ESF: Mosquito perk, what is it good for?

Discussion in 'PlanetSide 2 Gameplay Discussion' started by SuperTrooperWaterloo, Jan 26, 2016.

  1. Trebb

    All I know is, that whichever ESF I'm in, is the weakest empire ESF. If I'm in a mossy, those overpowered reavers sneak up and one clip me. Scythes hover duel me and I can't hit those 2 pixels!

    When I'm in a reaver, those mossies never run out of ammo, and kill me all the time with the OP Banshee----ok I'll stop now ;)
  2. Peebuddy

    The higher cruising speed really isn't much of a benefit.

    If you're being chased you're likely doing maneuvers while he's generally flying straight rendering the increased speed mute. Same goes for chasing someone, no problem in any aircraft keeping up.
    The Vanus hover capabilities and no ammo drop IMO are the best benefits to have, but I hope you like purple because you're gonna see a lot of it.

    The Mossy no doubt looks the best and sounds the best, I mean come on, red lit panels and exterior? Awesome
  3. Goretzu


    In reality that Vanguard "AA" is very small compared to any other form of AA - especially because Vanguard AA has a much higher kill to hit ratio than ANY other form of AA (which isn't so say other AA doesn't work or isn't much easier to use, just that when it hits it is more likely to drive the ESF rather than kill it).

    Which is to say although Vanguards get more ESF kills than the other MBTs, they aren't really "AA" anymore than the Prowler or Mag (and infact anchored Prowlers are much better against Libs, Gals and Valks).

    Realistically this is actually the ONLY real downside to the Prowlers 2-shot DPS, as it is better against everything but ESFs (AA, AV & AI-wise).
    • Up x 1
  4. Liewec123

    but you don't use both if you want to live :)
    as NC or VS you head in with either AH/PPA or lolpods, hovering around trying to get both off would be a death sentence, so just think of lopods as your TR AI nosegun :) though you will end up missing ex-afterburners which are handy in AI builds.
  5. Jubikus

    No you dont use both the typical loadout is AI nosegun with hornet missles to deal with ground vehicles if lolpods is your ai option then whats your AV option in the same loadout? this is where the mossy becomes slightly weaker in firepower.
  6. Covah

    Mosquito and prowler top speed advantages are completely useless.

    Acceleration is much more important.
    • Up x 2
  7. Liewec123

    why not use the lolpods for AV too? they deal a bit more damage than hornets :D
  8. CorporationUSA

    I personally think the mossie is the worst ESF when it comes to its strengths, but some people prefer its nosegun. I don't know why, since the scythe nosegun is a direct upgrade to it.

    If looks could kill, the mossie would be OP.
    • Up x 2
  9. zaspacer

    Vanguard Titan-150 AP for A2G ESF is a similar experience to Liberator Dalton for A2A ESF. It's not a no-fly-zone area deterrent like Skyguard/Burster/AA-Phalanx Turret/AA-Gal or multiple Lockons, or a downtime magnifier like Lockons. But Titan/Dalton are lurking insta-death, and their threat level escalates if they are unnoticed, in multiples, if those multiples are spread out, and/or if those multiples are at different elevations.

    1 Vanguard is an easier target than 1 Lib in terms of killing them or avoiding their firing arc. But doing G2A on targets near an unseen Vanguard or near multiple known Vanguards can be dangerous similar to doing A2A around Libs. And landing on an Air Pad that has long line-of-sight to it is also very dangerous if Vanguards within range are hunting ESFs. I've been sniped off the back Pad of The Crown (Ceres side) from a Vanguard on the edge of Snake Ravine.

    Yeah, I see from Oracle of Death that P2-120 AP puts up better kill numbers vs. most targets. I am only speaking to the ESF experience.

    For ESFs, Vanguard are like a "Super MBT": harder to kill and a bigger threat to dying to. Vannies are much harder to kill than Mags or Prowlers because Shield greatly extends the TTK on them. And their Primary is a much greatly chance of potential death.

    A solo ESF (with Hornet or Rockets) vs. a solo Vanguard will still win without much problem in the open, but different variables (multiple Vanguards, enemy AA in the area, enemy Air in the area, cover for the Vanguard, lack of Horne/Rockets on the ESF, etc) can commonly push that matchup to be much harder or unviable to get the kill. And as stated, unseen or multiple Vanguards can be very dangerous on the receiving end for an ESF.

    Lightnings and Vanguards are both tougher targets than Prowlers and most Mags. Notably some Mags are very good at aiming Air shots off terrain adjusted aiming, and that group is very dangerous too.

    AP Lightnings are dangerous to ESF without Fire Suppression or ESFs that have taken damage. Lightnings are more commonly dangerous because there is no way to determine if they have Skyguard or not unless they fire first, so that can get very dangerous very fast, especially depending on variables of the engagement. Burster Maxes have a very clear graphic on their arms, which helps, Skyguard should have a similar easy to spot Turret variation. All vehicles should have easier to spot Weapon variations.
  10. Goretzu

    They are a threat, certainly (well if you hover-farm), but they are still nothing like any form of genuine AA, and much less a threat than a Lib to a general ESF.


