Drake
RELATED UNI-WIKI REFERENCES
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Development SHIP BONUSES
Caldari Battlecruiser bonuses (per skill level):
Ship Attributes
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Summary
The Drake, well-known for its excellent tanking abilities, is a very popular PvE and PvP ship. In PvE, the Drake can be passively shield-tanked for a stronger tank than a battleship, making L3 missions easy and L4 missions a possibility. However, without very good missile skills L4's will take a long time.
In PvP, the Drake has the ability to field a massive buffer tank. While the Drake can be fit with Heavy Assault Missile Launchers, regular Heavy Missile Launchers are much more common due to the easier fitting and the very short range on HAMs. With Heavy Missile Launchers, the DPS of a Drake is not very impressive for a battlecruiser, but it has a long range for its class.
The Drake is quite easy to skill for and pilot competently. Its tank bonus makes it forgiving of mistakes, and missiles are an easy to use weapon system that doesn't require the pilot to worry much about angular velocity and range. While it's easy to make it a good L3 mission boat, it's hard to make it fantastic: it is quite slow, without T2 launchers and ammo it only does okay DPS, and clever piloting can't be used to increase missile damage like it can with turrets.
Skills
Skill & Level | Effect | Explanation | |
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Base Skills |
Caldari Battlecruiser IV |
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While you can start missioning with this skill at III, skilling to at least IV will provide a foundation of decent tank and decent DPS. |
Heavy Missiles IV |
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Heavy Missiles, due to their long range, are often used in Level 3 mission fits. Train to IV to maximise your time/benefit ratio. | |
Heavy Assault Missiles IV |
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Drakes are used in Factional Warfare PvP, often fit with Heavy Assault Missiles. Heavy Assault Missiles have a shorter range than Heavy Missiles. | |
Missile Skills |
Missile Launcher Operation IV |
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This skill is required to operate any rocket or missile launcher. Training it also increases your rate of fire, which means more damage dealt per second. |
Rapid Launch IV |
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Rapid Launch increases your rate of fire, increasing damage dealt per second. | |
Warhead Upgrades IV |
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Simply deals a direct increase to damage dealt. | |
Missile Projection IV |
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While this skill decreases the time it takes for missiles to actually deal their damage, it also increases their range. A missile that travels faster is a missile that travels further. | |
Target Navigation Prediction IV |
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Even though this skill doesn't increase on-paper DPS, it does increase your actual in-game damage application. As a target's speed becomes less of a factor, more damage is applied. This is especially helpful against smaller, faster ships. If you're more familiar with turrets, this is analagous to better tracking speed. | |
Missile Bombardment IV |
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Like Missile Projection, this skill increases range, just in a different way. Instead of making your missiles faster, it makes them fly longer. | |
Support Skills |
Weapon Upgrades IV |
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Helps with fitting a ship by decreasing the (often large) CPU requirements of weapons. |
Skills:Engineering |
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Engineering skills as needed to fit your ship properly. | |
Shield Skills |
Shield Operation IV |
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This basic shield skill allows you to fit shields but also helps with passive buffer tanks that rely on shield regeneration to tank incoming DPS. |
Shield Management IV |
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This skill gives a bonus to shield capacity. Larger shield capacity allows for more shield regeneration, again helping passive buffer tanks. | |
Tactical Shield Manipulation IV |
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This skill reduces the change of damage "leakage" between shields and armor. Training it to IV allows for the use of T2 active shield hardeners, one of the building blocks of a good T2 shield tank. | |
Shield Upgrades IV |
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This skill helps with fitting shields to your ship by reducing how much power they need. Training it to IV allows for the use of T2 shield extenders, T2 passive shield hardeners, T2 shield rechargers | |
EM Shield Compensation IV, [[Skills:Thermic Shield Compensation IV]], Kinetic Shield Compensation IV, Explosive Shield Compensation IV |
