[TC] Hyperion Vanguard - Fittings and Wingmen

dbrowdy · Post by **dbrowdy** » Sat, 29. May 10, 07:24

Okay well thanks to lots of guides, helpful forumites and my shiny new Cobra, I now have a slightly dented but fully-functional Hyperion Vanguard. I've heard good things and these are great on paper so now it's time to figure out...uhh...what to do with it.

I would like to use it as a primary ship (so in-sector stuff) for running missions and the like. I'm guessing that since it can carry its own wingmen, I don't have to fit for anti-fighter and just load it up with the big boys in front. 8x CIG's or ISR's I'm thinking?

For turrets, I'm guessing EBC's in the ones that can fit them sos I'm not wasting energy. Back turrets have little options so PAC's in there. Back turrets on missile defense, side and front turrets on "protect me" or "attack fighters"? Sound good so far?

For fighter escorts, I'm thinking I need anti-fighter ships. Something fast enough to get the little guys but resilient enough to survive the big guys. I'm thinking maybe the OTAS M4?

What's the prevailing wisdom on this?

EDIT - Oh, and is there a particularly badass missile I should be packing?

EnderIII · Post by **EnderIII** » Sat, 29. May 10, 07:28

I have HEPTs on the front turrets and slots.

And PACs on the rear ones.

The front turrets are set to attack target.

The rears to protect me.

I also hear setting PBG in the front slots is pretty awesome, the front turrets can take care of most fighters, and the PBG eats stuff alive.

EDIT: Oh and for the hangers, I have two LXs in there right now. Tend not to use them though, thinking of replacing them with kestrels for scouting.

Goner_Fan · Post by **Goner_Fan** » Sat, 29. May 10, 07:29

Erm, I think my wingmen are just there to hold extra Jumpdrives in case mine gets fried or I need a spare for a freshly captured vessel.

The player's AI controlled vessels are laughably bad on my end. After the the third time of watching my pair of Medusa taken out by a pair of Yaki M4's, I just docked them and never let them leave.

pjknibbs · Post by **pjknibbs** » Sat, 29. May 10, 07:42

I wouldn't use CIGs on a Hyperion--awesome as it is, it's still only an M6 and doesn't really have the laser energy to keep the CIGs firing. And that's before you include whatever energy is being used to keep its numerous turreted guns firing!

As I recall, last time I had a Hyppie I used EBCs as the main guns, HEPT on the front turrets, and PAC on the rears. That's mainly because I dislike leaving fast-firing ammunition-based guns under AI control, though!

Goner_Fan · Post by **Goner_Fan** » Sat, 29. May 10, 08:04

As I recall, last time I had a Hyppie I used EBCs as the main guns, HEPT on the front turrets, and PAC on the rears. That's mainly because I dislike leaving fast-firing ammunition-based guns under AI control, though!

But this is where weapon groups come in to play. The Hype can easily boast 2 CIG's up front plus a full payload. Set one weapon group to use CIGs + additionals and a second without CIGs (Obviously, use the CIGs against bigger vessels or M3's at under 1,5km)

As for turrets, its tricky. I prefer mine with PAC's in all slots. If I give a non-MARS guided turret(especially a bank of turrets) something energy hungry, like a HEPT, it will GLEEFULLY waste my energy levels to 0 firing at every m5/drone.

dbrowdy · Post by **dbrowdy** » Sat, 29. May 10, 08:08

Some good feedback here. So, something like 2 CIGS + EBC's in front, EBC's in the turrets that can use em, PACs in the rest? Seems like that's a good way to keep the energy consumption under control.

I've never played with the flamethrower. Maybe I'll do 2 CIG + 6 flamethrower to see how that is for fun...

I really like the idea of having cheap ships in the hangar for essentially parts resupply. But I also think it might be nice to have something useable too. Hmm, decisions decisions.

Kor'ah · Post by **Kor'ah** » Sat, 29. May 10, 08:24

Main: 8x ISR
Front turrets: EBCs + 200 crates ammo (attack my target)
Back turrets: PACs (one turret set to "missile Defense" the other "protect ship")

Missiles: 200x Typhoon, 100x Tempest, 50x Firestorms (or Wraiths), 50x Hurricane

Should have room for 1,000 E-cells. Any left over cargo space can be devoted to even more typhoons, or other usefull things.

