Original wiki article written by CMDR Ghosti https://wiki.antixenoinitiative.com/de/wing-combat-guide
Wing battles are all battles involving multiple players. As this introduces different mechanics and gameplay bugs, wing battles can be harder or easier depending on how you handle it. Wing battles differ from individual battles in a few key ways:
In individual battles the aggro is always on you, but in wing battles the Interceptor only focuses on one person. This is important for two main reasons:
Aiming for Hearts: It’s always easier for the interceptor focused pilot to aim at exerted hearts. For this reason, if you are not in an advantageous position, then you should not take the aggro from the commander with opportunity.
Temperature Management and Reboot/Repair: Thargoid capabilities can be bypassed while maintaining low temperature levels and based on current target temperature. It may also be possible to divert Thargoid’s attention away from a pilot who needs a reboot, repair, and/or synthesis.
The interceptor always focuses on the ship with the highest threat; that is, the one that deals the most damage. However, the interceptor’s aggro is “sticky” and will not pick another target for the first ~30 seconds. This means that after the aggro change, for a short time; A grace period occurs where wingmates can attack or shield the interceptor without risking lightning strikes nor triggering caustic missiles.
If you need to return to the station, make sure someone else picks up the aggro. If the pilot with the interceptor’s target-lock jumps and leaves the environment, then the interceptor can also disengage and wake out of the instance. It can do this immediately, or it can do it after the departing pilot returns. Naturally, no one gets anything if the interceptor leaves the environment.
If the invulnerable heart bug has appeared (you find that you are unable to inflict damage to the heart), cease fire. If you have aggro, try to position yourself so that your wingmates can easily damage the Interceptor.
Swarms focus on and follow one veseesl in battle. However, Swarms fires at all ships within range. Generally, in winng battles, teammates take care of the interceptor, while only the person with swarm aggro has the responsibility to destroy the wwarm. If the swarm’s current target doesn’t have flak, then it might be good for someone with flak to try to take over the Swarm aggro. If the swarm abandons its target, the person who lost the aggro shall notify their teammates immediately.
Sometimes you can get the swarm aggro on you by lasering it, or going near it, but this is not a surefire method.
If your wingmate is unable to destroy the swarm, or is in danger, try to engage the swarm.
In wing battles, the interceptor’s shield can be quickly destroyed by beam lasers, cytoscramblers, bumping (deploying Rammo Ammo), and other less-desireable weapon fire. Bumping can also be a good method, but it can cause a Heart loop reset bug.
Kiting any interceptor in solo, doesn’t have too many problems. In contrast, with wing combat, the interceptor should not be dragged too far from the instance center. Without paying heed to this courtesy, large and/or slow ships may have difficulty engaging in the fight, effectively excluding them from the fight and fun.
Whether the shield is down, in sleep phase, or in the attack phase, you can cause problems that will disrupt your wingmate’s flight and combat strategies.
All pilots must be able to attack in a coordinated manner while the heart is exerted, and it must be ensured that no one is left at a distance. If you are not sure about your heart exertion attack run, you should avoid engagements that will take the aggro onto yourself, while others can take the exert snipe opportunity.
Since the interceptor scan information is shared with all wing members, only one person needs to have the Xeno Scanner, even if they have no intention of seeing Thargoid data or the swarm count. Scan data can also be shared by leaving the wing with scan data and joining a wing that does not have scan data.
After the Interceptor loses a Heart, it shields and enters the caustic missile launch phase. Caustic missiles are only fired if the Interceptor’s current target is detected. So if the person with aggro stays cold, you won’t have to encounter any caustic missiles or EMPs.
If you have aggro after Heartbreak:
Trigger the heatsink, boost and go away. Make sure you’re at least 3km away, but don’t go too far.
Trigger the heatsink to lower your temperature to 0 and keep your temperature low with your Thermal Vent lasers. Stay close to the Interceptor so it stays stationary until it starts attacking again.
On a ship without a shield, turn on silent running and get away with boost or stay cool with your lasers.
If you don’t have aggro after Heartbreak:
Do not shoot if your temperature is above 15%. Even TV Beam can then pull aggro and trigger caustic missiles for the entire wing. Instead, fire your Beam after reducing your heatsink to 0.
Do not shoot Gaussian.
Do not bump (unless you are coordinated for safe process*).
Don’t boost too far (unless you’re dodging caustic missiles).
*See Aggro Management section
Even if you manage to drop the shields, do not fire before the caustic missile period ends. Otherwise caustic missiles will be triggered and a new shield will appear.
In the process, shielded ships can regenerate their shields with a reboot or shield healing lasers.
If a pilot is doing a cold restart and someone else above the 15-18% detection threshold takes on the aggro, this restart can be disrupted by caustic missiles launched. If you have trouble communicating, reboot when out of range of the Interceptor or consider using different hardware.
“Regeneration Sequence” and “Concordant Sequence” experimental engineering effects that allow you to regenerate shields can be useful in wing battles. It is possible to quickly renew the shields of your wing friends. They are especially useful on Prismatic shields, which rarely stay above 50%.
Communication is critical in Wing battles. If possible, all pilots in combat should be in voice chat or use the in-game chat window. If it is not possible to speak, it is better than nothing to even turn off your microphone and join the voice chat.
Take care to use voice chat only when sharing necessary information. Here are some examples of what needs to be talked about/announced:
When the last heart is shattered, even the Hydra can be easily destroyed by a single ship.
Before you destroy it with the final attack, make sure all your teammates have fired at least one shot recently so everyone can seize the bounty. Another example of the importance of communication.
All pilots participating in the war should master the bugs related to AX and try to prevent them as much as possible. Suggested actions: