User:Hon dao/tackling

This page was originally at Tackling 101 Guide - WIP and was moved here in 2015 by Telinchei ^{Talk · Contribs} 05:49, 11 November 2015 (CST)

This is a work in progress to consolidate all of the Uni's basic tackling guides into one single page, in order to give the newcomer to both PvP and the Uni one single text reference that may be used to help them understand the basics of tackling. While it will have links to other parts of the wiki, or other websites, it is intended that as much of the required information is on this page as possible.

Please do not make edits directly to this page, as it may well be out of date compared to the version I have on my own Wiki (Where I'm doing most of the editing, to keep the number of minor updates in this page's history to a minimum). This notice will be removed when I consider this page ready for public editing. Meanwhile suggestions / alterations / additions are welcome in the related forum thread here. Hon dao 00:19, 22 January 2012 (UTC)

Introduction

As this is aimed at newer players it will cover tech 1 tackle frigates only (not cruisers and up, or tech 2 interceptors).

The fittings suggested here will take into account having low skill points, and lack of flying experience, so that new pilots will still be able to make use of them, but will also provide suggestions as to what to train for, in order to make the ideal tech 1 tackler, by which point you should be ready to move on to tech 2 tackle frigates.

Methods and fittings here are aimed at what is likely to be most useful in Uni fleets, and not what is used in solo flying, or for the more capable tackling ships that have much higher requirements (although a lot of these basics do carry over to interceptors, etc.).

Tackling Fundamentals

What is tackling?

Tackling refers to the reduction of a ship's mobility, such that it is unable to escape combat.

It Takes Two (or more) to Tackle

(At least when the tacklers are tech 1 frigates.)

There are effectively two parts to tackling:

• Warp prevention - preventing the target ship from entering warp by disabling it's warp drive.
• Speed reduction - reducing the out of warp speed of the target ship, otherwise it may:
  • Simply outrun the ship that is preventing it from warping, getting out of range of their warp preventing modules to enter warp
  • Move into range of a jump gate or station to get out of combat by jumping or docking.
  • Move faster than the rest of the tackler's fleet. The tackler may be able to keep up, and keep the target warp disrupted, but that serves no purpose if the target is still able to move faster than the rest of the tackler's fleet.

At the tech 1 frigate level there are 3 module types used to tackle, which have the following strengths and weaknesses, and which fill 1 or more of the 2 forms of tackling:

Module	Advantages	Disadvantages
Warp Disruptor	Long range.	High cap use, only prevents warping.
Warp Scrambler	Both prevents warp, as well as disabling the target's Microwarp Drive. Lower cap use and fitting requirements than a Warp Disruptor.	Short range. Does not do anything to slow ships that are using an Afterburner instead of a Microwarp Drive.
Stasis Webifier	Reduces a ship's speed, so affects both ships with Microwarp Drives, as well as Afterburners.	Short range. Does nothing to prevent warping.

Because the modules used for tackling are varied, and can't all be fitted effectively onto just one ship, it is required that a number of tacklers with different fits are present in the fleet. The smallest number to tackle effectively for fleet purposes is 2, although 3 are preferred. From here on they will be referred to as 1st, 2nd and 3rd tackler (which is based on the order in which they approach and tackle the target). There are many other fits that are more specialised for certain roles, or which can be used for solo combat by having both warp prevention and one of the forms of speed reduction, but this guide will be focusing only on fits and tactics that will be of most use in larger Uni 'blob' fleets.

1st Tackler

The 1st tackler's role is first and foremost to prevent their target from warping. It is fit to achieve the following:

• Get a target lock as fast as possible. Certain tech 1 frigates have faster lock times, and a Sensor Booster module may be used to decrease locking time too.
• Close range on the target quickly. This requires the use of a Microwarp Drive.
• Have tackle modules with sufficient range to allow them to be used as soon as possible (while allowing the tackler to keep out of range of any more effective, shorter ranged tackle modules that their target may have fit).
• Be able to survive until a 2nd tackle can assist or take over (if take over the 1st tackle could disengage to avoid taking further damage, or find another target to tackle).

