Update 07/12/2024

-Module targeting priority

Update 29/06/2024

-Vs Khaak and Ravager added(Ravager updated)
-Vs I added
-Travel zoom trick

So you want to go the path of sole warrior without backup? welcome then, embrace your journey by any game starts you want to go you like.

I recommend the Accomplished scientist start,for already set up HQ and with funds to spare but any will do.

This is all done in vanilia game without any mods.

Note: I Know,you could be one man army with Asgard or Raptor or Erlking,whatever but this require very long playtime and Asgard is very overrated for its death star beam, I made this guide to actually have fun wrecking Xenon and other threats with just M combat ship.

Now the first step is...Making Money! how you do is up to you but spy looting across battle going sectors like Second Contact II and HC I are great place to loot stuff and can net you Million of credits by crafting!

Do this until you get least few million of credits, 6M credits will do for the next step,if you want to make credits even faster, theres a M2 (Destroyer) class vessel in Faulty logic that can be claimed and sold at shipyards, ensuring that you still got docking rights for the faction you gonna sell.
Bonus: If you completed Timeless DLC, a various of ships scattered in some sectors can be claimed and be sold aswell, although i recommend just keeping them as trophies.

Step 2

Made enough credits? Then proceed to the next step! go to FRF territory and do some work for them until you hit 10+ Rep to have military rights to buy the mighty Split Dragon Raider, Dont go there with out 10 Rep or more! there are FRF pillagers that will plunder you until you hit enough rep.

Alternative: if you dont have time building rep then go head and force a random FRF Dragon raider to bail, be careful that it has to be alone.

You can find them in their core sector.

Once you own a Dragon Raider, Fit it with:

6 M beam emitters(Split factions dont have these)
Combat Engine Split MK 4 (Zyarth Have these)
Combat Thrusters MK 3
TER M Shield MK 3 (Needs CoH)
ARG M Flak Turrets

This will cost approx around 5 Mil Credits, Once you fitted with these proceed to step 3

Step 3

This step is loot hunting it may take time to get the resources you need to mod your Dragon Raider into pure level, this also requires unlocking the Expectional mods for the engines,hull and the shields to boost its survival by making it faster and better shielding.

For now on,you will start with basic gun mods, and one of the best gun mod ingame existing: the Slasher modification!

M Beam emitters once applied with slasher are very powerful, No seriously it can rip appart anything S sized by 2 or 3 seconds and rapidly damage M sized ships too, can even break the shield regen of K and many other L or few XL ships.

Thats why it also comes in patience by save and reloading. Keep trying until reload speed hits at 90% or more (or whatever you like) Modifying the flak turrets wont hurt either, it helps too!

For Expectional Hulls, Hunt Duke's Buccaners ships in sector Morning star IV, capturing them is safer but you could still get the loot by destroying them.

The Prometheus doesnt come with Expectional Hull.

For Expectional Engines,I have no clue but you can maybe try your lock with a guild mission...Otherwise go hunt a Xenon F, sometimes they come with Expectional engine mod.

For Expectional Shield, Join a war guild (ARG,HOP,PAR,ZYA,TER) and complete a heavy construction mission that rewards with L miner, Regardless of faction all these L miners come with Expectional shield mod,and can be docked at shipyard and then you can remove the modifaction and put it to your Dragon Raider.

Apply the following Hull, engine, Shield mods:

Nanotube
-23.10% Ship drag(better speed and agility!)
-23.10% Ship mass(better acceleration!)

Traction
+70% Shield Generation
-70% Shield Relay Generation

Slingshot
+30% Engine thrust
+20% Engine Strafe
+20% Engine Rotation
+40% Engine boosting
+40% Engine Travel thrust

This takes alot of saves and reload of course,but once you hit that luck roll, you are almost set!
Ensure your Dragon Raider has the following stats and equipment below:


Step 4:

Your Dragon Raider is now ready for fit! Choose your targets wisely and Zap them with your six modified beam lasers like butter! watch out though that you are still glass cannon, careful flying is required to dominate.

About Travel zoom trick

This method can be use to use travel drive charging your foes but not crashing to them,this works very well with Beam emitters since they hit instantly, you can circle around the K with travel drive and take out the turrets while gravition turrets will have hard time hitting you.

vs M/N/F

This should be your priority targets since they get demolished in 2 seconds if theres too many, retreat behind and take one by one.

vs P/PE

These M6 automatas can take bit beating however for PE are more easily destroyed, try to avoid head on attacking since they can dish out quite damage out of you and zap them behind.

vs B

Prioritize them too! they can make alot of damage with their plasma beam cutters if they get closer, attack as soon as possible once you acquired a lock on them.

vs H

This nemesis xenon threat from X beyond the frontier poses a new threat, Unlike K the H boast alot of M turrets which can rip you appart if your not careful close,the H also got X3 more engines from the K and alot more turrets,to sum up the Semisic turrets can damage you even if not direct hit its painful.

Focus on Needle turrets first and then the Semisic turrets,afterwards you can finish it off then, destroying their shield generatiors.

vs K

Your first attack with the K should be knocking out one of broadside's turrets,Travel zoom around the K's turrets and zap them,move away and reengage,afterwards move to the top side of K, use manual aim to focus on the engines to slow it down, then on the other broadsides turrets,once the K is disabled, Drain it down and once the shield are weakened, destroy the shield generatiors skillfully and then remain at top of K's vessel and finish it off,it will take some time but thats done!

vs I

The I has way too powerful shielding generation to be damaged even by your modified beam emitters,however the Travel zoom trick can still be applied to strip off the turrets and disable it.

You wont be able to destroy the I but once you disable it,it will be out for while and if theres a NPC battle group fleet heading,the I will be ripped appart by them

Vs Khaak

All of them are easy pray for your Beam emitters,however as of 7.0 A new Khaak threat can be challanging

The Ravager unfortunely is very hard to fight,not to meantion their L Kyon turrets cannot be destroyed,their shield generators however can be damaged and destroyed.

Prioritize targeting

Right before you can launch an attack,make sure to pause the game(might need to go to options to assign a key) to stop the time.

Mark your target and press F3 while the game is paused,then click on the target's ship modules (turrets,engines,shields)

Now you can use travel zoom trick and your Beam emitters will be aimed directly to it,should take a while like a original M sized ship to destroy modules.

And thats that! If you find yourself into many hostiles, boost away and less ships will be chasing you, taking down one by one, however you can experiment your skills on the Dragon Raider on your own aswell, remember that it is glass cannon vessel and it takes piloting!

You can try your luck with the Nemesis too, more agility and shield than the Dragon with slower and one less weapon(Or the Yaki one)

The Boron Hydra is very powerful too, but I personally like the Split Dragon Since X2 the Threat...More speed and more firepower!

Hope this guide will atleast help something into new type of gameplay.

The end.