Introduction to Cruisers: Amarr, Caldari

T1 cruisers narrowly won a strawpoll for the next topic, so thats what this, and the next post will be.  Also, I have gone back and added tags to fitting posts, so if you want to find all merlin fits, you can just search the merlin tag, or atron tag for atron fits, etc.  As usual, example fits are shown with minimal drones and ammo.  Always fill your dronebay and bring proper ammo.

Compared to frigates, cruisers have longer range, a little more damage and more tank.  They however take more damage, and have terrible capacitors.  Cruisers that expect to be running mwd often (like kiters) usually need a cap booster.  Mwd cruisers are very vulnerable to large guns.  Afterburning cruisers, particularly armor ab cruisers have small enough signatures and high enough speeds that they can mitigate a lot of damage from large guns.  T2 armor ab cruisers form a doctrine called ahacs (armor Heavy assault cruisers).
 

Amarr:

Omen: 

The omen is the amarr "attack" cruiser.  It is fairly fast.  Lasers are the best weapon for turning range control into tracking, so the omen is a good kiting cruiser.  As a brawler, its tank is lacking, and it is extremely vulnerable to neuts, but you will often find it fit with a 1600 plate and scram.  The fit below is a 26km optimal scorch-kiter.  This ship cannot be flown without t2 lasers.  Don't forget about your drones.  With no web and no neut, shaking a frigate that has you hard tackled becomes very difficult, and light drones are the only thing you have to save you. 

[Omen, kite1]
Pseudoelectron Containment Field I
800mm Reinforced Rolled Tungsten Plates I
Medium Ancillary Armor Repairer, Nanite Repair Paste
Energized Adaptive Nano Membrane II
Heat Sink II
Heat Sink II

Experimental 10MN Microwarpdrive I
Medium Electrochemical Capacitor Booster I, Navy Cap Booster 800
Warp Disruptor II

Focused Medium Pulse Laser II, Scorch M
Focused Medium Pulse Laser II, Scorch M
Focused Medium Pulse Laser II, Scorch M
Focused Medium Pulse Laser II, Scorch M
Focused Medium Pulse Laser II, Scorch M

Medium Energy Locus Coordinator I
Medium Energy Locus Coordinator I
Medium Ancillary Current Router I

Rest of the fits after the break

Introducton to destroyers - the ones that arent covered in rust

This is a continuation of the previous post.  The rest of the t1 destroyers are below.

Gallente:

Catalyst - This is well known for suicide ganking, but it can also be used in pvp. Because of its lack of mids, it has terrible range control for brawling.  However, the catalyst can put out enough dps to deal with that handicap.    If you get to close range in a blaster catalyst for even a few seconds, you can blast an enemy to pieces, even if they have superior range control .  You can even fight in a catalyst with no point on it, and just depend on overwhelming dps to kill people before they realize they can warp out. One fun thing to do with blaster catalysts is to get 2-3 other people, and find an isolated ship with a mediocre tank off a gatecamp, like a rapier sitting outside some bubbles.  If you land on it at 0, the 3 of you can put 1800 dps into the target and kill it before the enemy fleet can react..  Its basically suicide ganking in low/null.  A rail fit catalyst is a more balanced pvp ship (in the sense of a balanced engagement profile, not game balance), and flies very similarly to an artywolf.  I have linked a rail cata below. No, it is not a tanky ship.  The fit requires a 1% cpu implant.  If you dont have one, you can use a meta warp disruptor.  Uranium or plutonium ammo is what you will normally use.

