Fitting ships: Difference between revisions

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Unlike the rules about wartime fitting, these are just guidelines. They are designed to help you until you know when you can ignore them.

= General Guidelines =

==Fit for a purpose==

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Of course, there are dangers in over-specialisation too, especially when you're not working with other players. If you're going to exploit a low-class wormhole while solo you want your ship to deal and tank damage, launch probes, and maybe cloak so that you can hide if you see a gang of enemies on your [[Directional Scanner Guide|directional scanner]].

==Consider your ship's bonuses==

According to Jester [http://jestertrek.blogspot.ca/2013/06/pvp-201-basic-ship-fitting-theory.html guide] for PvP fitting, one should consider the following elements:

*Engagement Range: Brawling, Kitting, Skirmishing or Sniper

*Role: Primary damage (DD), Tackler, Scout, Logistics, Electronic warfare or Screen

*Tank: Passive armor tank, Passive shield tank, Active shield tank, Active armor tank, Speed tank or No tank

== Consider your ship's bonuses ==

Every ship comes with per-level bonuses, which often point towards the uses that the ship was designed for.

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Sometimes it's okay not to take advantage of a ship's bonuses: although the [[Brutix]] is bonused to give a more efficient active armor tank, it is almost always seen with a buffer tank, and quite often a shield tank at that. This is because the ship has the ability to supply a huge amount of DPS with its six damage bonused blasters and a shield tank leaves the lowslots free for damage upgrades to squeeze out even more damage.

==Don't mix tanks==

== Don't mix tanks ==

If you're going to tank (and not all fits include a tank) either [[Shield tanking|shield tank]] or [[Armour tanking|armor tank]]. Don't shield tank and armor tank in the same fit.

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If you mount two tanks, even if they're both buffer tanks, your ship won't be very useful except as a target.

==Don't mix guns==

== Don't mix guns ==

If you have a rack of exactly identical guns on your ship, they will all have precisely the same optimal and falloff ranges, and exactly the same tracking. This means you only have to worry about getting your ship to one ideal range and keeping the enemy's angular velocity below one value.

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Missiles are a little different, because they aren't affected by tracking and have a simpler kind of range, but the same principle often applies to them. Note that 'don't mix guns' doesn't mean you shouldn't put missile launchers in extra highslots if all your turret hardpoints are full and you want more dps (as in, for example, a Rifter with three autocannons and a missile launcher) -- though there are other options for spare highslots, such as neuts/NOSes, salvagers, tractor beams, remote repair modules and drone link augmentors.

==Bigger guns are not necessarily better==

== Bigger guns are not necessarily better ==

Bigger guns do more dps, assuming they hit, but they [[Gunnery_Guide#Tracking|track]] targets more slowly and they use up more powergrid and CPU.

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(This does not mean that you should fit frigate-sized guns on a cruiser. Downsizing within the available medium or large guns is often wise, but downsizing from large to medium guns, or from mediums to smalls, usually isn't, unless you're fitting a bait ship or certain kinds of drone boat fits.)

==Try fits outside the game==

== Try fits outside the game ==

There are a number of programs which let you try out out a fit hypothetically, outside the game.

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EFT's numbers aren't always perfectly accurate, and it's possible to be caught up in the numbers so that you forget the practical realities of piloting in EVE -- EFT can import your character's skills but it can't factor in your own piloting skills and experience. Nevertheless, it's a very useful tool.

If you can't use EFT (e.g. Mac user) or just want an alternative, try [http://www.evefit.org/Pyfa Pyfa]. It offers all the functionality of EFT, including DPS graphs. It is written in Python and is open source.

== Steal other people's ideas ==

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If you want to go further afield there's a forum for EVE players called Scrapheap Challenge which has fairly comprehensive [http://www.scrapheap-challenge.com/viewforum.php?f=3 pvp] and [http://www.scrapheap-challenge.com/viewforum.php?f=39 pve] ship fittings forums. Bear in mind that fittings suggested on Scrapheap are usually aimed at players with a lot of skillpoints, and a lot of the pvp fittings are for small gang or solo pvp. It's also a forum with a fairly aggressive and competitive posting culture which doesn't suffer fools, new members or people who break the rules (or any combination of the three), gladly.

