Ships that work best with prismatics, and best ships for bi-weaves?

[Branithar]

I just got access to prismatics and put them on my traders. I don’t want to burn through my credits and hoard a bunch of shields.

What ships benefit most from prismatics, and what ships benefit most from bi-weaves?

And what about playstyle? Do certain shields work best with certain playstyles?

 

[Ian Doncaster]

I just got access to prismatics and them them on my traders. I don’t want to burn through my credits and hoard a bunch of shields.

What ships benefit most from prismatics, and and ships benefit most from bi-weaves?

And what about playstyle? Do certain shields work best with certain playstyles?

Prismatics:
- ships with high base shield strengths and weak hulls (e.g. FDL)
- styles where shield regen is mainly from SCBs, reboots, or leaving the fight before it matters
- styles where ship is expected to be under continuous sustained fire
- expectation of absolute damage (plasma or collision) where high-MJ shields are better
(broadly, PvP shield tanks, PvE running away)

Biweaves:
- ships with lower base shield strengths and strong hulls (e.g. Fed or Alliance combat mediums)
- styles where ship is expected to avoid being continuously hit through evasion, range control, or the opposition not being very good [1]
- expectation of non-absolute damage where high-resistance high-regen shields are better
(broadly, PvP hybrids, PvE combat)

[1] In this context, basically any PvE opponent counts as "not very good", though taking a large ship into a CZ might be an exception.

 

[Deleted member 182079]

I fitted Prismatics on all my ships with which, once the shields drop, I immediately hi-wake. This includes my PvE Vette (thanks to 2 * class 7 SCB's it's invincible against the AI, although it's also got some beefy armour) and trade and exploration ships.

Any ship that needs to stay in combat for prolongued times (AX and bounty hunting alike) I prefer Bi-Weaves, as they come back up after a short period of time.

 

[Bigmaec]

Prismatics:
- ships with high base shield strengths and weak hulls (e.g. FDL)
- styles where shield regen is mainly from SCBs, reboots, or leaving the fight before it matters
- styles where ship is expected to be under continuous sustained fire
- expectation of absolute damage (plasma or collision) where high-MJ shields are better
(broadly, PvP shield tanks, PvE running away)

Biweaves:
- ships with lower base shield strengths and strong hulls (e.g. Fed or Alliance combat mediums)
- styles where ship is expected to avoid being continuously hit through evasion, range control, or the opposition not being very good [1]
- expectation of non-absolute damage where high-resistance high-regen shields are better
(broadly, PvP hybrids, PvE combat)

[1] In this context, basically any PvE opponent counts as "not very good", though taking a large ship into a CZ might be an exception.

That.

Also, generally every ship where you would like a maximum amount of mj - Traders, Explorers (minimizing the class), Miners, multi-purpose vessels all benefit from
prismatics.

 

[Screemonster]

Ian pretty much summed it up. I did run prismatics on my corvette for a while and use it for wing assassinations, but I found that returning to the station to recharge my shields between fights was annoying.

 

[Vedmo]

If I was buying Prismatics just for traders, I'd pick up a 6 for a Cutter, a 5 or 6 for a Type-9, and a 4 for a Python.

The 2 & 3's can come in handy for small and some medium ships too, but there really isn't a broad answer to what ship is better with them, as it is more role dependent.

 

[Bigmaec]

If I was buying Prismatics just for traders, I'd pick up a 6 for a Cutter, a 5 or 6 for a Type-9, and a 4 for a Python.

The 2 & 3's can come in handy for small and some medium ships too, but there really isn't a broad answer to what ship is better with them, as it is more role dependent.

Throw in at least two or three more of the c4 to c5 classes, because they are not very expensive and you'll need them later.
c5 for FdL/Mamba, and c4 for Kraits (a c4 reinforced on a Phantom makes it basically ungankable...)

