This ship is reimbursable

(Gratuitously copy-pasted from the forums)

The Huginn is extremely useful because of its bonus to web range. While Serpentis ships gain a webbing bonus (Daredevil, Vindicator) to velocity factor, which is how effectively your webs slow a target, Minmatar Recon ships have a bonus to the effective range of your webs. This range can get pretty ridiculous as I'll demonstrate below.

The average optimal engagement range for an Alphafleet is anywhere within 40km-80km, give or take a bit of wiggle room on each side. Due to the fact that we use artillery, we have a tracking speed of around 0.01. This means that we track worse than turret-fit Titans.

In order to negate this, we use Huginns. Huginns slow our target to a standstill and allow our mainline DPS ships the opportunity to land hits beyond a glancing blow. This applies to both cruiser-centric doctrines (AHACs, sniper HACs and Tengus) as well as battleships, although is vastly more important for the former.

The other important thing to know is that all of the Recons have a base lock range of about 150km. This means that without fitting a single sensor booster or rig you can lock within your effectiveness 100% of the time, and can even operate somewhat while sensor dampened. You also have the scan resolution of a cruiser which means that you should be able to lock down your webs on a target before the Maelstroms begin firing, as long as you're paying attention.

“Hey Durr, I'm an asshole and already know all this but what the fuck does this stupid bullshit have to do with actually flying a Huginn?”

Well, a lot. Knowing all of this information allows you some freedom of movement that will help to keep your Huginn alive when a fight actually starts.

First off, you're likely going to be primary. If you're up against Tengus or AHACs, you're almost definitely going to be primaried.

This means that you need to be on the ball for the first few minutes of the fight. Within the first few minutes, the enemy fleet is going to be doing their best to burn down Huginns, dictors and Lachesii because unlike armor fleets, you don't have the liberty of being a Loki with two webs and 400k EHP. Instead, you have about 50k and your sig is huge because your fragile ass tanks its shield. This means you need to OVERHEAT YOUR FUCKING SHIT AS SOON AS YOU START GETTING SHOT AT HOLY FUCK I CAN'T BOLD AND UNDERLINE THIS ANY HARDER. Your survival is likely to shape the outcome of the rest of the engagement, and the more of you there are left to web them down before they leave, the better. Overheat your hardeners the second you start getting shot, burn away from the hostile fleet (I personally watchlist the logi anchor and move to them as they're usually sitting as far from the fleet as possible anyway) and do your best to stay alive. Sometimes small tackle will specifically come after you, in which case you can web the shit out of them and laugh in local as you huehuehuehuehuehuehue away. Additionally, if you're some kind of piece of shit that fits guns or have the good sense to keep your drone bay full, you can rape that dickhole in the Stiletto yourself after you web them.

Now that you know the absolute basics of how not to get your shit fucked in a major fleet fight, you need to know how to actually be useful instead of just soaking up damage like LadyScarlet absorbs snack cakes. You need to know how to web effectively and where your webs are most sorely needed.

In a large engagement, you're usually best to simply follow primaries. If the fight starts and it's not something that could go in your favour easily, or you're fighting something that is fat and slow (like Lolbaddons) then you have some wiggle room. Keep an extra overview up for small shit. My overview has frigates, destroyers, interceptors, assault frigates, interdictors, heavy interdictors, cruisers and logistics. If a Sabre is burning towards your fleet, feel free to drop your web on him and poke at him with your abysmal DPS until he either fucks off for a better approach or some other idiot who's not doing what he's supposed to fires a potshot at a near-motionless Sabre. Feel free to do this throughout the fight.

If you're fighting against Tengus or Zealots, don't be a fucking idiot and do this. Web the primary. Web the SHIT out of the primary. Watchlist 5-6 other Huginns and watch to see if a lot of them are dying, and if the fight goes on for a while and your Huginn contingent is looking to be pretty solid, and the primary is still consistently getting 10-11 webs on him, feel free to be the biggest dick humanly possible. Few things are more satisfying than webbing a Sabre to a standstill, clipping a Guardian and watching it fall behind everyone else and hilariously fuck up a cap chain, or keeping an Abaddon stuck in a bubble while the rest of the hostile fleet is aligning to bail out. If it's a total rape, just try to cause as much damage as possible and ruin some days.

So, how the fuck do I hang out and be cool like the good Huginn pilots?

First of all, make sure you're getting skirmish bonuses. Huginns, even with Recon V, suck dicks for Alphafleet ranges unless you're getting some proper bonuses.T2 web range with Recon V and no bonuses are something disgustingly terrible like 40/52. With Recon IV it's even worse.

Secondly, get your stupid fucking face a faction web. The alliance reimburses you 50m for using a faction web that is DG/SS (Dread Guristas/Shadow Serpentis) or better. Don't use Caldari Navy or Khanid Navy as those suck dicks and aren't worth the ISK compared to DG/SS. Optimally, drop the extra 30-40m out of pocket and get a Federation Navy or Dark Blood web, as not only do they have superior range, but is the only pair of webs (other than CN/KN which, as I said, aren't worth it) have a 60% velocity factor.

To put that into perspective, the True Sansha/Domination webs have the best range, but only have a velocity factor of 50%. DG/SS webs have a velocity factor of 55%. A Federation Navy web will slow your target 5% more while throwing on a bunch of extra range (so 60%, same as T2 - which has the default 10km range), and it's partially paid for by the alliance.

One thing to note is that your web range with a T2 web sucks piss out of a clogged straw with Recon IV. With the 50m reimbursement token for faction webs we shouldn't even be reimbursing T2 webs at all on Recon IV Huginns. They're decent enough if you have Recon V, but it just doesn't quite cut it otherwise. Also, buy a fucking faction web you cheap fucks.

