10/29/2012
Harbinger: The Special Ed Guide
Following my previous post on Amarrian combat philosophy, I have been feeling the compulsion to expand on these fundamentals and how they apply to specific ships.
So, I decided I would begin with one of my favourite ships in the game, both to fly and for pure aesthetics, the Harbinger.
For research, I've trawled (and trolled) my way through a variety of different fittings, from both Battleclinic and Failheap. I've consulted with pilots in-game who I trust to know what the fuck they're doing when they undock, and of course I've done a fair amount of flying in the ship itself. One particular site that I do recommend for anyone looking into trying out any new ships and wants to learn about engagement strategies in PvP is Azual Skoll's blog The Altruist. Azual is a member of the famed Tuskers corporation, known for their expertise in the field of small-gang PvP, and has a series of posts called Know Your Enemy, which provide brief analyses of the strengths and weaknesses of a wide range of ships in Eve Online. Azual's analysis for the Harbinger is fairly general, and is geared toward the low-sec pilot, so this post will be a more in-depth look at the particular nuances of the Amarr's iconic battlecruiser, as well as its usage in and around my current home in null-sec.
The Harbinger is an exemplar of what it means to fly Amarr. It is large, imposing, and expresses a beautiful art deco aesthetic; It is the more damage-focussed platform in the battlecruisers, while its brother the Prophecy is more focussed on putting up a beastly tank, and the Oracle fulfils the niche role of the Tier 3 battlecruisers with its use of large guns. This means that the primary role of a Harbinger pilot is the outpouring of lasery death upon one's enemies, and not really a whole lot else. The standard (cookie-cutter) fit that is used looks something like this (note that for efficiency's sake, these fits are made using the All level V option on EFT, alter accordingly):
[Harbinger, Standard]
1600mm Reinforced Rolled Tungsten Plates I
Adaptive Nano Plating II
Energized Adaptive Nano Membrane II
Damage Control II
Heat Sink II
Heat Sink II
Experimental 10MN MicroWarpdrive I
Warp Disruptor II
Fleeting Propulsion Inhibitor I
Medium Capacitor Booster II, Navy Cap Booster 200
Focused Medium Pulse Laser II, Imperial Navy Multifrequency M
Focused Medium Pulse Laser II, Imperial Navy Multifrequency M
Focused Medium Pulse Laser II, Imperial Navy Multifrequency M
Focused Medium Pulse Laser II, Imperial Navy Multifrequency M
Focused Medium Pulse Laser II, Imperial Navy Multifrequency M
Focused Medium Pulse Laser II, Imperial Navy Multifrequency M
Focused Medium Pulse Laser II, Imperial Navy Multifrequency M
Medium Unstable Power Fluctuator I
Medium Trimark Armor Pump I
Medium Trimark Armor Pump I
Medium Trimark Armor Pump I
Hammerhead II x5
This fit will accomplish most goals in PvP that are acheivable with a Harbinger. With Navy Multifrequency it puts outs 620 dps with drones, with an engagement range of about 6km. It's modest drone bay is a complement to this and gives you the option of two flights of small drones or one flight of mediums The cap booster ensures that the ship can drag out any engagement as long as necessary and is basically immune to capacitor warfare, which is not unreasonable to expect, as its arch nemesis, the Hurricane, often has a pair of neuts on board. It is also able to answer with a single neut of its own.
It possesses a standard array of tackle, which makes it potentially viable to engage targets alone, and also ensure that anything it does catch will be held down for the duration, and doesn't move too much, as lasers notoriously suffer from relatively poor tracking compared to autocannons and blasters.
