Let's Discuss Striker!

[Tanker-Arthur 2,971]

I barely use Striker today. The salvo mode is only good against slow hulls, because the fast ones can easily get out of the way. Shaft is better because you can charge the weapon, than aim and fire at an enemy instantly, instead of having to wait. I mostly like Striker's reload.

[TakeAShower 300]

For anyone here who thinks Striker is underpowered... Try playing a stadium DM with Striker-Viking.

[TheBlackChick 319]

For anyone here who thinks Striker is underpowered... Try playing a stadium DM with Striker-Viking.

or Poly CP when paired with Titan

[GuidoFawkes 2,361]

or Poly CP when paired with Titan

i think striker is best at forest, just use your laser to scan accross any trees and you instantly locate every single enemy hiding in them.

[TheBlackChick 319]

i think striker is best at forest, just use your laser to scan accross any trees and you instantly locate every single enemy hiding in them.

It's a very good tactic to check the bushes with the laser when trying to detect hiding enemies (especially shafts and magnums). The laser can also come in handy when you are trying to aim at rather long range with normal shots => lower chance of missing the target.

Edited September 9, 2017 by TheBlackChick

[Truthteller 4,204]

It seemed underpowered to me at first but when I say high ranked players using it it was very powerful, it may be a great alternative to thunder because thunder protections are outrageous

[wolverine848 13,097]

Lock-on even at M3 is slow - most targets avoid it - the slightest interruption causes it to fail.  Not many maps are completely open to allow hits - unless its from berhind.

 

The laser comes out too quickly - it is difficult to get off single shots in meelee. Change the sensitivity there.

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

experienced striker users, or victims of striker, please tell me

is this turret worth buying instead of firebird?

[ThirdOnion 4,898]

experienced striker users, or victims of striker, please tell me

is this turret worth buying instead of firebird?

It's a turret that you have to like. It's not particularly effective if you don't know how to play it. I recommend trying it out on a low rank account to see how it plays before buying it at M3.

[wolverine848 13,097]

It's a turret that you have to like. It's not particularly effective if you don't know how to play it. I recommend trying it out on a low rank account to see how it plays before buying it at M3.

I bought the M3 during sale day with personal discount for combined 54% discount - got it for under 100k crystals.

 

With so many people using powerups/OverDrive I did not find it very effective. 

Of course my first time using it but... Tanks on Speed get under cover so quickly it is very difficult to get a lock-on. Not just buildings but with all the tanks moving around a different target ruins the lock-on.

 

And using Viking I found many hits just rocked my tank too much to keep the lock-on.

 

Also found trying the single-shots during melee difficult - it kept trying to use the laser = shot never fires.  laser needs a slight more bit of delay.

[LittleWillie 3,199]

You just need more time with it Wolv.  The laser delay isn't a problem. Shooting single shots though is a bit of a learning curve. One tip if yo are drivng forward your nose is actually a few degrees to teh sky. mnissile will go high. So take your foot off the gas the instan before you fire a distance shot.

[Tani_S 736]

It's a very good tactic to check the bushes with the laser when trying to detect hiding enemies (especially shafts and magnums). The laser can also come in handy when you are trying to aim at rather long range with normal shots => lower chance of missing the target.

In my opinion the laser is more of a disadvantage than to be an advantage.

 

 You can aim your arcade mode shots by using the laser

 Psychological weapon: enemy retreats when he sees the laser (as long as he is not at short range)

 The enemy is aware that Striker is aiming on him

 Even worse effect as Shaft's laser is perceived to be more dangerous since it shoots most of the time instantly

 

The aiming effect of the laser does not outweigh the loss of a surprise attack. In addition it's only a laser that is not accompanied with a zoom function. I think they should remove the laser and still enable a lock-on salvo on enemy tanks. 

[wolverine848 13,097]

In my opinion the laser is more of a disadvantage than to be an advantage.

 

 You can aim your arcade mode shots by using the laser

 Psychological weapon: enemy retreats when he sees the laser (as long as he is not at short range)

 The enemy is aware that Striker is aiming on him

 Even worse effect as Shaft's laser is perceived to be more dangerous since it shoots most of the time instantly

 

The aiming effect of the laser does not outweigh the loss of a surprise attack. In addition it's only a laser that is not accompanied with a zoom function. I think they should remove the laser and still enable a lock-on salvo on enemy tanks. 