==Fitting modules (don't overuse them)==

== Fitting modules (don't overuse them) ==

There are some low-slot modules which increase your powergrid or CPU, and so are sometimes called 'fitting modules'. ~~Co-processors increase your CPU by 7%, and Reactor Control Units increase your powergrid by 10%. There is also the Micro Auxiliary Power Core, which is designed specifically~~ for ~~frigates: rather than giving a percentage increase~~ to ~~powergrid, it gives you a flat increase of 10 MW. Finally there's the Power Diagnostic System,~~ which ~~increases your powergrid by 5%, and also gives bonuses~~ to ~~your shields and capacitor. There are also rigs and [[Implants#Skill_Hardwirings|hardwiring implants]] that can make fitting easier~~.

There are some low-slot modules which increase your powergrid or CPU, and so are sometimes called 'fitting modules'. See below for how to decide on which fitting module to use.

It is sometimes necessary to use a fitting module or a fitting rig, but if you have a fit that requires more than one it's often a bad sign, and it may mean that you need better fitting skills.

==Train fitting skills==

== Train fitting skills ==

Fitting skills reduce the CPU or powergrid requirements of modules, or just give you more raw CPU or powergrid to play with. Having decent fitting skills is very useful, and having very good fitting skills really helps to fit T2 modules and weapons, which demand more CPU and powergrid than their T1 equivalents. Levels in these skills are often required to fit useful modules, too. The fitting skills are:

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(Note that [[Skills:Armor#Hull Upgrades|Hull Upgrades]] doesn't make basic fitting easier, even though it has 'Upgrades' in its name. It gives you 5% more armor per level and Hull Upgrades at Lvl 5 is required to fit a [[Armour Tanking#Armor Tanking Skills| Tech 2 armor tank]].)

Tip: The benefits of CPU Management and Power Grid Management apply to the whole ship. Skill point for skill point, they provide significantly more fitting benefit than the module specific skills. You can't go wrong training these two skills to level 5 as soon as practical.

= Fitting the ship =

(Content from this section is shamelessly inspired from Jester's [http://jestertrek.blogspot.ca/2013/06/pvp-201-basic-ship-fitting-theory.html guide], see the Further reading section.)

Once you have selected the the engagement range, role, and tank of your ship, comes the time to actually fit it. Here is a guide on how to actually do this.

== Weapons ==

Start with weapons that are consistent with your engagement range: laser beams for snipers, medium artillery for skirmishers, etc. Try to use the most damaging weapons of the class that you've selected. You may have to downgrade them later (or may choose to downgrade them later so that everything will fit, or to improve tracking), but for now, if you're fitting blasters, try to fit neutron blasters, and so on.

Do not mix weapons and stick to weapons that go with your ship's bonuses. In addition, fit as many weapons as your ship has either missile or gun hard-points. Finally, do not mix weapons of the same type but of different "grades". For instance, do not mix 180mm and 220mm autocannons on the same ship.

== Role Enhancing Modules ==

Now look at your ship's role. If your role is damage, you're probably already in good shape but start to consider tracking. If you are going to be shield tanking, by default you should be using two damage-increasing modules consistent with your weapons in the lows. You might end up with one, you might end up with three. But start with two. If you have more than four low slots and will be using guns, you'll probably want to fit at least one Tracking Enhancer module as well. If you are going to be armor tanking, by default you should have one damage-increasing module consistent with your weapons in the lows.

This also applies to electronic warfare jamming ships: if you are shield-tanking, fit two Signal Distortion Amplifiers. If you are armor-tanking, try to find room for one. This is generally a good rule of thumb for enhancing the damage or the other effects that your ship puts out.

Finally, armor-tanking gun-ships with lots of mid-slots should consider a Tracking Computer in one or perhaps two of them.