[Catalyst, rails]
Magnetic Field Stabilizer II
Magnetic Field Stabilizer II
Nanofiber Internal Structure II

Limited 1MN Microwarpdrive I
Warp Disruptor II

125mm Railgun II, Caldari Navy Uranium Charge S
125mm Railgun II, Caldari Navy Uranium Charge S
125mm Railgun II, Caldari Navy Uranium Charge S
125mm Railgun II, Caldari Navy Uranium Charge S
125mm Railgun II, Caldari Navy Uranium Charge S
125mm Railgun II, Caldari Navy Uranium Charge S
125mm Railgun II, Caldari Navy Uranium Charge S
125mm Railgun II, Caldari Navy Uranium Charge S

Small Hybrid Burst Aerator I
Small Polycarbon Engine Housing I
Small Hybrid Metastasis Adjuster I


Algos - The algos is one of those ships where you cant be sure of the fit before you engage.  The highs can be guns or neuts.  It can be shield fit, armor fit, brawling fit, kiting fit.  You can even do a oversized afterburner fit.  The fit below is a PODLA algos, designed for use in RR gangs with 2-3 algoses and a navitas.  It requires a 3% pg implant.

[Algos, Podla]
400mm Reinforced Rolled Tungsten Plates I
Damage Control II
Drone Damage Amplifier II

1MN Afterburner II
Faint Epsilon Warp Scrambler I
Small Capacitor Booster II, Navy Cap Booster 400

Coreli C-Type Small Remote Armor Repairer
Coreli C-Type Small Remote Armor Repairer
Coreli C-Type Small Remote Armor Repairer
200mm AutoCannon II, Republic Fleet EMP S
200mm AutoCannon II, Republic Fleet EMP S
200mm AutoCannon II, Republic Fleet EMP S

Small Anti-Explosive Pump I
Small Remote Repair Augmentor I
Small Ancillary Current Router I

Warrior II x5



Rest of the races after the break

Introduction to Destroyers - Minmatar

I am breaking destroyers up a bit more than frigates, since I am quite busy IRL.  I plan to do the destroyers, and then take a break from just going through all the ships for some other topics.

Anyway, destroyers are sort of like frigates in that they have small weapons.  However, they are cruiser speed (or even slower, with the corax going the speed of a battlecruiser!) and have significantly increased signatures without increased tank.  They are slow and fat compared to frigates, and will take much more damage from larger weapons.  They can have trouble catching other ships, even larger ones.  Their main advantage over frigates is increased damage and damage application.

A word on heating destroyer weapons - destroyers have tons of highslots.  You can burn out your entire highslot rack in seconds.  Be very careful when heating, especially on long cycle time weapons like artillery and light missiles.

Thrasher - For a long time, the thrasher, like the rifter, was the best destroyer by far.  Unlike the rifter, it is still very strong.  It comes in a few variations, including shield autocannon, armor autocannon, 10mn ab with arty, kitingish with arty, and a FW version called a cockbag, where you basically just try to suicide gank in lowsec.  With the short range of autocannons, and the high tracking bonus, you generally just want to ram things with the following fit.  Against things that are higher dps and higher tracking, such as catalysts, staying at barrage range is going to be a wise choice.  One of my favorite ways to modify the fit below is dropping a gun for a 2nd neut.  Dropping the DCU for a 2nd gyro or the neut for a rocket launcher is also possible, and gives you close to 400 dps. Due to the lack of a web or afterburner, its still possible (albeit difficult) for ships to get under your guns.  In those situations, heat the neut and hope they cap out soon.

 [Thrasher, Shield gank]
Damage Control II
Gyrostabilizer II

Limited 1MN Microwarpdrive I
Medium Shield Extender II
Faint Epsilon Warp Scrambler I

200mm AutoCannon II, Republic Fleet EMP S
200mm AutoCannon II, Republic Fleet EMP S
200mm AutoCannon II, Republic Fleet EMP S
200mm AutoCannon II, Republic Fleet EMP S
200mm AutoCannon II, Republic Fleet EMP S
200mm AutoCannon II, Republic Fleet EMP S
200mm AutoCannon II, Republic Fleet EMP S
Small Unstable Power Fluctuator I

Small Projectile Ambit Extension I
Small Projectile Ambit Extension I
Small Projectile Collision Accelerator I






