I’m a Caldari Alpha clone interested in learning the ropes of solo PvP. Based on my reading, the best option is Faction Warfare: take a blaster-Merlin and/or missile-Condor into Novice Plexes and duke it out. Here is what I’m thinking:
Buy 30 Merlins and 30 Condors
Create a cheap fit (i.e., <5M) for each hull, since I’m going to mess up and die anyway!
Burn through 5-10 of each hull, just to get a feel for things
Create a better fit (i.e., <10M) for more earnest practice
Burn through 10-20 of each hull
Create a “best” (Alpha…) fit, and burn through 5 of each hull
Decide whether to stick with it (i.e., sub long-term and find a corp)
Just wondering if anyone has any feedback on this approach? Too ambitious? Too naive?Would you recommend different starter hulls, different activities, different progression? Any fits you would like to put up for consideration?
Solo PVP is hardmode, especially if you’re an alpha. Try to use a fitting tool like Pyfa (which you need to download) and experiment with all sorts of builds. Once you get experience, you’ll begin to know which ships you can fight, and which ships to avoid.
Just wondering what your goals are? There are easier and profitable ways to get kills for an alpha, like hunting explorers, miners and industrialists outside of high sec.
Don’t just focus on the ships and battles when you are in Lowsec.
Get to know your surroundings. Make alot of bookmarks, keep a notepad (in game or out) running with names, corps, ships and fits. Take screenshots too. Get to know who is who and what they fly. Solo players will learn who the other solo players are and make those battles happen. Always GF or GG after a fight.
You should also look at your combat logs and see what you might have missed during a fight. Did you hit, how much damage did you do, what kind of damage did you take…etc. You are looking for strengths and weaknesses that you use or avoid to your advantage. Remember that there is a proper counter for just about everything (think rock-paper-scissors).
At the time though I was already in a corp which was dabbling a bit in FW (two weeks on, two weeks off) going the full solo route is tough, it helps to have friends to share fits/ideas/frustrations with.
when i started solo pvp with frigs, i had a problem that they died too fast to any enemy i encountered, so i had troubles with learning anything at all:
i personally switched to cheap fitted cruisers( fully passive tanked , almost no damage mods, cheap rigs) the problem theese days, its harder to find fights in them.
so maybe for you could be a solution to "overtank"a frig or a destroyer:(passive fit so you wont have to manage so many modules)
theese fits wont give you kills but at least you will get time to react and learn a bit.
Yeah I’m thinking to go blaster Merlin with large passive tank. Not much of a threat unless I happen to already be right on top of a target, but gives a chance to futz around like you say.
Try this fit. its a scram kiter. Set keep at range for 7000. I dont know your skills so adjust things as you see fit. you target are normal blaster ships like insursuses, merlins, pretty much any brawler. faction ships like Fed Navy Comet will give you trouble. Good luck. Contact me in game if you have any questions.
Main character: Maximus Hashur
Alt Character: Hadrian Kado
[Merlin, Rail Merlin]
IFFA Compact Damage Control
Vortex Compact Magnetic Field Stabilizer
Small Ancillary Armor Repairer
