Personal Questions

I consider myself more of a player who specializes in survival skills, thus leaning towards a more defensive playstyle. However, I can handle offensive ships and full offence ships to a good extent.

In the speedrunning field, while I am nowhere near the top of the player base, I believe I belong to the better half of players. Better than casual players and most enthusiastic players on Phoenix 2 online platforms, but not players who speedrun Marshal missions on an almost daily basis.

With regards my effort in completing daily and community missions:

For Marshal S2 missions, I usually just clear and move on.
If the Marshal S3 mission is a normal daily mission, I also usually just clear and move on.
If the Marshal S4 mission is a normal daily mission, I will attempt to go for an Ogon is Fine badge if the mission is reasonable.
In specialist missions, I achieve Top 1% most of the time.
I have gotten almost all Against All Odds badges available when it was properly introduced.
- There were some Against All Odds badges given out to compensate for tougher missions that did not give out Against All Odds badges yet, which I may not have bothered to complete because there was no incentive back then.
- I also took a break from Phoenix 2 for a short while.
For community missions, in most of my accounts, I used to properly speedrun get a good time
- I sometimes replay if I'm not happy with the run.
- This allowed me to consistently achieve Top 1% in my communities for the accounts that I speedrun on.
- For one of my accounts that use Full Offence ships, I always come in first every community mission in a huge community.
- These days, however, I just clear community missions quite casually.

Q2: Ship/Apex Likes and Dislikes

Which ships/apexes do you like and which do you hate?

I play almost all of them but there are some that I use more frequently than others, for the purpose of clearing daily missions or speedrunning community missions. This will be biased because many of the ships I like are just ships that I use on a daily basis to get an easy clear or for speedrunning community missions.

For daily Marshal missions,

I usually use Icarus Sigma for Armored missions.
I usually use Baqlor Lambda for Unprotected missions.
I usually use Baqlor Phi for Shielded missions.
For Shuriken/MIRV & Dart/MIRV missions, I usually use either Phoenix Delta or AB8/Klyn Delta.

For community missions, I usually use Icarus Sigma & Baqlor Phi.

You can see below for some of the apexes that I like better than other apexes. Other than that, I don't have a particular preference for any ship or apex.

Lastly, I don't hate any ship/apex . It is my commitment not to and also why I remain open to trying and playing any ship or apex.

Q3: Best Ship/Apex

What is the best ship or best apex?

There is no best all in one ship, nor is there a best all in one apex .

There are ships/apexes that do well across many categories, but this does not always equate to the best ship because some categories may be irrelevant to you.
It really depends on your objective, which is why this guide is split into 5 aspects, survival, speedrunning, fun, uniqueness & beginner friendliness.

If you insist however, there are resources for that. Head over to the External Links / Resources section of this guide and you will find relevant links.

One of them orders all ships accordingly, from highest to lowest overall score (includes apexes as well), so it might work for you.

Q4: Best Main Weapon Type

What is the best type of main weapon?

This really depends on your skill level.

If you are a newer player, you would prefer homing main weapons .
- The lack of the need to aim means one less element to take note of
  - This is especially when newer players tend to prefer a more defensive playstyle, trying to dodge as much as they can.
- It usually takes a while to understand how to use your Aura , and then a bit longer after that to know how to use your Zen . Phoenix 2 isn't a traditional bullet hell game.
  - Dodging will not get you very far.
  - At best, it will probably only get you to Colonel rank.
  - From there on, you'll be overwhelmed.
As your skill gets better and you learn how to use your Aura and Zen to defend yourself, you will usually start to develop a liking for strictly forward firing main weapons .
- These main weapon types also provide some form of defence by popping off turrets effectively.
After that, when it comes to the firing cone of the main weapon , it stops there.
- No one likes dealing with a spread main weapon , since it gets annoying to optimize.
- If you replace that spread main weapon with one that has less spread but same damage, anyone would take the switch any day.
As you get really good at using your Zen , you will start finding that a particular type of main weapon , identified in this guide as uninterruptible burst, as the best.
- You can continue to let your main weapon fire for a while you start charging your Zen .
- This technique requires you to know your main weapon's intervals very well and position yourself appropriately such that you don't die even if you need to hold on to your touch for a little while longer.
The last thing that many would appreciate is another type of main weapon identified in this guide as Cone Triggered.
- This type of main weapon reduces the problem of damage leakage.

In conclusion, you would first love homing main weapons , then straight fire main weapons. Ultimately, after you become good at this game, you will love uninterruptible burst main weapons, and knowing how Cone Triggered weapons are a great added bonus.

Q5: Get Good

How do you get good at this game?

