Pilot Archive
Thread: Guide to equipping your light fighter
Page 1 of 1
S-1-l2-H-C
Sun Feb 27, 2005 2:37 am
#1
There are two things you need to be successful in JTL. Piloting ability, and ship equipment. There are already many great threads on this board telling you how to fly your ship, so i thought i would write a guide to choosing the right parts for it.
Almost all my experience is in light fighters, so most of this stuff is going to apply mainly to the a-wing and the tie-advanced. Also most of this is more or less for pvp, since in pve you will most likely be using a large ship with massive guns.
There are basically three types of ship parts in the game; crafted, looted, and reverse engineered. Crafted parts are those made by shipwrights, and while most of them are worthless, there are a couple exceptions. Looted parts are aquired by blowing up npcs or as a quest reward. Reversed engineered components are the ultimate ship parts in the game.
Reward ship parts have some of the best stats in the game, and to make it even better they can be RE'd (reverse engineered) with other parts to make them even better.
To get RE'd parts, gather the right number of that type of component with the same re level (6 lvl6 engines, 8 lvl8 guns, ect..). When a shipwright reverse engineers a component, it takes the best stat from all the parts getting combined for each category and then applies a bonus. For instance, you could take one gun with high damage output, another with good shield effectiveness, a third thats great against armor, and end up with a single gun that has all three.
When equipping your ship, there are three things that you are aiming for; good flight performance (speed and turn rate), massive firepower, and heavy defenses.
NOW ON TO EACH COMPONENT
ENGINE:
The engine is the most important part of your ship. Thankfully, you get the best light fighter engine in the game handed to you during your tier3 missions. Not counting pre-nerf engines, the lvl6 reward is as good as it gets, nothing else is worth considering. Obviously you are going to want to re this engine as soon as possible, but hold out until you have all the right parts to RE it with. there are four things i shoot for when looking for engines to RE it with. Try to find one with great yaw and another with great pitch (close to 70 if possible). Use those along with another that has low reactor drain and a forth with low mass. the reactor drain is critical because getting it low enough (around 1400) will allow you to run engine overload 4 without sacrificing mass on a huge reactor. mass you want as low as possible for obvious reasons. 10k is a good goal to shoot for on the mass.
You should end up with something like this:
lvl6 re'd reward engine
mass 9500
yaw 70
pitch 70
roll 6x (roll isn't all that important, but if you can get it to 70 why not)
top speed 82.2 (79 speed reward plus the re bonus)
reactor drain 1400
with overload 4, you will top out at 1150 and turn on a dime. its just enough speed to be able to get around, but not so much that you end up flying circles around your target.
REACTOR:
Your reactor is not all that important, as its a support component. It doesn't make your ship faster or hit harder. in theory, it does help with defense, but another player is still gonna chew through it in one hit anyway. Whats important here is the mass. You want to use a reactor with as low a mass as possible while still being able to power all your systems and your engine with the level 4 overload command. I was able to use a simple mkI crafted reactor in my ships with an output around 11800 and a mass of 1100. if you need a bit more, try to find a looted lvl1 with over 12k, ive seed some with close to 13k. using anything else is a waste of mass, and when we are equipping a ship with 65k mass you want to trim off the fat wherever you can. Those looted lvl8 reactors with over 30k output are a nice home decoration, but they serve no purpose in your fighter.
BOOSTER:
Boosters are great for closing into firing range or retreating from it. If you are using a fighter, there are 2 boosters worth using, a lvl2 loot/RE booster and a mkII crafted. The loot lvl2s get around 23 top speed, and give you a nice long use. Crafted can get around 35 speed, which is a serious kick in the pants, but they generally don't last as long and take forever to recharge. The lvl2 boosters are around 1300 mass, and the mkII with overdriver is a bit more at close to 2500.
SHIELD:
Shields are your primary defense. In my opinion there are two shields worth using, a mkIV crafted and a lvl8 RE'd reward. The mkIV crafted shields can get over 1900 front/back hit points with a recharge rate around 12 and mass under 17k. Unless you know a really good shipwright, odds are the best your gonna find is more like 1850 front/back, but higher is possible. The lvl8 reward shield when re'd with a second reward and 6 other shields can get around 2600 front/back hit points, 15-17 recharge rate, and ~25k mass. I consider defense to be the last priority since in pvp with a light fighter odds are your wasted in one solid hit, but this is going to vary depending on who you are fighting. if you find that you can take a hit and keep going when a lvl8 reward when the mkIV crafted doesn't give you that extra survivability, then use it since it lets you live twice as long. similarly, if you find that no matter how much shielding you have you eat it on the first hit, then drop down to a mkIII or even a mkII shield. If the massive shield doesn't do anything for you, then don't waste mass on it.
