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Crimson Squadron - Ambush CLN

Role: Ambush - Backline | Difficulty: HARD

Disclaimer: This build is quite unhinged and requires a high level of skill to make effective, and even then it's far from meta.!

This is Crimson Squadron – CLN-412 Megumin, an ambush container liner based off of the INFERNO hull by MaxHunter1119. Now with backline anti-cap and counter-ambush capabilities. Armed primarily with close-range rocket and bomb containers, her purpose is to brutalize enemy assets at close range (under 5.5 km).

• Main: CM-441 Magic Rod, CM-442 Manatite, and CM-443 Explosion (3:1:2): DIRECT Anti-capital heavy hitter containers for Vauxhalls and above. Can also one-shot or two-shot destroyers if you can catch them off-guard and they can't beam you first, but is overkill on Frigates and Corvettes. Rely on sheer volume and the element of surprise to bypass defenses. Even more deadly on targets already engaged with ally frontline, or weakened ships. Thus positioning and game awareness is critical for your ambush to work. Fire under 5.5 km and paint the target with your included Lighthouse targeting illuminator to back up the containers' CMD seeker.
  
• Sidearm: CM-415 Demon Ring and CM-416 Chomosuke (1:1): CRUISE containers with extreme range specifically for anti-cap work, backline fishing, and striking entrenched beam destroyers to free up denied areas. The CM-416 is the 'shortstop' variant, while the CM-415 is the WAKEval variant with slightly shorter range. Can be used in a multi-axes ToT strike to make it very difficult to softkill, especially lethal against beam destroyers and Levy carriers.

• CM-441, CM-442, and CM-443: 4.25s. NOT ToT applicable.
  
• CM-415 and CM-416: 12.5s. ToT applicable.

It should be noted that this container loadout has reduced effectiveness against corvette swarms. Avoid engaging them and call out their position and movement to your allied frontline, which should be better equipped to deal with this threat.

Against ANS cruise missile strikes, Megumin can defend herself with a full softkill suite including a Warbler jammer, CM-4D2 decoy containers, and CM-499 EA90 Wet Blanket 'helljoy' containers, backed by a complement of SGM-106 Neostaff AMM as the last line of defense. The ship itself can survive cannon fire to a limited degree with 6 component restores, but it is inadvisable to leave her in the open for too long as she is a high-value target. Ally point defense, rock covers, and constant repositioning are your lifelines.

Weaknesses: Vulnerable to counter-ambushes and backline hunters, in addition to just being in the open in general. Keep your position well concealed for best survivability.


Below is the amount and composition of CM-441, CM-442, and CM-443 containers it takes to cripple ANS hulls of each class. Please note that it might take more containers to take out ships capable of bow-tanking (Vauxhall light cruisers and larger), or ships that are unusually reinforced with many components and redundancies.


In total, you have 18 full main salvos (3 CM-441 + 1 CM-442 + 2 CM-443) and 12 full sidearm salvos (1 CM-415 + 1 CM-416).

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Good luck and have fun! Let me know in the comments if you have any suggestions.

Big thanks to MaxHunter1119, who was the inventor of INFERNO and for reviewing this fleet, to Min who was the creator of the instastage rocket CLN, and to gnomeRemover, iriS.exe, chereamie, Arofire, and J4R.


To perfrom ToT strikes effectively, please refer to this guide by gnomeRemover:
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3404009387

While not directly related to this fleet, this is a guide I wrote on my approach to playing the Torpcello ambusher build, which has similar playstyle, mindset, and tactics:
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3477772891

Extra reading on CLN mindset and strategies: Your Tome for Container Liner Wizardry by gnomeRemover, iris.exe, and chereamie:
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3468630100

• Update v4.1: Nerfed yet again in game version 0.5.3. Reduced container count to fit within 3000 points.
  
• Update v4.0: Overhauled the fleet to actually use the new Moorline hull after the introduction of carrier, and also have more focus on backline capabilities to better fit the meta.
  
• Update v3.2: Updated internals for better bow and dorsal tanking.
  
• Update v3.1: Updated the SGM-110 Katzbalger ACM to only target crafts.
  
• Update v3.0: WE'RE SO BACK! Thanks to update 0.5.2.9 - Modular Spacecraft, the CM-422 is viable again and is added back to the build. Also, bringing 24 salvos of 3 CM-442 + 1 CM-443 + 2 CM-422 is once again possible.
  
• Update v2.2: Updated the main container salvo ratio of CM-442 to CM-443 to 2:1 (was 1:1). This increases the number of full salvos to 23 (was 22) and brings the number of CM-462 to 20 (was 16).
  
• Update v2.1: Replaced the Reinforced DC Locker in CMP3 with Large DC Storage to increase the number of component restores to 7 (was 4). Thanks MaxHunter1119 for the suggestion!
  
• Update v2.0: Removed the CM-422 as it is no longer worth it to bring due to the point cost increase of KBU-22 Bomb in the last patch. This increases the number of full salvos to 22 (was 20).
  
• Update v1.3: Reduced total number of full salvos down to 20 (was 24) due to the point cost increase of KBU-22 Bomb in the patch 0.5.2.8:250408-1848.
  
• Update v1.2: Added CMD seeker to CM-442 and CM-443 containers because of the instastage nerf in patch 0.5.2.7:250317-0242. This makes them cost more per unit, which results in less point investment into DC restores.
  
• Update v1.1: Switched from hot launch to cold launch for CM-430 Demon Ring and CM-480 Crimson Eye to reduce losing these containers to rock PD while hugging rock for ambush.
  
• v1.0: File uploaded.