Nearly all PvP ships should give a single mid slot over to a propulsion module, something to increase your ship's speed. And nearly always, this should be a meta Microwarpdrive. The extra speed is worth this module's many down-sides.

Nearly all PvP ships should give a single mid slot to a tackle module of some type. For scout, primary damage, and screen ships this should nearly always be a long point, a Warp Disruptor module of some kind. Ships in a tackle role should usually fit a Warp Scrambler module of some kind. Ships in other roles can forgo tackle modules.

== Tank ==

Next, consider your tank. First, fit a Damage Control unit of some kind.

As noted above, passive armor tanks use between three and six low slots. In order, fit the following:

*the heaviest armor plate your ship can fit consistent with its size and your guns; then,

*first one, then a second Energized Adaptive Nano Membrane, or if you do not have the CPU to do this, one and then a second Adaptive Nano Plating; then,

*look at your four resistances and "close" the one that is lowest with a single active armor hardener of the appropriate type; then,

*if you have an additional low slot, consider adding a second plate, particularly if you are flying a battleship.

In general, armor tanking with heavy ships operates best with seven low slots: enough for the six modules above plus one damage module. If you get there (with an armor-tanking battleship or battle-cruiser), you're done. Ships with six slots should generally forgo the second plate and fit the first five items plus the damage mod.

Passive shield tanks operate in a very similar fashion but with one fewer mid-slot, using between two and five. In order, fit the following:

*either (preferably) a Large Shield Extender or (on frigates and destroyers) a Medium Shield Extender. Small Shield Extenders should never be used, on any ship; then,

*one Adaptive Invulnerability Field; then,

*look at your four resistances and "close" the one that is lowest with a single active shield hardener of the appropriate type; then,

*a second Adaptive Invulnerability Field; then,

*if you have the power grid for it, a second Large Shield Extender.

In general, shield tanking operates best with five mid-slots: enough for all five modules above, plus one Damage Control in a low slot.

Active armor tanks operate in a similar fashion, but generally replace the plates with Armor Repair Modules plus one Ancillary Armor Repair module of the appropriate size. Active shield tanks replace the Shield Extenders with one or perhaps two Shield Boosters, the first of which is usually an X-Large Ancillary Shield Booster or Medium Ancillary Shield Booster. Use caution if intending to fit a Large Ancillary Shield Booster. In most applications, it will not repair sufficient damage to be useful. The Small Ancillary Shield Booster should not be used on any ship.

== Fitting mods ==

At this point, you are possibly running out of power grid, CPU, or both. It is at this point that you begin to have to consider using "fitting mods." Fitting mods operate by closing the gaps in your fit to allow everything you want to use to fit on the ship. In general, you should try not to use fitting mods unless the fit absolutely demands it. The six most common fitting mods are:

*the Ancillary Current Router rig, or the Power Diagnostic System low slot module;

*the Co-Processor low-slot module, or the Processor Overcloking Unit rig; and,

*the Reactor Control Unit low slot module, or the Micro Auxiliary Power Core low slot module.

The first two and the last two increase your power grid; the "MAPC" is for greatly increasing grid on frigates and the RCU is for greatly increasing grid on ships bigger than frigates. The third and fourth increase your CPU. In general, try to use the rig first before sacrificing a valuable low-slot module. '''Under almost no circumstances is fitting more than two fitting mods a good choice.''' If you find yourself fitting more than two fitting mods, you have probably made an incorrect choice in your ship fit somewhere. Reduce the size of your plate, the number of Shield Extenders, or reduce the guns you have chosen by one grade, from (for instance) neutron blasters to ion blasters, or from 425mm autocannons to 220mm autocannons.

As you adjust the fit of your ship, do not be afraid to change some of the modules from tech2 to meta modules, usually meta4 modules. This most often applies to Shield Extenders, your Damage Control, your point or scram, and your Microwarpdrive if not already meta. These changes will give you back a couple of percent of power grid or CPU here and there and are often all that's needed to bring a fit into line if the fit is close. It is usually not a good idea to change your resistance modules for meta modules; they are less effective than tech2 modules.