ARMOR:
if you have spare mass after getting everything else you want, then spend it on armor. Otherwise, look at upgrading your shield or your guns first. Odds are, the only armor your gonna want to use is mkII crafted, which will give you 600ap and cost around 2500 mass. two slabs of this stuff adds up to 5k mass. i recommend only using front armor, since if you are going to use 2 slabs or armor you might as well just upgrade your shield.
GUNS:
Guns are pretty much the most important decision since the engine is already decide and the shields should fit around your guns, not the other way around. Basically, just load up what it takes to kill your opponents with one shot. For a ship with one gun mount like the interceptor or the awing, go for a lvl8 RE'd reward cannon (freelance gets the borstel, rebels get the tri-cannon). Dont RE it with the first 7 lvl8 guns youd though, hold out for a mass around 27000, a low refire rate, low reactor drain, and good shield/armor effectiveness, along with an ultra low 14 energy per shot.
You should end up with something like 25k mass, 2500-3876 damage, .68 to shields and armor, .37 refire rate.
If you are flying an advanced with 2 gun slots, then go for some combination of lvl6 or 7 RE'd guns. Imperials get a very nice lvl7 Boltdriver reward gun that has close to 3000 max damage. lvl6 guns dont usualy come with over 2500 max, but i personally have one with 2900, and im in love with it.
A good lvl7 gun will look like this
2000-3000 damage
.6 vs shields and armor
.33 refire rate (odd number re-lvl guns have a fast fire rate)
14000 mass
lvl6 should come out to
1600-2600 damage
.68 to shields and armor (my 2900 damage lvl6 has .7 to shields, .68 is more common though)
.38 refire rate
9500 mass (lvl6 is the best damage to mass you will find)
most of the time a pair of lvl6s are enough to kill other players in 1 or 2 shots, but extra firepower from a lvl7 gun doesn't hurt. Don't forget to use the weapon overload 3 command
CAPACITOR:
The cap is mainly a support item like your reactor, but it is also part of your defense if you use cap to shield shunt. I like to use lvl2 RE'd caps. they get close to 1000 storage and around 35 recharge. Be sure to run cap overload 4. Bigger caps aren't really needed unless you want to be able to tank against npcs with cap to shield shunt.
DRIOD INTERFACE:
This is a support item as well, but being able to run cap to shield shunt every 14 seconds is very nice, so its someone a part of your defense just like the capacitor is. if you can, try to find a pre nerf lvl1 interface with around 14-15 speed and 500 mass. otherwise, don't bother wasting mass on a faster interface, stick with lvl1 and deal with a 30 command speed.
As for droid commands you should be using reactor engine and capacitor overload 4, weapon overload 3, and cap to shield shunt 3 or 4. You can also use shield adjust front if you find that you take most of your hits to the front shields, but beware as a hit to the rear will kill you instantly.
ORDNANCE:
Since this guide is for PVP, the ONLY launcher you should be considering is the image-rec MKII. Everything else takes way too long to lock with in pvp. If you are in a light fighter, you really shouldn't be looking at missiles, but I'm throwing this in here because if you are using a tie-oppressor, then you should be loading 3 of these for dealing with those pesky a-wings.
COUNTERMEASERS:
Basic chaff work great and if you ask me the other counters aren't worth the extra mass. if you find that your enemys like to fly x-wings with a single image-rec launcher, then these can be a lifesaver. However, if you are fighting oppressors that are throwing three missiles at you, a chaff launcher isnt going to do a damn thing.
Almost all my experience is in light fighters, so most of this stuff is going to apply mainly to the a-wing and the tie-advanced. Also most of this is more or less for pvp, since in pve you will most likely be using a large ship with massive guns.
There are basically three types of ship parts in the game; crafted, looted, and reverse engineered. Crafted parts are those made by shipwrights, and while most of them are worthless, there are a couple exceptions. Looted parts are aquired by blowing up npcs or as a quest reward. Reversed engineered components are the ultimate ship parts in the game.
Reward ship parts have some of the best stats in the game, and to make it even better they can be RE'd (reverse engineered) with other parts to make them even better.
To get RE'd parts, gather the right number of that type of component with the same re level (6 lvl6 engines, 8 lvl8 guns, ect..). When a shipwright reverse engineers a component, it takes the best stat from all the parts getting combined for each category and then applies a bonus. For instance, you could take one gun with high damage output, another with good shield effectiveness, a third thats great against armor, and end up with a single gun that has all three.
When equipping your ship, there are three things that you are aiming for; good flight performance (speed and turn rate), massive firepower, and heavy defenses.
