Capping Advice - Jump Beacons

[Monstrous Regiment]

I've decided to go hunting for Valhallas but I realised I needed a jump beacon to move it around. Using the "Long Range Cargo Scanner" script, I've found the only ship in my universe with a jump beacon in its hold, a Teladi Shrike.

Onboard, the Shrike has a Hull polarizing device, internal sentry lasers and 20 high level marines. So far, i've been using my cobra with my 20 best marines who are all 5* in fighting and are 4 or 5 stars in every other skill. Problem is, they don't get past deck 1 without dying. I've faced enemy marines on ships before with no casualties, so i'm guessing the sentry lasers are taking my marines out.

I decided to try to fry the equipment off with ID's but have not had any luck with my Heavy centaur (it just doesn't have the shields to take gauss and IBLs for too long). How should I go about capturing this thing? (i've got 200+mil and am max rank with everybody so i can always buy a new ship if i need one).

[Vayde]

Use MD's to pound the hull as well as ID's. I find that a pass or 3 with MD's once the shields are down, helps get rid of unwanted defences.

[celem]

I like Ion Cannons, they tend to leave the thing completely bare of systems by the time its capped, but sweep that sort of ISL/HPD nasty out of the way.

Jump Beacons can be tricky generally to get hold of, at least you are able to locate them Once you have them they are awesome. I have a plex 200km off the ecliptic with the entire path to gate laced with lasertowers, all possible because my traffic comes in 15km off the dock, they are very awesome

Remember if using the mass driver to actually whack the shield first as Vayde says. If you just let it damage the hull through the shield then the systems are actually invulnerable (shd must be 0% for system damage). If you can fry his CLS the marines might poof, im not sure on this one, but in theory... they should really bail but im sure they wont without script help

[insolent1]

The Shrike has a weak rear turret so if you stay right behind it (200m or so) it won't do much damage.
Ion-d's take a long time to work their magic much better doing some hull damage say to 40% to see if its equipment gets damaged.
You might need to train your marines up to some more for ATF ships.

[Manks]

Griffon Sentinel can also mount a goodly number of ion disrupters. An alternative is a whole mess of Makos. However, I agree with the folk that are recommending doing hull damage. The JB is the prize, not the ship.

[Monstrous Regiment]

Thanks for the help, I'll give it a go with ion cannon on my boreas, 10gj shields should be enough to keep me protected for quite a while.

[Karmaticdamage]

RFF ships have a habit of jumping out of sector once their shields are down. If you info them right as they jump you can see what sector they went too. You may have chase them around a bit to get a cap.

The griffon is pretty good at using IonDs to strip defenses with its small size and forward turret. Its almost as small as a m6 with 4gj shields. Use the missle frigate to pound down their shields to almost gone then move in with the griffon.

[Tohron]

One more thing - be sure that you've destroyed the Cargo Life Support System before launching boarding pods - the 20 high level marines defending will stop even 100-fight attacking marines, but destroying the CLS will kill the defenders.

In terms of what to use for destroying the equipment, I've found that I like Pulsed Beam Emitters on a Tiger with Turbo Boost Mk II - any rapid-fire weapon is good for destroying equipment, but PBEs have the added advantage of quickly taking down the shields.