Bombing

Bombers are generally used to destroy enemy bases. This section covers the pilot's role. However, turrets and nanites often accompany bomber pilots. See turreting and Nanning a bomb run from the Cadet I course. sections.

Regular bombing

A regular bomber run usually consists of the bomber pilot, 2 turret gunners firing at enemy ships and a few nanites (ships, usually scouts, mounting the nanite repair system as a weapon) repairing the bomber's hull (not shields!). If you wish to pilot the bomber, you will be the one selecting it from the 'ship's loadout' screen (F4). Bombers cost money, so first buy the ship. Clicking on 'Buy Ship' will ask the commander (or any player owning 500 or more credits) to give you the necessary credits. Click again if the money does not come; your commander may be receiving many requests or be too busy elsewhere to see your request. However, don't repeatedly ask if you've been refused a bomber. Sometimes the commander will respond "AA", meaning "ask again".

Preplanning your route is critical. Look at the minimap to see what aleph is closest to the base you wish to destroy. Plan your route to get to that aleph without encountering resistance. Is your route deprobed? Does your team and commander know what you are trying to accomplish? Teamwork is critical for a bomb run to succeed. Generally in large games bombers are not given out to inexperienced players. Turret on a bomber to see what an experienced pilot does with one.

Only when the bomber has been bought can the turret gunners teleport aboard your ship (you must however remain docked in a station). Press `8 to ask for turret gunners. Your gunners must use the Station Transfer Point screen (F8) to get inside the bomber. They also have to be docked at a station to use that screen.

While the gunners are arriving, prepare the loadout of the bomber. Select the proper amount of anti-base missiles according to the buildings you plan on attacking. Select an amount of ammo packs that seems appropriate for the amount of resistance (1 extra is usually enough) you will encounter. If you wish, you may bring LRM Hunter missiles to moderately assist your gunners in attacking enemy ships. If you believe you have a chance of remaining unseen, you should load anti-base missiles into your cargo slot only, thus keeping your signature lower.

Travel to target

Launching the bomber with shields and missiles unmounted is a good idea to lower the bomber's signature. Not firing any guns, including turrets, is also mandatory to remain unseen. However, as soon as you are seen, mount both shields and missiles, it's now useless to keep them in cargo. Note that placing your shield and extra missiles in cargo will reduce your cargo space by 2 slots, so be sure that it's worth it. Often, bomber pilots launch with missiles and shields armed and charged, knowing that there is no way they will get to their target without being spotted first. It is indeed often the best way to go.

Be sure that you have enough nanites before attacking. Depending on the game's size, being accompanied by 2 to 5 nanites is good, but some targets require more, and others none at all. Some targets even require multiple bombers; many strategies exist to attack enemy stations.

Make sure you always indicate to your team where you are going. If you suddenly decide to ripcord to another sector as you change your path, make sure you mention it so that the other pilots can follow you. Also, use the Voice Chat `yr (Ripcording!) to make sure they get the message.

Ideally, one scout should be flying way ahead, scouting for threats. It should detect enemy probes, ships, and pass through alephs to make sure that they are not mined, droned or camped.

At all times, while traveling, Nans will push you. Scouts are faster ships, and so can increase the bomber's speed a great deal by pushing it. Some factions can also use other ships like heavy interceptors as Nans, which have powerful boosters and can thus push bombers very quickly. They will not do so before entering an unscouted aleph, in case mines await on the other side, and will not do so while you are in-range of the target, to make sure your missiles do not miss their target. Hold your forward boost key (numpad 8) while being pushed. It keeps your momentum going longer.

If you feel that the enemy is probably so well prepared for your attack that there is no way you will succeed, don't be afraid to abort. Getting all your pilots home immediately is better than having to send a rescue team to collect your pods. It also leaves the enemy wondering whether you managed to hide or whether you left, leaving them camping an aleph where there is no threat. Another good tactic is to change paths, or change targets altogether. You can fly toward a target while detected by the enemy and make them setup their defense perimeters. Then, you can ripcord to another sector (hopefully without being detected) and move toward another target, while their defenders are still away. Similar tactics can be used, sending diversion bombers, or other diversions.

Assault

Before you enter the sector where your target is located, stop by the aleph and recharge your shields, if possible/applicable. Also, whenever you get spotted and start engaging the enemy, equip your shields, for they will serve as extra protection, and there is simply no reason to keep them in cargo, since you've been detected. You can also equip your missiles in order to make sure you are ready to fire. If you brought LRM Hunter missiles (only on shorter runs where you have enough cargo room, or in small games where supporting your turrets is important), use them whenever the enemy threat is significant. You can also fire anti-base missiles at enemy ships, and fire your main guns, but only if they are coming straight at you. Try not to waste anti-base missiles though. The last thing a commander wants is to see a successful assault abort because the bomber ran out of missiles. DO NOT dogfight, fly directly to your target, because your seconds are numbered. You will hear enemy missile locks; simply use countermeasures to save yourself from missiles.

