1.Use thermal resist shield: Cobra Mk3 is a small ship, and its armour hardness is low, don't expect it to be a hull tank. And high treat level targets like to use weapons like plasma accelerator and rail guns, these weapons have both kinetic and thermal damage, which means you need more thermal resistance on shield.
2.Use a reasonable weapons loadout: The weapons size are limited to medium, and you need to maximize the potential of your hardpoint to create more firepower. So I fitted two rail guns into the medium slot, because it's probably the most powerful and universal medium size weapons. The modifications are grade 5 short range blaster, since you're flying an agile small ship and it's easier for you to catch larger ships, which means you can sacrifice some distance for more DPS.
As for the two small slots, I install a g5 short range blaster burst laser with scramble spectrum, and a g5 short range blaster beam laser with thermal vent. Those two small slots can't create much DPS, but you can take good advantages of weapons' experimental effect, scramble spectrum disturbs target's sub-system and thermal vent keeps you cool.
As for the Alliance Crusader, well, it’s slower than its siblings and lacks significant firepower, making it unsuitable for intense combat. So, I repurposed it as a Titan Salvager, designed to collect materials from fallen Titans. It still has enough firepower to deal with NPC pirates lurking in debris sites.
The Imperial Courier is one of the fastest ships in the game. When fitted with engineered Enhanced Thrusters, it can reach a top speed of 885 m/s. It’s practically born to be a racer and a true courier.
I’m sure many of you have made a fortune during the Titan conflict, so why not put those credits to good use? Buy some new ships, experiment with lesser-known models, and try out unique builds—you might be surprised by what you discover!
2. Fighting Thargoids
The war may be over, but if you still want to refine your AX combat skills or hunt Thargoids for profit, there are still plenty of opportunities. Maia has many Non-Human Signal Sources, where you can find isolated Thargoid Interceptors to practice solo combat. Meanwhile, the California Nebula still has some active AXCZs, attracting many AXI players. Currently, it’s one of the best places to engage in AXCZ battles alongside other commanders.
Here’s a video of me and my friend taking down a Basilisk in Maia. We’re both relatively new to AX combat, so our movements might look a bit clumsy—lol.
I turned my Fer-de-Lance into a railgun fighter and named it Razorback after the ship from The Expanse. The Fer-de-Lance is probably one of the most popular PvP ships. It’s agile, has strong shields (great for PvP), and features a size 4 hardpoint. However, it’s a bit pricey and only performs at its best when FA is turned off, making it less suitable for beginners. Still, when used properly, it can handle many PvP scenarios effectively.
Let’s start with weaponry. The Fer-de-Lance has one huge hardpoint and four medium hardpoints, making it ideal for a railgun sniper build. Since railguns are only available in small and medium sizes, the more medium hardpoints, the better. I equipped all four medium hardpoints with railguns, each modified with class 3 long-range engineering. Two have the Feedback Cascade experimental effect, and the other two have the Super Penetrator effect. Feedback Cascade disrupts shield cell banks and reduces shield regeneration, which is crucial against shield tanks. Super Penetrator increases bullet penetration, making it easier to damage internal modules on enemy ships.
For the size 4 hardpoint, I mounted a 4A gimballed multi-cannon with a class 5 overcharge modification and Corrosive Shell experimental effect. The multi-cannon is excellent for dealing with hulls, and the overcharge modification enhances its damage output. Corrosive Shell reduces enemy hull hardness, temporarily making them more vulnerable to all damage—perfect when paired with railgun strikes. The railguns are effective at breaking shields, and the combination of railguns and multi-cannons ensures strong performance in most situations.
Survivability There are two general types of combat ships: shield tanks (like the Fer-de-Lance) and hull tanks (like the Federal Assault Ship). Shield tanks are usually better for PvP because shields regenerate and offer better protection for internal modules. Shields also have higher resistance to kinetic and explosive damage, while hulls are only more resistant to thermal damage (except with reactive armor). Additionally, shield cell banks can quickly restore large amounts of shielding, which can be frustrating for opponents.
Yes, another ship name inspired by The Expanse. I turned my Federal Assault Ship into a close-range fighter. Many argue that the Chieftain series is better than the Core Dynamics Federal series, but I personally prefer the Federal ships. The Federal Assault Ship is an excellent fighter—it’s extremely fast and agile, compact and hard to hit, and comes with two large and two medium hardpoints, providing sufficient firepower to take down enemies. Most importantly, it’s affordable compared to the Fer-de-Lance. This build isn’t too expensive, and it performs well even with FA on.
For weaponry, I equipped the two large hardpoints with 3C gimballed fragment cannons, each with class 5 overcharge modifications and incendiary rounds experimental effects. Large fragment cannons are devastating against hulls, offering incredible DPS. Incendiary rounds convert part of the damage into thermal damage, improving effectiveness against shields. The two medium hardpoints are fitted with 2D gimballed fragment cannons with class 5 overcharge modifications and Screening Shell experimental effects. Screening Shell reduces reload times, increasing combat efficiency.
I haven’t tested this build in PvP yet, but I’ve tried it in combat zones and RES sites. It performs well against all kinds of enemies.
Survivability Although not as durable as the Fer-de-Lance due to being a hull tank, the Federal Assault Ship is still incredibly tough and can withstand significant damage in combat. And FAS is relatively weak when powering a shield, so I use a Bi-Weave Shield, which allows it to quickly regenerate when the shields is broken.
