Powerplay Undermining Tactics

[edukainc]

Hello Commanders,

I've just started playing PP the past couple of days and have been grinding merits via undermining. I have watched videos on YouTube, etc. to see how best to accomplish this task. I decided to post in this forum to see what tactics you are using too stalk a ship that is carrying documents, interdict and what you are averaging per hour in merits based on your tactics.

I don't know what others are doing (one video said you can grind close too 1k of merits per hour and a half) too get such high merits with such little grind, but I am finding that on average I am grinding around 500 merits per hour of constant play.

I am in a "Battle" Python with A class everything and one of the best FSD Interdictor modules in game (don't even know if it's worth it sometimes). Even with all that, The undermining process has some very strange mechanics to it.

I have been averaging being interdicted by local forces or opposing powers once about every three minutes. Most of the time I couldn't even evade interdiction no matter how hard I tried so I used to submit and either slug it out or run like hell. I have learned recently thru trial and error to literally scan all ships that pop up as fast as I can and watch to see if opposing powers or local security with high combat ratings start to slowly creep towards me or are incoming fast. If it's a wing or a large ship (Python or higher) I'll drop outta SC and reset the instance cause I know that those ships will interdict me no matter what. Literally 100% certainty. Sometimes, I'll use this technique to my advantage by drawing in a Vulture or Asp of the opposing power to interdict me so I can destroy them and get the merits. I've become darn good at this now!

Interdicting NPC's is a real chore. I notice all ships that spawn that are from the opposing power are facing my ship no matter where they spawn and require me to maneuver behind them to activate interdiction. So, I maneuver and as I close in for the kill, my FSD says "Outta Range" with less than 2ly between me and the opposing NPC and he's accelerated like a bat outta hell with no way for me to catch up. Fine, ok, so I start to look for another suitable target and BAM interdiction. ok, I get thru with the mini game and finally get behind a hauler or some other smaller craft from an opposing power and finally hit the interdiction lever and then comes the wrist wrestle as I struggle to keep the NPC from breaking lock which now seems to be a high amount of time no matter if you keep him in your cross hairs or not.

Sometimes I will get lucky and maybe get two interdictions in a row without being interdicted myself, outrunned or lose interdiction lock when I finally do interdict. Those are rare though.

So, barring the strange mechanics of undermining, the question again is what tactics do you use to streamline your experience? and what do you average an hour?

Thanks Commanders!

 

[Fendalton]

Go to a Crime Sweep for Expansion or Resistance Pocket for other types. Made 1500 merits in 1.5 hours.

ED is now ez mode.

 

[Carradin]

The key to getting the 1000 merits/hour is being in a wing. It means more people to handle interdictions if one person isn't in position to catch a juicy target, and much faster kills once you drop down into the instances.

A second consideration is undermining in a system which has good spawn rates: For best effect, you want several stations scattered around a single star with none being too far out. That concentrates the spawns in a small area and gives you many more targets to choose from.

And finally, choice of ships: If you're undermining alone, you'll probably want to do so in a ship with a good turning rate in supercruise, even if it means a tradeoff in firepower. That makes interdictions a lot easier even if the kills take slightly longer. If in a wing, you can go for maximum firepower as long as a couple of people in the wing have ships that can handle the interdictions.

If you can manage to get all of that lined up just right, it is entirely possible to hit 1500 merits/hour.

 

[Fendalton]

Don't even bother interdicting people, just go to crime sweeps alone, it's the same as a Conflict Zone but you get 10 merits a kill rather than a financial reward.

It's literally that simple, 1 kill a minute (which is doable) is 600 Merits an hour

 

[yul7896]

Go to a Crime Sweep for Expansion or Resistance Pocket for other types. Made 1500 merits in 1.5 hours.

ED is now ez mode.

You chose a Power that is Easy Mode. Not every Power has a combat ethos, so UM is the only way to efficiently make merits without blowing your cred account for every Power that isn't combat ethos.

 

[Fendalton]

Then get double what you need and defect

 

[yul7896]

Then get double what you need and defect

Personally, I prefer to do what is hard rather than what is easy, but whatever floats your boat. Everyone plays the game differently. I enjoy the challenge, to be honest, and I think the culture that has developed in Winter, specifically, is outstanding, and a phenomenal community to be a member of. This is a direct result of a community that works hard to tackle the most difficult problems the game can present. To me it makes the experience that much more enjoyable.

 

[SpacialKatana]

I don't know what others are doing (one video said you can grind close too 1k of merits per hour and a half) too get such high merits with such little grind, but I am finding that on average I am grinding around 500 merits per hour of constant play.

I am in a "Battle" Python with A class everything and one of the best FSD Interdictor modules in game (don't even know if it's worth it sometimes). Even with all that, The undermining process has some very strange mechanics to it.

I notice all ships that spawn that are from the opposing power are facing my ship no matter where they spawn and require me to maneuver behind them to activate interdiction. So, I maneuver and as I close in for the kill, my FSD says "Outta Range"

I can get 1000 merits interdicting in about 1.5 hours easily, almost A spec Python with a B3 interdicter. Luck of the draw which way targets are headed, I tend to circle the star around half way between it and furthest planet in the 'blue' speed range.

Key to interdicting (ie the Out of Range warning) is matching the target's speed. Upto you what you do with throttle after interdiction starts, I tend to leave mine in the middle blue range, and get probably 95% success on interdictions.