Review [Issue 25] Firebird or Freeze?

[Pathfinder 1,690]

Yeahh I'd agree, except firebird m3 unlocks pretty late :p

[trombone_ftw 734]

Zeus unlock is later :/

[EatYourMeat 27]

In a head to head battle. Freeze would come out on top here.most freezes can easily circle Firebirds.

[7919zola 252]

Inferno does also exist Zola .-.

Well I know that, -_- but m3 firebird can still deal some pretty heavy damage to hulls even with the inferno paint equipped. As I have seen in CP matches with my m3 mammoth and inferno paint equipped, firebird still remains a threat to me. That is, unless I have an isida on my team.

 

Yeahh I'd agree, except firebird m3 unlocks pretty late :P

That is the only downside to firebird, :( if I had only been one rank higher when we had the 70% off sale on fire, I could have gotten it.

 

Zeus unlock is later :/

Later, being one rank for me. :D

Edited August 14, 2014 by 7919zola

[D.A.R.K.N.E.S.S 432]

Nice article

But, i have to admit, in DM, fires burn is just a way to steal kills with my thunder  :P

Edited August 14, 2014 by D.A.R.K.N.E.S.S

[hehetup 0]

quite informative! u included all my reasons why freeze is the best!

 

 

Firebird or Freeze?

 

Preamble

 

Firebird vs Freeze - an age long battle for the title of ‘best short-range turret’. But will there ever be a victor?

 

[The rank at which any item unlocks has some bearing on its power. So in order to effectively compare any two items, we must look at the fully micro-upgraded M3 statistics. This is also logical as many players want to plan ahead and start upgrading their ‘endgame’ equipment early on.]

 

Basic Comparisons

 

The primary parameter of any turret is of course its damage, and Firebird has no equal at short range. A damage of 72 per second will destroy any light hull in just less than three seconds and in fact any medium hull in one full burst of fire. This, combined with the ability to blaze multiple targets simultaneously makes Firebird possibly the turret with the highest damage-dealing capacity in the entire game.

 

Freeze is formidable too, with a damage of 68 per second. True, this is not far behind the awesome calibre of Firebird, but even the smallest damage could be pivotal depending on the situation, and could mean the difference between killing an enemy and coming desperately close. The damage difference is amplified the longer the turrets are shooting, and doubled with drugs, and so Firebird comes out on top.

 

However, you can’t deal damage if you have to recharge, and in this department, Freeze comes out stronger, being able to fire for seven seconds continuously, while Firebird can only manage five. Two seconds may not seem like a long time, but in reality this 40% longer shooting time is definitely significant, and could mean dealing, or indeed taking, 140 points of extra damage.

 

In terms of recharging, Freeze takes 11 seconds to prepare seven seconds of snow (or whatever it is), while Firebird takes 12 seconds to load five seconds of napalm (I definitely know what that is). And so it is Freeze that also comes out on top here.

 

What about range? Firebird and Freeze both deal maximum damage up to 10 metres, decreasing to zero at 23 and 20 metres respectively. Is Firebird’s 15% extra range significant? I think not. Having ensnared the enemy in an icy grip, range certainly won’t be an issue.

 

So, no clear winner in the basic comparable parameters, time to take a look at the specialities of the two turrets.

 

Secondary Comparisons

 

You may have noticed that Firebird can deal damage even if it’s not shooting directly.

 

Every tank has a parameter called temperature, and a Firebird can heat a tank, increasing its temperature when it shoots. A normal tank reaches maximum temperature in 4 seconds, and once there will take 10 damage points per second, decreasing slowly to 0 as the tank cools down. This is the ‘after-burn’ effect- a devastating ability exclusively available to Firebird. You may think ’10? Why would I care?’ Well, a tank that has been heated to maximum temperature will burn for 62.5 seconds until it cools back down. Do the maths - that’s potentially a few hundred damage points. And with the new introduction of self-destruct penalties, deterring tanks from driving off the edge, this effect is even more potent.

 

On the opposite end of the spectrum, temperature of a tank can also decrease, and this is caused by Freeze’s ability to (unsurprisingly) freeze enemies. A frozen tank has its manoeuvrability fractioned, making it very hard (and indeed impossible with skilled Freezers) to return fire or escape with an enemy flag. This makes Freeze absolutely invaluable in Capture the Flag games, stopping quick getaways by flag-runners.

 

Game Modes and Hulls

 

Deathmatch: The priority in deathmatches is securing those important kills, and so Firebird has to be preferable, dealing higher damage. ‘After-burn’, although small, may help gain extra kills too. It’s true that Freeze’s better reload and longer shooting time is helpful, but for me, Firebird would be the better choice.

 

Team Deathmatch: It’s all about the damage that you place on the enemies, and so again, Firebird wins this for me. The fact that you get assists for kills makes this advantage even more comfortable.

