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PVP Revolutions – The Merlin(Revised)

Published on 15. May, 2009 ... written by ShardowRhino, Tags: Articles

In this week of Eve-Mag we are debuting yet another new feature in which we shine the spotlight on the various ships seen flying around New Eden. Our goal is to go beyond the idea of simply throwing ship configurations at you. Instead we wish to give the reader an in depth look at the pros and cons of each particular ship, to include easy to fit configurations that will allow new players to jump right into the fray with a fighting chance. To help create a “Revolution” in PVP. A revolution in how some players see it. How others approach it. How others attempt to embrace it. A Revolution in the mindset of those who have feared and loathed the undertaking of PVP for a plethora of reasons, of which I will not attempt to list nor explain within this article.

Our goal is to build up the arsenal of Rookie PVPers, starting with Frigates and working up to larger classes of ships, to help ease the growing pains of PVP as much as possible. While we acknowledge the fact that many sites offer “setups” or “configurations” it is through my personal experience that such sites rarely have content suitable for lower SP players. When one can find a low SP requirement setup it is rarely “Rookie”friendly or to be more specific, friendly to their wallet.

We wish to help change the common misperception that PVP is out of reach of new players. We also wish to show that PVP is not only about T2 fitted Battleships, HACs and Recons but also includes Frigates, Destroyers and Cruisers. By creating and publishing setups which are sturdy,effective and easy to afford we hope to encourage this change. Rookies will soon find that getting kills does not start at 30,000,000 SP or two billion isk. Instead they will learn that they can easily afford to PVP. That even with 1.6mil SP a Rookie can easily contribute to fleet operations within their Corporation or Faction.

By blunting the edge of defeat and empowering PVP Rookies with knowledge we hope to tempt them from the safety and boredom that is the hangar. We believe that once a player gets a taste for PVP they will start to resemble a shark that detects blood in the ocean. To help create a desire, a frenzy and “appetite for destructi

on” is the ultimate goal of this feature. So forget what you have been told before about your inability to PVP and start the revolution within as you help leave a wake of destruction with your fleetmates!

Let us begin……

Race: Caldari

Class: Frigate

Hull: Merlin

The Merlin is the heavy hitter of the Caldari’s Frigate class ships. With its bonuses to shield resistance and hybrid optimal range this ship can take a beating most frigates could not hope to withstand, all the while fighting outside of web range. This is particularly useful for newer players that find themselves in a fleet taking on larger ships where maneuverability and speed are the key to surviving a firefight. As with all Frigates, once they lose their speed and maneuverability advantage against larger ships, they become nothing more then sitting ducks. With its small size and heavy resists the Merlin can prove to be a frustrating target for Cruisers and larger.

The bonuses of the Merlin are bound to be most attractive to 2 types of players. First off would be the Rookie pilots looking to bring some DPS to the fight or for those to nervous to rush headlong at another ship in as a dedicated “Tackler”. The other type of Pod Pilot the Merlin seems almost custom made for would be the aspiring Fleet Commander,or “FC” for short, participating in Faction Warfare. Both types of pilots would find the built in tank of the Merlin comforting, allowing both to keep their cool during a fight. The endurance of a fully fitted Merlin will give the Rookies extra time under fire, something that will eventually help remove some of the edge off of the adrenaline rush you can only find in EVE PVP, which is far from propaganda churned out to entice new players. The aspiring Commanders will gain additional time to lead his fleet of Frigates as he leaves fleet mates to server as tacklers while he provides supporting fire from range.

While the DPS of the Merlin is in fact lower, on average, when compared to other heavy Frigates of other factions, its range helps balance it out. The range allows the Merlin to engage most targets at warp gates and warp in points to FW complexes without having to close or camp a position. This allows the Merlin to forgo Afterburners and MWDs and invest the additional slot as well the PG/CPU into its tank and weapons. In EVE PVP a lot of players will take high damage per second versus range and average DPS. One thing Caldari pilots must remember is that not all fights are within 5km and with a web you can negate the speed the other player needs to close to their effective range. While they struggle to close you are continuously firing away, slowly ripping them apart, completely unopposed.

