The video tests the bespoke distortion weapons for Vanguard ships in Star Citizen Alpha 4.5, demonstrating their effectiveness in quickly disabling enemy ships by exploiting large explosion radii and distortion damage, especially after shields are down. The creator highlights the strengths of both distortion cannons and repeaters, favoring repeaters for their faster fire rate and capacitor efficiency, and emphasizes the tactical advantage these weapons provide in combat scenarios.
In this video, the creator tests the bespoke distortion weapons available for the Vanguard ships in Star Citizen Alpha 4.5, focusing on both distortion cannons (EVSD cannon) and distortion repeaters (ATVS repeater). The ATVS repeater is the stock weapon for the Vanguard Sentinel, while the EVSD cannon can be purchased at various in-game locations. Both weapons are size two and can only be equipped as nose guns on any Vanguard variant. The video details their stats, including alpha damage, fire rate, ammo speed, range, explosion radius, ammo penetration, and capacitor usage, highlighting that both weapons deal only distortion damage with large explosion radii but limited penetration.
The testing begins with player ships, where the creator equips a Vanguard Hoplite with distortion cannons and a Vanguard Sentinel with distortion repeaters, both supplemented with size two laser repeaters and a size five absolution distortion scatter gun. The distortion cannons show a decent fire rate and significant distortion damage, quickly disabling a Paladin ship by exploiting the large explosion radius that affects components even when shooting at the ship’s nose. The distortion scatter gun, which fires eight slow bullets per shot and requires close range, adds substantial distortion damage but cannot be fired continuously without releasing the trigger.
Next, the distortion repeaters demonstrate a faster fire rate and similar effectiveness in disabling ships quickly. The creator notes that while the distortion cannons and repeaters can be fired continuously by holding the trigger, the distortion scatter gun requires repeated trigger presses, which complicates simultaneous use. The video emphasizes that in actual combat, players must first disable enemy shields before effectively using distortion weapons to shut down ships.
The video then shifts to testing against NPC ships, where the creator uses lasers to take down shields before switching to distortion weapons, which rapidly disable various ships such as Freelancers, Vanguards, Firebirds, Arrows, Gladius, Reliants, and Scorpius. NPC ships, unlike player ships, remain disabled permanently due to their inability to reassign power to components. The creator demonstrates the tactical advantage of distortion weapons in disabling enemy ships quickly, allowing for looting or destruction as part of mission objectives.
In conclusion, the creator finds the distortion weapons for the Vanguards to be powerful and enjoyable, with a personal preference for distortion repeaters due to their larger capacitor capacity and faster recharge rate. The video highlights the effectiveness of combining distortion weapons with other armaments and having a two-gunner setup to maximize combat potential. Overall, the bespoke distortion weapons significantly enhance the Vanguard’s combat capabilities in Star Citizen Alpha 4.5.