My Ultimate Trader Cutter

Greetings,

Here's my ultimate trader Cutter build. Being allied with factions in local systems with boom states it can transport two 180 or three 120 cargo missions with a 10 million or more credit payoff. Sure there are more lucrative credit generation options especially with a trading Python or a mining build but as I'm not grinding anymore and love trading 10 million credits is fine with me. I have a dedicated Python at Ceos when I'm looking to make a billion credits in 11 hours. It might come in handy with the upcoming fleet carriers in December.

Note that it is also designed for combat and there is no NPC enemy (yet) that can defeat it. Long range beams with thermal vent can take down their shields long before they ever get in range to fire even fixed weapons. NPCs don't miss with fixed weapons in range. Then move in close with engineered overcharged autoloader multi-cannons (we don't need corrosive shell or incindiary rounds) to tear them apart. Note that the shields and the hull tanking are the best in the game.

I went with a GU-97 Aegis F fighter (it is proper for an Imperial ship) with 2x fixed pulse lasers and pointe defense. It is the most maneuverable but has the weakest armour and shields. At 44 DPS (the best is 45 with any fighter less the dedicated Thargoid versions) it also includes pointe defense. Thus when a fighter shields are down they can survive with incoming enemy missiles. Maybe that harmless pilot I hired might survive.

The Cutter can also go offensive with an engineered FSD interdictor, wake scanner and a 35+ LY jump range. Note no collector limpets so I'm looking for a kill. Add a 6A fuel scoop which is slow but adds fuel and thus extended range while going around a sun to get to the next way point. We don't always have to top off.

PvP is a different story. There are engineered weapons that will drop the shields and others that will penetrate the hull to take out a power plant which is the weakness of my build being overcharged and monstered. This usually requires a wing of live players with specific weapons working together to be effective. Thus piloting skills with a Cutter and quickly understanding who is attacking is very important. Get good with defeating an interdiction. Then learn how to outrun engineered torpedoes that will drop your shields. It is pretty easy as they are slow. Check out the YouTube videos.

Any build is never simple. Upgrading to prismatic shields I had to make adjustments to the power plant and other modules to dial it in. If I want more cargo, go with passenger missions or run around in an SRV moving to another game play style it requires changes to the build. The good news is with enough credits design a ship for the game play style you are currently playing. I have a Fer de Lance totally dedicated to PvP with engineered plasmas and rail guns. It doesn't need prismatic shields. I have better ships for SRV prospecting where a Cutter has issues landing in mountain terrain or a Guardian site. Still my next prismatic shield build is with my awesome profit generating Python. Oh wait.I still have a Corvette to upgrade. The engineered frag cannons up close and personal are more devastating. We'll see.

In Open mode I just left Jameson Memorial in Shinrarta Dezhra (typing Founders World also works in the galaxy map) and no one bothered me. I even left without boosting to the next system. Did they scan me and didn't like what they see? Was it my triple Elite decal or scanning me does it only show up as Elite and not triple Elite? Was it my Halloween bobblehead pumpkin on the dashboard? Thirteen days to go in the USA to see a bright 5 year old princess at my door looking for a treat. Emotionally ED cannot compare.

Regards to All. See you in the black...

147972
 
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Thank you, I just bought iCutter and now trying to make it more biter-trader like. I'll save your build as good example, although I'm afraid I'll die until engineering that all.
 
Well here's mine in it's mission running layout:
Cutter
No fuel scoop or FSD booster because Colonia.

However for a true trade Cutter, its got to be a class 6 prismatic.
 
@Hooplah: I do those same missions. :)

I do these missions in a Corvette though. No need for a Cutter (or prismatics) as I don't do PvP and prefer the agility of the Corvette over the Cutter.

But yea, I'm slower... :D


I use a different Corvette to do those 17 mil pirate kill missions that net me over 20 mil with all the bounties turned in. I'm not rich, but I have enough credits for what I want and just do these missions to keep a few credits coming in so I can play with trying out different ships and configurations.
 
Usually uses highly specialized ships fitted for each specific role.
This is my trading 762 tonnes of cargo Imperial Cutter: https://is.gd/NpAL6t

Fitted Packhounds when I got tired of the NPC interdictions. The downside of the missiles is that they tend to give me a fine and gets me wanted, when they hit the local security forces. Nothing a quick boost can't handle though.
Used edsy.org as coriolis.io wouldn't fit my legacy 5A Shield Generator.
 
@Hooplah: I do those same missions. :)

I do these missions in a Corvette though. No need for a Cutter (or prismatics) as I don't do PvP and prefer the agility of the Corvette over the Cutter.

But yea, I'm slower... :D


I use a different Corvette to do those 17 mil pirate kill missions that net me over 20 mil with all the bounties turned in. I'm not rich, but I have enough credits for what I want and just do these missions to keep a few credits coming in so I can play with trying out different ships and configurations.
I gotta question. Why the beam lasers if you could have a few multicannons with incendiary effect to take down the shields? When the shields are down I am guessing that the multicannons are better at ripping up the hull than beam lasers, even if the incendiary causes a tiny decrease in dps (I think it's 2%). And your other 5 mc's could have corrosive, emmisive and other nasty effects to give your opponent a quick visit to the rebuy screen!
 
Another question: why the fuel scoop? Would you not make more creds with the additional 64 tons of cargo space than you save by fuel scooping?

Credits aren't much use if you need to make an emergency jump with a near-empty fuel tank.


Less melodramatically, I've used my Cutter for all sorts of things, including repairing stations in the Pleiades and delivering junk to fix a Megaship in Colonia.
I've learned that swapping modules on a ship is how you end up arriving in a ring with no refinery aboard your mining ship or get 200Ly into a long-distance cargo run before you notice that your ship isn't fuel-scooping because it doesn't have a fuel-scoop fitted.
As a result, I build ships for a range of tasks, they get ALL the stuff they need for every task and then they don't get changed again.
If I want a ship for a different task, I buy a different ship.
 
Credits aren't much use if you need to make an emergency jump with a near-empty fuel tank.


Less melodramatically, I've used my Cutter for all sorts of things, including repairing stations in the Pleiades and delivering junk to fix a Megaship in Colonia.
I've learned that swapping modules on a ship is how you end up arriving in a ring with no refinery aboard your mining ship or get 200Ly into a long-distance cargo run before you notice that your ship isn't fuel-scooping because it doesn't have a fuel-scoop fitted.
As a result, I build ships for a range of tasks, they get ALL the stuff they need for every task and then they don't get changed again.
If I want a ship for a different task, I buy a different ship.
My ships are more specialised. I have a trader/mission runner conda, so no need for a fuel scoop. Unless I want to take it to an engineer for experimental effects, then I have to temporarily add a fuel scoop, but I sell it as soon as the engineering's done. There is no point to having a fuel scoop on a trader/ mission runner other than occasional visits to various engineers, tho once all the experimentals are done, you don't even need to do that.
 
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