For a damage-focussed ship, it also possesses a fairly formidable tank - this fit has an EHP listed at almost 73k, and has over 18k hp in armor. The tank though, comes at a price: this is not a fast ship. While it can reach 900m/s, not an unreasonable speed for a battlecruiser, the huge plate on it means that it handles like a '53 Buick (pictured left). It has an align time of 14s, which basically means that if you're going down, you probably won't make it out in time. Which is fine, because in the Amarr worldview, they will not run from their inferior foes, and would rather die for their God then scurry home as cowards. It also means that dictating range against virtually anything else will be difficult, so I would recommend two things: carry crystals for all occasions, especially, in this case, the almighty power of T2 Scorch, which extends your reach out to 20km. The other thing is that really, unless you have the truly massive balls required to fly expensive ships in risky situations, you should never be alone. Ideally, I reckon that you should have at least two friends, one in something smaller to provide fast tackle support and protect you from frigates and their ilk (they can and will get under your guns), and another to provide either more damage (and flexible damage at that, seeing as you are only able to deal out EM and thermal) or some kind of electronic warfare that keeps them from engaging you at range (sensor dampeners or ECM). This triad should allow you maximise the benefits that come from having a Harbinger in fleet, namely applying overwhelming force upon a target. The utlity of this kind of fleet covers short-range roaming (if I was going on a major excursion, I'd feel better if there were at least 4 other Harbingers/damage ships with me), gate camping, in which case instead of tackle, bring an interdictor, and defending structures like starbases, where its high durability allows it to endure extended sieges.
With the standard fit enumerated, how else can you fly this ship? The most drastically different, but still viable, fit in common usage is the Shield Harby. The Shield Harby is basically the Amarrian attempt at answering the Shield Hurricane. A battlecruiser that is light, fast, possesses a moderate tank and is good at applying lots and lots of damage, as all your low slots are freed up for damage mods. As an example:
[Harbinger, Shield Harby]
Heat Sink II
Heat Sink II
Tracking Enhancer II
Nanofiber Internal Structure II
Nanofiber Internal Structure II
F85 Peripheral Damage System I
Experimental 10MN MicroWarpdrive I
Large Shield Extender II
Large Shield Extender II
Warp Disruptor II
Heavy Pulse Laser II, Scorch M
Heavy Pulse Laser II, Scorch M
Heavy Pulse Laser II, Scorch M
Heavy Pulse Laser II, Scorch M
Heavy Pulse Laser II, Scorch M
Heavy Pulse Laser II, Scorch M
Heavy Pulse Laser II, Scorch M
[empty high slot]
Medium Anti-EM Screen Reinforcer I
Medium Core Defense Field Extender I
Medium Core Defense Field Extender I
Valkyrie II x5
I might personally use this kind of fit if the rest of my fleet were out in canes and I simply didn't have a cane available or didn't feel like flying a rust-coloured phallus. This is not that uncommon, as, barring the nerf that the Cane is destined for this winter, it is a stock ship for most groups operating in null-sec. When fitted using Pulse lasers and Scorch it puts out about the same damage and longer range application than the cane, with it's massive optimal (this fit can hit out to about 30km). This said, because this is an Amarrian bulwark, it is persistently slower than the cane, although its align time is virtually the same (with at least two Nanos, mind you), and you find that in order to keep up you will have to sacrifice your damage potential. Also, Eve is an unrepentantly racist place, and people will pick on you for being a token Harbinger in a Hurricane fleet. In short, while this fit does work, it is probably better, unless the whole fleet is Shield Harbys, if you just use a cane, which accomplishes this kind of role better, and it will save your FC from having to castigate you for falling behind/sucking at delivering damage.
Other kinds of fits? Well, there is the Beam Laser Harbinger - Beams are a relatively unloved weapon for PvP, unless you're sniping, which is a relatively uncommon activity out here null-sec, as close-range combat is currently in vogue. The fit is not that different from the shield harby. Dump the tank, fit beams, and, as the operating range of this ship is now 35km+, sub out tackling equipment for things like sensor boosters and defensive EWAR in the event you encounter something that actually can actually fire back at you. Fit with T2 Aurora, a Harbinger using Heavy Beams has an optimal of 70km, and its alpha will definitely get your attention if it hits you (at least 1000 per volley). I've used this fit on a couple of occasion for things like gate camping, but it relies on having tackle actually down on the gate, and for your alpha to count, there should be several other pilots sniping with you. Lots of fun, but possesses relatively limited utility.
