Sharpshooter
Rear Admiral
...Because I feel like it. 
WC1 ships
"Friendly" Ships
Hornet
It's a light fighter, and thus easily destroyed, but it's also one of the best WC ships. With excellent speed and manoeuvrability, the Hornet makes up for its thin shields and armor by being very good at dodging. In many battles, the Hornet can destroy everyhing with little or no afterburner fuel. Furthermore, it takes a long time to run out of energy. Those lasers are really great. It has very few missiles though.
Scimitar
It's slow. It has horrible manoeuvrability. And yet... the "Centaurian mud pig" can do a lot of damage with those mass drivers, and the fact that it turns slowly may actually help you aiming in some cases. It has a very good missile loadout, and decent armor and shields. The problem with the Scimitar is that dodging is hard. It relies too much on afterburners for dodging, but as long as you keep the Scimitar's flaw in mind, it can actually be a pretty good ship (Hell's Kitchen 4 is not nearly as hard as it seems if you're used to flying a Scimitar).
Raptor
The Raptor is the most powerful ship in the game. Many Kilrathi fighters can fall after 2 or 3 hits with full guns. It has a good missile loadout as well, decent armor, big fuel tanks, and is faster and more manoeuvrable than the Scimitar. However, you'll run out of energy very quickly when using full guns. Try not to get it too often, bear in mind that the Raptor's shields aren't quite as good as the Rapier's.
Rapier
Fast, manoeuvrable, very good shields, bad armor. The Rapier's guns aren't as powerful as the Raptor, and using full guns may not be that useful most of the time. Fortunately, it has a very good missile loadout, possibly the best in the game. It could use a bit more afterburner fuel, but otherwise it's a good ship.
Dralthi Mk2
This is in my opinion a pretty good ship (in fact, it's one of my favorite WC fighters). The two Mass Driver guns are very close to each other, making it easier to hit fighters, it has a decent missile loadout. It's faster and much more manoeuvrable than the Scimitar. Okay, so it could use better shields and more gun energy, but apart from that I like it. By the way, I love the cockpit.
Drayman
The Drayman is very weak against Kilrathi fighters, especially Gratha (Hubble's Star 2 is still one of the hardest WC missions ever, IMHO). Destroy/distract any attacking enemy ships quickly or it won't last long.
Exeter
It's tougher than the Drayman. It still needs your help badly. 'Nuff said.
Bengal (Tiger's Claw)
It may be pretty hard to destroy, but watch out! Waves of powerful fighters can actually destroy it, especially in SM1.
Venture
Tougher than a Drayman but not as much as an Exeter, if I recall correctly.
"Enemy" Ships
Salthi
A scout fighter, sort of. Easy to destroy and doesn't do much damage, but hitting it can be somewhat tricky and Salthis can be dangerous in groups. Do watch out for the missiles and you should be fine.
Dralthi
Worst Kilrathi fighter ever. Has a Salthi's firepower without its dodging abilities. Really easy to destroy.
Dralthi Mk2
You really should avoid its hits. Those Mass Drivers really hurt. Other than that, it's still easy to hit.
Krant
I really hate Krants. Although they only have two lasers as guns, they're suite manoeuvrable and have pretty good shields and armor as well, and can be a real pain to destroy at times. A Raptor shouldn't have too much trouble though.
Jalthi
Avoid those guns. Get behind it when possible (or attack from the flanks). Shoot. No more Jalthi. Granted, it may take quite a few hits to destroy them, but their manoeuvrability is quite horrendous, possibly the worst in the game. Do be careful if a friendly ship gets attacked by those, as those guns (4 lasers and 2 neutrons) really do a lot of damage. If you're facing *many* Jalthi it may get more complicated, since you'll have to make sure you don't get hit.
Gratha
One of the deadliest WC1 ships. Their guns, despite not being as powerful as the Jalthi's, still do a lot of damage and their manoeuver well enough for Kilrathi heavy fighters. Kill these things as soon as possible (missiles, full guns...).
Hhriss
Has a Raptor's firepower with very good manoeuvrability, and very good armor and shields. It can take a pretty long time to destroy one of these.
Rapier
Extremely fast, probably the hardest WC1 ship to hit, good firepower, good shields. Very deadly. The good news is that if you do manage to take out those shields, it'll fall quickly.
Dorkir
Almost powerless against fighters, easy to destroy, especially in a Raptor.
Ralari
It can take a lot more hits than the Dorkir and I think it may attempt to fire missiles at you as well, but it's still a WC1 capship. Easy to destroy.
Fralthi
It can take even more hits than the Ralari, which makes Port Hedland 3 somewhat awkward. It's still no match for fighters.
Star Post
Really tough, but it can't move. Use missiles if you have any left.
Drayman
Easy (though maybe a bit tougher than the Dorkir).
Exeter
The Gwenhyvar can't even fire at you. Don't crash into it and you'll be fine.
Snakeir
Okay, this thing seems to be even tougher than the Starbase, and may actually be somewhat difficult, especially in a Dralthi. Just be patient.
