Guns Of Icarus Online

Main => The Classroom => Q&A => Topic started by: Indreams on November 11, 2014, 09:29:22 am

Title: Evasive Maneuvers
Post by: Indreams on November 11, 2014, 09:29:22 am
Quote
She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts, kid.

Let's talk about piloting.

You have been ambushed, there is a pyramidion on your aft and a goldfish on your port side beam. Hull/armor is dropping, and your powdermonkey crews are in a full panic mode, cowering on the corner of the ship and crying for their mothers. However, you are the pilot on this ship, and you have a trick up your sleeve...

What is your insane pilot maneuver? What insane pilot maneuvers have you witnessed? Let's talk about maneuvers.
Title: Re: Evasive Maneuvers
Post by: Indreams on November 11, 2014, 09:34:08 am
I'll start us off.

Mobula, about to be rammed from the aft, lifts up/down, flies backwards, and ends up behind the ramming ship. Lead up with an immediate trifecta or quadfecta to finish up the ramming ship.

Long-range spire, forced into a close range combat, flies up, positions itself above the enemy ship, chute vents down, activate impact bumper, and performs a perfect goomba stomp.

And my trauma, a goldfish positions itself on the aft of a galleon. Galleon harpoon -> moonshine backward rams it for an instakill. The behind of the fat ship scares me to this day.
Title: Re: Evasive Maneuvers
Post by: sparklerfish on November 11, 2014, 02:47:49 pm
Whenever I panic I tend to default to chute vent and full reverse, though it's situational.
Title: Re: Evasive Maneuvers
Post by: DJ Logicalia on November 11, 2014, 03:18:17 pm
Agreed. Chute vent is the most satisfying escape plan. Either that or hydro. 
Title: Re: Evasive Maneuvers
Post by: Battle Toads on November 11, 2014, 03:23:08 pm

Long-range spire forced into a close range combat, flies up, positions itself above the enemy ship, chute vents down, activate impact bumper, and performs a perfect goomba stomp.

And my trauma, a goldfish positions itself on the aft of a galleon. Galleon harpoon -> moonshine backward rams it for an instakill. The behind of the fat ship scares me to this day.

Sounds cool in theory but I don't think these would be effective in an actual match.

Almost every time someone ends up behind me I just pop off a second or two's worth of tar, enough to disable an entire ship if it is timed right. Also full speed backwards to go behind an enemy astern of you work really well too, considering you have just switched positions and are now behind them
Title: Re: Evasive Maneuvers
Post by: Indreams on November 11, 2014, 03:28:14 pm
Sounds cool in theory but I don't think these would be effective in an actual match.

Almost every time someone ends up behind me I just pop off a second or two's worth of tar, enough to disable an entire ship if it is timed right. Also full speed backwards to go behind an enemy astern of you work really well too, considering you have just switched positions and are now behind them

The spire spear was something I've seen only once, and that spire didn't live too long afterwards. But I still think it was a cool maneuver.

The galleon aft ram probably isn't valid in an actual match, but in one of my first non-novice match, this killed me three times in a row.

I forgot one another cool maneuver, squid ink. Move into the enemy, give them a few shots, and than leave them in a cloud of tar. Although, with the tar being a little weird (or balanced) right now, it's not as common as before.
Title: Re: Evasive Maneuvers
Post by: Battle Toads on November 11, 2014, 03:34:59 pm

The spire spear was something I've seen only once, and that spire didn't live too long afterwards. But I still think it was a cool maneuver.


I have seen a ton of people thing Spire Spear actually works, but because the spire's pointy bit does absolutely no additional damage compared to any other ram, you are just left ramming a ship with the weakest and slowest ship in the game which will never work. If you really want to stomp people in the ground, use a pyramidion with a buffed balloon and maybe chute vent
Title: Re: Evasive Maneuvers
Post by: Indreams on November 11, 2014, 03:49:10 pm
Oh, Battletoad helped me remember one another maneuver,

Galleon Goomba Stomp!

I was in a match that began before my ally Galleon had time to switch to right guns and ammo types. (so he was playing with four lumber, two flare weird galleon). His solution? Goomba Stomp everything with kerosine and chute vent. It was hilarious to see the enemy junker and squid squirm under the iron boot of the galleon.
Title: Re: Evasive Maneuvers
Post by: Melon McCrabernathy on November 11, 2014, 03:57:10 pm


The galleon aft ram probably isn't valid in an actual match, but in one of my first non-novice match, this killed me three times in a row.



