Ships & Modules

This is one ship I can't seem to wrap my head around. I've looked at various different fits, both shield and armor tanked and they just don't look like they'd perform well. The ship is slow, aligns like a city bus and has no PG to work with and looks like any other cruiser could walk right up to it and crap all over it.

I've managed to find a few guides on fitting them but none of them go into detail on how to actually fly it in combat. I'd assume that tracking speed disruption scripts would only be useful if you fit an AB. So assuming you fit a MWD you would want to use optimal range scripts but what's to stop any cruiser from just approaching to zero on you?

Anyone have any real solo pvp experience with this ship and can walk me through a typical fight with it?

Thanks for that. One of the major hang ups I had with it is how to employ a TD on a ship that would struggle to control range. Simple solution : Don't fit a TD.

Here's a fit I highly recommend, it can trump just about every other t1 cruiser in the game.

Arbitrator: False

Highs:
V

Mids:
E

Lows:
X

Rigs:
O

Drones:
R

Amazing ship that Arby is.

1. There's no point flying the Arbitrator without a TD.
2. Saying Vexor is always better is downright ignorant.
3. If you want a high DPS instagankmobile look elsewhere.

Arbitrator is IMO easily one of the strongest T1 cruisers, especially when engaging eg. turret BCs. Arbitrators work solo pretty well in both shield and armor tanks. Pick one depending on your preferred playstyle. Kiting with drones is sometimes quite painful but doable. Shield is generally superior for jumping unscouted gates and is easier to escape with if things don't go your way in a fight.

Without going too deeply into the tactics of flying the ship, here is two tried and true fits:

[Arbitrator, Arbi - Solo Armor]
Damage Control II
1600mm Reinforced Rolled Tungsten Plates I
Energized Adaptive Nano Membrane II
Energized Adaptive Nano Membrane II
Drone Damage Amplifier II

Experimental 10MN Microwarpdrive I
Faint Epsilon Warp Scrambler I
Fleeting Propulsion Inhibitor I
Balmer Series Tracking Disruptor I, Optimal Range Disruption Script

Small Unstable Power Fluctuator I
Small Diminishing Power System Drain I
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

[Arbitrator, Arbi - Solo Shield]
Damage Control II
Nanofiber Internal Structure II
Drone Damage Amplifier II
Drone Damage Amplifier II
Drone Damage Amplifier II

Experimental 10MN Microwarpdrive I
Warp Disruptor II
Balmer Series Tracking Disruptor I, Optimal Range Disruption Script
Large F-S9 Regolith Shield Induction

Medium Unstable Power Fluctuator I
Medium Diminishing Power System Drain I
Rapid Light Missile Launcher II, Caldari Navy Mjolnir Light Missile
Rapid Light Missile Launcher II, Caldari Navy Mjolnir Light Missile

Medium Anti-EM Screen Reinforcer I
Medium Anti-Thermal Screen Reinforcer I
Medium Core Defense Field Extender I

Optimal use of highslots is debatable. This is what I prefer. I usually carry flights of both thermal and explosive light and medium drones.