This is a work in progress and subject to change based on further testing. I greatly welcome feedback and further insights to improve this guide to the T2F (Pike/Quell). Feel free to post liberally in this thread!
The format I'm using is somewhat different from most of the GSF ship guides in the past. My goal is to make this the comprehensive guide to the T2F, throughly evaluating the viability of different components. If you simply want to know whether I think a component is good or not, this can be determined by looking at its color. Green means that this component is viable. Yellow indicates that caution should be used in choosing this component. Red designates a component as almost always being a poor choice. However, please note that some components work together (synergize) better than others. I have also generally arranged each component in order of my preference (the first in each list being my first choice). Obviously, this is all in my subjective opinion and based on my limited experience in the new GSF meta. As I said, subject to change!
Please note that each component is evaluated for this ship, and not as a component per se. In other words, a component that does not work well on the T2F may or may not work well on other ships.
Major Components
Primary Weapons
Heavy Laser Cannon
Upgrades (DOM or both modes): T4R (Ignore Armor) & T5L (Shield Piercing).
Upgrades (TDM only): T4L (Improved Tracking and Critical Chance) & T5L (Shield Piercing).
Comments: Due to its strong damage, incredible range, and shield piercing, Heavy Lasers are the best choice on the T2F.
Light Laser Cannon
Upgrades (DOM & TDM): T4R (Improved Firing Arc and Tracking) & T5R (Shield Damage).
Comments: LLCs are a good choice for close-in fighting with great accuracy, but they suffer from their lack of shield piercing, armor penetration, and DPSh (as Siraka points out below).
Quad Laser Cannon
Upgrades (DOM & TDM): T4L (Increased Critical Hit Damage) & T5R (Increased Critical Hit Chance).
Comments: Quads may be a viable choice on the T2F paired with a wingman bringing Combat Command (increased critical chance selected). Otherwise, choose HLC.
Secondary Weapons
EMP Missile
Upgrades (DOM & TDM): T4R (Increased Damage) & T5L (Engine Suppression).
Comments: This missile is incredibly strong for its AoE controls, but also does a fair amount of AoE damage to nearby ships and mines. As this damage is directly to hull (ignores shields), it is a very powerful feature (even with the recent bugfix). Disabling your enemies' systems for 10 seconds prevents them from being as effective as they otherwise could be, and the ability to disable an enemy's engines (or shields) primes them for another missile hit (especially a protorp). As these missiles affect an entire area rather than a single ship, consider casting them on an immobile target such as a defense turret or a repair drone so that your lock cannot be broken.
Concussion Missiles
Upgrades (DOM & TDM): T4L (Increased Range) & T5L (Engine Targeting).
Comments: Concussion missiles are somewhat underrated in the current meta due to their mere 28% shield piercing, but they boast acceptable damage, a shorter reload time and larger firing arc than proton torpedoes, and their crown feature, engine targeting, drains 25 engine power and reduces a target's speed by 30% for a whopping 15 seconds.
Proton Torpedoes
Upgrades (DOM & TDM): T4 Preference & T5 Preference.
Comments: Proton Torpedoes are a very popular and strong option given their 100% shield and armor piercing. At present, it only takes a single proton torpedo hit to kill any scout not running Reinforced Armor. Their biggest weakness is a small firing arc which can be mitigated with the T4R upgrade and the Improved Kill Zone crew ability.
Cluster Missiles
Upgrades (DOM & TDM): T4L (Increased Range) & T5L (Double Volley).
Comments: T5R (Plasma Warheads) may be chosen to prevent the need for a Spare Ammo crew member. Like Concussions, Cluster Missiles are also somewhat underrated in the current meta, but their near-instant cast and reload time makes them a good option for pressuring targets and expending missile breaks. Clusters are not great at finishing targets carrying Quick-Charge Shields and Hydrospanner.
Ion Missiles
Upgrades (DOM & TDM): T4R (Increased Range) & T5 Preference.
Comments: Ion missiles have good range, a large firing arc, deal heavy shield damage, and a strong slow at 40% for 6 seconds. If you pair concussion and ion missiles with both slows selected, every missile that lands will slow a target.
Shields
Quick-Charge Shield
Upgrade (DOM & TDM): T3L (Regen During Damage).
Comments: Quick-Charge Shield is strong, regenerates very quickly, and is easy to use. It also gives a significant passive boost to engine regeneration, making it generally the best choice.
Directional Shield
Upgrade (DOM & TDM): T3L (Reduced Regen Delay).
Comments: Directional shields are very strong and regenerate fairly quickly, with the right upgrade and crew abilities. They take a little more awareness to use properly, but they are a possible option for advanced players.[/color][/b]
Feedback Shield
Upgrade (DOM & TDM): T3L (Critical Feedback).
