Ships & Modules

Neut tristan is more effective than any tristan that offers "good DPS"

Here's the T1 frig with the best overall dps and ehp.

[Merlin, Solo MSE]

Light Ion Blaster II, Caldari Navy Antimatter Charge S
Light Ion Blaster II, Caldari Navy Antimatter Charge S
Rocket Launcher II, Mjolnir Rage Rocket
Rocket Launcher II, Mjolnir Rage Rocket

1MN Afterburner II
J5b Phased Prototype Warp Scrambler I
Medium Shield Extender II
Adaptive Invulnerability Field II

Damage Control II
Micro Auxiliary Power Core II

Small Core Defense Field Extender I
Small Core Defense Field Extender I
Small Core Defense Field Extender I


114dps (Slightly higher than cookie Rifter)
10.4k ehp (More than double cookie Rifter!!)

Untested. I need to get myself some ISK and rejoin RVB.

The weakness of this fit is that it is slow and has no web. Could it even solo most other frigates, because of this?

Vagabond or Hurricane will instantly pop you with 180/200's and probably at worst 2 shot you with 425mm unless you're a hell of a big number

An 180's set up will just pop any of your frigs from 0 to 30km with a decent fit, Auto canons are completely cheat at tracking small targets even the fastest ones.

You'll obviously want a number of frigates. Vagabonds and Hurricanes often fit Medium Neutralisers, so they will be able to empty your capacitor. You will be at close range so have to go up against Minmatar close range ammo, probably faction EMP.

So, assuming EMP damage (heavy EM damage) you will want to avoid frigates with weak EM resists; therefore go for armour tanking frigates.

You will also have your tacklers being neutralised, so you want more than one of your frigates with a warp scrambler. Neuting also dictates that you don't use active tanking or weapons that use capacitor.

You'll want warp scrambler rather than warp disruptor for most of your frigates as your chosen targets usually have MWDs and you want to turn those MWDs off.

A Vaga's weakest resist is Kinetic, which doesn't often get patched up with a resist mod, so shoot them with kinetic missiles or kinetic-heavy ammo.

Good luck.

Essentially yes. A big part of becoming a good 1v1 pilot is learning to predict the meta, and being ready for surprises. Things like full-tackle armor kestrels, or slave-tanked railgun incursus and even shield rifters to an extent.

Variants that are not viable conventionally, can be made effective to counter common fits.

Shield Rifter > Shield Kestrel

ST Railgun Incursus > Cookie Cutter Rifter

etc.

I have flown that fit on my frigate alt with maxed skills. It cannot dictate range effectively. It is possible that the person I was fighting had gang booster bonuses, but he was able to kite me. He did the same to my Kestrel. When I fought him with my Rifter, he won with about 10% hull left (I think the gang booster probably made the difference for him here).

In my experience (not on this character), the key to success with a T1 AB frigate is what range the fight starts at. If you start inside web/scram range, just overheat your mods and pray. One of you is dying in under a minute. Outside that range, you're toast - unless you can hit effectively all the way out to 24km - in which case you can either fight at that range or warp out at will.

Isn't the Rifter for frigate's what the Drake is for Battle cruisers. Not exactly the best, but fairly easy to fit and fly effective.

Lets say the sherman tanks of EVE, yeah there are better ships but every farmer that can drive a tractor can fly a Rifter or a Drake.

That's the problem in EVE. Many are affected by the opinions of the few people that they interact with. I'm sure many have been told that Rifters and Thrashers are 'amazing', that's how they begin to chase for those ships hull to begin with and that's why EVE is flooded with rifters and thrashers and drakes and canes and all those overated ships. I don't know why it has come to that, but I assume it is because of the effect mentioned above.

When I first started incursion, I was told by other to cross train to Minmatar for the hurricane just because the myrm and the brutix weren't suitable for the job. I almost did but I'm glad I didn't because I could have ended up in this whole mass effect. I'm gallente, and I enjoy my ships no matter how flawed they are compared with other races. I still try to make the best out of it.

So my advise to you is to fly whatever frigate type that best suites you and your skills. Don't listen to what others have to say. Only when you've tried that you can have an opinion of your own.

Coming from RvB and having tried most frigates I can only say that Merlin has replaced the Rifter for me. Rifter is so widespread because of its good name, ease to fit etc, like people already stated. However, it is not as strong as you might think. Since the hybrid weapon boost the already good alternatives became even better now.

[Merlin, New Setup 1]
Micro Auxiliary Power Core I
Magnetic Field Stabilizer II

Catalyzed Cold-Gas Arcjet Thrusters
Medium F-S9 Regolith Shield Induction
Stasis Webifier II
Warp Scrambler II

Light Ion Blaster II, Antimatter Charge S
Light Neutron Blaster II, Antimatter Charge S
Rocket Launcher II, Gremlin Rocket
Rocket Launcher II, Gremlin Rocket

Small Anti-EM Screen Reinforcer I
Small Core Defence Field Extender I
Small Core Defence Field Extender I

I have been using this fit for great success. It mops up the floor with your usual Rifter and can be modified as you like it to be, exchange the MWD for AB for example or the web for an invufield for even more tank. With an anc router you can even exchange the auxiliary power core for a damage control. Has well over 100 DPS in all configurations and way more EHP than a Rifter. With Null ammo even quite enough range for a frig fight.

If you can't fit the above, just downgrade guns, this works only with perfect fitting skills and some implants.

Haven't tested the Gallente ones yet thoroughly but they seem to be good as well.

I wouldn't use a MWD on a Merlin that intended to brawl with a Rifter, as the Rifter's scram will disable said MWD and leave you floating along at an abysmal 335 ms (and that's before the Rifter cuts that 335 ms in half with his web). Your fit gets the same damage output as the one I mentioned above, except mine doesn't require implants to fit and it also has better tank. If you want to use a MWD on a Merlin, I'd suggest a kiting fit like this:

[Merlin, New setup 2]

125mm Railgun II, Caldari Navy Thorium Charge S
125mm Railgun II, Caldari Navy Thorium Charge S
Standard Missile Launcher II, Trauma Fury Light Missile
Standard Missile Launcher II, Trauma Fury Light Missile

Limited 1MN MicroWarpdrive I
Warp Disruptor II
Balmer Series Tracking Disruptor I, Optimal Range Disruption
Small Capacitor Booster II, Cap Booster 150

Tracking Enhancer II
Micro Auxiliary Power Core II

Small Hybrid Burst Aerator I
Small Hybrid Collision Accelerator I
[Empty Rig slot]

Sit at 20KM and plink your target to death. Of course, this is all based on solo PvP. If you're talking fleet frigate PVP versus a single, large target (as the OP mentioned) than the fittings could vary wildly based on roles. A Mixed fleet of T1 frigate hulls could theoretically take down a wide range of ships with the right numbers and under the right circumstance.