What ship for solo thargoid combat

[rrobes]

Good advice previously about going at it groups first.

I've been part of wings of two and higher. We've killed 5 w/ two and 7 w/ higher numbers. All 5's.

The Thargoids vary in capability within the ranks, so bear that in mind. We're going for a 6 next hunt.

I've engineered my Corvette to 6.6k hull and 5.1 shields, it helps. As the missile boat in the group, I get in close as possible to be effective and absorb damage, letting the other(s) bore in w/ the MC's.

I haven't lost my ship yet but we've had losses as well as some tactical retreats.

Thargoids aren't leaving and we better get good at fighting them.

 

[Karamon]

Best part about Thargoid hunting is that there are so many tactics , many options , multiple weapon and ship choices and different tactics against same types of atacks . And there is always plenty of room for improvement.

 

[El Guido]

I was thinking of having a go at the thargoids however the people I used to play with have all quit so winging up is not an option.
What kind of ship do you need to solo a cyclops.
Does it have to be T10 anaconda cutter to have a chance or is a Python good enough.
Is it doable or will I just die a lot.

O7

Oh boy. That's a question.
I don't know how many hours I spent on this.
I killed many many Guardian sentinels to steal their stuff and unlock Guardian weapons and fighters.
I tried just about every different combination of ship and equipment.
I flew many thousands of light years back and forth to satisfy engineer's requirements to get them to upgrade my modules, weapons and hull.
I watched many hours of youtube videos of cyclops kills.
But for a cmdr such as myself with only "fair to OK to meh" combat skills this works for me every single time.

Proven Anti cyclops build and strategy .pdf

drive.google.com

This will definitely do it.

 

[Jmanis]

Sidewinder.

You joke... but:

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBU63HAelhM

 

[Dr. Nagi]

Surprised there is not much talk about the Cutter?
Has no small hardpoints -> can fit 4 medium Gauss + 2 Flaks + 1 huge Beam with thermal vent. Can still boost 500 m/s.
I know it's expensive af and requires rank grind, but eh?

 

[Jmanis]

Surprised there is not much talk about the Cutter?
Has no small hardpoints -> can fit 4 medium Gauss + 2 Flaks + 1 huge Beam with thermal vent. Can still boost 500 m/s.
I know it's expensive af and requires rank grind, but eh?

So, between (a while back) and now, the Cyclops (imo) got an AI buff and became more manouverable. Cutter might hit 500m/s, but it turns like a pregnant yak by comparison.I gave it and an Anaconda a crack, and the Annie wins out for me.

 

[Dr. Nagi]

So, between (a while back) and now, the Cyclops (imo) got an AI buff and became more manouverable. Cutter might hit 500m/s, but it turns like a pregnant yak by comparison.I gave it and an Anaconda a crack, and the Annie wins out for me.

Oof okay

 

[StiTch]

You joke... but:
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBU63HAelhM

BUT THIS GAME IS TOO HARD AND EVEN AN G8 MODDED ANACONDACUTTER CANNOT ESCAPE A NOVICE NPC !!1!

I mean...oh! look at that, a sidey soloing the thargs. Why am I not surprised

Props, GF

Surprised there is not much talk about the Cutter?
Has no small hardpoints -> can fit 4 medium Gauss + 2 Flaks + 1 huge Beam with thermal vent. Can still boost 500 m/s.
I know it's expensive af and requires rank grind, but eh?

Because it's a shield tank and the thargs don't give a donkey about shields.

With FA Off and some experience, any ship can become manoeuvrable enough for just about any NPC job but with the 4 AX weapon limitation larger ships don't get to really strut their stuff-and if you do want to use a big guy, the iCutter doesn't gain enough elsewhere to justify its use against enemies that dismantle shields when there are more hull-tanky big ships available.

 

[Dr. Nagi]

Because it's a shield tank and the thargs don't give a donkey about shields.

Coriolis EDCD Edition

A ship builder, outfitting and comparison tool for Elite Dangerous

s.orbis.zone

Excuse me, sir, 5.6k hull not enough?

 

[StiTch]

Coriolis EDCD Edition

A ship builder, outfitting and comparison tool for Elite Dangerous

s.orbis.zone

Excuse me, sir, 5.6k hull not enough?

You discovered engineers - so what?

'conda with the same "other" modules has nearly a third more HP - and comes with a C8 distributor, shields that will recover before next millennium, and C2 hardpoints that can converge on targets smaller than a moon.

