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Tech 1 Frigates are one of the first ships that a new player learns  to fly, and their value combined with their low skill requirements make  them an excellent choice for someone embarking on a career in PVP. In  fact the pure enjoyment and versatility provided by these ships leads  many PVPers to fly them as their solo PVP vessel of choice long after  they're capable of flying larger or more expensive ships.

The Combat Frigates range from heavily tanked brawlers like the Merlin and Punisher to flexible kiters such as the Breacher and Tristan.

The  Combat Frigates are the most numerous of the frigate sub-classes, with each  race receiving two ships targeted towards slightly different aspects of  that race's combat style. These are the front-line warships of the  frigate class, with strong offensive and defensive capabilities giving  them plenty of staying power compared to the other T1 frigates. Their  brawling ability makes these ships an excellent choice for solo PVP, as  well as for small frigate gangs. Their relative resilience makes them  strong close range tacklers, however they lack the speed of their  nimbler relatives the Attack Frigates which tend to overshadow them in any  fast tackle role.



With  a mid-heavy slot layout of 3/4/3, the Merlin is a flexible ship equally  at home as a brawler or as a tackler. A hybrid damage bonus gives its  three turrets excellent damage output, typically in the region of  150-200dps with blasters or 100-150dps with railguns. The second bonus  goes to shield resistances, making this one of the tougher T1 frigates  and a very solid all rounder.

The Merlin's four mid  slots make it a natural shield tanker. While armour tanked Merlins can  actually be very effective, they're relatively rare and a shield tank is  a safe bet should you encounter one. Thanks to its resist bonus, the  Merlin can mount a very impressive buffer tank; a fairly standard setup  featuring a Medium Shield Extender along with the usual supporting  modules (i.e. a Damage Control and some basic shield rigs) puts the  Merlin at a fairly impressive 7k EHP, while supplementing that with an  Adaptive Invulnerability Field or a second extender can put that up  above 10k EHP quite easily. The latter two choices tend to be more  unusual, and arguably make the Merlin less of a threat since giving up  the Webifier reduces its ability to control an engagement and apply its  damage effectively. Equally popular is the active tanked Merlin - this  setup features a Medium Ancillary Shield Booster in place of the  extender, but is otherwise much the same. The MASB provides the Merlin  with a powerful active tank in the region of 150dps (before heat and any  additional effects), although due to the nature of ancillary boosters  it cannot sustain this level of repair indefinitely - its booster will  run dry in as little as 30 seconds if run constantly, and even with only  occasional bursts it can only cycle so many times before it's forced to  enter a one minute reload cycle, during which time its tank will  effectively be nullified. Of course given the relative fragility of the  frigate classes, many frigate vs frigate duels are over before this  repair cycle kicks in. Some fits may feature a second MASB, doubling the  ship's peak tank to a whopping 300dps or allowing it to hold the second  booster in reserve until the first enters its reload cycle, again at  the cost of that extra mid slot for a web. While the Merlin's resist  bonus gives it reasonable resists across the board, EM and thermal  damage are generally solid choices. If you're taking on an active Merlin  one on one your ammo choice will be particularly important, given that  the Merlin's single MASB tank is in the same ballpark as the damage  output from a typical frigate - picking the right damage type can make  the difference between being just enough to break it, and just too  little to do so.

While you'll encounter rail Merlins  from time to time, the vast majority of them tend to be blaster fit. The  Merlin isn't a fast ship (it tops out at around 1km/s with an  afterburner or 2.8km/s with a MWD, assuming no additional speed mods)  however its four mid slots make it relatively proficient in the range  control game. With an afterburner, scram and web the Merlin generally  has little difficulty bringing its blasters to bear. Range on blasters  is predictably low, topping out at around 3.2+4.4km with Neutron  Blasters and Null. This is enough to hit just about anywhere in web  range, however damage will fall off significantly the further out you  are. That's not to mention the fact that this range already requires  loading Null ammo, with the Merlin's ideal damage output with Void or  Navy Antimatter requiring it to fight significant closer, ideally within  about 1.5km. If you're flying a faster ship with sufficient range  yourself, you should be able to significantly mitigate the Merlin's  damage output by fighting near the extremity of scram/web range (I'd  suggest aiming for around 7 or 8km to allow some buffer). Since just  about everything but another blaster ship has better range than the  Merlin does, this tends to be the most reliable way of defeating one.

