Vehicles |
Page Contents Current As of Patch: | 2020-10-01 |

![]() Lightning | |
The Lightning is a light one man tank. The Lightning can be outfitted with various types of turrets allowing it to fill anti-air and anti-armor roles. | |
Type: | Light armor |
Empire: | ![]() |
Cost: | 300 ![]() |
Health: | 4,000 |
For Armor and Damage resistance details see this article. | |
Decay: | 5 Minutes |
Primary Weapons: | C75 Viper, L100 Python HEAT, L100 Python AP, L100 Python HESH, Skyguard |
TR Specific![]() |
L2-100 Kingsnake |
NC Specific![]() |
JGX11 |
VS Specific![]() |
Perihelion L-VXC |
NSO Specific![]() |
Larion LPPC |
The Lightning is Nanite Systems' battle tank, available to all factions at all times. The Lightning is an extremely versatile vehicle, able to reach its full effectiveness with a crew of just a single person and with weapons available to fulfill all roles; Anti-Infantry, Anti-Vehicle and Anti-Air.
Unlike the MBTs of each faction, the Lightning does not require a Tech Plant to be owned to be constructed from a terminal. It also costs less nanites than an MBT, making it more efficient. The Lightning is also faster, more maneuverable and smaller in size than its more heavily armored counterparts, allowing it to perform hit and run attacks more easily.
With its unique Skyguard cannon, the Lightning can fulfill a role other vehicles are simply unable to do. The barrage of 40mm Flak rounds can drive aircraft of all types away, providing a cheap and effective area of denial tool to attackers and defenders alike.
Differentiating the Lightning from MBTs, it lacks overall fire power due to having only a single, weaker primary weapon as well as a lack of secondary weapon due to the vehicle only having a single man crew. The Lightning has exactly the same armor and resistance values as MBT's, but has only 4000 health compared to Magrider/Prowler 5000 and Vanguard 6000.
Overall, the Lightning is an effective tool whenever a solid, mobile anti-infantry, anti-air or anti-vehicle tool is needed, and whenever a two man crew is not available.

Certifications[]
Lightning Vehicle Certifications
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Category | Certification Name | Levels and Cost | |||||
Utility Slot | Smoke Screen |
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Fire Suppression System |
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Engagement Radar |
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Defense Slot | Nanite Auto Repair System |
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Vehicle Stealth |
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Flanker Armor |
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Mine Guard |
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Proximity Radar |
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Performance Slot | Rival Combat Chassis |
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Racer High Speed Chassis |
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Lightning Strategies[]
As it has access to such a large variety of tools, the Lightning can provide a cheap way to patch up any holes in a forces' strategy. With the ability to equip extremely effective anti-air tools, great anti-infantry cannons and consistent anti-vehicle damage, the Lightning is a worthy vehicle for any column.
General Tactics
Tailor your loadout to the situation, this is the Lightning's greatest strength; do you need to travel a long, open field to reach the next base? Bring an L100 Python AP or Skyguard to provide your Sunderers with defense from defending vehicle and aircraft that pose a threat to exposed vehicles. Is the base enclosed, featuring tight choke points that infantry are forced through? Equip a C75 Viper or L100 Python HESH, both very effective anti-infantry tools.
One thing to remember; keep moving! You may be armed well enough to be comparable to an MBT, however you're still much weaker! Play as though you're driving a Harasser; you want to use hit and run tactics, and use your speed to help in dodging return fire.
Assaulting a Tech Plant
The Tech Plant's main strength is its ability to protect defenders and spawn vehicles effectively; bring a L100 Python AP or Skyguard and make sure that the enemy force is unable to leave the main facility. Also, you can use the L100 Python AP to take down the large amount of Phalanx turrets located on the gallery of the main facility, which can pose a huge threat to allied aircraft and ground vehicles attempting to assault the base. Due to the heavily enclosed nature of the main facility, anti-infantry cannons are generally less effective here, so you should only bring them out once the main facilities' shields are down, giving you a clearer shot into the building.
