Best loadout to solo a boss

[HamsterIV]

I play Alliance solo a lot, and since the last patch I am having trouble beating the boss ships at a difficulty higher than normal on a non defense map. I usually run a Magnate with two front gats, a mortar manticore on one side, and a field gun H flack Mk2 on the other. I have also tried replacing the manticore with a carronade Mk1 hoping that balloon lock would ruin the boss ships turn rate. No build seems to be able to put out sufficient DPS to crack armor and do significant perma hull damage before the boss ship puts enough hurt on me to put the AI crew into permanent emergency repair mode.

Have any of you discovered builds or strategies that work against the Alliance boss ships in a 1 ship all AI setting?

[Lysanya]

Try a mirrored gat/flak shrike.  It works on all difficulties, including hell mode.  It's completely reliant on positioning though.  I have videos if you want to see how to run it solo.

[HamsterIV]

Videos would be nice. What ammo choice do you bring as pilot?  Is there anything you do to deal with the flack arming time when super close to the boss ship (which I presume you have to be so that positioning will negate the boss ships primary weapon)?

[Lysanya]

Sure!  Take a look at this: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/152128531

It's the full match, so you'll have to wade through the first 4 waves to get there.  Decisions involving the boss fight and how/when to engage start at 13:00 if you want to skip those waves and head straight to the boss fight.

I bring greased ammo for the flak.  I also don't worry about the arming time.  I try to focus more on not getting hit, though it doesn't always work out.  It may not be the most efficient way to do it, but I find it the safest way to do it.

[Naoura]

Any amount of Banshees.

As long as you're not going against the Anglean and Baron bosses, Banshees are Boss ship Bane. If you can keep the rockets on their balloon, they grind against the dirt in only a few clips.

Barons and Angleans are a different story, and in that regard, Gat/Flak is usually pretty good. Hwacha with greased can be pretty useful as well, just for trying to absolutely increase the amount of fire going downrange.