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Mastodon/low-sec

Author
YariLei
The Asteroid is Depleted
#1 - 2012-01-18 17:06:16 UTC
Hiya, I'm looking for a niché ship to accompany my Prowler for low-sec and high-sec AFK transport. The prowler works awesome with the MWD trick and fast align times, but sometimes I get in too tight situations where major lag (thanks to my ISP) or just pure blind bad luck messes up with it. Therefore I was thinking about setting up a Mastodon as a heavy tank which can withstand those situations when everything doesn't go as perfect as planned. This means preparing for pretty much everything so I came up with this:

High
Improved Cloaking Device II
Medium
1x Y-T8 Overcharged Hydrocarbon MWD
1x Large Shield Extender II
1x V-M15 Braced Multispectral Shield Matrix
Low
2x 'Halcyon' Core Equalizer I
1x Power Diagnostic System II
1x Co-Processor II
1x Expanded Cargohold II
Rigs
2x Core Defense Field Extender I

Now, to explain. The cloak and MWD are of course meant to be the first line of defence. If/when that fails, the shield tank comes in with the extender and invu to withstand the first volley. At that point, I'm prepared to be ganked by more than a scrambler, but since gate camps quite often consists of only a couple of ships, I think 2 extra WCS IIs will suffice. However, all of this requires more CPU and power than a Mastodon can offer, therefore throwing in the CP II (also explains the use of Meta-stuff) and PDS II (which also adds to the shield tank). The cargo expander gives this turtle a cargo space of over 8000 m3 (about 10k with GSCs), which is twice as much as my Prowler can provide. The Rigs are there to ensure that when everything fails and I'm being scrambled from all sides, the least I can do is try to tank it, reach the gate and jump the hell out. I know I could just go with a full tank, a full set of expanders, a full set of warp stabs etc. but there's a load of tricks up in the pirates' sleeves - I want to go in prepared (and no, even scouting doesn't always work as planned). And yes, the align time blows, and with Inertia Stab II one can get it down to 18 seconds, but that's to lose a lot of cargo space if replacing the expander. Any suggestions how to make this more efficient?

Cheers!
Vile Coyote
Deep Space Legacy
#2 - 2012-01-18 17:23:00 UTC
Quote:
8000 m3 (about 10k with GSCs), which is twice as much as my Prowler can provide

My prowler holds 8700m3 with Transport Ships IV. Isn't yours fully cargo-fitted ?

I'm not sure this setup will survive situations where a cloaky would die. And you do lose the covert cloack, actually it's likely to die even more imho. If lag messes with your cloack it will mess with your warp or your invuln (If you don't turn it on before the first volley it's quite useless).

Finally the Mastodon is the less tanky of the class. I guess you only trained minmatar but if you have the option, choose another Transport (the Amarr one is the strongest tank iirc).
Roime
Mea Culpa.
Shadow Cartel
#3 - 2012-01-18 17:59:19 UTC
I don't fully understand why you use the MWD trick on a Prowler, which can cloak instantly after starting to align, and warp away unharmed like a fit, blond virgin wonder with long, perfectly toned sleek gaselle legs on a startlit field under a warmly smiling moon, escaping the cold hand of darkness, every single time.



.

YariLei
The Asteroid is Depleted
#4 - 2012-01-18 18:04:13 UTC  |  Edited by: YariLei
Nope, the Prowler's got warp core stabs just in case somebody manages to get a lock on me and disrupt me in the short few seconds I'm uncloaked. Like an interceptor or something. But the point about the invu is quite true - maybe I'll swap it to something else. Although it does give 9% extra resist when inactive...
I've only trained for Minnie at the moment. But training up for Amarr shouldn't take long, so that's another good point. Was just thinking of putting this into good use as it requires no training time now that I've got the Prowler, and therefore trying to get the best out of it. It's basically meant for the occasion when somebody surprise-ganks you with your pants down, so to speak Smile, and you need to do everything it takes to get to the winning side.
Kessiaan
Sebiestor Tribe
Minmatar Republic
#5 - 2012-01-18 20:22:03 UTC  |  Edited by: Kessiaan
The Mastodon is very slow, both on align and just moving around. If it gets caught, it's going to be very dead before it can make it back to the gate. I use mine exclusively for hauling bulky expensive stuff around highsec.

