Missions & Complexes

Vargur.

The Golem suffers from:
* range issues: you really need to max out your Missile Bombardment and Missile Project skills and use a pair of T2 missile velocity rigs.
* skills: you need more skills to fly a Golem well.
* target painters: it's a pain having to manage them. You'll want 3 TPs against Angels.
* volley counting: it's easy to waste missile volleys (and time)
* needs to use drones: the golem needs to use drones to kill frigates.
* need to switch ammo frequently: You need to switch between Javelins and T1/Faction torps fairly often.
* must use T2 launchers: You need to use T2 Javelins for range.
* limited to 60km range.

Vargur Pros:
* can shoot frigates with guns at long range. I don't often use drones to kill frigates in a Vargur.
* three seconds between gun volleys: Less wasted damage/time on overkill.
* you can fly a Machariel if you don't have the skills to fly a Vargur yet.
* kills as fast as a Golem.
* Can do thermal, EM, and explosive damage. And most kinetic weak NPCs are vulnerable to thermal damage.
* Vargur is faster. But 50% faster than slow is still slow.

A Vargur would be better matched with a Domi. You don't need to worry about sentries killing a target while a torpedo salvo is still in flight.

Vargur with 800mm ac's. Fill the lows with gyros + tracking enhancers. Put a tracking computer in a midslot. The rest is all up to you.

Flew a golem for a while on my mission alt, it really is tedious to have to wait on target painter cycles. Since they don't line up well with missile cycles, you'll often have a couple seconds where you're just staring at the timer. Not to mention that it gets tricky to remember to leave the painter on for enough time for that last volley of torps to land.

The ability to insta pop frigates from range really cuts down on mission time.

All that being said ... unless you're using the golem to loot and salvage. Just get a machariel. Longer range on the ac's, better speed and agility. With the domi there to provide logistics you can get by with some really gank-heavy fits too.

You could just get the Mach to orbit the domi while slow boating over to gates etc

actually if you run missions like this you can get noobs in destroyers to follow you around , they will love you and you can still get a % of the loot/salvage. depending on how fast you run missions, you can get 2-3 noob dessys in your wake without any overlap

Multiple target painters are required in order to hit for full damage against BCs and battelships with a Torp Golem. You need two TPs for Angel battleships and just one for a Guristas battleship. You want several on cruiser sized targets to kill them in one or two volleys. I created a spreadsheet to determine the Volleys To Kill various NPCs: http://www.eveonline.com/ingameboard.asp?a=topic&threadID=1151130


As for a cruise missile Golem, you might as well just fly a CNR. NPC defenders really put the hurt on a cruise golem (25% reduction in volley damage versus a 14% reduction for a CNR) plus the CNR has greater firepower and can carry one more rigor rig.

If you're flying the cruise missile Golem simply for the improved tank, then a Navy Scorpion would be a cheaper solution with equivalent firepower. A Tengu would also be a good choice.

wow, im so sorry for the caps, a mistake, please accept my apology

each torp costs about what 1600 isk?

All you will be waiting for as a marauder is lock time.

basically everything you target pops in one hit. With Cruise.

I had a really long post, but eve forums ate it.
Golem is harder, but better.
Vargur is easier, and at low skills, both player and character ones, is better.
800 base dps vs. 1200 base dps is EASILY seen. I wouldn't do Buzz Kill in a golem, but for Blockade and the likes, no vargur is gonna outdo a golem.