While closing with your target, use A or D to sideslip as appropriate. However, Get yourself about a 60-75% rotation as well, and then use the joystick to try to keep yourself pointed at the enemy, always jinking and changing your heading. Takes a little getting used to, but i'm pretty much convinced the targeting algorithm has a hard time tracking it. Note: that I did this in the Patcom, which may skew the results because that thing's pretty damn hard to hit in the first place.

1. They usually travel in pairs.
2. Their escorts have a pretty useful lag before coming through the jump point.
   
   To use this, simply wait close to the outlet of the jump point for a mega freighter to show it's ugly prow. Immediately unload on it with your most powerful weapons, destroying it, then run...very fast...to get maneuvering room. The insueing ejection of cargo pods will usually collect the second mega freighter, leaving the escorts to jump in to the debris and blast, hopefully collecting a few of them too. You can them pick them off on your terms.
   
   As an addendum, leave any mega pods intact that are close to the outlet of the jump point. They will usually destroy any normal freighters jumping in, netting you cargo without firing a shot. After they get blown out of range for this to be useful, (assuming they haven't already blown up, ejecting their bounty) go ahead and open them up and collect you reward.
   
   Tip: collect everything...even the raw sewage has recycle value.

I took a load of blizzard rockets and disrupters. My wingmen and I snuck around behind the Destroyer (staying about 25 clicks away from all hostiles), then closed range, ordered my wing men to attack my target, hit the destroyer with a disrupter, got in nice and close and unloaded the blizzard rockets on it at point blank range, while it sat there helpless. If you do it fast enough it doesn't even have a chance to launch any fighter/bombers.

I've found a very successful pirate technique, most will find it rather cowardly, but hey, it works wonders for the people that dont like to get a scratch on the ship and still want the cargo from the biggest ships.

I've built myself up 3 gattling cannons and that's all you need for this maneauver, you can use some sort of signal mask too.

Sit 30k outside of a lagrange, or orbital station, motionless, and out of the shipping lanes. When a tasty target comes up, get your speed up to 2000km/s to 2500km/s by thrusting all forward, then when you're about 10k from your target (regardless of the # of escorts) set all your gunns ablaze. while accellerating past, including your turret fighters guns, I believe it's key 8-Attack target. In one pass, you should be able to convince any sized ship to drop its cargo.

With luck, it happens so fast the interdictors/fighters dont bother chasing you, and if they do, accellerate till your're about 50km+ away from them, and then drop your speed while strafing away from that vector. they may have missiles chasing, but with the speed you'd built up they charge past you really fast, and you can just evade them with strafing.

I've done this trick about 6 zillion times, once in 5 I have to take out the fighters, but it's not hard doing the same tactice. pick one of the attacking fighters, and string and ping them with high-speed allweapon blazing fly-bys. Simple, sweet, and when the ships have jumped out, tag the cargo and call jafs.

Another good trick that I've learned is just as your about to pass your enemy (in a head to head fly by), hit F6 (this more often then not will help you during the turn).. just right when the ship enters your screen, turn it off, do the Double L tap, and steer your way right into your slow turning enemy with PBC blazing.

My little fav Pod Dropping tactic reqires 3-4 cutting beams (and the salvo weapon togle).

1. Fly up to who ever you want to drop Pods
2. Let go on the 4 cutting beams (takes less then 3-4 seconds on the megafreighter)
3. Leave the area as fast as you can
4. Wait 60km away until the escorts are gone

If you have other fighting weapons installed, go have some fun and take them out with one of the said tactics above.

Reverse thrust away from enemy with full power to weapons. Fire lots and use lateral thrusters to evade missiles. Always shoot at the closest ship.

Don't do this too often in built up areas or asteroid fields as running backwards into a rock at 5km/s can ruin your day.

Fly towards enemy with full power to weapons. Fire lots. As your target moves out of fire cone, move full power to engines. Turn to face their vector. Full power to weapons. Fire lots!

NOTE: Use on convoys which are not moving

1. Equip your ship with seeker mines.
2. Find a convoy which isnt moving- they arent hard to find..
3. Approach an escort from behind, very sneaky-like, within 1km.
4. Take aim for his rear- right at the engines.
5. Fire a seeker mine, and then quickly use your forward thrusters (so you go reverse).
6. Seeker will hit the craft, exploding on impact, causing craft to blow up (kills corvettes i dunno how much bigger it can kill).
7. All other escorts wont know what happened, and will dismiss their allies death as irrelevant to their own existence.
8. repeat for all other escorts.

When you attack Nova class heavy cruiser with cutting beam or even mining laser, sweep the beam along the side of the cruiser to destroy it's turrets.

I don't really see the mercy in this, but...

NOTE: Only for freigter looting purposes!

1. Switch to cutting beam.
2. Fly toward the freighter from its frontside.
3. When about 3-4 km away, start making a 180 turn facing the freighter all the time.
4. When in range of the beam, start using it.
5. Keep the freighter in your sight all the time, use vertical thrusters to slow down your speed if necessary.
6. After you have passed the freighter, it should have given you its pods, and you are off to fight the escorts

If you came in from the right direction, you should now be behind all the escorts, facing them.

1. Approach enemy ship as fast as you can. Collide with target ship using maximum shield
2. Use this tactic when facing a maximum of 2 small ships within 15km range.
3. After collision enemy ship will have to turn and decrease impulse.
4. This means you'll have enough time to finish target ship.
5. Be careful, if you use more time than necessary to finish your ship, you'll be exposing your rear to attack.

