ESS Tactics Early Meta (Defense and Stealing) - Hail Sagan - Eve Online - November 2020

Hail Sagan talks through what tactics have been used in the early days of the ESS meta and how current and similar METAs could show what the best fits could be. As it is early days and heavily theoretical, Hail tries his best, but will most likely get it all wrong.
Q&A:
Q: I want to get into ESS. What's the best ship to start with?
A: Troll Stabber, RLML Caracal or Vexor. Safety in numbers
Q: Why are you talking about sniper and kitey ships when you need to be close to the ESS to rob it?
A: Because it's such a large counter to kitchen sink and brawling setups that it's worth having a bait ship or troll ship on an alt to hack the ess while you lay a trap that without proper warning, they're dead. Remember, they're in a bubble that takes a good 2-3 minutes to get out and you're not.
Q: Why didn't you talk about how these setups work outside the ess bubbles?
A: Because when you're on the attacking side, you can filament in from anywhere across the universe and start hacking in a couple minutes. Defenders can't respond that quickly. If you want to counter these ESS-tuned fits by just purely gatecamping, they would've already stolen some isk, some irretrievable.
Likewise if you've successfully robbed a bank and looking to escape, with defenders in-system or nearby, you can either refit to fit an MWD using a mobile depot (cheap), safelog, cloak indefinitely or filament away when the relevant timers runs out.
Basically the play/counterplay on escape plans is alot harder to figure out through theoreticals and dependant on too many factors to predict accurately. What is known is that the attackers in some capacity has to get in and out of the ESS bubble, and they don't have to jump system gates if they don't want to (but some will take them anyway).
Q: Is there a failsafe for brawling setups incase they don't want to fight?
A: Yes. You can have 1 person robbing and your brawling comp safe-logged out at the acceleration gate. If you think you can take on the gatecamp, you login, take the accel gate, brawl. If you don't like your chances, you stay logged off. This can be countered by an intel channel that will be expecting you or by the defenders to move way off the beacon to their optimal ranges on land
Q: Is the Praxis fit perfect for everything I will see in the ESS?
A: No. It will die to Brawling Battleships and have a hard time against anything that has 100km+ range, but the most common fleet comp is brawling cruisers and battlecruisers, and the Praxis is an answer that is flexible (I could've mentioned the Drekavac or Ferox that will also be excellent all-rounders, however both rely on their capacitor for their weapon systems, and brawlers sometimes bring neuts that disable them)
Q: You got X wrong. Explain?
A: Whoopsie my bad

[@MarcoRomeroYT]

Nice, Thx bro o7

[@hailsagan5200]

