Ships Advice on ship for liberation missions

[CaptKarel]

O7 Commanders

I have started doing liberation missions, i.e recover diplomatic bags, rescue political prisoners, etc.

I think this ship design might work for these types of missions: Liberator.

My design philosophy is as follows:
Pulse lasers to drop shields, seeker missiles to interrupt and destroy drives.
The one hatch breaker to crack open the hatch and three collectors to quickly collect the mission cargo.

Dirty drag drives so that it is fast for catching the target and to get away quick when done or if outnumbered or outgunned.

The other modules is just to make it more robust, jump far and if needed to self deploy to systems that is not near my home base if needed. Medium size ship to be able to operate in systems without large bases or FCs.

Please provide your input or even suggest other ship types that may work better.

Thank you.

 

[d8veh]

I've not done these sort of missions, but I'd be a bit nervous with souch weak shields and not very much hull reinforcement. I think I's swap the SCB, which you probably won't have time to use, for a guardian shield booster, and I'd sacrifice jump range by swapping the FSD booster for a shield one, then maybe swap the chaff for a shield booster. That would trople your shield strength and give a bit more time to think when you come under fire. Also, packhounds rather than seeker missiles. I think they would be more effective, but even without that, it's so much fun watching them do their thing.

 

[CaptKarel]

Thank you for your input, really appreciate the different views.
However I haven’t unlocked any of the PP modules yet, nor bothered with the Guardian modules other than the FSD booster.

I suppose the Guardian Shield Booster makes more sense in this case, will look into that. I may already have most of the stuff to unlock it.

I have done a few of these missions and most of the time it is a transport of some sort, so far only seen T7s. Usually there are no escorts, I suppose with higher ranking one might see more or better escorts. Thus I don‘t think strong shields are needed. This is not really a sustained combat situation. I think speed is more important here and of course dropping the target shields and taking the target cargo as the prime objective.

 

[GroG79]

Thank you for your input, really appreciate the different views.
However I haven’t unlocked any of the PP modules yet, nor bothered with the Guardian modules other than the FSD booster.

I suppose the Guardian Shield Booster makes more sense in this case, will look into that. I may already have most of the stuff to unlock it.

I have done a few of these missions and most of the time it is a transport of some sort, so far only seen T7s. Usually there are no escorts, I suppose with higher ranking one might see more or better escorts. Thus I don‘t think strong shields are needed. This is not really a sustained combat situation. I think speed is more important here and of course dropping the target shields and taking the target cargo as the prime objective.

I would focus more on collecting. Bigger hatch breakers work faster. The 7a hatch breaker takes only 2 seconds. Are you using one limpet per ton cargo? That way limpets travel much faster. Also 16 ton is low. It would stop you from stacking bigger missions.

I think I would prefer a different ship with bigger modules and fewer military slots because of this. Also think about removing the scoop and fsd booster. Most missions will likely be max two jumps away.

 

[CaptKarel]

I would focus more on collecting. Bigger hatch breakers work faster. The 7a hatch breaker takes only 2 seconds. Are you using one limpet per ton cargo? That way limpets travel much faster. Also 16 ton is low. It would stop you from stacking bigger missions.

I think I would prefer a different ship with bigger modules and fewer military slots because of this. Also think about removing the scoop and fsd booster. Most missions will likely be max two jumps away.

Hi GroG79

Good advice, I quick opening the cargo hatch and fast collection are the prime design objectives. I suppose the Krait MkII or the Python might be better, since more internals?

 

[Der Guator]

I like those kind of Missions and already had a dedicated FAS build as well quite similar to yours and did quite a lot of those missions because they give good engineering mats.

Gluteus Maximus

What kept me annoyed was that the target after taking out drives sometimes tends to float quite fast and the process of slowing it down by bumping into it is quite difficult and time consuming and not very immersive.

A single small fixed long range force shell cannon slows down the average diamondback about 50 m/s per hit and works exceedingly well.

This is why I switched to a Chieftain by the way because the hardpoint layout fitted better.

Guardian Angel

The SRV bay in both builts because I like to combine those missions with other surface missions.

I also considered an Interdictor but you really only need one for immersive reasons. Scanning the Nav Beacon is the fastest way to find the targets in form of mission related signal sources.

