How to start out in solo PvP

#1

Hi there,

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:

  1. Buy 30 Merlins and 30 Condors
  2. Create a cheap fit (i.e., <5M) for each hull, since I’m going to mess up and die anyway!
  3. Burn through 5-10 of each hull, just to get a feel for things
  4. Create a better fit (i.e., <10M) for more earnest practice
  5. Burn through 10-20 of each hull
  6. Create a “best” (Alpha…) fit, and burn through 5 of each hull
  7. 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? :smiley:

Any help is really appreciated!

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#2

Just found this thread, which has some real gems buried in all the bickering. :smiley:

#3

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.

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#4

Hey, thanks for the advice. I spend a lot of time poring over the in-game fitting tool, but will definitely give Pyfa a look.

Here are my current PvP learning objectives and key results. They’re naive. I’ll update them as I go.

Learning Objectives

  • Gain experience in Faction Warfare (i.e., Novice)
  • Gain experience in solo roaming
  • Stretch objective: gain experience in small group and/or fleet PvP (i.e., tackling, ECM)

Key Results

  • Get first kill
  • Get five kills
  • Stretch result: get 15 kills in 60 ships
  • Other: find a good [PvP] guild? Subscribe?
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#5

Missile Condors are trash and do so little damage they’re not worth.
The only 2 Caldari combat frigates you want to focus on are:

Merlin - Scram Web Blaster is the traditional fit
Kestrel - Scram Web Rockets / Armor Plate fits

Check out Zkb for fit options but ignore any fit that uses Light Missiles because those won’t work for you as a starting solo pilot.

#6

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).

And have fun!

edit. some rudimentary schooling info
https://wiki.eveuniversity.org/Solo_PvP

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#7

This is roughly how I started.

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.

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#8

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.

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#9

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.

#10

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

1MN Y-S8 Compact Afterburner
Faint Epsilon Scoped Warp Scrambler
Fleeting Compact Stasis Webifier
Fleeting Compact Stasis Webifier

150mm ‘Scout’ Accelerator Cannon
150mm ‘Scout’ Accelerator Cannon
150mm ‘Scout’ Accelerator Cannon

Small Hybrid Collision Accelerator I
Small Hybrid Burst Aerator I

Caldari Navy Antimatter Charge S x120