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Missiles are an unusual weapon system, different to the three kinds of [[Turrets|turret]]. This page explains the different kinds of missile and missile launcher, and the factors which control missile damage.
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{{Weapon Systems Links}}
  
The Caldari are the main missile-using race, though there are a few Minmatar and Gallente ships, and a few T2 Amarr ships, which also use missiles.
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'''Missiles''' are self-propelled ammunition launched from '''missile launchers'''. Unlike turret weapons, missiles can track and follow their target. Rather than optimal and falloff range, missile range is determined by velocity and flight time, while missile damage is determined by the velocity and signature radius of the target and the explosion radius, explosion velocity, and damage reduction factor of the missile.
  
==Overview==
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Compared to the turret weapons, missiles have a bit lower rate of fire and higher damage per hit. They also do not care whether the target is close or far away. The primary strength of missiles is that assuming that the target is within range, a missile will always "hit" its target, but the damage dealt will vary depending on the size and speed of the target. However, missile launchers fire more slowly than turrets of a similar size, and missile damage is delayed due to travel time, rather than being instantaneous.
  
Like turrets, missile launchers come in small, medium, large and extra-large sizes (for frigates and destroyers; cruisers and battlecruisers; battleships; and capital ships, respectively). Missile launchers do not use capacitor to fire.
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A missile does not so much hit a ship as explodes near it. When a missile crosses the [[signature radius]] of its target, it blows up.  The speed at which this explosion grows and the maximum size of the explosion determine the amount of damage done to the target. EVE uses a [[Missile mechanics#Missile damage formula|mathematical equation]] to compute the precise amount of damage that the explosion does to the ship.
  
Within each size there is usually a kind of launcher that fires short-ranged, high-DPS missiles, and a kind of launcher that fires long-ranged missiles that do less DPS. Frigates, for example, can mount rocket launchers -- which fire short-ranged, higher-DPS rockets -- or standard missile launchers -- which fire longer-ranged, lower-DPs light missiles.
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{{Co|#768d31|Note that launcher ammunition is often called "missiles" regardless of the ammunition's proper name, and thus this term can refer to any of rockets, missiles or torpedoes.}}
  
The long-ranged varieties of missiles are 'guided' and the short-ranged varieties of missile are 'unguided'. This distinction isn't ''that'' significant -- you don't have to manually aim rockets! -- but there are a few things in the game which only apply to one kind, such as the [http://wiki.eveonline.com/en/wiki/Guided_Missile_Precision Guided Missile Precision] skill.
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Out of T1 ships the Caldari ships are the best known missile users though a few Minmatar ships also use missiles. The [[Armageddon]] and [[Arbitrator]] also often use missiles even without missile bonuses. Additionally, the Khanid Kingdom made T2 Amarr ships, Guristas ships and Mordu's Legion ships use missiles as their weapons.
  
===Warheads===
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Many hostile [[NPC]]s also use missiles as secondary weapons, and wield a single slow-firing launcher. These missiles will usually have the same range and damage application attributes of an ordinary missile of that ship's size.
  
Each type of missile comes with four different warheads. Each one does one of the four different damage types (electromagnetic, thermal, kinetic and explosive); other than that, they are identical. So, for instance, you can buy Bloodclaw (kinetic), Flameburst (thermal), Piranha (explosive) and Sabretooth (EM) light missiles.
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== Skills ==
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These skills apply to all missile launchers. They increase firing rate and damage, and they improve the accuracy of missiles against smaller, faster targets.
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* {{sk|Missile Launcher Operation}} 2% Bonus to missile launcher rate of fire per skill level. This gives a bonus to DPS — and it is {{Co|#bfbb7d|a prerequisite for many other missile skills}}.
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* {{sk|Rapid Launch}} 3% bonus to missile launcher rate of fire per level. Essentially, a DPS increase.
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* {{sk|Warhead Upgrades}} 2% bonus to all missile damage per skill level. Another DPS increase, smaller than Rapid Launch, but still worth training.
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* {{sk|Missile Bombardment}} 10% more flight time for all missiles per level. If you are planning to use a long range or "kiting" strategy, train this higher.
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* {{sk|Missile Projection}} 10% bonus to all missiles' maximum velocity per level. Another range increase that is especially useful for "kiting".
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* {{sk|Guided Missile Precision}} 5% decrease per level in factor of signature radius for all missile explosions. Proficiency at this skill increases damage to small targets.
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* {{sk|Target Navigation Prediction}} 10% decrease per level in factor of target's velocity for all missiles. As with Guided Missile Precision, this makes missiles more effective against faster targets.
  
Such variety can be bewildering at first, but the warheads are actually color-coded in the images on the market screen and in your cargo hold: blue warheads are EM, red warheads are thermal, green warheads are kinetic and yellow ones are explosive.
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In addition to the general missile skills, there is a specific [[Skills:Missiles|primary missile skill]] for each class of missiles, and each will let you load and fire that one class. In addition, each level of the skill will improve your damage by 5% when using that particular missile class.
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* {{sk|Rockets}}
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* {{sk|Light Missiles}}
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* {{sk|Heavy Missiles}}
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* {{sk|Heavy Assault Missiles}}
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* {{sk|Cruise Missiles}}
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* {{sk|Torpedoes}}
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* {{sk|XL Cruise Missiles}}
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* {{sk|XL Torpedoes}}
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* {{sk|Auto-Targeting Missiles}}
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* {{sk|Defender Missiles}}
  
Faction missiles (like the [http://wiki.eveonline.com/en/wiki/Caldari_Navy_Sabretooth_Light_Missile Caldari Navy Sabretooth]) are available and offer a useful increase in DPS for a price. They're unlikely to be worth it in PvE, but if you're flying as a damage-dealer in PvP it's a good idea to invest in one or two magazines' worth of them if you can afford it.
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All the missile types also have a "Specialization" skill. This gives you access to T2 launchers and missiles, and it provides a 2% bonus per level to the rate of fire of modules that require the specialization (mostly the T2 modules). All of these require that you have trained the Primary Skill to Level V, so they are usually pursued after your other training is complete.
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* {{sk|Rocket Specialization}}
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* {{sk|Light Missile Specialization}}
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* {{sk|Heavy Missile Specialization}}
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* {{sk|Heavy Assault Missile Specialization}}
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* {{sk|Cruise Missile Specialization}}
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* {{sk|Torpedo Specialization}}
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* {{sk|XL Cruise Missile Specialization}}
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* {{sk|XL Torpedo Specialization}}
  
===T2 Missiles===
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== Equipment ==
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There are a total of four size classes for missiles, each with a short range and a long range launcher. Additionally, small, medium, large and XL launchers have 'rapid' launchers that shoot missiles of one size class below normal.
  
Just as there are T2 ammo types that only T2 turrets can fire, so there are T2 missiles that only T2 launchers can fire.
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Each launcher class can launch missiles of that class. E.g., Light Missile Launchers launch Light Missiles, as do Rapid Light Missile Launchers. Heavy Assault Missile Launchers launch Heavy Assault Missiles. Torpedo Launchers launch Torpedoes. And so on. Different types of launchers within the class vary the firing rate and other characteristics of the launchers.
  
