Weapons suggestions for an Anaconda combat build?

[Stealthie]

I used to use one of my Corvettes for naughty things.
It's going to be part of my Colonia fleet so it's going to be a lawful ship from now on.

I also have an Annie which has done some questionable things and I intend for that to take over the role of my primary "outlaw" ship.
Trouble is that it, erm, kind of sucks in combat.

I tried to copy the "design philosophy" of my Corvettes but it just doesn't have the same punch as my Corvettes, despite apparently having a higher DPS.
On my 'vettes, for example, I use a pair of 4A efficient beams for bringing down shields they get the job done pretty well, even on ships in Combat zones.
On the Annie, I have 3x 3C efficient beams which, in theory, have almost the same DPS as my 'vette but it takes forever to bring a ship's shields down.

Similar thing with MC's.
On my 'vette, I bring 2x overcharged 2F MCs on line once I've broken a target's shield and hulls don't last long.
On the Annie I bring a 4A overcharged MC on line and it takes a painfully long time to make anything go boom.

I think a big part of the problem is the position of weapons on the Annie.
Half the weapons are on top and half of them are underneath, which means there's only a small overlap and if a target moves out of the "sweet spot" then half the weapons are either not firing or not hitting the target.
Maybe I just need to get more familiar with using the Annie, so I can make better use of the weapons?

The rest of the build seems to be working fine.
I test out my big combat ships by going to a high-intensity CZs.
In my Corvettes, I can easily win a HICZ while only losing a ring of shield.
In the Annie, I didn't see any noticeable loss to my shield, so it seems to be tough enough, but I barely win the CZ simply cos my TTK is so long.

Anyway, if anybody's got any advice for a weapons loadout for a combat Annie (mostly PvE) then I'd like to hear it.

Annie build: https://s.orbis.zone/96l9

Corvette build (for comparison): https://s.orbis.zone/96lb

 

[Xious]

Death Star build

Coriolis EDCD Edition

A ship builder, outfitting and comparison tool for Elite Dangerous

s.orbis.zone

Fraga-Conda build

Coriolis EDCD Edition

A ship builder, outfitting and comparison tool for Elite Dangerous

s.orbis.zone

 

[Eraden]

Wow....is an Anaconda really good at hull tanking?

 

[Jmanis]

Wow....is an Anaconda really good at hull tanking?

Yup.

 

[Jmanis]

Oh BTW, my weapon loadout is usually something along the lines of:
C4 - OC+Autoloader MC
2 x C3 - Guardian Shard Cannon
1 x C3 - OC + Thermal Vent Beam
1 x C2 - OC+Corrosive MC
1 x C2 - OC+Autoloader MC
2 x C1 - guided missiles

I'm a gimball bunny and that still melts hulls pretty fast. Shard cannons can be replaced with your favourite frag meta if you like, but the corrosive rounds are really the MVP here, weakening hull resistances

Missiles are just there coz I hate trying to hit small ships sometimes.

 

[Silaz]

I like to put efficient PA's on the top, long range beams with thermal vent underneath for my PvE 'conda. Long time ago when I had less credits it was b-rated with cannons and pulse lasers instead. I like to engage targets from a distance. But now I've got the Corvette, the 'conda doesn't get as much use as it used to:

Handles like WIldmoose

 

[BL1P]

I tend to split the weapons to an Above and Below setup.
So... I would have lasers Below and MCs above or visa versa.
I use all OC autoload except for 1 high capacity Corrosive (using one of the smallest class avail) for MCs.
For lasers I would use Efficient thermal vents or OC thermals or Long range thermals depending on the ship.

I tends to use this on most builds I use for combat.
The reason for Below and Above is for easy convergence per grouping.

Anyway hope it helps you decide

Oh yer all gimbled cause im bad at keeping it steady in fa-off.

 

[Bigmaec]

I like the Pacifier / frag setup @Xious provided, I use something comparable on my Paxaconda.

Also an all fixed burst laser build works fine, provided you snipe out powerplants with it.
Throw in a gimballed multicannon to add corrosive (I like turrets for that)

@Paul Smith the 3rd used an all thermal conduit Beamaconda with hilarious results,
also he uses an all (c2-4) PA Conda.

 

[Stealthie]

Hmmm....

The strange thing is, it used to be that if anybody tried to say the 'vette was a good combat ship, you'd immediately get a bunch of people screeching about how the Annie was soooo much better.
Kind of surprising that there aren't more suggestions for how an Annie might outgun a 'vette.

I get that things like all PA/FC builds might be "powerful" but they're not really my thing.
I know EDs AI is kind of dumb so ships will allow you to do stuff like shuffle right up to them so you can unleash a devastating first strike but I like combat to be more "authentic" so I prefer more traditional loadouts.

