Ships & Modules

Trying to find a better fit with less bling for level 4's. This is what I currently have fitted. I'm thinking I might be over-tanked and losing out on DPS. Any suggestions?

[Rattlesnake]
Dread Guristas Ballistic Control System
Caldari Navy Ballistic Control System
Caldari Navy Ballistic Control System
Caldari Navy Ballistic Control System
Imperial Navy Drone Damage Amplifier
Imperial Navy Drone Damage Amplifier

Pith X-Type EM Ward Field
Pith X-Type Thermic Dissipation Field
Pith X-Type Large Shield Booster
Pith X-Type Shield Boost Amplifier
Pith X-Type Kinetic Deflection Field
Shield Boost Amplifier II
Pith X-Type EM Ward Field

Cruise Missile Launcher II
Cruise Missile Launcher II
Cruise Missile Launcher II
Cruise Missile Launcher II
Cruise Missile Launcher II
Drone Link Augmentor II

Large Capacitor Control Circuit I
Large Capacitor Control Circuit I
Large Warhead Rigor Catalyst I


Hammerhead II x5
Gecko x1

Wait your using 6 faction damage mods and full deadspace tank, but you only put tech 1 rigs on your rattle? Most active tank fits I have seen (and theres been loads of threads about this very ship) have 3-4 tank mods. so 2 hardeners missions specfic or just 2 adaptive fields, combine it with an xl shield booster and a capacitor booster.

something like this

2 rigor II
1 flare I

Pith Xl shield booster
2 adaptive invuls
capactior booster with 800 charge
micro jump drive
afterburner
drone mod tracking link thingy so your gecko wrecks stuff easier
target painter

cruise 2s
3 dda
3 bcs.

Sure, but don't you find giving up more than half your DPS tends to drag the missions out a lot longer? Do you use the target painter in conjunction with the Gecko or is allocated strictly for your missiles? (because I find that even with V skills, the Gecko frequently misses frigates unless you have a tracking-scripted omni in the mids) I'm also wondering how you find getting around in-mission between objectives, gates, etc. without any kind of propulsion module (the Rattlesnake isn't exactly the swiftest). A single rigor with Faction ammunition is really all you need to apply 100% missile damage to battlecruisers and battleships, which frees up two rig slots for Hyperspacial rigs (combined with Ascendancy implants this gets the Rattlesnake up to 4.07 AU/s).

Here's a variation on some of the popular fits that I found works fairly good.

5x Cruise Missile Launchers, Faction ammunition
1x Drone Link Augmentor II
3x Gecko

Gist C-Type 500MN Microwarpdrive
2x Gist C-Type Adaptive Invulnerability
Gist C-Type Medium Shield Booster
Drone Omnidirectional Tracking Link II, Tracking Speed
2x Drone Navigation Computer II
(you can also substitute a target painter and shield boost amplifier, although this fit is cap stable and will tank any L4)

2x Dread Guristas Ballistic Control System
1x Ballistic Control System II
2x Dread Guristas Drone Damage Amplifier
1x Drone Damage Amplifier II

1x Large Warhead Rigor Catalyst II
2x Large Hyperspacial Velocity Optimizer II
(if you don't need the mission speed, another T2 rigor and T1 flare are recommended so you can use Fury ammunition and bump up your missile DPS)

The omnidirectional tracking link is a "must hav"e if you want to blap frigates with the Gecko. Along with the pair of drone navigation computers it ensures the Gecko gets to and from targets quite a bit faster. This allows one to utilize the Gecko for cruisers, destroyers and frigates while cruiser launchers can focus on the larger battlecruisers and battleships.

has this guy been ganked yet?

Usually 10-15 minutes for your average 1-2 gate mission (this includes transit time), but it can vary a bit. Hyperspacial rigs and Ascendancy implants (1-5, mid-grade) go a long way to cutting down transit time between missions.

You'll probably find that a 500MN MWD resolves the vast majority of any in-mission maneuvering that's required (you still have the LMJD if needed). If you prefer a passive fit you may want to just look at a few Gistum C-Type passive amps (EM, thermal and kinetic) instead of the shield rechargers. These are reasonably cheap and will cost less than $26-million for the set (the increased resistances offset the slight drop in passive shield recharge).

Stop trolling the poor guy. He was just looking for some fit advice...

you'll be able to spot him by the swarm of Locator agents.....

One always sees fits like this because there's a lot of misinformation on what a proper fit entails.


And if the shield has to be shiny, there are cheaper alternatives. Unless you're going to be running cap stable, the best option is a Deadspace Pith C-Type X-Large shield booster ($34m @Jita). Then you don't really need the shield boost amplifier, either. Deadspace MWDs are also a consideration as well, since they don't eliminate as much capacitor.


In my experience, the only time you need to run a MJD is to GTFO of dodge or extend range for sniping with sentries. If you're running Geckos or heavy drones you'll want to be within 35-50km of them.


Passive certainly robs you of DPS. Properly fit, with +3-5 missile implants the Rattlesnake is capable of easily delivering 1650+ DPS of applied damage (not paper, but actual). And you're definitely right about making you a larger target for NPC rats.

All-in-all, solid fitting advice though.

