Fitting Theory – Dragoon PVP Fit: Journey Through My Fitting Process

I thought I would try something a little different here. I’m at work right now and my computer is processing some big chunks of data, so I have a little time to think about this new Amarrian destroyer and how it might be utilized for pvp. But instead of just posting a fit and how it works I thought I would kind of spell out my thought process and how I come up with fits most of the time.

So let’s start out with the ship itself. I always like to read through the description and the bonuses to get an idea for how the developer’s think the ship should work. It also helps to weed out possible conflicts with fit designs. The Dragoon says it’s a destroyer built to deal a lot of damage but has a really weak tank. It also gets the following bonuses:

• 10% bonus to drone hitpoints and damage per level
• 20% bonus to energy vampire and energy neutralizer transfer range per level
• 25% bonus to drone microwarpdrive speed

So obviously what jumps out at us first is that this is a drone attack boat. Great! That makes some of our decisions a little easier. But let’s focus on this second bonus, the one to vamp and neut ranges. With these bonuses, assuming we have maxed our associated skills, we could neut or vamp out to about 13km.

Now let’s look at our fitting potential. We have 3 turret hard points and 3 launcher hardpoints available to us. With all the slots filled and hobgoblin II’s buzzing we can max out dps roughly around 400. Which is equivalent to the Coercer dps output if you really go all out on dps. The problem is we can’t get that same level of dps with the Dragoon and fit all the neuts and vamps would like (because who doesn’t like fitting those!?).

So when we look at it, we have a ship designed for dps output with a weak tank, that actually gives bonuses to things we can’t use if we want to have the same dps as the other standard destroyer available to Amarr. Between the weak tank, and the apparent lack of dps I’m already worried about flying one of these, but let’s delve a little deeper and see if we can figure something else out.

Let’s forget all about turrets and missiles for now. Let’s assume we run heavy neuts and vamps and just use drones for damage. Our dps would drop to roughly 250. Not great, but not as bad as it could be maybe but how are we going to mitigate incoming damage. Most of our low slots are already used up for drone damage amplifiers? Speed tanking might be a good option. We don’t have room for armor, but our neut range bonuses will let us get out of range for most people’s autocannons and webifiers (albeit with some fancy flying). That might work, but if we mix the two ideas together a little we end up with a few missile launchers (weapons independent of speed to hit) and drones with a speed tank.

[Dragoon, pvp]

3x Light Missile Launcher II (Mjolnir Fury Light Missile)
3x Small Energy Neutralizer II

Faint Warp Disruptor I
Limited 1MN Microwarpdrive I

2x Drone Damage Amplifier II
Small Armor Repairer II
Co-Processor II

Small Capacitor Control Circuit I
Small Polycarbon Engine Housing I
Small Auxiliary Thrusters I

5x Acolyte II
5x Warrior SW-300
5x Hobgoblin II

What we end up with is still far from great. Especially if you start to compare the stats to other empire’s dps and tanking abilities. I can only really see this ship in a small gang scenario acting as an anti-frigate vessel. In solo pvp I would rather be in a Punisher or Coercer to be perfectly honest.

Drake Party

I log on today and finally hook up with Oz and the crew. We exchange bookmarks and I gather up my missioning loot to sell in Amarr. I make a modest wage for two nights of minimal work and set the autopilot on its 14 jump course to our worm hole connection. I settle in to finish some work while I listen to Aura take my ship home.

As I’m reading through part of my spreadsheet, a more complex formula that I would have liked, I realize the sound of a webifier is clearly audible through my computer speakers. I find that interesting, I’m in hi-sec, I wonder what’s going on. I switch windows just as the first volley of fire hits my shielding.

Damn Gallente, still holding a grudge I see. My shields evaporate almost immediately and the blockade runner’s armor is no match for the Navy barrage heading my way. I target the system’s star and start spamming the warp button. Another volley of damage, my armor is gone and I can see a sliver of red on my structure overview. This is going to end badly, in fact I’ve already started cursing into my mic before the ship finally enters warp.

By the skin of my teeth I made it out of the killzone. I quickly warp back to the gate and jump through. Thank goodness the navy forces take such a long time to notice your presence! Looks like I’ll be flying manually from here on out. I safely navigate through the last of Gallente space and into the lo-sec system with a bookmark to our home wormhole system.

Back in the home system I set out to mine some gas, and attend to my planetary facilities. With no wormholes to our system other than our static lo-sec system, I’m not too worried about anyone finding me. I harvest a good amount of gas before getting too bored and decide to hop back into my ole’ faithful Pilgrim. I head out to the lo-sec system to see if I find something to shoot.

