Page 1 of 2

Sensor Phalanx

Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2011 9:34 am
by discrepancy
Ok.. So I have now my own Sensor Phalanx, but I dont know how to use it in terms of raiding or defending. Could someone here provide explanation on how to use Sensor Phalanx for raiding and defending purposes?

Re: Sensor Phalanx

Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2011 10:42 am
by Cypher
To use the sensor phalanx you must first make sure that you have your moon selected and that there is 5k or more deuterium on the moon.

Then go to galaxy view, if you move your mouse over the planet icons, the small planet menu will appear. In there will be a phalanx option if the planet is within the range. (Range = ((Sensor level)^2)-1) ).

Once you have clicked it a new window will pop up showing any fleet movements to or from the planet that are not missions involving moons.

Re: Sensor Phalanx

Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2011 11:38 am
by discrepancy
Ok. Lets say I know where the fleets destination. How can I attack it?

Re: Sensor Phalanx

Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2011 12:31 pm
by Istalris
discrepancy wrote:Ok. Lets say I know where the fleets destination. How can I attack it?
Using a bit of maths and good reflexes, you can time your fleet to attack the planet it returns to just 1 or 2 seconds after it gets back. That way the person you are lanxing will have no chance of getting it out of the way and scoring you a guaranteed hit.

Alternatively, if the person you are lanxing is attacking someone and they have an ACS Depot, you can time your fleet to ACS Defend the target planet 1 or 2 seconds before the attack hits, therefore evading any possible safety probes and scoring you a nice ninja.

Finally, if you want to get into really advanced fleeting, you can do something people refer to as a return-lanx or blind-lanx. This is where someone you know or yourself is getting attacked by a player and can't ninja it when it hits, you can use the attackers engine techs, work out which is the slowest ship in the attacking fleet and from that it is easy to deduce the return time of the attackers fleet down to the exact second. Then just do what you do for a normal lanx hit except this time it will terrify the **** out of your victim. :P

Re: Sensor Phalanx

Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2011 6:39 pm
by discrepancy
Thanks for the post. I now have some grasp on how to "lanx" fleets. LOL

Re: Sensor Phalanx

Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2011 8:05 pm
by IKICKAYOUWASSNOW
Istalris wrote: Finally, if you want to get into really advanced fleeting, you can do something people refer to as a return-lanx or blind-lanx. This is where someone you know or yourself is getting attacked by a player and can't ninja it when it hits, you can use the attackers engine techs, work out which is the slowest ship in the attacking fleet and from that it is easy to deduce the return time of the attackers fleet down to the exact second. Then just do what you do for a normal lanx hit except this time it will terrify the **** out of your victim. :P
That is a return lanx / HALF-blind lanx ;)

Re: Sensor Phalanx

Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2011 8:25 pm
by Istalris
I don't think anybody in gaming history has ever pulled off a full blind lanx as spectacularly as a 1 or 2 second gap and certainly nobody has achieved such a feat here, which is why it is common to refer to the half blind lanx as just blind. Full blind lanx hits require insane dedication and guesswork, 99% of the time only work if the target is offline when their fleet lands, assuming you time it correctly.

I'll also note that the return/blind/half-blind techniques all include the word "lanx" in their name even though they do not incorporate it's use at all. They are used mainly when the mission in question is coming from or too a moon and you can't use the Sensor Phalanx on it as you normally would.

Re: Sensor Phalanx

Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2011 8:48 pm
by IKICKAYOUWASSNOW
Pure blind phalanx hits have happened, they are just very rare because of the dedication, time investment, knowledge and luck (often multiple launches as well) that is all needed. For example, I only have steak once a week or two, but that doesn't mean I call a "ham" a "steak" to make myself feel better about it lol

Re: Sensor Phalanx

Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2011 9:23 pm
by Istalris
It's not referred to as such to make yourself feel better about it, it just is because it's easier to say and a lot more common. Full blind will have happened yes, but I sincerely doubt to the degree of accuracy one could normally attain, not without extreme luck anyway.

Besides, the problem in ZE is that it is often more efficient and easy to use brute force to hunt instead of these intricate techniques which really make fleeting an art.

Re: Sensor Phalanx

Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2011 10:23 pm
by KarrothMelu
Pardon my ignorance here, but might some of you high and mighty fleeters explain to a lowly miner the difference between a full- and half-blind lanx?