Ascension - What to ... do?

Before each raid, I usually try to post some sort of review of the prizes along with recommendations on which prizes to go after and which to avoid.  The information available to me (which is the same as the information available to you... Kixeye does me no favors) is not sufficient for me to evaluate the new Hull and Weapon prizes.  So I'll try to keep it short.

Thoughts on the raid:
We've seen some previews of the Scourge ships and weapons already - I described them in my last article. 

For advice, all I can say is that I think Speed, Evade, and Pinch Resist will be your friends.

Campaigns will not be co-op anymore - I think that's a bit of a double edged sword.  It's good because low level or "weak" players will not be begging for other players to do a campaign for them.  But it also denies players who are behind (perhaps they made a bad fleet build decision or took some time away from the game) a chance to catch up more easily.  Co-op play can be one of the most fun and engaging aspects of this game.  I think Kixeye could have restricted co-op without taking it away entirely.

Level-locked campaigns where most of the points are in the completion bonus will be the real bane of players who try to play for free (or cheap) - this will really restrict their options to grind out points.

On the Prizes:

Harlock's Aegis:


This upgraded version of the Aegis adds just about everything the original was missing... 

• Speed to keep up with the latest ships
• 4th special slot
• Unreactive
• More Evade, Armor Points, and Defense

It is flagship only, but the upgraded field and missile reload bonus might just make up for that.  For matching with Rhinos, Neptunes, or possibly any other fast ship, this is going to be a real help.

The build gets real long on this one though... 10 days, 22 hours, 27 minutes with officer.

Neptune Hull:

This hull has a new Heavy Weapon slot as one of its 12 slots, which is usable with the new "Heavy Weapon" type of weapon, which is currently just the Scythe (and the variant Death Scythe).  Kixeye's release notes are not sufficient to really decode how the new "Siege DPS" works.  We do know that it adds damage when the Neptune is firing against turrets or buildings, but it isn't clear how often/when that 1200 is added.  The 600 Siege Deflection is a bit more clear - I'm fairly sure it subtracts 600 from turret damage done (after all other resistances are applied).

Build time on this hull (via Kixeye's Shipyard Design mode) is 5 days 0 hours 48 minutes (with officer). This is average for hulls these days, but does not follow the downward trend we saw with the Artemis and Rhino (both shorter builds). 

It is unclear if this ship is better than the Rhino.  It is lacking Radioactive Defense and Underwater Detection, but it does have the Unreactive trait (how unreactive you may ask... who knows?).  For open water combat, the Rhino seems better, but against bases the new traits of the Neptune may push it ahead.  Of course, it's all about the weapons, so let's look at the "Heavy Weapons"...

Scythe:

This Heavy Weapon seems to deal a lot of damage, but its high salvo might be a disadvantage as it ranks up.  The Splash/Spread characteristic (instead of aimed accuracy makes it hard to compare exactly with the aimed missiles, but I'll fall back on my old Splash / (3/8 Spread) formula:

(ignore the Trident column for now... OK?)

I could be way off here, but the initial look at DPS seems like it is in the same neighborhood as our existing missiles.  Of course, as a splash weapon it will be much less useful against moving ships, and much more useful against clustered, slow or non-moving targets.   The high salvo will put this weapon at a disadvantage at higher ranks.  The big unknown is how the Neptune's DPS statistic interacts with the weapon's. If it only applies to the Heavy Weapon, then obviously that will be a big advantage.  But if the DPS also boosts the regular weapons in a similar fashion, then those might be even more advantageous to use.

Build time for this weapon again does not follow the downward trend, but instead seems quite long - at over 2.5 days.

Note that this weapon is a limited weapon, so each prize redemption allow you to build it ONCE.  You'll want at least three for a full fleet.

