Fighters

Fighters are extremely powerful Drones equipped with cruiser, battleship, or dreadnought-grade weaponry, launched by carriers, supercarriers, Guristas capital ships, and Upwell Structures.

General Fighter Mechanics

In order to use fighters you need to train  Fighters (5% damage bonus per level). There are 3 types of fighters: Light (Anti-Subcapital), Heavy (Anti-Capital), and Support (EWAR). Each has a Tech 1 and Tech 2 variant. Light fighters and heavy fighters are further split between the roles they perform. Each type of fighter has a squadron size that determines how many individual fighters make up a squadron, and each carrier or supercarrier is limited by how many launch tubes exist for squadrons. A squadron of fighters is controlled and targeted as a single entity in space, and will generate a Killmail if the last fighter in a squadron is destroyed. Fighters are a lot larger, in volume, than drones. The skill  Fighter Hangar Management increases fighter hangar size by 5% per level.

All fighters are capable of warping, and will pursue a target into warp - the only escape from fighters is to jump system or to dock.

Fighters cannot receive remote assistance, such as repairs or shield boosting. However, they are vulnerable to ECM, and with their weak sensor strengths, jamming fighters is a common strategy for reducing a carrier's damage potential.

Each race has each its own fighters, their damage matches the race's primary damage type, and they follow the same racial patterns of damage versus speed which are present on ordinary drones.

Fighter weapons use a variation of Missile mechanics: their weapons have explosion radii and velocities, and deal constant damage with no chance of missing. However, they also have optimal and falloff ranges, which use the effectiveness falloff of Electronic Warfare modules (visible as the 'Range' portion of turret accuracy):

• Within Optimal range, the weapons deal full damage
• At Optimal+Falloff, the weapons deal 50% damage
• At Optimal+(Falloff x2), the weapons deal 6.25% damage

Dropping using the standard 0.5 ^ ((Distance-Optimal)/Falloff)² curve. These mechanics mean that fighter damage is very predictable, and can be effectively mitigated using Afterburners (but much less effectively mitigated using Microwarpdrives).

Most Fighters have two weapons systems: a primary weapon which can be fired continuously, and a secondary weapon with high damage but a cooldown and limited ammunition. When firing, all (alive) fighters in a squadron fire together, and their damage is added together.

Fighters have thick, regenerating Shields, but no Armor or Structure HP. As a fighter squadron sustains damage, the rightmost segment of its health indicators will shift color from green to yellow to red to black. When a fighter squadron sustains damage equal to the Shield HP of one of its fighters, one fighter is destroyed and the squadron's damage is reduced accordingly.

When Fighters are recalled to their carriers, they go through a short Refueling period before they can be launched again. The duration of this period is based on the number of fighters in the squadron. During this refueling period, their shields are restored and the ammunition for their secondary weapons is reloaded, and after refueling completes, new fighters can be loaded into a tube to replace any fighters which were destroyed.

Like Drones, Fighters can also be Abandoned in space in case of emergency.

Fighters have Destroyer to Cruiser-sized signature radii of 80-120m. Combined with their high speeds, this makes fighters most effectively targeted by Small or Medium weapons and drones.

All Fighters also have Standup versions which can be used by most Upwell Structures. Standup fighters have improved base stats over regular fighters (2x speed, 2.5x damage, better explosion velocity and radius, +50% shield HP, better ECM resistance, 2x cargohold volume) but are not affected by any modules or player skills. Standup Fighters can be changed and loaded while an Upwell structure is damaged or Reinforced.

Light Fighters

Light fighters require the skill  Light Fighters (5% bonus in light fighter velocity per level). Tech 2 light fighters requires Light Fighters IV.

Attack Fighters

Attack fighters are general purpose attack craft, equipped with a faction-specific primary weapon (i.e., blaster cannon, pulse cannon, autocannon) with a short effective range. Their secondary weapon is a Heavy Rocket Salvo - a simplified, significantly shorter ranged version of starship launched Heavy Missiles. Also, they are equipped with a Microwarpdrive that increase base speed by 500%, at the cost of a 500% signature radius increase, with a 20-second duration and 60-second cooldown.

Light attack fighters are effective against cruisers and battleships, but will struggle to effectively damage frigates and are not generally hard-hitting enough to engage capital ships.

All damage values on this page are per-fighter, not per-squadron.