Assaulting a Bio Lab
Most assaults on a Bio Lab take place on the Landing Pads, an area that provides good cover from defenders inside the Bio Lab, however leaves attackers extremely exposed to hostile aircraft, such as Liberators or anti-ground equipped ESFs. The Lightning doesn't have much of a use in helping to capture the Bio Lab's points, however it can aid allied attackers with entering the Bio Lab by providing cover from air threats using the Skyguard. You can also fit an L100 Python AP to help defend S-AMS Sunderers from enemy vehicles attempting to neutralize your spawns.
Assaulting an Amp Station
As with all ground vehicles, the Lightning cannot help much in the assault of an Amp Station, especially due to the numerous vehicle shields littered around the base, as well as the large amount of cover. Ensure the vehicle shields are disabled before attempting to bring a Lightning to an Amp Station offensive. As the main point building is very enclosed, a C75 Viper can be extremely effective at preventing enemies from defending their point, due to its immense splash damage and extensive ammo reserves.
Defending a Base
The Lightning's versatility truly shines when defending a base; the number of options it has available allows you to tailor it to the base you're defending as well as the method of which the attackers are using to enter your base. If the attackers are employing S-AMS Sunderers to get the job done, bring a L100 Python, of any kind, as they are all very effective at either killing infantry or killing the Sunderer itself. The L100 Python HEAT and L100 Python HESH are both very effective at killing infantry due to their extended blast radiuses. If you wish to kill their Sunderers, an L100 Python AP can do very heavy damage to their S-AMS.
If the enemies are using Galaxies or Valkyries to stage their assault, then the constant and heavy damage that the Skyguard provides will allow you to quickly force their spawns into a retreat, and successfully defend your base.
Sample Lightning Loadouts[]
The amount of options that the Lightning has available are endless, however here are a couple of loadouts to get you rolling with a basic idea of what to look for on a Lightning. Make sure to adapt these to your own playstyle when you're more comfortable and have more certs in the bank!
Anti-Air Skyguard[]
Primary: Skyguard - No Zoom Neccessary (Zoom Optics (2x)), Reload Speed, Maximum Ammo Capacity
As expected, the Skyguard is the crux of this loadout. It provides all your damage, and will make both your ground and air forces alike very happy. When shooting at aircraft within close to medium range, which 99% of your targets will be within, you will find no need for a Zoom, and can save your certs by settling with a 1.25x Zoom Optic simply to fill the slot. However, Galaxies used by attackers generally sit very close to the ceiling of the map, and as such may be very hard to hit, making a 2x Zoom Optic useful in these situations.
Utility: Fire Suppression
In order to help you survive 1v1s with hostile aircraft, you may need the extra burst of healing and the recovery from the crippling slow of being critically damaged. Fire Suppression will grant you extra staying power in tough situations, and give you more time to fire at a vital target.
Defensive: Nanite Auto Repair System/Proximity Radar
The choice is yours; do you wish to be able to stay longer in your Skyguard by forgoing having to get out to repair when having taken damage, or are infantry a threat, and do you wish to defend yourself versus them by being able to see them coming?
A Skyguard Lightning will generally have long periods of downtime between aircraft showing up, due to the sheer presence the weapon has and the area of denial it sets up, meaning the Nanite Auto Repair System has ample time to kick in and fully heal you up. However, due to your upwards facing tunnel vision, you may find yourself paticularly vulnerable to infantry using C4 and Tank Mines to blow up your Lightning whilst you're distracted, so the Proximity Radar may help improve your survivability.
Performance: Rival Combat Chassis
Your job is to be able to provide a large area of denial versus enemy aircraft; this chassis will give you the mobility to allow you to climb up hills and gain a very large view of an area. It also gives you increased turning speed, allowing you turn erratically to avoid incoming fire from aircraft, especially Liberators equipped with CAS30 Tank Busters, who will have great trouble hitting a fast moving, erratic target. This chassis will also give you the power to quickly turn and run from unfavorable situations, again due to the increased turn speed alongside the higher reverse speed.
