- Thread starter Go'Gen
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I was interdicted by a dangerous T-9 last week. I don't go looking for PvP, but hey sometimes when it knocks on your door you have to answer. I thought he was a T-10 so was avoiding the interdiction...until I noticed he didn't have a spoiler. I was in an exploration Phantom, but had outfitted a couple Imperial Hammers and some G5 beams/multi's (just in case). I submitted to the interdiction, and made a pass with FA/off. Within 30 seconds, my FSD was offline. By the time I decided to run, my hull was at 35% and my thrusters went offline. I couldn't high wake out, or even boost. Good thing Flight Assist was off because I was drifting away at high speed and watched him recede into the distance out of weapon-fire range while I rebooted and my FSD and engines came back online. I have no idea what he hit me with (Yuri Grom FSD Disruptor and packhounds with drag? Rails with penetrator?). Both FSD and Engines showed 0% health (maybe 1 or 2% - but they were offline and wouldn't work). He tried to interdict me again, but I evaded and found my station (and then began breathing again). A cargo ship can hit hard.
armed transport, that's a cool concept. not a threat but too hard to crack.
the t10 and the keelback are actually such ships, except it doesn't really work, in a trader build they will be torn to shreds quickly. a trader either trades or talks his way out or highwakes. good news is that the latter works with almost any ship, provided you do it quickly, correctly, and have enough evasion/shield/armor to survive a few seconds.
that said your python should do very well, some shield boosters would be in order, but python is quite agile (for a trader). and chaff and heatsinks are also nice. but most of all: how come you did upgrade almost everything except your thrusters? that's actually the funniest mod, and will come in handy too!
i'm not sure about charge enhanced + cluster capacitors, they cancel themselves out a bit. i'd go for super-conduits with charge, but i haven't flown the python for a while (i'd say mine is not even engineered), nor am i a trader so i might be dead wrong with this.
Huh, was afraid I’ll run out of capacity so much it would harm boosting or shield effectivness.
Have the same on corvette, makes her huge effective beams firing pretty long, enough for NPCs...
... but all this is obviously useless when comes to PvP tho’
If you wanna use mines against players, I suggest to unlock pack hounds asap.
Great blinding effect on both canopy & radar, they also hit mines while your enemy is dodging them and the area of the explosions is often big enough to hit your enemy even if he dodged the mines.
If you got multiple launchers, I suggest to mod one of them with ion disruption so if you get lucky with a hit, your enemy will keep drifting into more mines without any chance of evading.
Mod drags on the hounds to make maneuvering more difficult as well.
In a big ship you wont be doing any bombing runs over the other player, instead you just reverse with FA off and spin around while dropping mines & shooting a few hounds every once in a while. It's surprisingly effective if you're not fighting the 0.1% of players that are exceptional PVP pilots.
Great blinding effect on both canopy & radar, they also hit mines while your enemy is dodging them and the area of the explosions is often big enough to hit your enemy even if he dodged the mines.
If you got multiple launchers, I suggest to mod one of them with ion disruption so if you get lucky with a hit, your enemy will keep drifting into more mines without any chance of evading.
Mod drags on the hounds to make maneuvering more difficult as well.
In a big ship you wont be doing any bombing runs over the other player, instead you just reverse with FA off and spin around while dropping mines & shooting a few hounds every once in a while. It's surprisingly effective if you're not fighting the 0.1% of players that are exceptional PVP pilots.
Charge enhanced/super conduits is the standard for PvP, but even regular old charge enhanced is sufficient in most cases. The recharge rate increase more than makes up for loss in capacity.
As for shield effectiveness, no matter what size your distributor is, and what it is modified for, four pips to SYS gives you the same benefit when under fire.
System capacitor recharge rate is a different story, however.
Broken or weakened shields begin to use power from the systems capacitor. You don’t want your shield’s distributor draw to outpace the regen rate of your power distributor, or else you’ll be stuck with an embarrassingly slow regen rate, even with full pips to SYS.
As for shield effectiveness, no matter what size your distributor is, and what it is modified for, four pips to SYS gives you the same benefit when under fire.
System capacitor recharge rate is a different story, however.
Broken or weakened shields begin to use power from the systems capacitor. You don’t want your shield’s distributor draw to outpace the regen rate of your power distributor, or else you’ll be stuck with an embarrassingly slow regen rate, even with full pips to SYS.
