Starter Fleet Guide:Azurite
Azurite Squadron
Difficulty: Moderate
Strengths at a Glance
* Lots of Close-Ranged Ambush Assets and Munitions * Long Range Early Warning Radar
Limitations at a Glance
* Hyper-focused for Ambush Tactics * Ironically vulnerable to ANS Keystone beam destroyers * Lacks complete softkill - missing jammer decoy and Dazzler
Community Maintainer: AmbientLamp
Torpedo Cruiser: Abject Terror
Azurite Squadron's role on the battlefield is to strike Abject Terror into the hearts of any ANS warship poking around the corner. This starter is hyperspecialized for close-ranged ambushes.
The Ocello-Class Command cruiser sports 48 Letter Opener Size 3 Torpedoes. The maximum effective range of these weapons is about 4km, as while the missile lists 4.2km as it's maximum range in editor, the corkscrew terminal maneuvers that prevent the missiles from being hardkilled bite into the weapon's range. The 4,047 m range listed in the firing panel seems to effectively reflect the actual range from the missile's ignition point, though other factors can vary this range heavily[1].If you wish to check this at a glance, consult tactical view with your torpedoes selected, this will show you a red dotted line outlining a sphere around Abject Terror, which is the 4,047m range: If in TRK firemode and hovering over a track, the new line emitting from the target (the current intercept point) can be referenced to check if you are in range. If the end of it is outside of the red dotted line around your ship, then the intercept point is not in range. Mind that this point is calculated off the target's current speed and vector, and the enemy could potentially change it. That being said, if one can get the Ocello cruiser within that kill range, there would be no way to escape the 6 Torpedoes it can launch in a salvo. Heavier ANS capital ships will require multiple volleys but you don't need that much and you will need less after hitting the first salvo.
It is recommended that you stalk high priority targets with the Ocello, either using cover to move into position near choke-points, or lanes of egress. Don't be seen, and try not to be identified until you're in launch range of your torpedoes.
For defense, the Ocello has a few anti-bomber Size 2 "Hardtack" missiles, anti-missile missiles (AMMs), a softkill suite covering CMD SAH and ACT, and 20mm Pavisse and Sarissa point defense turrets. It thus is capable of deflecting panic-launched hybrid strikes, but may be less able to defeat invested missile strikes. Do be careful of firing your Sarissa point defense turrets willy-nilly, as they could give your location away.
For although Azurite is an excellent ambusher, ANS Keystone-class destroyers with beams can annihilate it with their 6km beams. It is imperative that both early warning radar and shuttles are used to screen and clear out enemy Keystones, which can outrange Azruite's torpedoes and inflict mortal damage to the valuable command cruiser.
Find your prey, identify your prey, stalk your prey, torpedo them, and repeat, and Azruite will prey on Axfords and Solomon's all day.
Sensor Draugr Tug: Constant Alert
To select your targets, Azurite has a Early Warning Radar tugobat, which has a 15km range conical radar. This can sweep areas for targets, and while the track is not accurate, it'll give players enough details to move their assets into prime ambush locations.
Rocket Shuttles: Applied Pressure & Repulsive Force
Finally, if that wasn't enough, Azurite has a pair of Rocket Shuttles, which mount R-2 Piranha rockets. Specifically, they have 2 mounts of 18 of them each. These aren't supposed to be thrown onto points. Instead, use them to hunt down smaller high-value targets or defend your capture points. They can be used to hunt down and disable the greatest predator of Azruite... ironically enough, other Ambush fleets.
Missiles
SGT-315 Letter Opener
A SGT-300 Pilum Torpedo with Command Receiver/(Home On Jam Seeker) and a size 5 HE Impact warhead. Letter Openers are your primary offensive tool. Their use is straightforward: lock the target with your RF44 'Pinpoint' Radar, and make the target regret turning the corner.
Letter Opener uses the Command Receiver/(Home On Jam) guidance package, and this benefits them in two different ways. The first is the more obvious one- CMD is a seeker that is difficult to jam, requiring dedicated infrastructure on a reasonably close ship. The second is much less intuitive; a CMD seeker with a backup, in this case HOJ, will go in a straight line when Command is jammed out and that HOJ seeker does not see a target. This means that a CMD/(HOJ) torpedo may only be softkilled by a combination of radar jammer decoy and comms jamming, or by using comms jamming and offset radar jamming. HOJ in particular is selected for its half-point cost; this puts it in competition for SAH or WAKE, which have similar benefits and downsides in a similar configuration.