Another thing you should take to heart is that overheated state should be the default state of your webs. Your standard range isn't particularly good unless you have Recon V and a Fed Navy Web, and even then you'll be overheating more than not. The farther you can stay away from the enemy fleet, the harder it is to kill you and the more you can be a huge asshole from halfway across a grid. This, in combination with the fact that you're almost guaranteed to need to overheat your hardeners to survive, means you need to train the shit out of Thermodynamics and you also need to bring a dickload of nanite paste. I've run out of nanite paste entirely in fights before, it's possible to use so much.

So, to recap.

Huginns are fucking awesome. Overheat your shit. Get a faction web. Bring nanite paste. Stay away from dudes that want to shoot you. Check your bonuses every time you join a fleet. T2 webs suck dick on Recon IV Huginns. Train Recon V (you fucking nerds). Make people very mad that they can't get away from you.

• Recon Ships I
  • Electronics Upgrades V
    • CPU Management II
    • Power Grid Management II
  • Cloaking IV
    • CPU Management II
  • Spaceship Command V
  • Signature Analysis V
    • CPU Management I

• Minmatar Cruiser V
  • Minmatar Destroyer III
    • Minmatar Frigate III
      • Spaceship Command I
  • Spaceship Command II

Built to represent the last word in electronic warfare, combat recon ships have onboard facilities designed to maximize the effectiveness of electronic countermeasure modules of all kinds. Filling a role next to their class counterpart, the heavy assault cruiser, combat recon ships are the state of the art when it comes to anti-support support. They are also devastating adversaries in smaller skirmishes, possessing strong defensive capabilities in addition to their electronic superiority.

Developer: Boundless Creation

Boundless Creation's ships are based on the Brutor tribe's philosophy of warfare: simply fit as much firepower onto your ship as possible. Defense systems and electronics arrays therefore tend to take a back seat to sheer annihilative potential.

Recon Ships Skill Bonuses (Per Skill Level):
60% bonus to Stasis Webifier optimal range
5% bonus to Medium Projectile Turret damage

Minmatar Cruiser Skill Bonuses (Per Skill Level):
5% bonus to Medium Projectile Turret rate of fire
10% bonus to Target Painter effectiveness

Role Bonus:
Cannot be detected by directional scanners

[Huginn, MWD mk2]

Damage Control II
Power Diagnostic System II
Power Diagnostic System II
Power Diagnostic System II

50MN Cold-Gas Enduring Microwarpdrive
Large Shield Extender II
Large Shield Extender II
Large Shield Extender II
Multispectrum Shield Hardener II
Federation Navy Stasis Webifier

Cynosural Field Generator I
Medium EMP Smartbomb II
Medium Unstable Power Fluctuator I
280mm Howitzer Artillery II, EMP S
280mm Howitzer Artillery II, EMP S

Medium Core Defense Field Extender I
Medium Core Defense Field Extender I

Hornet EC-300 x5

[Huginn, Dual-LSE NanoHuginn (SU V/AWU V)]

Overdrive Injector System II
Overdrive Injector System II
Nanofiber Internal Structure II

Large Shield Extender II
Large Shield Extender II
Stasis Webifier II
Stasis Webifier II
Warp Disruptor II
10MN Microwarpdrive II

Dual 180mm AutoCannon II, Barrage M
Dual 180mm AutoCannon II, Barrage M
Dual 180mm AutoCannon II, Barrage M
Heavy Missile Launcher II, Caldari Navy Scourge Heavy Missile
Heavy Missile Launcher II, Caldari Navy Scourge Heavy Missile
Heavy Missile Launcher II, Caldari Navy Scourge Heavy Missile

Medium Polycarbon Engine Housing I
Medium Polycarbon Engine Housing I

Valkyrie II x3
Hobgoblin II x2

Implants (Highly Recommended)

• Slot 6 'PG4' 3% powergrid implant (Required for full T2 on non-SU/AWU V characters)
• 3% Rogue Set + z0r

A faction web is not required but is strongly encouraged! You can find a list of the web amount and ranges of the various faction webs here.

This hull's job is to be the main tackler of the shield tanked anti-hac gang. It has particularly good EM and Thermal resists, which combined with the fact that you can tackle from the edge of Scorch range means that you should be able to weather a considerable amount of incoming fire from hostile Zealot. Recon V would be a sound training investment, but it is not required for reimbursement. Also not required are T2 weapon systems, but since they're your primary source for long ranged firepower, they're strongly encouraged and require no fittings sacrifices to be fit. The autocannons are for when something tries to tackle you or the enemy manages to close range or warp in at 0. They greatly add to your firepower and whatever you web will get a hurting put on it, regardless of size.

Don't forget drones - you can fit, for example, 3 mediums and 2 lights, so 3x Hammerhead II and 2x Hobgoblin II would work.

Don't forget that you can overheat your web for extra range - just don't burn it out (try and move to the edge of your non-overheated range if you need to hold your web on someone)! Also, always ensure that you're in a wing with skirmish bonuses, as that will significantly improve your tackling range, and help you stay alive longer. Here's a cheat sheet for the various T2 web ranges:

No skirmish bonuses:

• Recon 4: 34.0km
• Recon 4, overheated: 44.2km
• Recon 5: 40.0km
• Recon 5, overheated: 52.0km

Full skirmish bonuses:

• Recon 4: 47.2km
• Recon 4, overheated: 59.5km
• Recon 5: 55.5km
• Recon 5, overheated: 70.0km

If you needed a reason to train Recon 5, this is a big one. With skirmish bonuses you can stay around 50km away from hostile armor HAC Zealots webbing the primary (allowing the rest of your fleet to kill them) while they can barely hit you, allowing our Scimitars to keep you alive (you do know how to broadcast for reps, right?)