The Trouble With Minmatar

In my original platform post I said that Minmatar BSes need a serious looking over, and I'd like to expand that now to also include the Naglfar.

What's wrong with the Naglfar?

Well, let me lay out its current stats:

High Slots: 5
Mid Slots: 5
Low Slots: 6

Turret Slots: 2
Launcher Slots: 2

Power Output: 625000 MW (781250 with Engineering V)
CPU Output: 700 tf (875 with Electronics V)

For comparison, the Raven has a CPU Output of 700 tf, and the Phoenix of 875 tf.

Ok, so already you should be able to identify some issues here. The Naglfar has split weapon systems, meaning that you need twice as many lows for damage mods as the other dreads do. If you want to use 2 mods for each weapon type, you're only left with 2 lows, which forces you to shield tank. But now you have only 5 mids and 2 lows to fit said tank, meaning unless you use expensive faction stuff, you're filling those 2 spare lows with Co-Processor IIs to get enough CPU. Remember, you've got the same CPU as a BS but need to fit capital-sized gear on it.

So now you have all of your lows filled and 5 slots for a shield tank. Since you're in a T1 Minmatar ship you don't get the awesome base shield resists, so you need to fit an EM Hardener, so you have 3 slots left to beef up your tank with (remember you also need to fit the booster.) In the end, you tank about 2205 dps (EFT sustained) with all skills at V, and you do it for 2m 29s (assuming 3x CCC I rigs.) A Phoenix with an identical midslot layout tanks 4722 dps (EFT sustained) for 3m 41s, while also dealing roughly 3200 dps.

With 2 of each damage mod you do 3670 dps using EMP XL ammo, limiting your optimal to 40km. The DPS drops to around 2500 if you armor tank since you're losing your damage mods.

Armor tanking, you can perma-tank 7235 dps, which is actually respectable, and more than an identically fit Moros. However, that Moros does almost 1000 more DPS than you (assuming Bouncer I sentry drones, which for the purposes of this comparison is reasonable.) It also only tanks 200 less dps, and if it drops its damage mod for another tanking mod, will out-tank your Naglfar by over 1000 dps and still dealing over 200 dps more.

tl;dr: The Naglfar as a shield tanking Dread is, to put it mildly, underwhelming. While the DPS is respectable (that is to say, in line with other turret Dreads), its tank leaves much to be desired. When Armor tanking, the Naglfar can put up a rather stiff, sustainable tank, but its DPS becomes rather anemic. To put it succintly, the Naglfar has to decide between DPS or Tank, and whiever it chooses will still be lacking. No other racial Dreadnought (especially not the Phoenix) has to make the same decision.

How to fix it:

First of all, I think that the Naglfar should be a shield-tanking ship. I think CCP made a mistake by turing the Nidhoggur into an armor-tanking ship because it leaves the Chimera as the only shield-tanking carrier. Turning the Naglfar into a proper shield tanking ship only requires a couple of things:

• More CPU
• More Mid Slots

The easiest "fix" would be to change the Naglfar's slot layout to 5/7/5 and boost the CPU to something closer to 875. This would allow it to fit a tank similar to the Phoenix, able to tank closer to 3000 dps rather than 2000.

A more drastic "fix" would be to turn the Naglfar into a one-weapon type Dread, but I think this would make them pretty boring.


Disclaimer: I have never flown a Dread, so my numbers may be way off because they are based on hideous fits. If you see that everything here is way off, let me know.