Tiercide, You’ve Hurt My Logi Pride!

I’ve played Eve Online a long time.  Been involved in two epic wars: The AAA/CVA War and the Northern Coalition/Drone Federation War.  Watched superpowers like BoB and Northern Coalition explode.  I’ve seen attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion.. whoops, getting a bit ahead of myself.  Well, you get the idea. During that time, it was a point of pride to be able to fly the Tech 2 ships, especially Logis, in battle.

Fast forward to today and my Tech 2 ships are lucky to see the sun, much less any PVP.  Common doctrines now seem to exclude more expensive Tech 2 ships, particularly since Tech 1 ships have been greatly improved and diversified.  On the big picture, this is good.  It allows smaller alliances to develop ship replacement programs, which in turn, allows for more people to participate in PVP.. particularly new players.

In the “old” days, because Tech 2 ships were expensive and very skill intensive, I could have a reasonable expectation that the Logi pilot I was flying with knew what he was doing.  He could feel the same way about me.  It was hard work getting to that level of skill and when I started to learn about flying Logi, I sat down, kept quiet, and took notes.  And I know I wasn’t the only one who did that.  That level of discipline translated across into related activities like comms discipline in the logi channel, developing cap chains, and following specific orders.  It was important because a.) Your ship was expensive and you didn’t want to lose it, and more importantly, b.) You were supporting even MORE expensive ships and the amount of drama coming your way from those that lost their ships was particularly.. strong, to put it mildly.

Now, though, things are different.  In a post-Tiercide universe, where Tech 1 ships offer so much more than in the past, Tech 2 ships and their pilots tend to be regulated to a more .  It is now that I’ve run into three complex issues.

One is a little bit better than the other..

First – Tech 1 Logisitic Ships are Good to Have, But Not Better Than Tech 2 Logi

A Tech 1 Logi is better than no logi, but you aren’t as good as a Tech 2.  I’ve been in a couple battles where, as a Tech 2 Logi, I was able to leave the battlefield to fight another day, whereas my weaker Tech 1 cousins got popped.  Lower sig radius, better resists, and far better skills mean that the ship I am flying is a serious asset to a fleet.

But this is a hard thing to explain when a Tech 2 Logistics ship costs 150mil isk and a reasonably fit Tech 1 Logi costs only 15mil.  The mind revolts at the thought that a Tech 2 Logistics ship is 10x better than its Tech 1 variant, and in addition, replacing a Tech 2 Logistics ship hurts the wallet hard, especially if you get the mind set that it costs the same as a small Tech 1 gang.

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Um, are you trying to use the Force in that thing? Really..?

Second – “Um, Do You Know How To Fly That Thing?”

As I fly Logi support, being supported by Tech 1 Logi just doesn’t fill me with confidence.  The guy next to me could be just flying a logi because its cheapest ships he could get away with, or the only ship someone would loan him.  Or maybe he’s starting out and doesn’t have a lot of secondary skills that aren’t listed on the ship skill list, but are equally important.  Either way, I don’t have any idea what it will be until the heat is on.

Part of the problem stems from the fact that they are relatively cheap to build.  This reality is coupled with the pre-tiercide belief that Tech 1 ships can be considered “throwaway”.  Considering the task of the logistics ship, that isn’t a view one should have.  They aren’t throwaway ships, yet Alliance leaders view them as such, FCs view them as such, individual pilots view them as such.  So, why try to improve your skill in a “throwaway” ship?  Especially if the third point is true..

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He was just there…

Third – “Where’d My Target Go?”

The effectiveness of my Tech 2 Logi is actually REDUCED with Tiercide.  Let me explain.  In the previous Tech 2 fleets, you had Tech 2/Tech 3 Ships combined with Tech 2 Logistics.  Anything tech 1 in fleet was considered throw-away.  The tech 2 ships sported tech 2 resists, allowing Logi pilots more time to lock and begin repairs.  This was important because sometimes Eve would glitch or you had an opposing FC with a disciplined fleet would could change targets quickly, so the resists gave you time to save the ship.

