Difference between revisions of "Hammerhead"

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A transport and intercept craft. A replication of magnetic array systems in an X-COM ship. Although small, its design is a breathtaking technical achievement.
 
A transport and intercept craft. A replication of magnetic array systems in an X-COM ship. Although small, its design is a breathtaking technical achievement.
  
The Lightning is your typical 'Jack of all trades, master of none'. It neither excels at being an interceptor nor does it excel at being a troop transporter. Either role can be better filled with other aircraft, such as [[Barracuda]]s or [[Triton]]s, but the Hammerhead is a meld of both.  
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The Hammerhead is your typical 'Jack of all trades, master of none'. It neither excels at being an interceptor nor does it excel at being a troop transporter. Either role can be better filled with other aircraft, such as [[Barracuda]]s or [[Triton]]s, but the Hammerhead is a meld of both.
  
As an interceptor, it fails by having a short range. As a transporter, it is unable to carry [[Heavy Weapons Platforms]]. These are the main reasons why a number of [[X-COM]] Commanders frown on the usage of the Hammerhead.
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The problem with all Zrbite-powered craft is that they always burn fuel at the same rate, regardless of wether they're currently patrolling or going full speed. They will also override their orders and return to base as soon as the fuel meter drops below 50%, even if right next to their home base. On top of that, they carry only small amounts of Zrbite to begin with. That means unlike their terran counterparts, the advanced subs cannot patrol for prolonged times; if you try to follow an alien craft until it lands on it's own accord, more often than not your vessel will instead run out of fuel and return prematurely.
  
As the Hammerhead is designed to carry troops, it lacks the acceleration of the [[Manta]]. This means that even though it can stay in the air for almost as long as a [[Manta]], it cannot fly very far. This does not necessarily render the Lightning useless. Though its range is limited, its acceleration still outclasses every other earth based aircraft available, making it excellent for rapid short range interceptions and ground assaults.  
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Having only one weapon pod is a very minor issue once you found out about [[Sonic Oscillator]]s: by virtue of it's high range and virtually infinite supply of ammo, it will win combat after combat for you. The Hammerhead's only contribution is to carry that weapon into battle, and against most opponents this is all it takes. That it is not a true interceptor becomes obvious only when fighting [[Dreadnought]]s, and indeed you should give those a wide berth.
  
The Hammerhead also has much heavier armour and hull strength than the [[Manta]] and is second only to the [[Leviathan]] in terms of its ability to sustain damage. Although it may not be destroyed completely by a single attack from a [[Dreadnought]], the odds of a lone Lightning surviving an attack against a [[Dreadnought]] are substantially smaller than that of the [[Leviathan]].  
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As a troop carrier, the Hammerhead is actually really good. Although it can't stay out for long, it's fast enough to still reach any point on earth. By the time a Triton eventually arrives on the scene, the Hammerhead will already be back in base, refueled and ready for the next mission. The downside is that it can carry only 12 troops and not a single SWS; wether this is a major issue or insignificant depends solely on the Commander (that is you).
  
The Lightning, for all its advantages and disadvantages, is best used as support for other ships with a more dedicated role rather to be relied on by itself. If you need rapid response times and don't have the Leviathan, this craft can shuttle back and forth between all those landed alien craft who are building an Alien base. Grab that Zrbite quick.
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Eventually, you'll develop "[[Leviathan|The Ultimate Craft]]" which will render the Hammerhead obsolete. However, because of some [[TRTBAG#Techs_to_Win_the_Game|steep requirements]] this may take a while. Therefore the Hammerhead shouldn't be discarded outright; it's fast response time can be priceless.
  
 
== Special Requirements ==
 
== Special Requirements ==

Revision as of 18:50, 11 November 2007

General Information

A transport and intercept craft. A replication of magnetic array systems in an X-COM ship. Although small, its design is a breathtaking technical achievement.

The Hammerhead is your typical 'Jack of all trades, master of none'. It neither excels at being an interceptor nor does it excel at being a troop transporter. Either role can be better filled with other aircraft, such as Barracudas or Tritons, but the Hammerhead is a meld of both.

The problem with all Zrbite-powered craft is that they always burn fuel at the same rate, regardless of wether they're currently patrolling or going full speed. They will also override their orders and return to base as soon as the fuel meter drops below 50%, even if right next to their home base. On top of that, they carry only small amounts of Zrbite to begin with. That means unlike their terran counterparts, the advanced subs cannot patrol for prolonged times; if you try to follow an alien craft until it lands on it's own accord, more often than not your vessel will instead run out of fuel and return prematurely.

Having only one weapon pod is a very minor issue once you found out about Sonic Oscillators: by virtue of it's high range and virtually infinite supply of ammo, it will win combat after combat for you. The Hammerhead's only contribution is to carry that weapon into battle, and against most opponents this is all it takes. That it is not a true interceptor becomes obvious only when fighting Dreadnoughts, and indeed you should give those a wide berth.

As a troop carrier, the Hammerhead is actually really good. Although it can't stay out for long, it's fast enough to still reach any point on earth. By the time a Triton eventually arrives on the scene, the Hammerhead will already be back in base, refueled and ready for the next mission. The downside is that it can carry only 12 troops and not a single SWS; wether this is a major issue or insignificant depends solely on the Commander (that is you).

Eventually, you'll develop "The Ultimate Craft" which will render the Hammerhead obsolete. However, because of some steep requirements this may take a while. Therefore the Hammerhead shouldn't be discarded outright; it's fast response time can be priceless.

Special Requirements

Vital Statistics

Maximum Speed:4,030
Acceleration:9
Fuel Capacity:60
Weapon Pods:1
Damage Capacity:960
Cargo Space:12
SWS Capacity:None

See Also