Ships & Modules

I'm interested in toying with these ships. Does anyone have any particularly effective Worm/Gila/Rattlesnake fits or any well-reasoned input relevant to the ships in the current iteration of EVE? I've always been an armor tank kinda podbaby, but it is time for me to branch out a bit and explore some shield tanking.

Now, before I open the floor to the torrent of suggestions that I not consider these ships and go, instead, for Caldari or Minmatar ships, allow me to say this:

I don't have any interest in Minmatar ships at all (and I probably never will), and I have already recieved a wealth of suggestions on the Caldari ships.

I have a hard time finding people who can advise on the Guristas ships, so I ask here.

Thank you in advance to those with good input.

To those without good input, know that you will be ignored...prepare your tears of impotent rage.

the worm is bloody useless and desperately needs a rebalance, the Gila is a great pvp ship with nano, passive shield tank, neuts in the highs and of course ddas and drones. the rattlesnake is a great semi-afk mission runner and can mount an insane passive-regen shield tank and can **** npc faces with sentries

I fly them and love them. Best thing I could have done for my combat.

The Worm's roughly equivalent to the Ishkur - with good Caldari frigate skills, it has nice resistances, and Drone Damage Amplifiers give it a respectable punch, but it's hamstrung by tight fitting requirements and short targeting range. More even than a DDA, it needs a Signal Amplifier in order to dictate range. It costs twice as much as the Ishkur, and it's not really worth it except in very limited circumstances (such as Faction Warfare, where it can go places the Ishkur can't - until the Retribution updates, that is).

The Gila's another matter entirely - its 400 m3 drone bay is native, it can tank almost like a Drake (albeit with less buffer), and it handles drones like an Ishtar or a Dominix, complete with damage and HP bonuses. Costs twice as much as a Dominix and about as much as an Ishtar, but it's an incredibly versatile boat - good for PVP, missions, faction warfare, exploration - and like the Worm, it can go places the Ishtar and Domi can't.

As for fitting: the Gila's tank should look rather like a Drake's, with allowances for the smaller buffer. Purger rigs, hardeners and shield extenders, maybe shield power relays - a passive-tanking Gila only uses cap for its hardeners and a propulsion mod, and it will need a propulsion mod, either an afterburner or a MWD depending on your taste. Missiles are secondary weapons at best, with range bonuses but no damage bonuses; I generally fit a set of Rapid Light Missile launchers to take on frigates.