That isn’t necessarily the case with the Tech 1 ships.  They typically don’t have the resists, so even if you have a few Tech 2 Logistics ships supporting your Tech 1 fleet, they may not have enough time to save the ships from being taken down before the reps land on their intended survivor.  Since those losses are more likely AND produce more numerical losses, the very expensive Tech 2 logistics often can’t justify their cost in those fleets.

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Think about the end result, not the isk result.

Conclusion – All the eggs are in one…

First off, let me remind everyone that I think Tiercide, including that done for Tech 1 logistics ships is a great idea and well implimented.  The problem here isn’t the devs.  The tech 1 ships have proven themselves a nice change from the “tech 2 only” mantra that locked the mindset of many.

The problem comes in when people, be they pilots or alliance leaders, forget to look past numbers.  To look beyond the mere cost of the ship.  A good logistics pilot is an awesome force when coupled with a good ship.  And when several of those good ships are working together effectively, it can be a sight to behold.  Just remember that.

Logistics Ship – Mobile Med Units – The Basilisk

The Caldari Basilisk is probably the most overlooked of all the Logistics ships.  The reason for this is three-fold.  The first being the preveilance of armor fleets in null-sec combat, the restriction of ship bonuses, the higher effective skill requirement, and the general and successful utility of the Scimitar.  All of these factors have overshadowed the Basilisk, despite the fact that it has some advantages even over the famed Guardian.  First off, let’s review the relevant strengths and weaknesses that the Basilisk has:

Strengths:

• 150% Bonus to Shield Transport Range per level based on Caldari Cruiser skill.
• 150% Bonus to Energy Transfer Array Range per level based on Caldari Cruiser skill.
• 20% Bonus to Shield Maintenance Bot transfer amount per level based on Caldari Cruiser skill.
• 15% Reduction in Shield Transport capacitor use per level based on Logistics skill.
• 15% Reduction in Energy Transfer Array capacitor use per level based on Logistics skill.
• Role bonus of -50% CPU need for Shield Transporters.
• Role bonus of -50% power need for Energy Transfer Arrays.
• 510 CPU.
• 25 m3 Drone bay and 25 Mbit/sec bandwidth.

Weaknesses:

• 192 m/s
• 2 low slots
• 0% EM resistance in shield.

For those unfamiliar with the Basilisk, it is good to start with this fact:  It is a mirror image of the Guardian.  It has the same ship bonuses and the same logsitics bonuses as the Guardian, except that they are applied to shields instead of armor.  The only difference is in regards to one of the role bonuses, but aside from that they are flown just like Guardians.  For those unfamiliar with Guardians, it means they are NOT meant to work alone, but in groups of at least two or more.  I’ve heard of people saying you can make a Basilisk cap stable, but a cap stable Basilisk just can’t compete against the Scimitar in that particular role.  So possible, yes.. good idea, no.

One of the first things that you should notice is the massive CPU.  This is a big, big deal.  A couple years ago, one of the more popular fleets running around were called RR gangs, where everyone straps on a Remote Armor repper and everyone reps everyone else when under attack.  Shield Transporters, could not be used for that because of their high CPU requirements.  Attempts made to copy RR Armor fleets using shields usually meant that the ships involved would have to drop at least one damage mod for a CPU Co-processor, even on the normally high CPU ships the Caldari fly.

The problem becomes more pronounced when you look at the stats of both Remote Armor Repairers and Shield Transporters.  You’ll notice that the CPU for a shield transporter is three times higher than that of a Remote Armor Repairer.  Conversely, the powergrid requirements are three times less than a Remote Armor Repairer.  That may seem fair, but look again at those values when putting them on a battleship, say a Minmatar Tempest.  A Large Remote Armor Repairer takes up only 5% of the total powergrid available to the Tempest, a small fraction.  Whereas a Large Shield Transporter, takes up a full 28% of the available CPU just for one!  That Large Shield Transporter takes up more CPU than three Tech 2 Artillery Howitzers.  Support skills do help improve the ratio, but even if you have all support skills at level 5, shield transporters still take up a disproportionally high amount of CPU.

CCP reviewed this when dealing with both the Basilisk and the Scimitar, and with the Basilisk they gave it much higher CPU, allowing it to mount up to five Large Shield Transporters if configured correctly.  With Logistics 5, it is even possible to run all five transporters without running out of cap (so long as you have another Basilisk partner).  The 5-1 configuration is pretty common with the professional Incursion runners, but for the typical Incursion player and PVP’er, a 4-2 configuration will serve you better and is safer.

