Ships & Modules

Let me start off by defensively saying: You're right, I could hop onto Sisi and test all three ships for first hand experience. Normally, I would, but let's say that I am swamped in real life and would like to narrow down variables regarding this topic before committing to a full test run.

With that out of the way, I'm looking to dive back into low-sec exploration and moving into one of the three racial T3 ships that I am capable of flying. Currently, I am using the Pilgrim due to the covert ops cloaking device, dependable tank and sufficient damage output of drones. The limitation I'm finding is a severe lack of damage and tanking capability, especially when wanting to run 5/10s and 6/10s.

I'm not looking for an all-in-one solution, mind you. I will be scanning down low-sec systems using the covert ops and scanning subsystem, but with combat-oriented subsystems in my cargo hold as needed. What I am looking for is the best ship for the job and how each would handle differently considering the situation I'm throwing them into:

• Solo work, this also means no alt scout
• Sansha and Bloodraider territory
• Low-Security systems
• Loki, Legion, or Tengu
• Assume max projectile, laser, missile, shield, and armor skills
• As little faction gear as possible
• Short-term deployment
• Radar, Combat, and (optional) Mag sites
• Assume I know a GREAT deal about the Tengu, and ****-all with the Loki and Legion

My thanks in advance.

In terms of running Blood Raider sites in lowsec, the Legion is superior with its DPS. Tengu has better range but less DPS while the Loki has the best tank, it suffers in range and DPS.

Some faction gear will help (especially for that Blood 5/10 3rd room) but my Legion can solo any Lowsec Blood site except for the Minor Blood Annex (which is hard to solo in anything smaller than a BS. Loki may be able to do it but its simply not worth it).

My Legion is rigged with a Grav Cap for scanning and 2 Cap Control Circuits.

You will want...

Heavy Pulse Laser II x6

Afterburner
Large Cap Battery II
Cap Recharger II
Cap Recharger II, Tracking Computer II or access tools.

Damage Control II
Medium Armor Repairer II
Heat Sink II x2
EM Hardener II
Thermic Hardener II

Liquid Crystal Magnifiers (Use Covert Ops Subsystem for scanning and travel)
Power Core Multiplier
Chassis Optimizer/Fuel Injector (Either works)
Tactical Targeting Network (Use Emergent Locus Analzyer for scanning and travel)
Nanobot Injector

and be sure to bring multiple sets of Scorch and Navy Multifrequency. More Scorch than Multi since those pop pretty fast. Your optimal range which Scorch and a targeting computer should be around 35km. Multi should be around 10km which you should be moving from BS to BS to hit other than Harbingers and Archbishops. Stay 30km from the Harbingers and Archbishops and hit them with Scorch. They neut and a neuted Legion is a dead Legion. Certain Elite Cruisers also neut out to 40km but other than the Minor Annex and escalations, I never really see them.

This Legion should be able to easily handle 4/10s, 5/10s (Very hairy, though), Annexes (You need to do them in a specific way) and 6/10.

Bah. Sure, the Tengu has superior range but when it comes to breaking the tanks of the 6/10, its going to lose out to the Legion which does much more damage. A Tengu is certainly NOT going to break the overseer's tank in the Sansha 6/10.

Not A t3 but this worked for me.
I used to run 6/10s in Delve, I found a good way of doing them was with 1 char in a cov ops, locating the sites. I would then covert cyno a Sin into system to run the plex. The Sin was fit with Rails and Curators. This would be good in low sec too.

Then I guess there's really nothing better than a Tengu if it can get away with it via design flaw.

The only disadvantage is that you need to haul all those missiles and subsystems around while a Legion will have plenty of space.

None of the plexes have any elite ships. The biggest threat in any plex will be webbing towers and Corpus Archbishops/Harbingeres.

Blood Annex and any escalation, however, can have them which its usually best to snipe them before they get close.

I know minor blood annex has elite crusader hulls, which web and sometimes scram... so does Annex I think.

Yeah, the Minor Annex and Annex can have them. However, Legion and Tengu won't be soloing the Blood Minor Annex due to the webbing drones being triggers and the influx of neuting and scramming ships. Loki MIGHT be able to but its not worth trying if you ask me.

Annex is doable, though.

Nadine, what tengu fits do you use?

All of those setups have one major flaw: They depend on refitting, which is not an option in 0.0 and even some lowsec areas. To handle this, you need to permanently fit a cov ops cloak and maybe a probe launcher as well (depends on whether or not you use an alt for probing).

Here's a challenge: Show me a T3 setup (preferrably Legion) for running at least radar sites in nullsec. Here are the requirements:
- No refitting
- No resupply
- Covert ops cloak
- Codebreaker
- Bonus points if it works without a probing alt