I love the cutter. It's my go-to ship for almost everything. But I do mean "almost" anything; it certainly wouldn't be my first choice for tharg hunting. Can it do it? Yes, but so can a sidey ^

 

[SlartiB]

So I'm needing some help in Tharg hunting....
I decided to go and up my rank to Elite, so I hung out around Hi Res sites and got up to Dangerous (This got a lot more fun when I got the Python), then decided to see if I could push my way to Elite by Tharg hunting. So, for the last week or so I've been Tharg hunting. I'm now up to Deadly, but at a cost. I've been killed probably 5 times to the Tune of about 8 Mil per pop for a replacement Python.

I keep getting killed when the EMP shutdown happens or when I'm trying to low wake out after am EMP Shutdown (I know, I should be high waking, but low usually works, I'm going to set a target system to high wake out from now on). I'm getting chased down by something and it catches me. I've been resisting getting an Anaconda, but maybe that's the better move. I'm not good with the Gauss cannon. It's a great weapon when I get get hits with it. Usually only takes 2 or two and it seems like the scout is out. But it's hard to keep the pip on the target. I do better with Turrented/Gimbaled weapons. Current config is 3 Ax multi cannon, 1 Gauss, and one Engineered/Gimbaled Pulse Laser. I have the Guardian Shield booster and that helped.

I also got the Shutdown Field Neutralizer but have yet to deploy it correctly, always either too early or too late. I just hunt the easy scouts. Usually, when the shutdown happens, I'm not currently targeted by a Tharg and can simply low wake out to the next AX site. I feel like I can hold my own against the regular scouts, but when the big ones come I just try and get out of dodge.

Any suggestions?

Thx

 

[Dr. Nagi]

So I'm needing some help in Tharg hunting....
I decided to go and up my rank to Elite, so I hung out around Hi Res sites and got up to Dangerous (This got a lot more fun when I got the Python), then decided to see if I could push my way to Elite by Tharg hunting. So, for the last week or so I've been Tharg hunting. I'm now up to Deadly, but at a cost. I've been killed probably 5 times to the Tune of about 8 Mil per pop for a replacement Python.

I keep getting killed when the EMP shutdown happens or when I'm trying to low wake out after am EMP Shutdown (I know, I should be high waking, but low usually works, I'm going to set a target system to high wake out from now on). I'm getting chased down by something and it catches me. I've been resisting getting an Anaconda, but maybe that's the better move. I'm not good with the Gauss cannon. It's a great weapon when I get get hits with it. Usually only takes 2 or two and it seems like the scout is out. But it's hard to keep the pip on the target. I do better with Turrented/Gimbaled weapons. Current config is 3 Ax multi cannon, 1 Gauss, and one Engineered/Gimbaled Pulse Laser. I have the Guardian Shield booster and that helped.

I also got the Shutdown Field Neutralizer but have yet to deploy it correctly, always either too early or too late. I just hunt the easy scouts. Usually, when the shutdown happens, I'm not currently targeted by a Tharg and can simply low wake out to the next AX site. I feel like I can hold my own against the regular scouts, but when the big ones come I just try and get out of dodge.

Any suggestions?

Thx

Boosting away with FA OFF when the emp happens.

 

[Arkadi]

I wouldn't take a too rebuy heavy ship for the start. Thargoid Interceptors are hard at first and you probably will lose some ships at your first attempts. Also try using heat-sinks. It seems Thargoids use pretty much heat signature for aiming and tracking.

I had succes with a Federal Assault Ship for my first Cyclops solo, since hull-tanking seems more effective, since your shield will be ripped away sooner or later in a medium ship. But there are many options. And definitly stick to the Cyclops first, the other kinds of Interceptors are increasingly more difficult to master. Basically any ship that can equip two decent sized Gauss or Shard Cannons is fine.

You'll find many good ship builds here:
https://canonn.science/lab-69-xia/

 

[ZAKALWEINC8876]

To just start out, imo....

Krait mk2 with dual fighter bay, 3xgauss, 1xturreted shard cannon. Totally pimp it, if you can aim, cyclops rapidly become doable. Use repeated fighters to distract the swarm, just concentrate on the cyclops.
With g5 drag drives you can easily run away if it gets too hot as you are learning. Cyclops can only go 450(ish) ms. Fully engineered mk2 is way over 500ms.

I learned in an FGS, but Krait is better imo.

Good luck CMDR

o7

 

[BDelacroix]

At this point I think its been done with all ships. That being said, it is more the skill involved than the ship, but it helps.
You want to be fast or invisible or tanky.

Popular ones are Cutter (that's what I use), Krait II, Anaconda and I one of the flying irons of the federation. FGS I think.

