Ships & Modules

howdy,
dream came true and I can sit in a rattlesnake.
can also fit T2 tank in it.

I want to try it on L4s and such and I'm training the last notch skills like Micro jump drives \ Sentry drones and such.

I tried to search online but didn't found anything updated.

I used to do lots of missions and incursions in a Drake but when I tried the Raven i didn't had same feeling with the active tanking.. Already had decent drones skills (most support on 3 \ drones 5 \ interfacing 3) so refining it shouldn't be a problem.

So what I'm trying to do is right now to come with a fit for L4 missions which will feature:
1. Cruise missiles (meta 4 \ mix of normal and FoF missiles)
2. passive shield tank (T2)
3. Sentry drones (right now faction ones as I'll need to refine my support drones skills first before I go T2).
4. Micro jump drive - plan to jump if I'm swarmed and snipe from afar in worst case scenario.
5. is it will be cap stable even better.
6. A flight of hob\hammerhead T2 versions in case of orbiting frigs.

Also I would like to ask about Sentry drones and their uses, As I understand I deploy them while htey hover around my ship and they got loads of range and high damage?
Also do the sentry whore aggro like normal drones? I usually jump in shoot stuff wait until all rats locked on me then I unlease the bees and let them have good time, but after certain amount of damage they get aggro so fast they'll die before I can call them back :X

any general tips will be appreciated!

EDIT:
hmmph this is funny.. kinda!
Just checked my yet unfitted striped Rattlesnake hull without any modules on it the ship got (with my current skills) 40k EHP! not bad...

Edit 2:
ok after some online searching and EFT testing I came out with this fit -

[Rattlesnake, rat1]
Shield Power Relay II
Shield Power Relay II
Shield Power Relay II
Shield Power Relay II
Ballistic Control System II
Ballistic Control System II

Thermic Dissipation Field II > Mission specific 1
EM Ward Field II > mission specific 2
Adaptive Invulnerability Field II
Omnidirectional Tracking Link I, Optimal Range Script
Omnidirectional Tracking Link I, Tracking Speed Script
Large Micro Jump Drive
Large Shield Extender II

Small Tractor Beam I
Drone Link Augmentor I
'Arbalest' Cruise Launcher I, Scourge Cruise Missile
'Arbalest' Cruise Launcher I, Scourge Cruise Missile
'Arbalest' Cruise Launcher I, Scourge Cruise Missile
'Arbalest' Cruise Launcher I, Scourge Cruise Missile

Large Core Defense Field Purger I
Large Core Defense Field Purger I
Large Core Defense Field Purger I

Federation Navy Garde x5
Caldari Navy Warden x5
Hobgoblin II x10
Hammerhead II x10

Note: I'm still missing some vital skills which will increase the stats substantively..
DPS - 380
EHP\s - 394
Without the tractor beam \ mjd the cap is stable for 22 minutes which I think should be more then enough for missions...

what do you think I should change here?

Note that a typical entry level domi for an "all 4s pilot" does 650 dps. 380 dps is off the bottom end of the scale.

I have the BS skills for Rattler as V/V, and I'm set for all drone damage.

I know I'm going to get bad looks for this, but I started fitting sub-cruise launchers for missioning, because the drones can already hit out 100Km, the MJD stops me getting overwhelmed if all hell breaks loose, and I have more fun shooting the frigs that get under the Sentries on my own as it saves me from pulling DPS off the field to kill some puny orbiting insects.

I did a test L5 mission on SiSi a while back where I ended up orbited by two separate range swarms of frigs I could not kill with lights, as all 1298990 NPC frigs would just target and open fire. So I flew back to a station, came back with light launchers and missiled them to death. Very enjoyable.

Nowdays you can even just drop a Depot, and switch on the fly.

EDIT: Oh yea, and now we have RHML, one article worth reading, not sure if all the data is still right.

http://themittani.com/features/rapid-heavy-missile-launcher-analysis?page=0%2C0

I would use:

[Rattlesnake, P-Aktiv]
Shield Power Relay II
Shield Power Relay II
Shield Power Relay II
Shield Power Relay II
Drone Damage Amplifier II *
Drone Damage Amplifier II *

Omnidirectional Tracking Link II, **
Omnidirectional Tracking Link II, **
Adaptive Invulnerability Field II ***
Adaptive Invulnerability Field II ***
Sensor Booster II /
Shield Recharger II
Large Micro Jump Drive

Cruise Missile Launcher II, Mjolnir Cruise Missile
Cruise Missile Launcher II, Mjolnir Cruise Missile
Cruise Missile Launcher II, Mjolnir Cruise Missile
Cruise Missile Launcher II, Mjolnir Cruise Missile
Drone Link Augmentor II +
Drone Link Augmentor II +

Large Core Defense Field Purger I
Large Core Defense Field Purger I
Large Core Defense Field Purger I

Garde II x5
Warden II x5
Hobgoblin II x5
Warden II x2 -
Garde II x3 -

Possible stats up to:
targeting range: 150 km
control range: 108 km
dps warden: 498
dps garde: 664
dps hobo: 219
dps cruise Missile: 181
battery lifetime: 42 m (without jumping around like sonic ^^)
battery lifetime: 14 m (with jumping around like sonic o.O)
EHP/s: 500
EM/s: 362
Therm/s: 453
Kin/s: 604
Expl/s: 725

* Welcome to a drone ship, your dps come from drones not from missiles. So you would get more dps/dmg on a target if you use Drone Dmg Mods. :D

** depending on what you need (optimal or tracking, you know what I mean :))

*** Omni setup, you don't need you switch them. Or if you want, it depends on your style. :)

/ You will need more targeting range if you jump away. And most npc's would not hit you that far away. But it is also not the best be unable to target them. Remember, that targeting range, control range drones should be around the same range. Better drones can shot larger range than you can targeting. Cause of information nr. * But this would need additional Drone Link to rise the range over 108 km in form of lose 1 cruise missile launcher. It is a form of dexterity or named skill to use the jump that you still can smash your targets. :) Means practice practice and.. a .. practice ^^ you will catch it very fast. :D

+ You need range for your drones, if you have a control range for them better than your targeting range, all is ok. :)

- Reserve if one or two of the Sentry will die. You are right, that the navy variants are better tanks than the Tech II. So your choice. :)

Personal:
If using the jump drive it could be possilbe be, that npc's are outside of the targeting range, so you have to experiment with the jump range. use the tactical overview to estimate you are jump far but still in combat range of your ship. Was using long time the passiv variant but switched to activ to raise the dps. A target that don't shot you don't do dmg and you don't have to tank it. :)

With the time your skills will raise and you will experiment with the one or other setup.

Aivo Dresden

I agree with you. :)

In the end he will start to put more dps in the ship and ends in the setup with 6 x dmg mods + rigs ^^ started with good tank and slowly tryed other setups for more dps with a usefull tank :)

so active shield....

at any rate reading on forums I saw Guristas line of ships get overhaul with 2 active drones at 300% damage and bonus to shield resists \ thermal-kinetic missile damage.

should wait for update first I guess.

This is good advise. You can also change the rigors for CCC rigs if you find yourself running low on cap, but really nothing should be getting close to you. Pith LSB can also help with your cap efficiency.