Refitting my Drake battlecruiser
29th June 2009 – 5.37 pmMy last undertaking before departing for w-space was completing a storyline mission for Core Complexion, Inc. The promise of significant standings increase was enough not only to hold me back briefly in order to complete the mission but also to almost cause me to falter, as it gave me that moment I didn't want where I could think about my actions. Luckily, I was bold and ventured to the system with the wormhole and jumped through, having some exciting adventures for my efforts, either by battling sleepers or being hunted by PvP capsuleers.
Now I am back in high-sec Caldari space, at my Core Complexion, Inc. mission base. I remember the standings gain from the storyline mission was impressive, enough for me to jot down the increase—4.37 to 5.21 according to my notes—if only because I also made a mental note some time back that I could move to a much improved quality level three agent once my standings reached around the 4.80 mark. Having surpassed that target and again ready to run missions I check what agents are available to me now. Sadly, the level four R&D agents that offer research relevant to my future proposed invention needs still won't work with me, but a level three agent with a quality level of 18 is only one system away from my current base, which will surely offer better gains for mission successes. It's time to move!
Moving a single system in high-sec is hardly a chore, even with several ships to transfer. Packing my shuttle, I take it inside my Badger II for the first trip, then realise that I will only be wasting time if I keep assembling and repackaging it at each end, and instead throw my naked pod one way to bring the rest of my ships back the other. My Cormorant salvager comes across, then Fido, my Retriever mining barge, before I pull the Drake battlecruiser, Lightness of Being, last. I leave my Osprey mining cruiser behind, what with it having been somewhat superceded by the mining barge. Maybe I should sell it.
Whilst I am making the move with my handful of ships I ponder on my Drake's performance in combat, both against the sleepers and in general, wondering if I could improve its fitting. The shields hold up to a considerable amount of damage but the active shield hardeners require foreknowledge of damage types or use of multiple invulnerability fields for broad-spectrum resistances to be effective. Unless I am lucky enough both to be facing a single damage type and to have the correct specific hardener installed the ship's capacitor is drained by running three or more hardeners within a few minutes, which can leave me vulnerable. I have neither luxury out in w-space. A quick look at some suggested fittings and a browse of the market makes me want to experiment, so I order some new modules and make a rare trip to Jita to pick them up.
I keep my large shield extenders and shield power relays, but instead of the active shield hardeners, despite most suggested configurations relying on them, I decide to try out shield amplifiers. Looking at the prices on the market and noting my healthy wallet I splash out to buy the Tech II versions of the modules, fitting four amplifiers in total, one for resistance to each type of damage. Fitting my first Tech II modules makes me tingle a little, as does knowing that my capacitor's stability is ensured now that my tank is entirely passive. The only question I have is how well it will absorb damage, which is rather crucial.
It is as I am in Jita that news reaches me of the appearance of a new wormhole leading to the POS and is not too deep in low-sec. I have manufacturing jobs either ready to be delivered or outstanding and a new agent to introduce myself to, but the lure of w-space hits me again and I request an escort through low-sec, abandoning my new mission base before I have even settled in. At least I'll soon get a chance to see how the new fitting for my Drake works, which isn't guaranteed when working with a manufacturing agent, even if I feel like Egon Spengler as I rush off to fight sleepers without giving my new configuration any kind of test. But convenient wormholes to specific w-space systems cannot be relied upon to appear regularly, which is why I am heading back in whilst I can.
7 Responses to “Refitting my Drake battlecruiser”
You're capping out a Drake running 3 hardeners?! They can't be the only cap-consuming modules fitted, surely! If so, you _really_ need to train Energy Systems Operation and Energy Management.
Amps do allow a fully passive fit, which can be useful against neuting PvE (ie: L5 missions and tougher Sleepers), but they don't give the resists of hardeners. You need the Shield Compensation skills trained to approach the same resist levels. Or Deadspace/Officer mods, if you have that kind of ISK. Plus there's no omni amp, similar to Invuln field.
Good luck with it though.
Oh, I'm probably a big mess of confusion and conflicting advice from various sources regarding what definitions of passive tanks and best fits. Still, no one ever said EVE Online is easy.
It's true that I am still lacking a little in my core competency skills, and I am working to correct this, but I imagine my poor capacitor struggles to cope with the hardeners because of the penalties imposed on it by the multiple shield power relays. Just as much as they speed up the shield recharging they also slow the capacitor recharge rate down to a crawl, which puts a strain on keeping any active modules running.
I already have the shield compensation skills trained to a competent level, as I have long been under the confusion that they benefitted the effectiveness of the hardeners. The skills may not have contributed much for a while but they are certainly helping now that I've fitted the right modules.
I suggest you try this out. It works very very well.
* 7 Heavy Missile Launcher I
* 1 Whatever
* 3 Shield Hardener I
* 3 Large Shield Extender II
* 1-2 Ballistic Control System II
* 2-3 Shield Power Relay II
* 3 Core Defence Field Purger I
* 5 Hobgoblin II
If you have questions, feel free to contact me anyway you want.
Keep working hard to improve your ships, it is fun to ply around with setups :D
Thanks for the suggested fitting.
I haven't tried rigs yet, because of the cost. Partly because it would be a huge chunk of my wallet and partly because the rigs cost more than the ship itself. I'll look in to them when I make my riches.
I overheard someone mention a target painter perhaps being a good option for a missile boat's spare high slot, which could be a good choice if true. I'll have to investigate that.
Target Painter is a midslot. But they do help with missiles against smaller-than-class targets.
Ah, it's a mid slot, thank you. I really ought to pay more attention to overheard conversations.
I wouldn't really fit a target painter because in my opinion, it really is not a worry in missions (use drones) or in gangs (use other members) and the Drake really shouldn't take on such small ships without drones. Those Hob II's will eat up almost anything!