Caldari in PvP might not be the most popular PvPing race(ship wise) but can be remarkably effective and fun to fly in PvP. Just not for your enemies... ECM!
Good choices for DPS or front line fighting include the HAM Drake, that packs quite a punch, as well as a pvp fit HM Drake, range of HM, decent tank and tackle. You are heading the wrong direction with a PvP Raven unless it is t2 torp fit with Caldari BS level 5 and target painters in a shield tanking fleet of them!
To start with the Griffin and Blackbird are great ECM entry ships, with a LSE Caracal being a good anti-small support ship. Or even a Blaster Moa or Ferox if you are headed down the Rail/blaster combo path.
If you plan on mostly flying in combat with a fleet and not solo Caldari can be a very rewarding(for you) and needed(for the fleet) PvP platform.
If you are interested in ECM fleet use; train towards flying a max skilled (in this order) Griffin, Blackbird, Falcon, Rook, then Scorp. You will never be hurting for gang invites or thanks for jamming out enemy DPS and you will be learing how to play a tricky, if often bitched about role (by the enemy) in a fleet.
By their nature missiles and missile ships can be useless in long range fights, taking forever to reach their target, making the primary(and sometimes secondary) usually dead before they arrive, but Caldari DO have other options with ECM Jamming ships as well as providing damage mitigation (by screaming PRIMARY ME) and overall fleet support by taking out pesky MWDing ceptors with light missiles/rails to providing surprises to nano style MWDing cruisers with HAM, HM and light missiles and rails. Not to mention providing long range fire support in the Eagle(meh), Rohk and Ferox.
Caldari also have on average fewer skills to become combat effective especially for ECM use in comparison to Minmatar or they might be even with Gallente.
Skills for pvping in a Caldari ship should be t2 shield skills, all flavor of missile skills, with focus on HAM's and light missiles from the start as well as ECM skills to increase the strength, range and open t2 ECM up.
If you desire to fly another race consider the below.
Minmatar are notoriously skill reliant, requiring armor, shield, drone, missile, gunnery, and navigation skills to get their ships up to a good level. However they do in return get some of the more versatile ships for pvp (especially currently with Alpha and falloff changes). Not to mention the sexy Rifter and rifter hulled t2 ships. You also get the Hurricane, Cyclone, Vagabond (whee), Stabber, Rupture, Rapier, as well as the Phoon, Tempest and Sliepnir are all PvP standouts! However none are very good in the hands of a underskilled pilot or when poorly fit, and are even worse when both are true!
Gallente have some monster DPS PvP ships, but rely on mostly close range action to meet their scary potential, barring the use of long range t2 sentries(Ishtar and maybe Domi) and all flavors of drones(Domi/Ishtar/Vexor). Mobile Drones aka not sentry drones have the same problem as missiles, requiring some time to get on target. Gallente require skill investment in Drones, Armor tanking, t2 blasters, as well as t2 rails (to some extent but not required) with later cross training into shields for shield tanked Ishtar and Myrms. Their PvP standouts are almost too many to list, but all fill basically the same role in a fleet. Brutix, Astarte(asstart), Thorax, Diemos(diemost), Megathron, Incursus, Taranis, Domi, Ishtar, Myrmidon, Lachesis(long tackle), Arazu(cloaky long tackle), etc etc.
Amarr might be one of least skill intensive races to pvp with(at the beginning). Needing mostly lazors and armor tank skills to be effective (plus they get the Punisher for early term pvp). Later in life they will need to cross-train to Drones for the Curse and Pilgrim (arbitrator), as well as HAM's and Rockets for the Sacri/Damnation and Malediction respectively. Amarr pilots can be effective because of the easy focus on armor and lazors to begin with. They do also boast some good pvp platforms across the board, both t1 and t2 like the Crusader, Punisher, Maller(sacri), Omen(Zealot), Harbinger, Prophecy(Absolution), Geddon, Fleet Apoc and Abaddon. Of those, most are lazor platforms making them easier to train for. Example being you get t2 medium lasors and immediately feel the benefit on the following ships, Omen, Maller, Harbinger, Absolution, Zealot, and Prophecy.
Short version is that the Caldari aren't a bad choice for PvP, just one that takes some time getting used to the role you fill. Solo pvpers they are not! They can be very viable combat pilots filling a support and often overlooked role in a small to a huge fleet.
This is a great list of Skills by K162 for combat effectiveness with my additional suggestions at the bottom
Learning Skills:
- Analytical Mind IV
- Clarity IV
- Eidetic Memory IV
- Empathy I
- Focus IV
- Instant Recall IV
- Iron Will IV
- Learning V – Evemon recommended this to IV yet I trained it up to V. Getting it to V takes a a few days off your overall time if you plan on having your character for over a year.
- Logic IV
- Spatial Awareness IV
Primary Skills:
- Engineering V – Maximize the power core
- Electronics V – Maximize the CPU
- Energy Management V – Maximize the capacitor capacity
- Energy Systems Operation V – Maximize the rate at which the capacitor recharges
- Energy Grid Upgrades IV – Reduce the CPU requirements of installing power modules
- Mechanic V – Maximize hull strength
- Shield Management V – Maximize shield capacity
- Shield Operation V – Maximize the rate at which the shield recharges
- Hull Upgrade V – Maximize armor strength
- Repair Systems V – Operate the best armor and hull repair modules
- Drones V – Control up to 5 drones
- Targeting IV – +4 targets
- Long Range Targeting V – Maximize targeting range and opens up Sensor Booster II (@ IV)
- Signature Analysis V – Maximize targeting speed and opens up Logistics and Recon Ships (@ V) (This should be #1)
- Navigation V – Maximize sub-warp speed
- Evasive Maneuvering V – Maximize ship agility (This should be #2 as agility is life in a frig, and it also opens up Interceptors)
- Acceleration Control V – Maximize afterburner and microwarp drive speed boost
- Cloaking IV – Allows you to use Covert Ops Cloaking Device II which is good for Covert Ops ships. (this should be last, Cloakers should not be trained until needed and then only fit on ships meant to use them :) )
- Propulsion Jamming V – Minimize warp scrambler and stasis web capacitor requirements (scramblers/webs require little cap and longer range points lock down targets long enough for the rest of your fleet to engage. This also opens up Heavy Interdiction Cruiser bubbles in the long run.)
In addition to the skills listed in the K162 post you also should train
- High Speed Maneuvering to 4 to open up the use of MWD
- Weapon Upgrades to 5
- Advanced Weapon Upgrades(AWU) to 4 to minimize the fitting requirements of turrets and missiles.
- RIGGING! (this includes Jury Rigging and at least armor or shield rigging depending on your race, as well as their primary weapon systems.)
- Tactical shield Manipulation to 4 so you can fit t2 shield hardeners if flying a shield tanking ship OR
- Armor Comp skills to 3 or 4 to harden up the passive resist modules usually used in armor tanking pvp.
- Racial frigate 5! Pushes you towards your first t2 ship class, the interceptor(gall, Minmatar{meh} and Amarr) or EAS(Caldari, Amarr and Minmatar).
- Thermodynamics and associated nanite repair skills (because overheating and repairing overheated modules is key.
JUST GET INTO IT!
