Strategikon: Standard cruiser armour fitting

My targets this time are not capsuleers, and I'll be going after the more elusive, but less able Mordu's Legion. However, that does not mean capsuleers will blithely let me pass by. I fully expect to be hunted down whilst I do my own hunting. As such the following is a solo Omen, which should manage the belts NCPs well enough, and be an effective counter for capsuuleers.

Billed as an attack ship, the Omen is designed to bring the fill fury of concentrated laser fire on its opponents. There are a number of different fits available, from brawling to kiting. Its major weakness is capacitor, so if you plan to use it, start training those energy management skills.

It's been a while since I've done a fitting, and the one I've chosen for my Omen is hardly revolutionary. In fact, it's so standard, it's applicable to the majority of armour tanked cruisers. Most Omens are actually fit for kiting, and that was my original intention for this fit. However, after a little bit of research (and the location I'd be hunting in) I decided an armour brawler was best.

The below fit is based on the most popular Battle-clinic entries, corroborated with an Eve Uni fitting, and may even have been on Jester's Trek at some point.

[Omen, Brawler]
Damage Control II
1600mm Reinforced Rolled Tungsten Plates I
Energized Adaptive Nano Membrane II
Energized Adaptive Nano Membrane II
Heat Sink II
Heat Sink II

Experimental 10MN Microwarpdrive I
Faint Epsilon Warp Scrambler I
Small Capacitor Booster II, Cap Booster 25

Focused Medium Pulse Laser II, Imperial Navy Multifrequency M
Focused Medium Pulse Laser II, Imperial Navy Multifrequency M
Focused Medium Pulse Laser II, Imperial Navy Multifrequency M
Focused Medium Pulse Laser II, Imperial Navy Multifrequency M
Focused Medium Pulse Laser II, Imperial Navy Multifrequency M

Medium Ancillary Current Router I
Medium Trimark Armor Pump I
Medium Trimark Armor Pump I

Valkyrie II x3
Warrior II x2

Like I said, this is fairly standard, and can be applied to most other armour brawlers, with slight differences based on slot layout.

The core defense is as follows:

• Damage Control Unit II
• Energised Adaptive membrane II
• (Energised Adaptive membrane II)
• 1600mm plate

And that's it. Fill up the rest of your lows with damage modules, and you have yourself an armour brawler. One of the membranes can be swapped out for a damage mod if you wish, but the core is fairly similar right across all the races.

This is standard for most capsuleer combat ships to save on capacitor. Unlike Ancillary shield boosters, ancillary armour repairers still require a big chunk of capacitor to run... which is why you won't see many cruisers with armour repair bonuses built into the hull. Modules of a size to be effective repairers consume more cap than is sensible for most cruisers. Simple plate and resistance allows you to keep guns and prop mods running.

Mid slot choices are limited by number of slots, but usual trinity rules can apply (warp disruption, web, and propulsion) with an extra wildcard for ships with 4 slots. For laser ships, the web can be swapped out for a cap booster. Even a small one will keep the guns shooting, so it's worth bringing along.

This homogeneity makes cruisers a lot easier to fit. This is not a bad thing (although my inner theoretician rankles at such a thought). I've heard it said that cruisers are actually the best place for a capsuleer to learn how to fight other capsuleers. After seeing the relative ease of fitting, and the more manageable speed of combat, I'm tempted to agree. Defenses take far longer to break through than in a frigate fight, so you have more time to appreciate your mistakes.

Tactics are fairly simple too, depending on your weapon choice. Blasters close in, lasers and rails sit at optimal, and projectiles and missiles move around in between. Drones... well,  sit back and manage capacitor, recalling any drone that gets hurt too much.

Overall, cruisers, whilst being heavier on the wallet, are shaping up to be much lighter on the brain than frigates.

Strategikon: Agkulis Condor

I've never liked Caldari ships.

Too many hard lines, and all sense of elegance thrown out the window for practicality and cost efficiency. That's not to say they aren't good ships... I doubt anyone on the wrong end of a Drake's missile tubes would say that. But I do like a bit of style to my ships.

