Sublight Build Planner Checklist

Use this page as a hangar checklist before every serious Sublight run. Tick items mentally (or copy them into a note) so you do not invent a build under fire. Sublight rewards captains who respect hardpoint roles, firing arcs, and status stacking—Ignite and Cold are real strategies, not flavor text.

Cross-check finished loadouts against best builds, weapon picks on the weapons tier list, and late-timer pressure in the hunter flagship guide. Return to the Tools Hub when you need system specs instead of theorycrafting.

How to use this planner

1. Pick a ship and write its hardpoint count / unique weapon rules.
2. Assign each hardpoint a job (front shred, side clear, rear cover, utility).
3. Choose a primary status focus: Ignite or Cold (or a deliberate hybrid).
4. Set mid-run upgrade priorities before the first level-up temptation.
5. Reserve a hunter plan if you expect to pass the late-run spawn timer.
6. After the run, note which checklist lines failed and adjust next time.

Pre-run hardpoint plan

• Confirm ship unlock and alternate loadout (if any) before undocking.
• List every hardpoint and mark class-locked slots for ship-unique weapons.
• Assign primary DPS hardpoints (usually forward or high-uptime arcs).
• Assign wave clear hardpoints for side approaches and scrap farming.
• Leave at least one answer for rear or oblique threats—blind arcs end runs.
• Decide whether barrage weapons that lead shots belong on predictable lanes.
• Prefer piercing tools (for example chaingun-style line pierce) on dense lanes.
• Prefer explosive / splash tools when trash packs clump.
• Avoid stacking three weapons that all cover the same narrow cone.
• Note any hull ability that changes positioning (dash, drone, aura) so hardpoints support that fantasy.

If you are unsure which guns belong in S-tier this patch, skim the weapons tier list before locking the plan.

Arc coverage checklist

Firing arcs are a core Sublight skill. Auto-fire does not help if the barrel never sees the enemy.

• Sketch a mental clock: 12 o’clock bow, 3/9 beams, 6 stern.
• Ensure forward cone can break elite packs without rotating forever.
• Cover both broadsides for orbiting swarms and scrap rings.
• Keep a stern answer for chase enemies and hunter pressure.
• Practice a default “orbit direction” so your strong arc stays on the densest lane.
• When offered a strong gun with a terrible arc for your ship, skip it—synergy beats raw number.
• Re-check arcs after swapping a mid-run weapon; one upgrade can open a blind spot.

Status focus: Ignite vs Cold

Patch-era Sublight leans into stackable statuses. Treat them as a build spine.

Ignite focus

• Commit to weapons and passives that apply Ignite reliably.
• Plan around a modest stack target (Ignite builds toward a small stack cap with supporting passives).
• Prioritize burn amplify / Ignite-related passives early if that is your lane.
• Favor targets that stay in your arc long enough to finish stacks.
• Avoid diluting every level-up into unrelated on-hit toys.

Cold focus

• Commit to Cold application and freeze setup tools.
• Respect the deeper Cold stack ceiling (Cold can climb much higher before hard freeze payoffs).
• Take passives that reward frozen or chilled targets with bonus damage.
• Use freeze windows to delete elites safely instead of greed-kiting forever.
• Watch for overkill: once packs are locked down, invest in damage, not endless chill chance.

Hybrid caution

• Only hybridize if your ship naturally splits roles across hardpoints.
• Keep one status as primary so level-up offers stay readable.
• If offers fight each other for three levels in a row, reset focus next run.

Sample finished ideas live in best builds—use them as references, not rigid scripts, while Early Access balance moves.

Mid-run upgrade priority

When the level-up screen appears, follow a pre-written order instead of shiny-object syndrome:

1. Fix a blind arc or dead hardpoint before greed stats.
2. Fuel your status plan (Ignite or Cold) until stacks feel consistent.
3. Raise survivability if you are one mistake from death (shield, hull, mobility as offered).
4. Multiply your strongest gun (damage, firerate, projectile useful mods).
5. Economy / salvage quality only when combat is already stable.
6. Skip off-plan legendaries that break arc coverage.
7. At elite or boss nodes, temporarily bias damage over experimental tech.

Write your personal top-three priorities on a sticky before launch. Example: “1) Cold stacks 2) Front pierce 3) Side splash.”

Hunter flagship prep

Long runs can summon a hunter flagship that escalates if you linger. Do not discover that mechanic for the first time at minute thirty.

• Know the approximate late-run timer from the hunter flagship guide.
• Keep a mobility or kite plan ready (ship ability + open space).
• Ensure stern / rear arcs are not empty before the timer.
• Bank a burst window (cooldown ability, stacked status detonation, focused broadsides).
• Decide in advance: finish the sector objective quickly vs greed farm under hunter pressure.
• If the hunter is bullying you, prioritize damage and control offers over novelty mods.
• After a hunter death, note whether the failure was DPS, arcs, or panic pathing—then fix that line on this checklist.

Post-run review (two minutes)

• Which hardpoint never earned its keep?
• Which arc got you killed?
• Did Ignite/Cold actually reach useful stacks?
• Which three level-ups were traps?
• Was hunter prep real or vibes-based?
• Update next run’s sticky priorities.

Quick links while planning

• Best Builds — concrete loadout examples.
• Weapons Tier List — patch-relative gun rankings.
• Hunter Flagship — late-timer survival.
• Ships Hub — hull roles and unlock context.
• Getting Started — first-hour fundamentals.
• System Requirements — if FPS is the real boss.

Print this mental checklist until it is muscle memory. Early Access will add ships and weapons; the planner stays useful because the questions—arcs, status, hunter—remain the spine of every strong Sublight captain.