Quote OR COULD YOU? Probably not, as long as bombers are still around. What to do, then... what to do?



Killing gunships is the ultimate nerf! When they're dead, they can't shoot you or your team. Even better, when they're running around, or tied up with a melee fight, they STILL can't help their team a whole lot. Here is a guide to help you deal with that OP battle beast, the gunship.



1. Know Your Enemy



It should not take you long to figure out who the threats are in a given match. Look at the opposing team in the pre-flight minute. If you recognize a tough gunship pilot, call it out to your teammates. Let them know someone, let's call him 'Bespon,' is probably going to go for the Damage Overcharges in TDM, and will likely be blowing you up unless someone does something about it.



"But," you protest, "I'm new and don't know who these people are!" Try asking your teammates. Failing that, assume that any gunship pilot is a threat, because they are. That said, inexperienced gunship pilots are easy to deal with. They make a lot of common mistakes, which I'll get into later.



Look at which gunships the opposing pilots have selected.



If they have picked the Quarrel/Mangler (or the Cartel variant that looks like a flying V), aka the T1 gunship, you can expect that they will be dousing your team with Ion Railgun bursts. They may be using Feedback Shield, which you must be aware of when you're engaging them with lasers. They will primarily be looking to support their team's attacks and will often focus on breaking up your team's bomber incursons.



If they have picked a Comet Breaker/Dustmaker (or the Cartel equivalent that looks like a Winnebago with garbage cans attached to it), aka the T2 gunship, they are almost always less of a threat than those who have picked the other types. They are incapable of dealing with enemies at close range, and often choose Fortress Shield, which renders them immobile and is basically a death sentence when facing pilots who know what they're doing. They lack ion railgun, so are less of a threat to your team's bombers.



If they have picked a Condor/Jurgoran, aka the T3 gunship, they are going to be mobile and quite capable of short range combat. They lack Ion Railgun, so they are less of a threat to your bombers and defensive zones than the T1 gs. They make up for this by being very efficient hunters and by being difficult to kill.



By knowing your enemy, you can decide on the best approach for dealing with them.



2. Fly Smart



It's easy to assume that gunships are invulnerable death machines when you eat railgun shots and die before you even reach the action. Your goal, then, is to make it difficult for the enemy gunships to hit you before you get into weapons range. I'm going to put this next point in caps and might even bold it because it is really, really important.



DO NOT FLY STRAIGHT AT GUNSHIPS AND EXPECT TO LIVE.



If you grit your teeth and fly with resolute determination in a straight line at that gunship, chances are they will blow you up while shaking their head in disapproval at how easy you just made it for them. At least, I hear that jerk Bespon does it all the time.



Use terrain obstacles to prevent gunships from getting line-of-sight on you. There are lots of opportunities on every map to make your approach under cover. If you find yourself in the open, weave and use your defensive Systems or Copilot abilities if you have any.



Try approaching enemy gunships from above or below, or fly past them and get behind them before you open fire. This will force them to turn, move, or run to deal with your attack. Getting them out of their comfort zone makes them an easier kill. Forcing them to deal with you keeps them from sniping enemies at long range.



3. Load up on Evasion



Your ship's Evasion stat is the hard counter to railguns. Gunships rely on the Accuracy stat to reliably land their railgun shots. Even a perfectly aimed rail shot will be dodged if the target's Evasion is high enough and the random to-hit roll is in their target's favor. It is not uncommon for a scout with high Evasion to dodge five or six shots in a row purely based on their build's focus on that stat. Targeting Telemtry, Distortion Field, and Running Interference are all commonly used to boost Evasion.



4. Open Fire



Know your weapons' ideal ranges. When you are at that sweet spot, open up with everything you've got. You want to do as much damage in as short a window of time as is possible when facing gunships (and, indeed, pretty much all other ship types as well). Save your offensive abilities until you're just about to open fire.



Be aware of Feedback Shield. If you are hitting the enemy gunship with your lasers and suddenly blow up or take a lot of damage when it doesn't seem they are even shooting at you (or facing you), they are running Feedback Shield. Secondary weapons do not trigger Feedback shield, so missiles, rockets and railguns are always safe to use against a gunship. Wait for the glowy shield aura to disappear from around the enemy gunship before you resume your primary weapon attack. Sometimes, if you have enough health, you can absorb one Feedback burst, but if the gunship draws you into a protracted melee fight, they may live long enough for the cooldown to expire and will trigger it again.



5. Don't Overpursue



If a gunship is determined to run from a close-quarters engagement, let them. There are likely other threats to deal with closer to your objectives. If the gunship is running, it is not shooting, which is a victory for your team. If the gunship activates their defensive abilities (usually Distortion Field, sometimes with Running Interference) and uses their engine maneuver to bail out on an engagement, don't chase them. Watch your back when returning to allied territory, but as long as you're keeping the gunship from lining up their railgun shots, you are helping your team. Be aware that they may return, but it will take them a moment to get back into the action.



