Last modification: 20th September, 1998.
Collected by Tozo (Main source: //www.3dgaming.net/features/secretops/ )
Attention! (English)
My goal was to provide a single file, that contains all the needed information to complete Origin’s WingCommander: Secretops. I didn’t write it myself, so all the credits must be given to the guys at 3DGaming.net . I only made this file, because I needed a single word file to print out. Then I converted and modified it to Html, so that’s what you are reading. Please, if you want the most accurate information, go to 3DGaming.net , and get it from there. I would like to thank the guys their work making this collection. This file doesn’t contain the pictures provided in the original issue , so if you need them, sail there!
Figyelem! (Hungarian)
Clom egy olyan fjl ltrehozsa volt, amely tartalmazza az Origin cg WingCommander: Secretops jtknak vgigjtszshoz szksges sszes informcit. A fljl tartalmt nem magam rtam, annak dicssge a 3DGaming.net -en dolgoz srcok. Elszr egy Word fjlra volt szksgem, hogy kinyomtathassam. Ezutn ezt tettem t Html-be, s mdostottam nmikpp, s ezt olvasod most. Termszetesen, ha az abszolt legfrissebb infkra van szksged, knytelen vagy a 3DGaming.net -hez fordulni, s onnan leszedni. Ezton is szeretnm megksznni az ottani srcoknak a munkjukat. Ez a fjl nem tartalmazza az eredeti anyag kpeit, szval azokat is onnan kell leszedned!
From now on, all the characters (despite some of the links) are 3DGaming.net made!!!
Update!!!:
98.09.20.
I made some addititions to this file, so from Episode3, it is my own work! The preceeding sections (Episode1 and 2) and the Weapons and Enemy guide mainly remained intact (I only completed them with the mission and episode names). Tozo
When Origin announced that they would be releasing a totally free game to the Internet, everyone came up with their own theories on why they were doing this. Some thought that Origin would fill the download page with advertisements or even use advertisements in the game to make money. Others thought that it was to repair Origin’s bad reputation after Ultima Online. My best guess was that they wanted to get people hyped up for the Wing Commander movie that is coming up soon. None of that really matters though, because we have a FREE full-version game to download! If you aren’t familiar with the Wing Commander series, Secret Ops is a space combat sim like X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter or Descent Freespace. This is such a huge event for every gamer out there that we would be stupid not to do a big feature to celebrate it.
Every Thursday a new episode is released, and we will do our best to get a strategy guide for that episode posted by Saturday or Sunday. Click on “Episode” to see the latest strategies. In the downloads section we give you links to download the game, weekly episodes (updated on Thursdays), an instruction manual and even some trainers (cheats!). In the Enemies section we tell you what you will be fighting against and give you some info on what each enemy’s weak spot is. The Ships section tells you what you get to fly, and each ship’s abilities. The Weapons section will tell you everything you need to know about each firearm, e.g. some of missiles have cool abilities like auto-tracking (no lock needed), and we’ll tell you what guns are good for certain situations. All of the sections will be updated when a new episode brings us new weapons/enemies/ships. Feel free to send us any hints or tips, and we’ll be sure to give you credit if we use them. Check back here often, this feature won’t be completed for almost 2 months! Or 7 episodes, whichever comes first.
Beginning Episode1 Episode2 Episode3 Episode4 Episode5 Episode6 Episode7 Enemies Weapons
Episode 1: Deep Black (Courage system)
Mission 1 Mission 2 Mission 3 Mission 4
Mission #1: The Capricous Carrier
Primary Objectives: Escort the Cerberus into hyperspace;
Secondary Objectives: None;
Guns: Cloudburst; Chain Ion;
Missiles: Artemis = 6; PilumIV = 6;
Enemies: Moray, Stingray, Manta;
Your Ship: Panther
Make sure you are familiar with all of the keys like Afterburners (TAB) Flares (E), and Autopilot (A) before playing your first mission.