I agree. shafts can power up and keep laser hidden against a near obstacle. When target observed the shaft can do a small adjustment and instantly hit/kill target.

 

Striker does not have that option. laser has to be on target entire time as it charges/locks so target gets advance notice of impending strike. It just has to get any object (even another tank) in between and the Lock will fail.  Any enemy with decent impact-weapon will start peppering the striker and ruin the lock-on.  Viking is so unstable now it easily loses the lock-on when hit.

[BlackWasp777 4,498]

I agree that the laser is a disadvantage to Striker.. but I think it's necessary to have it, for the sake of the enemy (give the chance to escape).

If a Striker could launch 4missile salvos that barely miss, without prewarning, then it sounds a bit too powerful to me.

 

I use the Striker turret in arcade mode most of the time. Only if I see a hull going desperately towards a bunch of more tanks, then I use the lock-on mode. If I lack high ground, then I lock-on preferable on high-profile tanks, like Dictators or Hunters (instead of Hornets and Vikings). Even if another tank moves infront the lockon has a chance to stick to the higher turret of my former target.

But if there is good cover around my enemy, I do not even try it.

 

ps: the laser is useful to scare enemies away or keep them behind their corner. Often you can defend one path into the base all alone - not because Striker is so powerful, but because players avid the laser :p

[Tani_S 736]

Yes, you are probably right, that it needs some more balance restrictions. One could remove the laser and in return increase the salvo reload by +100%. A longer reload time would make it more to a long-range weapon. It was already one from its principles, but it has practical restrictions to be one because of the difficult aim and the possibility of enemies to hide. In addition, removing the laser and keeping it for Shaft lets Striker differentiate from Shaft a bit.

Edited September 27, 2017 by Tani_S

[TakeAShower 300]

Striker needs it's lock-on time to be decreased for higher modifications. Here are my suggested values:

M0:

3.5

M1:

3.25

M2:

3.1

M3:

3.0

M4:

2.8

[LittleWillie 3,199]

I think the lock on / salvo mode and the single shot mdes are nicely balanced as is. Some situation one works better than the other ... that's what tactics are all about.

 

I found myself ignoring the laser but that is also a weakness.  Optimum play with the striker requires finding the right balance between the options.

 

I played around with fast hill s and striker with a throwaway m0 account.  The laser is much more useful when you have a fast hull.  The possibilities are interesting . . .

[wolverine848 13,097]

I think the lock on / salvo mode and the single shot mdes are nicely balanced as is. Some situation one works better than the other ... that's what tactics are all about.

 

I found myself ignoring the laser but that is also a weakness.  Optimum play with the striker requires finding the right balance between the options.

 

I played around with fast hill s and striker with a throwaway m0 account.  The laser is much more useful when you have a fast hull.  The possibilities are interesting . . .

I find it difficult to keep target while being hit in my Viking - can't imagine what using a light hull would be like.

 

Obviously I need more practice with it but it has a number of weaknesses...

1) Fast targets are hard to lock-on - the prevalence of Speed-boost (supplies, drops overdrives) doubles down on this

2) Learning curve is somewhat steep. I'd never used Ricco before buying M3 yet never had targeting issues - was fine right out the gate.

3) So far seems fairly team-dependent to be successful. On a bad team the striker just has no time to find and lock targets. never had this issue with my other turrets. Might be similar with shaft but - shaft has no splash damage on the arcade shot so does not suffer as much in melee.

 

Getting a useful Striker protection is my next step. (hoping for 35%+ sales at Halloween)

[BlackWasp777 4,498]

I find it difficult to keep target while being hit in my Viking - can't imagine what using a light hull would be like.

When I think I will get under fire, I sometimes set my tank vs a wall, house, or whatever is close by.

This stabilizes the tank a lot, and enables me to keep my aim (if I do not die before that :p)

 

As I usually play along the edges of the maps or close to cover anyways, this comes easy for me.

[LittleWillie 3,199]

I find it difficult to keep target while being hit in my Viking - can't imagine what using a light hull would be like.

 

Obviously I need more practice with it but it has a number of weaknesses...

1) Fast targets are hard to lock-on - the prevalence of Speed-boost (supplies, drops overdrives) doubles down on this

2) Learning curve is somewhat steep. I'd never used Ricco before buying M3 yet never had targeting issues - was fine right out the gate.

3) So far seems fairly team-dependent to be successful. On a bad team the striker just has no time to find and lock targets. never had this issue with my other turrets. Might be similar with shaft but - shaft has no splash damage on the arcade shot so does not suffer as much in melee.

