Ships Razor's Edge... My Bounty Hunter ship build

[Cmdr_Si_B_Badd]

Hi all

I've decided to try my hand at bounty hunting. I've got my hands on a Viper which I'm impressed with so far in terms of speed and agility (I can boost through mailboxes with ease and land her quickly.

I've gotten a planned starting build which I believe will serve me well until I make enough money to pick up an Imperial Courier or Vulture.

http://coriolis.io/outfit/viper/13C...h0m0m44f26a.Iw1+kA==.Aw1+kA==?bn=Razor's Edge

I call her the Razor's Edge...

Any thoughts or advice on how to improve this?

 

[PenguinActual]

I modified your posted build to something with FAR more teeth. You don't need 2 Frameshift Wake Scanners. This is what you need to aim for.

http://coriolis.io/outfit/viper/13A...40h0m44f26a.AwRj49TI.AwiMIzNI?bn=Razor's Edge

Edit: You don't need the AFMU active at all times. That's just a drain on power while the module is repairing an unpowered component.

 

[Cmdr. Numa]

I modified your posted build to something with FAR more teeth. You don't need 2 Frameshift Wake Scanners. This is what you need to aim for.

http://coriolis.io/outfit/viper/13A...40h0m44f26a.AwRj49TI.AwiMIzNI?bn=Razor's Edge

Edit: You don't need the AFMU active at all times. That's just a drain on power while the module is repairing an unpowered component.

No good. The shield booster is insane. Chaff instead and A3 shield = more shielding and less power use.
Also a hunter needs a KWS: http://coriolis.io/outfit/viper/03A3A3A2A3A3A2C27270p0p000n406g534v.Iw1+kA==.IwBhrSvZiA==
That build has firepower and stamina. When shields start failing, run, retract weapons, use SCB and go back in with full shields.

 

[Ceekay]

If I find a nice CZ I usually build a Viper the smallest available FSD it restricts it to that system but it keeps the mass low, the turrets keep hitting the target when you need to evade and give the main guns some cap recharge time.

http://coriolis.io/outfit/viper/03A3A2D2D3A3D1C1b1b19190404-40-24.AwRj4yyA.AwjMIzIFiA==?bn=Viper CZ

Same build but with bigger FSD and I'd probably change one booster for a chaff launcher

http://coriolis.io/outfit/viper/03A3A3A2D3A3D2C1b1b19190404-40-24.Iw1+kA==.CwBhrSs4g===?bn=Viper LR

 

[Ryan256]

Hi all

I've decided to try my hand at bounty hunting. I've got my hands on a Viper which I'm impressed with so far in terms of speed and agility (I can boost through mailboxes with ease and land her quickly.

I've gotten a planned starting build which I believe will serve me well until I make enough money to pick up an Imperial Courier or Vulture.

http://coriolis.io/outfit/viper/13C...h0h0m44f26a.Iw1+kA==.Aw1+kA==?bn=Razor's Edge

I call her the Razor's Edge...

Any thoughts or advice on how to improve this?

You're kidding..... right?

To improve that design I would change it to this. The dual beam lasers will drain your capacitor pretty fast. But they will also drop your enemy's shields fast if you can keep them on target. Set the power priorities the same way I have. You don't need your KWS, interdictor, or even FSD active when you're in the middle of combat. Can I ask why you're taking a AMFU?? You really don't need that on a hunter/killer. It's taking up valuable shield cell space.
For that last little class 1 slot just drop in anything you want. Hull reinforcement, a docking computer, a scanner, cargo rack, ect.... just make sure you set it to low power priority if you install something that needs power.

 

[Hector]

No good. The shield booster is insane. Chaff instead and A3 shield = more shielding and less power use.
Also a hunter needs a KWS: http://coriolis.io/outfit/viper/03A3A3A2A3A3A2C27270p0p000n406g534v.Iw1+kA==.IwBhrSvZiA==
That build has firepower and stamina. When shields start failing, run, retract weapons, use SCB and go back in with full shields.

A far better build.

However you don't need to waste time retracting weapons.

http://coriolis.io/outfit/viper/03A3A3A2A3A3D2C27270p0p000n406g534v.AwRj4yWI.IwBhrSvcg===

turn OFF the Cargo hatch, downgrade the sensors to 3D rather than using the FAR more power hungry 3A (you could get away with 3C sensors) and actually turn off the 2nd shield bank that you're not using at that time (when the first one is all used up you turn it off and activate the second)

This way you don't have to muck around retracting and deploying hardpoints half way through a fight.

