Ever wonder what a bunch of Aions can do?

Trader Aions might not seem that great at first, but en-mass they can be deadly. If the group is coordinated and works well together even dreadnoughts can be destroyed in short order.

As always hope you enjoyed the video, stop by the stream M-F noon Pacific to 5pm.

Artillery Cruiser 101 Part1

TLDR: Tunnel vision will kill you! Watch the mini-map specifically for Corvette and Light Des players. Remember your range is 7km, beyond that don’t bother it’s a waste of time.

The Artillery Cruisers a ship class I both loathe in game and generally dislike playing, that doesn’t mean I don’t play them I just don’t play them well. As I stated in my previous posts I am a firm believer that everyone should play every class at least 5 full games to learn the basics of that class. What follows is what I have learned about Artillery Cruisers besides the fact that I dislike them. (Don’t take my word for it, go try them!)

I will start with some quick pointers: #1 Unlike every other ship class when you hold the RMB(Right Mouse Button) down you get NO aim assist on your primary or secondary weapons, so learn to lead your targets. #2 You are a delicate little flower, maybe not as fragile as a corvette, but your a fairly easy target that doesn’t move around nearly as much as a corvette does. #3 Only the light Artillery Cruiser can fire in any direction, the medium and heavy have a forward facing cone for their main weapon. Secondaries can fire in any direction so when a corvette gets behind you, and they will switch to secondaries! #4 Unfortunately as of v1.0.3 Artillery cruisers are matched by the Zmey and Gora. #5 Move with your team, bob and weave. #6 Know the maps. #7 Watch that mini map!

#1 With every ship in the Artillery Cruiser line when you hold the RMB down you will get no aim assist like other ships get. This goes not only for your primary weapon, but secondaries as well. This makes the learning curve a bit steeper because you need to learn to lead your targets correctly. The secondary weapons are the same across the AC line but the primary weapons systems will have different travel times to target so it is also important you learn the travel speed of your main gun.

#2 You are not the Dreadnought, you are much closer to a corvette as far as you hitpoints go. Though you lack the corvettes maneuverability and generally must rely on friendly ships to defend you against corvette attacks. Your surviveability goes up when you use some modules, like Armor Amp.

#3 Knowing your firing arc is immensely important for all but the light AC. When you aim it is not necessary to have your ship pointed directly at your target, but it must be pointed in that general direction. Often I find it helpful to aim slightly away and continue moving forward while firing at a target that is almost at max range.

#4 Speaking of range Artillery cruisers, as of the writing of this post, are not the longest range ships in the game. As of the writing of this article, you will be in range of all Artillery Cruisers, Zmey, and Gora class ships. Knowing this means you can watch out for ships trying to harass you using their similar range against you..

#5 Do not camp, I know you’ve been told 1000s of times but seriously, if you don’t you will die...a lot. Moving with the rest of the ships also makes you harder to be singled out and destroyed.

#6 I will say this for every ship, every time, know the map! It will save your life over and over again knowing where you can hide and where the enemy will be hiding.

#7 Corvettes will be the death of you, even more so if you don’t watch your mini map. I know, I know you can’t watch it 100% of the time but it needs to become something you are always glancing at.

If you enjoyed the post swing by my stream I am generally live Monday-Friday starting about Noon Pacific to around 6pm.

Founders Pack Analysis Part2

TLDR: Outis < Selesia < Morningstar < Huscarl < Kali in order of most useful over the lifetime of your captain. Huscarl < Kali < Silesia < Morningstar < Outis in order of best hull modification pieces in my opinion.

Hero Ship Overviews

This detailed overview of each of the ships in the Dreadnought game Founders Packs. Morningstar is shared by both packages but every other ship is a Mercenary pack exclusive. In the following sections I refer to how players perceive the ships, modules, and / or officer briefings I am speaking about how experienced players that have been playing Dreadnought for a long time think of them. To quote the Dreadnought web site “Hero Ships are legendary, uniquely designed ships that give you instant access to advanced weapons and modules that are normally unlocked at higher captain ranks. While Hero Ships don’t give you an outright advantage in battle, they do offer more specialized options.”

