Sometimes you need to get up close and personal to get the job done, but what tools should you bring there? Whether you opt for the traditional microwarpdrives (MWD) or afterburners (AB) for better mobility, the way you brawl is subjective, so we asked the Just About EVE Online Community which fits they’d choose for CQB (-30km) to get a range of perspectives. The winning ships? The Comet, the Hyperion, the Gnosis, the Exequror, and the Vexor. Here’s how to fit them.
At the risk of sounding like a melodramatic talent show judge, this has been one of the hardest bounties for us award so far. We highly recommend checking out the other submissions on the original bounty such as Schadsquatch’s Battle Heron, James ’s Rapier, Melicien Tetro’s Brutix, or Kaiser Friedlich’s Moa.
Fun Inc’s punchy Comet
“This punches well above its weight and is a great little ship to fly!”
FUN INC points out that once you engage in a brawl, disengaging is usually out of the question. The ship they choose for the job is the Federation Navy Comet. Opting for enhanced mobility and a tight orbit, the Comet has an AB alongside scram for tackle and a medium shield extender (MSE) for tank. As for damage, it’s equipped with blasters as well as a choice of either warriors or acolytes.
You can check out the specs below, but first heed FUN INC’s two warnings about their fit:
“An AB ship will always have a difficult time catching a kiting ship. If you are not able to force an engagement at zero (or thereabouts), you probably best move along!”
“It needs a 603 implant to fit the nos!”
The fit:
[Federation Navy Comet]
Damage Control II
Magnetic Field Stabilizer II
Magnetic Field Stabilizer II
Small Ancillary Armor Repairer, Nanite Repair Paste
1MN Afterburner II
Fleeting Compact Stasis Webifier
Warp Scrambler II
Light Neutron Blaster II, Void S
Light Neutron Blaster II, Void S
Small Ghoul Compact Energy Nosferatu
Small Transverse Bulkhead I
Small Transverse Bulkhead I
Small Transverse Bulkhead I
Warrior II x3
Zainou “Gypsy” CPU Management EE-603
Swagger Olacar’s vaporising Exequror
“Want to deal 1,000 DPS but Tech 2 guns are for Omegas only? Too poor to buy a battleship? Look no further!”
Another piece of fine engineering by the Fed Navy, the Exequror Navy Issue reverses the tactics of the Tier 1 Exequror by vaporising opponents’ armour. It’s a relatively cheap, Alpha friendly ship that’s effective and fun to pilot. Despite only having four guns, it can spit out 1,000 DPS overheated. Swagger Olacar’s fit is based on a Vedmak they used to fly that only had a single armour repairer, yet could fit an armour plate for extra buffer with little-to-no mass penalties. The advantage? Keeping the ability to close distances and scram fast enough for the win.
The fit:
[Exequror Navy Issue, Heavy Disintegration Special]
Federation Navy 800mm Steel Plates
Magnetic Field Stabilizer II
Magnetic Field Stabilizer II
Multispectrum Energized Membrane II
Multispectrum Energized Membrane II
Medium Ancillary Armor Repairer
50MN Quad LiF Restrained Microwarpdrive
Warp Scrambler II
Stasis Webifier II
Medium F-RX Compact Capacitor Booster
Heavy Neutron Blaster II
Heavy Neutron Blaster II
Small Gremlin Compact Energy Neutralizer
Heavy Neutron Blaster II
Heavy Neutron Blaster II
Medium Ancillary Current Router I
Medium Auxiliary Nano Pump I
Medium Auxiliary Nano Pump I
Hobgoblin II x5
Nanite Repair Paste x32
Void M x320
Navy Cap Booster 800 x1
EVEIL’s oh-so-pretty overpropped Gnosis
“Once you have your target locked down, start blastin’.”
EVEIL describes the Gnosis as “one of EVE’s prettiest ships”, and it’s hard to disagree. In combat, its greatest strength is that enemies never quite know what they’re going to come up against. The Gnosis has bonuses to “basically everything”, so the exact fit you’re using will always be a surprise to would-be foes. It’s this element of surprise that can make the Gnosis such a potent brawler in the right hands.
This is how EVEIL uses its versatility to catch out unwitting foes:
“I use mine to gatecamp with drag bubbles. Slap a bubble down near a gate and see what falls into the trap. With close to 1,000 DPS, 36k EHP, a scan resolution of 1,225mm, and overpropped with a 100mn afterburner, your engagement profile is as wide as your imagination. The sensor boosters help to catch anyone thinking they can microwarpdrive away from you before you can lock them, as well as catching those pesky exploration frigates.”