The Merlin’s mix of missiles and turret slots allows for flexibility in range and damage output. This helps to reduce the difference in DPS between the Merlin and other Frigates. While this can lead to shorter range set-ups using a mix of rockets and blasters, I feel the longer range configurations along with the durability of its tank will allow the Merlin to deal more damage over time. The range will also augment the tank as it allows the pilot to stay outside of the range of webifiers, smart bombs, medium neutralizers as well as NOS which can quickly mean the end for any Frigate. It is this overall flexibility that causes many players to doubt it, instead opting for faster, higher DPS Frigates as they are easier to understand. However a smart pilot should always take into account the possibilities a ship can offer before relegating it to the darkest corners of one’s hangar.

Configurations:

Setup: Standard fleet Merlin

Highs:
2x Standard Light Launchers
2x 125mm Railguns

Mids:
Small Shield Extender
Small Shield Booster
Warp Disruptor
Target Painter

Lows:
Damage Control 1
Overdrive Injector System

Effective HP: 2710
Damage Per Second: 24
Capacitor Endurance: 34 seconds

Pros:

The standard Fleet Merlin is a great starter ship for either new players to the game or to the PVP side of EVE. The Merlin’s resists in this configuration are supplemented by a shield extender and booster to help repair any damage taken during a fight. It’s Warp Disruptor allows it to help the fleet tackle any war targets they encounter and with the quick lock on time of a frigate. While it is not a dedicated “Tackler” every “point” helps in a fleet battle, be it a 5 on 5 or 100 on 100 fight, an additional “point” helps ensure that targets are unable to leave the fight. Rounding out the Mid slots is a Target Painter. The Target Painter is especially useful in a Caldari fleet as missile launchers gain the biggest benefits from a “TP”. The Fleet Merlin has exceptional range for a Frigate, striking out to an effective range of 24km allowing it to put fire on any target within seconds in most combat situations.

Cons:

The Merlin, again, is the heaviest of the Caldari Frigates and its emphasis is on tanking as opposed to speed. This makes the Merlin a slug against opposing Frigates. Due to the lack of a Stasis Webifier it cannot attempt to control the speed of hostile ships. This means fast, short range, high dps Frigates are bound to close quickly and stress the Merlin’s tank shortly. This will also lead to tracking issues against fast targets at short range. Also the Target Painter does not do much for the Merlin itself. Overall this setup is not recommended for roaming solo or in a gang that does not have enough Tacklers to keep short range Frigates from closing with the Merlin.

Conclusion:

The Fleet Merlin is a great starter ship for those looking to participate in PVP as part of a fleet. This makes it a great setup for those participating in Faction Warfare where fleets typically have a range of ship classes working together. The Merlin will be able to fire upon most targets before the bulk of the fleet and will help pin down a hostile ship. It also makes it an easy mark for his missile using fleetmates with its Target Painter. While the Merlin is still slow for a Frigate it was not designed to serve as a dedicated Tackler however it help bolster a fleets tackling ability. In the end the Fleet Merlin helps its friends in ways faster, short ranged Frigates rarely can.

Most new players will find that their Level 1 mission agents will hand out frigates as rewards making replacements relatively easy. Most players will find most of the mods during their missions further easing the pain of replacing combat losses. While the Merlin is not going to be putting out huge DPS it helps new PVP pilots gain experience in working as part of a fleet. The Target Painter and “point”, a “point” being a Scramber or Disruptor, gets the Rookie thinking about setups that are not pure tank or pure gank. Instead they will begin thinking about how to fit to help the whole instead of only themselves. I am sure that most FCs will agree with the concept of the setup even though they may have differences of opinion on weapons or speed. In the end the standard Fleet Merlin is a great starter PVP ship from which players can then branch out and explore the other areas of PVP all while starting strong in the mindset of working as part of a fleet.

