Help Desk #7: How to fit a Kestrel
It appears this particular heading has become rather popular by my blogs standards. The last two ‘how to fit’ flavours of Help Desk are in the top 5 most read posts to date and thus call for more of the same.
It is Bastard pilot Mon Palea that gave me the initial setup in the 15 hr prelude to a Celebrity Death Match with Venom Orchid. It is not the fit I fought her in as I used the apparently controversial ECM Kestrel that ended up giving me a bad name.
This is however the only viable Kestrel-PVP fit that I have found so far. So for budding Caldari Pilots wanting to have a cheap ship to start out in until you can fly a real ship please read on.
This is however the only viable Kestrel-PVP fit that I have found so far. So for budding Caldari Pilots wanting to have a cheap ship to start out in until you can fly a real ship please read on.
Now repeat after me; ‘This is my Kestrel, there are many like it but this one is mine…’
[Kessy of Doom]
Low Slots
Ballistic Control System II
Micro Auxiliary Power Core I
Mid Slots
Cold-Gas I Arcjet Thrusters
J5b Phased Prototype Warp Scrambler I
Medium Shield Extender II
High Slots
Rocket Launcher II, Caldari Navy Thorn Rocket
Rocket Launcher II, Caldari Navy Thorn Rocket
Rocket Launcher II, Caldari Navy Thorn Rocket
Rocket Launcher II, Caldari Navy Thorn Rocket
Rocket Launcher II, Caldari Navy Thorn Rocket
Rigs
Small Bay Loading Accelerator I
Small Warhead Calefaction Catalyst I
Statistics;
With all lvl 5, ZMR1000, ZMM100, no overheating;
EHP: 3397
Shield Resists: 0/20/40/50
Armor Resists: 50/45/25/10
Capacitor: Stable at 87%
DPS: 163
Volley Damage: 284
Weapon Range: 10.1km
Locking Range: 50km
Scan Resolution: 581.3mm
Speed: 896m/s
Align Time: 6.3s
Estimated Cost: 9 million isk
Notes:
*EFT warrior that I am I reluctantly recommend Faction ammo, however I do have T2 Rage in the hold for larger targets.
*It certainly isn’t the greatest Frigate out there, however for Caldari Pilots wanting to try PVP; this fit is very decent to assist in small or large gangs.
Disclaimer;
Please commence infinite discussions about this, I don’t care, this post just has my two cents and suggestion for fitting a Kestrel. Please note that I fully support anyone’s choice of fitting as long as it makes sense. This is a mere suggestion; you don’t like it?; troll the many copies of the similar/same Kestrel fits posted on Battle Clinic.
I thought the only way to fit a Kestrel was with a Cyno Field Gen.! lol
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteEDIT: I fail at posting tonight
ReplyDeleteNow, being a Caldari pilot myself, my 0.2 isk are as follows:
If you want to PVP and fly a Caldari T1 frigate, it's best to train all Gunnery skills to III and get yourself in a Rifter - better tank / better DPS and more fun compared to kestrels imho :-)
Ofc Caldari rule for ECM :-)
I dislike kestrels - what can I say?
Kestrel: more DPS than a Hawk. :)
ReplyDeleteAs much as i'd love to see rocket frigs working (I DREAM OF THE DAY I GET TO UNLEASH THE AWESOME POWER OF THE BREACHER) well they kinda arnt good, especially without any webbing love, the 163 eft dps against an afterburning unwebbed frig is unrealistic. efted against a standard rifter with your rockets overheated and faction rockets your looking as an actual dps of about 52, which isnt going to win you any brawls within rocket range tbh.
ReplyDeleteIn my personal opinion for Kestral, standard launchers and kiting out of scram range is a tactic more likely to get you kills against decent (or poorly piloted but okay fitted) frigs.
I'd give a shout out for the merlin as a vastly underestimated yet fun and mighty pvp boat, for t1 caldari frig pvp.
oh btw, that 52 dps isn't taking resists into account
ReplyDelete- solo - PvP sure, but remember piratical lads and lasses that not all PvP is solo. As Kirith points out the Kestrel is a ranged DPS boat = kite n' kill while your compadres grapple and face-melt. Also, putting T2 launchers and faction rockets on a T1 tinsel-hulled boat hurts my head.
ReplyDeleteAs far as I'm aware, Mr Nashh does alot of solo roaming and frig v frig fighting.
ReplyDeleteYes I'm sure a pack (or flock i guess) of Kestrals can probably be pretty mean and a hell of alot of fun.
And in gangs with webs a Kestral can bring a reasonable amount of dps fo shure.
Don't get me wrong the fit is solid as a rocket fit kestral, its only flaw is how terribad rockets can be, especially for solo work, or frig duels.
as a side off topic note Mr Latro, I'd say I have the opposite view, that frigs that dont roll T2/high meta mods and faction ammo make me sad.
(sorry for the slight derailment nashh)
Thanks for the comments guys. I try to make these posts as clear as possible and agree with most feedback so far;
ReplyDelete#Rockets suck ass
#This is not a solo fit, small or large gang support
#T2 wherever possible, plus t2 rockets in the hold.
#This is not the greatest frigate, however not bad for a caldari skilled pilot.
x
Nashh