Defending Bases: Weapons Diversity Guide

FireRaze
FireRaze
Minor Nuisance
Joined Mar 2013 Posts: 169
Just a small guide to help anyone who is having trouble deciding what weapons to put on your combat modules.
The key to defending a base is having weapons from each catagory, explosives, projectiles, and lasers.
First here are the weapons:

Heavy Beam Laser:
The heavy beam laser is kind of useful if you hide it well, while it may have short range it has decent damage at high levels. While it may not have as much damage as the higher level weapons for a somewhat low level it can be effective against things such as charging Exos. It is also impossible to dodge its shots.

Heavy Gauss Gun:
The heavy gauss gun is the second weapon in the weapons lab, it fires slow but has long range. Its good to have a couple of these (or other projectile weapons) at your base to stop long range attacking ships such as mass driver destroyers.
The Gauss gun can be dodged if the enemy pilot can keep his ships moving, if not then they usually get a hit on them.

Heavy Polaron Beam:
Its often referred to as the worst weapon there is, and it is at low levels. Polarons are effective at higher levels where they can deal a effective amount of damage, they also fire at a high speed which means that if something does go into their range, it will defiantly be hit.

Heavy Plasma Charger:
One of the most effective weapons, but they are often over estimated and are used as the only weapon to defend a base. The main flaw of the charger is its firing speed. It can be out ranged by Mass Driver destroyers, so it is a good idea to have other weapons to cover it to stop Mass driver fleets from destroyer your base unscratched.

Heavy Mass Driver:
A good weapon with a range a bit longer than that of the gauss gun, the same speed as the gauss gun. The largest flaw of the heavy mass driver is its no firing zone, which is quite large. If you do use Heavy Mass Drivers for your base then it is important that you have this area covered by other defenses range.

Heavy Plasma Torpedo:
The heavy plasma torpedo is a decent weapon with good range but is somewhat slow, it makes up for this with its massive area of effect. It is not a good idea to have a base that uses only Heavy Plasma torpedoes for defense, as their shots are slow and can easily be avoided by fast ships, for example an Exodus or a Harrier, with minimal damage.

El Flame
Real join date: March 2010 
TOME: Khar Level 7 (ascended yiss)
glory to khartovia
twitch channel : 
  • FireRaze
    FireRaze
    Minor Nuisance
    Joined Mar 2013 Posts: 169
    Placeholder for more information
    El Flame
    Real join date: March 2010 
    TOME: Khar Level 7 (ascended yiss)
    glory to khartovia
    twitch channel : 
  • Herald of Tzeentch
    Herald of Tzeentch
    Incursion Leader
    Joined Sep 2011 Posts: 1,322
    Heavy Polaron Beam:
    Its often referred to as the worst weapon there is, and it is at low levels. Polarons are effective at higher levels where they can deal a effective amount of damage, they also fire at a high speed which means that if something does go into their range, it will defiantly be hit.

    when you say "polarons are effective at higher lvls" ,do you mean lvl 5? because 1-4 are usless. and any other base weapon will do 10x better than polarons at any lvl.
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  • FireRaze
    FireRaze
    Minor Nuisance
    Joined Mar 2013 Posts: 169
    Heavy Polaron Beam:
    Its often referred to as the worst weapon there is, and it is at low levels. Polarons are effective at higher levels where they can deal a effective amount of damage, they also fire at a high speed which means that if something does go into their range, it will defiantly be hit.

    when you say "polarons are effective at higher lvls" ,do you mean lvl 5? because 1-4 are usless. and any other base weapon will do 10x better than polarons at any lvl.
    Yep, but they are also effective at like level 3 and up at stopping harriers or from dodging all your other shots.
    El Flame
    Real join date: March 2010 
    TOME: Khar Level 7 (ascended yiss)
    glory to khartovia
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  • Herald of Tzeentch
    Herald of Tzeentch
    Incursion Leader
    Joined Sep 2011 Posts: 1,322
    we're talking about base weapons right? harrier prep fleet aren't something i've worried about since i was lvl20 .but i will say polarons on some ships during fvf work against harriers. 
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  • Krazie243
    Krazie243
    Unicorn Overlord
    Joined May 2010 Posts: 10,669
    This guide is sadly very off....

    Polarons are NEVER useful and are NOT a 100% guaranteed hit. I've personally dodged Polarons with Harriers. Not hard to do if you have the timing down.

