Ships & Modules

I'll add my own when I get home from work, but right now I'm primarily utilizing an HML Tengu. I think there's some room for optimization yet, but the damage application from range was significantly improving mission completion times over the AML variant I'd been using.

Optimal level 4 isk you want to be blitzing in a mach for best LP return per hour as loot is terrible in missions (apart from some empire factions ones that drop a lot of tags).

A Mach would get my vote also. Very nice hull.

Theres a bit of a setup cost, probably around 3bill, maybe 4bill all things considered between the Mach, the Ascendency and damage implants, bling fits for burners, the 3 cruisers for the burner bases and then the time to grind up the required 5.0+ faction standings.

But yea, once you get all that you can put out impressive sustained isk/h. Highest I've measured myself at was 170m/h so far. This is also not including the vigilant BPC and shadow serpentis mods I've picked up. Optimal isk means only one thing, and thats the Mach blitzing LV4s. If you qualify it differently as in'just for fun/relaxation/etc. then it is no longer optimal isk.

Honestly though I am impressed considering the number of mission runners I see where I am (and thats just one hub) at how stable the LP market is still. I mean it's busy tanking, no doubt but it is taking a long ass time to tank.

Also having done the whole salvage/loot during missions, these days you'd be lucky to get loot+salvage together equaling bounties and it will never get close to blitzing now that burners are a thing.

Depends how you want to run the missions, as some people have said.

Blitzing (isk comes from many mission rewards and lp's): machariel
Full clears (isk comes from bounties, plus mission rewards and lp's): rattlesnake
Full clears with salvaging (isk comes from bounties, plus loot, mission rewards, lp's and a bit from salvage): golem or vargur (paladin or kronos with certain conditions), or rattlesnake with many mtu's and a noctis.

Keep a few frigates and cruisers handy for the various burner missions.

Contrary to what some people will tell you, there is no one "best way". Each has plus and minus points.

True, but I refer the "relaxed" way. It's less intense - and I make far less ISK - but it gives me time to read the forums and my other groups.

Duh, the friend-ship.

He simply has a different definition of the word "optimal" in this case. His is a more personalized one, yours is the more typical one; most ISK for least time spent getting it. Mine's a little of both, I want to make enough to make my time spent running a mission worth it, but I'm not gonna live solely by the min/max or isk/hr creed.

The so-called "best ship for L4's" argument is as much a question of the player as it is the ship when you stop to think about it.

Yea, saying the definition of optimal is open for debate when it's been clearly defined in the OP (For the purposes of discussion in this particular thread) is not exactly accurate now is it :P

I mean the question was rather clear: 'what ship(s) do you think optimize the almighty ISK/hr', not 'best ship for lv4'. For example most blitzing Machs can't do some lv4s (aka have to warp out half way).

You can blitz fairly effectively in Marauders. With Ascendancy implants, Hyperspacial rigs and a Hyperspacial Accelerator module you can match the warp speed of the Machariel. And has been pointed out, Marauders can hang in there in many instances where a Machariel would have to warp out. DPS is comparable except most Maruaders will have considerably more range (particularly the Golem). While it's true that there aren't many missions worth salvaging, there are a few where you have a chance to get an expensive implant (Damsel, Zazz), and there are a few that have great loot and salvage (Beserk, Damsel).

Addendum: This is nothing agains the Machariel - it's a great ship. Just merely pointing out that it's not the only option available...