 

Getting a useful Striker protection is my next step. (hoping for 35%+ sales at Halloween)

Targeting with a light hull is of the caught a victim fro behind thing. Even as he drives around yo can keep him lased.

 

No lasing someone shooting at you is not the best time for lasing. But when you can lase it does deliver four missiles faster than you can single-shot.

.

It is a steep learning curve and probably for some people it just is not for them. Like me and Hammer. But it is the closest tihg to 'real' shotting in the game.  Leading and hitting a speeding Wasp is a rush. :)

 

(Yeah so far the only protection od I have is -35% Striker-only protection. [2LT] Yeah, I take my own splash damage. 65% of it.)

Edited September 29, 2017 by LittleWillie

[TakeAShower 300]

Maybe Striker's lazer should be removed. It's barrel would emit a glow when locking on, so it could be noticed at close range and even at long range if you were looking at it. Laser would appear after lock-on (when the bullets begin to be released) to allow a little bit of time for enemies to escape. This would make it a proper long-ranged weapon.

[davidvpcol 35]

Hello, I have bought Striker with 2 accounts, trying to have fun with it but I cannot, but but, it can be improved:

 

-The left-right shooting pattern is a bad thing, specially in close encounters, so if the Tanki team can make Striker fire in straight line, would be awesome, so many shots are missed because of this. 

 

-The full barrage mode needs less loading time, I think everyone agrees with it. I love shafts (my main account turret) and they can hide the laser behind buildings, and put it on the target tank easily (of course not always can be possible), so the enemy would never see that laser comming. In here with Striker the enemy will just run away from your laser and get behind a wall or house in 1 sec. 

 

-I agree with TakeAShower proposal, to only put the laser visible when target is locked. And because the barrage mode is use in long distances, the enemy still have some time to hide and dodge. 

[LittleWillie 3,199]

Hello, I have bought Striker with 2 accounts, trying to have fun with it but I cannot, but but, it can be improved:

 

-The left-right shooting pattern is a bad thing, specially in close encounters, so if the Tanki team can make Striker fire in straight line, would be awesome, so many shots are missed because of this. 

 

-The full barrage mode needs less loading time, I think everyone agrees with it. I love shafts (my main account turret) and they can hide the laser behind buildings, and put it on the target tank easily (of course not always can be possible), so the enemy would never see that laser comming. In here with Striker the enemy will just run away from your laser and get behind a wall or house in 1 sec. 

 

-I agree with TakeAShower proposal, to only put the laser visible when target is locked. And because the barrage mode is use in long distances, the enemy still have some time to hide and dodge. 

You've not played long enough with it.

[wolverine848 13,097]

You've not played long enough with it.

There's a reason you rarely see it. 

Magnum is much newer but way, way more popular.

 

Striker is not very effective at long range due to the very long lock-on time. Targets just have too much warning with the tell-tale laser and use walls, buildings and even other tanks to disrupt the lock-on.  With supplies rampant every target is on speed, moving 40% faster.

 

And other turrets are better at medium and short range.

[LittleWillie 3,199]

I agree that Striker is probably the hardest turret to use well. But the lock-on time is not an issue to me.  For long range I use solo shots. Only when I see the target is preoccupied and still do I try lasing at range.

 

I decided to buy a Hornet for my Striker account. I like titan but the lack of speed was limiting quite often. And I figured I had nothing to lose. I was not playing the account more than once a week or so.

 

Man what fun.  Not always. Sometimes you g splat a lot. But at other times so much fun. 

 

With a fast hull the laser become a short-range killer. 

 

Scenario A.  You start to lase someone. They assum you are far away and run for cover. But noooo, yo are only 30-40 meters away and in pursuit. they round the corner, you round the corner, they eat missiles.

 

Scenario B: You end up in a close(-ish) brawl. In the titan I would fire solos and hope to outlast. Cannot do that in aHornet. but you can lase them and dodge like crazy. They ain't running my friend. They eat a full salvo. 

 

Many aspects of good Striker play are counter-intuitive.  most people start assuming they should use salvos most often. Nope.  It is natural to assume salvos are best used at long range. Sometimes yep other times nope.  It is starting to look like the most common time to use the laser is at close range.  

 

To me Striker is simply fun because it gives the players a realistic sennsation of shooting. You have t have a good eye and also know how to lead the enemy.