Ships Low cost, fun, fighter/bounty hunter - is it the Eagle?

CrushBug · Sep 19, 2016

I have been doing a lot of hauling and trading for the past few weeks, and I want to get back to some bounty hunting. I have watched a few space-based movies lately, and the dogfighting and such has me thinking of getting a low cost, fast, and maneuverable (equals fun, in my opinion) ship.

I am not looking to spend too much. Probably 2 MCr max. Looking through some threads, I seems like the Eagle might work for me. Here is what I popped together in a minute on Coriolis.

https://coriolis.io/outfit/eagle/1p0t5F8l3d5s8f20p0p-0m41272h25.AwRj4yg=.Aw1-EA==

I would love to hear your feedback, or suggestions of a completely different ship that might scratch this itch.

CMDR Corlas · Sep 20, 2016

I would ditch the armor upgrades, and swap the shields to biweaves. The Eagle's strength is agility, play to that, don't try to make it a hull tank.

If you have access to a multicannon engoneer, I'd also swap the beams.for 3x multis. Overcharged is awesome, and if you can get incendiary too, even better. You'll do more damage than the beams for a fraction of the capacitor.

Kornel Alexander · Sep 20, 2016

I'd suggest using bi-wive shields on it since on small ships you'd benefit more from fast regen rate plus it'll save you some weight as well. It might be a bit harder on the distributor (btw awesome job on not getting too greedy with 3 beams for your distributor could not handle it), but imho it's worth it. If you can go for some lightweight mod on the beams, and for bulkheads I'd use the stock ones with heavy duty mods for you'll get the same strenghts but weightless. Consider using fixed beams for the eagle has awesome agility so keeping them on target should be easy.

noldunar · Sep 20, 2016

If you have a budget of 2 million I recommend the Viper. It is a fast tough and fun fighter and my go to low cost bounty hunter.

Try this:

https://coriolis.io/outfit/viper/1p...00359B42p25.Iw1+kA==.Aw1+kA==?bn=cheap hunter

If you know what you are doing and pick your fights carefully this ship can handle a Haz RES solo, however, you will make more money faster and easier in a High RES with security backup. If you have access to engineers and don't want to grind mats forever the easy to get grade one upgrades are sufficient for PVE res hunting.

I recommend the following grade 1 upgrades:
Multi-Cannons: short range blaster mod: You should use multis at close range anyhow (under 1000m) so the range reduction won't hurt much. In return you get more damage and less distributor draw, so you can fire the multis together with your pulses at close range.

Power Distributor: weapon focused

Thrusters: clean drive tuning: reason: less heat which is good if you use shield cell banks without heat sinks, you will still get a speed boost (even though dirty drives make you faster).

CrushBug · Sep 20, 2016

Excellent points, all. Thanks for this. Off to do a bit more loadout playing with this great feedback.

Broadsword1986 · Sep 21, 2016

The Eagle MkII

probably the best choice you could make imo!
But as most other here have stated switch to bi weaves in order to free up some PP capacity and the eagle's survivability lies in its maneuverability not shield strength. So don't go jousting with it! stay on their blindsides as it's got the speed and nimbleness to stay there.
Then I'd swap those gimballed weapons to fixed. The eagle doesn't need gimballs as nothing, really nothing turns as fast as this little baby can and you'll get less capacitor draw, less powerconsumption and more alpha damage on fixed weapons.

I usually go with twin beams or pulses on the two bottom hardpoints. the 3rd can be set up at your own preference. I often run a railgun on the top hardpoint with the pulses or a gimballed multicannon in combination with fixed beams.
this for example is a setup which I've often used: https://coriolis.io/outfit/eagle/2p0t5F8l3d5s8f21010240mB4272525.AwRj4yg=.Aw1-EA==

in this case, the gimballed multi is viable as beams and multi's have wildly different shot speeds so the gimballed version will allow you to land shots on target together with the beams.

goemon · Sep 21, 2016

- the eagle is low cost and maneuverable, but it isn't fast

- in my opinion its weaknesses (speed, no tank) teaches you most for combat. to think ahead, not to tank, to outmanouver other ships etc.

- i wouldn't fit armour (to much weight), but for the beginning 1 or 2 class 1 HRP can give you more then 4 times "hitpoints". once you feel safe in your ship, get rid of them

- i also recommend bi-weave

- i know, you want to bounty hunt, and so you want a kws. this won't help you with npc turrets. my eagle has chaff, and no kws, and it can take on anacondas (if i'm patient).