Rail  Merlins are quite a different beast. While they're far from the  ferocious brawlers that their blaster counterparts are, their damage  output remains solid and they can be especially deadly if they're able  to dictate range against you. In such a situation, expect them to do to  you exactly what I just suggested you do to them - hold you at around  8km and plink away with Navy Antimatter. Obviously your aim should be to  do the opposite - get in as close as possible to defeat their tracking,  and make full use of your hopefully stronger and probably shorter  ranged damage output. An armour Merlin (or just an untanked one) is  particularly dangerous in this regard since they can potentially fit  double webs, or a single web plus a Tracking Disruptor. Setups like  these tend to go down very easily if you're able to hit them  effectively, but present a significant problem if can't. You may also  encounter rail Merlins set up for pure kiting with a MWD and Warp  Disruptor, however this tends to be rarer still. Thankfully the relatively low base speed of the Merlin makes it easier  to close range against one that it would be against other kiting frigs  such as the Slasher or Condor, and a rail Merlin will generally have a harder time  evading your scram unless you're slow yourself. Once you've  caught them, things should be much more straighforward.

When  used as a tackler, it's not unusual to see the Merlin sporting a fairly  unconventional fit to take advantage of its additional mid slots.  Multiple Warp Disruptors, multiple Sensor Boosters, and dual propulsion  can all be very effective on this hull and it's difficult to predict  what its going to be carrying unless you know the user. Low speed makes  the Merlin an easier tackler to evade, but its tank means it'll be  harder to remove once it gets into a tight orbit. The lack of a  Nosferatu and the tendency not to fit a cap booster means that if all  else fails, you can potentially just neut it off in order to escape.





As  you'd expect from a Gallente turret ship, the Incursus is a powerful  brawler and an excellent vessel for solo PVP. A 3/3/4 slot layout makes  this ship a born armour tanker, and a 7.5% per level bonus to armour  repair amount allows it to mount an incredibly impressive active armour  tank. Three damage bonused hybrid turrets and a single drone give the  Incursus comparable damage output to the Merlin, somewhere in the region  of 150-200dps with blasters. This is supplemented by a fairly  good base speed, allowing the Incursus to push around 1km/s with an  Afterburner or 2.7km/s with a MWD even when plated - significantly  faster than most other armour tankers.

There are two  common ways to fit an Incursus for solo PVP - as a flexible brawler with  scram, web, and a combination of buffer and active tank, or as an all  out active tanker with dual armour reps supported by a cap booster. The  more conventional brawler fit has very strong range control for a combat  frigate thanks to its web and high speed, and while it may not be as  resilient as the Merlin or Punisher it remains fairly tough. While  individual fits may vary, a typical low slot combination (Small Armour  Repairer, 200mm Rolled Tungsten Plate, Adaptive Nano Plating and Damage  Control) offers something in the region of 5k EHP with an active tank of  around 50dps. Swapping the single rep for an Ancillary Armour Repairer  can boost the Incursus' tank to almost double that, at least for a  limited period. Since the Incusus doesn't have a high slot for a  Nosferatu, the active component of such a tank cannot keep going  indefinitely, although it's stable enough to have a significant impact  on small scale frigate fights, or to repair gradual damage should the  Incursus get under the guns of a larger ship. This kind of setup doesn't  really have any glaring weaknesses - it's range is a little short,  maxing out at around 3.2+4.4km with Neutron Blasters and Null, however  the Incursus is fast enough that holding outside of this range while  inside Scram range is likely to be challenging. In many cases you're  probably better off just committing to the brawl - the single rep  Incursus won't tank your whole damage output and the buffer isn't all  that strong, so with a bit of luck you should be able to take one down.

