Nova - Laser/Pulse Array Guidelines

[verdantgreen]

So, when using a Laser/Pulse Array (such as those found on a Nova), when is one to use the full-AD Twin-Linked Pulse weapons and when would the half-AD AP/Beam weapons be better?

Here are my guidelines...please, tell me if I have this correct.

1. Is the target protected by numerous interceptors that will have most of their strength available for this attack? If yes, use the beams. If no, use the pulse weapons.

2. Is the target hull 4 and are you able to Concentrate All Fire? If both answers are yes, use the beams. If either are no, use the pulse weapons.

3. In all other situations, use the pulse weapons.

Did I miss any circumstances where the beam portion of a Laser/Pulse Array is the way to go?

 

[Obsidian]

You've pretty much got it down, but there is an exception to rule #1. The Nova can do a very good job at knocking down the interceptors so that higher damage weapons can get through. So for example if you have a Nova and an Apollo on the board you will want to fire the Nova in pulse mode against the target so as to deplete their interceptors and then follow that up with the volley from the Apollo. Especially if loaded with Flash Missiles.

 

[Silvereye]

I don't think there really is a right and wrong answer, though there are situations which favour the use of 1 fire mode over the other.

I'd probably use AP, Beams if available against any ship with Hull 5 and definitely against any ship with Hull 4, as there is the potential of more hits with the Beam re-rolls. I'd also consider using Beams against ships with a good number of available interceptors, unless the interceptors need depleting.

 

[Davesaint]

I don't think there really is a right and wrong answer, though there are situations which favour the use of 1 fire mode over the other.

I'd probably use AP, Beams if available against any ship with Hull 5 and definitely against any ship with Hull 4, as there is the potential of more hits with the Beam re-rolls. I'd also consider using Beams against ships with a good number of available interceptors, unless the interceptors need depleting.

Take a look at the number for the TL at Hull 5 vs the AP/Beam at hull 5

Assume side arc for optimal firing

TL - 12AD needing 5's to hit. First roll on AVG - 4 hits 33%. 2nd roll - 8AD still needing 5's - 2-3 hits. On Average you will get 6-7 hits with the TL

AP Beam - 6 AD needing 4's = 3 hits, 3AD needing 5's = 1 hit, 1AD needing 6's = 0 hits. On average - 4 hits.

Unless your opponent has significant amount of interceptors, the TL is always the better way to go.


Dave

 

[verdantgreen]

Interesting. You know, I've only occasionally thought about deliberately depleting interceptors. Of the twelve games I've played so far, only two have had more than 2-3 ships per side...so fewer opportunity to sacrifice a ship's attacks for interceptor interception

 

[verdantgreen]

I would agree that the beams are never worth using unless you can Concentrate All Fire AND the enemy has a low hull score.

...that, and interceptors

 

[Davesaint]

I would agree that the beams are never worth using unless you can Concentrate All Fire AND the enemy has a low hull score.

...that, and interceptors

Against Hull 5 With CAF - 6AD needing 4's - 3 hits + 1-2 additional hits from the CAF - 4-5AD needing 5's 0 1-2 hts, Likely 0 Hits when you need 6's which gets you a likely max of 7 hits, same as if you had TL the weapon.

Frankly I would never CAF with a Nova. You are likely to have other ships in other arcs that you would like to be shooting at. More dice thrown = more chances to crit things. No CAF!

Dave

 

[Silvereye]

I have found Beams do not really work too well if you expect a statistical average. Beam has a larger Standard Deviation due to it's re-rolling method then Twin-Linked. Twin-Linking re-rolls smooth any statistical deviations closer to the average as it does not matter if the first roll is significantly better or worse then average as any re-rolls will involve more or less dice depending. Beam with the possibility for more then 1 subsequent re-roll can mean that a few less (if the original roll is worse then avaerage) or lots more (if any of the rolls are better then average) shots than average will hit.

Hence my comment of "the potential of more hits with the Beam re-rolls".

 

[Davesaint]

I have found Beams do not really work too well if you expect a statistical average. Beam has a larger Standard Deviation due to it's re-rolling method then Twin-Linked. Twin-Linking re-rolls smooth any statistical deviations closer to the average as it does not matter if the first roll is significantly better or worse then average as any re-rolls will involve more or less dice depending. Beam with the possibility for more then 1 subsequent re-roll can mean that a few less (if the original roll is worse then avaerage) or lots more (if any of the rolls are better then average) shots than average will hit.

Hence my comment of "the potential of more hits with the Beam re-rolls".

The problem is that it is a single damage beam. Even if you roll really hot, you aren't likely to get more than 9 hits on a 6AD weapon that is only AP. The problem is that on the Nova you lose too many dice and too much range to make the Beam a good choice. If the Beam was DD, I would agree with you Silvereye, but it's only a single damage beam. The only time I fire it as a beam is against interceptors. Otherwise, it's better to go TL.