General Stats
Squadron Size	9
Volume	1000m3
Signature Radius	100m
Shield Capacity (T1)	2190 HP
Shield Capacity (T2)	2420 HP
Explosion Radius (cannon)	185m
Explosion Velocity (cannon)	105m/s
Explosion Radius (missile)	400m
Explosion Velocity (missile)	70m/s

Faction	Fighter	DPS	Rocket DPS	Speed (Base)	Speed (MWD)	Orbit
Amarr	Templar I	65	119	926 m/s	4,630 m/s	6,500 m
Caldari	Dragonfly I	72	131	837 m/s	4,185 m/s	4,500 m
Gallente	Firbolg I	75	138	793 m/s	3,965 m/s	4,500 m
Minmatar	Einherji I	62	113	970 m/s	4,850 m/s	7,000 m
Amarr	Templar II	72	131	963 m/s	4,815 m/s	7,300 m
Caldari	Dragonfly II	79	146	872 m/s	4,360 m/s	4,900 m
Gallente	Firbolg II	83	152	826 m/s	4,130 m/s	4,900 m
Minmatar	Einherji II	83	142	1,009 m/s	5,045 m/s	7,400 m

Space Superiority

Space Superiority fighters are anti-drone and anti-fighter weapons. Their primary weapons, Micro Missile Swarm, are extremely efficient at killing hostile drones and fighters, however deal greatly reduced damage to real ships. Defensively, they can enact evasive manuevers that increase base speed by 200%, reduce signature radius by 80%, and increase all shield resists by 50%. Lastly, they can tackle hostile drones and fighters (but only drones and fighters), slowing them and disabling their warp drives.

General Stats
Squadron Size	12
Volume	800m3
Signature Radius	80m
Shield Capacity (T1)	1600 HP
Shield Capacity (T2)	1760 HP
Explosion Radius	15m
Explosion Velocity	300m/s

Faction	Fighter	DPS	Speed (Base)	Speed (AB)	Orbit
Amarr	Equite I	38	1,111 m/s	2,222 m/s	10,000 m
Caldari	Locust I	40	1,005 m/s	2,010 m/s	10,000 m
Gallente	Satyr I	42	952 m/s	1,904 m/s	10,000 m
Minmatar	Gram I	36	1,164 m/s	2,328 m/s	10,000 m
Amarr	Equite II	42	1,211 m/s	2,422 m/s	10,000 m
Caldari	Locust II	44	1,046 m/s	2,092 m/s	10,000 m
Gallente	Satyr II	46	991 m/s	1,982 m/s	10,000 m
Minmatar	Gram II	40	1,211 m/s	2,422 m/s	10,000 m

Heavy Fighters

Heavy Fighters are anti-capital-ship fighters, and can only be used by supercarriers. Each race has its own heavy fighters, which follow the same damage and speed patterns as light fighters.

Heavy fighters need the Heavy Fighters skill (5% damage increase per level), while Tech 2 heavy fighters requires the skill Heavy Fighters IV.

Heavy Attack

Heavy Attack fighters use a faction specific primary weapon (i.e., blaster, pulse laser, or autocannon), while their secondary weapon is a very high damage Torpedo Salvo. The large explosion radii of these weapons renders them only effective against capital ships. Additionally, they possess a Microwarpdrive that increases base speed by 500% and signature radius by 500%, with a 20-second duration and 60-second cooldown.

There is also a Sansha faction heavy fighter (the Shadow). The Shadow deals both EM and Thermal damage, significantly higher total damage than an ordinary T1 heavy fighter, and has better damage application than an ordinary heavy fighter, but does not have the secondary torpedo salvo.

General Stats
Squadron Size	6
Volume	1800m3
Signature Radius	110m
Shield Capacity (T1)	3650 HP
Shield Capacity (T2)	4030 HP
Shield Capacity (Shadow)	5500 HP
Explosion Radius (cannon)	3000m
Explosion Velocity (cannon)	40m/s
Explosion Radius (Shadow)	2000m
Explosion Velocity (Shadow)	60m/s
Explosion Radius (torpedo)	5000m
Explosion Velocity (torpedo)	50m/s

Faction	Fighter	DPS	Torpedo DPS	Speed (Base)	Speed (MWD)	Orbit
Amarr	Malleus I	316	2,527	576 m/s	2,880 m/s	6,500 m
Caldari	Mantis I	349	2,793	521 m/s	2,605 m/s	4,500 m
Gallente	Cyclops I	366	2,926	494 m/s	2,470 m/s	4,500 m
Minmatar	Tyrfing I	299	2,394	604 m/s	3,020 m/s	7,000 m
Sansha	Shadow	200	N/A	543 m/s	9,500 m/s	2,172 m
Amarr	Malleus II	349	2,793	600 m/s	3,000 m/s	7,300 m
Caldari	Mantis II	386	3,087	543 m/s	2,715 m/s	4,900 m
Gallente	Cyclops II	404	3,324	514 m/s	2,570 m/s	4,900 m
Minmatar	Tyrfing II	331	2,646	628 m/s	3,140 m/s	7,400 m