Anti-vehicle Hit and Run[]
Primary: L100 Python AP - Zoom Optics (1.5x), Reload Speed, Maximum Ammo Capacity
Your weapon of choice for anti-vehicle situations; the L100 Python AP will output considerable amounts of damage to enemy vehicles. The Lightning's high speed will allow it to quickly flank enemy lines in order to get an angle on the vulnerable rear side of MBTs and hostile Lightnings, which cause the vehicle to take significantly increased damage when fired upon.
Utility: Fire Suppression
As a Lightning, you are not very well armored, and your main utility is your speed and maneuverability. With this loadout, your main objective is to use your high speed to your advantage to perform hit and runs on hostile armor. If you take return fire, however, you may enter a state of critical damage that will severely reduce your speed. As such, you will need Fire Suppression to be able to break out of this state in a panic.
Defensive: Vehicle Stealth/Nanite Auto Repair System
As mentioned previously, your job is to swiftly get around the battlefield and strike at the flank of enemy armor. In order to do this, you'll need to be ready to take minimal return fire, and also not be noticed by enemy forces. Maximum Rank Vehicle Stealth removes the auto-spot feature, that makes your vehicle automatically appear on hostile mini-maps whenever you're within a certain radius of them which could break your cover. However, this only takes effect when Vehicle Stealth is fully leveled meaning that, until then, you should equipped Nanite Auto Repair System, so that you can keep topped up whilst remaining on the move.
Performance: Racer High Speed Chassis
You'll want to get behind hostiles as fast as you can, and leave as fast as necessary, meaning the increased speed and acceleration is a gift from above to this loadout. Get this as high as you can, and you'll be nearly untouchable when you want to be!
Honourable mention for the Rival Combat Chassis, which will let you turn quicker and climb hills easier, in exchange for not getting the speed bonus of Racer High Speed Chassis.Unlike the faction main battle tanks, the Lightning has no secondary turrets at all, and five different choices for primary turrets: The default C75 Viper autocannon, the AP, HEAT, and HESH variants of the L100 Python, and the Skyguard anti-air flak cannon.
Common Pool[]
C75 Viper | |||
![]() | |||
Costs | |||
Cert Cost: | 875 ![]() | ||
DC Cost: | 599 ![]() | ||
General Info | |||
Fire Rate: | 240 RPM | ||
Muzzle Velocity: | 200m/s | ||
Effective Range: | Close | ||
Fire Modes: | Automatic | ||
Damage[?] | |||
Max Damage: | 250 | ||
Min Damage: | 250 | ||
Max Indirect Damage: | 250 before 1m | ||
Min Indirect Damage: | 25 at 3m | ||
Reload Speed | |||
Reload Speed: | 4.5s | ||
Ammunition | |||
Magazine Size: | 6 | ||
Ammunition Pool: | 92 | ||
Accuracy[?] | |||
Min Cone of Fire: | 0 | ||
Max Cone of Fire: | 1.5 | ||
Bloom per Shot: | 0.5 |
L100 Python HEAT | |||
![]() | |||
Costs | |||
Auto Granted | |||
General Info | |||
Muzzle Velocity: | 225m/s | ||
Effective Range: | Long | ||
Fire Modes: | Semi-Automatic | ||
Damage[?] | |||
Max Damage: | 575 | ||
Min Damage: | 575 | ||
Max Indirect Damage: | 500 before 1m | ||
Min Indirect Damage: | 50 at 4m | ||
Reload Speed | |||
Reload Speed: | 2.5s | ||
Ammunition | |||
Magazine Size: | 1 | ||
Ammunition Pool: | 48 |
L100 Python AP | |||
![]() | |||
Costs | |||
Cert Cost: | 875 ![]() | ||
DC Cost: | 599 ![]() | ||
General Info | |||
Muzzle Velocity: | 250m/s | ||
Effective Range: | Long | ||
Fire Modes: | Semi-Automatic | ||