6. Use Teamwork



It will become apparent eventually who the really troublesome gunship pilots are. If their name keeps showing up on your screen in red, "Bespon killed ______" over and over, it may require the focus of more than one pilot to deal with them.



It is extremely difficult for any gunship to deal with two attackers at once. Even very skilled gunship pilots will find it both distracting and hard to handle a pair of determined attackers.



Even in situations where the enemy team is fielding many gunships, there is often a large skill gap between their pilots. If you can correctly identify the gunship that is likely to cause you the most trouble and double or triple-team them, the rest of your teammates can work on the easier targets.



7. Identify Inexperienced Gunships



Stock gunships are very easy to destroy before they are equipped with proper defensive components. Even experienced pilots will have trouble remaining alive under fire in an unupgraded gunship that lacks maneuverability and shield strength.



You can often identify an inexperienced gunship pilot by watching for whether they remain focused on powering up a railgun shot while they are under direct fire. If they seem unaware of their shields falling while they are scoped in, use that knowledge to alter their standing on your threat assessment.



Any gunship using Fortress Shield is easier to deal with than one which does not. At first, it may seem like the greatly increased shield strength is a significant advantage, but immobility is a heavy price to pay for extra shields. Most gunship pilots will realize this fairly early on and switch to a build that doesn't root them in place. If you find yourself up against a gunship using Fortress Shield, it is likely they are inexperienced and can be dealt with accordingly.



Determine which laser the enemy gunship uses when in close combat. Burst Laser Cannon has a distinctive sound and appearance, and is very dangerous at melee range. If the enemy gunship is not using BLC (or in the case of the T2 gunship, does not have the option), stay at close range until they either die or run. It is likely that gunships not fielding BLC are being flown by inexperienced pilots.



8. Recognize Inevitability



Sometimes, you are put on a bad team. If you are being picked apart by enemy gunships, and your team seems to have no answer, it is not because gunships are OP. It is because your team doesn't have the knowledge and skill to deal with them, and lacks the fluidity to adapt their tactics to adjust for the situation.



Conclusion



The preceding information on how to deal with gunships only covers the basics. There are more advanced techniques and strategies to learn, but if you internalize the information in this guide, you'll be on your way to helping your team and making yourself a better pilot.



