So this is an alt, my wife's toon that she doesn't play very often.

I originally started it as a "lets try something different", so since my main is heavily invested into gunnery skills i thought i'd try Missiles for this toon. That's how it started, then i tossed in some drone skills as support.. and it sort of evolved from there, and right now i'm dabbling in level 2/3 missions in a gila getting corp factions up to 5. I ran a few level 4's and right now after LP conversion (just blitzing) i'm doing around 40mil isk/hr running level 4 SoE missions in a gila.

I'm a min/max'er, and i'd like to skill this toon into something that can possibly approach 100mil isk/hr doing level 4 missions solo after factoring LP conversion and salvage if not blitzing. I'll probably end up doing SoE or Thukker missions, haven't decided yet. I've heard SoE LP is dropping in value, but that Thukker will ruin my faction with Amarr/Caldari which i'd really like to avoid.

I originally thought a Golem would be the pinnacle of an all around level 4 mission ship since it has damage selection, ewar immunity, built in salvage bonus', and crazy shield tank. Though after researching it a bit more, it seems missile ships in general start at a disadvantage since they have to use rigs for damage application instead of using warp speed rigs to reduce overall site completion times. So then i thought, this gila is pretty amazing, what about a rattlesnake? Even though its still a missile ship, maybe pushing dps high enough will outweigh slower warp speeds if i spend more time in mission sites to kill everything/salvage instead of blitzing. Or would it just be better to skill into a Vargur and blitz?

I read this thread: https://forums.eveonline.com/default.aspx?g=posts&t=334784

It deals with Vargur blitz vs non blitz isk/hr. Near the end it has this table of information:

First number LP value, 2nd number is blitzing income, 3rd is non-blitzing from previous spreadsheet
0 isk/lp: 42M/hour versus 71M/hour
800 isk/lp: 71M/hour versus 88M/hour
1,000 isk/lp: 78M/hour versus 93M/hour
2,000 isk/lp: 115M/hour versus 115M/hour
3,000 isk/lp: 151M/hour versus 137M/hour

SoE LP is currently sitting around 1,700 isk/lp utilizing buy orders, Thukker is around 2,200, both of which are down from a few months ago (2,000 / 2,500 roughly).

So SoE looks like non blitzing would pay better, and get me up to around 100mil isk/hr. Thukker would obviously pay better and would favor blitzing more.

Thoughts?

thukker tribe will reduce your amarr/caldari standings, but it looks like it won't ruin it. you should be able to counteract the gains/losses by minimizing storylines, and running occasional amarr/caldari missions. I have a few mission bases set up, and can easily jump clone or travel in an interceptor between them. makes balancing standings easy.

note that that data is a bit old. it also seems to be inefficient. with high standings you can decline the undesirable missions.

The best is machariel plus burner missions as indicated here: https://forums.eveonline.com/default.aspx?g=posts&m=5736268#post5736268

I have replicated the results, but not at a statistically significant level.

thukker tribe will reduce your amarr/caldari standings, but it looks like it won't ruin it. you should be able to counteract the gains/losses by minimizing storylines, and running occasional amarr/caldari missions. I have a few mission bases set up, and can easily jump clone or travel in an interceptor between them. makes balancing standings easy.

Would you use a flight of light drones, or would 2x Gecko's work for killing frigates?

How much active tank is enough? If i'm looking at eft, and i set the damage profile for say blood raiders, what sort of EHP/sec should i be aiming for?

Lights would probably be better either way, as Geckos can likely **** off an entire room of rats, where as lights really only need to fear elite frigs for the most part. Less chance for a hefty loss if you lose one or two lights versus having to replace a Gecko. Then again, that is assuming using Geckos in L4s have such an elevated risk over smaller drones, a risk I have yet to take to see for myself. If someone else has, shedding some light on this risk would be nice.

note that that data is a bit old. it also seems to be inefficient. with high standings you can decline the undesirable missions.

The best is machariel plus burner missions as indicated here: https://forums.eveonline.com/default.aspx?g=posts&m=5736268#post5736268

I have replicated the results, but not at a statistically significant level.

thukker tribe will reduce your amarr/caldari standings, but it looks like it won't ruin it. you should be able to counteract the gains/losses by minimizing storylines, and running occasional amarr/caldari missions. I have a few mission bases set up, and can easily jump clone or travel in an interceptor between them. makes balancing standings easy.

