Spire-Operations.md

title	description	published	date	tags	editor	dateCreated
Spire Operations	Spire site guide	true	2024-08-04 21:13:57 UTC		markdown	2024-05-28 07:24:13 UTC

Spire Operations

Spires are planetside structures in specific thargoid controlled systems. Spire operations assist in the progressing of the broader thargoid war.

Why should I go there?

Spire operations offer great synergy for personal benefit and for the wider thargoid war effort.

• Winning the war - Spire sites are logistics bases for the thargoids. Combat there affects the thargoids' war effort. Directly, thargoid kills at active spire sites reduce the influence of thargoid Titans on the 10 outermost systems under the Titan's control, to a maximum of 85% recaptured, or if the system with the spire in it is one of those ten, it can be 100% recaptured with spire operations. Other methods of recapturing systems are far less effective and only affect one system at a time. With the forthcoming changes in patch 18.05 the limit of 10 systems is anticipated to be removed, meaning spire operations will be even more strategically important.

• Making credits - Spire operations can offer substantial credit rewards. Even with the reduction in combat bonds introduced in patch 18.05 reducing bonds from destroying Orthrus interceptors from 40 million to 15 million credits, it's possible to earn several hundred million credits per hour in an effective and organsied spire group.

• Getting engineering materials - Spire sabotage missions can also offer "Odyssey" (on-foot) engineering materials as rewards.

What can I do at spire sites?

There are two major activities at spire sites, both of which significantly contribute to the war effort.

• Ship-based combat - Destroying thargoid craft at spire sites pushes back the war front from each Titan. You will encounter large numbers of the passive Orthtrus interceptors, as well as other craft explained in detail below.

• Spire sabotage - An Odyssey (on-foot) activity which requires gathering materials and taking missions from Rescue Megaships to poison parts of the four spires, destroying them and causing waves of powerful thargoid interceptors to spawn.

Thargoids present at spire sites

Like any military logistics base, spire sites are patrolled and guarded by a variety of defenders. You can expect to see some form of resistance to attack from the air and the ground. Enemies you will encounter will normally consist of:

• Revenant - A small (infantry-level) thargoid combat drone. Revenants can be damaged with hand-held weapons.

• Banshee - A thargoid surface craft, equivalent in size and capability to a human skimmer. Eight will be present in each instance when first entered. Banshees fire missiles which cause short-term shutdowns to human ship systems, as well as homing mines which detonate shortly after attaching, and a forward facing cannon. They have limited flight capability and can be destroyed with ship-based and on-foot weapons. For ship-based combat it is possible to clear out banshees from an instance and "hold it open" by ensuring the instance remains occupied by one CMDR whilst another resupplies. Banshees will eventually respawn but only in instances which have been running for extensive periods of time (around 12 hours).

• Scout - Scout packs will spawn in occasionally when summoned by a thargoid under attack, and also each time an interceptor wakes out after being attacked, or emits a shutdown field.

• Orthrus - A thargoid logistics ship, used to transporting resources and other general support activities. Whilst they have no direct offensive capabilities, their defensive shutdown fields and anti-guardian fields can be disruptive.

• Cyclops - Cyclops can occasionally be summoned by an under-attack orthrus instead of a pack of scouts.

• Basilisk - A basilisk can spawn if someone is undertaking spire sabotage.

• Medusa - A pack of medusas will spawn if a spire is completely sabotaged.

Please see our thargoids page for a more in-depth explanation thargoid craft types.

"Inbound" and "outbound" orthrus - what's the difference?

Orthrus are called “inbound” and “outbound” because they either spawn in and head into, or spawn from inside of, the main spire. Although all orthrus use the same defensive status effects, the way in which they use them, and the timing, changes. This is important because in large groups, high gravity environments, or mid-fight with a cyclops, an unexpected shutdown or anti-guardian field can have an adverse effect on many CMDRs at the same time.

• Inbound - These spawn in via a frame shift wake, which looks like a black cloud. They are not ordinarily hostile on sensors if you are more than 2km away, although can be if you are closer when they spawn. They will patrol around the area a little while before eventually heading into the main spire. When they make the decision to head into the spire they are called “runners” (see below).

• Runners - Are inbound orthrus who are about to dock in the main spire. They can be identified by their heading to one of the cardinal points in line with the spire portals at an altitude of about 6km, and making fine course corrections. Running orthrus will not trigger their shutdown or anti-guardian fields when engaged, and can be rammed off course with sufficient mass and speed, to prevent them docking in the main spire. When rammed, their petals flash red, and their AI appears to interrupt for around 20 seconds. This gives CMDRs free time to do lots of damage.

• Outbound - These spawn from the portals on the main spire, which will open and glow yellow when an outbound orthrus is about to exit. Outbound orthrus Will head to about 10km altitude and wake out of the site. They are hostile on sensors and will “proximity aggro” if they detect your ship, firing shutdown and anti-Guardian fields. Range and ship temperature are both factors in detection.

