Wolf Rayet PVE

Some friends of mine inhabit a C2 with O477 static. The last couple of days they have been connected to Wolf Rayet systems full of sites, and have settled in for some hardcore bearing and ISK farming.

Their initial instinct - as is everyone's - when you connect to a WR is to deploy the armour BS (/Paladin) and Guardian fleet for bearing. This plays exclusively upon the system effects which buff armour resistances. Tanking with 2 Guardians is super-easy, everyone has big buffers and high resists, etc etc.

Fucking yawn, I said. Take Enyos, Vengeances and Wolves, and 2 Execqurors. it will be faster, a hell of a lot more fun, and you'll make more ISK.

In explaining it, I pointed out that the Enyo in a C3 WR does 520 DPS cold, trucks along at 2.7km/s, has a sig radius of 27m and has 10.5K EHP or more. It does the same DPS as a Tengu, costs 10% as much, and takes a tenth the damage or less. 

They were skeptical because the typical experience is that Sleepers completely obliterate anything with a small buffer the instant they touch grid.

They finally dropped the 35M a pop on their AF's (those who could fly AFs...), grabbed an Astarte for unnecessary links, and a couple of T1 logi, and the reviews are in:

"This is too easy."

"LOL, the BS did 5 damage."

"We should have done this earlier."

"Did we flip that site in 4 minutes?"

I won't claim that BUGRY was the first, ever, to do RR AF's, but we were certainly the ones who perfected the art, back before AF's were buffed and before small RR's were a thing or T1 logi cruisers were awesome. We used to run 5 Ishkurs with A-type small remote reps (they used to sell for 300K a pop) and/or armour Harpy or Wolf. Vengeances weren't favoured because the DPS was low and the Ishkur could do DPS with drones from 50km.

We used to run AB fits, but nowadays after the AF buff, the sig radius doesn't blow out too much and the extra speed really helps. Add in 66km Execquror reps, and it's pretty much a recipe for win.

The other system effects where RR AF or the AF/Exec gang does well include Cataclysmic (especially the RR AF) although your DPS is lower, resulting in slower grinding, and magnetar where the raw DPS buff really helps you churn sites.

Oddly enough, AB fit RR AF also does OK in C3 Black Holes because you get 55% more speed for free and the nerf to gun and lock range is an insignificant nuisance except in the Oruze Construct, where a 100km truck to fight results in wasted time.

The moral of the story? If you are going to run sites as a group, often the most exciting wayy to do it is to reduce your safety margins and push the comfort zone. You'll learn a thing or two, and develop skills beyond the ordinary. It will also, sometimes, be more efficient.