[GUARD] Reaper Guide (Standard and Basis)V2.0

As requested :

(I decided to complete him a little bit deeper, to explain much more thing)

 

 

This guide is based on the accumulation of informations, tests and personnal experience with the REAPER.

Actually, this Ship is one of the most impacted by “Small” tweaks or changes in various patches without being directly aimed.

 

With the recent change, the Reaper lost a big part of its efficiency, especially regarding some weapons.

The lack of CPU slot on this ship made it extremly hard to use with the Heavy Blaster and the Beam Cannon. (No range/Spread Reduction)

 

You can’t face tank with it like the other guards but it keep its “Positionning punisher” and “Back Line Covering” power.

 

For the Fitting :

 

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  • Weapon : Positron Cannon / Ammunition Booster Circuit 
  • Explanation : Due to its lack of tanking Capability and the recent buff on Mobility, the Reaper need a special positionning including a “Safe range”, the PC is perfect for this, the Ammunition provide a good bonus when Target Range > Optimal Range
  • Missile : Octopus
  • Explanation : It’s pretty simple, you can’t facetank your own EM Torpedo, you can remain immobile to use the Anomaly Generator and the Cruise Missile is not fitting with you gameplay. Secondly, you will have 2 types of dammages by Using kinetic missile and EM weapon.
  • Active Modules : Pulsar / Liquid Metal Injector / Multiphase Shield Adapter / Emergency Shield Booster
  • Explanation : First, the Pulsar will provide you a 3rd time of dammage (thermal) and a good Self-Defence/Denial Area Power. Secondly, the Liquid Metal Injector is here to compensate the lack of Hull resistance due to the Rank 8 of the ship (no Gigas II), the survavibility bonus granted, combined with the mobility will be able to save you a lot of time when correctly used. Third, the Multiphase Shield Adapter is probably your biggest survival tool, it’s allowing you to counter Mobility Debuff (Beta-Accelerator Armadillo II Implant Fed R8), provide an excellent buff for you shield. Last module, the Emergency Shield Booster is clearly a B.I.S (best in Slot) module for all guards, combined with a good use of the Phase Shield, it will save you more time than 10 engineers with eclypse launcher.
  • Ships Modifiers :
  1. Catalyst Injector  : More Speed (Fed Guards use mobility to Outplay others frigates)
  2. Auxillary Generator  : More afterburner speed (Engage/Disengage/Repositionning)
  3. Voltage Regulator  : Energy Regen > Energy Consumption (even in Afterburner) (Synergise really well with the Active module’s fitting)
  4. Thermal Modulator  : Thermal Resistance, good against LRF special modules, Plasma Web, Plasma Arc, MineLayer, proximity mine, Standard Missile, Bots, ectect
  5. EM Diffuser  : EM Resistance, prevent Negative EM resistance (aka Malus dammages), Good against : Positron, Singularity, Plasma Gun, RF Blaster, EM missiles, EM Torpedo ectect
  6. Galvanised Armor  : All Resistances, synergyze really well with the Liquid Metal Injector, prevent massiv burst of your hull against EM weapons

 

For the Implants :

 

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  • R1 = Hull Resistance, must have for the Reaper, allow you to have a basic and good resistance against all the dammages types, and Synergize really well with the Galvanised + Liquid Metal Injector
  • R2 = +10% Crit chance / Reduce targeting time by 43%, Extremly strong with the Positron cannon, increase the DPS and the Impact
  • R3 = Shield Resistance, Must have for the Reaper, combined with the Shield Ship’s modifier, prevent negative Resistance (dammages malus)
  • R4 = Velocity and Turn rate for missiles, works on 3/4 of  the missile (not on the Anomaly Generator), extremly strong with the Octopus
  • R5 = Increase straffing speed by 75%, Extremly strong implant for frigates, Increase your mobility and improve the timing for combat maneuvers.
  • R6 = Crit dammages increased by 35%, Must have with the Positron, Increase the power of Alphastrike and synergize with the Reaper’s Passives bonus.
  • R7 = Reduce the energy use with the Afterburners, Must have due to the amount of Capacitor Slot, increase escape/repositionning capability
  • R8 = Remove/immune against mobility debuff while using a multipurpose module, Must have to exploit the maximum mobility potential of the Reaper.

 

Hunting Reaper Build :

 

This fitting is a little bit particular.

This fitting is made for Hunting, Tracking and Breaking specifics targets and Disrupting ennemy’s movements.

 

1400148848-huntingreaper.png

  • Vernier Engine : Buff the Rotation speed, allow you to compensate the Weapons positionning weakness
  • Reactive Armor : Increase Kinetic hull resistance, remove the Rotation malus due to the Galvanised, make you hull stronger against Kinetic dammages while keeping good tanking hability against other dammages.
  • Mass propulsion Inhibitor : THE module for this fitting, allow you to kill your target easily, provide a good TeamPlay capability (especially in squad). Can break the ennemy’s retreat / repositionning. Synergize really well with the Pulsar and Octopus.

 

The Implant remain the same as well as the main gameplay.

 


 

Playing the Reaper :  You have to play it like a predator, not like an usual Guard. Stay hide or out of the ennemy range and Only strike when you are sure of your impact (Poke, Hit&Run, Pik-a-boo). You have to orbit on the Midline/backline of your team and keep an eye on everything. Your job is to punish every single ship trying to flank or Ninja Strike your team. In case of “All-In”, be sure of your decision, check if the ennemy has been poke enough, check the Fire line of the Ennemy LRF and  where are their ECM. Your weakness are your low tanking capability and your weapons positionning, if the ennemy manage to catch you alone and stay in your blindspot, you’re dead.

Learning how fly correctly the Reaper can take several hours, due to its specific gameplay, Dying is not a fail if your death was worth.

