Missions & Complexes

Hi,

a question to people with up-to-date experience doing anomalies with carriers and fighters: how hefty will fighters be attacked by the "new" NPC AI? I tried an Ishtar with heavy drones and it was devastating. As soon as you're solo NPCs just smack them. No chance to use combat drones, sentries are much better.

But how is it with fighters? Any hint? Thanks!

Background: I want to do anoms with a carrier to max ISK/hour. I know sentry carriers are a thing now...but fighters seem (more) interesting somehow.

I am by far in the minority it seems about Fighters vs Sentries.

I prefer Fighters. You don't make as much isk per hour as the previous poster explains...but I live in dangerous space. Neuts/bad guys are popping in all the time and Fighters allow you to be at full speed and aligned to a safe at all times. When someone comes in system you can immediately warp off and your fighters will follow you.

Just 2 days ago someone that I was debating Sentires vs Fighters with lost a his carrier. He tried to weasel and deny that sentries had nothing to do with it but he then finally admited that he was sticking close to his sentires so he could pick them up. I'm sure there will be a ton of people coming in here to exclaim that they use sentries and would never get killed...but I and one other person in our alliance use fighters and have never lost a carrier while other people losing a carrier seems somewhat common...like once every 3-4 weeks.

Carriers take a long time to get up to speed/align...and the bad guys that roam hostile (to them) space are very savvy.

If you live in safe space, use sentries. If not, seriously consider fighters.

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Ok to answer your question, Fighters do attract attention mainly from enemy cruisers/Battlecruisers. Enemy rat BS's and frigs seem to leave them alone. Fighters can take some licks so watch your drones and as soon as one start taking damage, recall it. If you are able, you can fit a remote repper to heal your drones while out there. As long as you stay alert and Frosty you can avoid losing fighters. If you are shield based and have no station to dock in (i.e. you live in a bubble) - then make sure you carry some armor rep drones to heal your fighters between fights if needed (fighters damaged into armor).

Waves of the anomilies I run seem triggered by killing the BC's...so I usually:

- Kill all rat frigs with light scout drones ASAP as they can warp scram you.
- Recall light drones and send out fighters to kill rat BS's.
- Then kill rat cruisers/BC's

It is also viable to kill all rat cruiser/BC's first triggering all waves (still killing frigs when they show up) leaving a buttload of BSs to kill last. My Carrier can easily tank the large amount of BS's though Thannies may have issues. This works but I usually do it the first way I explained above.

Fighters are nothing more than an extra Quarter of a Billion isk to loose if your carrier goes down. Certainly a Drag to rat in more ways than one. If you are worried about hostile then just keep an Eye on local and if one comes it, start warping out. While the ship is aligning, you have nothing better to do than to keep your fingers near "Ctrl+space" and your mouse just a click away from jumping to a nearby beacon. Capital Navigation menu is your friend.

Insightful post is insightful.