These forums have been archived and are now read-only.

The new forums are live and can be found at https://forums.eveonline.com/

Warfare & Tactics

 
  • Topic is locked indefinitely.
 

Solo Battle Cruisers still viable?
Author
Previous Topic Next Topic
Jah'Swev Sirvlo
Doomheim
#1 - 2014-10-09 15:23:25 UTC
Ok, simple question I know, I was just wondering wether or not this type of pvp will get any sort of results. Mostly intrested in flying a Brutix.
Thanatos Marathon
Moira.
#2 - 2014-10-09 15:55:38 UTC
people will pvp you.

JUSTK is recruiting
Bronson Hughes
The Knights of the Blessed Mother of Acceleration
#3 - 2014-10-09 16:27:38 UTC
I still use a Talos as a precision strike ship against well-scouted targets (which isn't really solo, but close) to good effect. However, given their low mobility compared to cruisers (both subwarp and warp), I generally avoid battlecruisers for solo work. A quick look at ZKillboard seems to show solo battlecruisers not being overly popular, so I'd wager that folks agree.

Relatively Notorious By Association

My Many Misadventures

I predicted FAUXs
L'ouris
Have Naught Subsidiaries
#4 - 2014-10-09 16:51:20 UTC
With the rebalance and the warp speed changes, they tend to pack little extra firepower over cruisers, yet the gtfo ability is on par with battleships.

I can practically guanrantee that you will definitely get lots of pew pew opportunities in one, but I suspect that you will find yourself with less opportunity to choose those opportunities.

That said, that might be an opportunity all on its own depending on what your looking for.
Paranoid Loyd
#5 - 2014-10-09 16:53:35 UTC  |  Edited by: Paranoid Loyd
Brutix looks good on paper and is good when engaging the right opponent but Myrm has a much wider engagement envelope. If you have your mind set on focusing on BCs I would lean towards Myrm. While you may be flying solo, your opponent never will be as anything larger than a destroyer tends to be blobbed to high heaven when it is alone.

I would not recommend using BCs for solo work unless you carefully pick your targets and use tactics as Bronson describes.

"There is only one authority in this game, and that my friend is violence. The supreme authority upon which all other authority is derived." ISD Max Trix

Fix the Prospect!
Bronson Hughes
The Knights of the Blessed Mother of Acceleration
#6 - 2014-10-09 18:22:22 UTC
Even my one example of solo BC work is kind of tenuous: I'm seriously considering replacing my aforementioned Talos with a gank Vexor for those kinds of precision strikes. It does 80% of the DPS, has almost as much EHP, aligns and warps faster, costs considerably less, and is more versatile.

If only the Talos weren't so...sexy....

Relatively Notorious By Association

My Many Misadventures

I predicted FAUXs
Vyktor Abyss
Abyss Research
#7 - 2014-10-09 22:09:15 UTC
Yes, viable but probably not cost effective. You'll be lucky to kill more than you lose before you get blobbed.

Use MJD, M Neut, 2xwebs and take on small cruiser/frig combos - best with Myrm, Cane, could maybe use mutant fitted Brutix dunno - tactic is to kill anything stupid enough to get close, then MJD and warp out. Carry a mobile depot.

Good luck.
Baron' Soontir Fel
Deep Core Mining Inc.
Caldari State
#8 - 2014-10-10 01:08:10 UTC
http://failheap-challenge.com/showthread.php?17113-Why-the-battlecruiser-era-ended

It's a decent enough read, and its written by people better at PvP than I.
Deryn Angrard
Lightning Squad
Snuffed Out
#9 - 2014-10-10 14:21:30 UTC
Battlecruiser solo is viable these days. People just repeat BCs are **** without ever thinking why they are ****, resulting into people dying horribly to you.

You will usually lose the ship to a figt where you cant do anything, but you can survive most fights by having way to kill frigs in scram range and depot + stabs in cargo. Once you have killed enemies scram ships and only thing left is pile of kitey condors, just drop depot and moonwalk out while pissing off everyone in their gang.
Deen Wispa
Sheriff.
Caldari Tactical Operations Command
#10 - 2014-10-10 15:40:00 UTC  |  Edited by: Deen Wispa
Baron' Soontir Fel wrote:
http://failheap-challenge.com/showthread.php?17113-Why-the-battlecruiser-era-ended

It's a decent enough read, and its written by people better at PvP than I.


Interesting read before it devolved into EFT warriors going back and forth.

While not pertaining to solo combat, I personally would do HAM Drake/Blaster Ferox/ Brawling Gila fleet comps with Basi support all day...especially if I was in CalMil. Those would be fun. I'd never get that chance being in Gallente

High Five. Yeah! C'est La Eve .
Rossarii
Descendance.
GoonSwarm.
#11 - 2014-10-10 18:37:03 UTC
Based on my experience, and latest observations - this is a list I've created for you.
Assuming that you want to roam in a solo BC.

