Learning to fly the Clipper

[AJStoner]

(Or “How I learned to love the heat warning and stop worrying)

Got my Imperial Clipper. I was conflicted between it and the python by the speed and agility sold me on it in the end. My first set-up was all beam lasers; 2 large and 2 medium gimballed. It worked beautifully and I was destroying Anaconda left, right, and center. I kept getting warnings about heat damage but paid them little heed. “Pft,” I though. “I’ll just have to pay a few grand when I get back because my cargo scoop melted.” Then, chasing down a cobra III I opened up on him and exploded. Apparently the nice computer lady wasn’t kidding or exaggerating when she used the word ‘critical.’

So, back to the drawing board, I went with first burst laser and then the pulse kind. After returning to the RES though I kept getting hammered. Killed twice and twice more I had to tuck my tail between my legs and rush back to Fabian City without a canopy. Harder than it sounds with no visual clues as to where it is due to the no hud display. Eventually I re-equipped the four beam lasers and tried that again—maintaining strict discipline and laying off the trigger when Astra started harping on how warm it was getting. The result—once again I was butchering my foes who ran like whipped dogs once I cut into them with my mighty beam lasers. They get intimidated and become defensive when they take a great deal of damage quickly it seems, and aggressive when you plink at them with small stuff.

I am a beam laser guy. I have to watch-out for melting my own ship but, in the end, I kill more and quicker using them—and in far greater safety—then by playing it safe.


My clipper is a hybrid Bounty Hunter/Explorer named "Dearg Doom," the "Red Destroyer" in a nice candy-apple red.

[Mouse]

I love my clipper but sold her for now, will rebuy her and use her for large smuggling mission. But turning is interesting in that ship ^,^

[clivewil]

----> snip.
sorry i thought you were talking about the Cutter, not Clipper. deleted.

[TorTorden]

I recommend two large gimballed beams and two gimballed multi cannons.

You strip shields whit the beams. Then use multi's on hull while the ship cools down from the first burst. Then use beams intermittently as your ship cools and heats up.

The multi's allow you to keep the pressure up while heat drops but uses so little wep energy you can practically recharge while firing.

Adding a heatsink is also good if you want to to really throw out some damage.

[Mouse]

I recommend two large gimballed beams and two gimballed multi cannons.

You strip shields whit the beams. Then use multi's on hull while the ship cools down from the first burst. Then use beams intermittently as your ship cools and heats up.

The multi's allow you to keep the pressure up while heat drops but uses so little wep energy you can practically recharge while firing.

Adding a heatsink is also good if you want to to really throw out some damage.

Never thought about the heatsink, good idea. I may have done beams or Pulses with the multis.. I can't remember>.<

[TorTorden]

Heat sinks are practically op now.
You can fire off a large scb bank, and fire off a full salvo of beams,
While the heatsink is active you would still be well below normal heat levels.


But you only carry four charges so obviously use with caution .

[LionWalker]

I recommend two large gimballed beams and two gimballed multi cannons.
You strip shields whit the beams. Then use multi's on hull while the ship cools down from the first burst. Then use beams intermittently as your ship cools and heats up.

Exactly what I do with my Clipper. Works very well.
Another rule is: do not get greedy in battle and use it's stupendous speed to get away to recharge your shields when they are down. The Clipper can take a beating with it's 400 tons but those rebuy costs are not nice with big ships.

[Mouse]

I recommend two large gimballed beams and two gimballed multi cannons.
You strip shields whit the beams. Then use multi's on hull while the ship cools down from the first burst. Then use beams intermittently as your ship cools and heats up.

Exactly what I do with my Clipper. Works very well.
Another rule is: do not get greedy in battle and use it's stupendous speed to get away to recharge your shields when they are down. The Clipper can take a beating with it's 400 tons but those rebuy costs are not nice with big ships.

Yeah.. I've run into 2 stations and rebuy costs suck.. thankfully one was a glitch and they refunded me the 26 mil

[TorTorden]

I recommend two large gimballed beams and two gimballed multi cannons.
You strip shields whit the beams. Then use multi's on hull while the ship cools down from the first burst. Then use beams intermittently as your ship cools and heats up.

Exactly what I do with my Clipper. Works very well.
Another rule is: do not get greedy in battle and use it's stupendous speed to get away to recharge your shields when they are down. The Clipper can take a beating with it's 400 tons but those rebuy costs are not nice with big ships.

Yeah.. I've run into 2 stations and rebuy costs suck.. thankfully one was a glitch and they refunded me the 26 mil

26 mil is a bit much for a clipper, sure that wasn't a cutter ?

[Mouse]

Exactly what I do with my Clipper. Works very well.
Another rule is: do not get greedy in battle and use it's stupendous speed to get away to recharge your shields when they are down. The Clipper can take a beating with it's 400 tons but those rebuy costs are not nice with big ships.

Yeah.. I've run into 2 stations and rebuy costs suck.. thankfully one was a glitch and they refunded me the 26 mil

26 mil is a bit much for a clipper, sure that wasn't a cutter ?

Was Clipper, components, and Cargo... when it glitched I ended up in a sidy

It was when ED suddenly had really bad lag spikes... came out of Supercruise behind the station, was traversing across the station to get to the front for docking. Lagged spike happened and came back to a rush of messages and debris then insurance screen.. have no idea how I even hit the station.