Ships & Modules

They fill different roles, so you can't really compare them.

There is no 'better'... only 'better for a particular scenario'. You've managed to give us almost zero information to work with.

Under current lowsec conditions, considering flying solo, given your guessed-at skill levels and wallet size, there are only a couple of suggestions I can give you:

The Thorax has a wider envelope of targets it can reasonably engage. But it carries a slightly heavier price tag and has a better chance of getting caught on in a gatecamp.

The Rifter is cheaper, faster, smaller... won't get caught in any but the most extreme gatecamps. But in the hands of a new player can only reasonably engage other T1 frigates... of which there aren't many. In addition, Rifter vs Rifter battles last somewhere around 60 seconds, which is brutally fast from a 'learning PvP' standpoint.

Hope that helps.

Download and use fraps on your PVP fights. Then review the fight afterwards and see if you can spot what went wrong. It helps so much.

-Liang

I might be accused of bias, given my corp. However, I don't see why you'd limit yourself to just those two. Try out several. A Merlin can be fit very much like a shield tanked Rifter, and a Punisher works with either lasers or autocannon. Rifters are considered the cream of the T1 frigate crop for good reason.

You won't go wrong with any of the top combat frigates from any of the races really. You WILL die...a lot. There is no one ship you can choose that will alter that fact.

I suggest frigates over destroyers only because there are many more T2 versions of frigate to work towards. Interceptors are the cheapest T2 series of ships to get into. Stealth Bombers are nearly a game unto themselves. And Assault Frigates just got a buff. Only EAS remain fairly unseen in combat- awaiting their buff.

If I could only pick one, prolly have to go with the Rifter because I think it has the widest range of options for fitting.

ARMOR HACS!... ARMOR HACS!!!...hehe

Try a nice Sacrilege with HAM IIs and a tank from hell, Exile, some nice ZET implants and kick some butt.

5x HAM IIs 990 of each fo the Rage and Javalins types - for that customizable damage.
1x Small Energy Neut II - very good for when that tackle Frigate tries to get cute with you.

1x Warp Scram II
1x M Cap Booster II - 800s of course or better if you got them
1x 10MN AB II - good solid speed - just leave it on 24/7 and you have a 500 m/s speed (cap stable).
1x Stasis Web II

1x DCU II
2x EANM II
2x M Arm Rep II (run them in alt to each other for best - start one, then when that is 50% done with the cycle start the next and let them roll.

1x M Anti-Therm I (II if you got the ISK) - fill that themal hole nicely
1x M Aux Nano I (IIs if you got the ISK)

3x Warriors IIs (or TPs, or ECM, or the Drone of flavor you like) - TPs are interesting but leave w/o combat drones... but you only have 3 anyway so it is your choice.

Now if you want to do PvE and you have this - take out the Scram II - put in a 2x Web or a TP, and drop a Salvager in the place of the neut and go hit some rats up for goodies.

My work he is now done, enjoy - or you can fly a thorax (or better a nice Deimos, or Phobos - much more fun).

Oh boy. How wrong are you ? Well that wrong : http://teamliquid.killmail.org/?a=kill_detail&kll_id=12524689

What in that km makes you think the rifter is overskilled?

Tier 3 battlecruisers are not supposed to hit cruisers decently even less frigates so, pick your epeen fake and try to impress noobs on noob chats.
There's nothing extraordinary in that km that a noob trial account couldn't do.

His problem is about training for something he will have fun with and be useful, nothing to do with tier 3bc not being able to hit a frigate as is intended.

@OP
First route I'd say go straight for rifter, max everyskill need for, up frig to 5 and take jaguars/wolfs everyday in fleet because they will love you just by saying you bring that on the field.
Cheapo throw away ships they can/will probably give you for free (if you have a decent corp), tremendously effective at chasing small ships and pin stuff, awesome in solo fights, deadly in fleets with a decent FC.

Now the Thorax on the other hand was a nice ship at some point, this point is way back in time and by the time this ship becomes again something you have real fun with you're better training that minmatar ship and minmatar line up.