First AX attempt now?

jnTracks

jnTracks
Well I guess I picked an odd time to finally meet some thargoids, but now's when I decided to do it so...
Some advice:

Can I still find the typical NH signals in the systems out around maia, where they seem to still be?

I'm planning to try out scouts first to dip a toe.
So far I've unlocked just the FSD booster and shield booster, so I was thinking I'd just build with what I have access to right now and then come back and farm out some more modules and weapons once I get into the real thing.
To that end, I've made up this build.
( I haven't used a FAS before so this is also me trying out a new ship)

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I tried to make it jump pretty far since I'll need to get way out there, right? But this will also be my first hull tank build (I really always preferred shields up at all cost, but since apparently Thargoids can shoot through my shields anyway...)
Does this look ok? I'm ok at fixes weapons so I'd probably switch to gauss cannons once I unlock them, but for now going with traditional gimbaled kinetics as the main damage source.

Will I be surprised by anything out there?
Is that actually where I need to go?

Thanks!
 

Oaktree

Oaktree
The Pleiades is crawling with Thargoids. Plenty NHSS there. Also the Witch Head Nebula, but it's a longer trip specially for a FAS. Consider using a "taxi" like a DBX and calling the FAS there. You would save that Guardian FSD slot for a SCB or another HRP. Or just change when you get to the Pleaides.
There's a great deal of NHSS out there in the Pleiades. If you want to start with just scouts, start with NHSS3 and 4s. NHSS3 have two scouts, NHSS4 have 4 or 7 scouts. If the instance starts with a Viper and another ship, you'll usually get 7 scouts in a NHSS4. Be carefull if you get Berzerkers. Consider taking a Decontamination Limpet and a few limpets. NHSS5 and above can have just an interceptor, just scouts or both. If it's just scouts, NHSS5 have 8 and NHSS6 have 12. But you'll most likely find interceptors in those. Fly safe!

I would change your build a little. If you want to start with scouts go for AX weapons. 2 Large and 2 medium AX multicannons. Fixed or turreted, your preference. You dont need the neutraliser and that many heat sinks. Swap them for more shields.
Later on try to unlock the Gauss, and train with them first against scouts, then move on to Cyclops (usually NHSS5). When you start practicing against interceptors, use something like 3 gauss and 1 flak or 2 of each. Put the best shields and armor you can on that FAS or consider the Krait MkII.

Good hunting!
 

Berpol

B
Equipment
Internals: Take a size 1 decontamination limpet and at least size 2 cargo rack (for limpets), repair limpet is useful but it is enough to repair at a station. Optionally you could store your FSD booster and the fuel scoop at a station nearby and replace them with more reinforcement packages when hunting nearby.
Hardpoints: When I am fighting Thargoid scouts I never had a heat problem so I would change the lasers to multicannons or AX multicannons.
Utility Mounts: The scout weapons partially go through shields but after a fight with 7 scouts my shields are often down to 50% with shield boosters. Instead of the neutralizer and one (or both) heatsink I advise shield boosters.

NHSS
NHSS3 has two scouts, sometimes one is not a maurauder (and sometimes it is empty).
NHSS4 has 4 or 7 scouts, 4 are maurauders, the rest are Berserker (shoot first), Regenerator (shoot second) or Inciter (shoot third). If there are NPC pilots there they will not help put jump out. When you enter and there are only NPCs there just wait until the scouts jump in, if you do not want to engage the larger group you have enough time to count them and jump out.
NHSS5 can give you 8 scouts (half maurauders) but the Cyclops is peaceful as long as you keep 500m distance. Though ignoring you includes ramming you when you are in the way. :whistle:
I usually ignore the NHSS5 and higher.

Location
Witch Head Nebula (where I am since II2) or Pleiades. Should the Thargoids start attacking new systems go there.

