Beware, you Xenon hunters...

[heratik]

Just about to give up on another failed attempt at a Q

[Sovereign01]

Update- boarded a PX in Xenon 101 last night, I had to literally visit EVERY Xenon sector before I came across this one.

After wasting his escort of several LXs, Ls and Ms with my Springy I brought in my Carrack set to attack shields along with my Sirokos. It didn't take me long to see that the Carrack sucks at shield suppression when in the AI's hands, and after several occasions when my marines died when the shields recharged I had to fly it myself and relying on sheer luck that the pods didn't get shot down.

Turns out boarding a PX is a lot harder than a standard P, because this PX was very heavily armed- I quickly realised that frying the systems was NOT a option on this one, since the Carrack's light shields don't last very long when you're having to stay within ID range. In the end I had to use the IDs to just take down the shields then use boarding pods from the Sirokos (which the PX largely ignored), then jumped to the gate to let the marines do their thing, using the 4+2 trick (I was on the verge of sending my Carrack home and getting my Hyperion involved instead). Several reloads later and I have myself a new PX, complete with 4 veteran marines

[Sovereign01]

Just about to give up on another failed attempt at a Q

How far are you getting?

[heratik]

Just about to give up on another failed attempt at a Q

How far are you getting?

To tell the truth, it was an opportunist and optimistic attempt, only had 18 (albeit well trained) marines available at the time, usually down to 12 by deck 2 and all dead before deck 3...

To make myself feel better I went straight from there and capped another Carrack

[Sovereign01]

Just about to give up on another failed attempt at a Q

How far are you getting?

To tell the truth, it was an opportunist and optimistic attempt, only had 18 (albeit well trained) marines available at the time, usually down to 12 by deck 2 and all dead before deck 3...

To make myself feel better I went straight from there and capped another Carrack

I boarded one of those just because I could, Carrack is one of only 3 M7s that mount IDs up front as well as most turrets, it was only when I went after a P that I realised what it was useful for, it had been sitting idle until then .

21 marines on 100% can and do take a Q/J/K with no losses if you're prepared to reload a few times

[heratik]

One of the Pirate ships I took had 14 IDs in it, I have yet to mount them in my Carrack and go hunting with it.

Maybe I'll go for a PX tonight with it

I have 6 100% marines so I should be able to take one relatively easily.


PS - is it me or are pirate ships rediculously easy to board? I don't even bother saving after each deck now, because I never lose a marine!

I only save at the core so I can reload for different cargo

[deca.death]

PS - is it me or are pirate ships rediculously easy to board? I don't even bother saving after each deck now, because I never lose a marine!

That's normal, boarding in this game is or ridiculously easy or unbelievable hard, nothing in between ; )

[Sovereign01]

One of the Pirate ships I took had 14 IDs in it, I have yet to mount them in my Carrack and go hunting with it.

Maybe I'll go for a PX tonight with it

I have 6 100% marines so I should be able to take one relatively easily.


PS - is it me or are pirate ships rediculously easy to board? I don't even bother saving after each deck now, because I never lose a marine!

I only save at the core so I can reload for different cargo

Just be warned that you'll likely lose at least 2, if you want to avoid that send 4 100% with 2 rookies, if you lose more than 1 per deck then reload.

Well I hope your PX isn't as heavily armed as mine was, otherwise your shields won't last long enough to fry all his weapons. Either I got very lucky with the P I boarded or very unlucky with the PX

[Lelouch]

To tell the truth, it was an opportunist and optimistic attempt, only had 18 (albeit well trained) marines available at the time, usually down to 12 by deck 2 and all dead before deck 3...

You already lost at deck 2. There's a hard coded check. If you don't have "(Marine capacity plus 1) minus number of decks" marines on board then the boarding will auto-fail upon reaching the ship computer. You were boarding a Q - that means 17 marines _must_ reach the core.

Luckily this check applies only to Xenon boardings.

[heratik]

Well I hope your PX isn't as heavily armed as mine was, otherwise your shields won't last long enough to fry all his weapons.

Even in my shrike!

[Sovereign01]

Well I hope your PX isn't as heavily armed as mine was, otherwise your shields won't last long enough to fry all his weapons.

Even in my shrike!

I meant if you use a Carrack

EDIT: Shrikes can't mount IDs

[heratik]

To tell the truth, it was an opportunist and optimistic attempt, only had 18 (albeit well trained) marines available at the time, usually down to 12 by deck 2 and all dead before deck 3...

You already lost at deck 2. There's a hard coded check. If you don't have "(Marine capacity plus 1) minus number of decks" marines on board then the boarding will auto-fail upon reaching the ship computer. You were boarding a Q - that means 17 marines _must_ reach the core.

Luckily this check applies only to Xenon boardings.

That is good info fella!

Those pesky Xenon

[heratik]

Well I hope your PX isn't as heavily armed as mine was, otherwise your shields won't last long enough to fry all his weapons.

Even in my shrike!

I meant if you use a Carrack

Ah yes good point, forgot I was going to try that. I am so used to just leaving my Shrike to get pounded by M6s and fighters while I remote my boarding ship, and coming back to find hardly any shields depleted

[Catra]

PS - is it me or are pirate ships rediculously easy to board? I don't even bother saving after each deck now, because I never lose a marine!

That's normal, boarding in this game is or ridiculously easy or unbelievable hard, nothing in between ; )

I'd argue what we have now -is- the inbetween. And even within that one could argue the CW is the middle ground between pirates (who are roflromically easy) and the Terrans, with the xenon obviously being the outlier for the other side of the spectrum (roflromically hard).