Newcomer / Intro Shieldless builds, what am I missing?

[Aekero]

Occasionally I'll see someone post a shieldless build, from what I can tell you save power, and weight from generator/booster/scbs...but then again you could make up that weight with military hull + mrps/hrps...

Is there any other benefit asides from power savings and possible weight savings?

 

[Maymo]

Your thermal signature is lower so you can't be picked up on radar as easily, good for smuggling or possibly assassinating and escaping...

I don't think I could do it, I like landing on planets the efficient way (crashing) and have a tendency to open combat with ram attacks...

 

[d8veh]

When you don't have shields, you don't need to put pips to them, so you get more pips for your engines and weapons. That means that you can keep boosting to get in a better position to shoot the target.

 

[pipo zelvelder]

When you don't have shields, you don't need to put pips to them, so you get more pips for your engines and weapons. That means that you can keep boosting to get in a better position to shoot the target.

Totally missing this: If I have no shield (a.k.a. when my shields finally are down), I am dead within seconds when i am in combat... How does that rhyme with your "better position". no criticism, just not sure I understand you?

 

[Winterwalker]

Totally missing this: If I have no shield (a.k.a. when my shields finally are down), I am dead within seconds when i am in combat... How does that rhyme with your "better position". no criticism, just not sure I understand you?

You can add military bulkheads, hull reinforcement modules .. module reinforcements now too.

 

[d8veh]

Totally missing this: If I have no shield (a.k.a. when my shields finally are down), I am dead within seconds when i am in combat... How does that rhyme with your "better position". no criticism, just not sure I understand you?

You can also use silent running so they can't see or target you to shoot you. Here, you can see two guys without shields having a battle using silent running. in silent running, you heat up a lot so you need a lot of heatsinks too. as said above, you also need upgraded bulkheads and a lot of hull and module reinforcements.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0R2H6sD_Xo

 

[Winterwalker]

You can also use silent running so they can't see or target you to shoot you. Here, you can see two guys without shields having a battle using silent running. in silent running, you heat up a lot so you need a lot of heatsinks too. as said above, you also need upgraded bulkheads and a lot of hull and module reinforcements.

Yes. NPC's have started to do this too if you've noticed .. suddenly you lose your lock on them.

 

[pipo zelvelder]

You can also use silent running so they can't see or target you to shoot you. Here, you can see two guys without shields having a battle using silent running. in silent running, you heat up a lot so you need a lot of heatsinks too. as said above, you also need upgraded bulkheads and a lot of hull and module reinforcements.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0R2H6sD_Xo

Thanx for explaining this: It is no build for me, as it is too complicated for me to use extra stuff during combat, but it is interesting to know this can be done

 

[Chris Simon]

Thanx for explaining this: It is no build for me, as it is too complicated for me to use extra stuff during combat, but it is interesting to know this can be done

It's also kind of expensive. Normally you don't realize it, but constant repairs can add up.

 

[Achilles7]

Thanx for explaining this: It is no build for me, as it is too complicated for me to use extra stuff during combat, but it is interesting to know this can be done

Full silent running (SR) builds use the hull tank ie HRPs & MRPs with predominantly heatsinks in your utilities, but they are only really useful for PvP because NPCs have the uncanny ability to ignore the SR mechanics and are able to sense your presence/hit you even with very low heat signatures. NPCs ability to target your modules using powerful weapons like rails with unerring accuracy is also an issue here.

Two main ships for SR are the DBS & FAS - I have both for PvP but if your opponent has emissive weapons (which heat up the target) these battles have to become highly strategic affairs - if you want to win, that is - where you have to break off the attacks to cool down again; 'still viable, but you will need patience because fights can last 20+ mins & personally I lose the will to live (in game - literally) after about 10, with ~5mins my preferred duration sweet spot!

This is a far cry from the halcyon days of SR when one could fly around in 'invisible mode' spamming heatsinks & fighting as usual keeping heat signature down even when firing weapons in SR.

 

[through the hole backwards]

It's also kind of expensive. Normally you don't realize it, but constant repairs can add up.

And not advisable if you like to land on planets !

 

[d8veh]

Yes. NPC's have started to do this too if you've noticed .. suddenly you lose your lock on them.

That's when they use a heatsink for whatever reason. i don't know if that works against them like chaff would.

 

[CMDR Mr. Boombastic]

That's when they use a heatsink for whatever reason. i don't know if that works against then like chaff would.

From Mistress of the Minions on Nov 18th:

AI ships will drop heat sinks when they run very hot (SCB or heating up due to weapons fire), but they don't use Silent Running. A side effect of this is them dropping to 0% heat and momentarily disappearing from sensors.
AI are now much better at managing heat than they were. Before 2.2, a Type-9 would quite happily destroy its modules when deploying a large SCB.

 

[rrobes]

What are you missing in a shield less build?

A shield.

The game played otherwise is torture unless you're very, very good and you like to run away from everything.

 

[Underhook]

As far as I know
Hull tanking was mostly a PvP tactic. The tatic has lost popularity when a patch made missiles much more effective v's hull.
The tactic was as follows
1. Get a fighter with a strong hull such as the Federal Assault Ship
2. Get the best armour you can.
3. Carry heaps of heat sinks
4. When in combat go silent running and use heat sinks to stay off enemy radar and prevent turrets from targeting you and prevent gimbaled weapons from gimballing. (this is one reason why a lot of pilots use fixed weapons).
5. Slaughter the enemy who cant even see you for half the battle.

Its not really a PvE thing because
1. AI were and maybe still are unafected by silent running.
2. You will be taking hull damage and need to repair frequently.

Fly unsafe CMDR