 

[Vedmo]

Throw in at least two or three more of the c4 to c5 classes, because they are not very expensive and you'll need them later.
c5 for FdL/Mamba, and c4 for Kraits (a c4 reinforced on a Phantom makes it basically ungankable...)

Totally agree, back before Aisling broke my heart and I left her for a Torval, I did stock up heavily on Prismatics, and the only ones I don't have extras of in storage now are 4's & 5's. They come in handy in so many different situations.

 

[Stealthie]

Prismatics:
- ships with high base shield strengths and weak hulls (e.g. FDL)
- styles where shield regen is mainly from SCBs, reboots, or leaving the fight before it matters
- styles where ship is expected to be under continuous sustained fire
- expectation of absolute damage (plasma or collision) where high-MJ shields are better
(broadly, PvP shield tanks, PvE running away)

Biweaves:
- ships with lower base shield strengths and strong hulls (e.g. Fed or Alliance combat mediums)
- styles where ship is expected to avoid being continuously hit through evasion, range control, or the opposition not being very good [1]
- expectation of non-absolute damage where high-resistance high-regen shields are better
(broadly, PvP hybrids, PvE combat)

[1] In this context, basically any PvE opponent counts as "not very good", though taking a large ship into a CZ might be an exception.

I don't disagree but I'd make the point that this is really stuff a player should think about BEFORE they buy/outfit a ship.
If you've already bought (and outfitted) a specific ship for a specific role, it's probably too late to worry about whether or not a specific type of shield is giving you the best "bang for your buck".

For me, the fundamental, primary role for Prismatic shields is that they are, effectively, "single-use" shields.
They're there to give you the biggest possible shield during a single engagement.

Beyond that, their secondary role is to allow you to fit a smaller shield and, thus, allow you to fit other, bigger, modules.

The ships that you fit them to will probably depend on their intended roles.

As a rule, C2 prismatics will add a lot of weight to any ship fitted with them and, given that those are likely to be fast ships, speed will be their best defence so they won't need a Prismatic shield.
C3 and C4 Prismatic's will provide an okayish shield for anything up to the size of a Krait/Python so it's probably worth buying a few of them - assuming you plan to build medium-pad multirole ships.
C5 and C6 Prismatic's will provide a big shield for any medium-pad ship or an okayish shield for a big ship so you might want to buy a few of those for trade-ships and for assassination ships.
C7 and C8 Prismatic's provide a big shield for a big ship but it's really only worth buying them if you plan to build something like a Cutter/Corvette/T10 with a giant shield and are okay with using a big slot for the shield.

In a nutshell, I'd buy a bunch of C3/C4/C5 and C6 Prismatic shields and probably wouldn't bother with any others unless I was planning on building something like an up-armored Annie or Cutter trade-ship.

 

[Bigmaec]

I don't disagree but I'd make the point that this is really stuff a player should think about BEFORE they buy/outfit a ship.
If you've already bought (and outfitted) a specific ship for a specific role, it's probably too late to worry about whether or not a specific type of shield is giving you the best "bang for your buck".

For me, the fundamental, primary role for Prismatic shields is that they are, effectively, "single-use" shields.
They're there to give you the biggest possible shield during a single engagement.

Beyond that, their secondary role is to allow you to fit a smaller shield and, thus, allow you to fit other, bigger, modules.

The ships that you fit them to will probably depend on their intended roles.

As a rule, C2 prismatics will add a lot of weight to any ship fitted with them and, given that those are likely to be fast ships, speed will be their best defence so they won't need a Prismatic shield.
C3 and C4 Prismatic's will provide an okayish shield for anything up to the size of a Krait/Python so it's probably worth buying a few of them - assuming you plan to build medium-pad multirole ships.
C5 and C6 Prismatic's will provide a big shield for any medium-pad ship or an okayish shield for a big ship so you might want to buy a few of those for trade-ships and for assassination ships.
C7 and C8 Prismatic's provide a big shield for a big ship but it's really only worth buying them if you plan to build something like a Cutter/Corvette/T10 with a giant shield and are okay with using a big slot for the shield.