Setup: Buffer Merlin  ::EDITED::

Highs:
2x ‘Malkuth’ Standard Missile Launcher
2x 125mm Carbide Railguns

Mids:
Medium Suborbinate Screen Stabalizer (Medium Shield Extender)

2x Invulnerabilty Field Sheild Hardeners

Prototype Sensor booster (scan resolution script)

Lows:
2x Micro Auxiliary Power Core

Effective HP: 5071
Damage Per Second: 25 with Iron hybrid rounds, 39 with Anti-matter
Capacitor Endurance: 1 minutes, 6 seconds

Pros:

While slightly different then your basic Merlin setup this configuration focuses on defenses which will allow the pilot to endure more punishment then normal. This is effective for plexing in FW where even a few seconds more can mean success or failure. The weapons load allows the pilot to strike at range, something that is useful for taking down plex rats while still being able to support your tacklers holding the warp-in point at a moment’s notice. As the enemies start to close in the pilot can swap the Iron Hybrid rounds for Anti-Matter rounds, increasing his DPS.

Cons:

This setup does not look to remedy what some would consider the problems with the Merlin. Without a Micro Warp Drive or Afterburner this configuration is still a slug. It also lacks a web and “point”. This means the Merlin pilot is unable to contribute to the fleet’s ability to tackle.

Conclusion

This config clearly needs to work as part of a fleet as it is unable to tackle its own targets. While useful in a fast roaming fleet made up of Frigates and Destroyers due to its range, DPS and tank it is the wrong configuration to bring to a fleet with larger ships. In mixed fleets, all Frigates should be equipped with at least a Warp Jammer or Disruptor due to their lock on speed when compared to Cruisers and larger. This configuration is also great for Faction Warfare “plexing” where its range can help pick off rats while being in effective range to support Tacklers quickly.

Edit Notes: The Buffer Merlin setup previously posted was a prototype for the configuration and stored in EFT under the same name. The revised Buffer Merlin is the configuration that I have used many times while a part of the Amarr Militia in 2008. For those that did not see the incorrect set up the difference was primarily in the midslots. Its effective hitpoints went from 2.6  to 5,071. Also its DPS went from 16/20 to 25/39 (Iron/Anti-Matter).

Setup: The Berlin(short range Tackler)

Highs:
2x Light Ion Blasters
2x Rocket launchers

Mids:
1MN Micro warp drive
Stasis webifier
Warp Scrambler
Small shield extender

Lows:
Micro Auxiliary Power Core
Overdrive Injector

Effective HP: 1792
Damage Per Second: 35
Capacitor Endurance: 48 seconds

Pros:

The Ion Blasters and Rocket Launchers give this Merlin configuration greater punch then the typical weapon load out. The Merlin can make for a great tackler against larger targets, especially post QR due to its small signature radius. The small signature radius backed with the shield resist bonus will help ensure the Merlin’s survival. The Microwarp could be replaced with an Afterburner which will reduce the strain on the capacitor but reduce its top speed.The Warp Scrambler backed by a Stasis-Webifier will turn most PVP ships into sitting ducks waiting to be ripped apart by the Merlin’s fleetmates.
Suggestion: If the pilot is feeling confident they could drop the small shield extender and fit a Sensor Booster with a Scan Resolution Script to increase the Berlin’s chance of catching hostile ships before they warp off.

Cons:

The Merlin is the largest of the Caldari frigs designed with damage and resistance in mind making it a ranged fighter. When facing other Frigates a player will quickly realize that lighter designs have the advantage of speed which can be frustrating if the target is attempting to flee. The Merlin should only be used to tackle ships larger then itself as it will need more time to lock and close with the target then lighter Frigates such as the Condor.

Conclusion:

The “Berlin” configuration attempts to address some of the problems with most Merlin setups, that is speed, tackle and DPS. While the Berlin can close with targets and deliver higher levels of damage when compared to setups with light missiles and rails, it puts the pilot within range of Scramblers as well as Webs. Both will rob the ship of its speed leaving it unable to close meaning it will not be able to deal damage. In spite of this it allows a Caldari pilot to serve as a short ranged Tackler for mixed ship class fleets. They will be able to deal higher levels of damage then normal while helping their fleet lock down targets and hopefully bag additional kill mails. In the end this config is best used as a durable tackler for a mixed fleet or as part of a fleet of fast ships where its MWD allows it to keep up with running battles.

The Capacitor is limited when all mods are in use so the pilot must take care to monitor its level. The pilot should always give his Scrambler and Webifier priority over weapons fire. A tackler is useless if it cannot do its job! When necessary, shut off the blasters and stick to your rockets and tackling gear. The Micro-Warpdrive should be used when closing with the target and shut off within scram range as the drain on the cap and increase in signature radius will work against you by making you a bigger target for hostile ships.