The problem with the "top/bottom" thing is that I usually fit big lasers to take out shields ASAP, so I can start doing permanent damage, and then augment them with MC's to take out hulls.
They both need to be hitting the target at the same time to minimise TTK.
When I've got, say, lasers on top and kinetics underneath, there's only a small overlap so you're not going to get maximum DPS a lot of the time.

I'm thinking it might be best to have lasers underneath cos at least they're hitscan weapons so they're going to land exactly in my crosshairs.
Kinetics need to lead the target and if it flies underneath my ship I've got no way to aim them because the reticle is way below the cockpit's FOV.

Thinking about it, the Annie's hardpoint placement is one of it's biggest weaknesses.
IIRC, it's only got the 2x C3 hardpoints on top and everything else is underneath.
Well, I guess a couple of C3 MC's mounted on the top is my first step.
Then I need to find somewhere to attach roughly 80 DPS of lasers and, ideally, a PC or rail.

Back to Coriolis I go.

 

[Bigmaec]

It's not so much that the Vette outguns the Conda, it really doesn't, the weapon layout of the Conda is better.

But the Vette shines with the three class 7 slots, making it a much better shield tank than the Conda.
For me it's just that, and the "feeling". I have several videos in my YouTube channel fighting Pauls Conda with my Vette,
and all those fights are very close. They are really really comparable.

 

[Rubbernuke]

In PvE at least, you can exploit the Corvettes layout in another heavy ship quite easily. In a headon mash its easy to flip the Corvette up and focus fire into its belly with your weapons, which also stops the twin huge weapons from firing at you.

The Corvettes internals suit SCBs really, as HRPs top out at 5 and you get less waste in an Anaconda.

 

[rOmiLaYu]

I have been fighting a war in Carcosa for the past three weeks in an Anaconda. I filled the class three slots with focused flow controlled beam lasers. The class two slots with rapid fire cluster capacitors burst lasers. Class 1 slots with focused MC's, one with corrosive, one with incendiary. And the class 4 is also a MC, overpowered and monstered (I think?). It does as well as a Vette for me. The trick I have found (gimbal scrub here) is that you have to keep the target just below the nose of the ship to get all hardpoints firing. The bottom C3 beam doesn't fire if you're chasing from below but by the time you swing up and get over it, it will begin to fire.

I've been consistently able to solo High CZ's in it. Hopefully that's helpful, but I'm pants at combat and only slowly learning.

 

[Stealthie]

It's not so much that the Vette outguns the Conda, it really doesn't, the weapon layout of the Conda is better.

But the Vette shines with the three class 7 slots, making it a much better shield tank than the Conda.
For me it's just that, and the "feeling". I have several videos in my YouTube channel fighting Pauls Conda with my Vette,
and all those fights are very close. They are really really comparable.

Oh, I get that the 'vette doesn't have the same potential for overall DPS as the Annie and that it's easier to make an Annie a tank.
It's just that the 'vette's strengths are it's agility and, apparently, it's weapon-placement and they aren't as easy to quantify.
In practice, though, you can easily dogfight with Vultures and FdLs in an 'vette whereas it's a lot harder in an Annie (IMO, at least).

Even the 'vette's ventral weapon is at the nose so it's crosshair has a decent FOF, visibe through the canopy.
With the Annie, the ventral weapons are further back and further down due to it's lardy belly, which means their crosshairs are right on the nose of the ship, which obscures any target below it's waistline.

Anyway, the current plan is to fit lasers to the C4 and C2 hardpoints, fit a pair of MCs to the top C3 hardpoints and bung another of my shiny new APAs in the lower C3 hardpoint.
My vettes rely on a pair of C2 MC's so the Annie should definitely be better at shredding hulls.
The 2 C4 beams on my vettes provide about 80 DPS whereas the C4 & C2 beams on the Annie will produce around 74 DPS so it shouldn't be too much worse at stripping shields either.

Basically, I'm hoping that fitting the lasers underneath will negate most the issues I'm having with targeting and having the MC's on top will allow me to lead targets more easily due to the increased FOF visible through the canopy.

Honestly, I just threw this Annie together 'cos I wanted my naughty ship to be different to my lawful ships.
I didn't put a lot of thought into it as I was building it and I guess that's coming back to bite me on the butt now.

 

[Stealthie]

I have been fighting a war in Carcosa for the past three weeks in an Anaconda. I filled the class three slots with focused flow controlled beam lasers. The class two slots with rapid fire cluster capacitors burst lasers. Class 1 slots with focused MC's, one with corrosive, one with incendiary. And the class 4 is also a MC, overpowered and monstered (I think?). It does as well as a Vette for me. The trick I have found (gimbal scrub here) is that you have to keep the target just below the nose of the ship to get all hardpoints firing. The bottom C3 beam doesn't fire if you're chasing from below but by the time you swing up and get over it, it will begin to fire.