Usually:
1) Charge Enhanced / Cluster capacitors gives like +42% charge and +3% capacity
2) Charge Enhanced / Super Conduits gives like +50% charge and -9% capacity
Both are useful depending what you need more: the 10+ % capacity or those 8% more charge. For big PD 10% is actually quite a lot.
Sometimes i go for 1) since it may give me 1 more boost or several more shots before needing to switch pips to recharge that capacitor -so this works combined with lazy pip management.
But some other times i go for 2) especially if i run a big bi-weave.
1) Charge Enhanced / Cluster capacitors gives like +42% charge and +3% capacity
2) Charge Enhanced / Super Conduits gives like +50% charge and -9% capacity
Both are useful depending what you need more: the 10+ % capacity or those 8% more charge. For big PD 10% is actually quite a lot.
Sometimes i go for 1) since it may give me 1 more boost or several more shots before needing to switch pips to recharge that capacitor -so this works combined with lazy pip management.
But some other times i go for 2) especially if i run a big bi-weave.
One possible approach is a fast ship armed with mines, ion disruption causes the drives to reboot and reverb cascade hammers the shields, I've used this Cobra 3 build several times in at CG's (just for LOLs TBH) as you need a fast ship to keep in front of the target so it runs into the mines.
https://coriolis.edcd.io/outfit/cob...weloBhBGA2EAcICmBDA5gG2SGF8hRFA&bn=Cobra mine
A fully laden Python probably doesn't have the boost speed for this to be effective I'd guess especially against FDL's and Mamba's
https://coriolis.edcd.io/outfit/cob...weloBhBGA2EAcICmBDA5gG2SGF8hRFA&bn=Cobra mine
A fully laden Python probably doesn't have the boost speed for this to be effective I'd guess especially against FDL's and Mamba's
An engineered Python can be pretty tanky. Easy tactic would be going 5A or 6A Reinforced Prismatic, with shield cells. You'll easyly tank most enemy fire until you can high-wake.
If you want to do some damage to your opponent, well... usually you'll have to deal with shields first, so either full multicannon build with one corrosive and some incendiary or take some rail (super pen or feedback), frag, missile combo. If you somehow manage to get the shields of your opponent down (ramming with 4 pips to sys and some speed could be an option), missile spam can be a pain.
However as most here said, against a good PvPer in a superior ship, you probably won't last long if you don't focus to escape asap.
Heat sink is some universal countermeasure. First it helps with heat if you use shield cells, second the ejected heat sink can divert missiles if you time it right. Third, you can get off the radar if your shields are down by cooling your ship down. You migh consider 3 heavyduty/resist shielboosters and one heatsink for this kind of build...
How much ever you'll engineer you engines, speed is not your friend. Thruster speed is. Python is very good at up/down thrusting. Use it.
If you want to do some damage to your opponent, well... usually you'll have to deal with shields first, so either full multicannon build with one corrosive and some incendiary or take some rail (super pen or feedback), frag, missile combo. If you somehow manage to get the shields of your opponent down (ramming with 4 pips to sys and some speed could be an option), missile spam can be a pain.
However as most here said, against a good PvPer in a superior ship, you probably won't last long if you don't focus to escape asap.
Heat sink is some universal countermeasure. First it helps with heat if you use shield cells, second the ejected heat sink can divert missiles if you time it right. Third, you can get off the radar if your shields are down by cooling your ship down. You migh consider 3 heavyduty/resist shielboosters and one heatsink for this kind of build...
How much ever you'll engineer you engines, speed is not your friend. Thruster speed is. Python is very good at up/down thrusting. Use it.
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It's not impossible to disable or destroy an truly dangerous attacker with a trade ship, but it requires a significant skill/experience differential in favor of the trader, the aggressor making a horrible mistake, and/or a lot of luck.
Escape is a much more reliable option.
Ethaidan had a nice idea there. Here is a frag version. You may be able to win many of the attackers depending on your skill level.
s.orbis.zone
If want to build trader for Open though, Python is a bit in a bad spot because it is a rather slow ship and it is easy to target. Many of the better options on the other hand use large pads (Clipper, Orca, Cutter). A full fragmentation cannon python at least gives a clear signal to "keep a bit of distance".
Coriolis EDCD Edition
A ship builder, outfitting and comparison tool for Elite Dangerous
s.orbis.zone
If want to build trader for Open though, Python is a bit in a bad spot because it is a rather slow ship and it is easy to target. Many of the better options on the other hand use large pads (Clipper, Orca, Cutter). A full fragmentation cannon python at least gives a clear signal to "keep a bit of distance".