Death Scythe:

Still a limited Heavy Weapon, this one is only available from the new Scourge Vanguard target.It does lower Penetrative Damage, but adds the new corrosive damage.  The blueprint was revised from the initial release, where the "old" special ability for corrosive damage was described as doing 36 damage  (this didn't seem too bad, but could build up with a lot of hits).  The "new" description of the special ability is described as 8100 damage per second for 6 seconds.  This results in 48,600 damage points, which actually does 24,300 points of damage to armor that can't be resisted (who remembers that everything does half damage?  I was recently reminded of this when my 19,000 HP, 78% exp resist Enforcer got hit with 4 Daisy Cutter XLs and lived.)  So a single hit from this weapon should kill just about anything?  Not even worth analyzing.  I think we haven't seen the last of statistic clarifications on this weapon.

Build time for this one is even longer - 3 days 10 hours 44 minutes.

Trident Missile:

Apparently Kixeye had this extra weapon up their sleeve, and didn't think it would quite be ready for this raid.  I'm not sure if they released it based on the popular outcry that having only a limited heavy weapon and a couple high end hulls available this raid would be a real turn-off for many players.

Well. I like countermeasures, so I thought I would like this weapon off the bat.  But then I noticed its very limited range (55 base vs. 76 for newer missiles), and its single shot countermeasures.  So I started to think it was useless... but then I thought that Remote Targeting just might be its saving grace, and so maybe it is worth comparing.  The raw damage is quite large for such a light missile. On a Rhino (for example), 1 weapon slot could be used for a Harrier, and then the other 14 slots could be used for this Trident.  The Harrier would allow the Rhino to "self-spot" for its Tridents (remember all the Mastodon builds with a single Cutlass to extend the Siege Missile range?)... so I'm going to compare the Trident to the other missiles with a 60% damage multiplier for its remote targeting damage reduction.  I did document its "non-remote" range in the chart below:

(yeah, same chart as before)

Even with the maximum remote targeting damage reduction, the Trident has the best DPS/hton of any missile out there.  I wouldn't try to build a fleet with all Tridents - large amounts of incoming missiles might suppress your offense by forcing the Tridents to switch to Countermeasure mode.  As a countermeasure, 60% accuracy matches the Phalanx 3, but it does have only 1 salvo, so it may get overwhelmed.  But this is not a missile to overlook... you'll just have to use it intelligently.  Its build time is reasonable for its capability, and its weight matches the Harrier.  

I'll leave you with an updated bubble chart comparing build times with the DPS/hton & range statistics:

The huge build time of the Scythe and the huge damage/short range of the Trident (these are all unmodified statistics) really make this chart much less pretty...



The Scythe is helped on the chart by the fact it is a splash weapon, and is not affected by the target's evade (assumed to be 40% on this chart).  It would be hurt at higher ranks due to its salvo of 8.  Without a good understanding of the corrosive damage and the Neptune hull Siege DPS effects, this chart might not be the best comparison, but its all I have right now.  Hopefully I can get more detail on the DPS effects and update in the future.

Green / Yellow / Red prize eval:

My color coding for prizes is:
Green  Most players should want this prize.
Yellow  You may want to buy this prize if you have a plan for using it, but consider "green" prizes first.
Red  I'm not sure why this prize would be worth the points it costs.

Tier 5 (max 2): 
Harlock's Aegis (35M each Limit 1 Max 1): This flagship-only upgrade to the Aegis corrects all of the original's shortcomings.

Neptune (15M): This ship might be great, but I don't understand it well enough to make it a "must get".  With a Death Scythe it might be a real killer though.

Multi-redeem:
Scythe (3.75M each Limit 5 Max 5) : Based on the analysis I have, these are pretty lousy compared to our other options, but a better understanding of the new Siege DPS characteristic may change that.  I'm very concerned that it isn't worth its build time.

Tokens: Based on how much damage you take getting points, these may or may not be worthwhile redemptions.

Tier 4 (max 2):
Trident Missile (9M): This one is sort of conditionally green.  If you have a hull with remote targeting, then it will be awesome.  Otherwise its short range will be a real drawback.

Sonic Targeting 3 (4.5M): The long sonar range is unmatched, but the long build time isn't appreciated.

Zynth Armor D4-R (3.5M): This ship armor is eclipsed by D5-R, and isn't as useful as Evade right now... I think.

Compound Plate IV (4.5M): A good deal for armor points / ton, but its conventional damage reduction isn't all that useful very often.

