What to do with packhounds?

[Jon flint]

I've got a few of these in storage that i never use, but would like to start since they look damn cool

What's the best combo of engineer mods and specials for them??

Mostly looking for PvP focussed, as for PvE they're too limited by ammo capacity (yes i know there's a mod for that but still...)

Any thoughts on what's the most useful way to use these things?

 

[jasonbarron]

I've got a few of these in storage that i never use, but would like to start since they look damn cool

What's the best combo of engineer mods and specials for them??

Mostly looking for PvP focussed, as for PvE they're too limited by ammo capacity (yes i know there's a mod for that but still...)

Any thoughts on what's the most useful way to use these things?

I just now modded 1 for High Cap & Drag Munitions and one for Sturdy Mount, no special, both G5. I don't really know what to do with them so I thought I'd just take them to the CG and experiment

 

[AutoMechancal]

I just now modded 1 for High Cap & Drag Munitions and one for Sturdy Mount, no special, both G5. I don't really know what to do with them so I thought I'd just take them to the CG and experiment

You use them to make anyone who's shields are weaker then yours cry as you destroy all their external modules.

 

[Marshall...]

Always use high capacity as at G5 level you get pretty much double ammo. Specials are up to you (i use Drag and Thermal). Use them to obliterate modules on ships when their shields are down (very effective against hull tankers as you can knock out their guns and drives).

 

[Conch]

There is only one thing better than packhounds... MOARRR PACKHOUNDS!!

 

[Snarfbuckle]

Unlike regular missiles you have MORE ammunition so you CAN spam them.

For Engineering I say:

- MORE ammunition
- Secondary effect, Overload munitions (A little less ammo but can take out shields)

Take out shields, cripple hull modules.

Use a minimum of 2 but having 4 is damn fun but prepare for heat spikes.

 

[V'larr]

Unlike regular missiles you have MORE ammunition so you CAN spam them.

Nah, the ammo pool is relative to regular missiles at a 1:1 salvo ratio, it's not actually more. And packhounds have an insanely higher rate of fire, hence more commonly seeing ammo shortages and being prone to heat problems.

 

[Drelthar]

Capacity, and extra shield damage, then spam the hell outta them!

- - - Updated - - -

There is only one thing better than packhounds... MOARRR PACKHOUNDS!!

Listen to this one. Wise, he is.

 

[Jon flint]

Okay, I've thrown some modifications on them, high capacity magazines for the base mod and went for a mix of overload, thermal and drag specials.

I only intended to use 2 packhound launchers either on my fdl or Corvette, but just for testing purposes I've currently got 4 on my fdl (Also because they look awesome!)

Having done some testing against NPCs, i do like them, they seem to quickly wreck both shields and hull, although i was out of ammo in a hazres after taking out about 5 or 6 ships

I do have a question though, do they have an arming distance?? A couple of times while i was boosting toward an enemy, the whole bunch of packhounds would hit at pretty short range and explode but do literally no damage to the enemy's hull, not even a single %.

 

[Lord Tareq]

Okay, I've thrown some modifications on them, high capacity magazines for the base mod and went for a mix of overload, thermal and drag specials.

I only intended to use 2 packhound launchers either on my fdl or Corvette, but just for testing purposes I've currently got 4 on my fdl (Also because they look awesome!)

Having done some testing against NPCs, i do like them, they seem to quickly wreck both shields and hull, although i was out of ammo in a hazres after taking out about 5 or 6 ships

I do have a question though, do they have an arming distance?? A couple of times while i was boosting toward an enemy, the whole bunch of packhounds would hit at pretty short range and explode but do literally no damage to the enemy's hull, not even a single %.

Not really an arming distance, but apparently if you launch them at close range the missiles are bunched too close together at impact, causing the first one to hit your target to destroy all the other missiles in the subsequent explosion.