All orthrus interceptors' shields will gradually decay, as with all other interceptor types. Orthrus, uniquely amongst interceptors, will fire an anti-Guardian field at the same time as the routine interceptor shutdown field, when egnaged. They will then try to climb to about 10k altitude to wake out. This includes runners after their AI resets. Orthrus can also “panic shield”, re-shielding to 100%, when rapid burst damage is applied to their hull. Contrary to popular belief and misconception, this is not related to lasing an orthrus' hull.

An "inbound" orthrus will emit a call a few seconds before pulsing its shutdown and anti-guardian fields, and your ship's system information panel will also warn you of the impending threat. "Outbound" orthrus however will often not do so, so situational awareness is important.

Orthrus anti-guardian fields

Shutdown and anti-guardian fields are separate, despite both occurring at the same time. A shutdown field can be countered with timely use of a shutdown field neutraliser and sufficient energy in SYS in your capacitor. The only known counter to an anti-guardian field is to engineer weapons with Ram Tah. Given the strongest weapons for spire combat are the pre-engineered guardian plasma chargers, which cannot be engineered in this way, common practice is to simply accept the risk of being affected by an anti-guardian field and to equip an auto-field maintenance unit to repair weapons if (when) damaged.

It's not understood who gets targeted by the anti-guardian field or why. Tests have disproven a link between receiving the anti-guardian field damage and doing damage to the target, as well as ship thermal signature, and proximity to the target. the anti-guardian field has a range of about 10km radius and the only way to stop it, once it affects your ship, is to either kill the relevant orthrus or to outrange it.

A poorly timed anti-guardian field can render a potent ship useless at an inopportune moment. For example, if one CMDR is fighting a cyclops and another engages an orthrus, the anti-guardian field could affect the weapons being used to fight the cyclops, eventually rendering them unusuable. The CMDR fighting the cyclops now has no defence other than to run, or rely on wingmates to finish the job.

Ship-based combat roles

The general principle of ship-based combat is to destroy as many Orthrus as you can, as quickly as you can. This is best achieved in a wing with the capability to counter any of the potential threats on-site. This will include the following roles:

• Bomber - A ship with anti-Xeno missiles can make short work of the banshees and their disruptive shutdown missiles, as well as providing strong damage to interceptor shields and hulls.

• Fighter - A ship with anti-Xeno multi-cannons can effectively deal with the scouts which spawn regularly and, whilst individually a mere nusiance, can in numbers become a problem. Fighters can also engage and destroy interceptor hearts with ease.

• Heavy weapons - A ship with a good power plant and distributor can bring guardian weapons to bear, which are particularly effective against thargoid interceptors but are vulnerable to the orthrus' anti-guardian field. Guardian weapons need to be either engineered by Ram Tah to be able to withstand this, or you will need to bring an auto field maintenance unit to repair them from time to time.

• Support - A ship with a large hold full of limpets and a repair limpet controller is always welcome at a spire site. There is also a limited role for a ship with conconrdant and regeneration sequence lasers, as shielded builds are not common at spire sites.

It's generally not possible to equip a single ship to be able to carry out all of these roles for a sustained period of time, due to ammunition consumption. As a consequence, spire operations are typically a wing-based activity.

Please see our recommended builds page for a more in-depth explanation of suggested spire combat builds.

Ship-based combat etiquette

Consensus amongst existing CMDRs has established a common etiquette for ship-based combat at spire sites, which consists of the following:

• Use voice comms - It's not mandatory but use of the voice channels in the Anti-Xeno Initiative Discord server vastly improves player experience and eases communication between all CMDRs present.

• fly co-operatively - spire operations are normally a multiplayer activity. If present in a mutliplayer environment, be co-operative, and don't make decisions on others' behalf.

• Agree a common approach - The ability to destroy an outbound orthrus, which spawns with full shields and will wake out quickly, depends on the amount of firepower available. Have this conversation with other CMDRs before engaging one.

• Use common terms - As well as "inbound", "outbound", "runner" and "clops", common methods used to indicate targets includes the clock ray method, taking the centre of the courtyard between the spires as the centre of the clock face, and the main spire as the 12 o'clock direction. Alternatively, approximate bearings, also from the centre of the courtyard, is effective.

• Laser pointing - Beam lasers are often used to indicate the rough direction of a planned target. Lasers shouldn't be fired on the actual target until the group is ready to engage.

If you're stll unsure of what to do, then ask for a wing invite in Discord, or simply just turn up and follow the lead of others.

Target priority

the target posing the greatest challenge should be taken first, and after that, the target with the least remaining time on the clock. these should be:

• Banshees - Their disruptive shutdown mssiles prevent you from piloting your ship. They should be the first target, and cover from scouts needs to be provided to CMDRs using their missiles to destroy banshees.

• Cyclops - The shutdown field on spawn,and on the destruction of its third heart, is a nuisance and can cause fall damage in a high gravity environment, as well as rendering its target very vulnerable to attack. If a cyclops is on the field it is everyone's priority to destroy.

• Scouts - These can do fair damage in numbers, as well as firing caustic missiles and destroying repair limpets. They should be cleared out regularly.

• Orthrus - With no offensive capability these should be the last target, but beware of triggering shutdown fields and anti-guardian fields by getting too close to outbound orthrus whilst fighting other thargoids.