Things i need to know about Lightning.

Discussion in 'PlanetSide 2 Gameplay Discussion' started by Ximaster, Sep 29, 2015.

  1. Ximaster

    Because i have all my certs spend on engie,and since engies and tanks are good friends,i would know all things about tank Lightnings,because i start to spend some certs on it. I mean,which weapons are the best on overall purposes???? I mean,versus infantry and anti vehicle. And what upgrades are important to spend to the Lightning???? I thought to put nano repair armor and nano repair tool,for survavility. But maybe other options are better,such a more armor on the back or front for put examples. But i want to know all things that can be knew about the Lightning because in all time played at this game,i never pilot a vehicle because i always played infantry. And i always liked the Lightning.
  2. Sovereign533

    I personally prefer to roll with High Speed Frame, maxed Stealth and Smoke / Fire surpression.
    The lightning isn't a stand stationary and shell from a distance tank, but a flank tank. Its low frame and speed make it ideal for that.
    Just have to keep moving. Maxed stealth makes sure you stay off the minimap when shelling. And after every shot, go back into hiding while reloading. Hopefully nobody looks where the shell came from.
    Managed to get quite a few Lightnings and locked down Prowlers like that.

    My prefered weapon is the HEAT. Because when I bought that weapon it was quite good and a LOT better then the Viper.
    Nowadays I would buy the AP variant. (need direct hits on infantry anyway)
  3. Turiel =RL=

    The Lightning has changed over the years and most of it is because of the totally weird changes to steering. While it was rather precise in the past, it feels like a spoon in a jar of jam these days.

    With the current version you need a way to survive burst damage. Nano-repair won't cut it, since you are dead before it kicks in. I suggest you go for Side-Armor and for the Fire-Extinguisher. Chassis is a matter of taste, although I believe that there is not much point in speed if you bump against pretty much everything because you can't cut the corners fast enough (see above). My preferred weapon is HE/thermal vision, because I think the main use of the Lightning is to farm infantry (it's basically a rather cheap outdoor AI MAX). HE still has enough punch to kill a Sunderer and you can also kill other Lightnings with it. It is also always nice to carry as much ammo as possible.

    Last but not least, it is easier to play Lightning as TR, because you don't have to deal with Vulcans or Gatekeepers.
  4. ColonelChingles

    Generally most experienced Lightning players prefer the AP cannon. It has the most usage among the HE, HEAT, and AP cannons because it is the most useful.

    Needless to say the AP cannon works best against other vehicles. But the AP cannon is also the best choice for AI work, largely because HE and HEAT are so terrible. HE can only OHK against non-Flak infantry within 1m... which is extremely short. HEAT can't OHK infantry at all. You might as well hit them directly, and in that case might as well go AP.

    I go with the Rival Chassis, mostly because agility is more important on the Lightning than speed. A stock Lightning is about 10km/h faster than an MBT (except the Magrider), so generally you're fast enough to outrun those. Even with Racer you're never going to outrun anything else (except maybe for angry Sunderers). Rival, on the other hand, can keep you from crashing into little rocks which will reduce your speed to 0 very quickly.

    For the Utility slot you only have two choices... Smoke and Fire Suppression. Fire Suppression is usually the more useful option, as it can give you a 12% repair on the move.

    The Defense slot has the most choices. I'm usually split between Stealth and NARS. Stealth (especially at maximum level) is great because it keeps you from appearing on enemy maps until you shoot. This keeps you safer from aircraft and allows you to set up ambushes on other tanks. NARS is good when you're around a lot of infantry... if you take a single hit accidentally, NARS can keep you in the fight.

