Ships How viable is a Fer de Lance for piracy?

[Ekol Tieja]

I've been wondering, if it would suffice for piracy?

My current build here has 1 large Pulse, 2 gimballed multicannons and 2 rails.
Compartments are:
5 32 cargo rack
4 4A shields
4 either more cargo or collector limpet.. I don't know yet? (or SCB.. would need to set priority then.)
2 D Interdictor
1 Ping

Of course best thrusters, PD and PP it can fit and no power problems..
http://coriolis.io/outfit/fer_de_la...60445C06e2f.Iw18aQ==.Aw18aQ==?bn=Pirate Lance

Is there anything I can improve on?

 

[Richard Bentley]

Interesting build. From my own experience with the Fer De Lance a few thoughts have cropped up.
1) Scooping cargo (or anything) isn't easy on the FDL due to the layout - the collector limpets you have allowed for may be a good idea - but they take up cargo space of which you don't have much ...
2) Weapons loading is a very personal thing I know, but for me the issue here is that the rail gun ammunition will disappear very fast. I would go for 4 gimballed class 2 pulse lasers and a huge gimballed cannon for the big ships. The ship size vs weapon class issue relates to damaging hulls, not the shields, so there is effectively no penalty for using (more) medium size lasers for shield stripping, even on larger ships. The class 4 cannon would carry plenty of ammunition for an extended stay out in the field. This would reduce power usage and heat generation too so you wouldn't necessarily need the heat sink launcher.
3) You will need the class 5 module slot for cargo so a class 4A shield generator is not a bad plan. You could consider signing up with Aisling Duval for a few weeks and obtaining a Prismatic shield generator for this slot - yes it's heavy but it would give you the best shield possible for this slot. (Effectively a 5A).
4) I would go for a class 4 frame shift interdictor (for range) (4D is my preferred one for the FDL due to its low weight), and have a smaller collector limpet controller.
5) The discovery scanner is always nice to have but with limited slots would it not be better to have this slot free for the collector limpet controller?
6) With limited range and fuel tank, I would want some kind of fuel scoop - a class 2A would at least give an option to stay out in deep space for longer.
7) The biggest issues I have with my FDL are its range and its turning ability when fully outfitted and fueled. The Military grade composite armour in this loadout is going to add an awful lot of weight to this ship. Ideally the laden weight should be under half the optimal mass for the thrusters. That's 420 tons. This build is getting on for 50 tons above that, 38 of which is the armour.
Its an interesting question, and those are just a few thoughts.

 

[Novalance]

I want to love the FDL so much but the jump range is terrible, if it was 15-16 lys then it would be viable I sold mine and went to a python. I feel to a pirate jump range is important.

 

[Ceekay]

You wont be able to run all the weapon at once as the weapon capacitor will drain very quickly, I'm using a 7A dist in a Python with a pulse/beam mix drawing 3.7 MW from the dist and I might get 10 seconds all weapons firing (4 pips to weps), your weapon array draws 5.44 MW from a smaller weapons capacitor (nearly 20% smaller) so I reckon you'd have sub 10 seconds all firing and possibly heat issues too.

I've been using class 1 beam turrets on my Python they do around the same damage as a class 2 pulse (and are lighter) and get through shields nicely and being turrets allow you to evade and hit smaller ships too, as RB says you want to fit lower energy weapons and lose as much mass as possible, possibly lose the limpet controller (needs limpets to work, adding mass and taking up cargo space annoyingly!) and the scanner.

http://coriolis.io/outfit/fer_de_la...40445C06e2f.Iw18aQ==.Aw18aQ==?bn=Pirate Lance

 

[PulsarShark]

3) You will need the class 5 module slot for cargo so a class 4A shield generator is not a bad plan. You could consider signing up with Aisling Duval for a few weeks and obtaining a Prismatic shield generator for this slot - yes it's heavy but it would give you the best shield possible for this slot. (Effectively a 5A).

Prismatic generators aren't just heavy; they also use more power than a plain A-rated generator plus an A booster. (In power consumption, 4A Prismatic > 4A + A Booster) So, for most FDL setups, Prismatic probably isn't going to be the most effective shield choice, since power can get tight and there are plenty of Utility slots to go around.

 

[Starender]

2 big problems to make the FdL a good pirate ship: it's in the top 3 worst ship to travel with, and a pirate is supposed to be a very good traveler

and it doesn't have internals, which means that you will have to sacrifice defensive features for cargo


you'd be a better pirate "on paper" with a Cobra or a Clipper, who are not only much faster (440 vs 405 fdl) but also a lot better to travel around, as well as having a lot more internals AND as a bonus a better power generator


it doesn't mean that you can't be a successful pirate in a FdL, but my vision of the pirate is that he is supposed to do quick encounters so even the extra shield/fire power of the FdL won't make it that much compared to what you loose

 

[Nerdicus]

2 big problems to make the FdL a good pirate ship: it's in the top 3 worst ship to travel with, and a pirate is supposed to be a very good traveler

and it doesn't have internals, which means that you will have to sacrifice defensive features for cargo


you'd be a better pirate "on paper" with a Cobra or a Clipper, who are not only much faster (440 vs 405 fdl) but also a lot better to travel around, as well as having a lot more internals AND as a bonus a better power generator


it doesn't mean that you can't be a successful pirate in a FdL, but my vision of the pirate is that he is supposed to do quick encounters so even the extra shield/fire power of the FdL won't make it that much compared to what you loose

This... A well built Asp can make a decent Pirate as well.

 

[Ekol Tieja]

If I power down a few modules I could use Prismatic Shields on FDL with this build. Interdictor works without deploying hardpoints or?

Now I don't really like the Asp for piracy, since I'd need to do quite a few compromises on it's modules.
..plus it is not necessarily threatening enough.. Since i've been interdicted by other pirates on occasions.

I really love railguns for sniping out thrusters, incase peps run. Lasers just don't cut it, haha!


How well does the Clipper fare with Railguns actually?
http://coriolis.io/outfit/imperial_...60206p15e326jC06q2f.AwRhrSu4JI==.IwBhrSu4JI==