NAV #1
You will encounter a wave of four Morays at first. The Morays are slow and can be taken out easily with good aim and Cloudburst guns. When the last Moray is on it’s final breath, a second wave of five enemy ships will appear. They are a mix of Morays and Stingrays. The Cloudbursts work well on the Morays, but the Stingrays might be too fast for you. A combination of Artemis missiles and Chain Ion cannons will clean the ‘rays up pretty quick.
NAV #2
Seven ships will meet you at this NAV. Two Morays will try to escape, if they succeed you will fail the mission. Hit your afterburners and let a few Artemis missiles talk them out of their escape. While you’re chasing the two chickens a group of Mantas will stick on your tail. Drop some flares to distract their missiles, and if your shields start getting low hit C then 5 to tell your wingmen to help out. When you have killed the two runaways use your remaining missiles on the Mantas. When they are dead it’s time for you to get back to the Cerberus.
Primary Objectives: Defend the Cerberus;
Secondary Objectives: None;
Guns: Dust Cannon; Cloudburst;
Missiles: Artemis = 4; Swarm = 8;
Enemies: Skate; Skate Class B; Lamprey; Baracuda; Manta; Moray;
Your Ship: Wasp;
Scramble!
This is a tough mission! If you lose a wingman, don’t even bother trying to finish. Just restart.
The mission starts with an uncountable number of enemies inbound. Then Hit “B” right away to activate your rocket boosters (only available on the Wasp) to get to the baddies before they get to your wingmen. Your role in this mission is to take out the fighters that are attacking the good guys. If you go after the big Barracudas in your little ship, you and your wingmen will die. Your Primary targets are the Skates and Lampreys. If you finish them off set your sites on the nearest Manta. Don’t worry about the Skate Class B ships, they aren’t a threat until they split up.
When you are going head-on against an enemy, never fire a missile, because it will get destroyed by their gunfire. If you are using swarms you need not worry about that rule, there are too many of them for the enemy to stop. If you are successful in destroying the fighters your wingmen will have no problem with the barracudas. A good rule for attacking is to fire at an enemy until your guns dry up, then shoot a missile at him. Now he’s dead. Your guns will recharge by the time you find another enemy.
The golden rule for this mission is to keep your eye on the radar and go after any enemy close to a friendly.
Primary Objectives: Escort the Cerberus to Jump;
Secondary Objectives: None;
Guns: Cloudburst; Chain Ion;
Missiles: Artemis = 6; PilumIV = 6;
Enemies: Moray; Skate; Manta;
Your Ship: Panther;
If you completed the 2 nd mission, there should only be 3 NAV points to finish this level. If there are more than 3 NAVs you screwed the 2 nd mission up big time, and I can’t help you out.
NAV #1
You’ll face around eight enemies right off the bat. They are just Skates and Morays, so pick off the slow guys first with your Cloudbursts, and use the Artemis missiles on any Skates that your wingmen don’t pick up.
NAV #2
12-14 enemies are waiting for you at this point, and they are a mix of Mantas, Morays, and Skates. Your wingmen do a good job at killing the skates, but the Mantas are constantly tailing your buds. Go after the evil Mantas with missiles and guns blazing before anything else. Clean up the Morays next, and then use missiles on any Skates left. Check your wingmen’s health (“C” then “4”) and you’re ready to go to the next NAV.
NAV #3
An easy mix of 12 Morays and Mantas. Use up your remaining missiles, look at the stars, play with your camera angles, take a nap… whatever. This final NAV is simple.
Mission #4: Visit to Aunt Ella
Primary Objectives: Defend the Cerberus;
Secondary Objectives: None;
Guns: Tachyon Cannon; PLS Particle;
Missiles: Tracker = 4; Artemis = 8; PilumIV = 8;
Enemies: Devil Ray; Skate Class B; Skate; Moray;
Your Ship: Vampire;
Scramble!
