Killing Clone Soliders with Destroyers

PvE Gameplay Center PvE Ships & Modules
1

So I read about clone soldiers here

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And I tried to go after some of them. I wanted to use a T1 destroyer because they have good align and are semi-disposable (well, If I lose one every week it’s going to start to hurt, but a few losses aren’t going to break the bank).

Most guides recommend killing the Clone Transporters with hulls with good drone bonuses. I tried the Dragoon a few times couldn’t outkill their repair. They often target the drones and I either lose the drones (no biggier but losing tech II drones starts to hurt) or spend a lot of time rotating them, which means the new y released drone is constantly going into “chase” mode where it doesn’t shoot for some time.

OK, fine maybe Amarr destoryers just won’t cut it. The Algos might be better? Nope, I get my butt kicked harder and unlike with the Dragoon, my active tank isn’t even holding.

Instead of following guides from 2018, maybe I should do what eve-uni says and use a Thrasher? This did better than the Algos, but the problem is that autocannons have comically short ranges and once I’m webbed, the clone rat goes away and I’m in falloff. Fortunately, EMP does have a damage bonus and I tried it against the blood clones. Sadly, with the lows filled with gyros and a mid with MWD, my tank is rather pathetic and even a shield booster doesn’t help so I need to warp off almost ASAP. Using a Damage Control I and Afterburner allows me to have a reasonable tank. Neither fit works well since the moment I’m webbed the blood clone transporter just goes away and my damage can’t get close enough to outdo his repair. Come on game, triple the optimal range of the sub-capital autocannons, these things aren’t even usable against webs. Now maybe this is becuase I have Minmatar Destroyer III because I’m rushing a Hurricane fit and didn’t bother maxing out my spaceship command, but the number of times I miss (even with rigs boosting falloff range) makes me think doing a little more damage isn’t going to help.

If I could have a hammerhead with the Thrasher’s guns, I think I could do it. If I had enough bandwidth in a Dragoon to run an Ore, 3 infilatrators and a hobgoblin, I think I could do it. With the ships as they are in the game, I don’t know how to do it.

There is the obvious solution of using a bigger ship. Big ships align really slowly, so every time a grey appears in the system, I need to go to safety. Or I should, I few times I was not wise and learned the hard way. If I had a Thrasher or Dragoon fit that could kill these clones, I could use the fit, set D-scan to 4 AU, and only warp off if someone is truly hunting me instead of fleeing every time through traffic appears. I have read over and over that T1 destroyers can kill these clones, but I haven’t found a working fit yet.

2

I kill them with an AF so I’m sure a good Destroyer will work too.

3

I haven’t had much with dessies.

I use an AF. Easiest ones are serps. Get close, orbit at 500 and blap.

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4

I have used a Dragoon with drones and T1 artillery (yes I know it isn’t a shooting ship but still worked) effectively. Didn’t take much time either.

5

Only 0.1 and 2 are worth it. Transporter and negioter 10 to 30m. A destroyer DPS should wreck their tank but they can scram web and have ok DPS of their own.

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6

Back in the days I used a corax with rockets, just orbit close and should be fine.

7

Hmmm, thanks for your advice. I tried neuts (to stop repair) then figured out the rats repair infinitely (I get why the devs didn’t make them use cap for shooting since the AI can’t do cap management but let us try to stop rat logi and webs please), then I tried autocannons and predictably it webbed me and it ran away. I could tell my drones were just shy of out damaging the clone transporter’s repair, and all I needed was for my guns to get a few hits. Actually, maybe my drones might have won on their own in an hour.

8

Most EQAR and ECM doesn’t work on rats (or works very poorly). So don’t bother.

A Dragoon is a slow, lumbering ship so getting close and orbiting with AC’s isn’t much good (besides it not being a gun ship, no gun bonuses).

If you want to get in close and brawl with rats use a Thrasher or train up to an Assault Frigate.

9

Yeah I found that out. I was told “normally don’t bother” and I was thinking “ok, this must be an exception, surely they use cap for this right?” Nope. Then I tried the autocanons…

Yeah I found that out. I was thinking “well, the neuts are worthless and my drones are almost killing it but not quite, I just need to get more damage in”

Yeah that didn’t work either, I got close to get some shots, then I got webbed and even with a mid slot dedicated to giving me range and a rig to improve falloff, I miss almost every shot.

10

You could go Dad Dex style and use a fancy Merlin.

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11

This is a cheap fit that I used to kill Serp clone soldiers. You can use Spike S to kill the clone soldiers in 0.2 systems as they web up to 20km IIRC. Just orbit @ 20km and shoot, and let your drones do most of the damage. With the clone soldiers in 0.1, you can either use the same tactic, or you can orbit @ 500m and use Javelin S for extra DPS.

[Algos, LS Serpentis ratter - railgun]

AE-K Compact Drone Damage Amplifier
AE-K Compact Drone Damage Amplifier
AE-K Compact Drone Damage Amplifier

1MN Y-S8 Compact Afterburner
Medium Shield Extender II
Medium Shield Extender II

75mm Gatling Rail II, Spike S
75mm Gatling Rail II, Spike S
75mm Gatling Rail II, Spike S
75mm Gatling Rail II, Spike S
75mm Gatling Rail II, Spike S
[Empty High slot]

Small Low Friction Nozzle Joints I
Small Thermal Shield Reinforcer I
Small Kinetic Shield Reinforcer I

Hammerhead II x2
Hobgoblin II x3

12

What kind of guns were you using?

I routinely kill big rats at point-blank range with AC’s. They never get a hit on me. Can’t track fast enough.

13

I was using 150mm Light Prototype. I just get in some shots, get webbed, and then watch helplessly as it goes away. Then I pretty much never get close enough again since these things keep missing, have an optimal range just shy of 2 km, and are nearly useless at 5 to 5.5 km. I don’t get hit often, but the few shots hurt when I don’t have a DC. Meanwhile, I’m missing a lot of my shots and can’t out damage it and that’s despite using a rig and tracking module.

Edit: Actually, my ammo makes the range shy of 1 km, but EMP is actually doing better than the other types of ammo anyways.

14

Yea those are longer range guns (intermediate range). If you’re <5km use AC’s.

15

If fighting serps, yea use AC or blasters. Just get in close.

Hardest clones are guris cause missiles.

16

I can only get close for a short duration, after being webbed I’m stuck around the 5 to 5.5 km range and my autocannons are nearly useless only getting a few hits.

17

Run a web and web them back :smiley:

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18

Tried that, when we’re both slow as molasses my shield booster needs to run almost constantly and eventually the capacitor starts being a problem.

If it lasted a bit longer I think I could get within 1 or 2 km and get more meat shots in again. The problem is ACs need me to be close enough to smell him for them to hit constantly.

Would a Dragoon with 250 artillery shells work? I know the drones are almost enough. In fact I think if I wacked at it for half an hour it would go down without any help from the ship, but spending half an hour in a belt not aligned to something in low sec is ill advised.

19

Hm I can play around with some fittings. Which rats are you hunting?

20

Blood Clone Soldier Transporter, Serpentis Clone Soldier Transporter, and Guristas Clone Soldier Transporter. I like the Dragoon, if you find something that works for that it would be really nice. I’ve been using an active tank with these. I’ve been debating on Tech I or II drones. IIs are clearly superior, but with Is I don’t need to care if they’re attacked by the rat since I can just release another one.