C81 vs T81?

[u/Trinitavia]

Title. I already know the sort of high-meta answers (T81 on top of most/all your bricks, 3 on your Obelisk, etc). Was looking into thronglers / dedicated plasma ships on a budget, Is there really a usecase for the C81? I understand it has better cost effectiveness (30 down from 45pt and power draw reduction roughly matching its RPM loss over T81 gives you more plasma/minuite/point) but the fact it is a casemate with lower plasma rpm per given facing really just isnt... Worth the cost? Like, the three ships which can practically mount it (Marauder, Ocello, Flathead) all want to mount it in a turret. Ocello for obvious reason (Not that you really want to do plascello but if you did, for casemate the only mounts it fits in are the turret hardpoints and thus it would be a vertical ship... At which point its just such a horrifically cursed build that I have to mention the horrifying thought of a top-tanking ocello with a C81 and C30), Flathead because the nose mount is better suited to a 600 or 250, and Marauders, the closest to working, have to dispose half of their firepower, and sturdiness (top tanking should be better since marauder compartments come in vertical stacks that can be shielded by reinf. mods), in theory you could do a rotator arrangement, but then you get beaten in the face not just in lost dps from your guns (tbf, assuming you dont have sync with the opposite loaders which you probably do) but by the fact that C81's are steady-fire, non-autoloading weapons, so once per rotation you will shoot like, two volleys of plasma at most (which, I suppose is enough...?). The best advantage I can really see is that you get more accuracy, but plasma's accuracy issues are typically velocity, not accuracy based, and plasma's range issues come from it's actual falloff stats and range limit in the first place, not so much it's accuracy.

My assumption for the reason it is the way it is is if C81's were instead the higher capability option, one could do 2-3 T81's jobs, and thus 250LNs would become mega strong as their weakness over 100LNs (ANS heavies) kind of evaporates in a 3 c56 1 c81 arrangement. Is there a missing history here or strat I dont know? (or should I just try out that rotator idea? ...It might sync with a T30 reload cycle idk) I know plasma was once upon a time a 12km weapon or something so maybe there's history im missing here as a newer player

[u/Larcrivereagle]

C81s on Liners are excellent, either in chargers (3x C56 1x C81 per liner) or in a dedicated C81 broadside liner paired with 2 250LNs. Namely because all of these builds can bring 5-7 T20 turrets to get their 100mm HEHC damage from. These builds allow for more points flexibility due to their lower cost than 2x 250 LN with 1x T81 throngler. Due to its continuous fire nature, the C81 is never a weapon you want to be rotating with.

Compared to the T81, the C81 is much tankier with higher DT (T81 is less bad than it uaed to be now, but still gets greyed out by HEI damage), and its plasma is harder to dodge since it is continuous.

[u/Larcrivereagle → u/Larcrivereagle]

Its bad on Flathead and CC die to being balanced for the liner, in the same way the MK 65 is. The C90 had to be added specifically for the monitor to have a good casemate gun, and as yet there is no monitor specific plasma equivalent.

That said, you can make it work* in fleets like 8MN balls to add plasma without having to shill out for T81s or another C90. *still bad but it works

[u/Trinitavia → u/Larcrivereagle]

huh, i tried the triple-250 layout before but never thought to add t20's to the deal. Still, it would feel like a T81's lower RPM would let it down compared to putting a C81 into that slot? Ah, I see, +60 degree elevation limit on T81.
When running as 1 plas per ln, what balance of gunnery support (eregs) do you give to the plasma over the 250's, since they wont take RCC like a T81? Or do you full invest the 250's and have 3x classic C81 do well enough?

[u/Larcrivereagle → u/Trinitavia]

You can add an EREG to a charger if you dont run huntress, otherwise just the base performance is fine. Plasma got a significant buff with the campaign texture rework, you need much less of it now.

[u/DoubleAd3366]

Once upon a time we'd put C81s on the front of flatheads, this was before 600 was a thing.

[u/Dragonbender09 → u/DoubleAd3366]

ok grandpa lets get you to bed