NeonStorm1.
Godde wrote > How to micro against fighters. When you see enemy fighters incoming move away from enemy units that might divert your rapier shots.
Neon wrote* The only problem is, that fighters have more range at all.
1.a
It is important that you do not waste shots at ground targets if you want to stand a fighting chance against fighters with Rapiers.
If the airplayer keep outranging your rapiers they will do much less damage than if the fighters are let to do full attack runs which means you have more time to retreat.
2.
Godde wrote> If the enemy has enough fighters to kill your rapiers try to work your way towards friendly AA.
Neon wrote* The only problem is that fighters are a lot faster, and that you can't have adv. radars everywhere.
2.a
I didn't say you could completly escape unharmed if the fighters come to get you. I just said that you should retreat towards friendly AA implying that you should be ready to fight back if the fighters comes to close. Radar surely helps at detecting incoming enemy fighters but if the enemy has gone air at the start you should already expect enemy fighters. Rapiers are a good way to force out thoose fighters anyway.
3.
Godde wrote > Keep your rapiers spread out and try to keep the most damaged rapiers behind your healthy ones.
Neon wrote* That is a great disadvantage for newbes.
3.a
You already implied that the fighter player keep outranging the Rapiers which requires alot of micro.
3.1
Neon wrote* They fail to well microed Vamps and will lose between 0.05 and 0.15 gunships each attack run.
3.1.a
Then the Rapier player can surely afford some micro aswell or if you want to make into a newb vs newb fight then the fighters shouldn't keep outranging the Rapiers all the time.
4.
Godde wrote> Before the enemy comes in range of your rapiers go against him. This makes you take alot less damage especially if you face vamps as their attack runs will be alot shorter.
Neon wrote* This works only if the enemy don't have 2 groups. If it is so, the Rapiers have to go in 2 different directions, allowing ( especially ) Vamps and Avengers to attack continously.
4.a
See 3.a. If the fighter player can make 2 groups then so can the Rapier player. Attacking continously is not that much of an advantage as the rapiers got a bigger chance to reload and fire again. If the fighters keep outranging the rapiers they do less damage. See 1.
5.
Godde wrote> It takes quite some time for Avengers and Vamps to kill your rapiers when they the fighters are in small numbers. > This means that even though the enemy could potentially kill your rapiers you can still use them near friendly AA.
5.1
Neon wrote* And stay behind short ranged AA forever?
5.1.a
The rapiers can still intercept raiders, help ground troops and deter bombers and enemy gunships combined with friendly AA.
5.2
Neon wrote* If you try a breakout, the enemy fighter player will fight at max. distance to shot one Rapier after another.
5.2.a
The fighter player has nearly no ability to focus fire at enemy rapiers unless he targets a specific Rapier which makes keeping his fighters out of Rapier range, very hard. This on the other hand can be countered by micro from the Rapier player by putting health Rapiers infront of weak ones and by retreating low health Rapiers and repairing them.
5.3
Neon wrote* Once they are out of the AA, he will use Avenger spam from both flanks to distract your shots while he use his Vamps from both sides too after the Avengers catched some shots.
Avengers cost 150 and dies from 2 Rapier shoots while a 300 cost vamp needs 7 shoots to be killed. I don't see how Avengers are good cannon fodder against Rapiers compared to Vamps and since you have not stated how big this engagement is then it cannot be concluded that Avengers are better cannon fodder than Vamps because of overkill.
I guess you are trying to state that more overkill is done when using avengers but this depends on alot of factors. Like the number of Rapiers, their spread, if their reload is synchronized and so on. A vamp can survive going through 6 rapiers while an avenger would die from going through 2 for example.
5.4
Neon wrote* Costum formations allows to spread fighters out and don't take AOE.
5.4.a
I don't think AOE factors are of big importance in Rapier vs fighter battles. If AOE are important then you also have to weigh in that against the effectiveness of micro and damage maximisation when microing bunched up fighters.
6
Neon wrote: Fighters can be used against Bombers from another player AND to kill gunships - they can be everywhere much likely due to a higher velocity.
6.a
Fighters cannot be everywhere all the time. If the fighters are occupied in a standoff or fight against rapiers they may not be in position to intercept bombers that bomb the front for example. If they withdraw, they leave open a space for the rapiers to usilize before the fighters can return in full strength.
7.
Neon wrote: If you play with 2 air players ( fighter and bomber ) and the enemy with air+gunships, the gunships will lose.
7.a
Let me give you a counter example. If the gunship player makes rapiers and get fighter support he will not lose. He will more likely be able to push the airplayers and kill their expansions while avoiding their stationary AA.
8.
Neon wrote: If you make AA, the enemy can make AA too - razzors, stardusts.
8.a
Obviously yes.
I still think that rapiers are better than fighters in that situation since they can kill land units better than fighters can(especially Vamps :P).
