Ships & Modules

What are the strengths and weaknesses of each covops frig and how they compare to each other? Strictly in the role of low/null exploration and running data/relic sites.
Currently I use a Cheetah and I'm fairly pleased with it, but I'm curious as to what the others have to offer.

Due to my low SP, I found the Cheetah hard to fit due to the low powergrid.

The MWD takes a big hit.

oh you....
op, this info is extremely incorrect.

best scanner by far is the cheetah because it's the fastest and most agile, smallest sig.
it is also the best tackle covops cos you can tank it, nano it, fit a gun. highest scan res too for tackle.
it also has biggest cargo which is relevant as you can fit larger bubbles to deploy from it.

buzzard is close behind it.
it's slower and can't fit dual nanos but you can fit a web in the extra mid.
it's my personal go to covops for all around quality. being able to fit a gun, scram, web, shield booster and web means youre never losing a 1v1 covops fight, and they DO come up if youre doing it right.
it's definitely not as good as a cheetah at getting out of bubble camps but i have yet to lose one to a camp.

then comes anethema...
it's not THAT bad but it's lol slow. for tackling? sure...i guess, but it doesnt tank any better than any other covops.
yeah, it's pretty bad. it's basically the fat, not too bright cousin of the other covops that goes around wishing fitting a 400mm plate was in any way useful on a covops.

helios is ok but the lack of a 3rd high slot makes it a no go.
it's the 2nd fastest and actually slightly (very slightly) more agile than a cheetah but it doesnt do anything better than a cheetah so there's zero reason to use it over one at the cost of a high slot.

While I often agree with Jack, I have to disagree on these. Post odyssey I find the cheetah the most annoying as a pure scanner. Due to its low fitting you cannot jam on a MWD, expanded launcher and one of each of the new scan modules. Now they may not be necessary, but they are handy to use.

In a hero tackling role a Helios can fit one of each scan mod, mwd, expanded probe launcher and a point. You do need a cheap pg implant for all of that but you have the slots.

The only time I'd see the lack of high on the Helios as a detriment is if you needed a cyno.

You are all forgetting the most important detail. The Anathema is sexy, which makes it the number one choice for covops, the ship that you never see all day.

Really... You should check your numbers.

I have a Helios fit that can do the same DPS with a single drone as a cheetah with a 200mm AC2 and Hail. I dont need ammo. I don't need a Micro aux Power core in order to jam the gun and a meta MWD onto the ship.

And I can jam in not only a scram, but a web, scan aquisition array, scan rangefinding array, and a drone damage amp.

Yea I need a cheap CPU implant, but I tend to need one for several fits anyhow.

Yea I don't miss the high slot.

Ok, for the record: if your covops cant kill another solo covops, YOU ARE FITTING IT WRONG.

PS: a helios can never, ever kill another covops because any covops can kill your drone way faster than it will kill them.

Wow, didn't know that your ability to scan is improved with less midslots and higher maneuvrability. Also, to my knowledge covops are .- if fit for tackle - fitting web+scram. So I guess that note about the cheetahs covop-on-covop-capabilities was a joke.



I'm not a fan of ranking this ship ahead of the helios. Especially mentioning bubblecamps, helios ofc goes first. And that launcher... so you got 2 APCs in your lows I guess.

The thing about my fits is that I include a Salvager because on occasion I run into abandoned wrecks that I check for the hell of it. Would a single salvage drone perform well at all? If so, then the Helios would be my choice because of the three lows and five mids.

I have always used a Cheetah because of...well, it was just what I trained into first.

The Cheetah can struggle against a properly MASB and rocket fit Anathema, and I have had problems with shooting Helios' who have max drone skills (like, a 2003 toon) though it was a very good 30 minute long fight. And no, you cannot easily kill the drone every time. Buzzards, I almost never see them fit properly for PVP and hence, have always won.

Properly fit (AB, scram, gun) the Cheetah of Doom is a deadly hero tackler. Dozens of Tengus have died to a ballsy Cheetah grabbing hold of them at the proper time and hanging on for dear life until the loot collecting pinata hunters arrive.

I would draw the line at tackling cruisers, unless it's a Stabber. Likewise, you can tackle the attack BC's, and I've done Drakes only when the backup is already in warp.

You can also kill stealth bombers. Though sometimes EVE seems to think that your sig radius (37m) is ten times the size it really is, and you instagib, and some idiot in CCP tells you there's no issue because he doesn't realise you do this every week and never instagib from bombers except this one time. But that's just a pet gripe of mine.

For shooting frigates (eg, lurking FW smalls for AFK-camping alts to gank), you don't want a Cheetah. The helios is the choice du jour. Non probe fit, the Helios gets the most useful slot layout to actually make a difference - and you fit a neutron blaster or rail gun to it for extra DPS. Double web, or web-TD, and plenty of spares for AB, scram, etc. Though a double-web MASB Buzzard is also pretty beastly.