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Improves the effectiveness of passive shield hardeners. | |
Drone Skills |
Drones V |
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Train Drones to V to operate 5 drones. It's important to have a full set of Drones to maximize the effectiveness of your Drake, especially against smaller targets that your Heavy Missiles might have a harder time killing. The Drake only has enough drone bandwidth and dronebay to support 5 light drones, but skilling up those 5 drones can help increase your effectiveness greatly. |
Light Drone Operation III |
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Increase the effectiveness of your drones by making their pew pew more powerful. | |
Drone Avionics III |
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Useful if you want to attack things that are far away. | |
Drone Navigation III |
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Helps your drones get to their targets faster. | |
Drone Durability III |
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Drones are pretty fragile. This skill will make them a little less fragile, but only a little less. | |
Drone Sharpshooting III |
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This skill is important for sentry dones (due to their immobility) in particular, but can provide a little boost for combat drones as well, despite combat drones having MWDs. | |
Advanced Skills |
Heavy Missiles V, Heavy Missile Specialization IV, Missile Launcher Operation V |
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This train may not be worth it if you're just leveling up to Level 4 missions. However if you've got a Tengu in your future, or if you're grinding Level 3 missions for standings, you'll want to train this sooner rather than later. |
Heavy Assault Missiles V, Heavy Assault Missile Specialization IV, Missile Launcher Operation V |
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Same as above. | |
Guided Missile Precision IV |
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Like Target Navigation Prediction, this skill helps take the edge off smaller targets. This is in the advanced skill category as it requires Missile Launcher Operation V as a prerequisite. | |
Weapon Upgrades V, Advanced Weapon Upgrades IV |
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If you're going to try to fit T2 launchers on a Drake, you're probably going to want this. These skills will also make fitting many other ships much easier. | |
Light Drone Operation V, Gallente Drone Specialization IV |
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Substitute any other racial variant in for the Drone Specialization skill. If you want to squeeze the most DPS out of the Drake's tiny drone bay, T2 drones are the way to go. They're expensive but worth it. They're superior to T1 drones in almost every way. | |
Hull Upgrades IV |
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Although many Drake fits do not use a DCII module, it can be useful in some cases. |
This list of skills may seem daunting at first, but you don't need all them to start doing things! Make it up as you go -- start doing what you want to do and figure out where you need to go from there. You may start with weak shield and weak missile DPS, but you can have fun right away.
Remember as well that all of these skills are useful for fitting other ships. You're not going to somehow outgrow these skills, even if you outgrow your Drake.
Fitting
XR-3200 Heavy Missile Bay
XR-3200 Heavy Missile Bay
XR-3200 Heavy Missile Bay
XR-3200 Heavy Missile Bay
XR-3200 Heavy Missile Bay
XR-3200 Heavy Missile Bay
Small Tractor Beam I
Large F-S9 Regolith Shield Induction
Large F-S9 Regolith Shield Induction
Adaptive Invulnerability Field I
M51 Iterative Shield Regenerator
M51 Iterative Shield Regenerator
M51 Iterative Shield Regenerator
Ballistic Control System I
Ballistic Control System I
Beta Reactor Control: Shield Power Relay I
Beta Reactor Control: Shield Power Relay I
Medium Core Defense Field Purger I
Medium Core Defense Field Purger I
Medium Core Defense Field Purger I
Hobgoblin I x5
Scourge Heavy Missile x1
- Caldari Battlecruiser III
- Caldari Cruiser III
- Caldari Frigate IV
- Combat Drone Operation III
- Drone Interfacing III
- Drone Navigation III
- Drone Sharpshooting III
- Drones V
- Energy Grid Upgrades II
- Energy Management III
- Energy Systems Operation III
- Evasive Maneuvering III
- Guided Missile Precision III
- Heavy Missiles III
- Jury Rigging III
- Long Range Range Targeting III
- Mechanic III
- Missile Bombardment III
- Missile Launcher Operation V
- Missile Projection III
- Rapid Launch III
- Science III
- Scout Drone Operation III
- Shield Management III
- Shield Operation III
- Shield Rigging I
- Shield Upgrades III
- Signature Analysis III
- Spaceship Command IV
- Light Missiles III
- Tactical Shield Manipulation III
- Target Navigation Prediction III
- Targeting III
- Warhead Upgrades III
- Weapon Upgrades I
- It is recommended to fit a T2 shield tank as soon as possible.
- Upgrade XR-3200 HMLs to Arbalest HMLs as soon as you can afford them; they're a major DPS increase.
