Skill Discussions

L4s are a whole different ballgame and I would advise against rushing into them.

The Drake is a tanking beast and is significantly more durable than a Raven, particularly with lower skillpoints. There are three main areas you should focus on improving when looking to upgrading to a Raven and L4s.

Tanking:
Active tanking takes more skills than passive tanking and basically revolves around your cap. Energy Operations and Management should be taken to 4 at a bare minimum but to 5 ASAP. You'll also be taking more damage because you're a bigger target and will be hit harder by the same enemies.

DPSing:
Missile skills, of course. Getting Caldari BS and cruise missiles up to at least 4 is going to be important. But you also need to think about targeting and signature focusing (L4s require you to target more enemies using different weapon systems, and switching targets takes longer since you are bigger relative to your targets).

Drones:
Absolutely vital. Cruise missiles are very ineffective against small, fast targets. Those small fast targets will also be webbing you (increasing the damage you take) and scramming you (so you can't run away). Drones to 5, Scout Drones to V (for T2), Drone Interfacing to at least 3 or 4 and support skills to 3 are going to be key unless you don't mind losing expensive battleships left and right.

Agree completely about Drones.

Even if you don't get Scout Drone ops V, get Drones V and Interfacing at least up to 3. Extra drones multiply their DPS, and a 60% bonus for less than a day's training (Interfacing) is nothing to be sneezed at.

Tanking is going to be your biggest problem with lvl 4’s, so the Scorpion has it, but yes at the expense of DPS with only 4 launchers. I’m just considering your low skills. I jumped into Raven with similar SP and found it tough going. CNR helped a lot, but came close to losing a few times at first. Saving the warp-outs with staying on the field may be an improvement with the lower DPS

For an easier path, maybe go Scorpion - Scorpion Navy Issue - Raven when skills up to become familiar - CNR

I prefer not to get into a ship until i have pretty good skills to fly it but that's just me. If you can run the below fitting cap stable you should be okay. Check your overview for frigates that are scramming you and kill them ASAP. IMO you should have Drone Interfacing to 4 and have T2 light drones before flying a BS solo in level 4's. This will help you kill that frigate that is scramming you before your ship pops. Good luck!


[Scorpion Navy Issue, SNI Cap Stable]
Capacitor Flux Coil II
Capacitor Flux Coil II
Ballistic Control System II
Ballistic Control System II

Cap Recharger II
Cap Recharger II
Cap Recharger II
Invulnerability Field II
Invulnerability Field II
X-Large Shield Booster II
Shield Boost Amplifier II
Shield Boost Amplifier II

'Arbalest' Cruise Launcher I, Paradise Cruise Missile
'Arbalest' Cruise Launcher I, Paradise Cruise Missile
'Arbalest' Cruise Launcher I, Paradise Cruise Missile
'Arbalest' Cruise Launcher I, Paradise Cruise Missile
'Arbalest' Cruise Launcher I, Paradise Cruise Missile
'Arbalest' Cruise Launcher I, Paradise Cruise Missile
Drone Link Augmentor I

Large Capacitor Control Circuit I
Large Capacitor Control Circuit I
Large Capacitor Control Circuit I

Thanks.

I have been thinking about the tengu to train later on, for exploration and a covert ops ship (along with my other char which I'm going to train for a protus soon).
But since the tengu is a long way, and its skills will be similar to most of the skills I will need for a BS, and since BS is closer to get, I will start with that.

I think in the end I will start with a SNI because of the tank and more mid slots which will allow me to add a TP (since I can't use T2 drones yet), and later get the CNR, or back to get the tengu.

And yeah, I will defently read the missions before I go in
At first I didn't, and ended up pulling almost 30 ships on me at some point

Cheers.

