Monday, March 24, 2014

ECM/ARMOR Drakes and ECM/DAMP Myrmidon O MY!





“The majority of the stupid is invincible and guaranteed for all time. The terror of their tyranny, however is alleviated by their lack of consistency” – Einstein 1954

TLDR: I explain why I fly ECM/ARMOR Drakes and provide fits for you all to do the same.

Many people in wormholes space have got it into their heads that some ships simply are better than others in most situations. For the most part, they would be somewhat correct… On paper.

When I say ‘on paper’ what I’m talking about are EVE fitting tools. There are players who live and die by squeezing out every bonus that could be thought of and building those ships. These same players will have hour long arguments about the pros and cons about one module over another. I have always agreed with most of them up to a point.

What a good chunk of these “EFit/Pyfa Warriors” can’t possibly take into account is pilot skill. We all know how skill plays into a fight, but what I want to focus on is something else I like to call, “pvp meta type perception”. I’m sure there is a better name for it and I’m sure I’m not the only one who has noticed it. Let me describe what it is to me.

A EVE pvper who has been in a bunch of fights does a check balance/triage  of each and every situation he/she finds themselves in.  Especially when that player is outnumbered. I’ll give you how I perceive threat levels in most common small gang interactions. These are some examples.

Proteus – Weak to neut, strong Tank, short range – Two typical fits. – Scout and Brick DPS long point
Legion – Armor tank, Possible neut boat, strong tank, med range, fast lock. – Three typical fits – Scout, Brick lasors, neut boat, HAM?
Tengu – Shield tank,Long range, strong vs thermic, shield booster if pve – Three typical fits. – PVE RR or Solo booster,, scout, missile boats


I’m sure there are exceptions to these rules, but for the most part the “PVP Meta type perception” has trained me to rule out the random and focus on the known. You apply these triage diagnostics skills into a primary target list and you start with threat assessment.  Threat elimination in order of strongest to weakest based on your strengths are performed in every single pvp engagement of the game.

Example: ECM is strong! Falcons are STRONG! Unless you are totally immune to ECM with all ships, you could assume the primary target for any fleet should be the enemy falcons. This is a very simple threat assessment and target calling focus to win a split second engagement.

Correct threat assessment is what wins and loses fights. This is sometimes adapted into ship fits, but most of the time EFT/Pyfa warriors are looking for largest effect on target vs dealing with a possible Falcon showing up. This IMO is why so many cry about falcons. Fit one ECCM mod on your ship and that falcon is going to have a rough day.


My insanity…  My Theory.

I want to challenge the perception of what a ship can bring to the battle by going in slightly less Efit/Pyfa meta perception but still bringing effectiveness to a battlefield. I think the time that elapses from the point of engagement, to the deduction of what and how your pvp meta perception of that ship will compensate for the less effect on target of stronger ships.

Thus born the Armor/ECM Drake.   Dumb right? Stupid, you could say. Everyone knows drakes are terrible at wormhole pvp, with so many other options for a battle cruiser why the hell would anyone want to fly a battle cruiser like this in pvp?!? That perception is its strength. The assumption of what a shit is ‘typically fit with’ will cause delay, confusion and hesitation. The delay in deductive target calling and threat assessment created by this popular outlook on the ship gives it the ability to bring something to the battlefield.


[Drake, ECM Armor LOL]

Damage Control II
1600mm Reinforced Steel Plates II
Energized Adaptive Nano Membrane II
Signal Distortion Amplifier II

'Hypnos' Multispectral ECM I
'Hypnos' Multispectral ECM I
'Hypnos' Multispectral ECM I
'Hypnos' Multispectral ECM I
'Hypnos' Multispectral ECM I
'Hypnos' Multispectral ECM I

Prototype 'Arbalest' Rapid Light Missile Launcher, Caldari Navy Scourge Light Missile
Prototype 'Arbalest' Rapid Light Missile Launcher, Caldari Navy Scourge Light Missile
Prototype 'Arbalest' Rapid Light Missile Launcher, Caldari Navy Scourge Light Missile
Prototype 'Arbalest' Rapid Light Missile Launcher, Caldari Navy Scourge Light Missile
Prototype 'Arbalest' Rapid Light Missile Launcher, Caldari Navy Scourge Light Missile
Prototype 'Arbalest' Rapid Light Missile Launcher, Caldari Navy Scourge Light Missile
Small 'Vehemence' Shockwave Charge

Medium Trimark Armor Pump I
Medium Trimark Armor Pump I
Medium Trimark Armor Pump I

Price tag on this ship is 61 million isk.  It tanks 60.2 EHP on paper and my skills. I has 147 dps. Jam strength is 3.1 on all races. Bad right?

