test content
Logo
What is the Arc Client?
Install Arc
Mines, how effective?
System
Member, NoReporting Posts: 178,019 Arc User
Cruising around in my ShiKahr and looking for new weapon combos. So I picked up the Level 2 photon mine launcher and slapped both phaser arrays in the front. Removing my photons entirely. So far works pretty effectively.
Long term I want to run in a fleet support role and I was wondering how effective anyone thought multiple mine launchers might be? Would dumping a phaser array to put on a second mine launcher be effective? Any thoughts?
At least while we languish waiting for the servers?
Long term I want to run in a fleet support role and I was wondering how effective anyone thought multiple mine launchers might be? Would dumping a phaser array to put on a second mine launcher be effective? Any thoughts?
At least while we languish waiting for the servers?
Post edited by Unknown User on
0
Comments
In PVE if you do not move around a lot and let the enemy come to you.. the mines are 360 degrees.
Turrets have 360 degrees, beam arrays have 250. Turrets do drop on DPS a lot though (about 60% of a similar beam array), so it's a trade off. Better firing arcs, but a lot less damage.
In PvE, I get to range 10 km and start up with my green dual heavy disruptor cannons (a very small and limited firing arc) and my Disruptor turrets. The reason I use the turrets, is cause the dual heavy disruptors do not have the capabilities of firing to the side, so broadside attacks are impossible.
Normally in PvE, I can down a shield with the above tactic if I fire a photon in the intial barrage and then when it recycles I use high yeild torp BO ability and keep firing my disruptors and WHAM... the target is either cripped or dead.
By that time, they rarely get to range 5km. So mines would be a bit useless for my style.
SORRY MY BAD... I did not even realize what I typed... Turrets have 360 degree arcs. not 260.
can't say about science ship haven't played around with them at all
Very effective in a Cruiser, especially at higher tiers and especially if you can combine it with a Tractor Beam and Eject Warp Plasma. Upgrade to Quantum Mines asap.
In PvP mines are good to hurt BoP's on your tail and for making the infamous Federation Phaser Ball even more lethal.
Aye, I must agree to this...your minefields can be rather bothersome tbh. Compared to beta I have noticed that more feds now uses mines.
I love mines. They're so wonderfully passive-agressive, and as long as you maneuver with your mine clusters in mind you can frequently draw the enemy into turning their weak shield to them.
I also love the plasma torpedoes, but their survival chance against an enemy that's not asleep at the wheel is nil. And splash damage kills them too, so they can be stopped even by friendly fire
Mines are at least a little more durable and the tac BO mine powers can let you flood the area against interception sometimes.
There was a long, sad time during which mines were bugged to literal uslessness, doing 1 point of damage per hit.
Unfortunatlely, now that mines are useful again, people have realized they can spam them in overwhelming quantities and turtle in place - there needs to be some limiter on this. I favor detonating a minefield if it gets too dense and capping the amount of active mines lower than it is now.
I also say this because I use mines a ton, from the start I knew I wanted to focus on mine use because of the concept, not the actual damage numbers or anything. I flew an escort with both mine BO skills and my play style was very focused on fast passes to surround ships with a mine net. But because of the mine spam everyone is taking mines and just dumping tons of them out without any tactics. This really trumps any attempt to play them correctly and use skill in their deployment.
Mines will follow a cloaked enemy who is close enough to activate them...but they only active at close range and we tend to sit farther away when cloaked, we arent idiots (most of us anyway.)
In ANY pvp situation where mines COULD be useful...a torp launcher would be much more useful.
All of you feds who create huge deathstars of mines are just gimping yourselves.
Any time the "enemy" tells me that I am an idiot to use a certain weapon, makes me want to a least consider using it
As you say only an idiot Bop would run into them but like there are idiot Feds that wander off from the ball, there are idiot Klinks out there too. Besides it messes up tab targeting and even makes click targeting hard for klinks.
Regarding the qustion someone asked about Science Vessles and Mines. At lower tiers, I don't bother since I only have a couple of slots in back and one has to be a phaser and the other really needs to be a torp. But once we get 3 slots, I like to add mines. If for no other reason that there really isn;t much else to put back there. Its not like an SV has the power to be a beam boat.
Find the enemy, go head on (like playing chicken), take out the front shields, and deploy the mines about 3.5km away. They'll go active just in time to hit through the obliterated frontal shields. They tear through the hull, far more damage per load than torpedoes, if you can land 4 or 5 five of 'em.
They definitely change your combat strategy though. I find them effective as targeting decoys, as well. Going into a fight against four or more BoPs, I notice if I drop mines at right about 9 or 10km, some of the birds will target the mines and not me for a while. Just a little perk, since they're not really that effective from so far away anyway.
You could use a turret also, that adds a little dps all around and doesnt take any weapon power.
I do agree with and understand what your saying...but other than targeting issues (which is only when they make a deathstar of mines) you are totally gimping yourselves out of ranged dps against an average or better opponent.
Detonating a dense field may be hard to implement, but capping the number of active mines should work. Or just increase the recharge time; mines seem to have a two minute or so lifespan right now.
On the one hand, the whole point of mines should be to deny an area of space to an opponent. Thus, sure, any idiot should be smart enough to avoid mines... which means that I just have to put mines wherever I don't want that idiot. Behind me, for example.
If you don't want Feds making phaser balls, then make weapons score more damage to stationary targets. Lots more, if need be. Maybe even exempt targets that lack engines, so you don't have to rebalance the various permanently-stationary targets already in the game.
If you're okay with Fed phaser balls but not mines in said balls, make it so that the mines will wait to activate until the minelayer has traveled a certain distance. Or make mines refuse to engage targets that would take them by a friendly ship; i.e. friendlies are opaque.
As for balls of mines being annoying... how well do torpedo spreads clear them? Torpedo spread should be good for more than just lighting up cloaked ships.
Please explain why you require a phaser and torp in the back. What if you had a turreted phaser up front? Or is that what you mean by the phaser in back?
Also good at taking down pesky fighters and siphons. The fighters can usually only take one or 2 of the mines.
I havent notice much use for them as a dps type weapon. Just saved my butt and given me room to breathe when I needed it.
I swear by them because of this.
I did see a fed turtle full of mines just nuke the hell out of 6 klingons. If you put the skill points in the right spot, quantum mines can mess people up. Shields drop or one hits you at the wrong time and you are toast in pvp.
Also mines target high yield torpedoes. A mine can be used on anything that can be targeted.
As for recharge and amount It seems fine right now. I've noticed that around 5 patches the oldest ones pop on their own.
So yeah, I'd say mines can be quite useful if you put a little thought into using them. Not only the obvious traps and whatnot, but in other ways like I did. Combined with a turret in the other rear slot, it allows me to use all four of my weapon slots against a target directly in front of me.
especially against bops
i run my escort with quantom mk2 mines and stop at my 10k unload my plasma cannons pew pewers and SPAM REINFORCE FOWARD SHIELDS by the time they get close to me i have like 3- 5 mine groups out i just evasive manuevers outta there.
also works well in groups of those weak fighters zoom in the middle drop a few zoom out