The Single Best Guide for New Player Solo PVP

Suitonia's new player Kestral guide.

Suitonia's videos at EVE is Easy have been some of the best PVP video guides available since he started updating frequently 8 months ago. I probably enjoy watching EVE videos more than most players, but I've learned a huge amount from his videos, and this tutorial is one that stands out as something I've always wanted for newer players getting into solo PVP (it is a type of video he has been making more of lately, too). A weakness of many new player solo PVP guides is that, while they are generally very helpful, the ship fittings they use often require high skill points in capacitor and fitting skills, and the characters in the example fights are not typically new.

Suitonia's video covers exactly what skills are needed for the newbie-friendly Kestral and its setup, including why they are more generally useful, and then an overview of the fitting for the rocket Kestral. He covers a brief run-through on how to use the directional scanner, using the map to find fights, tactics for fighting groups, and finally lots of good examples of using the ship in a low-SP character (there are lots more such examples on his channel).

What is particularly fantastic about this video is that (starting at 28:00) it covers how to fight every frigate match-up you might encounter. I wish I would have had this video when I started PVP. I first used a MSE AB Merlin in LS to learn solo PVP. I would frequently read, and re-read, the solo PVP guides on Azual Skoll's blog, The Altruist. But figuring out how to fight any given ship in the blaster Merlin was difficult, and as a newer player I primarily relied on "activate everything, approach, OH, cross fingers," which works surprisingly well until you fight counters. I still remember the day I first won a mirror match-up by kiting with null against an opponent who only had void, but it took me a long, hard road of practice to learn this simple tactic. Suitonia's video would have saved me a lot of trial-and-error if I would have had it 2-3 years ago, which is why I've started sharing the video with new players I meet who are interested in solo PVP.