A  dual rep fit is more fragile in terms of buffer, but tanks like a beast  - typically something in the region of 160dps before overheating or  upwards of 200dps with one regular rep and one AAR.  Unlike the MASB Merlin the dual rep Incursus is cap boosted, meaning it  can sustain this rate of repair over a much longer period - so long as  it has cap charges in its cargohold, the cap booster can continue to  feed its reps with all the cap they require. This level of resilience  combined with such a good damage output makes the dual rep Incursus  hands down the most powerful brawling frigate available, however its  lack of a Web is a weakness which can be  exploited. With Neutron Blasters and Null it should have enough range to  hit you anywhere inside scram range however the further out you get the  less damage you'll be taking, coming down to around half of its ideal  damage  output at about 8km and even less if you can overheat your scram (or if  you're carrying a long point) and get a little further away. While it  will probably be able to tank everything you can throw at it at this  range, cap charges can only last for so long and it will eventually wear  down. Against an AAR fit its overall rep amount should reduce  substantially after the first 30 or 40 seconds, depending on how hard  you can force it to run its reps. Your other option, if you have one, is  to use a neut; the  Incursus' cap booster is generally just enough to keep its reps cycling  when you take into account reloads, and any pressure you put on is  likely to translate directly to missed reps. You'll have to face the  brunt of the Incursus' damage output to fight at this range however, so  you'll need to be confident in your ability to break it before it breaks  you. If you've got a web yourself, the Incursus may also have some  difficulty keeping you around to play if you don't want to be there.  These weaknesses are compounded if the Incursus is fitting a MWD, which  while not typical is not uncommon either. Explosive damage is the  Incursus' lowest resist, and using it should be a significant help when  trying to break through its active tank. Failing that, kinetic and  thermal are tied for equal second thanks to the innate Gallente bonus to  kinetic resists.

While blaster Incursuses make up the  vast bulk of the fits that you'll encounter, rail setups are not that  uncommon. Like the Merlin these can be mid-range 'control' setups  with AB, Scram, and Web, or more traditional kiters with MWD and a Warp  Disruptor. While the Incursus doesn't have the Merlin's fourth mid slot,  its additional speed (and the low slots necessary to enhance it) gives  it good range control in either scenario. With a speed mod or two, a MWD  Incursus can easily push around 3.5km/s. The success of either fit  relies on keeping you from getting close, as well as the assumption that  you can't return fire at their intended range. Foil either of these,  and the fight is likely to go your way.

With three mid  slots the Incursus is fully capable of shield tanking, although it's not  a common choice. The shield Incursus shares the same weakness as its  dual rep cousin in that it doesn't have a web, however it trades the  latter's tank for a moderate buffer and an incredible damage output,  potentially in the region of 250dps. While this looks impressive on  paper, the Atron arguably does the job better and as a result it's not  something that I'd expect to see often.





For  many years the Rifter was the undisputed king of frigate combat, and  this hull alone has become one of the most iconic features of the Eve  universe. The Rifter remains a fairly capable all rounder, although it  suffers from the usual curse associated with being a jack of all trades -  it's versatile with no obvious weaknesses, but left without a decisive  'win factor' in any particular area. The Rifter's 4/3/3 slot  layout makes it equally capable of armour or shield tanking, and three  turrets with bonuses to damage and tracking speed give it a damage  output that's solid, if a little low.

The Rifter is  naturally fast for a combat frigate, but less so than any of the attack  frigs. Speeds of 1.2km/s with an AB or 3.1km/s with a MWD are typical  for a shield Rifter, with the armour tanked variant coming in only  slightly slower. This makes the Rifter good at dictating range against  other combat frigs, and combined with the long falloff of autocannons  this accounts for the Rifter's principle advantage - the canny Rifter  pilot can choose their engagement range on the fly, kiting against short  ranged ships and brawling against those it can take up close, allowing  it to come out ahead against ships which, on paper, appear much  stronger. This is easier said than done however given that the  Rifter's speed advantage is smaller than it used to be, and attack  frigates will generally be able to run rings around one without too much  difficulty. With 150mm  Light Autocannons (their most common choice of weapon system) the Rifter  will hit out to 1.4+8.3km with Barrage (or slightly more if they're  fitting a Tracking Enhancer or an Ambit Extension rig), with close range  ammo coming in at around 0.7+5.5km. This is enough to out-range most  blaster ships (although against Neutron Blasters with Null the margin is  very slim), while the Rifter's excellent tracking puts it ahead of  pulse lasers when orbiting in close.

