Caracal
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The Caracal is a powerful vessel that specializes in missile deployment. It has excellent shield defenses, but poor armor plating. Its missile arsenal, when fully stocked, is capable of making a piece-meal of almost anyone. SHIP BONUSES
Traits:
Ship Attributes
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Summary
The Caracal is an excellent choice for a level 2 mission runner because of it's ability to take on frigate packs. It can be either active or passive shield tanked. In fleets its main role is either going to be simple DD, or anti frigate, depending on how you fit it out.
With the changes to Heavy Assault Missiles (HAM) and Cruisers, the Caracal is a great solo/small gang kiting ship.
Skills
- Caldari Cruiser should be trained to at least IV to take advantage of the DPS and range buffs that come with each additional skill level.
- Heavy Missiles, Heavy Assault Missiles, and Light Missiles to V. Heavy Missile Specialization, Heavy Assault Missile Specialization, and Light Missile Specialization to at least I to fit T2 Launchers, which do more damage and are substantially cheaper than meta 4 variants, along with providing the ability to use T2 ammo types.
- Missile Launcher Operation, Rapid Launch, Warhead Upgrades, skills which increase DPS and are thus vital to all missile-based damage dealing ships, should all be trained to at least IV.
- Along with the requisite Power Grid Management and CPU Management skills required for adequately fitting most ships. Weapon upgrades and Advanced Weapon Upgrades should be trained to V and IV respectively to help alleviate fitting problems.
- Guided Missile Precision, Target Navigation Prediction and Target Painting to at least IV to combat smaller targets and gain access to the T2 Target Painter module. (Do note, however, that the Target Painter II is generally considered inferior to the meta 4 variation, the Phased Weapon Navigation Array Generation Extron, as the T2 has exactly the same range and effect, but a higher cap usage and fitting requirement than the meta 4 and is often more expensive).
- Missile Projection and Missile Bombardment to at least IV and ideally V to maximize the range at which all missiles travel.
- Drones V, Combat Drone Operation V, Drone Interfacing IV, Gallente Drone Operation I, and Minmatar Drone Operation I are all are important for getting as much DPS out of the 10m3 drone bay as possible.
- Shield Operation, Shield Management, and Tactical Shield Manipulation should be trained to at least IV to improve shield capacity, recharge rate and impenetrability.
- Shield Upgrades should be trained to IV to allow the use of T2 Shield Hardeners and Resistance Amplifiers.
- EM Shield Compensation, Thermic Shield Compensation, Kinetic Shield Compensation, and Explosive Shield Compensation trained to level IV to further improve shield resistance bonuses from passive shield resistance amplifiers.
- Finally, Hull Upgrades should be trained to level IV to allow use of the T2 Damage Control module.
Fitting
Rapid Light Missile Launcher I
Rapid Light Missile Launcher I
Rapid Light Missile Launcher I
Rapid Light Missile Launcher I
Rapid Light Missile Launcher I
Large Shield Extender I
Large Shield Extender I
Thermic Dissipation Field I
Kinetic Deflection Field I
10MN Afterburner I
Ballistic Control System I
Ballistic Control System I
Shield Power Relay I
Shield Power Relay I
Hobgoblin I x2
Scourge Light Missile x1
- Change the shield hardeners to match the damage types dealt by the mission rats.
- Add Medium Core Defense Field Purger I rigs when you can afford them, these will substantially improve your tank.
- Upgrade mods to Meta 1-4 or Tech 2 versions as funds and skills allow.
Heavy Missile Launcher II
Heavy Missile Launcher II
Heavy Missile Launcher II
Heavy Missile Launcher II
Heavy Missile Launcher II
Adaptive Invulnerability Field II
EM Ward Field II
Large Shield Extender II
Large Shield Extender II
10MN Afterburner II
Ballistic Control System II
Ballistic Control System II
Damage Control II
Nanofiber Internal Structure II
Medium Anti-Thermal Screen Reinforcer I
Medium Core Defense Field Extender I
Medium Core Defense Field Extender I
Warrior II x2
Caldari Navy Scourge Heavy Missile x1
- Drop T2 modules to meta as required.
- Able to engage at very high range, but if tons of range isn't needed can also fit HAMs with some adjustments.