== Speed Tanking ==

Speed-tanking operates in a similar fashion, but reduces the maximum number of tanking modules available to one or two, usually focusing on shield. Most often, a Medium Shield Extender (often of the meta variety) and a Damage Control module are the two modules chosen. Alternately, other ships work well with two Large Shield Extenders and a Damage Control. In the general case, if you have only a few tanking modules on a ship, it is better to increase buffer with those that you do use unless you are also flying with a logistics ship, in which case you can replace one with a single module to increase your resists.

== Final Slots ==

At this point, you may have a low slot or two free. You may have a mid slot or two free. And you may have a high slot or two free. High slots are the easiest. For ships in a tackle role, a NOS is usually the best choice. For ships in all other roles, a neut is usually the best choice. A free low slot should be given to an additional damage module, an additional Tracking Enhancer, or (if you're running short of CPU), a Nanofiber Internal Structure. An additional mid slot should be given to an additional tackle mod (usually a Stasis Webifier), a Capacitor Booster, or some form of utility electronic warfare, usually a Sensor Dampener.

Inertia Stabilizers should not be fit on PvP ships under any circumstances. Sensor Boosters can be fit on PvP ships but should be fit only with a great deal of care and consideration. In a gang, this module will nearly always get you made fun of unless it is specifically required for sniping applications or the like.

Finally, modules that passively regenerate some aspect of your ship's operation should almost never be used in PvP. These include Cap Rechargers, Cap Power Relays, Shield Rechargers, and Shield Power Relays. While these modules are fine for PvE, the incoming damage or impacts to capacitor in PvP will generally be too strong for these modules to have much if any effect.

== Rigs ==

Finally and last, rig your ship using any remaining rig slots. In general at the basic level, passive shield tanking ships should use a full set of Core Defense Field Extender rigs. Passive armor ships should use a full set of Trimark Armor Pumps. This will increase the size of your ship's buffer and extend your life on the battle field. Active tanking ships use more specialized rigs. Active armor-tanking ships will use two Auxiliary Nano Pump rigs and one Nanobot Accelerator rig. Active shield-tanking ships will give one or two rig slots over to increasing shield resistances but may also use a Core Defense Operational Solidifier or (much more rarely) a Core Defense Capacitor Safeguard. Of course, if you have given over some rig slots to fitting rigs, you will have fewer rigs to devote to defense.

As with passive regeneration modules, do not use the Core Defense Field Purger rig in PvP at the basic level. While there are advanced level ships that can (and do) use this rig successfully in PvP, at the basic level you should stick with increasing buffer.

== Further reading ==

= Further reading =

*A summary reference of the various types of modules and rigs that you can fit on your ship: the [[Fitting Modules and Rigs Guide]].

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*When planning your ship fits keep in mind that often modules are stacking penalized. For further reading on stacking check out [[Stacking_penalties|the Guide on Stacking Penalties.]]

*Jester releases a ship fit every week which is sometimes quite good, sometimes quite hilarious and sometimes both. You can read about it [http://jestertrek.blogspot.de/search/label/FOTW here]

*Jester wrote in June 2013 an excellent guide to fitting~~. Anyone interested in how to fit~~ a ship ~~should read his~~ [http://jestertrek.blogspot.ca/2013/06/pvp-201-basic-ship-fitting-theory.html guide].

*Jester wrote in June 2013 an excellent guide to fitting a ship for PvP. Even if PvP is not your main activity, the [http://jestertrek.blogspot.ca/2013/06/pvp-201-basic-ship-fitting-theory.html guide] is a must read.

