Ship Capture Guide: X2 Version 2 (Updated for 1.4)

j_snare · Post by **j_snare** » Mon, 23. May 05, 23:32

Definately. A pirate M3 is what I used to get my Super Bayamon (and the other super ships). The extra shielding was pretty handy with those nutcases.

BTW, I was a little bothered by my previous note. By no means was I listing the only people that I found helpful. If I were to type out all the names of people who were so gracious and helpful, I would likely run out of space in the text box. I'm indebted to many people here for being so helpful. The game was hard to get into at first due to the enormity, but they have very excellent support in the form of their forum regulars here, and the game was just opened wide to be so very interesting and fun due to them.

Anyway, I'll stop now, but thanks again.

Tartarus · Post by **Tartarus** » Tue, 24. May 05, 21:13

I have seen the almighty Al post! I now will never wash these eyes again!

The capture guru... sweet!

I had a question, and perhaps others can answer too... I know I really need to bring up my combat rank to do this, but what method would you recomend in capturing a Xenon K? I've heard people tell of how they did it in a Bayamon, and even in the Split Iquana.

krackcode · Post by **krackcode** » Sun, 5. Jun 05, 18:04

Tag. Great guide for us noobs. TYVM!

generalismojoe · Post by **generalismojoe** » Mon, 4. Jul 05, 23:13

Thanks im a noob and i didnt know why i couldnt capute very effectivly, the only ship i ever caputed was a pirate ts by shear chance in a maxed out mako. I tried using the mako with two ion cannons with out much success though.

Al · Post by Al » Tue, 5. Jul 05, 11:18

You need to use a different weapon to damage to hull to 87% or below before you can just use Ions. If the hull is above 87% you will never capture them.

@Merroc, Good things come to those who wait

Al

Razorwind · Post by **Razorwind** » Sun, 11. Sep 05, 11:49

I had a question about which ship to use. Mostly these posts say a Nova or bayamon is the best for capturing, and I was wondering if for example an argon Centaur is worse than those for capturing? Or is it just that the nova and bayamon is recomended because the Centaur is so damn expensive?

Al · Post by Al » Mon, 12. Sep 05, 10:24

I recommend smaller ships as the guide is aimed at those playing at the start of the game. By the time most people have money for M6/2/1 then they are not to worried abuot capturing and are probablt quite adept at it. Also I decided not to buy an M6 until I'd captured one which took me along time. I've also decided not to buy an M2/1 until I've captured an Xenon K.

At the end of the day people find their own favourite way to capture using different methods and ships to anyone else. The Centaur might be great for capping but I've never tried it. In fact i've never tried serious capturing even in my captured M6. I prefer the feeling of flying through the middle of a fleet of enemy ships, fighting for captures and quite often my survival at the same time. Its part of the fun to me

Each to their own

Al

Razorwind · Post by **Razorwind** » Fri, 16. Sep 05, 18:35

I was wondering if you need a minimum combat rank status to be able to cap an M1 (argon

)

Tryst · Post by **Tryst** » Thu, 29. Sep 05, 12:13

Thanks Al i am finally capping ships. one question though i equipt life support for my cargo hold and everytime they bail i take the pilots on as slave which makes me some more money does anyone else do this

Al · Post by Al » Thu, 29. Sep 05, 14:33

I was wondering if you need a minimum combat rank status to be able to cap an M1 (argon )

Sorry I didn't see this before but you can't capture any capital ship apart from the Xenon K and even then only under specific conditions.

one question though i equipt life support for my cargo hold and everytime they bail i take the pilots on as slave which makes me some more money does anyone else do this

To be honest they are not really worth picking up. You need to take them to a pirate base to sell and you dont get much for them. I'd just stick to capturing the ships and leave the pilots alone (or splat them if you feel the need

)

HTH

Al

pjknibbs · Post by **pjknibbs** » Thu, 29. Sep 05, 17:55

Al means you CAN'T capture capital ships except under special circumstances, of course...

Al · Post by Al » Thu, 29. Sep 05, 18:59

Just testing..........

Al

Unkillable Cat · Post by **Unkillable Cat** » Sun, 29. Jan 06, 14:53

why isnt a thread this cool pinned to the top?

yarr · Post by **yarr** » Mon, 13. Feb 06, 08:38

This is a better guide than the other 1 that I read which only gave the math for how many wasp missles to use.

I just started capping b4 reading this and was using my nova... w/ maybe a 10% cap rate which was already increasing. Pirate ships ejected the most and it seems coming in hard and fast works best to intimidate them to bail out. 85% of my captures came in the first 25 seconds of fighting. Of course after ~1 minute w/o bail I blow them up for being arrogant and selfish hopefully getting the consolation prize of 500~5,000 credits on my "law enforcement" license.

