Ecliptic Rift

Rounding out the upgrades to the navy frigates, today we’ll look at the Amarr Navy Slicer (now the Imperial Navy Slicer), the little sniper that could.

Gunboat

The Slicer’s previous design allowed it to function quite effectively as a small gunboat with capacitor efficiency bonuses and three turrets. The changes coming with Dominion, however, remove one turret and the energy turret capacitor bonus. Instead, the Slicer will have only two turrets but the bonus to small energy turret damage per Amarr Frigate skill level increases from 5 to 25%. Additionally, CCP will give it a 10% range bonus.

This could end up turning the ship into something like a tiny sniper, with a 50% range bonus when the skill is maxed, and those two turrets get a 125% damage bonus. A mini-marauder, if you will.

Design

Other changes lessen whatever nerfing some pilots might perceive. Despite the removal of the capacitor usage bonus, the capacitor itself increases 33% from 375 to 500 GJ (more than offsetting the loss of the skill bonus). However, recharge time also increases about 20% from 234 to 281 seconds. The layout changes only slightly, removing one high slot from the old 4/2/5 setup in favor of a 3/2/5  design. The Slicer should continue to maintain an excellent tank and the high slot removal essentially only takes away the third turret, instead improving the damage of the other two.

This becomes even more useful when combined with the 36% base speed increase from 287 to 390 m/s, though the inertia modifier will increase slightly from 2.1 to 3.3 to compensate. A fast sniper can then maintain range and continue to hit hard over the longer distance.

Unlike the other naval frigate changes, the fitting statistics actually decrease somewhat. Powergrid loses 10 MW, from 47 to 37 MW, and the CPU also gets downgraded from 125 to 115 tf. With one turret removed, however, this probably should not present great problems for pilots looking to keep their damage going.

Like the other naval frigates, the Slicer should end up seeing lots of use in factional warfare, as pilots can sit at range from the beacons inside complexes and pick off enemies as they arrive.

Tomorrow: Wrap-up of all four and a special bonus.

Related posts:

1. Naval frigate upgrades: Federation Navy Comet
2. Naval frigate upgrades: Caldari Navy Hookbill
3. Naval frigate upgrades: Republic Fleet Firetail