NOW ON TO EACH COMPONENT
ENGINE:
The engine is the most important part of your ship. Thankfully, you get the best light fighter engine in the game handed to you during your tier3 missions. Not counting pre-nerf engines, the lvl6 reward is as good as it gets, nothing else is worth considering. Obviously you are going to want to re this engine as soon as possible, but hold out until you have all the right parts to RE it with. there are four things i shoot for when looking for engines to RE it with. Try to find one with great yaw and another with great pitch (close to 70 if possible). Use those along with another that has low reactor drain and a forth with low mass. the reactor drain is critical because getting it low enough (around 1400) will allow you to run engine overload 4 without sacrificing mass on a huge reactor. mass you want as low as possible for obvious reasons. 10k is a good goal to shoot for on the mass.
You should end up with something like this:
lvl6 re'd reward engine
mass 9500
yaw 70
pitch 70
roll 6x (roll isn't all that important, but if you can get it to 70 why not)
top speed 82.2 (79 speed reward plus the re bonus)
reactor drain 1400
with overload 4, you will top out at 1150 and turn on a dime. its just enough speed to be able to get around, but not so much that you end up flying circles around your target.
REACTOR:
Your reactor is not all that important, as its a support component. It doesn't make your ship faster or hit harder. in theory, it does help with defense, but another player is still gonna chew through it in one hit anyway. Whats important here is the mass. You want to use a reactor with as low a mass as possible while still being able to power all your systems and your engine with the level 4 overload command. I was able to use a simple mkI crafted reactor in my ships with an output around 11800 and a mass of 1100. if you need a bit more, try to find a looted lvl1 with over 12k, ive seed some with close to 13k. using anything else is a waste of mass, and when we are equipping a ship with 65k mass you want to trim off the fat wherever you can. Those looted lvl8 reactors with over 30k output are a nice home decoration, but they serve no purpose in your fighter.
BOOSTER:
Boosters are great for closing into firing range or retreating from it. If you are using a fighter, there are 2 boosters worth using, a lvl2 loot/RE booster and a mkII crafted. The loot lvl2s get around 23 top speed, and give you a nice long use. Crafted can get around 35 speed, which is a serious kick in the pants, but they generally don't last as long and take forever to recharge. The lvl2 boosters are around 1300 mass, and the mkII with overdriver is a bit more at close to 2500.
SHIELD:
Shields are your primary defense. In my opinion there are two shields worth using, a mkIV crafted and a lvl8 RE'd reward. The mkIV crafted shields can get over 1900 front/back hit points with a recharge rate around 12 and mass under 17k. Unless you know a really good shipwright, odds are the best your gonna find is more like 1850 front/back, but higher is possible. The lvl8 reward shield when re'd with a second reward and 6 other shields can get around 2600 front/back hit points, 15-17 recharge rate, and ~25k mass. I consider defense to be the last priority since in pvp with a light fighter odds are your wasted in one solid hit, but this is going to vary depending on who you are fighting. if you find that you can take a hit and keep going when a lvl8 reward when the mkIV crafted doesn't give you that extra survivability, then use it since it lets you live twice as long. similarly, if you find that no matter how much shielding you have you eat it on the first hit, then drop down to a mkIII or even a mkII shield. If the massive shield doesn't do anything for you, then don't waste mass on it.
ARMOR:
if you have spare mass after getting everything else you want, then spend it on armor. Otherwise, look at upgrading your shield or your guns first. Odds are, the only armor your gonna want to use is mkII crafted, which will give you 600ap and cost around 2500 mass. two slabs of this stuff adds up to 5k mass. i recommend only using front armor, since if you are going to use 2 slabs or armor you might as well just upgrade your shield.
GUNS:
Guns are pretty much the most important decision since the engine is already decide and the shields should fit around your guns, not the other way around. Basically, just load up what it takes to kill your opponents with one shot. For a ship with one gun mount like the interceptor or the awing, go for a lvl8 RE'd reward cannon (freelance gets the borstel, rebels get the tri-cannon). Dont RE it with the first 7 lvl8 guns youd though, hold out for a mass around 27000, a low refire rate, low reactor drain, and good shield/armor effectiveness, along with an ultra low 14 energy per shot.
You should end up with something like 25k mass, 2500-3876 damage, .68 to shields and armor, .37 refire rate.
If you are flying an advanced with 2 gun slots, then go for some combination of lvl6 or 7 RE'd guns. Imperials get a very nice lvl7 Boltdriver reward gun that has close to 3000 max damage. lvl6 guns dont usualy come with over 2500 max, but i personally have one with 2900, and im in love with it.
