An Elite Dangerous ship build.

Goals

Create a ship that:

1. Relies on fixed weapons. Unaffected by chaff and with a higher damage output than comparable gimballed weapons, fixed weapons force the commander to earn kills by better piloting and shot timing.
2. Unlike previous builds, can require unlockable modules.

Build

Links: EDSY and Coriolis (have your preferred one open as you read the guide for easy reference)

The Fer-de-Lance’s close, centred hardpoints, collectively called “convergence”, and manoeuvrability make it ideal for fixed weapons. It is the archetypical dedicated combat ship. With styling reminiscent of the Flash Gordon era, its V8-like engine purr is unmistakable.

There are few comparable ships. The Mamba’s hardpoints are further apart, making landing all weapons on small targets difficult. It sacrifices the required agility for speed. The Vulture, Chieftain and Federal Assault Ship all have good hardpoint placement but are lighter ships.

When outfitting, use the two top medium hardpoints for Plasma Accelerators, not the lower ones. The two lower medium hardpoints are too wide. Use them for Rail Guns.

I demonstrate an early version of this build in a Low Intensity Conflict Zone below. The build shown in the video, about two years old complete with Horizons era graphics, had Long Range Rail Guns with Multi-Services for rapid, long range tagging and Bi-Weave shields. My pip management is also lacklustre.

Offence:

1. Plasma Accelerators: As with the Python mission build, Plasma Accelerators are equally wonderful and frustrating weapons. They do a mix of thermal, kinetic and absolute damage. This mix means they damage shields and hull similarly. It is hard to mitigate their damage via increasing resistances. Plasma Accelerators have an “Armour Piercing” value of 100, meaning they do full damage to all existing playable ships. However, Plasma Accelerator shot speed is slow, requiring deflection shooting. Their reload times are long, and ammunition is limited and expensive. They generate lots of heat, making repeated firing dangerous, and pull a lot of energy from the Power Distributor.
2. Efficient blueprint: Using the Efficient blueprint on Plasma Accerlators counters their heat and power problems while giving a slight damage increase. It means reload times constrain Plasma Accelerator use, not heat, so you can use them like more common weapons. They become beginner friendly.
3. Rail Guns: Like the Plasma Accelerators, Rail Guns do thermal and kinetic damage and have an “Armor Piercing” value of 100. They require a short warm-up before firing but are “hit scan” weapons, meaning they hit whatever the gunsight points. They are similar to Guardian Gauss if you are used to sniping Thargoid Interceptor hearts.
4. Short Range blueprint: Rail guns’ damage is comparatively low. Short Range increases their damage by around 75%, turning them into viable weapons. It limits their range, but this build already has to get close to be effective.
5. Rail Gun experimental effects: Feedback Cascade disrupts the use of shield cell banks. Hitting a target’s shields using a shield cell bank damages the shield cell bank and decreases its regeneration time. Super Penetrator damages all modules on the shot’s trajectory on a breach, not just the first one. It is particularly effective when hitting the front or back of a target, usually when soloing.
6. Thermal Conduit experimental effect: Plasma Accelerators with Thermal Conduit do more damage the hotter you are. Balancing heat and the resulting damage versus damage output is a challenging but rewarding metagame for this build.
7. Power (Pip) management: Getting the most from the Fer-de-Lance requires active pip management, such as putting pips to engines when pursuing enemies, then into systems when not firing. Continuously firing the three Plasma Accelerators requires three pips in weapons. Otherwise, I use one pip in engines and the rest spread equally between systems and weapons.
8. Graphics: This build demonstrates the different graphics used to show engineered weapons, such as the blue Feedback Cascade rounds or the sun-like plasma globes from hot Thermal Conduit Plasma Accelerators. Apart from looking cool, they help show which weapon hits or misses or when experimental effects occur.

Defence:

1. Prismatic shields: Assuming you are not engaging too many wings or small ships, ammunition will usually run out before shields. A reinforced Prismatic Shield Generator with Hi-Cap is ideal.
2. Resistances: Two Thermal Resistance Shield Boosters with Thermo Block counteract shields’ innate weakness to thermal weapons. The build is effectively immune to explosive and kinetic weapons.
3. Chaff sparingly: Use chaff if you engage a wing, must disengage, or shields are low. Otherwise, your shields should protect you.
4. Speed and agility: This build can boost to 540 meters per second. While not as fast as the Mamba build, it will still outrun most ships when things get hairy.

