User:Qwer Stoneghost/Old user page
Mission Ships
PvE missions have different requirements than do PvP encounters. This page describes a number of ship types and fits that work well in this regard. For a complete description of what "missions" are, and how to approach them, look at the Missions page, or try the Missioning 101 course.
PvE Objectives and General Ship Preferences
You can (usually) run from a mission. This makes survivability a strategic objective, and means that you can use fancy ships and equipment as you do not expect to lose them. (Insurance, however, is always a good idea.)
Each mission has a primary objective, given to you by the mission agent. You should choose your ship and fittings, and plan your tactics, based on this objective. For example, if the mission calls for you to "investigate" an area without necessarily killing any NPCs, you will likely want a faster, more defensive oriented ship and fit. On the other hand, if the objective says "clear the area of pirates", you will want to bring offense to the party.
Although any kind of ship can be successful in running missions, because PvE targets come in waves, and because survivability is one of your goals, brawling tactics are generally less effective in missions than are sniping and/or kiting. Faster ships, in particular missile and drone boats, tend to give better support to these kinds of tactics.
Loosely speaking, you want enough defense (armor, shields, speed) to give you time to escape if things go badly. And you want as much offense as you can pile on - because the faster you kill the NPCs, the sooner you get to collect your rewards. Note that each type of enemy does a particular kind of damage. And each enemy is susceptible to a particular kind of damage. This page provides that information, and includes a chart formatted to be copied to your in-game notepad for quick reference. Some enemies also use one or more forms of electronic warfare, though these do not usually require any special refitting.
Missiles and drones are often preferred as mission ship weapons. One reason is range - drones, in particular, can operate at range against larger targets while the ship uses its main weapons to finish off the smaller faster enemies. A second reason is damage selection. Missiles, in particular, can be easily switched on the fly. The same is true of drones if the ship has a drone bay large enough to carry multiple flights.
Dead mission NPCs can be looted. Assuming you want the loot, and that you do not have a friend who will do the looting for you, you will need to fit a salvager or carry a salvage drone or two. (You can also bring two ships, one to complete the mission and one to clean up afterwards - but this is usually not worth the effort until you get to Level IV missions.)
Ship Classes and Fittings by Mission Level
These are not requirements, but rather general guidelines. You can do Level III missions in a destroyer if you want to, and if your skills and abilities let you pull it off. And, you can bring a battlecruiser to a level I Mission if you want to, though it will be massive overkill. (Note that a few missions have special "Ship Restrictions" that limit the type of ship that you may use. In general, though, you can bring whatever you want.)
The ships listed below are not a complete set of all "good" mission ships. These are simply ones that players often use. Keep in mind that your skills are a BIG factor here.
Since you do not intend to die, and since missions pay off in various ways, you should be willing to fit your ship with top flight gear.
Level I
Ship Class: Frigate, Destroyer
Particularly if you are just starting out running missions, you probably want to emphasize speed. Some missions will have surprising twists, or more targets that you expected, and you will want to get some distance to rethink your approach. Mission NPCs will target and chase you ... wherever you go, so you probably want to go for longer range weapons and try to kite your enemies.
If you are coming to missioning later in the game, and have well developed skills, and want to go fast, you could use a cruiser for both Levels I and II.
Each race has a frigate that can, with the proper skills, easily handle Level I missions.
| SHIP | TANK | WEAPONS | DRONES |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caldari Kestrel | shield | missile | 0 |
| Minmatar Breacher | shield | missile | 2 |
| Gallente Incursus | armor | hybrid | 1 |
| Amarr Punisher | armor | laser | 0 |
Level II
Ship Class: Cruiser, Assault Frigate
Level III
Ship Class: Battle Cruiser, Heavy Assault Cruiser
Level IV
Ship Class: Marauder, BS, CS BC, HAC, Combat Recon
Level V
Level V missions require a fleet of ships and are beyond the scope of this page. See the Mission Fleet page for more information.
