Pheonix Tactics

MilitantB0B · 2004-02-03, 10:48 PM

I decided to go ahead and make peace with having to cert in AV, so I decided to unlearn AMS and pick up AV premeturly. Stupid relearn timer kept me from doing that so I just went into VR training to try it out, and may I say, I am unimpressed. It is very hard to get that thing to do anything but vry small course corrections. What makes this so fun/effective for so many?

Warborn · 2004-02-03, 10:55 PM

Well, for starters, maybe when you get more practice with it you'll find it easier to use. Based on seeing these things in action, I'd say they're capable of doing a lot more than very minor course corrections.

As for why it's so insanely popular, I'd have to say that's because you can shoot it from behind cover, and direct it to its target. So you can just sit behind a hill or whatever and fire it at MAXs or vehicles (or infantry, I guess) with relative impunity. Granted in the open it makes you a sitting duck to use, but that's really not where it was designed to excel.

With that in mind, I suspect NC guys will be generally happy for with the upcoming AV change, moreso than other Empires, as the Phoenix and Decimator for 3 certs looks to be quite a bargain.

Spee · 2004-02-03, 10:55 PM

Vr isnt a really good place to try it.

Its fun because its the only AV you can do stunts with. Granted, to the other player, it looks like your drunk, but, its incredibly fun being able to fire from inside a tower, pilot it around a door, over a base wall, through a staircase, given that both doors are open, to smack a MAX or vehicle.

The advantage is complete surprise. BAM. No more 300 armor.

Also, I hope with the ammo buff, comes the lancer COF buff. <3 the lancer.

Rbstr · 2004-02-03, 11:38 PM

The only thing you can do with AV is take out maxes at range, and annoy vechs a bit, the cert is borked. Though it is fun to guide the pheonix to the target and here them screem when they get hit. And you can get pesky maxes like AA's that hide in the cortyard were you can hit them

BadAsh · 2004-02-04, 03:08 AM

Well, I have no trouble turning the Phoenix rocket, but I play with my mouse sensitivity at 100%!

I can almost turn it back around to hit myself! As I see me in my own rocket cam I can't help but think "Damn, I'm lookin good!"

The Phoenix owns at:

dominating MAX units outdoors... an outside MAX is a dead MAX... finishing off a flying VS Super MAX in mid flight is just soooo satisfying!
pimp slapping snipers... they have a choice run or die...
smashing light vehicles... lightning tank and weaker phear the phoenix
being a major pest to heavy vehicles
destroying enemy vehicle terminals... this is critical... a single dedicated Phoenix user can deny a whole base use of all vehicles for bases with exposed vehicle pads!
Taking out deployables... SpitFire Turrets are 1 hit wonders to the Phoenix

The next time you are part of a siege load up with a Phoenix, Rexo and 19 rockets (max capacity for that set up) and stand on the opposite side of the base tower roof. Launch over the top and you can hit anything in the base except targets on the far wall. From this position you can clean all the max units, ams stations, and vehicles trying to get repairs out of the CY. You can also take out the vehicle terminal and pound at enemy infantry... 3 to 4 hits kills an infantry so if they don't run for cover you will kill them... the best is hitting infantry while they believe they moved to a safe spot to heal... laff... 3 shots kills a max...

In dumb fire mode you will find the Phoenix to travel much faster than the Deci and it's more accurate with very little COF. With a little practice you will own MAX units indoors almost as good as you can with the Deci... this is particularly true if there is any distance involved like at the far end of a hallway...

If you have half a squad of Phoenix users and an AMS, just park the AMS on a hill overlooking the enemy base and fire from within the cloaking bubble... with just a handful of Phoenix users you will drive an entire enemy army below the surface. If you have TS and coordinate fire it gets even more brutal.

Against aircraft the Phoenix is ok... use dumbfire mode if he sees you or cam guided if he does not see you... but it's strength is what I listed above.

Oh and also the Phoenix makes a great scouting device... use it to peek through wooded areas, over base walls, behind hills and mountains, etc.

Trust me with some practice you will be in love with the Phoenix. Personally, with my NC character I don't use the Deci and prolly still won't. The Phoenix is just that good in the right hands.

If you are TR or VS... get the "new" av and use the Deci exclusively. The exception is the TR Striker vs aircraft it's pretty good and against MAX units that are in the wide open. For some reason if the MAX is near a structure like a tower or base the Striker won't lock on and in dumb fire mode the Striker has a horrific COF...