The other kind of fit that I've encountered is the Neuting Harbinger. This fit isn't technically a true neuting ship, but instead has a 4/4 split in its high slots between lasers and neuts, while the rest of the fit will be an armour tank and tackle complement like the Standard fit. This is most definitely a fleet ship, and provides a surprisingly effective amount of neuting power in a brawl, while still delivering damage of its own and mounting a significant tank. While I've never actually used this fit myself, I have seen it used in fleets I've been in to devastating effect. Perhaps though, I would only recommend this if you've had a lot of experience using the Harbinger, and have an established niche for it in the fleet that you are in.
So there it is, The Special Ed Guide to the Harbinger. Live big, fly safe, shoot all da tings and have fun
Signing off,
Ed
So, I decided I would begin with one of my favourite ships in the game, both to fly and for pure aesthetics, the Harbinger.
For research, I've trawled (and trolled) my way through a variety of different fittings, from both Battleclinic and Failheap. I've consulted with pilots in-game who I trust to know what the fuck they're doing when they undock, and of course I've done a fair amount of flying in the ship itself. One particular site that I do recommend for anyone looking into trying out any new ships and wants to learn about engagement strategies in PvP is Azual Skoll's blog The Altruist. Azual is a member of the famed Tuskers corporation, known for their expertise in the field of small-gang PvP, and has a series of posts called Know Your Enemy, which provide brief analyses of the strengths and weaknesses of a wide range of ships in Eve Online. Azual's analysis for the Harbinger is fairly general, and is geared toward the low-sec pilot, so this post will be a more in-depth look at the particular nuances of the Amarr's iconic battlecruiser, as well as its usage in and around my current home in null-sec.
The Harbinger is an exemplar of what it means to fly Amarr. It is large, imposing, and expresses a beautiful art deco aesthetic; It is the more damage-focussed platform in the battlecruisers, while its brother the Prophecy is more focussed on putting up a beastly tank, and the Oracle fulfils the niche role of the Tier 3 battlecruisers with its use of large guns. This means that the primary role of a Harbinger pilot is the outpouring of lasery death upon one's enemies, and not really a whole lot else. The standard (cookie-cutter) fit that is used looks something like this (note that for efficiency's sake, these fits are made using the All level V option on EFT, alter accordingly):
[Harbinger, Standard]
1600mm Reinforced Rolled Tungsten Plates I
Adaptive Nano Plating II
Energized Adaptive Nano Membrane II
Damage Control II
Heat Sink II
Heat Sink II
Experimental 10MN MicroWarpdrive I
Warp Disruptor II
Fleeting Propulsion Inhibitor I
Medium Capacitor Booster II, Navy Cap Booster 200
Focused Medium Pulse Laser II, Imperial Navy Multifrequency M
Focused Medium Pulse Laser II, Imperial Navy Multifrequency M
Focused Medium Pulse Laser II, Imperial Navy Multifrequency M
Focused Medium Pulse Laser II, Imperial Navy Multifrequency M
Focused Medium Pulse Laser II, Imperial Navy Multifrequency M
Focused Medium Pulse Laser II, Imperial Navy Multifrequency M
Focused Medium Pulse Laser II, Imperial Navy Multifrequency M
Medium Unstable Power Fluctuator I
Medium Trimark Armor Pump I
Medium Trimark Armor Pump I
Medium Trimark Armor Pump I
Hammerhead II x5
This fit will accomplish most goals in PvP that are acheivable with a Harbinger. With Navy Multifrequency it puts outs 620 dps with drones, with an engagement range of about 6km. It's modest drone bay is a complement to this and gives you the option of two flights of small drones or one flight of mediums The cap booster ensures that the ship can drag out any engagement as long as necessary and is basically immune to capacitor warfare, which is not unreasonable to expect, as its arch nemesis, the Hurricane, often has a pair of neuts on board. It is also able to answer with a single neut of its own.
It possesses a standard array of tackle, which makes it potentially viable to engage targets alone, and also ensure that anything it does catch will be held down for the duration, and doesn't move too much, as lasers notoriously suffer from relatively poor tracking compared to autocannons and blasters.