The Morningstar

The Morningstar is Bix's legendary battleship, which he captained during the Great Solar War, winning many major battles for the PCF. He was captaining the Morningstar when he questioned his orders at the Battle of Venus, leading to mutiny, exile and the founding of Sinley Bay. The figurehead is an arms-bearing angel who, like Bix, may be a good guy, may be a bad guy – either way, you don't want to mess with him.

Slot	Equipped
Secondary Weapon	Heavy Flak Turrets
Primary Module (sI)	Scattergun Broadside
Secondary Module (sII)	Flechette Missiles
Perimiter Module (sIII)	Tractor Beam
Internal Module (sIV)	Warp Jump
Communications Officer	Retaliator
Weapons Officer	Survival Instinct
Navigation Officer	Slow and Steady
Chief Engineering	Adrenaline Shot

This ship is generally considered only playable until about level 15 because at 15 you unlock the Zmey and can build a much better version of this ship even without the good captain briefings. The good thing is you have Retaliator on the ship, so use those shields when you need to get your abilities up faster. The trader Dread can be used almost as effectively as the Morningstar because of the sI ability change. An effective use of this ship is Warp in on target, Tractor beam them into range of the Scattergun Broadside while shooting them with Heavy Flak Turrets. The ship comes with the following vanity items; Bridge, Forecastle, Forecastle with Figurehead, Hull, Stern, Morningstar Coating, and Morningstar Decal. Hands down the best part of getting this ship are the hull modifications you get.

The Outis

Also known as the Black Phantom, this ultra-stealthy Corvette is feared by all who enter unpatrolled space. It is said to be the ship of Captain Kith Longpaw, a smuggler who stole a Transhuman design from Oberon, rearmed and refit it using composites and metal to replace its mysterious but long dead biological armor. Legend says the Outis attacks so suddenly, that even ships equipped with advanced RAVEN systems have little hope of fighting back.

Slot	Equipped
Secondary Weapon	Plasma Turrets
Primary Module (sI)	Heavy Cloak
Secondary Module (sII)	Light Proximity Mines
Perimiter Module (sIII)	Disruptor Pulse
Internal Module (sIV)	Afterburner
Communications Officer	Feedback Loop
Weapons Officer	Destruction Cascade
Navigation Officer	Engine Rigger
Chief Engineering	It’s a Trap!

Currently considered one of the worst Hero ship builds because it’s Modules and Officer Briefings do not lend themselves to high damage or survivability and so the ship is stuck in an awkward place. With the latest patch reducing the Fulgora’s primary weapon damage, this ship is crippled even more. If you’re going to use this ship, remember to put power to weapons before deploying mines so they deal more damage when triggered. The ship comes with the following vanity items; Bridge, Forecastle, Forecastle with Figurehead, Hull, Stern, Outis Coating, and Outis Decal. The coolest of all the hero ship hull modifications, turns your ship from lookling like a speedy alien ship, to a space falcon of doom!

The Huscarl

This is the flagship of Crom Gallant, erstwhile head of R&D at Akula Industries. Legend has it that when Gallant quit the megacorporation, he stole a prototype heavy Destroyer equipped with elite modules. Siding against the PCF in the Great Solar War, he proved to be a shrewd tactician. His skill and the immense power of his ship made him impossible to beat until he finally met his match in the Battle of Io, where he was defeated by a certain Captain Bix.

Slot	Equipped
Secondary Weapon	Flak Turrets
Primary Module (sI)	Tempest Missiles
Secondary Module (sII)	Weaponbreaker Missile
Perimiter Module (sIII)	Weaponbooster Pulse
Internal Module (sIV)	Weapon Amplifier
Communications Officer	Feedback Loop
Weapons Officer	Destruction Cascade
Navigation Officer	Nerves of Steel
Chief Engineering	Tip the Scales

One of the best hero ships currently in the game, the Huscarl is a champ at dealing damage and surviving fights. Even at higher levels this ship can hold its own. When you need a target down quickly, fire up modules sIII, sIV, then put power to weapons even dreadnought class ships will feel the pain. The ship comes with the following vanity items; Bridge, Forecastle, Forecastle with Figurehead, Hull, Stern, Huscarl Coating, Huscarl Pattern, and Huscarl Decal. Don’t be too disappointed if you’re not using all of the hull modifications on every Gora ship you build.

