Rolling Large – A Corporate Strategy
Different corps and pilots have varying ideas about when to upgrade to a bigger ship class. Some believe that you need to wait until you can fully T2 fit the ship in question. Others believe that you should upgrade as soon as you possibly can, fittings be damned. And still others fall somewhere between those extremes.
WTE believes in putting our pilots into the biggest ships they can fly, as early as they can fly them. That means cruisers and battlecruisers even for those pilots days or weeks old. Yes, there is a certain amount of risk involved in doing so, but we believe that the benefits outweigh the consequences.
- By flying in bigger ships, you have more DPS. More DPS means the opposing ships die faster. The faster they die, the less damage we receive. The less damage we receive, the less we die.
- By flying in bigger ships, you have more effective hit points (EHP). The more EHP you have, the longer you live. The longer you live, the more damage the enemy takes. The more damage they take, the faster they die. The faster they die, the less damage we receive. The less damage we receive, the less we die.
- By flying in bigger ships, you have more engageable targets. A fleet of 10 frigates (T1) will get killed by almost anything. A fleet of 10 cruisers can engage more than 10 frigates. A fleet of 10 battlecruisers can engage more than 10 cruisers or 10 frigates. A fleet of 10 battleships can engage more than 10 battlecruisers, or 10 cruisers, or 10 frigates.
- By flying in bigger ships, you win the psychological war. An enemy fleet of 10 battlecruisers will scoff at a fleet of 10 frigates. They will laugh at a fleet of 10 cruisers. They will be concerned with a fleet of 10 battlecruisers. They will fear a fleet of 10 battleships.
Let's use some actual examples here:
A few nights ago, OUCH had a gang of 8 T1 frigates roaming around in 0.0. Now, referring back to Assertion #3, we can guess that there would not be many, if any, targets in 0.0 that they could successfully engage. Indeed, they likely would only be able to engage haulers, or a solo T1 cruiser or two. Is this because OUCH pilots are poor at PvP? Heavens no. As will be shown shortly, pilot skill is only one part of the equation. No, they had few targets they could successfully engage because their ship selection was limited to T1 frigs. The end result when they encountered a smaller gang of larger ships? All 8 OUCH frigates were destroyed, 6 OUCH pilots woke up in new clones, and every hostile ship remained intact.
Now, let us put a typical WTE gang of the same size into that same engagement. Eight of our pilots, six flying battlecruisers, and two in cruisers (as is typical). The WTE gang would have steamrolled that particular Outbreak fleet. Why? Because WTE pilots are better at PvP than OUCH pilots? Heavens no. Indeed, a sizable portion of the WTE Security Division is made up of former OUCH members at the same general experience and SP level as those still in their old corp.
No, the difference is the ship selection. Battlecruisers (and cruisers) hit harder and last longer than T1 frigs. By hitting harder, we could actually deal enough damage fast enough to kill the enemy. By lasting longer (more EHP), we are better able to sustain that high level of DPS. Thus we avoid a massacre that teaches very little, and instead win a victory that teaches much.
The biggest concern when you're wanting "young" and "old" alike to roll large is ISK for the newer pilots. After all, a well fit frigate might cost around 4M ISK, and a cruiser might cost 12-15M ISK. A well fit battlecruiser can run the gamut of 45-75M ISK, quite a leap up from the previous two ship classes.
This is where White Talon's ship provisioning program comes in. We give you fully fitted ships for free, eliminating the ISK concern for organized PvP or PvE ops. Essentially, all WTE pilots can "roll large" at the corporation's expense. You lose a corporate ship while on an organized op? No biggie, they're all corporately insured, which lets us turn right around and purchase another. By provisioning these ships, you ensure that we are always able to field the maximum amount of firepower, with the maximum amount of sustainability, that our pilots possibly can. Sure we could eke out some more DPS and EHP by provisioning battleships. And you know what? That is in the plans. But that's for the future while we continue to operate successfully in the present.
Question for the People:
Where do you and your corp fall in the spectrum of when a pilot should upgrade his/her ship to the next size larger? Right away? When they can properly fit one? Is it an ISK concern? A SP concern?
Sniper HACs and Battlecruisers – The Pinnacle of Alliance Warfare
Once upon a time, an alliance bringing 50 T2 sniper-fit battleships into enemy territory could crush the opposition. Later, a corp bringing 25 nanoships into enemy territory could tear an alliance apart (true story...ask me about it some time). Still later, the pendulum swung back to supertanked and/or long range battleships. Now? Sniper HACs/BCs rule the day.