 

Capture the Flag: As mentioned above, Freeze makes it very hard for enemies to make it out of your base alive, while the rest of your team put the finishing shots on the enemy tank. On the other hand, Firebird too makes an excellent defensive weapon, based purely on damage alone. Furthermore, the enemy will be left taking ‘after-burn damage’ even after leaving your base.

 

Freeze can prevent enemies from giving chase as you flee the enemy base with their flag. But, since you don't really want to stick around after taking the enemy flag, Firebird also makes a great offensive weapon, since you can quickly flee and let after-burn do the rest!

 

Capture Points: With Freeze slowing enemies down from reaching points and Firebird to obliterate enemies while they are at the points, this is a tough call - both turrets are very strong here, their respective abilities to hit multiple tanks being very effective, since many enemy tanks will be congregated at the capture points.

 

Light Hulls: Contrary to the lower rank myth, I think Firebird suits lighter hulls like Wasp, Hornet and Hunter better. The fast speed allows successful circling and evading of fire even without freezing the enemy, and the poor protection is balanced somewhat by Firebird’s ability to deal massive damage in return.

 

Furthermore, you may not be able to fully utilise Freeze’s full seven seconds of shooting time with a light hull - you will probably be shot down before you get the chance!

 

Heavy Hulls: When frozen, the speed of your tank won’t matter as much when you are circling, and thus I believe that heavier hulls like Viking, Dictator, Titan and Mammoth suit Freeze better than Firebird. The health of the hull allows the use of Freeze’s long shooting time to maximum effect, and is great also in defending where manoeuvrability is less of an issue (recall that Freeze is one of the best defensive weapons in CTF).

 

A Controversy Put to Rest?

 

Unfortunately, the variety of different game scenarios means that there cannot be an outright winner. There are many factors that play a part, such as game mode, map and hull to name a few.

 

But ultimately, it is down to personal preference. Everyone has their unique playing style, and you must weigh out the argument yourself.

 

And I hope that I have given you enough to do just that.

 

Thanks for reading! Please feel free to give and discuss your own thoughts and comments below, it's appreciated!

u have very good points and i like it. personally i like firebird and freeze the same. very good job.

[DiSoRderLY 141]

Small compact maps/ defense >>> Freeze

Big open maps/ attack >>> Firebird

[blackopspaul 753]

Nice article, New reporter looking forward to more good articles!

Edited August 15, 2014 by blackopspaul

[r_beastmode80 0]

should i save up for m2 fire when i get to the rank or should i get m1 freeze? plz pm me to tell me

[red_tank_the_best 300]

Freeze SUCKS(Topic was closed :( ), although I have them both m2.

[chebaka 0]

Fire Bird might win but it depends on the map. :tank:

[Rob 141]

Good work. Waiting for more articles.

[dragonssk1 334]

M2 Firebird is almost like an m3. 

[dragonssk1 334]

Freeze SUCKS(Topic was closed :( ), although I have them both m2.

It does suck, but luckily the effect is not that devastating anymore. 

[7919zola 252]

M2 Firebird is almost like an m3. 

Almost, just a bit weaker in damage and time frame for burning, etc.

[red_tank_the_best 300]

It does suck, but luckily the effect is not that devastating anymore.

 

Dude open Topic again :D

[dilsharox 2,395]

not bad

[CASTYgador_10.0 0]

THUNDER DISCOUNT 50% PLEASE

[akashrox_re-born 281]

good 

[T-3_dark 0]

Amazing! I like freeze better though

 

[cake_tanker 0]

The Firebird  :D  :)  

[Superlative 500]

Well, all this is convincing. With reference to what is here I might as well go with freeze but I play with railgun, which is the best turret hornet could ever desire for. :)

[FlamingBuzz14 42]

its firebird man  ;)

[thedarkhorse500 0]

FIREBIRD ALWAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Seriously, I cannot live with any other gun; if my phoenix (Firebird? Get it?) is micro-upgrading and can't be used, I go sulk on a parkour game by myself. LOL. 

Sometimes I use Freeze, but it doesn't usually end well..... :( 

And anyways, my motto is "Burn Baby Burn!" so what other turret would I opt to use as my gun of choice? Also, it's a flamethrower - like, a 

F L A M E T H R O W E R . 

On a TANK!! 

Yah!!! So cool!!! 

Anyways, my fellow tankers call me a Nooby Firebird...and I've gotta live up to my reputation right?! :D Wouldn't want to disappoint anyone.....

    

 

                                                                              N O O B Y 

               F I R E B I R D S 

                      R U L E

                         O K

             ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !  ! ! ! 

(But  Hey, Listen - I'm biased, OK?! Don't judge....:P )

[flubbabubba 7]

Firebird is way better! it is good for destroying enemies in large groups! I've used it all my playing experiences, ( btw i have been using m1 smoky and its been pretty good too, i have upgraded it and can kill m0 richoce and m1 wasp in 3 hits!!! )