Science & Industry

I am working on a Orca build that focuses on mining yield as well as defense of the mining ships for single player (Orca alt + Hulk) as well as corp mining operations.

I wanted to find out if anyone had any suggestions on improvements, or notice any flaws in my numbers posted for boosting results. Also I have several questions regarding about boost bonus's (at the end of the post)

I've looked through many of the previous posts relating to Orca boosting (most of which are so old they do not include the T2 gang link modules) and many of these posts simply focus on only mining foreman gang links, and nothing else. Now I'm assuming the Orca can fit and use warfare modules (and offers the boosts) since the Orca documentation simply refers to gang links as usable. If I'm incorrect in assuming this than the majority of the following information will not be valid.

So here are the details:

• Orca ship (obviously)
• All required skills at level V
• gang link modules:

1. Mining foreman Link - Laser Optimization II
2. Siege Warfare Link - Shield Harmonizing II
3. Armor Warfare link - Passive Defense II

Here is a quick key for variables used:

• LVL = Skill Level = 5
• ICS = Industrial command ships = 3% (cycle)
• MFM = Mining Foreman Mindlink = 50% (Cycle) 5% (yield)
• WLS = warfare link specialist = 10% (bonus to mining + warfare modules)
• MF = Mining Foreman = 2% (Yield)
• MD = Mining director = 100% (cycle)
• LOII = Laser Optimization II = 2.5%
• SW = Siege Warfare = 2%
• SWS = Siege Warfare Specialist = 100%
• SWLII = Siege warfare link II = 2.5%
• AW = Armored Warfare = 2%
• AWS = Armored Warfare speciali = 100%
• AWLII = Armored Warfare link II = 2.5%

Bonuses from skills and gang link modules + formulas:


Mining bonues (Using Mining Foreman Mindlink implant):
Cycle time bonus: (LOII * (MD * 5) * (WLS * LVL) * (ICS * LVL) * (1.5 * LVL) = [-32.34%] (2.5 * 5 * 1.5 * 1.15 * 1.5)
+15% mining yield


Shields bonuses:
Shield resists: (SWLII * (WLS * LVL) * (SWS * LVL)) = [+18.75%] Armor resist (2.5 * 1.5 * 5)
+ 10% to shields

Armor bonuses
armor resists: (AWLII * (WLS * LVL) * (AWS * LVL)) = [18.75%] Armor resist (2.5 * 1.5 * 5)
+ 10% to armor


total boosting bonuses from skills and gang link modules:

1. MSMII cycle every 122 seconds (58 seconds saved) Additional 9.5 cycles per hour (per MSMII).
2. Additional 15% mining yield per mining laser.
3. Additional 10% shield capacity (Siege warfare, required for SWS)
4. Additional 18.75% to all shield resistances.
5. Additional 10% Armor (Armor warfare, required for SWS)
6. Additional 18.75% to all armor resistances.

Questions:
Will the shield / armor capacity only effect the ships base shields/armor, only armor / shield modules on the ship or both?
Will the shield / armor resists stack with existing resistances on the ship? Will modules like invulnerability Field II stack with this, or will it only work with passive/hardeners, etc?
Does anyone have any suggestions on medium slot modules or rigs that would benefit or not be negated by using the shield / armor gang links (this would be based on how the bonuses stack/dont stack).

Answer: Use EFT

If I'm not using a max-skill and mindlinked siege warfare booster in a Tengu (also working on a max skill and mindlinked armor warfare booster in a Legion), this is what I use, but I also have a dedicated hauler in a Bustard:

[Orca, Booster]
Reinforced Bulkheads II
Damage Control II

Large Shield Extender II
Photon Scattering Field II
Invulnerability Field II
Invulnerability Field II

Mining Foreman Link - Laser Optimization II
Mining Foreman Link - Mining Laser Field Enhancement II
Siege Warfare Link - Shield Harmonizing I

Large Cargohold Optimization I
Large Cargohold Optimization I
Large Cargohold Optimization I


Hobgoblin II x5
Hammerhead II x5

That won't happen. You need to fit for tank to get the Hulk anywhere near survivable.

Example:

[Hulk, EHP]
Micro Auxiliary Power Core I
Damage Control II

Medium F-S9 Regolith Shield Induction
Invulnerability Field II
Invulnerability Field II
V-M15 Braced Multispectral Shield Matrix

Modulated Strip Miner II, Veldspar Mining Crystal II
Modulated Strip Miner II, Veldspar Mining Crystal II
Modulated Strip Miner II, Veldspar Mining Crystal II

Medium Ancillary Current Router I
Medium Core Defence Field Extender I

The problem with using the orca to boost armor / shield hit points is that it's just not the right tool for the job. It doesn't have the ship bonuses, and the pilot probably doesn't have the right mind link in their head. A Vulture (or I guess a Tengu) does a much better job at shield resist boosting because it has the bonuses.

Still, it does add a bit and that 10% or so EHP boost might matter. (EFT does a very good job of modeling this.)

At a minimum, the Hulks must have a DC2 fitted and T2 Invulns in the mids. That is the difference between having about 9k EHP (9800 with level V skills) and 19k EHP (DC2, pair of invulns). Going with T1 shield extender rigs gets you to 22k. And you're only giving up (1) MLU2. If you have T2 Mining Drones trained (and you use them), it's only about a 5% loss - not the 9%.

For the MAPC fit you can use a T2 shield extender module. The B66/B88 MAPCs aren't overly expensive, but need Shield Upgrades V trained. But that fit has about 29.3k EHP at the cost of both MLU2 modules.