Looking at the Anvil Asgard

[Richard Bong]

I melted some FPS gear and have some store credits. I was considering using the credits to CCU my Redeemer to an Asgard. There is no hurry, since I'm not getting a special price. In fact I'll probably wait until the next time around, if I decide to do it.

I know I can't base it on flight or combat performance now, because if you aren't in an Interceptor, a Mark II Hornet, or certain light fighters you're in a bad place for both.

I should probably have something smaller than my Liberator for cargo and ground vehicle capacity in order to do ground based bounty hunting, eventually.

What are your thoughts?

 

[Shadow Reaper]

It’s an impressive ship. I like how homey it feels. I think it matters how many people in your group. The Andromeda does not get enough luvs and is heavy competition. Especially if you have someone to man the Andromeda’s lower turret, it will do much better Close Air Support, it can take more beating, way better missile pack, way, way more shielding, can be stealthier and the snub is welcome if again, you have the crew.

My ever bias is as you know, small signature. The Asgard has an 9% nerf to EM and IR that makes it slightly easier to see if you are running cold, and that can make some difference. It is probably less difference than the missiles and shields. In the current iteration, S3 shields are a huge bounce in power.

Also, note the Asgard has dedicated S3 missiles. I much prefer the quad S2 missile launchers on the Andromeda. They lock closer, fly faster and hit harder if you load Rattlers.

I like the Asgard a lot but in practical terms, I’m not sure it beats the Andromeda. With the dinner table retracted it feels big inside.

 

[Mudhawk]

Ah well. Back at Invictus I played around with my brand-new Starlancer TAC.
Nice big ship. Has all the amenities I'd ever want on a long track across the stars.
Then came Anvil Day and I TESTed the Valkyrie.
Five minutes after the log-off of that session my TAC turned into a femal warrior with a winged helmet screeching Wagner arias...
Such is love at first sight.
I like the flight model (feels heavy but agile enough).
I like the VTOL (pelt the bunker with your turret from above).
Love the side doors (Can be used as entry no problem)
From my perspective it's a Cutlass Black MAX. (And I love my Cutty too)
Those 6 S3s for a nice pattern too. Like a triangle with the pilot in the middle.
As for practicality, you can park an URSA Medivac vertically in the back and still load a tonk as well. Take THAT Andromeda...
PS: The Andromeda would win in a 1x1 versus a Valkyrie. No doubt about that. But as long as Mr. Bong's job ain't duelling he can't go wrong with the Anvil Valyrie.
I know I fly mine more than I do my Phoenix Emerald.
And that one's got a stocked bar!

 

[Thalstan]

I am going to say it this way....

If you are on the fence and don't mind either waiting a bit, or paying a bit more, then I would wait.

Right now, the Asgard is in a really good place. Some might even argue that it's in too good a place. I am one of those. It's big, it's powerful, and it has a lot of pilot controlled guns. CIG has gone out of their way to remove single player powerhouse ships. Maybe their have realized that these ships are what attract customers, but I suspect that as soon as the sale ends, and the window to return the Asgard for real money instead of credits, we will see a large NERF bat swinging at it hard.

Maybe it will recover some of its intended glory, but what we see today is probably not going to last. Just seen CIG do that to ships way too often after the initial release.

 

[Ayeteeone]

CIG has gone out of their way to remove single player powerhouse ships.

Very true with the possible exception of the Constellations, and the restoration of the Corsair to a pilot-controlled weapons platform.

@Richard Bong With the last round of nerfs to the Redeemer I CCU'd mine to the aesthetically more appealing Valkyrie at IAE last year. I genuinely don't know what role either ship is intended to fill for players now, but the Valk was useful for bringing a Nursa to the party. The handful of buffs it's had leading up to the release of the Asgard were quite welcome and have turned the ship into one I use now.

The Asgard leans into that with more cargo space and lower crew numbers, and is a blast to fly. The space in the back allows for all kinds of silly configuations, especially if you are a loot goblin of any particular flavor. The ONE thing it lacks, and became painfully apparent within minutes of using it, is the top turret. Even in PvE you will need to push into the dogfight or have a friend flying cover behind you. So while I agree with @Thalstan that it's probably going to see some 'adjustment', to survive it's role it needs to keep most of the current agility.

Having said that, if I'd known to wait longer then upgrading the Redeemer to the Asgard would have been an easy choice. If you've got 5 players in a group then there are MANY better ways for them to kit up than the turrets on the 'deemer, and the Asgard allows a lot of options. Whether those options are useful to what YOU want to do is really the question imo.

 

[Thalstan]

Very true with the possible exception of the Constellations, and the restoration of the Corsair to a pilot-controlled weapons platform.

