Suggested loadouts and basic strategies for EDF 5 Despair and Under Siege on multiplayer

Despair and Under Siege are online-only missions of EDF 5. Both are nasty, although not impossible. The main problem is that there needs to be some coordination on both. If everyone is just shooting around you'll never solve it.

The best way to tackle missions online is by each player using a different class. This way you're optimizing for a positive outcome, as each class has different capabilities, and most missions will be easier to handle if you explore them. These 2 are missions that if players insist on avoiding or concentrating on specific classes you're aiming for a huge difficulty spike and likely failure.

Mission 108 - Despair

Despair is easier with 3 or 4, but obviously, 4 is better.

1 Air Raider

Tempest ATS, Bulge Z, ZEXR, Nyx ZC or Red Guard

Tempest is only useful if you want to get rid of huge pylons faster.

Bulge Z is the best weapon on online to kill cosmos, heavy ones or not.

ZEXR always useful to keep you and your teammates alive.

Nyx ZC or Red Guard for close combat and some survival

2 Ranger

Lysander Z, shotgun or assault rifle, Epsilon Blast Self-Propelled Railgun

MR111 is not better here as penetration isn't very useful, so Lysander is awesome for flyers.

Shotgun or assault rifle to help defense.

3 Fast moving class, either Wing Diver or Fencer

Fencer

Add Booster and Dash Cell 5

Spine Driver MA and YH7 Dispersal Mortar or FH29 Mortar

Spine Driver + Shield, or any pair to kill things on map border laps

You'll need speed to get away, so the enhancements are obvious.

Spine Driver is likely Fencer's best overall weapon on 5 (and 6). YH7 Dispersal Mortar or FH29 Mortar works well and you'll be the only class with a destructive weapon to level down the map.

Wing Diver

Bolt Shooter ZF, Phalanx or Rapier or Gleipnir α, VZ Plasma Core

Bolt Shooter ZF is an awesome long-range weapon with a clip. Just be careful where you shoot it, it has spread, reflection and penetration, People depend on you, you can't die.

Gleipnir α can be used EXCLUSIVELY on the back corner of the map. Anywhere else it will create a mess. It's always good against flyers and slows down other enemies.

Phalanx or Rapier to kill things you'll need.

Since with Wing Diver there will be no one with destructive weapons, AR should have a Nyx ZC and level down the buildings around the start area once that is possible, and preferably before going for the pylons.

4 Another AR or Ranger

Second Air Raider

Tempest ATS, ZEXR, FZ-GUN MX or a shield, Nyx ZC or Red Guard or Barga

One Bulge is enough.

Barga is to be used as a decoy, but can be good to kill King Spiders.

Second Ranger

Same loadout as the first.

NO MISSILES, NO GUIDED WEAPONS, NO ZEX Launcher! Except for Gleipnir and explained before why.

Mission Flow

Capture, NPCs Fencer should level the area around the back corner, so that turrets and Ranger can defend when enemies are coming.

Ranger should exterminate ALL drones before proceeding. Be careful not to hit drones near pylons it will activate them.

Kill the 5 cosmos, AR using Bulge. This will require patience to avoid aggroing too much enemies.

Deal with huge pylons. Order is:

- Central pylon that spawns bees

- Left Pylon that spawns spiders

- Right Pylon that spawns ants

If you have one AR use fully starred Tempest ATS+ and Bulge Z on central pylon. Ranger should shoot Lysander and Epsilon to finish pylon, 2 or 3 shots will be enough. Use AR turrets to kill bees, Ranger weapons to defend. Avoid hitting things in the back to not aggro other enemies. Bees are the crucial ones to kill obviously!

Fencer or Wing Diver should zip away in case AR and Ranger die. If they do, do a map lap, attract all aggroed enemies, return to start and revive teammates. Do this more than once if necessary.

There are no more flyers beyond this point (except if the left pylon is the last one of the 3, in which case 2 Queen Bees will spawn from it, one normal, one red, and obviously this is a REALLY bad idea).

When there are no more aggroed enemies repeat.

However, if you have 2 Air Raiders, you can use Tempests at the same time on each pylon. They won't be destroyed at once, but you can then do it again and it will avoid the spawn of the 2 giant enemies if they're destroyed in a short interval. If necessary kill ants to collect points for further Tempests.

When you destroy the second pylon a King Spider and Silver King Spider will spawn from the ants huge pylon. Either try to use Tempest on them, or Bulge, or Nyx. Ranger should help. If necessary use the running away tactic with fast class.

Do the same drill as for the first pylon, kill all enemies until there are no aggroed ones, fast class should run if necessary.

The third pylon is a joke compared to the other 2. However, a huge wave of Pillbugs will spawn from the 2 remaining small pylons. Be careful, flame attacks send pillbugs away and don't kill them at once.

Dealing with the 2 remaining pillbugs pylons is extremely easy compared to the rest of the mission

Air Raider Inferno Online Solo run:

Part 1:  https://youtu.be/r-ypOF4wbQ4

Part 2:  https://youtu.be/FZHri1txcYI

Part 3:  https://youtu.be/mn-Fpy7fclk