I Love the Lightning...I Feel so Dirty.

[ObnoxiousFrog]

Yep, that's right. I picked up the cert for this supposed tin can coffin and I love it. It has good weapons, good speed, and doesn't need a techplant.


GUNS: 75mm takes out infantry and MAX units fast (approx. 2 hits for an agile armor and 4 for a MAX unit. It also is great for chasing vehicles, since the Lightning is very fast for such a mean little number. The 12mm leaves something to be desired, but hopefully the Balance Pass will buff it up to useable standards.


SPEED: 75 kph. For reference, that's about as fast as a Harasser.


ARMOR: Not as bad as some think. Sure Strikers eat it up, but Strikers eat everything up. Once again, the Balance Pass will double the Lightnings armor (schwing!) and give the Striker that much-needed whack in the kneecaps.


TURNING: Actually this is the Lightning's biggest gimp. It has a terrible turning radius at high speeds. This means that you need to slow down a lot to make tight turns, which can be a problem considering the thing still blows up if you fall into a moderately-sized pit on Solsar.


So what do you think of this driving deathtrap?

[Queensidecastle]

I am buying a lightning cert as soon as the balance pass changes go in. I am also going to get my prowler cert back with my TR grund and trade my Sparrow for a Scatmax.

[gonnagetyou]

Welcome to the darkside of Planetside. The Lightning has been one of my major certs, since the release of the game. Even during Beta I liked it. People trash talk the Lightning because most of them don't know how to use it. Manned properly and applied to the appopriate situations it's a little canned beast. I love it and can't wait for the buff it's getting with the increased armor and heavier hitting 12mm.

[Kornflake�]

I've been considering dropping my reaver for lightning, but I'm waiting to get to play with them post-balace pass.

-Kornflake�

[ObnoxiousFrog]

I dropped the Skeeter for the Lightning because with the rearm pads and shields, the Reaver is just a better choice in any situation. I hated Reaver ammo shortages and how 12mm raped it, but with rearms and shields, I have ample reaction to it.

[Queensidecastle]

I loved the Reaver but I absolutly could not tolerate the Tech plant limitations. Tech plant limitations totally suck when you primarily want it for transportation/utility. The mossy simply rocks for this and now the Lightning will too. Also the Deliverer is going to rock and be a very viable alternative to the Sunderer now

[ObnoxiousFrog]

Well I dropped the Skeeter cause with all the AA buffs going down, I wanted a nice ground vehicle alternative to pilot in agile and a aircraft fast and beefy enough to survive a starfire payload and striker assault.


Skeeter is just gonna be a paper target now.

[Searo]

I also dropped the Reaver a while ago. I liked flying it, I was just waaay too laggy to respond to threats and to lead targets.
Moving at 100+ MPH sends my ping through the roof.

I picked up the Lightning, and I like it a lot. It's a great transport, you don't have to rely on an unknown to gun for you, and the weapons are decent.
It can also function as a mini-me-magrider, yesterday I bumped off a MAX at the cost of my shield. The weapon is great as artillery, and chews up wall turrets.

[Kornflake�]

The AA buffs and Tech Plant limitations are exactley why I'm considering re-certing. I still love the reaver, it remains one of the most versatile vehciles in the game, I just want to see if there a better option after tha blance pass.

-Kornflake�

[Mango]

I wish the lighting came with a foward camera. I love driving circles around enemy vechs. but i always run into some tree or ditch. Thats my only complaint rigth now and with the balance thingy im gonna be in heaven :D

[ObnoxiousFrog]

Well, I love the Lightning for the same reason I love the Reaver.

It works for almost everything.


I love aving versatile vehicles, which is why i love flyingt he Reaver and why I know love the Lightning. The Skeeter fit into its role nicely, but you couldnt perform any roles really outside of scouting or AA work. The Reaver, quite simply, blows shit up with impunity. While the Lightning doesnt have the same shit blowing up prowess as the Reaver, I can honestly say that it doesn't suck at any one thing. Even at AA getting a bead on aircraft with the 12mm can scare them off.