    Yeah the shield will help (as does velocity), but the Van's deadliness vs ESFs is because of ONE thing really, the Van's AP damage per shot, if you look at Prowlers they do better vs Gals, Libs and Valks (as well as every ground vehicle and all infantry) because the Van's damage per shot stops being relevent and damage per second moves in (and the double-shot is much less relevent for most targets).
    • Up x 1
  11. tijolo

    Between a mossie with racer frame and a scythe with hover frame there's about 3 seconds of difference to cross the VR map IIRC. Making it completely useless as an escape plan no matter if you go straight or try dodging. It also doesn't help much with chasing and the downside of not having hover frame is just too much for fighting absolutely anything. I still use it sometimes though. I like the idea of having the fastest average speed in the game (~280 and ~360 AB). But in a comparison to the other ESF's, what hasn't been said yet is that its AI nosegun went from best to worst in one nerf. The reaver's m30 is clearly the best one as it can easily 1HK infantry, half clip kill MAX units and it's the most versatile as it can also reliably be used to take down ESF's and can do well enough against any other vehicle. The Scythe's PPA is also good but it is highly situational and has the lowest versatility of them all and the highest exposure time.
  12. zaspacer

    It all factors in for AA. As an ESF pilot, what will affect my playstyle. What will make me adjust my tactics. Different AA (of the AA that actually matters at all to me as an ESF) will affect my playstyle, effectiveness, etc. in different ways.

    The Titan-150 AP will not push me off an area or demand attention like the better Flak. It will not boost my downtime like Lockons. But Titan 150-AP will make me engage targets coming in from a much higher altitudes (if the target is near the Vanguard), and/or it will make me try to use terrain and certain approaches to break line-of-sight from the Vanguard (if the target is farther from the Vanguard), or it may make me target the Vanguard as my new target (so I don't have to worry about it). And I don't do any of that with with Prowlers or *most* Mags (the ones you can see rotating fire arcs with terrain scare me and I treat them like Vanguards), because they are not AA that actually matters to me.

    I agree Dalton is more dangerous to the average ESF. But any ESF doing heavy A2G (and that includes "Hover Farming" as the engagement needs dictate [not to farm, but to knockout key threats, apply key pressure, assist with key ally pushes, etc.]) will have a huge (circumstances depending) potential danger from the Vanguard.

    I agree that P2-120 AP is a powerful weapon. But in the ESF-only conversation, I almost never even worry about Prowlers.

    Yes, it's the Titan-150 AP OHK on an ESF that is the big factor, that and the velocity and frequent accuracy from enough of the shooters (AP Lightnings don't seem to be able to hit me with their near-OHK as much as the Titan-150 AP hits me). The Shield is a big factor in making the Vanguard harder to take down than other MBTs, but it doesn't do a lot in terms of affecting its actual sniping of the ESF. Predator and Prey each factor in different aspects in the ESF vs. Vanguard matchup.
  13. Goretzu

    Van's do certainly function like a tiny bit more ESF-specific AA, but really purely for ESFs, for every other sort of Air, Prowlers are going to be the ones that concentrate the mind.

    But equally the best Van driver isn't going to be plucking ESFs out of the air left, rright and center, even with a perfect shot it is very likely you will miss because the ESF changes direction in any plane of motion (the only really remotely "easy" targets are the real bad hover-farmers that happily remain stationary for 4-5+ seconds at a time (but they are easy meat with a Decimator too).

    To put it in context I generally find it easier to first shot hit infantry at a good 3 times the range of an ESF, however if you do hit you are deadly.

    Actual purposeful AA is largely the opposite, it is fairly easy to bring it on target and get hits, but usually very difficult to actually get a kill.



    ESFs are really the only vehicle that has the mix of speed, agility and small enough hit box where the Prowler 2-shot issue actually starts to be a genuine penalty (with a bit of practice anyway), Harrassers a bit too maybe, but nothing remotely like as much (if you hit any decent ESF pilot the chances of landing the second shot are much, much smaller).

    I imagine Vans's are probably the hardest to take on as an ESF, but honestly I don't really fight a lot of ESFs in any tank MBT or lightning because frankly with them all I will almost always be able to land a shot (or be really close enough to scare them off) if they are trying to focus me whilst keeping my speed at maximum and constantly turning and the few that try quickly get driven off or just plain give up and move on to easier pickings (and conversely I always expect others to do that to me if flying so I don't bother)........ of course there's always the odd on that tries to kill you when you're in a Skyguard. :D

    Libs on the other hand I fear, especially the ones that hit you with 100% of their shots from abosolutely miles away whilst you're at full speed jinking and turning like a loon (although I have my suspisions about some of them).

    I would have thought most people that tank quite a bit could do the same, mostly because C4 Fairies strongly promote survival of the fittest (although the number of C4 Fairies that just run and jetpack straight at you, seemingly certain you'll never see/hit them and they'll get a kill..... only to take a shell straight to the face does suggest there are a LOT of bad tankers out there).