Cryonic Depth Charge (5M): Unmatched damage, but a 3 day build time per weapon makes this unattractive to a lot of players.

Evade Upgrade (3M): With newer hulls getting more specials, the opportunities to use this special are expanding.

Kodiak (5M): A nice durable missile hull, but better ones are out there.

Mastodon (5.5M): With the new R5, and the combination of Remote Targeting with Tridents, I'd hit it if I didn't have Rhinos.

Tier 3 (max 3):
Mercury (1.6M): Although it may be easier to get from Hunt the Nemesis Campaign Pack #1, lower level players will want this quick building hull with nice retrofit options.

Hydrodynamic Shells 3 (1.8M): You may be tempted to try this with mortars or rockets to hit underwater Scourge targets.  I suspect that between their resistances and speed, you will be disappointed.

Assault Torpedos D63-B (2.5M): These are the best all-around torpedos out there now, but I do expect better ones available in a month or two... just a hunch.  If you need to build subs now.. get them.

Sonic Targeting 2 (2.3M): For these lower levels of Sonic Targeting, consider just using the regular Sonar Pod instead.

Poseidon Depth Charge 3 (2M): Possibly useful against the Scourge, these are still sort of short range (64) and potentially outrun.

Zynth Armor D4-V (1.5M): I'd just rather use armor slots for resistances.  I find D2-V more attractive when I'm desperate for speed anyway.

Tier 2 (max 3):
Hurricane (400k): I'd rather have a Monarch for drones, but the Hurricane might do alright.

Hydrodynamic Shells 2 (350k): If the HD Shells 3 is unsatisfactory, this will cause even less submerged damage.

Sonic Targeting 1 (400k): For these lower levels of Sonic Targeting, consider just using the regular Sonar Pod instead.

Poseidon Depth Charge 2 (100k): Possibly useful against the Scourge, these are still sort of short range (64) and potentially outrun.  However, compared to the level 3 PDC, these are way cheaper and a quicker build.  Possibly worth the risk to give them a try.

Strike System 2 (200k): Don't do it.  What is this even going to be useful for?

Zynth Armor D3-V (100k): I'd just rather use armor slots for resistances.  I find D2-V more attractive when I'm desperate for speed anyway. (yeah I'm copy-pasting.  It's late.)

Tier 1 (max 3):
Battlecruiser (60k): You must already have this hull... but get it if you don't.  You can do a lot with it.

Poseidon Depth Charge 1 (50k): Kinda small.  I think the PDC 2 is the "sweet spot" for this weapon class.

Zynth Armor D2-V (15k): I'd just rather use armor slots for resistances.... but if you need speed armor, this is the one to use.

Zynth Armor D1-M (40k): If you have an empty armor slot and want some resistances to fill it for little weight/time... here's your armor.

Hydrodynamic Shells 1 (50k): If the HD Shells 3 is unsatisfactory, this will cause even less submerged damage.  (yup... more copy/paste)

Interdictor (100k): Although these hulls used to be the basis of some very cool FvF and Sub Hunter fleets, they just aren't worth the build time any more. 

My final recommendations... If you can get the Harlock Aegis, get it.  I also think that the Trident may turn out to be very effective when used with Remote Targeting.  On the Neptune / Scythe combo, it is difficult to really recommend them at this point.  For myself, I'll take a pass on those two to keep focusing on my anti-Scourge & Rhino fleets.

Wow... this turned into a real long article even though I thought I didn't have much to say.  Good luck in the raid Pirates... and remember... GAMING IS NOT A CRIME!

The Scourge - what do we know?

Kixeye has released some information on the next faction for the upcoming raid - The Scourge.

I'll try to summarize what we know, and what we might want to do about it.  The info is mostly from the Kixeye post here: https://www.kixeye.com/forum/discussion/570631

I'll start with the hulls / tactics, and move on to the weapons. 

Hulls: 

Viperfish:



Damage: Extreme
HP: Low
Range: Long
Speed: Extreme

Short range (duration?) submerge and surface times make it difficult to track.

These seem like they will be taking the place of the "drones" we are used to from the Reavers.  

