Phoenix or Striker - which would you choose for your faction?

I play as TR and when I discovered that the player-guided missiles would exclusively be part of the NC arsenal I was almost at the point of violence.

However, is the gun actually that effective? I tried it in the VR on a throw-away char and it did seem pretty awesome. The victim gets no warning, tanks cannot avoid the miss with smoke, the weapon can be fired indirectly, it's probably one of the most fun things in the game.

Can any NC players comment on how effective it is, both by itself and in a squad of people spamming it (compared with Striker against ground targets)?

Funny the glancer isn't an option

Anyhow, Striker > Phoenix any day.

I would choose the Phoenix, just because it is fun. The Phoenix is actually the only weapon in the game that I have purchased with SC from another Faction, just because I enjoy using it.

The Phoenix is now pretty terrible, IMO. It apparently had a pretty terrifying (for VS and TR) debut in PS2, but was quickly nerfed into uselessness. It is no longer a threat to full health infantry, is a bit harder to steer, and appears to do less damage to vehicles than the alternatives. All this is capped off by the recent addition of the static screen once the rocket explodes or leaves 300m; an obnoxious addition. While the Phoenix can be used in areas of relative or 100% safety, I think those are the ONLY areas in which it can be used; both a pro and a con. Since I personally am a terrible camper, I tend to find myself needing a rocket laucher at much closer ranges, usually 150m or less, and simply can't afford to stand idle while I drive a weak rocket around. As a result, I no longer use the Phoenix; the standard issue Shrike seems to do everything I need short of lock on to things and gets me out of a wider variety of situations. I will concede however that, if a group of Phoenix users could get together and competently call and strike singular targets, it might be a thing to fear. That is a lot to ask to make a weapon useful though.

So, given only the 2 choices, I'd easily go Striker for the NC. Not only because the Phoenix gives it no real competition, but because fighting against one [a Striker] is horrifying. Seems almost impossible to evade the lock once someone has one pointing your way and if you're out of flares/smoke...brace for impact.

Striker, easily. The Phoenix is fun, but wholly useless in my mind.

I have both and I would choose the phoenix anyday. Much more fun and has some skill involved.

I know a lot of people cry over the striker but it can easily be replaced by any other lockon.

Phoenix or Lancer

Lancer>Phoenix>Striker for me

I would take the Striker every time. I hate the Phoenix. Give me the SRAW from BF2 over the Phoenix
As an example of how to do a guided missile why did they not follow the attack heli TV missile from BF2, after all they seem highly inspired by BF3 and COD (not an entirely bad thing, with sensible choices).

I would choose the phoenix because its really fun to shoot but LOL 750 damage.

STRIKER any time!

If I am a lonewolf, playing with a zerg of lonewolves, I would choose the Striker for my team.

However, if I am in an outfit and coordinating, I would choose the Phoenix.


Something I have to say regarding the Striker. I don't default to it when I play Heavy, and I only play Heavy to take out difficult targets. I default to my Decimator and only pull Strikers when there is a terminal nearby to switch back. I imagine I would use the Phoenix in the same way. But the way that NC players talk, they only want to carry ONE weapon and never switch. IMO, that is why they think the Phoenix sucks so much, they want it to be a jack of all trades upgrade for everything.

Phoenix - definitly.

I have tried it, I have also got the Striker. Strike is much better.

Mostly because as a Phoenix you have to stand still to guide it. You are just asking to be sniped when you fire it. Sure you can hide and fire it, but that isnt always possible.

Striker dominates air. Couple of strikers and you are pretty much immune to air. The only downside to the strike is you cant fire it dum or against infantry (but thats what your LMG is for)

HOWEVER.

the next patch, they are making lock on missiles require you to hold a lock while firing, and while the missile is in flight. It doesnt say if this effects the striker yet (just anti air missiles), but if it does, then this is going to be a pretty hard nerf for the striker. So then maybe a Phoenix may be more effective.

Striker.

Phoenix was a fun novelty. In terms of actual tactical usefulness, its pretty meh. Its damage and rate of fire, make it distinctly mediocre, unless that is used en mass, and everything used on mass is OP. that being said, it is good at taking down maxes and engi turrets but only at range.

Something that is a straight upgrade from the annihilator in terms of DPS and range. I'll have that instead plox.

Lancer, Phoenix, Striker, in that order. I stare longingly and awkwardly across the room at the Lancer. :I Phoenix just cause it's more fun than the Striker. And Striker because a boat's a boat, but a Striker can be anything! It could even be a boat! Alright, I'm getting food. I'm stealing bad jokes and using them wrong because I'm hangry.

The striker.

The only argument for the phoenix is that it's "fun." Any range where you can hit a sundy behind a rock with a phoenix, you'd be able to do a squad drop/beacon deploy to mine the target much more quickly and easily. If you can't hit the sundy, it's not close enough to the base to be much of a threat anyway.

The argument for the striker is that it's a 500m radius area denial weapon. 166% range on the phoenix and can actually reliably hit aircraft. It's stronger than a weapon they had to nerf because it was too strong. The only reason it's not gotten nerfed is because it has low SPM. Of course it has low SPM because people avoid fighting TR in vehicles, and it doesn't kill, just chase off.

Balance-wise, it's not even close.

Phoenix, because then I would have access to a unique weapon and a lock on. Not just an annihilator and an annihilator 2.0.

I would just use the launcher my faction came with, and master it.
But I dont need them; the dumbfire does everything I need.

Phoenix no question considering that common pool lockons exist. Also Striker is just flat out boring to use and it's going to get nerfed badly with the ESF update anyway

Phoenix's damage is laughable. With it's rate of fire and other drawbacks it should hit at least as hard as decimator.