Hunter Alts are the bread and butter of our content - with the ability to snare unsuspecting targets, or hold down HVTs. In this guide, we will demonstrate the natural progression from a T1 ship, to Interdictor, to Recon, to T3 Hunter.
This article will be about theory and how to use your new alt - with some setup at the beginning and the full skill plan for the alt at the end. Let's get into it!
Step 1 - Day 1 - Day 15 - Setup
Key to making your life easier will be the installation of the learning clone - a set of +5 Stat Implants. Altogether this will cost you in the region of 600m ISK so have that seed money ready and waiting.
To do this you must train the Cybernetics V skill which takes 15 days. This seems like a big ask in the beginning, but your entire train time will fall by weeks if you do this early!
Step 2 - Bait Covert Hunter
The Bait Hunter gives your alt a little more utility than just being a dedicated toon for hitting enemies. By training a little into the Industrial skill tree, it opens you up to being a hauler as well.
[Note from Thad: This is actually what I do with my most famous alt - Defilus Gaia. Not only is he my infamous hunter-killer toon but he also does some light haulage for me! Feel free to throw alts like this into WE ARE GROOT.]
Please see the correct fit below:
[Sigil, BLACK WING 1.0]
Shield Power Relay II
Shield Power Relay II
Shield Power Relay II
Shield Power Relay II
Shield Power Relay II
Shield Power Relay II
Large Shield Extender II
Large Shield Extender II
Warp Scrambler II
Stasis Webifier II
Industrial Cynosural Field Generator
Small Energy Nosferatu II
Medium Core Defense Field Purger I
Medium Core Defense Field Purger I
Medium Core Defense Field Purger I*
Liquid Ozone x1500
This can be used in a couple of ways:
1) Setup at a POCO with an appropriate name for your Sigil and pretend to be AFK doing your PI and making your hot pocket. When a baddie comes to snatch you up, scram/web him back and light your cyno.
2) Be at a station and pre-light your cyno. When some unsuspecting bad comes to try to gank you - you laugh at him with your 600dps tank, tackle and kill him with a blops gang.
You can also add in some cheap Shield Implants to add to your shield regen amount so you can safely tank even more in this fit!
Optional Cross Train - Prospect - Active Hunter
Step 2 - Cloaky Interdictor
So you have graduated to some T2 ships, now it's getting interesting! Interdictors are a useful ship for your alts to utilise as they are the benchmark for holding down groups of targets in nullsec. Be hit holding a choke point, waiting on a target of opportunity or being support to a nano gang - dictors are cheap, cheerful and provide excellent utility.
The cloaky interdictor fills a few roles:
1) Cloaky camp an enemy system, in conjunction with another Hunter with a Cyno. Jump on targets of opportunity.
2) On active cloaky gate camps, be the bubbler! Cloak 3000m off of the gate - when you see a target decloak to warp, you also decloak: bubble and burn towards them to get secondary tackle and laugh as your fleet explodes the enemy.
3) As fleet support as an interdictor alt to hold down pesky enemy fleets.
[Heretic, AEGIS 1.0]
Damage Control II
Multispectrum Energized Membrane II
400mm Rolled Tungsten Compact Plates
5MN Quad LiF Restrained Microwarpdrive
Initiated Compact Warp Scrambler
1MN Y-S8 Compact Afterburner
Prototype Cloaking Device I
Interdiction Sphere Launcher I, Warp Disrupt Probe
125mm Light Prototype Automatic Cannon, Republic Fleet Phased Plasma S
125mm Light Prototype Automatic Cannon, Republic Fleet Phased Plasma S
125mm Light Prototype Automatic Cannon, Republic Fleet Phased Plasma S
125mm Light Prototype Automatic Cannon, Republic Fleet Phased Plasma S
Core Probe Launcher I, Sisters Core Scanner Probe
[Empty High slot]
Small Hyperspatial Velocity Optimizer I
Small Hyperspatial Velocity Optimizer I
Warp Disrupt Probe x30
Core Scanner Probe I x8
A great way to add more survivability is to add in some cheap navigation implants to your build. These will serve you well on all active hunting ships!
Optional Cross Train - Sabre - Hyper Dictor
Step 3 - Opportunistic Hunter Killer Cyno
Now we get into the bread and butter - a hunter that can call in some real heavy support! Fitted with both a Covert and regular Cyno, Force Recon Ships have become the premier ship in the game for calling in support.
Faster and cheaper than a Black Ops Battleship, Force Recons require Racial Cruiser 5 to operate which opens up a lot of potential for your alt to cross train into logistics, additional DPS, or Strategic Cruisers. Furthermore, they should be used with the Recon skill at no less than Level 4.
With the Opportunistic Hunter Killer, your role is that of a deer stalker. Cloaky camp or roam systems looking for a target. Set a trap for them, grab them, soak up damage and bring in your support fleet. There is no more noble way to bring glory to the God of Cynosural Fields.