Variations

1. Focused or Long Range Plasma Accelerators: Changing the blueprint on the Plasma Accelerators to one that increases shot speed is tempting. This change makes aiming easier. However, the increased heat build-up means repeatedly firing the Plasma Accelerators will quickly overheat the ship, causing lots of module damage. These blueprints risk turning the build into a single engagement build.
2. Phasing Sequence: If you prefer not fighting at high heat levels needed to leverage Thermal Conduit, consider Phasing Sequence (10% damage bypasses shields). 
3. Automated Field Maintenance Unit (AFMU) and Heat Sinks: If you regularly use high heat levels, consider swapping one of the Hull Reinforcement modules for an AFMU. This module can repair damaged modules between fights, increasing longevity. Replace a Heavy Duty Shield Booster with a Heat Sink for fast cooling, if needed.
4. FSD Interdictor: Swap out the FSD Interdictor if you are not doing assassination missions or Power Play merit farming.
5. Advanced Plasma Accelerators and Imperial Hammers: The Power Play versions of both weapons are interesting but not better. Advanced Plasma Accelerators have a higher rate of fire. Imperial Hammers are better if you must land an experimental effect. However, you must land all three shots to get the increased damage output.
6. PvP builds: PvP is not my expertise. However, this build is not too far from a PvP build. You can use different experimental effects on the Plasma Accelerators, such as Dispersal Field (reduce gimballed weapons accuracy) and Target Lock Breaker (break target lock). 

Solo Tactics

1. Different fire groups: Place the Rail Gains and Plasma Accelerators in separate fire groups. You rarely fire the hit scan rail guns and deflection shooting Plasma Accelerators simultaneously.
2. Favour larger or less agile targets: Fixed weapons are harder to aim. The slow shot speed of Plasma Accelerators makes them impractical at long ranges. Choose targets that emphasize the build’s strengths. The Long Range Sensors can help find them.
3. Close range brawler: Get close to the target, throttling up if they are far away, then down into the blue once they are in range. The closer you are, the less time your target has to dodge. Leverage the default jousting behaviour to line up a rail gun shot then a plasma shot each pass. If you cannot get a plasma shot off, pre-turn to reveal the target’s larger-profile top or below view. Getting behind a target and matching their speed is ideal but challenging to maintain.
4. Same weapons against shields and hull: Unlike most ship builds, this build does not require using different weapons against shields and hulls. The Plasma Accelerators and Rail Guns have the same damage profile against both.
5. Patience: Fixed weapons are more difficult to use than gimballed weapons. Plasma Accelerators have a long reload time, so only take shots when confident. You will improve with time. 
6. Heat management: The Thermal Conduit experimental effect on the Plasma Accelerators gives you an option to increase damage output at the expense of heat and resulting heat damage. To increase your heat and, therefore Plasma Accelerator damage output, alternate rail gun and plasma rounds. If you do not hear heat warning sirens, your heat is too low. 
7. Watch ammunition: All weapons on this build require ammunition, and Plasma Accelerators have a low ammunition capacity. For example, this build should have enough when soloing a low-intensity conflict zone but may be insufficient for soloing medium- or high-intensity ones. While synthesizing it is possible, the material cost is high. The Plasma Slug experimental effect is not worth it due to the Fer-de-Lance’s small fuel tank. 
8. Shorter sessions: Many previous builds allowed an almost constant stream of fighting, like the Healing Krait Mk II PvE healing build. This build shifts to more intense sessions with frequent breaks between them. 

Team or Wing Tactics

1. “Damage dealer” role: Fixed weapons are less reliable than gimballed for damage output. Therefore, this build is better suited to damage dealing than tanking. A teammate can draw an enemy’s attention, allowing you to get above or below the target. This angle reveals their larger, easier to hit profile. Go full Thermal Conduit if your team engages one too many larger ships.
2. Anti-shield cell bank: Teammates will appreciate you using the Feedback Cascade experimental effect against enemies using shield cell banks. 