WC2 ships
"Friendly" Ships
Ferret
Very fast. Very manoeuvrable. Very fast firing rate, and since they use Mass Drivers, they can be quite powerful. Sadly, they carry no missiles, and tend to be too easily destroyed.
Broadsword
Despite its extreme lack of manoeuvrability and afterburners, I love this ship. The frontal guns are very powerful, the 3 turrets can be quite useful, and the Pilum FF missiles should take care of any manoeuvrable fighters around. Its shields are incredible, and the armor is very good as well. Personally I tend to leave the turrets to the gunners, since taking control of a turret can make you more vulnerable.
Rapier
My problem with the Rapier is that it's *too* manoeuvrable. Hitting ships ca be somewhat hard. The guns are good, the shields are good even though it would help if they recharged a bit faster since the armor is bad, the missile loadout is good. Overall a pretty good ship, but not my favorite.
Epee
Extremely fast, which is nice. Good guns for a light fighter, which is also nice. Manoeuvrable, which is, guess what, nice. Carries a few missiles as well. The problem, of course, is that you absolutely must avoid getting hit, since the Epee is really bad at taking damage. Fortunately, the Particle Cannons' range is pretty big, so try to take out as many fighters as possible on the first pass, and use missiles as well if you're too outnumbered.
Sabre
Although the Sabre is a powerful ship, it's not that good at dogfighting. It could definetely use more speed and shields. As long as you can avoid most hits, though, you can deal a lot of damage.
Crossbow
Very good shields, extremely powerful frontal guns. It's a pity it has no side turrets, and it would be nice if the shields and guns recharged faster, but it's still a very powerful ship. Even a Gothri will fall with 2-3 hits with full guns.
Super Ferret
This may very well be the best dogfighter in the game. Extremely fast, very good at dodging hits, and the guns can really do a lot of damage. Even Grikaths are fairly easy to destroy with this fighter. And it carries missiles, too!
Morningstar
The Morningstar somewhat suffers from the same flaws as the Sabre's... Getting hit can get you killed pretty fast. It's a good thing the Morningstar's shields recharge quickly. The 3 Particle Cannons are really nice, and the Mace missile is very powerful. I once destroyed 3 Gothris in one hit with the Mace! Overall I rather like the Morningstar, but it could use more speed and torpedoes.
Destroyer (TCS William Tell)
Oh wow, a capship that can actually be useful in some missions, thanks to its AMGs, and it tends to be indestructible as well.
Concordia
I only ever saw the Concordia get destroyed in one mission, and it was a Special Operations losing mission. Lots of AMGs, lots of flak, and the PTC which will usually destroy a capship in one hit (although I once saw a Fralthra survive it).
Starbase (like Olympus)
I never saw it get destroyed. Apparently it can take care of itself.
Clydesdale
It can actually take quite a few hits and may be able to gun down a few fighters, but it still needs your help.
Bonnie Heather & Gamal Gan
Paladin's invincible ships. Be careful not to crash into the Gamal Gan, since it will appear further away than it actually is.
Ralatha
It's tough, but if it gets hit by too many torpedoes, it'll still die. Watch out.
TCS Gettysburg
Mentioned here for the sake of completeness, since it doesn't take part in any fight.
"Enemy" Ships
Sartha
Really good at dodging, fast, and those neutron guns hurt a lot. It's a good thing they can't take many hits. Sarthas can be especially deadly when you fly a unmanoeuvrable ship. Missiles, especially Pilum FFs and possibly ImRecs, can be a big help.
Drakhri
Easier to destroy than the Sartha, but do be careful. It can be somewhat hard to hit, and in groups thay can be dangerous.
Jalkehi
This is one of the worst Kilrathi fighters in the game. If it didn't have that nasty rear turret it could very well be the worst enemy fighter in the game. It's pretty slow, it's big, it's easy to hit. Those frontal guns can hurt, though, and their shields and armor are pretty good, but if you are careful you shouldn't have too much trouble.
Grikath
Fast, fairly manoeuvrable for a heavy fighter, it can be really hard to hit unless you're in a Super Ferret, it has pretty good endurance, the frontal guns do a lot of damage, and the rear turret is really annoying. Basically try to attack where the guns and turret can't hit you.
Strakha
Worst Kilrathi fighter in the game. Unmanoeuvrable and with poor weapons and endurance, it's quite easy to destroy. Just remember that they tend to decloak behind you, that you should watch out for any missiles, and that you should be careful not to crash into them (slow down if necessary), and you should be alright.
Confed Sabre
Dodge Jazz's hits, which should be easy, use full guns and missiles and it should be a cakewalk.
Bloodfang
If more than one Bloodfang attacked you at the same time, you'd probably be torn apart pretty fast. Thrakhath can be somewhat hard to hit, and you really need to avoid his blasts, but a all in all it's a pretty easy fight.
Gothri
One of the best Kilrathi fighters ever. Very powerful guns, rear turret, very fast, exremely manoeuvrable, very tough shields and armor. It can be very annoying. Avoid getting as much as possible and attack the front or flanks. Afterburner slide and missiles can help. It's possible to destroy a Gothri on the first pass, but it can be pretty difficult.
