Confessor vs. Sleepers

Background

A competition was held, in-game, that would determine the release order of each of the racial T3 Tactical Destroyers. Just before EVE Vegas 2014 a devblog was released where capsuleers were asked to donate Sleeper loot to secret research projects. The research projects turned out to be contest where the order, that the new Tactical Destroyers, would be determined by the amount of donated Sleeper loot.

At EVE Vegas it was revealed that the Amarr won and the Confessor would be released as part of the Rhea expansion in December 2014.

The Ship

The Confessor appears to be a radical new design for the Amarr, its different but retains the patterns and appearance people expect of Amarrian ships.

Slot layout is VERY Amarrian, 7 high (6 turrets), 3 mids and 5 lows, showing that is supposed to be an an armour ship.

Like the original Tech 3 cruisers, Tech 3 tactical destroyers add a new mechanic that is unique to the hull. Instead of being modular design with sub-systems the destroyers have three different modes (Speed, Sniper and Defensive) of operation, that can be changed 'on the fly' (but with a 10 second cool down).

These modes certainly make the Confessor a very flexible ship and a somewhat unpredictable foe in space.

If you want more information on the ship and its fittings please check out the linked article above.

Heavy Hitter

The Confessor is a great little ship, light on tank but not as much as you'd think considering its size. I've seen many fits, a lot theory-crafted but some actually used and very dangerous.

I'd love to share one particular fit that I'm familiar with that is excellent as a station undock killer but I promised the pilot I would not because the potency of the fit is something that, so far, everyone has underestimated. Perhaps after the release of all the T3 Tactical Destroyers I will be able to share that.

Most fits are built around a passive tank (no plate) and a couple of damage mods to increase the dps from the Small Focused Pulse lasers that will be fitted. A decent pilot will easily get around 400 dps from the ship but there is one environment where a well skilled pilot can get over 1000 dps.

Wolf Rayet

Of all the wormholes in EVE Online those that have the Wolf Rayet have the most impact on small weapon armour ships. Shield ships need not stay, they will suffer badly from the effects this wormhole will have:

Affected Stat	Wormhole class
	1	2	3	4	5	6
Armor Resist	+10%	+18%	+22%	+27%	+34%	+50%
Shield Resist	-10%	-18%	-22%	-27%	-34%	-50%
Small Weapon Damage	+25%	+44%	+55%	+68%	+85%	+100%
Signature Size	-10%	-19%	-27%	-34%	-41%	-50%

C1 through C3's are profitable, now more so, but lets look at C4 and C5's because they offer the most "bang for your buck".

The Fit

The fit spec was simple, cheap where possible but designed to maximise damage and try to use the speed of the ship to limit the incoming dps. Of course being a wormhole ship we must have a probe launcher fitted, that was the only requirement I had for a module that must be present.

[Confessor, Confessor]

Coreli C-Type Small Armor Repairer
Energized Adaptive Nano Membrane II
True Sansha Adaptive Nano Plating
Heat Sink II
Heat Sink II

Cap Recharger II
Cap Recharger II
Coreli C-Type 1MN Afterburner

Expanded Probe Launcher II, Sisters Core Scanner Probe
Small Focused Beam Laser II, Gleam S
Small Focused Beam Laser II, Gleam S
Small Focused Beam Laser II, Gleam S
Small Focused Beam Laser II, Gleam S
Small Focused Beam Laser II, Gleam S
Small Focused Beam Laser II, Gleam S

Small Energy Metastasis Adjuster II
Small Energy Metastasis Adjuster II
Small Capacitor Control Circuit I

Aurora S x6

Sisters Combat Scanner Probe x8

Yes, beam lasers over pulse, we don't want to be close to the Sleepers. We want to be able to kite at least 15/20km from them whilst maintaining a good speed so as to limit the effectiveness of their fire. 

Tanking modules occupy three of the five low slots, we've got two resist modules and a deadspace repairer. The wormhole effects are going to significantly improve our resistances so lets make them as high as possible before the bonus. The final two low slots we'll use for heat sinks and thanks to the Energy Metastasis Adjuster rigs we get the benefit of an extra one or two heat sinks but without using the low slots.

We're far from cap stable, especially with the repair module running, so we use cap rechargers to help maximise the time we can remain on field. We aren't designed for PvP so no need for point, our tracking from the guns is enough to be able to kill frigates as is without the need for a web.