The skills needed to fly a Basilisk also match those of the Guardian.  You, of course, can’t even get into the ship without Caldari Cruiser 5, but having Logistics 4 is an absolute minimium.  Support skills like Energy Emission Systems and Shield Emission Systems also should be no less that level 4, and I strongly suggest getting them to level 5, as reducing capacitor loss is going to be your top priority.

5-1 Incursion Basilisk (Requires Logistics 5)

[Basilisk, 5-1 Incursion Configuration]

Reactor Control Unit II
Damage Control II

Remote Sensor Booster II
Invulnerability Field II
Photon Scattering Field II
Large Shield Extender II
10MN Afterburner II

Large Shield Transporter II
Large Shield Transporter II
Large Shield Transporter II
Large Shield Transporter II
Large S95a Partial Shield Transporter
Large ‘Regard’ I Power Projector

Medium Ancillary Current Router I
Medium Core Defence Field Extender I

Light Shield Maintenance Bot I x5

This particular configuration, found on Battleclinic, is pretty cut and dry.  Some things you can change out the Remote Sensor Booster for a Tracking Link depending on the needs of the Incursion fleet you are in and if your EM Shield Compensation skill is at 5, you might be able to save yourself a bit of capacitor by replacing the Tech 2 Photon Scattering Field with a Tech 2 EM Dampening Amplifier.  It will cause you to lose a little bit of EM protection, but save you more cap for transfers, if you find yourself lacking (pretty rare).

4-2 Basilisks for Incursions and PVP.

[Basilisk, 4-2 Incursion Configuration]

Power Diagnostic System II
Damage Control II

10MN Afterburner II
Invulnerability Field II
Invulnerability Field II
Photon Scattering Field II
Large Shield Extender II

Large Shield Transporter II
Large Shield Transporter II
Large Shield Transporter II
Large Shield Transporter II
Large ‘Regard’ I Power Projector
Large ‘Regard’ I Power Projector

Medium Ancillary Current Router I
Medium Anti-EM Screen Reinforcer I

Light Shield Maintenance Bot II x5

The above configuration is one I use on a regular basis in Incursions, both Vanguard and Assault sites.  This works well because even though I have Logisitics 5, I often run into other Basilisk pilots who don’t have it, and this allows me to operate in a safer manner in fleets as well as be adaptable with capacitor use if I am paired with another Logisitics 5 pilot.  One additional thing I would like to add.  There is a particular mission that requires you to mine Lyverite, and it’s not uncommon for people to have to mine the stuff at the mission site, so those shield drones can be sometimes switched out for mining ones.

[Basilisk, 4-2  PVP Configuration]

Gravimetric Backup Array II
Damage Control II

10MN Afterburner II
Invulnerability Field II
Invulnerability Field II
Photon Scattering Field II
Large Shield Extender II

Large Shield Transporter II
Large Shield Transporter II
Large Shield Transporter II
Large Shield Transporter II
Large ‘Regard’ I Power Projector
Large ‘Regard’ I Power Projector

Medium Ancillary Current Router I
Medium Ancillary Current Router I

Light Shield Maintenance Bot II x5

As you will notice, the PVP version of the 4-2 Configuration varies little from the Incursion setup.  The downside to this configuration is that you are stuck dropping some protection in order to get some anti-ECM fittings.  This fitting may require you to get a CPU or Powergrid implant to fit well.  While the Backup sensor array does seem a little weak compared to the Guardian’s ECCM, the final difference is only a few (only 4) points to sensors, plus it is active all the time.  As best are you are able, make sure to be always moving and either near a gate, or in line with a celestrial for a quick get away.  And be sure to remember the value of your ship.  It does you no good to lose a 150mil isk Logistics cruiser trying to save a 30mil isk battlecruiser.. or worse.

Now flying one of these things is exactly like flying a Guardian.  Never go without another Basilisk and make sure you have a working cap chain.  In addition, you have a benefit in that a shield transporter repairs at the beginning of its cycle, which means that the shield transports happen immediately.