Unguided T2 missiles come in two varieties: Javelin and Rage. (These names appear within the missile name on the market, so you would look for a Foxfire Javelin Rocket or a Foxfire Rage Rocket.) Javelin missiles have a better range (see below for an explanation of missile range) but reduced damage, and loading them reduces your ship's maximum speed. Rage missiles do more damage but have a shorter range, and loading them increases your ship's [[Signature|signature radius]].
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Each variety of EVE damage is available for each missile type. {{Co|#fa8d84|Inferno}}, {{Co|#71c4f8|Mjolnir}}, {{Co|#f8e97c|Nova}} and {{Co|#73dc76|Scourge}} apply {{Co|#fa8d84|thermal}}, {{Co|#71c4f8|EM}}, {{Co|#f8e97c|explosive}} and {{Co|#73dc76|kinetic}} damage, in that order. A given missile will apply only one variety of damage, and each missile category does the same number of hit points of damage.
  
Guided T2 missiles also come in two varieties: Precision and Fury. (Again, this means on the market you look for Sabretooth Precision Light Missiles and Sabretooth Fury Light Missiles, for example.) Precision missiles have an easier time hurting smaller targets, but they have lower ranges and damage than their T1 equivalents, and loading them reduces your ship's maximum speed. Fury missiles do more damage but at a somewhat reduced range, and loading them increases your ship's signature radius.
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This said though, many Caldari ships (such as the [[Drake]]) have bonuses to only a single type of missile damage: {{Co|#73dc76|Kinetic}}. These ships are commonly referred to as "Kinetic locked". In general, damage type locked ships like this should usually only ever use missile ammo that matches the damage type of their bonus unless there is a very good reason to use a different type.
  
==Missile Characteristics==
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Missiles can be roughly split into three groups: Short range, long range and rapid.
  
===Range===
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=== Short range missile systems ===
Missile '''range''' is simpler than turret range, because missiles don't have a combination of optimal and falloff, but it's also less obvious, because you don't see a figure for it when you show info on your missiles. You can get a rough (over)estimate of missile range by multiplying the missile's '''Max Velocity''' figure (in metres-per-second) with its '''Max Flight Time''' (in seconds) -- so a missile that flies for 10s at 3,000m/s will have a range of about 30,000m, or 30km.
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Short range missiles have shorter cycle times and higher DPS than long range missiles. Compared to their long range counterparts, Rockets and Heavy Assaults have lower damage but better application, while Torpedoes and XL Torpedoes have higher damage but worse application.
  
Velocity and flight time will be modified by your skills ([[Missile Launchers#Missile Support Skills|see below]]) and possibly by ship bonuses too (the [http://wiki.eveonline.com/en/wiki/Caracal Caracal], for example, has a per-level bonus to missile velocity).
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* Rockets (frigates, destroyers)
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* Heavy Assault Missiles (a.k.a. HAMs) (cruisers, battlecruisers)
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* Torpedoes (battleships, stealth bombers)
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* XL Torpedoes (capitals)
  
However, missiles don't generally fly straight in one direction to hit a stationary target. If your target is not staying still your missiles must chase them around, which may reduce their range somewhat. Furthermore, missiles aren't launched at their top speed -- they have to accelerate for a bit, which also reduces their range.
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T2 missiles:
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* Javelin - Improved velocity (=better range) but slightly less damage.
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* Rage - Increased damage but also greatly reduced application and slightly reduced velocity (=reduced range).
  
The [http://www.eveonline.com/ingameboard.asp?a=topic&threadID=548883 Eve Fitting Tool] can give you an estimated range with your skills.
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=== Long range missile systems ===
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Long range missiles have longer cycle times and lower DPS than short-range missiles. Compared to their short range counterparts, Light and Heavy Missiles have higher damage but worse application, while Cruise and XL Cruise have lower damage but better application.
  
===Damage===
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* Light Missiles (frigates, destroyers)
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* Heavy Missiles (cruisers, battlecruisers)
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* Cruise Missiles (battleships)
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* XL Cruise Missiles (capitals)
  
Every missile has a base figure for damage. It also has an '''explosion velocity''' (in m/s) and an '''explosion radius''' (in metres). When it hits a target, these figures interact with the target's '''velocity''' (also in m/s) and '''[[Signature|signature radius]]''' (also in metres) to determine the real damage dealt.
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T2 missiles:
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* Precision - Same damage as T1 but with better application and greatly reduced flight time (range).
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* Fury - Better damage with reduced application and flight time (range).
  
If the target's signature radius is ''smaller'' than the missile's explosion radius, there will be a penalty to the missile's damage. There is no damage bonus when the target's signature radius is ''larger'' than the missile's explosion radius, however -- this is mostly a mechanism to make sure that the missiles used by large ships aren't too effective against small ships.
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=== Rapid missile systems ===
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Rapid launchers are unique among weapon systems. These missile launchers have very high fire rates, but fire missiles of one size class below what the ships of this size would normally fire. For example, a cruiser (medium) would use rapid light missile launchers to fire light missiles (small). This reduces the skill training required to use the weapons (as missile skill requirements are based on ammo type, not launcher size), and also gives ships fitted with rapid launchers unnaturally good damage application. The drawback is that they have relatively small clip sizes (19-30 shots) and very long reload times (35-40 seconds). This makes them very effective at quickly removing smaller enemies, but inefficient in larger fights if the target doesn't die before the reload hits, as between the high fire rate and small clip a rapid launcher can easily spend as much time reloading as it does firing.  
  
Target Painters aimed at the target, varius modules such as shield extenders and active Microwarpdrives fitted on the target can increase the target's signature radius. Rigor Catalyst rigs will reduce your missiles' explosion radius. The previously-mentioned Guided Missile Precision skill reduces the explosion radius of your guided missiles (but not your unguided ones).
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The small clip and long reload of rapid launchers make them very good weapons to [[Overheating|Overheat]], as they can be overheated for part of their clip for further increased fire rate and DPS, repaired (using Nanite Repair Paste) during their long reload time (during which time their rack heat also dissipates), and then overheated again in the next clip.
  
If the target's velocity is ''higher'' than the missile's explosion velocity there will be a penalty to the missile's damage. Again, there is no damage bonus when the target's velocity is ''lower'' than the missile's explosion velocity.
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Rapid Torpedo Launchers are considered the '[[Turrets#Capital Ship Turrets|High-Angle Weapons]]' of missiles, and thus can only be fitted to the [[Phoenix]], [[Phoenix Navy Issue]], and [[Caiman]].
  
Stasis webifiers will slow a target down. You can also fit Flare Catalyst rigs to increase your missiles' explosion velocity. [http://wiki.eveonline.com/en/wiki/Target_Navigation_Prediction Target Navigation Prediction] will reduce the effect of your target's velocity.
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As Rapid Light Missile Launchers fire frigate-sized Light Missiles, they are considered 'small weapons' and gain the damage bonus of the [[Wormhole space#Wolf Rayet|Wolf Rayet system effect]].
  