Comments: Feedback shields are also a possible option for advanced players, and are especially strong when facing scouts. However, given the general lack of scouts in the current metagame, most players will find QCS or DS to be more rewarding.
Charged Plating
Upgrade (DOM & TDM): T3R (Engine Power Shunt).
Comments: Due to the massive amount of AP (Armor Penetration) in the current metagame, CP is a very poor choice.
Engines
Barrel Roll
Upgrade (DOM & TDM): T3 Preference
Comments: Barrel Roll is likely the best option for the T2F as the move is easy to execute, provides mobility, and gives a passive engine buff of either speed or turning. I think both speed and turning are viable options in both DOM and TDM, but I prefer to double up on my choice, pairing the speed boost with speed thrusters, or pairing the turning boost with turning thrusters. The choice of double speed is of special benefit to players who correctly run their ship in "F3" when boosting.
Shield Power Converter
Upgrade (DOM & TDM): T3R (Breaks Missile Locks)
Comments: Shield Power Converter is an excellent choice, especially when combined with Quick Charge Shields (to take advantage of the temporary +10% shield regeneration. This extra defensive measure can help compensate for the T2F's lack of a shield minor component. It also provides a quick missile break (15 seconds) with no maneuver, allowing a T2F to break a missile while still remaining close to a satellite. A weakness of "EtS"
(Engines to Shields), as it is sometimes called, is that it only breaks a lock; it does not provide any temporary immunity from future missile locks. Thus, after it is used, an enemy can immediately resume locking you.
Koiogran Turn
(Engines to Shields), as it is sometimes called, is that it only breaks a lock; it does not provide any temporary immunity from future missile locks. Thus, after it is used, an enemy can immediately resume locking you.
Upgrade (DOM & TDM): T3 Preference
Comments: Koiogran Turn is a viable choice on the T2F as it provides a great benefit: not only 3, but 4 seconds of missile immunity when used. This is pretty significant considering that it may be activated every 15 seconds. However, I hate it because the move itself (a 180-degree term) seems pretty useless. It's definitely a viable option, but I just don't like it.
Weapon Power Converter
Upgrade (DOM & TDM): T3R (Breaks Missile Locks)
Comments: Weapon Power Converter offers a 6% damage boost on blasters for 6 seconds, but a T2F should be maximizing the use of its missiles, not blasters. Any of the other engines options makes more sense for use with the T2F.
Minor Components
Armor
Reinforced Armor
Comments: With Quick-Charge Shields, Reinforced Armor is the clear choice, as you will likely want to stack the Quick Recharge and Power to Shields crew members for maximum shield effectiveness. Reinforced Armor gives additional survivability against weapons with shield piercing such as slug railgun, proton torpedoes, concussion missiles, heavy lasers, and EMP. Strong in both TDM and DOM.
Lightweight Armor
Comments: While generally not as good a choice as Reinforced Armor, Lightweight Armor is an acceptable option for a TDM-specific build when stacked with the Response Tuning crew member.
Deflection Armor
Comments: The weakest of the armor options, a Pike with Directional Shields and Deflection Armor can stack up to 49% passive damage reduction. However, due to the proliferation of AP (Armor Penetration) in the current meta, this is probably the weakest armor choice.
Capacitor
Range Capacitor
Comments: I like this choice the best, although Damage is also a good option. It's always nice to have more reach on your primary lasers..
Damage Capacitor
Comments: Damage Capacitor is also a great option, as it gives you more damage without costing any extra energy per shot.
Frequency Capacitor
Comments: Frequency is probably the weakest Capacitor for the Pike due to the need to run Efficient Targeting rather than Regeneration Extender, meaning that your lasers will be inefficient and slow to recharge. Either of the other options is better on this ship.
Magazine
Efficient Targeting
Comments: The clear choice for the T2F, as you're flying a missile boat and you want to cast them as quickly as possible.
Regeneration Extender
Comments: Also a decent option, if you plan to depend on your lasers more than your missiles.
Power Pool Extender
Comments: Regeneration Extender is more useful if you want to maximize your blaster output.
Munitions Capacity Extender
Comments: If you need more ammo, use the Spare Ammo crew ability instead. The one time this may be an appropriate option is on the Republic faction, running Cluster missiles with Double Volley, if it is unfeasible to take a Spare Ammo crewman. However, with two missile bays at your disposal, even this usage is less convincing than on the T1F where you only have one bay.
Thrusters
Turning Thrusters
Comments: Turning is always helpful on these unwieldy Strike Fighters, especially in node fighting. Turning is of special benefit for the T2F as you need to hold your enemy within your missile firing arc for extended periods. Thus,
double turning on the T2F is a very solid choice.