    Gauss is a lost cause once you get Plasma Chargers. Destroyers don't get hit by projectiles unless flown by morons. Plasma Torps are best to support PCs due to the AoE explosion at the tail end of the journey.

    Laser towers are ok, but not the best. I've seen a base full of them stop a blitz Exo design but not as well as PCs. It is best to stop using lasers (both kinds) after you get PCs.
    I don't play much anymore =(
  • FireRaze
    FireRaze
    Minor Nuisance
    Joined Mar 2013 Posts: 169
    This guide is sadly very off....

    Polarons are NEVER useful and are NOT a 100% guaranteed hit. I've personally dodged Polarons with Harriers. Not hard to do if you have the timing down.

    Gauss is a lost cause once you get Plasma Chargers. Destroyers don't get hit by projectiles unless flown by morons. Plasma Torps are best to support PCs due to the AoE explosion at the tail end of the journey.

    Laser towers are ok, but not the best. I've seen a base full of them stop a blitz Exo design but not as well as PCs. It is best to stop using lasers (both kinds) after you get PCs.
    They are most of the time, they are as fast as a beam, and I have never seen polarons miss, now tell me. Have you even seen a Polaron in action, or are assuming this?
    I said Lasers are ok for low levels.
    Gauss gun is faster then the plasma and more range, as base of plasmas could get ranged with a bunch of destroyers, but with gauss guns you have a chance of hitting them, a chance, even if it be small.
    El Flame
    Real join date: March 2010 
    TOME: Khar Level 7 (ascended yiss)
    glory to khartovia
    twitch channel : 
  • Herald of Tzeentch
    Herald of Tzeentch
    Incursion Leader
    Joined Sep 2011 Posts: 1,322
    edited 11 Jun 2013, 9:38PM
    El Flame said:
    This guide is sadly very off....

    Polarons are NEVER useful and are NOT a 100% guaranteed hit. I've personally dodged Polarons with Harriers. Not hard to do if you have the timing down.

    Gauss is a lost cause once you get Plasma Chargers. Destroyers don't get hit by projectiles unless flown by morons. Plasma Torps are best to support PCs due to the AoE explosion at the tail end of the journey.

    Laser towers are ok, but not the best. I've seen a base full of them stop a blitz Exo design but not as well as PCs. It is best to stop using lasers (both kinds) after you get PCs.
    They are most of the time, they are as fast as a beam, and I have never seen polarons miss, now tell me. Have you even seen a Polaron in action, or are assuming this?
    I said Lasers are ok for low levels.
    Gauss gun is faster then the plasma and more range, as base of plasmas could get ranged with a bunch of destroyers, but with gauss guns you have a chance of hitting them, a chance, even if it be small.
    he said he personally dodged them. so ya he seen them. 
    and one question, does your sector have a no insector hitting rule? if it does you wont see much.
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  • FireRaze
    FireRaze
    Minor Nuisance
    Joined Mar 2013 Posts: 169
    El Flame said:
    This guide is sadly very off....

    Polarons are NEVER useful and are NOT a 100% guaranteed hit. I've personally dodged Polarons with Harriers. Not hard to do if you have the timing down.

    Gauss is a lost cause once you get Plasma Chargers. Destroyers don't get hit by projectiles unless flown by morons. Plasma Torps are best to support PCs due to the AoE explosion at the tail end of the journey.

    Laser towers are ok, but not the best. I've seen a base full of them stop a blitz Exo design but not as well as PCs. It is best to stop using lasers (both kinds) after you get PCs.
    They are most of the time, they are as fast as a beam, and I have never seen polarons miss, now tell me. Have you even seen a Polaron in action, or are assuming this?
    I said Lasers are ok for low levels.
    Gauss gun is faster then the plasma and more range, as base of plasmas could get ranged with a bunch of destroyers, but with gauss guns you have a chance of hitting them, a chance, even if it be small.
    he said he personally dodged them. so ya he seen them. 
    and one question, does your sector have a no insector hitting rule? if it does you wont see much.
    Ye, my sector is a non-insector hitting one. If he has dodged a polaron, good for him, It requires a fast ship to do it though,
    El Flame
    Real join date: March 2010 
    TOME: Khar Level 7 (ascended yiss)
    glory to khartovia
    twitch channel : 
  • shadow228
    shadow228
    Strike-force Captain
    Joined Apr 2012 Posts: 887
    El Flame said:
    El Flame said:
    This guide is sadly very off....

    Polarons are NEVER useful and are NOT a 100% guaranteed hit. I've personally dodged Polarons with Harriers. Not hard to do if you have the timing down.