As a side-note i always turn off the cargo hatch because ALL it does being on is allow you to use the cargo scoop....

Alternatively if you really wanted the A-grade sensors you can easily drop your FSI down to a C grade (you never need the A grade... ever..... its a massive waste of credits on a Viper to be honest!! Maybe on a larger boat you'd want the A grade but not on a baby Viper. You could also replace the beam with pulse lasers. Yes their DPS is lower, but their DPM is higher because they won't suffer from thermal overload and its unlikely you'll discharge the capacitors unless you use less than 2 pips in weapons.

Lastly i would say getting A-grade life support is a bit of a waste in all ways except PvP where i think its far more likely for you to not be able to run away.... I've never needed more than 5 minutes to reach a station when it gets THAT bad (when it does i actually just boost away so that they can't hit the canopy since they need to be in front of you)

So my altered build would look like this:

http://coriolis.io/outfit/viper/03A3A3A2D3A3A2C27271818000n406j534v.AwRj4yWI.IwBhrSvMg===

 

[Krivan]

Every reply to this thread has ships that cost well over 2 million credits. The OP posted one that is 500k. It stands to reason that they do not have the funds to A-spec a Viper.

With that in mind, I came up with this:
http://coriolis.io/outfit/viper/03C...369.AwRj4yyA.AwiMIzgZhAmIA===?bn=Razor's Edge

Around 200k more expensive than the original build posted, but it has more utility and ability to survive in combat. I've never needed to use a Wake Scanner, but if you do feel free to swap the Chaff for one (although I'd never fly a combat ship without chaff). On top of having thrusters that can actually move the ship at least as bit better than stock.

From here I'd recommend upgrading the Power Distributor, Shield Generator (and Power Plant to support this) and Thrusters. From there you can decide what you like best. But believe me when I say that a Viper absolutely needs A-rated thrusters.

 

[noldunar]

Here is another budget build which is 800k. It is a little different than Krivan's build.

http://coriolis.io/outfit/viper/03C3B3C2D3A3D2C272718120n0856425669.AwRj49TI.AwgsIzNI

Here are my reasons why:

No chaff launcher: In my experience you need chaff against NPC only when fighting Anacondas, Pythons, Clippers or Dropships all by yourself and common belief seems to be, that they don't work as well against NPCs as they do against players. So I sacrificed the chaff launcher for a little more shield strength. In a RES site you should have police backup against the big ships and against small ships you don't need chaff.

A-grade power distributor: The power distributor is the first thing you should upgrade, always, before upgrading anything else, in a combat vessel, because it affects your performance the most. It determines how long you can shoot before running out of power, how often you can boost and how fast your capacitors recharge. So the power distributor should be the first upgrade, not the last and not a later upgrade.

Shield Cell Banks and power management: Have a key bind for shield cell banks and only have one bank powered (in the modules tab). Once it is depleted, turn it off and turn the other one on.

Weapons: Use the lasers to take out shields and then open up with multi-cannons. Keep your target slightly below the nose because the big multis are mounted below the cockpit and also use yaw to correct sideways movement of the target for maximum time on target. Multi-cannons work best at a range below 1 Km.

 

[noldunar]

And, of course no Viper thread without my standard low-budget 1.1 mil. combat workhorse build:

http://coriolis.io/outfit/viper/03C3B3C2D3A3D2C1b2718240n042v420169.AwRj4yyA.AwgsIznag===

This build has no shield cells but strong shields for a ship in this price range (actually the strongest shields in this price range). It is a multi-purpose build which allows you to do small hauling, salvage retrieval or smuggling missions and of course it is good enough for all kill package missions, RES hunting and USS hunting, even conflict zones if you choose your targets wisely and avoid getting swarmed. I usually swap the KWS for a chaff launcher because I do single target assassinations with this build as well and I find it to much of a hassle to travel around to collect all the non-local bounties.

Honestly, I am not a PVP player and would consider myself a casual player at best but at the current state of the AI this ship can beat any AI ship, no matter the rank, in a 1 on 1 dogfight. If you don't carry cargo or engage wings in a RES site you will only face one attacker at a time. You will never need a shield cell and only in very rare occassions you will lose a shield ring.

