Powerplay Faction: Zachary Hudson Best ship for military strikes?
- Thread starter Trebonius
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You need a tank of some sort because it's not possible to control who's going to attack you. An Anaconda or Corvette would be pretty good. With my Corvette, I can nearly park it and let the turrets do all the work for me, shooting on sight, but eventually, two or three NPCs wil position themselves behind me and keep firing, so I found it best to circle while I watch TV. Like that, the kill rate isn't as fast as actively chasing victims, but it's relatively stress free.
I went again today in my other account, using an A-rated Vulture. After about 15 minutes of easy killing, a gang would suddenly appear behind, which took down the shields, so I had to run off the field for repairs. The whole return trip to get 200 merit points took 52 minutes. The distance was about 5 jumps.
In my Corvette, actively chasing victims, I was killing about 50 to 70 ships an hour, so four four hour sessions to get the 10,000 merits. With normal weapons instead of turrets, it would have been quicker. maybe I'll try that next time. With turrets, they occasionally kill the wrong guy. Suddenly, you realise that all the NPCs are red, so time to run. When you go back, they've forgiven you because your side is green again.
I went again today in my other account, using an A-rated Vulture. After about 15 minutes of easy killing, a gang would suddenly appear behind, which took down the shields, so I had to run off the field for repairs. The whole return trip to get 200 merit points took 52 minutes. The distance was about 5 jumps.
In my Corvette, actively chasing victims, I was killing about 50 to 70 ships an hour, so four four hour sessions to get the 10,000 merits. With normal weapons instead of turrets, it would have been quicker. maybe I'll try that next time. With turrets, they occasionally kill the wrong guy. Suddenly, you realise that all the NPCs are red, so time to run. When you go back, they've forgiven you because your side is green again.
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Like was said, anything could show up, so consider your trips in short bursts of 1k merits to 2k tops unless you have a great wing, in which case you can kill everything very quickly. I have an Anaconda but last night I was faced suddenly with an Imperial Cutter, Anaconda and an Asp in Dongkum. It's scary when you realise there are real opponents that are less predictable.
You did not state your budget range or current ship. That would help with suggestions.
The hardest hitting vessel at a relatively low cost is the Vulture I'd say with it's large hardpoints. With power management you can enjoy taking along an scb for shield backup prior to bugging out if it becomes necessary.
You did not state your budget range or current ship. That would help with suggestions.
The hardest hitting vessel at a relatively low cost is the Vulture I'd say with it's large hardpoints. With power management you can enjoy taking along an scb for shield backup prior to bugging out if it becomes necessary.
The FAS is a strong ship for any cz. It is great at hull tanking, so having bi-weaves and energy weapons can keep you in the cz for a long time. That being said, I still prefer the Vulture out of all my ships; it is fast and maneuverable and the 2 large HP do decent damage. I seem to average around 800-1000 merits an hour. I don't generally have too many problems with NPC's ganging up on me, and for the most part can last quite a while on my own, but I still occasionally get caught and have to make a repair run. I've learned from experience to not hold onto more than 1000 or so merits at a time though, since other CMDRs tend to show up now and then and the Vulture is not the best ship for PvP if they decide to be hostile.
Thank you for your tips. I only have 119 million credits now but I was wondering what ship to aim at. I use a class A Vulture at the moment but I can't seem to be able to outfight swarms of 4 or more ships firing at me so all I can do is run for it and ofc that is a waste if time. And I always go for solo play as I have no friends playing ED.
I have an almost fully equiped Python (military armor still missing) with 5 x Beam Lasers. It's awesome! I can hunt for hours in a HazRES without the need to get back to any station for refill. Especially great if you got a great instance with a lot of big ships and heavy bounties on them. Got a nice instance the other day and stayed for a bit more than 2 hours and made 9.2 Mio. Credits. As for the 5 Beam Lasers - you can use the time for recharging WEP, cooling down and positioning behind the target.
The loadout is optimized for NPC-based fights, not for PvP. I would recommend some Rail Guns and maybe Cannons for that purpose.
Am just taking part in the CG @ Chi Lin and bounty hunt the high Conflict Zone. I had to add 2 Heat Sinkers to be able to fire my 6A SCBs. It's a bit more tricky to fight in the CZ than in a HazRES.
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Now that sounds great. I'll have to keep griding for credits untill I reach 200 mln or so but it's worth itI'll try beams, bursts and pulses and see what works best for me.
Cheers!
