Greetings cmdrs! After recent combat events I found myself in a need of pure laser boat. Multi-cannons are great but having to dock every 30 min is meh, so I would like to get laser only ship to stay in hazres or combat zones as long as I want. I have funds to buy a fresh new ship like Federal Corvette or Imperial Cutter. I heard that there are beam builds based on efficient and thermal vent upgrades. Maybe there are better options? Pls help me to build my first laser boat.
Ship Builds & Load Outs Ships Laser ship build
- Thread starter Rodrigo Martinez
- Start date
I'd use a ship with a class 7 or 8 distributor (Krait, Python if medium or Vette, Conda if large)
Apply as many efficient beams as you like, add one corrosive multicannon.
On the vette I like to add some long range rails to draw targets.
Example Vette
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A ship builder, outfitting and comparison tool for Elite Dangerous
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Well ... my Corvette standard PvE build is:
It is HARD on the distro but you only need blip with the MCs to keep the corrosive effect on for hull so the 3500 bullets last forever (well, longer than my boredom threshold, at least!) and it absolutely melts stuff in a Haz RES.
Rail Gun is just for pesky shield-cell abusers, otherwise not used.
In a CZ I switch the C2s to Overcharged MCs to allow more pips in SYS and more DPS against the tougher hulls.
- 2x C4 Huge Beams (G5 Efficient / Thermal Vent)
- 2x C2 Huge Beams (G5 Efficient / Thermal Vent)
- 1x C1 MultiCannon (G4 High Capacity / Emissive)
- 1x C1 MultiCannon (G4 High Capacity / Corrosive)
- 1x C2 Rail Gun (G5 Long Range & High Capacity / Cascade)
It is HARD on the distro but you only need blip with the MCs to keep the corrosive effect on for hull so the 3500 bullets last forever (well, longer than my boredom threshold, at least!) and it absolutely melts stuff in a Haz RES.
Rail Gun is just for pesky shield-cell abusers, otherwise not used.
In a CZ I switch the C2s to Overcharged MCs to allow more pips in SYS and more DPS against the tougher hulls.
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Here is my recommendation for maxxxximum lazzzorrr light show.
Anaconda with C4 efficient thermal vent beam, all the rest, efficient burst lasers. If it was me, i would equip a single class 3 multi cannon with high capacity mod fir extra bullets with the corrosive experimental. I would have it on a different trigger and only use it on larger ships when shields go down. But you certainly don't need too. Lasers will work, just slower.
Anaconda with C4 efficient thermal vent beam, all the rest, efficient burst lasers. If it was me, i would equip a single class 3 multi cannon with high capacity mod fir extra bullets with the corrosive experimental. I would have it on a different trigger and only use it on larger ships when shields go down. But you certainly don't need too. Lasers will work, just slower.
So, Corvette with one corrosive MC and 6 beams with eff. and thermal vent will work well?
Yes.
Resynth for a single MC is cheap enough, And the huge MC can be used conservatively... on hull only and in very small bursts.
Alternatively, you can put 2 small MC in the small hardpoints and engineer them with high capacity and corrosive. And bind only one of them to the fire button then switch over to the second when the first one runs dry (i have this setup on my steam account while the above setup i have it working over XB - both are good enough)
Thanks for advises, cmdrs. I will build and test the ship soon. Then I will write about this experience. Hope, I'll like the beam build, because not sure that I have enough resources to upgrade another 6 lasers 
Just noticed, that in many builds there are turrets but not gimbaled. Are they really better on Corvette?
Just noticed, that in many builds there are turrets but not gimbaled. Are they really better on Corvette?
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On my Conda and Krait I use only gimbaled weapons for better dps. Seems, I have to try both.
You can get slightly more damage output from the anaconda than the Corvette. Im not sure what your style is as far as shields, ramming, resistance building etc. Corvette shields can be made stronger than anaconda but for pve purposes, the anaconda is more than sufficient so you may prefer it. 2 large hard points will put out more damage than a single huge but between the 2 ships, it kind of not important. Both will kill npcs until you are bored. If you are looking for a reason to get a Corvette, just get it. If you are trying to maximize lazzzzooorrr damage output, the anaconda puts out moooarr lazor.
