CATALYST

With eight high slots, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that the Catalyst is designed with huge DPS in mind.  It’s also slightly knobbled by having only two mid slots, meaning the trinity of AB / scram / web won’t fit.  And it’s hardly generously endowed in the lows either – three slots won’t fit much tank.

Like all destroyers, it’s not particularly quick either, so although a MWD / Warp Disruptor kite is possible to fit up, it’s so slow that it’s only really practical if you know for sure your opponents are going to be shortish range destroyers or cruisers.  For argument’s sake, I’ve conjured up a kite fit so you can see how it might, or might not, work.

So in reality there are only a few viable flavours of Catalyst, on a sliding scale of gank to tank depending on taste, budget and whether you’re flying in a fleet or solo.  They all work broadly the same – get in range, get the scram on, get as close as possible and start melting with the blasters.

[TOMCAT – HIGH DPS KNOCKOUT PLEX BRAWLER]

Light Neutron Blaster II / Federation Navy Antimatter S

Light Neutron Blaster II / Federation Navy Antimatter S

Light Neutron Blaster II / Federation Navy Antimatter S

Light Neutron Blaster II / Federation Navy Antimatter S

Light Neutron Blaster II / Federation Navy Antimatter S

Light Neutron Blaster II / Federation Navy Antimatter S

Light Neutron Blaster II / Federation Navy Antimatter S

Light Neutron Blaster II / Federation Navy Antimatter S

1MN Afterburner II

Warp Scrambler II

Magnetic Field Stabilizer II

Magnetic Field Stabilizer II

Magnetic Field Stabilizer II

Small Algid Hybrid Administrations Unit I

Small Processor Overclocking Unit I

Small Hybrid Collision Accelerator I

All skills at 5: 

EHP: 3899.6

DPS: 519 / 597 with heat.  597!!!

Speed:  740m/s

Capacitor: stable at 54.6%

Optimal range:  1.6km

Cost:  15.5m

This is the Mike Tyson of Gallente Destroyers – the eight neutrons delivering huge blows to compensate for the comparatively weak tank.  Don’t worry about the tank.  If you can catch your opponent and get the Neutrons into range, this will blow away just about anything that fits into a small plex inside 20 seconds.

The Small Algid is worth the cash to take the CPU pressure off from the Neutron IIs, thereby enabling you to fit the Small Hybrid Collision Accelerator I.  Given a choice between the Burst and the Collision, I tend to choose the Collision as it gives you a higher alpha and lasts a bit longer with guns overheated.

Given that it’s Afterburner fitted, this is designed to lurk right on the button in plexes and deliver a series of ultra-hard hitting, confidence shattering volleys – 1,000+ damage at a time.

With all the guns heated, you get an astonishing 597 DPS out of this slugger.  But I wouldn’t recommend an all-guns-heated approach as you won’t last long before they run out.  Instead, I would suggest you heat four guns:  the two outermost guns in each rack.  This gives you a more reasonable lifetime of 52s across the rack as a whole with 558 DPS in total – more than enough to get the job done.

[FATCAT - SOLO / FLEET BRAWLER]

Light Ion Blaster II / Federation Navy Antimatter S

Light Ion Blaster II / Federation Navy Antimatter S

Light Ion Blaster II / Federation Navy Antimatter S

Light Ion Blaster II / Federation Navy Antimatter S

Light Ion Blaster II / Federation Navy Antimatter S

Light Ion Blaster II / Federation Navy Antimatter S

Light Ion Blaster II / Federation Navy Antimatter S

Light Ion Blaster II / Federation Navy Antimatter S

J5b Phased Prototype Warp Scrambler I

Limited 1MN Microwarpdrive

Magnetic Field Stabilizer II

Magnetic Field Stabilizer II

Damage Control II

Small Hybrid Burst Aerator I

Small Hybrid Collision Accelerator I

All skills at 5: 

EHP: 6033.3

DPS: 472 / 543 with heat

Speed:  1846m/s

Capacitor: lasts 4m 20s

Optimal range:  1.4km

Cost:  12m ISK approx

This is a pretty balanced fit, delivering a functional tank of 6k EHP but still packing panic-inducing DPS of 472.  With the MWD it can be used both solo and in fleets.  Again – if you want to overheat the guns for better DPS, choose the two outermost guns on each side.  This gives you 44 seconds before guns start burning out, but ups the DPS to 507.

[ALLEYCAT – CHEAP FLEET FODDER]

125mm Compressed Coil Gun I / Federation Navy Antimatter S

125mm Compressed Coil Gun I / Federation Navy Antimatter S

125mm Compressed Coil Gun I / Federation Navy Antimatter S

125mm Compressed Coil Gun I / Federation Navy Antimatter S

125mm Compressed Coil Gun I / Federation Navy Antimatter S

125mm Compressed Coil Gun I / Federation Navy Antimatter S

125mm Compressed Coil Gun I / Federation Navy Antimatter S

125mm Compressed Coil Gun I / Federation Navy Antimatter S

J5b Phased Prototype Warp Scrambler I

Upgraded 1MN Microwarpdrive I

Damage Control I

Magnetic Field Stabilizer I

Magnetic Field Stabilizer I

Small Hybrid Burst Aerator I

Small Hybrid Collision Accelerator I

All skills at 5: 

EHP: 5294

DPS: 259 / 304 with heat

Speed:  1846m/s

Capacitor: lasts 2m 55s

Optimal range:  9.7km

Cost:  3m ISK approx

This is a 3m ISK destroyer, bringing 250+ DPS to the table, with a moderate tank, a MWD, and a 10km range.  The rules are broken a bit by fitting MagStabs rather than tracking mods in the lows, but who cares? It’s not uber, but for what it delivers it is extremely cost effective when you need to throw ships at the enemy during fleet engagements.