If I want to get behind someone, and we are going head on, I'll hit full thrust and afterburners, then when they get to where I'm at, I hit reverse thrust, let go of afterburners, and turn over vertically, not turn around horizontally, since seeing a ship oriented differently to theirs seems to disorient your enemy sometimes. If they are behind me, I usually just hit reverse thrusters and let them zoom past, I also usually drop a mine as they fly past. If theyre behind you and shooting at you, the above could work, but another technique is to drop a mine, and use afterburners to fly up and loop behind them, if you have a better handling ship than theirs, this has an approximately 75% success rate.

Thanks. What is the most popular tactic for dueling?

I wouldn't think many tactics would be 'popular' different strokes for different folks..... Everyone has their own way of flying................... However small the difference may be.

Fly it like you stole it.

If you use any tactic, trick, or maneuver more than once or twice in a fight a good opponent will spot it, anticipate it, and kill you the next time you do it.

If I was dog fighting and my enemy always did Immelman’s and split esses I will notice and correct for it. Neither of those maneuvers have much meaning in this game but the principle is the same. Don’t be predictable.


Ne frustra vixisse videar

You dirty Flight Sim nut Doc

But yeah, he's right. Anticipate, look for the enemy doing the same move over and over, even if it's all different variations, its not hard.

I personally fly like a drunk, or so I'm told by people who are in formation with me when I fight. To me, this style is necessary, since I'm in a Valkyrie, and getting hit by powerful ships means death, so I need to not get hit. I fly evasively and work to get behind my enemy. You would use a more offensive and headstrong flight style if you were in a VHF.