@Richard Bong With the last round of nerfs to the Redeemer I CCU'd mine to the aesthetically more appealing Valkyrie at IAE last year. I genuinely don't know what role either ship is intended to fill for players now, but the Valk was useful for bringing a Nursa to the party. The handful of buffs it's had leading up to the release of the Asgard were quite welcome and have turned the ship into one I use now.

The Asgard leans into that with more cargo space and lower crew numbers, and is a blast to fly. The space in the back allows for all kinds of silly configuations, especially if you are a loot goblin of any particular flavor. The ONE thing it lacks, and became painfully apparent within minutes of using it, is the top turret. Even in PvE you will need to push into the dogfight or have a friend flying cover behind you. So while I agree with @Thalstan that it's probably going to see some 'adjustment', to survive it's role it needs to keep most of the current agility.

Having said that, if I'd known to wait longer then upgrading the Redeemer to the Asgard would have been an easy choice. If you've got 5 players in a group then there are MANY better ways for them to kit up than the turrets on the 'deemer, and the Asgard allows a lot of options. Whether those options are useful to what YOU want to do is really the question imo.

Actually, if you have a always available ship to CCU from to the Asgard, that might be the best thing to do. A Token plus a CCU so you get get that LTI.

 

[Daak Gelrin]

I have nothing but positive vibes for the Asgard. It's just the right size for daily use, and not too big and heavy feeling.

That said, I say the nerf hammer will come for it after it's sale is up, but I don't think it will be too heavy handed.

My guess would be it will get a bit of an agility nerf, but still be able to maneuver decent with a lighter hand on the stick. (she'll just like to sway a bit less than a connie's big ass)

It's no dogfighter nor should it be, but as a small cargo/vehicle dropship it needs to be able to be "flown" into tight spots reliably. Can't be a bull in a china shop with small landing tolerances.

Go for CCU, I say.

 

[FZD]

If you are on the fence and don't mind either waiting a bit, or paying a bit more, then I would wait.

I suspect that as soon as the sale ends, and the window to return the Asgard for real money instead of credits, we will see a large NERF bat swinging at it hard.

That said, I say the nerf hammer will come for it after it's sale is up, but I don't think it will be too heavy handed.

I think @Thalstan and @Daak Gelrin bring up a good point. CIG likes to always present the latest and greatest to drive up the sales, and then nerf them later to balance them.
It's not about "if" it gets nerfed, it's about "when" it gets nerfed, most likely within the next 6 months.

So I'd grab the CCU, but would not apply it until we see what it looks like post-nerf.

 

[Richard Bong]

It’s an impressive ship. I like how homey it feels. I think it matters how many people in your group. The Andromeda does not get enough luvs and is heavy competition. Especially if you have someone to man the Andromeda’s lower turret, it will do much better Close Air Support, it can take more beating, way better missile pack, way, way more shielding, can be stealthier and the snub is welcome if again, you have the crew.

My ever bias is as you know, small signature. The Asgard has an 9% nerf to EM and IR that makes it slightly easier to see if you are running cold, and that can make some difference. It is probably less difference than the missiles and shields. In the current iteration, S3 shields are a huge bounce in power.

Also, note the Asgard has dedicated S3 missiles. I much prefer the quad S2 missile launchers on the Andromeda. They lock closer, fly faster and hit harder if you load Rattlers.

I like the Asgard a lot but in practical terms, I’m not sure it beats the Andromeda. With the dinner table retracted it feels big inside.

Can't go from a Redeemer to an Andromeda.
An Andromeda can't carry prisoner pods plus an Ursa.
As much as I want to like the Connies, I just don't.

 

[Richard Bong]

Actually, if you have a always available ship to CCU from to the Asgard, that might be the best thing to do. A Token plus a CCU so you get get that LTI.

The Deemer started life as an MSR in a LTI Scoundrel Pack.

 

[Richard Bong]

Very true with the possible exception of the Constellations, and the restoration of the Corsair to a pilot-controlled weapons platform.

@Richard Bong With the last round of nerfs to the Redeemer I CCU'd mine to the aesthetically more appealing Valkyrie at IAE last year. I genuinely don't know what role either ship is intended to fill for players now, but the Valk was useful for bringing a Nursa to the party. The handful of buffs it's had leading up to the release of the Asgard were quite welcome and have turned the ship into one I use now.

The Asgard leans into that with more cargo space and lower crew numbers, and is a blast to fly. The space in the back allows for all kinds of silly configuations, especially if you are a loot goblin of any particular flavor. The ONE thing it lacks, and became painfully apparent within minutes of using it, is the top turret. Even in PvE you will need to push into the dogfight or have a friend flying cover behind you. So while I agree with @Thalstan that it's probably going to see some 'adjustment', to survive it's role it needs to keep most of the current agility.

