So how do the Cluster Warheads actually work?

from Sins Forums

Is it just me, or is the in-game description of this ability a little vague? Does this ability deal damage to all frigates around the LRF for a short while (if you hover over the button, a small purple ring appears around the unit, I don't really have an idea what else it would indicate), or does the regular attack gain splash damage when using Cluster Warheads? I messed around a bit with this ability, but I couldn't figure it out. Also, how long does it last?

No site I've found seems to really answer these questions, so could someone here give me a little breakdown?

strategy
6,609 views 10 replies
Reply #1 from Sins Forums Top

Here is exactly how it works:

For 25 seconds (60 second cooldown), each time your Javelis fires, up to 6 ships/buildings within range of the target (radius is 1200) receive 10 points of damage.

I'll put my usual disclaimer that my files at work are a bit outdated (and I'm too lazy to get the current ones), but I don't believe the ability has changed at all so the values should be correct.

Reply #2 from Sins Forums Top

Aha, so it only has a very tiny range then? I guess I'll have to charge my LRMs in next time to gain a benefit from this ability then. Thanks for the answer.

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Reply #3 from Sins Forums Top

Well by comparison the range of Kol's beams is 5000. So for the purposes of the ability 1200 around the target isn't terribly tiny. Again, it's ships around the target, not around the LRM ;)

Reply #4 from Sins Forums Top

Yeah but the 10 damage is not a lot because it's 10 damage per shot not per second.

Reply #6 from Sins Forums Top

I have a feeling you misunderstood and are thinking the radius is reffering to the LRM using the ability. It is a radius around whatever you are shooting at (think the missiles explode bigger when they hit the bad guy), with the rockets doing splash damage to the target and whatever happened to be near the target.

Reply #7 from Sins Forums Top

Also, surrounding ships tend to have very low mitigation values. Because of this, even a small amount of area damage can scale up VERY quickly. By the time that damaged ship gets targeted directly, its mitigation will have time to go down, and thus it will take even more damage.

The buff lasts 25 seconds, giving the LRM a chance to do it 3-4 times. Multiply that by 50 LRMs, and the damage boost is nothing to sneeze at.

Reply #8 from Sins Forums Top

Okay, I understand now. I got a little confused because of the purple ring that appears around the LRM when you hover your mouse over the ability. I guess this ring just indicates the splash area of the rockets when they hit the target.

Thanks for the reactions.

Reply #9 from Sins Forums Top

The buff lasts 25 seconds, giving the LRM a chance to do it 3-4 times. Multiply that by 50 LRMs, and the damage boost is nothing to sneeze at.

 

How do you get all 50 to do it at the same time?  Does it work like that if you've 'stacked' the fleet?

 

Reply #10 from Sins Forums Top

does it really matter that they all do it at exactly the same time, as long as they all do it in relatively close proximity in time? the auto-cast behavior basically works this way.