Talwar - Despite being slightly slower than the thrasher, the talwar makes for a much better kiter.  The mwd sig reduction bonus is one of the most powerful bonuses in the game.  It makes for a decent  LML kiting ship, and is often found in large, low skill point blobs.  The talwar bonused to explosive damage, which is somewhat rare for a missile ship.  Because of this, you can have problems engaging t1 shield tankers and t2 amarr armor tankers.  Carry EM or thermal rockets for these situations. Below I have given a fits for both close range, and kiting talwars.  The kiting fit needs a t1 power core and a 3% electronics (ee-603) implant to fit.

[Talwar, Brawler AAR]
Ballistic Control System II
Small Ancillary Armor Repairer, Nanite Repair Paste
Damage Control II

Limited 1MN Microwarpdrive I
Faint Epsilon Warp Scrambler I
Fleeting Propulsion Inhibitor I

Rocket Launcher II, Caldari Navy Nova Rocket
Rocket Launcher II, Caldari Navy Nova Rocket
Rocket Launcher II, Caldari Navy Nova Rocket
Rocket Launcher II, Caldari Navy Nova Rocket
Rocket Launcher II, Caldari Navy Nova Rocket
Rocket Launcher II, Caldari Navy Nova Rocket
Rocket Launcher II, Caldari Navy Nova Rocket

Small Auxiliary Nano Pump I
Small Auxiliary Nano Pump I
Small Warhead Calefaction Catalyst I


[Talwar, LML]
Internal Force Field Array I
Micro Auxiliary Power Core I
Nanofiber Internal Structure II

Limited 1MN Microwarpdrive I
Medium F-S9 Regolith Shield Induction
Warp Disruptor II

Light Missile Launcher II, Caldari Navy Nova Light Missile
Light Missile Launcher II, Caldari Navy Nova Light Missile
Light Missile Launcher II, Caldari Navy Nova Light Missile
Light Missile Launcher II, Caldari Navy Nova Light Missile
Light Missile Launcher II, Caldari Navy Nova Light Missile
Light Missile Launcher II, Caldari Navy Nova Light Missile
Light Missile Launcher II, Caldari Navy Nova Light Missile

Small Ancillary Current Router I
Small Polycarbon Engine Housing I
Small Bay Loading Accelerator I

Introduction to t1 frigates - Gallente, Minmatar

This is a continuation of the previous post.  Today we will look at the remaining t1 combat frigates.  As yesterday, make sure you fill your drone bays and bring ammo.

Gallente:

Atron - The atron is the gallente "attack" frigate.  It is fairly fast, and has a falloff bonus giving it decent range even with blasters.  It can come in almost any configuration - armor with blasters, asb with blasters, longpoint td with rails, even scram kiting with blasters.  The fit below needs a 3% cpu implant to fit.  The default ammo choice for it is not antimatter, since you want more range.  Rails (and beams) have the ability to effectively trade dps for range via ammo swapping.

[Atron, mwd kite]
Magnetic Field Stabilizer II
Tracking Enhancer II
Co-Processor II

Limited 1MN Microwarpdrive I
Balmer Series Tracking Disruptor I, Optimal Range Disruption Script
Warp Disruptor II

150mm Railgun II, Caldari Navy Uranium Charge S
150mm Railgun II, Caldari Navy Uranium Charge S
150mm Railgun II, Caldari Navy Uranium Charge S
[empty high slot]

Small Hybrid Collision Accelerator I
Small Polycarbon Engine Housing I
Small Ancillary Current Router I





Incursus - This is the "combat" frigate.  It has a large armor repair bonus, but no range bonus and poor base speed.  Many people fit it with dual reps and a cap booster.  In that configuration it ends up as a ship with no range, no ability to dictate range and no ability to force an enemy to come close.  It tanks a ton for sure, but the only situation in which you can kill someone are 1) You have caught a mwd kiter, generally on the warpin of a FW plex, 2) You are snaked and linked and can power through a web with ab, 3) The enemy doesnt realize what he is fighting and that he can just use his superior range control to disengage at any time.

