Field Deployment Orca

As I'm typing this Cozmik is currently training one of the most useless skills for him, Mining Barge IV. And tomorrow will be the start of the two most atrocious skill levels in order to fly the Orca: Mining Foreman V, followed by Mining Barge V. The rest of the skills after that are puny in comparison. So for the next month all my ISK making efforts will be put towards the purchase of the ship itself. I've already started playing with some fits, and although the choices are very few because after all, this is a huge mining vessel, there's still some fun to be had with it as this will become my fly-to-hot-spot-loaded-with-fun-ships boat.


[Orca, Field Deployment]
Power Diagnostic System II
Damage Control II

Warp Disruptor II
'Hypnos' Multispectral ECM I
Large Shield Extender II
Invulnerability Field II

Improved Cloaking Device II
50W Infectious Power System Malfunction
Expanded Probe Launcher I, Combat Scanner Probe I

Large Cargohold Optimization I
Large Cargohold Optimization I
Large Cargohold Optimization I


Warrior II x5
Vespa EC-600 x5 (I'd also consider replacing the jamming drones with armor/shield repping ones)


With Coz's eventual skills: 195374 EHP, Cap stable at 56%, align time 39.2 seconds (put i-stabs in low slots for 25.9 seconds at the cost of close to half the EHP)

Ore bay (!): 50000 m3
Cargo hold: 54752 m3 (not crazy enough to train level V)
Corporate hangar: 40000 m3
Ship Maintenance Array: 400000 m3


As you can see, I have absolutely no intention of boosting mining gangs or pulling in jet cans from insane distances. And no, I will not be crazy enough to take it out for a spin in the middle of the next Hulkageddon! Because I have only a single account these days only Cozmik will be able to fly it to haul the equivalent of a small squadron of ships, with spares and a huge amount of modules and ammo, in a single trip. But yes, eventually it would be great if I had an Orca pilot character on a second account that could fly with the gang and sit cloaked in various safespots just the way some carriers do in Low-sec and Null-sec, as a sort of mobile station. Of course it would be dangerous, and that is why I love it :) But for now, it'll be Coz's personnal hauler.

The ore bay: 50 thousand cubic meters of wasted space for a pilot like me. As a spin on the rookie ships, I will probably put one unit of veldspar in it. Or some other fancy rock. Unless a corpmate wants me to bring some rocks from A to B, but MAPU isn't exactly known for its mining pilots!

The cargo hold: for packaged ships. 10 frigates, 5 cruisers, 3 battlecruisers and 1 frigate, 1 battlecruiser 2 cruisers 1 frigate... all with some left-over space for modules.

The corporate hangar: this is where all ammo, charges, scripts, and ready to use modules go. Sorry miners, no mining crystals allowed!

The ship maintenance array: it's not as big as a carrier's so no battleships. But a battlecruiser, a HAC, a Covert Ops, and some interceptors and assault frigates all ready to Rock 'N Roll, all this fits. This will depend on how rich I am and what ships I have that are expendable. If I get ganked with a full load of Rifters I will laugh my head off. But with say a HAC and a HIC, it could get ugly! But that is a risk we have to live with in EVE. But even if there is a risk it takes some effort to get a battleship gang to suicide-gank an Orca. Because this ship will be mostly sticking to Hi-sec routes. If I do have to bring it to Low-sec or Null-sec (W-space or not) I will have to be scouted left, right and center because out there it would look just the way a seal looks to a great white shark!

Now, why fit it like this? A simple reason: because I can! I don't expect to point-jam-neut many targets but who knows? And the probe launcher? I'm in AMC, meaning I will do stuff in W-space once in a while. W-space means having a probe launcher, but I have the skills and the CPU for an expanded launcher so why not?! And the cloak? Could come in handy :)

So in a month's time, if by some chance we get wardecced by a corp living in a specific region, like say Genesis, or if Heimatar Low-sec becomes too quiet and Sinq-Laison has more action, I'll be able to pack up a whole bunch of stuff and be ready to play The PvP as soon as I get to destination instead of having to travel back and forth 4-5 times, with a couple side trips to a market hub because I forgot something. It's a complete bitch to train up for the Orca especially because of all the skills I'll never need, but I'm sure much fun will be had with it.

Fly big

o7