Is the extra amrour on the lighting worth it?

I'm thinking of adding side and front armour to my lighting to help it stay alive a little longer but is it really worth it? Does it make differnce in tank battles or is just there so it can make you look broke while making real no differnce.

You can only add one type of armor at a time. Both will increase survivability by approximately one round from that direction.

I've got top armour to prevent attack from rocketpods on my Skyguard.
To be honest...I don't use it. Stealth was the best choice.

Oh I see thank you which do you think is the best choice?

Side armor.

Your side is pretty big, and in disorganized fights such as the ones in Planetside, you are more likely to be hit from the side.

Especially if you are driving dangerously close/flanking the enemy, like a real Lightning should.


I personally use Mine Guard a lot, however. But that is because I often follow the Zerg, and following the predictable zerg means that there will be mines.

because i cant delete posts...

I use side armor - I find that is where I'm vulnerable. If it's in front of me, I can shoot it or at the very least see it.

I don't agree now with this, but if SOE chooses to fix the unrendered infantry/lock on armor missle crap, I will. Until then, Lightnings, with added armor or not, will remain best used as HEAT sniping tools at a distance. Getting closer to enemies will require armor/infantry support. IMO. This is based in part on the Lightnings fragile body, and the fact you cannot defend against the unrendered missles being fired at you (unless you are a paranoid driver and always use cover really well).

Additional armor is shared with mineguard, yes?

Pick mineguard.

nah, you should be offroading often enough that mineguard shouldn't be necessary. I like the way one guy put it: If you have rival chasis you can turn fast so you should be able to have your front facing them at all times so you should get frontal armor. If you have racer chasis you're better off with side armor because your side is going to be facing them most.

Though, you're probably better off with vehicle stealth. Especially if you're concerned about cert prices.

I run with front armor because I have rival chasis and I go sundy hunting and a sundy with gunners friggen hurts

Mine Guard on a Lightning is only practical if you're in the front. If MBTs and Sundies are in front, the only thing Mine Guard protects you from is crazy engineers. Stealth is far more practical and cost effective as the small size and profile reduce it to being a HAR vehicle, protecting it from detection. Since each faction has it, they cannot tell the owner from the sound or profile immediately.

Mineguard 3 (50%) has saved me far more times than side armor (I have both cert'd). Mine guard has improved my Prowler's survival ability so much I run with it now without question. This complements Engineer with repair gun 4 well, so this is what I use today. To compensate for no more side armor, I look for cover as much as possible in armor engagements.

oops, sorry... lightning thread. My bad.

Mineguard has saved me enough times to make it worth more than anything.

Those random mines in small bases and on bridges have killed me enough times to try it, then I've survived enough encounters to never want to part with my mineguard ever again.
I don't usually join the tank zerg as a Lightning driver, though.

Can you use side armour and stealth? Because honestly I've been killed by mines only maybe 5 times since I've been playing planetside .

Haven't seen much a difference in survivability with side armor. I think it depends on the kind of playstyle you're used to. You'll survive 1 extra rocket assuming it hits that big grey plating that shows up when you equip it.

Very rarely I'll run over a mine, so I don't equip mine guard. It's my fault for following the main road and not realizing it will be mined.

As I like to tank snipe with the AP turret, sitting on a hill, I use the stealth mod to keep myself hidden off the enemies proximity radar. If a magrider roams by you, you wont stand a chance against it. Better to be quiet and let it pass than to get in a fight you might not win.

That's how I play anyway.

If you are iKickCats on Helios, I will personally make sure to visit your tank with mines every in-game night.

Well, my definition of 'dangerously close' is pretty much anywhere other than the safety of your allies, so not necessarily close to the enemy

And well, when I did my Lightning killstreaks, most people didn't have lock-on launchers. It was considerably easier. I guess I got that.

One or the other.

I swear by Stealth, personally. I always survive 100% of the shots that are not fired at me.

Stealth, and all of the armor options, take the same defense slot.

Hahaa I am actually! Though I got college so I won't be on until 6:00pm pst time

Edit: also what does stealth actually do? I'm also the person that likes to charge at the front lines with my lighting and try to distrub the enemy armour/infranty as much as I could.