    I might recommend my Lightning Guide I wrote awhile back. Also you might want to read my guide on how to pull a tank (and avoid finding yourself having your tank exploded in the first 10 seconds). It will give you some ideas on how to best position your Lightning to take advantage of its "glass cannon" characteristics.
  5. Vaphell

    I don't agree with that. I auraxed HEAT right before the recent buff and i would describe my experience as smooth sailing in general. It was so much easier to score kills on cheeky peasants compared to AP. Yeah the loss or raw power against mech was annoying but if the action is heavy and a hail of rockets is flying your way you don't have time to snipe peasants with pixel perfect accuracy so you take potshots and some splash damage is better than no damage. 2 shots are likely to end a coward hiding in the rocks which is not going to happen with AP.
    Not going to humiliate myself with certing into HE but the default viper is an AI beast (it sucks against mech though)
  6. Demigan

    I have to agree with ColonelChingles here. As a Lightning you decide most of the engagement with infantry, such as the distance and how easy you make it for your enemy to hit you, and infantry can easily be outrun in most occasions, while tanks will simply tear you apart. Your best bet is to have a powerful weapon against tanks, the AP canon.

    That said:
    If you want to go cheap, get some side/front armor, they give you a good advantage for small cost. If you want to spent some more I would go stealth all the way.
    AP canons are powerful, but even when you hit an MBT from behind they can kill you faster than you can kill them. Do not drive up against a hostile MBT's back and think you'll win, even against a 1/2 MBT they have ample of chance to kill you first if they react fast enough.
    Lightnings have to deal with this by using their frame: it's low and tougher to hit by other ground vehicles, and it's fast. So get that racer frame maxed out! Rival chassis is better for anti-infantry work where you like to get almost on top of the infantry, but otherwise I think it's useless compared to racer. I prefer to use fire suppression simply because it helps you survive a bit more and lock-ons can easily be outmaneuvered by using cover most of the time, but if I had my way the proxy radar would still fill that slot (too bad it was moved).

    To conclude:
    Use Lightning for hit and run and ambushes with stealth frame. Use AP as it's the most generalist weapon out there, keep moving if you can with racer, use fire suppression to get a bit more health out of a battle.
  7. LodeTria

    Fire suppression is usually best, although smoke can be funny on hossin because of all the places to hide.

    For defence slots it's either NAR or Stealth mostly. NAR is for large open areas with little cover like northern indar or if you're feeling lazy and can't be bothered to repair yourself. Stealth is for everything else as being off the minimap is a huge boon for every vehicle.
    You can use side armour too but it's only really useful vs other lightnings, and to a crewed MBT it's not gonna save you at all. Avoid all other defense slots.

    Chassis wise it's down to your own personal preference. I personally use rival as the reverse speed & better turning allows me to attempt to stop harassers or other lightnings going for rear shots. Go to VR ,use both and use whatever you feel is best for you.

    Gun wise, Go AP or go home. If you intend to deal with other vehicles then AP is your go to. It does the most damage to vehicles and still direct kills infantry if you hit them directly. The viper is good vs infantry but it is a bit pants vs other vehicles although it is pretty good against sunderers.

    If you happen to be TR, just use the prowler instead.
  8. Vaphell

    I dont deny AP is best overall because not having it pretty much means that any AV tank and harasser can steamroll you. I take issue with saying that HEAT is terrible against infantry. It's not, not to mention saying something like that is outright insulting to peasants who are taking it up the *** so you can get a killstreak in an armored can that requires significant effort to stave off.
    That engagement control sounds nice and all but if you are in comfortable situation, most of the time it means you don't put enough pressure on peasantry. Sure you get your farm, but it's a stalemate as they get revived/respawned as fast as they get killed. Pushing means rockets to the grill and cheeky bastards trying to plant c4 on your ***.
    Also Amerish and Hossin in many places has a very short engagement range with plenty of cover which allows particularly entepreneurial players to flank on foot which can mean finding oneself in the middle of a hectic action at the drop of a hat. Also let's not forget that infantry based AV can be annoying with its range at which things are barely recognizable to you. Things go easy, suddenly a platoon of AV maxes and AV HAs spawns. If you cannot expose yourself for longer than 0.5s without getting blasted, you are not going to place dead accurate shots.
  9. Stormsinger

    Firstly, what faction are you?

