Cosmic Break Large Artillery Type Guide

Cosmic Break Large Artillery Type Guide by piroton

So, you’ve gotten yourself a nice, large ART type. You think you will own, but wait! Those AIR and LND type bots are consistently getting you, even with all that supposedly 1337 gear!

This is how you’re doing it wrong:

Piroton’s Basic Guides to playing ART types (Level 5 rooms, too)

Glossary: Use Ctrl-F and Search.
a. WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?
b. WHAT TO DO
c. WHAT TO PICK
d. HOW TO USE
e. BECOMING COMPETITIVE

a. WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?

[shamelessselfpromotion]Okay, so before you ask who the hell am I to say all this, I am Piroton, from Snowflake.
Most of you might have seen me around as that irritating dude whose Destructor racks up ridiculous cost. And I don’t deny it – I do cost my team a lot when I die. But I can always be found (reasonably, when I want to play well) Within the top 10 of any room, even those with Kanbara, and all those horrors whom you likely know. I have a suitably huge record within Snowflake as well as an ART player. I’ve famously defended a BRD assault by myself with only my trusty ART type, so yes, I think I can be quite the expert.[/shamelessselfpromotion]

b. WHAT TO DO: Picking an ART Bot (L)

So you want to pick an ART bot. This is how you should go about it.

ART BOTS LIST
(ripped rather unceremoniously from the JP wiki)
Destructor:
**Anti-Air Battery**
UC COST: 5000 UC (iirc)
Base HP: 405
Base Capacity: 630/790
Stats:
STR : 12
TEC : 22
WLK : 07
FLY : 06
TGH : 24

This is cheap and really easy to use. If you notice it has a reasonably impressive base TEC and TGH, and reasonable STR for you to tune into TEC. This is my own bread-and-butter bot, and it comes with built in guns.

Destructor CN:
**The Dakka-dakka bot**
UC COST: 8000 UC (iirc)
Base HP:375
Base Capacity:570/710
Stats:
STR : 13
TEC : 21
WLK : 05
FLY : 05
TGH : 19

This is the Bazooka variant of the Destructor, and although it still packs a good punch, notice that it’s FLY and WLK, along with overall stats, are slightly worse than that of the Destructor. We’ll talk more about this later.

Snailbot:
**Long Range Bombardment**
UC COST: 8000 UC
Base HP:315
Base Capacity:510/520
Stats:
STR : 5
TEC : 15
WLK : 06
FLY : 05
TGH : 17

This is exactly what is says on the tin: It’s a long-range bombardment machine meant to take out enemy campers. Nothing much else, really, though some parts are quite good.

King Gigaton:
**Customisable Fatness**
UC COST: 52000UC
Base HP:425
Base Capacity:650/910
Stats:
STR : 18
TEC : 15
WLK : 10
FLY : 10
TGH : 20

This is a very, very useful bot, regardless of tuning or stats. It’s got poor TEC for a ART bot, but with the amount of free capacity, I’m sure anyone can find a suitably overpowered weapon for it.

Now, for the RT-bots. (You rich people D:)

Sturbanger:
**Macross Missile Massaccre**
RT COST: 100RT (normally, without discounts )
Base HP:425
Base Capacity:920/920
Stats:
STR : 06
TEC : 25
WLK : 05
FLY : 04
TGH : 24

This is pretty much what it says – a walking missile spammer. Good TEC and TGH, pretty bad everything else.

Sturbanger Standard:
**Modifiable Weapon Spammer**
RT COST: Garapon (DAT GARAPON GOD)
Base HP:425
Base Capacity:920/980
Stats:
STR : 09
TEC : 25
WLK : 08
FLY : 05
TGH : 17

The Sturbanger Standard sacrifices that 1200 Ammo Missile launcher for a better WLK, FLY and STR, along with some free capacity, though with worse TGH.

Saggitary Maxis:
**Long-Range Burster**
RT COST: 90RT
Base HP:480
Base Capacity:780/910
Stats:
STR : 11
TEC : 22
WLK : 13
FLY : 11
TGH : 11

The Maxis is a pretty decent bot, with very impressive WLK and FLY for a L sized-ART type, but it’s low TGH means that it’s easy to get stunlocked – and die.

