Not new here, just returning after a long absence and decided to try projectile weapons in missions. Tried artillery and found it lacking. Now it’s autocannons. Skill wise minmatar BS V, large gunnery and gunnery support skills are IV.
I use a medium shield booster that’s cap stable and swapping out 2 rigs that are of little use for CCC I can become cap stable with an AB. The question comes in how to best use my new found speed of around 300m/s.
I imagine using the keep distance function would work best, but at what range do you guys usually do this at from experience?
Also so far it seems that the short range projectile ammo is my preferred way to go about this, was there any reason to use anything else excluding t2 ammo I can’t use yet?
In case anyone is wondering the medium shield booster seems to provide adequate tank, it can be broken so than it becomes a slowly declining buffer tank while I kill everything to return back to normal. I have an Eos, Tengu, and Typhoon Fleet Issue on standby so it’s not like I need this ship to do everything.
The Vargur will only attract feces, also don’t expensive fit your Mach, there is always someone hanging around gates scanning ships to find expensive fits.
Summarizing my first post since this thread was derailed:
Cap stable Maelstrom, 300m/s speed, with 800mm Scout autocannons. Skills: Minmatar BS V, all relevant gunnery skills IV.
Do I use Keep At Range function? And at what range is preferable for damage application? Does this change with ship types such as Frigates vs BS?
Excluding t2 ammo, it seems the - 50% optimal aka short range ammo performs best. Is there any situations I’m likely to encounter that other ammo would be preferable.
As you stated keep at Range.
The issue with this approach is that while you keep at range on ship/spawngroup X … Ship/spawngroup Y will likely be well out of range by the time you kill your target. Spending a lot of time chasing down your next target. Most rats except the odd Angel Carter, Serpentis or Drone Short range BS will burn away from you.
If you want to so use any short range PVE boat proper you will have to manually pilot. Imagine herding the rats like sheep. You want to circle around them and try to push them towards each other so you get a nice tight group you can farm with your short range weapons.
Like a sheepdog wil try to keep sheep grouped together by circling them and pushing them into a herd from certaib directions you will want to circle around and herd the rats towards each other.
When it comes to T1 projectile ammo. The range difference on ACs is so little that you might as well stick to the high damage types.
The main reason to go for something such as titanium sabot is the tracking bonus if needed.
Since ACs work on fall off rather than optimal, the optimal bonus of the ammo as stated above is rather useless and the hit to potential dps way to great.
You will want to shoot the frigs from as far as possible and burn away from them to maximize your tracking i.e. make them go in a straight line and then blap blap. Once they start circling you drones are your only option unless you have a grappler fitted.
Honestly. Also given the Maelstroms bonuses (No fall off bonus, no tracking bonus) the only reason to fly it is because you like the looks and fly it for fun, rather than effeciency. It will always be mediocre and at times a hassle perfomance wise.
I definitely need to learn how to herd them, this last mission I managed to herd them in the wrong direction and ended up with a 100km range to my next set of targets.
I strongly suggest you get a Machariel for this . Maelstrom has issues in being efficient at this , AC or arty, it is just mediocre. There was a time when you could have fitted a Maelstrom with cruise missiles and that was the only way for level 4’s , but now it’s no longer possible.
With 3 gyros each. Blue is AC mach, purple is arty mael, yellorange is AC mael
Mach has more DPS ; and then it has one more low slot, is faster.
If you want to use mael, my advice is to use it with 1400mm. Only below 20 km do the AC deal more DPS, and most rat will kite you out.
What’s more the bonus of the mael is akward. The rof bonus is nice for artillery because less wasted shots compared to bonus of damage, but the shield boost (+37.5) is … why ? I think generally speaking the local bonus are weak on BS , and I would rather have a +100% armor rep (for armor tanked ships) or +37.5%shield rep + 25% bonus to shield resists on the shield tanks (total +33% EHP, +83% active tank). Or OH bonus like +50% heat dissipation for armor rep
But in the end, the lowest DPS you have, the more tank you need. That’s why I prefer the 500MN mach.
Also if you want to use a arty fit … use tempest.
(if you can range tank you don’t need much tank)
(tremor does 430 DPS @140km)
Here is an Arty fit that might do you well. Fit tank to the mission, and use the MJD to keep distance.
[Maelstrom,Simulated Maelstrom Fitting]
IFFA Compact Damage Control
Gyrostabilizer II
Gyrostabilizer II
Tracking Enhancer II
Tracking Enhancer II
Large Micro Jump Drive
EM Shield Hardener II
Thermal Shield Hardener II
X-Large C5-L Compact Shield Booster
Copasetic Compact Shield Boost Amplifier
Large Shield Extender II
1200mm Heavy ‘Scout’ Artillery I
1200mm Heavy ‘Scout’ Artillery I
1200mm Heavy ‘Scout’ Artillery I
1200mm Heavy ‘Scout’ Artillery I
1200mm Heavy ‘Scout’ Artillery I
1200mm Heavy ‘Scout’ Artillery I
1200mm Heavy ‘Scout’ Artillery I
1200mm Heavy ‘Scout’ Artillery I
Large EM Shield Reinforcer I
Large Thermal Shield Reinforcer I
Large Core Defense Field Extender I
Federation Navy Hammerhead x4
Salvage Drone I x5
Hobgoblin I x5
Phased Plasma L x1000
EMP L x1000
Carbonized Lead L x1000
Explosive Shield Hardener II x1
Kinetic Shield Hardener II x1
Definitely easier on the grid requirements, but the 1200s do have the benefit of better tracking and shorter cycle times, so you have less wasted volleys on frigs and cruisers. But you lose some range and dps for that.
I tried an arty fit and it was cool seeing BS’s taken down in a few shots but that play style was not me sadly. The ROF was too slow for me even with split 4x4 weapons to battle sub BS ships. For sniping I have a preference for my Eos loaded with sentries.
