Battlecruisers are where affordability and utility converge into a single easy to use package. The hurricane is a Minmatar battlecruiser worth particular note because it is an effective PvP ship, but can be flown by characters with relatively low skillpoints.

This is a guide to using the hurricane in PvP, especially as would be useful during empire wars or forays into low-security space.

Why Fly The Hurricane

The hurricane is first and foremost a damage dealer. It has the slot layout and offensive capabilities to tackle targets before blowing them up. Amongst all the tech one battlecruisers, it is likely the best "gank" ship suited to cruising around space looking for random targets to engage.

Because it is such an easy ship to get into, and is very forgiving with regards to fittings, the hurricane is one of the better entry-level PvP ships. This is especially true for many players that don't want to fly frigates or cruisers. In any case, it will certainly add a meaningful chunk of damage to any fleet that it is in, something that most players new to PvP will appreciate.

Ship Fittings

High-Slots

  • x6 425mm Autocannon I (EMP M ammunition)
  • x2 Medium Energy Neutralizer I

The guns are for close-range encounters of the PvP kind. EMP M ammo is great for chewing through shields, and is well-suited for orbiting targets at close range. Phased Plasma and Fusion are about as good, dealing more thermal and explosive damage, respectively.

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style="font-style: italic;">Mostly gank with just a dash of tank makes this one mean battlecruiser.

The energy neutralizers are to frustrate frigate and cruiser sized targets that try to orbit you at high speed. The key to using these is to not use both at once, but rather to fire one off, then wait a few seconds before firing the other. This staggering of the modules will let you regenerate capacitor better, and also ensure that the target has as little capacitor at any given time as possible. It is especially important to make sure that you do not overuse the neutralizers, as they are gluttons for capacitor and must be carefully minded. I would not, for example, recommend using the neutralizers at the same time as the microwarpdrive.

The neutralizers are also an essential line of defense against frigates with warp scramblers. Such a frigate can deactivate your microwarpdrive and leave you dead in the water. Zap that frigate's capacitor to keep your options open.

Mid-Slots

  • x1 10mn Microwarpdrive I
  • x1 Warp Disruptor I
  • x2 Large Shield Extender I

Getting to the right range and staying there is the name of the game with gank ships, so the microwarpdrive is essential. The warp disruptor is equally essential, as without it your targets will simply warp off. The latter may be eschewed if there is a superior tackler in your fleet, but when flying solo or in a fleet with relatively few ships it is best to have a tackling module.

Having achieved your desired orbit distance from your target, it may be judicious to periodically pulse your microwarpdrive to reduce damage rather than leave it auto-repeating. This way you can use your capacitor for your neutralizers without having to worry about running out.

The two shield extenders are for a nice buffer tank, and make the hurricane tougher than most cruisers. An invulnerability field module will give a slightly better hit point advantage, but is not a good idea for newer pilots because of the capacitor it uses and the problems that players can get into if they run out of cap. It is also one less button to worry about pressing in the heat of combat.

Low-Slots

  • x2 Gyrostabilizer I
  • x2 Tracking Enhancer I
  • x1 Damage Control I
  • x1 Nanofiber Internal Structure I

Here we have gyrostabilizers for extra damage and tracking enhancers for making sure that damage actually connects with moving targets. The damage control adds a big chunk of resistances across the board, and the nanofiber adds a useful amount of speed and maneuverability.

These can be played with a little bit. Some people prefer armor tanking their low-slots in lieu of the mid-slot shield tank, as a sort of tactical surprise or so that the mid-slots are available for other uses (like stasis webs). The hurricane is one of the few ships that can really go both ways on this, though for my money the shield tank makes a much better setup.

Flying Pro

Insofar as improving the setup, all of the modules can and should be upgraded to tech versions. The most cost-effective improvement in that regard is probably the warp disruptor, whose tech two version offers an important range bonus. The most expensive but also most worthwhile improvement is the upgrade to tech two guns. When you graduate to tech two autocannons, the tech two ammunition Barrage M is a worthwhile option, though faction ammunition is also good.

Rigs and Drones

  • x2 Medium Core Defence Field Extender I
  • x1 Medium Anti-EM Screen Reinforcer I
  • x6 Warrior II

The rigs are an essential portion of your tank, shoring up your weak EM resistance and adding a not insignificant chunk of extra hit points. Like their cousin the drake, hurricanes are generally known to be vulnerable to EM damage, so the extra resistance really is a good idea.

The drones can be whatever you like. Some players prefer light ECM drones, but the hurricane is cheap enough that escaping bad situations can take a back seat to inflicting extra damage with warriors (or whatever drones you prefer).

Tips On Flying The Hurricane

This fit has 31,000 effective hit points even before skills are applied, and will approach 40,000 with decent skills. It can also get up close and personal with most battlecruisers and battleships that would prefer you to remain at a distance. Once you are in under their guns and moving, you will be spared the brunt of their turret damage.

As of this writing, flying a hurricane breaks down approximately as follows: 27mil for the hull, 2mil for the modules, 9.92mil for the rigs, and 6.43mil for platinum insurance. This totals to 45.35mil. When the ship dies, the insurance payout is 21.45m. Thus, the total loss when the ship expires will be 23.9mil. Not too bad, considering how much mileage you can get out of it.

Support skills for your guns are very important to improving the hurricane's performance, as are capacitor skills. Skills like Trajectory Analysis and Rapid Firing are especially useful.

Though a lovely solo boat (especially when upgraded to tech two) the hurricane works particularly well when paired with itself. Pairs (and herds) of hurricanes infest low-sec and null-sec. Much of this synergy is due to their high alpha-strike cutting out the opposition at a speedy pace.

The hurricane is many things, but a solo drake-killer it is not. Do not attempt to defeat a drake by yourself. In practice that means you will need friends when wandering the depths of low-sec and much of null-sec. During high-sec wars, you do not necessarily need to be so cautious, though this depends on the sort of foe you are facing.


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Last Updated: Mar 13, 2016

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