==Kinds of Missile==
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* Rapid Light Missile Launchers (RLML) (cruisers, battlecruisers)
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* Rapid Heavy Missile Launchers (RHML) (battleships)
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* Rapid Torpedo Launcher (dreadnoughts)
  
In the tables all figures are base figures for the standard T1 missile, ''not'' modified by any pilot skills or ship bonuses. The figure for refire rate is included because sometimes the difference in DPS between short- and long-ranged varieties of missile is in the rate of fire not the pure damage. The figure is the base refire rate of the vanilla T1 Meta 0 launcher.
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=== Festival Launchers ===
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Festival Launchers are special edition launchers used to fire festival charges that normally consist of fireworks or snowballs. These items are typically used during in-game events, holidays, or celebrations to add an audiovisual and festive element to the game. These effects are purely visual and do not cause damage nor affect gameplay mechanics. Occasionally [[AIR Daily Goals]] or an event will ask you to hit an NPC or player with a festival charge. This includes not decloaking ships and causing a damage notification. Locking a target will cause them to be yellow-boxed and festival charges will produce sound and visual effects when hitting their target. Festival launchers are popular during community gatherings, in-game weddings, anniversaries, and other player-driven events. They help enhance the celebratory atmosphere and bring players together. They are often distributed in crates with a launcher and a set of festival charges matching the current event.
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* Festival Launchers have a cycle time of 4s
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* Display Launchers have a cycle time of 20s
  
===Small===
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* Fireworks come in various colors, lights, and effects and can be grouped into those with a small, medium, or large radius of effect. [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2p6gfKc4FEHJtvaYXunij1DoKMFRIN0h Firework types demonstration YouTube playlist]
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* Snowballs are typically distributed during a Yoiul Festival or [[Winter Nexus]]. Snowballs will melt after an event but can be exchanged for fresh ammo with a Meltwater-Snowball Exchanger at Yoiul Festival Snowball Exchange stations during the next event.
  
{| border="1"
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[[File:Yoiul Festival Snowball Exchange front.jpg|thumb|Frontal view of a Yoiul Festival Snowball Exchange  station]]
! Missile !! Flight Time (s) !! Max Speed (m/s) !! Damage !! Exp. Velocity (m/s) !! Exp. Radius (m) !! Refire Rate (s)
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[[File:Yoiul Festival Snowball Exchange back.jpg|thumb|Back view of a Yoiul Festival Snowball Exchange station]]
|-
 
||Rocket || 2 || 2,250 || 25 || 85 || 20 || 4
 
|-
 
||Light Missile || 5 || 3,750 || 75 || 170 || 50 || 15/12†
 
|}
 
  
† Light missiles can be loaded in Standard Launchers or Assault Missile Launchers (not to be confused with Heavy Assault Missile Launchers). AMLs are cruiser-sized anti-frigate launchers: they fit on cruisers and battlecruisers, but fire light missiles.
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Festival charges have the longest flight time of any missile type while the launchers have the lowest fitting requirements.
  
* Rocket Launchers are widely derided for their pitiful DPS. One is sometimes fitted as a supplementary weapon in some [http://wiki.eveonline.com/en/wiki/Rifter Rifter] fits. One [[Frigate#Assault Ships|AF]], the [http://wiki.eveonline.com/en/wiki/Vengeance Vengeance], is designed to use rockets, and it is (predictably) derided for its pitiful DPS.
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=== Other equipment ===
* Standard Launchers work well in Level 1 missions on a [http://wiki.eveonline.com/en/wiki/Kestrel Kestrel]. In PvP the Kestrel and the [http://wiki.eveonline.com/en/wiki/Crow Crow] can try to use the range of light missiles to kite other frigates.
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Other rarely used missile types:
* Assault Missile Launchers ("AMLs") go very nicely on a [http://wiki.eveonline.com/en/wiki/Caracal Caracal] to make an anti-frigate platform for Level 2 missions, or for frigate-hunting in PvP. They are also sometimes fitted as supplementary weapons on [http://wiki.eveonline.com/en/wiki/Rupture Ruptures] and [http://wiki.eveonline.com/en/wiki/Hurricane Hurricanes].
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* Defender missiles. When activated, Defender Launchers will scan local space for [[bombs]] within range. If a bomb is detected, the launcher will fire one ''Defender Missile'' to intercept and destroy it. If no bombs are found, the launcher will still cycle. The Defender Launcher has 120-second reactivation timer.<ref>[https://forums-archive.eveonline.com/message/6726903 Defender Missile update announcement]</ref>
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* When fired, an ''Auto-Targeting Missile'' will locate and target the nearest enemy ship or drone that has previously fired on you. Auto-targeting missiles do not require the user to be locked on to the targets they engage; however as they cannot be deliberately aimed, deal less damage, and have a hard maximum range beyond which they will not acquire targets, auto-targeting missiles are usually passed over in favor of regular missiles.
  
===Medium===
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In addition to the actual missile launchers, there exist several modules and items for missile launchers. These will improve the effectiveness of all missile weapons.
  
{| border="1"
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{|class="wikitable" style="width: 900px;"
! Missile !! Flight Time (s) !! Max Speed (m/s) !! Damage !! Exp. Velocity (m/s) !! Exp. Radius (m) !! Refire Rate (s)
 
 
|-
 
|-
||Heavy Assault Missile || 4 || 2,250 || 100 || 101 || 125 || 8
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|[[File:Icon ballistic control system.png|link=|]]
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|'''{{co|wheat|Ballistic Control System}}''' are passive low slot modules. They increase missile damage and launcher rate of fire.
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|-
 
|-
||Heavy Missile || 10 || 3,750 || 150 || 81 || 125 || 15
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|[[File:Icon missile guidance enhancer i.png|link=|]]
|}
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|'''{{co|wheat|Missile Guidance Enhancer}}''' passive low slot modules. They decrease missile explosion radius, increase missile explosion velocity, missile flight time and flight speed. This makes the missile apply better and further away.
  
* Heavy Assault Missile ("HAM") Launchers have high fitting requirements, so high that once you've used a Caracal's rig and low slots to get enough grid and CPU to fit them, you don't get very good DPS. They work well on a PvP Drake, however. The [http://wiki.eveonline.com/en/wiki/Sacrilege Sacrilege] [[Cruiser#Heavy Assault Ships|HAC]] has bonuses specifically for HAMs.
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|-
* Heavy Missile Launchers ("Heavies", "HMLs") are the standard weapon for Level 3-running Drakes. The [http://wiki.eveonline.com/en/wiki/Cerberus Cerberus] HAC can use them to snipe, sort-of.
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|[[File:Icon missile guidance computer i.png|link=|]]
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|'''{{co|wheat|Missile Guidance Computer}}''' are active mid slot modules. They decrease missile explosion radius, increase missile explosion velocity, missile flight time and flight speed. The module can also be scripted to only improve either application or range.
  
===Large===
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|-
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|[[File:Icon missile rig.png|link=|]]
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|Missile rigs improve one aspect at a time. All the rigs will also increase CPU requirements on missile launchers.
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* '''{{co|wheat|Bay Loading Accelerator}}''' improves rate of fire.
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* '''{{co|wheat|Hydraulic Bay Thrusters}}''' improves missile velocity.
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* '''{{co|wheat|Rocket Fuel Cache Partition}}''' improves missile flight time.
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* '''{{co|wheat|Warhead Calefaction Catalyst}}''' improves missile damage.
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* '''{{co|wheat|Warhead Flare Catalyst}}''' increases explosion velocity.
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* '''{{co|wheat|Warhead Rigor Catalyst}}''' decreases explosion radius.
  
