If you just want the ribbons the useless lock-ons still give you those. If you want to effectively deter enemy air, you better bee a good ESF pilot.
Racer/Stealth Harasser with a Ranger. The only thing in the game you have to worry about is other Harassers. Daybreak, please nerf.
Whenever I have to do G2A with a HA, I prefer to wait and let the ESF feel secure enough to hover around, then I pop up from somewhere with a dumbfire and try to launch a rocket up it's tail. The NC Phoenix is actually pretty useful in some cases. For example at Biolabs you can carefully exit the shield of the vehicle bay, then launch a missile at the ESF's farming the entrance/pad. Often you can take one or two down as they don't expect resistance, and the only way to kill an ESF is to hit it when it doesn't expect resistance.
If you're looking for air deterrence directives for the HA, just put your Empire Specific G2A rocket launcher on your default loadout and play normally if you main HA. If you don't main HA, create a AA loadout (if not already created) and as soon as you see a ESF, run to an infantry terminal and swtich class for your AA HA.
Lock on launcher, Corw for the NC. Or the Annihilator, i believe this has a faster lock time now? Can anyone confirm?
If enemy's ESF is equipped with VehicleStelth 5, Annihilator and Swarm almost can not lock-on. It's better to use Striker or Hawk or Nem....Lancer.
Getting an ESF kill with a lock-on launcher is very very hard now. The CAI update nerfed their damage into the ground. Even with the decreased lock-on time, stealth 5 makes it so they have enough time to unload an entire rocket pod clip before you can fire so you get 1 hits on them and then they are gone. They can repair all the damage from 1 or 2 hits with rank 5 fire suppress and return to fire another load - at you. Even if you hit them again it doesn't matter. What's worse is they can unload a rocket pod at 200m and even if you do fire at them they can afterburn away and your lock-on disappears at 300m so it won't even hit them. You must use Strikers (if you're TR) to really have a chance at taking one down as they do not disappear at 300m. Or else become very good with dumbfiring the decimator and 1 shot them.
-yep this patch its a fakin joke for heavy assault, this is impassible to get this air deterrence complete i need 600 more...
If you just want ribbons all you need to do is deal damage, not kill them. 1 hit to an ESF or the top of a valk/lib and 2 hits to a gal or the bottom of a valk/lib.
point is that after change I did not get ANY Deterrence Ribbons on my HA and I fire dozens of rockets every day (some of them even hit something!)
