Londos' Lightning School

Londo

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Nov 19, 2012
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Overview of the Lightning

The Basics:

Crew required: 1
Cost: 350
Armour: 4000

Overview: The Lightning Light Tank

The Lightning light tank is a fast, agile yet fragile armoured force multiplier. It does not require a connection to a techplant to pull. The Lightning can fill the role of artillery support, tank hunter and anti-aircraft protection screen.

The Lightning has near universal application on the battlefield, best employed in packs via flanking maneuverers, the Lightning is nevertheless formidable even when employed individually and in a head on assault role.

Variants:

It is important to note that the term ‘Lightning’ applies to the vehicle chassis – the body not the armament / loadout of the tank.
The Lightning comes with multiple turret attachments that are designed to fulfil specific battlefield roles.

Anti-Infantry: L100 Python HESH

HESH Lightnings are primarily designed to use against infantry targets. Both its direct and indirect damage (within 1mtr of target) make it a perfect suppression or farming weapon. Best employed from angles where you can fire at the surface near a target, using the HESH in this way ensures that even close misses can result in kills. Perfect for infantry heavy situations, the HESH Lightnings ability allows you to stand off and splash enemy troops within a building via shooting into doorways, windows, at ceilings, floors etc – with the bonus of destroying enemy mines placed outside of your direct line of sight.

Equally, the HESH lightning excels in open (non siege) play against advancing or hidden enemy infantry. Well placed shots near enemy troops in cover will either flush them out into the open for a clean kill -- or should they remain in place, achieve the same kill result via splash damage.

The key to the HESH Lightning is simple: Does your situation require you to shoot should be at the target or near the target? Can you directly hit the target for a single shot kill - or would you be better served using splash to effectively engage targets that you cant see? This is a key element of HESH use. You know they are there – put a round in, watch the bloom, adjust and repeat.

Anti-Armour: L100 Python AP

The AP Lightning is the light tank answer to Anti-armour warfare. Unlike the HESH, the AP Lightning relies upon direct hits on target to inflict meaningful damage.

AP Lightnings should never be used as a splash weapon, instead use them as a ranged vehicle sniper weapon or a mobile anti-tank hunter. AP Lightnings excel when operated in Wolf Packs – A group of coordinated AP Lightnings, moving together, using hit and run tactics to engage enemy armour. In this capacity, the AP Lightning can harass, circle and overwhelming opposing enemy armour. When fighting massed enemy vehicles in this way, the AP Lightnings speed is key – keep moving! Assault, flank, swing around, encircle and get out. Reform and repeat.

The AP Lightnings speed in combination with its AP capability allows it to hunt down retreating or cut off enemy vehicles, swoop in and eliminate enemy support elements like repair buses, or simply outmanoeuvre enemy armour and engage them from a position of strength. Key to remember – when using the AP Lightning as part of a larger wolf pack formation, aggression is king.

Multi-Purpose: L100 Python HEAT

HEAT lightnings seek to provide a middle ground between AP and HESH. HEAT Lightnings have the fastest reload speed of all Lightning variants. In theory, this allows you to put more fire down on a target in a shorter space of time than either the AP, HESH or VIPER models. Therefore, while it doesn’t pack the same raw punch as AP, its reload speed actually provides it with a better time to kill against vehicles – provided you don’t miss.

This can become more of an issue at range given that HEAT rounds move much slower than AP rounds, making it harder to hit targets that are dipping in and out of cover while firing at you. Equally, while HEAT has better splash damage than AP, it lacks the raw direct and indirect damage of HESH. HEAT is never a substitute for HESH when your primary goal is to kill infantry. For the experienced Lightning driver, HEAT can be a valuable tool.

Multi-Purpose: VIPER

For this guide -- and its specific intended audience – I would recommend avoiding the VIPER Lightning. Recommended for experienced Lightning drivers only.

Anti-Air: SKYGUARD

The SKYGUARD Lightning is a Ground to Air build – designed to engage enemy aircraft at close to mid range, the SKYGUARD provides essential air defence against for your armour group. Often undervalued, the impact that a SKYGUARD can have on the battlefield is immense. Not only will SKYGUARDS deter enemy aircraft from attacking vulnerable ground targets, they also act as a mobile air screen for our own friendly pilots.

Benefit and Focus Air:
Our airwing will be aware of where you (our armour formation) are located. As a SKYGUARD driver you allow them to either retreat into the safety of our air cover or drag enemy aircraft into aerial kill zones.

Benefit and Focus: Ground:
Without air protection you are vulnerable. While a Sunderer with a AA loadout packs more punch than a SKYGUARD, it also requires three times the number of players to operate. SKYGUARDS are virtually combat ineffective against other ground targets and totally ineffective against enemy heavy armour – it is recommended that you do not engage ground vehicles while in a SKYGUARD - instead rely on your fellow Lightnings to provide protection for you and in return provide air defence for them.
 
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Toumal

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Oct 9, 2017
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What degrees do you offer? Is there a path to a doctorate available? Is there a tuition fee and if so, is it tax deductible? Can I apply my SteelBeasts Pro PE experience and skip semesters?