If you're getting tackled on a lowsec gate in a Prowler you're doing it wrong. Prowlers in null can also use black ops jump bridges (although if you're taking a prowler on a blops op it's probably because you're hauling the fuel you need for your trip home).

I haul in null in a T1 fit, unrigged Iteron V escorted by a hurricane. In general, non-covops haulers in low/null should always be escorted and/our scouted. If you stay in lowsec, scouting will keep you from jumping into a camp and a couple stabs will keep the random person you may bump into at a gate from tackling you (barring HICs, but they're not really good solo ships so you won't see them a whole lot outside of a gang)
Purehydro
Caldari Provisions
Caldari State
#6 - 2012-01-18 21:40:37 UTC
I'm guessing poor Evasive Maneuvering and Acceleration Control skills. EM should be at a 5 and AC at a 4 along with the best agility implant you can afford/fit.

AC 4 allows you to do the cloak/MWD trick perfectly every time with the Mastodon. Your Prowler should have a Covert Ops cloak and be almost impossible to catch unless they drop rookie ships, cans, drones or shuttles all around the gate, even then your align time should make it where they have little chance to catch you. The align time of a Mastodon is 10 seconds with a MWD, set it to a F key, turn it on then off and right after you hit warp to or jump.

I'd honestly blame your ISP. LS is not a place you want to be with bad lag.
IGNATIUS HOOD
Viziam
Amarr Empire
#7 - 2012-01-18 21:51:55 UTC
Roime wrote:
I don't fully understand why you use the MWD trick on a Prowler, which can cloak instantly after starting to align, and warp away unharmed like a fit, blond virgin wonder with long, perfectly toned sleek gaselle legs on a startlit field under a warmly smiling moon, escaping the cold hand of darkness, every single time.





Blockade Runner for the win. Being a Ghost has its advantages. Being able to elude 99% of gate camps by taking a deep breath and warping/cloaking away is the only way to travel.
"Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit upon his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats."   --H.L. Mencken
Zaxix
State War Academy
Caldari State
#8 - 2012-01-18 21:55:15 UTC
Roime wrote:
I don't fully understand why you use the MWD trick on a Prowler, which can cloak instantly after starting to align, and warp away unharmed like a fit, blond virgin wonder with long, perfectly toned sleek gaselle legs on a startlit field under a warmly smiling moon, escaping the cold hand of darkness, every single time.

In nosec, doing align, cloak, MWD is a good habit to get into. If there is a cloaked interdictor on the gate and you just warp, cloak, the bubble will go up, your warp will stop, your speed will drop to zero, and while you're busy trying to solve the problem, the rest of the cloaked campers will be converging on where you were last seen, which, since you're no longer moving or moving at normal velocity, won't be far from where you actually are. Decloak follows and you'll be popped soon after.

Bokononist

 

Tarunik Raqalth'Qui
Native Freshfood
Minmatar Republic
#9 - 2012-01-19 20:24:42 UTC
Zaxix wrote:
Roime wrote:
I don't fully understand why you use the MWD trick on a Prowler, which can cloak instantly after starting to align, and warp away unharmed like a fit, blond virgin wonder with long, perfectly toned sleek gaselle legs on a startlit field under a warmly smiling moon, escaping the cold hand of darkness, every single time.

In nosec, doing align, cloak, MWD is a good habit to get into. If there is a cloaked interdictor on the gate and you just warp, cloak, the bubble will go up, your warp will stop, your speed will drop to zero, and while you're busy trying to solve the problem, the rest of the cloaked campers will be converging on where you were last seen, which, since you're no longer moving or moving at normal velocity, won't be far from where you actually are. Decloak follows and you'll be popped soon after.

This. I actually lost a Rifter and a pod this way in Curse to an A4D pilot (who I complimented afterwards :) to a Sabre bubble that popped up at the very last second.