And also speed has been a consideration. Caldari have some of the slowest ships in the universe, and no thick bulkheads to make up for it, instead relying on shields. Fair enough, but flying without a few dozen meters of metal between me and hard vacuum isn't what I call peace of mind.

That said, with Mordu's Legion releasing their own designs, I find myself in need of learning how a Caldari fights. And for that, we'll start at the beginning: The Condor.

This may be a popular ship soon because it's being re-designed. I think I prefer the current design, but can't complain about the new one!

This is an attack frigate, and like all attack frigates is designed to be completely cap stable with tackle and propulsion running. It's also a missile boat, so despite having a definite range limit and lower on paper firepower, you'll be able to put out that damage much more reliably and consistently within your range.

Unusually for a Caldari vessel, it also comes with a utility high-slot, and in fact shares a slot layout with the Slasher. 4-highs and 4-mids make for some interesting choices when it comes to electronic warfare, but 2-lows limits the amount of hull customization you can make.

It's a natural shield tanker (as given by the 4-mids), but there are some inventive armour brawling set-ups out there too. The Condor is actually incredibly versatile, quite a departure from the usual Caldari philosophy of specialization. That said, its bonus only works on Kinetic missiles, so you are restricted in what damage you can apply efficiently.

Without further ado, here's the ship fitting for my Caldari training.

[Condor]

[High Slots]
Rocket Launcher II, Caldari Navy Scourge Rocket
Rocket Launcher II, Caldari Navy Scourge Rocket
Rocket Launcher II, Caldari Navy Scourge Rocket
5W Infectious Power System Malfunction

[Med Slots]
1MN Afterburner II
X5 Prototype Engine Enervator
J5b Phased Prototype Warp Scrambler I
Medium Ancillary Shield Booster, Navy Cap Booster 50

[Low Slots]
Damage Control II
Ballistic Control System II

[Rigs]
Small Ancillary Current Router I
Small Auxiliary Thrusters I
Small Auxiliary Thrusters I

This is a rocket brawler, and the fitting is terribly tight. Similar to most Slasher set-ups, it's designed to get right next to most ship hulls, and gently stab them to death underneath the tracking of their guns. The Condor can do this a little more reliably that it's Matari counterpart, thanks to the use of rockets.

This really is a rather standard flexible brawler. Standard tackle trinity (Afterburner/Webifier/Scrambler) gives you range control, some speed tanking and, of course, the snare to keep people from warping off.

The majority of the tank is in the Medium Ancilliary shield booster. This provides a massive shield repair, if only for a while. It's not designed to be maintained full-time, and once your charges run out, so does your tank. A lot of your survival will come from where you position yourself in a fight. A note on charges: Navy capacitor charges are smaller than common ones, and so you can fit more into your Ancillary booster. They cost a bit more, but if you have access to the militia LP store, they won't hurt too much.

I said that this is a flexible ship, and that your position will keep you alive. Similar to the Rifter, come in close against ships with poor tracking (e.g. lasers), and widen your orbit against those with poor range (e.g. blasters). Rockets will hit reliably out to (nearly!) their maximum range, and will do the same damage at all ranges.

A note on using rockets: Transversal velocity does not affect them, but it will keep you alive against turreted ships. Rockets will do more damage the more you can slow down your opponents. You can rig or implant for better rocket damage (which we'll discuss later), but slowing your opponent down is the only way you can do so in a fight. So land the web/scram first. Then fire rockets.

There's a neutralizer in the utility high. This will drain your opponents capacitor, and leave them more or less helpless. I haven't used this extensively, but it's been done to me a many times before. It can cripple a laser boat, but even has use against other ships. Drain the cap on the enemy well enough, and they won't be able to keep their warp disruption on you. This gives you control over the engagement, in that you can run when you like to.

Procedural Plan

Preferred orbit 

• Start at 500m. 
• Widen to 8km if needed.

Pre-activated modules 

DCU2, AB2, Overheat all

Combat activation order

1. Lock
2. Orbit
3. Webifier
4. Scrambler
5. Rockets
6. Neutralizer
7. Manage heat (Turn off heat on tackle modules first)
8. Shield booster (Re-heat module after deactivating)

Final thoughts

This is very similar to how you fly the Kontarion Breacher. What you lose in firepower and defenses, you gain in lowered signature radius and speed. You also swap out the drones for a neutralizer.

