Thargoid Hunting requires specialised ship builds as Thargoids have special resistances and deal special damage types that will typically cause issues on any standard combat build. As such, we have put together the following guide to help you make the correct decisions to lead you towards building the most effective vessel for hunting down alien ships. These ship builds are designed to give you a balance of firepower and survivability, while also being forgiving enough to make a few mistakes.
Please see our Ship Build Theory page for a more in-depth explanation behind the outfitting decisions.
Firstly, note there are two main types of Thargoid: Thargoid Scouts and Thargoid Interceptors. Since these enemies have very different mechanics and abilities, we will typically need a different type of build for each one.
Thargoid Interceptors are very tough and powerful enemies that will require equally strong ships to be able to stand a chance in combat. Due to the incredibly high damage output of Thargoid Interceptors, there are only a handful of different styles and methods you can use effectively.
These are the most common types of builds used for Anti-Xeno Combat.
Fast Shieldless Builds (Cold Orbiters) - Fast ships that use no shield and cold mechanics to evade damage (Moderate)
Slow Shielded Builds (Shield Tanks) - Slow ships with large shields, using reboots to regenerate shields periodically (Moderate/Advanced)
When starting out, stick to the tried and true. The Chieftain and the Krait have been the best ships for AX combat for a long time. The Chieftain offers exceptional agility paired with an excellent set of hardpoints. The Krait trades agility for tankiness and can run four medium AX weapons. The odd one out is the Imperial Cutter as a large shielded ship, offering an entirely different style of combat.
The shieldless Alliance Chieftain is the undisputed AX meta, just like the Fer-de-Lance in PVP. Providing good hull, cargo space, agility, and firepower, the Chieftain is able to effortlessly cold orbit while maintaining devastating gauss fire. Its ample hardpoints also allow for four gauss cannons in addition to a flak launcher and thermal vent beam laser. Its sister ship, the Alliance Challenger, provides more damage and hull at the cost of speed.
Type: Cold
Recommendation: Unarguably the best ship and build style for AX combat.
Coriolis Meta Shieldless Build
AX Chieftain Review Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipyvolMlX4E
The shieldless Krait, while not as maneuverable as the Chieftain, provides a greater damage output for beginners. The Krait’s massive power plant also allows it to idle under 20% heat, which allows for cold approaches without a heatsink or thermal vent beam.
Type: Cold Orbiter
Recommendation: For people that like headroom on the distributor and don’t like yawing.
AX Krait Mk.II Review Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isamR6yLLMQ
If you prefer flying large ships the Imperial Cutter is the recommended ship to go with. Out of all the large ships, the Cutter is the only one capable of effectively outrunning most Thargoid Interceptors. The Cutter relies on Prismatic shields to tank large amounts of damage. If you intend to use the Cutter, we recommend reading the Anti-Xeno Large Ship Guide.
Type: Shield Tank
Recommendation: Different fighting style and generally very capable with weaker Interceptors. Becomes much harder for tougher variants.
These builds are targeted at more experienced commanders, either those who have flown the above ships against Thargoids before or have prior PVP combat experience. These ships offer different flight characteristics, new hardpoint setups and generally some variety while requiring more experience to use effectively.
The Alliance Challenger, sister ship of the more popular Alliance Chieftain, is a slower alternative with higher damage output against an interceptor’s shields. Depending on preference, it can also have more raw hull than a standard Chieftain build. Its three medium hardpoints with good convergence make it a better platform for running modified Shard Cannons or Plasma Chargers.
Type: Cold Orbiter
Recommendation: A great ship for those who find the Chieftain too responsive.
One of the “big three” the Federal Corvette is a force to be reckoned with. Offering a huge power distrubutor and massive hull, the ship loses out only on speed. While this ship takes more skill to fly, it is a favorite of many an experienced AX pilot. When shieldless, it stays icy cold while firing on all cylinders.
Type: Cold Orbiter
Recommendation: An outstanding large ship for those looking for such a thing. Requires good knowledge of AX mechanics.
One of the “big three” the Federal Corvette is a force to be reckoned with. Offering a huge power distrubutor and massive hull, the ship loses out only on speed. While this ship takes more skill to fly, it is a favorite of many an experienced AX pilot. By utilizing prismatic or even bi-weave shields, the Corvette can slug it out with the toughest of targets.
Type: Shield Tank
Recommendation: An outstanding large ship for those looking for such a thing. Requires good knowledge of AX mechanics.
A collection of more advanced builds can be found on the Advanced Builds page.
View even more ship builds by visiting our Ship Build Repository, a large collection of ship builds built by experienced AXI pilots, along with full stats, ratings, and build links.
Hunting scouts is a very efficient method to increase combat rank. This is because all scouts are considered dangerous or deadly targets and will give a lot of experience per kill. Due to the 77% resistance to human weapons it is very inefficient to use normal weapons against them. Due to the unpredictable flight nature of scouts, we strongly recommend the use of Large Turreted Anti-Xeno Multi-Cannons as the most effective weapon for hunting scouts.
These are best suited as they are not affected by the 77% resistance, can actively stay on target with scouts and are very ammo-efficient. Keep in mind that there is a limit of 4 AX Weapons per vessel.
Ultimately, due to the simple nature of scout hunting, almost any ship can be retrofitted for the task quite easily. A simple rule of thumb is….
And you’re good to go!