The modshard Mandalay served me well in the Sol battle. With the 4x modshards en 2x TV beams power becomes an issue but you can overcome that by denying power to the cargohatch. Saves some warnings. o7 commander
It’s a bit old but this is probably the closest to what you’re looking for: Mechan's Top10 Crazy AX Builds of 2024 ruclips.net/video/eU3rY2ZSwcE/видео.html
Speed. AX is speed tanking first and foremost. And agility to a lesser degree. Those builds still have over 2.5k hull which is plenty. Also massively decreases your rebuy cost - though that usually matters less.
@@joetriccas 2-modshard ships are Hydra capable in their own right. Not easy tho. Medium AZIs suck damage wise tho. Drop them for more mod shards, or switch to gauss.
Is the preference of modshards to be flakless, because it saves you from switching leading/trailing lead reticle? It's quite annoying that modshards need trailing and flak needs leading. But then again, if you are repairing modules, popping repair limpets, and synthing ammo and sinks, might as well add the lead reticle swap to the list of things you do after popping a heart.
Reason for no flak is the AXCZ nature of the modshard build, where flak is useless. It’s very possible to use flak without the leading reticle by the way, just needs a little extra practice.
How does the Mandalays maneuvering profile compare to the Chieftain? The Cheitains maneuverability comes from the fact that it (and the FAS) aren't as affected by the blue zone, unlike the Krait which can barely turn at all at high speeds unless you boost.
I have a chart in the vid with the data. Basically the yaw of the Mandy is over 3x that of the Krait (!). All ships are equally affected as far as blue zone bonuses to acceleration and controls are concerned, it’s just that the Krait is a far stiffer log to begin with.
@@Astyrrean You're right, I guess It always felt to me like different ships responded to it differently. Do you know the underlying math of the blue zone? flat amount? percentage based? some kinda weird formula? I hate it when devs hide basic game mechanics :P
@@davidsomervell8388 I don’t know the precise math. I can tell you for sure it’s not an “on/off” effect, but more of a gradual effect that increases progress towards the center of the blue zone. I can tell you it does NOT affect acceleration (we tested this extensively). It just (majorly) affects pitch/yaw/roll multipliers. Why don’t you test it yourself and report back? Record videos of you pointing to a background star in empty space, and doing a 360’ yaw/pitch/roll spin (one at a time), at different speed velocities, and measure how much time it takes to get back to starting point?
@@Astyrrean thanks - looking at EDSY specifically, when I swap one of your build's S for an M, I see that the Prio 4 group goes red. If I understand everything correctly, that means I could *technically* move e.g. Life Support to P5? Not saying it's a good idea, just trying to understand how to think about it :D
@ Yeah but power grid isn’t the issue (and even if it was, you probably want to shut the AFMU before you shut life support). The problem is WEP power distributor recharge. With 2m2s gauss at a sustained fire rate, you will massively overdraw your distro recharge and you’ll be at 300% heat in no time.
I posted about the Mandy being a good AX ship in the AXI discord and got more or less told I was wrong. You also did a video back in October saying it wasn't viable as an AX ship or Titan bomber. Why the sudden change of heart??
@@Astyrrean That's where you're wrong though, it's a great bomber. Better than the Python Mk II in terms of handling and responsiveness when doing so. It simply has less firepower than the meta but it's more than viable
@@TomH24297 Oh man, by that logic the ViperMk3 is the best bomber. Apologies, but you are deeply misguided. A key factor, maybe THE key factor, of a bomber is how much core damage it can do in a cycle. An the Mandy just plain sucks at that. Can you still use it? Sure, I've used an unengineered keelback with an SLF to prove a point, but let's not go around saying the Keelback is a great bomber please. It isn't, and the Mandy isn't either.