 

[Jon flint]

Not really an arming distance, but apparently if you launch them at close range the missiles are bunched too close together at impact, causing the first one to hit your target to destroy all the other missiles in the subsequent explosion.

Ahh, that explains it. Must remember to launch from sensible distances then

 

[Conch]

Okay, I've thrown some modifications on them, high capacity magazines for the base mod and went for a mix of overload, thermal and drag specials.

I only intended to use 2 packhound launchers either on my fdl or Corvette, but just for testing purposes I've currently got 4 on my fdl (Also because they look awesome!)

Having done some testing against NPCs, i do like them, they seem to quickly wreck both shields and hull, although i was out of ammo in a hazres after taking out about 5 or 6 ships

I do have a question though, do they have an arming distance?? A couple of times while i was boosting toward an enemy, the whole bunch of packhounds would hit at pretty short range and explode but do literally no damage to the enemy's hull, not even a single %.

if you gonna use 4 on the FDL, put them per 2 in a firegroup and switch when they need to reload.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NH-a0qKmOzw

 

[IndigoWyrd]

Fill all the slots on a T-9 with them and go CG'ing in Open.

Might just make for a nice surprise for all the CG pirates and tools.

 

[The New Number Two]

Unlike regular missiles you have MORE ammunition so you CAN spam them.

For Engineering I say:

- MORE ammunition
- Secondary effect, Overload munitions (A little less ammo but can take out shields)

Take out shields, cripple hull modules.

Use a minimum of 2 but having 4 is damn fun but prepare for heat spikes.

^ All of this. I like pairing Overload P-hounds with Thermal Vent gimballed beams to soothe the burning sensation they give off.

 

[Jon flint]

Fill all the slots on a T-9 with them and go CG'ing in Open.

Might just make for a nice surprise for all the CG pirates and tools.

Did that with a beluga a while back.. results were hilarious

 

[IndigoWyrd]

Did that with a beluga a while back.. results were hilarious

The visuals... Packhounds give me flashbacks to long ago, watching Robotech.

They're likely one of the very few reasons I might ever sully myself with Power Play.

 

[Foxiol Eagle]

Just some questions for those that unlocked it, playing the game since day one but never got into Powerplay, so what do I need to do to get those packhounds? I know you have to stay 4 weeks with that faction and get a certain rank/merits, but how does the player experience change aside from being Hostile to everyone else? Can you play the same way and get those merits by doing simple missions like trading and such in the main system? Or do you need to do things you don't want to do? (illegal stuff, war zones, etc)

I want those packhounds because they just look awesome but one month of play time is too much if it will be a pain in the *** to get that thing only.

 

[jasonbarron]

Just some questions for those that unlocked it, playing the game since day one but never got into Powerplay, so what do I need to do to get those packhounds? I know you have to stay 4 weeks with that faction and get a certain rank/merits, but how does the player experience change aside from being Hostile to everyone else? Can you play the same way and get those merits by doing simple missions like trading and such in the main system? Or do you need to do things you don't want to do? (illegal stuff, war zones, etc)

I want those packhounds because they just look awesome but one month of play time is too much if it will be a pain in the *** to get that thing only.

I don't really engage PP beyond simply pledging to the appropriate power and just going about my business as usual. It's very passive. After you make the 4 week mark you have to earn 750 merits before the next cycle ticks over, and there are a number of methods to do it efficiently.

 

[Sylow]

Just some questions for those that unlocked it, playing the game since day one but never got into Powerplay, so what do I need to do to get those packhounds? I know you have to stay 4 weeks with that faction and get a certain rank/merits, but how does the player experience change aside from being Hostile to everyone else? Can you play the same way and get those merits by doing simple missions like trading and such in the main system? Or do you need to do things you don't want to do? (illegal stuff, war zones, etc)

I want those packhounds because they just look awesome but one month of play time is too much if it will be a pain in the *** to get that thing only.

