Planning out a Prowler BR fit, intended use being nullsec runs with low-volume, high-cost cargo. This is what I’ve come up with, total cost in Jita right now 303 M.
Through the use of some faction modules, I’ve managed to get the align time down to 2.99s. I’ve heard mention in other threads of the server using a per-second “tick” system that essentially rounds align times up to the nearest second, is that true?
Other stats:
Cap stable at 72% with all modules except MWD
The 50MN MWD will launch this thing at 2786 m/s
EHP of 13,313
Sig radius of 112m
Cargo capacity of 4375 m3
With the interdiction nullifier, it should be able to survive bubbles, and with an align time of < 3 seconds it should be able to GTFO before anyone can lock it?
Inertial Stabilizers II
Inertial Stabilizers II
Inertial Stabilizers II
10MN Y-S8 Compact Afterburner
Republic Fleet Large Shield Extender
Kinetic Shield Amplifier II
Covert Ops Cloaking Device II
Interdiction Nullifier I
Medium Cargohold Optimization II
Medium Cargohold Optimization II
Expanded Cargohold II x3
Low slots
Triple T2 inertial stabilizers will get you to an align time below 3s without going into more expensive low slot items and rigs. This frees up my rigs for more cargo space. Or if you want you could put hyperspatials there for faster deliveries. I like cargo space though.
The expanded cargoholds are in cargo: in case I need more cargo space I can swap them for the inertial stabilizers. Without them I get 6.3k cargo, with them I suffer in align time but get over 13k m3. Even more if I make use of giant secure containers that are bigger from the inside than from the outside when unpackaged.
It’s a bit more risky to fly with a slower align time as a good gatecamp may have a frigate pilot good enough to decloak you when you take long to align.
Mid slots
As you may see, I use an afterburner rather than a MWD. I rarely if ever use a propulsion module on my blockade runners, so this one is there just in case I need more speed. Afterburner takes less fitting space than a MWD, so that’s why I chose that.
For defences I skipped the MWD so I can fit a large shield extender. Republic fleet as it’s slightly easier to fit, compact could work as well.
I prefer using passive amplifiers over active hardeners as defences on a covops ship like blockade runners as your hardeners cannot run while you’re cloaked so if you happen to run into bombs or smartbombs an amplifier plugging your shield resist holes gives you more survivability. For the Prowler that’s kinetic.
High slots
Interdiction nullifier is a great choice for hauling in regions of space where bubbles exist. I prefer the T1 version, the cooldown is shorter, it’s easier to fit and cheaper. But T2 isn’t bad.
Some advice on using the nullifier:
if you jump a gate and find yourself in a bubble, turn on your nullifier first while under gate cloak and only then break gate cloak, cloak up and warp off
same if you see an interdictor next to you as they will throw up a bubble when they spot you
don’t warp blind to gates or other places that might be bubbled, d-scan first to see bubbles/dictors/hictors
if the gate is not within range, try to warp to an object that is in d-scan range
if you notice the gate is bubbled/has dictors or smartbombs, you could try turn on the nullifier, then warp to the gate at range from an unexpected angle, such as from an anomaly or belt instead of from gate to gate. Stay cloaked and look at the situation
if you think you can make it through cloaked, slowly slowboat to the gate, avoid getting within 2km of any object or ship and jump the gate
if the campers are any good, they follow you, but you still have the nullifier to use on the other side!
if your nullifier is on cooldown, cloak up somewhere safe until you can use it again before you bring yourself in a situation where you could land in another bubble
If you fly well, it’s nearly impossible to catch a sub 3s align nullified blockade runner.
Correct!
When accelerating your ship from standstill, such as after jumping a gate, that is indeed the case. It may take a bit longer if your ship align was in the opposite direction, but your main danger is when jumping gates and that’s where you start accelerating from 0.
Have a armour tanked version and lost only one landing on ded station to ganking fleet.
I use AB, but only use to get back to gate if tackled. No issues with pipe bombed gates either, worse case landed at station with 1/4 armour left after crashing through a smartbomb camped gate.
MWD will help you in emergency situations to crash back gates or burn out of bubbles so don’t forget that you can overheat it.
I wouldn’t use Shadow Serpentis MWD as PYFA shows me 3978 m/s hot while regular Quad Lif is 3929 m/s so difference is minimal and IMHO not worth 85M.
The server works in 1 second ticks so align time is rounded up to full seconds. PYFA shows me 3.02 seconds for your fit with max skills so double check it.
Cheap EM-702 implant makes it 2.96 but it is easy to forget be in right clone.
Also decent fit. Just worth mentioning that decision to use inertial stabilizers and shield extender increases signature radius to 162 vs 112 of OP “Slippery Bastard” making it easier to lock.
if you notice the gate is bubbled/has dictors or smartbombs, you could try turn on the nullifier, then warp to the gate at range from an unexpected angle, such as from an anomaly or belt instead of from gate to gate.
If the nullifier is active anyways, what’s the benefit of approaching from an unexpected angle? Just to avoid the smartbombs?
That’s correct, but if you can cloak you shouldn’t be lockable anyway.
And if you cannot cloak for whatever reason (object too close, storm that you didn’t spot on the map ahead of time), a good camp will catch you anyway if it takes you 3 seconds to get away.
You’re right that a lower sig radius will give you a better chance. But to me that small extra chance of survivability in a rare scenario isn’t worth giving up my rigs.
If the nullifier is active you indeed mostly need the unexpected angle for smartbombs.
I also recommend the unexpected angle as you might accidentally land in their bubble if that bubble happens to be a stop bubble 100km in front if the gate and you warped at range 100km.
If the nullifier isn’t active the unexpected angle will make you avoid getting pulled into drag bubbles or stopped by stop bubbles. And in case they bubbled the gate itself, the likelyhood of a decloaking can waiting for ships coming from your angle is much lower.
I usually don’t use the nullifier to warp towards a gate at 0 to jump. I only do it to warp at range when the gate is too far away from any objects in space to do a Dscan check. The problem of using the nullifier towards a gate to jump is that the nullifier will be on cooldown when you jump. And then what do you do if there happens to be a bubble on the other side?
If you use the nullifier to warp to 0m on a gate, and warp in cloaked, why not just wait at the gate for the nullifier cooldown before jumping? Then if you need it on the other side to escape a bubble, it’s ready to go.
If you want to wait out your nullifier cooldown at a gate, I would do it from a safe distance, preferably more than 150km away so that you can warp to it when the cooldown is gone.
Warp to 0 often decloaks you, so I would only do that if I’m jumping or have the nullifier ready to go. I just assume there always is a cloaked dictor at the gate.