Have two fire groups, one for the lasers and one for the kinetics. As usual drop shields with the lasers, then switch to kinetics, or at close range fire everything at once. Avoid firing the multis above 1 Km, you will waste ammo.

 

[Sendraks]

As a cheapo starter build, I suggest this instead which comes in around 500k.

http://coriolis.io/outfit/viper/03C...669.AwRj4yyA.AwiMLUq5QJjkA===?bn=Razor's Edge

Ok, so this doesn't pack beams, but gimballed pulses are more than sufficient and less power hungry. It might take you a while to chip away the shields of larger targets, but tbh, its much of a muchness between small beams and small pulses. If you're worried about stripping shields fast, fit med energy weapons and small kinetics. You don't have a fuel scoop, but that shouldn't be a standard part of a fitting on a combat ship unless you travel between systems a lot. For a short range vessel like the Viper, I'd say find a system with hi-RES and stick to that, rather than roaming. You can always fit a fuel scoop for travelling when you need it. Prioritise getting the power distributor to A rated first, then get your powerplant and thrusters to A as and when you can. Ignore B rated fittings, as the mass will throw your handling off.

Set power priority accordingly, have your weapons and SCBs grouped appropriately, and you should be fine to run all of this.

 

[noldunar]

@ Sendraks: nice build

To OP: +1 to the power distributor upgrade to A as soon as possible, like I stated as well. If you can afford it, do it right away.

However, I disagree with the part about completely ignoring all B-rated fittings. It is true that they are heavy, but how well your vessel handles is determined by how much your total mass is below the optimal mass as defined by your thrusters.

So a 3B thruster has an optimal mass of 110 tonnes while a 3C has 100 tonnes. The 3B weighs 3 tonnes more than 3C which means you can load an additional 7 tonnes to your ship and are still at optimal thruster mass. And if you don't add more additional weight but just install the 3B thrusters, you are actually 7 tonnes below your optimal mass, wich results in a better handling.

So if you add 3B thrusters to Sendraks build it will cost you 612K but your laden mass is 101 and your optimal mass would be 110. So 9 tonnes below optimal mass equals better handling and higher speed.

 

[Sendraks]

Good observation on the B rated fittings there noldunar. I stand corrected.

 

[Cmdr_Si_B_Badd]

@ Sendraks: nice build

To OP: +1 to the power distributor upgrade to A as soon as possible, like I stated as well. If you can afford it, do it right away.

However, I disagree with the part about completely ignoring all B-rated fittings. It is true that they are heavy, but how well your vessel handles is determined by how much your total mass is below the optimal mass as defined by your thrusters.

So a 3B thruster has an optimal mass of 110 tonnes while a 3C has 100 tonnes. The 3B weighs 3 tonnes more than 3C which means you can load an additional 7 tonnes to your ship and are still at optimal thruster mass. And if you don't add more additional weight but just install the 3B thrusters, you are actually 7 tonnes below your optimal mass, wich results in a better handling.

So if you add 3B thrusters to Sendraks build it will cost you 612K but your laden mass is 101 and your optimal mass would be 110. So 9 tonnes below optimal mass equals better handling and higher speed.

Those two facts explain a lot... Thanks. I'm going to rethink this build as I'm currently running smuggling missions (In an Adder for the extra challenge) to save up the creds.

Thanks again guys

 

[Ryan256]

Those two facts explain a lot... Thanks. I'm going to rethink this build as I'm currently running smuggling missions (In an Adder for the extra challenge) to save up the creds.

Thanks again guys

That's probably a good idea. I realize the builds many of us put up have price tags up into the 2-3M credit range. But when you're talking about a combat craft you really need to go with the best you can get. It very often can mean the difference between cashing in some bounties and having to pay out an insurance claim.

 

[paganpenguin]

That's probably a good idea. I realize the builds many of us put up have price tags up into the 2-3M credit range. But when you're talking about a combat craft you really need to go with the best you can get. It very often can mean the difference between cashing in some bounties and having to pay out an insurance claim.

I whooped with glee the first time I realised that I had outfitted my Viper to a total of over 2 million credits - it felt like an age scraping all those low end bounties to spend on upgrades. Fortunately I never saw the insurance screen while flying a Viper, several times in my Vulture, once in a T6 and only last night in an Eagle while I was trying to be too clever and fly into the external structure of a Coriolis station... Perhaps I should just stick with a Viper as it seems lucky for me!