Ships & Modules

I really appreciate all the help, as Eve is a bit of a jungle and is best "learned by doing" in my experience, but that soon proves costly. I listened to the feedback and came up with an unorthodox setup I can actually fly, but wont until I get T2 drones. Would this be able to do L4's?


[Raven, Perfect Starter Lv4 Mission raven alternate]
Pseudoelectron Containment Field I
Beta Reactor Control: Diagnostic System I
Ballistic Control System II
Ballistic Control System II
Ballistic Control System II

100MN Afterburner I
Caldari Navy EM Ward Field
Caldari Navy Thermic Dissipation Field
X-Large Shield Booster II
Caldari Navy Shield Boost Amplifier
Heavy Capacitor Booster II, Cap Booster 800

'Arbalest' Cruise Launcher I, Caldari Navy Scourge Cruise Missile
'Arbalest' Cruise Launcher I, Caldari Navy Scourge Cruise Missile
'Arbalest' Cruise Launcher I, Caldari Navy Scourge Cruise Missile
'Arbalest' Cruise Launcher I, Caldari Navy Scourge Cruise Missile
'Arbalest' Cruise Launcher I, Caldari Navy Scourge Cruise Missile
'Arbalest' Cruise Launcher I, Caldari Navy Scourge Cruise Missile
Imperial Navy Focused Medium Pulse Laser, Imperial Navy Multifrequency M
Imperial Navy Focused Medium Pulse Laser, Imperial Navy Multifrequency M

Large Capacitor Control Circuit I
Large Capacitor Control Circuit I
[Empty Rig Slot]

With my skills I get:

50,947 EHP
230 m/s
350/417 defence (not really sure what that means)
EM resist: 59.7%
Thermal resist: 67.8%
Kinetic resist: 46.3%
Explosive resist: 55.3%
302 DPS / 2993 Volley using launchers
38 DPS / 145 Volley using the lasers, and they are only there to assist drones in taking out frigates (I use another ship for salvage/loot)
Cap stable at 45% when not running lasers, cap booster and shield booster.

I know hybrid turrets would be better as "emergency turrets", but I like lasers and I was thinking I could just keep feeding this ship Cap Booster 800's - is that viable for missions? And if so, perhaps I should forget about the two cap recharge rigs altogether?

Admittedly I am very impatient, but it is because l3's dont pose any challenge to me at all in the Drake. I have 10 different setups and pwn everything with HAM's, heavy missiles, passive tanking, MWD's, you name it. So missioning is getting quite tedious and I would like to bump up the challenge a little, unfortunately there's quite some difference between L3's and L4's so I am sort of stuck/getting tired of playing. So it is of great importance to me to be able to take on L4's as soon as possible, without of course those missions being pure suicide.

Thanks, that's a useful site - I was using mission-specific hardners before, but used NPC info from Evelopedia. This is far more detailed. I just got a few more questions then I think I will be on my way to a succesful Eve-experience:

Will the last output I posted above be sufficient for L4's? Specifically:

1. Will I be able to sufficiently counter scrambling frigates with 5 T2 drones and drone support skills at level IV plus the two lasers? Not using the cruiser launchers and getting rigor rigs for frigates at all.

2. Can I just spam the cap booster all I want so I can keep the shield booster running with no drawback except from spending a bit of isk on Cap Booster 800's?

Ditch the lasers. Fit a tractor beam. Ditch the CCC rigs - you have a cap booster fitted and you don't need both. Also, versus Sanshas, you're better off ditching the shield boost amplifier and fitting a 2nd EM hardener.

You don't mix weapons so drop the lasers, drop the faction ammo as it's far more expensive than standard T1 and fit the Rigors. It's not either Rigors or drones just for frigates, you need them for damage on everything under a BS, especially things like elite cruisers. Otherwise it's a solid fit, but I wouldn't splash out on the faction fit tank unless you're planning to move it all into a CNR.

If you are skating through L3s, L4s won't be all that deadly. The booster fit is the cookie cutter and works fine. Suck it up and just do it. Research the mission first to fit the correct hardeners.

This man tells the truth!

Go for the Booster fit Layout, don´t forget to fit the Rigor Rigs which help a lot against smaller targets and very important, get your drone skills up for T2 drones, they can save your day.
I had very dood success with this approach, even with low skillpoints. If you don´t pull room aggro you will have no problems.

Look at all of the self-righteous sheeple bleating "Don't mix weapons, baah, don't mix weapons!" What the hell else are you going to put there that could be use to a cruise Raven? A NOS? A tractor beam? A DLA? Jesus. And it's not as if the OP is mixing *main* weapons systens, either.

The reason I am hesitant to do L4's in my Drake is that it is passive tanked - I dont have a "panic button" like the Cap booster/shield booster solution. Don't know if this really makes a difference when playing, but in my mind it does.

I decided I am going for a Raven now and do L3's, so I can compare it to the Drake and get a feel of just how hard frigates are to hit with the cruise missile launchers (with 2 x rigor and 1 x flare rigs), while upping my drone skills. And I am going to fit the two lasers because frankly I don't have anything else to fit there, and I reckon everything helps vs. frigates - I mean it is either that or nothing on those two slots, and I already have the needed skills, so why not. At least for now, perhaps I'll get a drone augmentor or something later on if I can fit it.

But thanks for all the help, I really appreciate it.

That was a very painful read.

My 2 isk:


Park your Raven. You are not skilled enough to use it in level 4 missions at the moment. With the current market, loosing battleships in missions is painful. So what to do about your burning desire to run level 4 missions?

Stick with your Drake! Yes it will go slower but not as slow as people would have you believe. There are 3 things you need to remember when running level 4 missions in a Drake:

1. Fit three BCU II (yes three). All other fitting decisions must revolve around this. Depending on your skills, this may mean you have to make some tough choices about the rest of your modules. Prioritize T2 launches next and fiddle around with the rest until you have a decent tank. You still want to go with a passive set up as this is what you are most skilled for so keep the purger rigs. Also be sure to change hardeners to fit the missions

2. Forget God mode. If you are like most noob Drake pilots you are used to gaining full room aggro in missions. This will get you killed in level 4 missions if you are gank fitted with 3x BCU IIs. Use eve survival and learn proper aggro management in the missions. If you do you will find a Drake fit for gank not only can run all level 4 missions but it will do so faster than your poorly skilled Raven.

3. This is temporary. As you are running level 4 missions in your Drake, skill up missile support, capacitor and active shield related skills. These will make it much easier to move into your next ship (Raven or Tengu) with few setbacks.


Summation:

Do level 4 missions in your Drake while skilling up your supports but maximize your gank and forget your brick tank ways of the past. You are skilled to use one of only two battlecruisers in the game that can run every level 4 mission. Take advantage of this as it may soon be nerfed.