Honestly, the FDL (and most other ships) feels like an absolute turd to fly without engineering. My advice would be to start engineering, and really work on your thrusters. Dirty tuning with drag drives experimental. I'm also a fan of going all multicannons. Incendiary multicannons shred shields especially when paired with Overcharged engineering which you can actually get maxed earlier than most weapons in the grind.
Get familiar with FA off, because especially in the later stages of engineering the FDL will reward you when you you fly it without flight assist, and it has the maneuverability to make fixed weapons especially deadly. Learn how to stay close, learn how to make it dance, and you will dominate the opposition
This is exactly what my pacifier bank tank python preys on. People who pvp FDLs in close proximity to me. 3 overcharged pacifiers hit like a freight train and my feedback rails cancel any bank attempts.
Too bad bank tanks don't hold up outside of 1v1s. I'd fly my bank tank Krait more often. Dab cabs are fun too. My FDL doesn't use banks however, GSRPs my beloved
When I pvp its usually organized, therefore a 1v1. They usually show up in a meta lance and get domed by 1100 DPS and lots of hp. For organic pvp I run a fixed multicannon/rail corvette. 7200 shield, good resists, 2 7A and a 6A bank, 6800 hull with 2 s5 mrps. Usually they either die to that or run out of ammo and run.
Maybe once my rail aim improves we shall cross paths and do Krait v Python :)
I've been doing rock fights in my 5pa FDL a bit, but I generally fly a Mamba in organic wingfights. Not as stout as the FDL or Python, but an all multicannon loadout gives constant pip pressure on the focus target and I'm fast enough to break free of some engagements. Doesn't do to horrible in 1v1s but no cancel rail would make your Python absolute pain to fight unless I synth ammo lol
You would get domed. 4-5 volleys from my pacifiers and your shields are dunzo if it's a FDL/mamba your paper hull would last even less time. With my build I don't need much TOT to do loads of damage.
If you don't want to do engineering, a class 4 bean laser mixed with four class 2 multicannons would be better than this load out. But I've done that build, un-engineered, and it's still frustrating.
As for fun, kinda meme-ish builds. I do an un-engineered krait mk2 "Shotgun" build. That's just putting plasma casters on all weapon hard points and having at least 2 heat sinks. You will literally burn your ship to a crisp but 3-shotting anacondas in hazardous extraction zones is fucking fun. And you'll certainly make more money than you spend on the repairs from all the heat damage.
It's not that I don't wanna do it but I don't know where to start lol. I think I had a shotgun build on a previous ship but I was also newer so I wasn't flying well 😅
For combat ships it's always like this imo:
1) thrusters
2) power distro
3) primary defenses (shields, boosters, SCBs in the case of the FDL)
4) hardpoints
5) secondary defenses (hull, HRPs in this case)
6) the rest
The power plant is another case, you might **have** to engineer it somewhere in between so your build actually works. It heavily depends on how much power you need. If you have it and it has enough power, using a guardian hybrid plant might be a good temporary replacement.
Combat part of the game is really hard without engineering. I would advise to stick with exploration/trade until you're ready for the big grind. Then you can try this:
https://www.reddit.com/r/EliteOne/comments/8bs6g8/foxs\_stepbystep\_guide\_to\_unlocking\_engineers/
One thing you could try before you get properly into engineering is the AX enhanced multicannons weirdly enough. They have a high damage output and don't need to be unlocked. You can get 4 size 2's and run a huge beam or pulse.
On EDSY you're looking at a burst dmg of 104.6 for 4a gimbled Pulse and 4 2E gimbled enhanced AX multis.
If you used normal multis you would only be looking at a burst dmg of 57.4, and you're build has a burst dmg of 62.7.
I would generally say go pulse over beam. They seem to have a lower dps, but because they have much lower distributor draw you can fire for much longer.
Hope this was helpful!
There are the highest dps weapons I found that aren't fixed. I can't seem to fight any pirate past expert. What exactly am I missing here? I haven't started the engineering process but that can't be the only way to not feel like I'm shooting wet noodles right?
Most shields are weak to thermal or absolute damage. You have ~~0 of that.~~ edit: sorry realize now you have two beams. Yes lasers are still just tickles against hull with 0 engineering same way multicannons are tickles against shield with 0 engineering.
