The Troglodyte wrote:They basically look like a big chunk of quartz, so how do they get around?
The Chenjesu used hover platforms, I think. Presumably the Chmmr utilize something similar. Hard to know for certain without asking them. I don't think they ever mention it in the game, and it's pre-war knowledge too, so I wouldn't call this tidbit spoilers.
Anyway, the Chmmr Avatar is a powerful vessel which, as the Chmmr no doubt told you, can defeat any ship in space "in competent hands" (with one notable exception). Here's an outline:
Chmmr Avatar
Class: HCC (Heavy, Close Combat).
Primary Armament: TerraWatt Lazer
Secondary Armament: Tractor Beam
Overview: The Avatar is a powerful vessel capable of defeating most other vessels, assuming that the pilot knows how to operate it. Its TerraWatt Lazer is extremely lethal at close range, and its Tractor Beam allows it to enforce control over its foe's movements. It is generally considered a powerful and cost-effective ship.
Preferred targets: Most ships, really. The Skiff, Fury and Cruiser are particularly notable, but few ships have the capability to stand up against the power of an Avatar for long. Sure, the AI can be exploited, but who ever called the AI "competent", anyway? The Avatar is especially effective against ships which rely on dodging, most notably being a notorious hard counter to the Arilou Skiff as well as ships like the Fury. This makes it an excellent choice for counteracting ships that are too fast to be reliably shot down. However, due to its primary weapon's damage output and its great health reserve, it is also a very capable fighter when battling other Heavy vessels, and any enemy with low fire penetration, such as the Cruiser, will likewise struggle to fight back effectively. All in all, a strong ship with few direct weaknesses.
Vulnerabilities: The Avatar has four notable vulnerabilities: the Scout, the Marauder, the Mauler and the Jugger.
The Scout's glory device can reliably knock out several ZapSats, and its low mass prohibits the use of the Avatar's tractor beam as, after all, the Scout wants to be as close to the Avatar as possible when it goes off, and the tractor beam is too strong to be safe to use. An Avatar may have enough health to withstand the power of a glory device, but several detonations will eventually wear it down, and the low range on its weapon prevents it from fighting back from a safe distance.
The Marauder is very much an equal to the Avatar in terms of sheer combative strength. Although the Avatar possesses a slight edge in maneuverability, the Marauder's F.R.I.E.D. system is very effective against the Avatar's ZapSats, which compensates for the speed advantage. To simplify things, the Avatar and the Marauder are remarkably even in terms of power, being a very well-known matchup with no pre-determinable victor. This makes the Marauder a credible threat.
The Mauler's primary weapon recoil makes it dangerous, as it can counteract the Avatar's tractor beam, whilst dishing out significant damage using its own long-range weaponry. All in all, the Mauler is not a fun ship to face for an Avatar.
The Jugger is perhaps the most notorious of the three vulnerabilities. Its absorptive shield in combination with the Avatar's ZapSats and the immense power of its primary weapon ensures that the Jugger can, if it so wishes, reliably remain invincible indefinitely. As such, the effectiveness of the Avatar against the Jugger is ultimately determined by the skill of the Jugger rather than the Avatar's own pilot. For this reason, one should always avoid using their Avatar against an enemy Jugger, simply because it is truly wasted potential. A skilled Jugger may even emerge from the confrontation unscathed.
Usage: The Avatar's fundamental modus operandi is very simple: close the distance, and destroy the enemy with the primary weapon. Although it is also possible to use the tractor beam to redirect enemy ships into planets or asteroids, this will not finish off an enemy, and so the Avatar more or less
has to close the distance in order to win. Against fast-moving targets, the general method of operation is to either stay still, if the enemy's range is short (chasing them is more likely to hurt you with unexpected planets than to give you any real gain), or attempt to intersect their path if their range is longer. Against slower targets, the Avatar may even have the advantage in maneuverability, and would thus (in combination with the tractor beam) be able to close the distance. Experienced pilots may also elect to perform rudimentary dodging, and maneuvering to be just
barely within range rather than going for a head-on collision, aiming for strafing runs in an attempt to compensate for the power-hungry nature of the primary laser weapon.
As for any conclusions about the Chmmr... probably better to wait with those until
after your playthrough, wouldn't you think?
"Sentient life. We are the Ur-Quan. Independence is intolerable. Blah, blah, blah." - the Spathi High Council, Star Control II.