Ships & Modules

I love the new missile effects so I've been cross training to caldari for about a week, having a ton of sp in armor and turrets it's going to be a long train. This will also be almost my first venture into pvp.

I'm clueless on caldari ships so I was hoping for some advice, the various types of launchers has me boggled, having delt with lasers whos nomenclature is schizophrenic I'm more confused.

So what ships in the frigate and cruiser class should I look to? And whats up with the various launcher types?

Each size category of missiles has a short-range, high damage version, and a long-range, low damage version. Just like turrets. All missile varieties can be loaded with missiles which deliver purely one damage type, which means they can be used to exploit your opponents' weaknesses. However it also means that if you choose poorly you're not going to do a lot of damage. Missiles also take longer to reload than other weapon types.

Use EFT or Pyfa to explore the stats and figure out on your own which are which. Teach a man to fish and all that.

Your basic candidates for missile frigates are Kestrel and Griffin, but the Griffin is a specialized ECM boat and ECM is not allowed in RvB engagements. Caldari Navy Hookbill is an excellent missile frigate but it's very expensive (for a frigate) and not recommended for new PvPers. Caracal is the go-to missile boat for cruisers.

Recommend putting together a few kestrels and blowing them up to see if you really like missiles, or just like the pretty explosions. If you just like explosions:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=LptXaQ4Wkjw

What's that eyeroll emoticon? Oh, right.

My opinion, being 100% Correct, QA/QC Checked according to ISO9001:WELP is;

Missile frig - fit a Kestrel with MWD and Light missiles. Kite. If that's allowed. Avoid roflkets on the Kestrel, you will get welped, hard.
Missile Cruiser - RLM Caracal, or HAM Caracal. Avoid the HML's because while range is awesome, the HAMs eclipse it for short range fights vs cruisers, and the RLM's are basically flyswatters vs frigates. Which is a lot of RvB fights.

Second choices would be;
- Breacher. It doesn't have the volley damage of the Kestrel, but if you regularly go up against Amarr boats/Gall boats of any size the explosive damage bonus is handy.
- The Bellicose - this can fit HAM/Neut combos and a decent buffer tank with a plate, and a whole midslot rack of webs/TP's. For a brawler, a HAMacose is pretty decent. Also, 4 hammerhead IIs.

[Bellicose, Raw]

Damage Control II
800mm Reinforced Rolled Tungsten Plates I
Energized Adaptive Nano Membrane II

Experimental 10MN MicroWarpdrive I
'Langour' Drive Disruptor I
Warp Scrambler II
Parallel Weapon Navigation Transmitter

Upgraded 'Malkuth' Heavy Assault Missile Launcher I, Caldari Navy Nova Assault Missile
Upgraded 'Malkuth' Heavy Assault Missile Launcher I, Caldari Navy Nova Assault Missile
Upgraded 'Malkuth' Heavy Assault Missile Launcher I, Caldari Navy Nova Assault Missile
Small Unstable Power Fluctuator I
Small Unstable Power Fluctuator I

Medium Trimark Armor Pump I
Medium Trimark Armor Pump I
Medium Trimark Armor Pump I


Valkyrie II x4

185 DPS is nothing awesome, though.

For Frigates use a Micro Auxillary power core, not Reactor controls.

If you're going to the expense of rigging your Kestrels you can up the SSE to a MSE as well.

Armor skills and want to get missiles?
Go for Malediction and Vengeance if you can afford to loose them in RvB.

I'd actually tell you to use lots of Caracals full light launchers and use T2 versions -those can do great dmg up to Cruiser size and be a nice support against BC.
Light missile Caracal is simply a frig/destroyer exterminator, and the Navy version is purely a monster for this.

T2 light and keep some faction if you spot faction like drams around, don't even bother changing from Kin but keep some explo in your cargo, it's sometimes useful against T2 frigs and if you're the only rat cleaner, usually T2 frigs have high resists to kin/therm or em, hell even Tengus have worst resist to explosive than all other unless specifically fitted for.

If you message me in game i can help out with a few ships for you to go die in :)

Stay away from kestrels for RvB. They suck for 1v1 PvP, and they get primaried a lot in fleets.