PvP PVP loadout for cutter. Any suggestions?

[Pharmacist]

@OP

It's clear that the majority vote here is to not use the Cutter. And to be honest, it'll save you the trouble of getting used to the pitch rate that's slower than drying paint.

That being said, the Cutter IS a deadly ship in its own right; It's the strongest shielded ship and the fastest large vessel. Because of it's tanking ability it is an excellent support ship in a wing, be it a shield healer, strafing fragger or a chaser. Basically, use it to combat other big ships and support in killing the smaller ones. It's not going to be the ultimate ship in the game: Every ship has its weakness. But used right, can serve you well. Depends on what you enjoy flying the most. For me, it's the Corvette.

The cutter is just overall a bad ship. It may technically have more shields, but it typically doesn't. That's because cutters require heatsinks to use their SCBS so their shield values diminish heavily over that of a corvette that doesn't use them. Also consider that their hitbox is essentially impossible to miss and the fact that they have a python class distributor. Couple that with being forced to use gimbal weapons with poor convergence and hardpoint placement and its exceptionally slow turn rate. Its HP to DPS ratio is very poor. IMO the cutter is a ship that has no niche in the game. Trade condas and PVE condas are better simply due to jump range and maneuverability. The corvette is superior to both in combat, distributor wise, hardpoint class and convergence wise, and 90% of the time shield wise, and maneuverability. You have to look at it from the perspective that the cutter can fly faster in a straight line so that it can fly away from threats. It is a superior ship for retreating, but an inferior ship for combat. The whole "shield tanking" thing on a cutter is a complete misconception.

 

[Pharmacist]

Thanks guys, esp cmdr Inx for your comprehensive post.
Lots to take on board, and to think about.
I keep trying to fly the cutter like my corvette. (Big mistake).
i guess I will try some of the suggestions that you all have put forward.
Have to think about the cutters strong points, and it's weak points, to come up with different tactics than I use with the vette.

Yea if you have a corvette you have no business flying a cutter. Cutters are for people that accidentally hard committed to it and cant bring themselves to grind all over again for the corvette.

 

[nosleepdemon]

Don't forget a good SLF pilot. There's nothing like a half decent AI pew pewing your victim whilst they try desperately to avoid your firing arc. As a silent running DBS pilot I basically avoid anything with a fighter bay now, the amount of hurt an SLF can put out is actually extraordinary, and there is no way you can fight both ships at the same time without getting into the line of sight of at least one of them.

 

[CMDR Avvie]

The cutter is just overall a bad ship. It may technically have more shields, but it typically doesn't. That's because cutters require heatsinks to use their SCBS so their shield values diminish heavily over that of a corvette that doesn't use them. Also consider that their hitbox is essentially impossible to miss and the fact that they have a python class distributor. Couple that with being forced to use gimbal weapons with poor convergence and hardpoint placement and its exceptionally slow turn rate. Its HP to DPS ratio is very poor. IMO the cutter is a ship that has no niche in the game. Trade condas and PVE condas are better simply due to jump range and maneuverability. The corvette is superior to both in combat, distributor wise, hardpoint class and convergence wise, and 90% of the time shield wise, and maneuverability. You have to look at it from the perspective that the cutter can fly faster in a straight line so that it can fly away from threats. It is a superior ship for retreating, but an inferior ship for combat. The whole "shield tanking" thing on a cutter is a complete misconception.

A lot of this is true yet it does have it's uses, both PvE and PvP. Such as no other ship can move as much cargo as the Cutter, which is obvious.

A lot of people I used to face on Xbox used cutters as support roles instead of DPS trains or whatever. They had a range of different effects that while weren't great at raw damage, they delivered other useful effects on the field that made the enemy's life difficult. It was only mostly effective against other ships the same size.

 

[The Replicated Man]

Find me! I'm always in Open. I also stream but I will not post that info as idk if it is allowed.

Feel free to PM me for my CMDR name and we can meet

It's a Trap!

 

[GunnerBill]

Yea if you have a corvette you have no business flying a cutter. Cutters are for people that accidentally hard committed to it and cant bring themselves to grind all over again for the corvette.

We're collecting Cutters for R&D purposes

 

[Hooplah]

You clearly don't PVP.

You think so? We could easily test that. See you in Beta this week if you want to play.

 

[cargorunner1969]

When it comes to big ships, it's thankfully all I know. I've never flown a Cutter however the knowledge behind building big ships transfers seamlessly over the Big Three.
Now I'm going to assume you are serious about your builds and your engineers, and that you have all the engineers unlocked, as well as the credits to outfit.

