Ship Builds & Load Outs Help me out fit a Cobra for 2 - 2.5 Million CR?.

[Saltyseadog]

I did a search in this thread on Cobra's but they are more or less all geared towards combat. I am not really interested in that other than self defence, if there is no other way out. I am a new player, I started in a Sidewinder just trading and am now still trading but in a in a Hauler instead. I did a couple of upgrades to it like a better FSD, maxed the cargo capacity, a better power distributer but these were just sensible upgrades to improve my ship, I never really studied outfitting.

As a result of a heads up from another player I entered the opportunity in the following thread https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=194113 Since arriving in the Kaushpoos system I have been trading commodities on the way out bring metals back and now stand to get at least 3 million CR as of this morning. Once I receive these credits I will buy a new ship. At present I am thinking about a Cobra Mk III and as I am not really interested in the combat aspect of E I intend to continue trading and graduate to maybe mining and definitely exploring in the near future. The basic Cobra is around 350,000 CR I know, but given the intentions I have can some of you more experienced players advise me on outfitting it to those specs with a budget say of 2 - 2.5 million credits?.

 

[Puppie]

Here you go

http://coriolis.io/outfit/cobra_mk_iii/04D4D4A3D3A3D4C1b1b1818000403034801012h.Iw1-kA==.Aw1-kA==

 

[Ceekay]

Unless you really need the 20+ LY range I'd use a smaller FSD and save a lot of cash, the 3A power dist will struggle with an all laser loadout firing simultaneously so I'd replace the small pulse gimbals with turrets and let them fire on the target as you evade, when you get the target lined up the capacitor should be charged and capable of supplying all weapons.

http://coriolis.io/outfit/cobra_mk_iii/03A4C4C3D3A3D4C1b1b1919000403034701012h.AwRj4yKA.IwBj4yKA

If you want to try mining a few changes to the Cobra will make it a decent miner but an Asp with more internal compartments works even better, here's what I use


Asp miner

http://coriolis.io/outfit/asp/05C5D...054dP11rC5242h.Iw18WQ==.Aw18WQ==?bn=Asp Miner

Cobra miner

http://coriolis.io/outfit/cobra_mk_...480303C51m2h.Iw1-kA==.Aw1-kA==?bn=Cobra miner

I'm at the Kaushpoos CG too and if previous one are anything to go by you could easily end up with 5 or 6 mil at the end

 

[goemon]

here you g, that would have been my approach:
http://coriolis.io/outfit/cobra_mk_...130000480303542p2g.Iw1-kA==.Aw1-kA==?bn=2mio5 ...

2,3 mio, a cheaper version of my own smuggling & rare goods cobra, runs very cool. turrets in the small hardpoints, because they are hard to im with anyways.

if jumprange is more important to you than speed, upgrade the fsd to B, if it is the other way around upgrade the drives.

enjoy!
___

for reference the same ship maxed out: http://coriolis.io/outfit/cobra_mk_...00004503032o532f.AwRj4yKA.CwBhGYy7uSg=?bn=Oku

and my everyday multipurpose mission gameplay cobra:
http://coriolis.io/outfit/cobra_mk_...1-kA==.CwBhGYEYWs+0lRA=?bn=Shinobi Deliveries

 

[Saltyseadog]

Thanks a lot for all the replies guys.

 

[Psycho Romeo]

You could make a better viper on that budget than a cobra.

Or a courier. A cobra needs 10 million or so to be as strong as a 3 million viper. A courier is probably stronger than both at about six or seven million.

 

[goemon]

You could make a better viper on that budget than a cobra.

Or a courier. A cobra needs 10 million or so to be as strong as a 3 million viper. A courier is probably stronger than both at about six or seven million.

now, i would be very interested about trading or exploration or mining outfits for viper and courier, as the OP has stated:

At present I am thinking about a Cobra Mk III and as I am not really interested in the combat aspect of E I intend to continue trading and graduate to maybe mining and definitely exploring

 

[Psycho Romeo]

now, i would be very interested about trading or exploration or mining outfits for viper and courier, as the OP has stated:

Right, misinterpreted first line.

 

[Saltyseadog]

Back to the drawing board for me guys, my take of the recent CG was 8 million CR, my humble Hauler managed to deliver 156T and reach the top 70%, not sure which way to go now?.

 

[Ceekay]

+1 rep for using a Hauler!

I reckon you need a multirole ship if you're going to trade/mine/definitely explore, none of the combat focused ships have the range for serious exploring but you could keep the Hauler and turn it into an explorer or if you just want to run a single ship possibly a Cobra or an Asp for trade/mine/definitely explore.

