It’s every Valkyrie pilot’s first ship and the one they go back to most often. As the first birthday of EVE: Valkyrie approaches, we thought it was high time this fine figure of shiphood was feted for the services it has rendered to the Valkyrie cause.
A Thing of Beauty
We admit, the Wraith has something of an advantage over other ships in the Valkyrie cast of craft. It is, after all, the first ship we get to climb inside. That alone makes it special, but there’s more to our love of the Wraith than that. Let’s use a car analogy. Generally speaking, a young person’s first car is a beloved thing, but a bit crappy. Unless you’re blessed with wealthy parents who hand you the keys to an Audi R8 on your 18th, your first experience behind the wheel is going to be a bit shonky… a clattering, sputtering vehicle with added spoilers, chrome pipes and a custom carb that gives you about two extra bhp. Not so with the Wraith.
Straight out of the garage, the Wraith is high end material. You only have to look at it to appreciate its awesomeness. The central cockpit, low-slung wings, tightly angled missile launchers and thrusting Gatling guns… it’s a ship that means business. And it has a well-balanced weapons loadout. It’s maneuverable, nimble, has those powerful Gatling guns, head tracked missiles and ECM countermeasures. It basically has everything a growing boy or girl needs.
It Gets Better
The Wraith, then, is a fine ship for beginners and experts alike. What’s better is that the better you get at piloting, the better your Wraith gets. The more you play EVE: Valkyrie, the more bounty you gather. You can then head off to the Quartermaster to pimp your Wraith ride. You start off with a more than adequate speed of 4/10, shield of 2/10 and armor of 4/10. Earn some stripes and you can boost shield, armor and capacitor, making your Wraith a force to be reckoned with.
Bring the Bling
No-one likes a show off… apart from the show-off! So, what better way to irritate your opponents than to make your mark on the denizens of New Eden with a fresh and flamboyant lick of paint? Register yourself with a CCP account, then link your Valkyrie pilot to that account and you will be the recipient of a fabulous Ember Paint Job. It’s a kind of copper-y, yellow-y, gold-y look. Not vulgar like the inside of a custom limo, but classy like James Bond’s Omega Seamaster watch. Go on, treat yourself.
Everyone’s a Winner
Are you Oculus, Vive or PSVR? Stupid question. It really doesn’t matter because whichever platform you’re playing EVE: Valkyrie on, you get your own custom Wraith. Oculus owners get the truly evil looking Squadron 33 Wraith with its stealth-grey coloring and orange light details. Vive players get the legendary MkV Wraith, painted in a deliciously ebullient blue. Finally, if you’re playing on PSVR, the S4 Wraith is yours for the taking. It’s a fancy fighter with added fins as you can see in the picture above.
Three Ways to Rock it in a Wraith
The versatility of the Wraith is the secret of its popularity. If you’re just beginning your Valkyrie adventure, bear in mind the following advice when flying your first ship.
1. Bring the Pain
The Wraith’s Gatling guns are slow to overheat, so when engaged in battle, stick at it. Of course, if you’re taking heavy hits you should get out of there, but otherwise, keep going. The Wraith can deliver prolonged and effective attacks on any enemy.
2. Two Pronged Attack
The Wraith has the benefit of sporting two potent weapons at the same time, Gatling guns and head-tracked missiles. When in a busy battling situation, you need to make the most of these weapons. Accuracy is the key with the Gatling guns. Make sure you target your enemy with your front-facing weapon precisely and you will deal maximum damage. At the same time, once you’re firing off the Gatling guns at a targeted enemy, look around to get a lock on any peripheral enemies and fire your missiles at them. Offing two enemies simultaneously in this way is the best fun you can have in a Wraith.
3. Take Out the Supports
Support ships are quick, but so is the Wraith, albeit less so. Hang back, identify the enemy’s support ships, then plot a trajectory that will allow you to take them down. This seriously increases the opposing team’s vulnerability. The great thing about the Wraith is that you can switch from an attacking approach to a defensive one, so practice attacking, evading and re-engaging.
I think we can all agree that the Wraith is a very special creature. However, we also want to celebrate the other craft that make EVE: Valkyrie such a special experience, so head over to the forums and let us know about the less frequently used ships that you enjoy taking out for a spin once in a while.
Fly safe, fly Wraith!