I made a Coriolis.io blueprint of a build that I've seen do exceptionally well against other cutters and big ships. Bear in mind that the numbers on there and the numbers achieved in game will be different but not by a lot. It's a build that will conserve shield strength as well as give you power to fire the weapons almost infinitely.

I hope it gives you a good idea of what you should be aiming for.

how would you set up your fire groups bearing in mind the difference in firing off the pa and the railguns

 

[WaveRider]

how would you set up your fire groups bearing in mind the difference in firing off the pa and the railguns

This is quite an old thread - doesn't mean you won't get an answer, but thought I'd let you know. <O

 

[cargorunner1969]

This is quite an old thread - doesn't mean you won't get an answer, but thought I'd let you know. <O

thats cool

 

[GunnerBill]

PVP loadout for a Cutter?

Painkillers, Ibuprofen is good. It'll take so long you'll likely get backache and probably RSI in your hand/arm.

 

[CMDR EDGEL0RD]

Cutter is the only ship in the game which has C5 hardpoint. Does the highest damage in the game. Firing is bound on TAB button by default.
Damage is usually lethal for any FDL build.

Cutter is the best ship in the game period.

how would you set up your fire groups bearing in mind the difference in firing off the pa and the railguns

I try to put rails in the same firegroup as any fixed projectile weapon I have cause it gives me very good info on enemys movement vector. Mby a bit of a crutch though.

You mod PA with LR/Focused 4 to the max and then it shares reticles with multicannons cause of almost same projectile speed.
Then you go with Multies/PA and Multie/Rails firegroups

That build is not valid though, wingtip medium hardpoints on Cuttie aren't made for fixed anything.

 

[darrenh1969]

Cutter is the only ship in the game which has C5 hardpoint. Does the highest damage in the game. Firing is bound on TAB button by default.
Damage is usually lethal for any FDL build.

Cutter is the best ship in the game period.



I try to put rails in the same firegroup as any fixed projectile weapon I have cause it gives me very good info on enemys movement vector. Mby a bit of a crutch though.

You mod PA with LR/Focused 4 to the max and then it shares reticles with multicannons cause of almost same projectile speed.
Then you go with Multies/PA and Multie/Rails firegroups

That build is not valid though, wingtip medium hardpoints on Cuttie aren't made for fixed anything.

C5 hard point?

 

[Bigmaec]

C5 hard point?

He means ramming

 

[darrenh1969]

That's true

 

[CMDR EDGEL0RD]

If seriously, damage and cap is low on paper. But ppl should really take ram damage into account.
Afaik, ramming in ED hurts less for heavier side than it does for lighter one. And ramming is not hard when you boost from -350 to 500 in 6 or so seconds.

Facetrade with full hp FDL usually ends with FDL getting to a rebuy screen or highwaking at 30%ish hull.
I never actively seek fights with nothing but big 3 cause I'm not a masohist, yet it happened on more than a dozen occasions.
Meaning, what... 2k or so of absolute damage? Collision mechanics are weird though.

I'm not saying that you should fly a Cutter like a combat Orca, but still.

 

[cargorunner1969]

ive won a couple of rows buy using that tab key..well. va command "afterburners" and as i said earlier it was kind of fun sitting down on a viper.
i win pirate missions (the ones where you have up to three escorts) by strafing the target... using the cutters sheer speed to get to about 11k away... reverski... go back just as fast... the escorts are usually jumping away leaving the target alone. fire off slf. kick ass.

 

[Darth Montu]

People will tell you that the cutter is a good ship, a bad ship, the worst ship, the best ship... All of these statements are both true and false because any ship can be dangerous to any other ship with the right set up and pilot. Every ship has its weaknesses and every ship has its strengths. But we arent talking about every ship. We are talking about the Cutter.

The Imperial Cutter is in its own right, a war ship but it can do so much more. It is an awesome trader, having the largest possible cargo bay. It also have the highest shields of any other ship in the game. Nothing tanks like a cutter. I have friends that report the Cutter can achieve a jump-range of 50 lightyears so while not the best, you can even explore in style. Some would say the Anaconda is the better Multirole vessel but I disargee because of the Cutter being tankier, to survive combat, and because of the larger cargo capacity. With that higher cargo cap, it also makes a better miner, alloying you to spend weeks in the rings, mining out a fortune...which you will need to outfit such a decadent ship. My Cutter's current cost, 1.3 BILLION.

