It’s a T1 industrial - it is not a bloody JF.
It is perfect for its role and if you want more PG may I suggest rigs or - Heaven forfend! - better skills. With the right rigs/fit and coordination of self you have a massive PI hold on a ship that carries a massive volume of PI mats and you are at each POCO for maybe 2 secs before warping off again.
Skill up & L2P.
No its not. Maybe its perfect for hauling around p0s…
Hahaha, definitely not, pathetic pi hold, pathetic cargo hold, and only 2 spaces for pi structures instead of 5 since we can have 5 facilities.
Definitely not optimize, but they should optimize the primae, give it 2 high slots, 3 mid, and 4 low.
I don’t understand the problem, as I have never been involved in “poco use”.
Obviously, the epithal can be fit for MWD/ cloak, and at the same time as it can fit 3 x “halcyon” warp core stabs. At least, that is the fit I use, with passive shield in mids.
At Gallente Industrial V, that means it can also carry 63,000 m3 of PI in its specialist hold, which is not improved by using either cargo rigs or mods in low anyway.
So, just in a spirit of enquiry, what is it you would like it to also be able to do, at the same time as it is doing the above?
3 Warp stabs won’t really protect against being double pointed.
You’re right.
Just 2 will do.
Thanks Scoot, I’ll rest safely. Did you arrive in your Rorq?
“Low slots are for balls or stabs - you can’t have both.”
That aside, you can put 10 stabs on but you still won’t get away from some of the specialised builds - especially if there is more than one attacker. There is a very strong argument that stabs are, in essence, useless and a waste of slots.
I kid though, Scoots in your experience of which YES you have much grumbles…how many points do gankers usually bring anyway to tackle someone?
I cannot argue against that, based on limited, PVE-only experience.
From a PVE perspective, using triple-WCS miasmos many times to haul moon goo and higher ice from LS, and an epithal much less times when purchasing mats, my only loss has been at a gate where fat fingers caused me to miss cloaky-warp. Basically, it works for me.
I think Scoots could actually do some good and give some insight to how many points gankers usually like to bring on target asap…since no one seems to know should we have 3 stabs or 4.
I can’t remember the name of the mod but there is one with a strength of something daft like 100 points. It can only be fitted to a certain type of ship but I’m pretty sure there are others just as OP for other ships. Damn I wish I could remember its name but I don’t use them as yet so it’s not something I am overly familiar with.
Personally I think if it works for you it works perfectly though 
I don’t mean to interrupt, but a scram is 2 points. A point is… one point. So, if you have 3 WCS, it will take at least 2 scrams, which means 2 pilots (probably). If they’re using just disruptors (1 point) it would take a 4th disruptor to prevent warp. Barring anyone that fits multiple scrams or points on their ships, you would probably escape from 1-2 pilots. Maybe.
I still think the best advice is to just scout ahead. Or, have a friend scout ahead if you don’t want to be bothered with it. Make some safe spots, and someone also added that you could make insta-undocks at stations. This is helpful stuff to know, but you seem really focused on the limitations of the ship.
The ship is fine. It’s replaceable, and it will get the job done as long as you put some effort into this. You’ll lose your ship sometimes, but that’s Eve for you. There is no escaping the risk.
I adhere to all of these already, and my conclusion is still that the Epithal is “underpowered” for it’s role.
It’s a ship meant to fly not more than say…30m isk…it’s woefully inadequate for between 30m-300m range. Before you start getting into justifying a DST fitting.
yes, and I’d like a doomsday fit for my Velator.
Don’t be a doofus, there’s plenty of options between Velator and Capitals and T3s and etc…
There are no options between Epi’s and DSTs.
so you respond with a personal attack. Nope, not biting. Realise that the epithal has a specific function and specific limits and a slot balance to reflect those limits. It is a hauler for PI, not a blockade runner. Work around that limitation if you find yourself unable to avoid engagements or even try. Or spit your binky and throw your rattle if that makes you feel any better. The rest of us have adapted and overcome.
All you need on any Hauler is a Cloak and MWD, if you pilot right you will never die.
This is the bit I don’t get (again). I have exclusively used epithal when bulk buying T2 mats, including mechanical parts and robotics. That means cargo value can get … interesting. Yes, epithal might not be “meant” to do more than 30 mil, but given it does do cloaky-warp plus 3 x WCS, I can’t agree it is not worth the risk. Especially, as you say, when there is effectively nothing else.
Last week I hauled 1,000,000 m3 of glare ice out of LS in a miasmos. Boring-as, but did not get yellow-boxed once; despite fact locals could see I was shuttling. Personal observation in “my” region of LS is epithal is also most common industrial, by far. My bet is not a lot will also be hauling T2’s, but that is great - just means bigger crowd to hide in.
Ok, I’ll bite…
You can fill your low slots with WCSes and it will not prevent a dedicated attack.
Some food for thought:
Faction Scrams (2x) (fit to a Stealth Bomber for extra nasty) = 6 points
Heavy Interdictor = Infinite points
If either of these ships lands tackle, you’re dead. No amount of stabs or tank on an industrial ship will save you.
Which makes this comment:
All the more true.
Edit: So perhaps 2x WCS will save you from a drive by / opportunistic tackle attempt, but when they return prepared you won’t be getting away.
Edit2: And all of the above is wrt low sec, in null/WHs you have Interdictors too (bubbles) which WCSes won’t get you out of.
Regards,
Cypr3ss.