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Missiles: Heavy metal rain

Discussion in 'Strategy Discussion' started by TheAntiSnipe, 13 Dec 2018.

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  1. TheAntiSnipe

    TheAntiSnipe Moon's haunted

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    Missiles are one of the most controversial items in the game, shrouded in mystery.

    So I decided to really clarify what the missile launcher is for and what is can do. I talked to Zeus about missile mechanics, and played a LOT of missile games in the event.

    Starting off, let's talk about the type of player you have to be to use it.

    • The missile launcher SHINES on a brawler's build. Of course, it cannot be used at point-blank range. But if you have an entire set of weapons dedicated to point-blank attacks, missiles are THE weapon for you.
    • It is also super strong in the hands of a speeder these days. Why did I say "these days"? The reason for this is something that'll soon become clear. Let's just say it wasn't until very recently that the 'launcher's secrets were uncovered.
    • So, what about snipers? Well, that's a bit of a mixed bag. I would say that, in the best case, use missiles only if you have a good close range weapon as well, but as @capphil11 pointed out, endgame missiles are pretty strong and have a per-projectile damage of 700+. So yeah, missiles CAN be used on a sniper build. I still recommend that you have a good close range weapon, however.
    • Finally, as always, in places where two slot weapons are not welcome. Enforcer for example. Missiles on an enfo are a no-no.

    A lot of the time, I hear this: "Could someone teach me how to play with missiles?" And the stock answer basically leads you here:

    This is an EXCELLENT guide by @Waveblower. However, there are a couple of things that need to be amended, because the game has changed.




    1. Let's talk about spread:

    I had a talk with Zeus about how missiles work. The answers I got are as shown below:
    disss.PNG
    So here we go.

    A. Distance
    Long distance=long spread.

    B. Self Speed
    Here's a little Mythbuster session for you. Most of the people playing missiles, even the pros, think that your own ship speed affects missile spread. Truth: It doesn't! Feel free to run missiles on that speeder!

    C. Range perks
    Do not directly influence spread!




    2. Perks

    Back when Waveblower made the missile guide, we did NOT have any specialized missile perks. For that time, his advice was super sound. Use range, maybe use HP. Today, it's changed.
    Screenshot_2018-12-13-10-47-42-176_com.rovio.battlebay.png
    If you wish to do crazy stuff with missiles, go ahead and run missile damage, kill 'em all with superior firepower!




    3. All the more miscellaneous amendments to the video:

    • Missile launcher has its own tree now :)
    • Missile launcher starts with the full set of five missiles now
    • Due to the total removal of those crew talents, you can use mine or triple torpedoes even while getting the full power output on your missiles!
    • Defense is not really a thing anymore
    • Finally, on the summary screen: IMG_20181213_104621.jpg



    Finally, there were two more points I did not see in Waveblower's guide, the act of targeting missiles. Let's talk about that.

    1. An interesting little thing
    After a lot of investigation, I've discovered that missiles are at their best when firing them within the max range of an un-range/event-perked grenade. They scatter outside of that range, and stick together inside.

    2. Targeting rules:
    I will be dividing target rules by skill level; Green is for newbies, orange is for veterans.

    Use missiles when:

    1. The enemy is moving --> or <-- to you.
    2. The enemy is coming towards you.
    3. The enemy is running away straight and ISN'T a speeder.
    4. You have a clear line of sight.
    Do not use them when:

    1. The enemy is a speeder trying to run away from you.
    2. The enemy is trying to dodge a torpedo.
    3. The enemy is running diagonal to you.
    4. You don't have line of sight.
    Use missiles when:
    1. I'll emphasize that, as a veteran, you DO NOT need line of sight, use your insight. The following rules are less rules and more suggestions. Play with these and build your own.
    2. When facing speeders, enforcers and the like, ensure that your opponent is incapable of dodging(i.e) they're stunned, pinned, hesitant or their evasion gear is on cooldown.
    3. You can use them as a "veil" while firing a swift torp from behind them.
    4. Using missiles to manipulate opponents is also a good move, if you wish to channel, say, a super fast opponent like a speeder who wouldn't normally be fazed by other mortar types, you can do that.
    5. When facing down a heavily armored target, you can cover your escape, or even your attack, with missiles. Missiles are incredibly confusing and scary as "taunt" attacks, matched only by railguns and excannons when it comes to shock value.
    Do NOT use them when:
    1. The risk outweighs the reward. I say this because missiles have a skewed risk/reward. You don't conserve them like railguns, nor do you insta-fire them like sniper cannons. Missiles lean closer to blast cannons when it comes to the "value" of the shot.
    2. When you're at long range and fighting a high value target, missiles are NOT to be used. The damage they do will be pretty token, only use them if the opponent is a slow type and there are no chances of the situation devolcing into a brawl.
    (Totally not boasting) Here's some missile gameplay by (advanced) me from the future:



    Well, that's it for now, hope this guide helped!
    Anti out!
     
