Clipper vs Fer-De-Lance

Rall

Rall
Coccolino said:
You should see the faces of Vultures pilots when the Clipper boosts *while* pitching up, closing their radius and hitting them with the 2 Class 3 gimballed lasers. If it can outturn a Vulture, a FDL is just a brick thrown away by a 3 years old kid. And I wonder how you can hit something above you with a weapon that's below you.
Don't forget, in addition, that class 2 weapons get a penalty against bigger ships hull.

Please note that I am flying a FDL at the moment, but I can't find any other killing features than its shields (and its *bugged* mass-lock capabilities) in order to keep it.

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This is false. Clipper armour is 270. FDL 225.
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First of the Vulture shields are strong enough to general shurg off hits from C3 gimbals unless you're sitting right on top of it. If you sitting right of top of a Vulture you're already in trouble.

Secondly Clippers are awful for boost turning, the boost will give you a quick 90 degree turn, but by the time you slow down you've overshot your target, out of the effective range of gimbals. If you’re managing to bring weapons to bare on a Vulture with boost turning, it's either a NPC or a green pilot. The Clipper just decelerates to slowly to pull this off.

Don't try and dogfight a decent FDL pilot with a Clipper. The Clipper is a huge target with weak shields, making the shields VERY easy to strip with big purple fireballs, before you know it shells are raining in those big exposed drive engines, then you’re dead in the water.

The Clippers best option is just bug out, an FDL is quite a bit slower so you can break masslock pretty quickly and escape.
 
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ruger392

R
Now, before you take me seriously, note that I have never flown either ship and this is based on combat experience in the Vulture and Viper (though I do want a Clipper).

The Clipper is a very fast and agile ship. Its maneuverability is probably close to the Vulture's, which means it could most likely run circles around a FdL. It does not, however, have the greatest shields nor hull. The FdL, on the other hand, is nowhere near as agile as the Clipper. That said, it does possess superior firepower and shielding.

What do I think would win in a one-on-one fight? The Clipper, because a skilled pilot would likely be able to keep out of the FdL's firing arcs. Even if the FdL were to get a good shot with its Huge hardpoint, quick velocity changes and use of FA off would probably throw off a fixed weapon.
 
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Morbad

Morbad
Odan Brota said:
My bad on the armor. However, I will say that one massive upside of the FDL is that it isn't totally defeated by 2x chaff launchers.
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I always run one of the large hardpoints as fixed on the clipper. Making them both gimbaled is a waste and deprives too much firepower, as chaff is nearly omnipresent.

Gédéon_Lecanard said:
Are you comparing the Clipper and Vulture Maneuvrabitlity? The same maneuver performed by the afore mentionned vulture pilot will probably make that Clipper pitch look as fast as a planet revolution, actually. The Vulture turn rate is ridiculously good. Not to mention the vertical/horizontal thrusters speed. In a Vulture/Clipper match with equally skilled pilots, I'm not sure I'd want to be in the Clipper.
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Clipper doesn't stand a chance if the Vulture adopts a defensive posture and only presses the attack when the Clipper does.

Now that I've had significant PvP experience with and against all of these ships, I'm pretty confident in stating that the Vulture, when piloted by someone who knows what they are doing, can fight almost any Clipper or FDL pilot to a standstill, if not force outright flight.
 

Rall

Rall
Coccolino said:
Hehe. I must agree.
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FDL have 6 utility slots, and routinely carry 2 chaff launchers.

You can fit fixed weapons on the nacelles of a Clipper, one fixed, one gimballed. Or paired sets on each side, with the C2s gimballed. It's awkward but workable, though in the end having to line up targets so far of access got annoying for me and I went back to gimbals.
 
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Rall

Rall
Morbad said:
Now that I've had significant PvP experience with and against all of these ships, I'm pretty confident in stating that the Vulture, when piloted by someone who knows what they are doing, can fight almost any Clipper or FDL pilot to a standstill, if not force outright flight.
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Now against a Vulture I agree this is usually the outcome, the FDL main advantage against a Clipper is the heavy hard point - which is practically useless against the small, agile Vulture.

Though you get a gauge of the pilot skill pretty quickly, and at this point I make use of the FDL's speed and big shields to withdraw gracefully. Which is something the Clipper can also do at will.
 

Lightwave

L
Morbad said:
This is so incredibly false that I cannot get further in your post.
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Shame because I felt there were worthwhile points, esp regarding upgradability. The Clipper has the power to fight with 410 shields and 1065 hull. The FDL just hasn't the juice and compartments to compete at that combat level.

Lateral and vertical thruster performance are of critical concern in combat.
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With some ships it's of interest, though I do disagree with your emphasis, especially wrt the ships in discussion. A vertical/side-stepping FDL cannot outmanoeuvre the pitch advantage of a Clipper. And against more manoeuvrable targets (Eagles/Vultures) vertical/side thrusts will always be negated by distance; correct me if I'm wrong but no ship in this game has the capacity to side-thrust, keep up with and strafe a fully back peddling larger combat vessel quicker than that vessel can pitch.
 

Battleship Kickass

B
They are the two best PvP ships currently. Clipper upgraded speed makes you unkillable essentially and the same goes for ferdelance mass UNlockability. Ferdelance should wreck a clipper 1v1 and normally does, but as always it comes down to who carries the most shield cells, with a huge advantage to ferd if it has 2 4A scb loaded and runs pulse lasers with 4 in sys...which is the typical PvP duel load out currently. Clipper can always escape whatever even 4v1's so that's what I prefer, they are both excellent PvP ships though, down to your play style really. Also clipper is incredibly unmaneuverable for everyone complimenting its agility you must have flown type 9's before it hah.
 
