Ships Corsair Build for PP / Regular Combat Zones (CZ) and Haz Res / CNB

Hey all, haven't played a massive amount since pre-engineering and loving the new corsair and wanted to make a well tuned CZ build for it. I used to do a bunch in my old Courier, clipper and fdl back in the day.

Made a few builds and would like some input on them, or what you run on it. Would swap out some of the shield reinforcement for fsd boost / fuel scoup as needed for traveling, or just pay to transfer it to a new zone and travel with my mandy

2x MC, 4x Beam: https://edsy.org/s/vmP9yac

3x MC, 3x Beam: https://edsy.org/s/vWclXGx

3x beam, 2x Rail, 1x Frag: https://edsy.org/s/vIVhU7F -- Would use drag on frag to help slow targets, 1 turreted (?) beam for venting heat constantly

Please let me know how I could improve them :), I was also considering more rails + fuel tank or something but wasn't sure how many I could run at once or what other good weapon choices would be to complement it, maybe 4x rail in the 2x version above replacing 2x beams?

Currently working my way back up through the PP ranks so don't have much unlocked yet module wise, but would still love to see CZ/HazRes/CNB focused builds that use them.
 
Before I begin there is no set right and wrong way to build ships. Some builds are less optimal than others, but that can be subjective.
There's also the factor of open or solo play. With solo play builds you can get away with way less shields and armour and fly what I would consider a paper thin build. If you fly paper thin builds in open then one day it will catch up to you and your ship will be greeted by the rebuy screen in a matter of seconds. Worth noting that non of your builds above are what I would consider paper thin.

That said, lets get into some technical build discussions...
One thing that's common between your builds is super cruise assist and the docking computer. Personally I do not get why people use these, they are slower that doing it manually and can cause your ship to go boom on a station wall. many a post of such mishaps happening. They also take up 2 valuable slots, which going back to open/solo play, can make a huge difference when flying open only.

Armour:
I like heavy duty reactive armour and a thermal resist HRP, which you have on your builds. For the thermal resist HRP it's best to use the smallest possible slot, ideally a class 1.
If your HRP is class 1 then Thermal Resist + Reflective plating is best.
If your HRP is a class 2/3 or greater then thermal resist and deep plating is the way to go. This isn't set in stone and is a rough guideline. You can play around on EDSY to see what works best.
Ideally you want all your hull resistance boosted to 30% or more.
Again open vs solo builds slightly differ with armour, not just the strength but also MRPs. With solo builds there's very little need for MRP, there are some edge cases, but in general you can get away without them. In open I would always use 2 or 3 where possible.

Shields:
Your builds all use bi-weaves, which are then boosted by guardian shield reinforcements. Your shields are around the 2k mark, which are great, but overkill for Haz Rez and PP. Personally I would aim for just above 1k. Enough to take a beating if you get ganked in open before you high wake away. Remember, it's not worth taking on a full engineered murder boat in a PvE specced ship...you will lose 99% of the time. Safe just to leg it.

Optional:
For HazRez you just need HRP, MRP and a shield. Who cares about limpets or cargo rack etc. However, for PP having a cargo rack and even an operations multi limpet can be very beneficial.
For me I have multiple dedicated HazRez/CZ/Mission combat ships and then I have a couple of PP ships that have less shields and armour, but are more capable of doing PP tasks while you move between systems. Some people just a a one ship fits all...and that's ok if it works for them.

Sensors:
You have A rated sensors, with wide angle engineering (not really found a use for this engineering). A rated are heavy and power consuming.
The only ships I really use A rated on are my miner and my thargoid collector ship. A rated, long range mod. This allows me to see any players sneaking up on me before they see me. Every other ship I have uses D rated, long range, which is considered the standard class and engineering for most scenarios.

Fuel Scoops and FSD Boosters:
These are only needed when jumping to many systems , one after the other, without docking. Handy for going a few hundred Ly, but the FSDB only saves you a few mins. I don't have either on dedicated combat ships. On my PP ships I do have a scoop, but since I'm not jumping hundreds of Ly the FSDB is not really required.

Weapons:
This is such a personal preference for each Cmdr. Really depends on what you like using and your system of combat, ie are you a long range sniper or do you like to get in close and see the fear in the pilots eyes before their ship goes boom.
I prefer close qtr combat, <800m, and sniping modules (usually the power plant)
Weapon loadouts would require an entire other thread and is super subjective. For my CZ/HazRez ships I perfer gimballed MCs and Beams, all short range mod (best dps).

Now that's out the way, here's a tweaked build from your 3. Capable of HazRez, CZ and PP in open. There's no way a ganker will chew through your hull before you can escape.

My open mode Cobra Mk5 dedicated PP ship:
 
This has been serving me very well.

The beams rip through ships fast enough on their own, the rail is just for SCB cancelling. The MC ammo is enough for almost 2 high CZs.
You could switch for fixed on either MCs or Beams, but I find the larger gimballed firing arc suits me better with my HOTAS.
 
