if i fly a drake ,which is rare as if i go for a lf its normally a banshee ,i use the l6 guns sunblast b from gas miner naha in sig 13

on mine I find this loadout best

1 * Borroco (Class 5 ShieldBuster) < --Corsairs
2 * Dragoon Type 3 (Class 6) <-- Outcasts
1 * Pyros Type 2 (Class 5) <-- forget whos got it from killing something
Ripper mines
CD Wasp for cheapness

ed: hmm missed the shield bitty if for pvp depends on what weapons everyone uses but either Graviton or Molecular

Edited by - Pinger on 1/7/2004 10:27:09 AM

pyros type 2 you can loot from the wreck in calafornia
plus malta ruiz and cali

Edited by - [STEEL on 1/7/2004 10:43:14 AM

When I use a Drake instead of my beloved Patriot, I use the same loadout as Pinger's, except with a Catapult(5) missile launcher in place of the Pyros, and a Hornet disruptor.

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"Although I do not consider myself a member of the Bounty Hunters' Guild, I find that their goals and mine often follow the same path. I will aid them when I can...if they give me a percentage of the salvage from whatever they frag along the way. But god help them if someone puts a bounty on THEIR heads, for I don't care who I hunt for, as long as their live capture(or untimely death) can get me enough credits to buy a decent sized mug of my favorite drink."- A Freelance Bounty Hunter.
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Anub- damn, what IS the plural for that? Anubii? Anubises? Anubice?

Full Tarantula kit (2 x Tarantula, 2 x Adv. Tarantula) works well agains low-level enemies but it gets tedious against class 9/10 NPCs - especially masses of them - because the Drake does not have a strong powerplant. Alternative: Borroco plus Pyros kit (1 class 5, 2 class 6). Slightly slower projectiles but slightly increased range compared to the Tarantulas, much better energy utilization against ships with non-trivial shields (class 9 and up) but the Nomads won't care obviously. Both configs have the advantage that you do not have to dock with a base unless you want to sell loot or book a mission (i.e. no ammo required except for cruise disruptors for which you can loot the ammo if you use the Wasp). For Omicron Alpha/Gamma I'd recommend some medium mines like Drillers as life insurance.

Using one class 5 slot for a Catapult launcher gives the Drake a lot more bite but of course then you have to watch your ammo and replenish occasionally, which is though if you're in one of the easter egg systems and the next friendly base is 3 jumps away. The Outcasts Sabres drop Lancer missiles which fetch a nice buck but cannot be fired from a Catapult launcher.

You probably wouldn't use up all 50 missiles over the course of one mission anyway...not when the missiles themselves are around half as powerful as a starkiller.

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"Although I do not consider myself a member of the Bounty Hunters' Guild, I find that their goals and mine often follow the same path. I will aid them when I can...if they give me a percentage of the salvage from whatever they frag along the way. But god help them if someone puts a bounty on THEIR heads, for I don't care who I hunt for, as long as their live capture(or untimely death) can get me enough credits to buy a decent sized mug of my favorite drink."- A Freelance Bounty Hunter.
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Anub- damn, what IS the plural for that? Anubii? Anubises? Anubice?

I got a Rheinland class 6 Stealthblade, Xenos class 6 whats-its-name, and a Usiel class 5. Completed with a catapult Class 5 missile, cutter mines, Adv Thruster, Adv CM, CD, and a shield (Dunno wich type, got it from FP2 on my way to Rheinland)
Gun speeds are 700 for the stealth and Xeno-gun, and 750 for the usiel. Near maxed speeds for better aiming.

Edit: Damn spelling.

It's the sand in the clock wich stops the time... or was it... D'oh, I need to study harder on this time control thing.

Edited by - Chronos...I mean Nickless on 1/8/2004 1:33:06 AM

Yes, 50 Catapults are enough to last any mission (except in singleplayer, when you want to kill cruisers/battleships ). And the Catapults have a lot more bang than even the finest class 5 guns, so swapping one class 5 gun for a Catapult launcher makes the Drake much more powerful/fun.

But in the process the Drake becomes a little like an HF - you have to dock with a base every now and then in order to top up explosives. A Drake with only energy weapons can roam pretty much indefinitely, at least if the radiation does not exceed the rate at which the local fauna drops nanos.

...except that your guns and wings are gonna fall off eventually, since nanos can't heal those.

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"Although I do not consider myself a member of the Bounty Hunters' Guild, I find that their goals and mine often follow the same path. I will aid them when I can...if they give me a percentage of the salvage from whatever they frag along the way. But god help them if someone puts a bounty on THEIR heads, for I don't care who I hunt for, as long as their live capture(or untimely death) can get me enough credits to buy a decent sized mug of my favorite drink."- A Freelance Bounty Hunter.
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Anub- damn, what IS the plural for that? Anubii? Anubises? Anubice?

Yes, it's a bummer with the guns. But they hold quite a while, a lot longer than the wings. And the Drake can easily afford to lose the latter, unlike other ships where lost wings mean lost equipment (e.g. Barracuda).

Btw, I'd recommend Adv. Tarantulas instead of Dragoons or Stealthblades. The Tarantulas have the same projectile speed but much better energy efficiency and the highest damage output in their class. This more than offsets the slightly shorter range (550 m instead of 700 m), especially as the Drake has excellent manoeuvrability but a rather weak powerplant.

Sure, it is nice if you have guns with 700 m range so that you can sting the enemy from far away. With the Tarantulas you have to get a little closer, but the high damage output (best in class 5/6, together with Pyros kit) and the excellent efficiency mean that you can hit enemies hard and fry them in short order even with guns alone. This isn't possible with Dragoons or Stealthblades. The Dragoons are nice for mopping up the stuff left after the Catapults have done their work but the Stealthblades have nothing to recommend them except perhaps their colour. Class 5/6 guns are so cheap that it should always possible to buy some decent kit, and if money is a problem then one can always harvest Angelitos from the Corsairs or Dragoons from the Outcasts (depending on political expediency ). Also, the Liberty/Rheinland plasma guns aren't bad at all if you can handle the slow speed and ROF, and I'd rather use a Flamecurse or Magma Hammer than a Stealthblade. Downside: all incoming missiles have to be dodged or flared because it isn't practical to shoot them with the ponderously slow plasma guns.

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all incoming missiles have to be dodged or flared because it isn't practical to shoot them with the ponderously slow plasma guns.

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why using countermeasures if you can outturn even every stalker missile...
i do that even with lesser agile fighters...

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Spamius Threadius

K thanks everyone - great help.