Missions & Complexes

+1 internets for you. I just looked up that old post and nearly fell down laughing so hard. I dunno, I just find that thread insanely amusing.

I've never flown a mael so I can't give any advice on fitting it, but as far as the scram frigs-- In many level 4's they start out far away and burn in close; if you split your guns in 2 groups and work quickly, you can blap 2 frigs per volley while their transversal is almost zero.

Might try this fit, seems to have a bit better tank. What CPU implant do you have? Even with "All level V" in EFT it's 12 above the maximum.



I probably did by mistake. I can't really remember much more than me getting my ass handed to me.

Mael was made for ACs.

The mael is better for most situations, I do like the Ravens long range performance, but I have found that in missions with really long engagement ranges (usually ones where you can warp to 100km and only have to kill a specific target) the arty mael performs almost as well.

For normal missions though, I recommend 800s and some tracking enhancers, your range will still be decent, the falloff you gain is pretty neat. I personally use cap boosters for my maelstrom tank, because you can usually kill things before they can get to you, and you don't have to fool with all these cap mods, just to get a 2 minute tank.

Also, I wouldn't bother with faction/t2 ammo for an AC mael, the ammo consumption on this thing is absolutely astounding.

In my experience, missiles are way worse at applying damage to small targets even if you are running TPs. My vindi does 700 DPS out to its lock range (100km with a sebo) and almost breaks 1k inside 30km (not counting drones, I usually don't even bother with them), with enough tracking to hit cruisers orbiting at 20k. It was expensive, but no more so than a deadspace fit CNR.

It absolutely shreds frigs and cruisers at around 40k while they approach, I'm talking half-volley some cruisers and most frigs; sometimes i get lucky and 1-volley BCs with low transversal inside 30 km. Interestingly I have the most trouble tracking merc battleships that orbit at 6km, but a little manual flying solves that problem beautifully.

[Maelstrom, New Setup 1]
Tracking Enhancer II
Tracking Enhancer II
Gyrostabilizer II
Gyrostabilizer II
Gyrostabilizer II

Large Shield Booster II
Shield Boost Amplifier II
EM Ward Field II
EM Ward Field II
Thermic Dissipation Field II
100MN Afterburner II

800mm Repeating Artillery II, EMP L
800mm Repeating Artillery II, EMP L
800mm Repeating Artillery II, EMP L
800mm Repeating Artillery II, EMP L
800mm Repeating Artillery II, EMP L
800mm Repeating Artillery II, EMP L
800mm Repeating Artillery II, EMP L
800mm Repeating Artillery II, EMP L

Large Capacitor Control Circuit I
Large Capacitor Control Circuit I
Large Projectile Ambit Extension I


Warrior II x5
Hammerhead II x5

This worked for me for months and is a reasonably standard fit. With BS to 5 you could think about dropping the SBA for a TC but if your having tanking trouble you should definately keep it.

Hardeners are rat specific and you should keep 2 of each damage type in your cargo. Im sure XL boosters work fine too but I've always used large and done fine.

People seem to love putting cap boosters on the mael but with CCCs and smart SB use it is not required, even with 2.5 minites of cap time.

The AB is nonessential and maybe the slot would be better with a TC but the mael is painfully flow at the best of times.

I used to use that exact same loudout at 2mil SP and I had no problems.

If you're not able to tank it... I seriously don't know what you're doing wrong. Are you using rat-specific hardeners and eve-survival?

Get a Pith C-Type X-Large Shield Booster, it's some 200 mil isk, but it's slightly more efficient and a lot more powerful than the basic tech 2 version.

Fit the proper hardeners and weapons, and the Mael can run most missions like a champion. Keys:

Use an XL shield booster, but pulse it; don't perma-run it.

T2 medium and light drones for cruisers and frigates, respectively.

Fit hardeners according to the mission. Common fit for Guristas, for example, might be 2 thermal, 2 kinetic, letting you absorb over 1000 DPS in short bursts with your booster running.

Swap out your weapons depending on what you're facing. For close-range hostiles like Angels, 800mm autocannons will tear them apart. For rats that like to hold at range, like Guristas, 1200mm or 1400mm artillery will work wonderfully on their battlecruisers and battleships. 1200's are easier to fit while you're training up, and do roughly similar DPS to the 1400's, but use ammo twice as fast. 800's are easiest to fit, but go through ammo like water.

If you're worried about your tank, fit a Damage Control in one of your lows. You may sacrifice one gyro or tracking enhancer, but if you screw up a mission and your tank does get broken, the DC's hull resistances will mean the difference between bringing a battered flaming ship back to station, and coming home in a pod. Plus, bonuses to armor and shield resistances without stacking penalties.

Special note: in missions where the rats throw ECM at you, the massive alpha damage that you get from 1400's is a lifesaver, and, oddly enough, the long cycle time of the cannons works for you in that case. With autocannons, you lose a lot of DPS for every second you're jammed out; with 1400's, there's a chance the jam cycle will end and allow you to re-lock before your guns have cycled for the next shot, and at worst, you lose maybe five or ten seconds.

Plus, one-hit-kills on battlecruisers, and three-hit kills on battleships. With T1 guns, even. Even if they're stood off at 50km or more. (Yeah, tactical says your optimal's only out to 35km or so with the short-range ammo types, but that massive falloff means that if you can lock it, there's a better-than-even chance you can hit it respectably.)