Advice please on PvE combat ship

mpfj

mpfj
I'm Elite Trader and Elite Explorer but only 1% Deadly Combat.
After a year out exploring, I've just bumped my cash reserves from 900MCr to 7.2BCr 💰

Having not done any PvE combat for quite a while (18 months+) can anyone offer some advice on what ship / loadout / etc I should aim for so I can have fun with the final 99% to get to Elite Combat.
My current combat ship is an A-rated non-engineered Vulture.

I'm really not interested in RNGeers (I've unlocked a few to assist in my exploration build) but could be persuaded it if will increase the fun.

I don't want to slog through the last bit but neither do I want to find it too easy, so any advice would be greatly appreciated (y)
 

The Lawful

The Lawful
At 1% Deadly, you're half way through the grind to Elite combat. The other half takes at least as long as your way there, plus low-ranked NPCs don't count anymore and it can be a PITA to find Elite or Deadly enemies... 🍻

Roughly guessing, Krait Mk II is always a good option, as the ship is very versatile and can be fitted for all kinds of combat roles, BH, CZ and AX, including PvP. Plus, it's fun to fly and not an NPC murderboat like the big three. For Thargoid Interceptors, it's the ship of choice anyway, but you'll need Guardian weaponry for that which you may not have unlocked yet (Gauss cannons in particular).

If you want to rank up relatively fast, go for Thargoid Scout hunting. All Thargoids are Elite, so that removes the necessity of finding the right enemy. Plus, you can use conventional weapons against them. Some engineering is very recommended though, but the details depend on your build. First modules to engineer would be shields, thrusters, HRP, PP, shield boosters and armour.

O7,
🙃
 
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Lightspeed

Lightspeed
Krait II or Phantom would likely be your go-to ships, but they need engineering to get the best out of them, as with any ship.

I was surprised how good the Phantom is as a combat ship, once I had engineered its armor and shields, but the Krait II has an extra hardpoint which is very handy, and it offers the opportunity of a SLF for a change of pace. It also has room for some cargo for missions if you wish to take a break from combat. The SLF will slow your progress towards Elite because the SLF pilot takes some of the credit, but it's a fun way to move forward slowly until you are ready for a 'big push' about half way through Dangerous to start hitting Thargoid Scouts on your own.
 

Aashenfox

Aashenfox
The chieftain is the most effective pve combat ship. Prove me wrong by clearing a medium cz including spec ops faster than me (8m45s). I previously used a Krait, it is not faster. This is proper extreme minmaxing of course, but basically the chieftain's combination of perfectly converging upper hardpoints, the second best pitch rate for a medium ship, its outright speed to cross the battlefield to the next target, its excellent thrusters to allow you to sit on your target, and its exceptional use of biweave shield and armor, put it a level above all the rest.
 
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Dillon Fallon

Dillon Fallon
Aashenfox said:
The chieftain is the most effective pve combat ship. Prove me wrong by clearing a medium cz including spec ops faster than me (8m45s). I previously used a Krait, it is not faster. This is proper extreme minmaxing of course, but basically the chieftains combination of perfectly converging upper hardpoints, the second best pitch rate for a medium ship, it's outright speed to cross the battlefield to the next target, it's excellent thrusters to allow you to sit on your target, and it's exceptional use of biweave shield and armor, put it a level above all the rest.
Click to expand...
The Chieftain is my go to ship for system security massacres right now. I really can't fault it for that type of work. Definitely a ship I should have bought sooner.
 

Urbanski101

Urbanski101
If you are looking for combat only then I would also mention the FDL (Fer-der-lance) and the Mamba.

Both have good powerplants and good loadout options, they are quick and agile (FDL being slightly more agile, Mamba being slightly quicker).

They are pure combat ships so they do come with downsides, jump range isn't great and limited optional internal slots.

Krait II is another good option, it has the additional fighter bay which is nice and is a more versatile ship overall. Not tried the Alliance ships so can't comment.

Worth pointing out you are already in a good fighter, the Vulture is a great combat ship so I would start there and get your combat eye in.

I would recommend engineering as you can add a huge percentage to damage output, speed, defense & agility but that would require unlocking the engineers and gathering materials...and well, yeah, that is a royal PITA.
 

Aashenfox

Aashenfox
Urbanski101 said:
If you are looking for combat only then I would also mention the FDL (Fer-der-lance) and the Mamba.

Both have good powerplants and good loadout options, they are quick and agile (FDL being slightly more agile, Mamba being slightly quicker).

They are pure combat ships so they do come with downsides, jump range isn't great and limited optional internal slots.

Krait II is another good option, it has the additional fighter bay which is nice and is a more versatile ship overall. Not tried the Alliance ships so can't comment.