You don't have to grind that much. 200 Mio.? Not needed. I sold my Vulture and just was able to buy a Python and had 2 x the insurance left. Important to have enough insurance as the you don't know the ship. As you can BH much more effective than in a smaller ship, you earn credits faster and can upgrade your ship bit by bit. Just make sure you have at least 2 x insurance and go for your new ship as soon as you can afford it. Then upgrade bit by bit. It's much more fun and motivating than grinding for weeks and weeks and wait until you can buy a new ship and fully (A rated) equip it.
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VampyreGTX
Volunteer Moderator
I currently use my Vulture in the military strikes and can usually last about an hour or so. I did have on instance where I jumped in and immediately ever red blip started blinking white.... I turned tail and ran quickly that time. Came back in and it was normal, usually 1-2 focusing on me at a time.
For new ships, I usually buy once I have enough for basic upgrades, then work my way up. Gives you time to learn the ship and see the improvements each update makes. The only time I haven't done that was when I've bought a T6 and then traded for a T7. I got both once I had enough to buy what I had spec'd out on Coriolis.io and insurance.
For new ships, I usually buy once I have enough for basic upgrades, then work my way up. Gives you time to learn the ship and see the improvements each update makes. The only time I haven't done that was when I've bought a T6 and then traded for a T7. I got both once I had enough to buy what I had spec'd out on Coriolis.io and insurance.
I think you FEDs will love this.
[video=youtube_share;sE0NVjguBus]https://youtu.be/sE0NVjguBus[/video]
[video=youtube_share;sE0NVjguBus]https://youtu.be/sE0NVjguBus[/video]
I farmed military strike zones for about 5 weeks for the Rating 5. I used A rated versions of the following
FAS
Python
FDL
Anaconda
The most effective in kill rate was definitely the FDL it's combination of large shields, fire power and speed puts it on top without a doubt. For 100 million you could get a very high rated FDL.
A good tip for you in improving your kill rate is keep a close eye out on which enemies are getting attacked by your NPC allies and join in with that group. It's obvious really but makes a huge difference to killing solo targets the majority of your time there.
FAS
Python
FDL
Anaconda
The most effective in kill rate was definitely the FDL it's combination of large shields, fire power and speed puts it on top without a doubt. For 100 million you could get a very high rated FDL.
A good tip for you in improving your kill rate is keep a close eye out on which enemies are getting attacked by your NPC allies and join in with that group. It's obvious really but makes a huge difference to killing solo targets the majority of your time there.
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119 million could afford you a deliciously equipped Fer-De-Lance. Now that thing has great shields and 4 excellent hardpoints. Also allows for a huge gimballed cannon for any extra heavy weight opponents. Buy the ship from Groombridge 1618 near Nanomam and then fly her upto the nearby Li Yong-Rui systems like LHS 28 and surrounding for all internals at discounted prices. That way you get the setup at lower costs and lower insurance. I'd easily recommend it over the FedAS which can get into trouble very easily due to very low shields, even when set up as best as she gets. Hull still takes a beating in the FedAS. Shields are everything, especially if you run into real players. That Fer-De-Lance with 4 medium pulse a huge cannon can afford you A rated everything alongside A class shield boosters and a backup A SCB and heat sink.
Remember you can over deploy and use power management to squeeze extra juice in a real combat situation. You won't need the cargo hatch at priority 1, nor any fuel scoops/interdictors and if you don't mind a delay rebooting the FSD when retracting weapons then you can set that to a priority that has it switch off when weapons deploy. With A class thrusters, that ship will rocket to 400 easy for quick escape if needs be.
Remember with hull reinforcements, you can use lower class D's to actually allow more armour at far lower weight. Just see what you can get out of it. I'd say at that budget that's the perfect ship for you in the combat zone or res site.
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My CZ ship is an A class FDL with class 5a shield gen with 5 shield boosters, one class 3 gimballed beam, 4 class 2 gimballed multi cannons. The ship is fast, blindingly fast, agile, 935 Mj shield strength and kick ass HP`s, i pretty much manage 5 mil per session in a haz res with a kill scanner. The military strike zones are slightly different, they take longer to kill unless your in a strong wing, i can normally manage 750-1000 merits per hour on my own.
IMO the vulture lacks overall fire power in a MS zone, the FAS is a good strong allrounder tank and will take a pounding, not tried the FGS or python yet.
IMO the vulture lacks overall fire power in a MS zone, the FAS is a good strong allrounder tank and will take a pounding, not tried the FGS or python yet.