Ferret
The Ferrets can really kill you, especially if you're flying an Epee. Take out as many as you can on the first pass with your Particle Cannons if you're flying an Epee or Sabre. Temporarily setting your speed to 100-150KPS can help to do this. If you're hit from behind, go evasive as soon as possible or the Mass Drivers will blast you into oblivion.
Epee
Very deadly. Once again, take out as many as possible on the first pass (your default speed should do just fine). Dumbfires work especially well when flying an Epee. Note that taking out one or two Epees on the first pass especially helps with that battle against 6 pirate Epees (should you choose to fight them). When flying a Crossbow it should be a little easier, but do try to avoid their hits as much as possible, since it's still possible to lose.
Crossbow
Bombers vs. bombers. The truth is that the Crossbow's manoeuvrability is horrendous and the AI really shows its limits in that battle. Avoid the front guns (easily done) and the turrets as much as possible, attack the flanks and your guns will quickly destroy them. Pilum FFs work nicely as well (I've never seen an enemy Crossbow dodge a FF missile), especially when their shields are out. In short, this battle is pretty easy.
Mandarin Sabre 1
These Sabres only have two particle cannons (and no rear turret), thankfully. They're still tough to destroy, but the Morningstar's Mace can help quite a bit and you should be able to at least severely damage one on the first pass. Do try not to get hit too often.
Broadsword
This ship can really tear you apart if you get within its guns' range. Just set your speed to 0 and start shooting with your Particle Cannons when the nearest Broadsword gets close enough (approximately 5000). You should be able to destroy it before it can do any real damage. Afterburner away from any remaining Broadswords for a few seconds then turn around and repeat until they're all dead.
Mandarin Sabre 2
This is perhaps the most difficult enemy fighter in the whole game. The three Particle Cannons can kill you very quickly, and you can't use the Mace either if you wish to destroy both Fralthra. Try to take one out as soon as possible, afterburner slide and missiles may help. Once they are only two Sabres left, you can hope that Maniac will be skilled enough to distract a Sabre while you take care of the other one. Try not to take too much internal damage or you won't be able to destroy the Fralthra.
Morningstar
Jazz is still easy, so long as you dodge those Particle Cannons.
Kamekh
WC2 Kamekhs aren't that hard, especially if you have Particle Cannons. They rely mainly on missiles to defend themselves, and once they've fired them all they're pretty much defenceless.
Dorkathi
It can take quite a few hits, but apart from that it's fairly easy to destroy it.
Ralatha
Easy if it doesn't have antimatter guns, otherwise it's quite a bit trickier.
Fralthra
Fairly easy if it has no AMGs, otherwise these capships are nearly impossible to destroy if you don't carefully plan your attack strategy. And even then, it's not really easy.
(Note : Ralatha and Fralthra stop firing when they're preparing for a jump. It happens in some missions.)
Starbase/Supply Depot/K'tithrak Mang
The strategies are pretty much mission-specific, but usually the tricky part is taking out the fighters guarding them. When everything else has been destroyed and your shields are fully charged, it's usually pretty easy to destroy them. K'tithrak Mang doesn't even use its AMGs, it seems.
Pirate Base
It doesn't even have shields and one torpedo is enough to take it out.
Ayer's Rock
You can avoid the Sabres, nuke the base, and get out of here; or you can nuke the Sabres and destroy them, and use your torpedoes on Ayer's Rock. Takr your pick.
Standoff ships
I've yet to fully play Standoff on a difficulty level harder than Veteran, but oh well.
"Friendly" ships
Stiletto
A good patrol fighter. Fast, manoeuvrable, decent firepower, a few missiles. Doesn't have much endurance, but that's to be expected.
Gladius
Powerful guns, not that manoeuvrable, too slow, not enough afterburner fuel. It's easy to kill ships once you get in range, but it's also easy for enemy ships to kill you. Watch out and use those FFs if necessary.
Rapier
Probably the best campaign fighter. Very fast and manoeuvrable, very powerful guns, good shields. Kilrathi ships will fall quickly, and they'd better, too! Speed is very important in Standoff.
Sabre
Ugh. Mediocre in most capship strikes (not enough torpedoes), mediocre in dogfights. It's easy to get killed in a Sabre. You need your afterburners, but you shouldn't use them too much either. You might want to keep your wingmen near you for a little while if there are too many fighters.
Crossbow
Very powerful frontal guns as always, very good shields, especially if you use shield management. One of my favorite ships.
Morningtar
Pity you don't get to fly it in the campaign, since it's a pretty good fighter. Speed is good, manoeuvrability is good, weapons are good, ship is good. The mace isn't as powerful as in WC2 though. Those Morningstars are still pretty good at damaging capships in the campaign in spite of this.
Broadsword
A good bomber. I still like the Crossbow better as a fighter, but the Broadsword does carry more torpedoes. Be sure to protect any friendly Broadswords to the best of your ability, since they can get killed pretty quickly.
