Command Bursts

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Credit to Jen Loo, who originally made this information known on the forums.

Related Information

see also Fleet Leadership.

see also Skills:Leadership.

Originally based on an article by Patrick Scott at GameFaqs.com.

Warfare Links: Introduction

This guide is currently being rewritten to focus on a very detailed discussion about how Warfare Links function in Eve. Warfare Links are ship modules that provide specific bonuses to a fleet or wing that add to the combat or mining effectiveness of all fleet / wing members. The item description for all Warfare Links states, "Warfare links are dedicated fleet command systems designed for use on battlecruisers and advanced command class ships. While only one of these units can normally be operated at any given time, certain advanced units allow the use of multiple systems." As noted, Warfare Links can be fit only on certain ships, and operating a warfare link requires training of advanced leadership skills. Please refer to the Skills:Leadership and Fleet Leadership guides for more detailed information about those related topics.

Gang Assist Modules

In the Eve markets, Warfare Links are found under the name "Gang Assist Modules" in the Ship Equipment category. The individual modules are known as "Warfare Links."

Gang assist modules are high slot, active modules that emit a fleet-wide bonus to one or more attributes for as long as they are active. The pilot operating the warfare link(s) only provide Warfare Link bonuses to other fleet members when:

1. he has the Booster role;
2. the fleet chain of command is complete;
3. the pilot providing boosts and the required fleet command structure are in the same system; and
4. the pilot providing boosts is not in warp (Warfare Links do not operate while the ship is in warp).

Warfare Links are classified by the five leadership skill categories required to operate them. The actual Warfare Link module names all begin with "X Warfare Link," as shown below. A module's base bonus level is referred to as its Command Bonus. While the Command Bonus of any warfare link appears to be rather small, these are significantly multiplied by skills, select ships, and Slot 10 implants known as "Mindlinks.". See Warfare links#Command Bonus Multipliers for additional information on how Command Bonuses work in practice.

As of January 2012, Warfare Links became available in both Tech 1 and Tech 2 versions. The key skill prerequisite for the Tech 2 links is {Type of Link} Warfare Specialist V (e.g., Armored Warfare Specialist V) as opposed to lower levels of training for that skill. Tech 2 Warfare Links provide greater Command Bonuses but require additional power grid and CPU for fitting purposes.

Armored Warfare Links

Provide bonuses to support armor-based defense of the fleet, including remote armor repair. The base Command Bonuses for the T1 and T2 modules are -2% / -2.5%, respectively. For Armored Warfare Links, the command bonuses show as negative because they improve resists, increase repair speed, or lower capacitor need. The item descriptions for these modules state:

• Damage Control -- Reduces the capacitor need of the fleet's personal and targeted armor repair systems.
• Passive Defense -- Grants a bonus to the fleet's armor resistances.
• Rapid Repair -- Increases the speed of the fleet's personal and targeted armor repair systems.

Information Warfare Links

Provide bonuses to improve the effectiveness of e-war and sensor strength of the fleet. The item descriptions for the Information Warfare Link modules state:

• Electronic Superiority: Boosts the strength of the fleet's electronic warfare modules.
• Recon Operation: Boosts the range of the fleet's electronic warfare modules.
• Sensor Integrity: Boosts sensor strengths for all of the fleet's ships.

The base Command Bonuses for the Tech 1 and Tech 2 version of each module type are:

A. Electronic Superiority (to module strength):

• Target Painting 2% / 2.5%
  
• ECM 2% / 2.5%
  
• Tracking Disruption 1.2% / 1.5%
  
• Remote Sensor Dampening 1.2% / 1.5%
  

B. Recon Operation (to module range) 2% / 2.5%

C. Sensor Integrity (to sensor strength) 3% / 3.75%

Siege Warfare Links

Provide bonuses to improve shield-based defenses of the fleet, including remote shield repair. For Siege Warfare Links, the command bonuses show as negative because they improve resists, increase repair speed, or lower capacitor need. The item descriptions for the Siege Warfare Link modules state:

• Active Shielding: Increases the speed of the fleet's shield boosters and decreases the duration of shield transporters.
• Shield Efficiency: Reduces the capacitor need of the fleet's shield boosters and shield transporters.
• Shield Harmonizing: Boosts all shield resistances for the fleet's ships.

The base Command Bonuses for the Tech 1 and Tech 2 versions of each module type are -2% and -2.5%, respectively.