Be consistent. Play for a reasonable time every day where possible.
While you can grind your way and try your utmost best to improve by leaps and bounds within a day or few, it will involve a lot of grinding, especially on the same missions (since missions don't reset that quickly).
- Grinding will not always make you a better player.
- With more grinding, it's easy to get more frustrated with the game.
- This might make you quit the game earlier than if you just take it slowly.
- Phoenix 2 isn't designed as a game to grind, evident by how consistently (but not quickly) missions rotate.
If you do want to grind, I recommend only grinding until the point you hit a run where you feel is of acceptable standard.
- Remember that it is near impossible to achieve perfection
- Everything you have planned out will not always go accordingly, particularly with Invader RNG movement at play.
- Don't be too hard on yourself.
- If you really cannot clear enough waves to secure your rank, don't bother.
- If you know that there is a certain wave that gets you hard stuck, don't bother.
  - At least, take a break, stop playing for a while and let yourself cool down.
  - Then look at the wave carefully and see if there's any possible strategy to beat it.
- Either way, don't stress over securing or clearing the mission. It's a game. The consequences for demotion or not promoting/clearing will not be any worse than if you stress yourself and insist on doing so, hurting yourself in the process.

That's for getting good enough to reach the first milestone of your Phoenix 2 journey - being able to clear almost any Marshal S4 daily mission thrown at you.

After you get good (and I do mean, really good, better than myself in terms of speedrunning if anything), if you want to get a Best of Best or a (specialist) Best of Best badge, be careful if you want to chase for it.
- Competition at the top is extremely intense.
- If you aren't able to top community missions in the most competitive communities around 80% of the time, you aren't ready for it.
  - I will tell you that even that I am a very good player by most standards, I myself don't bother to chase for a Best of Best or (specialist) Best of Best badge.

That was for getting really good and going into competitive play. However, if you are like me, and feel it's too tall of a task, there are other ways you can get good as well. You can also go about experimenting with the different ships in the game.

A lot of ships aren't touched by players of the upper ranks, especially those who reach Marshal rank.
- That shouldn't discourage you from trying however.
  - Another reason is that if I can do other ships in Marshal rank, you can do it too.
  - Because honestly speaking, I'm nowhere near the top in terms of the player base.
Be bold and try crazy stuff, but do try to clear the daily mission first before you get carried away and can't even clear, resulting in demotion.
- Who knows, maybe you'll find new ways to play some ships that even I don't know of.
  - Let me know if you actually do find new ways to play, I would love to know as well!
Play these ships however long it pleases you, and there's no need to be afraid of demotion as you can rely on your reliable set of ships to get you through first.
Grind them if you want!
You can simply swap to a new ship the next day or so once you get sick of the ship you tried to grind on.
Or just play a few rounds to get a nice feel for the ship and call it a day. It is up to you.
You gain enough credits to fully upgrade (to 6-6-6) a ship in about 2-3 weeks, so over time, you'll have a large inventory to tap upon
You can even rotate back to ships you played before but haven't touched in some time.

You can also have fun in your existing pool of ships by trying new ways to play them, or get their apexes

Q6: Recommended Apexes

What are some highly recommended apexes?

You can see above for some of the apexes that I use, and I believe that all of those that I use are highly or quite highly sought after apexes. Below is a list of apexes that I either think is really worth the investment for a unique skillset, or just really enjoy and find them pretty different from many other apexes:

