Ever wonder what hit you and dropped you dead when that little green dot appeared?
Look no farther then here, as today I will be sharing the data I have collected on the CAS weaponry from over 20 missions as a CAS pilot and a fuckton of observing, so strap in.
First, lets talk about the most common CAS strike weapon used,
The standard ammo GAU-21 gun run:
► Show Spoiler
The bread and butter of CAS, This 30mm BRRRRT gun is used to turn a 5x5 area into a T1 death zone. Good CAS pilots will always have gun runs during CAS runs, but ROBUST transport pilots will do gun runs during transport. Due to this you should always be on your toes even if a CAS run recently ended, you still need to be ready for surprise transport gun run as well.
DETAILS:
Impact time(Time from firing to impact on the ground) : 2-4 seconds
Damage: 1 hit = Crited or very low HP Young Runner.
Ammo used per burst: 20
Avg ammo used per CAS run : 100-140
Total ammo per crate : 200
Accuracy(average deviation from CAS laser dot): 4 tiles
AoE(Area of Effect): 5x5
Cost to buy (From Fab): 200 points
Pros:
Great area denial
Good damage per hit
Ammo is common as all fuck (If you somehow manage to use up all of the available ammo then you have either done something very right or very wrong.)
Usable in transport mode
Good vs T1 eh vs T2
Stuns if it directly hits a mob
Cons
20 shots per burst have to cover a 25 tile area, I.E some tiles in that 5x5 area won't get hit
Not very effective at attacking targets directly
Pretty much useless vs T3s (minus the hivelord)
Next is a somewhat under used upgraded ammo type, the High velocity (HV) GAU-21 rounds:
► Show Spoiler
The upgraded ammo type for the 30mm GAU, used to cover the same 5x5 area, but with double the bullets that are not only faster, but also do more damage.
DETAILS:
Impact time : 1-3 seconds
Damage: Cuts through T1s like butter, Insta-Crits most T1s
Ammo used per burst: 40
Avg ammo used per CAS run : 200-300
Total ammo per crate : 400
Accuracy: <1 Tile away
AoE: 5x5
Cost to buy: 400
Pros:
Full area denial (Whole 5x5 area covered)
Mows through T1s and T2s.
More bullets per burst (40)
More bullets overall (400)
Usable in transport mode
Stuns on impact
Cons:
400 points per ammo crate (13 minutes)
Mows through Marines like paper
Still pretty bad vs T3s
Ammo gets used up pretty quickly
Next up is the other common CAS weapon: Mini-pods!
► Show Spoiler
Mini-pods or as I like to call them, CAS Grenade launchers. They act as finishers most of the time, giving that last bit of damage needed to finish off a target, they have good accuracy and have somewhat common ammo and somewhat good knockdown on hits.
DETAILS:
Impact time: 3-5 seconds
Damage: Good damage vs T1s, T2s + knockdown
Total ammo per stack : 6
Accuracy <4 tiles away
AoE: 4x4 on hit
Cost to Buy: 300
Pros:
Knockdown
Common ammo (6 stacks at start of round(
Goodish damage
Somewhat quick
Somewhat rapid fire.
Cons:
Knockdown is pretty short
Only really good for finishing off targets
Ammo drys up quickly
Not usable on transport
The mini-pods also have an "upgraded" ammo type, it's move of side grade but whatever, they are the Incendiary Minirockets
► Show Spoiler
Incendiary minirockets work just like incendiary mortars, granted with a lot less alpha damage and splash
DETAILS:
Impact time: 3-5 seconds
Damage: Good damage on a direct impact vs T1s and T2s, other than that the fire's DOT
Total ammo per stack : 6
Accuracy: <4 tiles away
Cost: 500
Pros:
Knockdown + on fire on a direct hit
Great at making crushers fear the red dot
Good amount of ammo for a fire type
Cons:
Is near useless on damaging anything not within a tile of the impact zone
Expensive
You could just by a Napalm with those points
We now come to most versatile CAS weapon, the rocket pod.
Which comes with 5 different missiles/Bombs to use, first is the Keeper II GBU
► Show Spoiler
Think of this as a M5 RPG AP rocket on steroids. It's quick, hits extremely hard, and has great accuracy.
