You have to keep in mind that the game is unbalanced as hell in regard to PvP.
First about the 6A + 2 x 8B
- A build with a 6A prismatic + 2 x 8B SCB will have only 617 MJ capacity with 952 MJ per shield cell. This is 300+ MJ per shot wasted.
- A build with the 6A prismaitc will only protect your ship's intestines up to a total mass of 1350 T - with the Cutter running at 1800+ there's a huge part of incomings breaching the shield and damaging your hull and your modules.
- This build is wasting ressources.
Now the 8A + nothing
- You're good for 1122 MJ which is not only about twice as much...
- ... it's also good for up to 4500tons, so you're "internally" safe
For "interdicted by something" PvE, you can go with the 6A + SCB - I suggest you downgrade to 7B or 6B then. Fire SCBs like confetti each time you lose your first ring. Stay on the safe side.
For PvE harvesting, a 6A will NOT be enough. Especially in CZ. Go with a class 8 of your choice and SCB.
A good rule of thumb in regard to SCB usage is: 50%-75% of total shield capacity. With 50% fire them after loosing one ring, with 75% fire them after loosing 1 1/2 rings.
PvE in a Cutter is nothing to sweat about. Get 1000+MJ and a few SCB and learn to turn that miniature moon 180 degrees by boost-fa-off-pull-get-some-coffee-until-180-fa-on-approach-tank-in-fire-repeat. This works nicely for PvE as long as you don't get a narcissistic flash in trying to "ram that darn elite conda to death" with low shields. Not that I had tried that... ;-)
About PvP...
... you are dead.
Problem is that there is next to no honourful PvP ongoing. It's nearly always a gang of bullies going on one ship.
You either have a full engineered Cutter to withstand the attack for some time (1-3 will opt out then until you run out of shield cells)...
... or you opt out after dropping immediately.
Keep in mind that there was the thermal meta: Thermal weapons creating so much heat on your ship that your combat readiness is limited by the amount of heat sinks you can throw to keep your ship alive.
Thermals were nerfed, so by not-using systems that create a lot of heat on your ship, you won't get into trouble with these anymore...
...BUT...
they've all switched to shield killer torpedoes now.
A ship with 4-5 torpedoes can easily (!) destroy your shield generator on the first sweep. After this, it's only 720 MJ of hull and no protection for your FSD and Thrusters as these are needed to opt out - and they for sure brought something that goes straight through your hull at your FSD or Thrusters.
To avoid torpedoes in a Cutter... keep moving. Stay away from 1500-500m of range. Don't tank in. Don't do a straight line. Get at least 2 (!) ECM. Fire them alternating. Keep in mind that an ECM does NOT kill the torpedoes, it just blinds them. They stay on their trajectory, it is YOUR business to dodge them... in a CUTTER... think about it.
Conclusion:
- Get a shield generator that fits your mass to avoid internal damage with shields still up.
- Get SCB of the right size
- Don't do PvP in a single Cutter without engineering it to the teeth and keeping a finger on the "high wake to another system NOW!" button
You can take this as a paranoid carebear's pamphlet. It is not. I am fighting quite often and I'm never using the META. For me it's the fun to do something completely different, even if this means I have to opt out in 8 of 10 occasions and I'll die in 1 of the 2 others. In a cutter with its rebuy... think about it.
