Warfare & Tactics

A big second for flying ships you are actually good at. At modest SP most people can fly a BC in that blob-- okay at best. But after even a few months in Eve you can fly small ships really quite well.
You know, as the game is actually intended....everyone seems to rush to big hulls.

Learn to manually pilot. Learn to be super-aggressive- killer instinct reflexes- hesitation is the difference between losing a target and getting that KM, or more often- a KM or a LM for you!

Group up, even one or two other guys make you into a mini-gank fleet.

Learn all the dirty tricks- believe me, everyone else knows them!!!!!

Hm, well I wouldn't claim to know how to use this properly, but what I have been doing is using the tactical overlay in Solar System map view, and after selecting a celestial to warp to, hitting the D-Scan as I pass by anything that's within 14AU. It's pretty vague a picture to have while dropping bookmarks, but sometimes helpful in knowing general whereabouts I guess. There are probably guides on this which I haven't read yet, but I will look into it.


Heh, long live the fighters.


I've read up on this a bit, there seems to be a lot to deal with in the thick of it. I will try to put it you to use during the upcoming weekend, but I expect quite a few lossmails.


I'm sure I must look like bait, surely a Merlin isn't up to handling the gangs I've run into thusfar.

Thanks to everyone for the pointers, they are much appreciated.

People rush to big hulls because the PvE mission progression tell newbies that it's what we're supposed to do.

I'm having to go back and fill in lots of support skill gaps to make up for this common mistake.

But, I definitely agree with you. It's better to be a really great frig or cruiser pilot than a lackluster Battleship/Battlecruiser pilot.

Well, my current reason for the meta 2 fittings is that all the hulls I am flying are doomed from the moment I undock, so it's more of a 'flying what I can afford to lose' scenario while I learn solo PvP tactics. Although by this logic I should probably just be fitting meta 0, honestly.

If you're looking for decent opportunities for solo fights, I would suggest first roaming low sec, and if you want a lot of targets, join faction warfare, go pirate, or both. I think you'll find few opportunities for a decent fight in null sec, especially flying a T1 frig with meta mods.

Uh oh... my crystal ball suddenly shows much more missioning in my future...


Well, I have started a small collection of bookmarks in that lowsec corridor, and there seems to be a trickle of traffic through there when I hang around. Some FW pilots have been kind enough to invite me to enlist, but my concerns are A] a perceived lack of dedication due to obligations with work/school, and B] inability to pilot ships required to get a proper fleet composition (snowflaking?). This is why solo seemed the best choice.


I suppose I will need to get back there and try the bubble-avoidance techniques sooner or later [they are the reason I started the thread, after all], and see if the result is the same short and rapid succession of lossmails.

The gate mechanics means you're relatively safe in a frig against most blobs. If you want a fight with someone in a frig, just ask. Also the current FW plex system gives a lot of opportunities for small skirmish battles. Heck you don't even have to be in FW to camp inside a plex and wait for someone, or go after someone that's running FW plex or mission.

If you go pirate, war dec, or join FW there's nothing preventing you from running solo, it just means there's more targets to go after.

1 v 1's are rare but ill go for 1 v 2's

other night i jumped a rapier being stupid, few seconds later i poped his bomber friend trying to save him.

a lot of the kills we get is poor piloting on enemys side. not sure if its cause we just catching them off guard or is they just plain old suck. but a lot of fights you can just jump into start dropping targets and they will scatter and come warping back at different times unorganized. thats where you can start racking up kills.

im curious how much of these tips have been put to use?
we can all advise you how to pvp, but its really something you gotta do and experience before you get the hang of it.

This is your advice for a younger pilot to learn PvP in nulsec? You, sir, are a mean person. I bet you kick homeless puppies as a side hobby.


Seriously though, I feel there are two phases to learning to PvP (no matter where you choose to do it); controlling your emotions and acquiring skill.

Controlling your emotions is simply getting over the adrenalin rush of PvP (i.e., 'the shakes'). For this part, I can only suggest cheaply fitted T1 frigates. Don't expect to win a lot of battles, and always go back over the fights and see what could have been done better, but your real goal is to get used to the Rush of Combat to the extent you can control it. 'Double-punching' module buttons is bad.

Once that's done, contrary to Wensley and probably every other PvP pro out there, I'd switch up to something a bit larger to actually learn PvP. (Awaits scolding from PvP pros...)

Why? Because T1 frigate combat is FAST. Rifter on Rifter typically takes anywhere between 42 and 65 seconds from opening salvo to smoking wreck. Unless you're kiting (or can pull range to regroup), there is no chance for a reload... that 10 seconds means too much. And the choice of ammo is like flipping a coin; (again, Rifter vs Rifter) Did he cover his explosive hole? Shield Fit? Armor Tanked? Using Barrage at 6k or going in close with some variant of high damage ammo? RL, NOS, or Neut? Is he masking his speed?

You won't know until you're in the middle of it, and by then it's typically too late to change tactics.

A larger (but still cheapish) ship offers more time to analyze the combat. T1 cruisers like the Ruppie, Vexor, Stabber are good for this. Lower-tier BC's are also good in lowsec. You'll have more time to see what your enemy is doing and react to it.

Also means you'll get blobbed a bit more, as longer combats offer more time for your adversary to call friends. But can't be helped.

FWIW... my 2 isk.

Joining an active PvP corp in low/null that runs frequent roams with small gangs is a good way to pick up basic techniques and strategies used in PvP. Early on I also started a character that was dedicated to solo PvP, first starting by can flipping/ninja looting missions in rifters and kestrels, and then moving on to low sec.

If you can dual box, a second account greatly increases the amount of ground you can cover when hunting for targets even if you only engage with a single character.