So... if they're focusing their efforts on the capital ships, then doesn't that leave less for you to do? Granted, a good pilot should be able to take them out anyway, but the escorts can set up a couple of really nice things with regards that. Firstly, they are your own private fleet, and when you need to be a wussie, you always have other ships doing the 7-against-one thing.
A word about the wussie strategy: it pays to make sure all the enemy ships are trying to get you. That way, the ships helping out you out can focus on one ship at a time, while that poor ship has to contend with multiple attackers. So go around and shoot a couple shots at every enemy ship to get them pissed off. 
Anyway, back to escorts. After you kill all the fighters (you have to do that even without the escorts), then isn't it a nice surprise to find most of or all of the capital ships are gone? I mean, when you're on your last few inches of armor (as you may well be), it's a pain in the ASS to wait around till doomsday until your sheild is up to fightin' levels again, regardless of the ship you have.
Oh, and as for the Azdagari sheild thingy, I'm pretty sure it's worthless on big ships. Someone back me up here... I think it doesn't work at all on anything bigger than an Arada. It's kind of to prevent you from creating the Supership. Only little wimpy ships that are a couple dispys away from death's door can have the shield regen thing.
As for specific missions, the gunboat mission is now so hard that I have to wait until I get a UE Cruiser to do it. And as for the Dreadnaught mission, I've done that in a Cruiser without pulling a python. You just have to get enough escorts that you can pull a wussie for at least a couple minutes.
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Don't don't don' let's start. This is the worst part. To believe for all the world that you're my precious little girl. Don't don't don' let's start. I've got a big heart, and I don't get around how you... get around.