That is not true, clearly you are one of the uninitiated :P I have personally used the aft harpoon many times to great effect
Title: Re: Evasive Maneuvers
Post by: Indreams on November 11, 2014, 04:20:04 pm
But Melon, your rams are legendary, and inimitable by common men.
Title: Re: Evasive Maneuvers
Post by: Spud Nick on November 11, 2014, 05:43:42 pm
But Melon, your rams are legendary, and inimitable by common men.

Confirmed
Title: Re: Evasive Maneuvers
Post by: Melon McCrabernathy on November 12, 2014, 04:18:52 am
But Melon, your rams are legendary, and inimitable by common men.

Confirmed

 8) 8) 8)
Title: Re: Evasive Maneuvers
Post by: Indreams on November 12, 2014, 07:28:54 am
The point of the thread was to see if there are another maneuvers top pilots use.

Do you guys know any?
Title: Re: Evasive Maneuvers
Post by: Spud Nick on November 12, 2014, 08:26:40 am
A very popular move a lot of pilots use is to fly low with a healthy buffed balloon and than use a touch of hydro to shoot up into the air.
Title: Re: Evasive Maneuvers
Post by: Replaceable on November 12, 2014, 08:41:44 am
There's a reason my Mobula is called 'Daniel the Matador'.

Blenderfish charging you head on? Drop underneath them and hit them with the flamer carro you should have. (Both have good up arcs.)

AAA they're coming too fast! They're gonna hit.

Activate your hydrogen, keep it on until your balloon is broken.

Then turn (in such a way you can back up) to face them.

You will fall under them. When you have done so catch yourself with drogue chute. You are now facing a blenderfish that is starting to turn for round 2. Move in with carro flamer. Or back up. Depends how you feel.

It's important to note all this should be happening whilst you are falling.

Congratulations you can now Olé.
Title: Re: Evasive Maneuvers
Post by: Sammy B. T. on November 12, 2014, 11:42:06 am
"The closer we are to danger, the farther we are from harm"

Something worthwhile remembering. While scary to do, evasive maneuvers, especially  vertical maneuvers, increase in effectiveness the closer you are to an enemy ship due to the way gun arcs work. It goes against every inclination but sometimes the best response to an ambush is to move closer while rising or falling. Its one of the main reasons I tell my buff engineers that the balloon buff is my most important buff.

Conversely the opposite is true. The more you can engage a ship at the edge of your range, the less able they are to escape your arcs. Too many gat mortars and carronades just never stop moving forward and if a target is outside of your vertical arc, moving forward doesn't help as much as satying still or even moving back.
Title: Re: Evasive Maneuvers
Post by: HamsterIV on November 17, 2014, 03:58:19 am
In the situation the OP described I would drop tar and start looking for hard cover.

The most conventional way to win a 2v1 against competent opponents is to put something between you and the gun arcs of one of the ships.  Then resolve combat as a quick succession of 1v1 encounters. If you are really good and the other team isn't coordinated, you can use one enemy ship to block the gun arcs of the other.

Alternatively you could also take one enemy ship out of the fight with the use of carronades, flamers or a well placed mine. Then kill his team mate while the first ship is trying to recover.

None of these techniques have a high probability of success but make for great stories if you can pull them off. Your best bet in a 2v1 is to get back with your ally. In fact some enterprising individual wrote a guide on the best way to run away escape from a bad situation.

https://gunsoficarus.com/community/forum/index.php/topic,4939.0.html
Title: Re: Evasive Maneuvers
Post by: Indreams on November 17, 2014, 01:12:31 pm
Does anybody know if it's possible to "strafe" with the front gun facing the enemy?

I think if you flew forward, than turned the ship perpendicular to the direction of travel (with the engines off), the forward momentum would let you aim the front gun at the enemy while moving sideways.

I think a squid or a goldfish might pull this off. Does anybody know if this works?
Title: Re: Evasive Maneuvers
Post by: HamsterIV on November 17, 2014, 03:29:18 pm
Does anybody know if it's possible to "strafe" with the front gun facing the enemy?

