AX Vette build

[Sacrifyx]

Hey all,
I've been working on an Canonn's AXI Corvette build here. You might notice it calls for a 4D and a 3D MRP. Due to me not paying attention, I purchased and engineered HRPs in those two slots. Would I be fine leaving those as is, or should I really swap them out for the MRPs? It's no big deal either way since the MRPs can't be engineered, just wondering from a combat standpoint (never done Thargoids) if the module protection is more necessary than the additional hull protection I'm getting from the HRPs.

 

[ADAMtheWELSHMANz]

No point having a bazillion hit points if your ship is dead in the water at 80% hull

 

[Sacrifyx]

Fair enough. While we're on the subject, I swapped the prismatic shield called for in the build with a bi-weave. Should I stick with that, go normal shields or is the benefit of prismatic worth grinding PP for?

 

[Kzak]

Fair enough. While we're on the subject, I swapped the prismatic shield called for in the build with a bi-weave. Should I stick with that, go normal shields or is the benefit of prismatic worth grinding PP for?

For AX and regular PvE, you don't really need prismatics. Bi-weave is better for AX since you can regenerate your shield much faster than regular and prismatics. Prismatics is useful for high-end PvP, if that's somethinig you enjoy.

 

[Sacrifyx]

No PVP for me, so I'l stick with those bi-weaves. Thanks all for the advice!

 

[ZAKALWEINC8876]

From my point of view, in a vette you would possibly be better without bi-weaves as they still take ages to come back once dropped, faster yes, but still ages.

As far as the MRP's go, i would 100% take 2 or you will have no windscreen amongst other problems pretty quick.

Happy Hunting CMDR, your quest is a worthy one

o7

 

[Naddesh]

No PVP for me, so I'l stick with those bi-weaves. Thanks all for the advice!

AXI Mentor here Don't listen to him. On large ships bi-weaves are useless in AX and the fastest way to get completely annihilated. In AX large ships can't regenerate shields since their max speed is below 350 and Thargoid's slowest speed is 450. If you can't access the prismatics you may take normal class A until you unlock prisms. Biweaves work in AX only on medium ships.He basically gave you advice straight from normal PvE - Thargoids are not normal PvE. You also should learn a technique called cold rebooting, which can be found in AXKB

AXKB:

AXI Confluence

axi.atlassian.net

Here is AXI discord:

Join the Anti-Xeno Initiative Discord Server!

The Anti-Xeno Initiative is an Elite: Dangerous community centered on Thargoid Combat (Anti-Xeno). | 27367 members

discord.gg

 

[Mgram]

Adding to what Naddesh said, the whole point of Prismatics on a big ship is that you can regenerate 50% of the shield instantly by performing a cold reboot. When you have such an insanely high cap shield, this 50% is huge and can be enough to take out each heart on even the hardest interceptors.

Using a Bi-weave might get you a cyclops or even a basilisk if your lucky on a big ship.... but it won't hold a candle to the DPS of a Medusa or Hydra, Vettes don't have the speed to run away and regen a Bi-weave like other ships. They are stuck in combat for the entire fight, if you wanna get good with a vette, get those prismos and get COLD.

Specifically, the second half of this video, which gives you all the time you need to do safe cold reboots.

Unfortuantely the Canonn links might be a bit outdated now, the links Naddesh provided are much more recent and strongly recommended.

 

[Deleted member 182079]

I wouldn't use a large ship (exception: Cutter) for AX combat for two reasons, 1) lack of speed and 2) cost of rebuys/repairs.

Personally I prefer a fast medium with bi-weaves, barely any shield boosters as they slow down regen, as much hull and module protection as possible (I usually cram the ship full of Guardian HRPs as they stack in terms of corrosion resistance - can make quite a difference when getting hit by their missiles and if you want to pick up Thargoid Hearts). When your shields drop you can boost out of dodge, shields come back quickly, attack, rinse repeat.

Speed is also important if you're in a wing, or AX CZ. Goid flowers will outpace a Vette, and other players in much faster ships can kite them away leaving you catching up constantly.