Goals

Create a ship to handle solo mission running, usually to move minor faction influence or increase superpower reputation. This build needs to:

1. Land at stations and outposts. This effectively requires a medium-sized ship.
2. Handle cargo loads of at least 196 T. This size is the largest a non-wing cargo mission requires. It also makes a viable, if suboptimal, medium pad trader.
3. Complete non-cargo missions, including smuggling, theft and scanning, in space and on planet surfaces. This means various limpet controllers and a planetary vehicle hanger. 
4. Defeat pirates likely sent after a high-rank pilot. These are usually large, sluggish targets like Anacondas or Federal Corvettes. This requires weapons and shields, unlike many weapon-less and shield-less builds.
5. Handle high-end assassination missions against the same targets as mentioned above. If you can defend against elite pirates, why not add a few assassination missions? This requires an FSD interdictor and, possibly, a wake scanner.
6. Gather engineering materials, such as from High Grade Emission signal sources or scanning wake signals at Distribution Centres. This is a bonus use emerging out of the above requirements.

Build

Links: EDSY or Coriolis (have your preferred one open as you read the guide for easy reference)

The Python is an excellent choice. It can land on a medium pad but has ample optional internal slots, high firepower and strong armour. A Krait Mk II lacks a class six slot, hurting its cargo carrying capacity. Combat-focused medium ships lack sufficient internal space, such as the Fer-de-Lance or Mamba.

However, general or multi-purpose builds are more challenging than specific purpose builds. Prioritization is vital because you rarely can do everything. The missions available in your favourite systems or personal preference also may dictate change. 

Utility:

1. Cargo: Cargo racks dominate the optional internal slots, totalling 200 T. This is enough to carry the required 196 T and a few limpets or extra cargo.
2. Operations Multi Limpet Controller: Surprisingly, the cargo racks constrain the optional internal slots. The 3B Operations Multi Limpet Controller provides collector, hatch breaker and recon limpets in a single slot. It facilitates a broad range of missions and material gathering uses. The choice of 3B versus 3C is not clear cut, but I prefer the 3B for its longer range.
3. Assassination: The 3A Frame Shift Drive Interdictor and 0A Frame Shift Wake Scanner allow pulling targets out of supercruise, such as for assassination or theft missions, and following them if they high wake out, respectively. The Expanded Capture Arc blueprint on the FSD interdictor can interdict targets from the side, but Longer Range can also be effective. Long Range on the Frame Shift Wake Scanner makes it much easier to scan wake signals with such a relatively slow ship, including encoded material gathering.
4. Planetary Vehicle Hanger: SRVs are vital for surface missions or surface material gathering. Carry a spare or both a Scarab and a Scorpion.
5. Advanced Docking Computer: This module is worth it when repeatedly docking or playing when distracted.
6. Power Priorities: The fitted modules exceed the Power Plant’s capacity. This build moves the Planetary Vehicle Hanger, FSD interdictor and Advanced Docking Computer to the lowest priority, meaning deploying hardpoints shuts down modules not needed during combat.

Offence:

1. Broad choice: Just about every weapon loadout is viable. However, given the intended targets, this is a chance to try out something fun and unusual. Adjust to taste or your place in the game’s progression. For example, consider a laser/multicannon build if you fight smaller or more agile opponents.
2. Plasma accelerators: Plasma Accelerators with Efficient are highly effective at damaging large ships. The intended targets cannot dodge, chaff and ECM are ineffective, and plasma’s high Armour Piercing values negate their high armour. Plasma Accelerators are effective against turrets for surface missions but struggle against agile skimmers. Many Plasma Accelerator experimental effects are only consequential in PVP, so Oversized is a good fallback choice.
3. Seeker missiles: This is an arbitrary but fun choice. High Capacity ensures it takes a while to run out of ammunition and the Thermal Cascade experimental effect does something impactful on a shield hit. Useful for smaller targets or at range. Remember that missiles take time to lock on and a have minimum range of 500m. Consider the double engineered versions from a technology broker. Drag Munitions are also a useful option.