Heavy Missile Launcher II
Heavy Missile Launcher II
Heavy Missile Launcher II
Heavy Missile Launcher II
Heavy Missile Launcher II
Heavy Missile Launcher II
Small Tractor Beam I
Large Shield Extender II
Large Shield Extender II
Adaptive Invulnerability Field II
Kinetic Deflection Amplifier II
Thermic Dissipation Amplifier II
10MN Afterburner II
Ballistic Control System II
Ballistic Control System II
Beta Reactor Control: Shield Power Relay I
Beta Reactor Control: Shield Power Relay I
Medium Core Defense Field Purger I
Medium Core Defense Field Purger I
Medium Core Defense Field Purger I
Hobgoblin II x5
Scourge Heavy Missile x1
Mjolnir Heavy Missile x1
- Missile Launcher Operation V
- Shield Upgrades III
- Tactical Shield Manipulation IV
- Energy Grid Upgrades II
- Drones V
- Caldari Battlecruiser IV
- Missile Bombardment III
- Guided Missile Precision III
- Missile Projection III
- Weapon Upgrades V
- Rapid Launch III
- Target Navigation Prediction III
- Warhead Upgrades III
- Shield Management V
- Scout Drone Operation V
- Engineering IV
- Electronics IV
- Mechanic III
- Jury Rigging III
- Advanced Weapon Upgrades I
- Shield Operation IV
- Shield Upgrades IV
- Shield Compensation IV
- Heavy Missiles V
- Heavy Missile Specialization IV
- Combat Drone Operation III
- Shield Rigging I
- Caldari Frigate IV
- Caldari Cruiser III
- Spaceship Command IV
- It is recommended to fit a T2 shield tank as soon as possible.
- Training missile support skills will increase DPS output.
- Use Meta 4 items if you cannot fit T2.
- With very good tank and dps skills you may use three Ballistic Control Systems and only one Shield Power Relay.
- Amend the passive shield resistance modules (amplifiers) to the resistance you need for your mission.
- Swap your afterburner for a second Adaptive Invulnerability Field if you encounter problems with your tank.
- You can use Warrior drones against Angels instead of Hobgoblins.
- Mjolnir Heavy Missiles deal more damage against Sansha and Bloodraiders even if you have Battlecruiser IV.
- Optional in the highslot: Drone Link Augmentor instead of Small Tractor Beam I, but this will require a CPU implant.
Heavy Assault Missile Launcher II
Heavy Assault Missile Launcher II
Heavy Assault Missile Launcher II
Heavy Assault Missile Launcher II
Heavy Assault Missile Launcher II
Heavy Assault Missile Launcher II
Small Energy Neutralizer II
Adaptive Invulnerability Field II
Adaptive Invulnerability Field II
Large Shield Extender II
Stasis Webifier II
Warp Scrambler II
Experimental 10MN Microwarpdrive I
Ballistic Control System II
Ballistic Control System II
Power Diagnostic System II
Damage Control II
Medium Core Defense Field Extender I
Medium Core Defense Field Extender I
Medium Core Defense Field Extender I
Warrior II x5
Caldari Navy Scourge Heavy Assault Missile x1
- Caldari Battlecruiser IV
- Missile Bombardment III
- Missile Launcher Operation III
- Guided Missile Precision III
- Missile Projection III
- Missile Launcher Operation V
- Heavy Assault Missiles V
- Heavy Assault Missile Specialization I
- Tactical Shield Manipulation IV
- Energy Grid Upgrades II
- Drones V
- Rapid Launch III
- Target Navigation Prediction III
- Warhead Upgrades III
- Shield Management V
- Thermodynamics V
- Scout Drone Operation V
- Engineering IV
- Electronics IV
- Mechanic III
- Jury Rigging III
- Energy Emission Systems II
- Propulsion Jamming IV
- Shield Operation IV
- Shield Upgrades IV
- Shield Compensation IV
- Combat Drone Operation III
- Shield Rigging I
- Caldari Frigate IV
- Caldari Cruiser III
- Spaceship Command IV
- It is required to fit a T2 shield tank on battlecruisers or larger according to E-UNI wartime regulations.
- Training missile support skills will increase DPS output.
- Use Meta 4 items if you cannot fit T2 weapons. Meta 4 (Arbalest) HAM Launchers are fairly affordable compared to their Heavy Missile variant.
