As industrial ships are intended for item transport rather than combat, this ship is unarmed. If you find yourself forced into combat, your best option is to simply run away.
Industrials are a favorite target of many players - and even in high-security space, where CONCORD will appear to punish illegal attacks, they will usually arrive after your attackers have reduced your ship to a flaming wreck. Be mindful of your surroundings, and try to keep your cargo’s value under about 20 million ISK.
The lowslots are used for four Expanded Cargohold I, to further increase
the ship’s cargo capacity and help it perform its primary function. These increase its cargo bay from 2835 m3 to 5403 m3 - enough to carry
two frigates, along with their fittings.
This ship uses a Large Shield Extender I and a Medium Shield Extender I
in its mid slots to grant it additional shield HP.
It also mounts an EM Ward Amplifier I to plug the weak spot in its shield’s resistances.
It also fits a Damage Control I in a low slot to increase its resistance to damage.
The 10MN Afterburner I provides your ship with additional speed. (Note
that this is a cruiser-sized module, not the 1MN afterburners used on frigates and destroyers!)
Rigs are passive modifications to a ship, trading off one attribute against another. Unlike modules, rigs cannot be removed without being destroyed. As a starter fit, this fit makes limited use of rigging, since many “optimal” rigs are often relatively expensive and may be difficult to find near your starter station.
The starter fit does not use or require any rigs.
The Nereus is an industrial ship. It should be primarily hauling goods from one station to another, sticking to safe space and avoiding combat.
When moving between stations, you should always fly your Industrial directly from gate to gate, and jump immediately upon landing. Do not use your Autopilot, as it will land you a substantial distance from the gate, making it easy for other players to scan your cargo for valuables and plan a potential attack.
Industrials are very slow, and sluggish to get into warp. To improve this, after clicking “Warp” on a destination, you can activate your Afterburner for a single cycle (click it so that it glows green, then immediately click it again so it glows red). The additional acceleration will help you get up to warp speed faster. (Leaving the afterburner on will make it take longer, as the speed required to enter warp is 75% of your current maximum speed.)
You should not take an Industrial ship outside of high-security space (0.5 and up). If you join a low-security, null-security or wormhole corporation and live in their space, ask them for assistance if you need to do anything requiring an Industrial ship.
The above fit should be usable with starting skills unless otherwise noted, and it uses relatively cheap and widely-available modules.
As you accumulate skill points and ISK, you will be able to fit more potent modules to your ship, increasing its effectiveness. These modules may not be readily available outside of trade hubs, but it can be worth the trip.
We recommend working towards the following improved fit:The improved fit will require the training of the following skills to use all installed equipment:
Hull Upgrades Level IVShield Upgrades Level IVDrones Level IIILight Drone Operation Level IOnce you have the skills to use them, you should fill your Drone Bay with Combat Drones. Hobgoblin I drones have the most damage output, while Warrior I drones have the most speed. Industrial ships should not seek out combat, but the drones can potentially
dissuade or distract lighter attackers or destroy weak NPC pirates.
The improved fit replaces the shield resistance rigs with three Medium Cargohold Optimization I
for additional cargo capacity. Combined with the upgrade to Expanded Cargohold II modules,
this increases its cargo bay to 11394.3 m3 - enough for four frigates, two destroyers, or a cruiser,
with room to spare for their fittings and ammunition.
Nearly every module has been improved to a “meta” version, requiring less fitting space and granting improved effectiveness, but costing more ISK and/or being less widely available, or a t2 version, which costs more ISK, requires more skillpoints, and is harder to fit:
10MN Y-S8 Compact AfterburnerLarge Shield Extender IIMedium Shield Extender IIEM Ward Amplifier IIDamage Control IIExpanded Cargohold II