[[Category:Guides]] [[Category:Ship_Fitting]]

@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 Unlike the rules about wartime fitting, these are just guidelines. They are designed to help you until you know when you can ignore them.
+= General Guidelines =
 ==Fit for a purpose==
@@ Line 11: / Line 13: @@
 Of course, there are dangers in over-specialisation too, especially when you're not working with other players. If you're going to exploit a low-class wormhole while solo you want your ship to deal and tank damage, launch probes, and maybe cloak so that you can hide if you see a gang of enemies on your [[Directional Scanner Guide|directional scanner]].
-==Consider your ship's bonuses==
+According to Jester [http://jestertrek.blogspot.ca/2013/06/pvp-201-basic-ship-fitting-theory.html guide] for PvP fitting, one should consider the following elements:
+*Engagement Range: Brawling, Kitting, Skirmishing or Sniper
+*Role: Primary damage (DD), Tackler, Scout, Logistics, Electronic warfare or Screen
+*Tank: Passive armor tank, Passive shield tank, Active shield tank, Active armor tank, Speed tank or No tank
+== Consider your ship's bonuses ==
 Every ship comes with per-level bonuses, which often point towards the uses that the ship was designed for.
@@ Line 19: / Line 26: @@
 Sometimes it's okay not to take advantage of a ship's bonuses: although the [[Brutix]] is bonused to give a more efficient active armor tank, it is almost always seen with a buffer tank, and quite often a shield tank at that. This is because the ship has the ability to supply a huge amount of DPS with its six damage bonused blasters and a shield tank leaves the lowslots free for damage upgrades to squeeze out even more damage.
-==Don't mix tanks==
+== Don't mix tanks ==
 If you're going to tank (and not all fits include a tank) either [[Shield tanking|shield tank]] or [[Armour tanking|armor tank]]. Don't shield tank and armor tank in the same fit.
@@ Line 27: / Line 34: @@
 If you mount two tanks, even if they're both buffer tanks, your ship won't be very useful except as a target.
-==Don't mix guns==
+== Don't mix guns ==
 If you have a rack of exactly identical guns on your ship, they will all have precisely the same optimal and falloff ranges, and exactly the same tracking. This means you only have to worry about getting your ship to one ideal range and keeping the enemy's angular velocity below one value.
@@ Line 35: / Line 42: @@
 Missiles are a little different, because they aren't affected by tracking and have a simpler kind of range, but the same principle often applies to them. Note that 'don't mix guns' doesn't mean you shouldn't put missile launchers in extra highslots if all your turret hardpoints are full and you want more dps (as in, for example, a Rifter with three autocannons and a missile launcher) -- though there are other options for spare highslots, such as neuts/NOSes, salvagers, tractor beams, remote repair modules and drone link augmentors.
-==Bigger guns are not necessarily better==
+== Bigger guns are not necessarily better ==
 Bigger guns do more dps, assuming they hit, but they [[Gunnery_Guide#Tracking|track]] targets more slowly and they use up more powergrid and CPU.
@@ Line 43: / Line 50: @@
 (This does not mean that you should fit frigate-sized guns on a cruiser. Downsizing within the available medium or large guns is often wise, but downsizing from large to medium guns, or from mediums to smalls, usually isn't, unless you're fitting a bait ship or certain kinds of drone boat fits.)
-==Try fits outside the game==
+== Try fits outside the game ==
 There are a number of programs which let you try out out a fit hypothetically, outside the game.
@@ Line 53: / Line 60: @@
 EFT's numbers aren't always perfectly accurate, and it's possible to be caught up in the numbers so that you forget the practical realities of piloting in EVE -- EFT can import your character's skills but it can't factor in your own piloting skills and experience. Nevertheless, it's a very useful tool.
-If you can't use EFT (e.g. Mac user) or just want an alternative, try [http://www.evefit.org/Pyfa Pyfa].  It offers all the functionality of EFT, including DPS graphs.  It is written in Python and is open source.
+If you can't use EFT (e.g. Mac user) or just want an alternative, try [http://www.evefit.org/Pyfa Pyfa]. It offers all the functionality of EFT, including DPS graphs. It is written in Python and is open source.
 == Steal other people's ideas ==
@@ Line 67: / Line 74: @@