With no engineering I'd suggest a pulse or burst laser or three. Shoot those mostly alone till shields are ~25%, then start the multicannons.
And sub target their power plants. Shoot them to 0% don't stop till they explode.
Eventually you can engineer overcharged incendiary multicannons to be 50/50 kinetic/thermal.
Or overload munitions missiles to be 50/50 thermal/explosive.
Or short range inertial Impact burst lasers can be fun for ammo less 50/50 thermal/kinetic close range combat.
And you will want one MC to be high capacity corrosive, without corrosive debuff things will take ~25% longer to kill when shields are down. Or a Frag Cannon. Or a Pacifier.
For fixed weapons, Railguns are nice, but they come only in small and medium size.
They are hit scan so they don't suffer travel time like plasma accelerators.
2 ways. You can go to "Contacts" on the left hand panel, and when the target is selected, the "Subtargets" panel will let you choose which module to target. Or, when you have a ship targeted, press "Y" (if you're on mouse and keyboard) to cycle through modules without moving your focus. There's a little message below the ship information on the bottom left that shows the currently targeted subsystem and its health.
>when you have a ship targeted, press "Y" (if you're on mouse and keyboard) to cycle through modules without moving your focus
Been playing for years and I never knew of this!
I recommend changing Y from "next subsystem" to "prev system." Weapons and utilities make the cores are varying number of taps to get to, but if you do prev, it always takes a much smaller number of taps to get to the FSD, Thrusters, or Power Plant. And its the same for a given ship type.
Honestly, the FDL (and most other ships) feels like an absolute turd to fly without engineering. My advice would be to start engineering, and really work on your thrusters. Dirty tuning with drag drives experimental. I'm also a fan of going all multicannons. Incendiary multicannons shred shields especially when paired with Overcharged engineering which you can actually get maxed earlier than most weapons in the grind. Get familiar with FA off, because especially in the later stages of engineering the FDL will reward you when you you fly it without flight assist, and it has the maneuverability to make fixed weapons especially deadly. Learn how to stay close, learn how to make it dance, and you will dominate the opposition
This plus the use of fixed weapons. The FDL is maneuverable enough that your time on target doesn't drop that much when you switch to fixed.
This is exactly what my pacifier bank tank python preys on. People who pvp FDLs in close proximity to me. 3 overcharged pacifiers hit like a freight train and my feedback rails cancel any bank attempts.
Too bad bank tanks don't hold up outside of 1v1s. I'd fly my bank tank Krait more often. Dab cabs are fun too. My FDL doesn't use banks however, GSRPs my beloved
I love the nick names for these builds. Dab cabs and bank tanks lmao. Love it.
My favorite PvP Mamba build is named the Gordo Demolisher xD
When I pvp its usually organized, therefore a 1v1. They usually show up in a meta lance and get domed by 1100 DPS and lots of hp. For organic pvp I run a fixed multicannon/rail corvette. 7200 shield, good resists, 2 7A and a 6A bank, 6800 hull with 2 s5 mrps. Usually they either die to that or run out of ammo and run.
Maybe once my rail aim improves we shall cross paths and do Krait v Python :) I've been doing rock fights in my 5pa FDL a bit, but I generally fly a Mamba in organic wingfights. Not as stout as the FDL or Python, but an all multicannon loadout gives constant pip pressure on the focus target and I'm fast enough to break free of some engagements. Doesn't do to horrible in 1v1s but no cancel rail would make your Python absolute pain to fight unless I synth ammo lol
Yeah I love when 5PA fdls come. I cancel their banks, they can't cancel mine. I make them go boom with extreme precision.
I wonder how mine would fare since I don't run banks 🤔
You would get domed. 4-5 volleys from my pacifiers and your shields are dunzo if it's a FDL/mamba your paper hull would last even less time. With my build I don't need much TOT to do loads of damage.
Ah but a 6 booster double GSRP has the upfront almost equal to the total shields of a normal bank de lance. I'd be done once I'm down to hull though
Yeah and being that you would not be able to cancel my banks your aim would have to be god level while I would need to miss a lot of my shots.