Letter Opener handles penetration of enemy hardkill via two different ways: the first is deployment in higher mass, accomplished via the salvo size of 6 and the rapid programming time. The second is by their engine configuration and terminal maneuvers, which together give them a very maneuverable cork terminal for defeating kinetic hardkill solutions. About 3.2G of turn rate yields enough maneuverability for cork to work consistently against capital ships, while the slow speed of 175 m/s keeps the torpedo agile.
SGM-262 Hardtack
A SGM-200 Tempest Missile with CMD/(WAKE) and a size 6 Blast Fragmentation warhead.
This uses a Command primary seeker, which means the missile will lose track if the target stops being tracked. It is most reliable within 5km of an Ithaca Bridgemaster Radar for it's high track quality. It is programmed to intercept Claymore Bombers (One per). Its size 6 Blast Fragmentation warhead is chosen because it can one-shot Claymore Bombers[2]
The WAKE secondary serves to trigger craft default evasion that overwrites the normal evasion triggered by CMD seekers, that being to run away, meaning targeted craft will by default spend their time attempting to hide their rear aspect from the WAKE seeker of the missile. This helps prevent the target from escaping, increasing the missile's effective range.
SGM-106 Neostaff
A CMD4BF Anti-Missile Missile with a Command Receiver and a size 4 Blast Fragmentation warhead.
As only one seeker is made available to SGM1 missiles, a Command Receiver is chosen for this AMM. CMD in this provides mid-course guidance reducing the odds of the AMM rangeing-out before it hits. It is not seduced by Missile and Bomber launched Decoys, moreover, it can only be blinded by radar jamming if your team's radar track on the threat is lost.
This ACT4BF Anti-Missile Missile is a defensive AMM programmed to intercept SGM-H-200 Cyclone Hybrid Missiles (One per), and SGM-H-300 Atlatl Hybrid Missiles (Two per). Its size 4 warhead is sufficient to kill any of the listed missiles in one shot, but its basic size 4 Blast Fragmentation warhead is unreliable against small missile targets and often will take 2 or more hits to defeat them, as HE-Frag warheads will deal 0 damage on a failed roll to missiles instead of half-damage as they deal to craft. Its armor penetration is insufficient for defeating SGT-300 Pilum Torpedoes, which make take 5 successful intercepts to defeat, in practice likely to be as many as 10 intercepts.
Its high-agility tuning makes it ideal as an AMM for intercepting fast and agile Hybrid missiles, but leaves its range woefully short when used as an Anti-Craft Missile. Nevertheless it can serve this role in an emergency if an extremely close-in attack is taking place, such as someone trying to bomb you. In this role its size 4 Blast Fragmentation warhead will perform much better, able to reliably one or two-shot a Tanto Interceptor or in 5-6 shots kill a Claymore Bomber.
SGM-105 Halfstaff
A ACT4BF Anti-Missile Missile with a Fixed Active Radar Seeker and a size 4 Blast Fragmentation warhead.
As only one seeker is made available to SGM1 missiles, a Fixed Active Radar Seeker is chosen for this AMM. Steerable ACT in this case has no extra cost penalty over Fixed ACT, but both lack any form of mid-course guidance if it is launched before the target is in range for the seeker to acquire, which may cause it to take an inefficient path and range-out before it hits. It is seduced by Missile and Bomber launched Decoys, moreover, the lack of backup seeker or reject un-validated targets setting on the seeker means this missile is vulnerable to being blinded by radar jamming, instead of going straight until a the primary seeker gets close enough to burn through the jamming.
This ACT4BF Anti-Missile Missile is a defensive AMM programmed to intercept SGM-H-200 Cyclone Hybrid Missiles (One per), and SGM-H-300 Atlatl Hybrid Missiles (Two per). Its size 4 warhead is sufficient to kill any of the listed missiles in one shot, but its basic size 4 Blast Fragmentation warhead is unreliable against small missile targets and often will take 2 or more hits to defeat them, as HE-Frag warheads will deal 0 damage on a failed roll to missiles instead of half-damage as they deal to craft. Its armor penetration is insufficient for defeating SGT-300 Pilum Torpedoes, which make take 5 successful intercepts to defeat, in practice likely to be as many as 10 intercepts.
Its high-agility tuning makes it ideal as an AMM for intercepting fast and agile Hybrid missiles, but leaves its range woefully short when used as an Anti-Craft Missile. Nevertheless it can serve this role in an emergency if an extremely close-in attack is taking place, such as someone trying to bomb you. In this role its size 4 Blast Fragmentation warhead will perform much better, able to reliably one or two-shot a Tanto Interceptor or in 5-6 shots kill a Claymore Bomber.
SGM-111 Night Dances
A ACT4BF Anti-Missile Missile with a Fixed Active Radar Seeker and a size 4 Blast Fragmentation warhead.
