Ships & Modules

Inexperienced player here.

A while back I found EVE, fell in love, and promptly quit anyway. I made quite a few 'help me pick a ship' type threads that dead ended with me always unhappy with speed, or damage, or application as I wanted to play a gun boat. Imagine my surprise when I learned of the new tornado. Very happy with that ship in all regards. I don't pretend to know everything about it, but I do know it's my ship of choice for as long as I play EVE.


My other goal in EVE was to have fun in frig gangs. Nothing too hard core, just try to join or form a group of players to get a mass of frigs together and go looking for trouble and laughs.

To apply artillery+shield to frig level, the Thrasher or Sabre seem to stand out, but I'm worried about how they'll fair against larger ships with their 75 sig radius. I'm also concerned that fitting a Sabre with artillery and no interdiction sphere launcher will get me laughed out of the galaxy as harsh as EVE's community tends to be.... or is it possible to fit both?

Please tell me more about my options here. What's the best ship for using shields+artillery at frig level? Example fits? Doesn't need to tackle at all, I'll let the gang do that just like on the larger ship.

Republic Fleet Gyrostabilizer
Republic Fleet Gyrostabilizer

1MN Analog Booster Rockets
Small Shield extender II
Invulnerability Field II

280mm Howitzer Artillery II
280mm Howitzer Artillery II
280mm Howitzer Artillery II
280mm Howitzer Artillery II
280mm Howitzer Artillery II
280mm Howitzer Artillery II
280mm Howitzer Artillery II
Empty High Slot

Small Ancillary Current Router I
Small Core Defense Field Extender I
Small Anti-EM Screen Reinforcer I

EHP 5,479, 296dps, 1856 volly. with Quake S.
(Quake for shooting larger targets, right? Something with a tracking bonus for enemy frigs I guess)

Think 709 m/s works for a frig gang, or should I swap a Gyro for a Nano or an OD to keep up better?

I endorse this fit. And want to especially second the faction mod thing. The RF gyros will set you back ~60mil each. I don't even know what the storyline AB runs, but I know it isn't cheap.

High:
280mm II x 7
Med:
Catalyzed Cold-Gas Arcjet Thrusters
Tracking Computer II
Target Painter II
Low:
Gyro II
Tracking Enhancher II
Rigs:
Ancillary Current Router I x 2
Projectile Collision

Bring the Rain. (You can't dictate range so why even try? Go for the two-shot kill)

So shield tank upping the sig doesn't pay off vs larger targets, and I should just make the thing max DPS and cheap so I can just go get another one if something goes wrong, instead of spending ten times as much ISK trying to survive in a flying coffin.

Pretty much. Also, if you get a 3% small projectile turret damage implant and a 1% all turret damage implant you'll spend less then 5 million isk and get an 1825 alpha with RF EMP with the fit I posted above. Or 1851 with Quake if you want to compare apples to apples. 5 million isk vs. ??? for the faction items. Keep it simple.

Focus on fitting hardeners. The Tornado tends to be wickedly tight on PG when fitting 1400s anyway, which LSEs just aggravate. (A resist tank will also keep your gang's Scimi pilot from flying off the handle at you about squishiness.)

You shouldnt be afraid of getting laughed at. You're coming up with your own idea's. And if it works for you, go for it. It might not always be the best, but who cares as long as you're having fun.

if you must stay in a frigate the wolf is your best bet with something like this
[Wolf, arty]
Gyrostabilizer II
Gyrostabilizer II
Fourier Transform I Tracking Program
Fourier Transform I Tracking Program

Cold-Gas I Arcjet Thrusters
Sensor Booster II, Scan Resolution

280mm Howitzer Artillery II, Republic Fleet Titanium Sabot S
280mm Howitzer Artillery II, Republic Fleet Titanium Sabot S
280mm Howitzer Artillery II, Republic Fleet Titanium Sabot S
280mm Howitzer Artillery II, Republic Fleet Titanium Sabot S
[empty high slot]

Small Ancillary Current Router I
Small Projectile Collision Accelerator I


but the thrasher is much better

They Hyena is too fragile and has too large of a signature radius. CCP has made noise that they will get buffed but the thing is a death trap until they do.

The only real ship I'd recommend for arty work on the small level outside of the thrasher is the Jaguar.

Arty Jag-

High:
280mm II x 3
Small Nuet II
Med:
AB II
Small Shield Extender II
Fleeting Propulsion Inhibitor
Faint Epsilon Warp Scrambler
Low:
MAPC
Gyro II
F85 Peripheral Damage System
Rigs:
Projectile Collision X 2

1008 Volley with Quake. Much more survivable then the Thrasher. 5.72k EHP. Unfortunately it suffers from no tracking bonus. Your call.