I think the correct term is "power slide." It is possible to do it in the game but I can't think of why you would do it with front guns. If they are pointed at the enemy, you have done your job right.

Power sliding is fun on a galleon especially on capture point maps. Sometimes I burn full speed for the next point and about 20 meters out activate phoenix claw and pull a 90 degree turn while letting momentum carry me onto point and the lateral drag to slow me down so I stop on the capture point. Some times when flying full speed through the canyons you have to power slide to make a particularly sharp turn.
Title: Re: Evasive Maneuvers
Post by: Indreams on November 17, 2014, 03:37:57 pm
So, it's possible to Galleon side-ram!

Watch out world, Indreams have a new toy to play with!
Title: Re: Evasive Maneuvers
Post by: Nidh on November 17, 2014, 05:06:24 pm
I call it drifting, and though it isn't always practical during an engagement it is best used to get around tight corners. During an engagement, it's very difficult to find a good use for it, unless the enemy is distracted, then it is a great way of getting on their blindside or behind them.
Title: Re: Evasive Maneuvers
Post by: ShadedExalt on November 18, 2014, 11:17:32 am
How to evade on a Goldfish.  Step one: Pop vent. Step two: pop shine.  Step three: pop claw. Step four:  Enjoy your engineers panicked screams and your gunner's maniacal laughter.
Title: Re: Evasive Maneuvers
Post by: Indreams on November 18, 2014, 11:27:48 am
I just noticed that it takes more than 7 seconds for most ships to attain maximum vertical speed (around 17m/s) but mobula can do it in 3 seconds.

Btw, do you drop faster with chute vent or dead balloon?
Title: Re: Evasive Maneuvers
Post by: ShadedExalt on November 18, 2014, 11:42:43 am
Holy crap, I just saw the Powerslide post.  Dear god is this gonna scare the bejeesus out of some poor sap.  Thanks!
Title: Re: Evasive Maneuvers
Post by: Sammy B. T. on November 18, 2014, 03:04:37 pm
How to evade on a Goldfish.  Step one: Pop vent. Step two: pop shine.  Step three: pop claw. Step four:  Enjoy your engineers panicked screams and your gunner's maniacal laughter.

Make you're gunner help with repairs. No reason to have someone on gun if I have no engines and am currently in evasion mode. Despite popular belief being a gunner doesn't excuse one from work.
Title: Re: Evasive Maneuvers
Post by: Indreams on November 18, 2014, 03:15:03 pm
I usually tell my crew, "Hull and Engines", when I'm escaping.

Hull keeps us alive. Engine keeps us on the move. I usually ignore the balloon as it is highly unlikely I'll chute or hydro twice in one maneuver.
Title: Re: Evasive Maneuvers
Post by: Ightrril on November 19, 2014, 02:38:03 am
I usually tell my crew, "Hull and Engines", when I'm escaping.

Hull keeps us alive. Engine keeps us on the move. I usually ignore the balloon as it is highly unlikely I'll chute or hydro twice in one maneuver.

It's still best to make sure they repair the balloon when they can, otherwise you could be left with a half-empty bag of air that's just keeping you from scratching the ground while there is a wall of terrain in your escape path.

One of the most enjoyable ways to escape on a Goldfish, I find, is to charge straight towards the metamidion and just dodge past it, or even slam down onto its balloon armour, shooting you high into the sky.
Title: Re: Evasive Maneuvers
Post by: ShadedExalt on November 19, 2014, 01:06:47 pm

Make you're gunner help with repairs. No reason to have someone on gun if I have no engines and am currently in evasion mode. Despite popular belief being a gunner doesn't excuse one from work.

Oh I know.  But I meant if you wanted to avoid a ram or something or other.  If it was full out panic mode I would get him off guns for sure.  Then I would escape behind some measure of cover, if at all possible.
Title: Re: Evasive Maneuvers
Post by: Indreams on November 26, 2014, 09:11:28 pm
I read on the old forums that the height ceiling was different for different ships. Is this still true, and is it exploitable?
Title: Re: Evasive Maneuvers
Post by: DJ Logicalia on November 26, 2014, 09:59:24 pm
I read on the old forums that the height ceiling was different for different ships. Is this still true, and is it exploitable?