The Silesia

The Silesia is the flagship of a rogue Sinley Bay captain, whose identity remains hazy, but has gained a reputation as a fearsome destructive force. Some speculate he could even be Transhuman. What is known is that he and his crew lost their secluded asteroid base during a Pan Colonial Fleet raid. Ever since then, the Captain of the Silesia roams through the Solar System, hunting the PCF crew responsible for the raid, crushing anyone who gets in his way.

Slot	Equipped
Secondary Weapon	Machine Gun Turrets
Primary Module (sI)	Rapid Fire Mode
Secondary Module (sII)	Drain Missile
Perimiter Module (sIII)	Disruptor Pulse
Internal Module (sIV)	Armor Amplifier
Communications Officer	Desperate Measures
Weapons Officer	Destruction Cascade
Navigation Officer	Navigation Expert
Chief Engineering	Reinforced

A middle of the ground ship, not terrible but not awe inspiring either. The main down side to this ship is that it is a Nox class Artillery Cruiser that just can’t seem to put out enough damage to make it worth playing. The ship comes with the following vanity items; Bridge, Forecastle, Hull, Stern, Silesia Coating, Silesia Decal White, and Silesia Decal Black. I think it has one of the best looking hull modification parts of all the hero ships.

The Kali

The Kali is the Flagship of Commodore Rajesh, head of security at Akula's refinery moon Phoebe. Rajesh is notorious for his cruelty and the crews in his fleet are famous for their efficiency. The Kali is a legend amongst mercenaries who have attempted to attack Phoebe and survived - they tell tales of seemingly indestructible fleet, made almost invulnerable by the Kali's unstoppable support prowess.

Slot	Equipped
Secondary Weapon	Light Machine Guns
Primary Module (sI)	Stasis Beam
Secondary Module (sII)	Repair Pod
Perimiter Module (sIII)	Overclock Pulse
Internal Module (sIV)	Emergency Evac
Communications Officer	Retaliator
Weapons Officer	Weapons 101
Navigation Officer	Engine Rigger
Chief Engineering	Adrenaline Shot

This is what I and many other consider the best ship in the Mercenary pack, because it gives access to a ship that can not be matched until level 25 at minimum and 46 for all modules and officer briefings. It is also probably the fastest consistent way to level up when first starting the game, if you can group with other players. The ship comes with the following vanity items; Bridge, Forecastle, Hull, Stern, Kali Coating,Kali Decal White, and Kali Decal Black. Lets face it, your Heavy Repair Beam and Overclock Pulse are what your on the battlefield for Adrenaline Shot will help keep your energy up. Repair Pod, Emergency Evac, and Retaliator give you some added survivability, just remember when you use Evac you are 100% inviz but healing points out your position to enemies. Engine Rigger gives you the ability to get into and out of cover quickly, just remember to keep healing as you go and you can go very far VERY fast. Finally Stasis Beam, no your primary doesn’t do damage but you can still stop a corvette in its tracks by hitting 1 and aiming your HRB at the vette, believe me this will scare the CRAP out of newer players and frustrate vets just as much.

Final thoughts

Final thoughts are each of the ships can have a roll to fill during a fight. The “Hero Ship” port slots don't take up any of your port slots so it's worth having them all full.(or at least as many as you can fill) These ships are not meant to be optimal killing machines rather they seem to be built so they have at least one down sides that way they are not flown as often as a custom built ship. Having 5 extra ship hulls available is the biggest advantages buying the Mercenary Pack gives, it might not seem significant, but it really is.

There are many more hero ships coming in the future, some were seen in the Alpha sessions and some were posted on other web sites, like the hero Monarch.

If you enjoyed the post swing by my stream I am generally live Monday-Friday starting about Noon Pacific to around 6pm.