    Faction stuff:
    If you're TR - The Prowler is better at almost everything that the lightning can do (Except for AA)

    If you're VS - The Magrider actually has a lower DPS Armor Piercing (FPC) Main cannon then the Lightning does. When you're solo, and you want to blow up armor, the Lightning is better for straight damage output.

    If you're NC - The lightning handles better then the drunken refrigerator that is the Vanguard, but you are much less, well.... tanky. The lightning is a better choice when you want to get into position quickly, and only have low hills as cover (The lightning is generally better, due to the extremely low profile, and gunning the engine is much more responsive when dodging C4 Faeries.)
    Overview of the lightning:

    Gun stuff:
    Viper: Excellent Anti Infantry - 6 shots of AI goodness. It's... servicable against armor, but HEAT / AP will outdamage you in a DPS race, in general.

    High Explosive: A shadow of it's former self. It's nice when trying to root people out of cover, but I wouldn't bother with it when you have free access to the Viper. It can be worth it after the recent velocity buff, but I still prefer AP or Viper in most situations.

    HEAT: Very good all around cannon with a small splash radius. It's nice vs armor, and nice versus infantry, a good choice in general.

    Armor Piercing: This is my favorite option overall. Once you get the hang of this thing, it's not all that difficult to land direct hits on moving infantry out to 300 meters, and AP will score a kill on impact. Certing reload speed is very worth it, but you get less of a benefit for the same certs compared to a MBT primary. AP is excellent for long range shelling, or flanking / AV work.

    Skyguard - The only tank Anti Aircraft flack cannon in the game - this thing is excellent at plinking away at air, although a solo liberator can still blow your lightly armored *** off with minimal difficulty. Every other air unit is rather vulnerable to sustained AA fire - Velocity is fairly good too. Anti Infantry work is possible with the Skyguard, but it's rather awkward. As far as AV is concerned, if you can get within 20 meters of your target (Say, a sunderer), it's surprisingly good at shredding whatever you're firing at. I've outgunned dual basalisk sunderers at point blank with this thing.


    Frame stuff (Performance slot)
    Rival and Racer are your only options here. Try both of them out in the VR and see which feels better to you. In general, newer players tend to like Rival, and veterans tend to prefer Racer. The lightning is already a fast tank, and by putting Racer on... you can catch / outrun any other ground vehicle, save for the Harasser. Rival is of minimal benefit overall, but I still prefer it in scenarios where i'm going to be fighting in the same general / contained area, or in urban combat scenarios (Tower fights, around tech plants, etc) due to the added turn rate. For the most part - Mobility is both the strongest offense and defense, and Racer gives you more of it. If you have to pick one, go with Racer.

    Additional info: You can 'pop' the gears of any ground vehicle, forcing extra acceleration. This works for any vehicle with wheels (So... everything but the Magrider.)


    Other stuff (Utility slot)
    Your choices for the Utility slot are slim - IR smoke or Fire Suppression. In addition to breaking lockons, IR smoke is surprisingly good at blocking view. I like driving through infantry fights at full throttle, and popping smoke between attackers and friendly defenders. Anyone with IR/NV scopes will have a few easy targets, and attackers will either have to scope-in and slow down (making easy targets) or find cover, buying friendlies time. Fire suppression is my general favorite, however - especially when paired with Nanite Auto repair. Any repairs will instantly restart Nanite Auto Repair (after taking damage), and fire suppression counts. It's quite nice when in cover, as it keeps the reps going without forcing you to leave your tank.

    Defense slot:
    The most popular options here are Nanite Auto Repair, Stealth, and Side armor. Nanite auto repair is nice when participating in armor columns, or when doing a small amount of flanking. This is my standard go-to option when playing defensively, as fire suppression / NAR make it so you never have to leave your tank (Snipers will loathe you for this, and anything that pisses them off is a good thing.)

    Stealth is the best overall option when flanking into enemy territory, or playing in a generally offensive manner. Players in general ignore whatever isn't on their minimap, and Stealth lowers detection range (Or removes it entirely, at max rank.) You'll still show up when Q spotted, or when you fire... but this will allow you to get into position nicely. Flanking at night with stealth almost always guarantees a few vehicle kills, if you take the long way around combat lines. Most veterans I speak with use stealth as their go-to option.

