The Pyro a sensible answer to the Hydra / Lazer problem?

[Cheesy_wotsit]

So as we all know this weeks dripfed vehicle is the Pyro. Like many I expected this to be another unremarkable vehicle designed to do nothing other than delay the release of the vehicle most of us have been waiting for The Hunter. So imagine my surprise when I started seeing some posts and videos popping up about how this is actually a pretty good vehicle in a very unremarkable way.

 

So I opted to buy one and see what this thing is about, at first glance the vehicle has at least a unique style going for it, I actually quite like it so would probably have bought it just this. I roll it in to my mod shop and find that unlike many other vehicles it is actually pretty light on weapons, standard dual front facing cannons with non explosive rounds that can't be upgraded, can have flares attached, can have homing missiles attached but no option for bombs. So the mods seems to be a good deal lighter than most of the other vehicles released so far.

 

I dive in and decide to give it a try, my aircraft is fully modded with smooth flight handling. First impressions are that it's fairly fast, handles pretty well actually quite well but the let down isn't it doesn't have any unique or interesting features, it's just an interesting looking jet aircraft. Where it gets interesting though is when flying around minding my own business some guy decides to take a few pot shots at me from the ground with a homing launcher, easy enough to avoid even easier if you want to use the flares, he then jumps in a Hydra and decides to come after me and THIS is where this aircraft USP comes alive.

 

I'am a fairly decent pilot not the best by any means but able to hold my own in most battles and the first thing I notice is that aircraft runs total rings around Hydra, it seems to climb better, is more stable and allowed me to hold the Hydra in the cross hairs with very little issue, now the Rogue is able to out manouver the Hydra but it is so twitchy it becomes a real pain. Better yet the twin cannons, although not explosive are able to make pretty short work of the Hydra. To say the least I was shocked so thought I would go and find some more targets to play with, half a dozen encounters later and I am sold.

 

What shocks me more than anything is just how sensible the aircraft is, it's not like the Oppressor which is f*cking stupid both in it's conceptual design and implementation but the fact that it is a pain in the ass to just about every other player in the game be they in the air or the ground the same goes for the explosive sniper. This aircraft though is only a real threat to other air users, it's next to useless against ground targets and finally is potentially a true counter to the griefers in the Hydra / Lazer, although I will play test some more and that opinion may be subject to change.

 

(PS I guess it makes sense that Rcokstar would finally launch a proper sensible counter to Hydras / Lazers) a few weeks before they launch a new aicraft (The Hunter) that will no doubt become the new griefers choice.

 

so anyone else tried the Pyro what do you think?

[_47_]

The Pyro / Molotok are nearly identical in performance and function, combat capabilities. Every aircraft released in Smuggler's Run is severly underpowered or too weak to compete against a Hydra or Lazer unless these two jets can be out-maneuvered or out classed in speed...

Edited October 10, 2017 by _47_

[Happy Hunter]

There is no Hydra problem now that there's an explosive sniper. Anyone with a problem against aircraft does not get my sympathy now they have that to deal with stuff.

 

That said, yes; it moves better than I thought it would - and yeah; agile aircraft that pack just enough punch to beat a Hydra, not enough to be too problematic - I guess they do make things more balanced.

Edited October 10, 2017 by Happy Hunter

[Gaffa]

Aye I posted this in the appreciation thread using an upgraded one that was spawned in.

 

Well this might be my favourite fixed-wing aircraft from the update. Pity that there's only one plane from the update which has an explosive, automatic cannon (the Rogue).

 

Some observations:

- Good looking. I had some reservations with the cockpit bump, but I think the tail makes up for it, as well as the fact that cockpit accommodates two people.
- Very manoeuvrable - probably on the same level as the P996 Lazer when the Pyro has stock handling. Brakes are also on par, it'd seem.

- Fast - around 220-225mph for top speed with maximum engine upgrade, which gives some competition for the Hydra (although this accelerates much quicker).

- Doesn't stall when climbing vertically.

- The machine guns are decent with a good range, but I'd probably only be using them on air targets. Missiles don't have any cooldown whatsoever, like the Savage.

 

Other things to note, and I thought I'd compare the Molotok and the Pyro here as they are somewhat similar as suggested above. I'll throw in the Rogue too briefly, as the Rogue and Pyro fly very similarly once airborne at speed.

 

- The thrust of the Molotok is more powerful, but the Pyro will reach a higher speed and be able to maintain those speeds more due to a lower 'thrustfalloff' value.

- The yaw and pitch rate (effect of rudder and elevator) are the same as the Rogue - better than the Molotok's, but the roll rate (ailerons) is better than the Rogue. However, there's slightly more stabiliser on the Molotok for the pitch and yaw.

- When it comes to turbulence, the Pyro isn't affected in terms of pitch and is affected less than the Molotok when turbulence hits during a roll.

 

The liveries don't really wow me like with some other aircraft, but overall it's a nice plane.

[DrSweatySphincter]

The solution to all Jets is the Heavy Sniper w/ explosive rounds. The new planes (if in capable hands) can give the Hydra a hard time. A lazer maybe but in the end it's all about whos flying the thing.

[StangOne50]

I dont think so.

If a pyro pilot is good enough to kill a jet griefer then hes probably good enough to do it in the hydra or lazer anyway.

