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L2 mission advice
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Maximillian Strybjorn
Winchester. CE3
#1 - 2012-10-30 23:17:38 UTC
just coming to the end of my trial, and im definitely going to upgrade, but ive been having some trouble with l2 missions. Currently trying to do them in an arty stabber, and its not going to well. Painfully slow. Should i just change to a rupture? or any useful advice?
Tee Kay Solus
Poseidon Industries And Trading
#2 - 2012-10-30 23:55:28 UTC
Looks like you`re going for an overkill using a Cruiser-class ship in L2s.

In L2s you`ll typically find frigates mostly, so shooting these with cruiser-sized artillery cannons won`t be too effective. I`d suggest hopping into a Thrasher, fitting it with a bunch of autocannons and you should have smooth runs through any L2s. Switch to Cruisers when you`re ready for L3s.

"Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everybody you meet."

  • Maj. Gen. James Mattis
Klymer
Hedion University
Amarr Empire
#3 - 2012-10-30 23:56:43 UTC
ya Rupture is a better pve ship, be sure to train drones also as it has room for 5 of them
GoatChops
Caldari Provisions
Caldari State
#4 - 2012-10-30 23:58:28 UTC
Hey Maxmillian,

Glad to hear you are upgrading mate!

Now you are progressing to level 2 missions you need to start looking at things like what damage types the mission rats are doing and what damage types they are weak against (this is even more true for L3-L4 missions).

For example lets look at the Angle Cartel NPC pirate faction:

Angle Cartel are weak against explosive damage while being highly resistant to EM. They have so so resistance against kinetic and Thermal damage. So in an arty stabber you should be using Fusion rounds to deal your damage.

Angle Cartel deal predominately explosive damage with a bit of kinetic and thermal thrown in. So you should change your tank to be heavy on the explosive resistance with reasonable kinetic and thermal resist.

The following link gives a good break down on what damage types to tank for based on what NPC faction you are facing. It also has a list at the bottom detailing what damage type you should be dealing.

http://wiki.eveonline.com/en/wiki/Damage_types

I hope this helps you mate. I will keep an eye on the topic if you have anymore questions!
Lord Leftfield
Doomheim
#5 - 2012-10-31 00:04:10 UTC  |  Edited by: Lord Leftfield
I'd switch to 220mm auto's and an mwd, you migth want to be careful on the heavier missions with this kind of setup, but it should speed things up abit. I recommend having 2 ships, one for up close and personal, and another for more delicate range work. If you have trouble hitting targets, work on your transversal when your engaging and fit a tracking module. Best of luck :)

Life is just a 420 all the way home :) Please give me more of that chocolate brew!!
Xercodo
Cruor Angelicus
#6 - 2012-10-31 00:17:42 UTC
Hell I'd use dual 180s for the best tracking you can get out of medium projectiles xD

And cruisers are NOT overkill on a L2, they are the recommended ship class for them:

L1 - Friagte/dessy
L2 - Dessy/crusier
L3 - BC/BS
L4 - BS/T2 ships

Cruisers are mostly recommended for their tank as even though L2s have mostly frigates still they do pump out a whole levl worth of extra DPS compared to L1s. There's more frigates and the frigates themselves are stronger.

The Drake is a Lie
Tau Cabalander
Retirement Retreat
Working Stiffs
#7 - 2012-10-31 00:17:43 UTC  |  Edited by: Tau Cabalander
Small weapons are what is needed for L2 missions. You don't need medium until L3, when you will also want a battlecruiser.

I managed to complete all L2 missions in an arty Thrasher (some L2 missions are insanely difficult though), but I highly recommend an arty Rupture, which made L2 missions seem trivial.
Aptenodytes
Reckless Abandon
#8 - 2012-10-31 13:09:01 UTC
The trouble with level 2's is that they seem to vary greatly in difficulty. Most can be done by a newbie in a destroyer or even a frigate. But you get one or two thrown in there that are extremely hard, and a newbie can't even do in a cruiser. I am thinking specifically of The Blockade which my buddy got a while ago, and lost his Moa to. Newbies do not know the spawn triggers so it's easy to get overwhelmed by waves of rats. So you have to either fly a BC and be bored for 90% of the "kill 4 frigate" missions, or fly something more suitable and risk losing it because the mission is stupid hard.

Level 3's are obviously harder but are at least more consistent in difficulty. But even then some are really hard unless you know the "trick". For xample Recon 1, if you don't realize you can simply fly to the gate without killing the elite cruisers... and by the time you realize (or you ask a buddy or in help or local), loads more have spawned, and it's too hot to fly to the gate...
Davith en Divalone
Aliastra
Gallente Federation
#9 - 2012-10-31 15:25:31 UTC
Your primary anti-frigate weapon on cruisers and larger ships will be a flight of light drones. Use drones to take out the frigates, and focus your big guns on the destroyers or larger targets.
Ovv Topik
Pator Tech School
Minmatar Republic
#10 - 2012-10-31 16:35:21 UTC
Another option mate if you lean toward sniping/artys is the Cormorant.