Hard to say which one is better for newer pilots, but I'm more inclined to say Breacher. The drones help you to apply damage at all ranges, while you learn to slingshot kiters, and the greater tank will let you react to changes in fights more comfortably.

I'm also acutely aware that the Mordu's Legion ships, with their warp disruption bonus, are more likely to be suited to kiting. However, as shameful as it is for a Khanid to admit, I'm still learning how to use light missiles.

Strategikon: Rifter Ammunition

Whilst I'm neck deep in money making schemes, I'll take a quick break to talk about Rifter ammunition. I promised this months ago, and with the recent changes to the Rifter it became more achievable.

Introduction

Before, ammunition selection for the Rifter was tricky. It's bonuses favored a close in style of fighting, which meant a variety of close range ammunition types, along with Barrage for dealing with blaster boats. I was all set for a comparison of resistance vs. damage types, which escalated quickly, since modular customization of New Eden vessels makes for a massive variety of resistance profiles.

That changed with the fall-off range increase. Or rather, my perception changed.

Lets look at the graph again, this time updated for the new fall-off bonus.

Blue lines are pre-fall-off bonus. Red are post.

The new ammunition change point is about 7 km. If you're thinking this is a pretty good sweet spot to be orbiting, you'd be right. Just at scram range, and in deep fall-off for most blasters. If you're going quick enough, and can finely manage the distance, you might also be able to out-run rockets. Missiles have a travel time which limits their range. Rather than follow straight lines, they follow more of a 'chase' trajectory. If you're at the max range of rockets, they might not make it to you.

Kiters

Regardless of damage type, you want Barrage for kiters.

The reasoning is simple. Unless you are very very confident you can catch a kiter at close range at the beginning of a fight, you will lose applied firepower getting into range. If a kiter managers to escape your grasp, you will also lose firepower.

Blaster Boats

If you are fighting any kind of blaster boat, use Barrage. You'll need to keep out of range whilst your superior fall-off range whittles them down. In the case of most blaster boats, this will mean a lot of whittling. Your biggest problem will be the Atron, as they have comparable range.These fights will be very close for you.

This hasn't really changed since before. The benefit now is that new Rifter pilots without access to Barrage have a much better chance of countering blaster boats. It also makes your fight more forgiving if you get jumped by one with your close range ammo loaded.

Rocket Boats

The above applies to rocket ships as well. Unlike a blaster boat, auto-canon firepower won't overwhelm your opponent. It's also more likely that rocket boats will be faster than you, and better able to dictate range. Load Barrage, and keep your damage application more consistent.

Pulse Laser Boats

The only time you'll be using short-range ammo is when  you're fighting a pulse laser boat. These will typically fight within scram range, and you'll be able to use the Rifter's higher speed to close the distance. Your superior tracking will take over at point blank range.

These ships are Punishers, Tormentors, and Executioners. Looking at resist profiles for these ships, you're best off using explosive rounds. You may come across a Succubus, the Sansha pirate frigate... but honestly if you find yourself under threat from a pirate frigate in a Rifter, perhaps disgression is the better part of valour.

Rocket choice

Conventional wisdom states that thermal is best, to avoid hitting a brick wall when it comes to resistance. The rules are slightly different for rockets, because you'll be using them at all ranges, and it's only a secondary weapon.

Summary of charges to be carried

Barrage
Republic Fusion
Navy Inferno rockets
Nano-repair paste

Conclusion

Does this negate the damage type selection of projectiles? Yes, but to be honest, it's not that great a benefit in the first place. Unless you can be absolutely certain of your enemies fit and module layout, you invite catastrophic failure, rather than a tougher fight.

The advantage still has relevance in attacking the uniformly designed non-capsuleer pirates that infest New Eden, so it's not a total loss.

Further experiments

Whilst I think the above is probably the best choice for ammunition choice, I have hunch that the traditional, high-damage close range rounds aren't the best choice for the new Rifter.