Defence:

1. Bi-Weave shields: Nothing special here. This build still has a class six shield generator, despite the temptation to use a smaller shield to free up larger slots for cargo racks.
2. Weak without shields: This build lacks hull and module reinforcements. It is vulnerable when its shields drop, particularly to explosive damage. Flee if outnumbered or outgunned.

Variations

1. Swap surface capability for longer operational range: Replace the planetary vehicle hanger with a 4A Fuel Scoop, then use the Plasma Slug experimental effect on the Plasma Accelerators. This change gives the build a longer reach, useful for long-distance cargo missions or accessing engineers. It also extends the build’s combat life and reduces ammunition costs. Use this variation if you have an alternate ship for surface missions.
2. Plasma accelerators: Focused is an alternate blueprint, unincreasing their shot speed and, therefore, accuracy. However, heat management may be a problem.

Solo Tactics

1. Choose when to fight: Apart from assassination missions, fighting is optional in most missions. NPC interdictions are easily escapable. However, combat can be fun or lucrative. Redeeming bounty vouchers improves minor faction influence. This build is not a dedicated combat ship but gives you options.
2. Ignore lighter ships and fighters: Plasma accelerators will have difficulty hitting faster or more agile targets. Ignore them. Missiles can help but it takes a lot of missiles to take down even a small target.
3. Batch missions to the same location for efficiency: For example, if you have a cargo mission delivering to a particular station, look for missions going to the same station to minimize travel time.
4. Batch similar mission types for efficiency: For example, elections often spawn missions to capture cargo from other ships. Repeating the same mission type means you will not forget limpets and your time efficiency will increase.

Wing or Team Tactics

1. None: This build is for running missions solo. Large ships are better for wing missions. This build does not need other commanders protecting it. You can wing up, such as for casual conversation or sharing trade dividends, but other builds are usually superior for the wing’s purpose.

Goals

Create a ship to:

1. Get the commander to/from on-foot missions introduced with Odyssey. This requirement includes transporting an SRV (for mission support or raw material gathering) and a Detailed Surface Scanner (for finding points of interest).
2. Endure a sustained assault from on-foot enemies. This requirement ensures you can complete mission goals rather than rushing back to defend your ship.
3. Land at every surface settlement, outpost or station, effectively requiring a small ship. 
4. Provide fire support to kill scavengers and other ground enemies.
5. Have a fast boost speed. The build should reach supercruise distance quickly for material farming or escaping hostile ships.
6. Have a reasonable jump range and a Fuel Scoop for travelling to on-foot engineers or distant missions.

Build

Links: EDSY and Coriolis (have your preferred one open as you read the guide for easy reference)

An iconic Elite Dangerous ship, the Cobra Mk III tends to get left behind once bigger or more specialized ships are available. However, its small size, ample optional internal space and speed make it ideal.

If you lack a Diamondback Explorer, this build’s reasonable jump range (30 LY, more with the double engineered 4A FSD), high supercruise manoeuvrability, and ability to land anywhere make it a good “taxi” build. 

Defence:

1. Prismatic Shields: This build will not need shields until it desperately needs them. A Prismatic Shield with Reinforced and Hi-Cap boosted with Guardian Shield Reinforcement Packages provides the highest protection. Engineered Shield Boosters counteract the usual shield thermal weakness. These give just under 1000 absolute shield strength, a behemoth for its size.
2. Overcharged Power Plant: This build uses the Overcharged blueprint on the Power Plant to power the Prismatic Shields and, even then, only if many modules are unpowered when deploying hardpoints. Power priority management is essential.
3. Heat: This build uses the Thermal Spead experimental effect on the Power Plant instead of Monstered to minimize heat when fuel scooping. However, avoiding overheating still requires care.
4. Minimize weight: This is not a combat ship. While it uses a single 2D Hull Reinforcement package, Lightweight Alloy bulkheads maximize its speed.