DETAILS:
Impact time :3-5 seconds
Damage: Gibs pretty much everything that isn't a T3, crits low T3s, High T3s and Queen lose at least 1/2 of there HP + knockdown
Total available at start of round : 4
Accuracy: <1 Tile
AoE = 3x3 on hit
Cost to buy: 300 points
Pros:
ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING DAMAGE
Fastest Bomb/Missile for missile pod
Turns T1s and T2s into powder and gibs
Turns boilers and crushers into gibs
Slashes at least 1/2 HP on most high T3s and Queens
Great accuracy
Somewhat cheap to buy if you run out (300 points)
Cons:
Smallest AoE of all the Bombs/Missiles
Requires good timing between SLs and POs for good hits
Turns marines to gibs if they get hit
Next up is the Banshee AGM:
► Show Spoiler
Want to light a 7x7 area into a flash fire pit? look no farther then the Banshee.
DETAILS:
Impact time 4-6 seconds
Damage: Turns every living thing that isn't a Queen or Rav into flames
Total available at start of round : 4
Accuracy: <3 tiles
AoE: 7x7
Cost to buy: 300
Pros:
Great clearing out weeds
Great for making the whole hive turn and run from fire
Great for taking on crusher + boiler combos
Double with Widowmakers for fire memes
Cons:
Eh accuracy
Great for making the whole marine force turn and run from fire
Somewhat slaking in insta damage
Fire doesn't last,
Ravs and Queens will laugh at you
The Widowmaker :
► Show Spoiler
Want to knockdown everything you see? look no farther then the Widowmaker.
DETAILS:
Impact time: 4-6 seconds
Damage: Ehhhhh, Good vs T1 the real damage is the mass knockdown
Total available at start of round : 4
Accuracy: <3tiles
AoE: 8x8
Cost to buy : 300
Pros:
SUPER KNOCKDOWN (6x6)
Great for the start of marine charges,
Great for breaking Xeno choke points that aren't in caves
Good vs T1s
Double with Banshees for fire memes
Good at destroying resin walls
Cons:
SUPER FRIENDLY FIRE
Somewhat lacking in direct damage
Now for the Fab missiles, First is the Fatty SM-17
► Show Spoiler
Wanna turn every Marine, T1, and T2 that is in view of the red dot into powder?
DETAILS:
Impact time : 6-8 seconds
Damage: Massive at impact point, still noteworthy even at farthest point of the AoE
Total available at start of round : 0
Accuracy: <3 tiles
AoE: at least 12x12
Cost to buy: 450
Pros:
Massive AoE and damage
Great for taking out huge sections of dug in xenos
Turns T1s and T2s into gibs if within 6x6 of impact point
Turns T3s into gibs if within 3x3 of impact point
Destroys pretty much any walls in the way
Cons:
Want to kill half of the marine force on a bad laser?
Slowest CAS weapon of them all
Expensive
The XN-99 Napalm
► Show Spoiler
]Welcome to Nam.
DETAILS:
Impact time :5-7 seconds
Damage: Huge AoE, lights anything within it on fire
Total available at start of round : 0
Accuracy: <3 tiles
AoE: at least 12x12
Cost to buy: 500
Pros:
Massive AoE fireball
Great for taking out huge areas of the hive along with xenos
Crushers will fear you
Cons:
Ravs and Queens will really laugh at you.
Wanna light the marine force on fire?
Really fucking expensive
Lastly we have Beam laser:
► Show Spoiler
Word of warning, Some pilots will beat the shit out of you if they see you with this. (Update it's no longer complete trash, still some pilots will beat the shit out of you)
DETAILS:
Impact time: 0-1 seconds (Instant)
Damage: Great if the laser hits anything + lighting targets on fire
Accuracy: 0 tiles (Always right on top of red dot)
Ammo: 200
Ammo used per brust: 10
AoE: a 6x6 square of fire
Cost to buy (+ammo) : 800
Pros
If timed right Xenos will have no time to react
Great damage on hit
Lights targets on fire
Great at ammo efficiency
Excellent area denial
Predictable
Cons
FUCKING EXPENSIVE AS ALL FUCKING HELL
Pilot mains MAY judge the shit out of you
Using this tips you can create a smart and devastating loadout that will make the red dot feared among the hive and your enemies,
and with a good SL giving good lazes you can expect drops like this:
https://gfycat.com/PleasingLittleErmine