Ships & Modules

You shouldn't be using cap rigs, you should be using application rigs; 2 rigors and a flare, otherwise your applied DPS will be pretty weak.

Speedtanking a Tengu works fairly well - it'll certainly cope with L4s well enough, but you'll have to pay attention to what you're doing, because if anything webs you, you're likely to be in trouble very quickly. If you want a low-attention ISK machine, then a RHML Rattlesnake will be significantly better

And if you're prepared to pay attention, then there are other ships that deal much more DPS. And paying attention to a low DPS mission ship is an awful way to pass the time.

The real use for a Tengu post HML nerf used to be that it was fairly easy to make an unprobeable mission ship.

Heavy missiles took a large (and in my opinion, unnecessary) nerf a couple of years ago.

A "RHML Rattlesnake" is a Rattlesnake (Guristas Pirate Battleship with bonuses to drones, missiles and shield resists) fitted with Rapid Heavy Missile Launchers - BS class launchers that fire Heavy Missiles rapidly, much as Rapid Light Missile Launchers do with light missiles. They may not have been in the game when you last played.

Here's a fairly cheap and cheerful setup vs L4 Guristas - Pith mods are cheap as chips these days, no one will gank you for that lot. Total cost should be about the same as a cheapish Tengu. When you can, upgrade the Rigor to T2.

Obviously you'll want to swap out the drone loadout and shield hardeners for different rat types and mission scenarios. 573 missile DPS (this alone is actually pretty close to what a cheapfit Tengu will do, although without the range bonuses, ofc) + 676 drone DPS. Its main disadvantage vs the Tengu is range, and the delay in damage from the Heavy drones getting into range. Once they do, though, you can just let them get on with murdering the BS rats while you clear the small, then medium rats with your launchers.

[Rattlesnake, New Setup 1]
Ballistic Control System II
Ballistic Control System II
Drone Damage Amplifier II
Drone Damage Amplifier II
Drone Damage Amplifier II
Omnidirectional Tracking Enhancer II

Large Micro Jump Drive
Pith B-Type Large Shield Booster
Adaptive Invulnerability Field II
Pith B-Type Kinetic Deflection Field
Omnidirectional Tracking Link II
Drone Navigation Computer II
Target Painter II

Rapid Heavy Missile Launcher II, Scourge Heavy Missile
Rapid Heavy Missile Launcher II, Scourge Heavy Missile
Rapid Heavy Missile Launcher II, Scourge Heavy Missile
Rapid Heavy Missile Launcher II, Scourge Heavy Missile
Rapid Heavy Missile Launcher II, Scourge Heavy Missile
Drone Link Augmentor II

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

Caldari Navy Wasp x2
Warden II x2
Hornet II x2


For Level 5 missions, I have no experience. I hear there's heavy neuting and lots of EW. The 'snake can deal with both of those but I suspect you'll need to really bling the tank to make it work.