i saw someone else doing this, they said it only really works with advent scouts but he swore by it. it seemed to work

This doesn't work. I've tried it many times and found it to be navel-gazing theoryism.

I did the maths, using the numbers on the soasewiki but there are some question marks...

I assume approx 3,5 credits per unit crystal or metal

all ships regen shield at 1/s and hull at 0,33/s during combat, mitigation subtracts a further 15% from this, I have chosen not to count with increased mitigation since damage under 12,5 DPS doesn't increase mitigation

I assume that antilight gets 200% against LRM shields and armour making 6 DPS for the seeker, after regen that makes it 5 DPS against shield and 4,66 DPS against armour

I assume each point armour subtracts 5% total damage

I assume antimedium gets 100% against seekers making 11 DPS for the LRM and 13 DPS for the Kanrak respectively, down below are regen corrected values

LRM does 10 DPS against shields and 9.66 against armour

Kanrak does 12 DPS against shields and 11.66 against armour

hp = hitpoints (shield + hull(armour included)) bt = build time s = supply

Javelis LRM cost 275 $ 45 M 25 C approx 520$ hp 805 (280 + 525) bt 21 s 4

Kanrak cost 400 $ 65 M 45 C approx 785$ hp 1020 (360 + 660) bt 23 s 6

Seeker cost 200$ hp 865 (425 + 440) bt 13 s 2

Ship firing at Ship, time for shields to drop, time for hull to explode, time to die

1 seek vs 1 Jav 280/5 = 56 s 525/4,66 = 112,66 s 168,66 s
2,6 seek vs 1 Jav 280/13 = 21,5 s 525/12.12 = 43,33 s 64,83 s

1 jav vs 1 seek 425/10 = 42,5 s 440/9,66 = 45,54 s 88,04 s

1 seek vs 1 kanr 360/5 = 72 s 660/4,66 = 141,63 s 213,63 s
3,9 seek vs 1 kanr 360/19,5 = 18,46 s 660/18,17 = 36,32 s 54,78 s

1 kanr vs 1 seek 425/12 = 35,42 s 440/11,66 = 37.73 s 73,15 s

so from this table it can be surmised that a single seeker never stands a chance but given that is is cheaper than both LRMs we can assume a numerical superiority, resource equivalence seems to be 2,6 seekers per Javelis and 3,9 per every Kanrak.

Break even damagewise (where you expect 1 seeker to pop for every LRM) seems to be 1,9 seekers per Javelis and 2.9 seekers per kanrak

Not only do the numbers add up you end with a financial net gain.

So to sum it up, seekers seem to be a viable LRM spam counter, but they are severely lacking against almost everything else (useful against siege, colony and constructors for whatever it is worth...)

Let the seeker spam begin!

please specify what doesn't work, seekers as a counter to LRMs or seekers suiciding their way to glory and martyrdom?

the above numbers would suggest otherwise...

well, given an income around 20 $/s I will make more $ / buildtime than the actual seeker costs, if I want to produce from two shipyards simultaneously then everything tilts towards your version, the whole idea is to not trade away minerals and crystal and instead use them directly

The goal of using seekers instead of defence vessels as LRM counter is to be able to put down harmony labs in the beginning and get early trade.

I'd love to try this out against a good player, knowing HuntingX's penchant for practice over theory I'm willing to fight him 1v1 on a small map, parameters being established prior to the fight. So far I've been running over bootloads of mediocre TEC players using this strat but it remains to be seen if it holds up to someone who knows how to micro...

I use the handle GSV ingame, see you there

well, it has been proven that I don't know how to micro, what we actually established though is that HuntingX knows how to sova rush a small map and I don't know how to counter that...

The Sova was cosmetic. I could have easily won with any other Tec capital ship.

A battle of lrms vs seekers in the middle of nowhere is pretty stupid. The LRMs should never spend their time FIGHTING the seekers. Just kill everything else.

two responses are possible to that sova rush, and it depends on how ballsy you are.

1) defend yourself, just build defense vessels, they'll counter the LRMs and blow up the Sova's squadrons. eventually you can try to blow up (or at least chase off) the Sova with your Radiance.

2) counter-attack. send your cap ship (and some disciples or something) to HIS home planet and try blow up the frigate yard. you'll get hurt pretty bad too so its a gamble and a race to see who recovers more quickly or who ducks out of the game of chicken first.

So turn it on.