That depends. In a Fleetfight with missileboats on your side, you can safely assume every primary is painted and probably webbed by your supportwing, which makes the CyNIs sigbonus obsolate because the missiles will apply with max efficiency anyway. And counted in that a DNI Fleet would have a lot more alpha than a CyNI fleet, I see a huge advantage here in quickly breaking enemy key ships like Logistics or Commandships.
Also a free medslot is by far more valuable than an additional low in such a scenario, just imagine 30 or 50 additional Damps/TDs or MissileGuidanceComputers for additional range. Or Sebos to counter Damps or ECM.
The Drakes wouldnât carry the links in such a scenario anyway, Commandships would do that, so the 2-link-advantage of the CyNI would also not be that important.
In any smallscale fight up to maybe 20 ships, I would agree, the CyNI is superior, 2 free highs for medium neuts or links are quite nice, the higher speed and lower sig is great for such gangs and you wouldnât pick fights where you need like 150k buffer before any logi can catch you anyway.
remember thereâs other balancing factors too, like the rigs slot and calibration.
With module power-creep itâs not as bad but many ships were designed around original rig systems, when rigs where as powerful as an extra t1 module (look at processor and power grid rigs for example).
Still remain solid with my previous post, a saber will slide around unimpeded dropping bubbbles as they see fit knowing a cyclones HAMs will barely hit for even half damage. You keep making big dmg numbers wishful thinking when in reality that damage wonât probably happen in combat.
They have different application bonuses for different situations, the drakes oneâs being generally much better.
The drake has a bonus to sig reduction, which means it can nuke frigs and destroyers in one volley assuming they are webbed. It is the application factor that generally applies most often.
The cyclone has an explosion velocity bonus which is more situational, i.e. situations where the target is not locked down by web/scram. HAMs are somewhat short range to begin with, so this bonus is even less applicable, because you build for somewhat close engagements.
So if you want to build a frig/destroyer murdering monster, the drake is the way to go, especially if you have someone to hold the target down. The cyclone is more a general purpose kiting ship that doesnât assume your target is standing still with somewhat worse application in most cases.