Greetings,
So...Looking for something to do awaiting Odyssey?
Got 15.5 million credits plus rebuys, unlocked all the Engineers, some PowerPlay weapons and maxed out all the materials? Here's a combat Cobra Mk III build I like. Others may disagree. There are many threads and videos using lasers and multi-cannons as the go to Cobra combat build. Here's something better IF you can fly it.
Two 2B fixed Imperial Hammers. Same or slightly less damage as regular rail guns but three fast shots might hit (or miss) better than one. G5 sturdy/super penetrators for targeting those power plants and other modules. 300% integrity is nice costing 100% mass increase but the important numbers are plus 60% piercing and 58% lower thermal load (sturdy 30 and super penetrators 28). Rails can do both thermal and kinetic damage. Reload drops to 1.8s but with fixed weapons we're not spraying with multi-cannons. I suggest using a mouse versus a HOTAS for targeting fixed weapons and is a lot more accurate. Yes, you can do both. PvPers know this.
Two 1E gimballed Beams G5 long range/thermal vent. The Cobra can handle this. Taking on a deadly NPC Anaconda with 8 shield cell boosters it might take 45 min to drop the shields just using these. The point is with a fast ship and firing 3+ KM away that Anaconda and many other NPC ships won't hit you while your Cobra's heat drops to 1%. Then make another attack run. Flying in reverse messes up NPCs in a Cobra or a Cutter with long range beams. Worth costing a little mass and power draw.
Put this together with proper PIP management and good pilot skills (any good at FA off?) and a pilot can get up close and personal with engineered Imperial Hammers firing quickly multiple times and beams to keep the heat down. No heat sinks needed! We may have to take the foot off the firing gas pedal but the power plant and distributor engineered correctly on a Cobra will be back in seconds. Add in the low profile of a Cobra is hard to hit. They do much better than other ships. So how do I support this with the rest of the Cobra build?
4A Power Plant overcharged/thermal spread. Sorry with rail guns armoured isn't going to work. Move fast.
4A Thrusters dirty/drive distributors. Adding 11 m/s boost to 598 m/s with drag drives isn't worth the 76% thermal load especially using rail guns.
3A Life Support on a Cobra taking on much better ships because you might need 25 min to limp back. Lightweight Bill Turner (Alioth - permit required) can get you to G3. Lori Jameson (Shinrarta Dezhra - Elite required) goes to G4. No engineering it only cost one LY in jump range. Given that you are flying a fragile Cobra in combat if you escape you might need those minutes.
3A Sensors going G5 long range. This is still a partial multi-role ship with emphasis on combat. If you are going into REZ/CZ combat styles and maybe a little PvP it is nice to know your enemies before they know you. Thus time to make fight or flight decisions. If in a REZ and the security ships have taken down a deadly Anaconda down to 30% 9 KM away long range scanners will let you know. Then in your very fast Cobra can fly there, fire a few rounds and make 250,000 credits without a dent in your ship.
0I Pointe Defense plus ammo so when your shields go down they will deal with NPCs who love to fire missiles while you are running away. Going to Guardian sites taking out missiles that Sentinels fire at your SRV running around is probably useless as they are mounted on the bottom of a Cobra. Anyone tried this?
Getting off topic a little maybe I should fly over to some Guardian sites and help some players providing overhead ship cover taking out the Sentinels while they run around in SRVs. I found class 1 beams take awhile then went with class 2 on an Asp X to resolve the issue. I suspect only 1 imperial hammer would be required.
The rest of the build with the shields, booster, and other optional internal toys is subjective depending upon the player. Many in combat like bi-weave shields, HRPs and MRPs. There are two many different ED play styles and we will never agree Flying well also works.The multi-purpose Cobra provides options.
E.G. storing the fuel scoop and Guardian FSD booster then have 40T of cargo for local missions.
Is the build worth it for a new player? Probably not as their goals would be more about generating credits, avoiding rebuys and moving up in experience. Still using rail guns on a Cobra without overheating is good info for future builds. It one can do int in a Cobra...There are many more possibilities with the secondary weapons engineering game. Playing this game since 1985 on a Commodore 64 The Cobra Mk III is part of me and other old players! It is not Elite if we don't fly it now and then. With this build I'm smiling flying a Cobra Mk III...
TLDR: Showing how a Cobra Mk III with proper engineering and a good pilot can be an awesome combat ship past basic lasers and multi-cannons. Find a powerful weapons setup with good pilot skills then build the Cobra around it. Are there better ships? Of course! Whii this Cobra build take on every combat scenaio? Of course not. The point was what could a Cobra do?
Regards to All
G5 Engineering in the bubble suggestions for this build. There are many other combinations.
Armour - Selene Jean - Kuk
Power Plant - Heri Tani - Kuwemaki
Thrusters - Professor Palin - Arque
FSD - Felicity Farseer - Deciat
Life Support (G4) - Lori Jameson - Shinrarta Dezhra (Elite rank required)
Distributor - The Dweller - Wyrd
Shields/Sensors/Detailed Surface Scanner - Lei Chung - Laksak
Rail Guns - Tod "the Blaster" McQuinn - Wolf 397
Beams - Broo Ttarquin - Muang
Pointe Defense - Ram Tak - Meene
Shield Booster - Didi Vatermann - Leesti
I can put this in Midnight Black if you want something more sinister...
