gonnagetyou
2003-06-02, 02:50 PM
I've been trying out the Vanu MAXs and I've spent a lot of that time in the Starfire. For anyone who doesn't know, that's the anti-aircraft configuration. I've heard people complain about how weak it is, but I've found it to be etremely good for what it was designed to do.
This MAX does one thing well and only one thing. Kill aircraft. Yea, occasionally you can blast some infantry with it, but it will take more than one magazine to do it and the rounds are slow enough to be avoided unless they have lock on which appears to increase their speed. But against Reavers and Mosquitos you only need one magazine of 8 rounds.
For anyone who hasn't seen this MAX in action, all the MAX needs to do is put their crosshair on the target and your rounds will lock onto the aircraft and will stay locked on as long as the MAX can keep his crosshair over the target. The rounds are fast and can change direction very quickly.
The trick is to fire off all 8 rounds near the aircraft before locking on. If you lock on too soon an experienced pilot will immediately hit his afterburner and get the hell out off there.
The best place to place the rounds are in front of the vehicle. This way even if he kicks in his afterburner he will pass through the general area of your rounds. Also, any Reaver pilot dumb enough to try shooting you while you have lock is in for an ass whopping. It only takes one magazine to bring him down and you can get all 8 rounds to the target long before he can launch enough missiles to take you out as long as you were at full armor health to begin with.
Placing your rounds below or above the target are the next best areas. A pilot will have a harder time seeing them unless he is facing you. If the pilot is fast enough he may hit his afterburners in time to save himself from having all 8 rounds fry him up extra crispy, but usually he won't get out of there unharmed.
Firing to the rear of the target before lock on guarantees the element of surprise, but makes it easier for an aware pilot to get out of dodge in time.
Of course the distance between target and rounds at the moment of lock on should be as close as you can get them. This can be tricky though as you don't want to be aiming too close to the target and accidentely get lock too soon.
Identifying the target as friendly or enemy without giving away your presence can be tricky sometimes. It's hard to actually make out the colors on the aircraft and if they aren't shooting at you sometimes placing your firing reticule over the target is the only way. If you have to do this then do it quickly. Place it over the target just long enough to determine friend or foe and then immediately remove it. I often fire into the air before identifying the target anyway. If it's a friendly they'll be OK as long as they don't move into the rounds themselves. Of course the guys who don't know what you're doing may wonder why your shooting.
A couple of Starfire MAXs working together can practically nullify any enemy airsupport over a base or tower. It has a huge ammo load and the reload rate is fairly quick. You only need one magazine of 8 rounds for most targets as long as you get the jump on them. The jump jets of course allow you to get to some really sweet firing positions and I had some of my best success with it by moving away from the main action and working alone from positions that I was least expected to be.
As long as you think of yourself as a mobile antiaircraft support unit and not as a one man tank you'll do really well.
This MAX does one thing well and only one thing. Kill aircraft. Yea, occasionally you can blast some infantry with it, but it will take more than one magazine to do it and the rounds are slow enough to be avoided unless they have lock on which appears to increase their speed. But against Reavers and Mosquitos you only need one magazine of 8 rounds.
For anyone who hasn't seen this MAX in action, all the MAX needs to do is put their crosshair on the target and your rounds will lock onto the aircraft and will stay locked on as long as the MAX can keep his crosshair over the target. The rounds are fast and can change direction very quickly.
The trick is to fire off all 8 rounds near the aircraft before locking on. If you lock on too soon an experienced pilot will immediately hit his afterburner and get the hell out off there.
The best place to place the rounds are in front of the vehicle. This way even if he kicks in his afterburner he will pass through the general area of your rounds. Also, any Reaver pilot dumb enough to try shooting you while you have lock is in for an ass whopping. It only takes one magazine to bring him down and you can get all 8 rounds to the target long before he can launch enough missiles to take you out as long as you were at full armor health to begin with.
Placing your rounds below or above the target are the next best areas. A pilot will have a harder time seeing them unless he is facing you. If the pilot is fast enough he may hit his afterburners in time to save himself from having all 8 rounds fry him up extra crispy, but usually he won't get out of there unharmed.
Firing to the rear of the target before lock on guarantees the element of surprise, but makes it easier for an aware pilot to get out of dodge in time.
Of course the distance between target and rounds at the moment of lock on should be as close as you can get them. This can be tricky though as you don't want to be aiming too close to the target and accidentely get lock too soon.
Identifying the target as friendly or enemy without giving away your presence can be tricky sometimes. It's hard to actually make out the colors on the aircraft and if they aren't shooting at you sometimes placing your firing reticule over the target is the only way. If you have to do this then do it quickly. Place it over the target just long enough to determine friend or foe and then immediately remove it. I often fire into the air before identifying the target anyway. If it's a friendly they'll be OK as long as they don't move into the rounds themselves. Of course the guys who don't know what you're doing may wonder why your shooting.
A couple of Starfire MAXs working together can practically nullify any enemy airsupport over a base or tower. It has a huge ammo load and the reload rate is fairly quick. You only need one magazine of 8 rounds for most targets as long as you get the jump on them. The jump jets of course allow you to get to some really sweet firing positions and I had some of my best success with it by moving away from the main action and working alone from positions that I was least expected to be.
As long as you think of yourself as a mobile antiaircraft support unit and not as a one man tank you'll do really well.