Best mods for the Erlking,

[Fisken]

Any tips, and how where to get them?

[aFF3_M!T_WaFF3]

pretty usefull at an early game is : nexusmods.com/x4foundations/mods/993
it allows you to use "normal equipment" on your Erlking (so you dont need your own Shipyard to equip it)

[Fisken]

Sorry I meent shipmod you can have to improve her in the game.

[Doom]

Originally posted by Fisken:

Any tips, and how where to get them?

Slasher for turrets, nanotube for hull, slingshot for engines. That's the simplest combo. Install anything purple onto the shield. That's it.

There's no point to bother with the main gun, as it is not that strong. You could also consider mods that improve projectile lifetime, but slasher will be probably better.

https://www.qsna.eu/x4/modifications

[Farrel]

Personally? The only essential mod I consider for large and especially XL combat ships are the whirlygig and nanotube mods. Especially if you're using the main guns.

Slingshot is better over-all... But capital ships have such awful mass that strafe and boost thrust are pointless buffs, whereas being able to spin that little bit faster helps travel by managing your turns quicker, and most importantly, getting your big guns on target just a little sooner.

I disagree that the Erlking main gun isn't worth using, it's a decent enough chunk of damage, good enough for combat, but not so powerful that it still has use in capital ship piracy... But how you flavour that gun feels to me more a matter of taste.

But yeah, if you're willing to defy the conventional wisdom? Give whirlygig a shot and aim for that big ol' 50% turn boost.

Doom has already linked to the site I use to check mod values, but here it is again to just emphasise it ;) https://www.qsna.eu/x4/modifications

[Doom]

Originally posted by Farrel:

I disagree that the Erlking main gun isn't worth using, it's a decent enough chunk of damage, good enough for combat, but not so powerful that it still has use in capital ship piracy... But how you flavour that gun feels to me more a matter of taste.

The reason for my advice was because I do not find using the main gun often, and most damage comes from turrets. So it makes sense to increase either punch (slasher) or range. Main gun on Erlking requires some fairly odd "rhythm game", as eMYNOCK called it at some point, and I'm not really a fan of it. But that's a personal preference.

The reason for slinshot is to get Forward Thrust and Travel Mode increase, as they stack. Erlking is quite fast already, this increases his speed greatly. Whirlygig has no such effect and Erlking turns faster fairly quickly by default.

But again, it is a matter of preference.

[Farrel]

Originally posted by Doom:

Originally posted by Farrel:

I disagree that the Erlking main gun isn't worth using, it's a decent enough chunk of damage, good enough for combat, but not so powerful that it still has use in capital ship piracy... But how you flavour that gun feels to me more a matter of taste.

The reason for my advice was because I do not find using the main gun often, and most damage comes from turrets. So it makes sense to increase either punch (slasher) or range. Main gun on Erlking requires some fairly odd "rhythm game", as eMYNOCK called it at some point, and I'm not really a fan of it. But that's a personal preference.

The reason for slinshot is to get Forward Thrust and Travel Mode increase, as they stack. Erlking is quite fast already, this increases his speed greatly. Whirlygig has no such effect and Erlking turns faster fairly quickly by default.

But again, it is a matter of preference.

Oh, absolutely agreed in terms that the turrets are the big feature of the Earlking, and I didn't mean that they should be ignored, I just can't improve on your advice for modding them.

And yeah, there's something to be said for buffing the top speed to huge levels. I just find that I'm more often in a situation in any capital ship where getting my facing to the right direction a little quicker is both less frustrating, and has saved my behind more often than speed and acceleration.

Yay! Differences of preference! :D

On second thought, though... For the sake of discussion. An alternative view might be to take some of the tier 3 mods for turrets aimed at anti-fighter roles. Extra rotation speed may help turrets stay on target a little better, increasing damage performance more than the flat damage upgrades of slasher mods... Could obliterator be worthy of a second look?

[Doom]

Originally posted by Farrel:

And yeah, there's something to be said for buffing the top speed to huge levels. I just find that I'm more often in a situation in any capital ship where getting my facing to the right direction a little quicker is both less frustrating, and has saved my behind more often than speed and acceleration.

I'll just provide additional information. Not arguing.

Buffed speed of Erlking goes to, I think, around 600 m/s. I'd need to double-check it to be sure. Rotational acceleration could help if you suddenly find yourself hugging a K that snuck up on you from above and is pounding you with gravitons. However the other way to deal with this situation is to run forward. Even without turning you'll break away from K, then distance increases, then you can slowly turn and broadside it with turrets from above. In this scenario main gun does not even come into play, as it won't be pointed at the target. This sort of maneuvers work better in third person view.

I think you could, in theory, use main gun for some sort of sniping. And that would be actually Expediter mod. Up to 30 percent lifetime of projectile means up to 30 percent range increase.

Regarding turrets.

So if you want anti-fighter turrets, you could try Expediter on them too. Basically you could aim at... >=+20% damage, >=+20% lifetime, and perhaps >=20% rotation. You could aim higher, >=25, but you'd need a lot more rerolls to get 3 parameters to near maximum. Basically, if we assume uniform distribution of rolls, then.... >=20 is 33% chance, and >=25 is 16%. So... three parameters >=20 will be... 3.5% chance, and three parameters >=25% would be... 0.4%. Sounds very painful. If you raise just 2 parameters, then for >=20 it is 11% chance and for >=25 it is 2.7%.

Also, Expediter is a purple weapon mod, and getting exceptional weapon chamber is quite annoying.

[RaptorSolutions]

My standard is nanotube. Purple recharge mod for main shields, purple capacity for the M shields for turret and engines because those have ♥♥♥♥ recharge. Expediters for all guns. Slingshot.
I don't fly it myself or even stay on it because I hate it's aesthetic. Bridge isn't exactly comfy either. Great as a quick response ship though because of it's high speed. It can basically solo anything in the hands of an AI pilot. And the AI uses the main gun, dunno if well but at least I don't have to use it myself.

[Fisken]

Well for the times I have used her in fighting Xenons and taking down stations the main gun seems to be very poorly protected, it often get damage quick and then its useless, so better shield are a must, speed I think is ok as is, but the trusters could use some boost, I have already uped them to MK3s and still is a bit slow, but then again as the main gun usually is out by then its questionable.

[RaptorSolutions]

If I'm understanding the hardpoint system right, better shields wouldn't help because hardpoints, the main gun for instance, isn't under your main super powerful XL shield. And since unlike turrets and engines it doesn't even have M shields, I think it might actually be unprotected.

[Fisken]

Yes its seem to be, it dont take long beffor its out usally.

[blackphoenixx]

Nanotube and Reaver.
Slasher into the turrets once i have the mod parts to spare and the best shield capacity mod i have, but i mostly use the Erlking as a trade ship so the former two are really the important ones.

[Doom]

Originally posted by RaptorSolutions:

My standard is nanotube. Purple recharge mod for main shields, purple capacity for the M shields for turret and engines because those have ♥♥♥♥ recharge. Expediters for all guns. Slingshot.
I don't fly it myself or even stay on it because I hate it's aesthetic. Bridge isn't exactly comfy either. Great as a quick response ship though because of it's high speed. It can basically solo anything in the hands of an AI pilot. And the AI uses the main gun, dunno if well but at least I don't have to use it myself.

Curious. The aesthetic of Erlking is the favorite part for me (and on flip side, I like some t erran shipsmechanically, but not fond of their bridges. Too sterile.). I liked all the junkyard ships in general. It is a pity that you can't put guns on a manticore, or that Gannascus is just a renamed model, though.