CONS OF FLYING A SOLO BC


  • DPS advantage is little compared to cruisers (not aplicable to tier3)
  • GTFO factor reduced to "Oh GodI hope MJD works this time"
  • Too slow to pick up a fight you could win
  • Too slow to avoid a fight you can't win
  • Too slow to control range
  • Too slow to run away from a fight you can't win
  • If you fly a tier 3 solo, one non-retadred interceptor pilot will end of your roam
  • Your superior tank means nothing to their superior numbers
  • Get ready to be kited
  • Not a chance in hell you will burn back to the gate alive once you jump in a gatecamp




PROS OF FLYING A SOLO BC


  • Cheaper than HACs
  • Good if you wan't to go out and die in style
  • Good if you know enemy numbers, position and have a proper plan and a warpin
  • Still fun for killing inty and AF gangs (provided they're not the kity lot) - Gnosis FTW




Jokes aside, BC's are still viable choice for solo, but you need to choose your targets and plan ahead carefully.
I believe that nano BC days are long gone, and you should go with a brawler build based on MJD.

I am sure that there are people out there who still solo successfully in BC's. But there's also people who can ride a unicycle while juggling tennis balls.
IMO, there's better ways of having fun solo, for instance flying navy cruisers or mastubration.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqQXBrZrPME First vid of my solo* failures.
Valleria Darkmoon
Imperial Academy
Amarr Empire
#12 - 2014-10-11 11:04:57 UTC  |  Edited by: Valleria Darkmoon
Paranoid Loyd wrote:
Brutix looks good on paper and is good when engaging the right opponent but Myrm has a much wider engagement envelope. If you have your mind set on focusing on BCs I would lean towards Myrm. While you may be flying solo, your opponent never will be as anything larger than a destroyer tends to be blobbed to high heaven when it is alone.

I would not recommend using BCs for solo work unless you carefully pick your targets and use tactics as Bronson describes.

In addition to all of that the Myrm won't suffer much for giving up a mid to an MMJD which drastically incrases you gtfo ability and forces people into scram range if they want to even attempt to stop you getting away. Inside scram and web range you should seriously out tank and out damage most things.

The only downside is Myrms have a reputation for triple repping while a Brutix looks more engageable.

Reality has an almost infinite capacity to resist oversimplification.
Corail Amber
Losing All Hope Was Freedom
#13 - 2014-10-11 18:13:41 UTC
Sard Caid is a streamer who flies a lot of battlecruisers, you can check some of his vods, I believe there is one VOD with him flying an hulltanked Brutix so you might be interested.

http://www.twitch.tv/sardcaid/profile

From what I recall he was saying that the lack of mobility (slow warp speed etc) is painful and will get you killed. Fitting a MJD can help.
Lloyd Roses
Artificial Memories
#14 - 2014-10-12 11:01:18 UTC
Myrmidon is alot better for solo compared to a brutix. Simply cause DRONES. Infiltrators track anything.
Pookoko
Sigma Sagittarii Inc.
#15 - 2014-10-13 04:09:30 UTC
It can work if you know the area well. I still go on solo BC roams from time to time, but I know who/where/what time zone to avoid when I do this. Taking solo BC into unfamiliar territory during busy time zone is very risky, but at least it will guarantee you a fight (which you will most likely lose - but normally in a BC you can bring one or two down before you drop).
Plato Forko
123 Fake Street
#16 - 2014-10-13 18:17:24 UTC
haven't done it in a while but solo T1 BC is fun stuff. generally i want 1000 DPS tank for engaging frig/dessie gangs but in my last encounter i ran out of DPS well before i ran out of tank so i've been thinking it might be OK to prioritize DPS and focus on diluting the incoming damage by culling some of the targets more effectively.

i've also watched a neato brawl with a linked Eos taking on four cruisers (you see a lot of great fights while loitering in cloaky ships) but that ship can easily push a 2000 DPS tank so yeah, taking on cruisers I would imagine tank is even more important since it might take a while to pop one of them.

personally, i would never try to solo with any BC that has bonus to medium weapons because guns suck up too much CPU and grid to mount a viable tank as well.
Domino Vyse
FeedingMachine
War and Wormhole
#17 - 2014-10-16 05:52:20 UTC
After insurance they cost the same as, or sometimes less than, an assault frigate loss.
Syrias Bizniz
some random local shitlords
#18 - 2014-10-16 13:17:29 UTC
There was a guy some time ago who claimed NHarb was KICKASS and that it would become even better with MJD.
Not sure who it was though.