[Pilgrim, BLACK WING 2.1]
Damage Control II
1600mm Steel Plates II
Multispectrum Energized Membrane II
Reactive Armor Hardener
1600mm Rolled Tungsten Compact Plates
50MN Y-T8 Compact Microwarpdrive
Warp Disruptor II
Stasis Webifier II
Warp Scrambler II
Small F-RX Compact Capacitor Booster
Covert Cynosural Field Generator I
Cynosural Field Generator I
Sisters Core Probe Launcher
Covert Ops Cloaking Device II
Medium Trimark Armor Pump I
Medium Trimark Armor Pump I
Hammerhead II x5
Warrior II x5
Valkyrie II x5
Hornet EC-300 x5
Liquid Ozone x500
Zainou 'Gypsy' CPU Management EE-601 x1
Sisters Core Scanner Probe x8
Navy Cap Booster 400 x5
A good use of the above hunter is camping Relic and Data sites and waiting for unsuspecting explorers to start hacking a can. Different Recons have different strengths - Arazu is great for gate camping for example.
Stage 4 - Active Hunter Killer
Here we move into the realm of T3Cs - whilst we lose our ability to call in Capital Ship support, we gain EHP, the ability to refit between tank and warp speed rigs on the fly, and more fitting room with which we can add an Expanded Probe Launcher.
We are truly active with our hunting - combining all of the techniques we have used before but adding the ability to Probe our targets down.
[Legion, BLACK WING 1.0]
1600mm Steel Plates II
Damage Control II
Multispectrum Energized Membrane II
Multispectrum Energized Membrane II
Reactive Armor Hardener
50MN Quad LiF Restrained Microwarpdrive
Warp Scrambler II
Stasis Webifier II
Covert Ops Cloaking Device II
Sisters Expanded Probe Launcher, Sisters Combat Scanner Probe
Medium Infectious Scoped Energy Neutralizer
Medium Infectious Scoped Energy Neutralizer
Covert Cynosural Field Generator I
Medium Knave Scoped Energy Nosferatu
Small Knave Scoped Energy Nosferatu
Small Knave Scoped Energy Nosferatu
Medium Trimark Armor Pump II
Medium Trimark Armor Pump II
Medium Trimark Armor Pump II
Legion Defensive - Covert Reconfiguration
Legion Core - Energy Parasitic Complex
Legion Propulsion - Interdiction Nullifier
Legion Offensive - Assault Optimization
Sisters Combat Scanner Probe x8
Sisters Core Scanner Probe x16
Liquid Ozone x1000
The above combines high EHP, Combat Scanning and adds some Capacitor Warfare into the mix to help your drop team with neuting down the opponent.
Use active hunters to do your daily scanning for Wormholes and you will find plenty of targets of opportunity. Remember: the more active hunters, the more chances for kills!
See the complete skill plan below and HAPPY HUNTING!
- Energy Grid Upgrades II
- Energy Grid Upgrades III
- Energy Grid Upgrades IV
- Propulsion Jamming II
- Shield Upgrades II
- Shield Upgrades III
- Shield Upgrades IV
- Propulsion Jamming III
- Propulsion Jamming IV
- Capacitor Emission Systems I
- Capacitor Emission Systems II
- Capacitor Emission Systems III
- CPU Management V
- Cynosural Field Theory I
- Amarr Frigate II
- Amarr Frigate III
- Amarr Destroyer I
- Amarr Destroyer II
- Amarr Destroyer III
- Amarr Destroyer IV
- Amarr Destroyer V
- Spaceship Command IV
- Science V
- Power Grid Management V
- Graviton Physics I
- Propulsion Jamming V
- Interdictors I
- Hull Upgrades IV
- Small Projectile Turret I
- Cloaking I
- Amarr Cruiser I
- Amarr Cruiser II
- Amarr Cruiser III
- Amarr Cruiser IV
- Amarr Cruiser V
- Cloaking II
- Cloaking III
- Cloaking IV
- Signature Analysis III
- Signature Analysis IV
- Signature Analysis V
- Spaceship Command V
- Electronics Upgrades IV
- Electronics Upgrades V
- Recon Ships I
- Recon Ships II
- Recon Ships III
- Recon Ships IV
- Hull Upgrades V
- Cynosural Field Theory II
- Cynosural Field Theory III
- Cynosural Field Theory IV
- Cynosural Field Theory V
- Drones II
- Drones III
- Medium Drone Operation I
- Medium Drone Operation II
- Medium Drone Operation III
- Medium Drone Operation IV
- Medium Drone Operation V
- Drones IV
- Drones V
- Gallente Drone Specialization I
- Light Drone Operation I
- Light Drone Operation II
- Light Drone Operation III
- Light Drone Operation IV
- Light Drone Operation V
- Minmatar Drone Specialization I
- Electronic Warfare II
- Electronic Warfare III
- Electronic Warfare IV
- Advanced Drone Avionics I
- Amarr Strategic Cruiser I
- Mechanics IV
- Mechanics V
- Shield Operation I
- Shield Operation II
- Shield Operation III
- Amarr Defensive Systems I
- Navigation IV
- Navigation V
- Amarr Propulsion Systems I
- Amarr Core Systems I
- Gunnery V
- Amarr Offensive Systems I
- Amarr Strategic Cruiser II
- Amarr Strategic Cruiser III
- Amarr Strategic Cruiser IV
- Amarr Offensive Systems II
- Amarr Offensive Systems III
- Amarr Offensive Systems IV
- Amarr Propulsion Systems II
- Amarr Propulsion Systems III
- Amarr Propulsion Systems IV
- Amarr Defensive Systems II
- Amarr Defensive Systems III
- Amarr Defensive Systems IV
- Amarr Defensive Systems V
36 unique skills, 99 skill levels; Total time: 211 days, 7 hours, 29 minutes, 40 seconds // with implants: Total time: 169 days, 1 hours, 11 minutes, 44seconds