Before, with the Rifter's 25% tracking bonus, and AC reliance on fall-off, short range ammunition is preferred. This was smart, since ACs out-tracked most other turrets at close range, meaning a point-blank attack usually worked out well. Slashers are perfect for this tactic, with the speed to nip in under turrets and stick there, gently pricking their opponents to death.

The new Rifter might better benefit from the mid-range ammo. Deplete Uranium or Titanium Sabot both have a 20% tracking bonus, somewhat similar to the old Rifter tracking bonus. The damage is significantly less, but you'll be able to apply that damage better.

This is the best mind-set to have when piloting a Minmatar ship. It's not about the firepower you bring to the field, but the accuracy in how you apply it, and how best to avoid it.

I'll be testing out the effectiveness of fusion vs. depleted uranium on my own ships. If it works out well, I'll let you know.

The New Rifter: Pre-flight impresions

Well. I'd like to think I had some hand in the Rifter being updated, but with ship development cycles being what they are, I think the blueprints were being finalized by the time I made my thought experiment.

The final decision: 10% Fall-off range

And I couldn't be happier! At least in theory.

Short range faction ammunition now extends to beyond scram range (9km), meaning that rookie pilots can keep opponents at bay without needing T2 weaponry. This also means that auto-cannon (AC) fit Rifters are much more competitive against blaster boats, who before were out-damaging them at those ranges.

The loss of tracking accuracy may mean tougher fights against pulse laser boats, in that getting close as you can will mean some of your shots will miss. However, ACs will still have an edge over slower tracking pulse lasers. It also makes the fight a lot more forgiving if you can't quite close the gap between you and the scorch-pulse boat.

The Rifter now becomes a theoretical attack frigate hunter. Kiting ships are at much greater risk from Barrage loaded ACs. Tougher and reasonably fast, the Rifter has a good chance of applying damage out to much longer ranges. Still not as flexible as a Tristan, the Rifter now has a good role in targeting faster, lighter ships.

Also, an interesting build to consider now: AC kiter. You can comfortably hit out to 16km, and 20km if you rig for distance. The natural speed of the Rifter helps maintain distance, and you'll be able to fit a web to control distance. Not too bad, especially considering your ACs are still effective at point blank range (and actually better with the required Tracking Enhancer).

As for the standard, brawler fit... nothing much needs to change overall. Accuracy from tracking is now swapped out for accuracy in fall-off. I've swapped out the rigs for two nano-pumps and and a burst aerator as below. The extra repair outweighs the firepower. Similarly I've swapped out the capacitor warfare for a rocket launcher secondary. I feel this extra bit of damage is necessary to make the Rifter competitive with other combat frigates.

[Rifter, standard]
Damage Control II
Small Ancillary Armor Repairer, Nanite Repair Paste
200mm Reinforced Steel Plates II

1MN Afterburner II
J5b Phased Prototype Warp Scrambler I
X5 Prototype Engine Enervator

200mm AutoCannon II, Republic Fleet Phased Plasma S
200mm AutoCannon II, Republic Fleet Phased Plasma S
200mm AutoCannon II, Republic Fleet Phased Plasma S
Rocket Launcher II, Caldari Navy Inferno Rocket

Small Projectile Burst Aerator I
Small Auxiliary Nano Pump I
Small Auxiliary Nano Pump I

There are some issues I have with the Rifter now though. It's mostly to do with the secondary weapon system. Like I said, the rocket launcher is needed to stay competitive with other combat ships. This is fine at close range, but rockets are much more limited in range vs. projectiles. This is the split weapon problem: they operate at different ranges, meaning sub-optimal performance.

This problem is now magnified by the Rifter's range increase. Whereas before, a rocket was comfortably in range of the AC sweet spot, now it falls a little short of the mark. Most other high-slot options (neutralizers or vampires) are woefully short of using the Rifter's advantage.

It's hardly a catastrophic flaw. I've never heard anyone complain about the often empty high on a Slicer. But still... feels a little foolish on the designers part to do this. Ships with drone secondary weapons get away with this, since drones are effective at all ranges (part of the reason why the Breacher is my favourite brawling frigate. You can still apply about 1/3 of your damage whilst trying to catch that kiter).

Like I said before, I still think the 4-gun Rifter is the best way to go. But this is a nice step in the right direction.