The tank on a  Rifter is nothing special - shield variants with a Medium Shield  Extender generally come in at around 5-6k EHP, while armour setups  usually offer around 4k EHP with a Small Armour Repairer or AAR in support. You  may encounter the occasional 400mm plated armour Rifter which has the  potential to be significantly tougher (in the region of 7k EHP), however  it also gives up the Rifter's principal advantage by sacificing its speed.  Since the Rifter's tank is so difficult to predict, your best bet might  be to stick with kinetic or thermal damage to avoid hitting a brick wall  should you guess wrong, unless you have a decent idea of what you're  going to be facing. If you have a chance before the fight starts,  observe the Rifter's speed to get an idea of how they might be fit -  below 1.1km/s is a strong sign of an armour tank, while anything higher  than that suggests shield.

The Rifter's fourth high  slot is most commonly used to fit a Nosferatu, particularly on an armour  setup. Combined with the fact that its guns don't require any capacitor   to fire, this makes the Rifter quite resistant to neutrilising as well  as keeping the rep on an armour Rifter fed with capacitor. Alternatively  this slot can house a Rocket Launcher for extra damage or an Energy  Neutrilizer to put pressure on opposing active tankers, both of which  are quite popular on shield setups. Compared to its peers, the damage  output of the Rifter is not stunning - 150dps is about the top end for a  shield fit, with most armour setups doing something in the region of  120dps. That said, the Rifter's projectile weapons allow it to switch  damage type to suit its target, meaning more often that not a well flown  Rifter will be firing into your resist hole. With the correct choice of  ammo, that 120dps from a Rifter can be just as effective as a ship with  a higher damage output that doesn't have such a luxury. Unconventional  fits (such as the armour tanked Merlin) are particularly effective  against Rifters, since the pilot will often switch to ammunition based  on the fit they expect and end up firing into your highest resist. If  you're flying a fairly standard setup on the other hand, expect them to  pick the most effective damage type for taking you on.

Thanks  to its natural speed, the Rifter is also a fairly popular artillery  platform. While arty Rifters tend to be very fragile, their high speed  (about 3.5km/s with MWD), generous falloff (typical ranges of 9.7+14km  with close range ammo), and high volley damage make the arty Rifter  proficient at taking out other solo frigates, particularly fragile ones  like the attack frigs.

The success of the Rifter  revolves around controlling range to establish a situation where its  opponent is at a disadvantage, often treading a fairly fine line to do  so. In a blow for blow brawl the Rifter isn't really that special, and  most other combat frigs will come out ahead if simply allowed to duke it  out. That's really your aim - keep the damage flowing, and try to  mitigate whatever the Rifter pilot is doing to reduce it. If they try to  brawl you at point blank, fly away to keep angular velocity low. If  they're kiting, overheating your afterburner to keep close or switch  early to long ranged ammo if you think you have the range to hit them.  The speed advantage that the Rifter enjoys isn't that large  (particularly if both paries are webbed), and it's fragile enough  that you don't need to keep the pressure on for long to tip the balance.





The  Tormentor saw significant changes during tiericide, transforming  it from a mining vessel into the Amarr dps powerhouse. A 3/3/4 slot  layout leaves it ostensibly similar to the Incursus, with bonuses to  damage and cap use for its three turrets and bandwidth for two light  drones. While the Tormentor doesn't receive the Incursus' active tanking  bonus, it does have the one thing that its Gallente cousin lacks -  damage projection. Pulse lasers offer excellent damage at mid range,  with Small Focused Pulse Lasers reaching out to 11+2.5km with Scorch crystals before any range mods.  Instant switching of ammunition allows the Tormentor to quickly swap to  closer range Navy Multifrequency crystals, offering stronger damage  output at around 3.8+2.5km.

The Tormentor isn't a particularly fast ship, however its third mid slot lets it fit a Stasis  Webifier, the envy of Punisher pilots everywhere. Few other frigates can  match the Tormentor's damage output near the edge of web range, giving  this ship a strong advantage against any target that it can hold at  range. A Tormentor  loading Scorch can still put out over 150dps, and with Navy  Multifrequency it comes close to matching the Merlin and Incursus at  about 190dps.

