Thursday, November 12, 2015

Pontifex. Stork. Magus. Bifrost.

The first enterprising souls have gone on Sisi and identified some new ships available for review; the command destroyers (inb4 we call them “commies” or “codies” (CoDes… though I doubt Code will use them). These ships are new T2 destroyer, a class sorely needed to make interdictors feel less alone.

The first thing I noticed was how stupid the name Stork was for a ship. It stretches credibility that they’d name a ship something as un-threatening and docile-sounding as “stork”. Jackdaw… okay, even if they took the name from Assassin’s Creed. Herons and buzzards aren’t threatening birds. I get Eagle, Vulture, Raptor, Vulture, Griffin, Raven… they all sound bad-ass. But “stork”? I suppose it’s terrifying to think someone’s going to drop a baby off on your doorstep, but…

The second thought I had was how cool it was that the new ships all focus on delivery, motion, or projection. Pontifex suggests “pontificate”, and projecting opinions. Storks are responsible for babies. Magi project power through magic and mysticism. And the bifrost is the coolest bridge in the history of literature (though, the Bridge of Hrethgir and Pons Sublicius are pretty awesome, too). It’s a pretty neat naming convention.

The reason for that, of course, is the cool new ability command destroyers are going to have… the ability to serve as a mobile micro jump unit, projecting all ships within its effective radius 100 km in the direction they’re facing. That’s right boys and girls, ALL ships, both friendly and hostile. Need to scatter an enemy logi wing? Just burn directly for the logi anchor and spool up your mobile jump module to scatter them from their fleet.

Bit by bit, CCP is engaging in its war on following anchors and numbers automatically smiting the enemy. And that’s awesome. Oh, and you wanted a counter to ECM? You’re welcome.  I predict these ships are going to become very popular.

But, the real question is whether these ships are going to be capable ships outside of that niche role that, quite frankly, doesn’t serve much value outside of large fleets.  After all, while the command destroyer can dictate when ships are flung away, the target can still control the direction in which he travels.  “You don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here.”  That won’t be helpful if you want to keep a target tackled.

So, let’s look at the bonuses these ships receive.



All four of the ships seem to be meant to be kiting ships. Two have a maximum 50% bonus to drone damage and hp.  But, they’re armor ships, and to maintain enough range to stay away from enemy guns, they’ll have to be resist fit with an active tank.  Otherwise, the extra mass of a buffer tank will slow them down too much. The other two ships are your typical shield missile kiters, made more viable by a 50% MWD penalty decrease. You’re supposed to survive long enough under MWD to stay at whichever range you want.



Taking a look at the stats of these ships, there’s a lot to appreciate. The first thing I notice is the resists, which are varied and provide some interesting options for tanking specific damage types.  Fighting lasers? Go with the Bifrost (which is totally awesome… what but a rainbow bridge can deal with the rainbow of laser types?). If you’re facing a kinetic lock – which, by the way, the Stork will be – you should use a Magus. There’s an option for each damage type, making these ships incredibly powerful if you know the enemy you’ll be facing.

And then we have the fitting layout.



Now, I’m sure these three images will be dissected by people more skilled at fitting than me.  On my part, I’m not a big fan of missile kiting boats. Flying them feels like I’m poking someone with a pin. So, I’ll likely prefer the armor drone ships. In particular, the number of mid slots on Magus offer the change for all sorts of fun. Web, scram, tracking disruptor, and MWD?  Or perhaps dual TD, MWD and point. Lots of mids means lots of fun. I do know that, fit with a web and scram, once a Magus gets within close range and can shut off it’s MWD, it will be tough to hit and dish out some good damage.

I also like the options of having five low power slots on the Pontifex. Perhaps the Worm will have a run for its money as the dominant drone boat. You should be able to fit both a tank and some damage mods that, with a full flight of small drones, can rival the damage of a Worm, along with more survivability. This ship seems to beg for a small ancillary armor repper, EANM, two DDAs, and a DCU with that resist profile.

And, to top it off, if you find yourself losing the fight, just turn on your mobile jump module and send your opponent flying off in another direction so you can escape.


This is gonna be fun!

35 comments:

  1. Remember, the the people of the Eve cluster are thousands of years from the last Earth contact. Much like the medieval people and the fauna of Africa, they probably have wacky ideas about old Earth birds. For all we know, the Caldari think the Stork is a ferocious bird that hurls its prey in the air before leaping up and swallowing it in its cavernous jaws.

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    1. That isn't what a Stork does?

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    2. I didn't think the stork's themselves leaped in the air while fishing. And the Caldari notion of them having bronze feathers is a bit off, though one can see why given the metal excreteing birds of XQ-TYZ VIII. ;-)

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    3. If you read the description for the Tengu, you'll see some colorful and allegorical language about a swarm of birds. I'm assuming that encapsulates why all the Caldari ships are named as they are.

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  2. As I said in your N+1 article comments thread, the use for these destroyers to radically foul up hostile logi/FC by warping them away from the majority of their fleet is wild. Especially if you get multiple destroyers to do it in a chain. Fleet of five. Commie 1 jumps 100km. then commie 2. etc etc. You could haul some hostiles very far off grid like that, then drop a headcap fleet on them.

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    1. The only challenge is that the jump module will send them in which ever direction they're facing, which isn't necessarily the same direction. I see this more for scattering that catapulting.

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  3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_buzzard

    Buzzards are birds of prey mate.....

