What's in My Rifter's 8-Track

I love that dirty sound...

Tale of the Tape

When CCP rebalanced Tech 1 frigates, the Rifter was left behind. Once the mighty king of the T1 Frig world, the Rifter soon became a ship that simply cluttered our hangar bays. What made the Rifter so powerful was its ability to project damage from the edge warp-scrambler range. The ship was one of the fastest available and often fit with the Scram/AB/Web combination allowing the pilot to dictate range. Throw in the ability to select damage types and you had yourself quite a death-delivering beast with the ability to handle just about any ship in its way.

That all changed with a single patch. Other frigates became relevant while the Rifter remained itself. CCP Developers bestowed the scram-kiter crown to the Atron. The Atron possessed the same sig radius, faster speed, and three mids for the always-valued Scram/AB/Web combo, a higher damage producing weapon system, and enough range to generate chaos from 8-9km out. The only downside to the Atron was its lack of damage selection, however the amount of DPS the little ship could generate made up the difference. Frigate enthusiasts mothballed their Rifter fleets and purchased Atrons in bulk.

It was heartbreaking to witness the Rifter’s decline. Surely CCP would not let this valiant warrior rust away into obscurity. And they did not. CCP rose to the occasion and gave the Rifter its place in the sun. Recent changes to the hull (Specifically the falloff bonus) have made the popular ship valuable again. Although she will never be the king-of-the-hill she once was, she has a place again beyond just in our hearts.

Dust off your Rifters and take a journey with me as we examine this beast along side its new scram-kiting sister, the Atron. Overheat those afterburners and burn out of that Merlin’s blaster range. It’s time to feel the battle-rattle of the 200mm autocannon once again.

[Atron – Cookies] Light Neutron Blaster II, Null S Light Neutron Blaster II, Null S Light Neutron Blaster II, Null S J5B Phased Prototype Warp Scrambler I X5 Prototype Engine Enervator Experimental 1MN Afterburner I Magnetic Field Stabilizer II Small Ancillary Armor Repairer Damage Control II Small Hybrid Burst Aerator I Small Hybrid Ambit Extension I Small Auxiliary Nano Pump I	[Rifter – Cookies] 200mm Autocannon II, Barrage S 200mm Autocannon II, Barrage S 200mm Autocannon II, Barrage S J5B Phased Prototype Warp Scrambler I X5 Prototype Engine Enervator 1MN Afterburner II Gyrostabilizer II Small Ancillary Armor Repairer Damage Control II Small Projectile Burst Aerator I Small Projectile Ambit Extension I Small Auxiliary Nano Pump I
(All figures based on all V skills) Speed: 1325 (1725 OHd) DPS: 154 (177 OHd) Range: 3.15km Optimal +7.55km Falloff EHP (Vs RF Fusion Projectile Ammo): 2.68k	(All figures based on all V skills) Speed: 1193 (1562 OHd) DPS: 113 (130 OHd) Range: 1.50km Optimal +15.50km Falloff EHP (Vs Caldari Navy Antimatter): 2.95k

Comparing the numbers of two nearly identical fits (The Rifter’s fitting numbers allow for a T2 AB giving a little more speed), the Atron is faster and has better DPS, while the Rifter has better range and more tank against the Atron’s null ammo.

The Rifter’s increased range with barrage actually brings its DPS into the same range as what the blaster Atron’s would be at the edge of scram range and exceeds it the further you move out. Also, the Rifter’s range advantage translates over to the higher-damage producing Republic Fleet ammo. The numbers using Republic Fleet Fusion ammo, for example, are: DPS-141 (163) @ 750m optimal + 10.3km Falloff.

Graph courtesy of roigon (@roigonEVE, http://www.the20minuters.com/)

The conclusion is, in a scram-kiting battle, the Rifter should trump the Atron. It would be a great fight with the outcome hinging on pilot skill but the Rifters ability to use ammunition that exploits the Atron's weakest resist should allow it to come out on top.

Welcome back Rifter… Welcome back.