Don’t be afraid to use your missiles on this one; they really load you up! There are two major waves of enemies on this mission, and you should greet each wave with a big Tracker missile! The tracker flies straight for awhile, then splits up into 4 pieces to chase after the closest enemies. After firing the Tracker into the crowd, immediately go after the Skates with Artemis missiles and the Particle gun. Like always, leave the Skate Class B ships alone until they split. Morays aren’t worth a missile, so just blast them with your Particle guns, which are my favorite guns for this mission. The Particle guns fire fast and seem to do a fair amount of damage. The Devil Rays are your biggest problem for this mission. If they are giving you a hard time press and hold “P” to bring up your ship power levels then move your joystick closer to the shield to give you more protection. Then give that Devil Ray a troublesome load of PilumIV missiles. When you clear the baddies out return to the Cerberus to complete Episode #1!
Password for episode #2 (with all missions completed): Acheron
Episode 2: Thickening (Ella system)
Mission 1 Mission 2 Mission 3 Mission 4 Mission 5 Mission 6
Primary Objectives: Escort and defend the Cerberus;
Secondary Objectives: None;
Guns: Cloudburst; Chain Ion;
Missiles: Artemis = 6; PilumIV = 6;
Enemies: Moray; Manta; Red Manta; Stingray; Devil Ray;
Your Ship: Panther;
The following strategies will only work if you received the password “Acheron” for the first episode.
Start
This mission starts you off with a few easy Morays to warm you up. Pick those guys off with full guns then get on your way. Always use full guns when you’re in the Panther. Tap the trigger to fire short bursts of the Cloudburst and Chain Ion combo until the enemies shield is worn off, then hold the trigger down to let the Ions do their work on the hull. This is extremely effective for every fighter you face.
NAV #1
Ten Morays and one Manta are at this NAV. Set your sites on the Manta and take him out before the Morays, or else he might give your wingmen a hard time. Press “L” to keep your sites constantly on him. When the Manta is dead take lock off (“L” again) and finish off the Morays. Deaaad Bug!
NAV #2
Morays, Red Mantas, and Stingrays are the big welcome wagon for NAV #2. Set your sites on the Red Manta, and give him an Artemis or two in the rear. The Stingrays aren’t a threat, because there are only two, one short of being able to join together.
NAV #3
Two Mantas, one Red Manta, five Stingrays, and a handful of Morays are your playtoys for NAV #3. Get that Red Manta first, then switch to killing the Stingrays and normal Mantas. As always, the Morays are just there to look pretty.
NAV #4
Mantas (both flavors) and Morays will meet you at this NAV, but that lone Devil Ray will mix things up a bit. I would say kill the Devil Ray first, but the Red Mantas would eat the Cerberus alive. Get the Red Mantas first, and tell you wing to kill the Devil Ray. This is the last NAV, so be sure and use up your missiles!
Alternative strategy for mission #1 from Alex !
Hi, here is something I’ve discovered that helped me to finish the first mission of the Acheron-Password second episode. At each waypoint when the enemies appear, tell all your wingman to return to formation and sit right next to the Cerberus till its turrets (not the big cannon) start shooting at the incoming bogies. Once that happens, turn your wing loose, and kick butt, the AA fire from the Cerberus is very helpful, and they don’t seem to attack the Cerberus enough to damage it much if at all.
Also the massive cannon on the Cerberus is VERY annoying sometimes especially when you are close on someone’s tail, and the Cerberus decides to take some shots at the same target, vaporizing you in the process.
Primary Objectives: Patrol all NAV points;
Secondary Objectives: None;
Guns: Cloudburst; Chain Ion;
Missiles: Artemis = 6; PilumIV = 6;
Enemies: Moray; Manta; Stingray; Devil Ray;
Your Ship: Panther;
NAV #1
A handful of Morays and Regular Mantas. Go after the Mantas first. Keep an eye on your wingmen’s tails and this NAV shouldn’t be a problem.
NAV #2
Morays and Stingrays here. Head for the Stingrays first, and if you see them join, GET OUT OF THEIR WAY! Always attack connected Stingrays from the tail. If you see them about to connect, don’t hesitate to fire a missile to break them up. You will probably save a wingman by doing so.
NAV #3
Excalibur ships should help you destroy the Morays, Stingrays, and Mantas at this NAV. Kill the Mantas first unless the Stingrays are giving you hell, then kill the Stingrays until there are only two left. Pick off the Morays, and check on your wingmen’s health (c-4).