Wraith
Ridiculously powerful. Extremely powerful guns, extremely fast, extremely manoeuvrable, good missile loadout, lots of AB fuel. Best dogfighter in the game by far.
Arrow
Hey, I really like it. Despite its lack of manoeuvrability and firepower, it's the fastest ship in the game, making dodging epretty easy, and those lasers can really do quite a bit of damage.
Talon
The Mass Drivers can be pretty poweful once you get within range, but apart from that it's a pretty bad ship. Way too slow, not enough AB fuel, not enough manoeuvrability.
Raptor
Hitting is a lot harder than in WC1. Once you get used to it it's not that bad a ship, but it's not nearly as good as the original Raptor.
Hornet
Once again, it's harder to hit than in WC1. It does have more firepower than the original Hornet, but I find it to be a much worse ship overall.
TCS Lionheart
I like the Dauntless better. The TCS Lionheart had moderate defence capabilities and will need your help against bombers.
Free Trader
Take out any Talons attacking it quickly or it won't last long.
Shuttle
Pretty much helpless to fighters. Watch out.
TCS Firekka
It can defend itself much better than the Lionheart, but do watch out for any Gothris and Grikaths nearby.
TCS Verdun and TCS Reims
Be really careful when defending them, since they're bad at defending themselves. For the Verdun you can just shoot down the bombers, but for the Reims you might need to stay close to its engines.
TCS Sao Paulo and TCS Breslau
The Breslau can usually take care of itself, though on the Ep.4 losing path you need to watch out for those Grikaths, but even then it's not that hard to save it. As for the Sao Paulo... Watch out for those Drakhris and shoot down any incming torpedoes.
TCS Moskva
For a damaged ship, defending it is pretty easy. Defending the shuttles is much harder.
TCS Leyte Gulf
A carrier that's actually helpful. Defending it is, once again, fairly easy.
Clydesdale
Ranges from "very hard to defend" (minelaying mission) to "badass ship that can take care of itself".
Venture-class corvette
Will go down very quickly when attacked by many enemy fighters. It can shoot fighers but really needs you. It can be helpful against capships (Francis Drake), or against Kilrathi corvettes (I love that part).
"Enemy" ships
Talon
It's slow and easily destroyed, especially in a Stiletto, but their guns can hurt nonetheless, especially if many of them are attacking you.
Sabre
Quite dangerous. Tough, hard to hit, powerful guns, carries torpedoes. They should be considered top-priority targets.
Gothri
Dangerous, but not nearly as deadly as the WC2 Gothri. As before, it's tough, it has powerful guns, and the rear turret is still annoying. Fortunately it's much easier to hit it and dodge its hits than it once was.
Sartha
Neutron guns still hurt. The ship is fast, but it's not that hard to hit and goes down quickly.
Drakhri
Pretty easy to destroy, but the lasers' fast firing rate makes it one of the deadliest ships in the game. Not too hard to destroy, but very deadly in groups.
Jalkehi
Its fast speed can make it somewhat hard to tail, the guns are powerful, and the turret is annoying. It's still not that bad.
Grikath
Very annoying. They can be very difficult to tail, they're difficult to hit, they love hitting you with their rear turret and while the don't use their frontal guns all that often it hurts when they do.
Krant Mk2
A pretty easy fighter that shouldn't pose that much of a threat, unless sveral of them are attacking you from the rear.
Jalthi
A joke. Avoiding their hits should be quite easy, and they're still slow and unmanoeuvrable.
Hhriss
They're tough, they're fast, they can be hard to hit, especially in a Crossbow, they can do quite a bit damage; in short, they're dangerous, especially when they're Drakhai-flown. Fortunately they still use the Vision AI.
Shok'lar
The lasers and missiles can hurt. Apart from that, this stealth fighter is easy to destroy if you dodge its hits.
Vatari
We've yet to see it, and hopefully it'll be really tough.
Pirate Base
You can't destroy it with your ship, but taking out those turrets is bad enough.
Kamekh
Ow. The flak really hurts, and they're quite manoeuvrable for Corvettes. If you run out of fuel you're pretty much screwed (unless you're in a bomber).
Dorkathi
Easy, but do watch out for the flak. AB fuel helps a lot.
Ralatha
The flak is dangerous, but it takes only two torpedoes to destroy it. A pretty easy capship.
Snakeir
Tougher than the Ralatha (3 vital components). The fighters are still the hard part.
Fralthi
Also 3 vital components. The engines can be somewhat hard to hit.
Targu II
Very deadly, and you should be glad it only takes one torpedo to destroy them. Best attacked from the rear.
Fralthra
4 vital components. This is a tough capship. Don't miss.
Hakaga
The toughest of them all. Try not to miss. The hangars are especially hard to destroy (and should be destroyed first, this'll prevent the Hakaga from launching too many fighters) - you may need to fly inside. Destroying some turrets will help your allies as well. The fact that you may have trouble seeing where you are does not help.
Rigakh
Did I mention I really want to know what it's like to fight it? Anyway, a big thank you for putting it in Standoff.
