Ships Got myself a Cutter - How to outfit the hardpoints for a trader warship?

Bantha · Jan 24, 2021

Ok so at last, at last, I’ve finally bought myself an Imperial Cutter.
Gonna do some trading, Old Skool style.

OMG she’s a real beauty. Turns like a beached whale but she’s so pretty I don’t even care.

Currently in the process of engineering her as a well armoured trader.

So, question... what to do with these hard points. I initially outfitted her with fixed all round, but those two at the back in particular, are just awful. What to do...?

Cheers all

Screemonster · Jan 24, 2021

Yeah, you're gonna need gimbals for those ones. Or just stick packhounds on them.

Oytis57 · Jan 24, 2021

You won't need to fight,in case of interdiction submit..boost away...wave goodbye and low wake,that's all you need.

Bantha · Jan 24, 2021

Oytis57 said:
You won't need to fight,in case of interdiction submit..boost away...wave goodbye and low wake,that's all you need.

This is true.
But if I get interdicted, I like to fight.
Plus I might pop in to the odd Weapons Fire USS on the way

Oytis57 · Jan 24, 2021

Bantha said:
This is true.
But if I get interdicted, I like to fight.
Plus I might pop in to the odd Weapons Fire USS on the way

Well then be prepared to engineer a lot and...good luck!

Macros Black · Jan 24, 2021

I rarely fight in my trading Imperial Cutter, but when interdicted by a Type-10 Defender in a Medium/High security system and I can be bothered, I wait for the Security to take the shield down and then fire all my packhounds...

GroG79 · Jan 24, 2021

Nothing beats 786 tonnes of cargo when haulin!

Bye T10.. Bye Anaconda.. Bye Fdl

Bantha · Jan 24, 2021

Lot of love for the pack hounds here...
Makes sense, especially for those rear 2, football field apart, hardpoints.
Ok, seems I need to say Hello to Li Yong-Rui. Fair enough, I probably owe him, all those 15% discounts over the years...

Speedcuffs · Jan 24, 2021

Bantha said:
Lot of love for the pack hounds here...
Makes sense, especially for those rear 2, football field apart, hardpoints.
Ok, seems I need to say Hello to Li Yong-Rui. Fair enough, I probably owe him, all those 15% discounts over the years...

I've noticed in my T-9, once you/cops get their shields down, the interdiction NPCs seem terrified of the Packhounds. Had a fair few leg it (even without the cops).
As for the Cutter, yeh I'm with ya. I've even rammed NPCs in my shieldless Cargo Cutter (with cops helping to get shields down).
Use those military slots for engineered HRP.
Weapons... I think Beams and MCs (gimbal!), and/or Packhounds.

Vedmo · Jan 24, 2021

I usually run a huge beam, 2x large MC, & 4 seekers/packhounds for an armed hauler. I enjoy running stuff on armed hauler builds that I wouldn't normally on strait combat builds though too, so sometimes I roll with 4 medium gimballed shock cannons, two incendiary Pacifiers, and small turreted pulse in the huge because it looks cute.

Bantha · Jan 24, 2021

Speedcuffs said:
Weapons... I think Beams and MCs (gimbal!), and/or Packhounds.

I hear ya!
We’re aligned

Vedmo said:
I usually run a huge beam, 2x large MC, & 4 seekers/packhounds for an armed hauler. I enjoy running stuff on armed hauler builds that I wouldn't normally on strait combat builds

I like it. Also agree, an armed hauler Cutter is an opportunity to run something a little different

GroG79 · Jan 24, 2021

try this:

(long link)

very long link

_ZT_ · Jan 25, 2021

Ship

Build

ARMOUR

SHIELDS

SPEED THRUSTERS

SPEED BOOST

JUMP RANGE MAX

JUMP RANGE FULL TANK

JUMP RANGE LADEN

CARGO

COST

DPS TOTAL

DPS EXPLOSIVE

DPS KINETIC

DPS THERMAL

EPS

HPS

Imperial Cutter

Bantha truck

2,675

2,748 MJ

317 m/s

508 m/s

39.13 LY

38.39 LY

32.63 LY

512 T

672,075,821 CR

195.8

0

107.71

88.1

28

86.84

Interactive Comparison at Coriolis.io

Screemonster · Jan 25, 2021

Speedcuffs said:
I've noticed in my T-9, once you/cops get their shields down, the interdiction NPCs seem terrified of the Packhounds. Had a fair few leg it (even without the cops).