Worth pointing out you are already in a good fighter, the Vulture is a great combat ship so I would start there and get your combat eye in.

I would recommend engineering as you can add a huge percentage to damage output, speed, defense & agility but that would require unlocking the engineers and gathering materials...and well, yeah, that is a royal PITA.
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For pvp what you say is spot on, but in pve, those ships are far too management heavy and dependent on flight technique, you really should try a chieftain, after FDL/Mamba, it seems so compliant, and the extra hardpoint gives you tangibly better loadout choice. I don't know anyone who doesn't enjoy flying the chieftain, it is all things to all people (in pve). o7
 

Bigmaec

Bigmaec
Get an a rated reactive Corvette, engineer as much as you can & want and do haz res / compromised nav beacons.
Costs a billion, half if you skip the reactive.

Coriolis EDCD Edition

A ship builder, outfitting and comparison tool for Elite Dangerous
s.orbis.zone s.orbis.zone

The above build features only Felicity as engineer.
Put the multis on one fire group, the beams and the rails on another.
Engineer more as you see fit.

Go to comp nav beacons and kill until your eyes bleed, rinse repeat until Elite.
 

Speedcuffs

Speedcuffs
Bigmaec said:
Get an a rated reactive Corvette, engineer as much as you can & want and do haz res / compromised nav beacons.
Costs a billion, half if you skip the reactive.

Coriolis EDCD Edition

A ship builder, outfitting and comparison tool for Elite Dangerous
s.orbis.zone s.orbis.zone

The above build features only Felicity as engineer.
Put the multis on one fire group, the beams and the rails on another.
Engineer more as you see fit.

Go to comp nav beacons and kill until your eyes bleed, rinse repeat until Elite.
Click to expand...
Well that doesn't sound fun at all! :(
 

VR andysonofbob

VR andysonofbob
Aashenfox said:
For pvp what you say is spot on, but in pve, those ships are far too management heavy and dependent on flight technique, you really should try a chieftain, after FDL/Mamba, it seems so compliant, and the extra hardpoint gives you tangibly better loadout choice. I don't know anyone who doesn't enjoy flying the chieftain, it is all things to all people (in pve). o7
Click to expand...

Totally agree

However, to add a counterpoint
I think the joy of learning the nuances of the FdL is part of its appeal. I certainly love using it for my main PvE combat ship anyway. If I was going from 1% Deadly to Elite, I would defo want something that I could develop my skills in. :)
 

Aashenfox

Aashenfox
I didn't actually notice he didn't want fully g5, my bad. I probably would have chosen to ignore that small detail anyway. XD

Although my challenge is really only extended to medium ships, I'd still be interested to know if you can clear a med CZ with spec ops in less than 8:45 in that vette (or any vette). ;)
 
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Commander Biscuit

Commander Biscuit
Aashenfox said:
The chieftain is the most effective pve combat ship. Prove me wrong by clearing a medium cz including spec ops faster than me (8m45s). I previously used a Krait, it is not faster. This is proper extreme minmaxing of course, but basically the chieftains combination of perfectly converging upper hardpoints, the second best pitch rate for a medium ship, it's outright speed to cross the battlefield to the next target, it's excellent thrusters to allow you to sit on your target, and it's exceptional use of biweave shield and armor, put it a level above all the rest.
Click to expand...

Depends where you're using it. If you have assistance from NPCs then the shields don't really matter. If you're soloing everything then stuff like the Chieftan line and the Federal ships should be avoided due to their crappy shields. Good mission and duelling ships, but bad sustained combat ships.
 

Old Duck

Old Duck
Bigmaec said:
You all noticed OP isn't interested in a g5 murderboat?
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My Vulture on PS4 is G5, but my Vulture on PC is not, as I haven't unlocked most of the engineers yet. The only thing G5 is my FSD which I share with my Dolphin. I've got G3 efficient beams, a G1 armored PP, a G3 biweave shield, a G0 military hull, a couple of OC shield boosters, etc.

Even so, I can clear a CZ as long as I'm careful. And Thargoid Scouts? Easy-peasy!

Obviously skill does play a role in what we can do with a specific ship and build.
 

Rock Hunter

Rock Hunter
Ashenfox and the guys in GARD gave me a great Chieftain build and if you change your mind regarding engineering I’d highly recommend one. It’s a space go-kart with guns...lots of guns.

As for hitting Combat Elite, as someone who got that just this morning, I’d really not recommend grinding too much. Scouts are great for it and a huge amount of fun. I hit triple Elite via CNBs and some scouts.

Elite in PvE, utter dog’s mess in PvP. Killed many times, kills 0....but I can’t bring myself to take on non combat ships so I’m going to struggle until something clicks :)
 
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