EVE Online boasts many ships and fits. One of my favorite ships, is the Myrmidon. It is a BattleCruiser, putting it somewhere between a Cruiser and a BattleShip.
Yes, I know, it has been nerfed. It no longer has the bandwidth to field 5 Heavy Drones, only 5 Medium Drones. But, it still packs a punch with 50% Drone HP and Damage at BC 5. It also has two 'built in' nano armor pumps (rigs) by virtue of the bonus of 7.5% armor repair amount per BC Level. (30% more armor @ BC 4 and 37.5% @ BC 5).
So, typically most Myrmidon Pilots fit 2x Medium Armor Reppers and the rest resists.
I typically use the Myrmidon for boosting my Hulk by giving it Mining Bonuses while in a Fleet, using the Mining Laser Optimizer for reduced stripper cycles. To do this you need; Leadership 5, Foreman 5, Gank Link Specialist 3 or 4 and Director 3 or 4.
Taking it a step further by training Director 5 and Cybernetics 5 will allow you to use the Mining Foreman Mindlink Implant, resulting in a MASSIVE boost to both mining yield and cycle time reduction. Get to this point, and you are an uber Mining booster for everyone in your Squad.
The Myrmidon can fit 6 hi, 5 mids and 6 low slots.
When I am out ratting and/or boosting my Hulk, this is my setup.
Hi's
3x 250mm Railguns T2 - Med Anti-matter Ammo
1x Mining Laser Optimizer Gang Module
1x Salvager
1x Tractor beam
Mid's
4x Cap Recharger II
1x MWD II
Lo's
2x Medium Armor Repper II
1x Exp Armor Hardener II
1x Kinetic Armor Hardener II
1x Therm Armor hardener II
1x Damage Control II
With the above set up, I can boost my Hulk's mining yeild quite a bit, and is also able to take out any BS spawns, loot and salvage wreckages. Since, the Myrmidon has a small cargo hold, I throw the loot in with the ORE inside the Hulk's mining Jet Cans, to be hauled away.
The Myrmidon is so versatile, I have now begun training for use in Alliance Fleet Ops or CTA's.
What I want to do is support my 'Squad of Ten' by giving them, and myself, a lot more armor resists, by equiping a Passive Armor Gang Module. Along with Armored Warfare V to give 10% armor HP and 10% armor resists! If, I train for the Armor Warfare Mindlink implant, I can boost this up to 15% armor and resists.
Now, how is that for a lite command ship? I say 'lite' because, the Eos, is a true command ship, able to fit 3 gang modules, versus the 1 on the Myrmidon. But, Eos requires months of training and costs tripple the amount. So, until then, the Myrmidon is more that adaquate.
It is possible to fit additional Gang Assist modules, on the Myrmidon, but you need Warefare Link Specialist 5 and fit a Command I module in a mid slot. Which, is pretty cool, but a long term plan as the skill time will be nearly a month or more.
The next question is what to do with the rest of those HIGH slots. Ideally, we will need 1 Drone Augmentor (20km more drone range) and the Passive Armor Gang Link, to give out Armor Resist bonuses.
But, what about the other 4 HIGH slots left? I was thinking about either;
a) Equiping 4x Medium Remote Armor Reppers II
or
b) Equiping 4x Medium Railguns II - Spike Ammo
That way I can boost my squad, while dealing damage semi-long range using Drones and Tech II Railguns with Advanced Ammo.
Or solely, rely on using just Drones, maybe by adding another Drone Augmentor for an additional 20km Drone Range and replacing the 3 remaining HIGH Slots with Medium Remote Armor Repper II's. Acting as a Remote Rep for during and post combat OPs.
Either way, I would stay out of range of the main battle and doing damage with my Drones and Guns or Remote Armor Repping, instead.
As for Level 4 Mission running.
The Myrmidon is more than capable of doing what only BattleShips were ment to do. Again taking advantage of the Drone and Armor Repair Bonuses, one can fly through Level 3 missions like a hot knife on butter, and do fairly well against most Level 4 agent Missions. Using the 2x Medium Armor Reppers II, specific armor resists, Med Railguns II, and finally, all Mids for Cap Recharger II's and an AfterBurner II.
As you can see, the Myrmidon is very versilte.
It is cheap (around 34 million ISK), has a lower signature radius, than a BattleShip and is more agile to boot!
Although, Myrmidon was nerfed in Trinity, by slashing it's Drone Bandwidth for 5 Heavy Drones, 5 Medium Tech II Drones are no joke, when it comes to damage the Myrmidon Drone Bonuses give at BC 4 and 5.
My Myrmidon is a staple ship. It allows me to mine 4 Jet Cans an hour boosting my Hulk, participlate in Fleet ops as an Armor Squad Booster and do Level 4 Agent Missions fairly easily.
The Myrmidon is often over looked, in regards to what it's intended role was. That role is of a Leadership platform to fit Gang Modules for both Mining and Combat, at the same time having powerful Drones and a good Armor Tank, with plenty of slots to utilize.
It is not nessassarily, the best PvP ship, as the Dominix and Heavy Assault Ships like the Ishtar may better be suited. But, when it comes to sheer flexibility for both mining and fleet Ops, the BattleCruiser called Myrmidon is a noteworthy and often over looked option.
