so i need some direction

Jump to last post
S

styr

Veteran XX
i've got a vexor and im doing L2 missions. training my skills up right now but i know for sure i want to do be able to do L4 missions before i go out into pvp. however, i was wondering if i should a) do the usual BCs for 3s, BSs for 4s mantra that most missioners use, or b) use an assault frigate. namely the ishkur. ive heard that AFs are pretty good, but i wanted TWs opinion on this.

should i go the usual route with vexor->myrm->domi, or do the ishkur droneboat thing? both ways i have to spend good amounts of time training shit, so it really doesn't matter to me. i just want to do L4s pretty quickly so i can start getting into pvp.

edit: i've also been thinking about simply jumping straight from vexor to a domi to breeze through 3s and 4s shortly thereafter.
 
Last edited:
Get in a Myrm for Lvl 3's. You'll make money real fast for your BS and it will give you extra time to train for the Domi. Domi is overkill for Lvl 3's anyway. I'd tell you to just go rat in 0.0 with your BS once you get it, but we currently lack any space. :(

Also, train for a rifter and read the thread by me on tackling. You'll burnout if you just run staight to lvl 4's so you'll want to throw some pvp in when you can.
 
it just seems like a waste with myrms costing 30mil and domi's under 50 now. earning another 20mil extra isn't much when doing L2s + salvaging. is that gap from cruiser->BC really that huge? i understand i could do L3s a bit quicker, but i'd have to upgrade again to the domi again anyways. training battlecruiser just seems redundant imo.
 
AFs are (quite unfortunately) garbage unless you have good skills (even then, they need CCP lovin'). It's possible to do (most) L3s in an ishkur (although not as easily now that your damage took a hit), you can generally do the same (with the epic skills) in a vexor. Myrm is still a decent stepping point if you go the drone route.
 
Assault Frigates are a joke right now.

For L3s, listen to Cuda. Myrm or a Drake, depending on if you're guns or missiles. Passive shield tank it with some Field Purger rigs and either is easily one of the best tanks on a T1 ship in the game.

For L4s, you'll have to upgrade to a battleship. I recall being able to tank an L4 in a Drake, but my DPS just made them take forever. Heavy missiles vs. battleship NPC's don't really cut it. I've only ever used a Raven and a Typhoon to run L4s, but if you have heavy drone skills, you could probably use a Dominix.

You probably are better off ratting in 0.0 for ISK once you get in to a Battleship though. Without being in a player corp./alliance, your only options are to rat/mission in Venal, Curse, or Stain .... and those are hounded both by nearby alliances looking for pew-pew, and by the other unaffiliated pilots trying to run missions and rat belts. Oh, and the occasional pirate corp. I would say living in those 3 regions would be a challenge for a pilot of any skill level.
 
AFs can be fun in PvP when you're in a good sized gang.

You can breeze through lvl 1 & 2 missions and you can use them for lvl 3's if you just want the challenge, but they do 3's very slowly because you have to hit/fade all the time. AFs in lvl 4 = dead AF, you just can't tank the dmg and you don't really have the DPS to kill the higher bounty ships.


Now if you meant to say HACs (heavy assault cruisers) then yes, some are VERY devastating in missions and others are just useless. Basically, any HAC that relies on tanking and dmg output works great. Any HAC that relies on EW and/or speed instead of a tank will get chewed up.


Basically, assault frigs are special case ships that are great for large PvP gangs. I've used the Hawk, Ishkur and Enyo and am training for the Amarr AFs currently. So far my favorite is the Ishkur because it's basically a mini-Ishtar. Enyo was fun but not as usefull. Hawk has impressive alpha dmg for a frig but the overall DPS is dissapointing, plus it's slow no matter how you fit it. I have high hopes for the Retribution :D

If you want to get into small ship warfare though, the best way to do it is first realize you're training to be support for a larger group. You want to get Interceptors out of the way first, because frankly they're always useful no matter how many you have in the gang.

Next, look into cov-ops ships and see how long you have to plan for stealth bombers. The most fun I've had in EvE is in stealth bombers, but ONLY train for the Manticore or the Nemesis. The Minmatar and Amarr SBs are garbage.