Njörun Gamma: This is a very good starting Super Reflect apex as Chrono Field gives you leeway to screw up the timing of Super Reflect.
- After you've learned how to time Super Reflect properly, you can then move on to the other Super Reflect apexes.
Luna Tau: This apex is a good start when picking up Point Defence Bullet Detonator apexes, which are very fun when used well.
- This is due to how natural Point Defence Bullet Detonator fits with its Close Combat playstyle, needing to go right up to the Invaders to maximize the main weapon's high DPS to kill fast enough.
- It also offers sufficient defences to keep it going.
Qhelqod Gamma: Easily the most recommendable Barrier Reflector Apex, these apexes are a total blast to play in any laser heavy mission.
- Heechi Delta and Gorthaur Beta are pretty fun too but nothing beats Qhelqod Gamma.
AB8/Klyn Sigma and Shogun Sigma: No doubt the best Reflex EMP High Damage apexes, both can be used in Unprotected missions for total obliteration.
Jericho Gamma: A very useful apex to train Personal Shield usage.
- Using this apex will teach you how to maximize the Phase Out of Personal Shield.
- While Gorthaur Alpha also has Focus, Barrier is less forgiving than Bullet EMP .
- It's easier to panic press Bullet EMP to save your life than to panic press Barrier .
- Even if you screw up and don't utilize Personal Shield Phase Out to eliminate enough bullets, Bullet EMP is a very good fallback plan.
Atlas Alpha & Lokie Alpha: Both of these apexes have Personal Shield Supersize.
- This apex is a very underrated apex ability, as the huge size increase in Personal Shield allows you to Phase Out further to cross a larger region of space to clear even more bullets.
- Furthermore, these apexes are only ¢5.000, so what's holding you back from sparing a small amount of credits for something that is so powerful defensively?
- However, you should probably get Jericho Gamma first to know how to utilize Personal Shield Phase Out well enough.
- As for Phoenix Beta and NC-271 Beta, why would you spend ¢10.000 when you can simply spend half the price, right?
Zhetass Gamma: A bit more expensive than the other Personal Shield Supersize apexes, but this apex is more than simply having more bullet clearance from a bigger Personal Shield.
- The bigger size of Personal Shield completely covers the Phalanx deployed, allowing you to use Phalanxes without it blocking the way, achieving maximum laser reflection damage.
- Zhetass' playstyle of requiring Phalanx up as much as possible to allow the main weapon to hit means wasting Phalanxes and wasting laser reflection damage is less of an issue with this apex.
- Before you get this apex, you should be familiar with Zhetass' playstyle first.
Tempest Delta: Very unique playstyle with Mega Laser Focused Beam.
- The thin Mega Laser Focused Beam allows Tempest to ride up along with the Mega Laser, a playstyle very desirable for Tempest.
- The Mega Laser Focused Beam is thin enough to graze bullets on the left and right sides of the Mega Laser.
- Because Tempest is very viable for Shuriken/MIRV missions, the insane amount of bullets around you will mean enormous amounts of grazing as you ride up the Mega Laser.
  - This leads to a huge Bullet EMP being built up.
  - Fire off the huge Bullet EMP , which clears the whole field of bullets, making it really satisfying.
- The thin Mega Laser riding skill is a very unique skill that is exclusive to Mega Laser Focused Beam ships. However, it benefits Tempest the most.
  - It is not easy to pick up due to the small error tolerance,
  - But when pulled off very well, it's extremely satisfying.
  - For Arietis Epsilon, while this technique also completely refills your Point Defence , it's not as satisfying.
  - For Razor VI Sigma and Lorilou Epsilon, Mega Laser Focused Beam is nothing but extra damage.
Phoenix Delta: Everyone's favourite because of both Bullet EMP Destructive Wave and the cool extra vintage missiles.
Jn'Dur Gamma: Jn'Dur's already unique playstyle makes it a unique and fun ship, but the Gamma Apex makes it even better. The Mega Bomb Fast Charge apex ability means that you can delay charging Mega Bomb a little longer and release more Particle Disruptor projectiles.
- This allows even the frontline Shielded Ravens to be decimated after Mega Bomb goes off.
- Not only that, Mega Bomb Fast Charge also allows you to pull back, then quickly head to the uppermost edge of the barriers and charge Mega Bomb as far upfield as possible,
- This means you can sometimes even land Fusion Core on Invaders to deal even more damage.
Lyova Tau: Decimates both Unprotected Ravens and Sparrows with a Bullet EMP Destructive Wave + Reflex EMP combo, this apex is a total blast.
- Also, who cares about Caged MIRVs with this apex? Because both Bullet EMP Destructive Wave and Reflex EMP deals against them.
Juggernaut Lambda: Decimates Armored Ravens and Sparrows from an Mega Bomb + Bullet EMP Destructive Wave combo, what's not to like?
Czar Lambda: The Stun EMP + Teleport Explosive Arrival simply decimates Shielded Ravens .
Prime X Epsilon: If you like this ship, this apex is a must, because it makes Prime X even more enjoyable by decimating Invaders faster.
Hime Lambda: If you like Hime, this apex is a must, it makes Hime so much more fun.
Proteus Gamma: If you like Proteus, this apex makes Proteus even more fun by making bigger explosions. I mean, who doesn't like BIG BOOM?
Exarch Omega: If you love Exarch or love speedrunning, this apex makes Exarch feel more smooth and less frustrating when Sparrows slip past the Phase Prisms.
Corsair Sigma: For those who love Corsair, this apex makes Corsair even better by giving it an AoE damage means.
Disaris Omega: This apex is a huge joy to use against Shuriken/MIRV missions, as waves with pellet spinners get wiped really fast.

Q7: Ship Balance of Power

What do you think about the balance of power in the ships?

Not all ships are created equal. That's one thing for sure. It is clear that some ships are significantly better than others. Like how Baqlor is for sure miles better than say, Ogon. (By better, i mean in the survival, speedrunning or fun aspect.) I also compared some abilities side by side in this section and definitely it's not supposed to be balanced.

In the end, it comes to a few points:

The different combinations of Aura and Zen define a certain unique playstyle for each ship.
- The main weapon also differentiates some ships, especially of those with the same Aura-Zen combination.
This is likely what the devs desire - to make every ship feel different so that you won't regret upgrading that ship.
The devs want to make the game fun for as wide of an audience as possible by having a great assortment of different ways to play the game.
You may or may not like that ship yourself, but that doesn't mean it applies to everyone.

Personal Questions

Phoenix II —FAQ (IOS)

FAQ (IOS) by light_rock_zz

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