ASF Equipment Rollover

[Goose]

Let's say you're a merc unit with 6 or twelve ASFs watching out for you: How long do you expect to keep any one plane? Or, how often do you have to rebuy all your birds?

(Yes: I'm glossing over the closely related pilot issue.)

[Hellraiser]

Sadly, not as long as mechs   :'(

ASF over any other combat unit is one that, IMHO, most benefits from Elite Pilots so I'd invest in those most often.
You need evert edge you can get to win before you accumulate too much damage and crash or float off into deep space.

[verybad]

Would try to refrain from ground strikes using them as they're the most dangerous due to the lawn dart rule. Mostly use them for protecting the transport ships on the way in and maintaining air supperiority (presumably you've got a larger than Battallion sized force if you've got that many fighters).

Would use them for recon and hitting unprotected enemy targets. eg, if somebody has a few J-27s without AAA, then it's toast. Obviously sometimes you'll need to use them to hit protected targets, or mechs/tanks that can shoot back. Wouldn't be my first choice for fire support however due to the fragility.

Recon is overlooked, but it's pretty important if you have air supremacy, then you can see enemy moves, and he can't see yours. Imagine playing chess without looking at the board...

[doulos05]

I'd say the combat half-life for ASFs is somewhere around 3 aero battles or 2 ground battles. That's just an estimate, I could be wrong. I haven't played with either much under the new TW rules

[Medron Pryde]

If fought to the death, yes.

I would think that most fights would take two or at most three passes, and then the losing side would hit thrusters and run like heck, leaving the tatters of their armor behind them.  ;)

[Moonsword]

I would think that most fights would take two or at most three passes, and then the losing side would hit thrusters and run like heck, leaving the tatters of their armor behind them.  ;)

You'd assume that but unless you have a solid lead or they're short of either fuel or armor themselves, the enemy can frequently catch you.  Depending on the period, they may well choose to pursue you to destruction, just like they might on the ground.

[Medron Pryde]

If they have the acceleration and fuel to catch you, you are dead.  If you have either advantage, or even the self-generated advantage of position and starting velocity, you can easily disengage.  Unless the enemy has a clear acceleration and fuel advantage on you, it is very easy to disengage and get away from a losing fight in space.

[Moonsword]

If they have the acceleration and fuel to catch you, you are dead.  If you have either advantage, or even the self-generated advantage of position and starting velocity, you can easily disengage.  Unless the enemy has a clear acceleration and fuel advantage on you, it is very easy to disengage and get away from a losing fight in space.

That's what that lead comment was about.  However, assuming equal fuel, without an acceleration or positional advantage of your own, they can hang with you, which was my point.  Assuming you can get away is dicey.  Also, acceleration, unless it gets you to something hefty in terms of reinforcements fast enough to matter, actually doesn't necessarily help.  In a long chase, they can generate enough thrust to catch you if they're willing to take the time to do it.

The trick is to burn away fast enough to get far enough that they don't have the fuel to chase or are at least unwilling to expend it.

[Medron Pryde]

If you are the first to make the move, and they don't instantly change the course of their entire formation to follow, you build up a LOT of range and momentum that is separating the two forces.  They have to not only match your course, which will take time and fuel, but also EXCEED your acceleration in order to first match your speed and then start gaining on you.  In short, if you pick your moment and choose a course diametrically opposed to their course, you are GONE unless they have a CLEAR advantage in either fuel (long term) or acceleration (short term) over you.

This all assumes that you started the battle at zero relative velocity.  Either side can choose to perform a high speed engagement run though, limiting the engagement to two or three minutes of firing.

In short, with proper planning and good instincts, it is easy to use momentum and thrust to limit the time of any battle down to the point that you can get most of your ships out of even a losing battle.  Not all by any means.  You WILL lose ships.  And if they are willing to spend their time hitting your big guns, you will lose a lot of THOSE while your smaller ships survive.  But it is easy to force them to let MOST of your ships get out, UNLESS the majority of their fleet has either a fuel (long term chase) or acceleration (short term chase) advantage on you.

Period.  End of Line.