But let's try this out in space!

Deiknymi: The Rifter - Introduction

I love theory. Deiknymi is the name used by ancient theory crafters to describe their thought experiments about science and philosophy. I'd like to do the same here with a ship. I do not have the full combat experience to provide a thorough discourse on what I wish to discuss, but many agree there is a problem with this vessel, and I'd like to theorize on fixes.

Let us discuss the Rifter...

What can be written about the Rifter that has already not been written?

This is perhaps the most well known frigate of New Eden. Back in the days when shipyards concentrated all of their efforts into perfecting one particular hull, with others given only niche roles, the Rifter stood out from among the others. It, quite literally, set the standard for combat frigates, and the state of modern frigate combat is a direct result of it's success.

The virtues of it's speed, flexibility and relative durability and firepower, have been discussed ad nauseam. I'll list it's merits here for the uninitiated, but I'd rather discuss the spirit of the ship.

• Speed - The Rifter is the fastest combat frigate (Before fitting. Most Breachers are faster in practice)
• Flexibility - A 4-3-3 slot layout lends itself equally to shield or armour tanking. It can fit the standard propulsion/web/warp disabler trifecta. A trifecta born from it's use on this particular hull. It's utility high can be used for extra damage via a rocket launcher, or energy warfare.
• Weaponry - Projectiles have a generous fall off range, giving some degree of range flexibility, and also select-able damage types. You can always hit the enemy in his weakest spot.

There are literally thousands of documents on Rifter flying, and dozens of capsuleer corporations who identify themselves as Rifter pilots above all else. It was THAT popular, and it shaped the combat arenas we have today.

I'll post the most common fit on here, simply because it's so common many people forget to note it in the usual places.

[Rifter, standard]
Damage Control II
Small Ancillary Armor Repairer, Nanite Repair Paste
200mm Reinforced Steel Plates II

1MN Afterburner II
J5b Phased Prototype Warp Scrambler I
X5 Prototype Engine Enervator

150mm Light AutoCannon II, Republic Fleet EMP S
150mm Light AutoCannon II, Republic Fleet EMP S
150mm Light AutoCannon II, Republic Fleet EMP S
Small 'Knave' Energy Drain

Small Projectile Burst Aerator I
Small Projectile Collision Accelerator I
[empty rig slot]

These days, the NOS in the high slot is often replaced with a rocket launcher... the virtues of energy warfare and more stable capacitor management have fallen aside due to the rest of the frigate line-ups impressive firepower increase.

Next time, we'll look at the problems faced by a Rifter pilot.

Strategikon Arcani: Kontarion Breacher

I believe I am coming to understand the mind set of a brawling pilot.

I have a certain distaste for it myself. Simply engaging and bullying your opponent from close range is hardly befitting of the intelligent warrior. But I can see now that there are nuances to learn when fighting within a few kilometers. And brawling is a part of flying the Kataphract Slicer. 

Equally, although I have respect for Minmatar fighters, I don't understand their mind set, or fully understand their tools of war. As I said before, Matari ships are gutter fighters, their use of projectiles in the age of space travel a sign of the desperate freedom fighter. Amarr ships are more like phalanx soldiers, well armed and armoured, but lacking flexibility.

Fortunately, the Minmatar are not wholly disimilar from the Khanid. As a people, we Khanid are mentally robust, and unlike our Amarr bretheren do not cling to tradition and dogma as a shield against reason. The Tribes, in their search for weapons, have many ships dedicated to missiles and rocketry... a trait which the Khanid can certainly sympathise with!

Khanid designed vessels are all missile based, with technology borrowed from our Caldari allies. In true kataphract fashion, our vessels exemplify thick armour and the tactical flexibility such a weapon system offers. The Republic, in one of it's rare bouts of wisdom, produced a frigate similar to this, albeit shield based instead of amour... clearly the Republic has yet to find funds to reproduce the advanced alloys coming out of Khanid Innovations.

So without any further exposition, presenting the Breacher.

Do not be fooled by its... spartan appearance. This is a tough vessel, and an extraordinary ambush predator. 