Hauler EX

http://coriolis.io/outfit/hauler/02E2D2A1D1D1D2C--02f32t3u2f.Iw19A===.Aw19A===

Cobra EX what I use for my occasional exploration expeditions

http://coriolis.io/outfit/cobra_mk_...4803340f2i2f.AwRj4yVEg===.IwBj4zTI?bn=Cobra X

Asp although it does stretch your budget

http://coriolis.io/outfit/asp/05D5D...54d020202242f.Iw18WQ==.IwBj4ypUg===?bn=Asp MR

 

[goemon]

Back to the drawing board for me guys, my take of the recent CG was 8 million CR, my humble Hauler managed to deliver 156T and reach the top 70%, not sure which way to go now?.

take your cobra, and either you do have a look at the whole bubble by tarding rares: https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=63119&p=2875037&viewfull=1#post2875037 ...

or you work on getting allied with one of the major factions (fed, alliance, empire), by doing missions for minor factions (yeah, alioth independents!) ...

or you select a home and help the locals there...

or you get a grandscale smuggler...

or...

 

[RAMJB]

When fitting a ship I wonder myself what am I gonna use it for and then decide the critical factors you want in such a ship. And then I outfit it accordingly

If you're looking for a trading centered setup the following things I consider important:
-Cargo space (obviously)
-Jump range (you're going to be travelling a lot and making as less jumps as possible, the more you improve your money/h rate)
-Self-defensive ability and disengage ability (if intercepted you should have the chance to either fight back or run away to keep your cargo and yourself safe)
-A degree of self-sustainability (meaning, having a fuel scoop just in case never hurts)

With all that in mind, and your budget in mind, here's my proposal:

http://coriolis.io/outfit/cobra_mk_...012p.Iw1-kA==.Aw1-kA==?bn=trader budget cobra


-Other than the power distributor no other module is over than B class to help with your budget: the whole setup costs less than 2 million so you being on a budget won't be a problem and it'll leave you 1M margin to invest in purchasing expensive cargo, not to mention the reserve it means for insurance.

-40 cargo capacity, 44 if you choose to ditch the fuel scoop for another 2 class cargo rack (which is perfectly fine) meaning you've got a pretty big cargo load for a ship that size. By far the largest of any proposal I've seen in this thread.

-Able to fight back against smaller threats (twin class 2 gimballed pulses+top class power distributor+decent shields+decent thrusters+chaff) if interdicted by them

-Able to run away against more powerful foes (432 boost speed with an A-class capacitor to give you that "forever-boosting" the cobra is renowned for) or at least give you enough time to jump away.

-Almost 20 LY of jumprange unladen,16.25 fully laden (more than enough for most trade runs in the bubble)


Of course the setup is designed to be both efficient and cheap. If you want to improve it a bit keeping the same philosophy:

http://coriolis.io/outfit/cobra_mk_...034501012o.Iw1-kA==.MwBj4yKA?bn=trader cobra

Costs almost 3 times as the budget version but gives you a much longer hyperspace reach, and literally nothing will catch you with that speed/shields in a long pursuit

 

[Saltyseadog]

I bought myself a ship earlier this afternoon and tried to inport the saved build into this post, but I must have made a boob as it didn't work. In the Corealis Shipyard I clicked on export and got a page of computer lingo which said it was to export my build to another site. I copied and pasted it but it just posted the gobbledegook and not a click on link like the ones being supplied here. Would some one be kind enough to explain how I should be doing it thanks?.

 

[noldunar]

I bought myself a ship earlier this afternoon and tried to inport the saved build into this post, but I must have made a boob as it didn't work. In the Corealis Shipyard I clicked on export and got a page of computer lingo which said it was to export my build to another site. I copied and pasted it but it just posted the gobbledegook and not a click on link like the ones being supplied here. Would some one be kind enough to explain how I should be doing it thanks?.

You just copy/past the link that your browser shows in the adress line once your configuration is done.

 

[Saltyseadog]

You just copy/past the link that your browser shows in the adress line once your configuration is done.

Thanks noldunar, Here she is then. http://coriolis.io/outfit/cobra_mk_...402p2i2g.AwRm7SWnaA==.Aw1-kA==?bn=Saltyseadog

 

[Ceekay]

Rail guns are big fun weapons but they need huge power reserves, ammo and generate shed loads of heat (as do beams), the Cobra's PD can run about 1.5 MW of weapon power (around 17 MJ per MW) your build is around 3.6 MW so you'll have limited firing times and heat damage as well.

The under wing weapon hardpoints on the Cobra can be difficult to align on the target so either use turrets or leave them empty (more power for the medium class 2 weapons), the medium pulses could be replaced with class 2 (medium) m-cannons but you'd want to use lasers to drop the target's shields before firing the m-cannons on the unprotected hull (energy weapons for shields, kinetic for hull, pulse lasers do decent hull damage not so good on shields the reverse of beams but use a lot less energy

I wouldn't bother with armour as the Cobra's best defence is speed so it needs to be as light as possible (like the Viper), the detailed surface scanner will earn you extra cash but you need to fly close to each planet/moon etc before it will start scanning TBH I'm not sure it's worth it unless you're going to do SERIOUS exploring, using the detailed surface scanner on a large system could take hours as you'll need to fly close to each body to get the data.