 If you want to go further afield there's a forum for EVE players called Scrapheap Challenge which has fairly comprehensive [http://www.scrapheap-challenge.com/viewforum.php?f=3 pvp] and [http://www.scrapheap-challenge.com/viewforum.php?f=39 pve] ship fittings forums. Bear in mind that fittings suggested on Scrapheap are usually aimed at players with a lot of skillpoints, and a lot of the pvp fittings are for small gang or solo pvp. It's also a forum with a fairly aggressive and competitive posting culture which doesn't suffer fools, new members or people who break the rules (or any combination of the three), gladly.
-==Fitting modules (don't overuse them)==
+== Fitting modules (don't overuse them) ==
-There are some low-slot modules which increase your powergrid or CPU, and so are sometimes called 'fitting modules'. Co-processors increase your CPU by 7%, and Reactor Control Units increase your powergrid by 10%. There is also the Micro Auxiliary Power Core, which is designed specifically for frigates: rather than giving a percentage increase to powergrid, it gives you a flat increase of 10 MW. Finally there's the Power Diagnostic System, which increases your powergrid by 5%, and also gives bonuses to your shields and capacitor. There are also rigs and [[Implants#Skill_Hardwirings|hardwiring implants]] that can make fitting easier.
+There are some low-slot modules which increase your powergrid or CPU, and so are sometimes called 'fitting modules'. See below for how to decide on which fitting module to use.
 It is sometimes necessary to use a fitting module or a fitting rig, but if you have a fit that requires more than one it's often a bad sign, and it may mean that you need better fitting skills.
-==Train fitting skills==
+== Train fitting skills ==
 Fitting skills reduce the CPU or powergrid requirements of modules, or just give you more raw CPU or powergrid to play with. Having decent fitting skills is very useful, and having very good fitting skills really helps to fit T2 modules and weapons, which demand more CPU and powergrid than their T1 equivalents. Levels in these skills are often required to fit useful modules, too. The fitting skills are:
@@ Line 89: / Line 96: @@
 (Note that [[Skills:Armor#Hull Upgrades|Hull Upgrades]] doesn't make basic fitting easier, even though it has 'Upgrades' in its name. It gives you 5% more armor per level and Hull Upgrades at Lvl 5 is required to fit a [[Armour Tanking#Armor Tanking Skills| Tech 2 armor tank]].)
-Tip: The benefits of CPU Management and Power Grid Management apply to the whole ship. Skill point for skill point, they provide significantly more fitting benefit than the module specific skills.  You can't go wrong training these two skills to level 5 as soon as practical.
+Tip: The benefits of CPU Management and Power Grid Management apply to the whole ship. Skill point for skill point, they provide significantly more fitting benefit than the module specific skills. You can't go wrong training these two skills to level 5 as soon as practical.
+= Fitting the ship =
+(Content from this section is shamelessly inspired from Jester's [http://jestertrek.blogspot.ca/2013/06/pvp-201-basic-ship-fitting-theory.html guide], see the Further reading section.)
+Once you have selected the the engagement range, role, and tank of your ship, comes the time to actually fit it. Here is a guide on how to actually do this.
+== Weapons ==
+Start with weapons that are consistent with your engagement range: laser beams for snipers, medium artillery for skirmishers, etc. Try to use the most damaging weapons of the class that you've selected. You may have to downgrade them later (or may choose to downgrade them later so that everything will fit, or to improve tracking), but for now, if you're fitting blasters, try to fit neutron blasters, and so on.
+Do not mix weapons and stick to weapons that go with your ship's bonuses. In addition, fit as many weapons as your ship has either missile or gun hard-points. Finally, do not mix weapons of the same type but of different "grades". For instance, do not mix 180mm and 220mm autocannons on the same ship.
+== Role Enhancing Modules ==
+Now look at your ship's role. If your role is damage, you're probably already in good shape but start to consider tracking. If you are going to be shield tanking, by default you should be using two damage-increasing modules consistent with your weapons in the lows. You might end up with one, you might end up with three. But start with two. If you have more than four low slots and will be using guns, you'll probably want to fit at least one Tracking Enhancer module as well. If you are going to be armor tanking, by default you should have one damage-increasing module consistent with your weapons in the lows.