Sorry for the delay, here are the fits: [Osprey Navy Issue, ess offense: kitey 100mn] Ballistic Control System II Ballistic Control System II Ballistic Control System II Damage Control II 100MN Y-S8 Compact Afterburner Large Shield Extender II Large F-S9 Regolith Compact Shield Extender Multispectrum Shield Hardener II Multispectrum Shield Hardener II Small Capacitor Booster II, Navy Cap Booster 400 Prototype Cloaking Device I [Empty High slot] Rapid Light Missile Launcher II, Caldari Navy Scourge Light Missile Rapid Light Missile Launcher II, Caldari Navy Scourge Light Missile Rapid Light Missile Launcher II, Caldari Navy Scourge Light Missile Medium Ancillary Current Router I Medium Hydraulic Bay Thrusters II Medium EM Shield Reinforcer II Warrior II x5 Mobile Depot x1 50MN Cold-Gas Enduring Microwarpdrive x1 [Harbinger, ess attack: sniper] Damage Control II Reinforced Bulkheads II Reinforced Bulkheads II Co-Processor II Signal Amplifier II Heat Sink II 100MN Y-S8 Compact Afterburner Tracking Computer II, Optimal Range Script Tracking Computer II, Optimal Range Script Tracking Computer II, Tracking Speed Script Prototype Cloaking Device I Heavy Beam Laser II, Aurora M Heavy Beam Laser II, Aurora M Heavy Beam Laser II, Aurora M Heavy Beam Laser II, Aurora M Heavy Beam Laser II, Aurora M Heavy Beam Laser II, Aurora M Medium Transverse Bulkhead I Medium Transverse Bulkhead I Medium Transverse Bulkhead I Mobile Depot x1 50MN Cold-Gas Enduring Microwarpdrive x1 [Thorax, BjornBee ESS Brawl] Damage Control II Magnetic Field Stabilizer II Magnetic Field Stabilizer II Magnetic Field Stabilizer II Reactor Control Unit II 10MN Afterburner II Large Shield Extender II Large Shield Extender II Stasis Webifier II Heavy Neutron Blaster II, Void M Heavy Neutron Blaster II, Void M Heavy Neutron Blaster II, Void M Heavy Neutron Blaster II, Void M Heavy Neutron Blaster II, Void M Medium Core Defense Field Extender I Medium Core Defense Field Extender I Medium EM Shield Reinforcer I Hammerhead II x5 Mobile Depot x1 50MN Cold-Gas Enduring Microwarpdrive x1 [Stabber, troll ESS robbing] Nanofiber Internal Structure II Nanofiber Internal Structure II Overdrive Injector System II Damage Control II 100MN Afterburner II Large F-S9 Regolith Compact Shield Extender Large F-S9 Regolith Compact Shield Extender EM Shield Amplifier II Prototype Cloaking Device I [Empty High slot] [Empty High slot] [Empty High slot] [Empty High slot] [Empty High slot] Medium Core Defense Field Extender I Medium Core Defense Field Extender I Medium Core Defense Field Extender I [Praxis, ess defense: warp-in Praxis] Ballistic Control System II Ballistic Control System II Ballistic Control System II Drone Damage Amplifier II Drone Damage Amplifier II Co-Processor II Damage Control II 100MN Y-S8 Compact Afterburner Large Shield Extender II Large Shield Extender II Multispectrum Shield Hardener II Multispectrum Shield Hardener II Missile Guidance Computer II, Missile Range Script Missile Guidance Computer II, Missile Precision Script Rapid Heavy Missile Launcher II, Caldari Navy Inferno Heavy Missile Rapid Heavy Missile Launcher II, Caldari Navy Inferno Heavy Missile Rapid Heavy Missile Launcher II, Caldari Navy Inferno Heavy Missile Rapid Heavy Missile Launcher II, Caldari Navy Inferno Heavy Missile Rapid Heavy Missile Launcher II, Caldari Navy Inferno Heavy Missile Rapid Heavy Missile Launcher II, Caldari Navy Inferno Heavy Missile Large 'Vehemence' Shockwave Charge Large Hydraulic Bay Thrusters I Large Core Defense Field Extender I Large Core Defense Field Extender I Ogre II x4 Warden II x4 Warrior II x5 Mobile Depot x1 500MN Quad LiF Restrained Microwarpdrive x1 [Arbitrator, BjornBee ESS Brawl] Co-Processor II Damage Control II Drone Damage Amplifier II Drone Damage Amplifier II Drone Damage Amplifier II 10MN Afterburner II Large Shield Extender II Large Shield Extender II Multispectrum Shield Hardener II Large Ancillary Remote Shield Booster, Navy Cap Booster 150 Rapid Light Missile Launcher II, Mjolnir Fury Light Missile Rapid Light Missile Launcher II, Mjolnir Fury Light Missile Rapid Light Missile Launcher II, Mjolnir Fury Light Missile Medium EM Shield Reinforcer II Medium EM Shield Reinforcer II Medium Thermal Shield Reinforcer II Hammerhead II x5 Infiltrator II x5

[@solitude9875]

try a Stabber (not a Stabber FI) with a 10MN Mono, XLASB, multispectrum and T2 web, T2 autos, dualT2 gyro, DC II and overdrive. Rigs for tank or damage, and T2 lights

[@gabesosa]

You need to get a microphone... but this was a FANTASTIC guide. Thank you.

[@TheBraveDojo]

Thanks Gabe :) With our many contributors we try to focus on getting info out... but improving quality is always a goal!

[@mafterr11]

how can you make the ess buble more visible?

[@williamnicholson8133]

Forgot the king of all ess brawling the torpedo rohk with 4 heavy neuts.

[@williamnicholson8133]

Might be better off with armoe tank on the praxis to give all those luscious mod slots tackle and ewar. That sniper is fucked it you damp him down just as the kiter. .