WC1 ships
"Friendly" Ships
Hornet
It's a light fighter, and thus easily destroyed, but it's also one of the best WC ships. With excellent speed and manoeuvrability, the Hornet makes up for its thin shields and armor by being very good at dodging. In many battles, the Hornet can destroy everyhing with little or no afterburner fuel. Furthermore, it takes a long time to run out of energy. Those lasers are really great. It has very few missiles though.
Scimitar
It's slow. It has horrible manoeuvrability. And yet... the "Centaurian mud pig" can do a lot of damage with those mass drivers, and the fact that it turns slowly may actually help you aiming in some cases. It has a very good missile loadout, and decent armor and shields. The problem with the Scimitar is that dodging is hard. It relies too much on afterburners for dodging, but as long as you keep the Scimitar's flaw in mind, it can actually be a pretty good ship (Hell's Kitchen 4 is not nearly as hard as it seems if you're used to flying a Scimitar).
Raptor
The Raptor is the most powerful ship in the game. Many Kilrathi fighters can fall after 2 or 3 hits with full guns. It has a good missile loadout as well, decent armor, big fuel tanks, and is faster and more manoeuvrable than the Scimitar. However, you'll run out of energy very quickly when using full guns. Try not to get it too often, bear in mind that the Raptor's shields aren't quite as good as the Rapier's.
Rapier
Fast, manoeuvrable, very good shields, bad armor. The Rapier's guns aren't as powerful as the Raptor, and using full guns may not be that useful most of the time. Fortunately, it has a very good missile loadout, possibly the best in the game. It could use a bit more afterburner fuel, but otherwise it's a good ship.
Dralthi Mk2
This is in my opinion a pretty good ship (in fact, it's one of my favorite WC fighters). The two Mass Driver guns are very close to each other, making it easier to hit fighters, it has a decent missile loadout. It's faster and much more manoeuvrable than the Scimitar. Okay, so it could use better shields and more gun energy, but apart from that I like it. By the way, I love the cockpit.
Drayman
The Drayman is very weak against Kilrathi fighters, especially Gratha (Hubble's Star 2 is still one of the hardest WC missions ever, IMHO). Destroy/distract any attacking enemy ships quickly or it won't last long.
Exeter
It's tougher than the Drayman. It still needs your help badly. 'Nuff said.
Bengal (Tiger's Claw)
It may be pretty hard to destroy, but watch out! Waves of powerful fighters can actually destroy it, especially in SM1.
Venture
Tougher than a Drayman but not as much as an Exeter, if I recall correctly.
"Enemy" Ships
Salthi
A scout fighter, sort of. Easy to destroy and doesn't do much damage, but hitting it can be somewhat tricky and Salthis can be dangerous in groups. Do watch out for the missiles and you should be fine.
Dralthi
Worst Kilrathi fighter ever. Has a Salthi's firepower without its dodging abilities. Really easy to destroy.
Dralthi Mk2
You really should avoid its hits. Those Mass Drivers really hurt. Other than that, it's still easy to hit.
Krant
I really hate Krants. Although they only have two lasers as guns, they're suite manoeuvrable and have pretty good shields and armor as well, and can be a real pain to destroy at times. A Raptor shouldn't have too much trouble though.
Jalthi
Avoid those guns. Get behind it when possible (or attack from the flanks). Shoot. No more Jalthi. Granted, it may take quite a few hits to destroy them, but their manoeuvrability is quite horrendous, possibly the worst in the game. Do be careful if a friendly ship gets attacked by those, as those guns (4 lasers and 2 neutrons) really do a lot of damage. If you're facing *many* Jalthi it may get more complicated, since you'll have to make sure you don't get hit.
Gratha
One of the deadliest WC1 ships. Their guns, despite not being as powerful as the Jalthi's, still do a lot of damage and their manoeuver well enough for Kilrathi heavy fighters. Kill these things as soon as possible (missiles, full guns...).
Hhriss
Has a Raptor's firepower with very good manoeuvrability, and very good armor and shields. It can take a pretty long time to destroy one of these.
Rapier
Extremely fast, probably the hardest WC1 ship to hit, good firepower, good shields. Very deadly. The good news is that if you do manage to take out those shields, it'll fall quickly.
Dorkir
Almost powerless against fighters, easy to destroy, especially in a Raptor.
Ralari
It can take a lot more hits than the Dorkir and I think it may attempt to fire missiles at you as well, but it's still a WC1 capship. Easy to destroy.
Fralthi
It can take even more hits than the Ralari, which makes Port Hedland 3 somewhat awkward. It's still no match for fighters.
Star Post
Really tough, but it can't move. Use missiles if you have any left.
Drayman
Easy (though maybe a bit tougher than the Dorkir).
Exeter
The Gwenhyvar can't even fire at you. Don't crash into it and you'll be fine.
Snakeir
Okay, this thing seems to be even tougher than the Starbase, and may actually be somewhat difficult, especially in a Dralthi. Just be patient.
