Need help with imperial courier build

Need help with imperial courier build

What do you need help with exactly?


There are at least three "common" Imperial Courier builds in 2.1, there's a general-purpose combat/mission running build, usually capable of moderate speed in the 450 boost range, a combat/speed build that is usually capable of high speed in the 550-600 boost range but still carries weapons and can defend itself using speed-based combat tactics and a pure speed build that is not really used to fight at all but can hit upwards of 650 boost. It really depends on what you want your Courier to do. My Courier for example can only hit 448 boost but carries incendiary overcharged multicannons and full military alloys with a shield strength of 400 MJ thermal shields. It's not particularly fast for a Courier but it can definitely hold its own in combat.
 
If you're happy with it: It's ok. :)

Nobody else's opinion is really important!

It's not a question of simply getting an "opinion" here, I think the OP wants to know the most efficient way to make a Courier work well. It's like when someone posts a Python build with only a 6A power distributor to "save weight", that is a very poor choice for any Python which should always use a 7A power distributor. That is the type of information the OP is probably looking for in the context of his Courier build, but we need to know what he wants to do with the Courier first.
 
it's a heavy build you are flying. good for cz.

if you want more of an "eagle on steroids", fit a class 2A shield and an undersized powerplant and only class 1 hrp, get rid of a booster - keeping a courier at <75℅ optimal thruster masd changes its behaviour a lot.

and if you have horizons, and a courier below 90t total mass, fit enhanced performance thrusters, which you can buy at outfitting at farseer, martuks and palins base.
 
. It's like when someone posts a Python build with only a 6A power distributor to "save weight", that is a very poor choice for any Python which should always use a 7A power distributor. .

my python has a class 6A powerdistributor to save weight. so - i'm doing it wrong?
 
He said 'is it ok?', not 'is it optimal?' or 'what build are lots of people doing?'

He wants it as mainly a combat ship, but with some short-range mission running potential, by the looks of things.

And it is indeed ok. It's fine. No design disasters in waiting.

Maybe not the same ship as everybody else is piloting because they copied a build they saw on the internet, but 'his' ship, done his way, which is a more satisfactory thing for him to be flying than something dictated by others. It's a shame to see these kind of threads turn into outright design dictation, and everyone flying the same thing because someone on the internet says it's best. :)

[Personally I'd have a class 3 cargo slot in the class 2 bay, because it seems like a waste not to, and upgrade two of the HRPs to class 2, then put something else (fuel scoop probably, or more cargo) in the other internal bays.... but it doesn't make much difference and I always view internal bays as something to change depending on mission, anyway.]
 
Last edited:
He said 'is it ok?', not 'is it optimal?' or 'what build are lots of people doing?'

All of those questions were implied by his question. There is no need to go onto the forums to ask if other people "like" your build or to reassure you that your personal decisions were "OK". He clearly wants specific ship advice and we first need to know what he is trying to achieve with his ship build.
 
What do you need help with exactly?



There are at least three "common" Imperial Courier builds in 2.1, there's a general-purpose combat/mission running build, usually capable of moderate speed in the 450 boost range, a combat/speed build that is usually capable of high speed in the 550-600 boost range but still carries weapons and can defend itself using speed-based combat tactics and a pure speed build that is not really used to fight at all but can hit upwards of 650 boost. It really depends on what you want your Courier to do. My Courier for example can only hit 448 boost but carries incendiary overcharged multicannons and full military alloys with a shield strength of 400 MJ thermal shields. It's not particularly fast for a Courier but it can definitely hold its own in combat.

600 boost range? How do you that sir. :eek: Mind to share your build? Actually I like fast ship but I'm a crappy pilot lol that's why I put so many shield booster in my courier.
 
600 boost range? How do you that sir. :eek: Mind to share your build? Actually I like fast ship but I'm a crappy pilot lol that's why I put so many shield booster in my courier.

you need horizons for that to buy "enhanced performance thrusters" - see my last post. for 600 m/s you really need to get your weight down ... 600 should be reached aroubd 72 t total mass, if i remember correctly.
 
600 boost range? How do you that sir. :eek: Mind to share your build? Actually I like fast ship but I'm a crappy pilot lol that's why I put so many shield booster in my courier.

I haven't put together a pure speed build, my Courier's combat build uses everything A-grade except for the sensors which are D grade (to save weight), a single B shield booster, chaff, 2XPD turrets, twin overcharged incendiary multicannons and a missile rack along with full military alloys. I have a Grade 3 dirty drive tune using Enhanced Performance thrusters and thermal mods on the shield generator (standard 3A) and shield booster and also have an efficient power plant mod to reduce heat as the incendiary multis and dirty drive tune generate a lot of excess thermal load. All of that ends up with a boost of only 448 which is not particularly fast but the Enhanced Peformance thrusters are very weight-sensitive so it's the best I could do given that I put military alloys and an SRV hanger in it to allow me run missions. I really like it though, it's sort of like an Imperial version of the Vulture. Even though the speed itself isn't particularly impressive the acceleration is excellent and the engine sounds are amazing which makes it really fun to fly.