Speed Thrusters
double turning on the T2F is a very solid choice.
Comments: Strikes receive a special bonus to speed in F3, and running double speed maximizes the benefit of this bonus. Whether you choose double turning or double speed (or something in between) is really a matter of player preference.
Regeneration Thrusters
Comments: Not a bad choice; in fact, regeneration thrusters are essential if you are running anything other than Quick Charge Shields. However, you should be running Quick Charge Shields, and using double speed or double turning are probably both more useful choices with this fighter.
Power Thrusters
Comments: Not a terrible choice, especially given the increased base power pool of the Strike Fighter, but I think any of the other options will prove more efficient and useful.
Crew
For crew, I will be evaluating active and passive crew abilities rather than specific crew members.
Copilot
Hydro Spanner
Comments: Hydro Spanner, with its strong heals and short cooldown, is the obvious choice for the T2F with Quick-Charge Shields. Whatever damage leaks through your fantastic shields, Hydro Spanner can mitigate it. It is the best choice for Copilot.
Bypass
Comments: Bypass is a strong option, especially on Republic ships when you don't want to run B3G9 as your Offensive crew member. Lasts 15 seconds and synergizes well with HLCs and Concussion missiles in particular.
Wingman
Comments: Wingman is still strong, giving 20% accuracy for 20 seconds, but it's not really necessary on this ship as its laser options are already very accurate, and you should primarily be relying on missiles.
Concentrated Fire
Comments: Only 6 seconds of uptime every 60 seconds makes this a poor choice.
Running Interference
Comments: If you're running Lightweight Armor and Response Tuning, it may be a decent option, but the other options seem better.
In Your Sights
Comments: If you really need more accuracy, Wingman is probably more useful in most situations.
Suppression
Comments: Decent utility at suppressing a particularly good player, but not a good choice on this ship.
Slicer's Loop
Comments: Improved to halt energy regeneration for 8 seconds, but it still suffers from a long cooldown of 60 seconds and many other options which are better than it.
Servo Jammer
Comments: Its slow will stack with concussion missiles, but that's not good enough to move it out of the red.
Nullify
Comments: Damage Reduction is next to useless in the current AP-heavy metagame.
Lockdown
Comments: Its removal of 40 engine power every 40 seconds may have a niche (trolling) use, but it's not good enough to consider over the options.
Lingering Effect
Comments: A little extra hull damage doesn't make lingering effect worth taking over the other, much better,
options.
options.
Offensive
Pinpointing
Comments: Although you do want to maximize the use of your missiles, the extra 6% accuracy goes a long way to help out your blasters.
Rapid Reload
Comments: The point of this ship is to spam missiles. As soon as you switch missile bays, you want the next one to be ready.
Spare Ammo
Comments: Probably only necessary with Cluster Missiles using T5L. This will bring them up from 10 to 16.
Improved Kill Zone
Comments: A nice feature if you're having trouble keeping your enemy in your firing arc. Probably only necessary when using Proton Torpedoes.
Defensive
Power to Shields
Comments: Shields are very important, and having extra shield power helps to mitigate burst damage.
Quick Recharge
Comments: Very useful with Quick Charge or Directional Shields. Increases regeneration rate and also reduces time until shield regeneration begins.
Response Tuning
Comments: Only to be used in conjunction with Lightweight Armor.
Structural Support
Comments: May be used with Directional Shields and Deflection Armor to get Damage Reduction up to 49%, however this is not recommended with the proliferation of AP in the game now.
Tactical
Depth of Field
Comments: Tactical choices are not as important, but more senor range never hurts. It's nice to know what's coming at you.
Comm Boost
Comments: It's also nice to let your teammates know what's coming at you.
Peripheral Vision
Comments: To be honest, I don't really know what this does differently than depth of field. Apparently depth of field increases the detection cone in front of your ship, and this increases the detection all around your ship?
Silent Running
Comments: You can't stack this with Dampening Sensors on this ship, so no. Don't use it.
Engineering
Efficient Maneuvers
Comments: Strike Fighters benefit from a great engine pool, and this makes your movements more efficient. Definitely a good choice.
Power to Engines
Comments: This makes your big engine pool even bigger.
Efficient Blasters
Comments: In general, Power to Engines is probably a better choice, but one could choose Yuun for more efficient engine maneuvers and more efficient blaster use.
Power to Blasters
Comments: If you want your blasters to last longer, Efficient Blasters is a better choice, and you need Efficient Engines. Don't use this; it's a waste.
Team Deathmatch Optimization
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Domination Optimization
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