+This also applies to electronic warfare jamming ships: if you are shield-tanking, fit two Signal Distortion Amplifiers. If you are armor-tanking, try to find room for one. This is generally a good rule of thumb for enhancing the damage or the other effects that your ship puts out.
+Finally, armor-tanking gun-ships with lots of mid-slots should consider a Tracking Computer in one or perhaps two of them.
+Nearly all PvP ships should give a single mid slot over to a propulsion module, something to increase your ship's speed. And nearly always, this should be a meta Microwarpdrive. The extra speed is worth this module's many down-sides.
+Nearly all PvP ships should give a single mid slot to a tackle module of some type. For scout, primary damage, and screen ships this should nearly always be a long point, a Warp Disruptor module of some kind. Ships in a tackle role should usually fit a Warp Scrambler module of some kind. Ships in other roles can forgo tackle modules.
+== Tank ==
+Next, consider your tank. First, fit a Damage Control unit of some kind.
+As noted above, passive armor tanks use between three and six low slots. In order, fit the following:
+*the heaviest armor plate your ship can fit consistent with its size and your guns; then,
+*first one, then a second Energized Adaptive Nano Membrane, or if you do not have the CPU to do this, one and then a second Adaptive Nano Plating; then,
+*look at your four resistances and "close" the one that is lowest with a single active armor hardener of the appropriate type; then,
+*if you have an additional low slot, consider adding a second plate, particularly if you are flying a battleship.
+In general, armor tanking with heavy ships operates best with seven low slots: enough for the six modules above plus one damage module. If you get there (with an armor-tanking battleship or battle-cruiser), you're done. Ships with six slots should generally forgo the second plate and fit the first five items plus the damage mod.
+Passive shield tanks operate in a very similar fashion but with one fewer mid-slot, using between two and five. In order, fit the following:
+*either (preferably) a Large Shield Extender or (on frigates and destroyers) a Medium Shield Extender. Small Shield Extenders should never be used, on any ship; then,
+*one Adaptive Invulnerability Field; then,
+*look at your four resistances and "close" the one that is lowest with a single active shield hardener of the appropriate type; then,
+*a second Adaptive Invulnerability Field; then,
+*if you have the power grid for it, a second Large Shield Extender.
+In general, shield tanking operates best with five mid-slots: enough for all five modules above, plus one Damage Control in a low slot.
+Active armor tanks operate in a similar fashion, but generally replace the plates with Armor Repair Modules plus one Ancillary Armor Repair module of the appropriate size. Active shield tanks replace the Shield Extenders with one or perhaps two Shield Boosters, the first of which is usually an X-Large Ancillary Shield Booster or Medium Ancillary Shield Booster. Use caution if intending to fit a Large Ancillary Shield Booster. In most applications, it will not repair sufficient damage to be useful. The Small Ancillary Shield Booster should not be used on any ship.
+== Fitting mods ==
+At this point, you are possibly running out of power grid, CPU, or both. It is at this point that you begin to have to consider using "fitting mods." Fitting mods operate by closing the gaps in your fit to allow everything you want to use to fit on the ship. In general, you should try not to use fitting mods unless the fit absolutely demands it. The six most common fitting mods are:
+*the Ancillary Current Router rig, or the Power Diagnostic System low slot module;
+*the Co-Processor low-slot module, or the Processor Overcloking Unit rig; and,
+*the Reactor Control Unit low slot module, or the Micro Auxiliary Power Core low slot module.
+The first two and the last two increase your power grid; the "MAPC" is for greatly increasing grid on frigates and the RCU is for greatly increasing grid on ships bigger than frigates. The third and fourth increase your CPU. In general, try to use the rig first before sacrificing a valuable low-slot module. '''Under almost no circumstances is fitting more than two fitting mods a good choice.''' If you find yourself fitting more than two fitting mods, you have probably made an incorrect choice in your ship fit somewhere. Reduce the size of your plate, the number of Shield Extenders, or reduce the guns you have chosen by one grade, from (for instance) neutron blasters to ion blasters, or from 425mm autocannons to 220mm autocannons.
