Roles in Incursions

Required reading and setup guides

The following is needed for fleet safety, people will count on you having done these basic setups and know how to interact with these features. Most of these are required of any member joining the university, but repeating them just in case.

• Use the Overview Guide to setup the appropriate tabs (including the Creating a Fleet Members Preset part).

Make sure that the overview settings you are going to use will show the Sansha Incursion rats (so you can see them yellow-boxing you and broadcast for reps as well as sort them). Having a fleet member tab doesn't mean you need to show fleet members all the time. Some logi will prefer it, but however you do it you'll need to have a way to show fleet members on the overview if necessary.

• Setup Mumble (don't forget the Push-to-talk part).

Make sure your mic is working and that you can hear what others say (use the Comm Check lounge). If you don't have a microphone (or choose not to use it) be aware that you will risk not being heard. Text-messages on mumble or in fleet chat can sometimes be missed, especially in hectic moments where they matter the most.

• Setup your Audio Alerts (suggested range is 0.9 - 0.99 depending on how fast you want the warning).

Remember to enable sound so you can hear this (drop all volume levels except Master Level and UI Sound Level if you don't want the normal EVE sounds).

• Make sure you know how to use the Fleet User Interface (especially how to see and interact with broadcasts).
• Learn the art of Identifying War Targets in Local.
• Set your Auto Target Back to 0

You do this to avoid automatically locking logistics when they lock you and end up shooting them instead of the enemy. Even if you don't shoot them it would be one less Sansha you'd lock up, so turn it off anyway.

• Join the Incursions.E-UNI mailing list if you're in the university.
• Turn off your CSPA-charge in the evemail settings (or set it to 0).

Otherwise people would need to pay to invite you to the fleet ... which they won't, and you'd be skipped in the waiting list.

It is also recommended that you take the following classes:

• Incursions 101 (updated class-notes can be found here)
• Fleets 101 (while not all PvP-related aspects apply to Incursions, they are good to know).
• Overheating 101 (at least read the class-notes and the Overheating page).

Helpful howto-setups:

• http://www.eveonlinehome.com/incursion_tips.php (Incursion Fleet Tips)
• (Incursion Fleet Tips for Dummies!)
• (align, warp, jump etc)

General advice

Before joining the fleet

• If you are unsure about your fit, ask for a second opinion. Do remember that a lot of people throw advice around without really thinking or based on assumptions that may or may not be true. Don't be afraid to ask why they suggest something, if it seems weird.
• Put your drones on passive.
• Carry logistic drones (shield or armour maintenance bots) in case logistics get jammed or disconnects untimely (use tech two if you can).
• Fit an energy transfer or a shield transporter if you have spare highs, for the same reason.
• Make sure your safety is green, full safety should be on while doing incursions to avoid spreading flags.
• Don't X-up until you're actually in system and ready to go (feel free to let people know you're coming though).
  • Letting the waitlist manager know you're on your way or that you'll be ready shortly is good though, they could make a note of it letting everyone know reinforcements are on the way. Just make sure the waitlist manager knows, so they aren't counting you as available until you really are.
• Get on Mumble (preferably as soon as you join the waitlist, at the very least as you're invited to fleet).
• Keep track of the fleet and stay docked up in the system they are running (or the system next door if they are running in a station-less system).
  • The Incursions.E-UNI mailing list will tell you what constellation we're in, otherwise convo someone.
  • Even if you don't know exactly what system we are running in, you'll not be more than a jump or two away.
• Take yourself off the waitlist if you go away from keyboard. Don't be the guy who makes everyone think they have enough people to go, only to find out they do not.
• Make sure that your cargo hold has enough faction or tech two ammo, nanite paste, stack(s) of Lyavite (255 units, 306 m3), scripts for both scan resolution and targeting range for sensor boosters, tracking speed and optimal range scripts for tracking computers and tracking links etc.

When joining up with the fleet

• Read the fleet's MOTD (message of the day), it usually contains all you need to know; What system they are in, who the dronebunny is and so forth.
  • If the fleet is missing a MOTD or if it is not updated/incomplete, nudge the fleet boss to create one or update the current one.
• Always put your entire fleet or as many people as possible on your watch list (no matter what role you play in the fleet).
  • For vanguards, resize the watch list to show only 10 people (makes it easier to spot when you're missing someone).
  • For larger fleets, you're usually limited to the fleet commander, anchor(s), dronebunny and your squad.
• Confirm with the fleet that you are on their watch list.
• Make sure you are in the right squad, ask the fleet commander if you are unsure.
• Turn on your defensive modules, reload your guns etc.
• Double-check that you are at the right site (try warping to a member when at the gate).
• Ask permission before entering a site.
• Once you enter the site, immediately start locking something up and announce "<your name> on grid!" (the reason you lock something up first is because the logis cannot lock you until you do something after landing on grid).