Damage[?] | |||
Max Damage: | 700 | ||
Min Damage: | 700 | ||
Max Indirect Damage: | 500 before 1m | ||
Min Indirect Damage: | 50 at 3m | ||
Reload Speed | |||
Reload Speed: | 3s | ||
Ammunition | |||
Magazine Size: | 1 | ||
Ammunition Pool: | 36 |
L100 Python HESH | |||
![]() | |||
Costs | |||
Cert Cost: | 875 ![]() | ||
DC Cost: | 599 ![]() | ||
General Info | |||
Muzzle Velocity: | 200m/s | ||
Effective Range: | Long | ||
Fire Modes: | Semi-Automatic | ||
Damage[?] | |||
Max Damage: | 600 | ||
Min Damage: | 600 | ||
Max Indirect Damage: | 800 before 2m | ||
Min Indirect Damage: | 50 at 5m | ||
Reload Speed | |||
Reload Speed: | 3.25s | ||
Ammunition | |||
Magazine Size: | 1 | ||
Ammunition Pool: | 36 |
Skyguard | |||
![]() | |||
Costs | |||
Cert Cost: | 875 ![]() | ||
DC Cost: | 599 ![]() | ||
General Info | |||
Fire Rate: | 480 RPM | ||
Muzzle Velocity: | 400m/s | ||
Effective Range: | Long | ||
Fire Modes: | Automatic | ||
Damage[?] | |||
Max Damage: | 200 before 100m | ||
Min Damage: | 150 after 300m | ||
Max Indirect Damage: | 35 before 5m | ||
Min Indirect Damage: | 1 at 8m | ||
Reload Speed | |||
Reload Speed: | 3s | ||
Ammunition | |||
Magazine Size: | 70 | ||
Ammunition Pool: | 1050 | ||
Accuracy[?] | |||
Cone of Fire: | 1.5 |
Empire Specific[]
Terran Republic[]
L2-100 Kingsnake | |||
![]() | |||
Costs | |||
Cert Cost: | 875 ![]() | ||
DC Cost: | 599 ![]() | ||
General Info | |||
Fire Rate: | 333 RPM | ||
Muzzle Velocity: | 225m/s | ||
Effective Range: | Very Long | ||
Fire Modes: | Semi-Auto | ||
Damage[?] | |||
Max Damage: | 400 | ||
Min Damage: | 400 | ||
Max Indirect Damage: | 325 before 1m | ||
Min Indirect Damage: | 50 at 3m | ||
Reload Speed | |||
Reload Speed: | 2.75s | ||
Ammunition | |||
Magazine Size: | 2 | ||
Ammunition Pool: | 80 | ||
Accuracy[?] | |||
Min Cone of Fire: | 0.2 | ||
Max Cone of Fire: | 0.25 | ||
Bloom per Shot: | 0.05 |
New Conglomerate[]
JGX11 | |||
![]() | |||
Costs | |||
Cert Cost: | 875 ![]() | ||
DC Cost: | 599 ![]() | ||
General Info | |||
Fire Rate: | 13 RPM | ||
Muzzle Velocity: | 200m/s | ||
Effective Range: | Very Long | ||
Fire Modes: | Semi-Auto | ||
Damage[?] | |||
Max Damage: | 500 | ||
Min Damage: | 500 | ||
Max Indirect Damage: | 350 before 2m | ||
Min Indirect Damage: | 100 at 5m | ||
Reload Speed | |||
Reload Speed: | 4s | ||
Ammunition | |||
Magazine Size: | 1 | ||
Ammunition Pool: | 36 |
Vanu Sovereignty[]
Perihelion L-VXC | |||
![]() | |||
Costs | |||
Cert Cost: | 875 ![]() | ||
DC Cost: | 599 ![]() | ||
General Info | |||
Fire Rate: | 60 RPM | ||
Muzzle Velocity: | 175m/s | ||
Effective Range: | Very Long | ||
Fire Modes: | Semi-Auto | ||
Damage[?] | |||
Max Damage: | 450 | ||
Min Damage: | 450 | ||
Max Indirect Damage: | 300 before 1m | ||
Min Indirect Damage: | 50 at 2m | ||
Reload Speed | |||
Reload Speed: | 3.5s | ||
Ammunition | |||
Magazine Size: | 3 | ||
Ammunition Pool: | 60 |
NSO[]
Larion LPPC | |||
![]() | |||
Costs | |||
Cert Cost: | 875 ![]() | ||
DC Cost: | 599 ![]() | ||
General Info | |||
Fire Rate: | 22 RPM | ||
Muzzle Velocity: | 300m/s | ||
Effective Range: | Very Long | ||
Fire Modes: | Semi-Auto | ||
Damage[?] | |||
Max Damage: | 500 | ||
Min Damage: | 500 | ||
Reload Speed | |||
Reload Speed: | 2.25s | ||
Ammunition | |||
Magazine Size: | 1 | ||
Ammunition Pool: | 60 |
Weapon Ribbons and Medals[]
With any Lightning weapon, it is possible to get both Ribbons and Medals. Each Ribbon is a standard reward for achieving a set amount of kills with a Lightning weapon. Medals relate to how many overall kills you have with the Lightnings weaponry.