    Proximity radar is an excellent option in general as well, but it tends to be expensive to allow it any real range (Max rank puts it at 50 meters) - Keep in mind the difference between scout radar and proxy radar. Scout radar will light up targets for ALL friendlies in the area (only available on the Flash, ESF, or Valkyrie) - Proximity Radar will only show you the approaching enemy dots, so you must Q-spot things for friendlies to be able to see. This works well with HE / Viper when you are able to approach within 50 meters, and it's nice when shelling at range with AP / HEAT versus approaching C4 faeries.

    Side armor is nice when trading shots with enemy armor. Keeping your flank turned towards incoming fire will reduce damage by an additional 8% for lightnings. (Wiki is wrong, side armor change happened in this patch - http://planetside.wikia.com/wiki/Game_Update_Number_8 - This is the most current patch note on it that I saw, so i'm going with this value. It may be 10%, but I don't have access to the game right now to check. :p )

    Lightnings have 3000 health (Compare to Sunderer / MBT health of 4000)

    For an incoming AP shell from, say... a Vanguard:
    Lightning base side armor of 58% and -20% resistance versus 2075 damage

    2075 * ( 1- .58) * ( 1- (-.2)
    2075 * (.42) * (1.2)
    1045.8 damage. The third direct hit will blow you into a thick, spongy nanite paste.

    Adding 8% side armor:
    2075 * ( 1 - (.58 + .08) ) * ( 1.2 )
    846.6 damage - This will make it so you need 4 direct hits, those extra few seconds will buy you a nice bit of time.

    One thing to note about hit zones - it doesn't matter where their shell strikes you, it matters what angle they are at relative to you when firing. (If they are above you at a fairly sharp angle, and the shell hits what appears to be your side armor... it doesn't matter, it still counts as a top-armor hit. This is important to note for aircraft especially.)


    There ya go, a lightning guide. Happy hunting!
    • Up x 1
  10. Ghosty11

    This is false. A maxed out reload time Python AP has one of the highest DPS for tank cannons in the game, only an AP Prowler and Titan AP Vanguard have higher DPS (for the Titan AP only a fraction higher). If you run stealth and get behind a 1/2 MBT with a maxed AP Lightning you will generally win if you are able to get the first shot off, since you only need 4 shots, and you will be nearly ready for your second shot before they even figure out where they are getting hit from. (Vanguard's I-win shield generally makes them harder to kill in this manner, while locked down Prowlers are usually the easiest since the first thing most drivers do is unlock the vehicle so he can move before he even figures out where he is getting hit from.)
  11. Ghosty11

    When you are just starting out if I were to pick the essential turrets to have for the Lightning they would be the default Viper 75, Python AP, and the Skyguard. With those three turrets you can cover any situation. For AI and light vehicle skirmishing, the Viper 75 is the best turret over all, Use the AP turret for any other situation, and the Skyguard for slapping skyknights. The HEAT turret is a decent all-round turret, but is doesn't excel in any particular area either. The HE turret, unless you are going for directives, you can skip it altogether.
  12. Cynicismic

    I've played a lot in the Lightning across various accounts I've had, so I'll give you a brief overview of my preferred load-outs, and how I play the thing as well. I'll also ask you a few rhetorical questions that'll hopefully encourage you to consider what you want to get out of the Lightning. Note that how I decide to trick out my Lightning is largely down to my interpretation of how it should be played and how I enjoy playing it...


    Firstly, consider what role YOU'D like the Lightning to fill...
    The Lightning is a versatile beast, with many potential roles, that are each as effective as the know-how of the Lightning's driver. Before you consider what to buy and how to upgrade your Lightning, ask yourself what role you'd like it to fill. How do you like to play? What do you want to get out of your Lightning? Remember that a vehicle this versatile, and potentially specialised, can fill many roles, so choosing which role you'd like to fill is key before making any decisions.