So...Looking for something to do awaiting Odyssey?
Got 15.5 million credits plus rebuys, unlocked all the Engineers, some PowerPlay weapons and maxed out all the materials? Here's a combat Cobra Mk III build I like. Others may disagree. There are many threads and videos using lasers and multi-cannons as the go to Cobra combat build. Here's something better IF you can fly it.
Two 2B fixed Imperial Hammers. Same or slightly less damage as regular rail guns but three fast shots might hit (or miss) better than one. G5 sturdy/super penetrators for targeting those power plants and other modules. 300% integrity is nice costing 100% mass increase but the important numbers are plus 60% piercing and 58% lower thermal load (sturdy 30 and super penetrators 28). Rails can do both thermal and kinetic damage. Reload drops to 1.8s but with fixed weapons we're not spraying with multi-cannons. I suggest using a mouse versus a HOTAS for targeting fixed weapons and is a lot more accurate. Yes, you can do both. PvPers know this.
Two 1E gimballed Beams G5 long range/thermal vent. The Cobra can handle this. Taking on a deadly NPC Anaconda with 8 shield cell boosters it might take 45 min to drop the shields just using these. The point is with a fast ship and firing 3+ KM away that Anaconda and many other NPC ships won't hit you while your Cobra's heat drops to 1%. Then make another attack run. Flying in reverse messes up NPCs in a Cobra or a Cutter with long range beams. Worth costing a little mass and power draw.
Put this together with proper PIP management and good pilot skills (any good at FA off?) and a pilot can get up close and personal with engineered Imperial Hammers firing quickly multiple times and beams to keep the heat down. No heat sinks needed! We may have to take the foot off the firing gas pedal but the power plant and distributor engineered correctly on a Cobra will be back in seconds. Add in the low profile of a Cobra is hard to hit. They do much better than other ships. So how do I support this with the rest of the Cobra build?
4A Power Plant overcharged/thermal spread. Sorry with rail guns armoured isn't going to work. Move fast.
4A Thrusters dirty/drive distributors. Adding 11 m/s boost to 598 m/s with drag drives isn't worth the 76% thermal load especially using rail guns.
3A Life Support on a Cobra taking on much better ships because you might need 25 min to limp back. Lightweight Bill Turner (Alioth - permit required) can get you to G3. Lori Jameson (Shinrarta Dezhra - Elite required) goes to G4. No engineering it only cost one LY in jump range. Given that you are flying a fragile Cobra in combat if you escape you might need those minutes.
3A Sensors going G5 long range. This is still a partial multi-role ship with emphasis on combat. If you are going into REZ/CZ combat styles and maybe a little PvP it is nice to know your enemies before they know you. Thus time to make fight or flight decisions. If in a REZ and the security ships have taken down a deadly Anaconda down to 30% 9 KM away long range scanners will let you know. Then in your very fast Cobra can fly there, fire a few rounds and make 250,000 credits without a dent in your ship.
0I Pointe Defense plus ammo so when your shields go down they will deal with NPCs who love to fire missiles while you are running away. Going to Guardian sites taking out missiles that Sentinels fire at your SRV running around is probably useless as they are mounted on the bottom of a Cobra. Anyone tried this?
Getting off topic a little maybe I should fly over to some Guardian sites and help some players providing overhead ship cover taking out the Sentinels while they run around in SRVs. I found class 1 beams take awhile then went with class 2 on an Asp X to resolve the issue. I suspect only 1 imperial hammer would be required.
The rest of the build with the shields, booster, and other optional internal toys is subjective depending upon the player. Many in combat like bi-weave shields, HRPs and MRPs. There are two many different ED play styles and we will never agree Flying well also works.The multi-purpose Cobra provides options.
E.G. storing the fuel scoop and Guardian FSD booster then have 40T of cargo for local missions.
Is the build worth it for a new player? Probably not as their goals would be more about generating credits, avoiding rebuys and moving up in experience. Still using rail guns on a Cobra without overheating is good info for future builds. It one can do int in a Cobra...There are many more possibilities with the secondary weapons engineering game. Playing this game since 1985 on a Commodore 64 The Cobra Mk III is part of me and other old players! It is not Elite if we don't fly it now and then. With this build I'm smiling flying a Cobra Mk III...
TLDR: Showing how a Cobra Mk III with proper engineering and a good pilot can be an awesome combat ship past basic lasers and multi-cannons. Find a powerful weapons setup with good pilot skills then build the Cobra around it. Are there better ships? Of course! Whii this Cobra build take on every combat scenaio? Of course not. The point was what could a Cobra do?
Regards to All
G5 Engineering in the bubble suggestions for this build. There are many other combinations.
Armour - Selene Jean - Kuk
Power Plant - Heri Tani - Kuwemaki
Thrusters - Professor Palin - Arque
FSD - Felicity Farseer - Deciat
Life Support (G4) - Lori Jameson - Shinrarta Dezhra (Elite rank required)
Distributor - The Dweller - Wyrd
Shields/Sensors/Detailed Surface Scanner - Lei Chung - Laksak
Rail Guns - Tod "the Blaster" McQuinn - Wolf 397
Beams - Broo Ttarquin - Muang
Pointe Defense - Ram Tak - Meene
Shield Booster - Didi Vatermann - Leesti
I can put this in Midnight Black if you want something more sinister...
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