[NoSurrender]

yea the only fun thing to do with the mosquito is hit them....

[Queensidecastle]

If I could have my way, I would have all the Heavy Buggies on my 3 main guys. Its just that the Tech plant requirement is such a pain in the ass I just had to drop those certs after a while. I can understand Tech plant for the big tanks, and the Sunderer but the limitation to the buggies and the Reaver is really lame. Nothing is more annoying than having an advanced vehicle as your only vehicle and being on a locked cont with no tech plant. This doesnt bother some people but I found it intolerable. The lightning and deliverer getting increased armor and weapons upgrades are really going to be the vehicles of choice after the ballance pass for those that dont focus on vehicle certs

[ThundaHawkPS]

Wow Lightning is getting an armor boost? I used to rack up lots of kills before with the little thing, now it'll be amazing with strong-than-paper defenses!

[Happy lil Elf]

I :love: my little Lightning
:love::love::love:

[Prophaniti]

I used to have a Lightning. Unfortunately, I had to drop it for a Reaver because that actually has a chance of killing a Vanguard, which I am encountering more and more in large groups on Konried. I might get it back when i get bored of Reaver though.

[MilitantB0B]

Lightning is very fun, it is reaver food unfortunatly. I teamed up with 2 other lightning pilots once and we kicked butt more then 2 main battle tanks together. These guys are definetly pack animals, can't wait till the ballance patch.

[NoSurrender]

i remember i had it one day and it was the NC zerg to regain solsar. it was from amun i believe on that road to thoth and i remember i killed like 4 prowlers because its great for jumping in on weakened anything ie prowler beat a vangaurd or got raped by a reaver and id launch like 5-6 shells and boom i got a few prowler kills :) and ull prob see me and obfrog in lightnings together pwning everything

[Acaila]

Lightning is fun, and with a skilled user, lethal. Question, can a Lightning run over an anchored MAX and kill it? I swear I hit this MAX 3 times at top speed and he wouldn't die, then I remembered that I had cannon.

[ObnoxiousFrog]

No, hitting a MAX won't kill it, but it will eaken it to the point where a few cannon rounds will finish him off.


Unfortunately, these things also get raped by jumping VS MAXes.

[aiwest420]

agreed, lightning is a pretty cool tank.

the double armor will help it quite a bit.

when the balance pass goes live, first cert i'll be trying is the scattermax.

[SilverLord]

I remember back in the day the Lightning. First cert I ever picked up. it really was a bad cert back in those times but with the shields and soon to be, the armor buff, it's going to be a really good little tank. I can't wait to mess up those MagRiders and VanGaurds. Oh yea, running over MAXes is quite fun too.

[gonnagetyou]

You need to be going practically full speed if you want to run over a MAX and kill it. You'll take some healthy armor damage doing it, but sometimes it's your best option if they get the jump on you.

It takes 4 direct hits with the 75mm to bring a full health MAX down which really isn't a problem since the 75mm has a quick firing rate.

Get used to firing while moving. Once you get to the point where you can get direct hits on a MAX while going 60-74kph you'll start seeing your survival rate jump dramatically. Practice firing while moving with your turret turned 90deg. to your direction of travel and maintain situational awareness at all times so that you don't go running into trees and rocks everytime you turn the turret.

My favorite use for Lightnings is to chase down AMSs. It can be a real challenge because you have to shoot while moving and all the while adjust for speed, terrain and lag. If an AMS stops, always start shooting at the cab. This way if the guy bails you have a good chance of killing him when he does. TR and NC drivers often carry Strikers or Phoenix missiles in their inventory.

[Vernam]

Hmmm, I haven't used a lightning...ever, except for maybe 30 seconds in VR, will try it out once balance patch is here.

[Happy lil Elf]

I hunt reavers and Libs in my Lightning. Mosquitos give me more trouble because they're a bit harder to hit with the cannon and can make quicker getaways.

[1024]

lightning armor upgrade=party: