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VHF Combat
Lesson 1: Which Ship?
They might all look alike (stats-wise), but each ship is unique in its own way. The VHF class is used to counter all other Fighter classes and Bombers. They have the largest powercore, can mount more advanced weapons, can take more punishment and are only slightly less agile than the Heavy Fighter class. It is strongly advised to not only look at their stats or price, but also take heed of the Roleplay behind them. Each has its own purpose, so choosing one only for PvP and ignoring their original use might not end up the way you planned. Also notice some ships have valuable info under "Handling" and it should give you the general idea of their strenghts and weaknesses.
This is the complete list of Very Heavy Fighters:
| Name | Weapons | Cargo | Hull | NB/SB | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eagle | 6/1 | 70 | 9900 | 63 | $1,795,000 | Civilian; can mount class 10 weapons |
| Hammerhead | 6/1 | 70 | 7900 | 49 | $985,000 | Bounty Hunters Guild |
| Raven Claw | 8/0 | 60 | 9500 | 62 | $1,855,000 | Advanced very heavy fighter |
| Raven's Talon | 6/1 | 75 | 10800 | 65 | $2,075,000 | Elite very heavy fighter |
| Collector | 2/3 | 120 | 12600 | 110 | $1,830,000 | Junkers' very heavy fighter |
| Titan | 6/1 | 70 | 13500 | 73 | $1,825,000 | Corsair very heavy fighter |
| Sabre | 6/1 | 70 | 11200 | 66 | $1,755,000 | Border Worlds very heavy fighter |
| Viper | 6/1 | 65 | 8800 | 58 | $1,830,000 | Fast and powerful heavy fighter |
| Viper Mk II | 6/0 | 65 | 10000 | 64 | $2,175,000 | Powerful very heavy fighter |
| Stinger | 6/1 | 80 | 10400 | 64 | $1,935,000 | Civilian very heavy fighter |
| Virage | 6/0 | 60 | 8600 | 56 | $2,035,000 | Agile very heavy fighter |
| Kushan VHF | 3/2 | 75 | 9800 | 66 | $1,318,000 | Cheapest VHF-class ship |
| Somtaaw SHF | 2/5 | 160 | 30000 | 340 | $3,520,000 | Super heavy fighter |
| Nephthys | 6/1 | 70 | 14500 | 78 | $1,910,000 | Advanced Anubis |
| Wrath | 5/1 | 70 | 11500 | 67 | $1,785,000 | Advanced Valkyrie |
| Odin | 6/1 | 65 | 9700 | 62 | $1,995,000 | Red Hessian very heavy fighter |
| Werewolf | 5/1 | 90 | 16000 | 86 | $2,155,000 | Advanced Wolfhound |
| Templar | 6/0 | 76 | 14000 | 76 | $1,895,000 | Advanced Crusader |
| Chimaera | 6/0 | 70 | 12400 | 70 | $1,760,000 | Advanced Dragon |
| Nomad Assassin | 7/0 | 60 | 12200 | 70 | $3,240,000 | Nomad "Assassin" Very Heavy Fighter |
| Manta | 6/1 | 80 | 10600 | 65 | $1,885,000 | Advanced Hammerhead |
| Guardian | 5/1 | 74 | 12000 | 68 | $1,750,000 | Advanced Defender |
| Avenger | 5/1 | 75 | 13200 | 72 | $1,845,000 | Advanced Executioner |
| Blood Dragon | 6/1 | 65 | 9600 | 62 | $1,620,000 | Blood Dragons' ship |
| Spatial SHF | 6/1 | 180 | 28000 | 300 | $4,180,000 | Space exploration vessel |
| Marsflyer SHF | 4/2 | 80 | 10000 | 64 | $10,000,000 | Sold on Battleship Isis |
| Greyhound | 4/0 | 70 | 9,800 | 63 | $1,648,000 | Liberty and Bretonia Pirates |
Lesson 2: The Loadout
The Equipment you choose is very important. Other than being available to your faction, the weapons and armor have to be top-notch if you want to win with relative ease.
Getting the best armor upgrade should be one of your first goals. The Armor Upgrade MK VIII fortifies your hull 2.5 times and costs 15,250,000 credits. The good thing is, it can be purchased in all Guard Systems.
Your second goal is to acquire proper guns and missiles from your faction. Notice the first problem that professional pilots stumble upon on this step: "Projectile speed and Refire rate"
We wouldn't advise setting weapon groups, those are only important for Bomber pilots. The shortest way (often not the best way) is to find one single type of gun and equip it to all your slots. The other way is to search far and wide for "shield busters" with similar or identical projectile and refire speed. This is important because when fighting an enemy that doesn't fight in a "straight line" but dodges until he finds a weakspot you will need an optimized targeting symbol.
Missiles are slower than guns, take more time to reload, have an ammo limit, but unlike regular guns each projectile has a tracking system and deal more damage. The bonus is significant as the deal a small "area of effect" damage, damaging offensive systems. The most popular missile for taking out enemy gear is the Cannonball. And the most commonly used "shield buster" is the Paralyzer missile.
A very expensive option that some professional pilots use are Codename weapons. These will drain your energy supply faster and some, like the ARCHANGEL, will make short work of even armored transports and Gunboats.
Lesson 3: DogFights
Before reading further make sure you've at least read and/or understood the whole concept behind Engine Kill and The Stages of "Glide" as they present the basics of PvP combat.
Fighting in a Team The first rule is: Coordinate your attacks!
<advanced tipps>
Lesson 4: Counters
<some general tips>