With the standard fit enumerated, how else can you fly this ship? The most drastically different, but still viable, fit in common usage is the Shield Harby. The Shield Harby is basically the Amarrian attempt at answering the Shield Hurricane. A battlecruiser that is light, fast, possesses a moderate tank and is good at applying lots and lots of damage, as all your low slots are freed up for damage mods. As an example:
[Harbinger, Shield Harby]
Heat Sink II
Heat Sink II
Tracking Enhancer II
Nanofiber Internal Structure II
Nanofiber Internal Structure II
F85 Peripheral Damage System I
Experimental 10MN MicroWarpdrive I
Large Shield Extender II
Large Shield Extender II
Warp Disruptor II
Heavy Pulse Laser II, Scorch M
Heavy Pulse Laser II, Scorch M
Heavy Pulse Laser II, Scorch M
Heavy Pulse Laser II, Scorch M
Heavy Pulse Laser II, Scorch M
Heavy Pulse Laser II, Scorch M
Heavy Pulse Laser II, Scorch M
[empty high slot]
Medium Anti-EM Screen Reinforcer I
Medium Core Defense Field Extender I
Medium Core Defense Field Extender I
Valkyrie II x5
I might personally use this kind of fit if the rest of my fleet were out in canes and I simply didn't have a cane available or didn't feel like flying a rust-coloured phallus. This is not that uncommon, as, barring the nerf that the Cane is destined for this winter, it is a stock ship for most groups operating in null-sec. When fitted using Pulse lasers and Scorch it puts out about the same damage and longer range application than the cane, with it's massive optimal (this fit can hit out to about 30km). This said, because this is an Amarrian bulwark, it is persistently slower than the cane, although its align time is virtually the same (with at least two Nanos, mind you), and you find that in order to keep up you will have to sacrifice your damage potential. Also, Eve is an unrepentantly racist place, and people will pick on you for being a token Harbinger in a Hurricane fleet. In short, while this fit does work, it is probably better, unless the whole fleet is Shield Harbys, if you just use a cane, which accomplishes this kind of role better, and it will save your FC from having to castigate you for falling behind/sucking at delivering damage.
So there it is, The Special Ed Guide to the Harbinger. Live big, fly safe, shoot all da tings and have fun
Signing off,
Ed
10/25/2012
Combat Philosophy: Amarrian Might
Today I'd like to talk about something that is generally referred to in a variety of forums, blogs, fittings and wikis, but is rarely talked about as a singular subject:
A little while ago, after having rotated through all 4 different racial groups, I came back to the Amarr. Having experimented with the fighting tactics and strategies of all the races, I found myself consistently coming back to the Amarr as my preferred race, largely because I find the fighting style of their ships to be my preferred way of playing Eve Online and my favourite engagement style of my enemies.
So then what is Amarrian combat philosophy? And can you, as a potential or current capsuleer of Eve Online use this knowledge to make decisions regarding how you play the game?
The answer is a combination of role-play history and a common traits shared by almost all 53 (soon to be 54) non-unique vessels that constitute the Amarrian ship line-up.
The Amarr are depicted as this monolithic, theocratic, advanced slaveholding master race of the New Eden Cluster. Barring the Jovians, they were the first and thus most advanced of the Eve racial groups. From their belief in the divinity of their emperor they derive their drive to assimilate and dominate all life in New Eden for the glory of their religion. The important bottom line in this is that they are convinced of their absolute supremacy in the universe. They fly gorgeous, sleek, golden, instruments of destruction, tirelessly working for the glory of God. They honestly believe, at all times, that they are the shit, and no corporatist, freedom-loving, or rebellious scum can match the sheer capacity for pwnage that the Amarr are capable of delivering. The two fundamentals that can be taken away from this are:
1) The Amarr are not pussies, they will not run away, they will stare you down and melt your face.
2) Because of a common thread of religion, they place high value in their unity as a race. Thus, the Amarr function of the principle that together they will conquer their enemies.
