I like Scorpions as well, they are great for starting out with and easy to get off Xenos. You can get advanced scorpion, then tarantula and adv tarantula, up to cl6. They're not very easy to get though unless you either get friendly with xenos or kill a lot of level 11 xeno hawks in Bering or Hudson which is tricky at the beginning of the game. Adv scorpions sometimes drop off level 4 xeno in colorado.

The outcast Pyros range have the same stats and they are easier to get, pyros 2 are on a few wrecks. Plus, the Pyros have turret versions and the scorpions don't.

In single player its useful to have a range of different gun types to counter different shields - the first few times I finished the game with 2x Pyros type 2, 2x Angelito Mk II and 2x Barrager Mk III for a photon, neutron, particle mix. Then later I tried a light fighter, rapid fire mix and got 4 Sunblast A's. Because of the shields you encounter in later missions (trying not to do a spoiler) this system works just as well.

Basically use what you enjoy, it always ends up with dead ships in the end. Half the fun is trying different things. I've begun to prefer loading up with 6x Skyblast B's over the higher damage slow "special" weapons. I just like pouring out a stream of death.

There are advanced Scorpians, when you see a Xeno patrol with startrackers in it they sometimes have these. There are no scorpian turrets. A weapon I liked for the SP was the Vulture weapons purshased at Kagoshima base in Kyushu. These are the most energy efficient in the whole game(until you get the higher level weapons after the story). I got a Drake and put 2 class 5 Vultures and 2 class 6 Vultures on it. It packed a good punch,could fire for 31-32 seconds continuously and could outmanuever everything . It made the final missions much easier, the Anubis couldn't hold a candle to this fighter. The Vultures don't have a turret version, but other weapons that do have turret counterparts usually have a higher range and speed with all other stats the same.

GMG Skyblasts(A and B, turret A and B ), and Corsair Tizona del Cid's are favorites of mine.

Cannonballs, Sunslayers, and Ripper mines are also nice ones(and I'll be damned if the Ripper mine doesn't make the coolest explosion ever)

Reaper: $200,000,000.
Rockets: $100,000
The look on that pilot's face when you launch a full pod of screamers up his tailpipe: priceless

Edited by - NukeIt on 06-06-2003 02:48:24

I completed the game about a month ago, but then had exams so had to stop playing...now I've come back to it, so I'm experimenting with various weapons and ships to see what I like the most. I've been thinking about buying a Dromedary, but my experiences with the Humpback put me off completely - freighters are evil! Still, the extra turrets are nice...allows a good mix of weapons.

Shinagawa -X-