Rorqual

The rorqual is a capital class mining support and deployment platform conceived by CCP in 2007 to address the need for deep lowsec and null-space (0.0) mining operations.

With its ability to deploy tractor beams up to 200km and compress ore and ice, it provides a centralised mining support and transport system. With the ability to carry several mining vessels and clones to a remote location via jump drive, its role as a mobile platform is unsurpassed. Providing gang bonus's is another level of the rorqual's usefulness, allowing a specialised leadership pilot to provide the highest bonus's available to miners in the game.

In theory, many operations are reluctant to place such a valuable ship on the front line for an operation, unless defended by a sizeable force. POS safe-spotting is a common practise where the rorqual is available for bonus's and compression, but it not in immediate danger as it would be in the belts. It is often used as an intermediate hauler vessel prior to JF use or carriers.

Rorqual features: - Ore and Ice compression

- Clone vat bay (only seen otherwise on motherships and titans)

- Capital class tank

- Capital class tractor beams

- Corporate hangar

- Ship maintenance bay

I was going to write-up a comprehensive listing of the various compression features and their calculations, but Halada has said it superbly in his mining guide. Download a copy from this thread. Its second to none.

Useful skills and modules

Tank: Good shield skills will be vital to staying alive. Look to run a t2 or faction tank with a capital shield booster. Three Capacitor control rigs will be vital to maintain capacitor stability.

Support modules: Tractor beams, Industry core, Compression blueprints, Clone vat bay

Leadership: Gang modules, mindlinks

Tactics

Keep a wary eye out for any pilots not 'authorised' in your area. It will only take one tackler to ruin your day. If you must operate at a belt, make sure advance scouts are alert and at a sufficient distance to allow for siege mode to finish and let you escape. Fitting a cloak may be useful. For POS mining, use a hauler to ferry between the belts and stay close to the shield. If you have a corporate hangar array, it can be used to store compressed ice and ore.

Hope this helps. Nemmes