Caldari ships are very compatible with Minmatar skill sets.

My toon is Minmatar, and I was happy doing l2’s in the Thrasher but tried the Corm for comparison and never looked back!

I still use it to clear Low sec radars.

It has the better range and is a better shield tanker than the Thrasher.

Search battleclinic for good “low sp L2 sniper Cormorant” fits. There’s plenty there.


"Nicknack, I'm in a shoe in space, on my computer, in my house, with a cup of coffee, in't that something." - Fly Safe PopPaddi. o7

Maximillian Strybjorn
Winchester. CE3
#11 - 2012-10-31 17:36:46 UTC
Thanks for all the replies, decided to go with an arty rupture, its working out better, but could someone give me some advice for tanking please?
Tao Dolcino
Garoun Investment Bank
Gallente Federation
#12 - 2012-10-31 17:55:00 UTC
You have basically two strategies :
- You stay at a far range and snipe, meaning you use artillery and are able to have enough speed to keep the npcs at distance.
- Or you go to close combat (autocannons) and in this case you need the best tracking or else you won't be able to hit the frigates.
Also, in both cases, a flight of light drones will be a wonderful help against frigates, and even the rest.
Davith en Divalone
Aliastra
Gallente Federation
#13 - 2012-10-31 19:40:38 UTC
Tao Dolcino wrote:
You have basically two strategies :
- You stay at a far range and snipe, meaning you use artillery and are able to have enough speed to keep the npcs at distance.
- Or you go to close combat (autocannons) and in this case you need the best tracking or else you won't be able to hit the frigates.
Also, in both cases, a flight of light drones will be a wonderful help against frigates, and even the rest.


Yes. With good skills, light drones will still do fair damage against medium targets.
Tau Cabalander
Retirement Retreat
Working Stiffs
#14 - 2012-10-31 19:56:28 UTC
Maximillian Strybjorn wrote:
Thanks for all the replies, decided to go with an arty rupture, its working out better, but could someone give me some advice for tanking please?

I'll post my fit when I get home. Hope you can hold on a few hours.
Tau Cabalander
Retirement Retreat
Working Stiffs
#15 - 2012-11-01 04:59:15 UTC  |  Edited by: Tau Cabalander
Tau Cabalander wrote:
Maximillian Strybjorn wrote:
Thanks for all the replies, decided to go with an arty rupture, its working out better, but could someone give me some advice for tanking please?

I'll post my fit when I get home. Hope you can hold on a few hours.

Here it is. I don't guarantee that it is the best L2 fit, only that I used it and it worked for me.

You may not be able to fit it all depending on your skills. You may find that you can substitute meta 1 to 4 items for tech 2 to make it usable with your skills. The EANM can be replaced with NPC-specific hardeners for more tank, but then you have to keep all types on-hand and change them out whenever you get a mission vs. different NPC.

Don't forget about drones!


[Rupture, L2]
Gyrostabilizer II
Gyrostabilizer II
Energized Adaptive Nano Membrane II
Energized Adaptive Nano Membrane II
Medium Armor Repairer II

Cap Recharger II
Cap Recharger II
10MN Afterburner II

650mm Medium 'Scout' Artillery I, Depleted Uranium M
650mm Medium 'Scout' Artillery I, Depleted Uranium M
650mm Medium 'Scout' Artillery I, Depleted Uranium M
650mm Medium 'Scout' Artillery I, Depleted Uranium M
Prototype 'Arbalest' Rapid Light Missile Launcher, Nova Light Missile
Prototype 'Arbalest' Rapid Light Missile Launcher, Nova Light Missile

Medium Capacitor Control Circuit I
Medium Capacitor Control Circuit I
Medium Anti-Explosive Pump I


Hobgoblin II x5
Hobgoblin II x1
Kimimaro Yoga
School of Applied Knowledge
Caldari State
#16 - 2012-11-01 23:39:35 UTC
The difficulty with artillery is always fast frigates. They orbit you up close, and your big, slow weapons can't track properly.

The two minimal fixes are 1: train up drone skill to 5, get 2-3 points in the various drone support skills, and/or 2: put a rapid light missile launcher on your cruiser and train up missile skills some. Choice 2 is often easier, esp. as many Minmatar ships have high slots that can't be used by guns. For slower ships like BC and BS classes, which are far slower than that Stabber you had, better drone skills become a must. ALso, keep a webber fitted to use on ships that get very close.

The larger tactical change would be to shift to autocannons, with a tracking enhancer or two in your low slots, and an AB in the mids. This works very well in the Stabber, which is a particularly fast ship to begin with. With the AB on you can always get close, and with good tracking you can orbit fast while still handing out massive damage. Tanking is often easier, as high speed orbiting means less incoming damage. While a popular approach, the danger is that it's harder to get out when something goes wrong.

Autocannons clear things faster, but are a riskier approach. I'd try both and see which style you prefer.