I've been consistently able to solo High CZ's in it. Hopefully that's helpful, but I'm pants at combat and only slowly learning.

Yep.

That build seems like a similar design to what I had and I'm sure that part of the problem I'm having is simply that I'm not used to flying it effectively.
In the 'vette it's just "Look at target. Target go boom".
In the Annie, I need to learn to keep targets right on the nose of the ship, or even a bit lower.

I'm hoping that putting the lasers underneath, so I can keep the MC's on top (where I can see to lead targets), will help.

 

[rOmiLaYu]

In the Annie, I need to learn to keep targets right on the nose of the ship, or even a bit lower.

Even a bit lower is better. If the target is visible to you and above the nose of the ship, anything under the boat isn't going to hit it. I try to cover the target with the nose of the Anaconda and that seems to be the sweet spot.

 

[baudelier]

I'd probably go with one class 4 and one class 3 efficient thermal vent beams plus two class 1 seeker high cap drag launcher on the bottom.

And then two class 3 plus one class 2 overcharged autoloader multi-cannons and one class 2 high capacity corrosive multi-cannon.

 

[Ydiss]

Yep.

That build seems like a similar design to what I had and I'm sure that part of the problem I'm having is simply that I'm not used to flying it effectively.
In the 'vette it's just "Look at target. Target go boom".
In the Annie, I need to learn to keep targets right on the nose of the ship, or even a bit lower.

I'm hoping that putting the lasers underneath, so I can keep the MC's on top (where I can see to lead targets), will help.

I find it the same for the vette. The large underneath will need the target either directly in front or underneath.

I flew mostly with the Chieftan before and so it took me a while to notice one frag rarely running out of ammo. I've adjusted since and sort of fire above then fire below. It's useful actually, aiming for the lower frag usually results in ramming the target for massive damage

 

[Stealthie]

I find it the same for the vette. The large underneath will need the target either directly in front or underneath.

I flew mostly with the Chieftan before and so it took me a while to notice one frag rarely running out of ammo. I've adjusted since and sort of fire above then fire below. It's useful actually, aiming for the lower frag usually results in ramming the target for massive damage

Yep, the tank-ships have superb hardpoint placement.

 

[Cmdr Nemo]

I used to use one of my Corvettes for naughty things.
It's going to be part of my Colonia fleet so it's going to be a lawful ship from now on.

I also have an Annie which has done some questionable things and I intend for that to take over the role of my primary "outlaw" ship.
Trouble is that it, erm, kind of sucks in combat.

I tried to copy the "design philosophy" of my Corvettes but it just doesn't have the same punch as my Corvettes, despite apparently having a higher DPS.
On my 'vettes, for example, I use a pair of 4A efficient beams for bringing down shields they get the job done pretty well, even on ships in Combat zones.
On the Annie, I have 3x 3C efficient beams which, in theory, have almost the same DPS as my 'vette but it takes forever to bring a ship's shields down.

Similar thing with MC's.
On my 'vette, I bring 2x overcharged 2F MCs on line once I've broken a target's shield and hulls don't last long.
On the Annie I bring a 4A overcharged MC on line and it takes a painfully long time to make anything go boom.

I think a big part of the problem is the position of weapons on the Annie.
Half the weapons are on top and half of them are underneath, which means there's only a small overlap and if a target moves out of the "sweet spot" then half the weapons are either not firing or not hitting the target.
Maybe I just need to get more familiar with using the Annie, so I can make better use of the weapons?

The rest of the build seems to be working fine.
I test out my big combat ships by going to a high-intensity CZs.
In my Corvettes, I can easily win a HICZ while only losing a ring of shield.
In the Annie, I didn't see any noticeable loss to my shield, so it seems to be tough enough, but I barely win the CZ simply cos my TTK is so long.

Anyway, if anybody's got any advice for a weapons loadout for a combat Annie (mostly PvE) then I'd like to hear it.

Annie build: https://s.orbis.zone/96l9

Corvette build (for comparison): https://s.orbis.zone/96lb

Strip the Conda and sell it; Use the funds to purchase and build another Corvette to your liking.

 

[Stealthie]

Strip the Conda and sell it; Use the funds to purchase and build another Corvette to your liking.

Heh,

I was actually getting ready to do that when I decided to make this thread.

Childish as it might be, the main reason I don't want to do that is cos the Annie has amassed a bounty of nearly a billion credits on it and I'm kind of proud of that.
Also, I built it in Colonia, it gained most of it's bounty in Colonia and then I accidentally shipped it back to the bubble (at a cost of Cr2bn) so that ship owes me, big-time!

Also, also, I don't like just doing the same thing over and over.
I like having different ships for different roles, even if they're not always the best ship for the job.
Similar thing with mining.
I know a Cutter would make a better mining ship but I use mine as cargo ships so I want something different as a mining ship - hence my T10s for mining.