Merlin II

This time was a bit different. Instead of roaming around looking for someone to attack, I was heading back to Blue HQ from Jita with my new Merlin, fitted differently from the last. This time my guns were smaller, but tech 2. My rocket launchers were the same, as was my tackle. Instead of a small shield booster, which seems to be entirely useless, I fitted a named medium extender and two EM rigs along with one Thermal to bring my resists up to scratch. My low slots this time had only one magstab, since the other slot was taken by a micro auxiliary power core needed to fit that extender (even with the smaller guns). My ammo was upgraded to Caldari Navy antimatter and Foxfire rockets, bringing my DPS actually a bit higher than it had been with the cheaper ammo in bigger guns.

I had actually intended to land back at base, then sit around for a while as I did out of game things. On the way there I saw almost nobody at all, so I figured it was a slow time. There was a single Red in our home system, though – and as it turned out they were just the sort of person I was looking for. They appeared about 80km off station moments after I landed, in a Rifter (lots of these around). They were approaching me, probably with AB on. I pointed in their direction and idled along until we were nearly in locking range, then switched on my AB, overheated my guns(!) and activated my tackle.

After that, there wasn't much to do. I was cap stable, and my only active modules were tackling them or shooting at them already. My range was good, though they were a little further away than I hoped. I hit approach, and forgot to orbit again until we were a bit too close (well, maybe there wasn't really a too close for either of us in this). I tried to overheat my web, but accidentally turned it off, at which point we actually got closer. I turned it back on, overheated. I'm not actually sure if that even improves its effect or only range, but I knew the fight wasn't going to last until any modules burnt out.

That was about all I could do. We both seemed to be shield tanking, and I don't think I was webbed, but I honestly didn't check. Sadly now I've already flown away and my log is empty, but it would stand to reason that a Rifter with its three mids would have a shield extender, scram or disruptor, and afterburner. I lasted longer than my other fight, certainly, and probably did more damage before I died, but ultimately the Rifter took out my shields before I took out hers, and my ship seemed to explode before I even had time to see the armour drop.

There are a few lessons to take from this one:

*I need to check the logs before inadvertently clearing them.

*My situational awareness needs to expand to include the EWAR my enemy is using.

*So far, neither fight seems to have been improved much by my web. I may yet use that slot for more tank, either directly with a shield module of some kind or indirectly with a tracking disruptor or a cap booster.

*Clicking is an awful way to overheat modules during a fight, and I need to get used to keyboard shortcuts to avoid more of what I just did. I wouldn't have lasted any longer, and I managed to get my module working as intended anyway, but that time could have been spent doing something like paying attention to my distance, or looking at EWAR.

In addition to that, I think I was right about my first assessment of this ship. It's not going to simply out-DPS someone who has three damage-bonused turrets and probably another module and some rigs also augmenting their guns. It just won't. In keeping with this line of thought, I need to stop flying it like I'm catching people and beating them to death, and use more of what it has to keep them from beating me to death.