Starhawk Strategy

[Artifact911]

Use this thread to talk about various Starhawk strategies

[saskbob]

Acid Sea/Scourge
CTF:
Offense:If you want to play offense at the start of the game, spawn at the very edge of your spawn zone, once launched push into the middle of the map as far as you can with the drop pod, in the first few seconds build a razorback station pointing to the other teams base. If you conserve time well enough there should be alot of guys just sorting out their defenses on the other end. Run over all of them before getting out and grabbing the flag and getting back to base. I would not wait for passengers unless they know what you are doing and are ready.

Defense: At the start let the other guys build walls as they will likely get run over unless they are careful. On Acid Sea I think walls aren't that effective at the start anyway because you need 6 walls to block the ladder and if someone lands on top with a hawk or jetpack even though they can't fly with the flag they can circumvent the wall by jumping off the side. The best initial defense is letting someone who is rushing on razorback come in and staying on top of the bunker, wait till he gets out and then get in his razorback or destroy it outright. If you want to continue playing defense probably turrets on top of the flag bunker and a supply bunker that faces up hill are very important. And then beam turrets to control hawks and then a shield.

TDM: The outlying bridges are essential for resupply of rift, build spawn beacons there, also there are mines in the very middle of the map (up a ladder and on a platform) which are also good to control with a spawn and then build a supple depot. Basically who ever can control the middle will usually win, as you can just continuously pick off spawners on the other team unless they've secured a good spawn at the bridges.

Space

CTF:
Offense: Very similar to Acid Sea in the opening razorback blitz method except this time the other team is wide open at the flag, you can circle around and around and usually get 5 kills before you get the flag as there is no pre existing ladders to jump up. There are barrels all over the place on this level as well and the mid point also is a good control point for the mines.

Defense: You must build a single wall and get up the ladder and assume there is a razorback coming, you will then have enough to build one turret and this should be covering the flag. Build your walls in a triangle using three facing inwards as well, yes the enemy can climb in but they then cannot climb out. the only way they can get out is with a hawk and then jumping or destroying the wall which takes concentrated effort.

TDM: Find a good place up top on the towers to lay a spawn beacon and build a jetpack dispenser, that way when you die, you can respawn by the barrels and then have enough rift to buy another jetpack. Really on this map the jetpackers will always dominate as there is so much verticality. You can stay up top and snipe or drop down behind people for backstabs. They've recently nerfed it a bit for fuel and recharge but it's still king.

Personal Favorites:

Beam Turrets seem insurmountable when you are in a hawk. But you can get them with a high angle of attack, or more importantly get into a heavily fortified base for the flag. Get up as high as you can and divebomb the flag at 90 degrees avoiding surrounding beams, changing to mech mode and hopefully landing on the flag, you can't fly now you have the flag, but you can hop, get outside the walls and build a razorback garage and probably drive out unscathed.

Destroy shield generators with three mines followed by a grenade, you have to get inside the shield though. Best done with a divebombing hawk to mech mode and then jump out and throw as quick as possible.

I think some of this stuff like the early rush will get less effective once clans get out there and organized into who will do what.

[motieman]

dude you are on my level with everything you said i use the same tatics which usually result in me being the mvp of the match im now level 13 or 14 you should add me for some cordinated action im also joining tg tw clan for the starhawk battalion which should be epic once up and running

[saskbob]

dude you are on my level with everything you said i use the same tatics which usually result in me being the mvp of the match im now level 13 or 14 you should add me for some cordinated action im also joining tg tw clan for the starhawk battalion which should be epic once up and running

Add me on PSN: saskbob, just let me know if it says full and I'll make space. Would really like to organize some retroids games with open mic, if we could get 6+ people we could have some good vs between ourselves here. So far no way to party up or switch teams but it's still fun anyway to knife each other.

