Ship Builds

[Spud Nick]

Pilots are now swapping out the weapons on their favorite ships to meet new threats and counter new tactics. Here is a thread where you can post your new ship builds and talk about what builds counter others.

[N-Sunderland]

My piloting is most notable for its clumsiness and utter lack of coordination, but here's a Pyra build I've been using.

Left side Mercs
Top left Gatling
Top right Rocket Carousel

This a ramming build. I start the match out by having my crew snipe the other ships if they're in sight. Once they get close enough, I use the rockets to disable their guns and the gatling to tear their hull up before I come in with moonshine and ram them. I used this pretty successfully for a couple of matches against Paddling ships, but then they started putting gatlings on their Pyras  and making it suicide for me to ram them. Maybe a better captain could use this build to greater effect.

[The Churrosaur]

Since the flak nerf I've actually had some success mounting a hellhound on a goldfish- then moonshine and ramming bumpers to finish the job :p

We'll see, but the current Meta seems to make the carousel indispensable as a burning, disabling sidearm.

[HamsterIV]

With the increased rebuild time shatter damage has become far more effective as are Manticore equipped Goldfish and Spires. As a counter I am fielding a double front merc Pyramiddion.  It breaks Manticores at range before they get close enough to get a tight volly in. I put them on the front to minimize my profile in sniping matches. My side guns are carronades. If I am forced into a close range fight, I try to pop their balloon and lift out, then reestablish the fight at longer range.

Not being one to follow trends I have turned my Goldfish into what some call a "Blenderfish" I mount the Hellhound Carronade on the front and two banshees on the side.

My Squid has also been modified with two carronades on the side and rear, and a chain gun up front. Since it is harder to flame lock a target. I will settle for popping their balloon and staying above their firing arc.

Both Broad sides of my Galleon are Manticore and HellHound. It shreds newbies who approach level, but it does poorly against vets. I may change this build soon.

[The Churrosaur]

Not being one to follow trends I have turned my Goldfish into what some call a "Blenderfish" I mount the Hellhound Carronade on the front and two banshees on the side.

My blenderfish Hamster

[HamsterIV]

The trend is towards Manticore Goldfish. It is still bucking the trend if I follow Churrosaur's lead. I admit I didn't come up with the term "Blenderfish" but it suits the ship's function so well I would be stupid not to use the term.

Unless you want to go all hipster and tell me you flew Blenderfish before they were cool 

[Lord Dick Tim]

I try to keep my ship loads mutable, match to match and map to map.  A lot is dependent on the skill level of my opponent, and the relative skill of my crew and team.
When I have a less skilled crew I prefer ship/weapon combinations that put more control in my hands.  The Hwatcha Goldfish with side mounted chain and banshee guns allows me disabling power on the front and side, or the option to strip armor if I need to ram somebody or support at medium-close range.

For more experienced crews I go for the Junker.  For long engagement maps I will put a Merc on the front with a merc on the port/starboard sides along with an rocket launcher, or another merc.  If I'm doubling the merc the bowsprit gun is usually a banshee.
The other side I always pair with a chain/flak combo for shredding armor and popping hulls.  It rarely fails and with the right pilot tools can make for a devastating fast pass.

Short range I'm flip flopping a lot.  I've always been fond of the Banshee, and with inexperienced crews it works well with a chain gun.  With experienced crews I prefer even closer range work with barkers and flame throwers to disable enemy ships with larger tanks like the Galleon.

[zitruskiller]

I like two ship builds - Pyra with gatling and banshee on the front and flamethrower on the right (the right back gun doesent matters cause i dont use it anyway) This is very good build 4 disabling, chasing and destroying. Using it u can destroy just every ship 1 to 1, using ramming.
The second ship is Junker with banshee on the front, 2 gatlings on the top and 2 flaks on the bottom deck. It gives awsome damage on middle dictances, when junker is firing from 3 guns at the same time u even dont need to ram the enemy to kill him

[Spud Nick]

I really like the concept of a junker/galleon with a long range side and a short range side. The galleons I have been seeing have a merc, heavy flak and lumberjack on the left and two manticores on the right. On the back they have a harpoon gun so they can sling shot the enemy ship into it's broadside.

[Pickle]

Just a quick note that Junker builds are being collected on the Junker Fight Club thread.  The General John Sedgwick Memorial is an example of an asymmetric sniper Junker build.

[Jazzza]

I haven't changed my main ship configuration for months.

Main gun heavy flak.
Side guns anything that I feel like (since they'll hardly ever be used). Usually I choose rocket pods or flamethrowers. Anything close range.

I simply steer my ship to aim the main gun and as long as the gunner stays on it, we get the kills.

[Pickle]

My piloting is most notable for its clumsiness and utter lack of coordination, but here's a Pyra build I've been using.

Left side Mercs
Top left Gatling
Top right Rocket Carousel

This a ramming build. I start the match out by having my crew snipe the other ships if they're in sight. Once they get close enough, I use the rockets to disable their guns and the gatling to tear their hull up before I come in with moonshine and ram them. I used this pretty successfully for a couple of matches against Paddling ships, but then they started putting gatlings on their Pyras  and making it suicide for me to ram them. Maybe a better captain could use this build to greater effect.

I had fun with something similar last night in 2v2..

UL - Flak
UR - Gatling
L-forward - Mercury
L-aft - Mercury

My team mate also had a Pyra, with Banshee and Artemis up-front and when we focussed fire on opponents it was extremely effective.  One opponent declared himself in lobby as a ramming build, in a Pyra with harpoon and flamer.  Every time tried to ram us our gatling stripped his armour and we won the ram.

The double-mercury sniping broadside gives you a long-game option from the start.  And if you're facing a Galleon it allows you to engage at a longer range than he is able to accurately reply from.  As a sniping platform the Pyra can out-gun at range any 'ship other than the Junker - which it can equal.

Suggested crew for this build..

Pilot - brings Impact Bumpers (the Pyra is always good for ramming) and his/her preferred choice of other tools (I almost always bring Hydrogen).  Ammunition choice isn't vital as the pilot is unlikely to shoot on a Pyra.
Engineer 1 - brings Charged Rounds and will act as Mercury gunner for sniping, and will be main engineer on the Hull when not sniping.
Engineer 2 - brings Heavy Clip for the Flak, will cover the Balloon from the Flak position, and will cover the Hull whilst the other Engineer is sniping
Gunner - brings Charged Rounds for the Mercury whilst sniping, and Burst Rounds when manning the Gatling on the upper deck.  Third choice is personal preference.

The 'ship operates in two distinct modes - either sniping or forward-engagement.  The Captain has to communicate his decision on when to switch, and the crew need to coordinate the changeover.

[Morbie]

The trend is towards Manticore Goldfish. It is still bucking the trend if I follow Churrosaur's lead. I admit I didn't come up with the term "Blenderfish" but it suits the ship's function so well I would be stupid not to use the term.

Unless you want to go all hipster and tell me you flew Blenderfish before they were cool 

I claim all Hipster rights! Owner of the BLENDERFIST SHAWTGUN!? , namesake of Blenderfish rocking up this joint. All the hipster cred is mine! Muahahahaha.
*Scuttles away giggling about punching people with blended shotguns*