Weekly Release Notes

Forsaken Mission

The mission has changed, big time. I'm planning on another article about it tomorrow and about the targets on Friday, just be patient. 

To read Kixeye's briefing of the changes...POOF! 

Apollo buffs 

Now that we can't earn the Apollo until next raid, hopefully, kixeye decided to reward those who redeemed it.  

• Penetrating defense from 50% to 60% 
• Repair time from 3 hour 20 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes 
• Added Retargeting 
• +40% Penetrating accuracy 
• Corrosive defense from 50% to 60% 

Now with Retargeting and the bonus accuracy, you can add back the CME (Counter Missile Extender) back on the Apollo and take off the now useless GMS. The Repair time is amazing as well, dropping almost two hours, saving the time to repair 2 coins during raid and 4 off, per ship. The added defenses will help during the current raid style, and hopefully in the new Forsaken Mission. 

Garrison Foundry 

A new ship type has been added, Garrison hulls. Meant to deal with mainly buildings and a few ships. Last raid was a Garrison style raid if that helps any. The new hull added are the Berserker, Novastorm, DNX, and Strike Cruiser. 

Massive Buffs were added to these hulls, along with Retrofits. The Tier 1 fragments and ship part can be found in level 51 cargos, the others? I don't know yet. Remember that sector threat increases the number of fragments/parts dropped. Blue=1 Yellow=2 Orange=3 

Strike Cruiser 

 Buffs-

• Build time reduced to 4 hours 
• Remote targeting for mortars added 
• Explosive defense to 50% 
• Penetrating defense to 50% 
• Combat speed to 15 

Retrofits 

• Siege DPS to 6 
• Siege DPS to 12 
• Assault DPS to 12, Siege DPS to 24 
• Assault DPS to 24, Siege DPS to 48, Explosive defense to 55%, Remote Targeting Falloff to -60% 
• Assault DPS to 48, Siege DPS to 100, Explosive defense to 65%, Remote Targeting Falloff to -40% 

I like the buffs to the hull, but not really the retrofits. The Buffs are really useful for lower level players nowadays, but the retrofits seem mostly concerned with increasing the DPS. It seems like Kixeye is trying to steer players towards a tank/fire support fleet type. With this hull being the fire support. With the remote targeting added, to the lowering of the falloff. This should be used similar to the Citadel. KIxeye should have added some more mortar reload to the ship, as a lower level will have a hard time getting the Strike Cruiser to R5 normally. 

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcz6CnlXWw4C4hG1q7g-D9M_B5NQ-UbRA

Link to a short playlist of Citadels base hitting to help give you a general idea on how to use them. 

DNX 

Buffs 

• Remote Targeting Mortars added 
• Mortar reload +100% 
• Explosive defense 50% 
• Penetrating defense 50% 
• Combat Speed 15 
• Armor doubled to 8200, without repair time doubling

Retrofits 

• Siege DPS to 24 
• Siege DPS to 50 
• Assault DPS to 50, Siege DPS to 100 
• Assault DPS to 200, Siege DPS to 400, Explosive defense to 55%, Remote targeting falloff -50%, Assault deflection to 4, Siege Deflection to 10 
• Assault DPS to 400, Siege DPS to 800, Explosive defense to 65%, remote targeting falloff to -30%, Assault deflection to 20, Siege Deflection to 30. 

Kixeye is continuing their making of the Garrison hulls to be fire supports, with the DNX receiving similar buffs like the Strike Cruiser. Again, a higher mortar reload would have been nice. The armor bonus is a huge help, doubling the base armor and without adding to the repair times. 

Novastorm 

Buffs

• Build time reduced to 1 day 6 hours 
• Remote Targeting Mortars 
• +10% Anti Missile/Mortar range 
• +20% Anti Missile/Mortar accuracy 
• Explosive/Penetrating defense to 60% 
• Combat Speed to 15 
• Overload-every 500 HP-+70% Explosive and Penetrating defense, 150 Siege/Assault deflection, lasts 12 seconds 

Retrofits 

• Assault DPS to 60 
• Assault DPS to 125 
• Assault DPS to 250, Siege DPS to 125 
• Assault DPS to 500, Siege DPS to 250, Explosive defense to 65%, Remote targeting falloff to -40%
• Assault DPS to 1000, Siege DPS to 500, Explosive defense to 75%, Remote targeting falloff to -20% 

The Novastorm could do as a decent spotter now with these upgrades. Could be very useful in the new mission targets, if they are based off of the last raid. The reason I'm saying it could be a spotter is due to the overload ability and increases to countermeasures.  The overload will go off 11 times on a blank hull.

Berserker 

Buffs 

• Build time is now 2 days and 12 hours 
• Remote Targeting Mortars 
• +50% mortar/rocket reload 
• Explosive defense to 40% 
• Combat speed to 15 
• Overload, +70 resist, +30% combat speed, duration to 12 seconds 
• Repair modifier to 100%

Retrofit 

• Siege DPS to 85
• Siege DPS to 170
• Assault DPS to 170, Siege DPS to 350 
• Assault DPS to 350, Siege DPS to 700, Explosive defense to 45%, Remote targeting falloff -30%, Assault deflection to 50, Siege deflection to 100
• Assault DPS to 700, Siege DPS to 1400, Explosive defense to 55%, Remote targeting falloff to -10%, Assault deflection to 150, Siege deflection to 300 

The Overload, Repair modifier, and build time are easily the best things about the new iteration of this hull. It seems like the Berserker would make a good spotter hull now, with the reduced modifier to speed up repairs, and the overload to boost the defenses. A better reload would be nice to have, but 50% could work.

 Here is a quick build I put together.

https://www.dahippo.com/bp/ship/#!40L0040400V0V0V0V44345B6800000025001B1B2A2A0ZZ0ZZ0ZZ0ZZdC

The build time should be around is 16 days, 10 and 1/2 without. This hull will do wonders in an all building target, like the mines. Once I get this hull, I know I will be building one like this. If you have any suggestions on what to change, or a build you would prefer, leave the link in the comments. I'm planning on making a huge post on the top hulls I prefer that are viewer submitted. 

VXP weekend and buying rank 

The VXP weekend is here, lets hope its not as bad as the last one. Kixeye is also offering discounts on buying rank in bulk, so choosing the 3-rank option instead of one at a time. 

20% off 

• Rhino 
• Centurion 
• Citadel 

50% off 

• Apollo 
• V2-H 

80% off 

• Missile Cruiser X 

The VXP weekend is running from Friday at 9am PDT to Monday at 9am PDT. If you don't know what time that is in your time zone, go here. 

The targets are the standard URF, and the 43, 61 and 80 level targets from the last raid. The 43 and 61 will last all weekend, while the 80 will stop spawning on Saturday at 9am PDT, and they only spawn around Drac Uranium bases. The 43 and 61 will spawn around Nav Relay towers. Salvs will pay double per usual. 

I'm gonna try and auto the 43's as best as I can in dead sectors. I'll make a post too about the weekend...on the weekend. 

Summary 

I really do like this update, the buffs and retrofits to the hulls are very useful, and not using the same targets from last VXP weekend, paying out 300 vxp upon death, is even better. The changes to the Weekly is gonna be tough when it first begins, but people will find a way to do them later on. The new 97(?) targets will be very important.