{| border="1"
 
! Missile !! Flight Time (s) !! Max Speed (m/s) !! Damage !! Exp. Velocity (m/s) !! Exp. Radius (m) !! Refire Rate (s)
 
 
|-
 
|-
||Torpedo || 6 || 1,500 || 450 || 71 || 450 || 18
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|[[File:Icon crash.png|link=|]]
|-
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|There are two [[medical boosters]] that will improve missile performance.
||Cruise Missile || 20 || 3,750 || 300 || 69 || 300 || 22
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* '''{{co|wheat|Crash}}''' reduces missile explosion radius.
|}
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* '''{{co|wheat|Agency 'Pyrolancea'}}''' improves damage.
 
 
* Siege Missile Launchers ("Sieges"), the launchers for torpedoes ("torps") are fitted on PvP [http://wiki.eveonline.com/en/wiki/Raven Ravens] for close-up DPS, and on [http://wiki.eveonline.com/en/wiki/Typhoon Typhoons] for an armor-[[Spider Tanking|RR]]-capable missile platform. The [http://wiki.eveonline.com/en/wiki/Golem Golem] [[Battleship#Marauders|marauder]] has bonuses which let it use torpedoes with long ranges in PvE.
 
* The [[Frigate#Stealth Bombers|stealth bombers]] are T2 frigates with special fitting bonuses which let them fit siege launchers for high-alpha surprise attacks. Since [[Bombs|bombs]] can't be used in [[Classifications of Space#Empire|empire space]] this is the stealth bomber's only weapon in highsec and lowsec.
 
* Cruise Missile Launchers are the PvE weapons for the Raven and in some unusual PvE Typhoon fits.
 
  
===Extra Large===
 
  
{| border="1"
 
! Missile !! Flight Time (s) !! Max Speed (m/s) !! Damage !! Exp. Velocity (m/s) !! Exp. Radius (m) !! Refire Rate (s)
 
|-
 
||Citadel Torpedo || 15 || 1,750 || 2,000 || 20 || 2,000 || 26
 
 
|-
 
|-
||Citadel Cruise Missile || 20 || 4,250 || 1,500 || 29 || 1,750 || 44
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|[[File:Icon_implant_hardwiring.png|link=|]]
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|Implants. Practically every missile stat has an implant that improves that aspect. See the [[Skill Hardwiring#Table of Implants|table of hardwiring implants]] for a full list of missile implants.
 
|}
 
|}
  
* These are for capital ships, particularly the [http://wiki.eveonline.com/en/wiki/Phoenix Phoenix] [[Capital Ship#Dreadnoughts|dreadnought]]. They can be supplementary weapons on the [http://wiki.eveonline.com/en/wiki/Leviathan Leviathan] [[Capital Ship#Titans|titan]]. Like other XL weapons, they are good against stationary installations and other capital ships, but struggle to hurt battleships and anything smaller.
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== Tactics and Strategy ==
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{{See also|Missile mechanics}}
  
===Defender Missiles===
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In general, missiles are a simpler weapon system to use than turrets. But while a missile can apply up to 100% of the Base Damage to a ship in some situations, damage is often reduced by two factors:
Defender missiles are anti-missile missiles. There is only [http://wiki.eveonline.com/en/wiki/Defender_I one kind], which can be loaded in any missile launcher. Defenders only target missiles fired at the ship that launches them. They always target the closest of incoming missiles. They have a base speed of 7,500m/s and a base flight time of 10s.
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* If the target ship is moving faster than the explosion velocity of the missile. Think of this as a fast ship being able to somewhat outrun the explosion.
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* If the signature radius of the target ship is smaller than the missile's explosion radius. Think of this as a small ship flying through a large explosion and only being hit by a part of it.
  
Defenders are unpopular and not very useful. This is because:
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In other words, missile weapons are best at doing damage to larger, slower targets at longer range. This is not to say that a pilot cannot kill small, fast targets with the right missiles, or that there are no short range missile boats. Rather, the most common applications of launcher fitted ships tend to be as longer ranged, heavy damage weapons.
* PvE rats usually don't major on missiles.
 
* Defenders have a better chance to intercept long range missiles which spend more time arriving, but most uses of missiles in PvP involve short range missiles.
 
* If there's a group of missiles from grouped missile launchers, defenders attack the missiles one by one rather than attacking the whole stack.
 
So loading defenders tends to be less efficient than simply loading damage-dealing missiles and trying to kill the enemy before they kill you. Agony Unleashed have, however, [http://www.eve-ivy.com/wiki/index.php?title=The_Skillbook_Program reportedly] found that a defender launcher on an interceptor can help it to stay alive a little longer while holding a missile ship down.
 
  
===Friend or Foe Missiles===
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==== Fleet roles ====
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In general, the most common ships seen relying on missiles in fleets fill one of two roles. Ships fitted with Rapid Missile Launchers work as anti-support, assigned to picking of smaller enemy ships like frigates and destroyers while the rest of the fleet is otherwise engaged, and whose larger weapons are unable to hit these small targets. Ships fitted with full-size launchers act as mainline damage ships, able to beat through individual damage weaknesses in the enemies' defenses with their sustained, reliable damage. However, because missiles are ineffective at targeting ships below their size, missile ships are generally not very efficient at destroying enemy [[Logistics#Logistics Ships|logistics ships]] (which generally have naturally small signatures), which can at times hurt their effectiveness.
  
Friend or Foe (FoF) missiles, found under 'auto-targeting' in the market menus, are missiles which don't need you to be locked on to a target. When launched they attack a randomly-selected hostile target within range.
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There do exist doctrines for entire fleets of missile ships. Fleets of [[stealth bomber]]s, for example, are common.
 
 
There are only FoF versions of the three guided kinds of missile -- light, heavy and cruise missiles -- which can be loaded into their correspoding launchers. Each version comes with the usual four different warheads for four different kinds of damage.
 
 
 
{| border="1"
 
! Missile !! Flight Time (s) !! Max Speed (m/s) !! Damage !! Exp. Velocity (m/s) !! Exp. Radius (m)
 
|-
 
||FoF Light Missile || 5 || 3,750 || 56 || 170 || 50
 
|-
 
||FoF Heavy Missile || 10 || 3,750 || 113 || 81 || 125
 
|-
 
||FoF Cruise Missile || 20 || 3,750 || 225 || 69 || 300
 
|}
 
  
As you can see, FoF missiles have the same flight characteristics and explosion profiles as their normal cousins, but do a bit less damage.
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==== Kiting ====
 +
Kiting is a form of hit-and-run strategy, attacking enemies while staying beyond their effective range, and always having a way out. As kiting ships rely on their speed and range for defenses, many good kiting ships are shield-tanked missile ships. [[Pirate Faction Ship Overview#Mordu's Legion|Mordu's Legion]] ships are particularly good at this combat style.
  