- eagles powerdistributor can not sustain 2 beams. you can run 1 beam maximum - combine it with 1 mc and 1 cannon (cannon to take out larger ships powerplants - they don't suffer the same size penalty as other small weapons). or run 1 beam, 2 mc. or 2 pulses one mc....

- faster variant is an imperial eagle, and rank for it is easy to get.

- a much more powerfull ship is a courier - if you keep that lightweight, you have a fast eagle on steroids. needs even more navy rank.

- sidey is also a lot of fun, even slower, but it has 2 utilities!

- as above: viper is a faster, more beefy, but less manouverable alternative. in my opinion there are 2 lines of combat ships in ed: eagle - courier (lightweight) - fdl (lightweight), and viper - vulture - FDS/FAS/FGS -... the first one is the line of elegance

Connor Caple · Dec 26, 2016

(Sorry if this seems like a necro, but it was the newest Eagle BH thread on here and covers similar ground)

I don't normally do combat in ED but my lovely wife bought me an X52 so it seems rude not to, now.

I came up with this (before seeing this thread) and am still inclined to stick with it because it's working:

(https://coriolis.io/outfit/eagle/0p0t5F6l3d5s8f21717230mB42o--.Iw1-EA==.Aw1-EA== nearest I could get to it.)

Hardpoints (All Fixed):

1F Multi Cannon
1F Pulse
1F Pulse

Utility:

0D Kill Warrant Scanner

Core Internals:

1C Lightweight Alloys
2A Power Plant
3A Thrusters
3B FSD
1D Life Support
2A Power Distributor
2D Sensors
2C Fuel Tank (4)

Optional Internals:

3C Bi-Weave Shield Generator
2A Fuel Scoop
1I Planetary Approach Suite

Now, if there's something glaringly wrong with this, please feel free to edumacate me. The 3B FSD is there because I had to travel a long way to the current CG BH event.

It's teaching me all kinds of things about staying behind stuff using my thrusters. Dropped several ships, including a Keelback, with it earlier and felt 'chuffed to NAAFI breaks' as we used to say, back in my day in the Forces.
(Go ahead, laugh at my meagre accomplishment, but I'm having fun!)

Ian Skippy · Dec 26, 2016

Go for enhanced engines, and drop FSD to 2d and fuel to 1c. It'll be a system patrol ship with insane speed/agility. I'm working in an experimental combat Eagle that with zero pips in engine outurns an a-rated vulture with four pips in Eng.

Remember the stats of enhanced thrusters are bugged in coriolis, you need to use the updated one. It also includes the new military slot the eagle will get in January. Remember HRP's weight will most likely be halved.

http://beta.coriolis.edcd.io

CMDR Heydan Seegil · Dec 26, 2016

goemon said:
- the eagle is low cost and maneuverable, but it isn't fast

To this post is a bit old but this point is completely illogical and incorrect. The Eagle is quite fast when using the enhanced thrusters. Even before cutting weight to D class modules and before engineering it up it handles quite well. I'd an Eagle over Viper in a fight any day.

goemon · Dec 26, 2016

CMDR Heydan Seegil said:
To this post is a bit old but this point is completely illogical and incorrect. The Eagle is quite fast when using the enhanced thrusters. Even before cutting weight to D class modules and before engineering it up it handles quite well. I'd an Eagle over Viper in a fight any day.

... but when you use enhanced performance thrsusters on it, it isn't cheap anymore ;-)

that said, i also prefer an eagle above an viper.

Connor Caple · Dec 27, 2016

Well, went to Empire space for several hours and got myself an Imperial Eagle to play with too. Fun times.

CMDR Heydan Seegil · Jan 6, 2017

goemon said:
... but when you use enhanced performance thrsusters on it, it isn't cheap anymore ;-)

that said, i also prefer an eagle above an viper.

True.... for an Eagle at least.

Connor Caple said:
Well, went to Empire space for several hours and got myself an Imperial Eagle to play with too. Fun times.

Imperial Eagles suck at everything but drag racing. They take greater than 15sec to 180 of average at speed before engineering mods when crafted light and greater than 8secs to 180 while in the blue. Besides isn't this thread about the Eagle MKIII and not the Imperial Eagle. Go find your own meta.