Well there is two elements to this:
First is optimum tackle, if you have more than one tackler, they should orbit the gate at 15km with everyones drones asigned to them (drones are there to get most damage on target as quick as possible not for decloak reasons as pointed out below drones can no longer decloak someone after a session change anymore), orbiting the same path at opposing ends, if theres three of you then every 120 degrees, 4 90 degrees and so on. This will give you best coverage and in all likely hood decloak ability also. Not the damage dealers issue if your camp can't point them.
Second is where to position in a close range ship. I will split this down further.
1) normal opperating proceedure. Fight in first fall off or at 0 on the gate. If your fall off encompases 15km of the gate in all directions, ie you have approx 60 - 70km range on a region gate. If you don't have the fall off your only real option is to sit at 0 just above the or below the gate, this will give you maximum coverage.
2) not to be used in combination with 1) when in 0.0 for reasons that may become apparent.
The Stealth bomber is a unique case, stay cloaked at a safe spot 200km or more above (or below) the gate. It has to be at least 200km on overview.
Set your default warp range to 35km, turn on brackets and fleet mates if you haven't already, and then wait.
- Gate act
- click in new target in overview, on the brackets check to see closest team mate (9/10 this will be the interceptor who calls point in comms anyhow so have them watch listed)
- Click Warp to that fleet mate... (due to speed of stealth bomber align, and the stealth bombers 0 lock delay, this will be pretty quick)
- while you align, activate all your modules (except your already active cloak)
- when you hit warp speed, decloack, and as you land ctrl + click target in overview.. smile as volley leaves the tubes while your at optimal, having given less than a second or two at mosts notice.
Why do this??? it's a lot of effort and you won't get on the frigate kills.
Well reasons:
a) If you do this you will always land at optimal of the target.
b) As you are a stealth bomber you wouldn't do any damage on frigates with torps anyhow so all you do is being a KM whore!
c) so anything bigger than a frigte, being a Stealth bomber you are fragile, while the target is being pointed and deciding just who to shoot back at, you are still cloaked! This way you are exposed for minimum time nessecary.
d) 35km is pretty much right for bomb launching also.... and guess what warping to them you are pre-aligned, as long as they are not fast of course.
Now for why 200km, well gate jump of 15km, 35km for optimal, and 150km of minimum warp distance so targets will be at least 150km from you.
Me and a gang of 20 SB's often take this tack. Our wing often just unleashes fury smaller roams and they often don't know whats hit them, if you know what you are doing, you can do all the damage you need without a tackler if it's a BS while there aligning.
One last thing, you will pretty much have to nano fit your bomber in order to get those sweet align times talked about above.
It's quite a nasty tatic, and worth perfecting, however it's no good on small things, but then neither is a SB lets face it.
It should be made clear that he wasn’t camping the gate alone. However, a fast-lock tackler could get point immediately if sitting at zero km from the gate, but chances are poor if the tackler has to move. Same for a stealth bomber, surely?
All good answers. Matt’s answer is similar to what I mentioned to my buddy: Stay aligned to the gate and on grid, but at a warpable distance, then use the tackler as a reference point for a warp in on the ships that need DPS poured on. Since then, I also found that he was fitted with tackle gear too, so I sent the fail whale to him and pointed out a few fitting threads on battleclinic.com. ;)