- However due to the often fatal nature of PvP, T2 weapons are often suggested and strongly recommended, as they give a significant DPS boost.
- T2 HAM Launchers also offer the use of T2 ammo. Rage (Higher DPS, for larger targets) and Javelin (Lower dps, for smaller, faster targets).
- Faction ammo is strongly recommended to gain an advantage on the battlefield.
- Your role as a HAM Drake in an E-UNI fleet is as a super-heavy tackle and as short-range dps. Your shield buffer tank will be much higher than most of your peers, and so your goal is to fit as much DPS as possible, and get right up on the enemy's faces to gain their attention.
Heavy Missile Launcher II
Heavy Missile Launcher II
Heavy Missile Launcher II
Heavy Missile Launcher II
Heavy Missile Launcher II
Heavy Missile Launcher II
Small Energy Neutralizer II
Adaptive Invulnerability Field II
Large Shield Extender II
Stasis Webifier II
Stasis Webifier II
Warp Scrambler II
10MN Microwarpdrive II
Ballistic Control System II
Ballistic Control System II
Nanofiber Internal Structure II
Damage Control II
Medium Core Defense Field Extender I
Medium Core Defense Field Extender I
Medium Core Defense Field Extender I
Warrior II x5
Caldari Navy Scourge Heavy Missile x1
- Caldari Battlecruiser IV
- Missile Bombardment III
- Missile Launcher Operation III
- Guided Missile Precision III
- Missile Projection III
- Missile Launcher Operation V
- Heavy Assault Missiles V
- Heavy Assault Missile Specialization I
- Tactical Shield Manipulation IV
- Energy Grid Upgrades II
- Drones V
- Rapid Launch III
- Target Navigation Prediction III
- Warhead Upgrades III
- Shield Management V
- Thermodynamics V
- Scout Drone Operation V
- Engineering IV
- Electronics IV
- Mechanic III
- Jury Rigging III
- Energy Emission Systems II
- Propulsion Jamming IV
- Shield Operation IV
- Shield Upgrades IV
- Tactical Shield Manipulation IV
- Shield Compensation IV
- Combat Drone Operation III
- Shield Rigging I
- Caldari Frigate IV
- Caldari Cruiser III
- Spaceship Command IV
- It is required to fit a T2 shield tank on battlecruisers or larger according to E-UNI wartime regulations.
- Training missile support skills will increase DPS output.
- Use Meta 4 items if you cannot fit T2 weapons. Meta 4 (Arbalest) HAM Launchers are fairly affordable compared to their Heavy Missile variant.
- However due to the often fatal nature of PvP, T2 weapons are often suggested and strongly recommended, as they give a significant DPS boost.
- T2 HAM Launchers also offer the use of T2 ammo. Rage (Higher DPS, for larger targets) and Javelin (Lower dps, for smaller, faster targets).
- Faction ammo is strongly recommended to gain an advantage on the battlefield.
- Your role as a HAM Drake in an E-UNI fleet is as a super-heavy tackle and as short-range dps. Your shield buffer tank will be much higher than most of your peers, and so your goal is to fit as much DPS as possible, and get right up on the enemy's faces to gain their attention.
Tactics
If you are coming to the Drake from L2 missions, you are probably used to flying into the middle of the NPCs and killing everything. That's a good way to get yourself killed in an L3 mission; many feature enough NPC firepower to overwhelm even a Drake's tank. Here are a few pointers to start L3 missioning in a Drake:
- If the mission is unfamiliar to you, read about it on EVE Survival.
- Because the Drake is passively tanked, you have no tools apart from running to mitigate excessive damage. If your shield drops to 50%, align to a celestial and start your afterburner. If it drops to the 25% alarm, warp out, dock, and then come back for more later. When you do come back, warp in at a long range (like 50 or 100km).
- Shoot the biggest NPCs first (usually other battlecruisers); they're the ones damaging you the most.
- Against Sansha and Blood Raiders, use Mjolnir Heavy Missiles unless you have Caldari Battlecruiser V. In all other cases, use Scourge Heavy Missiles.
- Orbiting the NPC blob at 30km works reasonably well.
Notes
This vessel qualifies for the University PYOS and BYOM programs.