Daggertooth:

Damage: Moderate
HP: Moderate
Range: Short / Medium
Speed: ?

At some damage level, it will submerge, launch a volley of special (pinch?) torpedos designed to disable the attacker.  Then it will employ long range weaponry.

These seem to be taking on the role of Reaver Scouts - with the exception of their new "runaway" tactic.

Goblin Shark:

Damage: High
HP: High
Range: Short
Speed: Moderate

"Cruiser Class" Alternating submersion timers to disrupt expected behavior, chemical weapons with long reload (will reload while underwater).

This one sounds more like the Reaver Hulk.  It will likely try to close in to do heavy damage.

Electric Eel:

Damage: Low
HP: Extreme (with high resistances)
Range: Short
Speed: Medium

"Cruiser Class" Begins as shallow submerged (like Reaper?), then ambushes with pinch blast and rockets (or depth charges).  This one seems to be taking the role of the Reaver Sapper.

Stonefish:


Damage: High
HP: Low
Range: Extreme
Speed: Low

Remains submerged for the entire battle, and can deep dive to escape close enemies.  Carries corrosive missiles to deal damage over time.  This ship is obviously like the Kraken.

Weapons: 

So to start, we should talk about corrosive weaponry.  Corrosive is a new damage type - we don't have any resistances to corrosive damage, and it is supposed to deal heavy damage over time.  We still don't know a few things about it: Will its damage be "Unlimited" over the duration of a battle or will it have a preset total amount of damage?  Will it affect systems or resistances other than ship health?

One thing I have noticed about the weapons that deal corrosive damage - they are all "single target" weapons.  This implies that they are aimed weapons, and thus evade should be useful to evade the weapons that do corrosive damage.

Typhon Cannons:

Damage Type: Ballistic / Corrosive

Aiming: Single Target

Depth: Surface-to-Surface

Usage: Common

Range: "Decent"

Charon Torpedos:

Damage Type: Concussive

Aiming: Splash

Depth: Underwater

Usage: 2nd most Common

Range: ?

Hydra Depth Charges:

Damage Type: Concussive

Aiming: Splash

Depth: Surface-to-Underwater

Usage: Electric Eel (most common)

Range: Relatively short

Harpy Missiles:

Damage Type: Penetrative

Aiming: Single Target

Depth: Underwater-to-Surface (can fire while moving)

Usage: Daggertooth (most common)

Range: Long

Medusa Torpedo:

Damage Type: Concussive / EMP

Aiming: Single Target

Depth: Underwater

Usage: Daggertooth (only)

Range: ?

Manticore Missiles:

Damage Type: Corrosive

Aiming: Single Target

Depth: Underwater-to-Surface (can fire while moving)

Usage: Stonefish (only?)

Range: Extremely Long

Ideas:

Looking at the damage types, we see Concussive, Ballistic, Penetrative and Corrosive.  We do not see Explosive and Radioactive, so consider that if planning resistances to focus on.

We see a mix of aimed weapons and splash weapons, so evade combined with high speed should be your best bet to avoid damage.  I would really focus on evade, since that might be the key to avoiding corrosive damage.

There seem to be a few ships that will try to close in and surprise you - particularly the Electric Eel and the Goblin Shark.  Although Thermal Imaging is the most reliable way to detect submerged targets, the max detection ranges for thermal might not be enough to detect and keep those ships far enough away to avoid their strikes.  Long range Sonar might be critical for success.  We really don't know how much cloaking they will employ, or even if they will have some sort of defense against thermal detection.

So what characteristics are we looking for in our ships for this raid?  

- Underwater detection and damage

- Evade

- High speed

- Concussive Resistance

- Stun Resistance

Artemis, Valkyrie, and V2-H hulls should be good bets on that front.

Before my Crusaders, I had a V2-H fleet that was my "daily driver".  I managed to plan a refit that was under 2.5 days per ships to get to the following (hull at R8, no component retros):

With more time, the best mod to that (I think) for the Scourge would be to replace the Reflective Coat with Agility System, but that would be just as long per hull.  Sonar range of only 32 is a definite weakness.  I have four of those, and I was planning to include my Phalanx Frostburn as a flagship (to provide more sonar range and possible defense against those long range missiles).  

