Blockade Runners Revisited

I've totally loved Blockade Runners ever since getting My First Blockade Runner a few months back. Since then the more I get the more I like them. A month ago I had 6 Prowler pilots, in the 30 days since I've trained up another 7 for a grand total of 13 Blockade Runner pilots in Prowler Fleet now (they all fly Prowlers). Number 14 is a month away and after that I'll have more coming at a rate of about 1 every 2 weeks for (at least) several months yet.

The thing I like best about BRs is how incredibly safe they are to fly. For the most part high sec gankers seem to completely ignore BRs and even in low/null they're quick and agile enough I haven't had any trouble yet.

In the entire time I've been flying BRs (over 3 months now) I think someone tried to gank one of them in high sec once. I was AFK on auto-pilot at the time, but when I came back I noticed I had an aggression timer so someone must've taken a pot shot at me. I doubt he did much more than scratch me though (if that even) since shields, armor and hull were all at full.

I assume that means gankers really don't like attacking anything they can't cargo scan first, especially not if it's something they can't pop with a single volley from a cheap ship. In other words, yeah sure being immune to cargo scans sounds good, but the reality is it's even better (much better) than it sounds.

I do expect I'll eventually run into some crazy suicide ganker who just doesn't care and goes for it anyhow. Or I'll get caught in low/null eventually. It hasn't happened yet though. When it finally does I'll just consider it a cost of doing business. Even if he gets extremely lucky and nails me with a big load worth billions.

Another thing that's great about BRs is the Covert Ops Cloaking Device. The ability to warp while cloaked is huge especially when travelling in low and null.

I also really like BRs for the low alignment time, high warp speed (which is going to get even faster in the next patch) and decent tank (7k - 15k depending on skills and active hardeners). The warp speed greatly reduces travel time (especially when flown manually) while the alignment time and tank make you harder to kill.

The good sized cargo hold (4.06k m3) is nice too. That's more than enough to ensure I can almost always pickup everything in a region in a single run without having to drop anything off to make room for more. Once (and only once) I had a capital remote repper in cargo taking up 4k m3 all by itself, that's the only time I had to drop something off before I could finish doing pickups in a BR. I've since stopped buying capital remote reppers altogether (for several reasons but mainly for that one).

[Prowler fit - 4 second Align]

Nanofiber Internal Structure II
Nanofiber Internal Structure II

Experimental 10MN Microwarpdrive I
Adaptive Invulnerability Field II
Adaptive Invulnerability Field II

Covert Ops Cloaking Device II
Festival Launcher

Medium Polycarbon Engine Housing I
Medium Polycarbon Engine Housing I

That's the fit my Prowler pilots start out with. With mediocre IIIs and IVs in applicable tank, navigation and agility skills it's stats are:

Tank: around 10k with invulns on, 7k with invulns off

Alignment time: under 4 seconds with MWD off (under 6 seconds with MWD on)

Cargo capacity: 4.06 m3

speed: 2300 - 2400 m/s

warp speed: 9 AU

The nanos and polycarbons get alignment time under 4 seconds with mediocre agility skills. With Evasive Maneuvering V you can drop one of the Nanos for a DC-II increasing tank by nearly 50% while still keeping alignment time under 4 seconds. With both Evasive Maneuvering and Spaceship Command at V, you can drop one of the polycarbons for another rig too.

In that case I like replacing 1 Polycarbon with a Hyperspatial Velocity Optimizer (increases warp speed) but with the warp speed changes coming in the next patch a Warp Core Optimizer (reduces cap usage for initiating warp) might be better. That'll depend on just how much cap usage goes up due to the shorter warp times.

With all Vs in applicable tank, navigation and agility skills, replacing 1 nano with a DC-II and 1 Polycarbon with a Hyperspatial Velocity Optimizer, the stats are:

Tank: 14.7k with invulns and DC on, 7.58k with active tank mods off.

Alignment time: 3.99 seconds with MWD off (5.99 seconds with MWD on)

Cargo capacity: 4.06 m3

speed: 2319 m/s

warp speed: 10.8 AU

If you want more tank you could replace the Polycarbon with a Medium Core Defense Field Extender. And though I wouldn't recommend it, if you want/need even heavier tank you could always replace the MWD with a Large Shield Extender II and about double the tank (28.4k with all Vs in applicable skills and an LSE II but no MCDFE).

I intentionally left one high slot empty because I don't do anything with BRs besides transport stock between stations (on autopilot more often than not). Others might find a probe launcher, salvager or something else useful but for me even if I did put something there I wouldn't use it anyhow. The only thing I'd consider is a Covert Cyno and that only in a covert fleet with Bombers, Black Ops and Recon ships.

Edit: As suggested by Noizy I put a Festival Launcher in the empty high slot.