Let's hear your favorite custom ship loadouts and their tactical niche!
I'll start off:
My absolute favorite-- Hyperion Frigate with 2x AM Blasters, 2x Atropos Torpedoes, 2x Ion Cannons, 10 capacitors and 6 vents Capable of soloing cruisers if your aim is good. If not, ditch an ion cannon or some vents and pick up an ammo extension and/or missile extension. You can quickly down shields with your Ion Cannons, then carve a hole through their armor with your AM Blaster before finally releasing two torpedoes right up their soft underbelly. Its a devastating combo. Then you can run out, let your flux cool off and do it all over again. This ship is absolutely incredible. Nothing this small can pack even close to the amount of strike potential this craft brings to the table. No need for PD whatsoever--you're too damn fast. If the enemy has a lot of very fast fighters that are giving you trouble, you can plug in tactical lasers instead of ions, but you will not have the same lightning fast death swoop combo.
Great Support Cruiser-- Hate carriers as much as I do? Grab a venture class cruiser instead. Drop your choice of medium energy mounts, 2x Pilum Launchers, 2x Harpoons, 2x Hypervelocity drivers. This ship is a dangerous sniper and mobile carrier. Keep it in your back lines with an interceptor wing escort and you can cause some real damage. This is the best option for a carrier craft I have found.
Brawler--Aurora cruiser with 3x heavy blasters, 4x tactical lasers, 2x Sabot SRMS, a Cyclone Reaper Launcher, 30 vents, stabilized shields and hardened shields. This ship is all about timing and using your sabots correctly. Down their shields with a volley or two from the sabs, then unleash your right broadside, turn your nose to them and drive straight toward them and drop your reapers. Continue to rotate around and let them have the weaker left broadside if the shield is still down or they are disabled.
What are your favorites?
edit
Heavy Blasters, not burst lasers