I've always used avalaunches on my ships but now i'm getting further in the game the're just no longer effective enough, what do you use when the aliens start sending in th "big stuff"?

Well, sadly UFO has such little variation in craft weapons, the most obvious answer is the plasma cannon. Besides, you can get it very early in the game, via a neat research shortcut (i.e. you don't have to research all the plasma guns).

Dual plasma cannons for preference, but avalanche rockets do accompany plasma cannons very nicely. The first one just gets rid of micromanaging ship ammunition supplies.

Either setup works great against everything but battleships.

For shooting down but not completely obliterating small ships, laser cannons are good.

For battleships, I wouldn't even bother until I get one or more Avengers. Even then, I'd probably only shoot it down if absolutely necessary, such as an infiltrator battleship or an ethereal battleship ferrying builders to their new base site.

Much later in the game, if my elerium stockpile is doing well, I'd probably arm one of the ships with a fusion ball launcher. Fusion balls are nice and all, but they're too costly for regular use, even if your elerium is starting to pour out of your ears.

- NKF

aren't plasma cannons a bit short-ranged?

*chuckles* only if you consider almost off the rader short ranged (well i exagerate slightly).

but they're not much shorter ranged that fusion balls aren't they?

I don't know I never used either, i only ever used dual avalanches, now they aren't as good as before

Let me put the plasma cannons into perspective:

- They're ruddy powerful. Not as good as fusion balls on a per-shot basis, but still way better than anything you've got.

- Plasma cannons are like laser cannons, in that they hit instantly, unlike the missiles, which need to travel to their target, possibly missing the alien ship if it gets out of range.

- At minimum standoff range, the only ship that can fire back at you is the Battleship. The rest? Well, they're toast as long as they don't run away.

- Maintaining the plasma cannon is free, just like the lasers. Initial building cost is 15 elerium, but that's a great investment for what you get.

- NKF

plasma beam
damage> 140
range> 52km
Accuracy> 140%
Reload Time> 6s

Fusion ball
Damage> 230 (Trump!)
Range> 65km (Trump!)
Accuracy> 230% (Trump!)
reload time> 25s

So fusion launchers clearly being the best weapons but the reload time and elerium cost of each round is massive compared to the almost infinite and completely free plasma beams. 25 second reload? No thanks! It just isn't worth the risk.
Just to turn everything that's already been said completely upside down, I downed a batteship with interceptos...
Three of them armed with twin plasmas and all at stand off until they are all in range. As long as they all attack at the same time not a single one will sustain any damage! Try it! NOW!!!

I wouldn't say they'll always not sustain any damage. There's always the chance that the shot'll get lucky and completely vaporise your interceptor. The only advantage is that it takes longer for the UFO to shoot at them since it concentrates on each ship one after the other.

Still, yeah, it's possible. Did it once or twice myself. Only I like to send an unmanned Skyranger in first, then I let the other interceptors get into range.

I'm not sure if anyone realises it, but the Skyrangers can absorb quite a lot of damage.

- NKF

I do! thanks to Xcomutil, you can arm skyrangers....

Isn't being able to arm your skyranger a little too good?

Considering how slow they are, it's a blessing to even have them catch up with some of the faster ships.

It would just be the inverse of the Lightning. They both have superior armour compared to the interceptor class ships, and can only arm one gun. That is to say, the enhanced Skyrangers can arm one gun.

Only, on the one hand, the lightning has better speed but cannot stay up for long. And on the other hand, the Skyranger can stay up for quite a long time, but it can't move very fast.

But in a standard non-enhanced game, the Skyranger's best combat role is as a troop transporter, portable radar, or a shield.

- NKF

I still think it can make it a lot more useful. But I might be wrong...

You can't edit the skyranger! That is just way beyond cheating. The airframe of the skyranger isn't meant to accomodate weapons. If it's armed with a gun then it won't get off the ground let alone close enough to an enemy to actually fire!

In real world terms, maybe. But the same goes for turning interceptors into small troop carriers (6 soldier slots) or a troop transport Firestorm (4 slots wasn't it?).

But even then, I don't think the Skyranger was built for its lightness and incredible speed (that's what the interceptors are for), seeing as it is a troop carrier after all, and the total weight of all the soldiers and equipment combined will probably be even more than a ship's cannon. Try having a look at the cockpit of the Skyranger in tactical combat. There appears to be a vestigial gun placement. If the designers ever meant to put a gun on the Skyranger, I don't think it would have been larger than a cannon or a laser.

Personally, I'm happy with the skyranger as it is. Unless you're playing some wacky challenge or other, like 'no interceptors', there's no sense in depriving an interceptor of its job eh?

- NKF

I've just tried the dual plasma for the first time, and i see what you mean about the range, the picture looked like a cannon so I thoguht can't be any good, but i was wrong, the range is about the same as a stingray

As they say, judge a book not by its cover. Or a game gun by its icon.

Refer to the stats Veteran provided. Plasma cannon - range 52km.

A cannon can only do 10km and a stingray 30km. The avalanch still beats the plasma cannon by 8km, it does 60km.

Quite a signficant upgrade there eh?

- NKF

I think that it should be able too in real life likeness, but not in the game, thats too good.

true, a avalanche can go a lot further, but on a empty the entire thing basis, a plasma is a lot better then any other craft weaponry, true fusion balls have 65kloms of range, but only 6 or so shots, a plasma has 52kloms range and can shoot 100 times, i downed battleships with 1 avenger, although i shouldn't say not without heavy damage, but when dealing with battleships, 60% ain't bad.......

Hrmm... I always thought that those were landing lights, not vestigial guns, on the Skyranger.

What does the tactical map show for a landing craft when you edit firestorms and interceptors to carry troops? A skyranger?