On paper, this is a hot mess. You can min max the piss out of a drake to give it just a bit more EHP. Swap out the weapon system get more DPS.. all sorts of things to make this fit better, but then you wouldn’t have surprise on your side! You wouldn’t have the shock value of defying the pvp meta perception and making the target caller pause and say “WTF?!?”

These are fights below were very close between both sides. But in each of them, ECM was a pivotal factor in the fights. The huge armor tank of the drake and the shock value of being ECMed by something totally random gave way to an amazing shifting fight. The drakes that are usually called primary  in most engagements, because first. The chaos these ships have brought cannot be denied. The enemy ended up splitting dps, not re-assigning drones, grinding through huge armor when he perceived the shield would be the focus.


I bought 6 of these and triple boxed these 3  into 4 separate engagements in wormhole space. I’m down to 2. The pilots who flew alongside of them mocked me and giggled. Till they saw the effect. You could say that seeing is believing but they all now have a totally different perception of these ships.

My side won 3 of the 4 engagements in each of those fights. The single loss was because I was so grossly outnumbered even if I had any other ship, I still would have lost.

Now I’m not advocating hanging up each and every other ship you own and flying this fit. But what I do want to point out, results can clearly be shown that something like this can be done. For the price of one t2 fit T3 that should rule in most situations, I was able to buy 6 of these drakes and come out victorious in 3 out of 4 engagements.

Moving forward… I’m down to two ECM armor drakes out of the 6 I bought into the hole, I have proven to my corp mates this is a legit thing. Now the next challenge.

ECM/Damp Myrms.  Mock these fits all you like, but I will without a doubt kill equal to or over their value! Just watch me GO! See you on a wormhole!  o/


[Myrmidon, ECM Myrm]  441 DPS, 70.6 k tank, ECM Str 3.3. – Price tag 66.3m

Drone Damage Amplifier II
1600mm Reinforced Rolled Tungsten Plates I
1600mm Reinforced Rolled Tungsten Plates I
Energized Adaptive Nano Membrane II
Damage Control II
Signal Distortion Amplifier II

'Hypnos' Multispectral ECM I
'Hypnos' Multispectral ECM I
'Hypnos' Multispectral ECM I
'Hypnos' Multispectral ECM I
'Hypnos' Multispectral ECM I

Dual 150mm Prototype Gauss Gun, Federation Navy Antimatter Charge M
Dual 150mm Prototype Gauss Gun, Federation Navy Antimatter Charge M
Dual 150mm Prototype Gauss Gun, Federation Navy Antimatter Charge M
Dual 150mm Prototype Gauss Gun, Federation Navy Antimatter Charge M
Dual 150mm Prototype Gauss Gun, Federation Navy Antimatter Charge M

Medium Ancillary Current Router I
Medium Trimark Armor Pump I
Medium Trimark Armor Pump I

(I selected 1 drones because not all 3 of my combat accounts can use all T2 drones. I’m sure if I altered it a bit, I could get more dps)
Berserker I x2
Berserker I x1
Valkyrie I x1
Valkyrie I x1


[Myrmidon, Damp Myrm] 441 DPS, 72.9 k tank, Damp Effectivess -30% per damp.  – Price tag 75.3m

Drone Damage Amplifier II
1600mm Reinforced Rolled Tungsten Plates I
1600mm Reinforced Steel Plates II
Energized Adaptive Nano Membrane II
Damage Control II
Signal Distortion Amplifier II

Phased Muon Sensor Disruptor I, Targeting Range Dampening Script
Phased Muon Sensor Disruptor I, Targeting Range Dampening Script
Phased Muon Sensor Disruptor I, Targeting Range Dampening Script
Phased Muon Sensor Disruptor I, Targeting Range Dampening Script
Phased Muon Sensor Disruptor I, Targeting Range Dampening Script

Dual 150mm Prototype Gauss Gun, Federation Navy Antimatter Charge M
Dual 150mm Prototype Gauss Gun, Federation Navy Antimatter Charge M
Dual 150mm Prototype Gauss Gun, Federation Navy Antimatter Charge M
Dual 150mm Prototype Gauss Gun, Federation Navy Antimatter Charge M
Dual 150mm Prototype Gauss Gun, Federation Navy Antimatter Charge M

Medium Ancillary Current Router I
Medium Trimark Armor Pump I
Medium Trimark Armor Pump I

(I selected 1 drones because not all 3 of my combat accounts can use all T2 drones. I’m sure if I altered it a bit, I could get more dps)
Berserker I x2
Berserker I x1
Valkyrie I x1
Valkyrie I x1




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