The Advanced discovery scanner will locate ALL the astronomical body data in the system in seconds unlike the intermediate which has a limited range, you get cash for each planet or star so the quicker the scan the faster the cash

Try this build, the component power section in Coriolis has have to blue symbols in the retracted (RET) and deployed (DEP) columns or you can deploy weapons and have the shields or thrusters shut down, not good!

http://coriolis.io/outfit/cobra_mk_...0303482p2i2f.AwRj4yKA.Aw18gjCQ?bn=Saltyseadog

 

[Saltyseadog]

Rail guns are big fun weapons but they need huge power reserves, ammo and generate shed loads of heat (as do beams), the Cobra's PD can run about 1.5 MW of weapon power (around 17 MJ per MW) your build is around 3.6 MW so you'll have limited firing times and heat damage as well.

The under wing weapon hardpoints on the Cobra can be difficult to align on the target so either use turrets or leave them empty (more power for the medium class 2 weapons), the medium pulses could be replaced with class 2 (medium) m-cannons but you'd want to use lasers to drop the target's shields before firing the m-cannons on the unprotected hull (energy weapons for shields, kinetic for hull, pulse lasers do decent hull damage not so good on shields the reverse of beams but use a lot less energy

I wouldn't bother with armour as the Cobra's best defence is speed so it needs to be as light as possible (like the Viper), the detailed surface scanner will earn you extra cash but you need to fly close to each planet/moon etc before it will start scanning TBH I'm not sure it's worth it unless you're going to do SERIOUS exploring, using the detailed surface scanner on a large system could take hours as you'll need to fly close to each body to get the data.

The Advanced discovery scanner will locate ALL the astronomical body data in the system in seconds unlike the intermediate which has a limited range, you get cash for each planet or star so the quicker the scan the faster the cash

Try this build, the component power section in Coriolis has have to blue symbols in the retracted (RET) and deployed (DEP) columns or you can deploy weapons and have the shields or thrusters shut down, not good!

http://coriolis.io/outfit/cobra_mk_...0303482p2i2f.AwRj4yKA.Aw18gjCQ?bn=Saltyseadog

Thank you very much CK. I didn't realise that about the blue in Ret & Dep. Just goes to show that bigger and more expensive isn't necessarily better. I shall take your build on board at the nearest starport outfitters yard as it is much better than mine. Where do I send your naval architects fee to?.

• 
  
  

 

[Ceekay]

No fee required LOL, this is a free service as during Beta testing we can buy ships and equipment for a few % of the normal game cost so mistakes are cheap and don't impact on our main game save.

Here's a few general rules of ship building

1. Fit the best power distributor you can afford, it's the "battery" that supplies the shields (systems), engine (and boost) and weapons.
2. A lower cost shield with boosters (assuming spare utility slots) performs better than a top end shield with none, as it's usually lighter, much cheaper and will recharge quicker with the boosters off, although it will use more power.
3. The effect of better thrusters varies a lot between ships, an Asp really needs a 5A to fly well but a Vulture will be super agile with a 5D
4. Don't fit a bigger power plant that you need to run everything as not all the equipment will be used at the same time, have a look at this FDL build, it's using almost 107% of the 5C power plant capacity but when the weapons deploy the interdictor, cargo hatch and docking computer all deactivate as you wont need them in combat.

http://coriolis.io/outfit/fer_de_la...036l242h.Iw18aQ==.IwBj4zOUg===?bn=FDL basic L

It's worth playing around with builds in Coriolis as it'll save you cash and pain in the game

Fly safe SSD (Saltyseadog )

 

[Burlsol]

If looking for primarily trade/smuggling in a Cobra, you can start with something like:
http://coriolis.io/outfit/cobra_mk_...2480303012p01.AwRj4yKA.AwiMIypI?bn=Rum Runner
It's cheap, has good cargo space, has a very long jump range (20ly when laden), has a low ambient heat, and is still combat capable. You can still swap out a cargo rack or two for discovery scanners when traveling long distances, or intentionally going exploring, but generally you're better off just using the extra 4/4 cargo space if your route is 1-2 jumps.

Multi cannons mean continuous fire even at 2 pips, allowing you to dump more into shield recharge or thrusters as needed even when using an under-sized capacitor.

 

[Saltyseadog]

If looking for primarily trade/smuggling in a Cobra, you can start with something like:
http://coriolis.io/outfit/cobra_mk_...2480303012p01.AwRj4yKA.AwiMIypI?bn=Rum Runner
It's cheap, has good cargo space, has a very long jump range (20ly when laden), has a low ambient heat, and is still combat capable. You can still swap out a cargo rack or two for discovery scanners when traveling long distances, or intentionally going exploring, but generally you're better off just using the extra 4/4 cargo space if your route is 1-2 jumps.

Multi cannons mean continuous fire even at 2 pips, allowing you to dump more into shield recharge or thrusters as needed even when using an under-sized capacitor.

Thank you Burlsol, some interesting stuff there to ponder.