Stabber

=Overview=

It's like a frigate with bigger guns and more of them. Very very fast for a cruiser, so it makes for a good heavy tackler. The Stabber is a good general purpose PVP ship, since it can both inflict moderate amounts of damage and tackle enemy ships by virtue of its speed. Unfortunately, its slot layout makes it essentially impossible to fit a tank, making the Stabber a fairly fragile ship. Its big brother, the Vagabond, corrects this flaw and is widely considered the best solo PVP ship in EVE.

Bonuses

 * 5% bonus to Medium Projectile Turret firing speed per level
 * 5% bonus to max velocity per level

=Fittings=

Basic T1 Stabber Gang Tackler
Updated 12/08


 * High
 * 4x 220mm Vulcan Autocannon (Fusion M, Carbonized Lead M)
 * 2x Heavy Assault Missile Launcher I


 * Mid
 * 1x 10mn MicroWarpdrive I
 * 1x Warp Scrambler I or Warp Disruptor I
 * 1x Stasis Webifier I


 * Low
 * 1x Gyrostabilizer
 * 1x Nanofiber Internal Structure I
 * 1x Overdrive Injector System I


 * Drones
 * 1x Warrior

A standard stabber setup, goes fast and puts out pain. Since you are a tackler you need a web and something to prevent people from warping off. If you do not have both of these modules with this setup you are doing it wrong and suck at life.

Upgrade the parts of the Stabber in this order: (1) T2 guns if skilled enough; (2) Named/T2 Gyrostabilizer/Web if possible; (3) T2/named everything else.

Higher SP PvP Stabber

 * High
 * 4x 220mm Dual Autocannon II (Barrage, Faction EMP)
 * 2x Heavy Missile Launcher


 * Mid
 * 10mn MWD I
 * Warp Disruptor II
 * Large Shield Extender II


 * Low
 * 2x Gyrostab II
 * 1x Nanofiber Internal Structure II

Slightly more durable than the above fitting, due to the large shield extender, and deals more damage due to the two gyrostabilizers. The absence of nosferatu mean that you need to be wary of your cap levels, since operation of the MWD and disruptor is not sustainable indefinitely. Use your falloff to stay outside of web range, cycle the MWD Good for heavy tackling, as it is a bitch and a half to kill. Can also do decent damage up close with EMP, if necessary. Similar to a Vagabond, only less survivable, less damage, and slower. Also 80M cheaper and the hull is insurable.

EDIT: Throw in two falloff rigs and an em shield resist rig and your falloff jumps up to 19km with barrage and half decent skills for like an extra 10m

L2 Mission Stabber

 * High
 * 4x 220mm Vulcan Autocannon
 * 2x Assault Launcher


 * Mid
 * 10mn AB
 * Medium Shield Booster I
 * Large Shield Extender I


 * Low
 * 2x Gyrostabilizer I
 * Nanofiber Internal Structure

A shield tanking Stabber for running L2 kill missions. Since you usually face hordes of frigates and maybe a few cruiser-sized ships, the 220mm ACs and assault launchers are essential. Once I learned how to fly this setup properly, I could complete every L2 ED kill mission without having to warp out. When engaging groups of frigates, the trick is to kite them. Approach the nearest frigate group and use the afterburner to get within 20km or so, then disable it. Start firing missiles at about 25km (depending on skills) and autocannons at 15km. Switch targets as they pop while continuing to approach. Once you're within 3-4km, turn around and fly away from the group by double-clicking in space. The frigates will follow you, but since they're slower, they'll end up clustering behind you with little or no transversal, and your autocannons will chew them apart. Adjust your speed to keep them 5-10km behind you (for faster frigates, engage the afterburner for short periods if neccesary). Aktivate schieldbooster as neccesary to keep your shields around 50%-75%. If your shields drop below 20% or so and you're not a few seconds away from killing a big damage dealer, warp out. You should have no problem aligning without taking much, if any, armor damage.

What's a Gate Camp?

 * High
 * Prototype Cloak (optional)


 * Mid
 * 10 mn MWD II (or named)
 * 2x Large Shield Extenders II (or named)


 * Low
 * 3x WCS I

This setup is not mine but I have been using it since I started piperunning back in SU. The basic idea of this setup is to allow you to escape from a bubble that you jumped into from another system. It's almost impossible to stop this setup with its agility, speed and stabs along with knowing how to burn/warp out of a bubble. It also allows you to risk warping into a small gate camp and make a complete mockery of it as you burn for the gate, assuming they have a bubble up. In general the only thing you should be worried about are dictors, covops and webbing inties that are teamed together.

In the hands of an experienced pipe runner, only being doubled webbed in a bubble and/or having four points on you will stop you. With this setup you will have 7725 shield hitpoints (8047 if you have Shield Management V) It will go 2790 m/s with Navigation V, Acceleration Control IV and Minmatar Cruiser V and 3074 m/s with LG rogue implants. Because of the stabber's aglity, alginment is quick and with three WCS it is unlikely that a gate camp can put four points on you before you burn outside of a bubble. The cloak is optional but it allows you to rest at a safespot while scaning instead of having to constantly jump to random safespots.

The lack of guns is intentional. Guns only add to the cost of the setup, ammo takes up cargo space, and with the stabs plus the cloak you will not be able to lock on anything quickly or be in range. Besides that the idea is it to GTFO to avoid combat and being aggressed.