Missions & Complexes

After playing around with an updated Golem fit for the past few days, I've come to appreciate the new heavy stasis grappler. Combined with a pair of precision-scripted MGCs and Faction target painter, the grappler usually offers just a bit more of a nudge to positively impact damage application. It's usually the difference between an extra volley against Elite cruisers, but under ranges of 10-20km it has more value than a second target painter because you can literally blap non-Elite frigates that are foolish enough to orbit at less than 8km (smiting small targets with Fury ammunition is no small matter in of itself).

Is there a formatted version of the working fit? Looking to buy my first golem and found this to be the most up to date fitting discussion.

Back with a few interesting observations on the new heavy stasis grappler. There is a significant difference between the T2 and two Faction versions, even though on paper it may not seem like much. You can lock the T2 version out to 30km, 34km for the Shadow Serpentis variant and an impressive 37km for the Domination variant! While it doesn't replace a target painter of missile guidance computer, if you've already maxed out these options it does an an interesting twist. And if you have the extra slot, why not. It does murder frigates and drones at an impressive rate.

What I've found is that at the extreme lock range it has a ~5% effect on target velocity which increases to ~20% at roughly two thirds this distance. For the Domination heavy stasis grappler, this means ~5%@37km and ~20%@24km (not too shabby at all). In practice it's usually just enough to tip the scales to make the difference in being able to volley the target in a single shot.

Relax... It isn't a conspiracy.

I also ran Angels and can report similar results - except I used torpedes. My loadout was comparable except instead of rigors I used hydraulic rigs and augmented damage applcation with a Faction heavy stasis grappler. 56km range while in Bastion, 5.5s cycle time, 46 volleys before reload and 37km range with the grappler. Just shy of 1200 DPS without drones (which I didn't use as I wanted to see how effective the new grappler could be). I used a MJD for a few missions but I may eventually ditch this for another large cap battery to operate the MWD longer or a missile guidance computer to extend range furrher.

This is the complete torpedo fit I'm using for my Golem. There is a bit of bling on it (the largest being the Domination Heavy Stasis Grappler, but I did get a deal on this one), but for a 1.3-billion ISK hull you can't really get the most out of it with just T2 modules - especially if you opt for torpedoes. The Gist X-Type 500MN MWD (80m ISK) and Gist X-Type Large Shield Booster (95m ISK when I snagged it) are stupid cheap, as are the Dread Guristas Torpedo Launchers.

Operating costs - no question Faction torpedoes are going to run you a lot more. But how can this be measured against the smile on your face? Here are the specs:

• 63.9k EHP and 553.7 HP/s sustained (Bastion). If you manage aggro you never, ever need more than this.
• 7728 volley, 56.7km range (almost 60km with Drifter booster), 317m explosion radius and 141m/s explosion velocity.
• 1165 missile DPS and 102 DPS from drones for a total of 1267 DPS and a 6.63s cycle time (46 rounds).
• 3.39 AU/s warp speed with 10.6s align

A fourth Faction BCS isn't really need as you're not short on CPU with this fit and it only adds a whopping 43 volley and 8 DPS. I don't need Crystal implants so I'm using a set of Ascendancies, but I could just as easily go with a set of Genolutions, too. Despite a slightly lower volley than Fury cruise I'm not seeing a huge difference in terms of the number required to pop ships. Frigates are 1-2, cruisers are 1-2, destroyers and battlecruisers 1 and battleships 3-4 depending on the type.

Faction torpedoes have slightly less explosion radius (317m vs. 267m) but more explosion velocity (141m/s vs. 112 m/s). Roughly comparable. A precision-scripted missile guidance computers would put torpedoes over the top, but I still don't think I'd see any huge difference - especially with the grappler which gives me a clear edge.

[Golem, Torp Golem]

Dread Guristas Torpedo Launcher, Caldari Navy Inferno Torpedo
Dread Guristas Torpedo Launcher, Caldari Navy Inferno Torpedo
Dread Guristas Torpedo Launcher, Caldari Navy Inferno Torpedo
Dread Guristas Torpedo Launcher, Caldari Navy Inferno Torpedo
Bastion Module I
Small Tractor Beam II
Small Tractor Beam II
Drone Link Augmentor II

Gist X-Type 500MN Microwarpdrive
Large Cap Battery II
Republic Fleet Target Painter
Domination Heavy Stasis Grappler
Republic Fleet Target Painter
Large Micro Jump Drive
Gist X-Type Large Shield Booster

Dread Guristas Ballistic Control System
Dread Guristas Ballistic Control System
Dread Guristas Ballistic Control System
Ballistic Control System II

Large Hydraulic Bay Thrusters II
Large Hydraulic Bay Thrusters I

'Augmented' Hornet x5
Salvage Drone I x5

Caldari Navy Mjolnir Torpedo x2500
Caldari Navy Scourge Torpedo x2500
Caldari Navy Inferno Torpedo x2500
Caldari Navy Nova Torpedo x2500
'Packrat' Mobile Tractor Unit x1

Long time EVE player just coming back after a few years so there is a lot of stuff I missed.

My mission runner is a Golem and I found this thread incredibly useful - so thanks to OP and contributors.

Q1 - Bastion Module was not around last time I was here - I got one. It takes about 5 mins to turn it off - isn't that a waste of time? I used to salvage on the go but now with Bastion on I ain't moving. It seemed the Golem had a pretty good tank before the Bastion - has that changed?

Q2 - Only trained for torps so far so I use up tp 3 TPs in my mids. Can someone explain how replacing one with a web/ stasis grapler would be a better option?

Thanks for reading.

Played Eve for a long while - but that does not mean I was any good at it!

For question two, you need to look at how the damage is applied. Once the sig radius is larger than the explosion radius, of your torp, you no longer gain any application. Next missile damage compares the ships true velocity, not angular velocity, to the explosion velocity. This means there is a speed that the target has to be moving faster than to reduce your application damage below 100%.

So larger ships that move slow always take missiles to the face, they already have a large sig and in most cases are not fast enough to reduce damage application with velocity.

Frigates, on the other hand can do both well vs missiles. So once you increase their sig enough to apply full damage that way, you have to slow them down to get better application.

Thanks. I have been experimenting with 3 Target Painters on Battleships and Cruisers and I think there is only a slight difference.

Maybe the better option would be to use 2 TP and a web on smaller frigates.

Don't like using drones these days as they always seem to get aggroed.

Noob question of the week - I assume TPs on frigs attacked by your drones is pointless?

Interesting thread, I currently use a rattlesnake and I think that is pretty good, but this Golem idea sounds excellent, the thing is to work out what is actually most efficient from all the suggestions given... How much on average would a golem be to buy and fit? and are there any skills that need to be at V as a given.

What I currently do in the rattle, is MJD away, stop, hit Cruiser < with sentries and cruise on the BS, it works, but I would like to be more efficient for sure, but without being a gank magnet