What changed that brought/is bringing sniper HACs/BCs up to the pinnacle of alliance warfare? Before the change to doomsdays, very few ships out there could survive the "double doomsday" that would otherwise clear the field during alliance fleet fights. Fleet-fit battleships could. They were tanked and buffered enough so that they could stay the course in the battle, dishing out punishment while frantically calling for reps.
When the doomsday got changed from a huge AoE to a focused death ray, the single biggest threat to a sniper HAC/BC gang was gone. As Atlas has shown repeatedly in the north, if you bring 150 sniper HACs/BCs to a fight against 150 sniper BSs, the smaller ships prevail every...single...time. Why is that?
1) Cruiser-sized ships can lock faster than their big brothers. Nearly twice as fast, or more, in many cases. So while the battleships are still waiting to apply fire into the hostiles, the T2 cruisers have not only let loose their first barrage, but are working on their second.
2) When they reach critical mass, as in the case of a 150v150 fleet fight, sniper HACs are still able to alpha a fleet-fit battleship. That means that volley one, dead battleship. Volley two, dead battleship. Volley three, dead battleship.
3) Not only can they lock and alpha-strike an opposing fleet's battleships, their guns cycle much more quickly. The volleys come in rapid waves instead of 7-30 second intervals.
4) With their smaller sig radius and ability to maintain transversal, some battleship-sized weaponry will have problems hitting...or hitting with max damage. Cruiser-sized weapons, on the other hand, will very easily track the larger, slower battleships...delivering maximum damage a greater majority of the time.
5) They are better able to dictate the range *they* want to the battleships. They're faster and more agile in almost every occasion.
6) They can act as their own anti-support. Battleship-sized weapons have a hard time hitting speedy little interceptors/dictors that wish to hold them on the field. Cruiser-sized weapons don't have that problem. Thus more of the fleet can be fit and shipped to engage at the same range against the same targets, giving the overall fleet a greater amount of flexibility in their targets.
So let's sum up a bit, shall we? Once critical mass has been reached, sniper HACs can one-volley enemy battleships down. Not only that, they can lock on before the enemy battleships do, ensuring that their first volley gets in before the hostiles does, *and* their volleys come in much more quickly. So in a given time frame of a fleet fight, you may see 10 hostile battleships destroyed, while only 2-5 sniper HACs. When you're talking about a sniper HAC fleet chopping away at the odds so quickly, you can see why a sniper BS fleet isn't the counter to a sniper HAC fleet. Just ask the NC, who are currently stuck in their outdated thinking, and thus losing battles (and regions) much more quickly than most of us probably could have imaged.
Obviously this is glossing over many of the tactics, maneuvers, and strategies involved by both kinds of fleets. This wasn't meant to be an in-depth analysis, but rather a cursory look at one of the fundamental shifts that is occurring/has occurred in 0.0 alliance warfare. Are sniper HACs/BCs *always* superior to sniper battleships? Heavens no. They require a certain critical mass to be reached before the former is better than the latter. But once that number is reached where insta-popping an opposing fleet-fit battleship is certain, numbers routinely seen in today's fleet fights, that is where you see the edge really come into play.
Follow up:
Wanting to see this principle in action? Try the following links:
http://killboard.atlas-alliance.com/?a=kill_related&kll_id=142284
http://killboard.atlas-alliance.com/?a=kill_related&kll_id=136784
(Probably the best example)
http://killboard.atlas-alliance.com/?a=kill_related&kll_id=140701
(This one is a bit lopsided, but still good)
Ship Setups – The Shield Buffered Battlecruiser
Today we're going to open our ship fitting series by talking about shield buffered battlecruisers. In a day and age where armor buffered ships have become the norm, Arrogance Unlimited's combat doctrine involving shield buffered BC's seems to fly in the face of convention. After all, if everyone is doing something, it has to be the best option...right?
Wrong, at least when it comes to [CALC]. You see, we place a premium not just on survivability, which armor buffers offer in spades, but on firepower, maneuverability, and acceleration as well. In these areas, shield buffered ships not only match the capabilities of those that pile on the armor, they routinely surpass them.
Let's take a look at three distinct examples of how this doctrine plays itself out using the Brutix, Hurricane, and Harbinger as our case studies.
Brutix
When I started Cal oh-so-long ago, he was a Gallente specialist. As such, I have a special place in my heart for all things Gallente...except the Brutix. For the longest time, I was extremely displeased with all of the commonly flown "viable" setups for it. This thing was a blaster boat...but one that couldn't really fit blasters if it wanted to have any semblance of survivability. Thus you had to go "glass cannon" on it if you wanted to come up with a fit that provided halfway decent firepower...
Until now.
With a shield buffer on the Brutix, you're able to rock the firepower without making yourself paper thin in the process. Does it have a mean tank? Heavens no. But it has enough survivability so that you might actually kill your opponent before he cuts through you in return. Let's take a look at the setups.
