Newcomer / Intro Shipyard Decisions

whiteknight · Feb 9, 2015

Ok So here's my situation, Commanders...I've put a bit of money into my Sidewinder, It's is worth 220k (A1 Power Distribution,Power Plant etc) and i have 240k in the bank. I've got twin gimballed multicannons on her and i'm managing to do "ok" taking down Wanteds at Nav beacons. The question is..

If I bought the Viper it works out that I would have 330k left over for upgrades etc for it.

Or..... I could buy the Cobra and have 167k.

Or ......maybe just carry on bounty hunting in the Sidey and save up for both?

What would you do?

Thanks in advance

Undecided · Feb 9, 2015

I recommend having at least twice the cost of a new ship in the bank before purchasing, otherwise your outfitting options will be very limited. If you intend to bounty hunt most of the time I definitely recommend the Viper.

Oh and I also recommend against selling your ships, you only get 90% of the value back, so switching back and forth through trade-ins can get expensive. Instead sell, or downgrade all the modules for 100% of their value, then buy the new ship outright. That way you still have the empty hull if you ever want to switch back.

cmdr lowest · Feb 9, 2015

I'd say save a bit more. There's no rush.

Then I'd say it depends on what your chosen career path in Elite will be. If it's combat, the Viper is a natural choice.

The Cobra is more of a "jack of all trades" and can fit any role you throw at her but the Viper is more nimble in combat.

Me, I personally love my Cobra to death. I've tried Viper's and didn't get on with them at all. I also like to mix & match what I do and the Cobra offers that versatility.

Also, don't forget to keep enough money for insurance for the ship, in case of mistakes - or you may find yourself back in the Sidewinder...

mistohise · Feb 9, 2015

The rebuy cost on my cobra now is something around 300k if I remember rightly. Of course, it's kitted out and the rebuy on a new one is nowhere near that, but the point I'm getting at is, once you have your new ship, you're going to want to buy improvements for it, and they all cost money. A class pieces tend to come in at 1.6m each, and on top of that you have any arms and utilities to consider.
Of course, even as stock you'll see a different universe to the sidewinder, but it might be worth hanging on so you can afford to fly without worry.

whiteknight · Feb 9, 2015

I went ahead and bought the Viper...(i sold all the modules from the Sidewinder first as mentioned

)

My initial feeling is that I wished i'd have stayed with the Sidewinder.-doh-.

The Viper feels similar to the Eagle to me..(Im not fond of that either)..I upgraded it the best I could, whilst leaving enough set by for catastrophes.. but it feels weaker when taking damage - and it lacks the punch?..I have 2 multicannons (54k each ones) and 2 bog standard pulse lasers..

I'm regretting not holding on to the Sidewinder tbh...i think I might be buying it back ...

I might listen next time before diving in.. Lesson learned

David frm Operations · Feb 10, 2015

Upgrade your thrusters and you will like it a lot more. The top side hardpoints along with better shields on the viper make it better than your sidewinder. Adding the bottom hardpoints more than doubles your firepower over a sidewider. It does need better thrusters and other internal upgrades to feel decent.

Vess · Feb 10, 2015

Viper is great combat ship, but ya need A3 Shield Generator,A3 Power plant, A3 Thrusters, Reflective armour, rest is D class to lightn ship. Around 1.6 mill and enough for insurance. Great ship for bounty hunting
Cheers!

the100thmonkey · Feb 10, 2015

Yeah, the Viper is a bit of a klutz without A grade kit, especially thrusters.

It's also very power-hungry.

However, the hardpoint placement is top notch - easily better than the Cobra's - and the A3 shield is the best-performing in the game. It's so hard to get the shield down on it that I don't bother with upgrade bulkheads. This also keeps the weight down, which benefits maneuverability.

A fully combat-ready Viper will set you back about 3 million. But it's worth every credit.

jpaulwilson1982 · Feb 10, 2015

Lots of good advice here.

My two cents; the Viper is an excellent combat fighter if you give it moderately good equipment (at least). The Cobra is my favorite currently because it allows me to be a bounty hunter and explorer, and gives me a little cargo space for missions. The Cobra holds up better in a battle than a Viper, but is more than twice the cost to repair.

So, if you are focused on bounty hunting, conflict zones, and assassination missions, then I'd go for the Viper.

If being able to explore is either of primary or secondary importance to you, then the Cobra is best.

And, when you own a Cobra and Viper some day, use the Viper for conflict zones for the most part. Its cheaper and provides two small hardpoints and two medium hardpoints, just like the Cobra.

As always, make sure you have a good amount of credits before you buy a ship. I'd go so far to say that you should have three or four times more credits on hand than the new ship will cost. This leaves you with $$$ to upgrade the ship properly with plenty left over for insurance rebuys.

Hope we've been helpful and have fun