Fleet leadership

Leadership skills for forming fleets, although not essential, are important. They allow players to confer bonuses on fellow fleet members, simply by being in the same fleet as them. Joining a fleet does not require any skills, and it is also important to note that being a squad, wing or fleet commander does not need any skills either.  However, having the relevant skill for the position confers fleet bonuses onto the people beneath your command in the fleet structure.

Fleet Structure

---Fleet Commander (FC)
 |
 |----Wing Commander (WC)
 |  | 
 |  |----Squad Commander (SC)
 |  |  |
 |  |  |--Squad Members
 |  |
 |  |----Squad Commander
 |     |
 |     |--Squad Members
 |  
 |----Wing Commander
    |
    |----Squad Commander
    |  |
    |  |--Squad Members
    |
    |----Squad Commander
       |
       |--Squad Members

Each squad can have up to 10 members, each wing can have up to 5 squads, and each fleet can have up to 5 wings, for a total of 256 members.

Also in the fleet structure, but not shown here, is the Boss.  The Boss has all the abilities and command tools of the Fleet Commander, but may be any member of the fleet.  By default, the FC is the Boss, but the FC may assign any other fleet member to be the Boss.  You might want this if, for example, you are commanding the fleet but you do not have the Fleet Command skill.  In order to use fleet bonuses, you could promote someone who does have the Fleet Command skill to be the FC, whilst you retain the Boss role, and overall command. 

I have used the term "fleet bonus" so far, however a better phrase would be simply "bonus", since there are different levels of bonuses for the different levels in the command structure.  EVE uses the terms "fleet bonuses" (and "fleet boosters") which can be confusing.

Leadership skills may be divded into two different types: those that generate bonuses, and those that permit these bonuses to be passed on to other fleet members.

Leadership

There are 3 leadership skills that enable you to pass on bonuses to other members of your fleet. Again it is worth noting that you do not need these skills to hold these positions.  However, if you intend to fleet a lot, and command fleets, then it is worth training these skills.  Leadership is only a Rank 1 skill and does not take very long.

Fleet Command

• As a fleet commander, this skill allows you to pass on bonuses to wing commanders below you, to a maximum of one wing per level of the skill (5 in total).  This skill requires Wing Command trained to 5.
  

Wing Command

• As a wing commander, this skill allows you to pass on bonuses to squad commanders below you, to a maximum of one squad per level of the skill (5 in total). This skill requires Leadership trained to 5.
  

Leadership

• As a squad commander, this skill allows you to pass on bonuses to squad members below you, to a maximum of two members per level of the skill (10 in total).

If you take up the FC, WC or SC positions without having the relevant skill, you will 'block' any skills passed on from a superior commander.  To explain further:

• If you have the Leadership skill (and are SC of a squad that is a size you can pass bonuses on to) then you will pass bonuses from the squad booster and bonuses from the wing commander onto your squad members.
  
• If you are an unskilled SC, then your squad members will not receive any bonuses whatsoever.
• If you have the WC skill (and are WC of a wing with as many squads as you can pass bonuses on to) then you will pass bonuses from the wing booster and bonuses from the fleet commander onto your squad commanders.
• If you are an unskilled WC, then you will not pass on the bonus from the wing or the fleet booster, however your SCs, if they are skilled themselves, can still pass on their own bonuses.
• If you have the FC skill (and are FC of a fleet with as many wings as you can pass bonuses on to) then you pass bonuses from the fleet booster to all wing commanders.
• If you are an unskilled FC, then nobody in the fleet receives bonuses from the fleet booster, however the WCs and SCs may still pass on their own bonuses.

Note that bonuses only affect the players at the level at which they are generated or lower.  FCs get no benefit from wing or squad boosters, for example.  In addition, there is no partial passing-on of bonuses, e.g. if you have 7 pilots in your squad, you need at least Leadership 4 to pass on any bonuses - if you have Leadership 3, then none of your squad will receive bonuses.

