These forums have been archived and are now read-only.

The new forums are live and can be found at https://forums.eveonline.com/

Missions & Complexes

 
  • Topic is locked indefinitely.
 

Blaster Megathron no longer in fashion for lvl 4 high-sec missions?
Author
Previous Topic Next Topic
Nemelle
School of Applied Knowledge
Caldari State
#1 - 2017-03-30 20:13:53 UTC
Hello!

I am a returning flier, and I figured it would be good to get back to high-sec ratting while I talk with null-sec alliances on getting back to danger-zone.

Before I left in 2009, it was viable to rat with a T2 blaster fitted Megathron (although my memory is hazy - I used to mostly rat with an Abaddon in null-sec and only did high-sec ratting during skill training crunch times), and now I am struggling with lvl 4 missions to barely scrape by the bonus time limit.

It seems easier to aggo the entire mission zone by having to MWD into the pack, and I resorted to "pulling" some of them away, but it takes a lot of time to peel them away then charge back in to take them out. It would've been easier to just snipe them away at range.

Is it me (and being rusty as well) or blaster ships are no longer efficient at high-sec mission running? I still have some of the weapons from Abaddon and can outfit one pretty quickly, but my Gallente skills (V in most of the ship types as well as blaster specialization skills) would be wasted.

Thanks!
Sobaan Tali
Caldari Quick Reaction Force
#2 - 2017-03-30 20:38:27 UTC
Due to the rather limited range of blasters, it's no surprise you're having trouble with them. The Kronos can make them more viable as a general purpose weapon system, but even then it's still hard to make that system work efficiently most of the time. Some missions are fine with them, like Damsel in Distress, but many of them will be more a pain in the neck than worth it for blasters. My recommendation is to spec into something other than blasters for running missions, like drones and hopping into a Domi.

"Tomahawks?"

"----in' A, right?"

"Trouble is, those things cost like a million and a half each."

"----, you pay me half that and I'll hump in some c4 and blow the ---- out of it my own damn self."
hmskrecik
TransMine Group
Gluten Free Cartel
#3 - 2017-03-30 20:49:27 UTC
Like Sobaan mentioned, the only good L blaster platform now is Kronos. Unlike what Sobaan mentioned, blaster Kronos works very well most of the time. :) (no, really, this boils down to question how many targets do you expect at ranges more than 70-80km, Mordus Headhunters is not your favourite mission then).

If Kronos is not an option for you, you rather should switch to railguns for missions. Otherwise prepare for constant MWD burning or for MJD triangulation trickery.

Oh, since pirate battleships market plunged significantly, consider Vindicator.
Chainsaw Plankton
FaDoyToy
#4 - 2017-03-30 20:50:05 UTC
Nemelle wrote:
or blaster ships are no longer efficient at high-sec mission running?

I uhh never remember blaster ships as an efficient choice for lv4s. there are a select few missions where they can be used well, but vs the general mission pool, naah! The Kronos kinda makes blasters work with its falloff bonus and bastion giving an additional bonus to fall off, and then throwing a few tracking comps on top of that. And fit with an mjd and mwd the kronos can be anywhere in a mission pocket rather quickly.

also a while back there were some shenanigans about changing the roles of ships and whatnot and some of the mega's attributes got thrown on the hyperion, so the hype will probably make a better mission boat. gun damage, big drone bay, big tank.

there is always the dominix and drones. lots of people seem to like that.

Now for my favorite mission ship, the Machariel. super fast, high dps, decent range. Pretty much all the reasons the blaster mega doesn't work the mach and ACs makes it work.

t1 amarr ships, not go great, if you can get a nightmare or paladin both of those are pretty nice.
caldari, ez pz missiles, but boring as heck
minmatar, might as well just get a mach.

@ChainsawPlankto on twitter
Eli Apol
Definitely a nullsec alt
#5 - 2017-03-31 01:28:34 UTC
As you're discovering the travel time to get in range is the major issue, swap to rails and start applying damage from the getgo instead of chasing around in your slow BS.

As previously mentioned a kronos DOES work with blasters but thats almost unique because of its bonuses.

but what would I know, I'm just a salvager
Henry Plantgenet
Center for Advanced Studies
Gallente Federation
#6 - 2017-03-31 04:58:11 UTC
for some missions MJD + Vindicator + webs + Blasters = glorious.
Alasdan Helminthauge
AirHogs
Hogs Collective
#7 - 2017-03-31 08:52:52 UTC
Maybe you can try the incursions instead. Hyperions or Rokhs or Vindicators with large blasters are pretty popular options (especially the Vindicators).
Coralas
Center for Advanced Studies
Gallente Federation
#8 - 2017-03-31 11:55:54 UTC
Tieracide converted the mega to a fleet ship - it gave up drone bay flexibility and utility high for a low.

The hyperion is actually ok at blaster missioning, though with prices they way they are, might as well use a vindicator until you have skills / cash for a kronos.