Offence:

1. Ground attack: The Advanced Missile Racks can provide area explosive damage when your ground mission area is swarming with scavengers or guards. The Cobra Mk III’s two medium hardpoints are surprisingly far apart, compared to a human scale, but usable. No experimental effects are consequential, but Flow Control can help with the power deficit.
2. Beam Lasers: The beam lasers are helpful against skimmers or SRVs but little else. Grade 1 Long Range is all that is required to keep you out of range, but Efficient is also an option. No experimental effects are consequential, but Flow Control can help with the power deficit.

Utility:

1. Double SRV bay: This can transport both a Scarab and a Scorpion or two of your favourite kind of SRV. Dropping down to a 2G does not give any significant advantage.
2. Advanced Docking Computer: Odyssey added the ability to auto-land on planet surfaces. This module allows easy landing when distracted or on uneven terrain near surface points of interest.

Variants

1. Attainability: This build is cheap at only around 12 million credits before any discount. Substituting a regular Shield Generator for the Prismatic Shield Generator and removing the Guardian Shield Reinforcement Package creates a build most commanders can attain.
2. Collection missions: Swap one or both of the 2D Guardian Shield Reinforcement Packages for 2E Cargo Bays. While this build will never be an efficient cargo runner, you could use it for surface collection missions.
3. Mines: Swap the 1E Beam Lasers for 1I Mine Launchers. These can rain mine “bombs” on surface targets. They are not as effective as missiles, but they can be fun.

Solo Tactics

1. Flee: This build runs, not fights. Its prismatic shields protect it long enough for it to escape and, at 600+ m/s boost speed, this build will outrun almost everything. Most enemies will mass lock this build, so the high speed is welcome.
2. Power (pip) management: Place four pips in systems and two in engines when landing to maximize shield protection. Otherwise, do the reverse to maximize boost frequency, speed and agility.

Wing or Team Tactics 

1. Pairing: This build can transport two commanders to and from an on-foot mission location, providing each with an SRV.
2. Rescue: This build can rescue an on-foot commander who has lost their ship or would otherwise wait for an Apex. Use missiles to kill any ground targets, land to pick the commander up, then boost to supercruise before enemy ships take down the shields.

An Elite Dangerous ship build.

Goals

Create a ship to:

1. Support other ships by healing shields and hulls. Elite is a game with few niches, but engineering opens a few more.
2. Heal teammates in Thargoid interceptor fights.
3. Be a viable PvE combat ship when not healing.
4. Require no unlockable modules, reputation or rank. 

Build

Links: Coriolis or EDSY (have your preferred one open as you read the guide for easy reference)

While it sits beneath the firepower and shields of the Fer-de-Lance or Mamba, the Krait Mk II’s huge class 7 Power Distributor and copious optional internal module space make it ideal for less combat-specific roles like healing. It is faster and more manoeuvrable than the Python, and the Python’s extra class six slot matters little for this use.

To heal:

1. Power Distributor: The Power Distributor is probably the most critical module for healing ships. It is essentially three large capacitors, one for systems (including shields), engines and weapons. The larger the weapon capacitor, the longer weapons can fire. Hence this build uses Weapon Focused (blueprint) with Super Capacitors (an experimental effect that increases the recharge rate).
2. Regenerative Sequence on Large Lasers: This build has beam lasers, all with Regenerative Sequence. Instead of damaging teammates’ shields, this experimental effect heals them by the weapon’s damage output. It damages hulls and other targets’ shields. 
3. Efficient Large Lasers: This build uses the Efficient blueprint. This blueprint significantly reduces their power requirements and heat production while giving a slight damage increase.
4. Healing: The power distributor and beam weapon engineering create a ship that can fire all five lasers at a target for 24 seconds, assuming four pips to weapons and a full capacitor. At 800 m or less range, this heals or does almost 100 damage per second. 
5. Repair limpet controller: Limpets launched by a Repair Limpet Controller heal hull damage. The limpets are slow, flying around 250 m/s, so the teammate may have to slow or stop for the limpet to catch up. Between fights is the best time to use them. Unfortunately, they cannot repair module damage or canopies. Teammates will have to use AMFUs for that. Do not forget your limpets!

Defensively, this build is pretty standard:

1. Lo-Draw Shield: The shield has Lo-Draw rather than Fast Charge. Fast Charge draws too much power, resulting in a slower shield recharge than Lo-Draw.