Note: The ISRs are there for short duration, and high burst damage, to quickly finish off a M6/M7/M2/M1 target's hull after the sheilds have been striped with typhoons/firestorms. The insane missile payload is this ship's primary means of delivring damage on a target. I highly encourage abuseing that trait of the Hyperion.

Useing ISRs against fighters they'll blow up with a short 1-2 second burst, or be so crippled the EBCs will finish them off. Keep the fireing bursts short, controlled and accurate. Spray'n'Pray shooting will most definitely not work. Wait for the fighter to get close and flying in a strait line. With pratice you'll be taging M5s with the ISRs.

dbrowdy · Post by **dbrowdy** » Sat, 29. May 10, 17:16

I like that idea too. I really need to figure out the differences between the missiles and stuff to make it work tho. I have a plex making flails, hammers, typhoons and hornets atm. I could add on more.

Wait, Hyperion can launch typhoons, the M8 missile??

Gswine · Post by **Gswine** » Sat, 29. May 10, 17:29

I use 5 CIG and either 3 IRC or 1 IRC and 2 PBE on the main guns, EBC on the forward turrets and three PAC and one FAA in each rear turret.

5 CIG will bat an M3 around like a cat playing with a mouse but 3 will push your target in front of you and you can get more shots in without making multiple passes. Though I don't use the front turrets if I am using missiles, just no point.

As well as the missile set Kor'ah mentions I also use Silkworms and Tornado's

Hamakua · Post by **Hamakua** » Sat, 29. May 10, 17:36

I, like EnderIII, have all turrets filled with PACs, for the reasons he describes, that and I lean more towards the capping side of life.

Up front I have 4 Hept/4 PBE. I store two PBG's (flame throwers) for K-clusters, but other than that my Hyp is loaded out for boarding/capping operations. If I want to kill **** I bring in my "King Cobra" or my Agamemnon.

Hept on the front turrets is awesome, however they don't track fast M3 or faster targets at all well. As wing men I would probably set it up with hepts on all turrets and shut off the main guns. Use it like a quick and evasive turret platform. AI flown M6's fare better as primarily a turret platform and the Hyp has 10 total guns. She will run out of laser energy soon enough without the front battery.

dbrowdy · Post by **dbrowdy** » Sat, 29. May 10, 17:54

Hmm, a couple very different theories on fitting. Maybe I'll have to cap another and use one for anti-fighter and one for heavy weapons.

Honestly, my Springy does awesome in anti-fighter because of the starburst things so I don't think I need another anti-fighter M6.

Then again, if I'm going with heavy weapons, may as well get an M7. What's the appeal of the Aggie, besides its rarity? From other stuff I've read, I was thinking tiger, shrike, deimos for heavy weapons platform or panther for mini-carrier.

Reimu Hakurei · Post by **Reimu Hakurei** » Sat, 29. May 10, 17:54

If I used a Hyperion, noting that its stats are like those of an upgraded PX, I'd put 5–8 ISR in main (filling empty slots with PAC in their own laser group for killing M5/4/drones) and PAC in all turrets.
The DPS argument for the HEPT and so on is all good and well, but these M6s can recharge most of their energy before each pass, so I'd tell you it's better to dump a load and evade than drill at your target from well within multiple others' lines of fire.

At least, you know, being a flier of Xenon corvettes, that's my style, but it looks applicable.

dbrowdy wrote:EDIT - Oh, and is there a particularly badass missile I should be packing?

Yes: Wraith.

dbrowdy wrote:Wait, Hyperion can launch typhoons

Yes.

dbrowdy wrote:the M8 missile??

No, the M8 missiles are called Tomahawk and Phantom.

pSylle · Post by **pSylle** » Sat, 29. May 10, 20:42

Main guns:

4*PBE: no energy drain at all + kill m5s in a second + good shield-only.

4*ISR: to finish quickly the hulls.

8*ISR would drain your energy too fast imho.

