The Hull Tanked Brutix Doctrine (Solo and Dual Toons)

THE NECESSITY  

I usually use a Battlecruiser backed up by a logistics wingman, but even though this tactic is very powerful against solo targets, against gangs (even small sized ones) has limited application/success.

A new philosophy was needed. I wanted to get rid of my logistics wingman, but not fall into the usual Links or ECM Support. Something original and refreshing was needed.

I wanted a cheap ship “invulnerable” to long points, with a great tank, decent DPS and decent “straight up” speed. By resorting to Hull Tank, I was able to achieve more buffer EHP than many 1600mm plated armor ships, slap in bigger guns due to reduced Powergrid requirement from Bulkheads, retain the original speed of the ship (even if at the cost of some agility) and use all my Mid-Slots for utilities. Considering Hull Tanks don’t benefit from any kind of Remote Repair during combat, using a 2^nd toon as yet another Hull Tank Ship would provide a very interesting and challenging gameplay.

The Brutix, having a good amount of low slots, decent base agility for a Combat Battlecruiser, large structure and high “in-your-face” DPS bonus, made it the perfect candidate.

THE FIT

TANK BRUTIX

DPS BRUTIX

1^st of all, all my roaming ships have cloaks due to Real Life constrains. I need to go AFK many and unexpected times. A cloak allows me to go safely AFK as soon as a warp move finishes. Strategically, it allows positioning me in crucial locations “undercover” and ultimately, is a very comfortable mod... Once mobs of angry carebears begin to probe you and camp you, a cloak allows you to relax, sit back and enjoy the show. If you don’t like it just remove it.

The Micro-Jump Drive is mandatory to dodge long points. This module is the centerpiece of the Battlecruiser, allowing it to survive easily against gangs that rely on long points in fast interceptors to hold their targets or against kitting gangs that keep themselves outside scram range. This module adds a huge survivability factor to any roaming Battlecruiser. The Micro-Jump Drives saves my ships a couple times each roam.

CCP will be changing rebalancing Damage Controls, Stasis Webifiers and Warp Scramblers soon, so the Tank Brutix will need to use the Fleeting Compact Stasis Webber and the Faint Epsilon Scoped Warp Scrambler to avoid CPU implants.

IN FIELD PERFORMANCE

When going out solo, as a brawling ship, the objective is plain simple. Catch a target and melt it before it melts you, or backup arrives. That simple.

When going out with Dual Toons it’s imperative to keep the surprise effect to the maximum. Naming both ships the exact same way, avoiding them being on the same spot together and keeping one of them cloaked, is a great way to confuse enemy intel and give you an extra edge.

As a Dual Toons combination I put my “scout” toon in the Tank Brutix, and bring my other toon behind in the DPS Brutix. I want the Tank Brutix to get primary from enemy fire, making best use from the extra tank. Holding back the DPS Brutix a bit is pretty handy to also achieve a surprise effect. It’s advised to cloak up the DPS Brutix close to the engagement location in order to avoid long slow warps. Dealing with 1 Brutix is one thing, but suddenly dealing with 2 Brutix might be a game changer and swing odds your way.

Once I find a target, I try to melt it with the combined 1100DPS from the 2 Brutix. Also 100k/75k EHP in the Tank/DPS Brutix makes sure they can also take a good beating, allowing them to fight outnumbered for a limited period of time.

The Hull Brutix should focus into killing scrambling ships whenever possible, in order to MJD away from trouble once enemy backup starts to arrive.

Even though the Brutix are equipped with Scram/Web, damage application onto small target is very poor. T3 Destroyers with AB and/or Scram/Web themselves can get bellow the Brutix guns and survive long enough for backup to arrive. In order to minimize this vulnerability a few steps are needed.

1 - Always bring Improved Drop Drugs. They can instantly increase tracking with no significant downside to a Hull Brutix.

2 - Try to increase the range from the small target in order to get a lower angular velocity. Keeping small stuff at 4-5km range should help a lot with damage application onto small targets.

3 - Make sure you always have a flight of small drones.

4 - Use Caldari Navy Antimatter as default ammo instead of Void. Change to Void if engaging a larger target.

5 - Even though the Brutixes can Scram different foes, always apply the webs from both Brutix into the same small target.

Another huge vulnerability of the Hull Brutix is the lack of a Cap Booster or any Cap injection. Dealing with capacitor warfare ships is probably a bad idea, unless you think you can melt your foe before both Brutix get capped out.

Roaming with Hull Brutix in NPC or friendly space won’t be much of a hassle when it comes to repairs, but roaming in hostile Sov areas can become a problem once they get damaged. Putting 1 Large Hull Repairer, 3 Medium Hull Repairs and 1 Small Armor Repairer in cargo bay along with a mobile depot is a way to keep the Hull Brutix viable in hostile space. Make a safe spot in a quiet system, shutdown all the Bulkheads, refit to “repair mode” and in less than 15 minutes you’ll be good as new. It provides the perfect opportunity for a little break.

Having some spare drones in cargo hold is also a good idea, especially light drones due to the Brutix vulnerability to small targets. When roaming with Dual Brutix I personally like to field Vespas EC-600 ECM drones. Medium ECM drones still have a good chance to jamm targets and deploying the drones from both Brutix into the same target will usually have decent results, allowing a better escape and mitigating some incoming damage. As an added bonus, people hate being jammed and it usually provides some comments in local chat, adding an extra layer to your fun :)

Some variations like the Hull Myrmidon are also viable, especially if you really want to assure a Capacitor Booster in that 5^th Mid slot, if you prefer the damage application from a drone boat instead of a gun boat, or even if you’d prefer to have one of your toons in an unexpected “Neut Boat”. Micro-managing damage done to my drones in 2 different toons is just too much for me, so I’ve personally been avoiding it.

I’ve been having such huge fun with my Dual Drugged Cloaky ECM MJD Neutron Scrambling Hull Brutix, that my next 15 or so stories (already written at this time and to be released one per week) will be focused in this combination.

Ah of course… Lastly and by no means less important, everyone knows that real men Hull Tank. Are you a real man?!