WC2 ships
"Friendly" Ships
Ferret
Very fast. Very manoeuvrable. Very fast firing rate, and since they use Mass Drivers, they can be quite powerful. Sadly, they carry no missiles, and tend to be too easily destroyed.
Broadsword
Despite its extreme lack of manoeuvrability and afterburners, I love this ship. The frontal guns are very powerful, the 3 turrets can be quite useful, and the Pilum FF missiles should take care of any manoeuvrable fighters around. Its shields are incredible, and the armor is very good as well. Personally I tend to leave the turrets to the gunners, since taking control of a turret can make you more vulnerable.
Rapier
My problem with the Rapier is that it's *too* manoeuvrable. Hitting ships ca be somewhat hard. The guns are good, the shields are good even though it would help if they recharged a bit faster since the armor is bad, the missile loadout is good. Overall a pretty good ship, but not my favorite.
Epee
Extremely fast, which is nice. Good guns for a light fighter, which is also nice. Manoeuvrable, which is, guess what, nice. Carries a few missiles as well. The problem, of course, is that you absolutely must avoid getting hit, since the Epee is really bad at taking damage. Fortunately, the Particle Cannons' range is pretty big, so try to take out as many fighters as possible on the first pass, and use missiles as well if you're too outnumbered.
Sabre
Although the Sabre is a powerful ship, it's not that good at dogfighting. It could definetely use more speed and shields. As long as you can avoid most hits, though, you can deal a lot of damage.
Crossbow
Very good shields, extremely powerful frontal guns. It's a pity it has no side turrets, and it would be nice if the shields and guns recharged faster, but it's still a very powerful ship. Even a Gothri will fall with 2-3 hits with full guns.
Super Ferret
This may very well be the best dogfighter in the game. Extremely fast, very good at dodging hits, and the guns can really do a lot of damage. Even Grikaths are fairly easy to destroy with this fighter. And it carries missiles, too!
Morningstar
The Morningstar somewhat suffers from the same flaws as the Sabre's... Getting hit can get you killed pretty fast. It's a good thing the Morningstar's shields recharge quickly. The 3 Particle Cannons are really nice, and the Mace missile is very powerful. I once destroyed 3 Gothris in one hit with the Mace! Overall I rather like the Morningstar, but it could use more speed and torpedoes.
Destroyer (TCS William Tell)
Oh wow, a capship that can actually be useful in some missions, thanks to its AMGs, and it tends to be indestructible as well.
Concordia
I only ever saw the Concordia get destroyed in one mission, and it was a Special Operations losing mission. Lots of AMGs, lots of flak, and the PTC which will usually destroy a capship in one hit (although I once saw a Fralthra survive it).
Starbase (like Olympus)
I never saw it get destroyed. Apparently it can take care of itself.
Clydesdale
It can actually take quite a few hits and may be able to gun down a few fighters, but it still needs your help.
Bonnie Heather & Gamal Gan
Paladin's invincible ships. Be careful not to crash into the Gamal Gan, since it will appear further away than it actually is.
Ralatha
It's tough, but if it gets hit by too many torpedoes, it'll still die. Watch out.
TCS Gettysburg
Mentioned here for the sake of completeness, since it doesn't take part in any fight.
"Enemy" Ships
Sartha
Really good at dodging, fast, and those neutron guns hurt a lot. It's a good thing they can't take many hits. Sarthas can be especially deadly when you fly a unmanoeuvrable ship. Missiles, especially Pilum FFs and possibly ImRecs, can be a big help.
Drakhri
Easier to destroy than the Sartha, but do be careful. It can be somewhat hard to hit, and in groups thay can be dangerous.
Jalkehi
This is one of the worst Kilrathi fighters in the game. If it didn't have that nasty rear turret it could very well be the worst enemy fighter in the game. It's pretty slow, it's big, it's easy to hit. Those frontal guns can hurt, though, and their shields and armor are pretty good, but if you are careful you shouldn't have too much trouble.
Grikath
Fast, fairly manoeuvrable for a heavy fighter, it can be really hard to hit unless you're in a Super Ferret, it has pretty good endurance, the frontal guns do a lot of damage, and the rear turret is really annoying. Basically try to attack where the guns and turret can't hit you.
Strakha
Worst Kilrathi fighter in the game. Unmanoeuvrable and with poor weapons and endurance, it's quite easy to destroy. Just remember that they tend to decloak behind you, that you should watch out for any missiles, and that you should be careful not to crash into them (slow down if necessary), and you should be alright.
Confed Sabre
Dodge Jazz's hits, which should be easy, use full guns and missiles and it should be a cakewalk.
Bloodfang
If more than one Bloodfang attacked you at the same time, you'd probably be torn apart pretty fast. Thrakhath can be somewhat hard to hit, and you really need to avoid his blasts, but a all in all it's a pretty easy fight.
Gothri
One of the best Kilrathi fighters ever. Very powerful guns, rear turret, very fast, exremely manoeuvrable, very tough shields and armor. It can be very annoying. Avoid getting as much as possible and attack the front or flanks. Afterburner slide and missiles can help. It's possible to destroy a Gothri on the first pass, but it can be pretty difficult.