I dont have much pvp experience, but i have a whole bunch of experience trading in open. My Type 9 was very good at running, even from full wings of gankers. If my Type 9 can do that I'm sure your Python can.
Run powerful shields with powerful shield boosters with at least one shield cell bank. The idea is that you submit to interdiction, tank the damage and escape. I also run a FSD with a faster reboot for the more persistant CMDRs. That way another option is to fail the interdiction, tank the damage and have your FSD reboot faster than theirs. - this give you a big headstart on them when escaping. I cant remember if it helped with groms though.
Dont be greedy with your optional internals and utility slots when trading if you want to survive in open. Yeah you will have 64 less cargo, but whats more expensive, the rebuy cost or losing 64 tons of [insert goods here]?
Run powerful shields with powerful shield boosters with at least one shield cell bank. The idea is that you submit to interdiction, tank the damage and escape. I also run a FSD with a faster reboot for the more persistant CMDRs. That way another option is to fail the interdiction, tank the damage and have your FSD reboot faster than theirs. - this give you a big headstart on them when escaping. I cant remember if it helped with groms though.
Dont be greedy with your optional internals and utility slots when trading if you want to survive in open. Yeah you will have 64 less cargo, but whats more expensive, the rebuy cost or losing 64 tons of [insert goods here]?
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There are no "Multi-purpose" ships anymore.
You either outfit for mining, trade, combat, or exploration or you won't do any of those things efficiently.
On a trade Python, don't even bother putting weapons on it.
coriolis.io
If you want to do affordable combat, build a decent Vulture.
You either outfit for mining, trade, combat, or exploration or you won't do any of those things efficiently.
On a trade Python, don't even bother putting weapons on it.
Coriolis EDCD Edition
A ship builder, outfitting and comparison tool for Elite Dangerous
coriolis.io
If you want to do affordable combat, build a decent Vulture.
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I'd firstly suggest joining a PVP group that like to do things like escort transport ships.
Efficient weapon upgrades are typically useless on PVP builds except for plasmas.
Multi-cannons - G5 overcharged.
Lasers - damage fall off is the killer for lasers in PVP, so G5 Long Range. If you don't want to do more engineering add phasing sequence to your lasers as the % of phase damage that bleeds through shields isn't effected by the normal laser damage fall off.
But for transporting, getting interdicted, being a nuisance, having some fun and then high waking (clue) out safely - I'd suggest a prismatic shield G5 reinforced hi-cap + a bunch of A class boosters to even your resistances. Point defence might help against being grommed, as the python is pretty easy/big to hit and if you are you'll be delayed or killed trying to wake out.
Also consider reverb cascade mines. PVPers will avoid you.
Efficient weapon upgrades are typically useless on PVP builds except for plasmas.
Multi-cannons - G5 overcharged.
Lasers - damage fall off is the killer for lasers in PVP, so G5 Long Range. If you don't want to do more engineering add phasing sequence to your lasers as the % of phase damage that bleeds through shields isn't effected by the normal laser damage fall off.
But for transporting, getting interdicted, being a nuisance, having some fun and then high waking (clue) out safely - I'd suggest a prismatic shield G5 reinforced hi-cap + a bunch of A class boosters to even your resistances. Point defence might help against being grommed, as the python is pretty easy/big to hit and if you are you'll be delayed or killed trying to wake out.
Also consider reverb cascade mines. PVPers will avoid you.
Trade with an iCourier.
Can't move much cargo but then it's pretty nippy with solid shields.
Throw on some rapid fire Ion disruption mines, and run whilst barrel rolling. You wont disable a good player, they will dodge the mines, but there are enough scruby greifers out there who will run into them blindly and be able to do sweet sod all about it.
Can't move much cargo but then it's pretty nippy with solid shields.
Throw on some rapid fire Ion disruption mines, and run whilst barrel rolling. You wont disable a good player, they will dodge the mines, but there are enough scruby greifers out there who will run into them blindly and be able to do sweet sod all about it.
YUP
My Python build: https://s.orbis.zone/3vs3
Honestly you can do this build for under 49mil if you find the parts at the right stations and that means your buyback is so low that you'll make money so fast you won't have to worry about occasionally losing it to a trigger-happy pirate.