The fit:
**[Gnosis, Bubble Camp Gnosis]*
Magnetic Field Stabilizer II
Magnetic Field Stabilizer II
Magnetic Field Stabilizer II
Damage Control II
Reinforced Bulkheads II
Reinforced Bulkheads II
Sensor Booster II
Sensor Booster II
Sensor Booster II
Warp Scrambler II
Stasis Webifier II
100MN Y-S8 Compact Afterburner
Heavy Neutron Blaster II
Heavy Neutron Blaster II
Heavy Neutron Blaster II
Heavy Neutron Blaster II
Heavy Neutron Blaster II
Medium Ghoul Compact Energy Nosferatu
Medium Ancillary Current Router I
Medium Hybrid Burst Aerator II
Hammerhead II x5
Republic Fleet EMP M x100
Scan Resolution Script x3
Void M x800
And if you need an extra reason to try out @EVEIL’s build, players receive a free Gnosis for EVE’s birthday each year, so they’re cheap and readily available.
Brother Grimoire’s hyper-macho Hyperion
“Ahoy mateys! Cap’n Grim here to show you the best way to lose 1.1b - I mean…. BRAWL LIKE A MAN!”
Brother Grimoire’s “fitting fit for a KING” is designed for those tired of PvP being a case of anchor > burn > follow broadcast targets > repeat. This is a fit that’s all about excitement, risk, and lossmails. And yes, it’s incredibly macho.
“The Hyperion is the most macho ship out there. With bonuses to hybrid turrets, armour plates, and armour reps, the fit is clear: dual reps with blasters. Toss in a grappler to hold your target close (BECAUSE SHOWING AFFECTION IS MANLY TOO) and you’re on your way to bankruptcy and fun! Don’t forget your drugs!”
The fit:
[Hyperion]
1x Heavy Energy Nosferatu II
6x Electron Blaster Cannon II
Medium power
1x 100MN Afterburner II
1x Warp Scrambler II
1x Stasis Webifier II
1x Tracking Computer II
1x Heavy Stasis Grappler II
Low power
1x Damage Control II
2x Large Armor Repairer II
2x Multispectrum Coating II
2x 1600mm Steel Plates II
Rig Slot
2x Large Trimark Armor Pump II
1x Large Capacitor Control Circuit II
Charges
1x Tracking Speed Script
11,200x Void L
Drones
6x Warrior II
2x Hammerhead II
5x Ogre II
Implants & Boosters
1x Synth Drop Booster
1x Federation Application Booster IV
1x Imperial Mobility Booster IV
1x Agency “Hardshell” TB9 Dose IV
1x Federation Defense Booster IV
1x Strong Exile Booster
Greybill’s semi-brawling Vexor
“Some experience may be required to fly it well.”
Another Navy fit to make the cut comes from greybill whose Vexor Navy Issue was designed to roam the dangers of nullsec and Pochven. Unlike the other brawling ships in this list, greybills Vexor has been equipped with a long-point rather than a scram. It’s also the reason that they class it as a ‘semi-brawler’. When coupled with a web, the long-point allows the Vexor to stay at arm’s length from any potential baiting ships while sending in drones for the up-close dirty work.
It’s worth noting that this Vexor is not built for every target. greybill identifies its ideal foes as cruisers or battlecruisers while pointing out that its “arch nemeses are energy neutralizers”.
Check out the video below to see it in action against an array of foes.
The fit:
[Vexor Navy Issue, Semi-Brawler]
Medium Armor Repairer II
Drone Damage Amplifier II
Multispectrum Energized Membrane II
Reactive Armor Hardener
Damage Control II
Medium Ancillary Armor Repairer
50MN Cold-Gas Enduring Microwarpdrive
Stasis Webifier II
Medium Capacitor Booster II
Warp Disruptor II
Heavy Electron Blaster II
Heavy Electron Blaster II
Medium Knave Scoped Energy Nosferatu
Heavy Electron Blaster II
Medium Auxiliary Nano Pump I
Medium Auxiliary Nano Pump I
Medium Nanobot Accelerator I
Wasp II x2
Vespa II x2
Berserker II x2
Hobgoblin II x2
Warrior II x5
Acolyte II x5
Infiltrator II x2
Caldari Navy Antimatter Charge M x1000
Nanite Repair Paste x200
Navy Cap Booster 800 x17
Null M x1000
Agency “Hardshell” TB3 Dose I x1
Standard Exile Booster x1
Signal-5 “Needlejack” Filament x5
Home-5 “Pochven” Filament x1
Glorification-1 “Devana” Filament x1
We plan to run more ship fitting bounties soon. We’ve already had a request for kiting cruiser and battlecruiser fits, but if there are any others that you would like to see, just let us know below.
N.B. Some text has been slightly amended for grammar and brevity. You can find the submissions in full at the *original bounty post*.
Image credit: Razorien on Flickr
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