Ships & Modules

For this OP, it is assumed that both the Kitsune and Blackbird have the following modules:

Lows: Hypnos Signal Distortion Amplifier

Med: Four best named ECM's (any combination of Umbra, BZ-5, Hypnos an Enfeebling)
Sensor Booster II - targeting range script for Kitsune, scan res script for blackbird.

Highs: Doesn't matter

Rigs: 2 Particle Dispersion Projectors
+ Particle Dispersion Augmentor for Blackbird


This discussion will focus on: Jam range ,Targeting Range and Scan Res; Agility and Warp Speed; Sig Radius and Tank
and finally Jam Strength.

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1 - Jam Range, Targeting Range and Scan Res

The Kitsune has a 116km optimal jamming range, 130km targeting range and 650 scan res. If the Kitsune pilot knows he's about to land relatively close to a target, he can switch to scan res script giving him 1040 scan res.

The Blackbird has a 108km Jam range,106 targeting range and a 460 scan res. If need requires, the Blackbird can switch sebo script for 170km targeting range, but reduce it's scan res to 280.

The Kitsune has a longer optimal range and targeting range for its jams and a faster lock than the Blackbird when the Blackbird is equipped with a Scan Res script.

Since the Blackbird's optimal jamming range is only 2km more than it's targeting range, there aren't many situations where the blackbird pilot would use the targeting range script in the sebo. So we can ignore such situations as outliers. For the most part, a blackbird must always have a scan res script to even come close to a Kitsune's lock speed (unbuffed); whereas a Kitsune pilot may often find themselves in situations where they need a scan res script. In fact, until the Kitsune arrives safely on grid, it is always best to to warp in with a scan res script.

For Part 1 of the Kitsune vs Blackbird comparison, the Kitsune wins.

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2 - Agility and Warp Speed

The Blackbird has double the align time and half the warp speed. All warps will thus take twice as long in a Blackbird. The Kitsune can also escape grid in half the time of a Blackbird since being aligned to warp-off is not always feasible. And a good ecm pilot is going to setup a nearby off-grid mobile depot for switching jammers. The Kitsune can switch jammers twice as fast as the Blackbird during a fight.

For Part 2 of the Kitsune vs Blackbird comparison, the Kitsune wins.

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3 - Sig Radius and Tank

The Blackbird has 3x the sig radius of a Kitsune but 8x the EHP of a Kitsune with a DCII and LSE II.

Although the Blackbird will often not have to warp out as soon as a Kitsune, it's sig radius makes it very "alpha-able" by all sized gunsand also targeted much sooner than a Kitsune; whereas a Kitsune in motion can only be grazed by medium and large guns at ranges exceeding 100km.

Against sniper boats using small guns, the Blackbird is superior, as it can stay on field longer. Against sniper boats using medium and large guns, it will die instantly, whereas the Kitsune can take a few grazing salvos (if hit at all) before warping off. Remember that small Sig Radius + motion is a form of tanking.

Since ECM boats are usually used to take on larger hull sizes, the Kitsune wins in this department. I don't usually bring out an ECM boat for frigate and destroyer sized ships.

For Part 3 of the Kitsune vs Blackbird comparison, they break even but still slightly in favor of the Kitsune for the intended targets (large hulls) of an ECM boat.

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4 - Jam Strength

The Kitsune has 1 point more of ECM (10.9 points) strength than a Blackbird. This means that if each jammer has an 50% chance of jamming the target (enemy ship has 21.8 sensor points) then all 4 jammers combined only have a 1/16th chance of failing to jam the target.

Whereas a Blackbird in the same scenario has a 1/13h chance of failure (9.9 points against 21.8). This means the Blackbird has a 25% greater chance of failing. To avoid this it must sacrifice it's shield extender for an extra ecm, NOT GOOD!

Even worse as an enemy ship's sensor strength DECREASES, even though both the Kitsune and the Blackbird have an increased chance of jamming the ship, the magnitude of failure between the Blackbird and the Kitsune increases EXPONENTIALLY! REALLY NOT GOOD!

For Part 4 of the Kitsune vs Blackbird comparison, the Kitsune wins.

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5 - Cost
The Kitsune will cost you more (nearly 4-5 times more), but you get your money's worth. Remember that you're guaranteed to lose any ship you fly regularly, so if you're not the crazy hardcore ECM pilot that sets up multiple mobile depots at off-grid TACs, the blackbird is a good investment.

We were discussing Damps?

I'm pretty sure my Machariel kill last night was due to ECM. The tackling Svipul would have died if I had damps instead.

Both of you are reported for trolling (derailment).

Now for my ECM opinion on your post.

I agree in all respects that the Kitsune is superior to the Blackbird as a straight out jammer. Your points are well done.

But...

I have to consider the tank of the Blackbird as a bigger asset. The role that the ship is used most often for me is to break neutral Logi's. What I can expect is a wave of drones heading my way. Even with MWD, I cannot kite light drones like warriors, and rockets in the highslots will only take out so many of them before I get shredded. The Blackbird will have more staying power in this fight, and be able to jam for more cycles than the Kitsune and (hopefully) allow my allies to do their job and kill the primary targets.

The Rook, with RLMs, is absolutely amazing in that role. It just costs too much to be primaried often

Well god bless you didn't fit a prop mod to your Kitsune so you could fit that Sebo and those remote reps, oh and so he could 1 shot your frig.

Backbird is better at everything cause its cheaper and if you need to free a mach or tengu or similarly blinged out ship so that even losing the kitsune would be ok a falcon or rook would be way better. Only place youd want agility and speed which is what the kitsune has over the bb is in gangs kiting the blob, but here ecm is super weak and a sentinel or hyena (not to speak of the keres) would just be more usefull.