While in the fleet

A quick look at the watch list will tell you that two people are missing, let the fleet know.

When one of your logistics disconnects, the watch list will be missing one person and while he's still on grid (takes a few seconds before they warp off) you can spot who as they turn non-purple due to dropping fleet.

Both of the logistics have you locked, indicated by the yellow frame on the ship icon in the overview.

• Stay alert and pay attention (if you can't pay attention, excuse yourself and dock up until you can). People in the fleet rely on you paying attention and doing your job.
• Don't be afraid to ask questions.
• Even though there's a "me" in "team" (if you jumble it all up) use your name instead of "I" or "me".
• Make sure you are in the right squad, receiving boosts if there are any.
• Never align down the gate or enter a site unless your fleet commander tells you to.
• Whenever you land on a gate or enter a site, speak up if you see anyone missing.
• Broadcast "Need shields" or "Need armour" as soon as you're yellow-boxed (the sooner, the better, don't wait until you start taking damage).
• If you're being targeted and they suddenly go from red-boxing you to yellow-boxing you, broadcast "In position" or "At location" and call out "Aggro shifting" in mumble (that way people can pay extra attention).
• Always broadcast first, before talking on Mumble (cannot lock your voice on mumble, but they can lock from your broadcast).
• Look for the "locked" indicator from your logistics in the overview list, if they haven't, call them out on it (we're talking fleet security here).
  • In vanguards they should always have you prelocked.
  • In assaults they should lock you up as soon as you broadcast.
• If you broadcast for repairs and nothing happens, make sure your broadcast came through then repeat your request on Mumble (make sure you lead with your name, "<your name>, need reps!".
• Double-check your watch list whenever someone joins a fleet or disconnects and reconnects.
• If you disconnect and still have access to Mumble, quickly announce "<your name> disconnected!". If you see someone disconnect (their purple icon goes back to normal, green for corporation members, white for the rest), let the fleet commander know on mumble or in fleet chat.
  • When you reconnect and rejoin the fleet, make sure you end up in the right squad.
  • Upon returning on grid, lock something up and announce on mumble, "<your name>, on grid!".
• Stay calm and consider your options. A rash, split second decision is usually much worse than taking a few seconds to consider your options.
• Any ship in the fleet should be able to warp in first into a site and anchor, although practically you might want to make sure you don't tie up your dronebunny, logistics or your best damage dealers as an anchor (them being jammed would slow the fleet down).
• If you're in a smaller ship, orbit the anchor (or any battleship if you don't have an anchor) to mitigate damage.
• Always remember to align when the fleet commander tells you to, so you are ready to warp with the rest of the fleet instead of being left behind.

When leaving a fleet

• If possible, let the fleet commander know ahead of time that you are going to drop and what role you had.
• Ask for confirmation from the fleet commander before you warp away from the fleet (make sure your fleet commander knows that you are dropping).
• Wait until the site is finished and the fleet has warped off before leaving the fleet. Avoid leaving the fleet while it is still in the site, both to avoid confusion as well as not to risk your ship (in some sites we leave some ships alive).
• Drop the fleet as soon as possible, so you disappear from people's watch lists and so that you make room in the fleet for your replacement.

During war

• Haul your ships with alts or move them in travel fits (strong buffers, warp core stabs etc, possibly even cloak and MWD) with a scout. Alternatively utilize freighter services like Red Frog or friendly unistas or alumni providing such services.
• Consider the ship and worth of droppable modules you are bringing.
• Always keep an eye on local (delegate people to cover top and bottom half if it's too long).

Basic roles for Vanguards

Below are the basic roles for Vanguard incursions, damage dealers and logistics, what their functions are and what you can do to improve them. The finer details on more specific roles are covered in the next section.

The suggested skills are listed in order of importance, from the skills having the most impact on your efficiency on top, to those that help but are less critical at the bottom.

Damage dealers

By spreading webs the fleet won't end up putting all webs on a single target, while still having more than one web on a target.

Primary function:

• Doing damage.
• Supply the dronebunny with light combat drones.
• Applying webs.

Secondary functions:

• Backup energy transfers.
• Backup logistic drones.
• Target painting.