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LARY STARKEEPER

LARY STARKEEPER
It's unbalanced, the Clipper is totally unreachable, it's too fast. Dev have something to do about it. How can a ship be the best in combat/manoeuvrability/top speed/boost speed at the same time ? Plus, it have a descent cargo rack space and a descent jump range.
Yesterday, my friends and me tried to take down Clipper'pirates in Khaka (they where killing merchants). We interdicted them sooooo many times.... Before we were able to get them in our 12, they were already at 2,5/3km.

Devs, please do something. Combat should not be abstracted by "press boost and flee". Even a Viper wasn't able to reach them.
 
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Shadowed

Shadowed
I have a mid-upgraded Imperial Clipper and I love it for combat. I got the A6 thrusters which make the Clipper really agile for its size and weight. I've been looking at the FDL for a bit trying to decide if that is a good upgrade. I feel like the Clipper has superior PvE firepower, but the stronger shields of the FDL may be worth it. The other alternative is the Orca. Slightly stronger shields, just as fast if not faster(?), but lower firepower and cargo. The Python is a stronger PvE ship imo, but it costs significantly more to upgrade.

Is the FDL a solid upgrade over the Clipper? I can't decide and I don't want to let go of my Clipper just yet without being sure.

edit: gonna hold on to the Clipper I've decided. Love the 19y jump + larger power plant + better hard point setup (for me) + high speed for running away from abushes
 
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Frenotx

Frenotx
Darshendros the Eternal said:
I tried a FdL once. I switched back to my Clipper a couple hours later. That cockpit... uggghhh... Why can't it be centered like all the other combat ships? :mad:

Clipper seems to fly better, despite being back-heavy, or I've just gotten used to it.

Maybe I'll try it out again when I've got the cr to spare, but I'm favoring the Clipper for now.
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I know, right? It pains me so! I love everything else about that ship. It's my ideal ship in every regard, except for that cockpit / canopy! So frustrating.
 

ShadowWolf Kell

ShadowWolf Kell
Frenotx said:
I know, right? It pains me so! I love everything else about that ship. It's my ideal ship in every regard, except for that cockpit / canopy! So frustrating.
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Great visibility above and around your ship. It's really not that bad.


This is what I usually fly, so I'm just used to a cramped cockpit. :) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtuEVlXRwMo

IL-2-Sturmovik-Battle-of-Stali-71518-4741022.jpg
 
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Fanta

Fanta
Coccolino said:
Well, this is not exactly my experience. Never been killed by a FDL in my Clipper, and never killed one. Most of the times the one who fires first gets the big advantage, leading the other to leave/jump out.
What bothers me is that the Clipper doesn't masslock the FDL, despite its mass being double. This should be addressed. FDL is not that bigger than a Cobra (250 base mass vs 180).
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My story in clipper , clipper which is not maxed, B6 shield with B6 power plant and no hull upgrade , still FDL have some problems with escaping from my front side, if he decide to go away , yes he will do it , other than that never beaten me , but vulture generally always beating me , funny fact.
 

Xodz

Xodz
Coccolino said:
I am really tempted to switch to the FDL from my Clipper, even if just to try it out.
What I might like:
- stronger shields
- better manoeuvrability, according to some people
What I might dislike:
- slower top speed (it means I won't probably be able to escape anymore from other FDLs)
- less weapons punch: I like to use dual C3 beams + 2 C2 pulses on the Clipper and others' shields go down like a charm.

Should I go for it or not? Please, bring in some advices. :)
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FDL wins in combat, hands down. Clipper has the speed advantage, so can press the attack better against fleeing targets or disengage and runaway.

Masslock is apparently broken, so it really doesn't even matter.

Seen a few people now say Vulture is better than FDL, I will assume that's just a joke. No vulture should beat an FDL, unless the skill gap of the pilots is quite significant or the FDL isn't outfitted. 2 vultures vs an FDL, ya they should win if the FDL bothers to stick around.
 

Quineloe

Quineloe
LARY STARKEEPER said:
It's unbalanced, the Clipper is totally unreachable, it's too fast. Dev have something to do about it. How can a ship be the best in combat/manoeuvrability/top speed/boost speed at the same time ? Plus, it have a descent cargo rack space and a descent jump range.
Yesterday, my friends and me tried to take down Clipper'pirates in Khaka (they where killing merchants). We interdicted them sooooo many times.... Before we were able to get them in our 12, they were already at 2,5/3km.

Devs, please do something. Combat should not be abstracted by "press boost and flee". Even a Viper wasn't able to reach them.
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It also happens to be one of the most expensive ships, can't carry multiple fixed weapons and requires a high rank. It should be bad in other regards as well, right?

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LARY STARKEEPER said:
Do you want to see how a Clipper manage to kill a Python ?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vmfvuuzV5g

And even if the Python pilot is good, the Clipper just have to press "BOOST"
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Curious, do you know this guy actually had a Python on live as well or did he just test a ship he can't afford?
 

Hitsuke

Hitsuke
http://elite-dangerous.wikia.com/wiki/Imperial_Clipper

The amount of idiots commenting on the wiki article is hilarious. Whining about it's weak shields, whining about it's 16t fuel tank and claiming they should be better... all while neglecting to mention the numerous GREAT things about the ship. It literally only has two real drawbacks in it's mediocre shields and its hardpoint placement. Great trader, super fast, very agile for a ship its size and even though the hardpoint placement is a bit rubbish, it can still rock 2 large weapons and 2 medium.

It's a well balanced ship, and tbh if anything it's probably a bit too good for the price (That does not mean I think it should be nerfed FYI). Great bit of kit for what it can do.
 
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