Despon



*for those new to GSF, check out So, you want to kill gunships. Oh boy, who doesn't? Can't live with em, can't live without em.Probably not, as long as bombers are still around. What to do, then... what to do?Killing gunships is the ultimate nerf! When they're dead, they can't shoot you or your team. Even better, when they're running around, or tied up with a melee fight, they STILL can't help their team a whole lot. Here is a guide to help you deal with that OP battle beast, the gunship.It should not take you long to figure out who the threats are in a given match. Look at the opposing team in the pre-flight minute. If you recognize a tough gunship pilot, call it out to your teammates. Let them know someone, let's call him 'Bespon,' is probably going to go for the Damage Overcharges in TDM, and will likely be blowing you up unless someone does something about it."But," you protest, "I'm new and don't know who these people are!" Try asking your teammates. Failing that, assume that any gunship pilot is a threat, because they are. That said, inexperienced gunship pilots are easy to deal with. They make a lot of common mistakes, which I'll get into later.Look at which gunships the opposing pilots have selected.If they have picked the Quarrel/Mangler (or the Cartel variant that looks like a flying V), aka the T1 gunship, you can expect that they will be dousing your team with Ion Railgun bursts. They may be using Feedback Shield, which you must be aware of when you're engaging them with lasers. They will primarily be looking to support their team's attacks and will often focus on breaking up your team's bomber incursons.If they have picked a Comet Breaker/Dustmaker (or the Cartel equivalent that looks like a Winnebago with garbage cans attached to it), aka the T2 gunship, they are almost always less of a threat than those who have picked the other types. They are incapable of dealing with enemies at close range, and often choose Fortress Shield, which renders them immobile and is basically a death sentence when facing pilots who know what they're doing. They lack ion railgun, so are less of a threat to your team's bombers.If they have picked a Condor/Jurgoran, aka the T3 gunship, they are going to be mobile and quite capable of short range combat. They lack Ion Railgun, so they are less of a threat to your bombers and defensive zones than the T1 gs. They make up for this by being very efficient hunters and by being difficult to kill.By knowing your enemy, you can decide on the best approach for dealing with them.It's easy to assume that gunships are invulnerable death machines when you eat railgun shots and die before you even reach the action. Your goal, then, is to make it difficult for the enemy gunships to hit you before you get into weapons range. I'm going to put this next point in caps and might even bold it because it is really, really important.If you grit your teeth and fly with resolute determination in a straight line at that gunship, chances are they will blow you up while shaking their head in disapproval at how easy you just made it for them. At least, I hear that jerk Bespon does it all the time.Use terrain obstacles to prevent gunships from getting line-of-sight on you. There are lots of opportunities on every map to make your approach under cover. If you find yourself in the open, weave and use your defensive Systems or Copilot abilities if you have any.Try approaching enemy gunships from above or below, or fly past them and get behind them before you open fire. This will force them to turn, move, or run to deal with your attack. Getting them out of their comfort zone makes them an easier kill. Forcing them to deal with you keeps them from sniping enemies at long range.Your ship's Evasion stat is the hard counter to railguns. Gunships rely on the Accuracy stat to reliably land their railgun shots. Even a perfectly aimed rail shot will be dodged if the target's Evasion is high enough and the random to-hit roll is in their target's favor. It is not uncommon for a scout with high Evasion to dodge five or six shots in a row purely based on their build's focus on that stat. Targeting Telemtry, Distortion Field, and Running Interference are all commonly used to boost Evasion.Know your weapons' ideal ranges. When you are at that sweet spot, open up with everything you've got. You want to do as much damage in as short a window of time as is possible when facing gunships (and, indeed, pretty much all other ship types as well). Save your offensive abilities until you're just about to open fire.Be aware of Feedback Shield. If you are hitting the enemy gunship with your lasers and suddenly blow up or take a lot of damage when it doesn't seem they are even shooting at you (or facing you), they are running Feedback Shield. Secondary weapons do not trigger Feedback shield, so missiles, rockets and railguns are always safe to use against a gunship. Wait for the glowy shield aura to disappear from around the enemy gunship before you resume your primary weapon attack. Sometimes, if you have enough health, you can absorb one Feedback burst, but if the gunship draws you into a protracted melee fight, they may live long enough for the cooldown to expire and will trigger it again.If a gunship is determined to run from a close-quarters engagement, let them. There are likely other threats to deal with closer to your objectives. If the gunship is running, it is not shooting, which is a victory for your team. If the gunship activates their defensive abilities (usually Distortion Field, sometimes with Running Interference) and uses their engine maneuver to bail out on an engagement, don't chase them. Watch your back when returning to allied territory, but as long as you're keeping the gunship from lining up their railgun shots, you are helping your team. Be aware that they may return, but it will take them a moment to get back into the action.It will become apparent eventually who the really troublesome gunship pilots are. If their name keeps showing up on your screen in red, "Bespon killed ______" over and over, it may require the focus of more than one pilot to deal with them.It is extremely difficult for any gunship to deal with two attackers at once. Even very skilled gunship pilots will find it both distracting and hard to handle a pair of determined attackers.Even in situations where the enemy team is fielding many gunships, there is often a large skill gap between their pilots. If you can correctly identify the gunship that is likely to cause you the most trouble and double or triple-team them, the rest of your teammates can work on the easier targets.Stock gunships are very easy to destroy before they are equipped with proper defensive components. Even experienced pilots will have trouble remaining alive under fire in an unupgraded gunship that lacks maneuverability and shield strength.You can often identify an inexperienced gunship pilot by watching for whether they remain focused on powering up a railgun shot while they are under direct fire. If they seem unaware of their shields falling while they are scoped in, use that knowledge to alter their standing on your threat assessment.Any gunship using Fortress Shield is easier to deal with than one which does not. At first, it may seem like the greatly increased shield strength is a significant advantage, but immobility is a heavy price to pay for extra shields. Most gunship pilots will realize this fairly early on and switch to a build that doesn't root them in place. If you find yourself up against a gunship using Fortress Shield, it is likely they are inexperienced and can be dealt with accordingly.Determine which laser the enemy gunship uses when in close combat. Burst Laser Cannon has a distinctive sound and appearance, and is very dangerous at melee range. If the enemy gunship is not using BLC (or in the case of the T2 gunship, does not have the option), stay at close range until they either die or run. It is likely that gunships not fielding BLC are being flown by inexperienced pilots.Sometimes, you are put on a bad team. If you are being picked apart by enemy gunships, and your team seems to have no answer, it is not because gunships are OP. It is because your team doesn't have the knowledge and skill to deal with them, and lacks the fluidity to adapt their tactics to adjust for the situation.The preceding information on how to deal with gunships only covers the basics. There are more advanced techniques and strategies to learn, but if you internalize the information in this guide, you'll be on your way to helping your team and making yourself a better pilot.Despon*for those new to GSF, check out Despon's Guide to GSF for Total Beginners