(This effectively describes the role of the tech 2 frigate, the interceptor.)

2nd Tackler

The 2nd tackler's job is to either assist or take over from the 1st tackle, slowing the target so that the rest of the fleet can catch up. It is fit to achieve the following:

• Move almost as fast as a 1st tackle, or at least faster than the target, as the target will not yet have had it's speed reduced. Like on the 1st tackle, this requires the fitting of a Microwarp Drive.
• Prevent the target from warping. As range is no longer a concern a Warp Scrambler is preferred for this.
• Slow the target, either through the use of a Warp Scrambler or Stasis Webifier. Ideally both.
• Be able to survive until larger ships in the fleet can tackle the target, or until a 3rd tackler an assist/take over.

3rd Tackler

Once the 1st and 2nd tackle have done their job, a 3rd tackle is sometimes used, as once the target's speed is reduced, then slower ships may hold it in place. These have the advantage over faster 1st and 2nd tackles of being able to take much more damage. It is fit to achieve the following:

• Avoid more incoming damage than 1st/2nd tackles, or at least be a lot harder to take down, this is achieved through a combination of:
  • Fitting a larger/more effective tank than a 1st/2nd tackler.
  • Using an Afterburner instead of an Microwarp Drive, as while this module does not provide the same speed boost, it does not have the drawbacks of a Microwarp Drive that make you more susceptible to incoming damage.

(The tech 2 ship that best fulfils the role of 2nd or 3rd tackle is the Assault Frigate, which, while slower than an interceptor, is still faster than most target ships, and is capable of taking a lot more damage.)

Note

As part of some Uni fleets you may be expected to use a tackling fit tailored to any one of these roles. If you are asked to change, it isn't because you've done anything wrong, it's just that fleet commanders need to be sure that the right proportion of tacklers are present in the fleet to fulfil all tackling roles. There is very little difference between them in required skill training, and the number of alternative modules needed to switch over will also be small.

If you're an FC and would like people to change, please respect that they may wish to favor one style or the other of tackling, and ask for volunteers to fit differently before requesting changes to individual's fits.

What modules do I need to be a tackler?

Tackling modules

There are three core modules that are used to tackle at the beginner level (Interdictors and Heavy Interdictors, along with their specialist modules, need more skills, and are an advanced topic):

• Warp Disruptor - Only disables warping.
• Warp Scrambler - Disables warping, and disables a ship's Microwarpdrive (if it has one), limiting it's speed.
• Stasis Webifier - Reduces a ship's speed by a percentage.

Propulsion Modules (prop mods)

Because the range on your tackling modules is limited, you will usually need to get into range of your target to use them. You must do this before the target can align and warp off, so moving quicker will allow you to close the distance faster. Also being able to move quicker allows you to avoid certain kinds of threat more effectively. The following modules increase your speed:

• Afterburner - Increases your ship's speed.
• Microwarp Drive - Increases your ship's speed considerably more than an afterburner, but also has significant disadvantages to it's fitting and use.
• Overdrive Injectors - Increases your speed by a small amount.
• Nanofibre Internal Structures - Increases your speed by around half as much as an Overdrive Injector, but also increases your ship's agility.

Targeting Modules

If you are in range to activate your tackle mods, you will still have to gain a target lock on the ship you wish to tackle. For the times that you need to do this quickly, usually on smaller ships that both take longer to lock onto, and can align much faster, these modules may be of use:

• Sensor Booster - As is this boosts both your targeting range, and reduces your locking time. Can be loaded with scripts (similar to how weapons are loaded with ammunition), to gain a greater bonus to one of those 2 boosts, at the loss of the other.

Tanking Modules

On the approach to the ship you're going to tackle you're going to be vulnerable to damage, especially if you are running a Microwarp Drive. You can also be vulnerable once you have the target tackled, and are orbitting it inside your tackle mod's ranges. Not every type of damage can be avoided through just speed and agility, and for that you will need some kind of buffer tank to help you survive. For tackle frigates the recommended modules are:

• Shield Extenders - Increases your shield buffer.
• Armor Plates - Increases your armor buffer.
• Energised Plating - Increases your armor resistances.
• Resistance Plating - Increases your armor resistances less than the above, but has lower fitting requirements.
• Damage Controls - The resistance bonus these give boosts the effectiveness of your tank significantly, for a very small fitting requirement. Having one of these on tackle frigates is highly recommended.

