Starter Fleet Guide:Cobalt
Cobalt Squadron
Difficulty: Easy
Pros at a Glance
* Ease - As one tanky battlegroup with only two ships, it is quite easy to use * Simple - The fleet is incredibly simple. You take the Ocellos, you point them, you shoot them * Dense Point defense - Cobalt has a strong softkill suite and point defense turrets * Anti-Jamming - Cobalt has two illuminators * Can Penetrate and Damage the majority of ships
Cons at a Glance
* Vulnerable to the sides - Do not let the Ocello cruisers get hit from the side, they will die. * Valuable - Ocellos are so valuable that experienced ANS players have developed Size 3 Hybrid missiles designed to punch through Ocello point defense. Task Force Birch has "Ocello-Killer" missiles which can get through Cobalt's Pointe defense * Lacks complete softkill - missing Dazzler * No Anti-light capability - the Ocellos have only one armament, and it is 450mm guns. These do not perform well against light warships
Community Maintainer: NotSoLoneWolf
Ocello Command Cruisers: Titanium Overture & Tungsten Crescendo
Cobalt Squadron is the Protectorate version of TF Oak and is designed to be an incredibly easy and durable fleet for those getting into the Protectorate. Simple to the extreme, it still can play a role in shaping the battlefield and supporting your team.
The squadron is composed of Two Ocello-class Command Cruisers. These are the Protectorate equivalent to the Alliance Axford Class Cruisers. In lore, the Ocello was the previous generation of Alliance Heavy Cruiser that the Protectorate seized from mothball yards.
That being said, the Ocellos are not quite as tanky and durable as their Alliance counterparts. You need to point their bows to their targets where their forward-facing 450mm turrets can do damage, and where your reinforced bow can take hits. It is recommended you use the Hold Heading (Track) command on the right-click menu to keep your ships pointed at their opponents. I recommend you use 450mm HE Shell against broadside Axfords and anything less durable, whilst using 450mm AP Shell against bow-tanking Axfords and heavier (Solomon Battleships.)
Furthermore, it is not easy to hit Cobalt with missiles. The two Ocellos have 8 Aurora anti-missile lasers that can kill Alliance hybrids. This means these ships are immune to everything but the largest strikes, especially if the BSHORT (Battleshort) function is toggled ON. However, this point defense loadout is vulnerable to close-range launched torpedoes.
Moreover, Ocellos are so valuable that specific missile designs have been disseminated that enable ANS to punch through Ocello point defense. TF Birch, for example, is equipped with the Linebreaker series of colloquially named "Ocello Killer" missiles. It is a good idea to practice against Task Force Birch as Task Force Cobalt to learn how to softkill Birch's missiles[1].
Cobalt also has two pieces of utility equipment. The Interruption Command Jammer which can send Command-seeker missiles flying, and two Floodlight turrets. The Floodlight is an anti-jamming tool you can use to point at enemy Radar jamming to improve your ability to see enemies hidden by jamming. If that still doesn't reveal the enemy, use the Parallax's burn-through, and use the Bullseye fire control radar to lock onto the purple burn through ping.
Cobalt does have a few weaknesses though. From the side, Cobalt's Ocello's can be killed quite quickly due to its 30cm of armor. This means the armor will deflect most shots, but only when the bow is pointed at the enemy. The fleet is also optimized for durability and simplicity. It thus has a far lower damage output than some other Protectorate starter fleets such as Kyanite Squadron, Garnet Squadron, or Zircon Squadron, but a much better ability to fight sustained frontline engagements in open space. It’s also not particularly fast, as its FM580 'Raider' Drives are good at dodging and acceleration, but not at getting them anywhere fast. This makes Cobalt supremely vulnerable to, say, a close-quarters beam ambush from TF Willow or TF Ash. Additionally, Cobalt lacks a L50 'Blackjack' Laser Dazzler, leaving it vulnerable to Alliance EO missiles. Try to group up with another fleet that covers this base, like Garnet[2] or Kyanite Squadron.
It is thus recommended to use this fleet in conjunction with cover to enable withdrawal and if necessary. Cobalt will always be able to hurt any Shelter Alliance fleet, just not quickly, and so maintaining range and guarding an important position for your team is crucial to using this fleet correctly. All that being said, if a player does mis-position by accident, Cobalt’s ease of use and durable construction means that it should survive your mistake.
Missiles
SGM-299 'Killjoy' Jammer Decoy [PD Prio Fired]
A SGM-200 Tempest Missile with a Wake-Homing Seeker and a Self-Screening Jammer. This Killjoy Jammer Decoy is a defensive decoy meant to decoy anti-radiation seekers such has Home On Jam Seekers and Fixed Anti-Radiation Seekers, as well as blind Active Radar Seekers and Fixed Semi Active Radar Seekers, including when these seekers are present as a backup after the primary seeker has been jammed. Its defensive doctrine is set to only ever fire when a manual PD Priority order is given, by default bound to the Z key, on an incoming missile's radar track. This method of launch will not work on visual tracks, it must be position fired if no radar coverage is present.
This Killjoy jammer decoy is unmatrixed, and as such it is not compatible with other ACMs present on the same ship. The upside is it will not automatically fire and immediately waste all of your decoys if the ship is left on PDMSL: AUTO, instead of you spending one missile per salvo.
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
Dual heavy cruisers with all big guns. Cobalt Squadron is ideal for those who struggle with multi-tasking and would like to focus more on positioning a single formation very well. Manage your range and sightlines to pound isolated enemy formations into dust. Use of the HDG command to face towards the enemy at all times is absolutely essential for victory: the Ocello-class is highly durable, but only against incoming fire from the front. Further, moving alongside teammates will maximize your impact on the battle - Cobalt is equipped with an anti-missile jammer, anti-jamming illuminators, FCRs for locking targets, and eight point defence lasers, all of which can support nearby friendlies.
Example Gameplay
- ↑ detailed instructions can be found in the Missiles section of the Birch Guide, a more general guide can be found here
- ↑ Which in turn lacks access to [[Starter_Fleet_Guide:Cobalt#SGM-299_'Killjoy'_Jammer_Decoy_[PD_Prio_Fired]|Killjoy Jammer Decoys]] which Cobalt can cover for
