Unfinished! Still tinkering with this setup. A lot of minor components aren't final
This is a fairly straightforward Sting (Flashfire) build which is my go-to ship on my main Imp-side pilot. It's similar to my NovaDive, but geared more for (slightly) longer-endurance combat and scout-to-scout dogfighting. It's a little less able to control the map and struggles to solo-cap a satellite with turrets, but its Cluster Missiles keep everyone in range on their toes. Unfortunately, its reliance on Clusters means that if no reload is available, it loses a lot of its effectiveness.
Components:
Primary Weapon: Quad Laser Cannon
T3 - Critical Hit Chance, T4 - Increased Shield Damage
Quad Lasers feel, handle, and hit almost identically to regular Lasers, except they guzzle your weapon energy significantly faster in exchange for hitting a little harder. Like regular Lasers, they sport good range, accuracy, and damage, making them good all-around weapons you can rely on in any engagement. Just mind your weapon energy pool! As with the NovaDive, +critical for extra punch and +shield damage to get through to that tasty hull faster.
Secondary Weapon: Cluster Missiles
T3 - Range Increase, T4 - DoT
The bread and butter of this build, Cluster Missiles are fun to use because of their extremely short lock time. Combined with a very fast reload, this makes them ideal anti-Scout missiles - any decent Scout will evade the first missile lock, but by the time they exit their evasion manoeuvre, you're ready to re-lock and fire again! You can pummel tricky Scouts over and over like this, keeping them on the defensive if not just outright killing them. On other targets, they're a useful bit of extra damage, especially since you may find yourself running out of laser energy with your quads right as your target has just a sliver of hull left. A quick Cluster Missile will finish him off!
The range increase is invaluable, despite the attractiveness of the extra ammo option. At a measly 5000m, Clusters have downright anemic range for a missile, and you'll often find your targets simply move out of range before you can finish the lock. An extra 500m 'buffer' to locking range helps ensure you send your missiles on their merry way. The DoT upgrade is straightforward - extra damage, without the massive ammo penalty of the other damage option.
Systems: Booster Recharge
T3 - Regen, T4 - Engine Power Boost
Like my NovaDive, this Sting does well with speed and mobility on its side. Being able to get where you need on the battlefield is invaluable, as is that extra engine juice when you desperately need to pull an evasion manoeuvre.
Shields: Distortion Field
T3 - Missile break
Excellent for head on passes and gunship hunting: pop this, and very few lasers/railguns can hit you for the next few seconds (outside of insanely lucky shots). The missile break is just too good to pass up, functioning as a sort of second evasion if you're in hot water - just be sure to use it before the missile is launched!
Engines: Koiogran Turn
T3 - Increased Engine Speed
The meta says it's for noobs, and the "pros" will tell you it's predictable and makes you an easy kill, but that's because they're stupid and don't know how to use it right. It combos with your boosting: Once you're in hot water, getting missile locks and damage that your ship can't take, a quick one-two-three of F3(engine power)+3(Koiogran)+Space(Boost) will have you laughing all the way to the nearest friendlies while you make the space cops eat bass. In rare circumstances, it can also be useful to pull a tight head-on counter pass, getting your lasers and rockets back on your opponent while he's still turning around and aiming at you. In this case, you don't use it defensively, but rather as a deliberate enhancement of the normal manoeuvres you're making as you fly.
Armour: Lightweight Armor
Evasion: A Scout's best friend. Accept no substitute.
Capacitor: Damage Capacitor
The only major difference between Quads and regular Lasers is that Quads use more energy in order to do more damage. So... more damage!
Reactor: Jury's still out
Thrusters: Regeneration Thrusters
I find my Sting running on fumes a lot more than my NovaDive, and it needs the extra engine help. When you get caught without any engine power is when you die.
Crew:
I don't like Imperial crew options as much... here is what I've put together.
Copilot: Blizz
Hydro Spanner, to keep the hull in tip-top shape.
Offensive: Pierce
25% extra ammo for the missiles is huge, and the accuracy is also incredibly important! A must.
Defensive: Vector
Extra evasion, and a little extra shield power.
Tactical: Quinn
Forward sensor boost, and a dampening boost to help avoid detection.
Engineering: Blizz
A mix of engine and weapon boosts, both precious commodities!