@ I really don’t appreciate the attitude with which you’re responding to me. The Viper 3 doesn’t have enough Utility Mounts or Hardpoints to get through the caustic cloud and then attack the core, or the speed and utility with which to move around the Titan’s vents. So NO. Your logic doesn’t track. The Mandalay is fast, a hair slower than the PythonMk2 but with greater manoeuvrability, more internals in the event of being attacked or damaged whilst in the cloud, the only trade down is the hardpoints which are all reduced by one class and two less utility mounts. The Mandy doesn’t “just plain suck”. It does the job, and it does it better than many, many other ships. Just because it isn’t in your opinion the “best” bomber it doesn’t make your opinion factual and unable to be argued. I’d rather be able to hit every vent and have maximum time hitting the core using my Mandy with extra strength on the hill than a Python where it’s got a paper strength hull, lower manoeuvrability and not have maximum time as it ultimately balances out. It’s simply a matter of personal preference.
"This modshards mandalay... handily replaces the alliance challenger as the primary alternative to the all popular krait" Said like a minute before spiking to 35% after *3* rounds on a single trigger. I'm sorry, the mandalay may be more maneuverable but the fact that it's distributor *cannot* handle 4m shards at near max firerate means that it doesn't compete in the same space as the chally or the krait. I'm sure it's fun to fly, but being fun to fly doesn't make it better than other ships.
I’m a big fan of the Challenger. In both its gauss and modshards popular configs. While it is true that the Mandy has tighter distro constrains than the Chally, it is undeniable that it flys immensely better. Hence the trifecta - want firepower? Go Krait Mk2. Want agility? Go Mandy. Want a mix in between? Hello Chief. Chally has less of a meaningful role now in my opinion.
@@Astyrrean Except the chally brings the same firepower to hull that the krait brings while also having more shield strip and enough agility to easily orbit without boosting. The thing the krait brought was versatility with it's L sized hardpoints which are *significantly* less useful now that the war is over and the larger distro which isn't a that big for 4m shards but is huge for mpcs. I never questioned the mandaly's maneuverability, I even said it was more maneuverable than the chally but that's not the only metric you should be rating ships on.
@@Astyrrean Yes i noted that the krait has a larger PD than the chally, but it doesn't make much of a difference when you barely overdraw with 4m modshards as is. The only thing you might struggle to exert before it's a problem is hydra, but if that were an issue you wouldn't recommend 4m modshards on the mandalay which has an *even smaller* pd than the chally. What about the chally's non boost orbiting or it's better shield strip?
@@nickfizzle You're entitled to your own opinion Nick. That said, I feel vast majority of the community would say that the C7 makes a humongous difference in practice. By the way, as I said I am a fan of the Chally. But I also understand its limitations. It can't orbit entirely without boost like the Chief - you do need to give a kick here and there. You are right on the shield strip part tho. With 3 small beams (shards) or 1L1S beams plus two cytos (gauss) the shield strip of the Chally is top notch for a medium ship. How much that matters is very situational tho.
![Anaconda Guide vs Thargoids [2024]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/eIzbo4mZWwk/mqdefault.jpg)
'I am a humble explorer. Let's explore the wreckage of this thargoid vessel!'
'I see no wreckage.'
'You're about to.'
The modshard Mandalay served me well in the Sol battle. With the 4x modshards en 2x TV beams power becomes an issue but you can overcome that by denying power to the cargohatch. Saves some warnings.
o7 commander
Excellent review! I felt the exact same way about the Mandalay.
Thanks for this. I thought you might have a Playlist of your Cursed Builds.
It’s a bit old but this is probably the closest to what you’re looking for: Mechan's Top10 Crazy AX Builds of 2024
ruclips.net/video/eU3rY2ZSwcE/видео.html
@@Astyrrean Thanks for taking the trouble :)
Great video as always! one question tho, is there a reason why the build uses light weight alloy instead of military grad composite?
Speed. AX is speed tanking first and foremost. And agility to a lesser degree. Those builds still have over 2.5k hull which is plenty.
Also massively decreases your rebuy cost - though that usually matters less.
My ax Mandalay, cocijo’s demise, has 2 mod shards, 2 azimuth mcs and 2 tv beams. Not hydra so capable yet. I guess it’s me ha!!