Ways to improve

Skills:

• Tech two weaponry (increase your damage)
• Gunnery support skills (increase your overall efficiency through increased tracking, range, damage).
• Targeting and multitasking (to be able to lock up more targets).
• Droneskills for tech two hobgoblins (increase drone damage) and maintenance bots (as backup).

Ships & modules:

• Trade in your old ship for a better one (look for ships with two damage bonuses).
• Upgrade tech two damage and utility mods to faction mods (improve efficiency).

Gameplay:

• Listen to the fleet commander and target caller (follow tags and target calls).
• Lock up all primary and secondary targets as you land on grid (figure out order after).
• Assign your drones to the dronebunny as quickly as possible.
• Keep pre-locking targets throughout the site (always have max number of enemies locked).
• Make sure your drones are assigned to the dronebunny.
• Let the dronebunny know if your drones are idle (ask them to cycle guns).

• Past four webs or painters (alternatively two bonused webs or painters) on a single target, the returns are largely wasted.
  • If your primary target is already webbed down, put your webs on the secondary or tertiary target. That way they will already be webbed down by the time you finish your primary target, speeding up the process considerably.
  • You can also keep an eye on whatever target the drones are shooting at and apply your webs on that.
  • In short, an unused module is a wasted module, so make sure yours is put to good use.

• When the Sansha rats spawn at a distance, they'll use their microwarpdrives to burn straight at you until they hit their preferred orbit. If you can lock them fast enough while they are doing so, you'll have a ship with blown up signature and no transversal (very easy to hit even for battleships).
• If you cannot hit the primary target (due to range issues or tracking issues), let the fleet commander know (mostly they'll tell you to hit secondary targets until the primary is within range or dead already).
• Add "Angular velocity" and/or "Velocity" columns to your overview, so you can sort by that and name (will sort primarily by name, then velocity).
• When in doubt what to shoot, look at the velocity columns and shoot whatever has the lowest velocity (it will be the target that is already webbed). This is especially useful in "free fire" mode when you're supposed to shoot all the remaining ships and you have no tags, just shoot them in order of velocity for greater efficiency.

Logistics

Primary function:

• Keeping the fleet alive with repairs and logistic drones.

Secondary functions:

• Energy transfers if required (Basilisks and Guardians).
• Adding utility through remote sensor boosters or tracking links.

Ways to improve

Skills:

• Logistics V (to be able to fit 5/1 instead of 4/2, use more utility midslots etc).
• Support skills (like Shield Emission Systems, Remote Armor Repair Systems, cap skills).
• Utility skills (Energy Emission Systems if you use energy transers, Sensor Linking if you use tracking links).
• Droneskills (to be able to use light and medium tech two maintenance bots).

Modules:

• Upgrade to tech two shield transporters or remote armour repairs.
• Upgrade to faction tracking links (they are reasonably cheap) or faction remote sensor boosters (not quite as cheap).
• Consider faction Power Diagnostic System modules (cheap and improve cap and powergrid).

Gameplay:

• Always prioritize your fellow logistics before anything else when repairing. If a logistics ship goes down, the entire fleet risk going down.
• On Guardians and Baslisks, even without incoming energy transfers you have enough cap to run one shield transfer or remote armour repairer running indefinitely, possibly two pending on your skills. Remember that.
• If the one taking primary aggro is taking damage rapidly as you land on site, put one or two reppers on them before sorting out the energy transfer chain (then apply the rest of your reppers if needed).
• Pre-lock everyone in Vanguards (Multitasking III allows you to lock all 10 members).
• Locking from the watch list is incredibly fast and efficient (CTRL + leftclick).
• Have your fleet members on your overview, so you can see if you have members in the fleet that you haven't locked up (the icon will tell if it's a locket fleet member or not).
• Use only as many reppers as you need, don't over-repair because then you'll be too slow to respond to shifting aggro.
  • Drop reps at the end of each wave, don't tie them up on someone who isn't taking damage anymore.
  • Once the reps are under control, start taking reps off if they are no longer needed.
• If you are jammed, always call out "<name> jammed, ET down" (leave out the ET down part if you don't have one).
• Keep an eye on the jamming icon over your hud-display, you're not always jammed until all Niarjas are dear, sometimes it's only one of them who are jamming you and you get unjammed long before all Niarjas are down.
• Always turn off your energy transfers if your energy transfer buddy is jammed and pending on the situation request backup energy from your damage dealers.
• Keep the energy transfers up and let them drop automatically when the fleet warps out of the site (that way you and the recipient will drop at the same time and neither will risk capping out).
• Make sure your logi buddy is always next to you landing on a gate, or arriving on a site.
  • Immediately let the fleet know you'll be late on grid if you get stuck on a gate, your warp isn't initiating immediately or for whatever other reason you might not come on grid right away. Whatever you do, do not wait and see if you get stuck or not. Every second counts to get maintenance bots out and get emergency energy transfers in place.
  • Similarly, if you don't see your logi buddy on grid, call out on mumble right away. Don't wait and see what happens. Get confirmation that the other logi is coming.
• Pay attention to the watch list and your locked fleet members. You should be able to spot incoming damage even without broadcasts. Remind people who take damage to broadcast for repairs (if possible, hold off reps until they do so they learn ... but don't risk the safety of the fleet).