I don't know this for sure, but I would imagine what was meant was a ship like the Spire would hit the flight ceiling faster that the mobula based on ship size and shape alone
Title: Re: Evasive Maneuvers
Post by: Indreams on December 09, 2014, 10:01:15 am
Do you guys know which tool changes the ship position the fastest? In case you need to dodge a Hwacha barrage or something.
Title: Re: Evasive Maneuvers
Post by: GeoRmr on December 09, 2014, 01:47:00 pm
Do you guys know which tool changes the ship position the fastest? In case you need to dodge a Hwacha barrage or something.

Chute Vent, but Hydrogen is preferable.
Title: Re: Evasive Maneuvers
Post by: Indreams on February 20, 2015, 06:40:22 am
Reviving the topic.

I've started using an interesting maneuver on a goldfish.
Typically, one rams with a kerosene or moonshine in order to keep your ship in arc.

I've been ramming with a goldfish to knock enemy pyramidions' and hwacha/blenderfishes' arcs. However, instead of ramming straight with kero/moonshine, I do a side ram; maneuvering to the broadsides, using the claw to twist the ship against the enemy, and effectively turning the enemy away from me.

I've also done straight rams with the claw instead of kero/moonshine to better maneuver my arcs. Of course, the ship turns like a hurricane on contact, but I can match whatever maneuver the enemy pilot attempts.

So... claw rams!
Title: Re: Evasive Maneuvers
Post by: BlackenedPies on February 20, 2015, 09:07:52 am
Claw rams can be effective, but be very careful. If you get rammed with it on you'll spin around. So yes it works as long as you aren't counter rammed. You can also use claw to pinpoint where you'll hit them near the end of the ram.

Another great tactic is having your throttle in full reverse at the very end of the ram while burning. This bumps you less allowing you to keep gun arcs while they lose theirs. Moonshine is perfect for this. Unless you're ramming them into something, I would always recommend something like this to keep control while they lose theirs.
Title: Re: Evasive Maneuvers
Post by: Dutch Vanya on February 20, 2015, 09:48:50 am
Not enough captains make use of chute vent. It can make for some very exciting and risky escapes.
Title: Re: Evasive Maneuvers
Post by: Indreams on February 20, 2015, 09:49:43 am
Actually, if you know what direction you'll be spinning, the +50 thrust from claw is enough to keep you from spinning. Although... if you get it wrong, you'll have to do a 360.

On a note, Kero/moonshine not turning your ship doesn't always mean that the enemy ship will be in arc. With tactical (and not offensive) rams, I recommend that you try out the claw. Actually, in a rare incident of Mobula vs. Squid, I used the drogue chute to a great ramming effect. Bounced him around like pong.
Title: Re: Evasive Maneuvers
Post by: Lieutenant Noir on February 24, 2015, 04:40:47 pm
-When pilots try to out manoeuvre a tar cloud they usually go up or down
-I find using hydro or chute vent in conjunction with tar proves quite effective against slightly more manoeuvrable ships
-You can use it as an evasive manoeuvre too, as their guns will target the last location you had been seen before deploying the tar cloud

-However, it can be quite hard to recognise where the enemy is as the cloud AoE is so big.
-I don't know how this is for others ships except squid, but I guess it would be one hell of an evasive manoeuvre on a mobula.
Title: Re: Evasive Maneuvers
Post by: Spud Nick on February 25, 2015, 07:38:57 am
I saw a spire using tar to great effect the  other day. He would pop tar as I came from behind him forcing me to hydro above it. Than he would fly low past the tar and start burning backwards. I lost him a few times because I could not see him below my ship with all the tar.
Title: Re: Evasive Maneuvers
Post by: David Dire on February 25, 2015, 09:16:48 am
Not enough captains make use of chute vent. It can make for some very exciting and risky escapes.

As someone who recently switched to Chute Vent (And I basically only play Blenderfish) I can confirm the Chute Vent is definitely the best (Or really, my favourite) way to dodge enemy fire when about to go down and escape. Since it does such low damage to the balloon, I can dip down near the floor, then, while they're out of arc, get everything repaired and fly back into battle/run away to rendezvous with my teammate. It's also great against Metamidions, just dip down once your armour is about to be destroyed and dodge all their Morter shots.
Title: Re: Evasive Maneuvers
Post by: MightyKeb on February 25, 2015, 10:23:47 am
Not enough captains make use of chute vent. It can make for some very exciting and risky escapes.