 

[Mgram]

I usually cram the ship full of Guardian HRPs as they stack in terms of corrosion resistance

The resistance applied by Guardian HRPs is ignored by the phasing damage dealt by Thargoid cannons. By using GHRPs you are effectively limiting your hull massively with zero resistance applied as long as your shields are up. Only when your shields are down will the GHRPs actually apply the resistance to the main cannon (which is actually the caustic damage type), only working on for the caustic missile DoT (which can be removed instantly by overheating to 250%). Not only this but you cut down your hull for all other damage types, ie: collision and the direct damage from Thargon missiles.

Would strongly recommend ditching the GHRPs and equipping only G5 Heavy Duty HRPs with Deep Plate. These will give you WAY more effective hull and will actually defend you from the phasing damage too.

Furthermore, these stack with diminishing returns, so after the third or fourth GHRP you are effectively adding almost no extra resistance.

TLDR, Guardian HRPs are effectively useless if you have shields.

If you wanna see the science, feel free to check it here, this has been extensively tested: Caustic Resistance Study (By CMDR Maligno of Canonn)

 

[Deleted member 182079]

The resistance applied by Guardian HRPs is ignored by the phasing damage dealt by Thargoid cannons. By using GHRPs you are effectively limiting your hull massively with zero resistance applied as long as your shields are up. Only when your shields are down will the GHRPs actually apply the resistance to the main cannon (which is actually the caustic damage type), only working on for the caustic missile DoT (which can be removed instantly by overheating to 250%). Not only this but you cut down your hull for all other damage types, ie: collision and the direct damage from Thargon missiles.

Would strongly recommend ditching the GHRPs and equipping only G5 Heavy Duty HRPs with Deep Plate. These will give you WAY more effective hull and will actually defend you from the phasing damage too.

Furthermore, these stack with diminishing returns, so after the third or fourth GHRP you are effectively adding almost no extra resistance.

TLDR, Guardian HRPs are effectively useless if you have shields.

If you wanna see the science, feel free to check it here, this has been extensively tested: Caustic Resistance Study (By CMDR Maligno of Canonn)

Yeah, all fair points (some of which I wasn't aware of so thanks for write up!) and I know that GHRPs aren't giving as much HPs as G5'd regular ones - there are two other reasons why I'm using them though:

Firstly it's much quicker to build an AX ship by skipping the engineering of various HRPs, and my shields drop very regularly and I did notice I get corrosion damage a lot less often, to the point that I can ignore it altogether if I feel like (I do carry a decon limpet controller though these days). While I love building ships from scratch, I absolutely despise running around the bubble engineering stuff and then realising I don't have enough mats. One of the reasons I'm moving my alt to Colonia.

Secondly, I'm not really dedicated enough in terms of AX combat - my skill level is limited to solo'ing Cyclopses, and I quite enjoy running sub-optimal builds (current ship is a Phantom with 2x Gauss and 2x Plasma Chargers) as an additional challenge. I also have a habit of selling off ships I haven't used in a while and that includes engineered modules (linking back to the first point).

 

[Eckee]

...
Secondly, I'm not really dedicated enough in terms of AX combat - my skill level is limited to solo'ing Cyclopses, and I quite enjoy running sub-optimal builds (current ship is a Phantom with 2x Gauss and 2x Plasma Chargers) as an additional challenge. I also have a habit of selling off ships I haven't used in a while and that includes engineered modules (linking back to the first point).

Well that's not wise, is it?
On another note, just because you like challenging yourself and you don't want to bother with building a proper ship don't mean you should give the same advice to others.

 

[Deleted member 182079]

Well that's not wise, is it?
On another note, just because you like challenging yourself and you don't want to bother with building a proper ship don't mean you should give the same advice to others.

Read my post again.

Then tell me what exact advice I gave to others, and what I stated was my personal preference.

No need for tetchy replies like yours.

 

[Eckee]

Read my post again.

Then tell me what exact advice I gave to others, and what I stated was my personal preference.

No need for tetchy replies like yours.

