Stealth Bombers
Stealth bombers are powerful, expensive (for their size) and extremely fragile weapons. Since they are T2 frigates, they are often one of the earliest T2 ships that new pilots can fly. This page discusses the available bombers and suggests possible fits for use in Eve University fleets.
Which Bomber?
Each race has one stealth bomber.
The Purifier and the Hound are perhaps better at using bombs (they have a 3L-3M-5H slot layout), while the Manticore and the Nemesis are perhaps better torpedo platforms (with a 2L-4M-5H slot layout). You might think that the bombers with three lows would be better torpedo bombers because they could fit three Ballistic Control Systems, but you'll be hard pressed to find an effective fit with 120 CPU to spare for BCS IIs. Additionally, the Manticore and Nemesis can fit one more utility/EWar/etc module in their mids -- the ability to, for example, sensor damp the enemy may allow them to stay on the field for longer
Stealth Bomber Fitting Examples
University pilots in bombers will most likely be using them in lowsec, so all the fittings below are purely torpedo platforms. You may consider bringing a bomb launcher if your fleet is headed to NPC nullsec or to w-space, but you should run this past your fleet commander first, and also consider your experience level (accidentally bombing the battleship core of your own fleet is very embarrassing).
There won't be much variance in the fits for the different bombers, but it should be noted that all of these fits are pretty tight on grid and CPU. High fitting skills are a must-train for any combat pilot considering flying T2 ships anyway.
To illustrate the versatility of the ship, the following fits have are no propulsion modules. Should you choose to use one of these exact fits, you may get away without one if you're not in null/W-Space, because ideally you'll be invisible all the time and you'll be warping to either 10 or 0 on gates depending on what your scout says. But remember that Murphy's Law applies to New Eden just as it applies to the rest of the universe: the chances are that if you don't bring a propulsion module, you'll find yourself in a situation where you need to travel 50km in 12 seconds. Fortunately, each of the fits below has enough Power Grid left over to fit at least a T2 Afterburner if you sacrifice one of your support modules (Sensor Damp, etc). If you are going into NullSec or W-Space, a propulsion mode is required.
Note the optional offlined probe launcher in each fit. You'll need to offline a lot of other stuff to use it (all of your launchers and EW), and it's not at all necessary in most cases, but if your probing skills are high enough you should still be able to scan down larger targets in a pinch. Probing in Stealth Bombers is restricted by Wartime SOP. Only fit this in non-Wartime PvP fleets.
Note also the range of electronics in the midslots:
- Sensor boosters further increase your already high scan resolution, letting you lock onto targets faster
- Sensor dampeners can be used to increase the enemy's scan resolution, making them take longer to lock you; or you can cut their targeting range so that (you hope) they can't lock you
- Tracking disruptors can be used to reduce the enemy's turret range, hopefully keeping you safer, or to reduce their tracking speed, which won't help you but may help fleetmates
- Target painters increase the enemy's signature radius, letting your torpedoes do more damage
Sensor boosters, sensor dampeners and tracking disruptors should be scripted or left unscripted appropriately for your target and range. Sensor dampeners, tracking disruptors and target painters all have support skills -- one which reduces cap demand, one which makes them more effective -- which you should invest SP in.
Hound
The Hound is the Minmatar Stealth Bomber. It gets a bonus to explosive damage. With the exception of the torpedo type, the fit is the same as the Purifier, though pilots may find it a touch easier to squeeze everything on due to a slight difference in CPU.
Manticore
The Manticore is the Caldari Stealth Bomber. It may be the "best" Stealth Bomber because of its ample CPU space and slot layout. It gets a bonus to kinetic damage.
Nemesis
The Nemesis is the Gallente Stealth Bomber. It shares the Manticore's slot layout. It has a bit less CPU, so it can't quite fit the same range of modules in its midslots. Pilots who wish to fit Tech 2 versions of the mid slot modules will find it difficult to fit as well. The Nemesis gets a bonus to thermal damage.
Purifier
The Purifier is the Amarr Stealth Bomber. It has the least CPU of any of the Stealth Bombers, which makes fitting tight and not quite as varied as the other races' spacecraft. It gets a bonus to EM damage.
Tips
Basic Fleet Tactics
- Make sure your SC and FC know they have a/some bombers. Do this before the fleet undocks. Check that they're happy to have bombers along, and find out if they want to use you in a specific way.
- Do your best to travel just behind the fleet (sort of a -1 or -0.5). Showing up after the battle is in full swing for a surgical strike is where bombers really shine.
- After landing at the battle grid, double click in space in a direction perpendicular to the direction you approached from before realigning. This will keep fleetmates who show up a few moments after you from decloaking you if they come in on the same line.
- Be on the field as close to the beginning of the battle as possible, in comfortable range (around 40-50km) and aligned to a celestial. Decloak after the battle starts and targets are otherwise occupied. Attack whatever ship your FC calls primary. Only decloak if you are ready to lock and attack immediately.
- Once you get a lock, activate all of your modules and wait for impact.
- You cannot recloak immediately; I normally fire 2 salvos while I'm getting ready to either recloak or warp out.
- When your second salvo launches, recloak and wait for your launcher cycle to finish. You can cloak while your modules are active; they will automatically shut off.
- Decloak and repeat. Your torpedoes will hit if you recloak immediately after firing them.
Ships to Watch Out For
- Interceptors/Fast Tackle: They can close the 50km gap between you and the battle in a matter of seconds. They will do this, and they will kill you. Keep your overview sorted by range, and when you see someone moving up the list quickly, it's time to bounce, cloak, and then return to the fray from a different angle.
- Snipers: Keep an eye out for ships that are often fit for range, such as the Apocalypse. They only have to hit you once, and your sensor dampener will not be effective enough against them to keep you safe from their attack.
- Drones: A target's drones will continue to attack you after they have been jammed. The point here is to not get locked. At all.
Rookie Mistakes
New Stealth Bomber pilots will probably do one or two of these at least once.
- Warp to 0 on a battle.
- Travel in front of the fleet instead of behind them and get smartbombed landing on a gate.
- Forget to prealign before decloaking.
- Get decloaked by a fleetmate who warped past them because they did not immediately start moving upon landing at the battle site.
- Get locked by an enemy and tell themselves "I'm good for another salvo."
Targets
- You will be most effective against larger targets like battlecruisers and battleships.
- Target painters will help against cruiser hulls, but what you really want is for them to activate their MWD
- Frigate hulls can shrug off a lot of torpedoes. You can whore on the mail if you really must, but if you haven't yet uncloaked and there's some intel value in not revealing your presence to anything in d-scan range, you may want to consider holding off.
See Also
- Hallan Turrek's stealth bomber guide discusses these ships from a non-University perspective
- Kyrlin DiShai's recommended Stealth Bomber Training Plan for EveMon is a great resource for prospective Stealth Bomber pilots.