These fundamentals thus form the basis for understanding how Amarrian starships are designed and the particular goals they are built to acheive. Their supremacy complex is manifested as a doctrine for the the projection of a massive, overwhelming show of force. Thus, their racial weapon, lasers, are built to accomplish this. So they only do EM/Thermal damage, who the hell cares when you have some of the highest damage modifiers of any weapon in the game that can be adjusted instantly to almost whatever range you want (with only the longest ranges being beyond engagement). Kiting? Who needs kiting when you can just put your lasery fist through the front window of that Hurricane? (though it should be noted that if it weren't for the huge plates the ships carry, Amarrian ships are in fact quite fast). Speaking of Hurricanes, it could be argued that the Amarr and Minmatar represent a dichotomy in Eve, whereby the style of fighting of each is built around neutralising the advantage of the other. The dotrine of overwhelming power is also evident in the defensive style of the Amarr. The use of staggering amounts of armor plating, coupled with the largest capacitors to power both the lasers and the damage hardeners, is used to absorb anything you throw at it, at the same time demoralising the enemy by showing how slowly they can burn through that tank. Even relatively small ships in the Amarrian line tend to work best with huge amount of buff armour (leave active tanks for the Gallente swine). T2 variants in the Amarrian line reflect generally a preference for either overwhelming firepower or overwhelming tank (though with the tiercide of the T1 line, this is beginning to show in all of the ship classes now).
The second fundamental is manifested through the increased effectiveness of the Amarr in fleets. When trawling through the forums, you tend to notice that it is relatively uncommon for someone to cite an Amarrian ship as a good solo combat ship (generally eschewing them for the Minmatar or Gallente, which do solo/small gang rather more effectively). The Amarr are a generally fleet-style race. For instance, I find being solo in a Harbinger to be rather underwhelming. I'm a flying brick with lasers. Everyone can run away from me and my damage output is not terribly frightening. Now take ten Harbingers and you have a singular monolith of force, with excellent damage projection and an aggregate amount of armour approaching 200 000 hp. The reality is that a horde of Amarrian ships presents a nearly unstoppable force, only really overcome by an even larger oppoosing force (and to be fair, that's not terrible difficult to do in null-sec).
In conclusion, what is Amarrian combat philosophy? It is the unshakeable belief that you have balls given to you by the Divine and that your enemies are weak and feeble so when you show up on field, you use the threatening reach of your powerful weapons to commit them to dust while laughing at whatever crap is bouncing off your hull. At the same time, you place faith in those around you that together, the heresy of your opposition will be burned into the abyss, and tarnish the glory of the Empire no more.
Signing off,
Ed
The Combat Philosophy of the Amarrian race
So then what is Amarrian combat philosophy? And can you, as a potential or current capsuleer of Eve Online use this knowledge to make decisions regarding how you play the game?
The answer is a combination of role-play history and a common traits shared by almost all 53 (soon to be 54) non-unique vessels that constitute the Amarrian ship line-up.
The Amarr are depicted as this monolithic, theocratic, advanced slaveholding master race of the New Eden Cluster. Barring the Jovians, they were the first and thus most advanced of the Eve racial groups. From their belief in the divinity of their emperor they derive their drive to assimilate and dominate all life in New Eden for the glory of their religion. The important bottom line in this is that they are convinced of their absolute supremacy in the universe. They fly gorgeous, sleek, golden, instruments of destruction, tirelessly working for the glory of God. They honestly believe, at all times, that they are the shit, and no corporatist, freedom-loving, or rebellious scum can match the sheer capacity for pwnage that the Amarr are capable of delivering. The two fundamentals that can be taken away from this are:1) The Amarr are not pussies, they will not run away, they will stare you down and melt your face.
2) Because of a common thread of religion, they place high value in their unity as a race. Thus, the Amarr function of the principle that together they will conquer their enemies.