The trick to getting a boost of 650 out of a Courier relies on a VERY lightweight build, usually lightweight mods on the weapons (assuming it even carries any), undersized PP and possibly distributor (although arguably not the best choice to undersize the distributor as this reduces boost frequency) and every other possible stripped down option you can think of. I'm sure there will be someone who can give you the details of a 650 boost Courier build but I have definitely heard of it on the forums although I haven't tried to build one myself yet.
 
Last edited:
600 boost range? How do you that sir. :eek: Mind to share your build? Actually I like fast ship but I'm a crappy pilot lol that's why I put so many shield booster in my courier.

3.5 million worth of enhanced performance drive and a total mass of comfortably under 90 tons. Requires unlocking of one of the engineers, which requires going to Maia and back, in this case.

You have a lot of survivability built into your design - presumably because it suits your style - and that is sacrificed in high boost designs.
 
you can see this thread for how mass effects speed, and the table in it for the high performance thrusters: https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showt...plained-in-one-simple-table-(Rating-and-Mass)

unmodded high performance thrusters will boost a courier to 608 m/s at 70t total mass ... use coriolis.io to make a stripped down build.

if you engineer thrusters, you can achieve +29℅ speed ... you'll need to strip a bit more, but basically a courier can achieve 785 m/s ... in a build only usefull for racing. but if you are in it for pure speed, an iEagle can get even faster.
 
3.5 million worth of enhanced performance drive and a total mass of comfortably under 90 tons. Requires unlocking of one of the engineers, which requires going to Maia and back, in this case.

You have a lot of survivability built into your design - presumably because it suits your style - and that is sacrificed in high boost designs.

martuk selks those thrusters, too - and doesn't require going to maia. but because she requires 300 ly distance from starting position, you can as well go to maia :)
 
OP: I'd drop the cargo hold and put a fuel scoop in there instead. And put in better armor (like reactive or military). But that's just how I fit mine, its just for fighting and nothing else

(off topic, but I can't wait until Ship transfer comes in so I can actually "take my Courier with me" instead it being the other side of the bubble.)
 
For this ...
600 boost range? How do you that sir. :eek: Mind to share your build? Actually I like fast ship but I'm a crappy pilot lol that's why I put so many shield booster in my courier.

Do this ...
...
The trick to getting a boost of 650 out of a Courier relies on a VERY lightweight build, usually lightweight mods on the weapons (assuming it even carries any), undersized PP and possibly distributor (although arguably not the best choice to undersize the distributor as this reduces boost frequency) and every other possible stripped down option you can think of. I'm sure there will be someone who can give you the details of a 650 boost Courier build but I have definitely heard of it on the forums although I haven't tried to build one myself yet.

Enhanced drives and then lightweight mods on everything you can, and level 5 dirty drive boost can give you this ...

5BpQKA8.png


I've seen claims of 800+ combat capable couriers in the current build too.
 
Last edited:
Right...CMDR StiTch here, iCourier fanatic and general lunatic.

I don't know how we got this far through the thread without a proper response...

So no, that build won't work. Here you go for suggestions:

-iCourier has a pants distributor. Never run multiple lazors on it unless you're talking two pulses, and even that's a "meh" given we now have mods and probably want to be overcharging them puppies.
-Recommended format for weaponry: Overcharged pulse lazor, two non-thermal - try MCs if you're going to do PvE in a RES etc., or include a missile rack/two if you want something that won't last long but can blow up NPC hardpoints
-But if you want more shield stripping, may I recommend the incendiary round effect for MCs?
-That bottom hardpoint isn't a fan of connecting unless you're looking relatively straight at them. For this reason, I advise you put the lazor on a nacelle, not on the bottom with two MCs either side
-Extra recharge distributor mod. Please.
-As above, get performance enhanced thrusters for that puppy. Because you'll need to watch mass, and because I can see you have a build that wants to move around, drop a HRP and add a fuel scoop
-Why underclass cargo rack?
-Why basic discovery scanner?
-Them utilities...are heavy. Okay for your build, will cause issues with performance enhanced thrusters. Format is okay, but you prolly want to run D class boosters with some resistance mods
-Armour mod for it. Please. In fact just mod the crap out of this ship
-This ship doesn't like heat all that much. If you mod the thrusters consider high-level clean drive mod or run an oversized power plant and use low emissions

Along the lines of what you had going:
https://coriolis.io/outfit/imperial...227271b07070700402t01012525.AwRj4zKA.Aw18UA==

What I roughly use:
https://coriolis.io/outfit/imperial_courier/0p5tzF3l3das8f227271b00070707400201010125.AwRj4zKA.Aw18UA==

My build does not want to move. It sits in one system and I buy it a new FSD when it needs to move.

Piloting questions or any other questions? Pop 'em below.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top Bottom