Post your Anti-Xeno Builds

[Hooplah]

Well with update 14 it looks like we will have to deal with those pesky Thargoids. Especially when we run into one they now attack and can destroy our expensive ships designed for other game play like trading. I wonder what that Thargoid hovering over the Bug Killer Site HIP 16613 A 1 that never attacks is doing now? So feel free to post your Anti-Xeno builds with comments for all to learn and hopefully survive the day!

Here is a spreadsheet with links to 48 Coriolis.io builds as a start. Someone used a Hauler? OK...

Here is my Krait Mk II build that I used to get to combat Elite status killing Scouts after reaching Deadly. It was fun learning how to use the Guardian weapons having all of them and mixing them around to see what they could do. Might be a good beginner start for others.

Do you want the modified Salvation Guardian weapons but didn't do the Salvation GG to get the permit to MBOONI? Go to Glorious Prospect in LHS 1163 and get allied with Azimuth Biotech formally known as Taurus Mining Ventures. You then get the permit and fly to MBOON 11.3 LY away to Prospects Deep to see the toys. You will need all the materials and lots of Guardian weapons blueprints as with modified weapons you will need one for each one you unlock versus standard Guardian weapons when unlocked purchase all you want. Back to the Guardian sites for many more weapons blueprints. The Devs hate us.

Finally a YouTube video discussing Salvation Guardian modified weapons pros and cons. But this is all just information. If a player designs the best Anti-Xeno ship build but doesn't have many hours of Thargoid combat experience before update 14 then they are not going to be happy now as the Devs raised the bar.

Regards

 

[Anyron]

Speeeed

EDSY

EDSY is a ship outfitting tool for Elite Dangerous

edsy.org

 

[Wimmer]

Krait Mk II. No flak, no shutdown field neutralizer. Great for one-on-one skirmishes, especially against the Cyclops.

Coriolis EDCD Edition

A ship builder, outfitting and comparison tool for Elite Dangerous

s.orbis.zone

 

[Anyron]

Here is krait II made for cold .. With beam laser it can run under 20% heat ( no weapon fire ofc) .. When you fire you hold charger longer so heat is more distributed.. Rapid fire can be done with heatsinks.. With this tactic you do not need to worry with drones and shield holds really nice.. You can fight multiple interceptors with this build if you know what you are doing
Shutdown isnt necessary.. when you hear tharg using it just use fly assist off and boost away, it wont chatch you

EDSY

EDSY is a ship outfitting tool for Elite Dangerous

edsy.org

 

[Treya]

This slightly unconventional Challenger build got me my first solo Basilisk (plus a dozen more for good measure - #humblebrag). Designed around 3x Med Salvation Shards, shieldless and cold by design (no TV beam required). Not entirely beginner friendly but compared to AXIs standard doctrine build there's less mental overhead during combat (no pip management and no need to keep the laser on target).
Due to Salvation Shards being the most power hungry it functions as a versatile weapons platform, readily accepting any combination of AX weaponry in its three medium slots. And being coincidentally designed w/out other Guardian modules might make it viable in caustic systems (HIP 22460 et al), but I haven't done much field testing there so emphasis on might.

To meet the power requirements and thermal envelope (< 20% heat) a few compromises are needed though:

• FA/Off is mandatory during orbiting, although it is not as intimidating in this case. All that is needed is maintaining lateral movement relative to the interceptor. Personally I use my engine exhaust as guidance and correct my vector every few seconds with a mix forward and lateral thrust. For the attack phase I switch back to FA/On.
• Any non-essential modules are deactivated during combat, most notably the PD and Life Support (I did say unconventional ). The build I linked to reflects this properly - pips are fixed at .5 SYS, 3.5 ENG, 2 WEP and modules are switched automatically via priority group 5 (lowest).
• 25 min of backup oxygen is plenty enough to finish a Cyclops, but depending on my consistency a synth is required every now and then during Basilisk encounters.

Additional points:

• The Shutdown Field Neutralizer is replaced with FA/Off Boost
• The Xeno Scanner is borderline optional. Salvation Shards/Plasmas have high enough shot speed that it is possible to manually calculate the required offset instead of sub targeting the hearts. Using trailing mode for targeting would theoretically be the perfect solution but that would (once again ) necessitate FDev to fix some long standing bugs...
• The AFMU should primarily be used to patch up module protection
• Pip settings need more testing to see if more WEP and less ENG performs better
• If one isn't interested in scooping up the hearts the CR rack could be replaced with a bit more hull
• The three small slots are currently unused, one option could be Adv Missile Racks as a fallback for use in caustic systems

 

[CMDR Corlas]

My mission-runner AX Krait Mk II, Veillantif.

Probably gonna swap it up for thermal res shields, and heavy duty boosters. I like keeping some thermal resistance, because you still have to fight human NPC's when running AX missions, and it's nice for them. Plus the extra integrity on the shield module isn't bad at all.

 

[Titler]

I never finished my build, and apparently it's obsolete now anyway, and they want us to do MORE grinding? Sigh. But is it worth tweaking this further? I have other ships, and the AX fighters unlocked at least...

 

[Treya]

I never finished my build, and apparently it's obsolete now anyway, and they want us to do MORE grinding? Sigh. But is it worth tweaking this further? I have other ships, and the AX fighters unlocked at least...

Gauss are still supreme among the Guardian weapons due to their high AP, so if you're happy with those there's no change needed. The new Salvation variants (excl. his bad take on Gauss) make Plasma and Shard viable against lower Interceptor variants and are fun to play around with, that's all. ATM no-one knows if we are even supposed to fight in Maelstrom systems where Guardian tech is useless, so for the time being (and unless you want to be ready for that) your build isn't obsolete at all.

 

[Hooplah]

Here is my Chieftain Thargoid starter build which players on YouTube and the Forum say is the one ship in the game designed to take out major Thargoids from Interceptors to Hydras if you know what you are doing. I don't know what I am doing. The target convergence is so accurate two class 2 and two class 1 gauss canons will hit the heart versus a Krait or others that will miss. Better ships require better talents.

Still the Thargoid game is about flight assist off and orbiting a Thargoid using heat sinks to keep cool when firing at them and a beam laser with thermal vent so when they fire will miss. Also see how each Thargoid moves differently with a predictable pattern. Get that down then consider firing back.

So the Chieftain is parked in Beta-1 Tucanae and can install options in it when I get better. Going out where the Thatgoids are causing trouble and in some places Guardian weapons don't work un update 14? First up the Chieftain is very poor on gas mileage and even with a class 5 fuel scoop with a class 4 tank it is slow to refuel. Add a class 4 Guardian frame shift drive booster and it will still take a lot of jumps to get into harm's way.

When I get there then I can transfer equipment replacing the fuel scoop and Guardian drive or did you fly a fleet carrier with dedicated Tharoid designed killer ships into harms way?

Regards

 

[Episparh]

This one hunts Orthrus vessels in systems under Thargoid Alert.