P.S. I am flying a Krait II with full multicannons, so if your FAS has heat problems ignore what I said above. She is not fully optimized, just what I had stored or could buy in the Witch Head Nebula (so no AX or Guardian weapons). The fighters are very useful as they draw of half the enemies and the scouts rarely hit unless they use caustic missiles (that is also why I have a 6D hangar with 2 fighters). Of course fighter pilots take half the experience.
P.P.S. When seven scouts jump in and several fire caustic missiles at you it is a sure sign for Berserkers. 😬
P.P.P.S. I know I said much the same as Oaktree.
 

jnTracks

jnTracks
Hmm. So people are thinking that I'll want the AX MCs and I was thinking I'd skip the limpets for now and just burn off the caustic.. But maybe that's not so good. Maybe I should get decon limpets and trade out the FSD booster for those when I get there...
 

jnTracks

jnTracks
Or I build this thing and then fly out there in my DBX and have it shipped to me.... Skip that FSD booster at all.
 

jnTracks

jnTracks
Ended up building the ship, with the Decon and ax MCs suggestions, and shipping it out there in my dbx.
Got hyperdicted as I arrived. Welcome to town, eh?
 

Assimilator1

Assimilator1
Just one thing incase you decide to go looking for the larger groups of scouts, if you go into an NHSS which has scouts & interceptor, the interceptor will be instantly hostile.

GL!
PS It's quite a challenge to fight 12 scouts! :D
 

jnTracks

jnTracks
Ok so I took the bad boy out for a scout hunt and all went well. Only lost shields when I happened into a pack of 6 where some were variants other than marauders; and then only took moderate hull damage and shields came back up after I knocked out a couple of the Inciter/berserker variants. Was always able to stay out for multiple rounds and return to station when my MCs ran low.

I expected to have a harder learning curve so apparently I'm more prepared than I thought.
Now I'm thinking this isn't so much more exciting than ordinary HAZ RES stuff so I should step all the way up and take on a Cyclops.

I don't think my FAS experiment is going to satisfy me on that one so maybe I'll refit my Chieftain for interceptor hunting with large AX MCs, Flak launcher, and small gauss cannons. (I'll need to go back to guardian space to unlock the gauss cannon)
Thoughts? I love my Chieftain currently outfitted as a shield tank with double shot pacifiers and long range rails. It would be a big hull shift for the thing, and I know how much more sluggish these ships all feel once I build for hull strength, but it must be done!

I also say a video of a clever fellow soloing an interceptor in an iCourier which would be fun, but I'm pretty sure they had engineered heatsink launchers for the task and I haven't gotten out to where that's possible yet.

Editing now to mention that I've started a build of converting my Chieftain over and ran into the AX/Guardian limit. I've got the Large AX cannons on there, the remote flak in the medium slot, and then I can only fit 2 small gauss cannons. What to do with an extra small hardpoint?
Even if I wanted to go fixed, the Advanced multicannon doesn't seem like it saves me anything since it doesn't come in large size.
Or is this build going to be better on a Challenger with flak and two gauss in the mediums, large AX cannon and 3 small advanced MCs?

But the advanced cannon ammo recipe needs guardian parts, so that's totally insane if we can't buy the ammo...
Ugh...
 
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Dr. Nagi

Dr. Nagi
jnTracks said:
[...]
Click to expand...
Okay so first of all,, don't even bother with the AX multicannons for interceptor hunting.
On a chieftain you want to fit a flak launcher, 2 medium gauss and 2 small gauss. Leaves 1 small slot open, a thermal vent beam laser turret can go in there for additional cooling and shield damage.

About the multicannons, both regular ax and advanced... not only do they do muuch less damage than the Gauss (due to armor piercing values), but also it is much harder to actually hit with them. The turreted version of the ax mc's only fire within ~500 meters which puts you in range of the lightning attack (800m), the interceptors most fearsome attack.
Those 4 Gauss cannons can one-shot a Cyclops heart, if you hit it right. Even Basilisk ones with premium ammo.
 

jnTracks

jnTracks
Dr. Nagi said:
Okay so first of all,, don't even bother with the AX multicannons for interceptor hunting.
On a chieftain you want to fit a flak launcher, 2 medium gauss and 2 small gauss. Leaves 1 small slot open, a thermal vent beam laser turret can go in there for additional cooling and shield damage.