Every time I see a VS with the Lancer I cringe out of pity... and then feel relieved, "thank goodness he does not have a deci" and I count my easy BEP

Oh and P.S. My favorite thing about the Phoenix is you see and hear from the rocket cam's perspective. So when you hit a target the last thing you hear is them yelping from the hit... you can tell if you wounded or killed and it's just so satisfying to be so up close and personal to the woe you just inflicted while being safe and far away... lol

Veteran · 2004-02-04, 04:02 AM

Phoenix owns. Believe that first, because it's true. After you believe it, the door will be unlocked.

Vis Armata · 2004-02-04, 11:15 AM

Nice writeup, Ash.

I would add that the third person camera is good for maintaining your cover and still tracking targets.

Onizuka-GTO · 2004-02-04, 11:37 AM

Us Vanu love our quirky Technophile weapons, but so far our scientist has been perplex as to how come our oversized laser the Lancer that was designed against vehicles was at first terrificially great, but due to the unknown complexity of Vanu Technology has suddenly become wholely ineffective now (maybe because of the Vanu Gods have been on a string of bad luck?), even when fire at pointblank range at a trooper in standard/agile/Rexo it has almost no penetrative power. Which many Vanu soldiers have been baffled as to how this can be effective against heavily armoured vehicles....

So if any donations of Phoenix weaponary with a few boxes of ammo will be appriciated, we will reward you for your generousity with a swift and painless death or we can trade you some latest oversize shoulder-mounted laser pointers? Very cheap, $10 + ammo....

ChemicalHex · 2004-02-04, 11:40 AM

I don't know about some people, but unless the AV damage of the Lancer was nerfed, I thought it was just fine. It can't kill troops anymore, but putting 6 bolts of flaming hot death into a MAX has always been easy for me. Especially indoors, it was kind of hard to miss something that huge. Guess it just takes some getting used to. I just really hate it when people downtalk it.

But anyways, to be more OT, I would cert the phoenix. When I had it on my NC guy, I didn't get many kills, because a tank or some guy with a deci would always killsteal from me, but gawd, it's just so fun to use. The fun factor alone is practically worth it. That, and it's perfect for scouting enemy courtyards for AMS's, and annoys snipers pretty well.

Onizuka-GTO · 2004-02-04, 11:46 AM

but don't you think its strange? Those flaming bolts of death are designed to pirce the heaviest of armour, yet can't even penertrated normal troop armour?! And if they were "flaming" how come the troops aren't burning up when hit? I think most people would be skeptic if say a Armour piercing 30mm cannon bullet can't even pierce a soldiers' body armour at point blank range (and therefore kill him outright), yet miraculous have slowly but critical inflicted armour damage on a tank at 200m?

ChemicalHex · 2004-02-04, 12:04 PM

Huh, you have a point.

This must be Bizzaro-PlanetSide.

Queensidecastle · 2004-02-04, 12:06 PM

The Phoenix is godly and is the only usable AV. The other 2 are simply long range MAX and lightning killers

Visor · 2004-02-04, 12:09 PM

Phoenix can be very fun even if you have low FPS since you shoot and you are away from the main battle. All AV have to be used in groups to take down tanks or amses. The deci will only need 3 people to take down a tank while AV needs 6

Veteran · 2004-02-04, 12:16 PM

Don't forget that non-NC tank crews have to drive hundreds of extra meters to repair because of the shadow of death that the Phoenix casts.

Choosing your target long after you fire is huge. Phoenix has a Genuine Intelligence guidance system. The only other weapon with this feature is the Decimator in alt-fire.

It's huge.

ChemicalHex · 2004-02-04, 12:17 PM

If you think about it, even the Phoenix sucks at AV. It fires slowly, and does less damage than a Deci. True, you can guide it, but it's TTK sucks when compared to a Deci, or even a Lancer assuming all bolts hit. The only reason it seems godly is because it's so popular with the NC that many people have a phoenix, and when they see a Lightning (like the one I drive

), they all want the kill and pump it with missiles. By itself, it sucks unless plinking away at that MAX thats too stupid to run away. I've gotten good enough with the deci that I can lead moving vehicles and even MAX's with moderate success, and with my NC I uncerted phoenix the day after I got it. What they need to do, and has already been said, is buff the AV damage so the weapons can at least COMPARE to the deci in terms of firepower. An increase in clip size won't help, it's just a greater amount of suck. Just my 2 cents.