Capship attacking and the single fighter pilot

[Burzmali]

Welcome the Force:Space's seminar series for advanced engagement techniques for disabling or destroying high value enemy assets while only risking far more expendable assets.

Our first seminar, and the reason most of your commanding officers are having you attend this series, deals with engaging and destroying enemy Carriers with a single Thunderbolt. While there are many that said it couldn't be done, this seminar should address the conditions and techniques required to add such a lauded kill to your tally.

The first and most important requirement is that the CV be stripped of it's escort wing. Even a single FF can make attacking a carrier through this method impossible. Ideally, you can deal with any defenders per the rest of the methods in these seminars.

With the escorts eliminated, your weapon loadout will need attention. 2 MRMs and 4 ASMs won't cut it, you will need at least 4 SRMs with 4 ASMs or even 8 SRMs with 2 ASMs.

After re-arming, launch and make your way to the CV, some luck and waiting may be required to evade enemy fighter patrols on the way in. Try NOT to be drawn into an early engagement, it will just waste your missiles and cost you hull and subsystems. your angle of approach relative to the CV is very important. Interestingly enough, the optimal angle of attack is head on, and from slightly below the plane the CV lays on. Ideally, you should be low enough to evade the CV's point defense weapons, but high enough to fire into the launch deck.

As you close, chances are that the CV will launch fighters to intercept you. It is VITALLY important that you close to gun range before the CV can lauch more that 1 or 2 fighters. Once you are close enough to use guns, any enemy fighter launching is easy prey. Any fighters that get out before you can close should immediately be engaged with SRMs before they can draw you into a dogfight. While using this technique you should avoid being drawn into a dogfight at all cost, chances are that if you are dogfighting 2-3 enemy fighters, you will wander above the CV which will nibble you to pieces faster than a pack of wild kittens with its point defense weapons.

Once you have dispached the first wave of fighters and closed to ~6k off the front of the CV, begin your fighter to a full halt (relative to the CV) and begin laying into the launch deck with your cannon. Be wary of draining your guns below 50%, as you my have to contend with additional fighter launches. Continue firing until either the launch deck is destroyed (OOC: I can't ever tell) or the CVs hull reaches a red sliver. At this point, turn and retreat to a safe distance (40-50k should be safe) and launch your ASMs. If all goes according to plan, you'll be toasting to your sucess on your own CV in no time.

Thank for attending, and I will be seeing you all again next time when we address the other end of the spectrum, frigates.

[ANUBIS]

Havn't tries the flight deck myself ...

... my exploitational tactics against "Dragon" carriers:

Close fast from below the carriers PD plane.
Get all the way up against the hull/engine housing underneath it.
Take pot shots at the circling fighters as they hit more of the carrier than me.
Fire guns between the engine housing and hull from the back.

(There seems to be a "sweet spot" there that either ignores shielding or somehow amplifies gun damage)


_________________________________
\ ___/
\________________________/
-> \ /
[ ]
\/

[ANUBIS]

Awe heck, my marvelous artistic masterpiece displaying the "sweet spot" got eaten.

[Freaky]

Use code tags for things like that:

Code: Select all

       _________________________________
        \                          ___/
         \________________________/
       ->      \     /
              [      ]
                 \/

[Burzmali]

I go after the flight deck because fighters are the only real threat with this approach. One lucky shot and your guns are gone, and your mission is a failure.

[Burzmali]

As I just took down a pair of destroyers and a carrier (all at full or near full health) with a F-32 with a pair of ASMs and easily flew home with hull to spare, I will note that only the carrier's Frigate escorts need to be eliminated, and you had best hope nothing too angry comes home while you are pimp slapping their capships.

[Pheagey]

Nice...