Ferret
The Ferrets can really kill you, especially if you're flying an Epee. Take out as many as you can on the first pass with your Particle Cannons if you're flying an Epee or Sabre. Temporarily setting your speed to 100-150KPS can help to do this. If you're hit from behind, go evasive as soon as possible or the Mass Drivers will blast you into oblivion.
Epee
Very deadly. Once again, take out as many as possible on the first pass (your default speed should do just fine). Dumbfires work especially well when flying an Epee. Note that taking out one or two Epees on the first pass especially helps with that battle against 6 pirate Epees (should you choose to fight them). When flying a Crossbow it should be a little easier, but do try to avoid their hits as much as possible, since it's still possible to lose.
Crossbow
Bombers vs. bombers. The truth is that the Crossbow's manoeuvrability is horrendous and the AI really shows its limits in that battle. Avoid the front guns (easily done) and the turrets as much as possible, attack the flanks and your guns will quickly destroy them. Pilum FFs work nicely as well (I've never seen an enemy Crossbow dodge a FF missile), especially when their shields are out. In short, this battle is pretty easy.
Mandarin Sabre 1
These Sabres only have two particle cannons (and no rear turret), thankfully. They're still tough to destroy, but the Morningstar's Mace can help quite a bit and you should be able to at least severely damage one on the first pass. Do try not to get hit too often.
Broadsword
This ship can really tear you apart if you get within its guns' range. Just set your speed to 0 and start shooting with your Particle Cannons when the nearest Broadsword gets close enough (approximately 5000). You should be able to destroy it before it can do any real damage. Afterburner away from any remaining Broadswords for a few seconds then turn around and repeat until they're all dead.
Mandarin Sabre 2
This is perhaps the most difficult enemy fighter in the whole game. The three Particle Cannons can kill you very quickly, and you can't use the Mace either if you wish to destroy both Fralthra. Try to take one out as soon as possible, afterburner slide and missiles may help. Once they are only two Sabres left, you can hope that Maniac will be skilled enough to distract a Sabre while you take care of the other one. Try not to take too much internal damage or you won't be able to destroy the Fralthra.
Morningstar
Jazz is still easy, so long as you dodge those Particle Cannons.
Kamekh
WC2 Kamekhs aren't that hard, especially if you have Particle Cannons. They rely mainly on missiles to defend themselves, and once they've fired them all they're pretty much defenceless.
Dorkathi
It can take quite a few hits, but apart from that it's fairly easy to destroy it.
Ralatha
Easy if it doesn't have antimatter guns, otherwise it's quite a bit trickier.
Fralthra
Fairly easy if it has no AMGs, otherwise these capships are nearly impossible to destroy if you don't carefully plan your attack strategy. And even then, it's not really easy.
(Note : Ralatha and Fralthra stop firing when they're preparing for a jump. It happens in some missions.)
Starbase/Supply Depot/K'tithrak Mang
The strategies are pretty much mission-specific, but usually the tricky part is taking out the fighters guarding them. When everything else has been destroyed and your shields are fully charged, it's usually pretty easy to destroy them. K'tithrak Mang doesn't even use its AMGs, it seems.
Pirate Base
It doesn't even have shields and one torpedo is enough to take it out.
Ayer's Rock
You can avoid the Sabres, nuke the base, and get out of here; or you can nuke the Sabres and destroy them, and use your torpedoes on Ayer's Rock. Takr your pick.
Standoff ships
I've yet to fully play Standoff on a difficulty level harder than Veteran, but oh well.
"Friendly" ships
Stiletto
A good patrol fighter. Fast, manoeuvrable, decent firepower, a few missiles. Doesn't have much endurance, but that's to be expected.
Gladius
Powerful guns, not that manoeuvrable, too slow, not enough afterburner fuel. It's easy to kill ships once you get in range, but it's also easy for enemy ships to kill you. Watch out and use those FFs if necessary.
Rapier
Probably the best campaign fighter. Very fast and manoeuvrable, very powerful guns, good shields. Kilrathi ships will fall quickly, and they'd better, too! Speed is very important in Standoff.
Sabre
Ugh. Mediocre in most capship strikes (not enough torpedoes), mediocre in dogfights. It's easy to get killed in a Sabre. You need your afterburners, but you shouldn't use them too much either. You might want to keep your wingmen near you for a little while if there are too many fighters.
Crossbow
Very powerful frontal guns as always, very good shields, especially if you use shield management. One of my favorite ships.
Morningtar
Pity you don't get to fly it in the campaign, since it's a pretty good fighter. Speed is good, manoeuvrability is good, weapons are good, ship is good. The mace isn't as powerful as in WC2 though. Those Morningstars are still pretty good at damaging capships in the campaign in spite of this.
Broadsword
A good bomber. I still like the Crossbow better as a fighter, but the Broadsword does carry more torpedoes. Be sure to protect any friendly Broadswords to the best of your ability, since they can get killed pretty quickly.
