I assume you're talking about pvp. The python can dispatch anything in pve.
Why do people like the Chieftan vs the Python for combat?
- Thread starter m0rl0ck
- Start date
Thats pretty much my experience with it.
umm.
I've just finished eng'ing for medium ships. My go to is the Python for day to day operations, however it has really good stats as an all out combat ship. Shields well over 2k, with heat-sink and SCB, Hull reinforce + module reinforce is very good. Weaps selection has variety and DD5 thrusters with some flying skill (ish) means it can stay on target. I'm close to buying another Python frame and setting it up for BH'ing.
Chief? ok but get an FdL
Python, good. FGS good too, Get an FdL though.
Or....
and this is out there. Get an I-courier and max it. Phenomenal potential. Shields near 2k. Room for SCB and some HR/MR. Playing around with outfitting it at the moment, weaps choice is "interesting". There is also the mini FdL, aka the DBX combat fit. Go cold into the night....
I've just finished eng'ing for medium ships. My go to is the Python for day to day operations, however it has really good stats as an all out combat ship. Shields well over 2k, with heat-sink and SCB, Hull reinforce + module reinforce is very good. Weaps selection has variety and DD5 thrusters with some flying skill (ish) means it can stay on target. I'm close to buying another Python frame and setting it up for BH'ing.
Chief? ok but get an FdL
Python, good. FGS good too, Get an FdL though.
Or....
and this is out there. Get an I-courier and max it. Phenomenal potential. Shields near 2k. Room for SCB and some HR/MR. Playing around with outfitting it at the moment, weaps choice is "interesting". There is also the mini FdL, aka the DBX combat fit. Go cold into the night....
The Chieftain, fully outfitted with DD5s turns as good as any ship in the game, I think. It's got enough firepower to hold ground while it stays in the zone on larger ships. It's a pleasure to fly it even if you're not fighting anything. It would be a great explorer if it had more range or perhaps some other capabilities but I am sure there are some commanders out and about the void in it now.
The Python does it all but of all it does, fighting is probably the weakest aspect of that build. It doesn't matter what pad you can land on if your shields are down and you cannot turn and break mass lock between you and the opponent.
The Python does it all but of all it does, fighting is probably the weakest aspect of that build. It doesn't matter what pad you can land on if your shields are down and you cannot turn and break mass lock between you and the opponent.
Python was the first ship I could take into a CZ and park myself there until I was completely out of ammo.
Chieftain wasn't even a twinkle in a ship-designer's eye.
Chieftain wasn't even a twinkle in a ship-designer's eye.
New. Shiny.
The reason the Chieftan seems underwhelming to you is because you're using turrets on a ship built around fixed weapons.
Fixed weapons will give you about double the effective damage if you can use them effectively.
The Python is too slow to effectively use fixed weapons, but the Chieftan can run circles around an enemy and unload shots from fixed weapons into them. The 2 fixed large pulses on the Chieftan will be roughly equivalent to about 4 turreted pulses of the same size; the smaller slots on the Chieftan are also useful for weapons such as Railguns or Plasmas. Of course, the Chieftan could also just use plasmas only and do so very effectively due to its maneuverability.
This means that the Chieftan is both more maneuverable and can do more realistic damage than the Python. However, the Chieftan does require the use of fixed weapons to truly shine (which is what the ship was built around); once properly piloted and outfitted, the Chieftan is one of the best combat ships in the game and certainly superior to the Python.
I've been looking at a Chieftan and I have two concerns:
1. I constantly see "canopy blowout" (and I mean a lot) and am wondering why a dedicated combat ship would have such poor contruction. FDev might need a fix patch for it?
2. What do you put on the 3 small hardpoints? Corrosive MCs or what?
1. I constantly see "canopy blowout" (and I mean a lot) and am wondering why a dedicated combat ship would have such poor contruction. FDev might need a fix patch for it?
2. What do you put on the 3 small hardpoints? Corrosive MCs or what?
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Bob Lighthouse
Banned
It's very agile and fun to fly... of course it's also new. The Python is still a better RES hunter in my book... it has considerably more firepower and stronger shields. Perfect for some lazy RES sessions... if you like it more dynamic and challenging the Chieftain is probably a reasonable choice, though.