Smart defenders will attack your nanites first, so don't be surprised to remain untouched even though enemy ships are all around. Often, enemy scouts (and fighters when possible) will quickly fly in front of the bomber and drop minefields. Since minefields have a low signature, you probably won't see them until it's too late. When you see a scout flying suspiciously in front of you, change directions so that you avoid the potential minefield. This is most true of the BIOS, who use the heavy cloak to become completely invisible and lay minefields in your flight path. Predict this move, and avoid minefields before you even see them. Flying around minefields can be very time consuming, but it is well worth it, as flying inside one is suicidal: either you go full speed and die or you fly slowly and become a stationary target. If necessary, don't fly toward your target but at a diagonal. It will make it more difficult for the minelaying pilots.

When you reach a range of ~1200 meters (depending on your speed), start firing your missiles, even though you don't have a missile lock. Your anti-base missiles can still hit the target at greater ranges than usual because of the speed they inherit from your bomber. (Note: IC bombers need to be closer by ~100 meters) Continue firing until enough missiles were launched to destroy the target. (If you don't know how many missiles are required, simply fire continuously.) When you cannot go further forward without crashing into the station, use your sidethrusters to fly within the station's structure, hiding between the different structural components, making yourself a difficult target. Your Nans shouldn't have much trouble following, and can even lay minefields in the tight holes within the station to help kill defenders.

In extremely well organized teams, you can use the higher kill bonus of one of the turret gunners. By switching seats with the pilot, the turret gunner, with his high kb from all the ships he's been turreting down, will inflict more damage to a station using the anti-base missiles, and therefore will destroy it faster.

When you fire the last missile, and the station is destroyed, start ripcording immediately if the enemy is in strong numbers. You want to save yourself and your gunners. Indicate that you are ripcording `yr: "Ripcording!" Your Nans will group around you, and try to keep you alive until you disappear. Then, they will try and save themselves.

If the bomber is destroyed before it could ripcord, keep your pod as stationary as possible and wait a few seconds for a pickup. If no pickup comes, get home. Other ships that were accompanying you on the run often try to hide and rescue the pods. If, however, there is no significant threat left in the sector, the situation is not an emergency anymore, and you can either continue your run toward another target, or return to base. Sometimes, ships that were inside the station will be ejected as the station explodes. This includes pilots but also miners, and so it is a good idea to remain by the station and let your turrets destroy them before ripcording or moving out.

Rix bombing

The Rixians differ in that they do not make use of missiles, but of the EW Stinger, a powerful energy weapon. This difference allows Rixian bombers, called ballistas, to never run out of anti-base equipment, and they therefore never need to reload them. Also, since no missile has to be placed in cargo, all the room may be dedicated to ammo packs for the turrets, and no missile can be armed to raise the bomber's signature.

Finally, as an additional advantage, scouts can ripcord to each other. This allows destroyed Nans to be rescued quickly and teleport back as a brand new Nan in a matter of seconds. Also, if the bomber lacks ammo (if the bomber run has been particularly long and animated), the Nans can ripcord to a base, dock, get ammo, and ripcord back to give the ammo to the ballista. When attacking a station, the ballista will never need to reload missiles. Continuous firing results in faster destruction.

One problem, characteristic of all energy based weapons, is that when the energy runs out, it can take a long time before you get significant amounts of energy left, which can be a problem if the Stinger is not powerful enough, and/or the target station's shields/hull are too strong. Spending 20 seconds recharging energy by an enemy station while taking heavy interceptor fire is not a good thing.

Technoflux bombing

TF bombers use energy for their cannon also. So do the turrets. It is critical that your turret gunners are aware to hold off firing when you are destroying a base. Or you will run out of energy and not be able to destroy the base.

BIOS bombing

The BIOS possess a very useful asset that affects most of their ships, the capacity to equip a heavy cloak. BIOS bombers and scouts can therefore use the cloak to further decrease their signature. Activating a heavy cloak will cause the signature to drop to ridiculously low levels for a short time, often making the bombers and their Nans invisible, even when surrounded by enemy ships. Use the cloak wisely to avoid being seen. You can even travel hiding behind asteroids, using the cloak between each asteroid, and your Nans doing the same. Sometimes, even when firing your missiles, the heavy cloak will make you invisible.

If you wish to perform this trick, it is best to disengage your shields when they are depleted, since they no longer protect you but still raise your signature. You can therefore remain unseen even in the middle of a swarm of defenders with turrets firing. The best pilots can successfully bring a whole bomber run (1 pilot, 2 gunners, 4 nanites) within 2500 meters of the enemy station without being detected at all: a surprise attack that can literally not fail. Note that BIOS bombers can be used more or less as if they were stealth bombers, only with turrets and nanites. They are however slower and have much less cloak time.