NAV #4
The Devil Ray at this NAV has his sights set on your wing. If you have any doubt about your wingmen’s or your missile dodging skills, go after him first. There are also four Stingrays here that start off pretty far apart. Make sure they don’t get close.
Random Tip from Tigershark !
A tip on nose to nose confrontations – if you can take the hits to the shields, go for it. If not, steer away left or right several degrees putting the attacker out of view. Then veer back on the original course to find the bogie has turned towards your fake. Now you are on his tail, so whack him!
Primary Objectives: Eliminate Destroyer; Eliminate Bombers;
Secondary Objectives Eliminate Alien Transports;
Guns Dust Cannons; PLS Particle;
Your Ship Shrike;
Missiles Artemis = 4; Pilum IV = 4; Lancer LT = 6; Pike T = 2; Mosquito = 36; Dragonfly = 36;
Enemies Moray; Manta; Red Manta; Barracuda; Triton; Orca;
NAV #1
Just Mantas and Morays here. This NAV is to help you get used to your new cumbersome ship, the Shrike. I find myself using Afterburners much more due to its slow speed. Get the Mantas off of the screen first, then head for the Morays.
NAV #2
At this NAV there are 3 Red Mantas (the Bombers) trying to escape so they can head for the Cerberus, which is far away. You must stop them before they get out of reach. Start attacking ASAP! Do anything you can to stop them, use up your Artemis and Pilum IV missiles, tell your entire wing to attack them, run your afterburners dry anything! If they get away you fail a primary objective and the mission. When the Red are dead, go and play around with the Morays.
NAV #3
Mantas, Morays, Barracudas, Tritons, and an Orca Oh my! Good thing you have Excalibur and Thunderbolt ships backing you up here. If you screwed up the last NAV you won’t see the capital ship Orca anywhere. Cruise around, take out the Mantas first, and then the Morays if they are giving your wing trouble. This clears the air (space doesn’t sound right) and helps you and your wing take out the cap ships safely. If you finish off the fighters quickly there should be one or two Barracudas left. Fly around behind them and take ’em out with Dust Cannons right in their engines. Your Auto Pilot sign may show up at this time, but don’t press it! Wait to finish off all of the ships first. Your next target should be the big Orca. Target it and start cycling through its subsystems (“R”). The Shield Generator should be your first target and is easily killed with cannons and an Artemis missile, but most likely one of your wingmen has destroyed this subsystem by now. Your next target should be the engine, and it stands no chance against a Pike Heavy Torpedo. Don’t fire the torpedo until you are very close to the engines, that way the turrets on the Orca wont pick your torpedo off (or you can fly around and kill all of the turrets, whatever is easier). Next go after the bridge with your last Pike, and the Orca will be dead! Primary objectives will be complete at this point, but I recommend that you stick around and destroy the Tritons to pick up the secondary objectives. Use your Lancer Light Torpedoes on their engines and bridges, but watch out for turret fire. Good luck, this is the hardest mission in this episode!
Random Tip from Tigershark !
Afterburners (turbos to us old timers) are great for closing the distance between foes, but in a dogfight, release them when turning. Use the afterburner to gain ground with little turning. You will turn much faster with the afterburners off. I constantly play the afterburners like flooring the accelerator pedal when racing between turns. Sometimes you cannot gain on a bogie even with afterburners. Let him go, burners off and watch him return nose to nose.
Primary Objectives: Rendezvous with Confed convoy; Escort & defend friendly ships;
Secondary Objectives: None;
Guns: Cloudburst; Chain Ion;
Missiles: Artemis = 6; Pilum IV = 6;
Enemies: Moray; Manta; Red Manta; Skate; Stingray; Devil Ray;
Your Ship: Panther;
NAV #1
Three Mantas and four Morays welcome you to this NAV. Yup, you guessed it! Kill the Mantas first. Fire an Artemis at anything chasing your wingmen. When the Mantas are dead, go get the Morays.
NAV #2
A load of Morays and five Skates will attack you here. In the Panther I always have my guns set to full, but full guns work so well against Skates that I recommend everyone use them. It will only take two good shots with full guns to kill them, and when they are dead head after the Morays.
