Among the options for faction freighters, each has its own special use.
The Obelisk is nigh indestructible in high sec. Equip it with reinforced bulkheads and only the most determined gangkers can kill it (although they still can, if they are truly determined.)
The Charon has the most freight capacity. So even if you’re not quite as safe, at least you’re still moving more stuff per trip.
The Fenrir is the fastest. So you’re in harm’s way the shortest time. Also if you’re lazy and set it on autopilot, it has the fastest travel time to the gates.
But I can’t see any particular advantage for the Providence. Is it just a slightly weaker Obelisk?
The Providence is a jack of all trades. It gets nearly as agile as the Fenrir, nearly as much tank as an Obelisk but with no cargo penalties thanks to A-type MCs.
However, since tank, agility or speed are completely irrelevant in terms of gankability (proven by enough dead tank or unloaded freighters), the most important benefits are: It’s a pleasure to the eyes. It doesn’t make you want to gouge your eyes out of your skull when spend the inevitable hours of slowboating, unlike the cancer potato (Obelisk), slab (Charon) or rust bucket (Fenrir). And even more importantly: It gives you access to the best Jf in the game, the gorgeous Ark.
I see. So it appeals to those capsuleers who want to be pretty .
I can see a potential ganker taking pause when a Providence enters their gate camp. And thinking “yeah, but do I really want to destroy something so beautiful?”
What is a A type MC? Is that like armor coatings? I have noticed the Providence has more armor than any of the others, not that armor vs. structure seems to make much difference.
Not a freighter pilot myself, but I’ve heard of the advantage of the Providence that it’s the only freighter that can reasonably be armour tanked, rather than hull tanked.
Which means you can fly a tanked freighter with none of the usual drawbacks such as slow align time or smaller cargohold that a hull tank brings.
With multispectrum coatings. Not the energised versions, but the simple ones that only require 1 powergrid to fit.
Almost no ships use them, so it shouldn’t be hard to get faction or even complex versions for a reasonable price. EHP will be a bit lower than that of a hull tank, but with none of the downsides (slower align, less cargo) of the hull tank.
Not saying it’s a better option, just that is an option.
And an armour tank opens up the possibility of using an Amulet set to increase EHP further, although I’m not sure how useful that is for a freighter pilot, as I can imagine they may want to get a Nomad set if they’re going to use implants.
If I could pull together what I would deem to be enough remote reppers then that would have a good chance of survival. Still I could fly a Marauder through there and likely survive.
PS I would also use a command ship and have an Amulet set too. I just increased the EHP by 52k with two command ship boosts.