Skirmish Warfare Links

Provide bonuses to a fleet's speed, speed tanking, and tackling capabilities. The item descriptions for these modules state:

• Evasive Maneuvers - Lowers the signature radius of ships in the fleet.
• Interdiction Maneuvers - Boosts the range of the fleet's propulsion jamming modules, except for Warp Disruption Field Generators.
• Rapid Deployment - Increases the speed of the fleet's afterburner and microwarpdrive modules.

The base Command Bonuses for the Tech 1 and Tech 2 versions of each module type are:

• Evasive Maneuvers -2% / -2.5%
• Interdiction Maneuvers 3% / 3.75%
• Rapid Deployment 2% / 2.5%

Mining Foreman Links

Provide bonuses to mining activity. The item descriptions for these modules state:

• Harvester Capacitor Efficiency - Decreases the capacitor need of mining lasers, gas harvesters and ice harvesters.
• Laser Optimization - Decreases mining laser, gas harvester and ice harvester duration.
• Mining Laser Field Enhancement - Increases the range of the fleet's mining lasers, gas harvesters and ice harvesters.

The base Command Bonuses for the Tech 1 and Tech 2 versions of each module type are:

• Harvestor Capacitor Efficiency -2% / -2.5%
• Laser Optimization -2% / -2.5%
• Mining Laser Field Enhancement 4.5% / 5.625%

Ships and Fitting

Warfare Link modules can only be fit on Battlecruisers (Tiers 1 and 2 only), Command Ships, Industrial Command Ships, Capital Industrial Ships, Carriers, Motherships, and Titans. This is enforced by all gang modules requiring 5000 CPU to fit; however, those ships listed previously have the role bonus "99% reduction in Warfare Link module CPU need." Therefore, a Warfare Link only requires 50 CPU (55CPU for T2 mods) on one of these ships. Any of these ships can fit as many as they are able, but there are restrictions on how many a pilot can activate at once.

• Strategic Cruisers - 1 active Warfare Link
• Battlecruisers - 1 active Warfare Link
• Field Command Ships - 1 active Warfare Link
• Fleet Command Ships - 3 active Warfare Links
• Industrial Command Ship - 3 active Warfare Links
• Capital Industrial - 3 active Warfare Links
• Carriers - 1 active Warfare Link
• Motherships - 1 active Warfare Link plus 1 per level of the Carrier skill.
• Titans - 1 active Warfare Link plus 1 per level of the Titan skill.

Note: Strategic Cruisers can only operate a Warfare Link when configured with the Defensive Subsystem - Warfare Processor subsystem.

Any of these ships may fit a Command Processor I (mid slot module) which, when fit, allows the ship to activate one additional Warfare Link. In fact, as long as the ship has sufficient CPU, a pilot can fit as many Command Processors as he wishes and activate that many additional gang modules at once. Typically, one or more co-processor modules will be required to fit multiple Command Processors on a ship. Using a Command Processor also requires the skill Warfare Link Specialist V.

Select ships among this eligible ship group provide additional bonuses to Warfare Links. These are discussed in the next section.

Command Bonus Multipliers

As noted previously, the base Command Bonus of any Warfare Mindlink appears to be insignificant. By itself, it is. Typically, Command Bonuses are multipled by the boosting pilot's skills, his ship bonuses, and one of his implants. This section demonstrates the potentially powerful effects of Warfare Links when bonuses are compounded in this manner.

The Math of Warfare Link Bonuses

Specialist Skill Bonus

Two advanced leadership skills (known as "specialist" skills) significantly impact the bonuses provided by any Warfare Link. The first is the level of training for the related link itself (e.g., Siege Warfare Specialist). The other related skill is Warfare Link Specialist. Throughout this section, the Siege (shield) bonuses using a T2 Warfare Link and all Level V skills are calculated for illustrative purposes. To determine the actual bonuses of any one pilot, substitute the appropriate bonuses for themodule used and his skills into the formulas provided here.

The Siege Warfare Specialist states that it gives a "100% bonus to effectiveness of siege warfare link modules per level". The module requires level 1 of this specialist skill to fit it at all, and with that level 1 the module only provides the -2.5% Command Bonus. At level 2 the skill would give 200% of that base 2.5% effect, making for and actual -5% Command Bonus. The actual formula becomes obvious:

Actual Command Bonus = Base Command Bonus * Level of Specialist skill.

A pilot with Siege Warfare Specialist V would therefore provide an actual Command Bonus of:

Bonus = -2.5% * 5 = -12.5%

Remember that siege bonuses are negative. Other specialist skill bonuses will be positive.