NAV #3
A few seconds after meeting up with the convoy, a load of Devil Rays, Red Mantas, and Stingrays attack. Go after the Red Mantas first, but if a Devil Ray crosses your path don’t be afraid to send a couple missiles his way. Switch guns to full, and fire a few bursts until the enemy’s shield is gone, then hold down the trigger and the Chain Ion will do its work on the hull. You need to perfect this method of firing to effectively protect the friendly ships. If you see three Stingrays far away that are joined together, don’t bother trying to catch up to them to attack with cannons. By the time you catch up a wingmen could be dead or a subsystem on your cap ship destroyed. A missile will stop them from doing any severe damage.
Alternative Strategy for Mission #4 from Alex !
Hi, I’d just like to relate to you something I’ve noticed about mission #4 episode #2. What you do is when you start the mission, do not go on patrol, go straight to the last waypoint and meet the capital ships and kill the ships attacking them. Once you have done that go to the other nav points, the covering fire from the capital ships can be quite helpful there if you keep the dogfights close in to them. Once you have been to all the waypoints go back to the Cerberus and you are done.
Primary Objectives: Escort and defend the Cerberus;
Secondary Objectives: None;
Guns: Cloudburst; Chain Ion;
Missiles : Artemis = 6; Pilum IV = 6;
Enemies : Moray; Red Manta; Stingray;
Your Ship: Panther;
NAV #1
Three Red Mantas and Three Morays are at this NAV for your enjoyment. Switch guns to full and kill the Red Mantas first. Pick their shields off slowly, and then hold the trigger down to eat away their hulls. Kill the Morays, and enjoy this easy NAV.
NAV #2
All of the Stingrays at this NAV are headed for the Cerberus, and they will connect together and blast the cap ship until it is dead. Make sure they don’t succeed by giving any joined Stingrays a nice little Pilum IV missile. Chase down the Morays, and you’re ready for the next NAV.
NAV #3
This is an exact copy of NAV #2, except this time a Red Manta is present and has its sites set on the Cerberus. Kill it before the Stingrays.
NAV #4
Yawn… This is just like NAV #2, but this time there are two Red Mantas. Kill them first, then Stingrays, and then Morays. I think I see a pattern forming…
Random Tip from Tigershark !
If defending an objective – Cerberus, for example – don’t stray too far from it. Keep watching the radar or listen to the warnings from the objective. Usually this means the target is under attack. Close quickly, and hit the nearest bogie to the objective. Sometimes you don’t even need to target the bogie – just look for who is shooting at your objective.
Primary Objectives: Escort the Cerberus to jump point. Eliminate enemy fighters;
Secondary Objectives : None;
Guns: Cloudburst; Chain Ion;
Missiles: Artemis = 6; Pilum IV = 6;
Enemies : Moray; Manta; Red Manta; Stingray; Devil Ray;
Your Ship: Panther;
Start
Your final mission for this episode starts off with an easy mix of Mantas and Morays. Kill them with full guns as fast as you can (Mantas first). A minute or two into the battle a group of Morays and Red Mantas will block the Cerberus’s path to the jump. I believe this is unavoidable, so now you have to go through an alternate path to the jump. The Red Mantas that just appeared should now be your first priority, and if you witness a torpedo being launched at the Cerberus do your best to shoot it out of the sky (space still doesn’t sound right). Kill the Morays last and you should be ready for NAV #2.
NAV #1
(Blocked, impossible to get to)
NAV #2
Morays, Stingrays, and a Devil Ray all show up frighteningly close to you at this NAV. You will be shot at right from the start. If the Cerberus is in bad shape go after the Stingrays first. Otherwise take out that evil Devil Ray ASAP, because he has his sights set on your wingmen. Use missiles liberally here, it’s your last chance to blow up bugs until Thursday!