I found using PSG fire for about 10 seconds w/ good aim will usually deplete shields and take hull damage to 60~80%. Although sometimes they bail late/early and i blow it up too... oops. lol 1 time I blew up my own ship like that because it just said "pirate ship" on target comp, not "your pirate ship"... held the trigger a few clicks long and didn't have max shields so it was gone b4 the "warning your ship is under attack message" came through.

Are they less likely to bail (TS) once they drop their cargo? or is it a choic between fight/bail/freight?

Also i still want to know is how do you optimize equipment capture and keep them from destroying the shields?

I saw a post on that but it didn't make much sense... I try to target ships which where upgraded alot too but like 90% hardware is still destroyed even w/ minimal hull damage. Plus it seems like they are less likely to bail w/ better and more upgraded ships...

Also picking up slaves for only 1k really is not worth it, but i think it is fun/ironic to pick up ejected pirates and then sell them back to the pirates as slaves... at least when ur on a hunting spree. Slaves should be like 10k... then the pilot could pay for repairs to his recently stolen ship for the rest of his life because he didn't bail out fast enough to appease us!

I also agree some species seem to bail more often espescially the boron. I kinda like the teladi so i don't mess with them too much but the split bailed often enough once i found out how to cap despite all their tough talk. Although usually TS's just said "the split never yield but offer cargo" so i just killed them "you should have yielded." Personally i also prefer to cap/enslave species which think they they are superior because that amuses me the same way the pirate slaves do.

If only u could enslave menkossack or whatever that guy's name w/ LFL in plot line was. 33k was close to chump change at that time but i still would rather have just mugged him!

Jakesnake5 · Post by **Jakesnake5** » Sun, 19. Feb 06, 03:25

Anyone besides me used a Argon Destroyer with all the turrets packing Ions? Funniest thing you'll ever see. Gunnery crews going ape.

You do NOT want to be outside with this insanity, as NOTHING (cept the battleship) has shields.

jlehtone · Post by **jlehtone** » Sun, 19. Feb 06, 12:24

Jakesnake5 wrote:Anyone besides me used a Argon Destroyer with all the turrets packing Ions? Funniest thing you'll ever see. Gunnery crews going ape.

You do NOT want to be outside with this insanity, as NOTHING (cept the battleship) has shields.

First thing, X2 Argon M2 does not mount IonDs on all turrets, and this thread is very clearly about X2, as it has been all of its two years of existense.

Second thing, Split say: "Boron ions are useless, Split need no shields. Guns kill and Split have bigger guns."

JulianG · Post by **JulianG** » Fri, 3. Mar 06, 08:34

Okay, I read through Al's guide and all 18 pages following the guide to check other peoples opinions... and then I took my Nova with 2xBeta HEPT's and 3 25Mw shields out to try and capture my 1st pirate ship...

Well, I destroyed about 25 Pirates (pirate ship, Bayamon and Ornico ships) and none would eject!

I used Al's tactic (bring the shield down and do hull damage, normally about 65 to 85 %) and they just wouldn't bail! WHAT am I doing wrong? Do I need a certain level in combat? Are some sectors better at capping than others? I mostly attacked them in Attreus' Clouds and sectors around it.

All I managed to achieve is to p!ss them off! They didn't bother me until now...

PLEASE ASSIST!

BTW: My game is 1.4

jlehtone · Post by **jlehtone** » Fri, 3. Mar 06, 08:54

I assume you have a gun in back turret set to missile defence? AIRE is good for that. Not related to capping, but.

Captures are random.

Get two IonD and one AIRE. Start by taking the shield down with dual IonD. Then switch one to AIRE (Or BHEPT) and take hull down to 87%. After that you can either "tickle" with IonD+AIRE, or "fry" with one or two IonD. The latter should garantee capture, but may take a long time.

Best advice is to shoot to kill (with BHEPTs), but keep a break before they turn to dust. You will always get either a capture or a kill. Both are nice.

JulianG · Post by **JulianG** » Fri, 3. Mar 06, 09:15

I have shot a few of them with B-HEPT's till they on there last leg and stopped, it just seems to incourage them to turn around and shoot at me again!?

Is the Nova a good ship for capping? Or is there a better ship?

I'm strapped for cash right now, but I'll try the ION weapon idea... I can almost affort one ION, wil one ION and one B-HEPT work as well?

Thanks for the quick reply:)

Al · Post by Al » Fri, 3. Mar 06, 10:25

As has been said capturing is really pretty random, you've got to have some luck. That said if you really want to get a capture then try using Ions only once you have taken the targets hull below 87%. It might not be exciting but it works. More than anything else you need patience.

Al

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Ship Capture Guide: X2 Version 2 (Updated for 1.4)