    Neil M., R4Z0R, Nikkie! and 11 others like this.
  2. HAPPY SITHSHA

    HAPPY SITHSHA Well-Known Member

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    Screenshot_20181110-185847.jpg
    Well bro,I'm not a missile launcher user but I got one leggy missile by combining before update 4.0. So,I was just trying that missile only for events. Also,I didn't finish training on missile too. But after 4.0 update,my missile got 5 projectiles!! So,I decided to give a try in my shooter and it worked pretty well! I'm currently training missiles now and " I love Missile Launcher now";);)


    Wait,I will share some replays where my missile launcher helped me at the end:):cool:.
     
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  3. Su-57

    Su-57 Well-Known Member

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    missile are good . we can even fire missile under the roof , where some mortars don't even work . today i have seen someone using it in a cave in one map .
     
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  4. envylife

    envylife Well-Known Member

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    Yea the launch angle is lower, but that also has the drawback that you need to back away from a rock or a wall more than you need to with Mortars.
     
  5. jfcliche

    jfcliche Member

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    Good up-date to the (still great) Waveblower guide. It was long overdue, thanks for that !
    But as a heavy and long-time missile user myself, I'm not sure I see the points you're trying to make in your targeting rules. First, the enemy may be lateral to you, or behind, or right in front of you, it doesn't change anything in terms of aiming and spread.
    Second, I really don't see why you shouldn't target an unfriend coming towards you, or running diagonal or is/isn't a speeder. From an aiming standpoint, missiles are basically a mortar shell that travels *much* faster. So compared to a mortar, you have to lead your shot in a more subtle way — same difference as between leading a shot with an XCannon (slower, like the mortar shell) and a sniper (faster, like the missile). So the unfriend may be moving in any direction, you can take your shot. Some shots will be harder to make, sure, but none of these shots are harder to hit with ML than with other weapons IMO. With practice you'll get better at leading your missiles.
    I also don't think you shouldn't use missiles when you don't have a line of sight. I think the fact ML is both a fast projectile AND it goes over waves is one of ML's main advantages.
    Finally, I agree that ML isn't ideal to fire at a speeder (sniper and railgun are the best), but it's not bad either. I find it better than any mortar, actually, and better than BC and XC. Mortar shells are too slow to hit a speeder, so you can't even hope to lower its health little by little. With XC and BC, it's all or nothing. You hit or you don't, but because of their range and projectile speed, plus the fact they don't go through waves, it's often "nothing". ML is a good compromise, IMO, even though it's not the best anti-speeder available.
    P.S. Just to be clear : I may disagree with you on this particular point, but I really enjoy your contributions to this forum, AS. Keep up the good work !
     
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  6. TheAntiSnipe

    TheAntiSnipe Moon's haunted

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    My mistake here. You see, English isn't my first language. What I meant to say was not lateral, but "horizontal"? Basically, what I wanted to say was that, to maximise shot hits at maximum range, your target should be moving right-to-left/left-to-right with respect to you. Because forward-backward aiming can lead to unregistered hits and wave conflicts. Will edit that part.
    Again, this is in reference to "maximizing" the number of projectiles hit. I should clarify those points. I'll edit the post, correct me if I'm wrong at that point. Writing in a hurry is a bad idea I guess:oops:
    I agree with you on that, which is why I talked about experience in my OP. If you're not experienced with ML and decide to go for no-looks, it's dangerous because you're not experienced enough to judge the target's movement to make an accurate lead-call. In fact, my "experience" point, as you see, is meant to be a blanket point. In the do's section, when I write, "You have a clear line of sight, or a very long experience period", I basically mean to say, "If you feel that the shot is possible, and you're experienced enough to take it".
    Again, my mistake. I should divide this guide's do's and don't's according to skill level. Sure, you're 100% right on this. I WAS able to hit speeders. But the point I was trying to make in the don'ts area was that, if a speeder is trying hard to run away, they will dodge missiles using the many tricks for it. Did you know that even an OB is enough to dodge missiles if you use the initial OB burst smartly? So it's better(for a beginner) to not shoot a running(and ACTUALLY running, there's a difference between a speeder who runs seriously and one who does not) speeder, and use their firepower elsewhere.


    Thanks for the constructive criticism and insight, much appreciated! I have a long train ride ahead of me this evening, I will thoroughly update my OP!
     
