Hello to all Starfighters. In this guide, I will talk about frigates, how they differ from other classes. As well as what their strengths and weaknesses are.
In fact, the first thing that catches your eye when looking at the characteristics of a frigate in a shipyard is a large number of hit points and low speed. Due to this slowness, as well as the sluggishness of the frigate, a player who is just starting his journey in the Star Conflict game may get the false impression that the frigate is absolutely uncompetitive compared to the interceptor and attack aircraft, which swoop in and tear apart the poor frigate at the expense of its high maneuverability. And of course this is not true.
A frigate is a specialized ship, the potential of which is fully revealed through well-coordinated team play or as part of a flight.
Strengths and weaknesses of the frigate
Frigate radar range compared to interceptorFrigates in Star Conflict have both strengths and weaknesses. Their disadvantages, in addition to low speed, also include a small radar radius. The standard radar range for a frigate is only 3.5 kilometers, and therefore, with uncoordinated team play, situations are not uncommon when the player visually sees the enemy, but he is not displayed on the radar. Therefore, for a frigate, for example, guarding beacons, correct target designation is required. Players on interceptors – namely, those with the highest sensor range – should always highlight enemy targets in order for the frigate to fully realize its fire advantage, which consists of six guns, as opposed to four on the attack aircraft and two on the interceptor.
Frigate equipment. Shipyard
Frigate HarpyBefore talking about combat tactics on a frigate, of course, you should consider its equipment.
As already mentioned, the frigate is designed for team play. Accordingly, special attention should be paid to command modules and support modules. Thanks to them, the frigate can transfer energy to friendly ships, restore their shields, block boosters on enemy ships, suppress the power of gun systems, and so on.
Particular attention should be paid to such modules as the pulsar and the missile defense module. Most often, they are installed on frigates in the first place. In this case, the difference between the frigates of the Empire and the Federation should be taken into account.
The already mentioned team game is suitable for the Empire frigate due to some features. It is itself slower than a Federation ship, and when using its class weapon, it generally turns into a stationary sniper. Accordingly, for most of the battle, he can simply stand in the rear, completely unaffected by enemy attacks. Naturally, maximum efficiency is achieved if the frigate not only stands still and shoots, but also strengthens the ships in its crew. That is why the command and support modules are the best fit for him.
The frigate of the Federation has a very good speed, comparable to the attack aircraft of the Empire. And besides, it has additional protection in the form of two combat drones flying around it, which can attack the enemy, and in factional modifications, they can also repair the frigate’s hull or perform the function of anti-missile defense. Therefore, the Federation frigate is more likely to collide in close combat, and the pulsar module is well suited for it. And let’s say that with an armada faction frigate, the same missile defense is actually an inefficient use of an additional slot, because it duplicates the special function of its drones.
As for weapons, long-range weapons are most suitable for frigates – these are stabilized railguns or, for example, long-range lasers. Well, starting with the T1-2 modification, a slot for an additional passive module appears, for which the “horizon” module, which increases the range of key weapons, is very well suited.
Frigate in battle
Frigate in battleLet’s move on to the actual combat tactics of the frigate. The first and most basic tactical tip is to always remember to cover. This primarily applies to the frigates of the Empire. A lone sniper who has settled somewhere behind an asteroid is a very attractive target for any enemy attack aircraft or interceptor, and the saddest thing is that a sniper will not always be able to give a worthy rebuff. Therefore, armed with long-range cannons with a horizon system or a system disruptor, take a position near other frigates or, if no one is nearby, a beacon and drones that protect it will do well.
It is worth mentioning one feature of the disintegrator. It is that when activated, it stops the ship. Therefore, it can be used as something like a handbrake. Having dispersed your Imperial frigate on the way to the asteroid and not reaching it, you turn on the disintegrator mode, and the ship stops very quickly, taking the desired position.
 | ATTENTION! |
As for the support and command modules, most of them have a fixed range, which is written in the properties of the module, and which can be viewed at the shipyard. So, the number of enemy ships that fall within the scope of the module is displayed as a number on its icon. Accordingly, the task of a pilot who is trying to benefit his team is to choose such a position that this number on the icon is the maximum, so that the maximum number of allied ships receive help from your frigate.
A small note about management. Of the three control modes presented in the game, there is one specific. This is the free mode. In my opinion, it is poorly suited for attack aircraft and interceptors, but the frigate is precisely the ship on which this mode can be useful. It is only necessary to start reconfiguring the control keys in it for yourself (this is done in a separate Star Conflict Bender utility) and get used to it a little by flying in the test flight or training mode. As a result, with such a control mode, the frigate turns into a kind of stationary turret. At the same time, you can control the ship from the keyboard, and the gun already provides free viewing and aiming with the mouse.
Frigate – Stealth Killer
The last thing I would like to talk about is the use of a pulsar. In addition to the obvious protective function, the pulsar may have another interesting function – the detection of invisibility. Remember that the range of the basic models of the pulsar is 1200 meters. With this radius in mind, turn on the pulsar next to the enemy that has gone into invisibility. If you are lucky and the enemy is within the scope of the pulsar, then characteristic lightning will stretch from your ship to him. Look at the direction of these lightnings and hit the same point with the main weapon. If it’s an armada trooper, the damage it takes will cause it to come out of invisibility. Well, if this is an avant-garde attack aircraft, then it will not come out of invisibility, but it may well die from your shots.
This completes the Star Conflict frigate guide. Good luck to all fights.
Author: Parallax
