Cadet II/HTT

Romeo says about HTTs:

My HTT Run:

My load out is 2 racks of EMP MISSILES and medium shield in my cargo. NOT LOADED UP. Make sure you have signature �general advancements� IE: Sig1 and Sig2 are researched. This gives me the lowest possible signature and insures maximum stealth capabilities.

Before I launch I look closely at the mini-map via F7 key. I plan my route and plot where I will attack from by viewing which is the clearest possible path to get into there sector. When I am planning, all I am planning for to start with is to get into the enemy sector. THAT’S IT. If I cant get in then I am useless in my HTT and wasting a nice chunk of my teams money. So to start with all you want to do is get into the sector safely and UNSPOTTED. You do not want to tip them off that you are there. The element of surprise is a bit more important with HTT as you don’t have cloak like with stealth bombers. (Except with BIOS of course)

Generally speaking, I will NOT approach an aleph straight on. I prefer to come at the aleph from the side or from behind the aleph. Whenever possible keep rocks between you and wherever you are heading, they provide some nice cover. IF I know FOR SURE the aleph is not mined, only then will I go in full speed. Remember you have your shields down and you are very vulnerable having only half the time to survive under fire should you be attacked or spotted by the enemy. The mines potentially laying in wait for you will do little damage if you go through slowly. (Just remember you do reveal that you’re there by going through minefields and setting the little mine explosions off while you are going through them.)

If I am going to come through the aleph “unsure” of mines I will generally go pretty slowly. So whether you go in hot or cautious, make sure you know where you are going to retreat to for safety. (I usually come into the sector and IMMEDIATELY head behind the aleph or off to one side toward the outer edges of the grid on your F7 screen.

Once I am in I fly in F3 or command view. (As I do most of the time I’m in a HTT. enemy OR my home sectors.) I am only in normal view when going through alephs, as well as on the last 2-4K of my run before I dock in the enemy base and and only when I’m lining up my ship to make my run. (Like when I'm trying to get the asteroid "centered" between my ship and the base I'm about to cap.(be wary of TP's and ref's you may not see. They could get you "eyed" too soon. Taking a stealthy scout can help with this.)

I continue flying my HTT to the outer portion of where the grid ends and the ‘black area starts. (Rarely does anyone probe or fly out in this area, unless they are up to no good just like you are.) Once I reach the safety of the outer sector rim, I begin to locate the base I am about to capture. I will zoom in to see EXACTLY where the green door is. Next, I will take a look around the green door side of the base. Notice the rocks that are there. Which one is the closest to the base AND lined up with the green door? This is VERY important, because you are going to use that rock to hide from the enemy on your approach. If you hide behind the rock you will be hidden until under 3K away EASY.

With an HTT you want your approach to be as lined up with the green door as possible. If you are on too much of an angle YOU WILL bounce off and most likely be killed before the capture of that base. I look around and I find my rock. I then slowly plod along around the sector on the outer rim of the grid until I am behind the rock that is most lined up with the green door. I put the rock DIRECTLY in my approach path, keeping the rock between my ship and the base. If I can see the base in my line of sight, I am not in the right place and will be spotted.

Once I have accomplished getting my HTT lined up with the green door side and have my rock between my ship and the base it is time to tell your team that you are going to cap there base. This way they can get into base and launch from the base you just captured and help protect it/keep it as most teams will try to re-cap it or they will launch in bombers and try to spoil the party by blowing the base up.

You need your team to be aware that you are capping the base and they are needed to help maintain it. Now once you start going stay in F7 for as long as you can so you can see other craft in the sector as they may appear once you come closer. You will have a better idea of where they are in relation to you and your line of approach. If they are in the way or they might end up in the way of your approach, its OK to abort and go set up again. Patience is HUGE when you HTT. The element of surprise cannot be compromised.

Now for the fun part. You are heading for the rock that’s got you lined up with the green door and your SHIELDS are STILL down and so are your MISSILES. When you get about 700 or less from the rock THEN start to turn to go around it. You will get eyed before you actually get around the outside of the rock but you should be fine if you picked a decent rock and are within 2.5K or less from the base. AS SOON AS YOU GET EYE, raise your SHIELDS and load up them MISSILES. You are safe to fire at the base when about 1000 away and should get lock about 900. (Some people will argue that you can shoot at 1250 or whatever ... I see no need, 1K works JUST fine but experiment if you like)

Fire all the MISSILES you can before you enter the green door. If the shields are not down you will NOT be allowed to enter the base. The shields MUST be down on the base for you to enter it. Once you are in the base make sure you know whether they are trying to Re-cap it from you, bomb it, or just launched in INTS or FIGS. If they are recapping, make sure you load your MISSILES and SHIELDS while you are still in base BEFORE you launch. If they are bombing it, you may want to launch in an INT or FIG to defend it, or you can switch bases quick and look for the next base you want to attack.

Notes: Try not to use Helium rocks for your approach. Miners show up at the worst times and will spoil your fun.(Dead Helium Rocks can be used less cautiously though as most miners wont return to a dead rock)

It’s much better to have a NAN with you BUT make sure your Nan has his SHIELDS and MISSILES unloaded as well or the Nan will wreck your fun.

INTS can be fun to have for help. They can boost-ram you and get you to base VERY fast. (just watch out that you don’t get pushed into the green door before you lower the shields, or rammed off course by the well meaning INT pilot..........

Good Luck

Also, research and read up on GA's (Global Attributes) and how they affect speed, damage, signature, etc.