About the multicannons, both regular ax and advanced... not only do they do muuch less damage than the Gauss (due to armor piercing values), but also it is much harder to actually hit with them. The turreted version of the ax mc's only fire within ~500 meters which puts you in range of the lightning attack (800m), the interceptors most fearsome attack.
Those 4 Gauss cannons can one-shot a Cyclops heart, if you hit it right. Even Basilisk ones with premium ammo.
Click to expand...
Ah.. I'll have to use an overcharged PP for that instead of armored... Or loose some shields. yeah, looks like I can do it with the monstered special effect and loosing 182mj of shield.
Thanks!
 
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jnTracks

jnTracks
I feel like module armor is important, agreed? Or should I just have more raw hull in that size 4 slot and just stick with the size 2 module reinforcement?

Here's the build currently. Don't know if a size 2 and 4 module reinforcement is worth it, or should I change one of them for more hull?

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ZAKALWEINC8876

ZAKALWEINC8876
jnTracks said:
I feel like module armor is important, agreed? Or should I just have more raw hull in that size 4 slot and just stick with the size 2 module reinforcement?

Here's the build currently. Don't know if a size 2 and 4 module reinforcement is worth it, or should I change one of them for more hull?

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Click to expand...

If you try your first pop at an Interceptor with no MRP my guess is you will be driving a limited edition no windscreen spaceship pretty quickly! Good luck everyone👍

o7
 

jnTracks

jnTracks
ZAKALWEINC8876 said:
If you try your first pop at an Interceptor with no MRP my guess is you will be driving a limited edition no windscreen spaceship pretty quickly! Good luck everyone👍

o7
Click to expand...

I have never cracked the glass on this chieftain (I've been running it as a shield tank in HAS REZ) so, time to find a challenge! First have to unlock those gauss cannons, then I think I'll scrap the FAS and move some parts over to this since they're already engineered the way I want.
 

ZAKALWEINC8876

ZAKALWEINC8876
jnTracks said:
I have never cracked the glass on this chieftain (I've been running it as a shield tank in HAS REZ) so, time to find a challenge! First have to unlock those gauss cannons, then I think I'll scrap the FAS and move some parts over to this since they're already engineered the way I want.
Click to expand...

Don't forget the Remlok 😀

o7
 

Dr. Nagi

Dr. Nagi
jnTracks said:
Ah.. I'll have to use an overcharged PP for that instead of armored... Or loose some shields. yeah, looks like I can do it with the monstered special effect and loosing 182mj of shield.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
You can do overcharged PP's for AX, no problem, if you need that power.

jnTracks said:
I feel like module armor is important, agreed? Or should I just have more raw hull in that size 4 slot and just stick with the size 2 module reinforcement?

Here's the build currently. Don't know if a size 2 and 4 module reinforcement is worth it, or should I change one of them for more hull?

Coriolis EDCD Edition

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Click to expand...
I would throw out the shutdownfield neutraliser and put on another heatsink.
 

jnTracks

jnTracks
Dr. Nagi said:
You can do overcharged PP's for AX, no problem, if you need that power.


I would throw out the shutdownfield neutraliser and put on another heatsink.
Click to expand...

Mm, thanks.
So I guess we're thinking to outrun the shutdown field; the neutralizers are for larger ships with more utility points than speed, eh?
 

Dr. Nagi

Dr. Nagi
jnTracks said:
Mm, thanks.
So I guess we're thinking to outrun the shutdown field; the neutralizers are for larger ships with more utility points than speed, eh?
Click to expand...
No. If your heat is below 20% after destroying the second-to-last heart (where EMP is normally fired), the goid just won't use it at all. And even if you do get hit by it, just drift away in FA OFF.
 
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