Saggitary Maxis II:
**The Mass-effect Cannon**
RT COST: Garapon
Base HP:445
Base Capacity:740/910
Stats:
STR : 08
TEC : 17
WLK : 15
FLY : 11
TGH : 12

The Maxis II is a rather improved version of the Maxis, but with lower TEC and higher WLK and TGH. Oh, I forgot to mention: It can’t equip a right arm.

Toybox:
**Fat PS Killer**
RT COST: 100RT
Base HP:525
Base Capacity:1020/1090
Stats:
STR : 12
TEC : 25
WLK : 09
FLY : 08
TGH : 25

The Toybox has good stats – but lousy weapons. Really, the Cruise missiles are for aiming and killing PSes, nothing more.

Toybox HEAT:
**Hopeless Goon**
RT COST: Garapon
Base HP:515
Base Capacity:930/1090
Stats:
STR : 12
TEC : 23
WLK : 09
FLY : 08
TGH : 27

The HEAT can wield weapons other than it’s attached one – that’s a huge bonus over the original. However, it’s still a piece of junk.

c. WHAT TO PICK: Buying and Using an ART bot(L)
So, we’ve covered that list above. I didn’t include the Boiledeck Series because I have no idea how they fare in battle – I need to test it, or someone can PM me their results with working with one of these.

What should we buy, then?

Well, if you’re a poor person like me, here’s my recommended list of ART types to buy for a L sized ART team:

Number 1. Destructor

Justification:

Destructor, as a bot in general, has very good stats for it’s low UC cost. It’s a good start and has great sustainability. The Core’s Subweapon is deadly to AIR types, and does decent damage with 2 cartridge upgrades for core weapons. The LGs are easily swapped out for better ones and the AMs, though frankly useless in a fight, are still very viable for smaller bots to use. The primary selling point of the Destructor is it’s good Core weapon and good capacity for cartridges. Even with only 5 levels, you can make a bot that is resistant to blast and beam damage and wields a bazooka, along with a shield.

Quick calculation for cost:
Blast + Beam Guard: -50 Cost
2 Core Weapon Carts: -60 Cost
Shield: -60 Cost
1 Capacity Up Cart: 45 Cost
Available Cost: 160 Cost
Removal of Destructor AM: 140 Cost
Total Cost: 175 Cost

So there, you still have 175 Cost for parts and other things, including a new pair of AMs and a weapon for the other hand.

This makes your Destructor one of the single most powerful ARTs in game.

Number 2. Destructor CN

Justification:

The Destructor CN has a very powerful base attack bazooka. It’s highly broken once you hit the second Core upgrade cartridge, packing more Ammo than a Handy Bazooka while having the range and almost the power of a Core Breaker. The CN version also comes with some good cost capacity, and once you remove the shotgun and Hammer you’ll realise that it’s stats aren’t as bad as you think. With a little bit of tuning and some luck with parts, you can make the CN into a Bazooka platform that will out-DPS almost everything.

Number 3. Saggitary Maxis (any part of the series will do)

Justification:

The Saggitary Maxis’ railgun outranges everything, especially with cartridges. This bot can and will do absolutely terrible, terrible damage if you give it a chance and stay on the back lines. If you’re a gunner-type player, you can tune the Maxis for TGH and WLK, and then watch as it decimates line after carefully-crafted line of enemies. It also works well on AIR types. The bullets are so fast that it’s nearly impossible to dodge, not even with 40 fly. They simply can’t turn in time.

Number 4. Sturbanger Series (Standard and Sturbanger)

Justification:

The Sturbangers aren’t really good for forward assault. Not to mention that the Sturbanger (default) has no capacity for upgrades by itself, so it can’t equip anything and has to missile spam to get anything done. The Standard’s BD weapon is slightly better than it’s default one, despite having less ammo; it can actually fire straight, something the main one has trouble with. This actually allows it to hit enemies without having to lock-on, a great ability. However, they fall short on the simple fact that though they regularly do decimate AIR types, they are far too slow and cost far too much to be actually useful in a long battle.

d. HOW TO USE: Making the ART an unstoppable machine 1v1(L)

So, you’ve bought your shiny new bot, right? So what now, people ask.

I can’t really go into specifics much, but I can give general tips for each bot, and overall tips too.

DESTRUCTOR
Tips for Tuning:
>Tune for FLY/WLK. Your basic TEC and TGH are high enough already. You need the mobility to avoid those pesky LND types, and other’s attacks.
>Don’t tune weapons for stats. Tune at least one slot for Force.