Wraith
Ridiculously powerful. Extremely powerful guns, extremely fast, extremely manoeuvrable, good missile loadout, lots of AB fuel. Best dogfighter in the game by far.
Arrow
Hey, I really like it. Despite its lack of manoeuvrability and firepower, it's the fastest ship in the game, making dodging epretty easy, and those lasers can really do quite a bit of damage.
Talon
The Mass Drivers can be pretty poweful once you get within range, but apart from that it's a pretty bad ship. Way too slow, not enough AB fuel, not enough manoeuvrability.
Raptor
Hitting is a lot harder than in WC1. Once you get used to it it's not that bad a ship, but it's not nearly as good as the original Raptor.
Hornet
Once again, it's harder to hit than in WC1. It does have more firepower than the original Hornet, but I find it to be a much worse ship overall.
TCS Lionheart
I like the Dauntless better. The TCS Lionheart had moderate defence capabilities and will need your help against bombers.
Free Trader
Take out any Talons attacking it quickly or it won't last long.
Shuttle
Pretty much helpless to fighters. Watch out.
TCS Firekka
It can defend itself much better than the Lionheart, but do watch out for any Gothris and Grikaths nearby.
TCS Verdun and TCS Reims
Be really careful when defending them, since they're bad at defending themselves. For the Verdun you can just shoot down the bombers, but for the Reims you might need to stay close to its engines.
TCS Sao Paulo and TCS Breslau
The Breslau can usually take care of itself, though on the Ep.4 losing path you need to watch out for those Grikaths, but even then it's not that hard to save it. As for the Sao Paulo... Watch out for those Drakhris and shoot down any incming torpedoes.
TCS Moskva
For a damaged ship, defending it is pretty easy. Defending the shuttles is much harder.
TCS Leyte Gulf
A carrier that's actually helpful. Defending it is, once again, fairly easy.
Clydesdale
Ranges from "very hard to defend" (minelaying mission) to "badass ship that can take care of itself".
Venture-class corvette
Will go down very quickly when attacked by many enemy fighters. It can shoot fighers but really needs you. It can be helpful against capships (Francis Drake), or against Kilrathi corvettes (I love that part).
"Enemy" ships
Talon
It's slow and easily destroyed, especially in a Stiletto, but their guns can hurt nonetheless, especially if many of them are attacking you.
Sabre
Quite dangerous. Tough, hard to hit, powerful guns, carries torpedoes. They should be considered top-priority targets.
Gothri
Dangerous, but not nearly as deadly as the WC2 Gothri. As before, it's tough, it has powerful guns, and the rear turret is still annoying. Fortunately it's much easier to hit it and dodge its hits than it once was.
Sartha
Neutron guns still hurt. The ship is fast, but it's not that hard to hit and goes down quickly.
Drakhri
Pretty easy to destroy, but the lasers' fast firing rate makes it one of the deadliest ships in the game. Not too hard to destroy, but very deadly in groups.
Jalkehi
Its fast speed can make it somewhat hard to tail, the guns are powerful, and the turret is annoying. It's still not that bad.
Grikath
Very annoying. They can be very difficult to tail, they're difficult to hit, they love hitting you with their rear turret and while the don't use their frontal guns all that often it hurts when they do.
Krant Mk2
A pretty easy fighter that shouldn't pose that much of a threat, unless sveral of them are attacking you from the rear.
Jalthi
A joke. Avoiding their hits should be quite easy, and they're still slow and unmanoeuvrable.
Hhriss
They're tough, they're fast, they can be hard to hit, especially in a Crossbow, they can do quite a bit damage; in short, they're dangerous, especially when they're Drakhai-flown. Fortunately they still use the Vision AI.
Shok'lar
The lasers and missiles can hurt. Apart from that, this stealth fighter is easy to destroy if you dodge its hits.
Vatari
We've yet to see it, and hopefully it'll be really tough.
Pirate Base
You can't destroy it with your ship, but taking out those turrets is bad enough.
Kamekh
Ow. The flak really hurts, and they're quite manoeuvrable for Corvettes. If you run out of fuel you're pretty much screwed (unless you're in a bomber).
Dorkathi
Easy, but do watch out for the flak. AB fuel helps a lot.
Ralatha
The flak is dangerous, but it takes only two torpedoes to destroy it. A pretty easy capship.
Snakeir
Tougher than the Ralatha (3 vital components). The fighters are still the hard part.
Fralthi
Also 3 vital components. The engines can be somewhat hard to hit.
Targu II
Very deadly, and you should be glad it only takes one torpedo to destroy them. Best attacked from the rear.
Fralthra
4 vital components. This is a tough capship. Don't miss.
Hakaga
The toughest of them all. Try not to miss. The hangars are especially hard to destroy (and should be destroyed first, this'll prevent the Hakaga from launching too many fighters) - you may need to fly inside. Destroying some turrets will help your allies as well. The fact that you may have trouble seeing where you are does not help.
Rigakh
Did I mention I really want to know what it's like to fight it? Anyway, a big thank you for putting it in Standoff.