FoF missiles are rarely useful, but they can help if you can't target because of [[EWar_101_Guide#Electronic_Counter_Measures_.28ECM.29|ECM jamming]] or (more rarely) [[EWar_101_Guide#Remote_Sensor_Dampening_.28damps.2C_RSD.29|sensor dampeners]], particularly if you only have a few enemies (the fewer enemies you have, the better the chance that your FoFs will hit the one you want them to hit).
+
The primary goal of kiting is to stay alive. This means staying out of their range, either by keeping pace and range while pursuing, orbiting at around 20-30km (within missile and Warp Disruptor range but outside of other modules' range), or by running away from them just slightly faster than they can catch up. Because launching missiles at pursuing targets makes the pursuers get hit sooner, and because missiles will chase and hit their targets without any interaction from the launching ship, missile ships are extremely good at both flying evasively and straight running away. (Unlike turret ships, missile ships are not required to line up good shots with their targets to land hits; missiles merely need to be within range, and beyond that, the missile ships can take on any flight path they wish.)
  
==Missiles' Role==
+
PvE enemies tend to be rather single-minded, locking on when they see you, approaching orbit, and never giving up. This makes kiting a popular strategy when running missions. When compared with fighting NPCs head-on, kiting increases the time required to kill targets (as longer-ranged weapons have lower damage), and the resulting loot will be scattered across a large area; however in exchange, your ship will sustain relatively little damage, and as you are already in effect running away it is very easy to warp out and escape the field if necessary.
  
===PvE: Dominance===
+
PvP is much more difficult in this regard. Inexperienced pilots may chase you to their deaths, but experienced pilots will just let you run, knowing that both you and they likely have the choice to escape. The greatest danger in kiting is extremely fast ships such as [[interceptors]], which can outrun, catch, and tackle most other ships, giving their allies time to close in for the kill. Part of the popularity of cruisers with Rapid Light missiles is that these missiles are extremely effective at destroying interceptors.
Missiles, on Caldari ships, are very popular for PvE combat. Unlike almost all other weapon systems in Eve they can not only switch betweeen any of the four damage types, but also purely deal only one damage type. It is therefore very easy to target [[NPC_Damage_Types#A_brief_Summary_of_NPC_Damage_Types|the weaknesses]] of NPC enemies with missiles.
 
  
Furthermore, missiles are simple to use: with no falloff they are either in range or out of range and, while target speed and signature speed can affect their damage, they don't require that pilots think about tracking and angular velocity.
+
==== The missile entities problem ====
 +
Missile launchers create missile entities, an object in space that chase their targets, until they hit and do damage or run out of flight time. While these entities are not visible on the [[overview]] nor selectable, they '''can''' [[Cloaking|decloak]] ships, and have structure hp that can be damaged or even be destroyed by area-of-effect damages like [[Smartbombs]], [[Bombs]], and [[Guided Bombs]].
  
T2 missile launchers can also be more quickly trained than T2 turret, since T2 turret skills have hierarchical prerequisites and T2 missile skills don't. So, for example, you need to have four levels in [http://wiki.eveonline.com/en/wiki/Medium_Blaster_Specialization Medium Blaster Specialization], among other skills, before you can train [http://wiki.eveonline.com/en/wiki/Large_Blaster_Specialization Large Blaster Specialization], while you don't need T2 Heavy Missile skills to train [http://wiki.eveonline.com/en/wiki/Cruise_Missile_Specialization Cruise Missile Specialization]. It's probably inaccurate to say that missiles are plain ''better'' than guns for PvE, but guns may require more training time to become as good.
+
Missiles are vulnerable to damage and can't survive many hits from smartbombs, one should avoid destroying their missiles with their smartbombs by avoiding fitting or activating them at the same time. Bombs from [[stealth bomber]]s may destroy their torpedos too.
  
===PvP: The Delayed Damage Problem===
+
This feature also enabled a strategy known as 'Firewalling', in which multiple smartbombs are used to block out and destroy incoming missiles. While this strategy is difficult to plan and execute appropriately, it can greatly reduce a fleet's incoming (and outgoing) missile damage.
  
Missiles take time to travel to their target, while gun turrets deal damage as soon as they fire (assuming they hit). This means that, particularly in large fleets, long range missiles can arrive too late, after the volley damage from all the turret ships has already destroyed the primary target. In long-range battles between similarly-sized large fleets, missile ships are often therefore asked to shoot the enemy's support ships rather than following the primary and secondary targets.
+
==== The delayed damage problem ====
 +
One of the issues with missiles compared to turrets is that while turret shots impact and damage their targets in the same moment as they are fired, missiles do not have this luxury. Instead, when a missile is launched, there can be several seconds of delay between the launch and the target is damaged. This has several effects.
 +
# In PvE, it can lead to wasting missiles overkilling targets (where the target dies with another volley of missiles in-flight), and at the same time leave the attacker exposed to enemy fire for longer.
 +
# In PvP, when an enemy is targeted by missiles, they receive the warning about being Red Boxed at the moment the launchers fire, which gives them time to either overheat active hardeners, broadcast for their logistics to repair them or, at longer ranges, potentially warp out before the missiles land.
 +
# If an enemy ship is flying away from a missile ship, the missiles need to chase after it as it flies away. This means that missiles can have significantly reduced effective range when used on fleeing enemies. (However, in exchange they also gain significantly ''increased'' effective range when running away and shooting at a pursuer.) Furthermore, extremely fast ships like [[interceptors]] can actually completely outrun missiles that are in flight, and never be hit at all despite staying within range.
 +
# To prevent the obvious exploit of launching missiles and then warping out before the missiles connect, if a ship enters warp, all of the missiles it has in-flight vanish immediately. This means that, especially at long range, missile ships must stay on grid until all of their fired missiles have landed, to avoid losing damage. This problem is most apparent on [[stealth bomber]]s making torpedo runs on targets.
  
This has given rise to the belief that missiles are useless in PvP, which isn't true. Short-ranged missiles which don't have much travel time anyway suffer from less from delayed damage, which explains the prevalance of HAM Drakes, torp Ravens and torp Typhoons (the latter in RR gangs, since Ravens don't armor-tank well). Gangs of stealth bombers can achieve impressive ganks using torpedoes, and the AML Caracal is very good at killing frigates or forcing them away from a fleet. Missiles aren't useless in PvP, though they perhaps have more specialized and niche applications than standard gun turrets.
+
== Production ==
 +
Due to the Shortage Phase, Isogen, Nocxium and Zydrine no longer appear in High Security Space. With this in mind, players (particularly those who craft their own ammunition, especially if they also mine the materials themselves) can find themselves burning through expensive stockpiles of these materials. A table provided below will hopefully assist the player somewhat in making choices of missiles to use in PvE to minimize such shortages.
  