Tips for Part choice:
>Change out the AMs. They are useless and they suck. Go for parts with high TEC bonuses and WLK/FLY bonuses. Also slotted if possible.
>Change out the LG for something that is smaller, has more slots and gives better WLK/FLY.

Tips for Cartridges:
>Go for the combo: Core Weapon x2, Quick Boost, Short Boost, Blast/Beam Guard, Capacity.
>Go for Anti-Burning if you can’t deal with Burners and Fire Pillars.

Tips for Weapon choice:
>Bazookas make a happy Destructor. Be sure to at least maintain 8 WLK and FLY even after the weapon is on.
>Missile Launchers are broken on a Short Boost Destructor. They deal good damage, and guess what? They home in on targets.

DESTRUCTOR CN
Tips for Tuning:
>Tune for WLK and TGH. You’ll need it to survive Jikun attacks. Please make sure you have some FLY too, as your primary Jikun defence is flying upward, where they can’t hit you.
>Tune only for LG parts and AM parts. Don’t tune weapons, unless you’re taking a massive bazooka that saps your WLK and FLY faster than an Ivis stunlock.

Tips for Part Choice:
>Change out those AMs for something with built-in Weapons (Misside AM is excellent for this) and TEC/WLK/FLY bonuses, because you’ll need it.
>Change out the LG for something that will boost your WLK and FLY along with TGH. This is going to get hit by enemy ART types a lot, and you’ll need the reduction for damage. Snailbot LG is an excellent choice for this, giving +4 WLk and +2 FLY and TGH.

Tips for Cartridges:
>The Core weapon cartridges are vitally important here. Without them your bot is a waste of time. When fully upgraded, it gives you 140 ammo and 390 range, along with 30 damage. Pretty damn impressive, if I do say so myself.
>Upgrade for capacity, HP and Guards. You need those damn Guards, but don’t get Shell Guard – it does just about nothing. Quick Boost is a good find too. (Scratch Anti-Burning. CN doesn’t have it)

Tips for Weapon Choices:
>Go for bazookas. This one is all about the DAKKA power and you need all the EXPLODIUM you can get. Large Bazookas, available from Arkantus, are a good bet. 36 force and 120 ammo. Not a bad bet.
>Go for Standard Bazookas, such as the one that comes with the Steel Rider. Not as much force, but it will get the job done and blast the hell out of everything.
>Also possible are Volcano Grenades, available by running Operation Starcluster on Hard or higher. These do amazing damage and often burn enemies, sending them straight at you, when you need it.

Sturbanger Standard
Tips for Tuning:
>The Sturbanger Standard is pretty much a customisable machine, with loads of slots and good style. Tune for Force on the AM and TEC on everything else, along with FLY. That’s about all I can say, actually. It’s pretty much endless possibility.
>Tune primarily for TEC. Your missiles will hit much, much harder.

Tips for Part Choice:
>The Sturbanger AMs are bloody wonderful, decimating AIR types with the ease of a hot knife through butter. Don’t change them. Tune for Force and TEC.
>The Sturbanger LG and BS are not as impressive for stat gains, and they can be switched out for a better TEC-FLY combo. WLK’s not really important.

Tips for Cartidges:
>Go for cost and Core Weapon upgrades. They will make your Sturbanger that much more useful. The Core upgrades give more ammo and better damage, making them way more effective at the Anti-AIR battery business.
>The Guards are, as per usual, good for your bot. This bot needs the capacity to wield more weapondry. Don’t worry about things like Boost Run or anything like that. They don’t help.

Tips for Weapon Choice:
>Go for Missiles. The Sturbanger is a missile spammer.
>Go for Bazookas. Missiles are often unable to hit stuff directly in front of them. The bazookas will supplement and compensate for this weakness.

Saggitary Maxis Series
This is supposed to be filled in later. I’m a lazy person, but I’ll try and get it done.
(DESU WHERE IS THAT GUIDE YOU PROMISED ME)

e. BECOMING COMPETITIVE

As an ART player, you have 3 routes for advancement in terms of gearing:
1. Long-Range Sniper
2. Close-Combat Hopper
3. Fire Support

I’ll explain each role in detail.

1. Long Range Sniper

This is pretty much what most people think ART types are for – long range, back-row bombardment of enemy positions. The baseline to hold this position is height and area-denial. You’ll play like a sniper (Duh.) and shoot AIR types out of the sky at long ranges beyond their Beam guns. You’ll need long-range weapons, and your area-denial skills should be top-notch. It’s the hardest role to play not because of the range, though it is highly possible to miss, but rather because of your teammates, which will be blocking you and your Line-of-fire.