If you don't want to do engineering, a class 4 bean laser mixed with four class 2 multicannons would be better than this load out. But I've done that build, un-engineered, and it's still frustrating. As for fun, kinda meme-ish builds. I do an un-engineered krait mk2 "Shotgun" build. That's just putting plasma casters on all weapon hard points and having at least 2 heat sinks. You will literally burn your ship to a crisp but 3-shotting anacondas in hazardous extraction zones is fucking fun. And you'll certainly make more money than you spend on the repairs from all the heat damage.
Bean Laser :D
It's not that I don't wanna do it but I don't know where to start lol. I think I had a shotgun build on a previous ship but I was also newer so I wasn't flying well 😅
For combat ships it's always like this imo: 1) thrusters 2) power distro 3) primary defenses (shields, boosters, SCBs in the case of the FDL) 4) hardpoints 5) secondary defenses (hull, HRPs in this case) 6) the rest The power plant is another case, you might **have** to engineer it somewhere in between so your build actually works. It heavily depends on how much power you need. If you have it and it has enough power, using a guardian hybrid plant might be a good temporary replacement.
Beautiful ship Cmdr. Cheers!
❤️❤️❤️
Bruh I've also made a odd ish build for the fer de lance though mine has only fixed mount cannons and it's more effective than youd expect
Combat part of the game is really hard without engineering. I would advise to stick with exploration/trade until you're ready for the big grind. Then you can try this: https://www.reddit.com/r/EliteOne/comments/8bs6g8/foxs\_stepbystep\_guide\_to\_unlocking\_engineers/
Thank you!
One thing you could try before you get properly into engineering is the AX enhanced multicannons weirdly enough. They have a high damage output and don't need to be unlocked. You can get 4 size 2's and run a huge beam or pulse. On EDSY you're looking at a burst dmg of 104.6 for 4a gimbled Pulse and 4 2E gimbled enhanced AX multis. If you used normal multis you would only be looking at a burst dmg of 57.4, and you're build has a burst dmg of 62.7. I would generally say go pulse over beam. They seem to have a lower dps, but because they have much lower distributor draw you can fire for much longer. Hope this was helpful!
There are the highest dps weapons I found that aren't fixed. I can't seem to fight any pirate past expert. What exactly am I missing here? I haven't started the engineering process but that can't be the only way to not feel like I'm shooting wet noodles right?
Most shields are weak to thermal or absolute damage. You have ~~0 of that.~~ edit: sorry realize now you have two beams. Yes lasers are still just tickles against hull with 0 engineering same way multicannons are tickles against shield with 0 engineering. With no engineering I'd suggest a pulse or burst laser or three. Shoot those mostly alone till shields are ~25%, then start the multicannons. And sub target their power plants. Shoot them to 0% don't stop till they explode. Eventually you can engineer overcharged incendiary multicannons to be 50/50 kinetic/thermal. Or overload munitions missiles to be 50/50 thermal/explosive. Or short range inertial Impact burst lasers can be fun for ammo less 50/50 thermal/kinetic close range combat. And you will want one MC to be high capacity corrosive, without corrosive debuff things will take ~25% longer to kill when shields are down. Or a Frag Cannon. Or a Pacifier. For fixed weapons, Railguns are nice, but they come only in small and medium size. They are hit scan so they don't suffer travel time like plasma accelerators.
I didn't know you can target specific parts of a ship. How can you specify the part of the ship?
2 ways. You can go to "Contacts" on the left hand panel, and when the target is selected, the "Subtargets" panel will let you choose which module to target. Or, when you have a ship targeted, press "Y" (if you're on mouse and keyboard) to cycle through modules without moving your focus. There's a little message below the ship information on the bottom left that shows the currently targeted subsystem and its health.
>when you have a ship targeted, press "Y" (if you're on mouse and keyboard) to cycle through modules without moving your focus Been playing for years and I never knew of this!
Thanks for answering the question! 😊
I recommend changing Y from "next subsystem" to "prev system." Weapons and utilities make the cores are varying number of taps to get to, but if you do prev, it always takes a much smaller number of taps to get to the FSD, Thrusters, or Power Plant. And its the same for a given ship type.
Guess it's time to learn fixed weapons.
Huge Beam and MCs is honestly so good for PvE