Answers
Combat
Is aiming manual?
Mostly not: lock a target and turrets track on their own.
- Your job is piloting to keep them on target.
- Tab locks a target. Ones near your cursor come first; otherwise enemy players, then NPC ships, mines and boss mounts, then attack drones. Tab again within 0.5 s cycles; Tab on your locked target unlocks it.
- You can only lock a contact inside your sensor range with a clear line of sight. Beyond that (up to 10 km) it shows as a blip you can't target.
- Some weapons are aimed manually. Missile launchers aim at your cursor. Matching torpedo launchers share one hotkey; with no turrets fitted, Tab fires your largest group of matching launchers.
- The Vanguard Lance fires only along your ship's heading, so turn into your target.
- Shots can miss: you'll see 'miss' in the damage log. Turrets track based on the target's signature radius.
How do I survive missiles and torpedoes?
Keep your distance and high transversal (move across their path).
- Before the run, fit point defence. The
Rampart Gatling shoots down missiles aimed at your hull on its own; the 
Flak Cannon's Shockburst destroys nearby enemy missiles. - Lean on shields: they resist 30% of high-explosive damage, armor only 20%.
- In the fight, keep your distance and move across the missiles' path. Missiles coast for 0.8 s after launch before they accelerate.
- A
Signal Jammer briefly disables nearby enemies' missile homing. A squadmate's Remote Tracking Shroud does the same for missiles aimed at you.
Good to know
- Torpedo reload was slowed in Beta Patch 1, from 1.5s to 2s.
- Signature radius doesn't affect missiles. Missiles can't track a cloaked ship.
Changed in Beta Patch 2: Cruise Missile damage fell from 200 to 180, Torpedo from 250 to 225, and homing bonuses shrank.
- Before the run, fit point defence. The
How does the Vanguard Lance work?
It only fires at targets directly in front of the ship, so turn into your target.
You'll need
- Every fitted lance fires. Lances form one battery and fire together; you can fit up to six.
- Battery ability, Penetrator Round: it charges, then each lance's next shot gets longer reach and passes through its target into every ship behind it in line, allies included. Fire before the window expires.
- Lances fire 25% faster while your reactor is in the Optimal heat zone (30% to 70% of max heat).
Warning
Shooting an ally costs Merits, so check what's behind your target before a penetrator shot.
How do I lock a target?
Press Tab or right-click a target; your weapons fire once it's in range.
- Tab picks targets near your cursor first. After that it goes enemy players, then NPC ships, mines and boss mounts, then attack drones.
- Press Tab again within 0.5 s to cycle to the next target.
- Press Tab on your locked target to unlock it.
Good to know
The pilot you're locking can see that you're locking them.
What's the difference between a signal jammer and a tracking disruptor?
The jammer covers turrets and missile locks but only protects you; the disruptor covers turrets only but can help allies.
- Signal Jammer: disrupts both turrets and missile locks, but only on ships that are targeting you.
- Tracking Disruptor: affects turrets only, reloads much faster, and can be used to protect allies.
Which ECM modules work on NPCs?
Tracking disruptors, defense shredders and thrust scramblers work on NPCs; heat projectors don't.
- Work on NPCs: Tracking Disruptor, Defense Shredder, Thrust Scrambler.
- No effect: heat projectors, because NPCs have no heat.
Good to know
Since Beta Patch 2 a thrust scrambler shuts off an NPC's boost, and a Torque Snare shuts off its drift.
Vanguard Lance