I have an addiction. I adore Ganking(careful now). Squeezing one thousand damage points per second from almost any sub-capital hull is a tall order but it’s a challenge for which I feel compelled toward and enjoy achieving.
There are only a handful of sub-capital ships capable of this task. These vessels are highly specialised and highly strung harbouring little room for much else. The drag racers of the Galaxy. In the right situation however, they can devastate the lives of others so quickly they take many by surprise.
These ships are best used as pure gank and require additional support in the form of a remote rep tank. Used in this role they can obliterate targets in under thirty seconds. In some cases smaller ships appear to explode almost instantly which is very satisfying. Unfortunately rapid destruction leaves little time to ransom.
In most cases these ships require a high level of skills to hit their target of 1K DPS and this figure is by no means guaranteed, but they are a lot of fun, if a little expensive. I would not recommend using these setups for PvP due to the inherent cost but if you do, be sure that the situation is in your favour because your vessel will not last long under heavy enemy fire.
Deimos
Lows
Magnetic Field Stabilizer II x5
Tracking Enhancer II
Mediums
10MN MicroWarpdrive II
Warp Scrambler II
Medium Capcitor Booster II
Highs
Heavy Neutron Blaster II x5
Ammunition
Dread Guristas Antimatter
Rigs
Medium Hybrid Burst Aerator II
Medium Ancillery Current Router I
Drones
Hammerhead II x5
Based on the Gallente Thorax, this Heavy Assault Cruiser(HAC) is a point blank blaster platform designed to get in range quickly and bring down serious amounts of pain on the target. As a cruiser the Deimos possesses more manoeuvrability than a battleship or battle-cruiser.
For the Deimos to achieve 1K DPS requires a colossal amount of skills and some expensive implants, but observing this cruiser in action is captivating. Many pilots do not expect such ferocity from such a small ship, albeit a Tech 2 cruiser and fail to identify the danger until it’s too late.
Abaddon
Lows
Tracking Enhancer II
Signal Amplifier II x2
Capacitor Power Relay II x2
Heat Sink II x2
Mediums
Sensor Booster II x2
Cap Recharger II x2
Highs
Tachyon Beam Laser II x8
Ammunition
Dark Blood Multi-Frequency
Rigs
Large Ancillary Current Router II
Large Capacitor Control Curcuit II
Large Capacitor Control Curcuit I
Drones
Curator II x3
The mighty Amarr Abaddon is able to snipe 1K DPS utilising only the best lasers available. Fitting eight Tech 2 Tachyon Beam Lasers does mean that the ship itself is unable to support much else due to the huge pressure on the ships’ capacitor and power-grid.
The Abaddon has quite high natural resists enabling the battleship to absorb impressive amounts of damage even without a tank but be warned, it is not a viable PvP ship without sufficient support due to its size and (lack of) speed. Still, observing all 8 turrets inject focused beams of heat into a target is intoxicating.
Dominix
Lows
Damage Control II
Large Armour Repairer II
Energized Adaptive Nano Membrane II
1600mm Reinforced Rolled Tungston Plates I
Magnetic Field Stabiliser II x3
Mediums
Warp Scrambler II
Stasis Webifier II
Warp Disruptor II
Heavy Capacitor Booster II
100MN MicroWarpdrive II
Highs
Heavy Neutron Blaster II x6
Ammunition
Dread Guristas Antimatter
Rigs
Large Hybrid Burst Aerator II
Large Trimark Armour Pump I x2
Drones
Ogre II x5
The Gallente Dominix can deliver the 1K DPS target with relative ease. Fielding five Tech 2 heavy drones combined with the six Heavy Neutron Blaster IIs, the Dominix can deliver over and above what’s required. As the turret hard-points are not exclusively delivering the DPS, it is possible to include a moderate tank helping the ship survive some retaliation.
Best used up close and personal this setup can vaporise most targets quickly while shrugging of incoming fire. Be warned though, the heavy drones are the key to the ships arsenal and should be carefully managed to avoid destruction.
All of these setups are tried, tested and are proven to work but they do require top skills to hit the golden target of 1K DPS. If any of you fine pilots out their in the massive cosmos have 1K DPS setups I would very much like to browse your fittings particularly if they require lower skills or less hardware; it’s an addiction.
Happy ganking.
1K DPS
Cannon Fodder
As Demi-Gods we appear to be unaware of the thousands of souls working tirelessly to operate on-board systems to our every whim. Without hesitation we hurl our precious hulls at adversity irreverent of the human cargo we carry. During any fleet engagement there are literally thousands of lives lost on either side and these lives consist of highly trained, specialised personnel whom signed onto various crews seeking notoriety, adventure or any other viable personal destiny.
