Yesterday we looked at the State of T1 Frigates in Eve and how they compare to each other and to the general environment, from a Pirate's perspective. While not intended as a "guide" it does give you a brief overview, and I thought we'd continue today and look at the T2 Frigates.
T2 Frigates come in many flavors, from Assault, to Interceptor, to Electronics, and Covert/Bomber types. Each one highly specialized and intended to serve a specific role. For my purposes all I care about is how they serve the role of blowing up other people's ships. So let's keep that in mind as we go. Does the ship help blow up other people's ships? Or not.
Amarr:
Retribution: (4/10) The Retri is best utilized in small gang support roles, it can be rather tanky and serve as the anchor for other ships. But it is gimped pretty harshly when it comes to 1v1 work and eclipsed by the next ship on this list...
Strength: Tank Weakness: Cap and Speed
Vengeance: (6/10) The Veng is an amazing little ship that fails me every time I fly it. I am cursed in Vengeances. But I won't allow my personal challenges to take away from the knowledge that they are awesome workhorses of doom. I've fought some good ones and they are tough. I just need to figure out how that happens.
Strength: Tank and Damage Projection Weakness: Depends on the fit
Crusader: (3/10) Generally speaking Interceptors have a very hard time in Low Sec*. They can be used rather well as extremely quick raid and go platforms against specific types of enemies, or as fast tackle for small gangs. But even that is a bit of a stretch. In that environment the Crusader isn't very well suited, and the Malediction is better suited.
Strength: Speed Weakness: Everything else
*NOTE: All long-point based ships suffer in today's low sec environment. Given the AB based, stabbed, cloaky, run-away mentality of most foes, long points suffer from a general lack of "Hey, I caught you!" power. This doesn't mean they can't succeed, they can. Only that it is very, very hard to do so.
Malediction: (5/10) Versatility is the strength of the Malediction and for my money it is the best of the two Amarr Interceptors for that very reason. You can fit a scram to it and that's all you really need to know.
Strength: Versatile Weakness: It'll die a lot
Sentinel: (9/10) This ship rocks. It might even be a tad OP right now, but so what! It is a blast to fly, it can do a lot of things really well from a safe distance and it is hard to counter. I really try not to fly it very often because it is kinda sorta like flying an ECM ship. But man. It is tough not to. (Mostly I don't fly it much because it is impossible for me to get a fight in one, but other pilots in Stay Frosty do very well in them.)
Strength: Long range neuts and speed Weakness: Tank
Caldari:
Harpy: (8/10) Fear the Harpy. Multiple platforms, decent tank, nice damage projection, nasty survivability - the Harpy is a tough bird to kill. Mostly because you never know for sure how it will be fit, blasters? Rails? Ab? Mwd? Tricky. Very tricky this ship.Strength: Versatility Weakeness: SLOW AB and Weak MWD
Hawk: (9/10) Dual ASB Hawks are also a tad OP at the moment. They have bastard tanks and do decent enough projected dps to be a beast to kill. But in one, you feel pretty confident you can handle just about anything, especially if they get close.
Strength: Tank Weakness: Speed, drones
Crow: (4/10) So fast. So easy to kill. The Crow is an expensive toy that fills a role better served by other ships. But boy, that new model sure is pretty.
Strength: Speed! Weakness: Everything else
Raptor: (1/10) There was a short moment in time there when people thought the Raptor might be a viable PvP ship in Low Sec. They quickly discovered that it isn't. No matter what other ship I am in, I will always attack a Raptor. That should tell you all you need to know.
Strength: Uh... Weakness: The actual ship
Kitsune: (6/10) This is an ECM ship, so never fly one of these! I mean it.
Gallente:
Enyo: (8/10) I love the Enyo and it is seriously like an Incursus on steroids. Good tank, great dps, slow speed, decent damage projection in certain configurations, the Enyo is a tough ship.
Strength: Tank Weakness: Speed
Ishkur: (7/10) I should love the Ishkur more than I do, I know that. But like the Vengeance I haven't always had the best of luck in this ship. So my own view is tainted. Take that for what you will, but the Ishkur should be a better ship.
Strength: I dunno Weakness: It explodes when I fly it
Ares: (1/10) Nope.
Taranis: (5/10) The only viable low sec interceptor, the Taranis suffers from the simple fact that it is much more expensive than other ships that do the same job much better than it does. It is a blast to fly and looks great when on fire, but other than that it costs a lot of iskies.
Strength: Awesomeness Weakness: Price
Keres: (4/10) A horrible ECM ship that you should never fly, even if you are a dishonor pilot.
Minmatar:
Jaguar: (8/10) Many people do not like the Jag, but I love them. Versatile and decently tanked, the Jag offers fun in the sun for those looking to sit firmly in the middle of the road. Confuse those around you and confound your enemies. This ship does just that.
Strength: Confusion Weakness: It really isn't that good... or is it?
Wolf: (6/10) The Wolf is best in small gang support bring the dps from a safe distance roles. As a solo ship it is possible to try and fit it like you would a Rifter on steroids, but it is pretty expensive to be doing that with it.
Strength: Damage Projection Weakness: Tank troubles
Claw: (5/10) If you don't mind spending the isk, the Claw can be fitted in several ways to be useful in low sec. It can also be extremely fun to fly. You just need an enemy willing to stick around long enough for you to kill them.
Strength: Speed Weakness: Depends, but it's always something
Stiletto: (3/10) They still make this ship?
Hyena: (3/10) It actually can have a role in small gang warfare, but not really.
You'll notice I didn't mention any of the Stealth Bombers or Covert Ops ships in this post, that is because they have specific roles that should be rather obvious. And each of them is good enough at those roles to also be rather obvious. Plus they don't really fit into the PvP Pirate role much.
And there you go.