I am considering upgrading my default launcher my HA has. Which of these 3 do you think would be the best choice?
I played around with the launchers in the PS4 beta. Here is what I found: I have pretty good aim with the dumbfire rocket launchers. So I went strait for the big boy high high damage decimator. The lack of the extra rocket sucks -- only good if you use the extra rockets utility slot or have a pocket engie. The lock on to both air and ground annihilator can't dumb fire. It seems like a good idea -- but I honestly find that, in my lib, it does very little damage. For some reason I can semi-ignore them for a bit. Conversely, the dumbfire rocket launchers do HEAPS of damage to said Liberator. So I'd recommend a lock on ground vehicle RL. It can be dumb fired, it can be locked on, and it can hurt. Just my 2 cents.
Don't bother with the Hades. The Lancer can hit anything that the Hades can, but it has longer range, and can also be effectively used against Liberators and Galaxies. Even ESFs can be hit once you get used to the lead time. Vehicle countermeasures (smoke, flares) don't affect Lancer shots either. So really the choice is either the Nemesis or Lancer. Both are good options and are good all-rounders. I guess it depends on whether you want slightly more emphasis on A2G (Lancer) or AA (Nemesis).
The decimator is the best close range launcher. If you are fighting MAXes or need to ambush a tank or Sunderer that is close to cover, the decimator wins hands down. The extra damage per shot makes the difference in getting a kill versus not getting a kill.
This is true -- but all around, the the lower max ammo count is surprisingly crappy. That was the first launcher I used, and I used the hell out of it. However, I found myself being the only one on my team able to sneak to a sundy on one particular fight -- and I didn't have enough rockets to kill it. I got it burning 7 times in a row, only to die while I try to defend it and let it burn out before an engie fixed it. I switched to a base rocket launcher -- and that extra rocket did it for me. That coupled with the fact that it hits hard enough to really ruin a MAX's day, PLUS has the ability to lock onto vehicles -- I think its worth it except in the most corridor focused of base camping.
Strangely, I found Lancer very hard to hurt anything with. This goes against the experience reported by others. I generally use either nemesis (lock on for those hard to hit aricraft but dumb fire ability aginst eveything else) or annihilator if there are a lot of tanks and aircraft around (sacrificing dumb fire in exchange for being able to lock on to both).
Lancer ftw all day! Enemy just can't dodge it. Also, hits Libs with ease (ESFs are hard mode). Damage is not so big, DPS is on par with lock-ons. But damage can't really be evaded by ground vehicles, and the only good DPS is the one you can hit with. Also, more skill then lock-ons. Lancer squads negate the low damage aspect. 12 HA with Lancers can leave no tanks operational as far as eye can see. One 12-shot salvo - one dead tank driver.
playing often with asquad in ts? -->lancer. everything else? -->nemesis on your way to auraxium rocketlauncher?(and already have all the other launchers inluding anhilator)-->hades ground lockon is only needed vs magriders and harassers at long ranges. magriders are no threat to vs forces, and harassers arent a big threat to you at long range..... (and lancer is better at dealing with harrassers at long range)
