Republic Fleet Firetail
RELATED UNI-WIKI REFERENCES
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The Firetail is modeled off a fighter frigate known as the Shamrock, a design used by a small, now-extinct pirate faction known as Lazari Dromitus. The blueprint found its way into the hands of Matari military forces after a raid on Lazari Dromitus's headquarters succeeded in killing its leader, thus beheading the organization and scattering its remnants to the four winds. It has since been improved upon and upgraded, and the Firetail is now a mainstay in most Republic Fleet patrols. SHIP BONUSES
Minmatar Frigate bonuses (per skill level):
Ship Attributes
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Summary
The Republic Fleet Firetail - usually just called Firetail - is a high speed close range brawler. While being not as fast as the Dramiel it's still able to hold its own against other frigates and even bigger ships, simply dodging their turrets and missiles while still being able to hit them.
Its skill bonus acts as a strong multiplier to its otherwise low to medium firepower, essentially doubling the amount of turrets with Minmatar Frigate IV. In addition the tracking bonus ensures better hits even while orbiting targets with an afterburner running indefinitely.
Considering the ship bonuses and overall gameplay style the ship can act as a stepping stone from more common and generic T1 frigates to faster and more advanced ships, such as the Dramiel or T2 frigates, especially Assault Ships and Interceptors. Thanks to its speed and superior tracking it's a very interesting hull, even for more experienced pilots being able to fly more expensive ships.
Skills
- Small Projectile Turret IV
Due to the slot layout, the low amount of turrets and the ship's bonus, it's essential to fit two small projectile turrets. Other weapon systems will perform far less effective. While T2 projectile turrets are optional, they greatly increase the damage potential of the Firetail. - Motion Prediction IV
Due to the high velocity of the Firetail, it can be hard to properly hit targets, even for experienced and skilled pilots. As such every added tracking helps, making this skill rather mandatory. - Acceleration Control, Afterburner, Fuel Conservation, and Navigation IV
These skills further improve the ship's velocity as well as its ability to keep the Afterburner running indefinitely. This makes it easier to keep up with targets as well as avoid being hit. - Minmatar Frigate IV
With only two turret slots in the highs, training this skill to IV is essential for the Firetail's damage to match the performance of the Rifter's. Although the ship comes into its own with the skill trained to V, with anything less than IV the pilot is probably just as good flying a Rifter instead.
Fitting
280mm Howitzer Artillery II
280mm Howitzer Artillery II
Small Capacitor Booster II
Warp Disruptor II
Balmer Series Compact Tracking Disruptor I
5MN Y-T8 Compact Microwarpdrive
Overdrive Injector System II
Nanofiber Internal Structure II
Damage Control II
Small Projectile Metastasis Adjuster I
Small Core Defense Field Extender I
Small Anti-EM Screen Reinforcer I
Republic Fleet EMP S x240
Republic Fleet Fusion S x240
Republic Fleet Phased Plasma S x240
Navy Cap Booster 100 x20
- Kite out at long point range and prevent your opponent from returning fire using your TD. Don't get scrammed as you have very little tank.
Small Ghoul Compact Energy Nosferatu
200mm AutoCannon II
200mm AutoCannon II
Warp Scrambler II
Balmer Series Compact Tracking Disruptor I
1MN Afterburner II
X5 Enduring Stasis Webifier
200mm Steel Plates II
Small Ancillary Armor Repairer
Damage Control II
Small Projectile Burst Aerator I
Small Auxiliary Nano Pump I
Small Anti-Explosive Pump I
Republic Fleet Phased Plasma S x480
Republic Fleet Fusion S x480
Barrage S x480
Hail S x480
Nanite Repair Paste x32
- Very similar to the TD fit for the slasher and fights using the same ideas. You have less speed due to being armor tanked but you have a web so you will still be more manouverable than your opponent.
200mm AutoCannon II
200mm AutoCannon II
Medium Shield Extender II
Stasis Webifier II
Warp Scrambler II
5MN Quad LiF Restrained Microwarpdrive
Nanofiber Internal Structure II
Nanofiber Internal Structure II
Damage Control II
Small Anti-EM Screen Reinforcer I
Small Core Defense Field Extender I
Small Core Defense Field Extender I
Republic Fleet EMP S x240
Republic Fleet Fusion S x240
Republic Fleet Carbonized Lead S x240
Republic Fleet Depleted Uranium S x240
- Use it when you can't fly an interceptor or in low-sec for T1 frigate fleet (to fit into novice).
200mm AutoCannon II
200mm AutoCannon II
Rocket Launcher II
1MN Afterburner II
5MN Quad LiF Restrained Microwarpdrive
Warp Scrambler II
Medium Shield Extender II
Gyrostabilizer II
Nanofiber Internal Structure II
Micro Auxiliary Power Core I
Small Anti-EM Screen Reinforcer II
Small Projectile Burst Aerator I
Small Anti-Thermal Screen Reinforcer II
Republic Fleet EMP S x500
Republic Fleet Fusion S x1000
Republic Fleet Phased Plasma S x1000
Caldari Navy Inferno Rocket x100
Caldari Navy Nova Rocket x100
Nanite Repair Paste x50
- This is a cheap and easy-to-fly ship for when you want to enjoy some solo experience in nullsec.