Omni tank, AB at least (C4 sites are HUGE) some way to deal with tough frigate sized targets (Rapid heavies maybe?) as there are quite a few of those and only use only faction scourge or thermal ammo. Either a Gecko or Gardes or perhaps ogres (with tracking comp). I'd be weary of using 100mill geckos as getting it webbed/scrammed and blown up will cost you.

You're a bloody fool. Have you ever even been in a wormhole? Don't give advice if you don't know what you're talking about or have DONE the thing or have INNATE KNOWLEDGE of the thing the person is asking about. Also on that note. Anyone who fits an Afterburner to a Rattlesnake for the purpose of burning over to rats inside a wormhole sight is a bloody fool.

Rapid heavies to deal with Frigates? Are you high? We're all dumber for having read your advice.

Now that the public shaming is out of the way...

For starters you don't really want to run C4's in a rattlesnake unless you have a wormhole with a beneficial effect such as a Pulsar which magnifies your tank or a Magnetar which amplifies your damage allowing you to get the heavy hitters off the field. In general a Snake has trouble keeping up with the DPS most C4 sites dish out. As such you'll want to stick with C3 wormholes as the Snake can run virtually all of them solo. C2/C1's are of course easy but you'll have a much lower isk/hr since the sites don't give nearly as much isk + Snake warps very slowly.

Snakes are very easy to fit for Running wormhole sites.

Highs = Rapid Heavy's (You can fit cruises but I prefer RHM's in case surprise PVP comes up) You can fit them with Faction or Fury. C3 rats tend to have an orbit that allows you to use Fury on them and apply more DPS. In your utility High you will want to fit a Drone Link Augmenter so if you run into rats that have a bit of a larger orbit radius than your skills allow you to hit you can still sick your drones on them

Alternate Highs = (These are items you need to keep in your CARGO and items that you WILL VERY LIKELY have to refit to at some point or another) Rapid Light Missile Launchers, cloaking device. RLM are for when you get attacked by a frigate gang or if you lose your gecko and need to kill the frigates by which are scrammed by Frigates who RR each other. (Sometimes times your RHM will not have enough DPS to beat their RR tank) Also some sites you can run faster with RLML because you can take out the frigs while your gecko takes out the BS or bigger rats.

The cloak is what you fit to while you're hiding from hostiles in system and are getting probed out. -> warp to safe. Double click to align to something and just drift until you feel safe (er) again.

Mid Slots: Caldari Navy Large Shield Extenders, 1 EM ward (Pithum C-type or B-Types are fine) It is highly no recommended that you fit an EM ward that requires activation or "Cap" because many sites will neut the ever loving hell out of you and you don't want to be stuck with no EM resistances. 1 Adaptive Invuln field. While this may seem contrary to what I said read the Alternate Mids.

Alternate Mids = (These are items you need to keep in your CARGO and items that you WILL VERY LIKELY have to refit to at some point or another)
Thermic WARD preferably a Pithum A-Type. You switch to this when you are out of cap and can't run your Adaptive Invuln anymore.
Micro Jump Drive - When you need to get the **** out. Or if you're scrammed by sleeper rats and need you move NOW. It is also very nice when you get ganked and if you can take out the scrammer (or there isn't one # Disruptors r lame) Its also a ******* god send when you get tackled by a HIC and need to get out of the bubble (If you're scrammed by it well... Kill the **** out of it first)

Low Slots: There are only Alternate Low Slots

Alternate Lows = (These are items you need to keep in your CARGO and items that you WILL VERY LIKELY have to refit to at some point or another)

Shield Power Relay = You fit to 6 of them when you need MAX passive tank. Normally in the beginning of the hardest waves. or if you're in a puslar, getting ganked by only a few dudes and want to swing your **** around with your 1500 hp (not ehp) /second tank. Sometimes you can get away with only fitting a few of them while running sites so your passive tank just barely exceeds the sites incoming DPS.

3 BCU/ 3 DDA Max DPS fit is with 3 Ballistic Control units and 3 Drone Damage Amplifiers. Fit as needed during your run. Many waves barely do any DPS so you can just fit to max DPS while they whittle away at your Buffer tank. Also when you are dug in and fighting the 3-4 guys who gank you I recommend you fit to MAX DPS fit with max Buffer fit (With invuln field) initially so you can quickly burst down any BC's or Cruisers that they bring allowing for the rest of the fight (Or escape) to be hella EZ mode.

6 Warp cores Stabs. -- Listen you and I.. we're both l337 PvP gods. But even we can't take every engagement. And while I know you want to show every fool who ganks you the true wrath of the rattlesnake sometimes its not worth it. 4 Proteuses warp in with Guardian support. You're scrammed, and Disrupted, they think its the end for you. Luckily for you they're not so lucky. Just refit to 6 Warp Core Stabs and your cloak and warp to your safe spot. Call them Cunts in local and cloak up while you wait for them to peace out or your Combat time to wear off so you can do a safe logoff.

Rigs - T2 Purgers T1 if you're poor bro.

Drones: Ogres, x5 Warriors, x1 Gecko Ogres or Wasps (I prefer wasps) are what you use against this little bastard of a rat called the Awakened Upholder. This little **** will stasis webify your drone 2 or 3 times while the rest of the little bastards pound them into oblivion. You don't want to lose your Gecko. He's your friend. Y-- Continued.