The bonuses themselves are generated by the Squad/Wing/Fleet Booster, a position in the fleet that by default is assigned to each Squad/Wing/Fleet commander.  However the commanders may assign their booster position to any other member below them in the fleet structure.

Booster Skills

There are 6 booster skills that affect how much bonus you confer as a booster. Bonuses only affect fleet members in space within the same solar system.

Leadership

• Grants a 2% bonus to fleet members' targeting speed per skill level.
• (Since this skill also passes bonuses on to your squad, as explained above, if you are a skilled SC your squad always gets this bonus regardless of the state of the rest of the fleet.)
  

Armored Warfare

• Grants a 2% bonus to fleet members' armor hit points per skill level.
  

Information Warfare

• Grants a 2% bonus to fleet members' targeting range per skill level.

Siege Warfare

• Grants a 2% bonus to fleet members' shield capacity per skill level.
• (Unlike the Armored Warfare skill, this bonus is added 'empty' - this is why you sometimes get that sliver of red shield when you join a fleet or jump into a new system in a fleet.)

Skirmish Warfare

• Grants a 2% bonus to fleet members' agility per skill level.
  

Mining Foreman

• Grants a 2% bonus to fleet members' mining yield per level.
  
• (For some strange reason, PvP pilots often forget to train this essential skill.)
  

These bonuses do not stack if more than one person is boosting them, however the highest will be used, possibly combining from different boosters to give the best overall effect.  For instance, if your squad booster has 5/4/3/3  (read about the syntax here) and your fleet booster has 4/4/4/4, then these bonuses will combine and you will receive the highest of each bonus, i.e. 5/4/4/4.

Warfare Link Skills & Modules

This is the other type of fleet booster.  All these modules will only provide a benefit if you are a booster in a fleet, and they act in the same way as the booster skills (e.g. they don't stack, they require proper skilled fleet structure, etc).  If you are not in a fleet, or are not a booster, then they are useless.

The skills required to use these modules have the relevant fleet boosting skill trained to level 5 as a prerequisite.  For example, to use an armored warfare link module requires at least level 1 in Armored Warfare Specialist, which in turn requires level 5 in Armored Warfare.

Armored Warfare Specialist

• Allows the use of armored warfare link modules. Also increases the effect of armored warfare link modules by 100% after level 2 is trained.
  

Armored Warfare Link - Damage Control - reduces the capacitor need of armor repairers and remote armor repairers by 2%.

Armored Warfare Link - Passive Defense - increases the fleet's armor resistances by 2%.

Armored Warfare Link - Rapid Repair - increases the speed (i.e. reduces the duration) of armor repairers and remote armor repairers by 2%.

Information Warfare Specialist

• Allows the use of information warfare link modules. Also increases the effect of information warfare link modules by 100% after level 2 is trained.
  

Information Warfare Link - Electronic Superiority - increases the strength of electronic warfare modules by 1.2% (sensor dampers & tracking disruptors) or 2% (ECM or target painters).

Information Warfare Link - Recon Operation - increases the range of electronic warfare modules by 2%.

Information Warfare Link - Sensor Integrity - increases the sensor strengths of all ships in the fleet by 3%.

Mining Director

• Allows the use of mining foreman link modules. Also increases the effect of mining foreman link modules by 100% after level 2 is trained.
  

Mining Foreman Link - Harvester Capacitor Efficiency - reduces the capacitor need of mining lasers and gas & ice harvesters by 2%.

Mining Foreman Link - Laser Optimization - reduces the duration of mining lasers and gas & ice harvesters by 2%.

Mining Foreman Link - Ming Laser Field Enhancement - increases the range of mining lasers and gas & ice harvesters by 4.5%.

Siege Warfare Specialist

• Allows the use of siege warfare link modules. Also increases the effect of siege warfare link modules by 100% after level 2 is trained.
  