These fundamentals thus form the basis for understanding how Amarrian starships are designed and the particular goals they are built to acheive. Their supremacy complex is manifested as a doctrine for the the projection of a massive, overwhelming show of force. Thus, their racial weapon, lasers, are built to accomplish this. So they only do EM/Thermal damage, who the hell cares when you have some of the highest damage modifiers of any weapon in the game that can be adjusted instantly to almost whatever range you want (with only the longest ranges being beyond engagement). Kiting? Who needs kiting when you can just put your lasery fist through the front window of that Hurricane? (though it should be noted that if it weren't for the huge plates the ships carry, Amarrian ships are in fact quite fast). Speaking of Hurricanes, it could be argued that the Amarr and Minmatar represent a dichotomy in Eve, whereby the style of fighting of each is built around neutralising the advantage of the other. The dotrine of overwhelming power is also evident in the defensive style of the Amarr. The use of staggering amounts of armor plating, coupled with the largest capacitors to power both the lasers and the damage hardeners, is used to absorb anything you throw at it, at the same time demoralising the enemy by showing how slowly they can burn through that tank. Even relatively small ships in the Amarrian line tend to work best with huge amount of buff armour (leave active tanks for the Gallente swine). T2 variants in the Amarrian line reflect generally a preference for either overwhelming firepower or overwhelming tank (though with the tiercide of the T1 line, this is beginning to show in all of the ship classes now).
In conclusion, what is Amarrian combat philosophy? It is the unshakeable belief that you have balls given to you by the Divine and that your enemies are weak and feeble so when you show up on field, you use the threatening reach of your powerful weapons to commit them to dust while laughing at whatever crap is bouncing off your hull. At the same time, you place faith in those around you that together, the heresy of your opposition will be burned into the abyss, and tarnish the glory of the Empire no more.
Signing off,
Ed
10/22/2012
Report from the Docking Ring: October 2012
Captain's Log of Edna Ironsides
Aboard CS Gatekeeper (Harbinger-Class Battlecruiser)
Outside docking ring of TransStellar Shipping Storage, in orbit above the 11th moon of Sagain VIII
The day has come. After weeks of preparation and squeezing the last dregs of LP from faction warfare, I, along with my corp, are leaving our home in Dal for the frontier of Stain.
The run-up to our move has been a dramatic and often hilarious series of events. Our last Tier 5 push involved us all running around like headless chickens trying to get everything onto market and make all the ISK needed to move our resources south. It would seem that we've left a good mark on the war zone, as we are aware that some Amarr corps are under standing orders not to engage us in space. Meanwhile, after some time and effort on the part of Stoogie and the directors to negotiate with our new neighbours has largely failed, as it would appear we'll be dropping in hot on everyone.
They will probably live to regret that attitude.
Jump freighters have been mobilising a staggering number of ships and weapons down, and we fully intend to clear out the carebearing riff-raff. The last week has been characterised by watching the freighters come and go as a collection of us gate camp here in Sagain and generally make life unpleasant for the locals. Already bubbles and gamps are up in Stain, although rather anti-climatically, Carrion made himself the first casualty of our endeavour in this Drake. Hopefully though, the rest of the alliance can resist this rather embarrassing kind of behaviour, at least to begin with.
With some work, we hope to have established ourselves as terrible nuisance in Stain by the end of November.
Yarrrrrr!
Aboard CS Gatekeeper (Harbinger-Class Battlecruiser)
Outside docking ring of TransStellar Shipping Storage, in orbit above the 11th moon of Sagain VIII
The day has come. After weeks of preparation and squeezing the last dregs of LP from faction warfare, I, along with my corp, are leaving our home in Dal for the frontier of Stain.
The run-up to our move has been a dramatic and often hilarious series of events. Our last Tier 5 push involved us all running around like headless chickens trying to get everything onto market and make all the ISK needed to move our resources south. It would seem that we've left a good mark on the war zone, as we are aware that some Amarr corps are under standing orders not to engage us in space. Meanwhile, after some time and effort on the part of Stoogie and the directors to negotiate with our new neighbours has largely failed, as it would appear we'll be dropping in hot on everyone.
They will probably live to regret that attitude.
Jump freighters have been mobilising a staggering number of ships and weapons down, and we fully intend to clear out the carebearing riff-raff. The last week has been characterised by watching the freighters come and go as a collection of us gate camp here in Sagain and generally make life unpleasant for the locals. Already bubbles and gamps are up in Stain, although rather anti-climatically, Carrion made himself the first casualty of our endeavour in this Drake. Hopefully though, the rest of the alliance can resist this rather embarrassing kind of behaviour, at least to begin with.
With some work, we hope to have established ourselves as terrible nuisance in Stain by the end of November.
Yarrrrrr!
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