Try and Error - 05 - Flying Scrap Heap

In this article I analyse a duel against a Sarum Magnate. I had fought this ship twice with my Tristan, but I wasn't able to break its tank. Lucky me, non of my ships exploded so far.

I knew what the Sarum Magnate was capable off. It was fitted with at least one armor repairer and a cap booster. The weapons didn't hit me before and I was assuming it didn't used range ammo. The velocity was less than 1.100m/s. I presume he was using something like this ...

(You can copy the loadout and past it into EFT if you like)

[Magnate, Loadout of Deathmath93]
Small Armor Repairer II
Small Armor Repairer II
Damage Control II
Energized Adaptive Nano Membrane II

Small Capacitor Booster II, Navy Cap Booster 200
Warp Scrambler II
Experimental 1MN Afterburner I

150mm Light AutoCannon II, Barrage S
Rocket Launcher II, Mjolnir Rocket
150mm Light AutoCannon II, Barrage S

Small Auxiliary Nano Pump I
Small Ancillary Current Router I
Small Ancillary Current Router I

Hobgoblin II x3

Facts:

EHP 2.291 + EHP/s 109/140 hot
armor 438 HP & 49% explosive damage reduction (lowest resi)
speed 438ms cold
speed 1.095/1.424ms hot w/ AB
dps 76 w/o AC
dps 118/125 hot w/ AC incl. 0.33 tracking with Barrage S
dps 129/137 hot w/ AC incl. 0.45 tracking with Republic Fleet EMP S
By the way, this ship has no difference compared with the T1 variant, except the costs.

Why there was no T2 AB? All killmails were fitted with the T1 variant only. Maybe the pilot doesn't have the skill level to use them. But a high velocity is most important for pvp, because without he implicate or reduce less damage on moving targets. Yeah, he relayed on his drones, that I realized later on too.

Here are the facts of the flying scrap heap as comparison

EHP 3.003 + EHP/s 147/189 hot
shield 625 HP with 51% thermal damage reduction (second lowest resi)
speed 476ms cold
speed 1.236/1.616ms hot w/ AB
dps 80/94 hot w/o drones

If you like you can also copy my loadout and past it into EFT ...

[Breacher,Flying Scrap Heap v.2.2]
Damage Control II
Local Hull Conversion Nanofiber Structure I
Ballistic Control System I

1MN Afterburner II
X5 Prototype Engine Enervator
J5b Phased Prototype Warp Scrambler I
Medium Ancillary Shield Booster, Navy Cap Booster 50

Rocket Launcher II, Caldari Navy Nova Rocket
Rocket Launcher II, Caldari Navy Nova Rocket
Rocket Launcher II, Caldari Navy Nova Rocket

Small Anti-EM Screen Reinforcer I
Small Anti-Kinetic Screen Reinforcer I
Small Anti-Thermal Screen Reinforcer I

Warrior SW-300 x2

Analysis

2014-01-30 6:29
We met at a planet and started the duel. For a short time he had the gap closed, but my web cut his velocity in half and I was able to get back at range. Only his drones and the rocket launcher kept shooting. I started the MASB too soon and wasted 3-4 charges, damn stupid. But my chances were still fifty-fifty.

Then he killed my drones, at the moment I was looking at them. I had hear a sound like deactivating modules and then I realized it was my drones that cried: "HALP!" ... Boom, they gone.

I checked the damage input and realized that he had barrage loaded. Distance between us was 7.500m, angular velocity was ~1.6, radial velocity was +-50, and my speed was double than his (1.100m/s orbiting). One minute and 45 seconds we fought there and then I had to negate the damage income. I though of two ways to reduce damage...

1. increase distance 
2. close the gap

I didn't knew the tracking of autocannons. But I knew it has to be between 3.3 (pulse lasers) and 5.4 (blasters). I chose 10km orbiting range, didn't overheated my modules, and then it happened.

Oh no, not now. And not all at once, please! On top of that did he overheated his AB at the same time. After that the distance between us was less than 3.000m, angular velocity 0.04, radial velocity -200, and he coverted 1.422m/s. I tried to get back at range, but it was to late. My ship started burning and instead of approaching a save spot, I tried orbiting at 7.500m distance again. My ship exploded and a few seconds later I pressed the warp button. But my clone needed to align first and I hear it screaming ...

Now I am a flying scrap heap.

(Click on the picture to enlarge)

2014-01-30 6:29 Killmail and Killmail

Review

Next time I have to kill his drones first. For long scale fights I have to reduce the damage income to its minimum, and there was three Hobgoblin II that could develop freely. This would be an easy kill or at least a draw, but I didn't realized it at the time.

Once again I didn't had the shield alert at 60%. For my excuse, this analysis I created together with two other articles, and before that I didn't knew what to change. The formula for my shield alert ...

-

=

65%

But this doesn't explain my lack of micromanaging. The sounds are very useful, but every time I hear something I start looking around and wonder whats happening.

The SW-300 were cheap and I didn't need them for this situation, but nonetheless I should listen to them and pull them back if needed.

I need a better understanding of the battle field. My clipping point was reached and I had no escape plan. Again I orbited him at 7.500m, instead of approaching a save spot and warp off.

I was wondering what would happen when I closed the gap, so I ran some tests with help of my trail account. The results are ...

7.500m orbit & 1.150m/s

5.000m orbit & 1.000m/s

2.500m orbit & 900m/s

1.000m orbit & 1.000m/s

500m orbit & 900m/s

The test char orbited me at 2.500m all the time!

It seems orbiting at 2.500m and at 500m gives the highest angular velocity. But he would still hit me with its full damage potential, so staying at range is the best solution.

Afterwards it made me nuts, because I didn't killed his drones.

Next chapter: Flying Scrap Heap - 06