Now recruiting: http://dogfacedesign.com/index.php/Recruiting-Posters/recruiting-poster-patr3
Kitty Bear
Deep Core Mining Inc.
Caldari State
#17 - 2012-11-02 00:45:09 UTC
Level 1 -- Frigate or Destroyer
Level 2 -- Cruiser or Assault Frigate
Level 3 -- Battle Cruiser or Heavy Assault Ship
Level 4 -- Battleship, Strategic Cruiser, Heavy Assault Ship or Marauder

Tech 1 -- Frigate, Destroyer, Cruiser, Battle Cruiser & Battleship
Tech 2 -- Assault Frigate, Heavy Assault Ship, Marauder
Tech 3 -- Strategic Cruiser

Above is a more complex shipclass progression style.
Tech 1 ships are the cheapest and least skill intensive to fly, they are also generally more forgiving of lower SP pilots using them in missions.
Tech 2 ships are more expensive and also require considerable skill investment into flying them well.
Tech 3 ships are very expensive, but can be used with quite a low SP investment and will still perform reasonably well.



Faction (both Pirate and Empire) hulls are a futher complication, but they will be something you gain familiarity with overtime.
Maximillian Strybjorn
Winchester. CE3
#18 - 2012-11-02 23:29:06 UTC
Tau Cabalander wrote:
Tau Cabalander wrote:
Maximillian Strybjorn wrote:
Thanks for all the replies, decided to go with an arty rupture, its working out better, but could someone give me some advice for tanking please?

I'll post my fit when I get home. Hope you can hold on a few hours.

Here it is. I don't guarantee that it is the best L2 fit, only that I used it and it worked for me.

You may not be able to fit it all depending on your skills. You may find that you can substitute meta 1 to 4 items for tech 2 to make it usable with your skills. The EANM can be replaced with NPC-specific hardeners for more tank, but then you have to keep all types on-hand and change them out whenever you get a mission vs. different NPC.

Don't forget about drones!


[Rupture, L2]
Gyrostabilizer II
Gyrostabilizer II
Energized Adaptive Nano Membrane II
Energized Adaptive Nano Membrane II
Medium Armor Repairer II

Cap Recharger II
Cap Recharger II
10MN Afterburner II

650mm Medium 'Scout' Artillery I, Depleted Uranium M
650mm Medium 'Scout' Artillery I, Depleted Uranium M
650mm Medium 'Scout' Artillery I, Depleted Uranium M
650mm Medium 'Scout' Artillery I, Depleted Uranium M
Prototype 'Arbalest' Rapid Light Missile Launcher, Nova Light Missile
Prototype 'Arbalest' Rapid Light Missile Launcher, Nova Light Missile

Medium Capacitor Control Circuit I
Medium Capacitor Control Circuit I
Medium Anti-Explosive Pump I


Hobgoblin II x5
Hobgoblin II x1



thanks for the fit, working pretty well! working on getting more T2 skills atm, shouldn't take too long till im reasonably proficient with this fit.
Tau Cabalander
Retirement Retreat
Working Stiffs
#19 - 2012-11-03 00:02:54 UTC  |  Edited by: Tau Cabalander
Maximillian Strybjorn wrote:
thanks for the fit, working pretty well! working on getting more T2 skills atm, shouldn't take too long till im reasonably proficient with this fit.

With good capacitor skills, I believe the repper can be run continuously. I don't think I ever needed to though.

I did swap ammo a bit, depending on the NPC that I was facing, and the ranges they tended to stay at, but I primarily used Depleted Uranium.

* EMP: Rogue Drones, Blood Raiders, Sansha [I didn't like using Proton - personal preference]
* Titanium Sabot: Guristas, Serpentis
* Phased Plasma: Non-Angels close to me (fire a few volleys to test if it is better).
* Fusion: Angels (once they get close)

I mostly preferred range, as versus frigates a cruiser is quite slow, and more range meant I could pop the frigates quite easily before they got into orbit. Against frigates, the type of ammo didn't seem to matter as much either. Once in orbit, the drones and missiles take care of them (choose missile damage type appropriate for the NPC weaknesses).

In fact, what I loved most about artillery was one-volleying frigates Big smile

The Rupture is too slow for AutoCannons, in my opinion at least. The Stabber would probably be a better platform for them. Though with AutoCannons one tends to have to deal with frigates more.

I've lost one Rupture doing L2 (Mission of Mercy = 6 cruisers + 6 frigates all at once). It was fit with AutoCannons. I switched to artillery, and haven't had any problems since.

I tried to do L3 in the Rupture, but I found that impossible. I switched to an artillery Hurricane and found L3 to be trivial.
Jesuis Cache-Cache
#20 - 2012-11-03 23:13:13 UTC
GoatChops wrote:

The following link gives a good break down on what damage types to tank for based on what NPC faction you are facing. It also has a list at the bottom detailing what damage type you should be dealing.

http://wiki.eveonline.com/en/wiki/Damage_types

Looking over that very useful bit of info...

If I am scanning down Serp sites and I have 2 low slots available for Energized Membranes, specific to the associated rats, should I use one Kin and one Therm or two Kins...or two Therms?

"I know a man who gave up smoking, drinking, sex, and rich food. He was healthy right up to the time he killed himself." - Johnny Carson 
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