A manifest scanner is not nessecary unless for immersive reasons as well. The target will drop all the mission related cargo after 2-3 hatchbreakers.

 

[GroG79]

Yes.. Python I would say.... Has an additional 6 slot over the krait.

I do a lot of pirating. That is about the same gameplay. This boat is what I use. The 6E cargo racks are swapped for two scb's when pirating for sap8 cores etc. Fairly low shields but that is by design as I like to have all the bells and whistles.

Coriolis EDCD Edition

A ship builder, outfitting and comparison tool for Elite Dangerous

s.orbis.zone

 

[CaptKarel]

Thank you guys for all the good advice, this is what I really like about this game and the community.

Proposal number number two: Python Liberator.

Or

Proposal number three: Krait MkII Liberator, which is slightly cheaper, also much faster than the Python.

I also found that if you take too long to take out the drives the target ends up drifting fast and the limpets can’t keep up. Trying to bump the target slower is not that easy.

@Der Guator Do you fire the force shell cannon from the front to slow down the target after taking out the drives?

One thing though, I already own a Python and Krait MkII, would like to try other ship types For different roles. My Python is an armed trader and my Krait MkII is a Bounty hunter/Mat Collector, can also be used for limited trading and CZs. Mostly used for BGS work. My Chief is my war chariot, I use that for serious fighting, it melts anything within range, is fast and very agile. I found the big ships, got an Annie and a Corvette, too limited for my play style.

 

[Der Guator]

[...]

I also found that if you take too long to take out the drives the target ends up drifting fast and the limpets can’t keep up. Trying to bump the target slower is not that easy.

@Der Guator Do you fire the force shell cannon from the front to slow down the target after taking out the drives?

[...]

Using the Cannon instead of bumping is way easier but still takes a bit of practice. This is how I do it:
1. Fly behind the drifting ship and align with its trajectory. The leading reticule of fixed weapon makes this easy. Also adjust speed.
2. Use ONLY vertical thurusters to fly a bit above or below the trajectory.
3. Increase speed, fly past the ship and decrease to the matching speed again.
4. again use only vertical thrusters to get back into its trajectory.
5. turn FA off and use ONLY pitch/roll to rotate facing the ship. Keep FA turned off!
6. Then hit the ship with cannon as often as its speed roughly divided by 50. e.g. 180 m/s equals 3 hits.

After a bit of practice I managed to get the speed of the ship from 150 m/s + to below 50 m/s, sometimes almost standing still, in a matter of 1-2 minutes.

Leads to very relaxed hatch breaking. And afterwards you can use the cannon to accelerate the floating ship to infinity

 

[CaptKarel]

Using the Cannon instead of bumping is way easier but still takes a bit of practice. This is how I do it:
1. Fly behind the drifting ship and align with its trajectory. The leading reticule of fixed weapon makes this easy. Also adjust speed.
2. Use ONLY vertical thurusters to fly a bit above or below the trajectory.
3. Increase speed, fly past the ship and decrease to the matching speed again.
4. again use only vertical thrusters to get back into its trajectory.
5. turn FA off and use ONLY pitch/roll to rotate facing the ship. Keep FA turned off!
6. Then hit the ship with cannon as often as its speed roughly divided by 50. e.g. 180 m/s equals 3 hits.

After a bit of practice I managed to get the speed of the ship from 150 m/s + to below 50 m/s, sometimes almost standing still, in a matter of 1-2 minutes.

Leads to very relaxed hatch breaking. And afterwards you can use the cannon to accelerate the floating ship to infinity

Der Guator

Thanks, sounds a lot easier than trying to bump it with my ship slower.

 

[d8veh]

Thank you guys for all the good advice, this is what I really like about this game and the community.

Proposal number number two: Python Liberator.

Or

Proposal number three: Krait MkII Liberator, which is slightly cheaper, also much faster than the Python.

I also found that if you take too long to take out the drives the target ends up drifting fast and the limpets can’t keep up. Trying to bump the target slower is not that easy.

@Der Guator Do you fire the force shell cannon from the front to slow down the target after taking out the drives?

