Yep I suppose there's not a fixed pattern but everytime I drop there,after a while good stuff start coming in,solo or in wings.
Viper IV - Opinions?
- Thread starter Chrystoph
- Start date
and drop the point defence, cargo rack and a few other bits
This is a my Mk4 tank. I didn't add weapons as these are more personal.
Coriolis EDCD Edition
A ship builder, outfitting and comparison tool for Elite Dangerous
s.orbis.zone
Such a shame the class 2 HPs are underneath on the mk4
Still doesn't beat a Vulture though.
Triple MRP is a waste. Swap one out for an AFMU, it will serve you much better.
Packhounds are surprisingly bad at taking down hulls, I'd supplement one Packhound with something else. Corrosive MC would be ideal. Otherwise you're in for some lengthy fights.
Lastly, for armor and HRPs, Reactive with everything heavy duty/deep plating will work better.
Compare your build armor values of
1808 2628 3354 2811
to Reactive with all heavy duty/deep plating
2640 4781 4893 3909
I would keep the PD if you go shieldless. Losing your weapons due to a missile or two sucks.
Packhounds are surprisingly bad at taking down hulls, I'd supplement one Packhound with something else. Corrosive MC would be ideal. Otherwise you're in for some lengthy fights.
Lastly, for armor and HRPs, Reactive with everything heavy duty/deep plating will work better.
Compare your build armor values of
1808 2628 3354 2811
to Reactive with all heavy duty/deep plating
2640 4781 4893 3909
I would keep the PD if you go shieldless. Losing your weapons due to a missile or two sucks.
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I run short range thermal vent beam and short range corrosive mc. Devistating.
Also have 2 APAs on my other build.
I started using my vulture for ax... Just need more station visits as I can't be done with synthing ax ammoTwo Guardian Shard cannon.
it's not too slow for shieldless, it's an excellent hull-tanking ship as well as one of the best overall small combat ships. It's actually one of the best small ships period, combat or otherwise. I'm talking about PvE ofc.
I don't understand why so many people love the cobra 3 but hate on the viper 4. They're essentially the same ship except the viper is much much better at combat.
As for the OP, I would drop the heat sink for another PDT and drop the beams for anything else. Even rails are better, you won't overheat the viper 4 much with 2 small rails or 2 packhounds (assuming you're not shooting both at the same time). I would also consider replacing one of the packhounds, most PvE targets you can either completely debilitate with 1 packhound mounted or not get anything done even with 2.
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Because probably they never really flew one seriously,I love my Viper MK IV when I take abreak from my mediums.
I dont hate it, i suggest it alot befor engineering can be done as a combat ship..
But imo the speedy smaller Mk3 is just better at combat (specially stealth) so the mk4 is just another option at best.. theres also the vulture which is even better overall.. or a courier..
If it had 4Ms instead of the 2M 2S hardpoints maybe things be different.
Overall no fan of shieldless for pve. specially in pve a regen shield on a small fast ship is to usefull.
that said its a good fun ship but theres always that other one doin it a bit better..
But imo the speedy smaller Mk3 is just better at combat (specially stealth) so the mk4 is just another option at best.. theres also the vulture which is even better overall.. or a courier..
If it had 4Ms instead of the 2M 2S hardpoints maybe things be different.
Overall no fan of shieldless for pve. specially in pve a regen shield on a small fast ship is to usefull.
that said its a good fun ship but theres always that other one doin it a bit better..
Do NOT try to build Viper IV for combat, it really can't fight.
That's my build:
s.orbis.zone
Its general purpose is scout. Short range exploration, planetary/megaship mission runner, thargoid/guardian site scavenger, stuff like that. I can defend myself against any medium and large ships around dangerous rank, but nothing stronger. Also running it shieldless is a suicide. Even with G5 dirty thrusters, you're not small and agile enough to evade a lot of heat.
No idea how you gonna be using those missiles. If you go PVE, at least half of them will be shot down, and with C1 beams, they do so pathetic damage to shields, you simply won't be able to break them on anything, even medium size, quick enough for those missiles to work. PD and heatsink feels like a waste of space too. If you really want to get somewhere unnoticed, just silent run, it won't cook you too soon and Bi-Weaves recharge very quickly. All those HRPs and MRPs, along with Military hull simply downweighting you, but won't prevent inevitable quick death, trust me.
Don't get me wrong, it's my one and only favorite ship in whole game, but you really can't make it do what it wasn't designed for, but for the jobs I'm running it for, it is an absolute marvel and blast to fly.
