Higby Tweet - Nerfing Phoenix Damage

I just want the deadzone fixed. I tired of using a short range weapon like the phoenix that needs to be used almost max range to hit anything.

AI turret, MAX, crowded rooms, someone attack you but you have your launcher in your hands, you hear a shotgun but you have a lmg, you have no health,...

For stationary targets, dumb fire launchers do more damages.
For moving targets, lockons do more damages and you don't have to aim
For infantry targets, both do more damages.
With the upcoming nerf, Phoenix will have no use.

PS: The Lancer velocity is not "near instant", try to hit a smart/distant ESF during the full charge window.

You know what, after a few more days testing this thing, I think this would be a more than fair compromise.

I've become so accurate with this damn launcher that I pretty much expect to kill AT LEAST 3-4 people with it, each spawn. I've lost any sence of achievement from gaining a kill. I don't even bother to unequip it in biolabs. I'm afraid to say, it truly does feel overpowered.

I will still use the Phoenix after the change. The ability to take out vehicles from range (and cover) is more than enough. And the damage feels adequate - I think I was just used to the decimator. If we get a range buff, then the Phoenix will be a superb addition to my LMG or shotgun (situation depending).
Not to mention the rockets are excellent for scouting, and when I DO spot a vehicle, I am often able to hit it in the side or top, should I choose.

I will note that an AA buff seems pointless. While it -might- be possible to hit one with extended range, more often than not, shooting a Phoenix rocket into the air just leaves you stuck in cam view, firing directly into a blue sky. A sitting duck for any attack, and a waste of a rocket that would have been much better utilised on ground vehicles.

Of course thats going to be difficult, your example is the single hardest target to hit in the game for an unguided launcher, thats why we have common pool AA launchers, hitting any other vehicle is childs play for the lancer

Phoenix users can kill tanks from spawn rooms, guess what other factions can do that! None. The Phoenix will still be able to kill tanks from the safety of spawn rooms. If that's not enough for you or anyone else... you're playing the wrong game.

Spawn Room shields don't let the Phoenix Rocket out. Anyone standing at the door of a Spawnroom on the outside is tank bait; at least with a dumbfire you can step out, shoot and step back in again.

Anyway, from the last patch:

Still kills infantry (reports from others, and myself; apologies to the BR5 Infiltrator who podded in my view when I was out 'field testing').

Projectile is slow coming out, then accelerates. This makes the user somewhat vulnerable in the medium-short ranges where a dumbfire would excel, but it is more controllable for long range.

'Ejecting' from the rocket makes it drop really dramatically; 'faux dumbfiring' it will need to be tilted upwards like a grenade launcher. (not sure if this was a change)

Does Shrike damage to ESFs, and I assume other flyers. The initial slower rocket will make them even harder to hit now though.

My problem is exactly this. Why introduce a guided projectile and call it a rocket if all it is good for is taking out infantry? I already have a big a$$ LMG that does this, AND I can use it while doing more than raising my KDR...
Honestly, I think anyone who wants to use the Phoenix often will actually hurt NC's ability to take and defend objectives.

Yea umm...no it cant... Next crazy claim?

Shrike can almost OHK a full health ESF. Phoenix does half of that.

If they nerf it, I'm demanding a refund. There's no use for a slow, guided rocket with weak damage. It will be the only purchase I'll regret.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?key=0AmUavphHXmIxdFhHUzJfN1VYalRnWS0xMnBUdTJpM1E&gid=25

There. Now the Striker and Phoenix look fine and the Lancer needs a buff. I'm tired of seeing stuff get nerfed for no reason. This isn't beta.

The rocket does indeed go through spawn room shields, therefore it can! You can even do it without line of sight!

That was before the patch; when I tested it earlier today in VR it put the ESF on red and enough to blow up within a few seconds of that.

Unless someone else was testing and hit it almost exactly as I did, of course, but I did a few tests.

It doesnt have the maneuverability to do much of anything without LOS so not it cant, its one saving grace right now is 1 shotting infantry, once thats gone itll be nothing more than a paperweight

It turns out it can exit the spawn rooms, though I don't know why it failed for me earlier. Sometimes the rocket travels a bit before I get 'control' so maybe it dumbfired and exploded before I had control before perhaps.

I need to see if there are any practical bases to do this from. Maybe from Ceres to the empty plains out north of it.

I used it. It can indeed hit tanks that you don't have a direct line of sight on. It can't turn around and hit tanks, but that would be a bit broken, don't you think?

There's no reason to nerf the vehicle damage.

There is good reason to nerf infantry.

Hopefully they're only doing the latter.

You're right. It is changed. Now that the projectile is slower, players can dodge it more too. They screwed up the hit boxes though. It now passes right through Wraith-cloaked Flashes. Nice.


It still stands though. Unless the Phoenix can do 80-90% of the Stryker, we won't use it if they nerf AI potential. It really just is mediocre without the AI aspect.

Lol nerf the infantry damage I hope they dont listen to the TR whiners and make it a 2 direct hits to kill or 1 head shot... then its pretty much a bolt action sniper rifle.

99% of my Phoenix kills were direct hits and the of the rockets that hit nearby the did not result in a kill... how do i know this... its a dam tv missile. So If you personally haven't used this missile dont complain about the splash damage...

Anybody who stands still long enough to get hit by a second phoenix rocket deserves whatever they get. The splash damage isn't large and doesn't seem like a big deal either way.

It shouldn't OHKO people though, that's just dumb. Although I admit, I take an unreasonable amount of joy in killing snipers with it.

Didnt say it should be able to turn end over and hit a tank in the rear but right now if the target is 250 meters or less it cant hit something any more than 30 degrees off boresight which is pathetic. Once its infantry killing capabilities are gone it will be a paperweight