Having said that, if I'd known to wait longer then upgrading the Redeemer to the Asgard would have been an easy choice. If you've got 5 players in a group then there are MANY better ways for them to kit up than the turrets on the 'deemer, and the Asgard allows a lot of options. Whether those options are useful to what YOU want to do is really the question imo.

Now, I prefer the Deemer aesthetics to the flying brick that is the Valkyrie/Asgard. The Redeemer currently fills a hole in my fleet between the crew of 3 Zeus Mk II MR and the crew 6-7 Retaliator. I don't want to go too far up in price range in case CIG finally gets around to the next two tiers of Bounty Hunting ships.

 

[Thalstan]

Let me ask a different question then. What do you want to be doing in the Asgard?
You said "for cargo and ground vehicle capacity in order to do ground based bounty hunting " in your original post. Is this what you are wanting exclusively, or are you looking for something more "jack of all trades, master of none" type of ship?

It looks like you are wanting something for 3-5 people, easy to load, but also something that you don't feel horrible and vulnerable when flying solo. Am I getting the vibe right, or is there something I am missing or mistaken about?

Honestly, the deemer isn't going to do it for you. Too many required turrets, not enough flexibility.

For 6+ people, I think the hammerhead might be a good spot for you, even maybe above the Tali. Yeah, the Tali has torps, but they need to fix the tali so it's in a better spot I think. 12-18 torps, able to be fired in clusters of 4. Maybe 4 in the front, 8 in the back (double current), or 6 and 12 in the same front/back configuration.

 

[Richard Bong]

Let me ask a different question then. What do you want to be doing in the Asgard?
You said "for cargo and ground vehicle capacity in order to do ground based bounty hunting " in your original post. Is this what you are wanting exclusively, or are you looking for something more "jack of all trades, master of none" type of ship?

It looks like you are wanting something for 3-5 people, easy to load, but also something that you don't feel horrible and vulnerable when flying solo. Am I getting the vibe right, or is there something I am missing or mistaken about?

Honestly, the deemer isn't going to do it for you. Too many required turrets, not enough flexibility.

For 6+ people, I think the hammerhead might be a good spot for you, even maybe above the Tali. Yeah, the Tali has torps, but they need to fix the tali so it's in a better spot I think. 12-18 torps, able to be fired in clusters of 4. Maybe 4 in the front, 8 in the back (double current), or 6 and 12 in the same front/back configuration.

I have ships for solo, my wife and I each have a Hawk, and a Sabre, I also have an Eclipse. We also each have a Vanguard Warden (mine has a Sentinel BUK) and a Cutlass Blue. I have a Zeus MR and she has a Mercury Star Runner. I have a Liberator, Redeemer and a Retaliator.
Multi-crew ships are not, in my fleet, for solo play. The Redeemer fills the multi-crew hole between 3 and 6 people not having the Redeemer leaves.

Our primary aim is bounty hunting. Most Sci-Fi bounty hunting is done on the ground. The Hawk brochure says 75% of live captures are taken on the ground. There are two ground vehicles that should be able to fit bounty hunting containers, the URSA and the Argo CSV. Ideally we should be able to carry one of those and have a couple of "meat racks."

 

[Thalstan]

Excluding the Connie, which for me continues to be plagued with cargo elevator issues and that you don't like, than there are three current vehicles all built on the same general platform. The Asgard, Paladin, and Valkyrie.

The Asgard is much more solo capable, more cargo, and less dependent on crew. BUT, you are looking for when you have a crew, so the Valkyrie isn't always a bad choice either. Both will fit ground vehicles, but the Asgard is designed to fit a tank whereas the Valkyrie...well, let's just say I don't think they considered ground vehicles that size then they released the Valkyrie.

The Paladin is more of a gunship/less of a cargo hauler. IF, and it's a BIG IF...you could put a few BH cells on the Paladin, that might be the better choice, but if it doesn't allow for a BH cell or few, it won't give you the features you are wanting.

Of course, there is also the Liberator, which is designed as a kind of mobile base/Launch/landing platform/small ship transport/ground vehicle transport/cargo transport. It's an ideal ship for medium and slightly larger groups. It even allows you to bring both Hawks, or a Hawk and a Sabre, plus a ground vehicle or two (maybe even a Nursa plus some dragonflies, all while having decent cargo room. Based on what you say you are looking for, this might be a strong contender, but it will require other ships (that you and your wife have) to make it work.

While the Ironclad and Ironclad Assault are also possibilities, I think they don't fit the function you are looking for.

 

[Mudhawk]

So I'd grab the CCU, but would not apply it until we see what it looks like post-nerf.

Isn't it usually the other way around? Fly the new ship until the bonus expires. Then drop it for the next big thing?

An Andromeda can't carry prisoner pods plus an Ursa.