I end up in Obalyu with another pilot in local, and a Drake on d-scan. What a party pooper. I swear these drake pilots know I’m coming before I even undock. This particular lo-sec chain is odd having only two lo-sec systems before connecting with hi-sec again. I move to the next lo-sec gate and find a pair of wrecks with a few abandoned drones floating about 20km off the gate. Looks like I just missed a party. I jump through to the Parts system to find three more people in this system, and another Drake on scan. You’ve got to be kidding me! Does the Caldari State even make any other ships anymore? Before the void can not answer my question the Drake vanishes from my scanner. Hmm…

I hit some other lo-sec systems nearby while dodging the Gallente Navy. I find an empty system and decide to kill some local pirates to pass the time. A little security standings boost wouldn’t hurt, especially in this neighborhood. Soon enough the belts are cleared and it’s time to head home. I manage to catch a Hurricane finishing off a Vexor at one of the lo-sec gates. I figure I have a decent chance at taking the Hurricane with two tracking disruptors fitted, but decide against it with the amount of traffic in the local comm channel. I warp back into my worm hole and pack it in for the night.

Freighter Route Interrupted

Wake up and am excited. I’m working from home today and know there will be quite a few opportunities to get in-game. It’s 12:26, Azx and Oz are both on making me even more excited. Finally might be able to get a little action going in here. I open the corp bulletin to see that Oz has been on quite the adventure in my absence. He’s managed to lose two ships in combat in lo-sec systems with Kap. Well if he’s gotten into action why can’t I!?

I have about an hour before I have to start work and decide to buzz over to the connecting C4 to see what’s going on. Nothing on scan when I warp in, launch zee probes!

Hmm…

I was pretty sure that wormhole said it was stable, and yet it has disappeared from my overview. I check the bookmark again. Yup, I’m definitely stuck in the foreign C4. Great. I start scanning down the signatures before realizing Oz has done it for me already, bless his scanning soul. The C4 I’m currently in connects to a C2, that should be fun and probably lead me back out to empire space.

I enter the C2 and scan around looking for any prey before resigning myself to scanning for the wormhole out of here. System appears empty and I lock down the wormhole in short order. It dumps me out in Gallente space in Sinq Laison. This day just keeps getting better. My reputation with the Galls is not particularly good. I mean, did I partake in the wars against them? Yes, but only because the empire told me to, I’m innocent!

Well the First Sergeant who has just opened fire on me doesn’t seem to think so. These Galls must have some impressive sensory equipment on those navy ships! I’m still cloaked at the wormhole, and yet he has warped to me and started to engage! Well that’s all the hint I need. I warp to the stargate that will eventually link me home.

What a bunch of jerks. I finally make it into Caldari space and couldn’t be happier, except for the fact that I’m still about 20 jumps away from the lo-sec connection back to w-space in Vehan. I check the clock, about 15 minutes left until work begins. I decide instead to hop into my ice miner near Amarr and afk harvest on my laptop while I do some work.

17:32 and I’m on lunch break and back in Vehan. Seems like the same characters are in system that were here before. Another cyno goes up. These are some productive guys! I warp to 100km to watch the parade. A good sized jump freighter train passes through and immediately warps to the gate leading to hi-sec. The Probe that opened the cyno is just floating there, making a very tempting target if it wasn’t for the nearby station guns. Damn empire space, always takes the fun out of it.

I warp home and put together a small roam with Azx and Oz. A new wormhole has opened up leading to a different lo-sec system and we decide to check it out. I pop through and scan real quick. That’s a lot of Tengus, with more Tengus on the side. We quickly decide Vehan might be more fruitful. So I zip back over and start scanning around again.

We setup a quick makeshift gate camp from hi-sec hoping to snag one of these transport ships that keep flying back and forth. The gate flashes and a Viator comes through, but he cloaks before we can catch him. I have a feeling he may have told his buddies. I go through the gate and cloak to see what’s on the other side. Sure enough a Rattlesnake and Apocalypse are sitting on the gate. I report back to my crew to get out of there just as another Viator warps in and jumps through, quickly followed by the battleships. Our camp is already in warp back to w-space. Glad I decided to check that out!

It’s 22:12, and I’m finally done with work and have a little time to kill before the evening’s real life activities become a priority. I warp back into Vehan, but nothing is going on. I practice my d-scanning, which I determine, needs much more practice. Another time perhaps. I pop into the next lo-sec system in the chain, Undianoor, but an Onyx and Buzzard on scan persuades me to call it a night early.