The Shield discussion thread

[Karthik]

Shield cells and chaffs are by far the most useful defensive armaments for combat.

Shield cells: the only thing that matters is how many charges it carries. Check out the wiki for it (it's not straight forward for x# and # of charges). The AMOUNT healed is the same for all types - they'll regen your shields to full (well, maybe not all the way if you are still getting pounded while you use a shield cell charge). You can even have two on at a time (you have to manually turn multiple banks on and off, because all active banks are used at the same time when you use the shield cell hot key), which allows you to extend the amount of time you are fighting. Hit it when you FIRST drop to the single blue shield circle (because if you are down to it, someone is pounding you hard, don't wait any longer). Does NOT work if your shields are already depleted.


Chaff: I use this as a buffer if I know I'm getting shot at from med/long distance. Not as useful if I'm really close to my enemy. It jams gimballed/turreted weapons (which most NPCs and PCs seem to carry). There are a lot more chaff ammo than cell banks, so I try to use chaff as often as needed (under fire) so I don't have to use banks as much.

As advanced techniques, I try to switch pips from weapons to shields as much as I can when I'm getting shot at / maneuvering and not shooting. Because more pips in shields does strengthen the shields you already have (but shield pips do NOT increase the rate at which they regenerate).

 

[Morzun]

Shield cells and chaffs are by far the most useful defensive armaments for combat.

Shield cells: the only thing that matters is how many charges it carries. Check out the wiki for it (it's not straight forward for x# and # of charges). The AMOUNT healed is the same for all types - they'll regen your shields to full (well, maybe not all the way if you are still getting pounded while you use a shield cell charge)

As advanced techniques, I try to switch pips from weapons to shields as much as I can when I'm getting shot at / maneuvering and not shooting. Because more pips in shields does strengthen the shields you already have (but shield pips do NOT increase the rate at which they regenerate).

Both of these things you stated are wrong.

For example, I have a very cheap shield cell. If I'm not being hit, it recharges my shields to about 1.5/2 'circles' max.

About the shields, putting extra power into shields DO increase the speed at which they regenerate. Above the shield 'pips' as you call them is a meter, it shows how much energy that system currently has. If your shield is regenerating and the meter runs out of bars, your shield will regenerate A LOT slower. Meaning that if you put max. power into your systems, (and thus shields) your systems will run out of power less quickly meaning your shields will regenerate at max. speed for a longer duration.


I use shield cells myself pretty often, I'm a bounty hunter and some of my targets pack some serious firepower.

The heat sinks really come in handy when you are wanted and you need to dock at a station to pay off your bounty. Silent running after you requested permission to dock, then slide into their station while being undetected. Silent running gets your heat up a lot though, so you need to use one or two heat sinks to prevent your ship from blowing up.

 

[Karthik]

Both of these things you stated are wrong.

For example, I have a very cheap shield cell. If I'm not being hit, it recharges my shields to about 1.5/2 'circles' max.

About the shields, putting extra power into shields DO increase the speed at which they regenerate. Above the shield 'pips' as you call them is a meter, it shows how much energy that system currently has. If your shield is regenerating and the meter runs out of bars, your shield will regenerate A LOT slower. Meaning that if you put max. power into your systems, (and thus shields) your systems will run out of power less quickly meaning your shields will regenerate at max. speed for a longer duration.


I use shield cells myself pretty often, I'm a bounty hunter and some of my targets pack some serious firepower.

Ah yes you're right, my mistake. If you do not have any energy left in your "shield" column capacitor, it cannot regenerate. If you do have SOME energy availble in it, increasing pip count does not speed regeneration.

But I will disagree with you, you do NOT need it at max to help regen shields. You can dynamically control it and keep regen-ing: you only need bars in the capacitor, doesn't matter how many. Having more pips than needed does not speed up shields coming back online. This is what I've noticed and what's also been stated on the wiki as well (for what it's worth). The only time I max shield pips is to actually "tank" hits because it does increase the amount your shields can sop up

As far as shield banks. I 100% disagree with you. The amount regened has no bearing on type of shield cell. I've tested this extensively as I'm a bounty hunter as well. Unfortunately, the wiki does not speak to this effect so all I have is my own testing to refute your points, so I guess objectively the answer is inconclusive.

 

[cherny_prapor]

As far as shield banks. I 100% disagree with you. The amount regened has no bearing on type of shield cell. I've tested this extensively as I'm a bounty hunter as well. Unfortunately, the wiki does not speak to this effect so all I have is my own testing to refute your points, so I guess objectively the answer is inconclusive.

I second that - just swapped a 4B cell bank for a 4E on my Cobra (4E being 400 000 creds cheaper than 4B), and didn't see ANY difference - they both have 11 charges and both restore shields equally fast. The shield generator is the top one - 4A, for the record.

 

[helmstif]

SCB and chaff are absolutely essential if you're hunting Anacondas in a smaller craft like Eagle or Adder (or Sidewinder, if you're hardcore). As you graduate to larger crafts like Viper or Cobra, chaff becomes somewhat unnecessary, but SCB still helps a great deal.