Weapons

Weapons on a tackler are used primarily for defense, as their damage capability is not significant against larger ship targets. Instead they are used against drones sent to attack you. The following two types are preferred as they use no capacitor, all of which may be needed to run both your tackling and primary speed mods for the length of the encounter.

• Autocannons - High tracking, short range, high damage per second projectile turret.
• Rocket Launchers - Short range, high damage version of missiles.

Other Defensive Modules

While more suited to Hydra fleets, where other fleet members aren't providing these effects, having one of the following ewar modules may help you survive where you do not have the fitting resources to fit a proper tank, by reducing your target's damage dealing ability. Both of these, like a Sensor Booster, can be loaded with scripts to boost one of their effects, at the cost of losing the other:

• Tracking Disruptors - Reduces the effective range of the target's guns, and more importantly for a tackler, the gun's ability to track targets.
• Sensor Dampeners - Reduces the range at which your target is able to target ships, and increases the time it takes for them to gain a target lock.

What kind of ship do I need to be a tackler?

Something fast and maneuverable, that can lock onto targets quickly. For the newcomer to the game this means tech 1 frigates, which also have the benefit of being inexpensive to replace if lost (or even free through the Uni's ship replacement program). Of all the tech 1 frigates the preferred ones have the following features:

• Ship bonuses and basic stats that provide speed, tanking, or to a lesser extent weapon tracking and damage.
• As many mid slots as possible in which to fit tackle modules and propulsion modules. In addition it may be possible to fit a shield extender if mid slots are plentiful, and the ship is lacking in low slots in which to put it's tank.
• More low slots to fit an armor tank in, should the ship be lacking mid slots.

Modules in depth

A Note on Tech and Meta Levels

• Tech level is essentially the amount of training you need to put the module onto your ship, with tech 2 modules needing additional levels of the base skill that would be needed to fit a tech 1 version of the module.
• Meta levels roughly show how modules in the same class are better than each other. As a general rule:

Meta Level	Tech Level	Source and Cost	Fitting	Bonuses
0	1	Produced by players and looted from NPCs. Cheap and readily available.	Higher fitting requirements than meta 1-4 modules.	Give the lowest bonuses.
1-4	1	Loot from NPC ships only, with meta 1 modules dropping far more often than meta 4 ones, so cost increases as meta level does.	Fitting requirements drop as the meta level increases.	Bonuses increase as the meta level increases.
5	2	Produced by players, and are relatively inexpensive compared to meta 4, or sometimes even meta 3 modules.	Fitting requirements higher than any other meta level.	Have bonuses equal to meta 4 modules.
6 (Faction/Deadspace)	1	Particularly rare and expensive, only having a chance to drop from certain named NPC ships, or purchased through loyalty points after doing sufficient misions	Have some of the lowest fitting requirements.	Give some of the highest bonuses.

• You should try to fit modules of as high a meta level as you can afford, to give the best bonuses (with meta 2 usually giving reasonable bonuses for a newer player, for the increase in cost).
• If you have particularly low skills, and are having difficulty fitting modules of a low meta level, then fitting modules of a higher meta level may allow you to complete the fit, as they have slightly lower requirements.
• Use of meta 6+ modules is not permitted on Uni ships during wartime, and is strongly discouraged at all other times, due to their extremely high costs.
• Tech 2 (meta 5) modules, as well as requiring a higher level of the skill needed to fit the same class of Tech 1 module, will also need significantly better skills that provide Power Grid, CPU or Capacitor, as Tech 2 modules have higher fitting requirements.

