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easier. There are quite dramatic exceptions to both of these ideas, though. It simply depends on the pilot's skill. Using targeting computers (either the TRI combo or the duelist, hereafter referred to as duelist) help both types of weapon user, but is essential for a successful ammo user.

Ammo With ammo, it is easier to joust a target, using the longer range of ammo to your advantage. You joust best when you make your attack run as straight as possible and continue on past your target until they turn and follow you for a couple of seconds. This makes for a straighter return joust when you flip 180° and afterburn back toward your opponent. A pair of tools that all pilots have but not many utilize are the "Target Location Arrow" (9) and "Current Drift Vector" (10) cones on your HUD.
The TLA (9) cone shaped vectoring display shows the direction your current target is facing relative to your ship. Once you joust straight past a target, you can either keep flying straight a few seconds to give the target time to straighten itself out compared to your course, or you can use this tool paired with the CDV (10) cone to help you adjust your course to help straighten out the joust plane quicker.

When you turn, be sure to line up the target squarely before you accelerate, or you will have drift in your jousting run. This drift joust technique can be useful against targets that use long ranged ammo weapons. Ammo using conflux are not very accurate and a good pilot can compensate for drift while conflux cannot. Plasma and multiple ammo using conflux require drift jousting as you can easily die in a single pass if you fly right into their fire. Once your target is in line, rolling can help you avoid ammo using flux's shots depending on the shape of your ship, but this also makes scoring hits more difficult for you as well especially if you have drift in your joust run.

The more a target (or you) drifts, changes speed, and changes direction, the more difficult the shot will become. The most important aspect of using the duelist is to realize that it is a tool to help you vector your shots and to remember to "shoot the manta, not the duelist." Keep your eyes on the target and where your shots are landing and shoot at the target, rather than concentrating on getting the two circles perfectly aligned. Also, make use of the tiny dot inside the duelist; if your duelist is nice and tight, put that dot right on the flux.

To help keep the target lined up, roll your ship until the attack angle is flat horizontally. This makes it so that when you compensate for the duelist's error, you only have to do so along one axis (X axis for instance). Afterburning on the approaching joust will help tighten up your duelist and will help lengthen your joust after passing the target. Some ammo weapons require that you manually either lead (shoot ahead) of the duelist or trail (shoot behind) it. Knowledge and manuals such as this are a fine starting place, but experience is the best teacher: practice, practice, and more practice.

Lasers
Laser users do not necessarily need to use a duelist for weaker flux, but it certainly does help. A laser configuration and a duelist is the most effective choice in sentient and PvP combat.

Laser users can joust, but due to their shorter range, laser jousting can be a slower method of fighting. Against weaker opponents, a laser user can come to a complete stop and simply use their ship as a gun turret. Against stronger opponents, or multiple opponents, laser users may need to circle fight, keeping moving at all times as in a dogfight or may need to charge toward the target to bring it inside laser range quicker.

To set up a circle fight, do not aim right at the opponent. Put your target a few inches above/below or to the right/left of your reticle (depending if your ship pitches or yaws faster). Pulling the control stick down (toward you) seems most natural to many pilots. At around 3000m distance, pull the target back into your reticle. Throttle down as needed based on your ship's power constraints and maneuverability (ships at lower throttle pivot much quicker) but remember to keep your speed up.
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