Warfare & Tactics

Missiles are not really that bad. The downside is it takes time for them to reach the target and apply damage where guns are instant. So in theory you could warp in at range say 80-90km with arty vs cruise or heavies. fire probably 2 volleys from the guns and then proceed to warp out and not even be hit by the missiles while you just applied damage to the target.

At closer ranges this matters less and at longer ranges it matters more. You just have to figure out how you plan to ustilize missiles in PvP.

Main problem with missiles is that unlike guns range does not compensate for "tracking" on smaller targets

They are equally **** against small stuff at all ranges.

[Note: the author of this post disagrees with the notion that missile ships are generally frowned upon for PvP]

Missiles can be interdicted mid-flight (defender missiles, smartbombs, bombs).

No EWAR directly inhibits the operation of missiles.

Wrong :P
Opinion of a 95% hook and condor pilot:
Well missiles are okay now. Light missiles perform very good vs everything that is as big like a dessie or slow.
Slow ab tristans-> no problem.
Fast Firetails, Interceptors, drams -->light missiles do still laughable damage. Not usable vs very fast targets. Died sometimes horribly in my Hook vs fast targets like firetails and went down while they even had still 75% shield because my missiles didn´t hit anything. Comets/Firetails that burn on you and scram you are the biggest nightmare of a kiter hook pilot.
There are pros and contras concerning light missiles.

Ever heard about Precision Light Missiles, Target Painters or simply switching from Kinetic to EM damage?
There are indeed people existing who fit their Firetails specifically against kiting Hookbills (because they or so damn OP and everybody hates them) and they are usually that clever to raise ther Kinetic resists for this job. However, these specially fitted ship are crap against anything else than the very narrow list of targets they are fitted against. What I want to say: Just because you lose a Kiting-Missile-Ship to someone doesn't mean that missiles are broken or crap in general.

I am not in game right now, but as far as I remember the Condor does not get any missile speed boost bonus. Which means if the Hookbill is at 16km range and you are buring after him he simply out-run your missiles and thus your missiles where doing 0 damage. Light Missiles have a base speed of 3750m/s, with full skills it goes up to 5625m/s. This means that in your case the missile would need more than 2 minutes to hit the target if he is buring aways from you which is far outside the missile flight time!

Next time you should better fly a Hookbill yourself, since it gets 50% missile speed bonus which results in a missile speed of 8437m/s and with this speed you would easily hit him after 7 seconds of missile flight time (which means you need level 5 for missile flight time!). Alternatively you can also fit rigs which increase missile speed.

Basically, missiles are only useful for high-speed fights if you are either chased by your enemy or if you have a ship which provides speed boost for missiles. Once you know this you can prepare for it.

ITT: Watch two dudes argue about hookbills.