Spy Games

Infiltrating the Espionage Raid

By: George Argyropoulos

a/k/a Dragon_Bane   

Another raid is upon us and people invariably want some direction with regard to prize redemption, so here we are. I'd like to remind everyone that, unless you are sure of your goals and abilities, or have a specific plan in mind, try not to spend any of your raid points until the end. You never know if you are going to get help or find a time and cost effective alternative in the raid. This holds particularly true for low and mid-level players.

Most of the prizes and structure are pretty straightforward this raid so I'm merely going to touch upon a broad picture rather than break down each prize.

Top End :

If you are a top end PvE player, you first must decide what path you will choose for the May raid. Thinking about the next raid before this one even begins? Yes. Kixeye has offered us multiple paths in order to engage these raid targets and depending upon which path you choose, you will need to prioritize what you want and when you want it. This is important because in order to get any of the flagships out in time for VXP weekend, you will need to claim that hull as soon as possible in the raid to have it complete prior to the VXP event. For these players, choosing your path, and the flagship that matches that path, is a key early decision and goal. The sooner, the better in this instance so you can maximize your shipyard time and avoid having to coin the build to get it out in time.

Of note: In the TFC show from Tuesday we were told that if you had the left hand tree completed, you would have access immediately to the unlocked store. This is key if you are following the Icebreaker path and want the Vassago's Icebreaker.

After that decision and expenditure, the raid is your oyster. The Harlock Alpha was 'meh' for me but I do like the new Thrower and Special. Tokens are always a must have and the Charged armors are technically cheaper with the new point structure. You have free reign to follow whatever path you decide, but remember, stick to your plan.

Mid-level :

You are likely using Citadels with a tank for this raid. If the targets hold true to the Preview Servers, you should do well, even if it is a grind. What you may find is that rather than going for Tier completions, you may want to find a target in which you are efficient and farm the hell out of those. In the last preview, Jefe from the BP Crib was able to manage an 81 target for on-the-map instant repair using a Punisher tank and an Hcit/Cit combination. I'm sure as the raid progresses we will hear of good options that are found that you can take advantage of. If this is the case, and you do not have the Monolith, I would suggest the left hand side of the main prize tech tree, the Icebreaker side, OR, if you are running the Empyrean route, the Empyrean flagship is a viable candidate.

If you have the Mono, I think your choice is a little more difficult. I could see players choosing either option at this point, however, unless you have already invested time into the Icebreaker, the Grid Mono/Mono combination seems a bit more practical in terms of points efficiency. If you can pull this off as a mid level player, you will have boosted yourself immensely for May's raid and the FM change after this raid set is completed.

Low-level : 

Again, I am going to presume you are running Citadels with a flag (Pool 1 & 2 in the FM), but not as good of a build as the mid-level players. In this instance, I would start marshaling my points as I could and look to see what is working for other players. My initial gut reaction is that you should try for the Harlock Citadel and Judgement Mortars to bolster your abilities in the next raid. I do wish that the MX series of Armor Specials were available for the low and mid level players in this raid. That would enable you to succeed in a much easier fashion in the May raid. Much like Mid-level players, you need to prioritize your selections so that you can prepare for the May raid and the FM change after this raid set and likely bolster your current FM ability.

Of Note: 

There are a few prizes that are available that some low- and mid-level players may want to look at as well as time and points allow. The Tideseeker is still a good hull to have in the tool box as is the Calamity Scattergun. The Countermeasure items are always a plus when dealing with various targets, particularly Garrison (a/k/a FM) and a couple of good mortars are available as well as the Combustion System 2 which is great to have in the toolbox.

As always,  keep an eye out for tips, tricks and info from the various pages and shows below and from those players that live stream like TSM and Price is Wrong.

The Forsaken Council Raid Help Page
The Forsaken Council
Battle Pirates on BV
Battle Pirates Crib
Alliance Crib
The Forsaken Council Build Page