Dave

 

[Rynar]

A Nova is supposed to be rammed into the middle of the opponent's fleet and schoot their Twin-linked nastyness to all directions (so no CAF!!!)

+ remember to launch auxillary craf before this (SCRAMBLE!!!)

The lasers would only be worth it over the Twin linked If you are playing vs Abbai or if they would be Double Dammage, wich they are not... (no, no complaining yust stating the fact, I like the Nova as it is, I also like the Omega from Armageddon and the upgrade for the Command Omega in S&P ... I'm a good EA player )

 

[Silvereye]

The problem is that on the Nova you lose too many dice and too much range to make the Beam a good choice

Range is not an issue, with the reduced range for LPA Beams it makes some of the choices for you as you cannot use Beams when not in range. Also that both the Marathon and Warlock also carry longer range LPAs.

Its firing at Hull 5 targets that you really get the gamble, as this is where a good Beam roll is required to hit slightly more often then a Twin-Linked roll. Hull 6 your better off using the Twin-Linked, and Hull 4 or less is better as AP, Beam.

Like you say though, making the Beam Double Damage as well will likely swing the choice to always favor the Beams when in range.

 

[Obsidian]

Interesting. You know, I've only occasionally thought about deliberately depleting interceptors. Of the twelve games I've played so far, only two have had more than 2-3 ships per side...so fewer opportunity to sacrifice a ship's attacks for interceptor interception

It's a good tactic. I mentioned the Apollo since it was the first thing that came to mind, but this sort of tactic also works when firing the Railguns on the Artemis or Olympus. Try it out on the combat sim. Fire a Nova to deplete the interceptors and then switch over to an Artemis and fire the Railgun. Those 6 Double damage dice will poke through to the target and do some decent damage.

 

[sidewinder]

I liked how they were in B5 Wars. The beams had the same range as the heavey lasers on the omega. They didnt do as much damage and you couldnt fire them in continuous mode but one laser pretty much has the same range as another. It gave the ship some long range abilty while you closed in to use them in pulse mode, which is where you could really do some damage. Pulse weapons in that game could hit multiple times and the nova was covered with them, but they were pretty short ranged.

For ACTA I was thinking of making laser mode increase the range 50% instead of decrease it. Havent tried it yet though. To really make it worth while you would probably need to give them 16 AD in pulse mode. You still only get 6 AD in beam mode but it gives you incentive to close range and switch to pulse mode.

 

[locarno24]

Depleting interceptors before smacking something with heavy guns works well, but remember you can use starfuries for that.....

To be honest, the only time to bother with laser mode is hull 4 with rerolls (scout as well as CAF!, remember...). I don't thing I ever really remember using it.

 

[Chernobyl]

You've pretty much got it down, but there is an exception to rule #1. The Nova can do a very good job at knocking down the interceptors so that higher damage weapons can get through. So for example if you have a Nova and an Apollo on the board you will want to fire the Nova in pulse mode against the target so as to deplete their interceptors and then follow that up with the volley from the Apollo. Especially if loaded with Flash Missiles.

under the new firing order for aux craft, the Nova's carried craft can easily deplete interceptors. just a thought.

Chern

 

[Obsidian]

under the new firing order for aux craft, the Nova's carried craft can easily deplete interceptors. just a thought.

Absolutely correct and something I completely forgot about. Still used to doing things under the pre-armegeddon rules.

 

[Iain McGhee]

Still better to use the Nova's guns to deplete interceptors rather than using your fighters if the target has AF weapons or masses of secondaries.

 

[Obsidian]

I guess the point really is that the use of pulse weapons against a target with interceptors is a highly situational decision. If you've got fighters in the area and you don't mind the high probability of losing them, use them to deplete the interceptors. If you don't have another ship with a precise/higher damage weapon in range then it is better to go with the laser.

 

[Voronesh]

Yep it does have fighters for int depletion.

But those could be elsewhere, eating away at ships that do not pose a threat to fighters ^^, or they could have already been destroyed early in the game (E-mines/ISA Nials).

So i still think that beams are the inferior weapon mode. Plus the Nova is just too much of a "in your face" ship, that tries to get 2-3 weapon arcs working, kinda preventing the use of CAF. So unless a hip is mounting quite a few interceptors and i dont want to deplete them (no other ships firing at it mostly) i might go with beams, but apart from that......i dunno

 

[Silvereye]

OK, a potentially weird idea. Would Beam mode be better if the range of the beams was increased to 16" Nova and 18" Warlock/Marathon as opposed to the current decrease? AD reductions and trait changes remain the same.