Component Targeting

[HamsterIV]

I would like to discuss the tactical benefits of aiming for components vs aiming for non component hull. For example when is it better to tell your crew to target, guns, engines, or try for a strait kill? This is especially pertinent to high accuracy no burst piercing weapons like the Field gun and Heavy Clip Gatling gun, where you can choose what part of the ship to hit, but don't have AOE to guarantee a hull hit along with the targeted component.

My own thoughts on the matter go: Break the gun if it is a disabler like the manticore or lumberjack at range. Shoot out the engines if you are trying to protect an ally who is running away. All other cases avoid components and go for the quick take down.

[Rainer Zu Fall]

I'd say it all depends an you, your crew, your co-captain, the four ships, the map and, especially, the situation.
There are gunners that can destroy a mortar quickly with a gatling and there are gunners that can't destroy a hwacha with a field gun. It depends on how good your engineers are, what ship you and your teammate are flying, how you are at which map targeting at how many of which enemy ships ... there are just too many parameters to simplify that.

There are only few situations in which I have to tell my gunners what to aim for, mainly you can go with a straight takedown. I generally like the enemies guns destroyed as fast as possible. Same with the balloon, which I like it to be destroyed at the same time as the hull/guns. Engines ... well, only effective against fast or maneuverable ships or in special constellations.

[Captain Smollett]

Always shoot out the front gun of a goldfish, you'll still be able to shoot out the armor before their gun gets back online.

Shoot out Manticores and Heavy Carronades on the Galleon when in a 1v1, you won't break the armor right away anyways so might as well buy time. Go for kill in a focus situation.

Kill Pyras and Junkers unless they have their rear to you in which case targeting turn engines may be of benefit (very situational)

When flying Squid go for engines when the opportunity presents itself; will almost guarantee the kill in a 1v1 if you take out or even damage the turnings.

Just kill Spires, actually stop your ship and ask your crew to spit on it, the Spire will usually crumble to pieces once the first droplet of saliva makes contact.

Shoot out Squid engines if they attempt to flee.

These can vary quite a bit depending on situation.

[BADFOOT]

I shoot a lot of gat for my pilots of choice and as a rule of thumb I always START with the hull armor. The one exception as noted by a previous poster would be the bow gun on a goldfish. Generally I take out hull armor for the flak/mortar guy and then lay off onto detailing other parts guns/engines as available. Sometimes if hull engy needs time I focus the other gat. All pretty situational and ship/captain specific.

[Plasmarobo]

My god, that font...

Anyway, I generally just go for the kill.
If you have superior firepower and/or position, hammering their armor and getting that hull down is how you kill. However, when outmaneuvered and outgunned it sometimes becomes entirely necessary to disable. 

In a junker, having an Artemis on the front position can let you nuke the engines of ships that would otherwise fly circles around you. It also stops them from running away. I cannot tell you how many times I've lost a scuffle in a Pyr just because my engines happened to die. If you can't move, you're basically temporarily out of the game. No matter how quickly you rebuild your hull if you cannot dodge or get guns on your target, you're done.

[Sammy B. T.]

General rule of thumb, if it is a heavy weapon, take it out. If you are chaisng a fleeing target, take out engines. Everything else, aim for hull but don't feel too bad if the occasional shot hits a gun component.

[-Muse- Cullen]

Once a component goes down, all of the damage goes directly to the armor/hull. Therefore, at long distances, I simply tell my crew to aim for the hull or the balloon. Once we are closer, I prefer to aim for the engines over the guns (Except on a goldfish, because crews(and myself) sometimes have difficulties hitting that engine). The engines are generally far enough away from the guns that, once the engines start working again, it will take time for that shooter to return to his place, and in that time, the engines will probably go down again.

[Squidslinger Gilder]

Just kill Spires, actually stop your ship and ask your crew to spit on it, the Spire will usually crumble to pieces once the first droplet of saliva makes contact.

You just became my person of the day Smo...hahahah!!

[Letus]

I mostly go for components or guns when on a merc at a long range.  Mostly engines to make them slow.  Then the heavy guns.

At a shorter range, I tend  to go for one gun, that being the gun that I think a gungineer is on.  Overall goal in my reasons to take out components is to make that ship lose its second "gunner" since they would be at a balloon or gun or hull.

[Pickle]

Always go for the components.  Guns first, engines if you can't get a shot on the guns.  The "misses" will strike the hull, once the component is damaged you're getting pass-thru to the Hull anyway.

I'd always prioritise the Gunner-mount, a sensible Captain is going to have the Gunner on the weapon most damaging to armour/components (Gatling) and the second-Engineer on the secondary (Flak).

Not taking damage is as important as dealing it.

[HamsterIV]

The high gun mounts on a Pyramidion present an interesting decision for gunners in a merc duel. Shooting out the enemy's merc will buy your engineer time to fix the hull, but a near miss will hit the balloon not the hull. Generally I try for the gun maybe one clip out of 4 because I don't feel confident enough in my ability to hit such a small target.

[JaegerDelta]

Always go for the components.  Guns first, engines if you can't get a shot on the guns.  The "misses" will strike the hull, once the component is damaged you're getting pass-thru to the Hull anyway.

I'd always prioritise the Gunner-mount, a sensible Captain is going to have the Gunner on the weapon most damaging to armour/components (Gatling) and the second-Engineer on the secondary (Flak).

Not taking damage is as important as dealing it.

QFT  you take out their guns, you might not kill them as quickly but you ensure that you take less damage in the fight and ultimately its the person who takes the least amount of damage that wins. MATH