Newcomer / Intro Looking for a good, basic ship and combat loadout

[RosaMaus]

Right, so the story so far. Currently exploring in my Cobra, and just popped back to Tsu to register for the goal so I can get a cheaper ASP in a week or so, (went Crab-wards, but ran out of jump range in my current fit-out). So my plan is to set up the ASP as an explorer, and tool up my Cobra for combat, but as a complete newb to fighting, I suspect it would be best to learn on something cheap and disposable. I'm thinking Eagle or Sidey, but have no clue as to a reasonable fit-out. I don't want to spend tons of money, as I know I will die, messily, many times 'till I get the hang of it, so what you you folks recommend as a good starter build that won't hold me back, but will have a reasonable insurance/rebuy cost?

All thoughts welcomed.

 

[MetalMicky]

Hi CMDR, You may want to stick with your COBRA. Its a good all rounder, You've got used to flying it at the min. With some G1 pulse lasers, which are cheap and shouldn't strain your power supply to much. Or at least till and upgrade. Try, upgrade to a 'D' level to all at first this lightens your ships load. Go to a NAV location for practice, the reason is simple. You will find that it wont be long before the Local Police scan you and say "be on your way". Then when you scan a ship to see if its wanted, Ive found that if you don't raise your weapons, but manoeuvre to a better view. The wanted ship dosnt shoot at you, until you open fire!!!! (This is an Ai target). Then as your fighting, its not to long before the local police join in helping you. This way, should at least give you the early/easy practice lessons you need. Then as you progress, you could always trade and do a NAV lesson, as you go on your journey. Thanks for reading...

 

[RosaMaus]

I did consider this, but it's "My First Cobra!" I know it's only pixels and bytes really, but it's still mine, and I don't want to scratch it!

Otherwise, good advice, although tooling through uninhabited systems at supercruise isn't really what I call getting used to flying it. Remembering how to dock, now that's an issue.

edit: I know the above may sound silly, but in my previous game of choice, X-Com EW, I get heartbroken even if I lose one of the security team in the base invasion mission, let alone a regular squad member. Sometimes I think I take this immersion lark just a tad too far!

 

[Razorwire]

You can do a reasonable viper for a million or two, don't know if that's out of your 'cheap and disposable' budget, but the rebuy is within a bounty or three.

On a mobile device, so I can't post a fit for you, but there are plenty of viper fitting threads you could check out.
Gimballed small multi cannon and medium fixed lasers is my preferred load.

 

[Anton_]

I've been using a maxed Cobra with no cargo space - all internals are occupied by combatty stuff. I've looked at everything else, and plumped for a Python as the next one up from there. What it lacks in zippiness, it makes up in firepower and cargo space. Cobra has been parked off at Jameson's for a few weeks now, as I'm liking my Python a lot. It does cost a lot of lolly, but I got to it via a Lakon 6 sold for a Lakon 7 sold for a Python. I didn't want to do too many ship sales, as I wasn't keen on the 10% loss on each sale.

 

[RosaMaus]

I must admit, the recent BSG thread did get me thinking, a Viper with four fixed multicanons does sound quite fun. I do have 12mil in the bank, so could just hold the down payment on the ASP, perhaps do a Sag A trip in the Cobra for fun and funds to get the bits for it, and have 5mil to spend on a tricked out Viper. Hmm...

 

[p.opus]

(teardrop)....I'm still saving up for my Cobra. I remember being pretty ungrateful that I had inherited a Cobra MKIII in the original game. Now I look on it with envy. I spent several days slowly building up my credits in the Sidewinder with it's pitiful cargo capacity. I moved into an Adder for my move to Lave, and now I'm using the Adder for covert data mining ops around Lave....I have about another 200K to go until I save enough.

 

[RosaMaus]

I feel for you!

I just went on a few 1KLY exploring runs, the first got me an Adder,the surface scanner and a drive upgrade, the second the ADS, then I just went for it. If you go for the Tsu community goal, you don't even need a SS, just speed jump through as many systems as you can, honking each time, to get up there in the rankings.

 

[BaronDeKalb]

I would stick with the Cobra for fighting, it's a great ship, 2 gimbals small pulse beams, 2 gimbals medium multi-cannons and practice fighting at a RES Sunlit location, you will make credits and lean a lot at the same time, i love my cobra

 

[Cobramk3]

I would stick with the Cobra for fighting, it's a great ship, 2 gimbals small pulse beams, 2 gimbals medium multi-cannons and practice fighting at a RES Sunlit location, you will make credits and lean a lot at the same time, i love my cobra

Have to agree, the Cobra is a great ship for BH - and I use the same loadout. It's awesome against the smaller ships - eagle/sidey/adder & even the Cobra - and if you take your time and get a little help from the security, even taking down an asp or python is doable. Anaconda's/vultures however, I generally leave unless they've already been weakend.

 

[the100thmonkey]

For pure bounty-hunting, there's nothing like the Viper in the price range being talked about. Far superior hardpoint placement to the Cobra, smaller profile and an almost infinitely superior shield.

The only drawback is the power budget is a lot tighter, which limits your options on the kill warrant scanner to about C0.

2x fixed class 1 burst lasers.
2x gimballed class 2 multicannon
A3 shield
A3 power unit
A3 distributor
A3 thrusters
A3 FSD (priority 2)
C0 KWS
Chaff launcher (or a shield booster)
A2 shield cell bank (priority 2 so it switches off when hardpoints are deployed; stow your weapons to use it)

Cost: about 2.7mcr
Rebuy: about 180kcr

Profit.

 

[RosaMaus]

Went for a Viper in the end. Not quite as tricked out as the monkey suggests, but quite fun nontheless.