    So, what guns are there and how effective are they?
    Now that you have a rough idea of what role you'd like the Lightning to fill, let's take a brief look at the guns, see what they can do, and their ideal effectiveness against the targets you will meet on the battlefield...

    • C75 Viper - A decent gun that comes as standard on the Lightning. This weapon is effective against armour and infantry, both to some mediocre extent - it is a generalist. Moreover, one Viper clip comes with six rounds in it - this gun has an auto-loader, which fire rounds at a steady though rapid rate that, provided they all hit a target, can potentially deal damage to resemble that of the guns of MBTs. However, this gun becomes subject to a lot of upward recoil while firing, and is deemed as being underwhelming when compared to the other guns. While it is more forgiving of misses as it has a clip, it is not a weapon commonly used by Lightning veterans. Still, it's a great place to start.
    • HE, (High-Explosive) - A gun that is good for clearing out groups of enemies, though that is fundamentally it. This gun cannot hold its own against enemy tanks, and while it is effective against armour and for bombarding facilities and spawn points, this gun is not used often against its competitors. While it is true that the splash radius of this gun can kill enemies within a 1m vicinity, (this works best for punishing enemies who step outside the spawn room... ...just), the HE gun is, as Stormsinger has said before me, a shadow of its former glory. That being said, a well-used HE gun can clear out enemies in tight places with extreme efficiency. All in all, a decent gun, though not recommended.
    • AP, (Armour-Piercing) - a lethal gun against infantry and vehicles alike, and the most popular amongst veterans. The Lightning can excel as a small tank-destroyer when using this gun, because of its small size, (hull-down, this thing is nigh-on impossible to hit at range), and high speed. The AP gun is a force to be reckoned with even for MBTs. While you should not use to to brawl with MBTs at any rate, it is a brilliant gun for sniping and flanking; it has very high alpha damage and the decent RoF means that you will shred enemies if you get round them. Plus, if you aim it well, you will kill infantry as well. However, this gun produces very little splash, (ideally, it should produce none, seeing as a solid AP shot is literally a lump of metal), and when infantry are coming, you will find it difficult to hit them, regardless of how good your aim is. However, this is a great gun, and a brilliant gun if you want your Lightning to be a dedicated tank destroyer.
    • L100 Python HEAT - my personal favourite. This gun is extremely versatile, and while it may not have the anti-armour capabilities of the AP gun nor the anti-infantry possibilities of the HE round, this gun excels in fights where tactics are volatile and can easily change. This gun is adequate against armour - it will carve through other Lightnings, Sunderers, Harassers etc. (though is poor against enemy MBTs), and is also decent against infantry. The HEAT gun will one-hit-kill enemy infantry if you score a direct hit, and knock out their shields if you miss within close proximity. This gun is not a specialist, though a generalist, and just bleeds versatility. It does not have what either specialist guns have by the same degree, though it certainly tries to take the strengths of each gun and mash them into one.
    • The Skyguard - I hate this gun, because it shoots me down so many times whenever I'm in my Scythe! This is a crippling AA gun that can produce some fantastic results. Again combining the Lightning's small size and speed, a well-placed AA Lightning can eliminate enemy aerial routes without them even knowing where you are. This gun is a brilliant AA gun, and provided you can aim meticulously, is also strong against enemy infantry as well. However, if any vehicles so much as see you, you're a dead tank, unless you have support. This gun is useless against armour, and enemy guns will carve through you like hot butter while your shots barely scratch the paintwork. A good gun, and great against enemy aircraft, provided you are covered, supported, and aren't alone.
    Frames and chassis upgrades...
    You only really have two to choose from here, which are the Racer and the Rival. The Racer increases your forward speed and overall speed, whereas the Rival chassis improves your braking and vehicle traverse speed. The Racer is a good option, especially if you are flanking, and the extra speed makes it hard for enemy guns to lead their shots in order to hit you. Veterans like this option, however, I prefer the Rival Combat Chassis. As I've found in games such as World of Tanks, my style is very much tanks with speed. The Lightning has speed as default, though its turning is quite poor and it often gets stuck when in tight and urban combat scenarios. The Rival chassis increases turning speed and braking capabilities - I prefer this because it makes the Lightning feel like it handles better, and it already has speed, (when regarding it in comparison to the Racer). Of course, tanks in PlanetSide 2 handle like mopeds anyway, though the Rival chassis improves your turning power, which can make all the difference when you're in situations where mobility is a key over speed.

