Ships I'm an FDL multi cannon man now!

Muzz UK · Oct 30, 2015

So I've been playing about with FDL loadouts mainly beam and pulse lasers for a couple of weeks after deciding I like fighters. Burst lasers were just too hot and that huge hardpoint sucks with missiles, lasers and big cannons or almost anything tbh,

Anyway I'm now running 2 pulse lasers and 3 multi cannons and I must say this is the best loadout I've had. I am keeping this for the fact less lasers means more pips in shields and engines making your tougher and more agile and you need 2 pips minimum to get the full fighter FDL experience.

NPC's and groups I struggled with when using only lasers are no longer a problem with multi cannons. Seems to me the FDL just gets to hot and sucks the power with an all laser load out. Opinions?

Ceekay · Oct 30, 2015

The FDL is huge fun to fly but it does have power limitations, even with a 6A power dist it'll struggle with more than 3 MW weapon power so adding several class 2 beam lasers will empty the weapon cap pretty quick and overheat a ship not known for cool running, the big class 4 weapons are impressive when they hit but the power and ammo requirements rule them out for me.

This is one of the first builds I tried and it looks to be close to what you've built the only downside is finite ammo for the m-cannons

http://coriolis.io/outfit/fer_de_la...4d0303242h.AwRj4yrI.Aw18cCMxA===?bn=FDL basic

This is what I'm currently flying I've also got a FAS and a Vulture but the FDL although it's not as efficient a fighter it always me grin

http://coriolis.io/outfit/fer_de_la...0345242h.AwRj4yrI.Aw18cCMxA===?bn=FDL basic L

Cmdr. Numa · Oct 30, 2015

I hear ya. Class 3 beam and four class 2 multis is what works best for me.

Thulle · Oct 30, 2015

I am running 4x Multicannons and 1x C4 PA. Wrecks NPC's like nothing else.

Nyres · Oct 30, 2015

Thulle said:
I am running 4x Multicannons and 1x C4 PA. Wrecks NPC's like nothing else.

Do you use the multicannons for shield popping or just the PA for shields?

Stressfest · Oct 31, 2015

1 Beam, 4 multi's... I love the sound of daka daka in the morning.

vindicator jones · Oct 31, 2015

Stressfest said:
1 Beam, 4 multi's... I love the sound of daka daka in the morning.

I am experimenting with this right now.. doing timed tests on a fully shielded python with a C3Beam and Class4PA to drop its shields. Results are extremely interesting.. I want to do more tests before commenting on results.

since 1.4 I have been leaning more and more to 4xClass 2 Multis as well. they just shred hull and components to pieces.. I Just wish we could carry more ammo.

puca · Oct 31, 2015

vindicator jones said:
I am experimenting with this right now.. doing timed tests on a fully shielded python with a C3Beam and Class4PA to drop its shields. Results are extremely interesting.. I want to do more tests before commenting on results.

since 1.4 I have been leaning more and more to 4xClass 2 Multis as well. they just shred hull and components to pieces.. I Just wish we could carry more ammo.

You know what really shreds hull? 2 class 3 PAs on a python. I had a single (double) hit take 50% of a python hull before. Fixed C3 beams are pretty good vs shields:

https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=140240

Stressfest · Oct 31, 2015

Just seems to work best for me on all my builds. I hate the limitation of ammo but the plus side is hull shredding, very few heat issues and load problems.

GammaZ · Oct 31, 2015

This is actually similar to fixed beam + 2 MC courier, had idea to try this on FDL, decided to look at forum and found this thread...
It works flawlessly on courier, will probably work on FDL too...
Just a guess... fixed C3 beam will be more universal and reliable then C4 PA, and will do slightly more DPS...
Main disadvantage is ammo. No RES/CZ grinding with it...

Nerdicus · Oct 31, 2015

Stressfest said:
1 Beam, 4 multi's... I love the sound of daka daka in the morning.

This works best for me as well. I save the ammo on the 4x Multi's for the big boys, and use the big beam for shield shredding and popping small vessels.

Nerdicus · Oct 31, 2015

GammaZ said:
This is actually similar to fixed beam + 2 MC courier, had idea to try this on FDL, decided to look at forum and found this thread...
It works flawlessly on courier, will probably work on FDL too...
Just a guess... fixed C3 beam will be more universal and reliable then C4 PA, and will do slightly more DPS...
Main disadvantage is ammo. No RES/CZ grinding with it...

You'll be surprised how long you can grind in RES, as that C3 beam takes out the small guys fairly quick by itself. I save the Multi's for the high ranking big boys, and if you have a lot of Security around, you could really save some ammo. I've been able to grind for a few hours with few issues.

puca · Oct 31, 2015

Would you say fixed C3 beam + 4 multis for big hulls is better than 4 gimballed pulse + 1 C4 PA for big hulls? How do you get target uptime on eagles and such with that fixed beam? I found it hard -- maybe I just need to learn to fly better.

Cyberguts · Oct 31, 2015

puca said:
Would you say fixed C3 beam + 4 multis for big hulls is better than 4 gimballed pulse + 1 C4 PA for big hulls? How do you get target uptime on eagles and such with that fixed beam? I found it hard -- maybe I just need to learn to fly better.

Or 4 G/Multis + C4 PAC for that matter? As I'm currently running PAC on my BH build, but not sure if it's really worth going C3 Beam

Nerdicus · Nov 1, 2015

puca said:
Would you say fixed C3 beam + 4 multis for big hulls is better than 4 gimballed pulse + 1 C4 PA for big hulls? How do you get target uptime on eagles and such with that fixed beam? I found it hard -- maybe I just need to learn to fly better.

Actually, my C3 Beam is gimballed, and my Multi's are fixed.

Stressfest · Nov 1, 2015

Nerdicus said:
Actually, my C3 Beam is gimballed, and my Multi's are fixed.

Same as mine. Also allows you to get a better shot further back in the field.. I know fixed gets you more damager per sec, but it's a trade off if you're a crap shot like me.

hahaha

Muzz UK · Nov 1, 2015

Curious to what peoples flying style is, I've been told to try and circle targets with FA off.

Serpentis Ictis · Nov 1, 2015

I like to get to get close in, below and behind the ship.

That way I maximise the surface area of the target and avoid the pointy end...

Seems to work, but can result in losing shields !

znôrt · Nov 1, 2015

steve_muzz said:
2 pulse lasers and 3 multi cannons
Opinions?

this is a very good setup indeed, very power friendly and allows for some variation. i'm running similar: one large fixed beam on the huge hardpoint, gimballed multicannons on the rest. substitute multis for cannons at leisure.

power-wise thermal and kinetics combine perfectly, but due to their different travelling speeds, some of them must be gimballs to be able to use all of them at once. i prefer having the beam fixed as it is a guaranteed hit at any distance, whereas aim with fixed kinetics gets considerably harder with distance.

puca · Nov 4, 2015

You know, I am starting to feel that 4 gimballed pulses + PA/Cannon isn't that great. The reason is, the FDL class 6 distributor can't quite support 4 gimballed pulses spam efficiently. What other things have people tried? I am trying two class 2 fixed burst, 1 class 3 fixed burst on the bottom, and 2 gimballed pulse. The fixed are for big ships, the gimballed are for small ships. Fixed burst is much more distributor-efficient and good for narrow firing windows. 2 gimballed pulses will never run out of capacitor. Thoughts on this? I remember morbad liked fixed class 3 weapons in the FDL...