Variants

The same variations with the Mamba apply here, such as replacing Module Reinforcement Packages with the guardian versions, Prismatic Shields and cost reduction. 

1. Alternative laser experimental effect: Another option is Concordant Sequence, which increases shield regeneration to ten times its usual value for ten seconds. However, this is less effective on ships with Prismatic Shields due to Prismatic Shields’ low regeneration rate. If you regularly wing with ships that do not use Prismatic Shields, replace the experimental effect on one of the Medium Lasers with Concordant Sequence. The Concordant Sequence buff is unrelated to the weapon’s damage and does not stack, so use the smallest weapon possible.
2. Alternative laser blueprint: Long Range instead of Efficient will allow healing over long distances. It can help a spread-out team. However, the increased distributor draw and heat generation mean you cannot fire for nearly as long.
3. Anti-xeno healing: Replace the Repair Limpet Controller or 5D Hull Reinforcement with a Decontamination Controller. Replace the 4E Cargo Rack with a 4E Corrosion Resistant Cargo Rack if you want to pick up Thargoid hearts. If healing larger ships like Federal Corvettes and Imperial Cutters, swap the gimballed lasers for fixed for higher heal or damage rates.
4. Fighter: Equip a fighter hanger for more firepower, particularly one with plasma weapons for better hull damage. A fighter also provides an alternate target when engaging wings of smaller ships. It may cause lag or “rubber-banding” when in a team but is useful when soloing.

Solo Tactics

1. Close combat: As the damage fall-off of a large laser is only 800m, you need to get close to get the full damage. Throttle up if the target is over 1.5 km away to get close, then throttle back into the blue when they do so you can turn faster to maximise time on target. Use pre-turning or “landing gear turns” if needed.
2. Favour smaller ships: Your beam lasers, being purely thermal damage and having moderate Armour Piercing values, will be most effective against medium and smaller ships. Vaporing small ships and fighters with this build is fun. If you must fight larger ships, target sensitive modules like Power Plants to avoid drawn-out fights.
3. Longevity: Without ammunition, the limiting factor to combat with this build is hull damage. Engaging medium or light targets means you can fight indefinitely.
4. Power (Pip) management: Put two pips in systems and four pips on weapons to maximise the laser firing duration. You will need three or four pips in shields to avoid draining the system capacitor after they drop.

Team or Wing Tactics

1. Healing: Keep an eye on your teammates’ shields and top them up when needed. Unengineered or lighter ships will require more attention. Use a hotkey to select the teammate, get their location from your radar, put pips to engines, turn toward them and throttle up. Do not fly directly at them because you may run into them. Put pips into weapons to heal for longer. 
2. Anti-Thargoid interceptor healing: Ensure you are in a team with the tanks or those you want to heal. Keep the weapon distributor topped up and ready to heal a teammate through a lightning attack. Four pips are required when healing against a thargoid interceptor’s lightning attack. Outrun caustic missiles or use a decontamination limpet on yourself when needed. If you get attacked by a thargoid interceptor, fly to the nearest tank and hide behind them while the tank regains the interceptor’s attention.
3. Anti-shield: As mentioned above, five beam lasers are an unbalanced weapon loadout. Having to get close to targets also risks drawing attention. Therefore, focus on shielded targets, particularly those using Shield Cell Banks, then fire sparingly on hulls. Focusing keeps your weapon capacitor charged for healing or the next shielded target.

A departure from my normal reviews, this post and the next few will focus on interesting Elite Dangerous ship builds, as requested by my squadron mates. Please indulge me.

Goals

Build a ship with the following aims:

1. General-purpose, engineered PvE combat ship.
2. Require no unlockable modules, reputation or rank. 
3. Effective against all targets, from small, nimble fighters to lumbering Anacondas. 
4. Effective in any non-Thargoid combat, from a Navigation Beacon to a Pirate Attack.
5. A fuel scoop to access remote combat community goals or engineers.