But the OP was asking about a combat cutter. The cutter serves best as a support ship but that doesnt mean its weapons are to be ignored. It has seven hardpoints which can provide support fire in the in form of copious amounts of DAKKA, blazing plasma fire, or a Rainstorm or missiles hiding a torp or two. Whatever weapons you choose, will determine how you fly your cutter. Using things like Plasma or frags, anything with a High burst, will be best used as you spear through a dogfight, blasting as you pass. Using DAKKA, things like Multi-cannons will require you to at least keep up with your quarry. The cutter, being the fastest of the big three will help you there. My cutter boosts to 480, and thats with all her armor. You should also note that you will NOT being to maneuver as well as...well...ANYTHING else you fight. Even Corvettes and Anacondas will out turn you but either can outrun you. You see each of the big there has an advantage. The Anaconda is cheap, but has the most armor and 'On-paper' DPS, the best jump-range too...for now. But it has the worst shields. The corvette kicks like a mule, turns on a dime and looks good while she is doing it...as long as it can keep up! Wing fights in a Corvette is usual everyone else is fighting and the corvette is chasing everyone else... Great defensive ship but horrible attack vessel. You quarry will just outrun you poor corvettes. The cutter Has the speed to keep up, the shields to defend itself AND the hardpoints to hurt. Sure, you might not turn with your enemy but then they should be busy with your wing mate anyway. If youre solo, be comfortable in the fact that nothing can kill you before you decide to leave...and they know it.

 

[darrenh1969]

People will tell you that the cutter is a good ship, a bad ship, the worst ship, the best ship... All of these statements are both true and false because any ship can be dangerous to any other ship with the right set up and pilot. Every ship has its weaknesses and every ship has its strengths. But we arent talking about every ship. We are talking about the Cutter.

The Imperial Cutter is in its own right, a war ship but it can do so much more. It is an awesome trader, having the largest possible cargo bay. It also have the highest shields of any other ship in the game. Nothing tanks like a cutter. I have friends that report the Cutter can achieve a jump-range of 50 lightyears so while not the best, you can even explore in style. Some would say the Anaconda is the better Multirole vessel but I disargee because of the Cutter being tankier, to survive combat, and because of the larger cargo capacity. With that higher cargo cap, it also makes a better miner, alloying you to spend weeks in the rings, mining out a fortune...which you will need to outfit such a decadent ship. My Cutter's current cost, 1.3 BILLION.

But the OP was asking about a combat cutter. The cutter serves best as a support ship but that doesnt mean its weapons are to be ignored. It has seven hardpoints which can provide support fire in the in form of copious amounts of DAKKA, blazing plasma fire, or a Rainstorm or missiles hiding a torp or two. Whatever weapons you choose, will determine how you fly your cutter. Using things like Plasma or frags, anything with a High burst, will be best used as you spear through a dogfight, blasting as you pass. Using DAKKA, things like Multi-cannons will require you to at least keep up with your quarry. The cutter, being the fastest of the big three will help you there. My cutter boosts to 480, and thats with all her armor. You should also note that you will NOT being to maneuver as well as...well...ANYTHING else you fight. Even Corvettes and Anacondas will out turn you but either can outrun you. You see each of the big there has an advantage. The Anaconda is cheap, but has the most armor and 'On-paper' DPS, the best jump-range too...for now. But it has the worst shields. The corvette kicks like a mule, turns on a dime and looks good while she is doing it...as long as it can keep up! Wing fights in a Corvette is usual everyone else is fighting and the corvette is chasing everyone else... Great defensive ship but horrible attack vessel. You quarry will just outrun you poor corvettes. The cutter Has the speed to keep up, the shields to defend itself AND the hardpoints to hurt. Sure, you might not turn with your enemy but then they should be busy with your wing mate anyway. If youre solo, be comfortable in the fact that nothing can kill you before you decide to leave...and they know it.

I originally got the cutters.. As you suggest... For mining but. I found the first time I got into a row that it turns like an elephant on ice... With skates on... And marbles scattered. Not what I want down in the rocks. No. The python for smash and grab mining. I'm not keen on the hard point distribution to be in cz with it but assassin missions. Oh yes.

 

[Darth Montu]

I originally got the cutters.. As you suggest... For mining but. I found the first time I got into a row that it turns like an elephant on ice... With skates on... And marbles scattered. Not what I want down in the rocks. No. The python for smash and grab mining. I'm not keen on the hard point distribution to be in cz with it but assassin missions. Oh yes.

It takes getting used to. I turn a cutter by using a combination of FA off, roll, ptich and yaw, with a properly timed boost. Youve got to dance with her. When you get it down...with engineered engines, she moves well enough. Ive been known to boost through the ring in a cutter when core mining.


Perfecting the 'flip-and-burn' breaking technique helps too.