Tackle mods

Warp Disruptor (point)

Market > Ship Equipment > Electronic Warfare > Warp Jammers

This module only applies the primary form of tackling, preventing warp. It does however have a longer range than the other tackling mods. The downside to having that range is that the Warp Disruptor uses rather a lot of capacitor, and if you are low on skillpoints, it may only be possible to run one of these for a couple of minutes along with an afterburner or MWD. While 2 minutes is longer than most engagements, if you have been warping around a lot before you engage, you may already be low on capacitor before the fight starts.

Name	Meta Level	Power Grid	CPU	Activation Cost	Range	Required Skills
Warp Disruptor I	0	1 MW	40 tf	25 GJ	20 km	Propulsion Jamming I
Initiated Warp Disruptor I	1	1 MW	38 tf	24 GJ	20 km
Fleeting Warp Disruptor I	2	1 MW	36 tf	20 GJ	20 km
J5 Prototype Warp Disruptor I	3	1 MW	34 tf	23 GJ	20 km
Faint Warp Disruptor I	4	1 MW	32 tf	21 GJ	20 km
Warp Disruptor II	5	1 MW	44 tf	25 GJ	24 km	Propulsion Jamming II

Warp Scrambler (scram)

Market > Ship Equipment > Electronic Warfare > Warp Jammers

Name	Meta Level	Power Grid	CPU	Activation Cost	Range	Required Skills
Warp Scrambler I	0	1 MW	30 tf	5 GJ	7500 m	Propulsion Jamming I
Initiated Harmonic Warp Scrambler I	1	1 MW	26 tf	5 GJ	7875 m
Fleeting Progressive Warp Scrambler I	2	1 MW	29 tf	4 GJ	8250 m
J5b Phased Prototype Warp Scrambler I	3	1 MW	27 tf	5 GJ	8625 m
Faint Epsilon Warp Scrambler I	4	1 MW	28 tf	4 GJ	9000 m
Warp Scrambler II	5	1 MW	36 tf	5 GJ	9000 m	Propulsion Jamming II

Stasis Webifier (web)

Market > Ship Equipment > Electronic Warfare > Stasis Webifiers

Name	Meta Level	Power Grid	CPU	Activation Cost	Range	Max Velocity Bonus	Required Skills
Stasis Webifier I	0	1 MW	25 tf	5 GJ	10 km	-50 %	Propulsion Jamming I
'Langour' Drive Disruptor I	1	1 MW	20 tf	5 GJ	10 km	-52.5 %
Patterned Stasis Web I	2	1 MW	23 tf	5 GJ	10 km	-55 %
X5 Prototype I Engine Enervator	3	1 MW	21 tf	4 GJ	10 km	-57.5 %
Fleeting Propulsion Inhibitor I	4	1 MW	22 tf	4 GJ	10 km	-60 %
Stasis Webifier II	5	1 MW	30 tf	6 GJ	10 km	-60 %	Propulsion Jamming IV

The stasis webifier is different from the warp disruptor and the warp scrambler. The stasis webifier focuses on decreasing the sub-warp speed of a ship. The sub-warp speed is the speed that you normally fly around at.

The sub-warp speed reduction depends on the version of the module. The tech 1 version causes a 50% speed reduction, the tech 2 version causes a 60% speed reduction. Both modules have a maximum range of 10km.

Note: While tackling someone, always use a warp disruptor or scrambler 'before' the stasis webifier. Reducing the top speed of a ship with a web will make it easier for the target to warp away because they can then more quickly reach the 75% of top speed needed for initiating warp. So point first, then web.

Prop mods

Tackling requires that you can move fast enough to get into range to apply warp disruption, before the target can align their ship and accelerate into warp, as well as to stay on top of them and keep them from breaking range afterwards. Therefore modules that boost both the velocity and manoueverability of your own ship are a vital part of tackling.