As someone who recently switched to Chute Vent (And I basically only play Blenderfish) I can confirm the Chute Vent is definitely the best (Or really, my favourite) way to dodge enemy fire when about to go down and escape. Since it does such low damage to the balloon, I can dip down near the floor, then, while they're out of arc, get everything repaired and fly back into battle/run away to rendezvous with my teammate. It's also great against Metamidions, just dip down once your armour is about to be destroyed and dodge all their Morter shots.

Another beauty in chute vent comes from it's lack of usage. Say, you're fighting something like metamidion vs metamidion. If you both bring the hydro, you'll be able to intercept him when he attempts to escape, but he'll also be able to do the same to you. Chute Vent mixes things up a bit and grants you both a different altitude where you excel at, thus making your ship squid-esque where you can just dust off from the fight as soon as your ally is killed or something.


It's also great for flying from above (And by that I mean ridicilously above) In some maps that tends to throw vet pilots off guard.
Title: Re: Evasive Maneuvers
Post by: AndersHyrule on March 14, 2015, 08:29:58 pm
see im a squid pilot so really ive got 2 options i go for.
1. gun it and whip out a bottle o moonshine
2. i can always just jump off the ship and let my crew fend for themselves
Title: Re: Evasive Maneuvers
Post by: Kamoba on March 15, 2015, 03:28:30 am
see im a squid pilot so really ive got 2 options i go for.
1. gun it and whip out a bottle o moonshine
2. i can always just jump off the ship and let my crew fend for themselves
Squid pilots should know how to tar and hydro too ;)
Title: Re: Evasive Maneuvers
Post by: MightyKeb on March 15, 2015, 04:16:48 am
see im a squid pilot so really ive got 2 options i go for.
1. gun it and whip out a bottle o moonshine
2. i can always just jump off the ship and let my crew fend for themselves
Squid pilots should know how to tar and hydro too ;)

Or just take chute vent and hydro and pretend you're a wannabe mobula
Title: Re: Evasive Maneuvers
Post by: Kamoba on March 15, 2015, 04:43:33 am
see im a squid pilot so really ive got 2 options i go for.
1. gun it and whip out a bottle o moonshine
2. i can always just jump off the ship and let my crew fend for themselves
Squid pilots should know how to tar and hydro too ;)

Or just take chute vent and hydro and pretend you're a wannabe mobula

Pfft why waste the tool slot? Just burn the balloon to death!
Title: Re: Evasive Maneuvers
Post by: MightyKeb on March 15, 2015, 10:54:24 am
see im a squid pilot so really ive got 2 options i go for.
1. gun it and whip out a bottle o moonshine
2. i can always just jump off the ship and let my crew fend for themselves
Squid pilots should know how to tar and hydro too ;)

Or just take chute vent and hydro and pretend you're a wannabe mobula

Pfft why waste the tool slot? Just burn the balloon to death!

And what are you gonna do when you find yourself facing a good hwachafish? Wait a few seconds for it to burn out along with all 4 of your engines in a competitive enviroment?

It does counter hwachas decently though. Slow projectile + A lightning speed mobility tool

The only ship you REALLY could do without a chute vent is mobula. It falls so fast and has a big balloon which generally is under the risk of being popped so you can turn off drouge while falling to do some vertical manouvers.

Besides, it's pretty darn good in blenderfish v blenderfish since it allows you to gain arcs and avoid their point blank. I use chute-hydro-kero on my squid all the time, the only times where I reaaaaallly wish I had tar is when I'm piloting a squid against another squid or a goldfish,  though on a ship like junker it is pretty darn useful for most other ships when you're in a bad spot. Infact I use it in claw's place.
Title: Re: Evasive Maneuvers
Post by: Xylo Wenchbane on March 17, 2015, 04:53:12 am
I usually fly the goldfish in novice matches and go up against pyras and other goldfish. I usually let them try to ram me (reverse or forward depending on which side of the ship is closest and then I put the pheonix claw on.

Still getting used to the altitude speeds. I also use hydrogen for a split second then full forward with kerosene to clear some range and then claw around to face them and unleash a full hwacha clip into their face. Both work but I can see how I'd be easy to outmaneuver.