Password for episode #2 (with all primary/secondary objectives completed): TMA-1
Episode 3: Hide and Seek (Talos system)
Mission 1 Mission 2 Mission 3 Mission 4 Mission 5
Primary Objectives: Rescue Shy Meadows;
Secondary Objectives: None;
Bonus: Rescue Kyoto Rose; Rescue Cheryls Song;
Guns: Dust Cannon; Cloudburst;
Your Ship: Wasp;
Missiles: Artemis ELRIR = 4; Swarmer AB = 8;
Enemies: Moray; Manta; Devil Ray; Stingray; ?;
NAV ?
Primary Objectives: Escort and Defend the Cerberus;
Secondary Objectives: Escort and Defend Civilian Transports;
Bonus: Eliminate 50% of Alien Fighters;
Guns: Chain Ion; Cloudburst;
Your Ship: Panther;
Missiles: Artemis ELRIR = 6; PilumIV FF = 6;
Enemies: Moray; Manta; ?;
NAV ?
Primary Objectives: Patrol all NAV points;
Secondary Objectives: None;
Bonus: None;
Guns: Chain Ion; Cloudburst;
Your Ship: Panther;
Missiles: Artemis ELRIR = 6; PilumIV FF = 6;
Enemies: Moray; Manta; ?;
NAV ?
Mission #4: The Great Forbidden
Primary Objectives: Escort and Defend Civilian Transport;
Secondary Objectives: None;
Bonus: None;
Guns: Chain Ion; Cloudburst;
Your Ship: Panther;
Missiles: Artemis ELRIR = 6; PilumIV FF = 6;
Enemies: Moray; Manta; ?;
NAV ?
Primary Objectives: Escort Cerberus to Jump-Point; Eliminate Destroyer;
Secondary Objectives: Eliminate Alien Fighters; Eliminate Alien Transports;
Bonus: None;
Guns: Dust Cannon; Pls Particle;
Your Ship: Shrike ;
Missiles: Mosquito RP = 36; PilumIV FF = 4; Dragonfly RP = 36; Artemis ELRIR = 4; Lancer LT = 6; Pike T = 2;
Enemies: Moray; ?
NAV ?
Password for episode #3 (with all primary/secondary objectives completed): Laumer
Episode 4: Cygnus Triangle (Cygnus system)
Mission 1 Mission 2 Mission 3 Mission 4 Mission 5
Primary Objectives: Patrol all NAV Points;
Secondary Objectives: None;
Bonus: Eliminate 75% of Alien Fighters;
Guns: Chain Ion; Cloudburst;
Your Ship: Panther;
Missiles: Artemis ELRIR = 6; PilumIV FF = 6;
Enemies: ?;
NAV ?
Primary Objectives: Escort Rescue Shuttle to the Albergetti;
Secondary Objectives: None;
Bonus: Eliminate 75% of Alien Fighters;
Guns: Chain Ion; Cloudburst;
Your Ship: Panther;
Missiles: Artemis ELRIR = 6; PilumIV FF = 6;
Enemies: ?;
NAV ?
Mission #3: The Twilight Purchase
Primary Objectives: Patrol all NAV points
Secondary Objectives: None;
Bonus: Eliminate 75 % of Alien Fighters; Eliminate 75 % of Alien Bombers;
Guns: Chain Ion; Cloudburst;
Your Ship: Panther;
Missiles: Artemis ELRIR = 6; PilumIV FF = 6;
Enemies: Ray; Moray; Stingray; Manta;
NAV ?
Primary Objectives: Patrol all NAV Points in Order;
Secondary Objectives: None;
Bonus: Eliminate 75 % of Alien Fighters;
Guns: Chain Ion; Cloudburst;
Your Ship: Panther;
Missiles: Artemis ELRIR = 6; PilumIV FF = 6;
Enemies: Manta; ?;
NAV ?
Primary Objectives: Ensure Cruiser Elimination; Defend Bravo Wing;
Secondary Objectives: Eliminate 75 % of Alien Fighters; Eliminate 75 % of Alien Cruiser Gun Turrets; Eliminate 75 % of Alien Cruiser Missile Turrets; Eliminate Alien Cruiser Shield Emitters;
Bonus: None;
Guns: Chain Ion; Cloudburst;
Your Ship: Panther;
Missiles: Artemis ELRIR = 6; PilumIV FF = 6;
Enemies: Manta; Stingray; ?;
NAV ?
