Anti-guardian field protection question from returning player

[ToxicCMDR]

I finally collected all materials to apply the protection to several guardian weapons. But which one to apply to?
There's not a lot of discussions about it. I'll use it at Spire sites with my AX shieldless Conda.
The problem is I need a weapon to fight interceptors and scouts at the same time.
I used per-engineered shards which worked really well against interceptors and scouts at planet base and outpost attacks (made billions killing Hydras a year ago),
but the protection cannot be applied to per-engineered outfits.

 

[Aleks Zuno]

I have two protected Gauss cannons on both my Imperial Cutter and Python 2, both designed for Spire action—I would have preferred Plasma Chargers at the Azimuth shot speed, but not so much at the basic shot speed.

 

[ToxicCMDR]

Do you use Gauss for scouts or Orthrus or both cuz Gauss has too limited ammo?

 

[Aleks Zuno]

Gauss for Orthrus initially, and I use it also to progress a Cyclops petal-by-petal if needed; I start using it for Scouts only if my Multi-cannon ammunition is almost depleted!

 

[ToxicCMDR]

Gauss for Orthrus initially, and I use it also to progress a Cyclops petal-by-petal if needed; I start using it for Scouts only if my Multi-cannon ammunition is almost depleted!

And what do you use on Spire sites for Orthrus when its shield is down? MCs work only if you are in a group. I was able to down Orthrus only once "solo" using 4 large Sirius MCs.
I play in open at Spire sites but there's not always other CMDRs present.

 

[Aleks Zuno]

MCs work only if you are in a group.

Indeed—in the solo case the Multi-cannons change to Missiles, but moreover my entire Spire site approach then changes to clearing the Banshees and Revenants instead, which gives much faster system progress than trying to destroy an Orthrus solo. There is also a case for taking Multi-cannons then startling every Orthrus and destroying all of the Scouts it brings, again giving a lot more progress, but often that works equally well in Open!

The case for Orthrus combat bond credits also fails for me in the solo context, for if credits are the goal then it would be better if I went bounty-hunting instead.