Heatsink, however, is more useful for smugglers and space-truckers. If you're carrying illegal goods/contraband and you're getting scanned, dumping a heatsink and silent running at the same time is the best way to go dark asap. Also, large Lakon haulers, while they're not completely defenseless, anything bigger than a Cobra means "get the hell outta here" and more so if piloted by human players, so heatsink is needed to dump the heat built up by rapid bursting, especially so for a Type-7 that has a serious heat problem.

 

[Johnny Cyclops]

Building on Ben Ryder's post, I think what he's saying for a trader without shields and likely with not much offensive 'pop', is by using 4 heat sinks per trip it helps to keep heat emissions down which mean the ship is less likely to show up on scanners, so less likely to be interdicted. Keep it frosty!

 

[Morzun]

Just to point something out; I didn't mean to imply that different levels of shield cells are better/worse. (but they should be, right? if not, why spend more money on one?)
What I meant was that MY shield cell always recharges my shields to about 1.5 or 2 'shield circles'. Does anyone have a better name for what I mean? The blue rings indicating how much shield you have.

 

[AbbyNormal]

As far as shield banks. I 100% disagree with you. The amount regened has no bearing on type of shield cell. I've tested this extensively as I'm a bounty hunter as well. Unfortunately, the wiki does not speak to this effect so all I have is my own testing to refute your points, so I guess objectively the answer is inconclusive.

Strange that I've tested this and came up with a completely different view.
Have you tried using a class module lower than what is capable? (eg: Class 3 Shield Cell Bank on a Class 4 Shield Generator?)
It may be difficult to see the difference using a Class 4E and 4A Shield Cell Bank because it appears to charge the same amount.
I used a smaller Shield Cell Bank of different classes and noticed not all ratings are equal when it comes to charging.
Didn't test extensively but most go for Rating B for the amount of charges. Surely A rating, with less charges, would have something to do with the recharge rate (that I didn't notice) and the amount of recharge (that i DID notice)

 

[Hooplah]

Python Shield Incident

Just a quickie,

I wasn't paying attention and ran into a Lakon Type 9 with my Python at speed 200 with A3 shields.
The shields held with no damage to the ship. Thought I would pass this along for those who would
find the info useful. Depending upon the usage sometimes less is more per equipping a ship.

 

[vonvonbraun]

I boosted at full speed into it with a6 shield and exploded

always be careful around a fat cow

 

[Hooplah]

Ah, so one can ever really trust a Shield...Good to know! Still my A3 Shield is great for the occasional bumps in the station.

 

[krysohmyz]

I second that - just swapped a 4B cell bank for a 4E on my Cobra (4E being 400 000 creds cheaper than 4B), and didn't see ANY difference - they both have 11 charges and both restore shields equally fast. The shield generator is the top one - 4A, for the record.

I saw a difference when I switched from exploration ASP with D3 shields to BH Clipper with C7 shields. Class four shield cells I used to use replenish barely half of the shield, now.

Otherwise, in reply to OP, other than shield banks I use only chaff. Makes a nice laser show out of enemy's gimballs and turrets.

 

[Elpapo]

Never crashed into shielded type9 with my Python... but I had once collision (I was loaded with cargo over 260t) against noshield-type9 of some cmrd... Had 4D shield and 2 pips at systems im my ship.... Barely got any damage for my shield but type9 was losed about 86% of its hull... I dont remeber name of cmdr who fly it but he cursed me over text comms.. I replied to him that he need be more carefull and try do not block entrance to station with big fat ship.

 

[Tsunamicom]

Just a quickie,

I wasn't paying attention and ran into a Lakon Type 9 with my Python at speed 200 with A3 shields.
The shields held with no damage to the ship. Thought I would pass this along for those who would
find the info useful. Depending upon the usage sometimes less is more per equipping a ship.

Make sure to take into consideration, when hitting NPCs, Their rank. Sometimes the ones that have the higher rank have better shields and you can die, even in a Python.

 

[Coccolino]

Never crashed into shielded type9 with my Python... but I had once collision (I was loaded with cargo over 260t) against noshield-type9 of some cmrd... Had 4D shield and 2 pips at systems im my ship.... Barely got any damage for my shield but type9 was losed about 86% of its hull... I dont remeber name of cmdr who fly it but he cursed me over text comms.. I replied to him that he need be more carefull and try do not block entrance to station with big fat ship.

Lol.

i wished I could put some class 2 shields on my Asp, just to prevent little but expensive scratches, but the minimum is a class 3. Waste of cargo space...

 

[Elpapo]

Mass efect in this game make a diffrence. lol

 

[Major Lag]

Its no wonder, a Python with an A3 has stronger shields than an Asp with an A6! Best shields in the game.

 

[SAB380]

Just a quickie,

I wasn't paying attention and ran into a Lakon Type 9 with my Python at speed 200 with A3 shields.
The shields held with no damage to the ship. Thought I would pass this along for those who would
find the info useful. Depending upon the usage sometimes less is more per equipping a ship.

Need more empirical data.

Please boost into an Anaconda next and report back.

 

[malicious1]

Lol.

i wished I could put some class 2 shields on my Asp, just to prevent little but expensive scratches, but the minimum is a class 3. Waste of cargo space...

my anaconda has a3 shields

 

[Major Lag]

my anaconda has a3 shields

An Anaconda with A3 is about the same as ASP with A6: http://elite-dangerous.wikia.com/wiki/Shield_Generator?file=ShieldGeneratorRatings.png