My favourite subject. Wolfpack tactics imo is the most fun way to play the game.
Here are some of the builds I used in my last campaign - stripped of their story point upgrades. Some extra advice regarding wolfpack tactics: Try to have all aggressive officers, except if using the Eradicator, in which case you should go with reckless.
THE BASIC WOLF: Don't s-mod these ever, and get rid of them as soon as you can get something better. Really weak flux stats and bad shield make this one not good in even mid-game encounters
THE BASIC OMEN: Consider assigning officers with Systems Expertise, Point Defense, (Elite) Target Analysis, (Elite) Field Modulation and (Elite) Energy Weapons Mastery to this one. Consider S-modding Hardened Shields, Hardened Subsystems. This ship is incredibly versatile, works well even without officers (for example when running with Support Doctrine) and has great synergy with some of the best [MEGA-Redacted] weapons you'll get in the late game.
THE SPEEDY BOI, SAFETY OVERRIDES TEMPEST: This ship lost its powerful High Energy Focuser ship system in favor of one that it's actually best off not using, ever, as it hurts itself by using it. It has a low amount of ordnance points, is very squishy, has low base flux stats and an EXTREMELY small shield, leaving it very cost-ineffective against anything but pirates. Almost worse than the wolf, and that's saying something for a "quintessential attack frigate". Don't recommend keeping these around outside of the early-mid game. Oh how the mighty have fallen.
THE ACTUALLY GOOD SPEEDY BOI, SAFETY OVERRIDES SCARAB: There are many, many ways to create a good scarab build, so feel free to experiment, maybe you'll find a better one yourself. Always recommend shield conversion - front, though. Officers with Systems Expertise, (elite) Energy Weapons Mastery, Target Analysis and (Elite) Field Modulation have great synergy. Consider S-modding in Hardened Shields and -Subsystems.
THE NOT QUITE AS SPEEDY, BUT STILL VERY SPEEDY BOI, THE BASIC SCARAB: Same story as above, but not with safety overrides. This is what I used in my late game fights against
late game stuff%u2122, although with some [MEGA-Redacted] weapons. Remember, you can go crazy with the scarab. Almost anything works, just remember to use shield conversion - front.
THE OVERDRIVEN DESTROYER DUO: These are quite similar in function, both of them like to get close, use their ship system and blast the enemy until it dies. Both of them also heavily benefit from S-modded Hardened Subsystems and Extended Shields especially, as well as officers with Systems Expertise, (elite)Ballistic/Energy weapon mastery, Target Analysis and Field Modulation. Both of these are also quite squishy and will die more often than frigates because they are bigger and slower. Don't let that discourage you, though. Use either Support Doctrine (if without officer) Derelict Operations or Hull Restoration, or even combinations of these, to make sure you don't care about these being disposable.
THE HUNTER-KILLER/POINT DEFENSE HYBRID MEDUSA: A favourite of mine. Heavily benefits from Elite Point Defense skill, as well as Systems Expertise. Great at hunting anything smaller than it, great at dispatching fighters and missiles. Has enough punch to be a big help with capitals and cruisers. Absolute MVP when fighting doritos. Gets a great upgrade with [MEGA-Redacted] weapons.
Consider S-modding Advanced Optics, Extended Shields and Hardened shields. I used 3 of these all the way to the hardest fights with great success.
THE SAFETY OVERRIDES MEDUSA: In my opinion outclassed by the above, but still, it has to be mentioned. A combination of kinetics, emp and big damage is always scary.
THE JUGGERNAUT OVERDRIVEN ERADICATOR: You might be thinking, what is a cruiser doing in a wolfpack fleet? Let me tell you. It's as fast as a slow frigate, with INCREDIBLE firepower and tankiness. It's also burn 9, so it doesn't slow down your fleet. It helps with wolfpacks greatest weakness, orbital stations. It can face tank radiants. It brings ALL the dakka. It's fun and satisfying to watch. Try it. Enjoy it. Easily the MVP of my entire wolfpack fleet last run. Benefits from S-modded Heavy Armor, Hardened Subsystems, Expanded Missile Racks or Reinforced Bulkheads. Best officer skills are Systems Expertise, Ballistic Mastery, (Elite) Point Defense, and any and all defensive skills you can get. Mine were piloted by level 7 officers with 5 elites I found in derelicts around the sector.
THE CROWN JEWEL, THE FLAVOR OF THE MONTH, THE NOTHIN' PERSONNEL KID, THE FRIGATE WITH THE STATS OF A CRUISER, THE ONE AND ONLY HYPERION:
An incredible, probably overpowered frigate. Any wolfpack fleet should aim to get at least a few to capture points. These can be massed with great success, too. I used 3. S-mods are not as necessary as in other ships, since Hyperion has such great base stats already and all necessary hullmods can just barely fit without S-modding. Officers, on the other hand, are extremely necessary: Systems Expertise, once again, a must have, as well as Target Analysis and (Elite) Energy Weapon Mastery. Hyperion can also be used without SO for great value in really big fights where it's small peak performance time would be too low to last, but doing this absolutely necessitates Helmsmanship Elite. Couldn't find a fresh hyperion hull anywhere quick, so the build will have s-mods. if you don't want to s-mod just remove all vents and add the hullmods.
THE ILLEGAL FRIGATE: Do you want to win the ECM race in every fight? Do you want even more value out of wolfpack tactics? Do you want to have a disposable line of deadly little chestnuts swarm your enemies? Automated Ships is the skill for you. AI cores benefit from wolfpack tactics, and remnants have a nice little frigate: the Glimmer. When using Crew Training while under 240DP, and having the AI core of each ship use Combat Readiness as one of its skills you can have 12 Beta Core Glimmers with 67% Combat Readiness, which is more than enough for pretty much anything. The Glimmer is in many ways the same as the Scarab. Multiple things work, but in all good builds, Shield conversion - front AND Extended Shields are a must. Even with those, Safety Overrides and defensive combat skills, they will still die a lot thanks to the AI cores "fearless" personality. Preferred use with either Derelict Contingent or Hull Restoration. Here are my two favourite builds, The "basic" EMP Droneship and the [MEGA-Redacted] abuser. Both variants will have their AI cores pick Combat Endurance, Field Modulation, Target Analysis, Gunnery Implants and Energy Weapon Mastery, though the EMP droneship will additionally pick Ordnance Expertise, while the [MEGA-Redacted] abuser will pick Systems Expertise. Recommended S-mods are Hardened Subsystems, Hardened Shields and Extended shields, although, let's be honest, you'll end your playthrough before you have enough story points to use on these.
SOME MORE SHIPS AND THOUGHTS: The Fury, Falcon XIV and Falcon P are cruisers that can kind of do what the Eradicator does. I was just so amazed with the Eradicator's performance I didn't even bother testing the others. You might want to, though. Don't know.
The station killer astral: I ran with two of these in the mid game, because my fleet was having problems with some of the bigger pirate and pather stations. I quickly realised these were not worth the cost to have in the fleet constantly. Before becoming an Eradicator enjoyer I used to pick these up whenever I went station-busting.
The artillery Manticore: Overall just straight up underwhelming performance, which is surprising. Somehow it was constantly out of position and died almost every mid-late game fight.
The be-all and end-all spoiler ship: Issue wasn't that this ship isn't good, but quite the opposite. Even strictly under AI control it was too good to the point it made the game very boring, so I dropped it. Here is the build, anyways. Care for major spoilers.
