Please critique my Vulture loadout for NPC bounty hunting

Goilveig · Mar 14, 2015

1. Dump the frag cannon unless you're doing assassinations (think that's covered already)
2. If your aim is good, go fixed over gimbal for more damage at less power.
3. The hull reinforcement package is probably just dead weight. 5A shields are pretty dang strong, so as long as you're decent at pip management hull shouldn't concern you. If you want an "oh crap" module, mount an SCB and power it off unless you need it.
4. I think anything other than lightweight armor is dead weight too, same reason as #3. You can shave almost 50T off a 400T ship and be that much more maneuverable for it. My current Vulture build weighs in at 355T.
5. 5A shields are not valuable to put on while you still have utility slots left. A 5D shield plus a 0A shield booster has exactly the same strength, and weighs and costs less. You can stack shield boosters to get even more bang for your buck.

Plooker · Mar 14, 2015

Tried all the lasers. Settled on twin pulse gimballed. Do the job nicely.

{SAS}Stalker · Mar 14, 2015

Why on earth are you all putting gims on a vulture?

Nereus · Mar 14, 2015

{SAS}Stalker said:
Why on earth are you all putting gims on a vulture?

Well, no matter how precise you are, gimbals will stay on target more than fixed.

I think it is worth the somewhat lesser damage and increased energy use.

uncle bulgaria · Mar 14, 2015

I bought my first Vulture just before i logged off yesterday so not had the chance to try it in anger yet but I went with a fixed C3 beam and a fixed C3 cannon. My logic is the C3 beam should be enough for small fry and the C3 cannon should bring suitable levels of pain when taking on Anacondas and Pythons.

I'm very much open to other configs so I plan on spending a few hours messing about with different set ups to see what works for me. In my now sold Viper I was a 2xC1 fixed beam and 2xC2 multicannons.

2chill · Mar 14, 2015

Been trying out the Vulture with twin gimballed class 3 pulse lasers, they struggle a bit with smaller craft but absolutely rip larger prey to pieces. 3-4 pips in weapons will give you almost constant firepower. With your power saving (and cost) you can whack in some extra shield boosting.

additional note.

And you never need to worry about running out of ammo when you hit the Anaconda/Python/Clipper/Dropship fiesta at a RES.

VanQ · Mar 14, 2015

I use 2 gimbaled bursts, no ammo to look after but you have to make compromises on shield, truster and fsd to handle their power leech, also i use a shield cell instead of armor enhancement.

Kzak · Mar 14, 2015

Twin gimballed C3 pulse lasers is the way to go. Economic (no ammo, doesn't use up weapons energy too quickly), flexible, does good damage against most ships, plus you can hang out at a RES all night and collect bounties.

Softan · Mar 15, 2015

res build

[Vulture]
L: 3D/F Pulse Laser
L: 3D/F Pulse Laser
U: 0D Kill Warrant Scanner
U: 0A Shield Booster
U: 0A Shield Booster
U: 0C Shield Booster

BH: 1I Military Grade Composite
RB: 4A Power Plant
TM: 5D Thrusters
FH: 4A Frame Shift Drive
EC: 3E Life Support
PC: 5A Power Distributor
SS: 4D Sensors
FS: 3C Fuel Tank (Capacity: 8)

5: 5A Shield Generator
4: 4D Hull Reinforcement Package
2: 2E Cargo Rack (Capacity: 4)
1: 1E Cargo Rack (Capacity: 2)
1: 1A Fuel Scoop

I prefer this loadout. No need to reload anything, you're doing good damage and you're tanky. Also no power problems as long as you keep cargo and fsd on prio 2.

2chill · Mar 15, 2015

Following much tinkering here is my RES Duster...

L: 3E/G Pulse Laser
L: 3E/G Pulse Laser
U: 0A Shield Booster
U: 0B Shield Booster
U: 0E Kill Warrant Scanner

BH: 1I Reinforced Alloy
RB: 4A Power Plant
TM: 5B Thrusters
FH: 4C Frame Shift Drive
EC: 3D Life Support
PC: 5A Power Distributor
SS: 4C Sensors
FS: 2C Fuel Tank (Capacity: 4)

5: 5A Shield Generator
4: 4C Shield Cell Bank
2: 1E Standard Docking Computer

Derath · Mar 15, 2015

Nereus said:
Well, no matter how precise you are, gimbals will stay on target more than fixed.

I think it is worth the somewhat lesser damage and increased energy use.

that depends entirely on how good you are at piloting, your capacitor needs time to recharge and being able to do high damage when it counts is better than steady damage all the time.

The reason people question why gimbals on vulture is because the vulture has the easiest time of all the current ships keeping its target in view, if you don't use fixed on a vulture you basically are saying you will use gimballed exclusively, that also makes you weak to chaff along with having damage and power efficiency drawbacks.

EUS · Mar 15, 2015

{SAS}Stalker said:
Why on earth are you all putting gims on a vulture?

Because when going up against anacondas, the gimballs will target the power plant, whereas I can't aim for beans, and am busy enough just trying to stay alive.