An Andromeda can't. That would require a Taurus.
OR creative stacking of pods on walkways and in living quaters. Which is most likely doable.
Or you team up your Andromeda with a Cutty Red and load a smaller ride instead.
But then its admitedly no longer one ships for all.
Damn... :-)

 

[FZD]

Isn't it usually the other way around? Fly the new ship until the bonus expires. Then drop it for the next big thing?

Ah, well I suppose it depends on what you're after and what your strategy is. If you're playing the CCU game, you don't want to waste a nicely discounted chain on a ship that you end up not liking.
But I suppose you could always have like $400 in store credits you use to always get the latest and greatest and then melt that for the next one after the nerf. I could see that being fun too, but personally I'm more long-term oriented.

 

[Mudhawk]

If you're playing the CCU game, you don't want to waste a nicely discounted chain on a ship that you end up not liking.

Actually I can relate to that. Combining that perfect CCU chain is an art in and off itself.
But I gotta admit that I already got more ships than I got time to fly as much as they deserve to be flown.
So I got those 400$ something that I use to try out the newest and best and... oh well, hardly a ship stuck lately.
BUT I gotta admit the Asgard might turn out to be a keeper.
Yet as you mentioned, let's wait for the Nerv-Hammer before coming up with a final verdict...

 

[Richard Bong]

Excluding the Connie, which for me continues to be plagued with cargo elevator issues and that you don't like, than there are three current vehicles all built on the same general platform. The Asgard, Paladin, and Valkyrie.

The Asgard is much more solo capable, more cargo, and less dependent on crew. BUT, you are looking for when you have a crew, so the Valkyrie isn't always a bad choice either. Both will fit ground vehicles, but the Asgard is designed to fit a tank whereas the Valkyrie...well, let's just say I don't think they considered ground vehicles that size then they released the Valkyrie.

The Paladin is more of a gunship/less of a cargo hauler. IF, and it's a BIG IF...you could put a few BH cells on the Paladin, that might be the better choice, but if it doesn't allow for a BH cell or few, it won't give you the features you are wanting.

Of course, there is also the Liberator, which is designed as a kind of mobile base/Launch/landing platform/small ship transport/ground vehicle transport/cargo transport. It's an ideal ship for medium and slightly larger groups. It even allows you to bring both Hawks, or a Hawk and a Sabre, plus a ground vehicle or two (maybe even a Nursa plus some dragonflies, all while having decent cargo room. Based on what you say you are looking for, this might be a strong contender, but it will require other ships (that you and your wife have) to make it work.

While the Ironclad and Ironclad Assault are also possibilities, I think they don't fit the function you are looking for.

The Paladin has Zero SCU of Cargo and can't carry an Ursa. It is completely useless for my purpose.

Solo capable isn't part of the calculation for me.

I have a Liberator. It is a bit large for the mission. It can carry three ground vehicles up to Nova in size plus two Hawks, Sabres or Eclipses. Or it can carry two ground vehicles, a Snub and two small craft. Plus 400 SCU of cargo. Like "soloable" not part of the calculation.

 

[Mudhawk]

I always imagined the Liberator as a craft of many in some large scale invasion force. Think D-day. Id hate to be caught outside of a convoy with that one even with the 2 escorts it can bring.
If you go that far as flying a megaton of bricks through the athmosphere then you might as well bring a Drake Ironclad Assault.
At least its got a small repair facility and with some luck that detachable command module might just survive the more embarrassing accidents. :-)
Seriously though, once controll surfaces are a thing i wonder how you fly a Liberator in athmosphere. Probably like that Boing they used for the SpaceShuttle.
THAT was a tricky flight with only the fairest weathers allowing for a take off.
Probably gotta send your escorts first and follow them down. But that would degrade the Liberator to a mere jump shuttle.
Tricky...

 

[NomadicHavoc]

I have ships for solo, my wife and I each have a Hawk, and a Sabre, I also have an Eclipse. We also each have a Vanguard Warden (mine has a Sentinel BUK) and a Cutlass Blue. I have a Zeus MR and she has a Mercury Star Runner. I have a Liberator, Redeemer and a Retaliator.
Multi-crew ships are not, in my fleet, for solo play. The Redeemer fills the multi-crew hole between 3 and 6 people not having the Redeemer leaves.

Our primary aim is bounty hunting. Most Sci-Fi bounty hunting is done on the ground. The Hawk brochure says 75% of live captures are taken on the ground. There are two ground vehicles that should be able to fit bounty hunting containers, the URSA and the Argo CSV. Ideally we should be able to carry one of those and have a couple of "meat racks."

That’s sounds like sooo much fun bounty hunting with your better half. Will you guys have a name for your bounty hunting service? Who ya gonna call? Bong Hunters?