Best destroyer(s) to deal with K and I?

[_JD_]

Hey guys, I need an advice on how to deal with Ks and Is storming outside their sectors.

I don't have f*** you money yet (still working on getting my first wharf), currently I have around 50M Cr cash and from my stations and traders I get around 20M per hour I believe.

Currently I have an Odysseus full plasma and yesterday I bought a Raptor with 100 plasma turrets. The Odysseus cannot deal with a single K both in sector and out of sector so my strategy is usually to get in my Nemesis, pin the K down destroying the engines and then kill it with the Odysseus from distance piloting it myself. But this doesn't scale well because I have to do everything myself.

I haven't tried with the Raptor yet but maybe there is a cheaper option to deal OOS with Ks.

Is there any other L destroyer that can handle relatively easily a K? Maybe even having 3 or more of them? How many are needed for an I?

I know I should build defense stations at the gates, still working on it (currently there is a huge shortage of Turrets component in my universe). Speaking of it, what should be a configuration for a station so that could handle 1 I and 4 Ks at the same time (I actually got in this situation the other day)? How many defense disk/bridge should I create?

[chew-ie]

"Out of sector" (it is "out of zone" in X4 - basically 30+km distance of the player) you might want to have a fleet to deal with K's. If you don't want to mix stuff I'd say go for ARG capitals (a pack of 3 + 1 Colossus will do nicely), as a second choice Split Carrier + 2 Rattlesnakes should dish out enough damage to survive the K.

If you mix stuff you can try 3 Behemoths + 1 Rattlesnake.

They K is too much for a single destroyer [that is not controlled by the player].

"In sector" (it is "in zone" in X4 ^^) I'd always jump into the fight and snipe the L pulse turrets of the K as they do way too much damage for any L / XL ship survive even the first combat maneuver.

[Sandalpocalypse]

Ks simply outclass destroyers. Even leaving aside the AI problems, Ks are XL warships with XL shields. There's no easy solution to Ks other than sniping turrets yourself. Overwhelming them helps.

Torpedo bombers do a good job of splatting components. And you can afford a lot of them for the price of a destroyer. I like to use Pulsars, they are pretty cheap with a 2x launcher and 4x pulsemk1 config. Which is good because they are made of paper.

[Gavrushka]

Just an observation from OOS last night. - 3 Rattlesnakes engaged 2 K and an I, and I was very surprised to see the 2 K fall, and the I have its shields stripped to 30% before the last of the Rattlesnakes bought it. I'd imagined they'd have been crushed like eggs due to their poor shielding, but I guess the quad front guns must beast Ks pretty quick. - I'd suggest 6 Rattlesnakes would've taken all three down, but still with losses, I imagine.

[_JD_]

as a second choice Split Carrier + 2 Rattlesnakes should dish out enough damage to survive the K.

Since I own already a Raptor I might opt for this. But damn, 1 Raptor and 2 Rattlesnakes for a single K? How am I suppose to handle 1 I and 4 Ks at the same time? I guess the only real solution is building huge defense platforms

Just an observation from OOS last night. - 3 Rattlesnakes engaged 2 K and an I, and I was very surprised to see the 2 K fall, and the I have its shields stripped to 30% before the last of the Rattlesnakes bought it.

Hey could you share the load out of the Rattlesnakes? Where they full plasma? Also, is it worth to go and use the ARG turrets instead of the SPL? I read they have better range and rotation speed but slightly lower DPS.

There's no easy solution to Ks other than sniping turrets yourself.

There are too many fronts currently, I can't enjoy the missions because I'm in constant Xenon watch duty: there always the risk that Xenons will storm in and wipe my stations or one of the factions wharves... I was hoping for an automated solution, like put some destroyers on patrol. Maybe defense stations can handle this? How big should I make them (I'm still on a budged currently)? Are 10 defense disks full plasma enough?

[goduranus]

A defense platform seems indeed the way to go. Doesn't need to be too huge, as each Argon Defense Platform Discs pack 16 Large Plasma turrets. I put one up and haven't had a single K break through.

[Scoob]

I'd say the best counter to Xenon Destroyers - especially once you have your Wharf up and running - are Fighters. In a prior game, once I had a Wharf I just churned out Eclipse Fighters. Some with Pulse Lasers for anti-fighter work - very effective in groups - and others with Plasma that devastates Destroyers. Sure, you'll loose a fighter or two in every encounter, but when it can be cheaply and quickly replaced it's no real hardship.

Having played around with MASSIVE Destroyer groups, Corvettes and Frigates, Fighters really are where it's at. Destroyers - other than the Xenon ones, especially the I - just really aren't all that great in X4. If they manage to use their main battery properly, i.e. they keep at range, then they're ok. However, just last night I order my group of six mixed Phoenix and Behemoth Destroyers to engage a single Xenon K. The Phoenix shot off ahead of the entire group - the only one who actually used its Travel Drive - but rather than stopping just within main battery range, it kept going and rammed the K. The rest of the Destroyers all decided to fly at just 1m/s the entire way...so never got there. Until I jumped into the closest Behemoth myself and opened fire...yep, it was in range, but not firing those main guns.

Destroyer AI sucks at times, Fighter AI is ok. Use Fighters. It works very well for me and is what I'm building to in my current game.

Scoob.

[_JD_]

A defense platform seems indeed the way to go. Doesn't need to be too huge, as each Argon Defense Platform Discs pack 16 Large Plasma turrets. I put one up and haven't had a single K break through.

Wait, are you saying that just 1 disk is stopping a K? If I'm not wrong 1 disk has only 8L turrets (4 per side) the others are small turrets.

[csaba]

I'm planning to take over Tharka's fall so I went in with a Rattlesnake alone to test the waters.