P.S. Not sure if you're aware but NPCs don't care about silent running or your heat profile. It might break locks but they always know where you are and you will be shot.
That's my build:
Coriolis EDCD Edition
A ship builder, outfitting and comparison tool for Elite Dangerous
s.orbis.zone
Its general purpose is scout. Short range exploration, planetary/megaship mission runner, thargoid/guardian site scavenger, stuff like that. I can defend myself against any medium and large ships around dangerous rank, but nothing stronger. Also running it shieldless is a suicide. Even with G5 dirty thrusters, you're not small and agile enough to evade a lot of heat.
No idea how you gonna be using those missiles. If you go PVE, at least half of them will be shot down, and with C1 beams, they do so pathetic damage to shields, you simply won't be able to break them on anything, even medium size, quick enough for those missiles to work. PD and heatsink feels like a waste of space too. If you really want to get somewhere unnoticed, just silent run, it won't cook you too soon and Bi-Weaves recharge very quickly. All those HRPs and MRPs, along with Military hull simply downweighting you, but won't prevent inevitable quick death, trust me.
Don't get me wrong, it's my one and only favorite ship in whole game, but you really can't make it do what it wasn't designed for, but for the jobs I'm running it for, it is an absolute marvel and blast to fly.
P.S. Not sure if you're aware but NPCs don't care about silent running or your heat profile. It might break locks but they always know where you are and you will be shot.
Blasphemy!
I generally don't do this but this is completely WRONG...It most certainly can murder things with abandon. I taught myself how to kill thargoids in a V4.
It's only slightly larger than the Viper 3. Simply one of the most agile ships in the game. Tough as nails and can pack a punch.
Will outfly a vulture, have more 'effects' and will be harder to hit.
Viper 4 is one seriously underrated ship because for some strange reason people look at 1 number stat and put it in a box.
Deleted member 121570
D
True this. Viper 4 is awesome. It might be slow, but it's pretty much one of the most agile ships in the game. Hugely versatile and tough as hell to go with it.
Viper III was built for combat, and actually is pretty good at it, FAR more agile than IV, has slimmer profile and faster, which is most important for small ship in general, plus packs same punch. IV is pure multi-purpose. Of course you can kill stuff in it, but it has limits, and those limits are quite narrow. Truth be told, small ships, with single exclusion of Vulture, aren't really cut out for combat. Say, I can kill elite Vette in my Eagle, but I have to rearm and repair after single fight. Many mediums easily can do sustain long heavy combat, this comes simply from the fact that they have much higher module capacity, and most important: bigger hardpoints. With x2 C2 and x2 C1 you really can't do much, if at all. Ammo is limited, damage is extremely limited. They can defend themselves, but small ships are more like training wheels for new players, before they get enough cash and mats to get mediums and large vessels for real combat, be it PVP, AX or PVE.
A new player flying a Viper in a combat play style keep moving on to better ships and weapons. Being new it is about making credits, having rebuys and gaining a lot of experience. Later on with a passion for Vipers and lots of credits and combat experience engineer a Viper Mk IV for fun. Being new to the game not now.
Regards
Regards
You are so wrong on so many points here.
Training wheels? it shows a total lack on understanding what small ships are capable of in game.
Small ships are not to 'teach' people how to fly to move to mediums or large ships in ED. It's a simple choice of what people find fun.
My Viper IV murders CZ, Thargoids without any issue. V3 is only very slightly smaller than the V4 which in turn is much smaller than most other small ships.
Viper IV is more than comparable to a Vulture in combat. It is way more agile than Vulture, and with a larger selection of weapons it can nigh on shut down a vulture with effects while it smashes it.
I've gone hunting things in my all laser Cobra IV, which objectively is far worse than a V4 yet can happily complete a CZ or Haz RES etc.
Small ships are not 'training wheels' ;D
Can you easily and quickly solo High CZ each time in a Viper IV like you can in pretty much any medium ship? Can you kill Hydra? Can you beat any Medium-Large ship in PVP? Doubt so. Viper III is fastest ship in the game. Even under the weight, it will leave MkIV in dust and outmaneuver it at every turn. This is the only advantage of any small ship can have in combat. Vulture is much tougher, and x2 C3 hardpoints is a serious argument, but still it is far from even PVE meta or being efficient much, it's just a better option for small player budget. Haz RES is not really an argument either, since people go there on stock Sideys to make early bank, and learn combat - training wheels.