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
Experimental 10MN Microwarpdrive I
Large F-S9 Regolith Shield Induction
Warp Disruptor II
X5 Prototype Engine Enervator
Small Capacitor Booster II
Ballistic Control System II
Ballistic Control System II
Ballistic Control System II
Damage Control II
Medium Anti-EM Screen Reinforcer I
Medium Core Defense Field Extender I
Medium Core Defense Field Extender I
Warrior II x2
Navy Cap Booster 200 x1
Caldari Navy Scourge Heavy Assault Missile x1
- This fit is able to perma-kite using a cap booster, MWD, and T2 disruptor. Even without perfect cap skills you can easily manage this for long term engagements.
- Web helps against tackle. HAMs still do pretty decent damage to small targets, so TP is more of a niche mod for this slot. (Good against inties, assault frigs, etc).
- Caracal has the nice ability to switch ammo without losing its damage bonus, so you can use any type you want.
- Downgrade to Meta as needed, for example meta 4 launchers are easier to fit and the damage loss isn't much if you are using faction missiles.
- If your Navigation skills are a little low, consider dropping a BCS for a nanofiber so you can kite more effectively.
Rapid Light Missile Launcher II
Rapid Light Missile Launcher II
Rapid Light Missile Launcher II
Rapid Light Missile Launcher II
Rapid Light Missile Launcher II
Experimental 10MN Microwarpdrive I
Large Shield Extender II
Large Shield Extender II
Warp Disruptor II
Small Capacitor Booster II
Damage Control II
Ballistic Control System II
Ballistic Control System II
Nanofiber Internal Structure II
Medium Core Defense Field Extender I
Medium Core Defense Field Extender I
Medium Anti-EM Screen Reinforcer I
Warrior II x2
Navy Cap Booster 400 x1
Mjolnir Light Missile x1
- Fit T1 missiles if needed
- Mids are to taste. Cap booster can be dropped for an adaptive invul or a web. Same with the point. Ask your FC.
- Can swap DC for ballstic if you're feeling daring.
Tactics
PvE
- Kite any rats! Use your missile range to keep the frigates away from you while you pick them off with your missiles. It is possible to Alpha strike a rat frig with ordinary light missiles. If there are rat destroyers and cruisers with the frigates, then take out the frigates first, then the destroyers, then isolate and take out the cruisers. Use an afterburner to stay out of the rats' effective range but inside your missile's optimal. Train your missile skills to increase optimal.
PvP solo
- The Caracal has nice bonuses for missiles and is decently fast, so it is a very good kiting ship. With the HAM tweaks, it's good for taking out smaller ships (without using light missiles) that can catch it, while still being able to put a lot of DPS onto larger ships that can't catch it. Basically, you just want to kite away from them, maybe heat your MWD initially if they warp in close/you are on a gate or station, then turn it off as it will burn out quite fast if you don't pay attention. Depending on your missile and cruiser skills you'll want to keep them from 20-30 KM away with HAMs. When you are running low on cap, simply pop a booster charge and keep burning along.
- Your goal is to avoid getting scrammed at all costs, so try to hit smaller ships that can catch you first and deal with bigger ships later. If there is a big ship that can hit you from afar giving you trouble (for example Abaddon), pull a lot of range (at least 100 KM) and try to split smaller ships off for easy kills.
PvP fleet (Large)
- If you are Rapid Light fit, focus on enemy destroyers, frigates, and possibly drones (if necessary). If you intend to target enemy interceptors, you will require more levels of Caldari Cruiser and/or Missile Projection, as the base speed of light missiles is too low for them to catch up with an interceptor. Both of those skills increase your missile velocity (while piloting a Caracal). A missile velocity of over 5000m/s should allow them to catch up with most interceptors.
- If you are Heavy Missile (HML) or Heavy Assault Missile (HAM) fit, attack the target your FC calls primary. If you are using HAMs but it would be unsafe to get into range to use them on the designated primary, simply switch to attacking smaller ships such as frigates until such a time as you can damage the primary target.
Small Gang
- If you are kiting, small gang tactics are going to be pretty similar to solo tactics, except that you will likely want to burn in the same direction and be aligned to the same thing as your fleetmates. There are all sorts of small gang compositions that you can try out. For instance: 2-5 Caracals, 1 Bellicose. In this example, the Caracals apply DPS while the Bellicose supports them with Target Painters and help tackle.
Notes
This vessel qualifies for the University Ship Replacement Program, PYOS, and BYOM.