Ares Inferno vs ERT

[White Lando]

Anyone been running ERT missions in 3.16 with the Ares Inferno?

I just spent all my ammo and 9 Thunderbolt IIIs to kill the Hammerhead. About 80% of my shots were between 300-500 meters at the center of the Hammerhead (circling it at SCM speed). The other 20% wasn't fired from further than 700 meters. My pip was constantly doing the "tink tink tink" of successful hits and the sparks were flying like crazy.

The Nine Tails mission was going on so I'm hoping its ineffectiveness was from desync but wanted to see what everyone else was experiencing.

Really debating turning this rig into a Vanguard Sentinel. The E-War stuff could be cool when it's brought in and I'd gain a multi crew ship with full interior and a combat effectiveness that can't be screwed since it can change weapons when they get nerfed.

I'm having a hard time putting my faith fully in CIG's hands and the Ares is 100% at their mercy.

Probably keeping my Ion even though I'm not happy with its current state.

 

[BUTUZ]

I had a hard time killing a hurricane in my inferno the other day first time I'd flown it since the nerf. CIG has truly screwed us over and unfortunately I am beginning to see a purposeful pattern - make the ship fucking awesome then put it on sale, everyone buys it as it's OP, then nerf the shit out of it once they've got your money. Seems to happen a lot.

 

[Aramsolari]

Probably keeping my Ion even though I'm not happy with its current state.

The Inferno is the better ship at the moment but I run the Ion instead because of it's lasting power. For activities let Nine Tails, running out of ammo and having to head back to resupply sucks. I can take down 2...at most 3 Hammerheads before I need to rearm. Maybe a couple more if I face hug the enemy. YMMV I suppose.

 

[NaffNaffBobFace]

I would suggest going in to Pirate Swarm on single player and seeing how the ship does. Shouldn't be any desync in Single Player so should be a better representation of what the ship is capable of.

 

[NaffNaffBobFace]

I had a hard time killing a hurricane in my inferno the other day first time I'd flown it since the nerf. CIG has truly screwed us over and unfortunately I am beginning to see a purposeful pattern - make the ship fucking awesome then put it on sale, everyone buys it as it's OP, then nerf the shit out of it once they've got your money. Seems to happen a lot.

I wasn't financially in the position to chase that white rabbit back in the day but saw it with the Super Hornet, the Sabre, the Vanguard, the Buccaneer... Now I see the while rabbits tail bobbing past and just watch it run off to the horizon.

It may be a legit balancing approach, it may be intentional sales tactic... I don't know and can't assume but it does seem to be cycle for the new hotness to turn old and busted.

The only ships which have stayed relatively stable are the standard Hornet and the Gladius likely as they'll be the Light and Medium fighters in S42 and have to maintain performance for that use...?

I played the CR game Freelancer. I wanted to fly the ships from Liberty and Leeds systems all the way though the game but you had to progress through the ships to be able to get the heavier weapons classes. I hope SC doesn't turn out that way as I love the style of some ships and would be crestfallen to have to push aside my 350r for a Gladius just because it's not the halo brand. I don't expect the 350r to be as armoured as a Gladius but I expect its 3x s3 guns to hit as hard as the Gladi does, as example.

 

[Dirtbag_Leader]

Really debating turning this rig into a Vanguard Sentinel. The E-War stuff could be cool when it's brought in and I'd gain a multi crew ship with full interior and a combat effectiveness that can't be screwed since it can change weapons when they get nerfed.

^This. Vanguard remains one of my favs for all those reasons. Great fighter, great turret, nice interior, etc. When you can grab the $10 upgrade to a Warden, and then a $15 Warden -> Sentinel but sit on that one until we know more about the E-war/etc. stuff.

 

[vahadar]

@White Lando I had to reread twice to make sure you were speaking about the Inferno instead of the Ion ;)

I have no issues here, I usually spend around 800 ammo rounds per Hammerhead on ERTs. At best without rearming that's around 5 HH killed.