I will say though that the NPC Chieftain has a drift that's absurd. This thing will turn on you and it's still drifting away from you at the same time. I don't know that it's in reverse, because sometimes it's drifting at an angle that reverse wouldn't necessarily accomplish. It seems that the lateral thrusters are not completely up to the task of stopping the momentum of the ship - much like the cutter once you've boosted and try to make a tight maneuver, she still drifts cause she got a fat behind.
The chieftain is more nimble so it excels with fixed weapons, it's also weaker so it's more of a challenge to fly against the same opponent. The pythons bigger and tankier almost but not quite one of the big three, so it's nearly an easy button.
So I'd say the chieftains better because it's more fun, not better in the min-maxing sense.
So I'd say the chieftains better because it's more fun, not better in the min-maxing sense.
Bob Lighthouse
Banned
Here is why I like it more than the python :
- It's a joy to fly. Agile and decent speed. Much better canopy view.
- Crap shields / Tanky hull makes for very fun combat with stuff falling appart
- Dream hardpoint placement makes all fixed very viable and fun. Not something that can be done in a lot of ships.
Funnily enough, my Chieftain has substantially better shields than my Python, with the same number of engineered SBs. I’m getting around 900MJ out of the Chieftain. Plus, since it’s smaller and more agile, it gets hit less than the Python.
Hunting in a HazRES, my Chieftain doesn’t lose its shields (I carry a single SCB), and even if it does, I have armor for days and two MRPs. It’s an absolute joy to own.
Hunting in a HazRES, my Chieftain doesn’t lose its shields (I carry a single SCB), and even if it does, I have armor for days and two MRPs. It’s an absolute joy to own.
I posted this in another thread, seems relevant here:
I'm currently testing 3.0 Engineered Shield types on my Chieftain.
Shields:
The following builds have 2 x HD A0 Boosters at 73% Boost w/ -2% on all resistances and 1 x A0 Thermal Booster with 20% Boost, 26.9% Thermal & -4% on the other resistances.
6A Prismatic - Thermal + Lo-Draw L5
6C Bi-Weave - Reinforced + Thermal Block L5
6C Bi-Weave - Thermal + Hi-Cap L5
SCB:
1 x 5A Specialised L3, 453 Thermal Load.
Armour:
Reactive Thermal w/ Angled Plating L5
1 x 4D HD HRP w/ Angled Plating L5
2 x 4 MRP
Wep's:
2 x Large Fixed Efficient Beams + Oversized L5
1 x Medium Overcharged Multi Cannon L5
2 x Small Overcharged MC L5
1 X Small Overcharged MC + Corrosive L5
MC's are gimbaled.
Conclusions:
I've now completed testing all 3 shield builds in a Haz Res. It surprised me that I preferred the Prismatic. Clearly it has the highest raw strength but unlike the prismatic on my Corvette it actually recharges in a reasonable time plus the SCB's have a noticeable effect i.e. each recharges just about a whole ring. Looking at the stats this Prismatic has 1/3 the recharge rate of the B-Weaves.
The ship runs at about 41% heat resting* so popping a SCB (no HSL) gives around 110% heat for a very short time, so no worries there.
No problems with the armour, I've lost shields a couple of times and taken her down to ~50% hull with no malfunctions as the MRP's do a good job.The ship runs at about 41% heat resting* so popping a SCB (no HSL) gives around 110% heat for a very short time, so no worries there.
No problems with the armour, I've lost shields a couple of times and taken her down to ~50% hull with no malfunctions as the MRP's do a good job.
Weapons. I've tried 3 & 4 rail builds (small & medium) on this with the SP or Feedback mods and even with thermal reductions for 3.0 I still find the ship overheats with the kind of fire rate I like for combat. Pretty effective though and wingmates love it when they fire. WHAM!!
I tried Packhounds once in a Beta a while back and they literally set fire to my ship, never again! Maybe they're better now?