    Gauss is a lost cause once you get Plasma Chargers. Destroyers don't get hit by projectiles unless flown by morons. Plasma Torps are best to support PCs due to the AoE explosion at the tail end of the journey.

    Laser towers are ok, but not the best. I've seen a base full of them stop a blitz Exo design but not as well as PCs. It is best to stop using lasers (both kinds) after you get PCs.
    They are most of the time, they are as fast as a beam, and I have never seen polarons miss, now tell me. Have you even seen a Polaron in action, or are assuming this?
    I said Lasers are ok for low levels.
    Gauss gun is faster then the plasma and more range, as base of plasmas could get ranged with a bunch of destroyers, but with gauss guns you have a chance of hitting them, a chance, even if it be small.
    he said he personally dodged them. so ya he seen them. 
    and one question, does your sector have a no insector hitting rule? if it does you wont see much.
    Ye, my sector is a non-insector hitting one. If he has dodged a polaron, good for him, It requires a fast ship to do it though,

    No it doesn't, I've dodged polarons with rancors.
  • FireRaze
    FireRaze
    Minor Nuisance
    Joined Mar 2013 Posts: 169
    S9K1 said:
    El Flame said:
    El Flame said:
    This guide is sadly very off....

    Polarons are NEVER useful and are NOT a 100% guaranteed hit. I've personally dodged Polarons with Harriers. Not hard to do if you have the timing down.

    Gauss is a lost cause once you get Plasma Chargers. Destroyers don't get hit by projectiles unless flown by morons. Plasma Torps are best to support PCs due to the AoE explosion at the tail end of the journey.

    Laser towers are ok, but not the best. I've seen a base full of them stop a blitz Exo design but not as well as PCs. It is best to stop using lasers (both kinds) after you get PCs.
    They are most of the time, they are as fast as a beam, and I have never seen polarons miss, now tell me. Have you even seen a Polaron in action, or are assuming this?
    I said Lasers are ok for low levels.
    Gauss gun is faster then the plasma and more range, as base of plasmas could get ranged with a bunch of destroyers, but with gauss guns you have a chance of hitting them, a chance, even if it be small.
    he said he personally dodged them. so ya he seen them. 
    and one question, does your sector have a no insector hitting rule? if it does you wont see much.
    Ye, my sector is a non-insector hitting one. If he has dodged a polaron, good for him, It requires a fast ship to do it though,

    No it doesn't, I've dodged polarons with rancors.
    Really? Arent they 3,000 speed? Hm, I must have exagerated their power if so. But Polarons are fast and may miss, but they have high chances of hitting things with their range and speed
    El Flame
    Real join date: March 2010 
    TOME: Khar Level 7 (ascended yiss)
    glory to khartovia
    twitch channel : 
  • sebastian.caine.904
    sebastian.caine.904
    Potential Threat
    Joined Sep 2013 Posts: 45

    Polarons are easily dodged. You can dodge them with Strafing Destroyers as well, again, so long as you have the timing down. In FvF, they are 100% accurate. In bases, they're about 75-80% accurate (rough estimate) They're easily dodged with any form of frigate, the slower ships take a little finesse, but they dodge polaron just as effectively with reasonable timing. You need to start insectoring and hitting a lot of bases to get a real and genuine feel on the base weapons.
    image
  • Mr Popo
    Mr Popo
    Strike-force Captain
    Joined Apr 2012 Posts: 977

    Poloron can be avoided at max range by pretty much anything. Its when you get closer...


    Useless? no. It has a place jsut  people dont want to find it. And that fine, i found the use a long time ago. That being said


    Poloron is NOT rerecorded for high level usage and is ONLY to be used as a stepping stone to get to MD.


    Poloron vs PB. Dont, use them both. You will find if you use polorons in tandem with PC and torpedos...well lookie there they cant dodge every damned thing.


    Poloron effectivly kills the decoy destroyer combo better than anything else ive seen. wanna know why?


    DECOYS ARE SHOCKWAVE 4 and every time a shot lands from a poloron it tears that shockwave a new porthole.


    In addtion, the speed of the round and the odd fire rate make it idea to throw off "rythem" that players use to dodge shots.


    It is FAR from useless, but very under powered. It is worthless on its own, but part of a larger picture suddenly its viable.


    If you doubt me, I will be in 6100. Prove me wrong so i can adapt to something better



    image

  • PraetorSukeck
    PraetorSukeck
    Skilled Warrior
    Joined Jul 2013 Posts: 420

    Polarons are superior in damage to chargers. Its all about understanding the strengths and weaknesses.