Setup: BloodSucker!

Highs:
2x Small Nosferatu
2x Small Rudimentary Energy Destabalizers (small energy destabalizer)

Mids:
Initiated Warp Disruptor
Stasis Webifier
Small Converse Deflection Catalyzer (small shield booster)

Lows:
Micro Auxiliary Powercore
Overdrive Injector System

Effective HP: 1480
Damage Per Second: 0
Capacitor Endurance: Negligible

Pros:

The “BloodSucker” is based upon an encounter I had recently with a hostile Merlin pilot in FW. I was in a Moa thinking I had an easy kill in front of me but I was in for a surprise. This configuration is what I believe the pilot was flying. Due to its small size and ability to tackle backed with a boost in speed,thanks to an Afterburner, the Merlin was able to slip under my effective range with my medium rails making it extremely hard to hit. The shots that did land were reduced by the Merlin’s natural resistances. Once I had fired the Merlin proceeded to tackle me and begin draining my capacitor. Any damage I had inflicted was soon repaired. I was left there kind of embarrassed as I was unable to keep my tank online while firing at this little nugget that was unable to kill me. Thankfully he didn’t have friends with him.

Cons:

While the pilot that I encountered mounted a rocket launcher, it did virtually nothing as my natural regeneration exceeded his damage output. The fight ended as a stalemate as we had a good laugh in local and decided to disengage. The pilot had mentioned that he was able to beat other Frigates using the setup but mounting a single rocket launcher. Against Cruisers and above, the DPS of the launcher is going to prove useless. The cons of the above configuration is that you will be unable to deal any damage, leaving that role to your fleet mates. While he left my Moa unable to use most of it’s guns throughout the fight a ship with light drones would still pose a serious threat to the Merlin.

Conclusion:

The BloodSucker proved to be a nasty surprise. A surprise that would have allowed a hostile Cruiser to rip apart my Moa with out effort due to the capacitor drain the Merlin was able to execute. Thus bringing down my tank. The same tank that has had several groups of Cruisers and larger pounding away for some time before taking me down. While this configuration does not have a rocket launcher it increases its ability to drain the target.

The Merlin should feel free to burn up his capacitor in order to make use of the Nos. With the Afterburner, tackle gear, shield booster and destabalizers this should take little to no effort. The shield booster combined with the Merlin’s resists should negate any shots the target can land. In fact most of the damage the Merlin repaired during our fight was thanks to my own capacitor recharge rate being used against me. I must also mention the cap drain was exceptionally fast due to my own tank and weapons and his destabalizers and shield boosting which allowed the Nos to do their job.

This setup is extremely specialized and even with the removal of one Nos or Destabalizer and mounting a rocket launcher, the setup is best used as part of a gang where another ship can provide the firepower as you lock down and drain the target. This would be best accomplished with a wing mate on a safe spot just outside of overview range. They can then quickly join the fight once the Merlin knows that the target is unable to warp off and cannot use the warpgate. I can see a group of 2-3 frigates having great success against solo cruisers and maybe even against Battlecruisers that do not rely upon drones for its offensive capability.

:By Request:

Setup: SlowMo-Solo PVP(Warning:This fit is purely EFT theory at the moment!)

Highs:

2x ‘Malkuth’ Standard Missile Launchers

2x 150mm Carbide Railguns

Mids:

‘Fleeting’ Warp Disruptor

‘Initiated Harmonic’ Warp Scrambler

2x ‘Langour’ Drive Disruptor (Stasis Webifier)

Lows:

Micro  Auxiliary Power Core

200mm Crystalline Carbonide Plates

Effective HP: 2665

Damage Per Second: 29 w/Iridium charges , 40 w/Anti-Matter charges

Capacitor Endurance: Stable

Pros:

While the Merlin is slow for a Frigate this setup will be able to turn even the fastest Frigate into an even slower space brick with its 2 Webifiers and Warp Scrambler. It can also slap a point on a target out to 20km with its Warp Disruptor which also serves as a means of deception. Its pair of 150mm Railguns and dual Light Missile Launchers ensure that it can return fire on any hostile Frigate. The 200mm plate offers the Merlin additional protection while allowing you to carry a more then impressive array of tackling gear.