Warfare Link Specialist Skill Bonus

The Warfare Link Specialist skill "boosts effectiveness of all warfare link and mining foreman modules by 10% per level." This is added as a percentage of the initial Command Bonus, as calculated above. A pilot with Warfare Link Specialist V receives a 50% increase. The updated bonus result is:

Bonus = Actual Specialist Skill Bonus * (1+Percent of Warfare Link Specialist Bonus), which in this example is:

Bonus = -12.5% * 1.5 or -18.75%

Special Ship Bonuses

Field Command Ships give a 3% bonus per level of Command Ship to increase gang modules appropriate to its race. The Rorqual gives a 5% bonus per level of Capital Industrial Ships to increase Mining Foreman Links. Strategic Cruisers give a 5% bonus per level of Defensive Subsystem skill to increase gang modules appropriate to it's race, but only when fitting the Warfare Processor Subsystem.

Amarr

• Damnation - 3% bonus to effectiveness of Armored Warfare Links per level
• Legion - 5% bonus to effectiveness of Armored Warfare Links per subsystem skill level

Caldari

• Vulture - 3% bonus to effectiveness of Siege Warfare Links per level
• Tengu - 5% bonus to effectiveness of Siege Warfare Links per subsystem skill level

Gallente

• Eos - 3% bonus to effectiveness of Information Warfare Links per level
• Proteus - 5% bonus to effectiveness of Information Warfare Links per subsystem skill level

Minmatar

• Claymore - 3% bonus to effectiveness of Skirmish Warfare Links per level
• Loki - 5% bonus to effectiveness of Skirmish Warfare Links per subsystem skill level

ORE

• Orca - 3% bonus to effectiveness of Mining Foreman Links per level
• Rorqual - 5% bonus to effectiveness of Mining Foreman Links per level when in deployed mode

Ship Bonus Example

We can see from the example above that the Actual Command bonus from Siege Warfare Links due to max pilot skills is -18.75%. Adding the ship bonus, which is multiplicative, is straightforward. The fleet command ship that provides bonuses to Siege Warfare Links is a Vulture, which boosts by 3% per level. The updated bonus formula now becomes:

Actual Bonus = Total Bonus Due to Skills * (1+Ship Bonus), which in this example equals:

Bonus = -18.75% * 1.15 or -21.5625%

Mindlink Bonus

The final increase we can apply to this bonus is by plugging in a Mindlink. There are 5 possible Mindlinks, one for each category of Gang modules (Armour, Information, Siege, Skirmish, and Mining). A Mindlink will do two really great things, they increase the effect of the related tier 1 skill 50% and they increase their related gang modules Command Bonuses by 50%. The effect on the tier 1 skill means if you have Mining Foreman 5 (+10% yield) the mindlink would add 50% to that effect (+15% yield). Sadly all of the mindlinks are implant slot 10, so you can only plug in a single one per clone.

For the Command Bonus part that's a further 50% to the existing 16.8% Command Bonus we have running: 16.8 * 1.5 = 25.2%. That number represents a 25.2% bonus to all shield resistances possibly across an entire fleet. This resistance bonus is applied as if it were another module fit on each ship so normal stacking nerf applies.

This is a chart of each possible Base Command Bonus and I have applied the most common escalation of bonuses to them to demonstrate what is possible rounded off to one decimal point. This certainly does not represent the many combinations of skills and skill levels that are possible when working out your Command Bonus.

                                        |  2%  | 10% | 15% |22.5%|25.9%|28.1%|
                                        |  3%  | 15% |22.5%|33.7%|38.8%|42.2%|
                                        | 4.5% |22.5%|33.7%|50.6%|58.2%|63.3%|
                                           |     |     |     |     |     |
Base Command Bonus of the Module ----------|     |     |     |     |     |
'X' Warfare Specialist 5 (500% of Base) ---------|     |     |     |     |
Warfare Link Specialist 5 (+50%) ----------------------|     |     |     |
With X Warfare Mindlink plugged in (+50%) -------------------|     |     |
With Command Ships 5 racial module type only (+15%) (or Orca)------|     |
With Capital Industrial Ships 5 instead (Rorqual only, +25%) ------------|
With Defensive Subsystem 5 (Strategic Cruisers only, 25%) ---------------|

Note: EVE calculates these bonuses to two decimal places; I rounded them up.