CLICK HERE FOR DIAGRAM

1. Fly towards your enemy, preferably shooting.
2. When you pass them, make a quick 180 decrees flip or turn (flip looks cooler when looking from another ship).
3. Then hit your LDS switch (L key by default) twice in rapid succession.
4. This will leave you going at 1000 m/s to the direction you are facing, towards the enemy.
5. Shoot your enemies while they are still turning.

1. Flee backwards for some time to separate the faster enemy ships from the slower ones.
2. Use full forward thrust to approach your enemies. Keep your TRI balanced (engines=weapons=shields).
3. When in missile range again, pick up the ugliest enemy ship and shoot several missiles on it.
4. Now concentrate on another enemy, with your PBCs firing.
5. Pass him very close.
6. In the moment of the fly-by, change the TRI so that all the energy is concentrated on your weapons.
7. Don't turn around, keep on flying. Your backwards gun will hit him at least two or three times right on to his engine section.
8. With any luck, the enemy ship will be destroyed.
9. Reset the TRI.
10. Use the tactic also with the other, slower ships that will follow.

1. Go to LDS.
2. Find a suitable target.
3. Fly towards it.
4. Pray.
5. Use your aggressor shields.

1. Fly towards the enemy, using lateral thrusters and roll to dodge enemy fire.
2. Fire any rabid fire weapons you got.
3. Decrease speed to about 400 m/s when you're about 2 or 3 km away from the enemy.
4. Make sure your enemy is on your left or right, not above or below. Use roll to correct the situation.
5. Turn towards your enemy while using forward thrust override (W) and lateral thrusters (use left if you were turning left and vice versa).
6. You will end up about 200-500 metres behind the enemy.
7. Use your cutting beam to blow your enemy apart.

NOTE: Works better against small groups (2-3 ships), as large fleets tend to shoot you down more easily.

1. Basically just circle strafing around your target while you slowly roll your ship around its axis. This way you cover nearly the entire target. Works especially well with turreted targets and targets that are stationed or moving at constant velocity..

1. If you are chased by multiple enemies, try to use LDS.
2. Get some distance to your enemies. Don't shake them off.
3. Approach a planet or moon at fairly high speed.
4. Slow down a little when you come closer (at least when altitude warning is displayed).
5. Start to fly circles around the planet, about 1 circle every 5 seconds.
6. Watch your enemies crash into the planet.

NOTE: Old I-War One trick. Procede with caution. You get little warning.

1. Attack your enemy by rolling while firing missiles.
2. Switch to PBC once you're in range.
3. Charge through the center of a group of enemies then hit reverse.
4. Repeat #3 repeatedly changing pitch and yaw as necessary.

1. You need a ship with some pulling power and agility (stronger than your enemy).
2. Match speed with a target.
3. Align yourself with their docking port.
4. Manually dock with the enemy ship.
5. Aim yourself towards a large, slow enemy or planet.
6. Hit LDS.
7. Undock and pull up or down quickly.
8. Watch the fireworks. Throwing Tugs/Patcoms into cruisers/destroyers is the best.
9. An alternate method is to place the docked ship between you and the enemy.
10. Use your belly/dorsal thrusters to close in on the enemy ship.
11. Undock and watch the sparks. This is where the "Belly Flop" comes from.

NOTE: While you cannot autodock with some ships, manual docking seems to work for me in the original. Don't try this at home.

1. Arm your strongest missiles and shoot.
   If it didn't hit, repeat until hit. If it did - move to #2
2. Charge at your enemy while keeping the thruster override button pressed and shooting once PBCs, then a missile.
3. When almost rammed the enemy make a quick 90 degree turn, and keep going forward.
4. Turn around while still moving in the same direction (Which should be reverse) and shoot the enemy.
5. When the enemy is out of PBC range, move back to #1 and start over.

1. Charge into the middle of the enemy group while randomly blasting them with all weapons, but missiles first!
2. go in reverse with the reverse override button pushed. When a safe distance from the enemy, charge exactly into the middle of the group while evading fire and the enemies will attack each other with friendly fire (And I noticed that when ship A shoots ship B a little they go into combat...).
3. Run away like a chicken, and watch thee enemies fight themselves. If failed, start over.

NOTE: Cowards live longer...

1. Get a couple of cargo pods(you figure out from where) and put them in a tight cluster just outside the exit appeture of an L-point. A busy L-point...The incomeing ships will provide you with a larger and larger field of cargo. Therefore catching even more ships in it.

1. Same as above, except you block the in appeture. Works just as well, except that the ships don't blow up or take damage, they just line up. Nice and neat, you start at the back and wipe out all the escort ships that are sitting still showing you there engines.

1. Get surrounded by numerous smaller enemies, such as tugs, patcoms, or fighters. One or two larger enemies can be in the mix, like a corvette or a destroyer before this tactic loses effectiveness.
2. Switch to seeker missiles and ripple fire until you have no more seekers. Any disrupters onboard should go towards the larger targets, as they won't be as damaged by the seekers.
3. Continue ripple fire with PBCs, while heading full burn in a random direction away from the enemy. Punch LDS as soon as you can if you're taking heavy fire.
4. Pick off crippled ships before they can fully repair, string and ping* until you're the last ship left standing.
   *string and ping references the age-old tactic of stringing out your enemies in such a way as to avoid massed combats and force them into one on one combat.

NOTE: This is for when you are swarmed by lots of smaller ships and as a result, your shields are at their least effective. The name refers to the first words uttered by the ship's captain when faced with such a situation. Credit goes to The Last Starfighter for the idea, and PS for putting in ripple fire to begin with.

QUOTE: "Well, it's worked at least once or twice that I remember." - Hotfoot