One thing though, I already own a Python and Krait MkII, would like to try other ship types For different roles. My Python is an armed trader and my Krait MkII is a Bounty hunter/Mat Collector, can also be used for limited trading and CZs. Mostly used for BGS work. My Chief is my war chariot, I use that for serious fighting, it melts anything within range, is fast and very agile. I found the big ships, got an Annie and a Corvette, too limited for my play style.

You've got enough power for long-range beam lasers rather than pulse lasers.

 

[Viscera]

If you take a 1B hatch breaker, you can fire two limpits.

This can circumvent point defence effectiveness.

 

[Der Guator]

If you take a 1B hatch breaker, you can fire two limpits.

This can circumvent point defence effectiveness.

Can a Hatch Breaker Limpet be fired at the same target while the other is still active? I read somewhere this wouldn't work but if it does then I'd def. give the b-rated controller a try.

 

[GroG79]

yes.. It might fail once it arrives to the hatch to do its job.

Hatching too fast will stop the dropping process. You get between 5-9 cargo drops each limpet. It can be a good idea to take the cargo hatch to 0% for even faster drops

 

[Viscera]

Can a Hatch Breaker Limpet be fired at the same target while the other is still active? I read somewhere this wouldn't work but if it does then I'd def. give the b-rated controller a try.

You can learn the timing of when to send. Just before it completes, release the next one.
What they are good for is these missions where enemy have a pdf. You can fire two together, and one will often get through.

Mainly mentioned It though as not many seem to know the 1e, and 1b allow 2 limpits to be fired at a time. On smaller ships, it can be useful to have this ability sometimes.

 

[LifesAJourney]

I do those missions without attacking the target ship at all. I just fly next to her, launch hatch breaker and scoop the stuff either using limpets or manually (depending on ECM/PD). Much faster, sometimes extremely faster (some ships neither fight nor try to scoop the stuff back).

I use Phantom for this purpose since she is fast, quite manoeuvrable and able to tank enough dmg to finish the mission and fly away. And to use gentle bumps to prevent NPC from scooping lost stuff.

 

[Ethaidan]

I use a 591m/s shieldless, cool running Phantom with heat sinks (and chaff if needed). Fast sneaky fun.

 

[Northpin]

I never bothered to drop the enemie' shields and disable their drives.
Just fire Hatch breakers and pick up the stuff
Use at least a 3A hatch breaker and a 5B limpet controller (you need range over endurance) and fire the limpets in targeted mode (you need to carry way more limpets than you need) to make sure they can actually make it back with the precious cargo

A Python like this would do it
Weapons do not matter much. You are not there to fight, you are there only to break their cargo bays and pick the cargo
So fly below them, close, really close, and fire the hatch breaker. Then wait for cargo to pour down and fire the limpets in targeted mode (they move much faster this way and they can actually avoid enemy PDT), eventually try to position so you can cover the limpets returning.

It is very important not to kill the target.
Because sometimes they will not drop all the cargo - especially when you do allied missions that require 8 cargo. Most of the time they will drop 7 cargo. So you need to wake out then re-enter the mission USS

 

[CaptKarel]

I never bothered to drop the enemie' shields and disable their drives.
Just fire Hatch breakers and pick up the stuff
Use at least a 3A hatch breaker and a 5B limpet controller (you need range over endurance) and fire the limpets in targeted mode (you need to carry way more limpets than you need) to make sure they can actually make it back with the precious cargo

A Python like this would do it
Weapons do not matter much. You are not there to fight, you are there only to break their cargo bays and pick the cargo
So fly below them, close, really close, and fire the hatch breaker. Then wait for cargo to pour down and fire the limpets in targeted mode (they move much faster this way and they can actually avoid enemy PDT), eventually try to position so you can cover the limpets returning.

It is very important not to kill the target.
Because sometimes they will not drop all the cargo - especially when you do allied missions that require 8 cargo. Most of the time they will drop 7 cargo. So you need to wake out then re-enter the mission USS

Hi Northpin

I like that build, will also try the no shooting technique.

Thanks for all the advice everybody.

 

[Der Guator]

I also tried the non-violent version once because I was annoyed a bit too much by the point defence shooting down all my missiles. It is a bit faster indeed but I still prefer taking out their drives because I find it just mor fun.
It's the same with the planetary scan missions and data retreival: You could do them much faster by scanning from your ship but I think it is more fun with SRV (unless the base is high security )