Choosing a HAC

[johnnymathis]

Right now I am flying the drake in PvP, with a standard HAM setup.

 

http://www.battleclinic.com/forum/index.ph...ic,22179.0.html

 

More or less that setup, but with a couple minor differences, nothing really important. With Battlecruisers V and my high missile skills, this ship fights very well.

 

However, I feel that I want to take it a step up. I want to start using Heavy Assault Ships instead. My options for missile users are the Cerberus and the Sacrilege. I would like to use the same general tactic I use now, basically get up close, just outside blaster range (for most people) and unleash the fury.

 

Cerberus:

PROS:

*Range bonuses can give me more manuevering room.

*I don't need to train tanking because my shield tanking is already good.

 

CONS:

*Kinetic bonus only.

*Range bonus may or may not be useful.

 

Sacrilege:

PROS:

*Tanking bonus

*Cap bonus

*Damage bonus applies to all types

 

CONS:

*My armor tanking is pretty much crap.

*I've already trained one Cruiser to V, I'm not too crazy about another one

*No range bonuses.

 

I've been having trouble deciding and my corpmates are useless (it all depends on your playstyle, do you like to deal damage?...yes...well then I don't really know). Any advice for an aspiring HAC pilot?

[samroski]

Best of luck my friend- would love to help you with this- but have no clue. Theta or DrakOne should be able to give some advice if they notice.

[Dark0ne]

I'm in a Cerb soloing plexes in Branch/Tenal, which is pretty much where the Cerb shines (against kin/therm damage).

 

I deal about 560 DPS and tank 200 DPS, but with a sig radius atleast twice as low as the Drake the DPS it can tank is excellent. The range bonus is definately worthwhile, with my HAMs hitting out to 60k or so with the right rigs.

 

It depends what you want to do really. The Drake is still probably the best tanked Caldari ship for missions bar the Nighthawk, which is a chore to train towards. The Cerb is the best ship, in my opinion, for plexing and faction hunting in 0.0 with an excellent align time and small sig radius. HACs are always nice to train towards for PVP roaming gangs.

[myounage]

Sac.

[hoshi23]

do whatever you love to do in eve except to never fly a ship that is to expensive to loose. :wink:

[samroski]

I finally tested and used HAMs and here are my comments:

 

The ultimate HAM ship has to be the Tengu. Though it may be a little expensive for PvP.

 

The tengu works brilliantly in PvE. You do something like 800 DPS with HAMs- this pulverises opposition in seconds. The issue is the pathetic range. I get like 20km - and this is what eventually made me switch back to HMs.

 

I also note that the Amarr Strategic Crusier (?Legion) also has options (and bonuses) for a HAM setup- though, if low slots are being used for armor tank, then DPS may be lower than Tengu- where you must fit at least 3 ballistic control systems for a decent setup.

[morridune]

sry newb alert i know bt HAM, HAC?

[samroski]

sry newb alert i know bt HAM, HAC?

HAM= heavy assault missile- does less damage than heavy missiles (HM)- but faster rate of fire, and lower range

 

HAC= heavy assault cruiser- T2 i.e. tech 2 ship - better type of a cruiser that you can get once you train Cruisers V- these would give bonuses to HAMs- but T3 ships like the Tengu killed HACs imho as T3s give bonuses to HAMs and HM- and atm a HAC Tengu does equal or more damage than any other ship in the game - though with a range of 25km or so as opposed to >80km range for HMs.