I've noticed this too. I think it's because NPCs are programmed to run when they have no more usable weapons, which packhounds make short work of.

F4fred · Jan 25, 2021

Vedmo said:
I usually run a huge beam, 2x large MC, & 4 seekers/packhounds for an armed hauler. I enjoy running stuff on armed hauler builds that I wouldn't normally on strait combat builds though too, so sometimes I roll with 4 medium gimballed shock cannons, two incendiary Pacifiers, and small turreted pulse in the huge because it looks cute.

Very similar to mine except it is a huge MC and 2 large beams, plus the packhounds.

Bantha · Jan 25, 2021

GroG79 said:
try this:

(long link)

very long link

Thanks. Interesting build (although it’s for a Type 9). But again, a lot of love for seekers and pack hounds - I can see which way my build will go...

_ZT_ said:
Ship Build ARMOUR SHIELDS SPEED THRUSTERS SPEED BOOST JUMP RANGE MAX JUMP RANGE FULL TANK JUMP RANGE LADEN CARGO COST DPS TOTAL DPS EXPLOSIVE DPS KINETIC DPS THERMAL EPS HPS
Imperial Cutter Bantha truck 2,675 2,748 MJ 317 m/s 508 m/s 39.13 LY 38.39 LY 32.63 LY 512 T 672,075,821 CR 195.8 0 107.71 88.1 28 86.84

Interactive Comparison at Coriolis.io

“Bantha Truck”

Love it!
Very different to the other suggestions, with turrets and Imperial Hammers no less!
Are they usable on the Cutter?

shadowhand · Jan 25, 2021

Mine has a Rapid Fire Huge Multicannon with Multi Servos (Though I'll probably swap it back to Overcharged, which is what I have on all my other ships with huge hardpoints), 2 Large Focused Oversized Pulse Lasers, 2 medium gimballed Long Range Multiservo pulse lasers, and for the rear hardpoints, 2 turreted medium Long Range Phasing Sequence Pulse Lasers.

I always stop and blow up any npc pirate that interdicts me because the bounty is a nice bonus to whatever I'm hauling. Sometimes I'll deploy my SLF, but mostly they're dead before that's necessary, and it does take a moment to retrieve the SLF again.

It does well with all gimballed weapons, or with a fixed weapon in the huge slot. I put the 2 turrets in because I'm lazy, and they're good for tracking any nimble targets while I bring the main guns to bear.

I do sometimes swap them for either packhounds or seeker missiles for shorter trips or when I don't intend to do any multi-role stuff but just want to do a cargo mission or 10.

WaveRider · Jan 25, 2021

Bantha said:
Ok so at last, at last, I’ve finally bought myself an Imperial Cutter.
Gonna do some trading, Old Skool style.

OMG she’s a real beauty. Turns like a beached whale but she’s so pretty I don’t even care.

Currently in the process of engineering her as a well armoured trader.

So, question... what to do with these hard points. I initially outfitted her with fixed all round, but those two at the back in particular, are just awful. What to do...?

Cheers all

Congrats!

I'm only just getting to the Corvette from working through the Federation ranks. I already have my Cutter assigned as my laser miner - I just need to get her first lol.

She is a beauty but I'm gonna need to tip the hat to the Empire for a while.

Bantha · Jan 25, 2021

Think I’m going with this:-

Coriolis EDCD Edition

A ship builder, outfitting and comparison tool for Elite Dangerous

coriolis.io

Once I get to the first trading point I will lose the FSD Booster, Fuel Scoop and DSS if possible, to gain another 66T cargo, taking the total to 730T.

In time, the shields and seeker missiles will swap out for prismatics and pack hounds when I can be bothered with Power Play.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions.

If there’s improvements to be made to my build, let me know...

Bantha · Jan 25, 2021

Oh, forgot to ask...
Engineering seekers - what do you guys recommend?