THORAX

The Thorax is by some margin the most versatile Gallente cruiser – so much so, in fact, that there’s literally dozens of potential fits depending on your preferred role for the ship.  So here’s a selection of the best fittings not entailing excessive cost, followed by a smattering of cheap (but still effective) fleet fodder.

Although the Thorax can comfortably fulfil the role of tanky blaster boat or free-spirited medium or long range kite, in my view it is best deployed in the latter role.  For tanky up-close mayhem, you may find the Vexor is a better bet.

The Thorax really isn’t that hard or complicated to fit, either, so some of these arrangements may seem a little obvious.  Nonetheless these are decent starting points...

[THORAXE TO THE HEAD – CLOSE-RANGE TANK]

Heavy Electron Blaster II / Federation Navy Antimatter M

Heavy Electron Blaster II / Federation Navy Antimatter M

Heavy Electron Blaster II / Federation Navy Antimatter M

Heavy Electron Blaster II / Federation Navy Antimatter M

Heavy Electron Blaster II / Federation Navy Antimatter M

Warp Scrambler II

Stasis Webifier II

Stasis Webifier II

Experimental 10MN Microwarpdrive I

Damage Control II

Magnetic Field Stabilizer II

Energized Adaptive Nano Membrane II

Energized Adaptive Nano Membrane II

1600mm Reinforced Rolled Tungsten Plates I

Medium Ancillary Current Router I

Medium Trimark Armor Pump I

Medium Trimark Armor Pump I

Hammerhead II x 5

All skills at 5: 

EHP: 35.8k

DPS: 501 / 552 with heat

Speed:  1666 m/s

Capacitor: 1m 50s

Optimal range:  1.5km

Cost:  44m ISK approximately

Get this into a medium plex.  Sit on the button.  Get the dual webs and scram on ASAP.  Approach your target and fire the blasters.

There’s a variation on this theme that involves dropping one of the EAMNII’s and replacing it with a Drone Damage Amplifier II.  If you have decent drone skills, this ups your DPS to 537 or 588 with heat, at the expensive of about 6k EHP.  YMMV, as always.

[BLASTERAX – HIGH DPS SHIELD TANK]

Heavy Neutron Blaster II / Federation Navy Antimatter M

Heavy Neutron Blaster II / Federation Navy Antimatter M

Heavy Neutron Blaster II / Federation Navy Antimatter M

Heavy Neutron Blaster II / Federation Navy Antimatter M

Heavy Neutron Blaster II / Federation Navy Antimatter M

Experimental 10MN Afterburner I

Warp Scrambler II

Large Shield Extender II

Large Shield Extender II

Damage Control II

Magnetic Field Stabilizer II

Magnetic Field Stabilizer II

Magnetic Field Stabilizer II

Reactor Control Unit II

Medium Anti-EM Screen Reinforcer I

Medium Anti-EM Screen Reinforcer I

Medium Anti-Thermal Screen Reinforcer I

Hammerhead II x 5

All skills at 5: 

EHP: 25.4k

DPS: 684 / 763 with heat

Speed:  735m/s

Capacitor: stable at 54.1% with the AB running

Optimal range: 2.25km

Cost:  31m ISK approx.  The cost is kept lower by not using the more expensive Medium Core Defense Field Extender rigs.

This is kind of like a really big derptron – huge DPS, shield tanked, but not overly endowed with webbers and jammers.

[POWERKITE – SHIELD TANKED RAIL KITE]

200mm Railgun II / Federation Navy Antimatter M

200mm Railgun II / Federation Navy Antimatter M

200mm Railgun II / Federation Navy Antimatter M

200mm Railgun II / Federation Navy Antimatter M

200mm Railgun II / Federation Navy Antimatter M

Warp Disruptor II

Experimental 10MN Microwarpdrive I

Large FS-9 Regolith Shield Induction

Small Capacitor Booster II / Navy Cap Booster 400

Damage Control II

Tracking Enhancer II

Tracking Enhancer II

Magnetic Field Stabilizer II

Magnetic Field Stabilizer II

Medium Core Defence Field Extender I

Medium Core Defence Field Extender I

Medium Anti-Explosive Pump I

Hammerhead II x 5

All skills at 5: 

EHP: 17.9k

DPS: 567 / 639 with heat.