Flaming Blastclaw · Post by **Flaming Blastclaw** » Sat, 29. May 10, 21:07

This configuration runs out of energy very slowly so it's ideal against destroyers. It's next to useless against hard to hit fighters and drones.
Main: 2xCIG, 6xEBC
Front: 4xEBC
Back: 6xPAC

ISR's are worse than CIGs. HEPT's are worse than EBCs.

sleepy_head · Post by **sleepy_head** » Sat, 29. May 10, 21:12

For guns, I use my Hyp Van as a tower so it just has Tractor Beam, because it is one of the faster ship with towing capability (only the Dragon is faster in this regard). If you have an asteriod in tow, your speed is always only 80m/s but all those return trips add up real quick and the Hyp Van makes things a bit faster.

For the hangar I stick a Pirate Kestrel in there. This makes sector mapping extremely easy. Just jump the Hyp Van into a sector since it has plenty of room for ecells, then use the Pirate Kestrel to map the area, rinse, repeat.

pjknibbs · Post by **pjknibbs** » Sat, 29. May 10, 23:27

pSylle wrote: 4*PBE: no energy drain at all + kill m5s in a second + good shield-only.

Er, what? PBEs have a pretty hefty energy drain--quite a bit higher than HEPTs.

Reimu Hakurei · Post by **Reimu Hakurei** » Sun, 30. May 10, 00:22

pjknibbs wrote:
pSylle wrote: 4*PBE: no energy drain at all + kill m5s in a second + good shield-only.
Er, what? PBEs have a pretty hefty energy drain--quite a bit higher than HEPTs.

I think pSylle means if you're firing only them you can do so indefinitely due to laser regen being faster than energy drain.

garv222 · Post by **garv222** » Sun, 30. May 10, 05:16

dbrowdy wrote:
Then again, if I'm going with heavy weapons, may as well get an M7. What's the appeal of the Aggie, besides its rarity? From other stuff I've read, I was thinking tiger, shrike, deimos for heavy weapons platform or panther for mini-carrier.

The Aggie has front firing turrets in addition to it's forward firing main guns. Not sure if its possible to get the left and right turrets firing on large target directly in front of it though. It has no down or up turrets so pilots will need to learn to roll properly. The forward turret has 4 guns and the sides have 4 I believe. So I suppose it is potentially possible to bring to bear 12 IBL + the main guns onto large targets. That is a lot of fire power for a m7.

I use HEPT in all my Hyperion's guns except the 6 rear guns which have PAC. I've never really had energy problems unless I'm trying to bring down Q's with weapons fire. I've tried 4 ISR on it and I found it the ISR were not that great. Heavy weapons drain and the projectile itself seems quite small compared to HEPT. I've heard good things about EBC, but HEPT seem to have better DPS if shorter range so I guess it's a matter of preference.

I carry Typhoons, Tempests, hurricanes, and firestorm missiles on it. That kind of armament from missiles is enough to bring down a large range of targets.

For my fighters I carry a Spitfire and the Xperimental Shuttle. I use the Spitfire as some kind of ...super heavy scout or something. Mostly to help me place satellites in key places and such. I also use the spitfire for intel missions like tailing a ship that my hyperion or shuttle can't keep up with.

Flaming Blastclaw · Post by **Flaming Blastclaw** » Sun, 30. May 10, 08:11

The Agamemnon frigate is only good on paper.

It can sport 12 IBL's, 12 CIG/EBC/HEPT/ISR and 6 GJ of shielding.

In reality against destroyers it is easily overwhelmed.
The high top speed only hinders the vessel as AI captains haven't the slightest clue what they're doing.
The 6GJ shields don't last long and the frigate often blows up.

garv222 · Post by **garv222** » Sun, 30. May 10, 08:52

Flaming Blastclaw wrote:The Agamemnon frigate is only good on paper.

It can sport 12 IBL's, 12 CIG/EBC/HEPT/ISR and 6 GJ of shielding.

In reality against destroyers it is easily overwhelmed.
The high top speed only hinders the vessel as AI captains haven't the slightest clue what they're doing.
The 6GJ shields don't last long and the frigate often blows up.

Just like any other m7, it's still deadly in the players hands. I'll agree that the AI doesn't make good on the turret and weapon arrangement though. That applies to all AI ships.

I wouldn't consider the Aggie fast unless you consider the Deimos fast too. The aggie is basically a Deimos with different turret placement and the ability to mount more IBL.

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[TC] Hyperion Vanguard - Fittings and Wingmen

Hyperion Vanguard - Fittings and Wingmen