This sense of loss is more profound whenever an experienced ship is destroyed. I lost a Harbinger recently which was built by the I-A corporation and equipped with salvage and parts from the corporation hanger. This Harbinger was statistically unremarkable, but I’d flown her many times through w-space, hunted within DED-space complexes, participated in gate-camps and had even maintained security during mining operations on behalf of the I-A.
Lost to a pirate blockade(karma) I mourned the loss of my vessel but, unbeknown to me at the time were the thousands of crew member’s lives lost, probably entirely loyal Amarrians whom were unjustly denied a moments thought post ship destruction.
It made me wonder exactly what motivates such selflessness in individuals to surrender their fate to the POD pilots. With this sentiment the next ship lost will harbour a greater sense of loss as it’s my duty to honour my crew members whom serve me without fear and who deserve a greater fate than an undignified burial in the frozen vacuum of deep space.
In honour and remembrance of the thousands of brave souls who gave their lives in battle serving on the Amarr Battle-Cruiser; Guile-Villain.
You will not be forgotten.
May your souls find peace...
Line Of Sight
The mechanics of space flight in New Eden leave a lot to be desired. Many fundamental laws are absent from the galaxy for various reasons but Line of Sight (LoS) is something which could potentially change the universe.
Imagine you’re mining in a belt, bored and lonely. Suddenly a pirate warps onto the beacon looking for a meal. Positioning the mining vessel such that the LoS is obscured from the enemy could mean that the overview fails to locate your fragile mining ship helping to keep you safe(r).
A mission runner encounters problems containing the incoming fire from several faction battleships. Positioning the ship behind a structure found within the complex shielding a majority of the fire from the mission runners’ ship assists the management of the damage.
LoS could be the next logical step in the evolution of our galaxy. Imagine a formation that shields support vessels from enemy fire. This could be quite a valid tactic and would work beautifully with the addition of fleet formations.
I realise that server calls would be increased impacting on the clusters performance and that this performance hit would increase further within large engagements. Without technical knowledge to comment I am unsure whether this idea may even be valid but I’m curious as to what you may think.
Again, just a thought...
"To You, To Me, To You..."
The ability to slot ones ship into a formation within a fleet is something I dearly wish was possible. At present there is no automated system to allow such manoeuvres making any attempt difficult at best.
Although there are no specific details yet on the subject CCP announced, during their Keynote Speech at this years Fanfest, their plans to introduce formations into New Eden.
This is a feature quite close to my blackened heart. For years the blob effect has made large engagements a melee of metal and missiles because the battlefield quickly becomes choked with vessels all carving their individual paths through laser flak and stasis wakes. Without any specific details it would be improper to comment on this new development but I’m absolutely in support of any system that imbues fleet combat with a construct.
Formations have been used for hundreds of years in traditional warfare with devastating effect. Any force in formation is greater than the sum of its parts because all the combat effectiveness is concentrated and the individual units contribute to the whole. An experienced commander can quickly identify where the battle is turning and which units are relative to assist. This is particularly effective on a two dimensional battlefield but there are concerns that such an approach would be unsuccessful or irrelevant within the three dimensions of space.
There is no denying that the structure of a fleet down to the ship types is an element crucial to victory but that alone does not guarantee victory. At its most basic level fleet combat is effectively the priming of a single target with the fleets combined DPS. To this end it would be an advantage to construct the formation such that the optimal range of any weapon medium within the fleet terminates on the primary vessel. This would maximise the effective capabilities of the fleet as a whole.
It is also worth noting that an experienced Commander could observe the formation of an enemy fleet and determine weaknesses within its composition making formations a disadvantage. CCP commented on granting formations with bonuses, the specifics of which are not known. This may be the key in helping to solidify formations as an advantage rather than a gimmick.
Whatever the outcome: at worst some incredible screenshots will be taken, at its best formations may become an essential part of any successful fleet. I’m looking forward to either outcome.
Related Links
EvE-Search - Formations
CCPs' YouTube Channel
EvE Online Forum Discussion - Formation Flying
"I Used To Have One Of Those...!"
Battleclinic, a veritable banquet of ship fittings, advice and general usefulness has recently launched a video entitled: Battleclinics' new Guide To Amarr Tech 1 Frigates. The video is very well produced and contains plenty of sound advice for all you new players out there. So watch the video and learn...learn...learn.
(The sound is a little loud and distorted)
Related Links
Battleclinic.com