    Charger level 5 is 166 dps, this gives each projectile (missile effect) 26.6 dps. 

    Polarons Dps at level 5 is 29 Dps. This means that polarons are superior in damage, and accuracy to chargers.


    There is an exception to this, for some reason the lower level polarons suck, Now sure why that is exactly.


    thinking about one turret at a time, is a wrong approach.

    Looking at the following graphic, if placing Polarons or Chargers in front of a rail turret, you will be able to stack weapons fire

    in 1 direction, preventing kiting / strafing to dodge. This is one of the many examples of how turrets should be designed

    to work together.

    image

    image
  • shadow228
    shadow228
    Strike-force Captain
    Joined Apr 2012 Posts: 887

    Polarons are superior in damage to chargers. Its all about understanding the strengths and weaknesses.


    Charger level 5 is 166 dps, this gives each projectile (missile effect) 26.6 dps. 

    Polarons Dps at level 5 is 29 Dps. This means that polarons are superior in damage, and accuracy to chargers.


    There is an exception to this, for some reason the lower level polarons suck, Now sure why that is exactly.


    thinking about one turret at a time, is a wrong approach.

    Looking at the following graphic, if placing Polarons or Chargers in front of a rail turret, you will be able to stack weapons fire

    in 1 direction, preventing kiting / strafing to dodge. This is one of the many examples of how turrets should be designed

    to work together.


    When a barrage of chargers are fired, you'll very rarely be able to dodge all but one. With polarons, it's a single projectile that is very easy to dodge.
  • B0SS
    B0SS
    Unicorn Overlord
    Joined Jul 2011 Posts: 2,760

    Polarons are superior in damage to chargers. Its all about understanding the strengths and weaknesses.


    Charger level 5 is 166 dps, this gives each projectile (missile effect) 26.6 dps. 

    Polarons Dps at level 5 is 29 Dps. This means that polarons are superior in damage, and accuracy to chargers.


    There is an exception to this, for some reason the lower level polarons suck, Now sure why that is exactly.


    thinking about one turret at a time, is a wrong approach.

    Looking at the following graphic, if placing Polarons or Chargers in front of a rail turret, you will be able to stack weapons fire

    in 1 direction, preventing kiting / strafing to dodge. This is one of the many examples of how turrets should be designed

    to work together.


    Again you with this thing, MD Broads outrange Polarons, Gauss cant fire back at it if its behind the target... you clearly dont play the game at all

  • Benne123
    Benne123
    Potential Threat
    Joined Sep 2013 Posts: 68

    He's just 1 of these scrubs that have a fleet of 6 plasma torp destroyers and suicide them into bases without doing much damage.

  • Dayspring329
    Dayspring329
    Strike-force Captain
    Joined Apr 2012 Posts: 670

    Well I love my one lvl 5 Guass... It kills stupid people and alot of stupid people hit my base lol.

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  • unbearable
    unbearable
    Minor Nuisance
    Joined Mar 2013 Posts: 157

    all  bases r easy to hit with a fleet of nighthawk with mass and a fleet of rev with shock shiled in it.. base weapons r pure noob... kixeye only reduce base shiled and weapon dps frm da staring of the game and in other hand they launch many new ships and weapon enhancement to ships..
  • Benne123
    Benne123
    Potential Threat
    Joined Sep 2013 Posts: 68

    Well I love my one lvl 5 Guass... It kills stupid people and alot of stupid people hit my base lol.

    1 level 5 gaus? So I only have to attack from any other side then the gaus is on and I will be oké? If it's on your bridge you may want to consider putting a mass driver on it instead because the gaus wont defend anything but the bridge.

  • Redaxe
    Redaxe
    Potential Threat
    Joined Jan 2012 Posts: 29

    I find that 2-3 well designed  fleets guarding can cut down most fleets attacking. Im mid level so this might change as i gain in lvl.

  • Redaxe
    Redaxe
    Potential Threat
    Joined Jan 2012 Posts: 29

    Useing ships helps off set the weaknesses of any of the base weapons. I dont like the gaus because of the large are it wont hit close up.

  • Benne123
    Benne123
    Potential Threat
    Joined Sep 2013 Posts: 68

    Gaus, MD and plasma torpedo are the only base wepons that can hit MD destroyers though. And all 3 of them have a huge minimum range.  That is why you need a mix between close and long range guns.

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