Ships & Modules

I really, really, really want to like this ship. I like hybrids, and the new look is great. But the bonuses just don't make sense to me. A sniper boat with a resist bonus? IMO, if you're going to sit at range, there's much better options. HACs and especially resist bonus boats really seem purposed for getting up close and personal.

So what purpose does the Eagle serve? Its DPS is too low to brawl. Deimos blows it out of the water there. As a sniper, the Ishtar or Cerberus can out damage it at range. I don't think I've ever seen anyone even fly one. Is there some use I'm just not seeing?

If there isn't, how do you fix it? Add some drone bandwidth? Drop some of the range bonus for something else (because really, what does anybody need 41km optimal with antimatter for?)

I like the Eagle and I have liked the Eagle even before she became really sexy.

Now the thing is, you have two options now with the Eagle, railguns and blasters. Both options require diffenrent kinds of movement.

At close range railguns do not perform very good, even if your fitting screen is telling you otherwise.

Blasters on the other hand are are amazing at closer range and on the Eagle even up to the edge of long point range.

Oh, please do not fit a long point on the Eagle, she really doesn't agree with that. You will have enough room to fit both a scram and a web, which will be the end of most frigates as soon as you load antimatter.

For everything else, like some vagabond that wants to kite you because they are so fast and stuff, load NULL M and they will start rethink that approach very quickly.

Now that all hacs can burn all day long with an mwd on, they all scream for active tanks, which in all eight cases can be really strong, but the Eagle can also sport a very strong buffer tank.

Long story short, think of the Eagle like a shield tanked Deimos, which can also do scary things with railguns and blasters.


Godspeed

You can fit a sniper Eagle to do 300dps+ at 180km or 500dps+ with 85km optimal, using medium failguns that plough light tackle.

The resist bonus and relatively small sig make it exceptionally good as a counter-sniper.

Stop being terrible.

Not quite the fit I'd use, but right in concept. It is a very good sniper... There are just other, even better snipers in existence. With medium railguns being what they are, they should be on top when the next balance pass nerfs the ishtar!

If you use it correctly, any range bonus is a damage bonus. The Eagle is a very good ship that reacts extremely well to some faction/DED-pimping - that's when it becomes really great.

Also... sniping Tengu?

I like the Ferox, and I like the Eagle (now that it has great looks), and I like the Tengu.

In the Eagle, I get 521dps, fall-off range is within 62km, optimal range is within 43km.

In the Ferox, I get 607dps, fall-off is 50km, optimal is 31.

In the Tengu, I get 542dps, fall-off is 60km, optimal is 41.

These numbers come from similar fits for all three using 250mm T2 rails, 4xMFS II, Caldari antimatter, and Tracking Comp. II with optimal range script.

In some missions, I also carry Caldari Thorium, then, e.i. my Ferox has 455dps, but it's fall-off is 73km, and optimal is 54km.

With the thorium, the Tengu only has 407dps, but it's fall-off is 91km, with optimal at 72; the Eagle does 390dps, fall-off is 95m, optimal is 76km.

I do change some mods here and there depending on missions, but these remain the same.

Some pesky close-orbiting frigates can't be hit with out drones, but by using other mods, they can be dealt with.

So, that's a quick comparison

-Jaz

Yes, that's optimal + falloff. The Tengu and Eagle have two 50% optimal bonuses, so that's where the vast majority of their range comes from.

TLDR:

All HACs/T3s are decent, but the Ishtar trumps them all.

...the things that happen when away a few months. Thanks for the clarification. =] Cheers!

But really, what ship isn't great with links and logi support?