[motieman]

ok will do when i get home from work in a couple of hours

[saskbob]

Couple of Dust Strategies

Hawks
In this map there is a "proton" torpedo, it's way off to one side and is purple in colour, it's a bit like the TOW in that it takes forever to respawn. If you manage to get it, try and get a lot of altitude and then a nice high angle of attack on the enemy main spawn. You have to hold down and charge it with L1 which takes awhile, and at the same time you are aiming with crosshairs view and are exposed. It takes out a ton of building though in one hit and often gets 2-3 kills at a time.

Tanks
I don't know how much I really like these things as they are really fun when destroying stuff but take so long to spawn and drive so slowly. I wish they had a boost like the APC did in Warhawk. If you can get 8 rift and get to the other enemy spawn on the far side, sometimes you can wreak a lot of havok by creating a tank spawner right there and driving it right close to their base. Problem is these things fry in no time flat with beam turrets. I've spent a lot of time collecting rift just to have my tank destroyed 5 secs by beam turrets.

If you are defending against tanks, the warhawk machine guns locks onto the tanks, unlike any of the other ground vehicles. Choose a high angle of attack and then dive while holding the airbrake. I've also been destroyed several times by bikers quickly rushing up to the tank and planting 3 mines, so that seems like a good one.

Soldier Pickups.

When you leave your spawn, just about a third of the way up the map and on the right side there is rift barrels and R-sec mines. If you are playing CTF, go put one on your flag and couple on some obvious routes into the base. Another thing i like to do is go for a flag capture and if i get in just throw them randomly or if i can get in one of their bunkers leave one just inside the door and one just at the top of the ladder.

[Artifact911]

I tried your hawk strategy with Dust and the torpedos. It's tough to get up real high cause it can force your hawk into a downward free fall.

[saskbob]

I tried your hawk strategy with Dust and the torpedos. It's tough to get up real high cause it can force your hawk into a downward free fall.

Yeah that's true, to be more clear, you need to be high enough to see over the mountains but far enough away so that beam turrets can't get you. The other thing with the torpedo is if it's being used on you you can lock on to it and shoot it down, which I've only managed to halfway destroy.

Not sure why they've lowered the flight ceiling so much compared to warhawk.

[saskbob]

Super sneaky and cheap

Verified this with Anim8ted yesterday, and then today on a couple of matches.

If you attach proximity grenades to your vehicle and drive really close to an enemy vehicle they "hop" off and attach themselves and shortly after explode. I did this to one poor guy who had built a tank twice in one match. Thinking about this, I don't really like it as it's cheap and makes new people to the game not understand what is going on when they magically die from someone just driving/flying by them.

[Maen]

Hey guys, here is a bunch of info I have picked up by playing. Please feel free to add to this list as you see fit. Just looking to pass and gather info. Thanks.