So Beams & MC's: I like the balance of the Thermal and Kinetic. The two Beams do a great job of stripping shields off even the biggest high level NPC's and the Multi's, using the single corrosive, really cut into the hulls and seem especially good at tripping a PP kill. In general I've found that using the corrosive really improves the effect of the Beams on damaging hulls so is doubly worth having.
I tired a full frag build (Double Shot) and got 1500 dps and one that kept the beams. Amazing to pop a Conda in a couple of shots when the shields were down but ultimately not enough ammo capacity for PvE.
Hope that helps.
* If you are not under threat, kill the Thrusters and drop the heat to <39%. Definitely no problems popping a SCB then.
I'm currently testing 3.0 Engineered Shield types on my Chieftain.
Shields:
The following builds have 2 x HD A0 Boosters at 73% Boost w/ -2% on all resistances and 1 x A0 Thermal Booster with 20% Boost, 26.9% Thermal & -4% on the other resistances.
6A Prismatic - Thermal + Lo-Draw L5
6C Bi-Weave - Reinforced + Thermal Block L5
6C Bi-Weave - Thermal + Hi-Cap L5
SCB:
1 x 5A Specialised L3, 453 Thermal Load.
Armour:
Reactive Thermal w/ Angled Plating L5
1 x 4D HD HRP w/ Angled Plating L5
2 x 4 MRP
Wep's:
2 x Large Fixed Efficient Beams + Oversized L5
1 x Medium Overcharged Multi Cannon L5
2 x Small Overcharged MC L5
1 X Small Overcharged MC + Corrosive L5
MC's are gimbaled.
Conclusions:
I've now completed testing all 3 shield builds in a Haz Res. It surprised me that I preferred the Prismatic. Clearly it has the highest raw strength but unlike the prismatic on my Corvette it actually recharges in a reasonable time plus the SCB's have a noticeable effect i.e. each recharges just about a whole ring. Looking at the stats this Prismatic has 1/3 the recharge rate of the B-Weaves.
The ship runs at about 41% heat resting* so popping a SCB (no HSL) gives around 110% heat for a very short time, so no worries there.
No problems with the armour, I've lost shields a couple of times and taken her down to ~50% hull with no malfunctions as the MRP's do a good job.The ship runs at about 41% heat resting* so popping a SCB (no HSL) gives around 110% heat for a very short time, so no worries there.
No problems with the armour, I've lost shields a couple of times and taken her down to ~50% hull with no malfunctions as the MRP's do a good job.
Weapons. I've tried 3 & 4 rail builds (small & medium) on this with the SP or Feedback mods and even with thermal reductions for 3.0 I still find the ship overheats with the kind of fire rate I like for combat. Pretty effective though and wingmates love it when they fire. WHAM!!
I tried Packhounds once in a Beta a while back and they literally set fire to my ship, never again! Maybe they're better now?
So Beams & MC's: I like the balance of the Thermal and Kinetic. The two Beams do a great job of stripping shields off even the biggest high level NPC's and the Multi's, using the single corrosive, really cut into the hulls and seem especially good at tripping a PP kill. In general I've found that using the corrosive really improves the effect of the Beams on damaging hulls so is doubly worth having.
I tired a full frag build (Double Shot) and got 1500 dps and one that kept the beams. Amazing to pop a Conda in a couple of shots when the shields were down but ultimately not enough ammo capacity for PvE.
Hope that helps.
* If you are not under threat, kill the Thrusters and drop the heat to <39%. Definitely no problems popping a SCB then.
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That sounds weird... do you have different shield generator mods on them, i.e. thermal resistant on the Python and reinforced on the Chieftain? The Python has roughly 50% higher base shield strength, so regardless of mods, it should alsways have 50% more total shield strength as long as an identical shield generators/shield boosters loadout is used.
That aside, the Chieftain's shields are actually not that bad... roughly the same as the Clipper, which is reasonable enough to go for a shield tank fitting.
I always run HD boosters on top of thermal resistant base shields, and A-rate both. The only real difference is that the Chieftain was engineered in the new system.
Honestly, the Python’s shields always felt really flimsy to me. I fought in it a few times back when I first finished engineering it, and was underwhelmed (especially compared to the performance of my FdL). Something about the flight model just makes it feel vulnerable, IMO.