The Tormentor is a relatively easy ship  to fit, with plenty of powergrid for a sturdy armour tank. Typical fits  range from light buffer tanks in the region of 4k EHP, all the way up to  heavily plated fits offering anything up to 10k. Most typical examples  will be somewhere between these two extremes, generally nearer the lower  end of the scale. It's fairly common for this tank to be augmented by a  single armour rep or AAR, with cap booster dual rep setups being  unusual but not unheard-of. Some Tormentor fits sacrifice tank for  additional  range and speed mods, allowing them to kite outside of web range in a  similar fashion to the Imperial Navy Slicer (albeit less effectively).  Ranges on the Tormentor generally top out at around 16+3.9km with Scorch  and speeds of  3km/s, although fits of this type are almost entirely untanked and your  typical Tormentor is significantly slower and shorter ranged. Fits like  these can present a significant danger if you're unable to catch them,  but unlike their faction counterpart they don't really have the range or  the speed to make that task particularly difficult.

As  a brawler the Tormentor is competitive but not outstanding. The tank is  impressive, but it relies to an extent on the Tormentor's opponent  (that's  you) playing ball and fighting where it wants you - particularly because   the more tank it fits, the less it can control range. Tracking on pulse  lasers  is fairly weak compared to the other close range weapon systems, and a  blaster or  autocannon ship getting into a tight orbit can leverage a significant  advantage from this. A web from the Tormentor mitigates this weakness to  an extent, and if you don't have a web of your own you'll probably find  the Tormentor can simply hold you at range without a problem. If  they're mounting a cap booster instead, you're unlikely to have this  problem. Shield tankers will have a particularly hard time against  the Tormentor given that most of its damage output is EM and thermal,  while  armour tankers are likely to have it easier for the same reason.





To  describe the Punisher as a brick would be fairly accurate. When it  comes to sheer resilience, the Punisher tops all of the other T1  Frigates. A 4/2/4 slot layout with an armour resist bonus allows this  ship to mount a very hefty armour tank, although it loses the  flexibility offered to other frigates by their third mid slot. A turret  damage bonus rounds out the Punisher's damage output nicely, although  it's still left a little low compared to many of its peers.

The   Punisher is almost exclusively flown as a brawler. It's not actually a  naturally slow ship - in fact it's faster than the Merlin until you  start slapping plates and armour rigs onto it. However to get the most  out of the Punisher's resist bonus you really need a plate at the very  least, and your typical Punisher fit is fairly sluggish with typical  speeds of around 900m/s with an afterburner. The tank on a Punisher  comes in two main flavours - a light buffer version using a 200mm plate  and an optional armour rep, and a heavy buffer version using a 400mm  plate. The light buffer variant is a little faster and more agile, and  still offers a fairly impressive tank of about 7k EHP in addition to its  rep. Cap consumption from its guns means that the Punisher can't  keep the rep running indefinitely, although with a Nosferatu it should  be able to pulse it regularly enough have a significant impact. A heavy  buffer fit  goes all out on its tank, offering anything from 10 to 14k EHP. While  these fits may also feature a rep, they generally don't have room for a  nos and so won't be able to cycle it for long without the risk of  capping out. While the Punisher's resist bonus mitigates its resist  hole, you'll still get the most mileage out of explosive or kinetic  damage, while EM should be avoided if at all possible.

While  the Punisher's low speed and lack of a web leave it without much in the  way of range control, it does have quite flexible range in the first  place. Dual Light Pulse Lasers (the Punisher's standard weapon system)  can easily hit out to 10+1.9km with Scorch, although their ideal damage  output with Navy Multifrequency comes in at around 3.4+1.9km. The  Punisher's damage output is fairly unimpressive, more because all of its  rigs and low slots are usually dedicated to armour tank than because  the ship is innately weak on this front. Your typical Punisher fit  without damage mods puts out something around 100-120dps with Navy  Multifrequency and a little less with Scorch. Tracking on pulses is  fairly weak, meaning you can potentially reduce the Punisher's damage  output slightly simply by orbiting as close as possible, particularly if  its using the larger Small Focused Pulse Lasers. Since the Punisher is so  reliant on capacitor it's quite vulnerable to neuting (the nos helps,  but isn't enough keep everything running on its own). That said, the  Punisher's naturally strong capacitor means it'll probably take quite a  while before a singly small neut will have any real impact. The damage output  from a pulse Punisher will be entirely EM and thermal, meaning you're  generally best taking them on using another armour tanked ship like an  Incursus if you have the option. Shield tankers ships may have more difficulty, given that it  will be firing into your weakest resists.

