Ships & Modules

I want to make a Widow build for roaming around in low and null-sec, popping rats and doing missions. However, from some of the threads I've read, the Widow does not seem to be a good solo vessel. Is there a better Caldari option available if the Widow is no good?

Strategy wise, I'm looking for a missile platform that can take out enemies from long range. At least, that is what I would like to do.

I've never dealt with T3 Cruisers, so I'm not really sure how they are fitted but I'll look into it.

Widow is great for PVE as far as black ops ships go. Black-ops just have generally lower DPS compared to other BS types. You need to get hardwires to really push the limit on DPS. The main reason to rat in it is so that you can cyno around as needed. Otherwise, it's a poor choice of ship and a huge waste for PVE.

Said like someone that has knows nothing about what they are talking about..

Of all the Battleship hulls in EVE, the Widow is actually the least likely to pop. Few ships can match it's tank. Roaming in null sec, it's one of only 4 Battleships that can jump past camps. That trumps all over an interdiction cloaking strat cruiser. Even if you jump through a gate and hit a camp with 20 frigates it can warp away if there is no bubble to stop it.

The widow just gives up DPS for it's Black ops abilities. The widow was the first ship I bought for the purpose of running 10/10s in hostile space. It has the benifit of range but the Panther does better at getting the job done.

[Widow, rat]
Dread Guristas Ballistic Control System
Dread Guristas Ballistic Control System
Dread Guristas Ballistic Control System
Dread Guristas Ballistic Control System

Pithum A-Type Adaptive Invulnerability Field
Pithum A-Type Adaptive Invulnerability Field
Pithum A-Type Medium Shield Booster
Pith B-Type Shield Boost Amplifier
Pith B-Type Shield Boost Amplifier
Pith B-Type Shield Boost Amplifier
Gist A-Type 100MN Microwarpdrive
Large Micro Jump Drive

Cruise Missile Launcher II, Caldari Navy Inferno Cruise Missile
Cruise Missile Launcher II, Caldari Navy Inferno Cruise Missile
Cruise Missile Launcher II, Caldari Navy Inferno Cruise Missile
Cruise Missile Launcher II, Caldari Navy Inferno Cruise Missile
Cruise Missile Launcher II, Caldari Navy Inferno Cruise Missile
Drone Link Augmentor II
Dread Guristas Cloaking Device

Large Capacitor Control Circuit II
Large Capacitor Control Circuit II

Hammerhead II x5

with the MJD, it's more tank than you would ever need for PVE.
715 DPS faction cruise. 871 DPS Fury Cruise. 158 DPS hammerheads. 1029 Max DPS.

implants needed. CM-605, MP-705, GP-805, TN-905, RL-1005

You also need an alt with cyno lvl 5 to drop covert cynos where you want to go.

Really hard to loose a ship that travels via covert cyno. Get's easier when you treat it like a t1 BS and use the gates.

And it only costs significantly more than a carrier. Could probly use some officer mods too.

Edit: If you're going to use 2 ships (you'll have a covert cyno for that thing, right?), why not just use a T1 BS (fitted with a cloak) + cloaky scout (e.g. a buzzard). Does the same thing your widow does for what, 5% of that ships cost?

Most people posting fits here think putting multiples of something on a ship makes it win, so...

Oh, wait. Sorry... I just saw your fit.

It's not like that. For a t1 BS to do the same thing, it would need the same mods. Then comes the question, would you put 3 bil in modules on a t1 hull? For less than a bill you can have a ship that can get in and out of any system covertly.

Most people know that it's nearly impossible to catch a black-ops. They have to come to you. You might have a few hopeless alliance guys causing a disruption sometimes. It always ends the same. They camp you in till you decide to move on and you disappear from local. The rest depends on how long it takes for them to realize you are wasting as much of their time as they are yours. Early enough and you might find that complex you were running is still waiting on you.

In a t1 ship? You don't wanna get camped in. It's log off time for the night.

Reguarding the cost of the Ship, it's an investment. You should be wanting the ship you make money with to make that money as effeciently as possible. If you want this ship to make you billions You need to put some in to it.

For group work, just go straight Sins friend ^_^ better damage application. Frigs mean nothing and no reload time. You can circumvent Drones been targeted by remote sebo boosting them (for some reason draws attention to pilots). RR Sin most security and damage application. You don't need guns and the extra rep is important.

For solo, Widows are king. Great Solo tank, great overall DPS. They'll struggle wit frigs abit.

The problem with that is that IF you only have 2 ships, one scanner and one T1 BS, you have to send that scanner back to scout your T1 BS to the site. Mayb you have another char on that account, so you log off the scanner and use that char to scout your T1 BS... still, what is obvious is that you have to temporarily leave the site to scout you through. In that time another care-bear could scan down the site, and in your absence start it.

I've known people to have left their site to go and switch into their dual rattlesnake setup, only to find that the site was now occupied by a new comer.

So in your scenario you generally require 3 accounts or a cloaky nulli-fied T3 (Tengu most likely) fit to travel there, and then re-dress appropriately to do the site in the nearest station system. All that takes time which increases your exposure to risk. You could call it time risk ^_^

I actually had it fit a bit differently for a stronger tank again the rats I currently encounter. Going a larger rep only meant you needed to produce a lot more cap to get a better shield per cap ratio. So it becomes an option of running medium repper and amps or a x-large booster and need to produce serious cap.