They are designed to fight the support Cruisers such as the Guardian. Those frigates are going to do optimum damage against them, and I'd say an overall greater damage than the Assailant... that is, of course, if the skirmishers can get into range. It's not like the Skirmisher's are obsolete because you have the Assailants. Every ship has a purpose. https://forums.sinsofasolarempire.com/?forumid=404&aid=177607As you can see, the Standard frigates possess anti-heavy weapons... and according to the manual, we know that the Guardian uses heavy armor. Of course, the Skirmisher can also acquire the ability to steal anti-matter.
Vs. Heavy Armor,
Kanrak AssailantCash: 360
Metal: 55
Crystal: 35
Supply: 6
Shields: 340
Armor: 2 Light
Hull: 600
DPS: 9.75 Shield-Negating Area-Effect(w. Charged Missiles)
Range: 7000(w. Charged Missiles) or 6800(normal)
Upgrades: Charged Missiles
Antimatter: 0
Ravastra SkirmisherCash: 420
Metal: 70
Crystal: 0
Supply: 7
Shields: 440
Armor: 3 Medium
Hull: 700
DPS: 13.125
Range: 3500
Upgrades: Cripple Abilities, Reintegration
Antimatter: 0
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Upon analysis, it is correct that Skirmishers do deal better damage against Guardians. But there are 2 problems:
1. Getting within firing range.
2. Getting past the Guardians' shields.
Problem 1 can be solved with micromanagement, and using the Cripple Abilities upgrade to knock out the Repulsion field. Problem 2 can be solved by fleeting the Skirmishers with high-tech Stilakus Subverters and using the Subverters' 25% shield-negation buff to fire 1 in 4 Pulse Gun shots straight through the shields, bypassing mitigation and regeneration to kill the Guardians.
So the Ravastras have a role after all. Interesting. Neither fighters nor bombers can pop them with ease, so all one has to do is bring along some Lasuraks or a Skirantra, loaded with heavy fighters, shoot down the weakling Advent drones, and then pound out their carriers with bombers, long-range frigates, and/or heavy cruisers.
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Advent Fighter Drones call for Hull, Armor, and Laser upgrades.
The Advent main fleet urges for Hull, Shields, Beam, Laser and Antimatter upgrade. Thus, harmony is broken because the warships overrule and the Advent end up running around with swarms of unarmored fighters with an hp boost and wielding psi-lasers, since Advent don't understand the concept of armor.
Vasari Fighters call for Hull, Armor, and Phase Missile upgrades.
The Vasari main fleet requires Hull, Armor, Phase Missile, Wave Cannon and Antimatter boosts. Thus, the Vasari eventually end up with a couple of tough, heavily armored, extra-quick fighters with upgraded missile warheads. In their own territory, they can win a fighter-vs.-fighter squadron duel against the Advent without taking any losses, and in enemy territory, they'd lose 1 fighter(24 seconds rebuild) for 9 enemy drones(108 seconds rebuild).
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Of course, the fighter combat results would only show so brightly when both sides have teched up, so either grab high-tech ships(Transporter, Enforcer, Subverter) and equipment(NME Warheads, Atomic Lattice Armor) or build Sentinel flaks to defend from fighters.