==Missile Support Skills==
+
{|class=wikitable style="width: 400px;"
Besides the skills which let you use missiles and their launchers themselves, Eve has a number of support skills which make your missiles more effective. Any pilot serious about using missiles should train these skills.
+
|-
 +
| Rocket (All Warheads)
 +
| Highsec
 +
|-
 +
| Light (All Warheads)
 +
| Highsec
 +
|-
 +
| Heavy (All Warheads)
 +
| Nocxium
 +
|-
 +
| Inferno Cruise
 +
| Zydrine
 +
|-
 +
| Mjolnir Cruise
 +
| Zydrine
 +
|-
 +
| Nova Cruise
 +
| Isogen & Zydrine
 +
|-
 +
| Scourge Cruise
 +
| Nocxium & Zydrine
 +
|-
 +
| Inferno Torpedo
 +
| Isogen, Nocxium & Zydrine
 +
|-
 +
| Mjolnir Torpedo
 +
| Megacyte
 +
|-
 +
| Nova Torpedo
 +
| Zydrine
 +
|-
 +
| Scourge Torpedo
 +
| Megacyte
 +
|-
 +
|}
  
*[http://wiki.eveonline.com/en/wiki/Missile_Bombardment Missile Bombardment] 10% more flight time for all missiles per level (effectively a range increase).
+
Auto-Targeting and Assault variants use the same as entered above.
*[http://wiki.eveonline.com/en/wiki/Missile_Launcher_Operation Missile Launcher Operation] 2% reduced refire time for all launchers per level. A useful bonus to DPS and a prerequisite for other useful skills.
 
*[http://wiki.eveonline.com/en/wiki/Guided_Missile_Precision Guided Missile Precision] Target sig radius has 5% less influence on the damage of your guided (light, heavy and cruise) missiles per level. Great when you want to hurt smaller ships.
 
*[http://wiki.eveonline.com/en/wiki/Missile_Projection Missile Projection] 10% faster missiles per level. Another range increase.
 
*[http://wiki.eveonline.com/en/wiki/Rapid_Launch Rapid Launch] 3% reduced refire time per level. Useful DPS increase.
 
*[http://wiki.eveonline.com/en/wiki/Target_Navigation_Prediction Target Navigation Prediction] 10% reduction per level in the influence of target's velocity on your damage, for all missiles (guided and unguided). Also great for hurting smaller ships.
 
*[http://wiki.eveonline.com/en/wiki/Warhead_Upgrades Warhead Upgrades] 2% more damage per level. Another useful DPS increase.
 
  
Skills which, although not filed under Missiles on the Character Sheet, are still very useful for missile users include:
+
Highsec refers to Only Tritanium, Pyerite, and Mexallon. Other entries are those materials required in addition to Highsec ones. So for example, if you have a potential choice of Light Rapid Missiles or Heavy Missiles (e.g. on a Bellicose) and other tactical considerations are not applicable, then using rapid light missiles would remove the need for Nocxium while crafting ammunition replenishment.
  
*The [[Fitting_Guidelines#Train_fitting_skills|fitting skills]], which will make it easier to fit launchers (especially the powergrid- and CPU-hungry T2 launchers) onto your ship.
+
For the cruise and Torpedo variants, this information may assist in choosing which type of damage to deal. So for example, Guristas Pirates are more susceptible to Scourge Missiles than Inferno Missiles, but these will use up Nocxium as well as Zydrine. You may therefore choose to deal damage slower by using Inferno saving Nocxium stockpiles when crafting replenishments. Bombers, it should be noted, have bonuses to particular torpedoes.
* Targeting skills. [http://wiki.eveonline.com/en/wiki/Signature_Analysis Sig Analysis] lets you lock the enemy faster and is important for any combat pilot. [http://wiki.eveonline.com/en/wiki/Targeting Targeting] lets you queue more targets. [http://wiki.eveonline.com/en/wiki/Long_Range_Targeting Long Range Targeting] lets you target at longer ranges.
 
  
==Further Reading==
+
== Footnotes and references ==
* A [http://web.archive.org/web/20071215200810/www.eve-online.com/guide/en/g26.asp flash-based interactive guide] to missiles which lets you play around with different signature radii and explosion velocities.
+
{{reflist}}
* [[Turrets]] and [[Drones]] for Eve's other main weapon systems.
 
  
[[Category:Eve Lexicon]]
+
[[Category:Weapons]]
[[Category:PvE]]
 
[[Category:PvP]]
 
[[Category:Fitting]]
 

Latest revision as of 07:18, 11 September 2024


Missiles are self-propelled ammunition launched from missile launchers. Unlike turret weapons, missiles can track and follow their target. Rather than optimal and falloff range, missile range is determined by velocity and flight time, while missile damage is determined by the velocity and signature radius of the target and the explosion radius, explosion velocity, and damage reduction factor of the missile.

Compared to the turret weapons, missiles have a bit lower rate of fire and higher damage per hit. They also do not care whether the target is close or far away. The primary strength of missiles is that assuming that the target is within range, a missile will always "hit" its target, but the damage dealt will vary depending on the size and speed of the target. However, missile launchers fire more slowly than turrets of a similar size, and missile damage is delayed due to travel time, rather than being instantaneous.

A missile does not so much hit a ship as explodes near it. When a missile crosses the signature radius of its target, it blows up. The speed at which this explosion grows and the maximum size of the explosion determine the amount of damage done to the target. EVE uses a mathematical equation to compute the precise amount of damage that the explosion does to the ship.

Note that launcher ammunition is often called "missiles" regardless of the ammunition's proper name, and thus this term can refer to any of rockets, missiles or torpedoes.

Out of T1 ships the Caldari ships are the best known missile users though a few Minmatar ships also use missiles. The Armageddon and Arbitrator also often use missiles even without missile bonuses. Additionally, the Khanid Kingdom made T2 Amarr ships, Guristas ships and Mordu's Legion ships use missiles as their weapons.

Many hostile NPCs also use missiles as secondary weapons, and wield a single slow-firing launcher. These missiles will usually have the same range and damage application attributes of an ordinary missile of that ship's size.

Skills

These skills apply to all missile launchers. They increase firing rate and damage, and they improve the accuracy of missiles against smaller, faster targets.

  • Missile Launcher Operation 2% Bonus to missile launcher rate of fire per skill level. This gives a bonus to DPS — and it is a prerequisite for many other missile skills.
  • Rapid Launch 3% bonus to missile launcher rate of fire per level. Essentially, a DPS increase.
  • Warhead Upgrades 2% bonus to all missile damage per skill level. Another DPS increase, smaller than Rapid Launch, but still worth training.
  • Missile Bombardment 10% more flight time for all missiles per level. If you are planning to use a long range or "kiting" strategy, train this higher.
  • Missile Projection 10% bonus to all missiles' maximum velocity per level. Another range increase that is especially useful for "kiting".
  • Guided Missile Precision 5% decrease per level in factor of signature radius for all missile explosions. Proficiency at this skill increases damage to small targets.
  • Target Navigation Prediction 10% decrease per level in factor of target's velocity for all missiles. As with Guided Missile Precision, this makes missiles more effective against faster targets.

In addition to the general missile skills, there is a specific primary missile skill for each class of missiles, and each will let you load and fire that one class. In addition, each level of the skill will improve your damage by 5% when using that particular missile class.

All the missile types also have a "Specialization" skill. This gives you access to T2 launchers and missiles, and it provides a 2% bonus per level to the rate of fire of modules that require the specialization (mostly the T2 modules). All of these require that you have trained the Primary Skill to Level V, so they are usually pursued after your other training is complete.

