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Heron fit for exploring in low-sc or wormholes?
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Salpad
Carebears with Attitude
#1 - 2013-01-23 13:35:34 UTC
I've got zero wormhole experience, and only a little low-sec/0.0 experience from about half a decade ago. Assume I've got almost all skillz at 5, especially drone skillz.

The Heron looks like the better hull, in many ways, compared to the T2 Buzzard.

But how to fit it? I really have very little idea for what a good fit for a solo visit to low-sec/wh might be, although it seems to me as if the large drone bay can and should be exploited. So any suggestions and guidelines are much apprecaited. The purpose is to try something new, fun and excitement, and in the longer term profit.
Roime
Mea Culpa.
Shadow Cartel
#2 - 2013-01-23 13:49:18 UTC
Might disappoint you, but a Heron can't do anything in the wormhole radar and magnetometric sites- they are guarded by Sleeper NPCs of varying nastyness (whs are classified from 1 to 6 according to the Sleeper nastyness and strength of system effects), and all of them blatantly obliterate a Heron even in the easiest sites.

In lowsec you could possibly run some weakly guarded mag and radar sites, and with some patience and technique called drone kiting (let your drones kill stuff while you stay well away from trouble) even harder sites... but I'm not sure if this actually works anymore with the new AI. Especially on a ship that does not generate any threat to attract rat aggro, they might just eat your drones and then you.

So I'd recommend scanning the sites out in the Heron, maybe even take a look and try, but then come back in another ship to finish the sites.

Heron will make a fantastic can opener, why not go out there with a buddy? You scan, keep watch while he kills, and then open the cans?

.
Lady Ayeipsia
BlueWaffe
#3 - 2013-01-23 15:11:15 UTC
Open cans and salvage too! Never forget to salvage in sleeper sites.

That said, the preferred solo wh ship is a drake. Use 6 launchers, probe launcher, and salvagers in the high slots. This should handle most class 1 or 2 wormhole sites. Just keep constantly using your directional scanner and run if you detect other ships.
Ch'vonne Skjem-Apol
Hathor Federation
#4 - 2013-01-23 15:59:48 UTC
Roime wrote:
Might disappoint you, but a Heron can't do anything in the wormhole radar and magnetometric sites- they are guarded by Sleeper NPCs of varying nastyness (whs are classified from 1 to 6 according to the Sleeper nastyness and strength of system effects), and all of them blatantly obliterate a Heron even in the easiest sites.

In lowsec you could possibly run some weakly guarded mag and radar sites, and with some patience and technique called drone kiting (let your drones kill stuff while you stay well away from trouble) even harder sites... but I'm not sure if this actually works anymore with the new AI. Especially on a ship that does not generate any threat to attract rat aggro, they might just eat your drones and then you.

So I'd recommend scanning the sites out in the Heron, maybe even take a look and try, but then come back in another ship to finish the sites.

Heron will make a fantastic can opener, why not go out there with a buddy? You scan, keep watch while he kills, and then open the cans?



I was going to create a separate post, but might as well dip my toe in the water.

Is it an absolute sin to use a Heron in an unbonused role (ie. cheap cov-ops frig)?...it seems like a waste to have a vessel with so many mids not doing something more than scanning down sites.

I'm not asking for it to tackle, but couldn't it have a double prop with some type of TD and two neuts and a cloak up high? I certainly wouldn't take it WH rafting, but maybe some high/low-sec snooping.

Just asking...
Ch'vonne Skjem-Apol
Hathor Federation
#5 - 2013-01-23 16:46:58 UTC
derp...maybe not a double prop, but you get the idea.
Roime
Mea Culpa.
Shadow Cartel
#6 - 2013-01-23 18:09:26 UTC
I haven't flown T1 scanning frigs in a while and not played with fits after the buff, but certainly not a sin to do whatever you want with them. T1s are much stronger than T2 covopses, I wouldn't hesitate for a moment if I could engage a covert ops in a Heron for example.

Covert ops "suicide" tackling is very common:

http://shivafurnace.eve-kill.net/?a=kill_detail&kll_id=15500748
http://shivafurnace.eve-kill.net/?a=kill_detail&kll_id=15479796
http://shivafurnace.eve-kill.net/?a=kill_detail&kll_id=14024252

it obviously doesn't always end that well :P

.
Ch'vonne Skjem-Apol
Hathor Federation
#7 - 2013-01-23 19:12:30 UTC
Just to get the ball rolling...please feel free to chuckle quietly:

[Heron,WTF]
Drone Damage Amp II
Damage Control II or F85 Peripheral Damage Sys I

Limited 1MN AB I
Balmer Series Tracking Disruptor I
Small Anc Shield Boost
Bootleg ECCM Projector I
Remote Sensor Damp I (or any point of your choosing)

Proto Cloak I
Small Neut I
200mm AC II

Small Ancillary Current Router I
Small Anti-EM Screen Reinforcer I
Small Anti-Thermal Screen Reinforcer I

Hobo II x3
Hornet EC-300 x2
Warrior II x2

You could maybe fit a MWD, but you would light up like a roman candle once active and probably won't survive the aggro.
Klymer
Hedion University
Amarr Empire
#8 - 2013-01-23 20:44:03 UTC
I love the Heron, but if I actually had to fight with a scan ship I'd go with the Imicus for the extra drone it can field as every bit of dps helps. The new Tristan with it's ability to field 5 drones may also be a cheap option if you have really good skills, but even then it's probe strength is about half that of the scan frigates when rigged.

[Imicus, Cheap Scout]

Drone Damage Amplifier II
Drone Damage Amplifier II
Drone Damage Amplifier II

Analyzer I
Codebreaker I
Survey Scanner I
Experimental 1MN Afterburner I

Salvager I
Core Probe Launcher I, Core Scanner Probe I
Prototype Cloaking Device I

Small Gravity Capacitor Upgrade I
Small Gravity Capacitor Upgrade I

Hobgoblin II x4
Ch'vonne Skjem-Apol
Hathor Federation
#9 - 2013-01-23 21:05:06 UTC
[Heron,WTF v2.0]
Drone Damage Amp II
F85 Peripheral Damage Sys I

Limited 1MN AB I
Balmer Series Tracking Disruptor I
Small Anc Shield Boost
Langour Drive Disruptor I
Small F-S9 Regolith Shield Induction

Proto Cloak I
Small Neut I
200mm AC II

Small Ancillary Current Router I
Small Anti-EM Screen Reinforcer I
Small Anti-Thermal Screen Reinforcer I

Hobo II x3
Hornet EC-300 x2
Warrior II x2

Small tweak to the mids and neut to gain more shield capacity as well as 2.4k eHP and significantly increased cap efficiency.