Specific roles

Below are roles you should assign to different people. By delegating these roles everyone will be able to focus on their role without being distracted.

Dronebunny

Primary function:

• Carry out your basic role of a damage dealer.
• Direct all drones on the field.

Requirements:

• Any non-logi can fill this role.

Ways to improve

Previous recommendations for damage dealers apply to the dronebunny as well. Being the dronebunny doesn't mean you should sacrifice your regular damage dealing capabilities.

Gameplay:

• Use fast cycling weapon or stagger grouped weapon (improves reaction times for drones).
• Keep an eye on idle drones.
  • Remember that drones react to any offensive module being activated (turrets, launchers, webs, painters etc).
  • Turn off and on your weapons a few times at the start of a site, to catch drones assigned to you after you last activated an offensive module.
  • Remember that not everyone has the same drone control range, so turn off and on weapons as enemies approach if you started shooting at a distance (most will have around 45km while some can have up to 60km drone control range).
  • Speak up in Mumble if you still see idle drones after checking those.
• Pay attention to the fleet commander's target calls (they sometimes ask the dronebunny to hit separate targets).
  • (MO)NSTER is something you can try to remember. It stands for a basic order of killing enemy frigates; Niarjas, Schmaels, Tamas, Eysters and Renyns.
  • The order is situational and your fleet commander may very well have you kill things in a different order.
• Don't forget to manually control your own drones, they will not automatically follow you since you're the dronebunny.

Hacker

Primary function:

• Hack the logistics tower in the Override Transfer Array sites.

Requirements:

• Codebreaker I or II fitted.
• Microwarpdrive fitted.

Ways to improve

Skills:

• Train Hacking to IV or V (to improve hacking chance).

Modules:

• Try to fit as many Codebreaker I or II modules as you can to reduce the hacking time.

Gameplay:

• Learn the positions of the logistics control towers (they are placed roughly 30km away from the warp-in point, position and activation sequence remains the same in all sites).
• Ideally fill this role with an alt, so as not to gimp your actual fleet (a cheap Vigil with a MWD and a couple of Codebreaker I moduls is all you need). Otherwise ask your fastest ship in the fleet to fit a MWD and as many Codebreaker modules it can fit while still having a decent tank.
• Wait until the fleet has landed on grid and are fully engaged, then jump in (if you haven't already) and burn to the tower and hack it.
  • If you're on an alt just there for hacking, warp out once you've hacked the tower and fly back to the gate (in case the fleet isn't fast enough to finish the site before the tower becomes functional again).
  • If you're one of the regular damage dealers, fly back to the fleet once you've hacked the tower (so as to avoid pulling aggro away from the fleet).
• Ideally you only need to hack the tower once to finish the site, but depending on fleet composition or offgrid boosters, that might not always be the case. Prepare accordingly and be ready to move to the next logistical tower in the sequence.

Ore runner

Primary function:

• Carry out your primary role (usually a logistics).
• Run the ore in Nation Mining Colony sites.

Requirements:

• 306 m3 room in your cargo hold for the Lyavite.
• Able to fullfill their role while moving 50km+ away from the fleet (no unbonused energy transfers with 9km range to or from you).

Ways to improve

• Fit an afterburner or a microwarpdrive (the faster you are, the better).
• Make sure you have a stack of ore in your cargo hold (ask others to drop for you if not).
• Start running the ore according to your speed and how fast the fleet completes the site.
  • If you have no propulsion module, you might have to start at the end of the first wave or middle of the second.
  • If you have an afterburner, you can usually start after the last wave spawns or near the end of the second wave.

Tagger

Primary function:

• Tag enemies for the fleet.

Requirement:

• At the very least, Leadership V, preferably Wing Command III or IV (to be Squad or Wing Commander).