Password for episode #4 (with all primary/secondary objectives completed): Kasparov
Episode 5: Viral Legacy (Luyten system)
Sorry, no informations yet!
Password for episode #5 (with all primary/secondary objectives completed): ?
Sorry, no informations yet!
Password for episode #7 (with all primary/secondary objectives completed): ?
Sorry, no informations yet!
Password for episode #7 (with all primary/secondary objectives completed): ?
Moray
This guy is a medium sized, slow, stupid ship. You should have no trouble hitting this guy even with the slowest guns. His shields are fairly weak, and his hull isn’t any better.
Skate
A very fast fighter. When fighting the Skate you will most likely need to keep your afterburners on. If you can get a few good shots on the little guy he will die rather quickly, his shields are a joke.
Skate Class B
An anti-bomber fighter. This ship isn’t much of a threat to your fighters, but it will reek havoc on your capitol ship. It has a large torpedo, or perhaps a plasma weapon that it will use to hurt the Cerberus. If the Cerberus is in bad condition, make sure you stop these guys. They are pretty easy to plunk off with any good shield-penetrating weapon due to their slow speed. Watch out when it is destroyed, the Skate Class B will split into three Skates! – Thanks to Skyfire and Eqo.Z for the update!
Stingray
The Stingray is about the same strength as the Moray, but it’s much more agile, fast, and deadly. It’s a definite threat but shouldn’t be at the top of your To Kill list. Take it out with a good shield-penetrating gun. – Thanks to Greg for the update!
Stingray x 3
If three Stingrays are left alone for a short time, they will find each other and connect to form one helluva ship. If you have ever watched the Cerberus fire that huge cannon at an enemy, you know the damage it can do. The Stingray x 3 appears to have a similar cannon, but this one fires almost twice as fast. You will usually see the Stingray x 3 attacking capital ships and occasionally giving your wingmen a hard time. You can split these guys up easily with a Pilum missile and possibly kill one of them in the process. I would never try attacking one of these guys head-on unless my shields were all the way forward (hold down “S” move joystick up) Even after they split up, they are always able to regroup. – Thanks to Armydillo for the screenshot!
Lamprey
The Lamprey is fast as hell, even faster than the Skate. It is a strange looking ship so it is very easy to identify. It fires bright blue rings that do a fair amount of damage. I haven’t seen one of these ships fire a missile though. You and your wingmen should be cautious when a Lamprey is in the area, but their tiny shields make for a quick kill. Take the guys out with cannons, preferably the fast firing flavor.
Barracuda
The Barracuda is a corvette, the smallest capital ship around. It doesn’t have fighter launching facilities, but it has jump engines and can be annoying for some of your bombers and capital ships. This large ship crawls through space firing at anything that gets close. If you have to go near it, make sure you go fast. Stay still around this big boy for 1 second and he’ll devour your shields. If you stay directly behind him, his guns can’t touch you. Shoot his big yellow engine with Duster Cannons and he’s toast. – Thanks to Daniel for the update
Manta
A good enemy. Not quite as fast as the Lamprey and the Skate, but due to its above average speed and its strong shields, destroying it with Cloudbursts is a tedious task. If you need to protect any type of slow ship make sure the Manta stays away.
Red Manta
This manta is red and is tougher then the normal manta. One of the worse things about this manta is that is loaded with torpedoes and can kill the Cerberus or any other Confed Cap ship with ease if left alone. The other problem is that you cannot tell the Red Manta from the normal one other than by visual contact or by looking at the NAV map. – Thanks to Skyfire for the update!
Devil Ray
The Devil Ray is a Space Superiority fighter, a bomber, and a defensive craft. It can perform any mission short of a full-blown torpedo attack. It boasts extremely heavy guns and at least a 650 kps top speed. The Devil Ray won’t think twice about launching a missile at your capitol ship, then turning around and launching one at you. Just keep this guy away from anything you have to protect. To take this bad boy down, I suggest using a strong missile like the Artemis or Swarm followed by a flood of guns. – Thanks to Greg and Robert for the update!
