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Strategies for dealing with Tzenkethi (based on observation)
patrickngo
Member Posts: 9,954 Arc User
With the advent of RTFO's, it is now possible that you will find yourself in a queue featuring the Tzenkethi.
They're a little different from every other opponent you're going to face, and some of your favored 'go to' powers are somewhere between useless and worthless against them.
This can (and will) make things very unpleasant for the unprepared player used to bunching up the Borg Spheres and blowing them AAAAAAWWWWLLLL UP!!! in Infected Space Advanced.
If (like me) you're also a "Bird of Prey Owner's Club" member, you may have noticed that rear flanking on Tzenkethi over a certain size? yeah, that's useless, anything bigger than a frigate will ignore your shots or only string double digits from your strongest attack.
IOW, they're only vulnerable face-on.
Here's a few things to help you understand how to fight them.
1. Tzenkethi and spider-healing. 'spider healing' was a tactic of premades about seven years ago in PvP, it didn't last long, but it lasted long enough to get a special, shorthand name. ship A heals ship B, heals ship C, heals ship A. Just replace "Heals" with "Uses a power to transfer invulnerabilities and damage immunities" and you've got what they're doing, but take heart! it's range limited.
THIS means you need to break up their formation and spread them out. subnukes do nothing to the Tzenkethi whom are spreading their purple beams of luv between them as they ejaculate fire, en-masse, at you for getting their attention with your Gravity Well.
Suggestion the First: swap your Gravity Well for something that is, in this case, actually useful. Tractor Beam Repulsors. TBRs break up the spider healing club. they also do damage, esp. if you've got enough into your control expertise that Gravity Well is your normal 'go to' in queues.
2. "Shoot them in the face." yes, this is counterintuitive if you've spent enough time to have either Intel, or Raider flanking (or both) on your ship...but, flanking does something like 1/10 to 1/100th damage to them, while shooting them in the face does more damage. If you have the Ferasan Escort from the C-store, it has a trait that may be of use.
They're a little different from every other opponent you're going to face, and some of your favored 'go to' powers are somewhere between useless and worthless against them.
This can (and will) make things very unpleasant for the unprepared player used to bunching up the Borg Spheres and blowing them AAAAAAWWWWLLLL UP!!! in Infected Space Advanced.
If (like me) you're also a "Bird of Prey Owner's Club" member, you may have noticed that rear flanking on Tzenkethi over a certain size? yeah, that's useless, anything bigger than a frigate will ignore your shots or only string double digits from your strongest attack.
IOW, they're only vulnerable face-on.
Here's a few things to help you understand how to fight them.
1. Tzenkethi and spider-healing. 'spider healing' was a tactic of premades about seven years ago in PvP, it didn't last long, but it lasted long enough to get a special, shorthand name. ship A heals ship B, heals ship C, heals ship A. Just replace "Heals" with "Uses a power to transfer invulnerabilities and damage immunities" and you've got what they're doing, but take heart! it's range limited.
THIS means you need to break up their formation and spread them out. subnukes do nothing to the Tzenkethi whom are spreading their purple beams of luv between them as they ejaculate fire, en-masse, at you for getting their attention with your Gravity Well.
Suggestion the First: swap your Gravity Well for something that is, in this case, actually useful. Tractor Beam Repulsors. TBRs break up the spider healing club. they also do damage, esp. if you've got enough into your control expertise that Gravity Well is your normal 'go to' in queues.
2. "Shoot them in the face." yes, this is counterintuitive if you've spent enough time to have either Intel, or Raider flanking (or both) on your ship...but, flanking does something like 1/10 to 1/100th damage to them, while shooting them in the face does more damage. If you have the Ferasan Escort from the C-store, it has a trait that may be of use.
Nature doesn't HAVE to be nice, or polite.
Free Hong Kong.
Free Hong Kong.
Post edited by baddmoonrizin on
5
This discussion has been closed.
Comments
Another thing to watch out for is the fact that just about all NPC Tzenkethi ships are PILOT ships. Its not that uncommon to see a Cruiser or Battleship use Lock Trajectory.
Adding on to the "break them up" line... bunched up Tzenkethi all aggro'd on you is VERY PAINFUL as they are all hitting one single arc. And they are using Tetryon, specifically Diffusive Tetryon, so your shields will be gone real fast. And that's not all... Tzenkethi do not fire standard torpedos. They fire Tetryon Torpedos, meaning MORE shield ripping power that is especially devastating in Torp Spreads.
Also heavier Tzenkethi ships can fire warheads that leave behind a Protomatter DoT. Kinda acts like a Plasma Burn but cannot be cleared by Hazard Emitters, meaning you are stuck with the DoT until it wears off on its own. To date, I know of no means of clearing this DoT.
One of the primary advantages most players will have is mobility. Most Tzenkethi ships aren't that maneuverable. However as pointed out above, they make up for that weakness with very strong shields along the sides and rear arcs.
If you can catch a battleship or dreadnaught by themself they're not that bad, the last thing you want to do however is bunch up tzenkethi ships.
The Main thing to remember is that the Tzenkethi are very strong in numbers and weak alone. Raider flanking isn't useless against a single Tzenkethi ship, however it is when you got a group of ships buffing each other.
EDIT:those shields are stronger then front ones but if a group focuses on the right targets they're not that strong, but the key is to play as a group and not try to solo them.