Ribbons[]
Ribbon | Icon | Requirements |
Lightning Service Ribbon | ![]() |
10 kills. |
Medals[]
Medal | Icon | Requirement | Award |
---|---|---|---|
No Medal | ![]() |
0 kills | N/A |
Copper Medal | ![]() |
10 kills | 2 ![]() |
Silver Medal | ![]() |
60 kills | 10 ![]() |
Gold Medal | ![]() |
160 kills | 20 ![]() |
Auraxium Medal | ![]() |
1,160 kills | 200 ![]() |
The Lightning features five total customization slots as of Game Update 11. These slots include Camo, Decal, Ornaments, Trim, and Lighting. An list of the possible customizations is below.
Game Update Number 4[]
- The inner/outer blast radius from the following vehicle based weapons has been reduced
- Lightning: L100 Python HEAT : Inner radius blast reduced from 1.5 to 1 meter. Outer radius blast reduced from 7 to 5 meters.
- Lightning: L100 Python HE : Inner radius blast reduced from 2 to 1.5 meters. Outer radius blast reduced from 11 to 8 meters.
- The experience granted for killing many enemy vehicles has been increased:
- Lightning: 400 xp, increased from 100 xp
Game Update Number 8[]
- Tank Armor Changes: In general the below changes will allow tanks to sustain one more anti-tank round to the front and sides and about 1.5 to 2 more tank rounds to the rear. Armor certifications are listed as decreasing, this was to keep them able to absorb roughly one addition anti-tank round to that side. Also smoothed out some unnecessary inconsistencies between the tanks.
Lightning
- Front Armor Increased from 55 to 65
- Front Armor certification bonus decreased from 10 to 7
- Side & Top Armor Increased from 45 to 58
- Side Armor certification bonus decreased from 10 to 8
- Top Armor certification bonus decreased from 15 to 8
- Rear & Bottom Armor Increased
- New Armor Piercing 30mm Resist Type: A new resist type has been created for Tank Busting caliber chain guns. Tanks have been given a vulnerability to this resist type. This makes these weapons nearly as effective as they were before the above armor increases.
- Lightning (65)
- New Armor Piercing Round Resist Type: A new resist type has been created for AP tanks rounds (and a few other weapons). Tanks have been given a vulnerability to this resist type. This makes these weapons nearly as effective as they were before the above armor increases.
- The following weapons use this new resist type
- Lightning L100 Python AP
- The following weapons use this new resist type
- Lightning (-25) AP resist damage
Game Update Number 11[]
- Resource Cost Increases for Tanks and MAXes
- Lightning: 300
- Miscellaneous Changes
- Pulled the third person camera for Main Battle Tanks and Lightnings out about 1 meter
Performance Update Number 2[]
- ESF Nose cannon adjustments (Default and Rotary)
- Lightnings: Resistance increased about 20%
- VS Vortex VM21
- Charge Level 2
- Small reduction to damage against Sunderers, Lightnings, and all aircraft
- Charge Level 2
- Armor Piercing Bullets
- Lightning resistance to Armor Piercing Bullets increased: Adding about 1 second to the TTK on average.