To the OP, still trying various loadouts, but here is what I have presently (due to funds, and power)
[Vulture]
L: 3E/G Pulse Laser
L: 3E/G Pulse Laser
U: 0I Chaff Launcher
U: 0B Kill Warrant Scanner
U: 0I Heat Sink Launcher

BH: 1I Lightweight Alloy
RB: 4A Power Plant
TM: 5D Thrusters
FH: 4A Frame Shift Drive
EC: 3E Life Support
PC: 5C Power Distributor
SS: 4D Sensors
FS: 3C Fuel Tank (Capacity: 8)

5: 5A Shield Generator
4: 4E Cargo Rack (Capacity: 16)
2: 2A Fuel Scoop
1: 1B Shield Cell Bank
1: 1B Shield Cell Bank
---
Shield: 250.55 MJ
Power : 10.99 MW retracted (70%)
14.43 MW deployed (93%)
15.60 MW available
Cargo : 16 T
Fuel : 8 T
Mass : 325.9 T empty
349.9 T full
Range : 17.34 LY unladen
16.55 LY laden
Price : 14,435,103 CR
Re-Buy: 721,755 CR @ 95% insurance

Will drop the heatsink, I haven't needed it.
Just bought the 2nd shield cell, to be able to stay @ RES longer.

Jakben Imble · Mar 15, 2015

I admit I'm not the greatest combat pilot but I've found that having gimballed weapons for me has meant I stay on the target more, even when making evasive manouvers and if a chaff gets fired I can un-target and still use them like fixed, I've gone for what seems to be similar here but just dropped the fuel tank size down a bit to try and save weight... not sure if it made any difference but this ship is more fun than a barrel of weasels dipped in butter!

Edit: To get this to work requires setting your FSD, Interdictor, Fuel Scoop and Cargo Hatch to a lower priority

[Vulture]
L: 3E/G Pulse Laser
L: 3E/G Pulse Laser
U: 0I Point Defence
U: 0I Point Defence
U: 0I Chaff Launcher
U: 0D Kill Warrant Scanner

BH: 1I Lightweight Alloy
RB: 4A Power Plant
TM: 5A Thrusters
FH: 4A Frame Shift Drive
EC: 3D Life Support
PC: 5A Power Distributor
SS: 4A Sensors
FS: 2C Fuel Tank (Capacity: 4)

5: 5A Shield Generator
4: 4E Cargo Rack (Capacity: 16)
2: 2A Fuel Scoop
1: 1A Frame Shift Drive Interdictor
1: 1D Shield Cell Bank
---
Shield: 250.55 MJ
Power : 14.91 MW retracted (96%)
17.15 MW deployed (110%)
15.60 MW available
Cargo : 16 T
Fuel : 4 T
Mass : 338.4 T empty
358.4 T full
Range : 16.91 LY unladen
16.16 LY laden
Price : 21,476,113 CR
Re-Buy: 1,073,806 CR @ 95% insurance

tr1ckster · Mar 21, 2015

I use
[Vulture]
L: 3E/G Pulse Laser
L: 3E/G Pulse Laser
U: 0A Shield Booster
U: 0A Shield Booster
U: 0D Kill Warrant Scanner
U: 0A Shield Booster

BH: 1I Lightweight Alloy
RB: 4A Power Plant
TM: 5D Thrusters
FH: 4A Frame Shift Drive
EC: 3D Life SupportPC: 5A Power Distributor
SS: 4D Sensors
FS: 3C Fuel Tank (Capacity: 8)

5: 5D Shield Generator
4: 4B Shield Cell Bank
2: 2A Fuel Scoop
1: 1C Advanced Discovery Scanner
1: 1A Frame Shift Drive Interdictor
---
Shield: 511.94 MJ
Power : 15.04 MW retracted (96%)
17.28 MW deployed (111%)
15.60 MW available
Cargo : 0 T
Fuel : 8 T
Mass : 334.1 T empty
342.1 T full
Range : 16.93 LY unladen
16.93 LY laden
Price : 13,718,753 CR
Re-Buy: 685,938 CR @ 95% insurance

Absolutely indestructible. If you need mirrored armor you are quite frankly doing it wrong IMHO.

My shields never go down and if there were to, either sc out and in or turn off the boosters and retreat for a minute.

Traded in for a 40 mill asp last night and it felt like a brick in treacle...

Went straight back today to my Beloved Vulture. Only downside is it feels like cheating......

Interdictor is for being an ass griefing rare traders in Orrere lol I don't want their cargo just pull em down to 1% (most of the time unless I feel particularly grumpy lol) and let them limp to Sharon Lee Market teehee

Commander Keeno · Jul 8, 2015

Here's mine. Similar to tr1ckster's with as good shield but cheaper, better sensors for res detection, better thrusters, better KWS for earlier scan completion and applying DPS.

Hull reinforcement is a matter of taste, I prefer to have it as back-up in case of a disaster but the shield on this is epic so it rarely happens.

You need to put the usual mods onto priority 2 as well as the shield cell and retract hardpoints to operate which is not a big deal as you are usually evading combat at that stage. This set-up also accomodates gimballed pulses if that's your thing which can take advantage of the 4A sensors.

[Vulture]
L: 3D/F Pulse Laser
L: 3D/F Pulse Laser
U: 0C Kill Warrant Scanner
U: 0A Shield Booster
U: 0B Shield Booster
U: 0C Shield Booster

BH: 1I Lightweight Alloy
RB: 4A Power Plant
TM: 5C Thrusters
FH: 4A Frame Shift Drive
EC: 3E Life Support
PC: 5A Power Distributor
SS: 4A Sensors
FS: 3C Fuel Tank (Capacity: 8)

5: 5C Shield Generator
4: 4A Shield Cell Bank
2: 2D Hull Reinforcement Package
1: 1E Cargo Rack (Capacity: 2)
1: 1D Hull Reinforcement Package
---
Shield: 509.06 MJ
Power : 15.55 MW retracted (100%)
18.15 MW deployed (116%)
15.60 MW available
Cargo : 2 T
Fuel : 8 T
Mass : 361.8 T empty
371.8 T full
Range : 15.66 LY unladen
15.58 LY laden
Price : 11,953,789 CR
Re-Buy: 597,689 CR @ 95% insurance