EHP: 60,928
DPS: 704 (786 overheated)
Top Speed: 874 m/s
Align Time: 14.2 s
In my personal opinion, there is something wrong about fitting Electrons on a Brutix. This ship is made to gank, and Electrons are the opposite of gank. However, this setup does weigh in with an acceptable 60,928 EHP. It's not great, but if you'd told me a couple years back that you could get "that much" survivability out of a Brutix while still doing 704 DPS, I'd have laughed at you.
As an additional downside, while a Brutix is normally pig slow already, adding this much additional mass through the plate and trimarks and you feel like you are flying a land barge...not necessarily good for a ship with only point blank damage capabilities. With a top speed of only 874 m/s, it is hard to either close with the enemy, or escape them if the battle gets too intense.
And now for the shield buffer:
EHP: 50,329
DPS: 855 (960 overheated)
Top Speed: 1112 m/s
Align Time: 12.4 s
Now we're talking. While the EHP does take an appreciable hit...down to just 50,329...all of the other capabilities skyrocket. The damage is up to a whopping 855, and that figure climbs to the nigh-ridiculous levels of 960 when the guns are overheated (note: that is close to blaster Megathron levels, for 1/3 the price). Moreover, with a top speed of 1112 m/s and much less overall mass, the shield buffered Brutix is better able to close to its still-pitiful optimal range.
Does this setup have its negatives? Of course. Dropping 10k EHP for 150-200 DPS is questionable. However, that same drop in the DPS allows the Brutix to better dictate range (read: close with the enemy) and escape if need be. In Arrogance fleets where we're often burning fast to and from our targets, the extra maneuverability and speed (not to mention additional DPS) are indeed life savers.
As an additional side note: Even without using the damage drones, the shield buffered Brutix deals only SEVEN less DPS than the armor buffered model does WITH the drones. This means that, properly prepared and outfitted, a fleet can make substantial use ECM or Logistics drones to improve their functions. Imagine a couple of these bad boys, still tossing out the pain, but also utilizing 5x Medium ECM drones preventing the enemy from retaliating. That, my friends, is what we call flexibility.
Hurricane
Ah, the Hurricane...how I have come to love thee. When the Hurricane was first introduced by CCP, I rushed to grab a BPO. Not because I thought I'd make extensive use of it in production (I'm a PvPer, not an industrial giant), but because I absolutely loved how it looked. CCP, for near the first time, had produced a Minmatar ship that I couldn't wait to fly. "Hello EVE Star Destroyer! Would you like to go for a spin?" I asked the first that arrived in my hangar. "Yes sir," it replied, "I can kill just by looking awesome." You get the drift.
EHP: 69,621
DPS: 590 (620 overheated)
Top Speed: 1025 m/s
Align Time: 13.7 s
The armor buffer fit for the Hurricane isn't bad at all. It weighs in with a very nice 69,621 EHP, which is quite a bit higher than the armor buffered Brutix. We're still nowhere near battleship levels, but we're at the point where we aren't worried about melting quickly even under concentrated fire.
The DPS, though, takes a hit when compared to the Brutix. A significant one. Yes, astute observers will probably say, "Well, you can boost this by dropping the nos and adding in launchers." They're right. We could, but we also feel that nuking the enemies cap in rapid order outweighs the marginal benefit that two unbonused launchers would provide.
Despite the additional mass, the Hurricane retains acceptable top speed and maneuverability. While the 1025 m/s speed likely won't turn any heads or catch up to the smaller things that could outrun it, it doesn't really need to because of Barrage. Instead of the crappy long range ammo that blasters have, Hurricanes have access to the awesomeness of Barrage, allowing the pilot to engage from much further out than his Gallente counterpart. So in this case, speed is good, but not quite the live-or-die value that it is for the Brutix.
Let's see how the shield buffered version compares:
EHP: 50,509
DPS: 677 (761 overheated)
Top Speed: 1311 m/s
Align Time: 11.9 s
Now we're talking! First, the negative: When moving to a shield buffered Hurricane, you lose EHP. A lot of it. Nearly 20k of it. Some of you may be asking, "So why would we ever use a shield buffer instead of armor for the Hurricane?!" Because, my friends, the Hurricane becomes a hit-and-run maven when it moves from the comparatively "Pokey Joe" armor setup to the fast and furious shield one.