June 19th, 2014 Patch[]
- L1015 Zepher
- The resist and damage adjustments results in the following changes
- Lightning (9 HK to 10 HK)
- The resist and damage adjustments results in the following changes
August 5th, 2014 Update[]
- Resource Consolidation
- Nanite Costs of Vehicles and Consumables:
- 350 - ESFs, Lightning, MAX
- Nanite Costs of Vehicles and Consumables:
- Bugs Fixed
- Lightnings and Vanguards turrets are showing stretched textures when the turret is turned
September 26, 2017 Update[]
- MBT and Lightning Armor
- Main Battle Tanks and Lightnings now receive the same amount of damage from all sides, except from the bottom or behind. This means that remaining mobile is less punishing, as getting shot in the side no longer penalizes you with extra damage. At the same time, successful flanks and sneak attacks on targets from behind will now yield double damage against that target.
- Vehicle Handling Improvements
- Most of the vehicle handling adjustments have already hit live servers, but additional adjustments have been made to Racer and Rival chassis for Lightning, Vanguard, and Prowler. These changes reduce some of the slipperiness that comes from these chassis types, and reduces penalties related to stopping power and brake use.
- MBT and Lightning Main Cannons
- Main Battle Tanks and the Lightning have received a pass on their main cannons that allows them to compete more closely with one another, and overall gravity and projectile speeds have been reduced to bring in the common effective ranges of these weapons.
- HEAT now stands out as the fastest reloading and highest damage over time cannon; AP has the best velocity and lowest gravity of the other cannons, as well as higher alpha damage per hit; and HESH has the best splash damage, and the same direct damage as AP, but suffers from AP’s poor reload speed, and HEAT’s lower velocity and heavier projectile.
- The Lightning’s C75 Viper has been repurposed as a tank busting weapon that unloads a high amount of damage over its 6 round magazine, but can only achieve that damage over short ranges, due to heavy cone of fire bloom.
- Flanker Armor (Lightning, MBT)
- Lightning and MBT Armors have been refunded, and a new “Flanker Armor” has been added.
- Flanker Armor increases resistance to C4, ensuring that two bricks will not be able to kill a Main Battle Tank.
- Lightnings will still be destroyed with two well-placed bricks, but the damage of each brick is significantly reduced, complementing the small size and maneuverability of the platform.
February 8, 2018 Update[]
- Removed braking penalty on Racer chassis.
- Dev Note: The previous brake reduction was causing issues with the lateral friction while moving over hills and rough terrain. This change makes the vehicle easier to control all around.
March 20, 2019 Update[]
- Tank Shell resistance (type 7) from 0 to -50
- Rear armor from -100 to -50
- Dev Note: While the original goal of increasing survivability for more casual or inexperienced players was well intentioned, tank versus tank combat became too much of a slugfest to be enjoyable for veterans. This change is a major swing back toward shorter tank versus tank time to kill values to bring back some of the tense, fast-paced gameplay (as well as some of the frustration that gameplay caused.) We'll continue to pursue avenues for easing less experienced players into the tank game, but it will no longer come at the cost of this style of gameplay.
September 15, 2021 Update[]
- Default Utility and Defense
- Standard vehicles have received rank 1 Fire Suppression as the default utility item.
- Standard vehicles have received rank 1 Nanite Auto-Repair as their default defense item, except for the Sunderer, which has received rank 1 Deployment Shield.
- Lightning
- The L100 Python HEAT has replaced the C75 Viper as the default main cannon.
- L100 Python HEAT direct damage from 525 to 575.
- L100 Python HEAT reload speed from 2 sec. to 2.5 sec.
- L100 Python AP gravity from 4 to 5, to fall in line with other tank cannons.
- Resist type 4(Heavy Machine Guns) reduced from 87 to 80 for the ANT, Chimera, Lightning, Vanguard, Prowler, Magrider, and Sunderer.
Lightning/Media