@@joetriccas 2-modshard ships are Hydra capable in their own right. Not easy tho. Medium AZIs suck damage wise tho. Drop them for more mod shards, or switch to gauss.
I fly this thing with 3 mod shards, 1 vent beam and 2 cytoscramblers, annihilates shields
Nice … but two Cytos and the med beam probably annihilate your distro!
@ yeah it can’t sustain it but it’s pretty good when in a wing
Let me see a Corvette review. Only because I just got one 🤣
Is the preference of modshards to be flakless, because it saves you from switching leading/trailing lead reticle? It's quite annoying that modshards need trailing and flak needs leading. But then again, if you are repairing modules, popping repair limpets, and synthing ammo and sinks, might as well add the lead reticle swap to the list of things you do after popping a heart.
Reason for no flak is the AXCZ nature of the modshard build, where flak is useless. It’s very possible to use flak without the leading reticle by the way, just needs a little extra practice.
I mean, just look at it. Too rakish to be just an explorer.
It almost looks like it belongs in R-Type.
@@CptJistuce looks like it was pulled right out of it :). Good call.
@@MarkYale I actually named mine the Arrowhead.
@@CptJistuce A "TG" refugee... Wow, good on you!
@@Tamburello_1994 If TG means TurboGrafX, then sadly I've never had one. I met R-Type initially from the Super Nintendo and PS1.
anaconda is a good xeno fighter 😂 good video though!!
How does the Mandalays maneuvering profile compare to the Chieftain? The Cheitains maneuverability comes from the fact that it (and the FAS) aren't as affected by the blue zone, unlike the Krait which can barely turn at all at high speeds unless you boost.
I have a chart in the vid with the data. Basically the yaw of the Mandy is over 3x that of the Krait (!). All ships are equally affected as far as blue zone bonuses to acceleration and controls are concerned, it’s just that the Krait is a far stiffer log to begin with.
@@Astyrrean You're right, I guess It always felt to me like different ships responded to it differently. Do you know the underlying math of the blue zone? flat amount? percentage based? some kinda weird formula? I hate it when devs hide basic game mechanics :P
@@davidsomervell8388 I don’t know the precise math. I can tell you for sure it’s not an “on/off” effect, but more of a gradual effect that increases progress towards the center of the blue zone. I can tell you it does NOT affect acceleration (we tested this extensively). It just (majorly) affects pitch/yaw/roll multipliers. Why don’t you test it yourself and report back? Record videos of you pointing to a background star in empty space, and doing a 360’ yaw/pitch/roll spin (one at a time), at different speed velocities, and measure how much time it takes to get back to starting point?
So Mandalay or Anaconda?
Mandaconda 😅
great video! do we have any eta of mandalays purchasable with credits?
Month or two? Hard to say.
If the mandy is 2 months out still, we'll be waiting for an eternity to fly the cobra 5 🤔
Is the choice of 1m3s gauss cannons because of power capacity? I'm still a noob when it comes to building ships :)
Power distributor limitations.
@@Astyrrean thanks - looking at EDSY specifically, when I swap one of your build's S for an M, I see that the Prio 4 group goes red. If I understand everything correctly, that means I could *technically* move e.g. Life Support to P5? Not saying it's a good idea, just trying to understand how to think about it :D
@ Yeah but power grid isn’t the issue (and even if it was, you probably want to shut the AFMU before you shut life support). The problem is WEP power distributor recharge. With 2m2s gauss at a sustained fire rate, you will massively overdraw your distro recharge and you’ll be at 300% heat in no time.
@ aaahhhh, now it makes sense! Thanks so much for taking the time (and not RTFM-ing me :D), keep up all of your good work!
Now we just need thargoids to test it, since they were kicked out of hip 22460, it feels like there's nothing to do
Come to the California Nebula!!
I posted about the Mandy being a good AX ship in the AXI discord and got more or less told I was wrong. You also did a video back in October saying it wasn't viable as an AX ship or Titan bomber. Why the sudden change of heart??