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    1. Totally right! For some reason, I was thinking of a vulture.

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  4. What about sniper groups .. landing on grid and tossing everyone out 100km .. yes burn towards me yes yes .. lol

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  5. oh .. also they will be the ultimate oh shit button .. keep one guy cloaked and ready .. when the battle is turning to crap just have him uncloak and bam .. everyone warps away

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    1. This is a very good point. I have to assume there will be a spool-up to give folks some time to counter it, and that scramming and pointing someone prevents it from working. Otherwise, yeah, it's definitely an escape button.

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  6. what about anti-ganking? your bumping me i sacrifice an alt in a destoyer and away I go.. or I scatter your catalysts just as they are landing etc

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  7. Oh crap i just realized something what about ganking .. you land on gate and suddenly your 100km off gate .. ouch

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    1. Imagine this combined with bubbles in null-sec... you can control when someone comes out of warp, and can predict how long it'll take to transit. You can set it so your cycle is ending just as they're returning to sublight speed.

      Or, you can sit on a gate, do the same thing, and catapult them INTO a bubble 100 km away!

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  8. does using the apparatus cause a weapons timer? does it cause one if you only affect yourself? or only allies? fleetmates? or non fleetmates? that could be a big deal .. specially in high sec .. but also in low since you could chase a gate crasher back through even after a missed jump attempt...

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  9. "And, to top it off, if you find yourself losing the fight, just turn on your mobile jump module and send your opponent flying off in another direction so you can escape."

    That's going to be broken as fuck.

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    1. He's actually quoting this wrong. Your ship goes too. So no "running away while your opponents are 100KM off". You and everything next to you goes 100KM

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  10. this could definitely make some big changes on the way PvP works in EvE

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  11. Man I can't wait for these new destroyers! :)
    I totally see myself flying he Pontifex in highsec as a fun little PvE fleet ship equiped with one of the A-type small reppers I've found through exploration. And the Magus? Well that would be something I'd setup in null when I take day trips down to Provi/Catch for a little fun with my old alliance. Really looking forward to these.

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    1. That's another thing I was considering... PvE potential for these ships. I could see a lot of use with the drone boats against certain NPC rats.

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    2. That's another thing I was considering... PvE potential for these ships. I could see a lot of use with the drone boats against certain NPC rats.

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  12. "...just turn on your mobile jump module and send your opponent flying off in another direction so you can escape."

    The way I read it the Micro Jump Drive doesn't "send" other ships away... it gives the Cmd Dessie (“commies”, “codies”... really??) the ability to TAKE whatever ships are in range of the effect WITH them 100km to Far Far Overthere... not Starburst other ships AWAY from the Cmd Dessie... Did I read that wrong?

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  13. Uh huh... looked it up:

    "Introducing New Destroyers
    Four new Tech II Destroyers that favor defense and speed and can fit the powerful and versatile area-of-affect Micro Jump Field Generators, which microjumps
    you and any ships nearby far from your current location."

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    1. Right, but it doesn't say you all travel in the same direction. that's the big question. Will it work like mobile jump units do now, where you travel in the direction you're pointed, or will the "direction pointed" be the command destroyer's direction? That will make a big difference.

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    2. I'll look it up (at work, can't search 'game' oriented sites... blech) but what I read was... "It jumps you and all ships in range of the effect 100km in the direction YOU are going." So as I read it, no matter how they are aligned, they jump and land WITH you 100km on your alignment.

      It's not a Starburst and it's not a Get Out of Jail Free card... it's for jumping yourself and your mates out of, or into, a situation... grab bad guys and the bad guys go with you.

      So... you think the eminy Cmd Dessi is gonna jump himself and the Logi wing to get clear, then you burn in hard and if you get in range, you go with them...

      Conversely you have to be careful not to take enemies long when you use it... far better than a random Starburst IMHO...

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    3. Found it!!! The Micro Jump Field Generator as described by CCP Fozzie on EVE TV. Fozzie states very clearly the MJFG will take other ships WITH you... regardless of how they are aligned or moving as long as they are inside your MJFG field. They will land 'where you land' and then continue on their previous course and speed.

      So, no forced Starburst, no shoving other ships away from the Cmd Dessie. Fozzie says:
      It's a short range effect (and that it will actually be a challenge to catch people with it);
      it will not affect Capitols;
      it will not work in Hisec and;
      it will not affect ships inside a POS FF.

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    4. The next question is, could you chain the effect using multiple MJFGs with multiple destroyers firing it one after another? Or will they fix it to prevent this sort of gameplay?

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    5. I imagine that would be possible. The sheer amount of coordination required to do it successfully fits in neatly with CCP's desire to increase the effort put in by individual members of a fleet. Allowing it would reward that kind of coordination.

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  14. Think of WH data/Relic sites. Warp in at 0, jump the sleepers 100km. Hack the cans and leave...

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  15. Tal... Here is what you are talking about... During the EVE Vegas Key Note a new Doomsday weapon was announced by CCP Larrikin, The Hand of God... Titans, using a modified Bridging Tech will be able to force jump a targeted group of subcaps to a random spot in the same system. Downside, doesn't jump Caps and disrupts your own fleets warp capabilities...

    As for the Micro Jump Field Generators... I know I read or heard somewhere someone CCPish said you would jump 100km on your alignment taking all ships in your field effect range WITH you... I just can't find it. Yet.

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  16. Does anyone know if it micro jumps people still in their wormhole/gate cloak?

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