    This is mainly down to preference, though. Trial them both in VR Training and see what floats your boat. While I prefer one, you may choose the other. They both provide little difference albeit, though the Rival appeals to me more because it feels nicer, (and you can brake quicker when you see a cheeky little mine lurking in the grass in front of you).


    Utilities and life-savers...
    I think that Stormsinger summed this up quite nicely, (with his most excellent post - I recommend that you all urgently read it)...


    My preference is IR smoke, because it causes confusion and provides stealthy cover for my team-mates. Because I use the HEAT weapon, I spend a lot of time supporting infantry, and so often use this ability to confuse the enemies, let my allies get in under the cover of smoke, and fire HEAT rounds into the fog, (this tactic works with my outfit - I tell them to it up with IR/NV scopes, and envelop them in smoke, which buys them time and kills). What's more is that it disables lock-ons, which are often what kill Lightnings as they trundle across the landscape on low health to safety.

    Fire Suppression is good, though because the Lightning will be facing much more dangerous weapons and vehicles, the repairing this slot does effectively does nothing beneficial. The Lightning can be annihilated by enemy MBTs, and there is little point in using fire suppression because ultimately you won't gain enough health to withstand another hit. That said, against weaker weapons, it buys you invaluable time which sometimes can mean that you can pull out of danger and repair yourself. Again, a case of preference and situation.


    Defence slot...
    Read what is below...


    I couldn't have written this any better myself - again, on behalf of everyone, thank you for this brilliant post, Stormsinger. I prefer to use Reinforced Side Armour because it has the largest surface area per most common engagement locations, (you will very rarely take fire from the top, especially in zergs). Henceforth, you are defending a vulnerable area that is quite easy to hit. The reason I use this is because I tend to corner-pop backwards. This is because the Lightning's turret is rear-mounted, and so by reversing adjacent to obstacles in order to peek-a-boo, you present much less of a target than had you driven out forwards, which also means that the enemy may manage to get two shells in on you, (one as you leave cover, and one as you return behind it), provided you have driven out from cover in a forward motion. I use reinforced side-armour because it protects the face that I'll be engaging enemy targets with.

    Again, this is down to preference. Tank destroyer and AA Lightnings will probably prefer to use Vehicle Stealth or a Proximity Radar, (good for scouting, which, because of its small size and relatively quiet engine, the Lightning can also do).

    I hope this helps!
    Cyn.
    :D
  13. Call-Me-Kenneth

    sadly stats for vehicles don't show anymore, but i had weeks on a lightning.

    to make things simple, autorepair + rival + AP gun is what you should run the most.

    Autorepair is better than the alternatives, yes you could use Stealth and sneak behind other tanks, but its nowhere near as certain to get a kill as it is with MBTs.

    Autorrepair for lightnings is extremely efficient, and will allow you to be very aggressive and have low down time. just get into cover and by the time you are out, AR will kick in and you'll repair more than twice as fast.

    moving fast is nice and all, but rival is what will allow you to face harassers instead of keeping distance. and chasing them down after they take damage is not your job.

    the AP gun is the way to go, or at least the way to get started. compared to the MBT variants the HE and heat guns for lightnings are really good, and with the normalization of projectile speed HE is fantastic. but AP is still the only gun that gets the extra damage modifier... so it takes a lot of skill to compensate for that lower damage output when facing other lightnings, and MBTs will laugh at you.

    eventually you will use the other guns, but start with AP and you'll get results right away. with projectile speed normalized you wont have to get used to the other slower projectiles and being forced to AIM will train you properly for the other guns.
  14. LodeTria


    It doesn't. NAR only activates after 12 seconds of no damage.
  15. Shatteredstar

    Python AP or Heat at least, Max stealth will let you sneak around the sides and max fire suppress can save you for a getaway. Lightings are amazing for "peek out and poke" style hits or for wrangling around behind and blasting a Sunday in the back or a mbt and then booking it before they can respond.