Speed:  1926m/s

Capacitor: 4m 40s while shovelling in the Navy Cap Booster 400s

Optimal range:  18km

Cost:  38m ISK approximately

In my view, this is what the Thorax does best – a rail kite.  A kind of Federation Navy Comet shield kite on steroids.  It’s quite fast for a cruiser, has OK EHP but those rails are the stars of the show – they track superbly for a medium sized gun, and do solid damage.

I know that the whole small cap booster thing looks a bit random, but it does give you enough cap to last a decent fight.

[SNIPERRAX – LONG RANGE SNIPER]

250mm Railgun II / Spike M

250mm Railgun II / Spike M

250mm Railgun II / Spike M

Drone Link Augmentor II

Drone Link Augmentor II

Experimental 10MN Microwarpdrive I

Sensor Booster II / Targeting Range Script

Medium Shield Extender II

Tracking Computer II / Optimal Range Script

Damage Control II

Drone Damage Amplifier II

Drone Damage Amplifier II

Adaptive Nano Plating II

Quantum Co-Processor I

Medium Hybrid Locus Coordinator I

Medium Hybrid Locus Coordinator I

Medium Hybrid Locus Coordinator I

Hammerhead II x 5 or Valkyrie II x 5

All skills at 5: 

EHP: 13.7k

DPS: 335 / 353 with heat.

Speed:  2028m/s

Capacitor: 1m 57s

Optimal range:  90km

Cost:  32m ISK approximately

With the drones (you might want the Valkyrie IIs for added speed), this can lock and shoot from almost 100km out.  Perfect for getting into medium plexes in a fleet scenario, then assigning the drones to someone closer to the button.

It’s also pretty cheap for a super-sniper – 32m approx.

Meanwhile, if you want to sandbag your cruiser fleet with cheap DPS, try these two for size.

[BUDGET BLASTERAX – CHEAP CHEERFUL DPS]

Limited Ion Blaster I / Federation Navy Antimatter M

Limited Ion Blaster I / Federation Navy Antimatter M

Limited Ion Blaster I / Federation Navy Antimatter M

Limited Ion Blaster I / Federation Navy Antimatter M

Limited Ion Blaster I / Federation Navy Antimatter M

Statis Webifier I

Warp Disruptor I

10 MN Microwarpdrive I

J5b Phased Prototype Warp Scrambler I

Damage Control II

Gauss Field Balancer I

Gauss Field Balancer I

Gauss Field Balancer I

800mm Reinforced Rolled Tungsten Plates I

5 x Hammerhead II

All skills at 5: 

EHP: 15.4k

DPS: 553 / 612 with heat.

Speed:  1944m/s

Capacitor: 1m 18s

Optimal range:  1.7km

Cost:  18m ISK approximately

It costs 18m and does more than 600DPS with heat.  It also has no rigs, because the relevant medium rigs are very expensive.  As a throwaway ‘derp’ cruiser, this is a pretty good option.

[BARGAIN RAILRAX – CHEAP CHEERFUL RAILKITE]

200mm Compressed Coil Gun I / Federation Navy Antimatter M

200mm Compressed Coil Gun I / Federation Navy Antimatter M

200mm Compressed Coil Gun I / Federation Navy Antimatter M

200mm Compressed Coil Gun I / Federation Navy Antimatter M

200mm Compressed Coil Gun I / Federation Navy Antimatter M

Experimental 10MN Microwarpdrive I or 10MN Afterburner II

X5 Prototype Engine Enervator

X5 Prototype Engine Enervator

J5b Phased Prototype Warp Scrambler I

Damage Control II

Tracking Enhancer II

Energized Adaptive Nano Membranes II

Gauss Field Balancer I

Gauss Field Balancer I

Hammerhead II x 5

All skills at 5: 

EHP: 12k

DPS: 503 / 564 with heat.

Speed:  2028m/s

Capacitor: 1m 38s

Optimal range:  7km

Cost:  18m ISK approximately

This is also a decent option for cheap damage.  Those rails still work quite well at 7km out, so you have the option of just getting into range with the MWD, or trying to fly this like a sumo scramkite at 7km with the afterburner instead.