Catalyst Training Under the New System

In its ongoing effort to attract new players to EVE, CCP has significantly boosted the amount of skillpoints that all new characters start with. You know what that means...

New Order theorycrafters leaped into action. As you can see from the list of the new starting skills, freshly rolled characters start with a lot of the skills needed by ganker alts. For example, newbies begin with the ability to overheat their weapons, which formerly took quite a bit of training time. In addition, many support skills no longer need to be purchased, simplifying the training queue.

The much-loved and much-read Evolution of a Catalyst Pilot post is now out of date, though it still contains useful information. Led by Agents Tisiphone Dira and PV Rock, a new skill plan was charted by our theorycrafters.

Let's cut to the chase: How much simpler has CCP made training for a Catalyst alt?

– Gallente Destroyer I

Heh.

Depending on what mid-slot modules (if any) you'd like to use, you'll likely run into CPU issues, but you can already fly a Catalyst and fit Tech I or Meta guns and damage mods. Here's the list of additional DPS-related skills that Tisiphone cooked up:

– Surgical Strike II (adds 3% DPS)
– Cybernetics II (allows you to use the SS-903 implant that adds 3% DPS)
– Rapid Firing III (4% DPS)
– Surgical Strike III (3% DPS)
– Small Hybrid Turret IV (5% DPS)
– Small Hybrid Turret V (5% DPS)
– Motion Predication III (Prerequisite for the next skill)
– Small Blaster Specialization I (Unlocks t2 guns; 2% DPS for T2 guns)
– Small Blaster Specialization II (2% DPS for T2 guns)
– Small Blaster Specialization III (2% DPS for T2 guns)
– Rapid Firing IV (4% DPS)
– Weapon Upgrades III (Gives you much needed CPU)
– Weapon Upgrades IV (extra CPU; unlocks T2 Magnetic Field Stabilizers)

That's a much shorter road to Tech II fitted Catalysts than before. More skills:

– Surgical strike IV (3% DPS)
– Jury Rigging I (Prerequisite for Hybrid weapon rigging)
– Jury Rigging II
– Jury Rigging III
– Hybrid Weapon Rigging I (Gives you some much needed PG)
– CPU Management V (extra CPU, allows use of all mid-slot modules)

For the default T2 Catalyst fit, see below:

And Tisiphone's proposed fit:

Regardless of the route chosen, it's clear that a new player can begin killing bot-aspirant carebears at a greatly accelerated rate. Consider the NPE (new player experience) enhanced.

A link to this post will be added to the Gank page, where you can find all sorts of information about ganking to enforce the Code.