Thoughts on Python versus the Clipper

[Lancing]

Hey, I just just curious if anyone had any thoughts on the Python versus the Imperial Clipper. I've got about 200 million and considering which way to go. The final builds for each I'm looking at are 368 million for the Python and 219 million for the Clipper so the savings are pretty significant. The ship would almost exclusively be used for mission running, conflict zones and bounty hunting. I'll post the builds below. Would appreciate any advice...

Python:
[Python]
L: 3D/T Beam Laser
L: 3D/T Beam Laser
L: 3D/T Beam Laser
M: 2F/T Multi-cannon
M: 2F/T Multi-cannon
U: 0A Shield Booster
U: 0A Shield Booster
U: 0I Point Defence
U: 0I Heat Sink Launcher

BH: 1I Reactive Surface Composite
RB: 7A Power Plant
TM: 6A Thrusters
FH: 5A Frame Shift Drive
EC: 4D Life Support
PC: 7A Power Distributor
SS: 6A Sensors
FS: 5C Fuel Tank (Capacity: 32)

6: 5D Hull Reinforcement Package
6: 5D Hull Reinforcement Package
6: 6A Shield Generator
5: 5A Shield Cell Bank
5: 5A Auto Field-Maintenance Unit
4: 4A Fuel Scoop
3: 3E Cargo Rack (Capacity: 8)
3: 3E Cargo Rack (Capacity: 8)
2: 1C Advanced Discovery Scanner
---
Shield: 362.70 MJ
Power : 24.25 MW retracted (81 %)
30.29 MW deployed (101 %)
30.00 MW available
Cargo : 16 T
Fuel : 32 T
Mass : 793.8 T empty
841.8 T full
Range : 14.91 LY unladen
14.63 LY laden
Price : 367,996,138 CR
Re-Buy: 18,399,807 CR @ 95% insurance



Clipper:
[Imperial Clipper]
L: 3D/T Beam Laser
L: 3D/T Beam Laser
M: 2F/T Multi-cannon
M: 2F/T Multi-cannon
U: 0A Shield Booster
U: 0A Shield Booster
U: 0I Point Defence
U: 0I Heat Sink Launcher

BH: 1I Reactive Surface Composite
RB: 6A Power Plant
TM: 6A Thrusters
FH: 5A Frame Shift Drive
EC: 5D Life Support
PC: 6A Power Distributor
SS: 5A Sensors
FS: 4C Fuel Tank (Capacity: 16)

7: 7A Shield Generator
6: 6A Shield Cell Bank
4: 4A Fuel Scoop
4: 4D Hull Reinforcement Package
3: 3A Auto Field-Maintenance Unit
3: 3E Cargo Rack (Capacity: 8)
2: 2E Cargo Rack (Capacity: 4)
2: 1C Advanced Discovery Scanner
---
Shield: 277.18 MJ
Power : 24.09 MW retracted (96 %)
28.45 MW deployed (113 %)
25.20 MW available
Cargo : 12 T
Fuel : 16 T
Mass : 778.8 T empty
806.8 T full
Range : 15.50 LY unladen
15.27 LY laden
Price : 219,887,547 CR
Re-Buy: 10,994,377 CR @ 95% insurance

[Feldspar]

What's with all the turrets? Looks like you are trying to build combat machines but then hobbling the weapons, switch to gimballed weapons, you have to point at the targets but you'll do more damage.

Honestly, for PvE I think you have gone slightly overboard, maybe I like to fly riskily, but I would remove all the hull reinforcement and armour and just rely on shields (you have boosters and cells, how often are then going to go down?), you'll get better thruster performance and range.

[Lancing]

With the Clipper in particular I've heard the weapon spacing is insane. These builds are for NPC bounty hunting only. I've been using turrets on my Asp lately and I find on long runs the turrets tend to speed up the process. I can focus on keeping out of the other ships sights and the turrets just take it down. I can also take down multiple ships at the same time.

Regarding the shields and extras on a similar defensive load out on my Asp I've actually never had the shields go down yet.

[Feldspar]

You'll probably find that with a Clipper or Python's shields you don't need to worry much about dodging attacks (Asp shields are naff, anyway), plus they are much bigger and don't handle as well so dodging is more difficult.

The weapon spacing on a Clipper means fixed weapons are pretty much out, but gimballed are fine.

[Cmdr Kharma]

Clippers are for Poofs............

[Draxxen]

Especially when facing opponents in more maneuverable ships turrets stay on target while you just turn and your dps will be higher than with gimballed weapons.
The Beam laser turrets will burn your energy reserves and increase your heat though; I have tried them out. On my Python I fitted 2 burst laser turrets in my topside class 3 hardpoints and a gimballed beamlaser on the class 3 hardpoint under the nose. That was very effective; the burstlaser turrets just kept firing with no apparent dipping in power or heat. What you fit on the class 2 hardpoints is frankly up to your taste. I loved the cannons because of the alpha damage, but the autocannons probably do more dps.

[Zeroxephon]

Pyhon
or
Fer-De-Lance

In my experience with hunting NPC's, if your shields go down, you should be running away. More then likely you are getting swarmed anyway.

[Draxxen]

I had difficulty making effective use of the huge hardpoint on the Fer-de-Lance; it is situated far back under the fuselage, forcing you to dip the nose up to be able to fire at your target..

[Sendraks]

Pyhon
or
Fer-De-Lance

In my experience with hunting NPC's, if your shields go down, you should be running away. More then likely you are getting swarmed anyway.

Thanks these loadout are really helpful info to have.

Question on the FDL loadout. Is the fixed Plasma Accelerator worth it over a Fixed Cannon? It doesn't look like a huge leap in DPS for the extra 10mill or so the PA costs?

Also, does the positioning of the large hardpoint sufficiently limit the use of a gimballed cannon over a fixed point?

[Zeroxephon]

To be perfectly honest, I never fitted the PA because I did not have the funds to do so. That was the build I was shooting for. I did however fit a fixed cannon and it absolutely wrecked ships. Because its fixed however I really only ever used it on bigger ships. I was talking to someone about this last night on TS and they recommended using the gimballed cannon. Apparently 3 shots to a power plant on a anaconda will bring it down.

I am going to try 3 burst lasers for my python, I really liked them for the vulture.