Equipment

There are a total of four size classes for missiles, each with a short range and a long range launcher. Additionally, small, medium, large and XL launchers have 'rapid' launchers that shoot missiles of one size class below normal.

Each launcher class can launch missiles of that class. E.g., Light Missile Launchers launch Light Missiles, as do Rapid Light Missile Launchers. Heavy Assault Missile Launchers launch Heavy Assault Missiles. Torpedo Launchers launch Torpedoes. And so on. Different types of launchers within the class vary the firing rate and other characteristics of the launchers.

Each variety of EVE damage is available for each missile type. Inferno, Mjolnir, Nova and Scourge apply thermal, EM, explosive and kinetic damage, in that order. A given missile will apply only one variety of damage, and each missile category does the same number of hit points of damage.

This said though, many Caldari ships (such as the Drake) have bonuses to only a single type of missile damage: Kinetic. These ships are commonly referred to as "Kinetic locked". In general, damage type locked ships like this should usually only ever use missile ammo that matches the damage type of their bonus unless there is a very good reason to use a different type.

Missiles can be roughly split into three groups: Short range, long range and rapid.

Short range missile systems

Short range missiles have shorter cycle times and higher DPS than long range missiles. Compared to their long range counterparts, Rockets and Heavy Assaults have lower damage but better application, while Torpedoes and XL Torpedoes have higher damage but worse application.

  • Rockets (frigates, destroyers)
  • Heavy Assault Missiles (a.k.a. HAMs) (cruisers, battlecruisers)
  • Torpedoes (battleships, stealth bombers)
  • XL Torpedoes (capitals)

T2 missiles:

  • Javelin - Improved velocity (=better range) but slightly less damage.
  • Rage - Increased damage but also greatly reduced application and slightly reduced velocity (=reduced range).

Long range missile systems

Long range missiles have longer cycle times and lower DPS than short-range missiles. Compared to their short range counterparts, Light and Heavy Missiles have higher damage but worse application, while Cruise and XL Cruise have lower damage but better application.

  • Light Missiles (frigates, destroyers)
  • Heavy Missiles (cruisers, battlecruisers)
  • Cruise Missiles (battleships)
  • XL Cruise Missiles (capitals)

T2 missiles:

  • Precision - Same damage as T1 but with better application and greatly reduced flight time (range).
  • Fury - Better damage with reduced application and flight time (range).

Rapid missile systems

Rapid launchers are unique among weapon systems. These missile launchers have very high fire rates, but fire missiles of one size class below what the ships of this size would normally fire. For example, a cruiser (medium) would use rapid light missile launchers to fire light missiles (small). This reduces the skill training required to use the weapons (as missile skill requirements are based on ammo type, not launcher size), and also gives ships fitted with rapid launchers unnaturally good damage application. The drawback is that they have relatively small clip sizes (19-30 shots) and very long reload times (35-40 seconds). This makes them very effective at quickly removing smaller enemies, but inefficient in larger fights if the target doesn't die before the reload hits, as between the high fire rate and small clip a rapid launcher can easily spend as much time reloading as it does firing.

The small clip and long reload of rapid launchers make them very good weapons to Overheat, as they can be overheated for part of their clip for further increased fire rate and DPS, repaired (using Nanite Repair Paste) during their long reload time (during which time their rack heat also dissipates), and then overheated again in the next clip.

Rapid Torpedo Launchers are considered the 'High-Angle Weapons' of missiles, and thus can only be fitted to the Phoenix, Phoenix Navy Issue, and Caiman.

As Rapid Light Missile Launchers fire frigate-sized Light Missiles, they are considered 'small weapons' and gain the damage bonus of the Wolf Rayet system effect.

  • Rapid Light Missile Launchers (RLML) (cruisers, battlecruisers)
  • Rapid Heavy Missile Launchers (RHML) (battleships)
  • Rapid Torpedo Launcher (dreadnoughts)

Festival Launchers

Festival Launchers are special edition launchers used to fire festival charges that normally consist of fireworks or snowballs. These items are typically used during in-game events, holidays, or celebrations to add an audiovisual and festive element to the game. These effects are purely visual and do not cause damage nor affect gameplay mechanics. Occasionally AIR Daily Goals or an event will ask you to hit an NPC or player with a festival charge. This includes not decloaking ships and causing a damage notification. Locking a target will cause them to be yellow-boxed and festival charges will produce sound and visual effects when hitting their target. Festival launchers are popular during community gatherings, in-game weddings, anniversaries, and other player-driven events. They help enhance the celebratory atmosphere and bring players together. They are often distributed in crates with a launcher and a set of festival charges matching the current event.

  • Festival Launchers have a cycle time of 4s
  • Display Launchers have a cycle time of 20s
  • Fireworks come in various colors, lights, and effects and can be grouped into those with a small, medium, or large radius of effect. Firework types demonstration YouTube playlist
  • Snowballs are typically distributed during a Yoiul Festival or Winter Nexus. Snowballs will melt after an event but can be exchanged for fresh ammo with a Meltwater-Snowball Exchanger at Yoiul Festival Snowball Exchange stations during the next event.
Frontal view of a Yoiul Festival Snowball Exchange station
Back view of a Yoiul Festival Snowball Exchange station

Festival charges have the longest flight time of any missile type while the launchers have the lowest fitting requirements.

Other equipment

Other rarely used missile types:

  • Defender missiles. When activated, Defender Launchers will scan local space for bombs within range. If a bomb is detected, the launcher will fire one Defender Missile to intercept and destroy it. If no bombs are found, the launcher will still cycle. The Defender Launcher has 120-second reactivation timer.[1]
  • When fired, an Auto-Targeting Missile will locate and target the nearest enemy ship or drone that has previously fired on you. Auto-targeting missiles do not require the user to be locked on to the targets they engage; however as they cannot be deliberately aimed, deal less damage, and have a hard maximum range beyond which they will not acquire targets, auto-targeting missiles are usually passed over in favor of regular missiles.

In addition to the actual missile launchers, there exist several modules and items for missile launchers. These will improve the effectiveness of all missile weapons.

Icon ballistic control system.png Ballistic Control System are passive low slot modules. They increase missile damage and launcher rate of fire.
Icon missile guidance enhancer i.png Missile Guidance Enhancer passive low slot modules. They decrease missile explosion radius, increase missile explosion velocity, missile flight time and flight speed. This makes the missile apply better and further away.
Icon missile guidance computer i.png Missile Guidance Computer are active mid slot modules. They decrease missile explosion radius, increase missile explosion velocity, missile flight time and flight speed. The module can also be scripted to only improve either application or range.
Icon missile rig.png Missile rigs improve one aspect at a time. All the rigs will also increase CPU requirements on missile launchers.
  • Bay Loading Accelerator improves rate of fire.
  • Hydraulic Bay Thrusters improves missile velocity.
  • Rocket Fuel Cache Partition improves missile flight time.
  • Warhead Calefaction Catalyst improves missile damage.
  • Warhead Flare Catalyst increases explosion velocity.
  • Warhead Rigor Catalyst decreases explosion radius.
Icon crash.png There are two medical boosters that will improve missile performance.
  • Crash reduces missile explosion radius.
  • Agency 'Pyrolancea' improves damage.