Use all the dimension, never attack an ennemy on the same plane, attack from below, above, and behind. You can only exploit your maximum DPS when you face the ennemy, but that’s not mean you have to facetank it :slight_smile:

 

Playing with a Reaper in your team :  Always keep an eye on him, just in case he could need some help, use him as a bait, when the ennemy will engage him, they will not focus on you and that will let you the opportunity to heavy strike them. Engaging a guard (even  the Reaper) need to have a lot of things in mind, and most of the time, players forgot that to kill a guard, they have to expose themself to a devastating Ripost.

Be extremly careful about what is doing the Reaper, he can open a “Hell’s Gate” in the ennemy line just by attracting, poking or killing the ennemies.

 

Playing against a Reaper :  Don’t fear it, poke it with Interceptors/Fighters/LRF, it can’t tank as well as other guards, An ECM will just ruin it by Draining its energy or shutdowning the regen module, a Recon can just drain the shield and pewpew it to death. Gunship will outburst it. Just be sure to not facetank it if you don’t want to die in a horrible way. Exploit its weapons positionning, attack from the left or the right and exploit your mobility to the maximum potential, bait the Pulsar and free kill.

Nearly all the other frigates can out-tank it (Styx and Valor Include) if they don’t try to facetank it :smiley:

 

Pro :

  • Versatile gameplay
  • Can be used on all the map
  • Can be GameBreaker between good hands
  • Have an extremly good DPS
  • Badass skin
  • Pirate ship with a true Pirate Mentality
  • Balanced Ship

Con :

  • Need to “MASTER” the Phase Shield
  • Teamplay Dependent
  • Less tanky than other Frigates
  • Important weakness on the weapon positionning
  • Extremly sensible to ECM/Tackler
  • Require high stuff and high knowledge of the game

 

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Detailled explanations regarding the Weapons :

 

I think that my choice of weapons need some explanation, especially about the fact that before the Heavy Blaster change, I was using it on the Reaper.

 

  • The Heavy Blaster : With the recent changes on this weapon, the inner mechanics changed. The weapon used to have a “Progressive DPS” but it changed to a Linear DPS with various change regarding the Primary and Secondary stats. First of all, the Spread Reduction is now the main stat needed for this weapon, then Projectile speed as secondary stats.  The lack of CPU slots and Capacitors Slots make this weapon extremly hard to optimize correctly on the Reaper. On another point, the Main DPS mechanic for the guard is based on the “Phase Shield” (+25% Dammages) and the Reaper can’t exploit it correctly due to its lack of tanking hability.

 

  • The Beam Cannon : As well as the Heavy Blaster, the lack of CPU slots and Capacitor slots on the Reaper is what make the Beam Cannon extremly hard to optimize. The Dps of the Beam Cannon is directly linked to the use of the “Phase Shield” then related to 2 secondary stats : Range and Critical Chance. Unfortunatly, the Reaper can’t optimize all the pre-requite for the Beam. Secondly, due to the fact you can’t optimize the Range of the Beam Cannon, you will have to expose yourself too hard regarding the REAPER’s Tanking capability.

 

  • The Coil Mortar : Probably one of my favorite weapon in the past, the recent change on this weapon allow this weapon to regain its utility for the Frigates (and the Guards) but not for the Reaper. Due to the Weapons positionning weakness mentionned earlier in this post, the combo Mortar/Phase Shield is too low to be correct on the Reaper. Secondly the Rate of Fire and the Projectile speed are now the Main Stat to improve with the Coil Mortar, and as usual on the Reaper, the Lack of CPU and Capacitor Slots make the Optimization of this weapon super Hard.

 

  • EM Torpedo : Until you are mastering perfectly Decision Making, Positionning and the Phase Shield, do not FaceTorp yourself in a Reaper. You can’t tank it. You need to be sure to have your cooldown, enough energy and your teammates near to you. Of course the utility of the EM Torpedo is nearly the same on the Reaper, but you will not be able to use the complete potential of this missile.

 

  • Anomaly Generator : Extremly hard to use correctly, first because you have to remain immobile or flying in straight line to use it, meaning an Overexposition of your ship. That also include a lack of dammages against mobile targets and a lack of efficiency in several game Modes.

 

  • Cruise Missile : An EXCELLENT choice ! Really, This missile is perfect for Beginners and Average Guards players. Do not underestimate it, this missile is extremly powerful against everything ! Good range, dammges, mechanics (Pathfinding and Hunting Covert Ops under Camo). Allow you to engage or deal the final blow from a safe range.

 

 

In conclusion :

 

This guide has been made for players that want to fly the “Reaper”  and have some difficulties with the Guard in General. The differents fittings presented in this post are considered as “Learning/Training” fittings, perfect if you want to learn how fly this ship.

 

Remember that Dying in a Guard is not a problem ! Always ask you if your death was “Worth” for your team.

 

Thanks for Reading and Enjoy the game !

 

 

PS : If you have any question, feel free to ask them in this post, I will try to answer it as fast as I can :wink:

How to use guard? by rakza!

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Could you make one more? for blood?

  1. How to use guard? by rakza!

 

2)Could you make one more? for blood?

 

  1. Not exactly, the Reaper have a particular and extremly interresting gameplay, but I mentionned some standard mechanics used by all guards

 

  1. If I make a guide for the Blood Tormentor, there will be more than 1 guide due to the fact that the Blood Tormentor allow tons of gameplays and Tons of differents viable fittings (Actually I can barely make 2-3 standard guide just for the Blood Tormentor)

Is the guide pretty much the same thing for fed guards? I think the reaper playste is simliar to fed guards since theyre not that tanky, but really fast. I donn know what to do with fed guards

Time to beat Rakza with his own guide! xP