While less  common than they used to be, some Punisher variants fit autocannons  rather than pulses. This saves additional powergrid for tank, as well as  reducing the ship's reliance on capacitor. Fitting ACs drops the  Punisher's damage output to about 75dps with close range ammo, as well  as reducing its ability to project damage at range. ACs with Barrage hit  out to around 1.4+8.3km, putting out roughly half of their optimal  damage output at maximum web range, whereas the pulse variant would  still be hitting for full damage. Unsurprisingly then, my suggestion  when fighting an AC Punisher is to hold it at range and whittle it down  providing you have the range to do so yourself, and otherwise just to  head for your own optimal and brawl it down. The damage output from an  AC Punisher is low enough that an active tank will probably be able to  turn away a significant portion of it, or even the whole thing on some  of the tankier frigs. Expect a very solid tank however - with ACs the  Punisher will almost always be a heavy buffer variant, and some unusual  fits even go so far as fitting double 400mm plates for an incredibly  strong buffer.

Despite its slightly low damage output,  the Punisher is an excellent brawler. If you can't dictate the terms of  the engagement against it (for example if you have no web, or are  scrammed with a MWD fit), then it will likely prove to be a very tough  opponent. It struggles a little to catch things, which means that if you  don't want to fight it (or want to escape from a fight early on), you  usually have that option available. Thanks to the combination of a  strong tank and a nos, Punishers are one of the more effective frigates  for taking on larger ships. While I wouldn't necessarily call them a  threat to your typical PVP cruiser, I recommend you don't underestimate  how difficult it will be to remove one should it get in under your guns.





The  Kestrel is very similar to its attack frig counterpart, the Condor. Its  4/4/2 slot layout is identical except for an extra launcher hardpoint,  however with a 5% instead of the Condor's 10% this leaves the Kestrel  with only a relatively small advantage in terms of damage output. It's  worth noting that the Kestrel's damage bonus is not specific to kinetic  missiles, which gives it an edge in any situation where kinetic is not  the optimal damage type to use. The most substantial differences between  these two ships are speed (the Condor has it, and the Kestrel doesn't)  and range (the Condor has it, the Kestrel has more of it) - with a  10% per level bonus to missile velocity, the Kestrel is able to reach  out to about 60km with light missiles or 22km with Javelin rockets.

Like  the Condor, the Kestrel is most popular as a kiting ship with light  missiles. Unfortunately for the Kestrel however this is a role which the  Condor already does exceptionally well, and it's difficult to see why  you'd choose the Kestrel over it. Additional range is the Kestrel's  principal advantage, however this is only really relevant when you're  operating in a gang since a solo Kestrel is already limited by its point  range. The loss in speed is a direct disadvantage, with the Kestrel  topping out at about 3km/s - a full 1km/s slower than its attack  counterpart. The Kestrel also suffers from cap instability given that it  doesn't receive the Condor's bonus to tackle module capacitor use,  which can be a significant problem for a ship that doesn't kill things  especially quickly. Aside from its selectable damage type, the main  benefit that the Kestrel does have over the Condor is an extra chunk of  powergrid. This let's it fit either a Medium ASB or Medium Shield  Extender relatively easily, allowing more room for error should an  opponent manage to land a solid hit. Whether this advantage is worth the  loss in speed, I'll leave up to you.

As a rocket ship  the Kestrel's advantages are slightly more noticeable, particularly when  it comes to tanking. Higher base HP and more powergrid allow the  Kestrel to fit a moderate buffer tank for around 6km EHP, or to fit dual  MASBs without relying on fitting mods (something which the Condor  couldn't really do). Despite this, the brawling capability of the  Kestrel remains fairly unimpressive - its tank is moderate and its  damage output is low, typically around 100dps with faction rockets.  While its flexible range make the rocket Kestrel good at close range  kiting, the faster Condor does this job more reliably thanks to its  higher speed. The range bonus does make the Kestrel less vulnerable to  kiters operating in the 15-20km range (as well as allowing the Kestrel  to kite at that range too if it chooses), but again it's a relatively  small advantage all thing considered.