You just need to circle strafe him (roll and side strafe) so you shoot at same exact spot all time and evade its fire. Basically you fly always at the same spot compared to the HH but the roll + strafe makes you avoid all incoming fire, and you will always see the same side from the HH to shoot at. If you see me in-game sometime I can show you.

Because if you just circle it even if aiming at center, you will spread your hits on many faces instead of hitting a precise spot and it will take much longer to kill it.

Also I'm only using the Ares (Ion or inferno) vs HH, as they are not effective anymore vs escorts with the nerf. So I usually clear all escorts with a Gadius/Hornet/Buccaneer for all 3 targets on an ERT group warrant before switching to any Ares to finish the HH.

Edit: I'll do a quick video tomorrow for you to see what I do vs HH.

Edit2: correction about ammo spent, it's more like the double. Average 800 per HH now as not all of them spawn without shields up.

 

[White Lando]

@White Lando I had to reread twice to make sure you were speaking about the Inferno instead of the Ion ;)

I have no issues here, I usually spend around 300-400 ammo rounds per Hammerhead on ERTs.

You just need to circle strafe him (roll and side strafe) so you shoot at same exact spot all time and evade its fire. Basically you fly always at the same spot compared to the HH but the roll + strafe makes you avoid all incoming fire, and you will always see the same side from the HH to shoot at. If you see me in-game sometime I can show you.

Because if you just circle it you will spread your hit instead of hitting a precise spot and it will take much longer to kill it.

Also I'm only using the Ares (Ion or inferno) vs HH, as they are not effective now Vs escort. So I usually clear all escorts with a Gadius/Hornet/Buccaneer for all 3 targets on an ERT group warrant before switching ship to finish the HH.

Edit: I'll do a quick video tomorrow for you to see what I do vs HH.

I do the same technique that you described vs the HH but would appreciate a vid. Always looking to improve. It's probable that my desync was really bad that night. I'll try it again tomorrow.

One thing you could try with the escorts (so you don't have to switch ships) is do a fly by and keep going in a direction. The escorts will follow you faster than the HH and the HH will give up pretty quick. I usually decouple and drift away at 900ish m/s until they're 30 km or so from the HH. Then I kill them and take on the HH 1v1. If there's a Hurricane I hit it with the Thunderbolt II missiles. The Wardens and Valkyries get the gun.

 

[vahadar]

@White Lando You were most probably desynched, unloading a full S7 Inferno ordonnance in order to kill a HH is waaayyy too much.

Yes I can do decouple vs escort as you mention, but it's a waste of ammo and time for me ;)

With 3.16 unfortunately Ares is not a time efficient killing machine anymore even when decoupled shooting at your pursuers. I kill much faster all escorts in a Hornet, and even taking into account the ship switch, I spend way less time than staying with the Ares for the entire group warrant.

 

[Ayeteeone]

Despite all the changes the Vanguards have endured, they are still very solid ships. Until the Ares were released, I was running ERT's in the Sentinel.

It's fitted with GVSR's on the nose to burn smaller ships. I switch those off and turn on the Size 5 Omnisky for the HH. It's nowhere near as fast a kill as either Ares can provide, but it can do it reliably. Kite the HH with a bit of care and it'll never be able to touch you.

Honestly, if the Ares stay in their current state, I'll be melting my pack. I have no use for one-trick-ponies. And especially two ponies with the same trick.

 

[White Lando]

Despite all the changes the Vanguards have endured, they are still very solid ships. Until the Ares were released, I was running ERT's in the Sentinel.

It's fitted with GVSR's on the nose to burn smaller ships. I switch those off and turn on the Size 5 Omnisky for the HH. It's nowhere near as fast a kill as either Ares can provide, but it can do it reliably. Kite the HH with a bit of care and it'll never be able to touch you.

Honestly, if the Ares stay in their current state, I'll be melting my pack. I have no use for one-trick-ponies. And especially two ponies with the same trick.

Love the Vanguard.

I completely agree on the Ion and Inferno feeling way too similar. Before 3.16 it was amazing having both ships because they felt like polar opposites (as the concepts described). Having both in their current state feels like a waste.

Still on the fence if I'm going to CCU one. There's a lot of time to get them corrected but I'm not feeling very confident.