Angles and Dangles

I had 2 Sea Scorpions, vs 3 dreadnaughts and 2 Hammereads. The hammers were using D55 siege missiles, and at max range are far less than mine, even if he's using rocket booster3. The dreadnaughts are faster and are using strike missiles. That means I have the range advantage. Unfortunately, this prey is online... I'm gonna have to work for it!

We both turn our fleets to starboard, and while I stack my 2 scorpions, he sends his fleets off to a few random positions behind them, and aims a dreadnaught at me. My four assault missile D53-Rs on each scorpion pack a good punch at 96 range. The highest range weapon on the game. The three Cutlass2 missiles on each scorpion have a slighly less range, but still outrange the strike missiles and siege missiles. His strike missile dreadnaught dies without firing, but I didn't notice that other dreadnaught rushing to get me within his range while I'm busy finishing the other.

I lose one of my two scorpions. They're big on firepower, low on armor.

As I gently and patiently maneuver my scorpion to where his half dead dreadnaught is, his third dreadnaught is aimed directly at me. I see his game now. He drags my attention away with a decoy, then sends the backup on a collision course to get into my range. I click on the port side with my fleet, then I send them all starboard. When he sees me click port side, he adjusted the path of his intercept ship to my new angle (angle of convergence). After he adjusts his intercept, then his main fleet (that I'm plucking missiles at), I click my fleets to starboard side, and watch as he forgets to retarget the intercept ship. I keep the second dread in my sights long enough to nearly kill it, then he moved a hammerhead into intercept position, and launches it at me while I'm trying to damage his third dreadnaught. It nearly got me in range too, but I was paying close attention. I'm watching his intercept ship's angle of approach now.

It was a constant game of cat and mouse, where he'd lure me into angling my ship toward his flee'ing ship, just to find myself in a head-on angle with a heavily armored dreadnaught or hammerhead .. barely enough time to aim the other direction before he's within firing range. I watch and listen for the assault missiles to fire, then impatiently watch the cutlass missile launchers... if they start firing I need to correct my angle immediately... for 5 minutes I kept my fleet safe, and when the battle timed out I sent the lone survivor home.

I tell him, "It was nice to fight someone that really puts some thought into piloting, well done wackdan." I do a similar technique when fighting fleets that outrange me, the attacker has to pay close attention and react to your movements correctly, every time, or it gets hit.

I'll have my fourth booster3 assault missile scorpions in 5 days. Then I start building my base fleets.