    Max stealth fits that bill so that you don't get auto spotted immediately on going for the kill and with the swarm out there will give a little more flex for avoiding locks if you've kept moving.

    AP or heat is the biggest thing depending what you're hunting. If I might join a base shelling I'll run heat but otherwise it's AP all the way to max damage on vehicles.
  16. Shiaari


    It's been said before but I will reiterate it: Lightning is a fast attack vehicle.

    It's fast and intended to attack rear quarters and flanks. So, I suggest loading it to do that:
    • Stealth
    • Racer chassis
    • Any utility (all options are good)
    I would avoid putting extra armor on it, because the Lightning isn't very durable anyway, and so you don't want to be tempted in going into a stand up fight with it. You want to sweep in fast, get some rear or flanking shots in, and get out.

    The gun you want to use depends on what you're doing, but your tactics--stay fast, attack, and fade--stay the same even when attacking infantry.

    The HEAT turret is a good all rounder. It can do severe damage to infantry and still inflict substantial harm on other vehicles. I think it might even do more harm to Sunderers than AP, but don't quote me on that.

    AP is great for ambushing other Lightnings and even main battle tanks. Use stealth and speed to get into a striking position and hit the soft butt, but don't linger on the MBTs. Against other Lightnings get right up on their 6 o'clock and let them have it. Nine times out of ten the target Lightning will back up out of reflex, but you'll be there with your gun up their sphincter holes.

    The standard Python is a great infantry farmer, but don't go out looking for other vehicles with it. It can demolish a Harasser or a Flash, but not much anything else.

    HE is a waste of certs. Whatever you can do against infantry with HE you can do with HEAT without sacrificing too much anti-vehicle capability.

    The Skyguard is the one turret for which you drive differently. But, stick with stealth. Not being visible on the minimap unless spotted can make it very difficult for ESFs and Liberators to retaliate against you, especially if you're staying mobile. Even when they come back looking for you, you'll have the drop on them with stealth.

    Always use stealth.
  17. Call-Me-Kenneth

    fire supp is still the best overall, smoke MAYBE if you have it maxed, and you have at least two/three heavies being obnoxious.
  18. Ronin Oni

    You know that's false now right?

    It WAS true when AP had faster velocity, but now the velocity and reloads are all the same, so AP has no advantage against infantry at all, while HEAT gets mild splash and HE gets reasonable moderate splash.

    If you want to farm infantry with the Lightning, the HE would be the way to go now, as when you do snipe OHK infantry the same you'd do with the others, you ALSO can heavily damage infantry around him, and maybe even kill some wounded/shieldless enemy.

    This DOES of course cost you some AV damage, but depending on the current environment, that's not always, or even often, a big deal.
  19. THUGGERNAUT

    (1) Get Racer Frame for chassis slot.

    (2) Get IR Smoke for the utility slot. It gives you great cover on demand; perfect for hit-and-run attacks and ambushes. Plus it breaks lockons, of course.

    (3) Defense slot: you have equally good choices here; I usually go with Nano Repair.

    (4) Get AP turret for the gun slot. It does great damage to vehicles, Liberators, MAXes, etc. if you have good aim. Make sure to get the reload speed upgrade to crank out the shots.

    Unless you play TR. If you play TR, just pull a Prowler.
  20. Stormsinger

    Interesting, I saw an example of what I was referring to just last night. I took an AP shell just as the tank that fired it blew, so I hopped out and repped very slightly to get NAR rolling again, and I could see my tank's HP going steadily upwards after I hopped back in.

    It's entirely possible that i'm nuts, but i'm fairly sure that any healing jumpstarts NAR - I'll double check later on this evening. Either way, thanks for the heads up.