I repeat in this video that it’s an awful bomber. No change of heart :). No idea what the convo in AXI was so can’t comment on that really …
@@Astyrrean That's where you're wrong though, it's a great bomber. Better than the Python Mk II in terms of handling and responsiveness when doing so. It simply has less firepower than the meta but it's more than viable
@@TomH24297 Oh man, by that logic the ViperMk3 is the best bomber. Apologies, but you are deeply misguided. A key factor, maybe THE key factor, of a bomber is how much core damage it can do in a cycle. An the Mandy just plain sucks at that. Can you still use it? Sure, I've used an unengineered keelback with an SLF to prove a point, but let's not go around saying the Keelback is a great bomber please. It isn't, and the Mandy isn't either.
@ I really don’t appreciate the attitude with which you’re responding to me. The Viper 3 doesn’t have enough Utility Mounts or Hardpoints to get through the caustic cloud and then attack the core, or the speed and utility with which to move around the Titan’s vents. So NO. Your logic doesn’t track.
The Mandalay is fast, a hair slower than the PythonMk2 but with greater manoeuvrability, more internals in the event of being attacked or damaged whilst in the cloud, the only trade down is the hardpoints which are all reduced by one class and two less utility mounts.
The Mandy doesn’t “just plain suck”. It does the job, and it does it better than many, many other ships. Just because it isn’t in your opinion the “best” bomber it doesn’t make your opinion factual and unable to be argued. I’d rather be able to hit every vent and have maximum time hitting the core using my Mandy with extra strength on the hill than a Python where it’s got a paper strength hull, lower manoeuvrability and not have maximum time as it ultimately balances out. It’s simply a matter of personal preference.
"This modshards mandalay... handily replaces the alliance challenger as the primary alternative to the all popular krait" Said like a minute before spiking to 35% after *3* rounds on a single trigger. I'm sorry, the mandalay may be more maneuverable but the fact that it's distributor *cannot* handle 4m shards at near max firerate means that it doesn't compete in the same space as the chally or the krait. I'm sure it's fun to fly, but being fun to fly doesn't make it better than other ships.
I’m a big fan of the Challenger. In both its gauss and modshards popular configs. While it is true that the Mandy has tighter distro constrains than the Chally, it is undeniable that it flys immensely better. Hence the trifecta - want firepower? Go Krait Mk2. Want agility? Go Mandy. Want a mix in between? Hello Chief. Chally has less of a meaningful role now in my opinion.
@@Astyrrean Except the chally brings the same firepower to hull that the krait brings while also having more shield strip and enough agility to easily orbit without boosting. The thing the krait brought was versatility with it's L sized hardpoints which are *significantly* less useful now that the war is over and the larger distro which isn't a that big for 4m shards but is huge for mpcs. I never questioned the mandaly's maneuverability, I even said it was more maneuverable than the chally but that's not the only metric you should be rating ships on.
@@nickfizzle Krait has a Class 7 PD ... Chally only has a class 6.
@@Astyrrean Yes i noted that the krait has a larger PD than the chally, but it doesn't make much of a difference when you barely overdraw with 4m modshards as is. The only thing you might struggle to exert before it's a problem is hydra, but if that were an issue you wouldn't recommend 4m modshards on the mandalay which has an *even smaller* pd than the chally. What about the chally's non boost orbiting or it's better shield strip?
@@nickfizzle You're entitled to your own opinion Nick. That said, I feel vast majority of the community would say that the C7 makes a humongous difference in practice.
By the way, as I said I am a fan of the Chally. But I also understand its limitations. It can't orbit entirely without boost like the Chief - you do need to give a kick here and there.
You are right on the shield strip part tho. With 3 small beams (shards) or 1L1S beams plus two cytos (gauss) the shield strip of the Chally is top notch for a medium ship. How much that matters is very situational tho.
No, no and no! For me, Mandalay is an explorer, first and foremost.
Nobody is denying its capabilities an explorer… just saying it’s a pretty capable combat ship as well!