Long Range Attack

Long Range Attack fighters have faction specific long-range weaponary (i.e, beam cannon, railgun, and artillery), a Micro Jump Drive, a Micro Jump Drive for range control, and are capable of launching unguided bombs (much like stealth bombers but weaker). Fighter bombs have the same 30km range, 12s flight time, and 15km damage radius of regular bombs, and are immune to their given damage type (making it impossible for multiple matching bombs to destroy each other in flight). Usage of these bombs are disallowed in Low Security space.

The weapons of long ranged fighters can be used against battleships, but their explosion radii leaves Light Attack Fighters as more efficient against smaller subcapital ships.

General Stats
Squadron Size	6
Volume	2000m3
Signature Radius	120m
Shield Capacity (T1)	3420 HP
Shield Capacity (T2)	3780 HP
Explosion Radius (cannon)	380m
Explosion Velocity (cannon)	80m/s
Damage (bomb)	640
Explosion Radius (bomb)	400m

Faction	Fighter	DPS	Optimal	Falloff	Speed (Base)	MJD Range	Orbit
Amarr	Ametat I	253	34 km	8,000 m	555 m/s	100 km	31.50 km
Caldari	Termite I	279	30 km	12 km	502 m/s	100 km	31.50 km
Gallente	Antaeus I	293	30 km	12 km	476 m/s	100 km	31.50 km
Minmatar	Gungnir I	239	26 km	16 km	582 m/s	100 km	31.50 km
Amarr	Ametat II	279	40.80 km	8,000 m	578 m/s	100 km	36.60 km
Caldari	Termite II	309	36 km	12 km	523 m/s	100 km	36 km
Gallente	Antaeus II	323	36 km	12 km	495 m/s	100 km	36 km
Minmatar	Gungnir II	265	31.20 km	16 km	605 m/s	100 km	36 km

Support Fighters

Support fighters are specialized fighters that each perform their own type of EWAR. They also each come with a Microwarpdrive, increasing their speed (and signature) by 500% for 20 seconds on a 60 second cooldown. However, they have no weapons. Support fighters require the Support Fighters skill (5% increase in support fighter hit-points per level). Tech 2 support fighters requires Support Fighters IV.

General Stats
Squadron Size	3
Volume	3000m3
Signature Radius	120m
Shield Capacity (T1)	6800 HP
Shield Capacity (T2)	7500 HP

Faction	Fighter	Energy Neut	Optimal	Falloff	Speed (Base)	Speed (MWD)	Orbit
Amarr	Cenobite I	60	5,000 m	2,500 m	715 m/s	3,575 m/s	3,750
Amarr	Cenobite II	80	10,000 m	5,000 m	744 m/s	3,720 m/s	7,500

Faction	Fighter	Jamming Strength	Optimal	Falloff	Speed (Base)	Speed (MWD)	Orbit
Caldari	Scarab I	1.6	5,000 m	5,625 m	715 m/s	3,575 m/s	5,300 m
Caldari	Scarab II	2.3	7,500 m	8,400 m	744 m/s	3,720 m/s	8,000 m

Faction	Fighter	Warp Disruption	Optimal	Speed (Base)	Speed (MWD)	Orbit
Gallente	Siren I	1	8 km	715 m/s	3,575 m/s	4,000 m
Gallente	Siren II	1	16 km	744 m/s	3,720 m/s	8,000 m

Faction	Fighter	Velocity Reduction	Optimal	Speed (Base)	Speed (MWD)	Orbit
Minmatar	Dromi I	15%	8 km	715 m/s	3,575 m/s	4,000 m
Minmatar	Dromi II	20%	16 km	744 m/s	3,720 m/s	8,000 m

Fighter Improving Modules

Fighters are considered to be Drones for purposes of modules improving their characteristics. This means there are several modules which improve the performance of Fighters.

• Drone Damage Amplifiers increase Fighter damage
• Drone Navigation Computers increase fighter base speed
• Omnidirectional Tracking Enhancers and Links improve fighter weapons' range and damage application
• The Carrier-specific Fighter Support Unit increases fighter velocity, shield strength, shield regeneration, and weapons rate-of-fire

Fighters are not affected by Drone Control Range. The only limit on their usable range is the uniquely extremely long range of their carrier's targeting sensors.