Panther:
Default loadout: Artemis ELRIR = 6; PilumIV FF = 6;
Wasp:
Default loadout: Artemis = 4; Swarm = 8;
Shrike:
Default loadout: Artemis = 4; Pilum IV = 4; Lancer LT = 6; Pike T = 2; Mosquito = 36; Dragonfly = 36;
Vampire:
Default loadout: Tracker = 4; Artemis = 8; PilumIV = 8;
Cloudburst
This gun fires VERY slow, but it does a good deal of damage. If you link the two cannons together (CTRL + G) you can cut through an enemy’s shields like butter! To maximize shield penetration, wait a second between each firing. This works much better than blasting the enemy non-stop. Try it.
Chain ION
A very fast firing gun, unfortunately it does minimal damage to shields. I will sometimes use it on low shielded, fast enemies like the Skate. It can do a fair amount of hull damage if you ever get past the shields.
Dust Cannon
One of my favorite guns. This baby fires very fast and does a good deal of damage on both shields and hull. It’s perfect for attacking any sort of fighter.
Tachyon
Slow firing yellowish-red bolts. It even fires slower than the Cloudburst. Damage on shields seems to be fair, but hull damage is incredible. I can take down a Skate with 2-3 shots using this gun. I would suggest this gun for full time use, but it drains your energy like mad. It’s very good for weak shielded enemies, but those enemies go so fast that it makes it hard to actually hit them. I rarely use this gun. Thanks to Greg for the update!
PLS Particle
This gun resembles the Dust Cannon. Like the cannon it fires very fast, but I don’t think it does quite as much damage. Though it is still a very effective weapon against any fast moving target.
Artemis
The Artemis ELRIR (Enhanced Long Range Image Recognition) all-aspect missile remains Confed’s top single-warhead guided missile. It has a fairly low lock time, and once the missile has acquired a lock it will doggedly pursue its target. The Artemis ELRIR is difficult for alien fighters to spoof, and its powerful impact makes it a favorite amongst Confed’s elite pilots.
PilumIV
Confed’s PilumIV FF (Friend or Foe) missile doesn’t have the punching power of the Artemis ELRIR, but it has one distinct advantage: it doesn’t require a target lock. The PilumIV FF can be fired at any time and will automatically hunt down the closest enemy ship. This all-aspect missile is ideal for getting that pesky alien off your back or surprising the fighter just outside of your front view.
Swarmer
The Swarmer AB pod launches multiple missiles at a target. The initial lock time for the Swarmer AB is comparable to that of the Artemis ELRIR, but you must maintain a visual lock on the target until impact. The line-of-sight nature of this weapon makes it more difficult to use than other missiles, but Swarmer missiles are unaffected by decoys, and their combined punching power makes them a favorite against more powerful targets like the Devil Ray.
Tracker
The Tracker MIRV is a multi-warhead, long-range missile. This no-lock missile streaks toward the target, then releases four Friend or Foe missiles once the booster has expired. These Friend or Foe missiles will attack any nearby ships, making this the ideal weapon for thinning out an incoming alien swarm or taking out fast moving targets trying to flee the area.
Dragonfly Rocket Pods
Quick little buggers, and they have a high rate of fire as well. They’re very weak by themselves, but in a pod setting, they can be pretty dangerous. Due to their weakness, they’re best when used against a slow-moving target, like a cruiser or a transport.
Mosquito Rocket Pods
New in SO are the Mosquito RP’s. Take a Dragonfly and add a small tracking device. Think of it as a Pilum lite. Use the same tactics as the Dragonflys.
Pike Heavy Torpedo
It’s effective against major warships but requires a very long lock time. Make sure you’re clear before trying to toss this one away. It’s very slow, so you may want to also make sure most turrets are gone before firing it off, so as to prevent it from being shot out of space.
Lancer Light Torpedo
Weaker than the Pike, it’s effective against smaller starships. If you’re making an in-and-out run against a big ship and not all of the defences are gone, this is the torpedo to use. Granted you may have to make a few more passes, but the much shorter lock time is worth it.