In a nutshell, I'd buy a bunch of C3/C4/C5 and C6 Prismatic shields and probably wouldn't bother with any others unless I was planning on building something like an up-armored Annie or Cutter trade-ship.

You'd absolutely NEED a c8 prismatic for your Cutter for the sheer bling 6000 mj shield factor. It will be a port hog and never fly, but you need it. Seriously.

 

[Stealthie]

You'd absolutely NEED a c8 prismatic for your Cutter for the sheer bling 6000 mj shield factor. It will be a port hog and never fly, but you need it. Seriously.

My Cutter is already shielded from almost all weapon attacks by the thick layer of dust it's covered in.

If you ever see me flying my Cutter it's because I've been pledged to a superpower for 27 days and I'm delivering leaflets.

If a worthy CG ever crops up, it might get some more use. Possibly.

 

[Trollymctrollerson]

I find prismatic most useful on multi role or trade ships because it allows a bigger slot to be used for something else. The only exception I'd say is the FDL. Even on my Corvettes I prefer normal A rated shields because they use enough less power that I can use armored powerplant instead of overcharged. I hate overcharged power plants.

 

[GTwannabe]

Prismatics are mostly useful for shoving a shield into a smaller slot than minimum. Combine with enhanced, low power shield mod to negate the mass penalty.

 

[Feros-da-Grundig]

Prismatics vs. biweaves broadly boil down to how long you expect the engagement to last and during how much of that time you expect to have pips to sys.

You can do the math based on the different regen rates to see if you will get more MJ from regen over time versus the initial higher value of prismatics.

Then there are situational considerations. Prismatics are more likely to hold up to focus fire from a wing, so even if you might eek out more MJ via biweaves over a long wingfight, the fact you didn't drop shields early on due to prismatics might be worth it anyway - since if you dropped shields and they hit you with packhounds, you're not going to last long enough to enjoy the biweave benefit.

There are also a few minor considerations. For instance biweaves weigh less and draw less power.

For any ship you expect shields to drop often (e.g. chief or similar hybrid) biweaves are always the right choice. If you intend to ram your way to success go with prismatics.

PvE mat farming is always biweaves. Trading (or any situation you expect to run) is always prismatics if you can afford/unlock/power them.

Booster and SCB considerations are largely independent of shield type with on exception. Basically use HD boosters if you expect raw damage (ramming, plasma) and resist aug if you expect other types. Combine the two if you need to reach a threshold (for instance, enough to comfortably hold a double SCB bank). Experimental should almost always be super cap, with occasional use of low draw if needed.

An exception is a reinforced hi cap prismatic for max raw MJ. In this case you'll need a thermal SB or two. (Another possible exception is enhanced low draw on couriers, but that's so obscure I'll gloss over for now)

Note that MJ gained from SCB benefit from higher resistances, as do MJ gained from regen. So for prolonged engagements where biweaves are called for, you should usually be pumping up resistances instead of raw MJ. Higher resistances effectively multiply these MJ - so if you have 50% resists across the board, every 1 MJ regen'ed or SCB'ed is really worth 1.5 (unless rammed or hit with PA).

Another more subtle advantage of prismatics is it can make pip management easier. Since you've pretty much given up on regenerating a lot of shield by choosing prismatics, you only need 4 pips to sys during the moments you are taking damage. Otherwise you might as well use those pips elsewhere. (Whereas with biweave, you might be keeping 4 pips to sys more often to get that sweet regen - and thus losing wep and eng MJs).

One consideration for prismatics people often overlook - reinforced actually does not give an integrity buff, but thermal resist does (this is counter intuitive). So sure you can squeeze out more raw MJ with reinforced but it will take one fewer reverb torp to knock out your shields entirely.