As only one seeker is made available to SGM1 missiles, a FixedActive Radar Seeker is chosen for this AMM. Steerable ACT in this case has no extra cost penalty over Fixed ACT, but both lack any form of mid-course guidance if it is launched before the target is in range for the seeker to acquire, which may cause it to take an inefficient path and range-out before it hits. It is seduced by Missile and Bomber launched Decoys, moreover, the lack of backup seeker or reject un-validated targets setting on the seeker means this missile is vulnerable to being blinded by radar jamming, instead of going straight until a the primary seeker gets close enough to burn through the jamming.
This ACT4BF Anti-Missile Missile is a defensive AMM programmed to intercept SGM-200 Tempest Missiles (One per), SGT-300 Pilum Torpedo (Two per), SGM-H-200 Cyclone Hybrid Missiles (One per), SGM-H-300 Atlatl Hybrid Missiles (Two per), Tanto Interceptors (Two per), and Claymore Bombers (Two per[3]). Its size 4 warhead is sufficient to kill most any of the listed missiles in one shot, but its basic size 4 Blast Fragmentation warhead is unreliable against small missile targets and often will take 2 or more hits to defeat them, as HE-Frag warheads will deal 0 damage on a failed roll to missiles instead of half-damage as they deal to craft. Its armor penetration is insufficient for defeating SGT-300 Pilum Torpedoes, which make take 5 successful intercepts to defeat, in practice likely to be as many as 10 intercepts.
This tuning is something of a compromise tuning; it retains good agility, making it acceptable as an AMM for intercepting fast and agile Hybrid missiles, and gains 500 meters of range for use as an Anti-Craft Missile. This is enough to for it to assist against close-in attacks, like against SAH S1 based Tanto strikes, or someone trying to bomb you. In this role its size 4 Blast Fragmentation warhead will perform much better, able to reliably one or two-shot a Tanto Interceptor or in 5-6 shots kill a Claymore Bomber.
SGM-1 Ceremonial Arming Missile
A SGM-100 Balestra Missile with a Wake-Homing Seeker and a size 4 HE Impact warhead.
This missile is not intended for offensive usage, or indeed any usage at all during a typical match. Arming missiles exist so that a ship with an arming missile counts as being offensively armed, an important feature in the Control game-mode most multiplayer matches take place within. Thus, firing this missile is not advisable, besides in very niche circumstances.
In Game Description
Azurite Squadron is a high-risk high-reward assassination fleet centered around the Abject Terror, a torpedo cruiser capable of obliterating capital ships in seconds. However, it is vulnerable if spotted before reaching torpedo range. Keep it concealed behind rocks and use your tactical awareness to maneuver from cover to cover into torpedo range, or let the enemy come to you. Face the target using the HDG command to pre-align your torpedo strike and minimize incoming damage with your armored bow. In support is a sensor tugboat for tracking overall enemy movements and arranging ambushes, as well as two rocket shuttles for screening the Abject Terror against flankers and capturing objectives.
Example Gameplay
- ↑ When missiles are cold-launched from the CLS, they will orientate to the target, then wait to be sufficiently clear of the launching ship before ignition, while their drift speed will inherit the inertia of the ship while launching. This means if Abject Terror is reversing when launching, torpedo range will be about expected, or increase when advancing, with this effect amplified or reduced somewhat by the angle Abject Terror's nose is to the target. When launching from a standstill dead-nose-on, one can expect about 100 additional meters of range otherwise. Additionally, the size of the target may add a few dozen metres, as range to a contact is measured from it's centre and the missile may strike a closer surface. Most importantly however, is the target's closure rate with the missile, which is 172 m/s at a standstill, but if the target is moving into or away from the missile, may add or reduce range in its 23 seconds of flight. The most extreme case is a flank-speed whiplash Sprinter at 62 m/s, which moves at nearly 40% of the torpedoes' speed. Against such a target, the maximum range could potentially be 2.6-5.4km. depending on if the sprinter is running away or towards the torpedoes. in a more typical situation, the closure rate can be quickly calculated approximately by taking the track's Closure Rate (the number shown on the bottom left of a track), subtracting the ship(Abject Terror)'s own speed towards the target (an approximation will be needed if not moving directly towards or away, and an addition instead of subtraction if reversing), and then multiplying that number by 23, to then see how much range the current closure is adding to the target (not to your torpedo range).
- ↑ It will need 2 hits against Ablative foam bombers, and against stealth craft, failed rolls will do zero damage instead of half.
- ↑ It is not possible to make the matrix settings automatically fire more than 3 interceptors at a given target