Icon implant hardwiring.png Implants. Practically every missile stat has an implant that improves that aspect. See the table of hardwiring implants for a full list of missile implants.

Tactics and Strategy

See also: Missile mechanics

In general, missiles are a simpler weapon system to use than turrets. But while a missile can apply up to 100% of the Base Damage to a ship in some situations, damage is often reduced by two factors:

  • If the target ship is moving faster than the explosion velocity of the missile. Think of this as a fast ship being able to somewhat outrun the explosion.
  • If the signature radius of the target ship is smaller than the missile's explosion radius. Think of this as a small ship flying through a large explosion and only being hit by a part of it.

In other words, missile weapons are best at doing damage to larger, slower targets at longer range. This is not to say that a pilot cannot kill small, fast targets with the right missiles, or that there are no short range missile boats. Rather, the most common applications of launcher fitted ships tend to be as longer ranged, heavy damage weapons.

Fleet roles

In general, the most common ships seen relying on missiles in fleets fill one of two roles. Ships fitted with Rapid Missile Launchers work as anti-support, assigned to picking of smaller enemy ships like frigates and destroyers while the rest of the fleet is otherwise engaged, and whose larger weapons are unable to hit these small targets. Ships fitted with full-size launchers act as mainline damage ships, able to beat through individual damage weaknesses in the enemies' defenses with their sustained, reliable damage. However, because missiles are ineffective at targeting ships below their size, missile ships are generally not very efficient at destroying enemy logistics ships (which generally have naturally small signatures), which can at times hurt their effectiveness.

There do exist doctrines for entire fleets of missile ships. Fleets of stealth bombers, for example, are common.

Kiting

Kiting is a form of hit-and-run strategy, attacking enemies while staying beyond their effective range, and always having a way out. As kiting ships rely on their speed and range for defenses, many good kiting ships are shield-tanked missile ships. Mordu's Legion ships are particularly good at this combat style.

The primary goal of kiting is to stay alive. This means staying out of their range, either by keeping pace and range while pursuing, orbiting at around 20-30km (within missile and Warp Disruptor range but outside of other modules' range), or by running away from them just slightly faster than they can catch up. Because launching missiles at pursuing targets makes the pursuers get hit sooner, and because missiles will chase and hit their targets without any interaction from the launching ship, missile ships are extremely good at both flying evasively and straight running away. (Unlike turret ships, missile ships are not required to line up good shots with their targets to land hits; missiles merely need to be within range, and beyond that, the missile ships can take on any flight path they wish.)

PvE enemies tend to be rather single-minded, locking on when they see you, approaching orbit, and never giving up. This makes kiting a popular strategy when running missions. When compared with fighting NPCs head-on, kiting increases the time required to kill targets (as longer-ranged weapons have lower damage), and the resulting loot will be scattered across a large area; however in exchange, your ship will sustain relatively little damage, and as you are already in effect running away it is very easy to warp out and escape the field if necessary.

PvP is much more difficult in this regard. Inexperienced pilots may chase you to their deaths, but experienced pilots will just let you run, knowing that both you and they likely have the choice to escape. The greatest danger in kiting is extremely fast ships such as interceptors, which can outrun, catch, and tackle most other ships, giving their allies time to close in for the kill. Part of the popularity of cruisers with Rapid Light missiles is that these missiles are extremely effective at destroying interceptors.

The missile entities problem

Missile launchers create missile entities, an object in space that chase their targets, until they hit and do damage or run out of flight time. While these entities are not visible on the overview nor selectable, they can decloak ships, and have structure hp that can be damaged or even be destroyed by area-of-effect damages like Smartbombs, Bombs, and Guided Bombs.

Missiles are vulnerable to damage and can't survive many hits from smartbombs, one should avoid destroying their missiles with their smartbombs by avoiding fitting or activating them at the same time. Bombs from stealth bombers may destroy their torpedos too.

This feature also enabled a strategy known as 'Firewalling', in which multiple smartbombs are used to block out and destroy incoming missiles. While this strategy is difficult to plan and execute appropriately, it can greatly reduce a fleet's incoming (and outgoing) missile damage.

The delayed damage problem

One of the issues with missiles compared to turrets is that while turret shots impact and damage their targets in the same moment as they are fired, missiles do not have this luxury. Instead, when a missile is launched, there can be several seconds of delay between the launch and the target is damaged. This has several effects.

  1. In PvE, it can lead to wasting missiles overkilling targets (where the target dies with another volley of missiles in-flight), and at the same time leave the attacker exposed to enemy fire for longer.
  2. In PvP, when an enemy is targeted by missiles, they receive the warning about being Red Boxed at the moment the launchers fire, which gives them time to either overheat active hardeners, broadcast for their logistics to repair them or, at longer ranges, potentially warp out before the missiles land.
  3. If an enemy ship is flying away from a missile ship, the missiles need to chase after it as it flies away. This means that missiles can have significantly reduced effective range when used on fleeing enemies. (However, in exchange they also gain significantly increased effective range when running away and shooting at a pursuer.) Furthermore, extremely fast ships like interceptors can actually completely outrun missiles that are in flight, and never be hit at all despite staying within range.
  4. To prevent the obvious exploit of launching missiles and then warping out before the missiles connect, if a ship enters warp, all of the missiles it has in-flight vanish immediately. This means that, especially at long range, missile ships must stay on grid until all of their fired missiles have landed, to avoid losing damage. This problem is most apparent on stealth bombers making torpedo runs on targets.

Production

Due to the Shortage Phase, Isogen, Nocxium and Zydrine no longer appear in High Security Space. With this in mind, players (particularly those who craft their own ammunition, especially if they also mine the materials themselves) can find themselves burning through expensive stockpiles of these materials. A table provided below will hopefully assist the player somewhat in making choices of missiles to use in PvE to minimize such shortages.

Rocket (All Warheads) Highsec
Light (All Warheads) Highsec
Heavy (All Warheads) Nocxium
Inferno Cruise Zydrine
Mjolnir Cruise Zydrine
Nova Cruise Isogen & Zydrine
Scourge Cruise Nocxium & Zydrine
Inferno Torpedo Isogen, Nocxium & Zydrine
Mjolnir Torpedo Megacyte
Nova Torpedo Zydrine
Scourge Torpedo Megacyte

Auto-Targeting and Assault variants use the same as entered above.

Highsec refers to Only Tritanium, Pyerite, and Mexallon. Other entries are those materials required in addition to Highsec ones. So for example, if you have a potential choice of Light Rapid Missiles or Heavy Missiles (e.g. on a Bellicose) and other tactical considerations are not applicable, then using rapid light missiles would remove the need for Nocxium while crafting ammunition replenishment.

For the cruise and Torpedo variants, this information may assist in choosing which type of damage to deal. So for example, Guristas Pirates are more susceptible to Scourge Missiles than Inferno Missiles, but these will use up Nocxium as well as Zydrine. You may therefore choose to deal damage slower by using Inferno saving Nocxium stockpiles when crafting replenishments. Bombers, it should be noted, have bonuses to particular torpedoes.

Footnotes and references