- This fit isn't popular by any means, and the Republic Firetail has a hull with a good set up of slots, that grants a good variety of fits, so the people can't really figure out what are you packing in it.
- The element of surprise is a powerful thing to have.
- Your purpose is to eat little ships around nullsec, and you have the upper hand on many of them, but your best targets are enemy scouts/tacklers that you can chew really fast, before the main gang arrives.
- The fly operations are simple: burn with approach to your target once you want to commit, overheat your modules, and grab him with the scrambler.
- You will shut the enemy's MWD, so the target will be something easy for your big tracking guns.
- Once you got point on your prey, press orbit on him, and pre-set the distance around 1k, shut down your MWD and turn on the AB.
- The buffer tank and the speed will help you greatly
280mm Howitzer Artillery II
280mm Howitzer Artillery II
Warp Disruptor II
Fleeting Compact Stasis Webifier
Fleeting Compact Stasis Webifier
1MN Afterburner II
Damage Control II
Gyrostabilizer II
Nanofiber Internal Structure II
Small Anti-EM Screen Reinforcer I
Small Projectile Burst Aerator I
Small Projectile Metastasis Adjuster I
Republic Fleet EMP S x240
Republic Fleet Fusion S x240
Republic Fleet Phased Plasma S x1
- Use your webs to slow MWD targets right down and kite them inside overheated web range.
- You have an afterburner and webs and so shouldn't let an afterburner frig close you down, so stay as far out as possible while still keeping webs on the target.
280mm Howitzer Artillery II
280mm Howitzer Artillery II
Warp Disruptor II
Republic Fleet Small Shield Extender
1MN Y-S8 Compact Afterburner
5MN Cold-Gas Enduring Microwarpdrive
Nanofiber Internal Structure II
Gyrostabilizer II
Damage Control II
Small Anti-EM Screen Reinforcer I
Small Projectile Collision Accelerator II
Small Core Defense Field Extender I
Republic Fleet EMP S x100
Republic Fleet Fusion S x100
Republic Fleet Phased Plasma S x100
Republic Fleet Titanium Sabot S x100
Tactics
- Always fit an Afterburner for PvE: Given its speed and natural shield regeneration, the Firetail can simply speed/signature tank most lower level missions as well as cosmic anomalies and DED sites without further adding resistances or repair modules. However this greatly depends on skills and experience. Some missions and situations might make it necessary to fit a MWD instead to quickly reach some specific point or get in range to destroy a critical object like a Stasis Tower.
- The Firetail can be tanked either way: It's possible to shield tank, armor tank or simply speed/signature tank the ship. While this is up to personal preference, the ship really starts to shine when the pilot tries to outmaneuver enemies and their weapon systems rather than taking the hits. This frees up valuable low and mid slots to further improve the gun' tracking, damage and rate of fire. Given its price compared to common T1 frigates however, newbie pilots should try to gather experience while being properly tanked (or possibly overtanked).
- Don't get caught: As with all lighter tanked Minmatar ships, the Firetail can't sustain heavy hits and suffers greatly from speed impacting effects, such as Stasis Towers or Stasis Webifiers.
- Orbit or strafing runs: While it can be a lot more convenient to simply set a close orbit around a target, the Firetail can be even more effective doing strafing runs by burning right through or past enemies. Before leaving the falloff range, simply turn around by up to 180 degree and repeat. Especially when close by this will increase the transversal velocity a lot. The Firetail is affected by this as well, but it's able to counter part of this with its own tracking bonus.
- Get close and personal: While it might be tempting to use the Firetail's tracking bonus in conjunction with artillery, the ship is far better off with autocannons. At high distances the ship can't take advantage of its high velocity and the limited Powergrid makes fitting artillery even less desirable.
Notes
- While it is possible to fit two projectile turrets as well as one missile or rocket launcher, it might be more effective to either use the third high-slot for capacitor warfare or leave it empty to free up CPU and Powergrid for other modules, such as Webifiers or Warp Scramblers.
- Blueprint Copies with either 1 or 3 runs for the ship hull can be obtained from several Minmatar corporations. However, it might be cheaper to simply buy the ship off the market and use the LPs to equip the ship (with faction ammo for example).
Patch History
A long, long time ago... |
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Citadel Released on Wednesday, April 27, 2016
December v1.0 – Build: 995003 – 08.12.15
Odyssey 1.0 Released on Tuesday, June 4th, 2013
Odyssey 1.0 Released on Tuesday, June 4th, 2013
Retribution 1.0 Released on Tuesday, December 4, 2012
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