In later tiers you can outfit frigates to be brawlers. Up close and personal support.
^This is how Fed frigs should be played.
I love Fed Frigs, but it’s infuriating just how easy it is to shutdown their special ability. Drones appear paper-thin, sometimes seemingly exploding because someone looked at it in a funny way. Often helped by Torpidiots on the friendly team too. Still, wouldn’t have it any other way. I love those situations where some guy sees a frigate in the fray, goes “ima grab that easy kill lol” and in succession respawns with a slightly different outlook on life “no way in hell I’m touching that thing again”.
well i tried being close support as in about 1000-2000m support and fire support with small amount of escort of 1 or 2 fighters/interceptors or sometimes just another frigate
doesn’t do that well
long range about 3000-5000m works better 
T3 once I got 4th active I started rocking so much more, current actives for me are group hull repair, pulsar, anti missile system, prop inhib. Your short range support.brawler but not a tank use cover and tight spots to have enemies fighting on your terms.
The Fed Frigs are all out brawlers. You always want to get up close and personal with your enemies. So it is a good idea to get a weapon that doesn’t heat up very fast. So a rapid fire plasma, or any rapid firing weapon is good (Pulse lasers, Rapid fire Rail gun). I would suggest plasma, because your drones fire thermal (Or pulse laser with Microwave Lens). Between the plasma and pulse laser, it’s really up to you. Plasma can do both EM and kinetic (Very OP), but is harder to aim. Pulse laser can do EM and thermal (Which is okay, but less damage against hull), but is A LOT easier to aim. So it’s really up to you, if you can aim the plasma quite well, then get it. Now you have to choose whether to missile defense, or heal. I chose missile, because Frigs take more damage from missiles then other ships. But again, that’s just my opinion. For mods, just get resist and heal. Because increasing your max shield or HP won’t be as effective due to your less max HP and shield. That’s just about it. Just remember you are a dark phantom, waiting behide a asteroid, ready to swoop down and kill when that little Inty comes around that rock. 
Those drones need to shoot like another turret. Maybe not each, but 1500 is a pitiful range to be active in.
I’m using my Alligator-M with Assault Lasers, enhanced lenses, microwave lenses, shield generator, directed repair, propulsion inhibitor. passive modules are for more shield/hull-hp and modifiers for faster energy- and shield-recharge and more resistance for hull. works pretty good as support-frigate, i heal my mates and everyone who gets too close gets slowed down and teared apart by my lasers and drones
Now you have to choose whether to missile defense, or heal. I chose missile, because Frigs take more damage from missiles then other ships.
Can anyone else verify this?
you also can take 1x hull-HoT, 1x shield-HoT and 1x AMS (and another module when you get the 4th slot). so you will heal AND kill a rocket/torpedo every 16 seconds (+ one additional torpedo/rocket every 50 seconds if you use the federation -M-frigates)
yes i am running that build i find it the best haven’t tried propulsion inhibitor or the pulsar build doesn’t seem to help as much in the later tiers
I’m still trying to figure out the tactical place for my Fed frigates. They are not tanks. No ship is a tank when it is easily taken down by 2 enemies of any size.
So I’m going AoE support; lending hull, shields, and anti-missile to those around me. I spend most of the game in afterburner trying to stay in the middle of the hottest action. I may not get lots of kills, but I usually get several assists. I don’t know if the healing really makes much difference - as damage in this game far outstrips defenses.
Still…you get paid well even if you loose.
Running Alligator-M right now as a close range Hull tank gun boat.
Warp Gate, Directed Repair, and Pulsar for my modules. If I’m taking too much damage or I’ve been swarmed I use the warp gate to put some distance and use the Direted Repair to heal back up. Pulsar and Mine Field for anyone who wants to get close.
I do fine in a majority of my games. Best one was 9 and 15. So far I don’t see why Fed Frigs get dumped on. Seem pretty boss in T2.
I enjoy running my Alligator M. The best build that work for me is with the long range lasers and use the EM lense to take down the shields then switch to the higher thermal damage one sense most people neglect thermal resistance in their hull. I then just site back and take pot shots at people with my group hull repping mod to support the team. I then use the flairs and my Armada drones to take out all incomeing missiles, unless of course they are Fighters and or Intercepters that are throwing missiles in your face at point blank range in which case your drones are going to die anyways because the missile explossion kills them, but by this time I can throw out another pair of drones and let them go to work. I back up my drones with the Smart bomb and mines because I almost never have just one fighter and or intercepter on me, so I make sure that no matter what the out come, they are going to die.
As for “tank” I find the best thing to do for the Fed Frig is to make them into resist monsters as best as I can. They just don’t have the hull or shield buffer like the Empire or Jerico.
Running Alligator-M right now as a close range Hull tank gun boat.
Warp Gate, Directed Repair, and Pulsar for my modules. If I’m taking too much damage or I’ve been swarmed I use the warp gate to put some distance and use the Direted Repair to heal back up. Pulsar and Mine Field for anyone who wants to get close.
I do fine in a majority of my games. Best one was 9 and 15. So far I don’t see why Fed Frigs get dumped on. Seem pretty boss in T2.
They are amazing in T2. Gear for resists and extra hull, and you can eat plasma like candy and crap out death and destruction by the bucket load. Interceptors can still devour you, but hey, rock paper blah blah.
However, the design engineer for the T3 Frigates seems to have made a mixup in the initial design process, and created the hull out of TNT instead of armor plate. TNT made by a half assed explosive technician, who made it waaay more unstable than usual. If another ship so much as SNEEZES at me, KERBLAMMO. Tell my kids I love them.
T3, my fighters and even interceptors are far more survivable. In my frigates, I pop my drones and they both look at each other begin contemplating their impending doom.