    Last edited: 14 Dec 2018
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  7. capphil11

    capphil11 Member

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    Great guide. Thank you!
    I wanted to dig a bit into your recommendation for avoiding ML on a long range setup. The spread definitely gets worse at distance, but for a high-level ML (eT4+) with a close to max trained captain, you are looking at 700+ per projectile. With the relatively low ML cooldown, getting 1 or 2 projectiles to hit at distance will get you decent amount of damage.
    As you have enemies trying to get closer, you also get a couple of chances for mid-range hits where ML truly shines. You will be in trouble, if opponents charge you, but that is mostly true for any long range setup. You have to be on the lookout and try to keep your distance whenever possible. Definitely some shortcomings on a long-range setup, but I do find ML an above average option that gives you some long to medium range damage as opposed to an arming a weapon that is only useful mid to short range.
    Totally agree that ML is much better for a mid range brawler setup, but I largely find that style less viable to play after 4.0 where focus fire at mid range takes you down very quickly.
     
  8. TheAntiSnipe

    TheAntiSnipe Moon's haunted

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    Must be my affinity to close range that brought me to this conclusion, then. Will correct.
     
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  9. BoomBoat4000

    BoomBoat4000 New Member

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    Parallel is players moving the same way as in = along the same line. Great for cannons.

    Perpendicular is what you are looking for like a T where you are going up/down and they are going left/right. Perfect for missiles.

    Constantly amazed by people speaking such good English when it’s not their first language, always better English than most English people ;)
     
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  10. TheAntiSnipe

    TheAntiSnipe Moon's haunted

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    Aye, I get that a lot.
    "Hey, TheAntiSn- Wait, what? You're an Indian?... So you tell me your mother tongue is NOT English? Yeah, nice one. You can stop using VPN now..." :D

    I think it's just that we're not sure how many ways our words can be misinterpreted in when we formulate a sentence, so we work extra hard to be clear. Still, as you saw, mistakes happen :p
     
  11. Kurd1stan.

    Kurd1stan. Well-Known Member

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    I want to read this thread because I'm a noob at using missiles, once I hit a defender with a frost blaster and then shoot him with missiles at close range but still I didn't hit him :oops::oops::oops::oops::oops::oops::oops::oops::oops::oops::oops::oops::oops::oops:.

    But no way I'm reading such a long post.
     
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  12. Nikkie!

    Nikkie! Well-Known Member

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    Hahaha

    Even I could read it, it takes less than 10 minutes (I skipped the veterans tips, because I don’t have missiles and I don’t think I’ll be able to use them right at my fixer:))
     
  13. Kurd1stan.

    Kurd1stan. Well-Known Member

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    I don't have time for it, I have too much college work.welp.
     
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  14. Nikkie!

    Nikkie! Well-Known Member

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    1. Targeting rules:
    I will be dividing target rules by skill level; Green is for newbies, orange is for veterans.

    Use missiles when:

    The enemy is moving --> or <-- to you.
    The enemy is coming towards you.
    The enemy is running away straight and ISN'T a speeder.
    You have a clear line of sight.
    Do not use them when:

    The enemy is a speeder trying to run away from you.
    The enemy is trying to dodge a torpedo.
    The enemy is running diagonal to you.
    You don't have line of sight.

    In my opinion was this part the most important :)
     
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  15. Kurd1stan.

    Kurd1stan. Well-Known Member

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    Thanks, but I know those,lol, I meant my aiming sucks.
    Though missiles CD is short so it is better for me to use it even at other situations.
     
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  16. V__

    V__ Well-Known Member

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    [​IMG]

    Pro: Good for hitting defender, guardian or AFK
    Con: Too random, sucks at hitting everything else, even at minimum distance it can spead and misses all.

    I dont even know how anyone can enjoy this weapon, both of my missiles collecting dust for a while now and when the event comes i still dont enjoy it at all, cannons are better everyday rather than this.
     
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  17. TheAntiSnipe

    TheAntiSnipe Moon's haunted

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    I'm absolutely wrecking even with rare t3 missiles in the events, hitting even speeders with as many as 3 missile shots at a time out of 5
     
  18. Nikkie!

    Nikkie! Well-Known Member

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    *Warning: Offtopic* (sorry)
    It was a nice replay you shared this morning! :) Boom!

    You had a very nice strategy :p
     
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  19. TheAntiSnipe

    TheAntiSnipe Moon's haunted

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    Oh GOD that modified comment LMAO :D
     
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  20. Skirra08

    Skirra08 Well-Known Member

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    I started running missiles on my fixer and I really like them for that. I don't have to spend a lot of time aiming them and they have a short flight time so I can spend my time doing my actual job of healing my teammates while they serve as a deterrent/distraction. I only have T1 epic with no perks and about half the training but even then they seem to be a better fit than blast cannon or railgun which were my previous choices. Oh and I run a carronade to clean up anything that gets inside of missile range.
     
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