Ships & Modules

I'm getting ready to train up for blockade runners and I'm having trouble finding a fit I like. Most of the fits I see doing research have a MWD then two AIF II's in the mids, but I was under the impression that in a blockade runner, once you get targeted, that's a wrap. So I guess I need to be sold a little more on that theory or maybe find an alternative. I thought of tracking disruptors with anti-range scripts to shut down range/run away, but I've never trained them up so I honestly don't know if/how they work. My goal here is to minimize align time and signature radius while keeping fairly decent warp speed and cargo space. If I'm simply trying to avoid getting targeted, I don't think EHP would matter... unless I'm going about this all wrong.

Using a Prowler ATM, but could hypothetically switch to any BR.

EHP is to, hopefully, avoid station alphas and gate smart bombing if you are jumping low or nullsec. The mwd or ab tend to be for burning back to the gate. This could be due to you jumping into a bubble or getting pointed.

If you want to spend the isk, you can get a sub 2 sec align time on some BR's which makes you almost impossible to catch in highsec.

So I guess it really depends on where you want to take it.

How much cargo do you need? Or rather, why do you want a BR in the first place?

My current preferred low barrier to entry general purpose fit looks like this:

[Viator, basic]

Expanded Cargohold II
Expanded Cargohold II
Expanded Cargohold II

50MN Y-T8 Compact Microwarpdrive
EM Ward Amplifier II
EM Ward Amplifier II

Covert Ops Cloaking Device II
[Empty High slot]

Medium Cargohold Optimization II
Medium Hyperspatial Velocity Optimizer II

Note that this is for high/low and not so much null or wormholes.

Features 10k EHP. EM hole is plugged to survive a lucky Tornado or a smartbomb camp in low. Has to be passive since I'll be warping cloaked .

Also gets 10k m^3 so I can move packaged cruisers or enough PI to make a difference. Obviously I swap out expanders (for a suitcase and nanos) when I don't need the cargo.

MWD is there to get back to gates. You don't want to have to use it, but you'll regret not having it if you do need it.

Rigs... well, one cargo rig puts me comfortably over the 10k m^3 mark so I don't see a need for two. I'm not taking this into space with bubbles but if I were I'd look closely at Engine Thermal Shielding. As is, this thing is built to move cargo quickly, so an HVO seems like a great choice. Warping at 9.4 AU/s (yes, my main was Transport Ships 5) with that much cargo is pretty nice.

So what DON'T I use this for?

Anything that fits in a yacht gets moved by yacht. Aligns in under 2 seconds AND cloaks AND has bubble immunity? Just don't whelp it into smartbombs and you're good. No better way to move blueprints.

If I need *slightly* more space and don't really want to pay attention to the trip (i.e., hit cloak after every jump) I use a travel Hecate. Again, high/low, no null on his one.

Obviously if you need more space there are better options: DSTs, Orca, freighters, etc.

How do other BRs stack up in similar configurations?

Crane aligns more slowly, has slighly less cargo, and has more EHP. Trading a mid for a low is kinda meh.

Prowler fits identically to the Viator and does pretty much everything just slightly worse.

Prorator has interesting tradeoffs. In order to get the 10k m^3 capacity you have to use 5(!) slots, but at that point it has the largest cargo. If you use the sixth, it definitely has the largest. But at that point it's made of paper. I do use one, but mostly because that character isn't trained to Gallente Industrial 5 yet. No regrets; I'd take the Impel over the Occator any day, but the Prorator is niche at best.

Blockade Runners are more about how you fly it than how you fit it.

Create instant warp bookmarks for the stations you commonly use or ever plan to use. That will make things 1000% better for you.

If you commonly warp through hazardous gates than have safe bookmarks a few 100k off gate to have a safe place to land for when you need to.

Just Always be cloaked.

This is what I fly.

[Viator, Basic Viator]
Expanded Cargohold II
Expanded Cargohold II
Expanded Cargohold II

EM Ward Amplifier I
Thermal Dissipation Amplifier I
50MN Y-T8 Compact Microwarpdrive

Covert Ops Cloaking Device II
Small Focused Pulse Laser II

Medium Cargohold Optimization II
Medium Hyperspatial Velocity Optimizer II

Scorch S x1
Conflagration S x1

join our fleet I will help you :)