Cons:

This setup relies upon deception in order to work so do not expect this setup to work against the same pilot twice,  assuming you win.  1 vs 1 fights against a speed tank Frigate shoud, theoretically, give you the win. Against a buffer tanked ship with similar range will likely send you home in a pod.

I would not suggest using this Setup while next to a gate as it will take a while for the target’s speed to bleed away. Your best bet would be to sit off the gate and have the target come to you and away from the gate. This will allow you time to bleed their speed without them getting smart and jumping away.

Conclusion:

Again this configuration is EFT theory mixed with personal experience with the Merlin using other setups. At first glance this Merlin appears to be your typical long range Merlin that is lacking in tackle. Of the Frigate battles I have had in the past,thanks to Faction Warfare, the Merlin was my favorite ship and hostiles treated it the same way. Most wartargets that I encountered were Micro Warp Drive using speed machines. They simply rushed at my Merlin to close the range and take advantage of their higher DPS but extremely short ranged weaponry. Normally this would give them the advantage as their speed gave my Railguns hell, making it difficult to land a shot. My launchers however did hit but I was still left with 50% of my effective DPS sitting there, useless. This resulted in a few destroyed Merlins.

To a hostile Frigate pilot a Merlin is a sitting duck waiting to be picked off without a dedicated tackler supporting it. At first this setup appears to be a standard Merlin, long range weapons and a Warp Disruptor. This allows the target to believe he can simply MWD in,engage and MWD out of Disruptor range if it gets to hot for him.  If he believes he can take you down he has you pointed and most likely webbed. Even without the web he holds an advantage in speed meaning you cannot escape. Of course “All warfare is based upon Deception.” a bit of Sun Tzu if you will.

The pilot is now thinking how you wanthim to think. They kick in their MWD and rush you, laughing at your Disruptor’s pathetic attempt to tackle their 3km/s+ Frigate. You start to fire but they know its a matter of seconds before their greater DPS is in range and your rails become a joke. They get within web range and notice their speed is dropping, “big deal” until they realize they are dual webbed. As soon as they are reacting to that problem they realize their MWD just shut off and their speed is dropping even more. You turn off the Disruptor and the capacitor levels off around 50%.  You realize that you now control the range of the fight as your weapons continue to hammer away at a target that has no serious response.

While I have not used this setup before I will be sure to make use of it soon. Once I have a number of fights under my belt using this setup I will revise it with information based upon its performance. Feel free to leave a comment on its performance if you decide to try this or any other setup.

Final Words:

These configurations can easily be modified by most pilots with an average of 3 in the related skills. These configurations are also in no way,shape or form the only setups possible. Instead these setups are meant to give the Rookie PVPer solid configurations from which to build upon. As the player gains additional SP, Isk and PVP experience they will find new ways to fit their ships that will bring them success against their opponents. Our goal is to get the thought process started as well as to encourage players to take a risk on a great aspect of the game. So good luck and happy hunting!

Tip: Since Railguns and Blaster deal Kinetic and Thermal damage I would suggest loading your launchers with EM and or Explosive missiles. By determining what kind of tank the enemy has may allow you to switch ammo types. While most people will say that changing ammo in a fight is suicide I have found in many FW plex fights,while using a Merlin, that I was able to do so successfully. Based off of the damage information saved I realized that switching to a different flavor of Missile that I matched and exceeded the damage output I would have had if the switch was not made. Also covering all 4 damage types allows you to strike at their weakness with at least 1 weapon which beats striking it with zero weapons, instead focusing fire on its strengths.

Tip: If you missions with any corp within the Caldari State you will be able to apply your Loyalty Points (LP) towards “faction ammo”. Doing so allows you to aquire Caldari Navy Hybrid charges and missiles. While the damage output may seem small when compared to the cost, in PVP you want every advantage possible no matter how slight it may be. If you must choose 1 type due to cost I would suggest Caldari Navy Small Anti-Matter rounds as the bulk of the Merlin’s DPS is from its Railguns.

Tags: Beginning PVP, Caldari, configuration, Frigate, Merlin, pvp, PVP Revolutions, Rookie, setups