General-
• Jumping will prevent the Hawk and Grizzly stomp from killing you
• Constantly open the map view to have the best possible situational awareness
• Move constantly when inside enemy spawn area to avoid incoming pods
• It is always best to disengage if possible when outmatched. LIVE TO FIGHT ANOTHER DAY
• Don’t be afraid to build structures wherever you like, even in the enemy’s spawn area, build as needed
• Outposts are incredibly effective, build these hidden from enemy fire. Look for enemy outposts in map and destroy them when possible.
• You are able to build while inside your drop pod, use this if an enemy is waiting for you to come out
• Learn where all the troop and hawk pickups are in every map layout
• Establishing air superiority should be number 1 priority in TDM games
Infantry-
Rifle
• The reticle, when aimed, quickly locks on the target for a split second
• Do not run away from Hawks or Grizzlies they are faster than you. Shoot them with the pulse rifle and grenades, you will kill them
Grinder
• The grinder is best used for destroying structures and vehicles not as a CQC weapon
Rocket Launcher
• When using the rocket launcher to kill other infantry, target the ground around your target
• It takes two rockets to kill a hawk
• Rockets fired from the launcher cannot be scrubbed. Most effective when shot at close range, this does not give the hawk the opportunity to use flares/chaff.
• Only use rockets to destroy structures as an alternative, it takes too many rockets to destroy a structure
Sniper Rifle
• The sniper rifle is very effective against the grizzly
• A sniper can shoot enemies out of the driver’s seat of every vehicle
• Aim the sniper rifle for 1-2 seconds only. Any more time spent aiming will create a laser which gives away your position
• It takes two sniper shots to kill a soldier, but only one headshot
Mines
• Place mines just inside the main door of an enemy bunker or just above the ladder of friendly bunkers
• It takes 3 mines to kill a tank, ? a hawk, ? a razorback, ? a Grizzly, ? a sidewinder, 1 a soldier
• When in doubt use 3 mines
Shotgun
• The shotgun is a one shot one kill weapon, if you don’t kill a target with one shot you are too far away
• The shotgun should be the number one weapon for CQC, followed by the knife
Welding Torch
• Best when used to repair vehicle, not structures
Knife
• Best when used to back stab. 50/50 chance to kill enemy face to face
• Creep up on enemy as last resort. Best to kill from distance
Grizzly-
• Effective skills: Field Mechanic, Weapon Mods, Engine Mods, Turret Jammer
• You are not immune to rifle fire or grenades when in the Grizzly. Avoid them when possible
• Close the distance with infantry by jumping and finish them off with the stomp
• Biggest advantage is speed and maneuverability
• EMP, when used causes the using Grizzly to freeze for 1 second. This makes user vulnerable to melee attack. “Freeze” much less effective when EMP used while jumping.
• When the gauss cannon is completely cooled it takes four shots to overheat it. DO NOT LET YOUR CANNON OVERHEAT, BE PATIENT. Shoot in three round bursts.
• The longer the EMP button is held the larger the radius of effect
• When aiming, the gauss cannon will hit the target as long as you shoot when the target is near the center of the reticle regardless if the target is no longer there when the shot hits the target. Bottom line: you do not need to lead with the gauss cannon., aim at the target
• Melee attacks from Grizzlies hurt other Grizzlies
• The gauss cannon is medium range, it cannot hit targets that are very far away
• The gauss cannon is very effective against flying hawks
• It takes 7 gauss cannon shots to kill a tank, ? a sidewinder, ? a razorback, ? a hawk, 2 a soldier.
• EMP affects enemy vehicle weapon systems, turrets (all), and shield generators
Ox Tank
• Effective skills: Field Mechanic, Turret Jammer
• The main gun has two shots, you cannot reload until you shoot both. Always shoot both to ensure you have two shots at all times.
• When shooting at infantry target the ground around the soldier, but not very effective against infantry
• Tanks can run over infantry to kill them
• The tank is most effective at long distance. Always aim at the center mass of your target, there is no bullet drop regardless of distance so use distance to your advantage.
• Build an A.R.M. safe spot to quickly get repairs.
• Use the surrounding terrain as cover when firing at target from far away. Shoot both shots, retreat to cover, reload, move to fire, shoot again, repeat
• Best when used to destroy structures
• Be extremely wary of sidewinders with mines attached
• When facing ONE beam turret, the turret will overheat before it can destroy you. Continue to shoot it until it is destroyed do not retreat.
• Flying hawks, close infantry with rocket launchers, and mined sidewinders are biggest threat
• If using a passenger, ensure passenger is equipped with a rocket launcher to provide cover from flying hawks and a welding torch.
• Never retreat from landing hawks, the tank has the advantage
• Switching from direct fire to indirect will cause you to reload, do not switch unless safe
