In The Black Shrike Guide — All Variants, Loadouts & Tactics
Cheap, agile light interceptor. The default "starter" fighter in BloodSport — high turn rate, low survivability.
Overview
The Shrike is In The Black's entry-level light fighter, intended as the go-to PvP interceptor in BloodSport. With the highest base turn rate and lowest mass in the lineup, the Shrike rewards pilots who already understand Newtonian drift — rotation is cheap, but stopping is not. Loadouts skew toward pulse lasers and short-range missiles, and the lack of dedicated armor means a single Hyperion plasma volley will core you. Use the Shrike to scout, harass, and bait heavies into overcommitting.
All Shrike variants
| Variant | Role | Loadout | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shrike Razor | Pure interceptor | 2x Pulse Laser, 2x Short AAM | Highest agility, glass cannon. |
| Shrike Dirk | Strike variant | 1x Light Railgun, 2x Pulse Laser | Trades a missile rack for a railgun. |
| Shrike Talon | Recon | 1x Pulse Laser, ECM, Long-Range Sensors | Best sensor range of any light hull. |
Best for
- New PvP pilots
- Recon contracts
- Outnumbered hit-and-run
Weaknesses & counters
- Paper-thin armor
- Low alpha strike
- Punished by railgun snipes
How to fly the Shrike
The Shrike is friendly to new In The Black pilots — its handling forgives Newtonian mistakes and rotates fast enough to recover from over-burns. Start in Simulator, then take it into Debris Sweep contracts before queuing BloodSport.
For the current meta ranking of the Shrike, see our In The Black tier list and the recommended best loadouts page.