In my game it's defended by an I and 2 Ks an od number of escorts.

With player control I took out 2 Ks with a Rattlesnake while backpedaling and slight separating them. Plus their whole escort of like 20 different fighters and corvettes.

You want to manual fire the Ps as well because en mass they can slowly kill you.

I also had the frontal 4 L turrets as range modded plasma.

Then I fought the I and lost. It just has way too many shields, by the time I got it to 50% most of its guns were in range.

Maybe I could have won if I targeted the frontal surface guns but it has so many and moves around that makes it hard. So I recommend a strike force of 20 heavy fighters armed with heavy missiles to strip it of surface elements.

Alternatively if you can mod your Rattlesnake to be able to reverse at 86 m/s you can keep the I in main gun range and slowly kill it.

[ballti]

Nemesis full torpedo can do job on solo destroyer.

[_JD_]

Destroyer AI sucks at times, Fighter AI is ok. Use Fighters. It works very well for me and is what I'm building to in my current game.

Ok, what do you think is a good number of fighters to take down a K? Also what's the loadout? Plasma? Pulse? Do you have some Ions too? How long do they take to kill a K? Like it's relatively quick or it takes long?

[goduranus]

The Argon Disc has 8 L turrets on top and 8 on bottom I think. But I used a station with 4 discs connected by a dock in the middle.

[Scoob]

Destroyer AI sucks at times, Fighter AI is ok. Use Fighters. It works very well for me and is what I'm building to in my current game.

Ok, what do you think is a good number of fighters to take down a K? Also what's the loadout? Plasma? Pulse? Do you have some Ions too? How long do they take to kill a K? Like it's relatively quick or it takes long?

I use 20 Plasma and 20 Pulse on my Carriers. I'd send the Plasma group directly against Destroyers and the Pulse group against Fighters.

You can sorta automate this, but it's unreliable, so I issue orders manually. In theory, having the Plasma fighters in the Attack Group and ordering the carrier to attack the Destroyer should launch those fighters. Having the Pulse Fighter Group set to Intercept, should see it engage any other Fighters in the area. It's not that controllable or reliable though, so I just issues orders manually, like I said.

Those 20 Plasma Fighters can bring a K down surprisingly quickly...under a minute easily, if they all engage at the same time.

Scoob.

[ff8ff8]

I just took my solo Raptor into a fight with a K and xenon fighters, few Ps mixed in. Did that twice. First time they brought me down to 30% hull. Second time I was going to leave but they took out my engine so I had to kill them all.

I had all Teladi shields, and argon L plasma and argon bolt turrets. No ship mods. fought in sector. No defense drones or fighters.

[_JD_]

Maybe I could have won if I targeted the frontal surface guns but it has so many and moves around that makes it hard. So I recommend a strike force of 20 heavy fighters armed with heavy missiles to strip it of surface elements.

Alternatively if you can mod your Rattlesnake to be able to reverse at 86 m/s you can keep the I in main gun range and slowly kill it.

I would still prefer to find a solution for OOS. If I have to do it myself I can kill a K with my 4 torpedos Nemesis and some luck (reach from above, kill the engines, kill the L turrets, kill the rest of the turrets, kill the K.

Nemesis full torpedo can do job on solo destroyer.

Do you mean OOS or piloting it myself? I already killed several Ks like this but I'm looking for an automated solution that works OOS so that I can go and enjoy the plot missions without worrying about Ks and Is.

The Argon Disc has 8 L turrets on top and 8 on bottom I think. But I used a station with 4 discs connected by a dock in the middle.

Oh my bad, my memory sucks And good to know that 4 disks are enough

I use 20 Plasma and 20 Pulse on my Carriers. I'd send the Plasma group directly against Destroyers and the Pulse group against Fighters.

Thanks!

[Général Grievous]

Torpedo bombers do a good job of splatting components. And you can afford a lot of them for the price of a destroyer. I like to use Pulsars, they are pretty cheap with a 2x launcher and 4x pulsemk1 config. Which is good because they are made of paper.

I hate paper ships. This is kamikaze spirit. Not made for me

Before 3.0, I saw good performance with Odysseus, equipped with missiles.
Maybe this technic is still good.

[abisha1980]

anyone try 5 heavy fighters?

that's equal to 50 mil

[_JD_]

So, yesterday I measured the strength of my fleet, 1 Raptor full ARG plasma and TEL shields, 1 Rattlesnake full ARG plasma and TEL shields and 16 Chimera with SPL shields and Thermal Disintegrator, against 2 Ks and a dozen of Xenon fighters: this fleet defeated the Xenon fleet loosing 3 Chimeras (probably due to my incompetence, never used a carrier before so I gave the order to attack to the Chimeras way to early). The Rattlesnake lost all of it's shield and most of the hull, the Raptor was completely ignored by the Xenon and did not loose any shield at all. I will now try to have more Chimeras, ideally 40-50, and 2 more Rattlesnake. That should be enough for what I'm currently dealing with.

[razor202]

I equiped my Raptor with Argon's weapons, shields and engines and. Except only 25 AA turrets, the rest turrets are all plasma guns. I pilot this single Raptor and easily destroyed an K with only about15% shield lost. When battling the I, my Raptor was destroyed with the I still having less than 30% hull. According to this, I think if the Raptor's shield is replaced by the Teladi one and use some of the PHQ research works to strengthen the hull and the shield, it may be possible to destroy the I in 1VS1 battle.

[NZCrusader]

I thought i saw a post either on here or reddit a day or so ago about a ship that can melt stations and destroyers with ease, do anyone remember what ship and fit it was, sounded like it should have no trouble with xenon k's

If i recall it was a ship with a boat load of large and medium plasma guns and all turrets filled with flak to shread fighters that get close, split carrier mabey??

Thoughts?