+As you adjust the fit of your ship, do not be afraid to change some of the modules from tech2 to meta modules, usually meta4 modules. This most often applies to Shield Extenders, your Damage Control, your point or scram, and your Microwarpdrive if not already meta. These changes will give you back a couple of percent of power grid or CPU here and there and are often all that's needed to bring a fit into line if the fit is close. It is usually not a good idea to change your resistance modules for meta modules; they are less effective than tech2 modules.
+== Speed Tanking ==
+Speed-tanking operates in a similar fashion, but reduces the maximum number of tanking modules available to one or two, usually focusing on shield. Most often, a Medium Shield Extender (often of the meta variety) and a Damage Control module are the two modules chosen. Alternately, other ships work well with two Large Shield Extenders and a Damage Control. In the general case, if you have only a few tanking modules on a ship, it is better to increase buffer with those that you do use unless you are also flying with a logistics ship, in which case you can replace one with a single module to increase your resists.
+== Final Slots ==
+At this point, you may have a low slot or two free. You may have a mid slot or two free. And you may have a high slot or two free. High slots are the easiest. For ships in a tackle role, a NOS is usually the best choice. For ships in all other roles, a neut is usually the best choice. A free low slot should be given to an additional damage module, an additional Tracking Enhancer, or (if you're running short of CPU), a Nanofiber Internal Structure. An additional mid slot should be given to an additional tackle mod (usually a Stasis Webifier), a Capacitor Booster, or some form of utility electronic warfare, usually a Sensor Dampener.
+Inertia Stabilizers should not be fit on PvP ships under any circumstances. Sensor Boosters can be fit on PvP ships but should be fit only with a great deal of care and consideration. In a gang, this module will nearly always get you made fun of unless it is specifically required for sniping applications or the like.
+Finally, modules that passively regenerate some aspect of your ship's operation should almost never be used in PvP. These include Cap Rechargers, Cap Power Relays, Shield Rechargers, and Shield Power Relays. While these modules are fine for PvE, the incoming damage or impacts to capacitor in PvP will generally be too strong for these modules to have much if any effect.
+== Rigs ==
+Finally and last, rig your ship using any remaining rig slots. In general at the basic level, passive shield tanking ships should use a full set of Core Defense Field Extender rigs. Passive armor ships should use a full set of Trimark Armor Pumps. This will increase the size of your ship's buffer and extend your life on the battle field. Active tanking ships use more specialized rigs. Active armor-tanking ships will use two Auxiliary Nano Pump rigs and one Nanobot Accelerator rig. Active shield-tanking ships will give one or two rig slots over to increasing shield resistances but may also use a Core Defense Operational Solidifier or (much more rarely) a Core Defense Capacitor Safeguard. Of course, if you have given over some rig slots to fitting rigs, you will have fewer rigs to devote to defense.
+As with passive regeneration modules, do not use the Core Defense Field Purger rig in PvP at the basic level. While there are advanced level ships that can (and do) use this rig successfully in PvP, at the basic level you should stick with increasing buffer.
-== Further reading ==
+= Further reading =
 *A summary reference of the various types of modules and rigs that you can fit on your ship: the [[Fitting Modules and Rigs Guide]].
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 *When planning your ship fits keep in mind that often modules are stacking penalized. For further reading on stacking check out [[Stacking_penalties|the Guide on Stacking Penalties.]]
 *Jester releases a ship fit every week which is sometimes quite good, sometimes quite hilarious and sometimes both. You can read about it [http://jestertrek.blogspot.de/search/label/FOTW here]
-*Jester wrote in June 2013 an excellent guide to fitting. Anyone interested in how to fit a ship should read his [http://jestertrek.blogspot.ca/2013/06/pvp-201-basic-ship-fitting-theory.html guide].
+*Jester wrote in June 2013 an excellent guide to fitting a ship for PvP. Even if PvP is not your main activity, the [http://jestertrek.blogspot.ca/2013/06/pvp-201-basic-ship-fitting-theory.html guide] is a must read.
 [[Category:Guides]] [[Category:Ship_Fitting]]