One thing that's common between your builds is super cruise assist and the docking computer. Personally I do not get why people use these, they are slower that doing it manually and can cause your ship to go boom on a station wall.
Supercruise assist allows you to drop into a station's realspace at speeds far higher than what you can manage manually (supposedly dependent on your frame rate), so you're actually faster with the SCA.
(Docking Comps are indeed pure convenience.)
 
Supercruise assist allows you to drop into a station's realspace at speeds far higher than what you can manage manually (supposedly dependent on your frame rate), so you're actually faster with the SCA.
(Docking Comps are indeed pure convenience.)
Haven't tested it for years, but iirc from star to station is quicker when doing it manually...more so with SCO.
 
Supercruise assist allows you to drop into a station's realspace at speeds far higher than what you can manage manually (supposedly dependent on your frame rate), so you're actually faster with the SCA.
(Docking Comps are indeed pure convenience.)

Haven't tested it for years, but iirc from star to station is quicker when doing it manually...more so with SCO.
I believe you are both correct depending on the circumstances

SuperCruiseAssist is slower than manual SuperCruise for 90% of the journey, it accelarates and decelarates with "room" for corrections, and gets no where near SCO speeds.
However triggering SCA at the last minute will take advantage of its better ability to drop to normal space.

Admittedly I'm more of the "oops I over boosted SCO, get me into those moons gravity wells for max slow down, whoa that was close now, argh still not gonna ... phew made it" variety of approach (when it works)
 
SuperCruiseAssist is slower than manual SuperCruise for 90% of the journey, it accelarates and decelarates with "room" for corrections, and gets no where near SCO speeds.
However triggering SCA at the last minute will take advantage of its better ability to drop to normal space.
Yes, that's what I was trying to say.
I suggest setting SCA to "Manual Throttle" in the 4->"Ship"->(microchip) menu. Then you can activate SCA for your target, supercruise there at full throttle (which keeps SCA inactive with a "move throttle to blue zone" message), and then throttle down to 50% on final approach, which enables the SCA and drops you to realspace in the correct moment.
 
Before I begin there is no set right and wrong way to build ships. Some builds are less optimal than others, but that can be subjective.
There's also the factor of open or solo play. With solo play builds you can get away with way less shields and armour and fly what I would consider a paper thin build. If you fly paper thin builds in open then one day it will catch up to you and your ship will be greeted by the rebuy screen in a matter of seconds. Worth noting that non of your builds above are what I would consider paper thin.

That said, lets get into some technical build discussions...
One thing that's common between your builds is super cruise assist and the docking computer. Personally I do not get why people use these, they are slower that doing it manually and can cause your ship to go boom on a station wall. many a post of such mishaps happening. They also take up 2 valuable slots, which going back to open/solo play, can make a huge difference when flying open only.
Thanks for the tips :)
SCA is very nice for quick / hot dropping and saving a lot of time. Its not good for just setting at crusie speeds across the system no :D. Docking is just for use while doing other stuff IRL and not having to worry about it.
Armour:
I like heavy duty reactive armour and a thermal resist HRP, which you have on your builds. For the thermal resist HRP it's best to use the smallest possible slot, ideally a class 1.
If your HRP is class 1 then Thermal Resist + Reflective plating is best.
If your HRP is a class 2/3 or greater then thermal resist and deep plating is the way to go. This isn't set in stone and is a rough guideline. You can play around on EDSY to see what works best.
Ideally you want all your hull resistance boosted to 30% or more.
Again open vs solo builds slightly differ with armour, not just the strength but also MRPs. With solo builds there's very little need for MRP, there are some edge cases, but in general you can get away without them. In open I would always use 2 or 3 where possible.
Yeah was mostly going for a build for PP Combat Zones, don't think they can pierce shields which is why I went for massive and shield resists instead of hulls.
Shields:
Your builds all use bi-weaves, which are then boosted by guardian shield reinforcements. Your shields are around the 2k mark, which are great, but overkill for Haz Rez and PP. Personally I would aim for just above 1k. Enough to take a beating if you get ganked in open before you high wake away. Remember, it's not worth taking on a full engineered murder boat in a PvE specced ship...you will lose 99% of the time. Safe just to leg it.
Yeah was going for PP Combat Zones which afaik are harder than others? The corsair shield feels pretty weak in general since its a big target so wanted to try to see the best way to buff them.
Sensors:
You have A rated sensors, with wide angle engineering (not really found a use for this engineering). A rated are heavy and power consuming.
The only ships I really use A rated on are my miner and my thargoid collector ship. A rated, long range mod. This allows me to see any players sneaking up on me before they see me. Every other ship I have uses D rated, long range, which is considered the standard class and engineering for most scenarios.
Yeah I heard that wide angle was good for CZ use, will probably go with D + range like I use on every other build though.
Fuel Scoops and FSD Boosters:
These are only needed when jumping to many systems , one after the other, without docking. Handy for going a few hundred Ly, but the FSDB only saves you a few mins. I don't have either on dedicated combat ships. On my PP ships I do have a scoop, but since I'm not jumping hundreds of Ly the FSDB is not really required.
Yep this was just for travel if needed. Weren't on the builds themselves just able to swap in if needed. Most likely would travel via carrier or other ship and transfer it if its far
Weapons:
This is such a personal preference for each Cmdr. Really depends on what you like using and your system of combat, ie are you a long range sniper or do you like to get in close and see the fear in the pilots eyes before their ship goes boom.
I prefer close qtr combat, <800m, and sniping modules (usually the power plant)
Weapon loadouts would require an entire other thread and is super subjective. For my CZ/HazRez ships I perfer gimballed MCs and Beams, all short range mod (best dps).
Yeah been trying to figure out which weapons I like most on it and wanted to see what others used on their corsairs... MC and beams are just good even if boring :D

