Until the release of the Rhea expansion in December, 2014, the best small-hull class ships for damage application in EVE Online were the T2 Assault Frigates (AFs), or arguably the pirate and faction frigates with similar capabilities. With Rhea, and the successive releases (Tiamat, Carnyx, Aegis), CCP gave the universe the Amarr T3 destroyer, the Confessor. This was followed accordingly with the Minmatar Svipul, the Caldari Jackdaw, and the Gallente Hecate. Up until this point, the only T2 destroyers in the game were Interdictor class vessels, used exclusively to trap prey using interdiction probes. Interdictors remain rather flimsy despite a recent buff, and so susceptible to being primaried off grid in this role that they are often referred to as “flying coffins”. While CCP may have a new T2 Destroyer role in the pipeline, there’s very little to look at there at present.
The role of the destroyer, in classic surface naval warfare from which our space navies take their reference, has always been to provide escort protection, serve as a screening function for the fleet, search for and detect hostiles, and persecuting targets. In some situations, destroyers are used to drive off and delay attackers so the more vulnerable or slower forces could escape an engagement, or in the reverse, to pin down larger forces until a response fleet can be brought to bear. In EVE, destroyers are theoretically anti-frigate craft, and in packs, are capable of defeating smaller numbers of cruisers, provided they control range and maintain their mobility. For T1 destroyers, against T1 frigates, this has held reasonably true. Assault frigates, however, were often capable of murdering the T1 destroyer, when skillfully piloted, and for a long time have been, in one meta or another, a cheap counter. A well provisioned T2 AF would generally run a capsuleer 35-45m if not bling fit.
Now, the game changes, and the T3Ds arrive. After the initial market spike in prices, the hull prices now start around the cost of a completely T2-fit AF. A T3D remains as cheap to fit, adding an average of 15-25m in additional costs beyond the hull price increase. With a typical cost of 55-80m (again, excluding bling) they are not expensive. With this added expense comes vastly superior firepower, greater speed, and massively better survivability. To keep the comparison as close as possible and illustrate the advantage of a T3D, I show you a Jaguar and a Svipul. Both are configured for 200mm autocannons, shield buffer tank, 5MN MWD fit, and are as identical as the individual hulls allow, and of course, level 5 skills on both. Again, only for comparison. (The author is aware that this may be seen as comparing apples to oranges):
Jaguar
Our example Jaguar puts out 161 DPS, with an EHP of 14,733. Quite reasonable for its class and cost, (Evepraisal says 24.23 to buy it in Jita). It’s nice, and for the purposes of tackling and killing frigate sized targets, it’s pretty decent. It’ll even stand up decently against a T1 destoyer if piloted well with an eye towards maintaining traversal on the target, and in a small gang, quite effective. But there’s absolutely no reason to ever buy it and fly it, once you develop the skills to fly a T3D.
Svipul
Our example Svipul puts out 232 DPS, with an EHP of 20,091. Certainly more than our Jaguar, with about 25% more EHP. and better damage application. It’s roughly double the cost in Jita (Evepraisal . The Svipul grants one more turret option, and beyond the example Jaguar, an additional launcher hardpoint, and a utility high with fitting room to spare. This provides some additional DPS and the utility high slot grants the ability to fit a small energy neutralizer or something similar, depending on style and preference. This is without delving into the mode bonuses either, which allow for an almost immediate adaptability for any situation that arises, and the respective bonuses in each mode. A comparison of the other racial T3Ds against similar AFs bears out very similar advantages. Faster, harder hitting ships, with better range options, better survival, in exchange for reasonable additional cost for most purposes. Note that platinum insurance for each ship is a much better payout for the Svipul and other T3ds in terms of percentage return vs. investment, because ships do go pop…
Additionally, the T3D is of great utility in places that any other ship in the frigate or destroyer class could not be effective, with a primary example being the frigate-only shattered wormhole systems. It is not unheard of for a very agile Confessor to be used to clear PvE sites solo in the lower-end shattered wormhole systems (Wolf-Rayet effect systems specifically). While soloing low-end sleeper sites, the Confessor is still quite capable of engaging, driving off, or escaping other players not in a T3D. Edit: While Assault frigates also do have a special utility in burner missions, these are primarily solo PvE missions specifically geared towards their use.
With the advent of the T3d, almost any sub-capital ship in the frigate or destroyer class becomes basically obsolete in a single combat situation. The same appears to be true in fleet engagements faces with equal, or even moderately unequal numbers. It does beg the question, barring very specific circumstances, of what use are Assault Frigates in the current meta?
As detailed in our earlier article, CCP is seeking player feedback and forming a focus group to look into future potential changes to the T3D class of ships. While it is too early to determine yet, what if any changes could result from this group, it does not indicate changes to other ship classes, but only to the T3Ds. Will we get a nerf to T3Ds? Is there an implied buff to other frigate and destroyer subcapitals, if the T3Ds can’t be nerfed without neutering them? What will the new T2 Destroyer, that “favor(s) defense and speed and can fit the powerful and versatile area-of-effect Micro Jump Field Generators,” bring us for small ship warfare?
Time will tell. CCP hasn’t told us much of anything, yet.