Siege Warfare Link - Active Shielding - increases the speed (i.e. reduces the duration) of shield boosters and shield transporters by 2%.

Siege Warfare Link - Shield Efficiency - reduces the capacitor need of shield boosters and shield transporters by 2%.

Siege Warfare Link - Shield Harmonizing - increases the fleet's shield resistances by 2%.

Skirmish Warfare Specialist

• Allows the use of skirmish warfare link modules. Also increases the effect of skirmish warfare link modules by 100% after level 2 is trained.
  

Skirmish Warfare Link - Evasive Maneuvers - reduces the signature radius of the fleet's ships by 2%.

Skirmish Warfare Link - Interdiction Maneuvers - increases the range of propulsion jamming modules by 3%.

Skirmish Warfare Link - Rapid Deployment - increases the speed of afterburner and microwarpdrive modeules by 2%.

The final skill to cover in the Leadership section is Warfare Link Specialist, which increases the effectiveness of all warfare link and mining foreman modules by 10% per level.  Note that it does affect the mining modules as well, despite its name.  This skill is also a prerequisite for flying Command Ships.

You might be thinking; why bother to use these modules when the prerequisite skills are so high and the bonuses so low?  The numbers listed above are only the base bonuses from the modules; they are increased by various skills, ships and implants.

• The warfare specialist skills themselves increase the benefit by 100% after level 2, i.e. having it trained to level 3 doubles the benefit, level 4 triples it, and 5 quadruples it.
  
• The Warfare Link Specialist skill increases the benefit by 10% per level.
  
• Being in a Fleet Command Ship increases the benefit of certain* warfare links by 3% per level of the Command Ships skill.
• Being in a an Orca increases the benefit of mining foreman links by 3% per level of the Industrial Command Ships skill, and being in a Rorqual increases the benefit by 5% per level of the Capital Industrial Ships skill.
  
• Using a warfare or mining forman mindlink in your implant slot 10, increases the benefit of the associated modules by 50%.
  

These bonuses are combined multiplicitively, not additively.  That is to say, total bonus = skills x ship x mindlink.  Let's stay you were using a Skirmish Warfare Link - Interdiction Maneuvers, which has 3% benefit.  You also have Skirmish Warfare Specialist at V (+300%, i.e. x4), and Warfare Link specialist at III (+30%, i.e. x1.3),  Total added bonus = 3% x 4 x 1.3 = 15.6%.  Already this is starting to look like a nice benefit.  Lets say you are also flying a Claymore (Minmatar Fleet Command Ship) and have that skill trained to IV (+12%, i.e. x1.12)  Total added bonus = 3% x 4 x 1.3 x 1.12 = 17.5%.  Finally you decide to implant a Skirmish Warfare Mindlink, which adds +50% (i.e. x1.5).  Final benefit = 3% x 4 x 1.3 x 1.12 x 1.5 = 26.2% added range on the entire fleet's warp disruptors, warp scrams and stasis webs.  Tasty.

These warfare modules can only be fitted on certain ships, and each ship can only active a certain number of link modules:

• Battlecruisers- 1 active module
• Command Ships- field command ship: 1 active module, fleet command ship: 3 active modules
• Capital Industrial Ships - Orca, Rorqual: 3 active modules
• Carriers- 1 active module, plus 1 per level of the Carrier skill
• Titans- 1 active module, plus 1 per level of the Titan skill
• Strategic Cruisers- 1 active module, using the correct defensive subsystem

Fitting Command Processor Is will allow you to activate extra link modules at once.

* Fleet Command Ships: the Amarr Damnation gives bonuses to armored warfare links, the Caldari Vulture gives bonuses to siege warfare links, the Gallente Eos gives bonuses to information warfare links, and the Minmatar Claymore gives bonuses to skirmish warfare links.

Related Information

• Fleet Doctrine for the Ivy League Navy
  
• How to Properly Form a Fleet
• Fleet Formation and Intel
• Fleet Terminology