Liberator gunship > Reaver at AtG?

[Acaila]

I think Lib's just using the 35mm are better than Reaver's at air to ground.

I am talking primarily at AV, though taking AI into account, they are probably better at that aswell, armour vs pain output.

[LimpBIT]

depends. Libs are good for killing ppl inside CY and on towers but reavers are better for anywhere else in the open like outside the CY or on roads killing ANT or w/e

[JetRaiden]

Reavers are good for quick, light and stealthy attacks on units, such as individual infantry, but thats about it. at least in comparison to the liberator.

[Acaila]

@Limpbit
I disagree, there are only 3 things in the game a Lib can't solo; a Mag, Mosq or a Reaver. Vanguard's are touch and go, Prowler's are easy prey. You can go toe to toe with a Skyguard and win. I like it when AA MAXs shoot at me, saves time looking for them.

The CoF spread combined with the travel speed of the 35mm means you need to get close to small targets (infantry and MAXs) to kill them quickly, it is pretty easy to dodge at longer ranges. Reaver's have the same problem, but their speed allows them to evade AA far more easily. In a Lib you need to plan your health for running away. 20% for the way in, 50% for the way out. Take more than 20% damage before you start firing, you usually won't escape. The damage escalates as you run away.

At an enemy base, that can be a problem as concentrated fire will eliminate you as you run away. If anything, outside in open areas is where a lib gunship really shines. If you are careful, you're 1 of the hardest things in the game to kill. Enemy air is the only thing that can take you down if you watch yourself, so you fly them straight into friendly AA if you don't have a competant tail gunner.

You can engage targets at longer range than you can with Reaver rockets and hit more successfully on fast moving vehicle targets. 35mm isn't as fast travel speed as other weapons, but it is alot faster than rockets. Taking into account reloading, a Lib and Reaver (rockets) have almost the same damage output, a Reaver is a little in front, though this is counter balanced by the reliability of direct fire, faster shot speed and better CoF.

I seriously think that if an attacking force was comprised of nothing but Lib gunships and Skyguard's, you would kill anything the enemy could field against you with the same number of players (bearing in mind you need only 1 person to field a Lib gunship), unless you're fighting VS. Magrider's might be capable of annihilating your force. I would like to test 2 Lib gunships verses 1 Mag with a good gunner.

@JetRaiden
Agreed.

[Xijx]

Yeah i have to agree for the most part th lib is a Pretty tough mother

Mags are realy the only thing on the ground you have to worry about....And realy good flailers....But other then that, its a pretty good bet i can kill it befoe it kills me....However this doesn't speak for the combination of vehicles and infantry....A Good Skygurad team(About 50:50 with a good one) and a striker or two will put a lib down pretty fast.

[flypengy]

No.

All the armor in the world can't make up for the fact that with strafing runs the reaver takes little to no damage. (an ams is easy prey for a reaver just making passes, but a lib will have to sit still taking constant damage from av).

[Acaila]

Strafing runs against an AMS are done better with a Reaver, you can escape before mass fire is brought on you. But that is only a small part of AtG. Even then, Lib 35mm has a longer effective range than AV besides the Lancer. For general ground assault, I still maintain a Lib is superior, purely based on longer range capabilities (can assault from longer ranges and a safer position), a more reliable main weapon (better accuracy, faster shot speed = more hits landed) and higher armour (can remain in the field longer and inflict more damage).

Throw a couple of AA MAXs in, and that Reaver is going to have a tough time killing the AMS. A skyguard, the Reaver can't do it. The Lib atleast can remove a Skyguard or a couple of AA MAXs.

[Rbstr]

They are better, that 35mm rip though stuff and the armor lets it take out a tank when being nailed by AA. But i prefer teh eraver its fasterm and is a bit easier to manuver, it is also better AI

[TheN00b]

I think that the Reaver is better, as it has incredibly fast strafing runs that are just as lethal as the Lib's plodding destruction.

[JetRaiden]

Originally Posted by TheN00b

I think that the Reaver is better, as it has incredibly fast strafing runs that are just as lethal as the Lib's plodding destruction.

um, no, in fact its not even close. it takes half a clip from the reavers rocket pod to kill 1 infantry unit. the liberator can take down about 10 times that in half a magazine of bombs.

[NewCong. Marine]

The Lib doesn't need to use the 35mm for AMS'... Thats why it has bombs. A parked AMS doesn't move, and if you're high enough in the Lib, nothin to worry about as far as ground troops are concerned.

[Seer]

You guys who are talking about bombs--this poll is clearly about the liberator as a 'gunship'--not a bomber.

[Acaila]

Yep, no bombs, just 35mm and 25mm. Mainly 35mm.

[Nereid]

The main advantage of the Lib's 35mm to the reaver rocket pods is that you dont run out of ammo so freakin fast. If you take all the bombs out of the trunk and fill it with 35mm ammo that gives you plenty to last in the field and kill multiple vehicles. The reaver much more limited on its rockets as they run out very fast. You then could use the reavers 20mm but then again whats a 20mm compared to a 35mm. The Lib may be slow but its still faster then any ground unit even the wraith so it can chase down any vehicle but must use its superior armor to flee with instead of AB. A reaver runs out of ammo fast but then again you can AB yourself to a near by Air tower to rearm yourself and repair wheres a liberator takes much longer to get to an Air tower for repairs so it might be just good to bring a glue gun when using the lib. But over all I like the Lib better since it can fire from a longer range with more accuracy and if it does get hit by AV it has the armor to stick out the fight. Ive always kind of thought of it as a flying tank.

[Seer]

I wonder whether the people arguing that the Liberator makes a better gunship have even taken their own advice. You don't survive long in a liberator. That thing is a brick compared to the reaver and, at the ranges you need to be to be effective it is a barn sized target. The 35mm is a harsh weapon, but you're completely vulnerable to both other aircraft, av, and all ground based small arms right up to 20mm. The fact that your speed never varies and you can't get away quickly makes you a very easy target to hit, too.

Other posters have pointed out that a reaver can strike quickly and jet away. That's their high suvivability tactic. Libs can't do this. So a Lib can take out something, but it's generally a one way trip. Have you seriously tried to get away from Phoenix users while flying below 100 meters after killing your target? I'll bet you haven't, if you're still saying the Lib is a better atg gunship than the reaver.

It can certainly operate, combat wise, longer than the Reaver in certain low-stress conditions. Like a cavern with less than 5 people in it.