 

[Cmdr. Numa]

Biweaves only start to get really strong at sizes 5 or higher, at size 4 and below their regeneration rate isn't good enough. So I run mostly prismatics on the small sizes (basically all non-combat ships with smallest possible shield size) and Biweave from size 5 to 8. That is strictly PvE though, and I've broken the rule by putting size 4 biweaves on FdL and Mamba. With size 5 the SCBs are np longer good for anything, as two size 4 SCBs on the FdL and one size 4 and one size 3 on the Mamba are basically drops in an ocean.

 

[Organic]

If I was buying Prismatics just for traders, I'd pick up a 6 for a Cutter, a 5 or 6 for a Type-9, and a 4 for a Python.

Agree. I use a class 6 on my trading Cutter - shield strength is around 3700mj with engineered boosters. I can kill elite NPC Anaconda and Type 10s that interdict me without losing a single ring. A class 5 would probably be ok.

 

[Agony_Aunt]

Its not only about ship, its about what you are doing with it.

If you are doing something like piracy, where you might want to tank damage or its a single encounter, then absoloute shield strength can be better. When expecting extended durations in combat, bi-weave can be better.

 

[Misty_Dark]

Just like several other have been stating.

It all depends on how you intend to use your ship. Your play style etc.
For combat related stuff.
I switch between bi-weave and prismatics depending of if I go solo or play in wing, as in wing, we use healing beams, to recharge our shields.

Are you just going to hit and run missions, then prismatic most of the time offers an edge, like take out a few assassinate pirate lords missions, but if you are out to do long sessions of rez-hunting, etc where you expect to spend long time, then bi-weave are better, as this will quickly recharge between encounters.


For traders, I often go for the biggest shield I fit the smallest allowed slot. so for my Type 9, that is class 5 prismatic shield. I am also one of the lucky ones that have a legacy engineered engineered class 5 Prismatic for my trade Cutter. So I get over that magical 750T of cargo, while still having having a descent shield
My over engineered Type 9 have 1250 MJ raw shield and my Cutter have 2550 MJ raw shield. Which is enough to survive just about any encounter by NPC pirates.

Traders are not expected to stay long in fights, they just need to survive long enough to high wake, or until the security forces arrive. So here max MJ is beneficial. As your goal is to reach the destination and there recharge the shields, or if you have to high wake, visit another station to recharge the shields.


For exploration, I like the prismatics too,seems to work better on the bigger ships though, for example, I like to have over 1000 MJ on So I have my Ananconda with a class 3 Prismatic, that give me 1360 MJ of shields, great insurance for when I land on high G planets. I will survive a FREE FALL from 5+KM on Achenar 3, a 6.7G planet, with 4 pips to SYS. So for a reckles pilot like myslef, this is a great trade-off. And I do not feel that I have sacrifice to much jump range, as my Annie still do 71+ LY, perhaps not the most impressive range, but considering that I am packing seeker missiles, rail guns, mining laser, SLF fighter, etc, I think I am ready for most of the dangers a long exploration journey can surprise me with.




Being an owner of several prismatics, I say that class 5 are the ones that you probably want the most of! If you intend to have big fleet of various sized ships. I have just recently discovered that the 7 I already have is not enough... all the smaller ones, get 4 or each size, they are really cheap, so that is no cost, it is when you get to the class 6 and up they start to get really expensive with the class 8 being ridiculously expensive, so unless you have spare cash just lying around, only buy this size if you have a ship you expect to use it on. Like the Cutter or Type 10. The second considerations of you many of these is how much storage space you have to store these shields.

Also, worth noting, that when buying these, more costly modules, (just about all big modules, and class 8 in particular), visiting a Li Yong.-Rui controlled system will save you a big chunk of credits.
For example, the Class 8 prismatic 244 Million goes down to 202 Million with the Li Yon-Rui rebate.


So play around in tools like coriolis and compare your ships with or without prismatics, and do not forget about the bi-weaves, they do have their place too. It is harder to gauge their benefits. And do not be afraid of testing out "whacky" stuff, you might be surprised about what can work and etc. And depending on how you play, testing out whacky builds can be alot of fun.