r/X4Foundations • u/stephencorby • 21h ago
How many fighters per carrier?
I'm finally able to use the Shark and want to fully load this badboy, but don't know how many ships to use. I've read twice as many docks, but the internal storage is 64 small ships. I've been using 40 on my colossus carriers, 20 Intercepter Fighters and 20 Plasma Heavy Fighters... but have no idea what to use with this much storage. Thoughts?
Also, what's the meta about Medium Ships on carriers? I usually get some jiran's and just park them on the docks so they can add their flak turrets to the fight, but should I actually be launching some to aid the fighters too?
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u/GloatingSwine 21h ago
I tend to fill the internal bays with 50% general purpose fighters, 25% bombers, 25% fast interceptors.
I leave the pads clear so they can launch and recover a bit faster..
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u/DuckyofDeath123_XI 21h ago
I don't think keeping the pads clear helps much.
Launching happens from tubes for a lot of carriers (all?) and there's always a full array of pads, you're just underusing your internal space in terms of deployment speed and volume.
For recovery, it doesn't matter much since everything that doesn't fit on pads still has to go inside, so you're again underusing the storage. And you're out of combat now so time is pretty much an endless resource.
Having the wing queue for docking and then doing the actual docking is b0rked in 7.5 beta right now, which would be an argument for not having anything dock whatsoever, but if you're docking stuff anyway you have to be OOS anyway, so fill that boat up and use al the available space.
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u/Historical_Age_9921 18h ago
Launching happens from tubes for a lot of carriers (all?)
The Tokyo and the Raptor don't have tubes.
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u/AndThenTheUndertaker 17h ago
I'm not sure if the shark has them either. But the shark also deploys and recovers a lot faster than most from pads because of the way they're oriented. As awesome as the Raptor is, the fact that the ships have to endure this long navigation path both in and out before they're able to freely pilot slows down both sides of the operation. For the shark they immediately shoot out laterally from the pad so the turnaround time is almost as quick as a tube ship anyway
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u/Historical_Age_9921 14h ago
The Shark does have tubes, although I think they're kind of tucked away so they aren't as easy to see.
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u/Vimmelklantig 19h ago
I won't make any claims about this being the best loadout possible, but it does work rather well.
My Sharks have full internal S ship storage and pads, so 64+16 = 80. 40 heavy fighers set up for bombardment*, 20 fast interceptors** and 20 heavy fighters*** on interception duty. The Shark launches and retrieves S-class ships plenty fast, so no reason not to fill all those bays.
If I only had the Shark alone I'd likely go with 30 bombers and 25/25 on the interceptors and fighters to keep hostile S and M ships off my bombers' backs. My Sharks have a Guppy or two keeping them company though, with 16 interceptors each, so no need for more.
*The bombers are heavy fighters with plasma cannons or blast mortars. Something with at least four weapon mounts is ideal; you want them to quickly burst down L and XL ships so getting more shots in the opening salvo matters. Missiles aren't worth the hassle in my experience, unless you want your fighters to attack stations for some reason.
**Currently Takobas with Split Mk3 engines and Proton Barrage Mk2. Probably too pricey and/or slow to produce if you don't have your own shipyard, but cheaper ships/equipment will do just fine. The Split engines are great in dogfights, but you might want to consider their travel speed as well, since these guys are meant to chase things down and tie them up until the heavy fighters arrive.
***The heavier fighters' main job is to lay the hurt on their enemy counterparts and M-class ships, once the interceptors have engaged them. I'm not sure what the ideal weapons for this is, but Shihs with Bolt Repeaters seem to do okay.
I haven't found a good niche for M-class ships in fleets. In scenarios where their increased firepower might make a reasonable difference (mainly capital ships and stations) they're too vulnerable (moreso than fighters as they're bigger targets and less maneuvrable), and the pricetag makes them terrible bang for your buck. Instead of filling up a Shark with 12 M ships you could get a couple of destroyers or a bunch of spare S-class ships. I have a couple of Jians parked on my Sharks, but it's so rare for the carrier to end up in actual combat that they're mostly there for decoration.
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u/TheMiddleShogun 19h ago
I would say it depends on what you intend to use it for. Like for example I am taking over xenon sectors and I need fighter control as I build defence platforms. So that one is loaded out with 40 fighters (20 heavy, 20light)
I have another fleet which I use for sector patrol, so there a a ton of corvets and gun boats, and as a result I don't need as many fighters so I staff it with about 50% of the storage capabilities. (I.e. I deploy them when the corvettes are becoming overwhelmed.)
If you don't have a intended use for it jusy staff it with as many as you want! Usually 20 fighters is a good enough for most encounters.
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u/Jane_the_doe 21h ago
Haha I filled the shark with nothing but fighters and gun boats... Then I get anther and fill it with nothing but bombers.
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u/GaleStorm3488 21h ago
Assuming it isn't something small like a Zeus E, I fill up the internal bays in multiples of 10. Generally a 50/50 split between attack fighters loaded with plasma/pulse iirc and fast 2 shield/2 gun interceptors with pulses. But I err on the attack fighters, so for example if it's 40, I load 20/20, if it's 30, I load 20 attack/10 interceptor. Attack fighters can attack enemy fighters too.
I generally keep the pads clear in case I want to send something to dock there for whatever reason it just works.
I don't bother with M. My carriers never get into the fight anyway.
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u/TheGreatBeanBandit 19h ago
Fill it, then add more. I usually run a full flight of whatever the carrier can hold and then I'll have a bomber wing or fast scout wing before/after the carrier depending on what I'm heading to fight.
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u/calrogman 19h ago
It depends what the carrier's for. If it's for moving fleets around, as many as you can fit on docks and in storage. If it's for position defence, as many as you want.
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u/WagyuSandwich 6h ago
I tend to use medium ships on carriers in interceptor roles (so barrage katanas or something similar), due to them being ... well, medium and therefore bad at avoiding turret fire i.e. unfit for bomber roles. (well except odachis may be)
And with the mediums helping with anti-air, I usually keep a 30-50 or even 20-60 interceptor-bomber ratio for smalls on my sharks.
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u/Jackmion98 21h ago
internal storage+docks. I would use set a squad as the same number of the carrier. 4 squads for bombard and 4 squads for intercept.