AUTHOR: Lt. Col. Rhea "Shalom" Shelley

Shield Emitters and Basic Capital Ship Approach Techniques

The most basic problem with alien capships is the turret barrage. The elimination of both missile and gun turrets will render the ship helpless against our bomber attacks. But first, the Shield Emitters must be destroyed. The safest way to approach the massive capship is to approach it from behind. Fly up towards the engines and target the Shield Emitters. They should be fairly close to the rear of the ship. When you decide to begin your attack, be sure to stay as close to the surface of the capship as possible. The closer you are, the less likely any of the turrets will target you.. Also, as you start to fly towards the Shield Emitters, either match your speed with the capship or stop completely. This will keep you from ramming into things. Use your afterburners for movement control. When you cross the engines and reach the surface of the alien ship, shoot any nearby gun turrets. This will give you a clear and easy path to the Emitters. Be sure that each section or arm of the Shield Emitters is destroyed. Shield Emitters can range anywhere from one to three arms. Once the Shield Emitters are down, it's time to start clearing off the surface of the capship.

NOTE: Alien Transports do not have Shield Emitters

Turret Elimination
Turrets are generally grouped into two circular sections. One along the stern of the ship, and one along the bow. The key is to stay close to the surface of the ship while flying in a circle around the stern. As you move along, simply take out the gun and missile turrets with gunfire. After you make a complete circle, move towards the bow of the ship and begin the circling process over again. Once the two passes have been made, cycle through the targets on the ship to pick up any straggling turrets that you missed. Viola, one clean capship. Specific Fighter Techniques

Each fighter has strengths and weaknesses. This section will briefly describe the best gun configuration for each ship. With added experience and changes within the power configuration, differing techniques can easily be added into each ship's repertoire.

Panther: Full guns. Both the Chain Ion and the Cloudburst add not only a constant stream of damage towards a turret, but a powerful burst of damage to finish it off. For best results, take a few pauses between shots to let your gun pool recharge enough for the Cloudburst to fire.

Wasp: Dust Cannon. With this much power at your hands, it's foolish not to use it. The Wasp has a large enough gun pool to compliment the power drainage from the Dust Cannon. Simply aim at a turret and watch it disappear. In no time at all, you'll be ready for the next turret.

Vampire: Pulse Particle. This quick firing gun packs a nice amount of damage. Combined with the size of the Vampire's gun pool, it delivers a near constant stream of damage.

Destroying a Capital Ship (Bomber Runs)
Before you begin any kind of attack on a capship, make sure that most if not all of the enemy fighters have been eliminated. Stray alien fighters can easily pick off an unsuspecting bomber.

Shield Emitters and Basic Capital Ship Approach Techniques
When destroying a capship's Shield Emitters in a bomber, use the exact same technique as a fighter as described under Providing Cover (Fighter Support) in the Shield Emitters and Basic Capital Ship Approach Techniques section above.

The Turret Dilemma
While in a bomber, the first instinct is to start taking out turrets. Don't waste your time. Because you are in a bomber, you have the power to destroy the entire capship and every turret along with it. If there is a particular turret that has you targeted and is giving you a hard time, go ahead and take it out. Otherwise, let's kill this big bug.

NOTE: The one exception to this rule is an alien Transport. You must kill all turrets on the Transport before you launch any torpedoes. If you do not, the torpedoes will be easily shot down. The only way around this is to be so close to the Transport that the turret doesn't have time to shoot the torpedo down. You must also time your shot so that the alien turret doesn't have a shot ready to go when you launch. For best results, kill the turrets first.

The Engine
After the Shield Emitters are down (see Providing Cover (Fighter Support) in the Shield Emitters and Basic Capital Ship Approach Techniques Addendum C2) it's time to eliminate the capship. Head back towards the Engine. Be sure to select the Engine with your targeting radar. The ship's onboard computer will usually target the Bridge after destroying the Shield Emitters. Stay close to the Engines. The closer you are, the less of a target you are to turrets and stray fighters. Let your torpedo lock, and launch away. Watch your target VDU for the component's damage status. The changing colors will let you know how close you are to completely destroying a particular component. If the Engine label is green, it's in good health. If it's yellow, damage has been done. If it's red, it is near destruction. And if it's blue, you need to completely destroy the Shield Emitters before any damage can be done. Eliminating the Engines first will slow the capship to halt, making it a more stable environment to maneuver around.

The Bridge
Once the Engines are down, all that is left is the Bridge. Your targeting computer should automatically switch to the Bridge after the Engines are down. If it does not, select it manually. Fly towards the Bridge along the surface of the ship. Be sure to keep the Bridge within sight so your torpedo can get a lock. As you move along the ship, slowly gain altitude so that the Bridge is lower than you. Attacking the Bridge from a higher altitude almost always guarantees a clean hit. Again, be sure to watch your target VDU for the component's damage status. Once the Bridge is gone, the rest of the ship, turrets and all, should self-destruct. Congratulations. You have destroyed and alien capital ship.

SPECIFIC BOMBER AND WEAPON TECHNIQUES
As with fighters, each bomber has strengths and weaknesses. This section will briefly describe the best gun and torpedo configuration for each ship. With added experience and changes within the power configuration, differing techniques can easily be added into each ship's repertoire.

Torpedoes: If you have a choice of weaponry, use the Lancer LT or Light Torpedo. It doesn't do as much damage as the Pike T, but it has a much quicker lock time. If things start heating up, it's much easier to get off a Lancer LT and escape unharmed. If everything is clear and you know that there are no threats around, load up a Pike T and watch the ships fall.

Bomber Turrets: If you are traveling a long distance, jumping in the turrets can be a good way to soften up nearby enemies. If you are attacking an alien Transport, a good technique for taking out their rear turret is to turn around and use your bomber's turret. It has an unexhaustable gun pool and can therefore send many shots towards the target. They don't do much damage, but with that many bolts, the turret's chances of survival are slim.

Shrike: Dust Cannon. Again, with power like this at your finger tips, be sure to use it. It is great for taking out fighters, and quite good at destroying turrets as well. Due to the fact that the gun pool on the Shrike is somewhat smaller, you must use short controlled bursts. Because of this, accuracy is of the utmost importance. Some pilots experience trouble in destroying turrets with the Dust Cannon. If this is the case for you, switch to the Pulse Particle. It has larger bolts and is mounted on the far extents of the ship to provide a wider range of coverage.

Devestator: Plasma Cannon. Forget torpedoes. The Devestator's Plasma Cannon simply cannot be matched. Three or four shots from this massive gun will take down almost any capship component. The Plasma Cannon is also superior in killing any bothersome alien fighters. In most cases, it's one hit one kill. It takes some skill to hit fighters, but with a little practice, they will become easy targets.

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