Options for Using Warfare Links within the Fleet Structure

The Booster role provides gang bonuses to the fleet. People with the Booster role are usually encouraged to bring gang modules suited to benefit certain types of ships, and are then made Booster for a Squad or Wing made up of those ship types.

The Boss role is exactly what it sounds like, the Boss. Even if the person with the Boss role is not the Fleet Commander, they still have all of the powers needed to manage the fleet, from inviting people into any Squad or Wing, moving people to and from Squads, promoting and demoting Commanders of any rank, The Boss.

I feel it's best if the actual op FC retains the Boss title, as they need that absolute control, but they do NOT have to be the Fleet Commander in game as well. If possible the Fleet Commander position should be given to someone with the Fleet Command skill and who is capable enough to manage invites, Commanders, and members and organize the fleet structure to make best use of the available bonuses. If this is simply not possible, then actual op leaders should only do this organization when well out of danger. It is simply not a priority if they are trying to plan the actions and movements of the fleet to also be answering every cry to be moved by Squad Members.

There are 3 types of Booster: Squad Booster, Wing Booster, and Fleet Booster, this is shown as a letter in brackets after the players name (S), (W), or (F). A Squad Booster can only give gang bonuses to other members of their own Squad. A Wing Booster can give bonuses to other pilots in their entire Wing. Of course the Fleet Booster provides gang bonuses across the entire fleet. Whether these bonuses are received by anyone depends on the fleet's chain of command being complete. What this refers to is that the people in the Squad, Wing, and Fleet Commander positions have the necessary skills for the fleet they are leading. Anyone can occupy any of these positions, but without the proper skills, no bonuses can be passed down through the fleet. The Boosters can have any place in the fleet structure; being a Booster simply means they are the source of the gang bonuses for part of the fleet, nothing more. Boosters do not even need to have Wing Command or Fleet Command skills -- even as a Squad Member they can be set as a Fleet Booster and provide the bonuses fleet wide.

 ___________________________________________________________________________
|                               FC (skilled)                                |
|______________________________Fleet Bonuses________________________________|
|       WC 1 (skilled)               |        WC 2 (unskilled)              |
|____Fleet + Wing Bonuses____________|___________No Bonuses_________________|
|  SC 1 (skilled) | SC 2 (unskilled) | SC 3 (skilled) |  SC 4 (unskilled)   |
|___All Bonuses___|____No Bonuses____|__Squad Bonuses_|_____No Bonuses______|

Having an FC with the Fleet Command skill means that some people can benefit from the bonuses of the Fleet Booster, as long as the other Commanders are also skilled. Wing 1 has a skilled Commander, so Squads below him may receive bonuses of both the Fleet Booster and Wing Booster (yes AND -- I'll get to that). Squad 1, having a skilled SC, can get bonuses from the Fleet, Wing, and Squad Boosters -- awesome. Squad 2, having an unskilled SC (or no SC at all, same effect) gets no bonuses from any Boosters. Due to Wing 2 having an unskilled WC, squads in this Wing cannot get either Fleet or Wing Booster bonuses -- they are cut off by the lack of command skills. Squad 3 is fortunate to have a skilled SC since they can at least get the Squad Booster's bonuses. Squad 4 is screwed.

Boosters can be anywhere in the fleet structure -- they do not have to occupy the Commander positions. In order for a Squad to get any bonuses, the SC of that squad must have Leadership at a high enough level to support the numbers in the Squad (10 members at level 5). To get Wing bonuses, the WC must have the Wing Command skill level high enough to support the number of Squads they have (5 Squads in a Wing at level 5). For Fleet bonuses to work, the FC must have Fleet Command trained to support the number of Wings they command (5 Wings in a fleet at level 5). The Commanders DO NOT have to have the skills or modules that provide the bonuses. Rather, they only need to have Leadership, Wing Command, or Fleet Command to ensure the bonuses of the Boosters are passed along. Likewise the Boosters DO NOT need to have Wing Command or Fleet Command to be a Booster for those ranks (they just cannot hold the Commander position). Of course, it is very convenient if you are 'the whole package'.

Now the best part: EVE will blend the best bonuses of all of the Boosters and give them ALL to the Squads. Assuming you have a completely skilled set of commanders, the members of a Squad will get the bonuses of the Fleet, Wing AND Squad Boosters. Note that if two Boosters are running the same module, only the best effect is given to the fleet, and the other is ignored.

What this means is while most fleets divvy up into Shield, Armour, and Speed Wings, you can still pump more bonuses into them at the Fleet and Squad levels.