Afterburner (AB)

Market > Ship Equipment > Propulsion > Afterburners

Name	Meta Level	Power Grid	CPU	Activation Cost	Max Velocity Bonus	Required Skills
1MN Afterburner I	0	10 MW	15 tf	20 GJ	112.5 %	Afterburner I
Upgraded 1MN Microwarpdrive I	2	10 MW	15 tf	20 GJ	121.5 %
Experimental 1MN Afterburner I	3	10 MW	15 tf	20 GJ	126 %
1MN Afterburner II	5	10 MW	15 tf	22 GJ	135 %	Afterburner IV

(10MN and 100MN versions are intended for Cruiser and Battleship sized vessels respectively)

Microwarpdrive (MWD)

Market > Ship Equipment > Propulsion > Microwarpdrives

Name	Meta Level	Power Grid	CPU	Activation Cost	Max Velocity Bonus	Capacitor Penalty	Required Skills
1MN Microwarpdrive I	0	15 MW	25 tf	45 GJ	500 %	-25 %	Afterburner III, High Speed Maneuvering I
Upgraded 1MN Microwarpdrive I	2	15 MW	25 tf	45 GJ	500 %	-22 %
Limited 1MN MicroWarpdrive I	3	15 MW	23 tf	45 GJ	500 %	-19%
1MN Microwarpdrive II	5	17 MW	25 tf	50 GJ	500 %	-17%	Afterburner III, High Speed Maneuvering III

(10MN and 100MN versions are intended for Cruiser and Battleship sized vessels respectively)

Overdrive Injector System (OD)

Market > Ship Equipment > Propulsion > Propulsion Upgrades > Overdrives

Name	Meta Level	Velocity Modifier	Cargo Capacity Bonus	Required Skills
Overdrive Injector System I	0	10.4 %	-15 %	Hull Upgrades I
Mark I Modified SS Overdrive Injector	1	10.8 %	-15 %
Type-D Altered SS Overdrive Injector	2	11.1 %	-15 %
Beta Hull Mod Overdrive Injector	3	11.4 %	-15 %
Local Hull Conversion Overdrive Injector I	4	11.8 %	-15 %
Overdrive Injector System II	5	12.5 %	-20 %	Hull Upgrades II

(The other Overdrives in the market give a lower boost to velocity. As these modules don't have any fitting requirements only the better modules are listed above.)

Nanofiber Internal Structure (nano)

Market > Ship Equipment > Hull & Armor > Hull Upgrades > Nanofiber Internal Structures

Name	Meta Level	Velocity Modifier	Inertia Modifier	Structure HP Bonus	Required Skills
Nanofiber Internal Structure I	0	7.85 %	-13.1 %	-15 %	Hull Upgrades I
Mark I Modified SS Nanofiber Structure	1	8.1 %	-14 %	-15 %
Type-D Altered SS Nanofiber Structure	2	8.35 %	-14.4 %	-15 %
Beta Hull Mod Nanofiber Structure	3	8.6 %	-15.15 %	-15 %
Local Hull Conversion Nanofiber Structure I	4	8.9 %	-15.8 %	-15 %
Nanofiber Internal Structure II	5	9.4 %	-15.8 %	-20 %	Hull Upgrades II

(The other Nanofibers in the market give a lower boost to velocity and reduction to inertia. As these modules don't have any fitting requirements only the better modules are listed above.)

Targetting mods

Sensor Booster (SEBO)

Market > Ship Equipment > Electronics and Sensor Upgrades > Sensor Boosters

Name	Meta Level	Power Grid	CPU	Activation Cost	Max Targeting Range Bonus	Scan Resolution Bonus	Required Skills
Sensor Booster I	0	1 MW	10 tf	10 GJ	25 %	25 %	Long Range Targeting I
Sensor Booster I	0	1 MW	8 tf	10 GJ	26.3 %	26.3 %
Sensor Booster I	0	1 MW	9 tf	9 GJ	27.5 %	27.5 %
Sensor Booster I	0	1 MW	9 tf	9 GJ	28.8 %	28.8 %
Sensor Booster I	0	1 MW	9 tf	8 GJ	30 %	30 %
Sensor Booster II	0	1 MW	10 tf	5 GJ	30 %	30 %	Long Range Targeting IV

Tanking mods

Tackling someone tends to annoy them in a big way. For the times when you aren't the only one doing the tackling, when you can rely on it being likely someone else will be shot at first, having some kind of shield or armor tank can be handy to help you survive to make an escape, or just to keep tackling long enough to allow someone who's more annoying to join you in the fight.