A good lvl7 gun will look like this
2000-3000 damage
.6 vs shields and armor
.33 refire rate (odd number re-lvl guns have a fast fire rate)
14000 mass
lvl6 should come out to
1600-2600 damage
.68 to shields and armor (my 2900 damage lvl6 has .7 to shields, .68 is more common though)
.38 refire rate
9500 mass (lvl6 is the best damage to mass you will find)
most of the time a pair of lvl6s are enough to kill other players in 1 or 2 shots, but extra firepower from a lvl7 gun doesn't hurt. Don't forget to use the weapon overload 3 command
CAPACITOR:
The cap is mainly a support item like your reactor, but it is also part of your defense if you use cap to shield shunt. I like to use lvl2 RE'd caps. they get close to 1000 storage and around 35 recharge. Be sure to run cap overload 4. Bigger caps aren't really needed unless you want to be able to tank against npcs with cap to shield shunt.
DRIOD INTERFACE:
This is a support item as well, but being able to run cap to shield shunt every 14 seconds is very nice, so its someone a part of your defense just like the capacitor is. if you can, try to find a pre nerf lvl1 interface with around 14-15 speed and 500 mass. otherwise, don't bother wasting mass on a faster interface, stick with lvl1 and deal with a 30 command speed.
As for droid commands you should be using reactor engine and capacitor overload 4, weapon overload 3, and cap to shield shunt 3 or 4. You can also use shield adjust front if you find that you take most of your hits to the front shields, but beware as a hit to the rear will kill you instantly.
ORDNANCE:
Since this guide is for PVP, the ONLY launcher you should be considering is the image-rec MKII. Everything else takes way too long to lock with in pvp. If you are in a light fighter, you really shouldn't be looking at missiles, but I'm throwing this in here because if you are using a tie-oppressor, then you should be loading 3 of these for dealing with those pesky a-wings.
COUNTERMEASERS:
Basic chaff work great and if you ask me the other counters aren't worth the extra mass. if you find that your enemys like to fly x-wings with a single image-rec launcher, then these can be a lifesaver. However, if you are fighting oppressors that are throwing three missiles at you, a chaff launcher isnt going to do a damn thing.
Message Edited by S-1-l2-H-C on 02-27-2005 01:38 AM
Message Edited by S-1-l2-H-C on 02-27-2005 01:44 AM
newwb
Sun Feb 27, 2005 10:21 am
#2
good post. just one thing though, on the reward shield, it REs to about 2550 front/back i believe, less than 2600 for sure. i havent seen a level 8 shield with less than 30k mass, which REs to about 29k, or one with a rechrage that REs to morethan14, but i might not have seen the best yet, and if i had two rewards, i would definatly RE both seperatley 
Message Edited by newwb on 02-27-2005 09:22 AM
Ducimus
Sun Feb 27, 2005 4:01 pm
#3
Good post.
Although im not quite sure how you manage to squeeze an L8 Shield into a T/A RE'd or not. Not saying its impossible, just saying im not sure how you made the extra room. That said, im packing an L8 and L7 RE'd blasters in my T/A so that probably explains why. Not sure i want to drop to an L7, L6 set, ... maybe an L7/L7. Letting go of that L8 is damn hard to do
Although im not quite sure how you manage to squeeze an L8 Shield into a T/A RE'd or not. Not saying its impossible, just saying im not sure how you made the extra room. That said, im packing an L8 and L7 RE'd blasters in my T/A so that probably explains why. Not sure i want to drop to an L7, L6 set, ... maybe an L7/L7. Letting go of that L8 is damn hard to do
S-1-l2-H-C
Sun Feb 27, 2005 4:35 pm
#4
ya i can justify ditching the higher firepower because its not really needed in pvp, i still blow em up with one shot. the biger shield however means i can probobly take a hit and stay in the fight. now all i need is someone capable of hitting me to test that theory.
TomoRainer
Sun Feb 27, 2005 5:55 pm
#5
lol Harotak.
Really nice rundown. I only disagree when it comes to missiles--I think you can find space in a light fighter for Mk II Image-Recs if you decide they're worth it. Personally I hate spending forever trying to knock out an A-Wing when there's 15 other pilots on either side, so I've got a launcher strapped into my Interceptor. They are a full 10% of the ship's weight, though, so I can see why plenty of people would forego them.
Really nice rundown. I only disagree when it comes to missiles--I think you can find space in a light fighter for Mk II Image-Recs if you decide they're worth it. Personally I hate spending forever trying to knock out an A-Wing when there's 15 other pilots on either side, so I've got a launcher strapped into my Interceptor. They are a full 10% of the ship's weight, though, so I can see why plenty of people would forego them.
S-1-l2-H-C
Mon Feb 28, 2005 1:01 am
#6
ya i rounded up fron 2550. i personaly have 2 re'd reward shields and both are right at 25k mass. one has a 15 recharge rate and the other is 17.5
it takes a while to find the right shields to re it with but they are out there.
it takes a while to find the right shields to re it with but they are out there.
KardenTyrell
Mon Feb 28, 2005 9:11 am
#7
Just to add, Roll can be very important ...as then you can Roll yourself to the best position for persuit, either in Yawing angles or Pitching Angles.
Page 1 of 1