For such a bot, you’ll need attack height. Go for the high ground and aim with a tall bot. The height advantage makes it harder for those pesky Jikuns and melee to hit you. This build will require you to be a burst-damager, so go all out and get the largest and most powerful weapon available for long range. Please make sure that it does move quickly, or the enemy will see your bullet coming and dodge it easily. This kind of playstyle should focus purely on TEC and TGH. You don’t need much WLk or FLY. But do maintain some sort of baseline, or you will be too slow to hit anything or get to the high ground on time.

Recommended Bot: Saggitary Maxis Series / Toybox / Destructor CN

Recommended Parts: Howitzer AMJ (makes a hell of a difference, that subweapon.)

2. Close-Combat Hopper

This is the kicker, and my preferred method of play. You will Short Boost everything. You will outrun most of the enemy attacks that other frontlining ARTs will throw at you. You still need support for most things, and though it doesn’t seem very tanky or very good at defending against assault, your build will make a massive difference.

The Short Boost cartridge needs the quick boost upgrade to be truly successful. With Quick Boost, your Boost bar will recharge as fast as you can hop, providing unlimited hopping capability. It’s quite the fearsome attack force. Equip the bots with bazookas and you’ll be able to dish out large damage up close, while missiles will make you an AIR- murderer.

For this build you’ll need to have a shield mounted on the bot. It should be reasonably close to the BD – else it’s useless anyways. Box Missiles or Bazooka are reasonably good weapon choices for this bot, especially when combined with the built-in Destructor BD weapondry – Anti-Air missiles or Long-Range Bazooka.

Recommended Bot: Destructor / Destructor CN

Recommended Parts: Viper Shield / Box Missiles / Large Bazooka / Volcano Grenade / Bazooka / (any physically small LG, to reduce hitbox)

3. Fire-Support

This bot mainly contributes to the team by providing timely support to the rest of the team, such as the massive defense of a beseiged PS or the barrage of missiles to an oncoming AIR type harassing your supporter. This bot playstyle focuses on higher mobility, as you have to move from place to place to defend your territory. It is possible to build a camp-oriented robot, but this means that you have to tune for TGH and TEC more. In essence, your role as fire support is to take out those concentrated camps of enemy units all bunched together. This often crosses lines with the Long-Range Sniper, but it’s essential role is very different.

Expect to see many AIR types attempt to harass you and kill you off, so watch that healthbar. You’ll need good anti-AIR defences to deal with these irritants, often what we call “Zerglings” or “Roflcopters”. Missiles and larger Bazookas work spectacularly well – the larger Bazooka bullets will often hit hard and are large, allowing a higher hit-chance. The missiles will seek enemies – I don’t need to say more.

This build will hit the larger AIR bots like a sledgehammer, allowing your fleeing teammates some time to get healed – or use recovery items. Your function as Fire-Support is to deny enemies passage to hunt down your severely-weakened teammate.

Recommended Bot: Sturbanger / Destructor

Recommended Parts: Missile Launcher / Large Bazooka / Bazooka / Box Missiles / 2 Way Missiles / Grenade / Volcano Grenade

TEAMWORK
This is the one section that I’ll add in due to demand.

Tips for teamwork as an ART:

>Coordinate with your AIR teammates. They are supposed to harass the enemy. You’re supposed to cover their retreat. Make sure that even though you might be under attack from an AIR, that you don’t forget to keep the area denied to your enemies, and that they can’t get at your AIR teammates.

>Make sure that you don’t clump together. When you’re clumped, you’re a bunch of sitting ducks to an enemy Fire Pillar. One good secret to survival is to keep moving. Most Artilleries think that because they can output massive damage, they can just Burst Shot everything to death. I’ve murdered more than one silly idiot because they weren’t smart enough to move the moment they fired off a shot. Missile spam may be effective, but it will cost you a large amount of health, and that is not good. Not good at all.

>Even though it might seem a good idea to hoard healing items, don’t. You won’t need more than 2 +100 Healing items if you follow this guide correctly. Anything else can and should be healed by your team healer.

>Wonderbit activation can save your life. Just the activation process gives you a 2 second invulnerability period, perfect for defending against a massive attack like a Titan Bazooka.