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I have an A Rated Python. 3 Lg Pulse lasers & 2 Med cannons. All the cargo racks were replaced with D rated hull reinforcing. Total armor 2228. :]
I just started the MS zones since joining a faction. It's been doing pretty good but since I was only 7 jumps from a Control base,
as soon as I ran out of ammo for the cannons I went to reload, repair, then turned in the merits earned. I was easily getting 60-70 kills
each session. Only joined the faction 3 days ago, so had 2 days b4 the new Week started. In about 4 hours (not counting the return trips)
I made 4060 merit points. Made Rank 4 on that. Gonna work for rank 5 this week. I chose the pulse lasers instead of beams because
I normally have Zero heat problems unless I keep sustained fire on all lasers and the cannons at same time. The lasers usually strip the shields
in just a few seconds and the cannons do a nice job on the hull.
I just started the MS zones since joining a faction. It's been doing pretty good but since I was only 7 jumps from a Control base,
as soon as I ran out of ammo for the cannons I went to reload, repair, then turned in the merits earned. I was easily getting 60-70 kills
each session. Only joined the faction 3 days ago, so had 2 days b4 the new Week started. In about 4 hours (not counting the return trips)
I made 4060 merit points. Made Rank 4 on that. Gonna work for rank 5 this week. I chose the pulse lasers instead of beams because
I normally have Zero heat problems unless I keep sustained fire on all lasers and the cannons at same time. The lasers usually strip the shields
in just a few seconds and the cannons do a nice job on the hull.
Wow, so that's how it's done. I thought my FDL like Glimmerman's was the fastest for grinding merits. I was going to try a Python like RhymeRhyme's but maybe I need to rethink or Corvette or Anaconda.
FAS is what I use.
specifically this: http://coriolis.io/outfit/federal_a...51n1b1b000l04044a2d32296b27.Iw18cQ==.Aw18cQ==
Military strikes, but it can undermine and go RES hunting too.
There's enough power to swap the cannon for lrg plasma if you prefer.
specifically this: http://coriolis.io/outfit/federal_a...51n1b1b000l04044a2d32296b27.Iw18cQ==.Aw18cQ==
Military strikes, but it can undermine and go RES hunting too.
There's enough power to swap the cannon for lrg plasma if you prefer.
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I just started with a new commander last Wednesday. As soon as I could get a Vulture capable of defending itself, I went and and got my level 2, which takes less than an hour including getting there and back. I then saved up enough to get a Python, to go for the 10,000 merits. It was a bit of a grind to get the 10,000 merits, as it took 15 hours and 14 minutes from the time I left LTT 15574 until I arrived back. I did four long sessions of play. That works out at 649 merits an hour, which is about the same as what my Corvette did. I used the fully turreted Corvette the first time and then I got the next 5000 merits with more conventional weapons, but it still came out at the same rate of about 650 merits per hour overall. I don't think it makes much difference which ship you use as long as it can tank a bit when you get a couple nipping your backside while you dealing with one of those Vultures that can chaff and boost just at the right time. Also, you need a bit of speed otherwise it can become very tedious. FDL, FAS, Python, Corvette are definitely OK. I'm not sure about the other big ships. Vulture is good for levels 2 to 4, but is not strong enough to last 2 hours or more there.
Some people claim a higher earning rate. I had a session at nearly 1200 merits an hour, but when you include bad instances, running back for repairs, travelling to Atropos to bank the merits, etc, it knocks down the average. My 15.5 hrs includes all that plus some wasted time experimenting with different outfitting and going on a wild goose chase looking for military grade armour, which is essential for this activity whichever ship you have.
I discovered this time that you can speed things up a bit by getting the right instance. Sometimes reds outnumber greens, so you can't stay there long, sometimes it's even; however, it takes a few minutes for things to settle down. Sometimes, when you arrive, there's more reds than greens, but the reds don't replenish as fast as greens. Before long, there's about 10 greens flying round waiting for a red to spawn, and as soon as a red arrives, it's obliterated, which makes the merits increase quickly. It seems to me that the best strategy is to stay for about 10 minutes. If it's still equal numbers, leave and come back again. That's if you can last that long. In about 30% of cases, I had to leave before then because too many were shooting at me.
That 15 hours work will pay a minimum of 60 million if I don't do any more. That's 50 million salary on Thursday for Level 5 and 5 million the next two weeks for level 4. That works out at about 4 million per hour, which is about the same as bounty hunting without bonuses. Of course, if you do any bounty hunting in the meantime, you get the 100% bonus. That means that for 20 hours play (work), you'd get about 100 million, which works out at 5 million an hour. That rate increases if you play for more hours in the week.
In the second week, you only need 5000 merits to keep level 5, so the 7.5 hours required earns 8 million an hour and 20 hours play during the week increases it to 9 million an hour.