Build

Links: Coriolis and EDSY (have your preferred one open as you read the guide for easy reference)

The Mamba combines the firepower of a Fer-de-Lance, the modest manoeuvrability of a Krait Mk II and an Eagle’s speed on arguably Elite’s best-looking ship. It requires no reputation or rank unlock. I also have a soft spot for playing less popular ships.

Offensively, this build relies on the tried-and-true lasers and multicannons formula:

1. Gimballed weapons: Perhaps obvious but gimballed weapons are the ideal trade-off between damage and accuracy. It makes it easier to hit small or fast-moving targets, frees you up to manoeuvre more freely and makes hitting modules on larger ships easier.
2. Huge hardpoint: This build’s Huge Multicannon has Overcharged (blueprint) with Oversized (experimental effect), giving a 70% damage increase. Simple but effective.
3. Large hardpoints: The large beam lasers have Long Range with Thermal Vent. Long Range means the beam lasers can hit targets up to 3.6 km away with no damage loss. Otherwise, lasers’ damage starts to drop at 800m. The Thermal Vent experimental effect decreases instead of increasing heat on a hit, eliminating heat issues. 
4. Avoid over-engineering: The large beam lasers only have grade 1 Long Range. Higher grades have diminishing returns due to gimballed weapons’ increasing inaccuracy at range. Engineering everything to grade 5 is not always the best solution.
5. Small hardpoints: Compared to the other hardpoints on a Mamba, the small hardpoints are there to apply experimental effects instead of doing damage. This build uses Emissive and Corrosive. Neither effect stacks. Both are available on Small Multicannons. This build uses the High Capacity blueprint to double their ammunition capacity, almost matching the firing time of the Huge Multicannon. Unfortunately, Small Multicannons churn through ammunition quickly. Corrosive also decreases the ammunition capacity by twenty percent.
6. Emissive experimental effect: Emissive increases gimballed weapons’ accuracy against that target for a few seconds. This accuracy increase is most evident when the target’s heat drops, like when using a heat sink.
7. Amour piercing and hardness: When a weapon hits a ship, the weapon’s “Armour Piercing” is compared to the ship’s “Armour Hardness”. When the Armour Piercing is lower than Armour Hardness, some of the damage is diverted to the ship’s “Armour” value until “Armour” ablates to zero. Larger ships generally have higher Armour Hardness and Armor values. Larger weapons also tend to have higher Armour Piercing values. That is why large ships are harder to damage with small weapons. That is also why most builds put high Armour Piercing weapons in the largest hardpoint slots, like the Huge Multicannon in this build.
8. Corrosive experimental effect: Corrosive reduces a ship’s Armour Hardness value for a few seconds. This allows this build’s weapons to do more damage to heavier ships’ hulls. Even the Huge Multicannon benefits against ships with the hardest armour (Fer-de-Lance, Mamba, Imperial Cutter, Federal Corvette and Type-10 Defender).
9. Sensors: The 4A Sensors with Long Range are essential. The best weapons are only effective if you can find suitable targets in large Conflict Zones, Resource Extraction Sites or Navigation Beacons.

Defensively and ignoring speed, this build relies on Bi-weave shields and strong armour:

1. Bi-weave shields: Bi-weave shields sacrifice raw strength for a fast rebuild (recharge from nothing to 50%) and regenerate (50% to 100%). This build emphasizes the recharge speed using Reinforced (increase strength) and Fast Charge (increase regeneration rate). You can engage weak to moderate targets without pause. 
2. Shield boosters: The shield boosters use two Heavy Duty (increase strength), two Thermal Resistance (counter shield’s innate weakness against thermal weapons like lasers) and one Resistance Augmented blueprint. This build is resistance-heavy, further emphasizing the recharge rate without losing too much to resistance’s diminishing returns. 
3. Armour: This build uses Reactive Surface Composite with Heavy Duty and Deep Plating, both increasing strength. Reactive Surface Composite inverts the usual strengths and weaknesses of armour, resisting explosive (missiles) and kinetic (multicannons) damage but weakening against thermal damage (lasers).
4. Hull and module reinforcement: This weakness against thermal damage is corrected with Thermal Resistant engineering on the 4D Hull Reinforcement Package. The 2D Module Reinforcement Package protects against module damage when weapons breach the hull and potentially damage the core internal modules.
5. Power priorities: Power priorities are not required for this build but keep core internals and Shields operating if the Power Plant is ever significantly damaged.

