Do Tier 3 BCs kick Sniper HACs out of usefulness?

The question is certainly one of importance because there has been a sizeable market for Sniper HACs, particularly Muninns and Zealots.  The concern over this has caused somewhat of a stir in the Eve Community and bloggers have gone to the internets to voice their opinions.  Ripard Teg makes some of the clear points as to why this is the case here in his blog: http://jestertrek.blogspot.com/2011/12/thought-experiment-eagle.html.

So, are Eve pilots right to be concerned?

Well, let’s analyze the problem first, because the answer may be more convoluted than informative.  The release of the Tier 3 battlecruisers was in response to the need to be able to participate better against capital and supercapital ships in combat fleets.  This move was combined with changes to supercarriers, titans, fighters, and bombers.  The resulting plan was to give new pilots the capacity to join major fleets and not get immediately erased or have to bow out because they couldn’t bring anything of note.

The Tier 3 Battlecruisers thus have the following advantages:

• High DPS due to the use of Battleship class weapons and bonuses.
• Low Skill requirements for the Tier 3 BC which allows a new pilot to be useful in about a month.
• Lower cost of manufacturer means that new pilots won’t have to expend as much isk to be combat ready.

These advantages were to be countered by some pretty strong disadvantages:

• Lower PG and CPU causing the ships to have smaller than BC typical tanks
• Battlecruiser sized Signature radius
• Battlecruiser class Scan resolution
• Battleship Class weapons maintain tracking levels and signature resolutions
• Battlecruiser mass and speed making it more difficult to move and escape

Technically, the advantage/disadvantage ratio still allows for Sniper HACs to have a role in combat field operations.  Ships like the Muninn, have a similar sized tank but have smaller signature radius and fly faster.  Their base ship hulls also give them better tracking and better locking options, which in turn, make them more viable against a wider variety of targets.  The weaker tank of the Tier 3 Battlecruisers also make them vulnerable to non-typical fleet ships like Assault Frigates, Sniper HACs, Short Range HACs and Cruisers.  So definately on paper this looks like a very balanced addition to the EVE.

But is it?  That is the harder question and one that really can’t be answered until more time has passed.  The reason for this two fold:  First, Sniper HACs do have some significant advantages over the Tier 3 that aren’t often utilized in Fleet battles.  For example, one such advantage is the Sniper HACs ability to lock and fire sooner and quicker than the Tier 3 Battlecruisers, while having similar BS level damage.  The other reason is based on how fleets and individual pilots move within those fleets.  If you have two contending fleets, a pilot well knows that at long range, your ability to go fast isn’t going to do you much good, but at close range it could be a vital aspect.  The reverse is also true in that just because you have a high rate of transvelocity to one enemy ship, another ship on the other side of the enemy fleet may see your transvelocity as almost nil, allowing you to be hit even by large Battleship turrets.

Now, going on a bit of theorycrafting here.. I will say that I do not think the Tier 3 Battlecruisers actually take the Sniper HACs role, but I will say that the definitiveness of the Sniper HAC will not be seen clearly until FC figure out tactics that can seperate them.  Oddly enough, I don’t think it would be all that hard because Sniper HACs can do what Tier 3 Battlecruisers do and more, and it isn’t the other way around.  I actually wouldn’t be surprised if FCs kept the two groups seperated though, mixing the Tier 3 BCs with Battleships and keeping Sniper HACs as an entity of their own, for use in taking out enemy Tier 3 BCs quickly.

But again, that is just theory.  We’ll see what the truth of combat will bring.

The Vagabond – The Pure Essence of Minmatar

Vagabond (noun) – 1. A person without a permanent home who moves from place to place.  2.  A vagrant, a tramp.  3.  A wanderer, a rover.

According to gaming lore the Vagabond, a heavy assault cruiser, was developed by the Thukker.  Thukkers are a tribe of the Minmatar who wander in a large fleet and call no planet their home, thus the Vagabond an appropriate name for something they designed.  The ship is very fast, giving it the ability to control range on the battlefield at will and mounts a formidable offense as well.  The unique blend of characteristics in the Vagabond has made it one of the most popular ships to fly in Eve and became an early example of developing fleets based around a single ship type.  Earlier in Eve Online, Vagabond fleets roamed 0.0 with impunity, their speed at the time was so great that it actually played havoc with game mechanics and it was simply impossible to shoot them down. 