Another possibility would be to include an Artemis as a spotter.  Something like this would be a quick build... I considered using missiles on this one as well, but didn't want to use a special for a range boost.

Speed 3 matches the speed for the V2-Hs it will be paired with... there are plenty of more optimized builds for pirates willing to spend more Shipyard time with it.  I would even consider losing some sonar range and using the Sonar Pod instead of Sonic Targeting to get this one done faster (dropping Sonar Range to 97).  I didn't like the build with missiles, since I needed to give up a special or switch the Speed to Strike System to get some range.  I think Turn will also be important to keep after these enemies.  Torpedos might be good, but I'm not sure I like the idea of just trading volleys with these guys.

https://www.dahippo.com/bp/ship/#!706S0161616165B2R2L1S1I000000191919190M680V0V0V0V34355B684U534U19525252520M600V0V0V0V34355B684U534U19525252520M600V0V0V0V34355B684U534U19525252520M600V0V0V0V34355B684U534U1952525252dB

Other Hull options to consider would be:

Rhinos: with 5 specials, Shielded Electronics could be used for maximum pinch protection, and the Scrambler or Coating (retrofitted) specials would also have more evade than Agility.  Be sure to include Guided Missile System or Laser Targeting to hit underwater ships, and you'll definitely need more sonar.

Interdictors: The Viper has excellent sonar capability, and the Vassago retrofits optimized its sub-hunting capability.  3 specials will hold you back though.

Aegis: Use it if you've got it... the defense field won't help against corrosive, but it will against concussive and everything else.  It also has Sonar (50) & Thermal to build on for a sub spotter.

Subsonic Cavitator: Even though the Subsonic Cavitator 3 has a fairly short range (60), it does also give you some good starting sonar capability (60).

Battlecruiser and Mercury:  For the low-end player, one of these hulls should be your basic starting point for an anti-sub fleet.  Both of these have low build times & useful retrofits through R10, so are worth investing in (early).

Stay away from:

Reaver Hulls: Since there is no protection against corrosive damage, the 150% repair modifier will make the use of Reaver Hulls that aren't generally aren't optimized for anti-sub combat anyway quite costly.

And I'm not sure about:

Subs:  We don't know whether the Scourge will have strong underwater detection abilties of their own.  You will want sonar on your own subs in order to detect the underwater enemies.  I would also be concerned that the subs would be very vulnerable to the concussive splash weapons described.

Drones:  Piranhas or Firebats might be able to scout out & find those Scourge enemies for you.  Possibly they will decoy their weapons or even trigger the sneak attacks they have planned.

So what's my REAL Advice?

Don't go overboard on early refits for this raid.  We don't really know what will work best.  With less than 5 days left, you don't have much time to wait on refits.  If you are coining refits, your shipyard coin might be better spent once the raid starts once some players deomstrate what is working and what is not.  You might be even better off limping through this raid, and seeing what prizes might be available. We don't know what is coming, but if the prizes are "Scourge Tech", they might be more effective than what is available now.  I also expect the 'rotating wheel of weapon love' to move on from missiles and possibly move to submarine/torpedo/concussive tech... we will see.

Take stock of your sub hunters.  Hopefully you won't have to depend on waiting for Scourge to surface.  The expected frequent dives will make non-underwater weaponry even less useful, since "in-air" weapons won't damage enemies that are underwater, even if they were above water when fired.

Look for the weaknesses.  Especially on the first raid of a new cycle there might be some sort of tactic that works extremely well.  The very first Reaver raid, players with Engine Disruptor Arbiters could kill everything while taking no damage.  Play within the TOS, but if you find or hear of a weakness, exploit it as quickly as you can, as much as you can. We've already seen that Kixeye will tweak this game without warning. 

I'm sure I missed something important.  I am looking at the same information as everyone else.  Use your own judgement and don't overreact to anything I (or anyone else) might suggest since we are all guessing.  If you have any other ideas, please leave them in the comments.