 

[everstream]

As shortly shown here Fastest Cyclops Kills - World Records? four shard cannons (fixed) can kill a cyclops within 50 seconds - just one example. So I've planned this one Guardian Shard Cutter , with which I hope, to kill a cyclops in under 2 minutes. It takes longer because of turrets and 2 class 2 shards. But there is also a class 4 incendiary MC - should help against shields. I'm still grinding for a cutter at the moment ...

 

[Dr. Nagi]

As shortly shown here Fastest Cyclops Kills - World Records? four shard cannons (fixed) can kill a cyclops within 50 seconds - just one example. So I've planned this one Guardian Shard Cutter , with which I hope, to kill a cyclops in under 2 minutes. It takes longer because of turrets and 2 class 2 shards. But there is also a class 4 incendiary MC - should help against shields. I'm still grinding for a cutter at the moment ...

The shields come up after you killed the first heart and they're also decaying over time, usually while you're busy flaking the swarm anyways. The shard cannon quick kill goes without killing a single heart.

 

[everstream]

Well, my weapon loadout is planned to work also against bigger, more complicated thargoids than a cyclops. So by meeting only a cyclops, I hope to not to bother about the swarm - so the flaks will stay unused and the MC will hopefully just support a little as it's themal damage due to incendiary effect. The "normal" purpose of the MC is than to fight against NPC pirates underways or against PvPers eventually attacking me, if I'll do my thargoid hunting in Open mode in future.

I've to admit, that I've only successfully killed Scouts some months ago and hat to run away in my Anaconda even from cyclops. The Annie was well armoured, but only equipped with turreted AX MCs and missiles and I've not even used FA Off then. So I expect, that the real experience with the Cutter can be a little bit different from what I expect just looking at the coriolis numbers and stats. I don't really know, whether I'll keep the Cutter, once I have it - the offset of the pilot seat in the Python makes me mad, the one in Clipper not. But in the Clipper I was only sitting and equipping it, not flying. Yes, never flown the Clipper just let it be transported for me to different stations to equip it and store, but that's another story.

 

[Dr. Nagi]

Well, my weapon loadout is planned to work also against bigger, more complicated thargoids than a cyclops. So by meeting only a cyclops, I hope to not to bother about the swarm - so the flaks will stay unused and the MC will hopefully just support a little as it's themal damage due to incendiary effect. The "normal" purpose of the MC is than to fight against NPC pirates underways or against PvPers eventually attacking me, if I'll do my thargoid hunting in Open mode in future.

I've to admit, that I've only successfully killed Scouts some months ago and hat to run away in my Anaconda even from cyclops. The Annie was well armoured, but only equipped with turreted AX MCs and missiles and I've not even used FA Off then. So I expect, that the real experience with the Cutter can be a little bit different from what I expect just looking at the coriolis numbers and stats. I don't really know, whether I'll keep the Cutter, once I have it - the offset of the pilot seat in the Python makes me mad, the one in Clipper not. But in the Clipper I was only sitting and equipping it, not flying. Yes, never flown the Clipper just let it be transported for me to different stations to equip it and store, but that's another story.

Then why not use a thermal vent beam laser which also cools you down?

 

[everstream]

Even if I take the Efficient G5 the PP-capacity would be exceeded. Yes I know, only the Fuel Scoop would be deactivated (FSD Prio adjusted, something gone wrong there ...). And by rectracting the hardpoints in order to go into SC or high wake, the pwer will still be enough. But that's my personal taste - do not exceed the PP-capacity even if all modules are active. I don't follow this aspect on Exploconda though, to be honest. Should probably think about it. But it's also about the short range of the efficient beam laser. And the long range variant would result even in 104,9 PP capacity and a need to reduce the power consumption of the shield and/or boosters - not really what I want.

For me the incendiary MC is the long range and efficient laser at the same time, even if ammo-limited. Furthermore I plan to use premium ammo at it, all the time, rather equal whether I fight the thargoids or transport cargo. Means, the damage of the MC won't be only "wasted" to thargoids" but also completely applied at pirates.

The sustained DPS of the MC would be 25,4*1,3=33,2 , so a little bit higher than that of efficient beam with only 0,63/2,96*100=21% of it's power consumption. The Fall-Off-Range is quite the same with the shards, so the target locks will aim quite equal.

Maybe I got just too used to MCs and also not want to use "the meta" ... like in the real life - I have enough money and it would be more practical to drive a BMW, especially living in Germany ... but I drive a Jaguar. Not only because it's a beautiful and powerful car, I also don't want to be like the others...

EDIT: regarding the temperature, in the video with 50-seconds-kill I have seen, that the temperature was never higher then 61% without cooling by heat sink. The ship cooled down while reloading interval of the shards.