Time has pressed on since those days, but the vitality of the Vagabond has not left it.  It isn’t uncommon to still see small fleets of Vagabonds roaming 0.0 or low-sec, or the occasional pirate or scout speeding through system after system looking for their intended target.  Despite all sorts of game changes, the Vagabond remains a major force in the Eve space.

Now, just for the record, I am a so-so Vagabond pilot.  My personality style is more defensive than offensive, so I tend to fly slower, but better armed and better tanked ships.  With that said, however, I believe that every single Minmatar pilot, every.. single.. one.. should train to fly this ship and to fly it well.  It is something that I am working on.

For those of you unfamiliar with how to set up a Vagabond, or even how to fly one.  Rest assured, it is probably one of the least difficult ships to configure and if you are good at flying interceptors, you will be good at flying Vagabonds.  The configuration of Vagabonds really comes down to two basic forms, primarily based on the type of Autocannon:  The 220mm Version and the 425mm Version.

220mm Version – Effective and Versatile

The 220mm Version of the Vagabond looks something like this:

Highslots:
5x T2 220mm Vulcan Autocannons
1x Medium Unstable Power Fluctuator I

Midslots:
2x T2 Large Shield Extenders
1x T2 Warp Disruptor
1x Y-T8 Overcharged Hydrocarbon I Microwarpdrive

Lowslots:
1x T2 Damage Control
2x T2 Gyrostabilizers
2x T2 Tracking Enhancers

Rigs:
2x Medium Polycarb Engine Housing I

Drones:
5x Warrior IIs

This is pretty much the de facto standard for a 220mm fitted Vagabond.  Personally, I prefer more tank, so I’ll drop one of the Polycarb rigs for a Shield Extender Rig.  Others have suggested dropping a Polycarb for Ambit rigs, which is a possibility as well.  Another option is to remove the Neutralizer and replace it with a Heavy Missile or Heavy Assault Missile Launcher. The effective hitpoints for this particular configuration runs just under 24k. The Neutralizer option is good if you are working solo or in small gangs where reducing the ability for your enemy to repair, fire, or run might overreach your ability to blast past their tank. In larger gangs, the DPS of a Missile Launcher might be a better option.

The 425mm Version – Stronger and Scarier

The 425mm Version is the heavier hitting configuration and it looks much like this:

Highslots:
5x T2 425mm Autocannons
1x ‘Arbalest’ Heavy Missile Launcher

Midslots:
1x T2 Large Shield Extenders
1x T2 Invulnerability Field
1x T2 Warp Disruptor
1x Y-T8 Overcharged Hydrocarbon I Microwarpdrive

Lowslots:
1x T2 Damage Control
2x T2 Gyrostabilizers
2x T2 Tracking Enhancers

Rigs:
2x Medium Polycarb Engine Housing I

Drones:
5x Warrior IIs

Essentially, you are dropping a power hungry Shield Extender and Neutralizer, for better resists and better damage. Much like the 220mm Version, I’d prefer to remove at least one of the Polycarbs for a Shield Extender Rig to improve tanking performance. At the stage, the difference between the two tanks EHP wise is minimal, though the 220mm version is more forgiving to those with less than ideal fitting skills.

As far as flying the Vagabond, it literally should be flown like just like an interceptor. Stay outside of 10km from your target (preferably between 15 and 20km), manually orbiting and watching him to make sure he doesn’t catch up with you on an orbit run. Speed is a big part of your tanking ability. Usually you will want to have plenty of Barrage and RF EMP/Phased Plasma ammo with you as both ACs go through quite a bit of. Barrage should be your first choice when attacking because it increases your falloff range, making your shots hit more often and with more consistant damage. If your current gunnery skills aren’t good enough for your weapons to successfully track your target, then switch out a Gyro for another Tracking Enhancer.

All in all, the Vagabond embodies the essence of Minmatar shipbuilding design.  It’s fast, it’s dangerous, and it’s effective.  It has earned its place in the annals of Eve Online history..

.. and there is no good reason why you shouldn’t know how to fly it.