Starter Fleet Guide:Maple

TF Maple

Centered around an escort carrier with a strong complement of sensor, interceptor, and bomber spacecraft, TF Maple is designed to secure total void superiority for your team. Launch Sundial SEWACs to establish radar coverage of the map early on, then start queuing up Claymore bombers for launch. The carrier is accompanied by two space defense frigates carrying long-range PDTs and anti-craft missiles, capable of zoning out opposing fighters and assisting your Tanto interceptors in any nearby engagement. Once void superiorty is assured, the Claymores can be escorted in for devastating torpedo strikes against isolated enemy formations. TF Maple is all about managing your elevator cycles to keep strike tempo up and ensuring dogfights are taken on your terms within your sensor and space defense bubbles.

Craft

B-86T Claymore

TF Maple's primary offensive tool, the fleet's claymores are configured for delivering torpedoes and cluster bombs via an S3 bay, and are upgraded with a missile control computer and high-coherence countermeasure launcher.

Size 3 Missile Bays are available to Claymores and are competitive with Size 2 Bays: between the two, Size 3 Bays use torpedoes which offer much greater cost efficiency than Size 2 missiles while shortening the range the bomber can fire at considerably.

The Missile Control Computer support module is chosen because it enables use of the CMD seeker on missiles, offering the ability for your craft to guide its own munitions on target rather than rely on easily softkillable seeker combinations or the relatively expensive EO seeker type. The alternative to using MCC would be the missile decoy projector module, or no module at all, to either aid in penetrating hardkill or aid in cost saving respectively.

The High-Coherence CM Launcher module is selected to improve the bomber's survivability against ACT and WAKE missiles, by detonating blast frag warheads that pass through the countermeasures. High-capacity CM would increase the Claymore's endurance during prolonged missile exposure, while standard CMs would save it points in exchange for a chance of missiles reacquiring after flying through chaff.

basic guide to usage here

E-448 Sundial

An extra sensor asset to complement your spyglass frigates, this Sundial is upgraded with high-coherence countermeasures only.

High-coherence countermeasures confer the same advantages and disadvantages for the Sundial as they do the Claymore, trading the potentially higher mission endurance of high-capacity CM for the greater safety of high-coherence CM.

basic guide to usage here

PF-440V Tanto

Your fighter complement in Maple, these tantos are upgraded with 15mm Coilguns, Centerline Fuel Tanks, and high-coherence countermeasures.

15mm coilgun guide

CFT guide

hicocm guide

basic guide to usage here

Missiles

SDM-103 Thorn - Used for air to air combat, Thorns are your long range anti-craft missiles and are employed in the two standoff loadouts available to your Tantos. why act? why size 4head? why this triangle?

SGM-1 Ceremonial Arming Missile - arming missiles 101

SGM-H-296 Tornado - shipborne ACMs 101, why ACT/WAKE, why engine stats, why S2H for ACM

SGT-375 Bardiche - why weave, why CMD, why backup SAH, why this range , why this much maneuver

SSM-172 Hengetort - why ACT/WAKE, why range , why take them at all (see SDM1)

Ships

CVE-24 [Strike Carrier]: Of Martial Build

talk about how you use this ship here!! in no specific order: how to use sewacs how to use claymores (cmd guidance, using cover, escape routes, when to sacrifice, expected attrition rates) how to use tantos escorting strikes managing deck cycles how to not die to ruttle how to not get farmed by grapeshot and sarissa

FF-141 [SpaceDef-1]: Clear Skies

talk about how you use this ship here!! in no specific order: positioning for spyglass positioning to help teammates with scryer positioning for sarissa to help your own craft when to use ACMs

FF-261 [SpaceDef-2]: Starlit Skies

talk about how you use this ship here!! in no specific order: the same as the above, but you've got a second of these