Link to EDSY layouts below, but I'll explain some here.
For the PP all-round Mandalay build I have a standard quick combat setup for the core internals. Lightweight armor and Armored and thermal spread on the power plant. Everything else is standard.
Using a size 5 bi-weave shield with thermal resist, and I always use lo-draw on every shield for the massive savings in distributor draw while charging. It might not look like it on paper, but this is ALWAYS the best experimental in real-world use since you'll need that distributor energy for something else in any situation when your shields are charging! Combine this with 3 class D boosters with resistance augmented mod.
I have space for cargo, an FSD booster for very quick trips, and a multi-limpet for all your power play needs. A fuel scoop and AFMU is a good idea for this build since they have no mass so they don't slow us down, and are very useful.
The weapon compliment is fixed cannons with short range, in my opinion the only mod for cannons since the damage is massive and you won't be connecting with any targets outside of the shortened range, even if you had it.
The Pulse lasers in the small slots are rapid fire, which is a bit of a sleeper mod since it does more damage for less distributor energy than even the mighty beam laser. (though this is only true for the pulse laser, because of how the rate of fire math works out; don't bother on burst lasers)
And then as a bonus here is a modification I did to this Mandalay for hunting fighters at stronghold carriers; this is very fun!
The changes to the modules are:
The power plant I used is a pre-engineered extra-overcharged one. If you don't have that module you can get away with a regular overcharged and monstered reactor, but you'll need to turn off more things, like the cargo hatch and maybe FSD.
Next I swapped the shield for a 5A Prismatic, with reinforced mod (and lo-draw again; still the best shield experimental). I also swap the cargo for a shield cell bank in the largest slot for maximum total shield hit points, including banks. And the utilities have been changed for all A rated heavy duty, super capacitor boosters. Max shields to keep you alive as long as possible.
For the guns, it's all seeker missiles, all moded with high capacity and overload munitions.
This is the best weapon for deleting SLFs and it's a very fun and effective way to play in the high intensity fur ball that is the "enemy stronghold"
For a skilled combat pilot, the shield and banks will keep you alive long enough to spend your ordinance on the insane cloud of SLFs the stronghold will launch at you. These fighters themselves aren't much of a threat, but the whole time you're in there you will be taking intense fire from larger ships, and even the capitol ships if you're not careful. So you'll want that shield.
This is my current favorite way to gain merits while doing combat if I don't have a wing of friends to come with me.
