The Assault Ship class is one of the most rewarding classes to learn and fly in EVE:Valkyrie. Here are 8 tips to help you get acquainted with these nimble fighters.
Tip #1: Know your cockpit
The first tip seems a bit obvious, but it’s so important that I need to make it #1: Get to know your cockpit. Learn what all the little displays mean so you don’t have to think twice when you see them. Learn how to gauge how much capacitor you have, how fast you’re going, how to read your radar, whether your countermeasures are ready, how many missiles you’ve got available to you. Learn how to read your armor and shield indicators so you know how much damage you can take in a fight, or how long you might last at the carrier. All these things are important pieces of information that you can pick up with a glance so you can make decisions in a split second about whether to fight or flee.
Radar is especially important, and often overlooked. Your radar lets you know instantly if you’re alone or if you have company. It can tell you if someone is lining up on you for an assault cannon strafe, if anyone is near you as you dash for the Relic in Extraction, or if it’s safe for you to sit on your brakes to recharge your capacitor. It’s incredibly useful and puts you at an advantage over anyone who hasn’t learned to read it.
Tip #2: Know your ship’s abilities
Every ship in EVE:Valkyrie Warzone is unique. The obvious differences are in their physical appearance and in their primary weapons. However, take the time to dive deeper than that. Look at secondary weapons, special abilities, and Ultras too. For example, check out the differences between the seemingly identical missiles of the Yurei, Wraith and Strix. Not only do they have different explosive yields, they fly differently too. Know the ideal range of each of your ships’ weapons. They are not identical. Some are best at close range. Others at a distance. Having this type of intel can reward you with insights that can make or break your battle outcomes.
A good place to start on your research is the official source on ship data, the EVE:Valkyrie website:
https://www.evevalkyrie.com/ships
Many pilots fought hard for this data, so use it wisely.
And even though you can learn a lot from the ship database, there’s no substitute for real hands-on time in the cockpit. Get out there and fight some battles. Win or lose, you’re going to learn a little more about your ship from each engagement.
Tip #3: Don’t forget to roll
If you’ve come to Valkyrie from other games where you were stuck on the ground, it might not be apparent that rolling has any benefit. However, it’s critical in this game, especially for Assault ships. Rolling can increase your turn rate, allow you to slip through tight spaces, and enable you to match the maneuvers of even your most evasive prey. Flat turns are too slow and predictable to be competitive, and unless you add some dimension to your movement, you’ll end up being shattered like a clay pigeon at a skeet shooting tournament.
The controls for your ship’s roll will depend on the input device you’re using, but make sure you can use these controls at the same time you are boosting, braking and shooting. For example, when I’m using an XBox Controller, I use my index fingers on the shoulder buttons to roll, and my middle fingers on the triggers to fire. My thumb controls boosting and braking. This way, I have access to full flight and combat controls at all times.
Tip #4: Don’t give up on your enemies
… because they aren’t going to give up on you!
Giving up on a target is one of the most common mistakes I see rookie pilots make. They will start shooting at someone, then cease fire when that target ducks into cover. The problem with this is that their original target is still engaged with them. By giving up, the rookie has given their target the opportunity to regroup and return with a counterattack when the rookie is unprepared for it.
Even more dangerous is the habit of constantly swapping to the next, more enticing target before your original target is dead. Often, by firing at a number of targets in a row without finishing them, the rookie unwittingly creates an angry posse that will hunt them down and eliminate them.
Of course, there are exceptions to this rule. You may break off your engagement with a target if they are an AI and you are attacked by a human (AI seldom turn around and engage you if you stop pursuing them). You may also choose to prioritize a new attacker over your current target if the new attacker is more dangerous.
However, my advice is generally this: keep pursuing your target until one of you explodes.
Tip #5: Manage your capacitor
There aren’t many resources as important as your capacitor when it comes to dogfighting in EVE:Valkyrie. Your capacitor is what gives you the ability to boost. Boosting allows you to travel faster, maneuver sharply, and make your ship harder to hit. Speed is life for Assault ships. When your capacitor runs dry, you are stuck with two possible speeds: slow and slower. Neither of these is conducive to your survival in battle.
Consider how you use your capacitor so you can conserve it for when it’s really needed. For example, don’t just fly around holding down boost. You’ll soon be out of cap, usually just when an enemy shows up to dogfight. Check your capacitor level before you enter any dangerous situation, like attacking the carrier.
Fortunately, when your capacitor is low, you can replenish it easily. Coasting (not boosting), allows your capacitor to refill itself. If you hold your brake, your capacitor will regenerate faster than the normal rate. Just make sure you have found a safe spot away from enemies before you do this. Sitting on your brakes makes you a very juicy, easy target.
Incidentally, the Jackal’s Ultra ability gives it unlimited capacitor for a period of time. This ability, along with its overshield, makes it a pretty formidable tool for attacking enemy carriers!
Tip #6: Use the comms wheel
The comms wheel is a built-in system for communicating with your teammates. The key you use to activate it will differ depending on your control scheme, so check out your key bindings to learn how to bring it up. You might also want to check your game settings to make sure it is activated and its sounds are on too.
Once you’ve got it on screen, you can see that you can select from a number of quick messages to send to your teammates. You can ask for healing, ask for assistance, direct teammates to attack different control points, let them know you’re on your way, etc. These messages will be transmitted audibly and visually to your teammates. Just make sure to say “Thank you!” when you get a response. Just because you’re flying around in space doesn’t mean you get to forget your manners!
Tip #7: Don’t be afraid to die
This is a big one. Of course, no one likes to die, and I encourage you as much as possible to avoid it. However, dying is part of the learning process of EVE:Valkyrie. Every veteran pilot has died thousands of times. By the time I’d reached my one year anniversary with EVE:Valkyrie, I’d died over 7,300 times. That’s a lot of frozen Super Kev corpses!
Each time you die, think about what sent you back to the clone room. Was there anything different you’d do next time? Was there a way to avoid it? What sort of revenge is appropriate for the type of death you just endured? These are just some of the questions that can make each of your deaths productive and educational. And the more you learn about how you died, the less times it’ll happen to you. Funny how that goes.
Tip #8: Join the Community
One of the things that makes Valkyrie so engaging is its vibrant and supportive community. Do yourself a favor and get involved. The best way to interact is to join the community Discord. This is an unofficial, player-run service that offers text chat and voice comms. Pilots on all platforms and all levels connect on this Discord server for pre and post-game banter. The game takes on a whole other dimension when you get to know the people you’re blowing up. Plus, you’ll get to rub shoulders with some of the biggest names (and biggest egos) in the game. Find new squad mates, learn new tactics, or just share battle stories. There’s always something happening on the Valkyrie Discord.
Join us on the EVE:Valkyrie public Discord.
Here’s a tutorial on how it works:
That’s it for my tips, pilot! I hope you found them helpful.
See you in space!