Mach may be faster on paper but it needs bling a vargur does not in order to compete.

Means it is not only a more attractive gank target, it is also a much softer one than a marauder.

Marauders can also use faction ammo economically, further increasing their potency.

Mach may be faster on paper but it needs bling a vargur does not in order to compete.

Means it is not only a more attractive gank target, it is also a much softer one than a marauder.

Marauders can also use faction ammo economically, further increasing their potency.

pith c-type xl is what, 30m? can always drop to a 10m DG xl, or even a meta4, hell DG/m4 might be better as they save on cpu. rf gyros are pretty cheap, and much cheaper than other faction damage mods. As far as I'm concerned if someone ganks my mach it is purely for lulz, and it was going down with a pure t2/meta fit. *bling* *bling*

and with arty pretty sure the ammo cost is even less than an ac varg. And for how many rounds I use I tend to just use faction when I do roll ACs. Full clearing yea probably not the best of ideas, blitzing, I cba to even try and calculate it I use so few rounds.

The...trouble isn't the right word...but it'll have to do. The trouble I ran into was that it could tank, but the cap was crap, so that means you either fly back damaged repping as you fly (bad move) or have cap issues and need to bling to various mods to alleviate the pressure.

The barrier for ganking has dropped a lot, deadspace MWD and a couple of RF gyros will invite a cloud of thrashers no problem these days, especially for something as squishy as a mach (compared to a marauder which have far higher entry costs to gank).

That said I used shield back in the day, not armor.

The other thing I found is it was just more hassle, warp speed rigs on the vargur, park it up in the site and annihilate everything, flying is a hassle .

Caveat: It's rare I single box missions now, so my memory may be cloudy as I've not blitzed in a long, long, long time. Although the clear speed of dual marauders is pretty much blitzing anyway. Can clear the entire spawns in every room in dread pirate in under 20 minutes, why would you not

Would you use a flight of light drones, or would 2x Gecko's work for killing frigates?

How much active tank is enough? If i'm looking at eft, and i set the damage profile for say blood raiders, what sort of EHP/sec should i be aiming for?

I am not sure what ship the others are speaking about when they answer this but the only sub-cap ships that have the bandwidth for 2 geckos in space at the same time are the Domi twins and the Ishtar. At 50 bandwidth the Rattle gets 1(one) gecko in space at a time. The only advantage I ever found to the Geckos when flying a Rattle was the omni damage capability, that means that you can be lazy and not change drones as often if you are looking for max damage. However a set of damage specific mediums is actually more effective than a single Gecko.

Ships that can use 2 Geckos:

Armageddon
Armageddon Navy Issue
Hyperion
Megathron Navy Issue
Dominix
Dominix Navy Issue
Maelstrom
Typhoon
Typhoon Fleet Issue
Nestor
Vindicator
Macherial
Bhaalgorn
Redeemer
Sin
Myrmidon
Eos
Stratios
Vexor Navy Issue
Ishtar
Proteus

You obviously forgot the Guardian-Vexor

Apparently no more Geckos (CCP Fozzie @ATXIII), so I guess enjoy them while they last (or are at least affordable).

Awesome. Will make my stack of them more valuable.

No, you can't have my tinfoil hat, I made it myself so I know theres no brainwave reading chips in it. Wake up Sheeple!

Inb4 they change their minds and their pet players mysteriously sell off their stocks the day before the announcement.

No, you can't have my tinfoil hat, I made it myself so I know theres no brainwave reading chips in it. Wake up Sheeple!

Geckos are not actually overpriced for the utility of them as yet BUT two Gecko will certianly add a lot to the viability of your mission ship as a gank target.

With gecko running between 120 and 150 mil each in the 4 big trade hubs and you state they are not overpriced yet. One has to wonder what you would consider overpriced?

They were overpriced once they went over $10-million ISK.

I usually don't even count those as not everyone has access to them.

Your sarcasmo meter is not working, I see

if we want to get really silly you can add to that list:

Skiff
Rorqual
Archon
Chimera
Thanatos
Nidhoggur
Aeon
Wyvern
Nyx
Hel
Revenant

Except all the above, minus the Rev, are easily affordable. I personally wouldn't want to be caught ratting in a super. Especially the Rev. Besides, who wants to fly that space turd?

but it does soooo much eft deepz!