Conclusion

This ship, in the W-R setup, is a beast and can easily complete sites here without support. Two chew through the sites like a Drake (pre-nerf) did or the Ishtar does now ratting in anoms.

The whole fit does require a bit of ISK to setup and run but its not overly expensive compared to other more dedicated fits for these sites. You could add more ISK but we use the ISK for modules where they will do the most good. You could shiny more modules but then the ISK-Loss ratio weighs more to the loss should you lose it to a ambush or the sleepers.

This is a great PvE ship for sleepers but its also a fantastic PvP ship. The new Minmatar Tactical Destroyer will certainly add a new element to the game but since release the Confessor has curved a great niche in New Eden.

Confessor Your Sins

Sorry about the title, it was funny in my head.

SiSi has been updated and the first look of the new Amarrian T3 Destroyer is available for all to see. Previously we had just a view/the model of the actual ship now we have some statistics and details of the bonuses the ship will have.

Traits, Attributes and Fitting

Thanks to Althanear for the screenshots.

With the introduction the new Modes the Traits page is one of the longest of any ship in game. Nicely laid out and easy to see what the ship has and each mode brings to the table.

tbh, defensive mode will be the go-to

                       - Apex Bex

Of course the stats are subject to change but with only a week til release I think its fair to say that the slot layout is fixed.

Seven high lots which can fit six guns and still has a utility high slot free for a neut or nos. Three mids is going to limit tackle options and five low slots seems rather anemic for both tank and damage modifiers. I think we'll see these ships in either a sniper (range ~80km to 100km) or a "heavy" tank variant with a prop mod and a scram/point with tank provided by speed so a DC II perhaps a Adaptive Nano Membrane and speed/agility mods in the remain low slots.

Fast Tackle

if this is for going through frig holes, people are going to want them to be heavy tackle and dps

                                                                                                                                     - Apex Bex

The Defensive mode looks to be the best option of the modes available, Speed is appealing but speed can only get you so far before you get into a tight orbit and if you're taking damage then speed really isn't going to help.

With a decent buffer and resists you're looking at 19,000 EHP (ingame) with DPS in the region of 350 (skill dependant).

The larger destroyer hull means you'll take more damage than a smaller interceptor or frigate, and the interceptor is designed to tackle where as this isn't. Its got three modes which means three purposes instead of one that most other ships have.

I've spoken to a few friends who think that the Confessor is going to be a white elephant and based on the statistics it has it looks like they may be right. It has nothing that makes it any better than a current ship that is dedicated to that role. 

So Whats The Point

Aside from its new and looks great I can't see a role or purpose for this ship.

Interceptors tackle better, T1 frigates and destroyers will be able to shoot just as well and (ignoring the sniper mode) range isn't an issue. Speaking of which I found it ridiculous that the ship can lock and snipe out to 100km but the guns could only go as far as 60km in the testing I did. 

Pitiful.

You can fit to get 500dps from the Confessor and include a local repair module but turns from a brawler into a glass cannon with anaemic defence attributes but I would not do this, it would be throwing ISK away everytime.

Sure other ships don't have the ability to switch modes on-the-fly but they don't need to. They (especially after rebalancing) have a singular role or purpose and (now) do it well.

I can see Confessors (and the other new ships) carrying Mobile Deports to refit but this isn't ideal. For one thing if you're in the middle of hostile space you've got to find somewhere to refit and then you may do so whilst being probed down. Not ideal circumstances for refitting.

What If You Changed This

mark my words, in its current form, it's a white elephant

                                                                 - Anon (I don't want to embarrass them)

I like the ideal of these smaller ships. I'm a capital pilot, I love my battleships and larger vessels but I do enjoy wathcing and (rarely) partaking in fleets of smaller and more nimble ships. A fleet of Confessors, supported with T1 logistics and a few interceptors/fast tackle would leave wrecks whereever it went.

But what if we made a small change to the confessor, in the defensive mode add the ability to increase the range and output of remote repair modules? Imagine a fleet of Confessors roaming that could spider tank and put out between 300 and 400 dps and could repair themselves. That would be a fun fleet and would certainly get fights where ever it went.

Edit: The idea for the logi bonus for spider tanking was first proposed by Apex Bex, happy now?

Enough, You've Rambled Long 

The Idea - 8/10

The Implementation - 4/10

I know it hasn't been released yet but playing with it on SiSi and getting feedback from people who have used it I want to love the Confessor but as it stands I cannot.