Nope, one time was enough.

 

[Naddesh]

Yeah, all fair points (some of which I wasn't aware of so thanks for write up!) and I know that GHRPs aren't giving as much HPs as G5'd regular ones - there are two other reasons why I'm using them though:

Firstly it's much quicker to build an AX ship by skipping the engineering of various HRPs, and my shields drop very regularly and I did notice I get corrosion damage a lot less often, to the point that I can ignore it altogether if I feel like (I do carry a decon limpet controller though these days). While I love building ships from scratch, I absolutely despise running around the bubble engineering stuff and then realising I don't have enough mats. One of the reasons I'm moving my alt to Colonia.

Secondly, I'm not really dedicated enough in terms of AX combat - my skill level is limited to solo'ing Cyclopses, and I quite enjoy running sub-optimal builds (current ship is a Phantom with 2x Gauss and 2x Plasma Chargers) as an additional challenge. I also have a habit of selling off ships I haven't used in a while and that includes engineered modules (linking back to the first point).

It doesn't seem like challenging yourself. I will believe that this is an intentional attempt to challenge yourself if the person claiming that is at least able to solo a Medusa, because the first challenge should be to go for harder variants. Challenging yourself should lead to increase in skill and doing clopses won't do that for you. It won't make you better. What you are doing can be at best called meme'ing.

 

[Deleted member 182079]

Nope, one time was enough.

I suggest working on your reading comprehension then to get it "right first time".

 

[Eckee]

I suggest working on your reading comprehension then to get it "right first time".

Sorry if I missed anything because I was cringing. I thought you were recommending Guardian HRP's and despise engineering, my mistake.

 

[Deleted member 182079]

It doesn't seem like challenging yourself. I will believe that this is an intentional attempt to challenge yourself if the person claiming that is at least able to solo a Medusa, because the first challenge should be to go for harder variants. Challenging yourself should lead to increase in skill and doing clopses won't do that for you. It won't make you better. What you are doing can be at best called meme'ing.

I'm playing with an Xbox pad, and trying to aim fixed weapons in a twitchy ship with FA Off is difficult enough for me. Even though I fully understand the MO in defeating them, I find Cyclopses still difficult enough because of my motoring skills, or maybe lack thereof, and there's a chance I slip up on the occasional run and have to retreat, or I manage with maybe 20% hull left over.

So no point in moving on to anything beyond that unless I want to be miserable playing a computer game. Once I manage to beat a Cyclops with minimal damage I know I'm ready to move on to Basilisks & co, but having said that I don't find lengthy NPC (or PvP for that matter) all that appealing so it's likely I will never 'graduate'.

And since there are plenty of other things I want to do in the game apart from beating a Medusa or whatever, I'm pretty content with where I am on the skill ladder. I don't have aspirations to be the best, because Elite doesn't really reward this in any shape or form, and I don't feel I need the bragging rights either to be quite frank.

 

[Naddesh]

If you do not want to move on from cyclops then it is fine. Indicate that in the post tho cause someone might take it that since you are sharing your build it is actually worth something and be frustrated after he builds a flying trashcan. Plasma chargers fo example have so low AP that they practically don't deal damage above cyclops. Also if you knew proper tactics, there is no way to lose 80% of hull on clops.

Also: you don't like long fights (apparently 14 minutes for basi is long) but you sell engineered ships, which took up to several days to engineer on a whim? Okay, then.

 

[Deleted member 182079]

Reading some of the above posts makes me seriously consider switching sides.... AXI, eh

And please accept (or don't if you simply can't) that not everyone plays this game by following the meta and min-maxing, I'm well aware that plasma chargers aren't optimal but I couldn't care less as they're still a lot of fun to play with. You wouldn't see me dead in an FdL for example.

How dare I trying to have fun, on my own terms, with a game of all things, right.

Also, all the advice I've given in this thread is to avoid large ships bar the Cutter as they're too slow and expensive - I still stand by it, and especially for someone who is new to AX combat - everything else is personal preference and worded as such. It's really not that hard to comprehend I think.