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Aboard a Junker

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Kyren:

--- Quote from: Pickle on August 20, 2013, 06:56:49 am ---Great guide, although I disagree completely with you on a few things!  But that's the Junker for you, it promotes very different styles of play.

I always put the Gatling on the lower deck with a Gat-Flak or Gat-Mortar Junker - it's important that the Gatling is firing all the time, and the lower deck is the natural position for the primary gunner (whether Gunner or Engineer).  The Mortar of Flak only needs a burst of attention at just the right time - easier for the main deck Engineer or the Pilot to do.

Gunners can use the forward gun, but it's important they know when to come off it because the Captain is trying to bring a broadside into play.  I often wish I could leave the forward mount un-gunned because of stubborn Gunners.

Don't confuse manoeuvrability with speed.  The Junker is very manoeuvrable, it's just slow - although with Kerosene it will (just) out-pace a Pyra with non-boosted engines.

Phoenix Claw is of very limited value given the base manoeuvrability of the Junker and the greater relative benefit of almost any other Pilot tool.  Including Tar Barrel which can come in very useful for deterring faster pursuers from closing and concealing a change in aspect to surprise them with a broadside once they've worked their way past or through the tar.

The piloting position gives the Captain and lot of options, s/he can choose to repair balloon or steering engines quite easily (pointless staying in the helm if they're both down), or take up the main deck guns.  As a Junker Captain I am very often running to the Flak or Mortars on the main deck when the Gunner is calling "Armour down" and this frees both Engineers to make repairs.  It's not unusual to get into a running broadside exchange with another ship whilst in a Junker (usually against other Junkers or Pyras) - I can often set the helm to match speeds and jump down to a deck gun and we'll run alongside each other firing.  Having me (as Pilot) on the second gun and both my engineers repairing gives me a very good advantage over the opposing Pilot who is standing at the helm just because that's his role according to Piloting 101.


It's probably worth pointing out that the Gunner is usually responsible for repairs to the main engine, but that unless a Junker is trying to evade pursuit or racing after a CP point, repairs to the main engine can usually wait until the calm between engagements.  However the steering engines are very important, and one of the deck Engineers should be keeping an eye on them.

--- End quote ---

Phew, I should have contacted you about it before posting. I'll work your suggestions in once I'm done with explaining all the Main Menu stuff for the Community Guide! I'll especially expand the Captains section with the things you just mentioned, I haven't seen many Captains on Junkers doing more than Balloon repairs, but it never hurts to give whoever reads this Guide some incentive :)

I had doubts about my Guide here yesterday already when I had my Captain set the Mortars on the upper deck, I'll have to redo those screenshots and the text then, too!

My thanks! Grrr, and I'm already counting hours again as to how much I can get done today :/

Pickle:
I was away anyway Kyren.. catching a bit of the Fringe at the Edinbugh Festival.

I'll have a think about thus guide over the next couple of weeks and see if I can come up with some more.  I know there are other pilots that also pretty much fly the Junker exclusively, if I see any of them in-game I'll try and grab their tips too and point them at this thread.

I might have been too hasty knocking back Phoenix Claw so completely, I do sometimes use it with the Junker but compared to the slow turning speed of the Pyra it's not absolutely essential.  Drogue chute is probably more useful given the ability of the balloon to soak up damage when shielding components, and my standard tool bar for Junker is Drogue Chute, Kerosene, Tar barrel.


Crewing a Junker, my take on it..
Captain - Pilot, tools as above, role - to steer, use the main deck guns to finish off an opponent, make repairs to balloon and steering engine
Gunner - Gunner or Engineer, role to stay on the lower deck and operate the lower deck guns as directed by the Captain, to operate the bow gun in pursuit, repair main engine
Main Engineer - Engineer, make repairs to the hull and deck guns, standard repair build with no buffing, available to jump on deck gun as directed by Captain
Deck Engineer - Engineer, make repairs to deck guns, balloon and steering engines, to use main deck guns as directed by Captain, normally standard repair build but sometimes buffing

I've had some really good Engineers in the Deck Engineer role - and it takes a very good Engineer to use a buffing build in this role.  Other then the Gunner, the remaining three crew members must carry the same ammunition choice to avoid blocked guns.  I also insist that anyone that jumps on the deck guns hits "R" for reload when jumping off.  It's too frustrating to jump on a Mortar or Flak and find only one round left in the clip, just after the Gunner has stripped their armour.

Captain Smollett:
Pickle, I'm surprised you don't use a frontgineer setup.

Basically the same setup you have but the main engineer mans the front gun and repairs the hull from underneath.  This way you never have to worry about your chaingunner not being ready, you can build trifectas, and the main engi is close enough to the lower deck to provide engineering assistance and fire control.

Thaago:
Good guide, although I agree with Pickle on the criticisms - its a very maneuverable ship that you can thread through tons of tight spots. I prefer lower deck gatlings so that they are firing at all times. My piloting loadout: Charged, Spanner, Kerosene, Tar, Altitude (depends on map and if enemies bring Lumberjack). I think its one of the more challenging and rewarding ships to pilot because of how valuable it is to be off the helm at times.

Pickle:

--- Quote from: Captain Smollett on August 20, 2013, 02:54:56 pm ---Pickle, I'm surprised you don't use a frontgineer setup.

Basically the same setup you have but the main engineer mans the front gun and repairs the hull from underneath.  This way you never have to worry about your chaingunner not being ready, you can build trifectas, and the main engi is close enough to the lower deck to provide engineering assistance and fire control.

--- End quote ---

I would, if I regularly had an engineer that could hit the hull from underneath!  Mostly I'm playing PUGs, so I need something simple that will work with anyone willing to learn.  I know play Engineer so rarely, I'm not sue I could hit the hull from below reliably enough.  The trifecta is good, but only if there's no incoming - rare in CQB - so there isn't a third pair of hands to man the third (forward) gun.

I loaded up with Phoenix Claw for a few games this with the Junker at the start of the evening, and didn't touch it once.  Kerosene I use frequently, in CP and DM.

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