Hints for defeating the Cyber Punk K7 space battle?

[Adda]

Anyone have any hints? I'm currently flying the original ship outfitted with cyber hardening, extra shields, improved sensors and improved shield defense. I'm equipped with a machine gun and an em turret (which I can seldom power up). The K7 always defeats my cyber warfare defenses by the third round and I can seldom do more than about half damage to the main enemy ship.

 

[Theron]

She can be one-shot by the Shield Vampire, if your Systems are high enough. She surrenders as soon as her Shields are depleted and only has 2000. Use it on the first turn and she won't even get the Holograms up. I don't know what her Systems are, but 90 seems to be enough to succeed more often than not.

Is there any particular reason you're still flying the Casstech?

Spoiler: My Loadout

Sidewinder:
2x Missile Turret
2x Hardened System
1x Shield Vampire

MS-XI:
Same as above +2x Power Core Tuner to run the Turrets.

 

[Adda]

I'm still flying the Cas because I started a new character and have progressed slowly. I'm level 8 but not a multimillionaire yet because i haven't spammed Rhan babies at Breedwell. Thus, I've not afforded the a MS-XI (which is my fav ship). I've not progressed beyond Myrillion yet so I've not gotten the Blade or Sidewinder, which while technically better than the MS-XI, I don't find them as 'fun'/ 'unique' as the other ships. The Blade, because I can't rename it something super cheesy (like the Silverbullet or the Cherrypicker) and the Sidewinder...I'm not sure why I don't like it as well, but I don't-maybe because the interior descriptions aren't done.

Honestly, until now, I've not found a ship I couldn't beat with the Cas...although, in the early days of playing there was a pirate that'd sometimes pop up that I couldn't defeat. I've not seen that ship in a long time, and many characters, tho. I can take out the corvette over the last planet with two machineguns, improved evasion and power core tuners, although, I usually use the MS-XI for that battle. The battle over Zeng Shi can be hard in the Cas (if you don't give the passcode) but not undoable.

Anyhow, thanks for the hint. I have, on more than one occasion, however, depleted all of K7 shields and roughly half her armor without her surrendering. Still, your method sounds FAR superior to what I've been trying to do.

 

[Theron]

I'm not sure why I don't like it as well, but I don't-maybe because the interior descriptions aren't done.

Yeah, that's annoying. You'd think it would have been a higher priority, since it's the 2nd most likely ship for the player to have.

in the early days of playing there was a pirate that'd sometimes pop up that I couldn't defeat.

Do you mean the Star Viper Spearhead? She's still around. Or someone else?

I have, on more than one occasion, however, depleted all of K7 shields and roughly half her armor without her surrendering. Still, your method sounds FAR superior to what I've been trying to do.

Were her Holograms still up? She doesn't seem to surrender until both her Shields and Holograms are down. Even if you fully deplete her armor, so long as one Hologram is up, she won't surrender. But if you drain her Shields on the first turn, she never gets the Holograms up and surrenders immediately.

I've also noticed she sometimes opens with a Shield Vampire, but if your Systems are good enough, you can resist it, giving you a 2nd turn to drain her Shields before the Holograms. You can also tell which one is real, since it's the only one that actually uses Energy.

So, the strategy:

Spoiler

1. Try to do enough damage to fully deplete her Shields before she activates the Holograms. Shield Vampire will do it in one, but enough high damage weapons also work, if you can get her to use her Vampire in the first turn and your Systems can resist it.
2. Either fully deplete the real K7's Armor, or just deplete her Shields and destroy the Holograms. Holograms might be faster, if your Armor damage is low. Since the Holograms are destroyed by one hit, turning off extra weapons to conserve Energy might be a good idea.

She's also only supposed to appear if you have Zheng Shi's coordinates.

 

[Adda]

I do have Zheng Shi coordinates, I've just not gone there yet. I cannot recall if I had all the holograms down or not. I think I did the first time but....?

I do think I'm thinking of the Star Viper but I've not seen her in numerous playthroughs. Perhaps I'm doing something different than I was with my earlier days

 

[Theron]

I do think I'm thinking of the Star Viper but I've not seen her in numerous playthroughs. Perhaps I'm doing something different than I was with my earlier days

The Star Viper got crowded out. IIRC, she only appears when going to Myrellion or later, but encounters are 50% Cyberdale once you've unlocked Zheng Shi.

She can still be encountered. I came across her several times while testing the Cyberdale for advice.

 

[Adda]

HA! After this whole long conversation I just encountered the Star Viper....she beat me down, but it was so close! She had less than 10 hull points left.