Shield

Shields are most likely to be used on either the Rifter or Merlin, where the slot layout allows the use of mids for mods other than those used for tackling or propulsion. For both those ships Medium Shield Extenders are the preferred size, where a Small Shield Extender is the only size possible on a Kestrel due to it's limited power grid.

MSE

Armor

Armor Plate

Resistance Plating

Energized Plating

(EANM)

Damage Control (DC/DCU)

Other defensive mods

Tracking Disruptor (TD)

Sensor Dampener (SD)

Weapons

These are probably the least important of the fittings on a tackle frigate. As a tackler should be making use of your ship's available CPU, Power Grid and Capacitor to fit and run tackling or propulsion modules. Anything that remains afterwards is used in more of a defensive capacity, usually against drones, than offensively against your target. If you're lacking on skills and having problems fitting all your modules, you can either drop the size of your guns, leave some weapon slots empty, or even go so far as to omit weapons completely.

Autocannons

Why not Lasers, Railguns, or Blasters? All those use capacitor, and you will need to reserve as much of that as possible to run your AB or MWD, as well as your point, scram or web. Autocannons have good tracking and high damage at the kind of ranges that drones attack from so are the preferred weapon choice for turret slots on tacklers (EMP ammo is best against drones). You don't need to go to the trouble of training this skill to a high level while flying T1 tackle frigates, as you will rarely be making use of your guns as a tackler, unless some drones are sent at you. If they are particularly tough drones you will be better off warping off, as you are unlikely to survive the damage a large number of good drones can do.

Rockets

These are prefered over missiles as they provide greater damage against drones at short range. If you have the fitting skills to add them alongside autocannons they are a good choice to boost your DPS against drones, but they also have another bonus, in that you can load defender missiles into them, giving you a little defense against attackers using missiles on you. For every launcher you have you will be able to knock out at least one of the missiles in your attacker's volley. This can be considered a more advanced use of launchers though, as you would need to judge if it's better to swap out your ammo to use them against missiles, for what may be a small reduction in the volley's damage, when it would also reduce your ability to defend against drones. Generally speaking though, other tactics are more important to a new player's survival, and this is the kind of tactic you make use of once you've mastered those others.

The Ships - Tech 1 Tackle Frigates

While there are a wide range of tech 1 frigates for each race, only certain ships from those races are really suitable for tackling, and among those there are obvious 'better' ships for the role. The following are the two for each race that provide the best utility and survivability. While there are others that could be used to tackle they have sufficient shortcomings compared to these that they aren't recommended:

Name	Lows	Mids	Highs(Turrets/Launchers)	Shield/Armor/Structure	Speed	'Bare' Align Time*	Power Grid	CPU	Capacitor	Capacitor Recharge Time	Targeting range	Scan Resolution	Signature Radius
Amarr
Punisher	4	2	4(3/0)	391/469/391	287 m/s	6.4 s	45	115	425	281.25 s	25.0 km	610 mm	38 m
Crucifier	3	3	2(2/0)	274/375/329	282 m/s	6.9 s	25	215	250	187.5 s	47.5 km	440 mm	46 m
Caldari
Merlin	2	4	4(2/2)	469/351/313	268 m/s	5.0 s	35	175	350	234.38 s	30.0 km	550 mm	40 m
Kestrel	2	3	4(0/4)	391/313/266	296 m/s	6.5 s	30	150	250	187.50 s	40.0 km	465 mm	47 m
Gallente
Incursus	2	3	3(3/0)	313/368/368	334 m/s	4.9 s	34	110	325	234.38 s	37.5 km	620 mm	44 m
Tristan	3	3	4(2/2)	391/430/383	296 m/s	5.6 s	38	125	350	234.38 s	27.5 km	590 mm	42 m
Minmatar
Rifter	3	3	4(3/2)	391/351/336	353 m/s	4.9 s	37	125	250	187.50 s	22.5 km	660 mm	35 m
Vigil	3	3	3(2/1)	274/274/258	353 m/s	5.0 s	25	210	250	187.50 s	45.0 km	455 mm	44 m

• As inertia modifiers combined with ship mass give a rather complicated way of showing ship agility, the base align times from EFT for an unskilled pilot on a ship with no moduels was used as a more meaningful guide to agility.

