INTRODUCTION

Just because someone fires a missile at you doesn't mean you have to get hit. Likewise, if you're losing a dogfight, there's no sense in hanging around to let your enemy finish you off. This is where defensive gear comes in handy.

Defensive gear includes countermeasures to prevent missiles from hitting you and equipment that helps you evade and escape from your enemy. Traders should take particular note of this page because you will end up using these items more than standard weaponry.

Captain Zedo's First Rule of Defense :

DON'T HESITATE ! If you're taking a beating, get out of there. Don't wait until your shields are gone and you've gotten some system damage. At that point you may be to weak to fight OR run. Run whenever you're having trouble landing shots or when your Cell is running low.

AS LONG AS YOU'RE ALIVE, YOU CAN ALWAYS COME BACK AND HAUNT YOUR ENEMIES !!

Otherwise -- Well, Game Over.

	TROJAN

DESCRIPTION : The Trojan is fitted and fired like any other cannon/missile. When fired it ejects a cargo container named "Minerals". This cargo is actually a bomb that will destroy any Moth picking it up. The idea is to use this to lure unsuspecting enemies to their demise. Think "Trojan Horse". These are very expensive and don't always work. You have to put some thought into using one. First, if there are a lot of Scavengers nearby, they may pick up the lethal cargo before your enemy does. If you've been fighting your enemy, he may still follow you as opposed to stopping to pick up the Trojan. I've had my best luck with Trojans by firing on right before jettisoning my cargo in a desparate situation. Oh, don't pick up the "Minerals" yourself. This is how I found out how the Trojan worked.

	FLARES

DESCRIPTION : Flares fire from the back of your Moth when you press the "f" key (by default). The flare heats up and attracts heat-seeking missiles. The missile then follows the flare instead of you. All of the missiles on Titan seem to be heat-seeking. I generally keep stocked up on Flares and fire them two or three at a time to evade missiles. All missiles are diverted to some extent by the use of Flares, but Flares are far from foolproof. You have to practice your timing as to when you fire your Flare. You want the missile to be pretty close to you. It's best to use Flares when your enemy is attacking from behind. They are of limited use in distracting a head-on missile.

	CHAFF

DESCRIPTION : Chaff is a packet of debris that you release by pressing the "r" key (by default). The packet exits the rear of your Moth and bursts into a cloud of debris between you and the missile heading toward you. The missile is (hopefully) detonated by the debris before it hits you. I've not given Chaff the credit it deserves. I've found a well timed Flare to be slightly more effective. However, Chaff doesn't require the timing that Flares do. Once the debris is dispursed, it stays in place over a broad area for a couple of seconds or better. Chaff does not attract the missile, rather it tries to trap the missile in a "debris field". If the missile doesn't enter the field, it won't be detonated. Make sure that a missile is directly behind you before launching Chaff. Chaff isn't particularly effective at stopping missiles head-on, but neither are Flares. Both are best used when your enemy is to your stern. Chaff has the benefit of doing minor shield and hull damage to Moths passing through the debris field. Launching several Chaff during an escape may just help you slow down an already damaged foe.

	HOLOGRAMS

DESCRIPTION : The Hologram is a holographic image of your ship that distracts your enemies fire while you escape or set up to attack. You fire a hologram by selecting it from your weapons' menu just like a cannon or missile. The image stays alive for seven seconds and is virtually foolproof at drawing and enemy's fire. Holograms can be offensively, too. Fire one after an initial attack and you'll have seven blissful seconds to fall in behind your enemy to finish him off. Seven seconds is like an eternity in a dogfight. You see a lot of Holograms (and GroundBase) in the online game. Game-generated pilots rarely, if ever, use them.

	AFTERBURNER

DESCRIPTION : The Afterburner acts like a booster rocket for your Moth increasing your speed to nearly 1000mph. It's selected from your weapons' menu and activated by firing the trigger. The extra speed lasts for around five seconds and really eats your Cell's energy. The Afterburner is best used to span a crater quickly to get away from an enemy. It is particularly effective for slower Moths. It recharges in around 20-30 seconds for a second burst. Second bursts are rarely needed. There are two glaring disadvantages to using the Afterburner: It takes excellent piloting skills to prevent bumping yourself to death. If you're escaping, you're probably already beaten up and can't afford to smack against buildings, Moths, or crater walls. The Afterburner requires some practice to use, but it's well worth the effort. It is easy to accidentally activate the Afterburner when cycling through your weapons in a dogfight. This almost always insures that you'll have to run off and come back to fight. Practice cycling through your weapons often. Make the cycling order part of your viscereal memory. It takes practice to use the Afterburner. Try to get high and make any necessary turns before activating it. It takes some really intensive throttle control to make it through a tunnel with the Afterburner activated. But, tunnel running with the Afterburner is great piloting practice.

	STARSHELLS

DESCRIPTION : Starshells are activated by pressing the "s" key. They exit your Moth and burn brightly for several seconds. They light up the area, but Infra-Red is a better way to see in the dark. Check out Infra-Red in my Software Section. StarShells cannot substitute for Flares. They just don't attract missiles. Believe me, I've tried with disatrous results. StarShells can make for a good emergency signal in an online game. If one of your wingmates fires one, you can head straight toward it while targeting. I've seen it used as a greeting signal in online games, too.

	MISSILE DEFENSE

Facing Missiles Head-On

Since countermeasures eject from the rear of your Moth, they are not particularly effective in stopping missiles that are coming in from dead ahead. This is a common situation when facing off with someone who has you targeted or when facing human opponents online. Don't worry, you can still evade the missile.

The key to evading a missile approaching off your nose is the missile's lack of agility. They are easily outmanuvered.

If you've got some distance between you and your enemy, nose up and to one side and fly that path for one-half to a full second. Then quickly nose back down and head straight for your opponent.

If done properly, this will cause the missile to go below you. Missiles don't have much turning capacity and you can outmanuver them. Anytime you successfully fly above, below, or around a missile, it is unlikely that the missile will regain a lock and continue to pursue you.

Anytime your manuvering puts the missile's approach to your rear or side, fire countermeasures.

Shoot the missile in a close-quarters dogfight. I've not been able to tartet a missile, but I have shot down Devastators and FireBurst in a close-quarters dogfight. Use a laser and sight the missile. Sighting the missile is the hard part. Now cut loose and the missile will be destroyed. Missiles don't detonate when shot down.

Captain Zedo's Picks Flares and Chaff are the best values on Titan. Keep them stocked up. I like to keep around twenty or thirty Flares on hand at all times if I can afford it. I used to use Holograms a lot in the offline game, but rarely do today. I use them extensively in online play (hee hee hee). I don't use the Afterburner much at all. It just confuses my weapons' cycling to the point of despair. I'd probably use it more if I could put it where I wanted it in my weapons' menu.

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