalliate
Keep Moving - not needed at all but makes for slightly more interesting viewing
I deployed them in a 3x6 block in the middle of the map and let 'em go. You could easily strip some out and work frigates and fighters into the fleet for more variety.
To mention, i’m trying to do this with about 24k of units instead of the 50k they allow me? >.>
Sure if i blob tons of cruisers and get 0 honor i’ll prolly win, but it’s a lot more fun to figure out that perfect blend of x,y and z that wins out. Still, from your tips, i got the dual armor under the shields to be invincible to the first fighter wave. I’ll try and work on that.
Edit: Holy shit… Done… 23,636 honor. 3 /3 / 3 cruisers 1 beam 1 megaton 1 rocket at the flanks, 3 rockets in the middle. I won with 3 extra frigates, but tbh, i did not kill more cruisers then i did normally… so i don’t know if that was it. Survived with ONE cruiser. Barely.
