Supercarriers

This page should be updated due to game changes.
Reason: Supercarriers were significantly changed in the Citadel expansion.

A Supercarrier is a super-capital ship that technically falls into the Carrier grouping for skill purposes, though due to its immense size and scope is considered by most pilots to be in a class of its own. Supercarriers are the second-largest class of ship within EVE, only outclassed by Titans. The role of a supercarrier is generally three-fold: Logistical support, tactical support, and anti-capital offensive capabilities.

Bonuses

General

All supercarriers have definitive bonuses that allow them to fulfill their designated roles:

• Each can deploy 5 drones, plus an additional 3 drones per racial Carrier level.
• Can deploy fighters and/or fighter bombers (if the pilot has the necessary skills for them), but cannot use other types of drone.
• Are immune to standard forms of ship-based and station-based Electronic Warfare.
• Can fit an ECM Remote Burst I
• Can fit 1 Command Link per level of racial Carrier without the need for Command Processors.

Race-Specific

In addition, supercarriers are role-specific by the race in which they belong. The following benefits are listed by race, based on the pilot's racial Carrier skill:

Amarr (Aeon)

5% bonus to all armor resistances per level, 50% bonus to Capital Energy Transfer and Capital Remote Armor Repair range per level

Caldari (Wyvern

5% bonus to all shield resistances per level, 50% bonus to Capital Energy Transfer and Capital Shield Transfer range per level

Gallente (Nyx)

5% bonus to deployed Fighter and Fighter Bomber damage per level, 50% bonus to Capital Energy Transfer and Capital Remote Armor Repair range per level

Minmatar (Hel)

5% bonus to Capital Armor Repair and Shield Transfer amount per level, 50% bonus to Capital Remote Armor Repair and Capital Shield Transfer range per level

Use

Defensively, supercarriers are a field-changing asset. As each is designed to use capital logistics modules, they are often called in to repair player-owned stations after an initial assault. With their immunity to standard electronic warfare, webifying one is impossible, always allowing full sub-light maneuvering, an asset if a hostile force comes upon one while repairing POS structures.

Offensively, supercarriers are a powerful anti-capital ship asset. With a large number of fighter bombers deployed, capital ships take a brutal assault when swarmed by them. Carriers and dreadnaughts fall quickly to a supercarrier, while a similar supercarrier or titan may take longer.

In addition to the fighter-bomber support a supercarrier offers, the ability to jam large sections of enemy forces lies in the supercarrier's ability to fit Projected ECM, in the form of a Remote ECM Burst I. This module can jam large numbers of targets within a range. This jam is equal opportunity, however, so friendly forces caught in the burst are at risk to suffer the same effect. Used wisely, this can disrupt a large enemy force long enough to destroy a tactically strong ship on the board, break cap chains, and even allow a non-capital support fleet to gain the upper hand in a combat situation.

Weaknesses

As a negative note, the downsides to a supercarrier are enough to keep many pilots from flying one. The first, and largest, restriction is that you cannot dock a supercarrier. They are simply too large for stations and outposts to dock them. They have to be parked within a POS shield to be safe while not flying in one. This also means that repairs to supercarrier must be completed by module-based repairs, whether local modules or remote logistics.

Supercarriers' only offensive weapons are fighters and fighter-bombers, which are very effective against structures, other capitals and large subcapitals like battleships, but a supercarrier will have a hard time applying damage to anything smaller.

While a supercarrier is immune to standard electronic warfare, including warp disruptors, they are still affected by interdiction bubbles, mobile warp disruption fields, and warp disruption field generators.

Finally, a supercarrier is at its most vulnerable while under construction. To construct a supercarrier, a capital ship assembly array must be anchored and deployed within a POS shield, inside a system where the owner holds sovereignty. The construction time on supercapitals is very long and an occupied CSAA will make a tempting strategic target for enemy alliances.