Thanks again for the huge response! :)
 
Yeah been trying to figure out which weapons I like most on it and wanted to see what others used on their corsairs... MC and beams are just good even if boring :D
Don't forget the ammo capacity of some builds.
It can be very exciting to have for example, a "Frag mamba" that needs to re-arm after a single CZ only to then have a boring trip to the station for re-arm.
On the other hand, a boring laser build (with lots of engineering) can still chew (definitely not as quickly) through hulls, can keep you in the fight for as many CZs as you like.
 
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Yeah I heard that wide angle was good for CZ use, will probably go with D + range like I use on every other build though.
Wide angle just lets you scan a ship when it's far off to the left or right. Never ever found this useful.
That said, it's utterly pointless in a CZ because as soon as you join a side ALL enemy ships become pre scanned, so you can just select a target and instantly select a module to target. No initial scan required.
Yeah been trying to figure out which weapons I like most on it and wanted to see what others used on their corsairs... MC and beams are just good even if boring
For me, that's where < 500m combat comes in...the flying and stickly to the ships underbelly to target the PP becomes the fun.
On the other hand, a boring laser build (with lots of engineering) can still chew (definitely not as quickly) through hulls, can keep you in the fight for as many CZs as you like.
Never chew through a hull. I always target the PP and ships pop before their hull reaches 50%. Gimballed beam lasers are great for module targeting. Even in an un-engineered Vulture can pop targets in a CZ with beams when targeting the PP.
 

Used this variant of it for some PP Combat Zones last night. Worked well. Ran out of MC ammo due to the very long fights, about an hour? So synthed some more mid combat.

Gonna try out a burst build to see how it handles... these ships are very tanky though so not having corrosive will hurt. Also ran a 6 Efficient PA, going to try to run a variant with Plasma Slug and take an extra fuel tank.

The wing of 4 spec ops were hard but shield did hold very well against them, even at only 1.5 pips. Had to run for a bit as I wasn't sure what was doing so much damage at first but went back and killed them and finished the match and only took a few points of hull damage from their piercing attacks.
 
I play for a long time and try to improve my ships and prefer to use ships for their intended purpose.

Recently they started selling Corsair for credits and I can't understand why I need this ship? In fact, it is worse than Mandalay in everything.
 
I play for a long time and try to improve my ships and prefer to use ships for their intended purpose.

Recently they started selling Corsair for credits and I can't understand why I need this ship? In fact, it is worse than Mandalay in everything.
You think the Mandalay is better in combat than Corsair? Or mining?
 
You think the Mandalay is better in combat than Corsair? Or mining?
These are good questions.
1. What does the word fight mean? On Mandalay I can easily kill any NPC pirate who intercepts me. As for CZ, I'll just take the Corvette and not run away, for me it will be shooting at the shooting range.
2. I mine (core and surface) on T8, I like its appearance for this, and I have not had the patience to fill 200t for a long time.
(My T8 is called CARBELAN , anyone who watched Alien:Romulus will understand me).
I'm too old and for me a racing car can't look like a truck.
 
You think the Mandalay is better in combat than Corsair?
Absolutely. Corsair has good straight line speed but it doesn't want to change direction even if using FA-off boost turns. Mandalay turns on a dime. And Cobra V is even better. Firepower is useless if you can't bring your guns to bear. And boom-and-zoom is not as useful tactics as rate fights in E: D because other than the lowest level NPC-s you can't get a kill in a single pass. Even jousting requires turning your ship around

after the pass as fast as possible, which ironically makes Cobra V excellent in both jousting and rate fights due to its high straight line speed combined with extreme maneuverability and slim profile.
Or mining?
Mining would be the one best job for Corsair.
 
Absolutely. Corsair has good straight line speed but it doesn't want to change direction even if using FA-off boost turns.
Use lateral/vertical thrusters, don't try to turn. It's better than a Python MKII flown that way. I've flown mine in the current CG and could often stay on the 6 of even Cobras or Vultures with ease.
 
Use lateral/vertical thrusters, don't try to turn. It's better than a Python MKII flown that way. I've flown mine in the current CG and could often stay on the 6 of even Cobras or Vultures with ease.
That's how I always make turns. Still sluggish compared to Manda and Cobra V. Almost no reaction at all to boost, either.
 
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