Taranis and Managing Range

Small blasters - a ferocious weapon system at close range, however, as soon as the range increased their effectiveness dropped dramatically. This meant that blaster fitted ships needed to have the speed to get into close range and to be able to stay there. That was the problem with this Taranis - it could not get into close range.

[Taranis, Dual Propulsion]

Damage Control II
Magnetic Field Stabilizer II
Micro Auxiliary Power Core II

Limited 1MN Microwarpdrive I
1MN Afterburner II
J5b Phased Prototype Warp Scrambler I

Light Neutron Blaster II, Void S
Light Neutron Blaster II, Void S
Light Neutron Blaster II, Void S
[empty high slot]

Small Hybrid Burst Aerator I
Small Hybrid Collision Accelerator I

Warrior II x2

This dual propulsion Taranis was originally fit for a themed fleet roam, with the micro-warp-drive to be able to get into range quickly and the afterburner to stay in range. The problem was that Starwalker was solo and he had engaged an Incursus with it just before the roam started. The issue was that he was webbed and held at range and with a speed of less than 400m/s he could not get into close range or outside of scram range.

The Incursus was fit with railguns (150mm) and peppered the Taranis with fire, in return the Taranis could only manage a feeble level of damage at the edge of scram range. It was not long before the light tank of the Taranis succumbed to the firepower of the rails. In fleet, the dual propulsion Taranis was fine as other ships could compensate for its range control weakness and during the roam this Caracal was on the victims.

On returning to base after the roam Starwalker refitted to the holy trinity of propulsion, scram and web, with the afterburner as the preferred method of propulsion, especially in low-sec:

[Taranis, ABSAAR]

Damage Control II
Micro Auxiliary Power Core I
Small Ancillary Armor Repairer, Nanite Repair Paste

1MN Afterburner II
Warp Scrambler II
Stasis Webifier II

Light Neutron Blaster II, Void S
Light Neutron Blaster II, Void S
Light Neutron Blaster II, Void S
Small Diminishing Power System Drain I

Small Hybrid Collision Accelerator I
Small Hybrid Burst Aerator I

Warrior II x2

This fit proved more successful in dictating range and this Merlin was kited at around 6km - 7km, being fired on with Null ammunition. It was eventually destroyed with the Taranis losing about 25% of its structure. However, the pilot, Drankha, clearly thought that he could do better next time and returned with a Tormentor.

Laser tracking is not as good as blaster tracking, so this time the Taranis orbited close at 500m using Void ammunition and whilst the Tormentor put up a good fight it too was destroyed. The Taranis was not unscathed, it left on fire after losing nearly 80% of its structure during the fight. It was a good fight and much closer than Starwalker expected.