[Incursus, New Setup 1]
Small Ancillary Armor Repairer, Nanite Repair Paste
Damage Control II
Adaptive Nano Plating II
Magnetic Field Stabilizer II

1MN Afterburner II
Faint Epsilon Warp Scrambler I
Fleeting Propulsion Inhibitor I

125mm Railgun II, Caldari Navy Plutonium Charge S
125mm Railgun II, Caldari Navy Plutonium Charge S
125mm Railgun II, Caldari Navy Plutonium Charge S

Small Auxiliary Nano Pump I
Small Auxiliary Nano Pump I
Small Hybrid Collision Accelerator I

Rest of the frigates after the break

Introduction to T1 frigates - Amarr, Caldari

In this post and the next I will go through the t1 pvp frigates, and give an example of a "standard" fit.  Some ships work fine if you are lacking skills for t2 modules, other ships do not.  Feel free to adjust the fits as needed for skills or cost.  Most of the fits have only minimal ammo and drones - always bring a full drone bay and multiple types of ammo.  Today is only caldari and amarr frigates.  Minmatar and Gallente will be the next post.

Amarr Frigates:

Executioner - This is a great frigate.  Like the other "attack" frigates it is relatively fast.  The long range of t2 pulse lasers combined with its speed allow you to scram kite in this very effectively.  This ship really needs t2 guns and good supports, particularly capacitor skills.

[Executioner, scram kite]
Small Ancillary Armor Repairer, Nanite Repair Paste
Damage Control II
Heat Sink II

1MN Afterburner II
Faint Epsilon Warp Scrambler I
Fleeting Propulsion Inhibitor I

Small Focused Pulse Laser II, Scorch S
Small Focused Pulse Laser II, Scorch S
Small Focused Pulse Laser II, Scorch S
[empty high slot]

Punisher - This is one of the weakest t1 frigates.  Its poor tracking, combined with its slow speed and lack of range control (because it has only 2 mids) make it much worse than the executioner and tormentor.  It works 'ok' against scram kiters because of its natural range, but you have no way to stop them from disengaging and leaving.  There is a gimmick fit you can use for this against mwd kiters.  With this gimmick fit, you want to pretend to have an afterburner by manually adjusting your speed, and then using heat and your max speed to land the scram.  Yes, it has autocannons.  You can fit dual light pulses if you would like, which gives you a bit more dps, but the capacitor on it already needs careful management.  The standard fit is linked as well, but I do not recommend it.

[Punisher, fake ab]
Nanofiber Internal Structure II
Small Armor Repairer II
Damage Control II
Energized Adaptive Nano Membrane II

Limited 1MN Microwarpdrive I
Faint Epsilon Warp Scrambler I

200mm AutoCannon II, Republic Fleet EMP S
200mm AutoCannon II, Republic Fleet EMP S
200mm AutoCannon II, Republic Fleet EMP S
Small Diminishing Power System Drain I

Small Auxiliary Nano Pump I
Small Auxiliary Nano Pump I
Small Nanobot Accelerator I

[Punisher, Standard]
200mm Reinforced Steel Plates II
Damage Control II
Small Ancillary Armor Repairer, Nanite Repair Paste
Heat Sink II

1MN Afterburner II
Faint Epsilon Warp Scrambler I

Dual Light Pulse Laser II, Imperial Navy Multifrequency S
Dual Light Pulse Laser II, Imperial Navy Multifrequency S
Dual Light Pulse Laser II, Imperial Navy Multifrequency S
Small 'Knave' Energy Drain

Small Auxiliary Nano Pump I
Small Auxiliary Nano Pump I
Small Energy Metastasis Adjuster I



Rest of the frigates after the break