You see, using Barrage, the shield buffered Hurricane is able to dictate range on a much wider variety of targets than its armor buffered cousin. The additional 300 m/s may not seem like a huge amount, when you're able to keep every battlecruiser, command ship, and battleship right at the range you want them at, you get to decide how the engagement is going to play out. Do you get in fast orbit them at 1000 meters? Do you "kite" them at the limits of your Warp Disruptor II range (not shown in the above screenshot)? The answer to these question is, "Yes, if I feel like it. Eat THAT armored Hurricane!"
All of this without evening touching on its DPS. The shielded Hurricane does more damage firing its guns normally than the armored Hurricane can achieve through overheating. And when the shielded Hurricane does overheat? Well, 761 DPS is nothing to laugh at. That's more than a armored Brutix. It's almost as much as the armored Brutix that is overheating, at a much greater range.
So to recap: The shield buffered Hurricane offers better DPS, better speed, better maneuverability, and a wider selection of targets that you can force to engage the way the you like, rather than catering to the demands of the enemy. All of this, at the expense of a rather hefty chunk of EHP.
Harbinger
The Harbinger is one of those ships that I love to hate. I've always been a bit anti-Amarr in-game, despite being able to fly their ships (and trust me, I love my Curse). This laser spewing behemoth is no exception to the rule. It hits hard, soaks up the punishment...and that's about it. Typical Amarr...
EHP: 73,412
DPS: 620 (690 overheated)
Top Speed: 896 m/s
Align Time: 14.4 s
This is what a Harbinger is supposed to look like. Lots of armor, lots of lasers, and slow as molasses. The EHP is incredibly respectable. 73k is as much EHP as most of your mission running battleships have. You know, those that don't fit a passive buffer, because they don't have to worry about things like neuts and nos.
However, all of this EHP comes with a price. Due to the Harbinger's crappy fitting, you are forced to choose "HP or Gank". By fitting the 1600mm plate and accoutrements, you are forced to downgrade all of your shiny lasers to Focused Medium II's. That, in turn, brings down the DPS to a paltry 620 DPS. Yes, you still get to use the much loved Scorch. And yes, Scorch is still awesome...but your DPS frankly isn't.
Thankfully, the ability to use Scorch compensates for the armored Harbinger's abysmal speed and acceleration. No need to rapidly close range when your longest range ammo is nearly as good as most other race's short range stuff, right? So unlike the armor plated Brutix, the Harbinger's survival isn't inherently tied to its speed. Instead, it just sucks to go this slow, and have this little maneuverability. But hey, at least you have 73k EHP, right?
EHP: 52,194
DPS: 760 (850 overheated)
Top Speed: 1138 m/s
Align Time: 12.5 s
This is taking the traditional Amarrian mindset and giving it a Khanid twist. "Armor? Pssh. Who needs it? We'll take some shield lovin' thank you!" Unfortunately, the Harbinger loses a staggering 21 thousand EHP in the process. That's a lot of EHP, no matter how you slice it. On the positive side, though, you're still have more EHP than a shield buffered Hurricane or Brutix does! 
In return for that loss of survivability comes an impressive leap in DPS. 760 normally is nice and all, but just take a look at the overheated damage numbers. 850. From a battlecruiser. From a battlecruiser that isn't paper thin! I love it!
Let's take just a moment to think about the psychological impact this ship would have on your enemy. They all know that your ship is going to be doing some nice damage, and they also know that you're going to be armor buffered, right? Imagine their surprise when you get primaried, and your shields don't drop nearly as fast as they "should" be. That's enough to cause pause in any fleet, and quite a bit of panic in those that were expecting to get in, get a kill, and get back out again in rapid fashion. Maybe they change targets? Maybe they hesitate just a moment? All the while, you're pouring our near-gank battleship levels of DPS and melting their face.
Not only that, but people won't be near as able to dictate range to your shield buffered Harbinger. You're not as fast as a Hurricane, make no mistake, but you can keep most other battlecruisers and battleships at exactly the range you want them to be at. Want to make use of your amazing Scorch? Do it. Want to close to point blank range and wreck them with faction Multifreq's? Do it. And when you need to bug out because the enemy is jumping more people in from the other gate in the system, you stand a much better chance of accomplishing that due to your higher top speed and acceleration.
Closing Thoughts
Are shield buffered ships battlecruisers inherently better than armor buffered ones? Heck no. In fact, in many situations they're flat out worse. No two ways around it. However, when fit into a specific combat doctrine that emphasis maximum damage, maximum maneuverability, and maximum acceleration...all while retaining average survivability...that's when they come into their own.
That's the way we fly in Arrogance Unlimited, as we feel that it caters to our name. Anyone can fly armor buffered ships in a large fleet. That's safe. We prefer flair and finesse, while remaining survivable. Our pilots are mobile, agile, and able to bring the pain. For us, there is joy and reward in going against the grain, and attempting something different that flies in the face of convention.