Pilot Tools

[Lowe]

I have a question for more experienced pilots and engineers.

Let me just preface this with: I'm pretty new. (Still in the novice area.)

As far as I can tell pilot tools often do more harm than good and being able to fly using no abilities seems much more advantageous to everyone on the ship.

Almost every time I've played with a pilot who uses abilities it seems like he's just struggling to stay afloat the entire match because he's wreaking havoc on his engines.

I'm sure in the right hands abilities could be effective but, is it possible that straight flying ability could trump the need for pilot abilities? Or do abilities really give you an edge as an experienced pilot?

Thanks!

-Lowe

[David Dire]

Basically;

Git Gud.

[BlackenedPies]

The standard loadout is kerosene, Phoenix claw, and hydrogen. Kero goes faster, claw turns faster, and hydro makes you go up. Note with hydro only turn it on for an instant (on off) because effects last 5 seconds. Tool use is absolutely essential and you won't win without them.

Use kero whenever you need to go somewhere quicker. It does very little damage to engines and it can even be repaired with just a spanner, same with claw. Use kero all the time. On ships like Pyramidion and carronade goldfish I burn the whole time. Burn burn burn it's a huge benefit with very little cost.

Effective engineering is equally important. Burn your tools unless you don't have to. Kerosene and claw are your best friends. Make sure you can switch quickly. Tools make a vital difference in matches. The best way to learn is playing with an experienced captain.

[ShadedExalt]

If he's abusing Moonshine and Hydrogen, then there's your problem.  Both give huge buffs to mobility, but absolutely destroy components.  Using your tools correctly and in the right amounts is what you want.

[nanoduckling]

Your intuitions serve you reasonably well here. Pilots should be using pilot tools when they have a reason to. Kerosene or moonshine to close distance and get inside arming times. Hydrogen for ambushes or to provide a quick escape. Claw to bring guns to bear. Chute vent to goomba stomp. And so on. But a pilot using tools at the wrong time or with the wrong (or bad) intent can be crippling leaving your ship much worse off, for example if a squid pilot uses tools and breaks their engines.

That said appropriate use of them can save a ship or increase the likelihood of a kill. You should also keep in mind that tool use is contingent on the quality of the engineering and the ship. On a pyra with a top tier engineer you can burn kero and use claw all day and unless they get shot the engines are not going down. On the other hand a novice who stares at one engine repairing it repeatedly on a squid while the other three go down will leave you dead in the water if you use tools constantly. Tailor your approach to the available resources, including human.

A damaged engine is a small price to pay for an extra break on the enemy armour. A ship with a busted balloon is better than dead ship with a pristine balloon. You should be consciously making trades of your ships component health for tactical advantages.