Ways to improve:

• Learn the order so you can tag on your own, without having to wait for the fleet commander's orders.
• Put up the first tag as you land in a pocket, before anything else, so people know what to shoot.
• Continue tagging the rest once the primary tag is up and you've started locking and/or shooting).
• Remember that not all fleet commanders have the same targeting order, so pay attention to your current fleet commander's preference.
• A common way to avoid too much tagging is to only tag one of the two, or two of the tree primary targets, leaving the last one untagged (and thus last in order).

Waitlist manager

Primary function:

• Keep track of the waiting list.
• Double-check that people come in properly fitted ships (shield tanks for shield fleets, armour tank for armour fleets etc).
• Make sure out of corp alts and alumni do not have outstanding wars endangering the fleet.

Requirements:

• None.

Ways to improve

• Ask to be made Boss, that will allow you to move people around and invite them to the fleet, making your job easier.
• Make note of fits and ask for advice if you are not sure if the fit is adequate or not.
• Separate people who are ready and in system from those who are still making their way there (or simply ask them to X-up when they get there).
• Catch up in the incursions.e-uni channel and update the waiting list between sites, then post the updated waiting list to remind people you are still forming/active.
  • Keeping a copy of the waitlist in your ingame notepad is a good idea, for easy editing and copying (font-formatting isn't copied over).
  • You can also use the CTRL + Up/Down function in your chat-window (keeps the formatting, allows editing, but is somewhat unreliable/unpredictable).
  • Make sure to let people know if it's a shield or armour fleet, what type of sites you're doing, if the fleet is forming or active etc.
  • Keep track of whether or not people have spare energy transfers and logistic drones, if they are logistics IV or V, what logistics they can bring (or both) etc.
  • A short waitlist has the benefit of not completely spamming out everything else in chat.
    • Useful shorthands: +l (dd + any logi), +s (dd + scimitar), +b4/5 (dd + basilisk, logistics 4 or 5) or just l/s/b [b4-5] (any logi or scimitar/basilisk only), BS (battleship), BC (battlecruiser), T3 (strategic cruiser), Sn (sniper).
  • A short SFWL (shield fleet waitlist) abbreviation works for a shield fleet doing vanguards, since that's what we do most of the time.
• When drops are announced ahead of time, get the next person(s) in the waiting list ready.
• Remember that you can invite people from local (where they should be, ready to go, if they are on the waitlist) even though they haven't spoken up recently in incursions.e-uni.
• If someone isn't responding on mumble or in incursions.e-uni, you could always try initiating a conversation with them (it'll fail if they are offline for example). Or you can just skip them and go for the next person in the waitlist, because it is not your job to make sure they are ready.
• If the fleet boss hasn't, enable (or ask them to enable) free-move for the fleet, so people can step up and take command positions if someone disconnects or simply to move themselves into the correct squad.
• Keep the MOTD updated with the following information.
  • Type of fleet (shield or armour, vanguard or assault etc).
  • System the fleet is running in.
  • Name of the on demand channel on Mumble.
  • Optional: Who the anchor is.
  • Optional: Who the dronebunny is.

Fleet Commander

Primary function:

• Keeping it all together.
• Making sure all roles are filled.
• Be the single voice of command when needed.

Requirements:

• A working mic.
• Fairly good at multitasking.
• Knowledgeable about Incursions (or have a backup who is, if you're in training).
• Decisive (be able to make a decision, not necessarily the best, in any kind of timely fashion).

Ways to improve

• Delegate what you don't need to do yourself, so you can focus on the rest.
• Be proactive to prevent things from spiralling out of control.
• Be decisive, make clear commands and target calls.
• Repeat important commands.
• Require confirmation for separate commands (like ore runner, specific drone targets etc).
• Always know your fleet composition (engagement range, emergency energy transfers and maintenance drones, offgrid boosts etc) so you can make educated decisions.
• Know your enemy (differences between the NPCs, what they can do, what danger they pose).
• Some ships are easier to hit than others (signature, resists, speed and prefered orbit). Tamas for example as much easier to hit than Schmaels, Eysters and Renyns. Romis, while having higher resists, are easier to hit than the close orbiting Augas, but at the same time the Augas come closer and if sufficiently webbed can be taken down much faster.
• Decide whether you want to reduce the DPS as soon as possible or if you'd rather want each ship to fire at the most suitable ship in order to be as effective as possible in the long run.
• Don't forget the broadcast target functionality for when you want people to focus on a specific target with short notice or out of sequence. It is usually faster and easier to do it like that, instead of (re)tagging.
  • A good example of that is the "Slave" or "Citizen" NPC in the fourth wave of the assault-site Nation Commander Stronghold.
• For a more comprehensive guide to leading an incursion fleet, see Anatomy of Incursions.