Moa experience in the Abyssal

PvE Gameplay Center PvE Ships & Modules
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Posted a question a few days ago about the Cormorant in T1’s, my interpretation of the feedback here and elsewhere was that it could work, but risky. So thought I’d upgrade to a Moa to explore T1 and maybe T2s - think I made a mistake.

Moa setup:
IFFA Compact Damage Control
Vortex Compact Magnetic Field Stabilizer
Vortex Compact Magnetic Field Stabilizer
Power Diagnostic System I

10MN Y-S8 Compact Afterburner
Medium F-S9 Regolith Compact Shield Extender
Medium F-S9 Regolith Compact Shield Extender
Medium F-S9 Regolith Compact Shield Extender
Medium F-S9 Regolith Compact Shield Extender

200mm Prototype Gauss Gun
200mm Prototype Gauss Gun
200mm Prototype Gauss Gun
200mm Prototype Gauss Gun
200mm Prototype Gauss Gun

Medium EM Shield Reinforcer I
Medium Core Defense Field Extender I
Medium Core Defense Field Extender I

Hornet I x3

Caldari Navy Antimatter Charge M

With this setup and my skills, I have 254dps and 23,834ehp - better than the Cormorant at 172dps and 5,897ehp.

Decided to test it out in a T0 exotic, figured it would be easier than the Cormorant - wrong. It took about 15min to complete, took on more shield damage and took longer to kill the NPC’s than expected and lost 2 drones. Not sure I want to attempt a T1, let alone a T2.

Any thoughts? Where did I go wrong with this fit?

Any words of wisdom from you veterans would be appreciated.

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Hybrids(both rails and blasters) are generally considered worst weapon type for abyss, rails lack tracking and blasters lack range. Best thing you can do is to switch to another ship(preferably frigate) which uses drones/missiles/lasers. You can find links for that fits in game channel Abyssal Lurkers.

Regarding your fitting if you insist going “your way”: medium rails in abyss want a lot of tracking so to compensate that you need a web(or 2 webs, I have no idea never tested it); medium extenders are usually used for frigates and destroyers, cruisers and above want large extenders; ideally you also want 1-2(depending on fitting) multispec hardeners to improve your resists; your moa is slow af thats bad too etc.

1 Like
3

Thanks for the info - missiles good, hybrids bad (for the abyss) :slightly_smiling_face:

Time to look into missiles and frigates.

4

If you want to shoot smaller targets than yourself, in your example frigate/drone targets with a cruiser-weapon system, you will need application-support modules. Otherwise your targets are simply too fast and too small to hit them well.

Railguns can work in the Abyss, I have flown T6 Exotics in a Deimos for example. However you need at least a tracking computer and a webber to slow down targets. And never get too close to them, always try to stay away like 10km, better 12+. Now here is your problem: To have a webber reach 12+ km you need to use a faction webber or a very good abyssalrolled T2, like the Federation Navy Webifier - and that one cost a lot more than your entire Cruiser.

5

You might find yourself more successful with a fit that is designed to load null charges into blasters then with a fit that is designed to load javelin charges into railguns.

In T0 abyss, most hostiles melt down quickly and also have trouble doing significant damage to you, so you can microwarp to them even if engaging a microwarp breaks the capacitor stability of your fit, as you can turn the MWD off again once you’re close enough to the NPCs, while the NPCs will apply only limited damage to you while your signature is bloomed. Just make sure not to manouver yourself into the abysal depth.

[Cormorant, Blasters]

Magnetic Field Stabilizer II
Magnetic Field Stabilizer II

5MN Y-T8 Compact Microwarpdrive
Medium F-S9 Regolith Compact Shield Extender
Stasis Webifier II

Light Ion Blaster II, Null S
Light Ion Blaster II, Null S
Light Ion Blaster II, Null S
Light Ion Blaster II, Null S
Light Ion Blaster II, Null S
Light Ion Blaster II, Null S
Light Ion Blaster II, Null S
[Empty High slot]

Small Core Defense Field Extender I
Small Hybrid Collision Accelerator I
Small Core Defense Field Extender I

Has 6.7k ehp, 1.6km/s movement, 350dps with null at 9.5km, 500dps with void at 4.5km . Swapping the the collision rig for a third extender or maybe for em resist might help powergrid stability if you don’t have hybrid rigging skilled up. Always turn off MWD when you’re close enough to use the web to prevent the MWD to screw your own tracking… on top of consuming capacitor.

[Moa, Blasters]

Damage Control II
Power Diagnostic System II
Magnetic Field Stabilizer II
Magnetic Field Stabilizer II

50MN Quad LiF Restrained Microwarpdrive
Large Shield Extender II
Large Shield Extender II
Multispectrum Shield Hardener II
Stasis Webifier II

Heavy Neutron Blaster II, Null M
Heavy Neutron Blaster II, Null M
Heavy Neutron Blaster II, Null M
Heavy Neutron Blaster II, Null M
Heavy Neutron Blaster II, Null M

Medium Ancillary Current Router I
Medium Core Defense Field Extender I
Medium Core Defense Field Extender I

Same strategy, MWD into web range, turn off the MWD once you’re close enough for webs. Has 1.5km/s movement speed, 370dps at 15km with null, 600dps at 6km with void and 44k ehp. If you lack the pg to fit it, swap the Power Diagnostic for a Reactor Control Unit.

Note that these fits don’t work in higher level abyss. For higher levels, Caldari is pretty exclusive to missiles … and dark type abyss, because it screws up tracking, which affects the NPCs but not the player because the players’ missiles don’t use tracking

6

I went down the Moa path - railgun Caldari ships - early on, before some of the more useful skills were trained. Tracking on a Railgun Moa is a nightmare: you need tracking computers/enhancers, webifiers and good turret tracking skills to make it work. At that point it is a viable ship, but you are always aware of the tracking issues and need to fly it accordingly.

Pick the Abyssal type you go for carefully: You probably want Exotic or Firestorm to give your weapons more punch (the penalties apply to the NPCs there as well). Probably Exotic: either weather bonus is fairly moot for a Caldari ship.

T2 (level 2) Abyssal runs should be possible in a Moa - I’ve not tried it. Pick your targets, watch your tracking. Concentrate on getting through and getting used to it before trying to maximise the loot.

My most effective ship for Abyssal runs - and I normally play things fairly safely - is a double rep fitted Sacrilege. In Electrical Abysses the capacitor bonus is good and the EM damage is good for Amarr laser ships (the Sac is a missile ship, use EM damage missiles).

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Thanks all, I really appreciate the info.