Amarr Tacklers

Crucifier

While this is actually the Amarr ewar frigate, as the only ship from that race to have a significant number of midslots, it is also a more capable tackler than the others from this race, due to it's ability to fit 2 tackle modules, where all the other Amarr frigates are limited to just one.

Fitting Considerations

Consider what the FC might need from you, and what the other tacklers in the fleet might be fitting. If everyone in the fleet has the same tackling setup then it can seriously affect the tackling efficiency of the entire fleet, as the strength of a fleet's tacklers comes from their diversity.

Afterburners vs Microwarp Drives

Fitting and Cap Use

Microwarp Drives require more in the way of both skills, and fitting requirements. They also have a much higher capacitor drain than an afterburner, meaning that it is unlikely that you will be able to run them constantly.

Speed Tanking

Speed tanking is where the velocity of your ship is high enough that guns cannot track you effectively (particular high calibre and therefore damage weapons), and where you can outrun the explosion velocity and radius of missiles to an extent, reducing damage from that source. While both an AB and MWD will boost your speed, the MWD has the side effect of increasing (blooming) your signature radius by 500%. This in fact makes it more likely that you will be hit by turrets, as well as increases the damage you take from missiles. It also makes gaining a target lock on you faster.

For that reason speed tanking is only really possible with an afterburner,unless you're flying a ship that has bonuses to reduce the signature bloom, such as an interceptor. While you can increase the speed you get from your MWD through skills and the fitting of speed boosting modules, that extra speed will only mitigate the disadvantage of the signature bloom to a limited extent, and overall, unless you're in an interceptor, the module reduces your speed tank while it's running.

Fitting either a shield or armor tank is highly recommended for any tackler fitted with a MWD, to counteract your lack of speed tank. The much greater speed provided by an MWD will offset the reduction in velocity cause by fitting an armor plate, and the sig increase from a shield extender is less significant when you've already blown it up so much from enabling an MWD.

[Nice graph here to show the effects of testing on sisi of a ship using AB/MWD/No prop, versus several different weapon types, at the 2 ranges likely to be used for tackling]

Dual Prop

One solution to the above problem with MWDs, is to combine both the higher speed of the MWD for closing range, and the bloom-free speed boost of the AB for orbitting, fitting both modues onto a ship. However, that does mean using 2 mid slots for prop modules, denying yourself the use of one of them for a tackling module or a tanking module.

Cross training for a tackler with more mid slots

Access to Ewar frigates Access to larger Tech 1 hulls Access to Tech 2

Flying

Threats to you as a tackler

(or other small frigate)

Getting tackled back

One of the less mentioned problems facing a newer tackler is that fact that ships they may be attempting to tackle may very well have fit tackle modules of their own, and the pilots will often also have the skills to fit the longer ranged tech 2 versions of the modules. While that isn't so much of a problem when using a Warp Disruptor, it becomes a serious issue for a tackler when they are tackled in return with a Warp Scrambler, Stasis Webifier, or both, as with the loss of their speed they lose a lot of their ability to avoid damage, and if the target is sufficiently maneuverable they may even be unable to break out of the tackle to escape.

For that reason engaging a target with a Warp Scrambler or Stasis Webifier should be done where there is support from the fleet to help the tackler break free, either through additional tackling, Ewar, or just destroying the target.

Stealth Bombers

May be bombing in an attempt to make you jump through a gate into a camp.

AB's may be an advantage getting out of a bomb's explosion radius, however MWDs are preferred in null-sec, as they are the better choice for getting out of bubbles.

The Tackle

Apply Point/Scram before webs

Except when in a bubble.

Orbitting

Be adaptable. Orbit at a range that places you either inside or outside the enemy's most effective weapon range.