As a gang ship,  the Kestrel is considerably more appealing. There aren't many frigates  which can apply damage effectively at this kind of range, and the  Kestrel's high mid slot count allows it to operate as quite an effective  hybrid EWAR/damage dealer in frig gangs, as well presenting a  significant threat to light support ships (for example, actual EWAR  ships). If you're flying something like a Griffin, beware of ships like  the Kestrel which can apply damage to you from range; it's easy to  remain oblivious to the danger until the first volley lands, and while  the volley damage on a light missile Kestrel isn't amazing (about 700),  it doesn't take many such volleys to down a fragile ship like yours!

Unsurprisingly,  you should approach fighting a Kestrel in pretty much the same way as  you would a Condor - land a scram, get to your ideal range and if you're  using turrets keep angular velocity to a minimum. Catching a light  missile Kestrel should be much less challenging than catching a Condor  thanks to the lower speed, but you should still expect some difficulty  particularly if you're AB fit. Against a rocket Kestrel, you should find  it easier to get close (or to pull range) than you would against a  faster ship. As with all missile ships, the faster you can keep moving  the less damage you're likely to take. Don't discount the significance  of the Kestrel's ability to select damage, particularly if you're flying  something with a obvious resist hole - if they're smart, there's a good  chance that they'll exploit it.



The  Breacher is fast for a combat frigate, second only to the Rifter in  terms of base speed and often faster in practice. In terms of  performance it's quite similar to the other two missile frigs, however  the Breacher does offer a few interesting advantages over its peers.  Compared to the Kestrel the Breacher trades a launcher and the  associated high slot for an extra low, gaining a pair of light drones to  make up the difference in damage. It also swaps the Kestrel's missile  velocity bonus for one to shield boost amount, making it a very capable  active tanker.

Unlike it's Caldari counterparts, the  Breacher is more commonly used as a rocket ship. Thanks to its flight of  drones and additional low slot, your typical rocket Breacher actually  puts out slightly more damage than either of its competitors, typically  in the region of 110 to 130dps with faction rockets. While it doesn't  offer the raw firepower found on most of the turret ships, flexible  range and consistent application make that figure much more impressive  than it might initially appear.

With a top speed of  around 1.2km/s under afterburner the Breacher is only a shade slower  than the Condor, making it very capable when it comes to dictating  range. Afterburner, scram and web are standard on most Breacher fits,  although some will drop the web in exchange for additional tank. The  Breacher is a fairly fragile ship, however with its active tanking bonus  it works very well with one or two Medium ASBs, providing the ship with  a powerful tank for a short duration. A single MASB let's the Breacher  tank something between 120 and 150dps without heat, which is enough to  turn aside the full damage output of many other T1 frigs for a limited time. The ability of the Breacher to control range allows it to mitigate some damage by other means too, potentially increasing the lifespan of its ASB charges to some extent.  While I haven't seen it done, it's actually possible to take this even further by armour tanking the Breacher, and with three low slots it's  actually quite capable of it. While this sacrifices the Breacher's impressive tank, it does mean it can squeeze on a Tracking Disruptor alongside the usual AB, scram and web. Combined with its already strong range control capability, this could potentially make the Breacher highly dangerous when used against turret ships.

As a light missile ship, the Breacher is far  less common. In terms of performance it's sort of like a light missile  Condor but worse; it's a little slower (typically 3.5 to 3.7km/s with  MWD), less cap stable, and reliant on its drones to deal part of its  damage output. It does retain the advantage of selectable damage type,  but other than that there's no compelling reason to use one and that's  reflected in the fact that you don't really see them very often.

When  you're fighting a Breacher, try to keep moving to reduce its damage  output (ideally directly towards or away from it to keep angular  velocity low) while aiming to apply your damage as effectively as  possible. Its ASB(s) provide an excellent tank, but only if it keeps  them running constantly. At that rate it's tank will only last a little  over 20 seconds, after which its relatively fragile buffer will crumble  quite quickly. Remember that it's almost definitely going to be a shield  tanker, so EM or thermal damage will be your best friend. Against the  light missile variant, essentially treat it like a light missile Condor -  slingshot and get a scram if you can, otherwise see if you can throw it  outside of point range to break tackle and warp. Don't forget about the  drones - if you're not able to get into range of the Breacher itself,  kill the drones and you'll cut its damage output by about a quarter  which should buy you a little more time.