EVE New Citizens Q&A

There are groups that favor one or the other. Armor tanking allows for open mid slots. Shield tanking allows for open low slots.

It all depends on each group's preference.

Armor tanks tend to pack on more raw hitpoints while maintaining a lower signature radius (see: smaller sensor footprint (see: you are harder to hit)) and leaving mid-slots open for Electronic Warfare... which makes them ideal for large fleets.

However, in smaller groups/gangs you will see the opposite... shields being favored because they tend to be faster, more mobile, and able to fit more damage enhancement/application mods in the low-slots.


If anyone tells you "No, ALL shield setups are inferior and suck" or vice versa... look for a different corporation. They're blowing smoke out of their asses.

I do have to agree I see much more armor gangs in my area of lowsec. Most of the comments I hear is that people get "better numbers" out of armor ships, and the mechanics allow for a little slower, more managable pace of combat. However, I personally like the Cyclone too, especially if you add a little off-grid boosting and some drugs. I can't really say why we see less shield fleets, but I wouldn't say you're screwed if you focus on shield now. I'd say you are going to train both eventually anyway if you enjoy PVP.

My general impression is that shields work best on a smaller scale when flying gangs of faster cruisers and frigates that are trying to maintain specific ranges, while armor fleets work best at a larger scale when trying to maintain small sig raidus and high resistances/buffer. My current corp flies shield fits almost exclusively (we're terrible btw). I've heard (but haven't checked myself) that shields have better repairers. Also in large fleet combat with capitals, shields are just asking to get blapped due to actually being able to be hit.

Depending on what you mean by large gangs, yes armor gangs are fairly prevalent right now. That being said, there are plenty of very good shield doctrines. As people have mentioned, things are fairly fluid in EvE. The meta changes and different groups have different desires. If I recall, CCP specifically stated they want things balanced to the point that you do NOT have any one dominating doctrine (such as the Drakes of old). As such, focus on getting all your support skills up. It does not take long to get them to 4 and the most important to 5. That way your ready to go if the meta changes for the group your flying with.

Although from what I have seen from the Ancillary Shield Booster and Ancillary Armour Repairer the AAR repairs more per tick that the ASB counterpart. (Large AAR repairs more than a Large ASB with Nanite paste and Cap boosters loaded respectively). If anyone else has noticed that?

Somewhat true.
While the Ancillary Armor Reppers can repair more per cycle, their cycle time is much slower compared to an Ancillary Shield Booster... which can be a bit of a problem when you are under high, sustained DPS or taking large volleys of damage.
Moreover...

- the effectiveness of AARs is almost cut in half once the nanite paste is used up... meanwhile ASBs will continue operating at full effectiveness despite having no more cap boosters... as long as the ship has capacitor power that is (which it won't for long because shield boosters suck cap power like a starved fat kid at a buffet).

- shield boosters in general repair at the start of a cycle while armor repairs take effect at the end.


Both styles have the strengths and pitfalls. Use them accordingly.

Armorbadger

don't forget speed tanking.

gah. Speaking of changes. I remember being in null with a minor fleet of maybe 20 of us. And a couple of nano fit minnie ships, one was a muinin IIRC, would zoom past us taking pot shots and slowly whittling us down. Darn cruisers flying at over 13k were just streaks on the grid. We couldn't hit them at all while several of my friends blew up all around me.

Oh, and Nos used to be king.

Oh, and hulltanked Domi with stupid Effective HP.