• Figure out a way to aim the indirect fire, confirm if map view assists in this
Hawk
• Effective skills: Field Mechanic, Engine Mods, Turret Jammer, Fast Lock, Fuel Efficiency
• Shields and Homing missiles are most important pickups
• When attacking turrets and tanks use the steepest possible rate of descent to prevent them from shooting at you
• Tanks attract the hawk’s machine gun reticle. This makes tanks extremely easy to target from the air. There is no reason you should land to fight a tank, you will give up your advantage.
• Cluster Bombs shoot four bombs per trigger pull. One pickup gives you 8 bombs, two trigger pulls
• It takes two homing missiles or ground fired rockets to kill a hawk
• The shields can sustain one hit from a rocket or missile
• Always engage shields when approaching infantry on the ground
• Machine guns are not as effective at destroying structures as bombs but are still effective
• Torpedoes must hit structures directly to destroy them
• Use air mines to destroy enemies which are trailing you
• Place air mines where certain pickups appear to deny those pickups from enemies
• When you receive a lock-on warning, first attempt to scrub the missile before using your flare/chaff
• Ground fired rockets cannot be scrubbed
• Incoming missiles/rockets can be seen in the map, use this to anticipate scrub or flare/chaff use
• Swarm lasers are only effective when used at close distance
• Use terrain as cover when locked on by missiles/rockets
• Chaff will start to reload again if you dismount
• When a lock warning comes up, notice the squares under the warning label. This tells you how many missiles/rockets have locked on you.
• Single missiles are very difficult to scrub, use shields or flare/chaff
• Multiple missiles are easy to scrub, do not waste flare/chaff
Sidewinder-
• Effective skills: Engine Mods, Turret Jammer, Combat Intel
• Mines attached to Sidewinder will jump on enemy vehicle that are driven past. WILL NOT WORK AGAINST INFANTRY
• Use terrain as cover when locked on by rockets, jump off if you are out in open
• Drivers can shoot when not moving
• Need to confirm whether affected by stomp, don’t think it is
• Very effective at running over infantry
Vulture Jet Pack
• Effective skills: Scavenger, Weapon Mods, Engine Mods, Turret Jammer
• Maneuverability is greatest asset
• Short burst provide least exposure to rockets
• Only use prolonged bursts to climb to advantageous terrain
• Never stay in one place for too long, hit and run tactics work best
• Stock up on weapons before setting out, pickup Rocket Launcher and Sniper Rifle at a minimum
• Consider equipping a jetpack prior to going into a vehicle. Having the jetpack equipped allows you to exit a vehicle while in the air.
Razorback
• Useful as a mobile turret
• Can be used to transfer mines just like the sidewinder
Buildings General
• Do not build more than one of the vehicle/equipment producing structure in close proximity
Wall
• Very useful in CTF when built with ladder side facing out. This allows the enemy to come in but is very difficult for them to get out. ***Build gate early when using this technique, if not, you will trap yourself inside***
• Build walls in enemy area to restrict their movement
• Build walls to provide cover when engaging the enemy in the open
Corral
• Build as needed to make a quick getaway wherever, i.e. when you grab the enemy flag
Auto Turret (machinegun)
• Most effective when built behind cover and enemy is unaware of it existence
• Work best in large numbers
• Give away enemy positions when enemy has not been seen yet
• Build over large area to prevent Grizzly EMPs from disabling all at once
Watchtower
• Do not spend too much time on top, you will attract incredible amounts of attention
Outpost
• Key in creating secondary bases around map
• Are displayed prominently in map
• Build near rift barrels or key pickups to provide a stronghold in key terrain
Supply Bunker
• Not just a place to find pickups but a very useful bunker. You can shoot out of it through windows but you cannot be shot at due to force field in windows
• Very effective when placed in overwatch position of friendly flag.
• Allows three auto turrets to be built on top of bunker
A.R.M.
• Build between clusters of buildings to allow repair of many buildings by one
• Best when used to repair vehicles in engagement areas
Beam Turret/Flak Turret
• Beam turrets target every vehicle, Flak turrets only target flying vehicles but do so more effectively
• Most effective when built behind cover and enemy is unaware of it existence
• The more built together the better
• Give away enemy positions when enemy has not been seen yet
• Can be used as protection by infantry from landing hawks, jump inside and soldier can’t get killed as easy
• Automated but cause more damage and more accurate when operated by a player
Shield Generator
• Forces enemy into CQC
• Very weak
• Build between other buildings for increased protection and survivability
• Easily destroyed by hawk torpedo
• Can be used to provide a “vehicle bunker” in hard to target areas
Pod Launcher
• Use the map view to accurately aim