Newcomer / Intro Cobra, at last! What now?

gordon861 · Jan 28, 2015

When you do buy a fuel scoop, do not think that the cheapest will do as it's free fuel. Spend a bit more and buy a higher rated one, they are a lot faster and it can get boring sitting at a star waiting to be interdicted.

Vampyre111 · Jan 28, 2015

gordon861 said:
When you do buy a fuel scoop, do not think that the cheapest will do as it's free fuel. Spend a bit more and buy a higher rated one, they are a lot faster and it can get boring sitting at a star waiting to be interdicted.

Truer words were never spoken. Get the best scoop you can afford. It takes a long time to fill up an empty ship. The whole time you're there, you're vulnerable interdictions. Of course a fully loaded Cobra lives for interdictions.

Ozric · Jan 28, 2015

Vampyre111 said:
Truer words were never spoken. Get the best scoop you can afford. It takes a long time to fill up an empty ship. The whole time you're there, you're vulnerable intersections. Of course a fully loaded Cobra lives for intersections.

It also depends on what you're doing. From my experience the optimum fuel/jump range is around 1/3 of the standard tank. If you're exploring always make sure there's a scoopable star within your jump range (and don't get caught out as I did when you fuel tank is refilled and it drops your main tank below the amount needed to jump to the only available star within range

)

zhaith · Jan 28, 2015

i'd recommend gearing up the cobra and doing some rare trading it's by far the quickest way to upgrade a cobra if you don't have access to a larger ship, personally i'm not really keen on the cobra, i'd sooner have a larger ship for trading, I enjoy trading but i can't to it for too long and a larger ship means more profit, and a smaller one for combat probably a viper but i like the eagle as well.

vermu · Jan 29, 2015

I upgraded to cobra a while back. It's true that after viper to combat is quite a bit slower. So I thought to try trading again. I have made my millions with bounty hunting and only small cash with trading. After a bit of cruising I found really nice trade route between agri and high tech planets. I made one quick run selling land enrichments and got 1k profit per item. I upgraded my gargo racks to maximum and now I make really nice profit in a small amount of time. It's like blasting anacondas in RES site but's it's just alot safer

So standard trading can also be profitable with cobra. And between trade runs I blast all the small wanted ships. After using adder for trading cobra really shines in that area. I might even try T6 if I really start to love trading. Like every else says, use Viper for fighting.

streki · Jan 29, 2015

Modify it!

I love my spec'd up Cobra and don't anticipate changing it.

Its an extremely versatile ship that can be geared towards all roles.

Its fast, maneuverable, has a nice jump range and has descent hard points for weapons.

Once you have a modified Cobra and 3 Million in the bank, you're all set for any adventure.

Vampyre111 · Jan 30, 2015

As you can see everyone has an idea on how to use their Cobra. It's a versatile ship so you can pretty much do what ever you want with it. Presently, I'm concentrating on exploration. I got tired of running everytime I was successfully interdicted so I rearmed my ship. I can still jump 20LY unladen and that's good enough for me.

Ren Martin · Jan 30, 2015

I've been 'Cobra-fied' for several weeks now...very nice indeed.

Revenheart · Jan 30, 2015

wigwam12 said:
Even if you don't I would recommend it.
When doing a Rares run you can't plot more than 100LY so 1/2 way to your destination while you wait for the computer to plot the rest of the route you can sit at a star scooping again and save the need to go to a Starport and pay for it.

Agree, did a rare run had 180k of goods last jump came up short of the station. Had to dump 3t of goods to limp in on fumes, some CMDR tried to interdict me, foiled his plans, got into station fueled up then found i lost arount 50k for the 3t i lost.
Though by the time i got home had enough for my cobra

Sold my hauler swapped out my weapons, drive, ls, cargo and fuel scoop. Now have a nice ship and 500k in the bank.

Kaare Willoch · Jan 30, 2015

I now have a C specced Cobra, and I love it! But I have still not left Eravate and the nearby systems. Earlier today I bought a T6, and money is flowing in. I am going to spec the Cobra to max, and then I will explore, do rares and bounty hunt! Keeping the T6 for some trucking when I feel like it. Nice game, and I have so much more to do

Thanks for all the inputs in this thread. Sorry for the bumping. Just wanted to update on the progress

TheThingIs · Jan 30, 2015

just a word of warning, that 3m rare run you posted takes around 5hrs to do. Stick to 3 or 4 systems together, then jump 120 or so to another 3 or 4 systems and then back again. It's faster and more profitable.

Rengrave · Jan 31, 2015

I don't suppose you'd be willing to share what it is you're trading in Erevate that's getting you 30k profit each trip?

Kaare Willoch · Jan 31, 2015

Offcourse!
Ackerman Market, Tea for Cleve Hub. (sometimes natural fabrics). And on the trip back Marine Equipment or Crop Harvesters.
Later on I went to Frigaha, Onizuka Landing and shipped Tantalum to Gd 219, McKee Ring. Then Resonating Seperators back. Around 70k each trip. But to do this FSD must be upgraded so there will be max two jumps each way. 15 mins each trip back and forth.

Btw I use this website for finding routes and commodities:
http://www.elitetradingtool.co.uk

Cheating? No. What trader in the future wouldn't have a trading database?

Duane Dibley · Jan 31, 2015

Does not take 5 hrs for that 3 million rare run about 3 at the most.
Yes i have done it a few times in a cobra,she was stripped to the bare minium pure cargo hauler.

Rengrave · Jan 31, 2015

Kaare Willoch said:
Offcourse!
Ackerman Market, Tea for Cleve Hub. (sometimes natural fabrics). And on the trip back Marine Equipment or Crop Harvesters.
Later on I went to Frigaha, Onizuka Landing and shipped Tantalum to Gd 219, McKee Ring. Then Resonating Seperators back. Around 70k each trip. But to do this FSD must be upgraded so there will be max two jumps each way. 15 mins each trip back and forth.

Ah, I see, so 30k net but only around 5k profit per run.

Thanks for the info

Kaare Willoch · Jan 31, 2015

No, at least 30k profit! Otherwise I would not have a T6 and a Cobra now.

- - - - - Additional Content Posted / Auto Merge - - - - -

40t Marine Equipment frim Cleve to Ackerman is 24k profit right now. Tea the other way is 10k profit

Rengrave · Feb 1, 2015

Kaare Willoch said:
No, at least 30k profit! Otherwise I would not have a T6 and a Cobra now.

- - - - - Additional Content Posted / Auto Merge - - - - -

40t Marine Equipment frim Cleve to Ackerman is 24k profit right now. Tea the other way is 10k profit

You were carrying 40t of cargo in your new Cobra?

Sensine · Feb 1, 2015

I'm quite attached to my Viper but think I will have to switch to a Cobra for more versatility - all this talk of making millions from rare trading runs makes me think I will need the cargo space for some trader taxing

Kaare Willoch · Feb 1, 2015

Rengrave said:
You were carrying 40t of cargo in your new Cobra?

Yes, the first thing I do is upgrade cargo holds. I had money for that and insurance x2