'Stealth' Cruiser Type C

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Jasper1496
Posts: 3
Joined: Fri May 02, 2014 2:59 pm

'Stealth' Cruiser Type C

Postby Jasper1496 » Fri May 02, 2014 3:10 pm

I don't get this thing. It's a stealth cruiser right? What the hell is a stealth cruiser doing in space with no cloaking?
And of course we don't have any shields either, that wouldn't do for a 'stealth' ship.
The shield overcharger might be able to save you from a spot of damage every once in a while, but what if the enemy has two weapons? Beams? Straight up death sentence.
I've got to that point in FTL AE where I'm reasonably comfortable playing on normal difficulty, but this ship is just crushing my dreams of ever getting 100%. I really can't see myself beating the flagship with this hunk of junk.
If anyone could give some tips, it'd be much appreciated.
Levgre
Posts: 118
Joined: Thu Mar 06, 2014 3:35 pm

Re: 'Stealth' Cruiser Type C

Postby Levgre » Fri May 02, 2014 3:23 pm

It's not a super bad ship. It's starting drone is almost as good as having one level of shields... it charges slower, but it can also stop missiles and build up over time. It starts with two 'premium' weapons, low energy cost for their power.

I only play on hard, but on that difficulty I've been tempted to sell the overcharge drone mid game, even after getting stealth... which is the whole idea behind Stealth C (charge overshield while stealthed). I just find the drone too weak, plus there is the concern of it getting hit by stray shots.
Jasper1496
Posts: 3
Joined: Fri May 02, 2014 2:59 pm

Re: 'Stealth' Cruiser Type C

Postby Jasper1496 » Fri May 02, 2014 3:28 pm

Actually, I hadn't even thought about the potential of cloaking together with the shield overcharger, that does sound enjoyable. Would you prioritize buying shields or cloaking first though?
Levgre
Posts: 118
Joined: Thu Mar 06, 2014 3:35 pm

Re: 'Stealth' Cruiser Type C

Postby Levgre » Fri May 02, 2014 3:37 pm

I'd get the cloak first, with proper timing it can prevent more dmg than shields early on and you have a quasi-shield already. But if you can't find the cloak in a store, or are short on scrap should you could just get the shields instead.
Jai
Posts: 36
Joined: Mon Apr 28, 2014 9:28 pm

Re: 'Stealth' Cruiser Type C

Postby Jai » Fri May 02, 2014 8:48 pm

This ship definitely has several disadvantages and few advantages, to put it diplomatically.

While it's true the shield drone is about as good as shields 1, you can't upgrade it for 50 scrap like actual shields, and eventually you run out of drones. In order to increase your survival, its essential to pick up shields or a cloak, and you can expect to spend a lot of extra money on repairs until you get there.

Unlike other ships which generally are looking for 90 scrap to improve their survivability, the Stealth C is looking at 150+ scrap as well as some luck with stores. This on top of spending a lot more on repairs than most other ships.

The weaponry is 'ok', but falls off hard as soon as the enemy ships have 2+ shields because you simply can't afford for the fights to go that long.

As painful as it is, I'd say your best bet is to save up for shields/cloak as quickly as possible, and sell your Long-Range scanners / anti-drone drone if needed, then pray you can upgrade your weapons quickly enough to stay relevant.
Jasper1496
Posts: 3
Joined: Fri May 02, 2014 2:59 pm

Re: 'Stealth' Cruiser Type C

Postby Jasper1496 » Fri May 02, 2014 9:38 pm

I actually made it to the Rebel Flagship. Want to know what killed me? Level 4 weapons system. Didn't find any good weapons throughout 8 sectors, and went in 'guns blazing' (I wish) with an advanced laser charger (starting weapon), normal laser charger, and bloody mini beam (starting weapon). Would've just been happy forever if I won with that.
I got section 1 of the flagship down to 4 hp. I'll take it as a victory. Now I'll cry myself to sleep.
Jai
Posts: 36
Joined: Mon Apr 28, 2014 9:28 pm

Re: 'Stealth' Cruiser Type C

Postby Jai » Mon May 05, 2014 5:50 am

I recently made it to the flagship with the Stealth C as well, and on Hard. I also was defeated, due to various factors but largely because of limited weaponry. I also was still using the minibeam, though I won't blame my loss on it. It certainly is possible to win, just as any other ship, it's just tougher than most.
Iranon
Posts: 57
Joined: Wed Aug 14, 2013 7:33 am

Re: 'Stealth' Cruiser Type C

Postby Iranon » Mon May 05, 2014 8:21 am

Start is tough, but this should be expected considering the value down the road:
premium weapon, premium drone, additional drone slot, long-range scanners tend to be good for income.

Of course, a tough start is significant if you normally have things well in hand and expect to win most games...
Jai
Posts: 36
Joined: Mon Apr 28, 2014 9:28 pm

Re: 'Stealth' Cruiser Type C

Postby Jai » Thu May 08, 2014 5:05 pm

Iranon wrote:Start is tough, but this should be expected considering the value down the road:
premium weapon, premium drone, additional drone slot, long-range scanners tend to be good for income.

Of course, a tough start is significant if you normally have things well in hand and expect to win most games...



Unfortunately, the 'premium' weapon is still bad enough that you'll want to replace it. Indeed, the mini-beam is better, and it's the weakest beam in the game.

The 'premium' drone is not nearly as strong defensively as a regular defense drone, to say nothing of how it stacks up vs defense II. Maybe if you stacked 2-3 of them and combined it with a cloak + high evade, you'd get some return on your investment, but I think that's more gimmick than value.
Iranon
Posts: 57
Joined: Wed Aug 14, 2013 7:33 am

Re: 'Stealth' Cruiser Type C

Postby Iranon » Fri May 09, 2014 7:18 pm

Hmm, I rate the custom Charge Laser as one of the best weapons in the game and will hold on to it in the vast majority of games.
2 shots for 1 power at its cooldown is respectable already. The option to keep firing single shots is also useful - once enemy shields are down, they won't get up again.

Defensive drones depend very much on context.
Defense 1 works well with powerful shields. Solid because that's an easy requirement to satisfy.
Shield+ works well with Defense 2 or Cloaking. Can be great, but more restrictive and possibly drone-hungry.