Variations

1. Guardian modules: Replace the Module Reinforcement Package with a Guardian Module Reinforcement Package if you have access to that module. It has slightly better module protection.
2. Cost: If cost or rebuy is a factor, replace the Reactive Surface Composite with Military Grade Composite. Adjust the engineering on Hull Reinforcement Packages accordingly. A Mamba’s Reactive Surface Composite costs around 120 million credits before any discount, over half the initial purchase cost. This ratio is the same for most ships, so this advice is helpful for any build.
3. Prismatic Shields: If you prefer Prismatic Shields, replace the 5C Bi-Weave Shield Generator with a 5A Prismatic Shield Generator with Reinforced and Hi-Cap. You will need to replace the engineering on the Power Plant with Overcharged grade 2 or higher to ensure sufficient power.

Solo Tactics

This build works fine for simple “point and shoot” but you can do a lot more with it:

1. “Circle Strafe” tactic: The ideal tactic is circle-strafing the target, keeping a 1 to 1.5 km distance. Fly toward the target at 50% throttle, thrust down while gently turning the nose up. It can be difficult initially, but practice helps. Dodge slow, unguided munitions like plasma accelerator shots and non-seeker missiles using lateral or vertical thrusters.
2. “Reverski” tactic: Fly to long range, match the speed of an enemy, toggle flight assist off, turn toward the target, and then blast away with impunity. This tactic is cheesy but effective against slow targets. Unless the target has long range weapons, you will do more damage than they will.
3. Pursuit and fleeing: If you need to chase down a fleeing enemy or disengage, put four pips in engines and two in shields, then boost. While faster ships are possible, such as some Imperial Clipper or small ship builds, none will match this build’s shields or firepower. 
4. Weapon use: Use lasers on shields or chaffing targets, then everything against ships’ hulls. Avoiding multicannons on shields conserves ammunition. Corrosive only works when hitting a ship’s hull.
5. Power (Pip) management: Put two pips in systems and four pips on weapons to permanently keep at least one Large Laser firing. A Mamba is fast and manoeuvrable enough to generally not need pips in engines when engaged. Boosting tends to overshoot the target. Just keep the SYS capacitor topped up and the throttle in the blue. 
6. Large target tactics: Get closer to large, lumbering targets. You can circle strafe faster than they can turn when close, staying out of their firing arcs. Target sensitive modules like Power Plants.
7. Small target tactics: Combat with smaller, faster ships will often revert to jousting. Use your Long Range weapons to damage them for most of the attack run, then pre-turn or “landing gear turn” to maximize time on target as they fly past.
8. Chaff sparingly: Chaff when facing an enemy wing because sufficient fire will exceed the Bi-Weave Shield Generator’s regeneration rate. While this build has strong armour, sustained explosive damage on the hull will start to render hardpoints inoperable (when their integrity drops below 80%).
9. Hardpoint placement: All of a Mamba’s weapons are on top of the ship. Pitch the nose down slightly when engaging a target. This preempts a ship diving underneath the Mamba. It also keeps the target visible through the Mamba’s copious canopy.

Wing or Team Tactics

1. “Pulling” role: Use the Long Range, A-rated sensors to find suitable targets, boost to them, “tag” targets with the Large Lasers, and then flee back to the wing. The enemies will follow, allowing better-shielded ships to engage and draw enemy attention. Time the pull to keep a constant stream of enemies engaged.
2. “Tanking” role: Even without heavier ships in the wing, the Mamba is still in the top tier of combat ships and more than capable of tanking (getting enemy attention and taking the damage).
3. “Rescue” role: Put pips into engines, then boost to a wingmate in trouble. Draw the attention of enemy ships by doing lots of damage when closest to the target.
4. Experimental effects: After everyone engages, the Corrosive and Emissive experimental effects on the small multicannons buff everyone’s damage output, not just this ship. However, they do not stack, so consider other experimental effects if you frequently wing with others that use them.