Relatively light on it's feet (for a full combat vessel) it provides extremely strong shield defenses. Whilst not as tough as Caldari shields, it can repair it's shield strength very rapidly.  

It fields two light drones, which make up roughly a third of it's firepower. I like drones. They provide firepower at any practical range, and whilst they need to be looked after, they can be relied upon to hound the target.

Missile systems have a travel time before firepower is applied, but unlike turrets, do not need to track or account for falloff. In fact, rockets, whilst giving a lower damage than other weapons, can better a pulse laser in range, and that's before rigging!

These elements all combine to make it an almost perfect training brawler.

[Breacher, Kontarion]

Damage Control II

Overdrive Injector System II

Ballistic Control System II

Medium Ancillary Shield Booster, Navy Cap Booster 50

Fleeting Propulsion Inhibitor I

Faint Epsilon Warp Scrambler I

1MN Afterburner II

Rocket Launcher II, Caldari Navy Inferno Rocket

Rocket Launcher II, Caldari Navy Inferno Rocket

Rocket Launcher II, Caldari Navy Inferno Rocket

Small Anti-EM Screen Reinforcer I

Small Anti-Thermal Screen Reinforcer I

Small Bay Loading Accelerator I

Hobgoblin II x2

This set up is fairly mundane, but the simplicity is balanced with effectiveness. With my skills, rockets hit out to about 7.6km, which lends itself to some brawling tactics:

• For pulse laser ships, keep as close as you can. The tracking on lasers is relatively weak, so you will mitigate damage this way.
• For blaster and autocannon fit ships, maintain a 6-7km orbit. With the fall off from those weapon systems, you'll be out of the bulk of their firepower. 

Keep an eye on your drones, but they're fairly autonomous. If the enemy starts shooting at them, bring them back in, then release after the enemy has forgotten about them.

Repair your shield as needed. Unlike most active tanks, the Ancilliary shield booster is quite immune to energy neutralizers. In addition, your rockets don't use capacitor either... so long as you're in range you can deal damage to your target.

This can be seen in this Tristan fight. My capacitor was drained completely, but the drones and rockets punched their way through regardless. A bright ray of sunshine, on an otherwise terrible month.

Strategikon Arcani: The Kataphract Slicer

My return to the battlefield also brings with it a new direction. I must start learning new flight techniques. The Kontos Executioner has served me well as a training vessel, teaching me the importance of range control and damage application. Now, we will look at how to effectively wield a kontoss, without the aid of a Webifier.

But first, a history lesson.

Early Khanid settlements were on Arthra, now caled Amarr Prime. The Amarr civilization grew on an island of the coast of Khanid lands, the isolation no doubt leading to their zealous obsession with God. The Khanid themselves lived on the mainland, tribes of horse masters engaging in petty squabbles with each other.

When the Amarr left their cloistered island in the Reclaiming, the Khanid were the first to be absorbed into their growing empire. We became famed mounted warriors, adopting a heavily armoured style. Our warriors and mounts were covered in gleaming chain mail. Such was our prowess, that the Amarr, whilst all other civilizations crumbled before them, recognized the Khanid as equals.

This heavy cavalry warrior is known as the kataphract: quite literally meaning 'fully enclosed.'

Heavily armed and armoured, these were flexible assault troops, often required to field both lance and bow, well defended, but used offensively.

To mirror this, we will need a true master of frigates.

The Imperial Navy Slicer.

Advanced laser technologies increase the range of this vessels weaponry, extending our reach beyond that of the Kontos Executioner. Significant increases in power output to weapon hard points give this ships two turrets more punch. It can be flexibly fitted, giving more armour, more speed, or even more range. For those in the Crusade, this ship is easily obtained.

Today, we will look at a balanced ship, one that lives up to the potential of the thinking warrior.

The Kataphract Slicer

[Imperial Navy Slicer, Kataphract]
Fourier Transform Tracking Program
Heat Sink II
Overdrive Injector System II
Small Ancillary Armor Repairer, Nanite Repair Paste
Damage Control II

Faint Warp Disruptor I
Limited 1MN Microwarpdrive I

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

Small Capacitor Control Circuit I
Small Energy Locus Coordinator I
Small Energy Locus Coordinator I

The rig slots are my personal preference, but at least one Locus Coordinator is a must. My own ship exchanges the Fourier Transfrom Tracking Program for a Tracking Enhancer 2, but this requires some implants.