Your defence seems ok (better use 2 mission specific hardeners and 1 Inv Field: less cap use, better resists) but your DPS is very low. You may not be able to take out a number of self-repping battleships in some missions with this kind of damage output - and otherwise it may take ages. Resulting in sustained incoming damage, subsequent running out of cap charges to feed the X-large booster and having to warp out to reload. Believe me, I've been there (in a Maelstrom)!

Compare your 260 DPS to some of my sub-BS ships (missile implants, not counting drone DPS):
- Jaguar 184 DPS (RF EMP S)
- Fleet Stabber 303 DPS (Barrage) - 330 DPS (EMP M)
- Sacrilege 388 DPS (Rage Missiles)
- Hurricane 429 DPS (Barrage) - 466 DPS (EMP M)
- Drake 391 DPS (Thunderbolt) - 456 DPS (Scourge) - 565 DPS (Scourge Fury)
- Tengu 505 DPS (Thunderbolt) - 631 DPS (Scourge) - 808 DPS (Scourge Fury)

Some say an average battleship should do 750 DPS which is a bit much imo, but 450-500 seems to be a good amount to work towards. You could give it a try though to get a good first impression ;-)

Honestly,

I rushed in L4's and lost a raven(days of L3's isk worth...) so I plex'd got a rattlesnake(wasnt skilled) did L4's with ease(YOU DO NEED DRONES V and SCOUT OPERATION TO III)

Then lost the rattlesnake as I was can flipped(hey, I didnt know he left fleet. Was a n00b)

Then got myself another raven when I could use T2 defensive modules, to this date my missiles skills suck ass(will be changing soon)

Honestly, Make up a raven with with a X-Large shield booster II and 2x Shield Boost amp II, INVU II? and make it cap stable.

I solo my L4's now with a cap stable X-LSE II as you can leave it on perma and it takes alot to break it.

But i'll be in a tengu when im a little richer., Just get a cap stable raven with a X-Large shield booster II. I lost my first mission raven due to not being cap stable.

I would try doing some L4's with your drake as you train up missile support and drone skills. It will hurt less when you die and dieing in a decent drake is tough to do. The drake is a good ship and you can get a good feel for how L4's work and you will initially have less trouble dealing with warp scramming frigates because you have 2 weapons that are effective (HML's only to a degree) against them.

Just my 2 isk

Thanks all. You been a great help.

I decided to still go with a SNI because of the huge tank.
And decided to fit it:

[Scorpion Navy Issue]
Ballistic Control System II
Ballistic Control System II
Ballistic Control System II
Capacitor Flux Coil I

Shield Boost Amplifier I
Ballistic Deflection Field II
Ballistic Deflection Field II
Heat Dissipation Field II
Heat Dissipation Field II
Large Shield Booster II
Cap Recharger II
Cap Recharger II

'Arbalest' Cruise Launcher I, Caldari Navy Paradise Cruise Missile
'Arbalest' Cruise Launcher I, Caldari Navy Paradise Cruise Missile
'Arbalest' Cruise Launcher I, Caldari Navy Paradise Cruise Missile
'Arbalest' Cruise Launcher I, Caldari Navy Paradise Cruise Missile
'Arbalest' Cruise Launcher I, Caldari Navy Paradise Cruise Missile
'Arbalest' Cruise Launcher I, Caldari Navy Paradise Cruise Missile
[empty high slot]

Large Capacitor Control Circuit I
Large Capacitor Control Circuit I
Large Capacitor Control Circuit I


Hobgoblin I x5
Hammerhead I x5


Even tho I still have T1 drones, this fit is fully cap stable.
Against guristas (60/40 kin/the) it is has 652 dps tank (107 EHP) and the dps is at 319.5, which should be ok for staring L4s.

Its much better than the drake dps and tank in my skill level, and it will allow me to focus on weapons and drones.
And getting a few skills up, I will be able to push it to 610 missile dps and 782 dps tank.

Cheers.

Oh I see.

I guess I can drop a BCSII for another flux coil, and put a painter instead of a cap recharger.