Though I could see the missile spam being an issue for the hydra maybe, idk about the lazer.. will have to see.

[MitchMaljers]

Seeing as I out-manouvred multiple Hydra's and a Lazer yesterday I would say this thing IS an anwswer to jet griefers.. The cannons, although not upgradable do a sh*t-ton of damage... 1 or 2 good aimed bursts will often take down a Hydra/Lazer easily.

[Smooth Longsack]

If the hydra doesn't get you on merge you win in the pyro. The front facing machine guns rip apart the hydras and lazers and have far range.

[Gridl0k]

Unguided missiles (especially in spammable aircraft like this) are very effective against ground targets, and you can fly straight down to avoid the explosive sniper.

[HeatproofLemur]

I've found that the pyro is effective in the right hands, but like many of you have said it's down to the pilot in the end, it is pretty nippy though I'm impressed with mine, easily able to take down a hydra mong who just shoots anything they can See, so I always swing round and a couple of bursts on the guns and he's down, I don't specifically go out to shoot other jets down I like to just fly around and do flybys over other players, for me it's not all about killing anything that moves and blowing all over planes out of the sky, but if you have the sole intention of being a d*ck for no reason, then expect to get the same treatment when I take off from zancudo you if/when you start something.

Edited October 11, 2017 by Rottieman92

[Razar]

I still think the Hydra and in particular the Lazer are a lot more flexible thanks to the explosive cannons, so I really doubt it's going to be that reliable if your enemy knows what he/she's doing, expecially on the merge.

[MitchMaljers]

I still think the Hydra and in particular the Lazer are a lot more flexible thanks to the explosive cannons, so I really doubt it's going to be that reliable if your enemy knows what he/she's doing, expecially on the merge.

Yeah that's true, but players who fly Hydra's/Lazers most of the time don't know what they're doing lol. So easy pickings.

[flexcreator]

The game attracted a lot of new players, so there are a lot of Hydra noobs recently, if you can kill a random jet that doesn't mean anything. You should try to put Pyro against jet veterans.

 

The new thermal vision helmets works in Jets via the glitch, so it makes the Hydra situation even worse than before.

[elfoam]

There is no Hydra problem now that there's an explosive sniper. Anyone with a problem against aircraft does not get my sympathy now they have that to deal with stuff.

 

That said, yes; it moves better than I thought it would - and yeah; agile aircraft that pack just enough punch to beat a Hydra, not enough to be too problematic - I guess they do make things more balanced.

urgh, I had Hyrdas covered or so I thought.. I came across a guy in a Hydra, lvl 900 or so.. so I killed him with my Opressor.. well f*ck me that was a mistake, he came back at me and spawn killed me over and over. I've never seen anyone be able to come in from such a steep angle on the Hydra (out of gun range) and never miss before. Worse yet in the middle of this drama I managed to call a VIP ruiner which he blew up before I got in it's door and then spawn killed me over and over and over again, by that stage I could do nothing because I was in the VIP job, I couldn't call an oppressor, I couldn't go passive. I just had to stand there and get raped for 20 minutes, it was a total waste of time the explosive sniper or anything else, he was above rpg range at all times.. Eventually thank God my game crashed and saved me from the suffering.

Edited October 11, 2017 by elfoam

[xwinkx_girlYakuza]

In the hands of a capable pilot the Pyro and Molotok can use the non-stop rockets to give Lazers and Hydras a hard time(they don't have flares but the Pyro does so a big plus). But for novice pilots i don't think its that easy though.. just my two cents

[Yellow Dog with Cone]

The true sensible answer to the Hydra/Lazer problem would be replacing their explosive cannons for minigun rounds long ago.

 

It's the sole reason for why they're so unbalanced and broken, why almost every new airplane can barely match them and why both the Homing Launcher and explosive rounds solved a problem but created ten more.

[Aether]

Anyone who complains about aircraft now needs to hang themselves.

 

You complained.. and complained... and now rockstar gave you all what is basically a rail gun.

 

Congrats. Except now nobody can fly. Good job assholes.

[Smooth Longsack]

Anyone who complains about aircraft now needs to hang themselves.

 

You complained.. and complained... and now rockstar gave you all what is basically a rail gun.

 

Congrats. Except now nobody can fly. Good job assholes.

Flying is all i do 80%!

[DrSweatySphincter]

Anyone who complains about aircraft now needs to hang themselves.

 

You complained.. and complained... and now rockstar gave you all what is basically a rail gun.

 

Congrats. Except now nobody can fly. Good job assholes.

All the anti aircraft they gave us yet a heavy sniper rifle is the only thing that truly ends jets (LOL). Genius design by Rockstar.

[Gridl0k]

I'm pretty sh*t at dogfighting, never got into it, but yeah the Hydra at least has no answer for the Pyro, you can turn inside it easy. First GTA plane that's got 'accurate' handling IMO, in terms of control authority (eg snaps into a roll with full stick left) plus it has positive thrust/weight. Not tried a Lazer yet but I drank many hydra pilot tears yesterday. If it had the Rogue's armaments it would be best plane in the game easily.

Edited October 15, 2017 by Gridl0k

[DangerZ0neX]

What are all of you talking about? I had a dogfight with other Hydra in a Pyro and I had dogfights with other Pyros in a Hydra, and the only people I ever took down were the sh*t pilots who don't know how to fly.