All the AFs have their strong points and weak points, they're all basically mini-tanks with above average DPS (for a frigate) except the Ishkur which has amazing drone capabilities, and the Jaguar which can reliably "speed tank" like an Interceptor. Just remember AFs are support ships for larger ships that can't kill interceptors and drones, you're not going to kill a battleship in your Enyo.

Finally, there's the EW frigs. I'm training to use the Sentinel which is a mini-Curse and sounds like a lot of fun. The Caldari Kitsune is a REAL bitch from what I hear, with its ability to lock down battleships and basically remove them from the fight indefinitely. The Hyena is a fast webber which woudl be useful for roaming gangs and possibly gatecamps, but not larger fleet battles IMO. At a glance the Keres doesn't appear to be any better than it's tech 1 sibling for Damping, so I wouldn't advise training up for that one unless you just love Galente.

Again, these are support ships for a larger gang and not powerful enough to take on large ships solo, however a well balanced gang/fleet of nothing but tech2 Frigs can be VERY nasty against a fleet comprised of mostly large, slow moving/targeting/tracking Battleships.

If you want something to blow through missions and make money, train for battlecruisers/battleships. If you want to PvP and be the tank/dmg dealer, train for tech 2 cruisers and battlecruisers.

If you want to PvP cheaply, know you can get a gang on a regular basis, and aren't the kind of person that has a shit-fit from dying in a video game, train tech 2 frigs, all of them. And don't forget to train up the corresponding skills to the ship you want to fly, the bare minimum requirements to fly the ship are not enough.
 
the thing about AFs is they're made to be damage dealers but they get out-DPSed by tech 1 cruisers that are cheaper, can be fully insured, are easier to train, and have similar survivability. Situational at best imo, though you'll probably train them anyways since they're a prerequisite for HACs. EW frigs and inties are both money though
 
Assault Frigs are a complete waste of isk atm. They'll fix them eventually, but wait till then to even bother. Only thing they're good for is getting trained up to HACs.
 
yeah, i know missions are a chore, but i'd like to be able to do L4s before i consider pvp seriously, beyond rifter tackling basically. my "end" goal is to do L4s in a domi to supply all the money i need until a point comes that i can live out in 0.0 comfortably. im laying on the drones skills now so being a droneboat is imperative for me to mission.
 
To answer your question styr, yes, the jump from cruiser to BC is a large one.

More guns and tanking really do make it feel like you're flying a BS. Its very necessary, if at any time, for lvl3's when you first start. There's a handful of lvl 3 missions where you'll be handed ALOT of inital damage, having the extra armor makes all the difference.

Also, dont think of the BC step as a dragging one, its part of the learning process of fitting and flying. Also, depending on how much and where you put that myrmidon for sale, it could sell in an hour or less, allowing you to move to a Domi that much quicker.

Dominix's are deffinantly overkill for lvl3's, as cuda mentioned. Once you start flying the large ships, the question becomes not whether you can tank the mission or kill all the rats, but rather how fast you can do it. A myrmidon is just faster and more manueverable than a Dominix, allowing you to move through them all the quicker.

AF's do suck atm, but they're a fun distraction. I finally got into an Enyo--my dream ship of 3 years--just last month. Its my only combat ship and Im waiting for some free time to get it popped.

As far as skills are going, have you trained any missioning skills? There's several that will increase your faction standing to your corporation and faction you're working for. These'll speed up the mission-grind process. There's also skills to increase the rewards for the missions.

How's your drone skills doing? What you shooting for? They're probably the best skills to have starting out, as nearly every ship has a drone bay.

Are you using mission guides? Not necessarily mine, but online guides that can walk you through missions. It'll ease the transition to lvl3's for sheezy!

Here's some:

EVE-Survival: NEWS

For lvl 4's only:

Missions : 4

An NPC database that will give you good info on damage types and such:

NPC Database
 
hehe, hani's waiting to get an enyo popped, and I'm dying to lose my torpraven and neutrix.

I don't believe in having a tank...
 
With FW there's the extremely good chance of a war dec (it's been happening a lot recently). Plus it might screw up the income of some folks (ie. join Gallente side, gets harder to go to Jita, though not impossible).
 
Just tossing out some possible bad sides. I know some folks have whined about it (war decs) before.

On the up side, if you're in a freighter flying through enemy empire space the npc navy will come in and web you letting you go to warp sooner.
 

so i need some direction

Back
Top