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You join a power. For three weeks you don't care for it at all. Sure you have the "hostile" marker on the lower right of the HUD, but it means almost nothing. You -might- experience a few more interdictions, but they are rare. You can go everywhere, dock everywhere no issues at all.
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The difference comes during the third week: you check wants you to do to earn merit. It's either killing ships of Archon Delaine, or disabling ships of Archon Delaine, then rescuing the slaves. (Oki, truth to be told, you can go against other powers, too, but why do that, if you can smack on a pirate? ) If your power wants you to just kill ships, you equip your prefered combat ship with a frameshift drive interdictor, fly to a control system of Archon Delaine (see above), and just interdict and destroy Kumo Crew ships. After kililng 50 ships, you have the vouchers on board to get 750 merit, so you fly to a system of your power and turn the vouchers in. While carrying vouchers, you will be attacked by hostile powers when they encounter you, but it doesn't feel different to normal long-distance travel with the occasional pirate.
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In case your task is to bring home goods, the process just changes a little: you don't pick your prefered combat ship, but rather use an armed transport like the Imperial Clipper or Python, or if you don't have either of those, an Asp Explorer. Next to weapons and FSD interdictor, you also bring collector limpets and hatchbreaker limpets. You then go to a system of Archon Delaine, but don't simply intercept just any ship with Kumo in the name. You have to focus on Kumo transporters. Interdict them, blow out their reactor, then just empty their cargo hold and collect all the marked slaves, so you can transport them to savety.
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As above, you basically expose yourself to hostile attack for this one day. After that you wait till your fourth week in the power and the powerplay cycle complete, so you have rank 3 and 4 weeks in the power. You buy what you want, you buy some extra and store them away, then leave the power again. Equipment you own and have stored away, you can equip any time again, you don't need to still work for the power the equipment belongs to.
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Enjoy.
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[Jon flint]

Just some questions for those that unlocked it, playing the game since day one but never got into Powerplay, so what do I need to do to get those packhounds? I know you have to stay 4 weeks with that faction and get a certain rank/merits, but how does the player experience change aside from being Hostile to everyone else? Can you play the same way and get those merits by doing simple missions like trading and such in the main system? Or do you need to do things you don't want to do? (illegal stuff, war zones, etc)

I want those packhounds because they just look awesome but one month of play time is too much if it will be a pain in the *** to get that thing only.

This way is the easy, non combat way, and assumes you have plenty of spare cash and access to large cargo carrying ships (t9/conda/vette/cutter)...

1. Join li-yong rui (spelling?), Preferably on a Thursday afternoon as this means you're right at the start of a new PP cycle.
2. Wait 3 weeks
3. Open galaxy map and select the powerplay view
4. Select the expansion thing on the left to see where the power is expanding into, look for the system that has the crosshair type icon.
5. Find a system controlled by li-yong whatsit close to the crosshair/expansion system (usually no more than 30-40ly away)
6. Dock at a station in that system and goto contacts menu/powerplay contact
7. You should see an option to purchase sealed contracts, at rank 1 (which you will be) you can only buy 10 at a time.. buy 10..
8. You can then fast track to your next allowance of 10 by paying 300'000cr (or wait 30min- but seriously, don't do this)
9. Repeat step 8 until your cargo hold is full.. in my case that's 400t.
10. Fly to the crosshair system identified earlier.
11. Dock, goto powerplay contact, and select "deliver sealed contracts".. make sure you deliver the full load.
12. Head back to the 1st station and buy more contracts and keep delivering them until you have delivered 750.
13. You should now have 750 merits for your power, but you will still be rank 1 as your rank won't tick over until the Thursday reset.
14. Once you've been joined for 4 weeks AND the Thursday powerplay reset has happened, you will jump up to rank 3 (thanks to the 750 merits you earned as a contract courier) and you now have access to Packhounds

I've used the above method to get Packhounds from li-yong rui and Prismatic shields from bluehair.

*Ninja'd