This vessel is a true Kataphract; able to wield it's 'short' range weapons to beyond 20km, with the speed and agility that was once associated with cavalry. Not only that, but it fields the armour lacking on the Kontoss Executioner, able to withstand more punishment, and patrol for longer before re-docking, truly a ship 'fully covered'. It also carries several plates of black armour... hardly the true Khanid Black, but better than nothing.

I cannot claim full credit for this fitting, as I started with a basic layout given by a very dark shadow indeed: Rixx Javix. His fitting for the Slicer formed the basis for the Kataphract.

Like his ship, this is a flexible vessel. Our running order is still to kite, to give us a chance of tactical withdrawal. However, our much improved defenses allow us to engage in close quarter fighting as well. Since we can only control range with our speed and piloting, this option proves extremely useful.

Fighting drill:

• Overheat weapons
• Orbit at 18-20km
• Fire
• Manage heat
• Repair as needed (turn auto-repeat off)
• If the enemy closes and lands a scram on you, switch to Multi-frequency crystals, and hope God is smiling on you that day.

This ship is fairly expensive. If you are still unsure of your skill, stick to the Kontos Executioner.

As the infamous pirate Javix says, be daring. This ship will be enable you to engage a wide variety of targets. However, my own advice is this: be smart. This ship is flexible, but flexibility comes at the price of excellence in any one field. Brave men die in glorious fashion. Smart men go home to their wives.

Astrometrics Training

It's a foolish man that dives into a wormhole with rusty scanning skills.

I am not a novice when it comes to the gentle art of scanning. But it has been a long time since I did any serious exploration. I assigned myself a week of training in scanning. Here is my vessel:

A Khanid vessel! How fine it is the wear the black!

The Anathema is a fine vessel. Its name derives from an Amarrian root, meaning 'something cursed'. Odd choice for a ship of any kind, but the name has a deep root in old Khanid: 'something dedicated'. This ship certainly is dedicated to exploration. The Covert Operations ships are generally the most specialized of New Eden, their full focus devoted to finding things in the dark.

As far as non-combat exploration goes, fitting does not take a great deal of fore-thought. Simply fit a cloak, core probe launcher, a hacking unit and a relic analyzer. After that it's your choice. 

My personal preference is a Micro Warpdrive. I also keep a pair of rocket launchers in the bay, in case I come across some easy pirates. Remember, this is not a fighting ship... if you find more than you can battle, run. 

My training mission will be in Khanid space. I hope to get some shore leave in my family's holdings at the same, and hunt around for some local landmarks. I will be looking for relic and data sites. Once I have my scaning eye in, I'll depart to Anoikis,

Stategikon Arcani: Ballista

For our first solution to the I-Hub siege problem, let us consider the ballista

A ballista is an accurate weapon, as siege equipment goes. It is essentially an over sized crossbow, hurling javelins at your enemy at great range.

It's best used against troops, rather than buildings. A 4 meter long stick to the chest presents a greater problem to the average infantry man, than it would to a stone wall. However, it's lighter construction, and the kinetic force it exerts still make it useful as a piece of siege equipment for a light, highly mobile task force.

Essentially, fire enough large sticks at a wooden gate, and eventually you'll get in. Hardly elegant, but easier to move than larger pieces of siege equipment.

Which brings us to this: the Man'jenuk Stealth Bomber

[Purifier, Man'jenuk]
Ballistic Control System II
Ballistic Control System II
Ballistic Control System II

1MN Microwarpdrive II
[empty med slot]
[empty med slot]

Torpedo Launcher II, Mjolnir Rage Torpedo
Torpedo Launcher II, Mjolnir Rage Torpedo
Torpedo Launcher II, Mjolnir Rage Torpedo
Covert Ops Cloaking Device II
[empty high slot]

Small Processor Overclocking Unit I
[empty rig slot]


Posted above is a max damage fitting for the Purifier, the Amarr stealth bomber. If it looks inflexible, that's because it is, and because it is designed to be.