The Corvette is pretty nimble for a big ship so I use Gimballed on everything but the under-nose C3 - which I find is irritating for convergence hence the fixed rail gun there.
Everything works underbelly... From a pac, to a turreted frag, a seeker, a raile, a fixed long range burst-laser or even a corrosive mc - great placement to save ammo for the mc
I've been using all laser builds for years when doing RES farming or CZs. A Corvette is better than a Cutter because it's a lot more agile. The key things you need are a fighter hanger, a 8C biweave shield, a couple of big SCBs and plenty of shield boosters. Put long-range beam lasers with thermal vent in the small weapons slots to keep the ship cool and to stop the ship over-heating with the SCBs. A heatsink launcher is handy too because you can't always keep the beams on the enemy ship while your SCBs are charging.
The main problem is that your PD can't provide enough to keep all the lasers going if you go too high on them, so only pulse lasers for the Huge points and burst lasers on the large and medium. All lasers except the beams need to be efficient with flow control.
Before engaging any enemy, whether in a wing or not, set the fighter on it and wait for it to land a shot and turn it red before you open fire, then the enemy will spend all its time chasing the fighter while you can get it from the side and kill it outrght or knock out it's power plant before it starts to shoot you. This speeds up the fights immensely.
Here's the one I'm presently using in my alt account:
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A ship builder, outfitting and comparison tool for Elite Dangerous
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Huh, I already did some engineering to build 6 beams+MC build. But your build is pure laser boat so maybe I will try it if the beam one won't satisfy me.I've been using all laser builds for years when doing RES farming or CZs. A Corvette is better than a Cutter because it's a lot more agile. The key things you need are a fighter hanger, a 7C biweave shield, a couple of big SCBs and plenty of shield boosters. Put long-range beam lasers with thermal vent in the small weapons slots to keep the ship cool and to stop the ship over-heating with the SCBs. A heatsink launcher is handy too because you can't always keep the beams on the enemy ship while your SCBs are charging.
The main problem is that your PD can't provide enough to keep all the lasers going if you go too high on them, so only pulse lasers for the Huge points and burst lasers on the large and medium. All lasers except the beams need to be efficient with flow control.
Before engaging any enemy, whether in a wing or not, set the fighter on it and wait for it to land a shot and turn it red before you open fire, then the enemy will spend all its time chasing the fighter while you can get it from the side and kill it outrght or knock out it's power plant before it starts to shoot you. This speeds up the fights immensely.
Here's the one I'm presently using in my alt account:
Coriolis EDCD Edition
A ship builder, outfitting and comparison tool for Elite Dangerous
You'll see that 6 beams won't work. They take double the output of your power distributor, which will leave you unable to shoot after 4 seconds. and that's if they're all efficient with flow control.
Here's an alternative https://s.orbis.zone/eeag
The starting point was that OP doesn't want multicannons because they run out of ammo after 30 mins.
IMHO, armour and hull reinforcements are a complete waste on shield tank Corvette, because you never get close to losing shields against NPCs, especially with SCBs. Collector limpets are more useful because you can collect the class 4 and 5 materials, which are worth more than the credits, while you're farming.
Also, for bounty farming, at least one long range weapon is useful, as it gives you the chance to tag a ship that would otherwise explode before you can get within 3km when it's engaged with the police (high RES) or other ships (Haz RES and CNB). Without it, you can end up chasing from one side of the field to the other, while you watch targets explode exactly at 3km and get nothing for it, which is very frustrating, and particularly in a CZ, but also in a RES, NPCs like to run away when their hull is right down. It's a right pain to have to chase them down to 20 or even 30km from the centre to finish them off, then waste all the time flying back. Long range weapons can save a lot of trouble in that case.
o7 cmdr....
I tried a Corvette running all Pulse Lasers. Engineered to G5 Focussed with various experimentals. Its certainly a workable build for PvE and like you, I was tired of rearming every half hour. Still had to go and replenish my shield banks from time to time though.
However, I've now gone back to my Multcannons again. Just cant beat the thump of those 2 size 4's. I use the Focussed Pulse lasers on the Size 3 and 2 Size 2 hardpoints as i feel like they help with extra hull damage while also stripping shields pretty well.