Here's the Python I used. No need for a KWS or discovery scanner. Only stuff specifically for this task. I swapped the fuel scoop for a HRP as soon as I had to visit the station, but even with all that armour, the hull started to go down pretty quickly once the shields were down, so no point in hanging about. In the end I put the fuel scoop back and kept it there for convenience.
http://coriolis.io/outfit/python/17...5f3229-24.AwRj4yoo.Aw0iMmaAsbAZhDIA?bn=Python
One final point that some might find useful: General advice is to fix a nearby system in your nav panel so that you can jump away when you get in trouble. Be careful, these strike zones are always close to a planet, which blocks out a big proportion of your potential escape routes, so, having locked a system, check that it isn't behind the planet otherwise you won't be able to jump. If it is obscured, choose a different system to jump to.
Some people claim a higher earning rate. I had a session at nearly 1200 merits an hour, but when you include bad instances, running back for repairs, travelling to Atropos to bank the merits, etc, it knocks down the average. My 15.5 hrs includes all that plus some wasted time experimenting with different outfitting and going on a wild goose chase looking for military grade armour, which is essential for this activity whichever ship you have.
I discovered this time that you can speed things up a bit by getting the right instance. Sometimes reds outnumber greens, so you can't stay there long, sometimes it's even; however, it takes a few minutes for things to settle down. Sometimes, when you arrive, there's more reds than greens, but the reds don't replenish as fast as greens. Before long, there's about 10 greens flying round waiting for a red to spawn, and as soon as a red arrives, it's obliterated, which makes the merits increase quickly. It seems to me that the best strategy is to stay for about 10 minutes. If it's still equal numbers, leave and come back again. That's if you can last that long. In about 30% of cases, I had to leave before then because too many were shooting at me.
That 15 hours work will pay a minimum of 60 million if I don't do any more. That's 50 million salary on Thursday for Level 5 and 5 million the next two weeks for level 4. That works out at about 4 million per hour, which is about the same as bounty hunting without bonuses. Of course, if you do any bounty hunting in the meantime, you get the 100% bonus. That means that for 20 hours play (work), you'd get about 100 million, which works out at 5 million an hour. That rate increases if you play for more hours in the week.
In the second week, you only need 5000 merits to keep level 5, so the 7.5 hours required earns 8 million an hour and 20 hours play during the week increases it to 9 million an hour.
Here's the Python I used. No need for a KWS or discovery scanner. Only stuff specifically for this task. I swapped the fuel scoop for a HRP as soon as I had to visit the station, but even with all that armour, the hull started to go down pretty quickly once the shields were down, so no point in hanging about. In the end I put the fuel scoop back and kept it there for convenience.
http://coriolis.io/outfit/python/17...5f3229-24.AwRj4yoo.Aw0iMmaAsbAZhDIA?bn=Python
One final point that some might find useful: General advice is to fix a nearby system in your nav panel so that you can jump away when you get in trouble. Be careful, these strike zones are always close to a planet, which blocks out a big proportion of your potential escape routes, so, having locked a system, check that it isn't behind the planet otherwise you won't be able to jump. If it is obscured, choose a different system to jump to.
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It's quite simple really, to maintain level 5, 5334 merits are required weekly.
Which is 535 kills/week in a military strike type of scenario. Or 178/week undermine instances.
As an aside, I've done level 5 for 4 weeks now, and I'm done with it. Discovered I wasn't enjoying it, nor was I able to hit the RES zones for the big payouts, as I was always chasing merits.
Good luck to all.
Which is 535 kills/week in a military strike type of scenario. Or 178/week undermine instances.
As an aside, I've done level 5 for 4 weeks now, and I'm done with it. Discovered I wasn't enjoying it, nor was I able to hit the RES zones for the big payouts, as I was always chasing merits.
Good luck to all.
Sustaining higher ranks with combat merits alone is only efficient if you earn them in a wing really. Apart from the fact it's more fun, in wings everyone who tags a target will get full merits for the kill, so there is no downside to it actually. You'll have more firepower and in case of undermining faster interdicting & NPC spawning. If you are on your own combat zones are also only really better then undermining if your combat rank is not to high imo. Another alternative would be to keep your rank up with fortification, which will pretty much cost you your 50 million salary (if you only do fortification) but is quite fast if you have a good cargo ship (optimally a Trade Conda). If you are looking for wingmates for undermining and such you can always hop on the Federation Teamspeak. Teamspeak info is on the top right of the Hudson subreddit.
If you wing up with other people, you can score merits at a much higher rate, but you have to do that in open play. Is there not more trouble with opposing commanders blowing you up when you're travelling to the combat zone and when you arrive? Playing in the Mobius group would solve that, but I think I heard that they can't accept new members at the moment because they're full.