• 700dps
• Low price
• Relatively low Skill Points
• Cloak

This solution draws inspiration from the tragically named CFC raiding groups that roamed around Fountain in their conflict with the equally tragically named TEST Alliance: Please Ignore. Despite their names, however, they do have some of the best strategies and tactics in New Eden, proving the old adage: a rose by any other name can still make you bleed with it's thorns.

The CFC would form large raiding parties of Stealth Bombers and assault various sovereignty structures. They were largely successful in paving the way for larger capital fleets to come and put in the decisive blow. Using Black Ops battleships, these fleets could strike deep into enemy territory.

The advantages of the Stealth bomber are it's relatively low price tag to damage done ratio, coming in under 50 million isk and putting somewhere between 400-700dps depending on skills. Whilst the max damage variant takes a while to skill up to, meta modules and faction ammo can be used for similar effects.

It's use is simple. Warp to structure, target and begin firing.

The supreme advantage of the Stealth Bomber is it's cloaking device. Should an enemy fleet counter attack the siege fleet, cease fire, cloak up, and warp away to evade capture. You can then regroup, and mount a surprise counter-counter attack from stealth!

Unfortunately, it is not perfect for our task. Like the versatile ballista, the Bomber is best used against heavy troops, or in this case, cruisers and battleships. It only achieves our benchmark dps at highest skill levels, and as you can see, is fairly inflexible.

Any changes to the above fitting will result in a loss of dps. More than that, unless you are a missile specialist, you will have to stop your normal weapons training in order to use such a bomber.

Unlike the Null sec warlords, we have no need for the complex web of jump bridges and Black Ops ships. The Crusades operations can all be done via traditional Jumpgate warfare.

It certainly provides you with a plethora of strategic options, and a good soldier of the crusade is not doing himself a disservice in training for one. However, I prefer a much less subtle ship, which I'll discuss in my next post.

Strategikon Arcani: Tent-pegging

A practice drill used by ancient Khanids to perfect lancing techniques.

The drill is simple. A small object is placed on the ground, often a ring or a tent peg. A rider must charge at it, and pick the object off the ground with his lance or spear. It teaches accuracy in the placement of the lance, and also controlling the distance at which you approach the peg.

Why is this relevant to space-ships? Kiting.

Kiting is a tactic of using a long range weapon system, and keeping the enemy at distance. You can hurt him, and he can't hurt you.

This is smart, and is actually my preferred tactic. A traditional weapon of the Khanid is the kontos, a cavalry spear about four meters long. It requires two hands to use it effectively, meaning you control your mount with your knees, and you can't carry a shield. However, it has the excellent advantage of length.

It other words, all the danger happens at the other end of the stick.

With that in mind, I present you with my first series of ships:

Kontos Executioner

This ship is fragile, but has relatively good range in the world of frigates. It does require a high degree of training to use. You will need strong Engineering training, and also should be well versed in Advanced Weapon Upgrades to be able field it. Alternatively, you can use Implants to make up the difference whilst you train in these areas.

The kontos is still a melee weapon. Like the ancient weapon this frigate also uses close ranged weapons. Accuracy will be higher, as given by the tracking of close ranged weapons, but is not a true long ranged set up. Caution must be used in maintaining range.

As I am a terrible pilot, this is a good set up for me. The tactic is simple: Maintain distance.

• Overheat weapons and web.
• Orbit the enemy at 15km, using the MWD
• Fire.
• Manage heat.
• If the enemy closes to 13km, use the overheated web.
• If the enemy closes and lands a scram on you, switch to Multi-frequency crystals, and hope God is smiling on you that day.

In essence, you will practice tent-pegging. Control the distance, and keep your guns accurate. Overheating the web is important, as an overheated Warp Scrambler can hit out beyond 10km. Once that lands on you, your MWD shuts down, and your speed advantage is gone.

The caveat to this, is that you'll be controlling the ship with your knees. Be wary of the enemy frigate's movements, but focus on the range for now. Work on the more subtle placements of the ship later.

My code urges me to learn, so if there are any suggestions anyone has, please let me know.

(I also apologize for the horrible layout. I'm still learning to use this blasted technology.)