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| Weapon Systems |
|---|
 Turrets |
 Missiles |
 Drones |
| Other Weapon Systems |
| Other Mechanics |
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This article covers the basic operation of launcher based weapons systems. It explains how launchers work and describes the types and varieties of the missiles that they launch. It does not go into the specifics of how missile explosions do damage, nor does it cover launcher systems in the detail needed to fit a ship. For those see: Missile Damage and also Fitting Missile Launchers. For a complete list of ships that have bonuses for launcher weapons see Missile Ships.
Introduction: Doing Damage
The two most widely used types of weapon systems are Turrets and Launchers. Turrets fire a stream of damage bundles (projectiles, charges, laser beams) that travels in a straight line out from the turret as the turret moves to track the target. Launchers fire self-propelled bundles of damage (rocket, missile, torpedo) that chase down the target. (There are exceptions, drones, for example, but most weapons follow one of these patterns.)
In each case, the actual damage done to the target depends on a number of factors. You can read the details in these two articles: Turret Damage / Missile Damage - but for now it is enough to recognize that the two weapons systems do damage in different ways. Given that the target is within range of the weapon, then the final damage to the target depends on the base damage of the weapon, the signature radius of the target and:
- Turret: transversal speed of target, turret tracking, turret signature resolution, turret optimal range, turret range falloff
- Launcher: velocity of target, explosion radius of missile, explosion velocity of missile, damage reduction factor
The difference, in simple terms, is that launchers will always "hit", but the damage done will vary depending on the size of the target and the speed of the explosion. On the other hand, turrets may miss the target, but a hit will always do at least a basic minimum amount of damage.
It may seem that a 100% chance to hit any target within range is a significant advantage, however this is balanced by other factors, including especially the firing speed of the weapon and the travel time of the damage bundle. In general, launched weapons fire more slowly and take more time to strike their targets, thus leaving their ships more open to retaliation. In any case, you can rest assured that neither type of weapons system has an advantage over the other in and of itself. The advantages arise from the ship bonuses, ship fittings, and pilot skills and experience.
The remainder of this article will deal with the mechanics and characteristics of launcher based weapons systems. These will be compared in general terms that do not provide the details required for fitting. For information about specific missiles and launchers, please refer to the article on Fitting Missile Launchers.
Note that launcher based damage bundles are often called "missiles", and that this term can refer to any of rockets, missiles, torpedoes and bombs (even though bombs have an entirely different physical mechanics).
Missile Range and Launcher Firing Rate
A missile does not so much hit a ship as explode near it. When a missile crosses the signature radius of its target, it blows up. The speed at which this explosion grows and the maximum size of the explosion determine the amount of damage done to the target.
EVE uses a mathematical equation to compute the precise amount of damage that the explosion does to the ship, thus the details of what happens when a missile hits are somewhat complicated — and these are explained in Missile Damage.
Range
When fired, a missile will leave the launcher, quickly accelerate, and then proceed at its best speed directly at the target until it runs out of fuel. If it encounters the target during that time, it will explode - otherwise it will vanish. The approximate maximum distance that a missile will travel can be found by multiplying the speed of the missile by the number of seconds that its fuel will last. (The approximation is due to the slightly slower speed as the missile accelerates at launch. Also, missile travel time is expressed in whole seconds - this can matter when targeting at extreme range.[1])
Maximum Distance ≈ Speed x Seconds of Fuel
For example:
- A Light Missile has a flight time of 5 seconds at a speed of 3750 m/s. The maximum distance it can travel is 5 x 3750 ≈ 18,750 m.
- A torpedo has a flight time of 6 seconds at a speed of 1500 m/s. The maximum distance it can travel is 6 x 1500 ≈ 9,000 m.
This information, along with dps and type of damage, is shown when you move your mouse over the icon for a missile launcher while in space.
Although the terms "range" and "distance" are often used interchangeably, technically, the range answers the question of whether the missile can reach its target: is it "in" or "out" of range? If the target is stationary, then the maximum distance will be the missile's range. Normally, however, the target is moving, and the range depends on this motion.
If the target is moving directly away from the missile, then it will take the missile longer to reach the target than it would a stationary one. In fact, if the target is moving fast enough, the missile may not be able to reach it at all - in this case, the target would be considered "out of range." Note that the target does not have to be moving faster than the missile ... just fast enough to stay ahead of the missile until it runs out of fuel.
If the target is moving directly at the missile, then the missile will reach it much faster than it would reach a stationary target. In this case, the target may be "in range" even when it seems too far away to hit.
In most cases, however, the target will be moving in a curve with regard to the missile ship - possibly in an orbit, possibly curving towards or away from the launch. It is hard to specify the range, exactly, in these cases, but as always, the missile will head directly for the target, and it will continue as long as it has fuel. It's path is likely to be some sort of a spiral.
There is no way to control the path of a missile once it has been launched. It will point itself at its target and follow the target until it hits or runs out of fuel.
Firing Rate
After a launcher fires its missile, it must rest for a time before it fires again - this is called the "rate of fire". Turrets also have a firing rate, but launchers are much slower.
| Weapon | Firing Rate (Seconds) | Average Base Damage (HP) |
|---|---|---|
| Cruise Missile Launcher | 21 | 375 |
| Light Missile Launcher | 16 | 83 |
| 350 mm Railgun (Large) | 7 | 34 |
| Large Dual Heavy Beam Laser | 7 | 34 |
| Light Electron Blaster | 2 | 9 |
| Note that values are approximate; for comparison only. | ||
There is a correlation between firing rate and the base weapon damage. In general, launchers fire more slowly, but their missiles do more damage; while turrets depend on a stream of quickly fired, but individually less potent damage bundles.
Launchers also have a "reload time". This is not the firing rate, but rather the time it takes to reload the launcher after all of its missiles have been fired. When the launcher is empty, it automatically checks the cargo bay and reloads the same missiles if any are available. If none are, it will sit empty. At any time, a pilot can stop the launcher from firing and reload from the cargo bay with the same or different missiles.
Summary
Launcher weapon systems do more damage per hit than turreted systems, but launchers fire slowly compared to turrets, and missiles take much longer to reach their targets.[2] While damage, firing speed and travel time can be modified by means of skills and equipment, the relationships hold even with these improvements. This has tactical implications. With a low ranged, fast firing turret ship, the pilot wants to get in close and keep the target locked. With a long ranged, slowly firing missile ship, the pilot wants to stay beyond the target's range and go for a slower kill.
Launcher and Missile Classes and Types
Each launcher class can launch missiles of that class. E.g., Light Missile Launchers launch Light Missiles, as do Rapid Light Missile Launchers. Heavy Assault Missile Launchers launch Heavy Assault Missiles. Torpedo Launchers launch Torpedoes. And so on. Different types of launchers within the class vary the firing rate and other characteristics of the launchers. Typically the Tech 1 Arbalest, Limos and Malkuth launchers, as well as the Tech 2 launchers, use less CPU, have faster firing rates and are less prone to damage from overheating.
Each variety of EVE damage is available for each missile type. Inferno, Mjolnir, Nova and Scourge apply thermal, EM, explosive and kinetic damage, in that order. A given missile will apply only one variety of damage, and each missile category does the same number of hit points of damage.
Other missile types vary the flight time, base damage (hit points), and other characteristics of the missile.
- Guristas, Caldari Navy and Dread Guristas missiles are little different from standard missiles except that they have higher base damage; Guristas least, and Dread Guristas most.
- "Advanced" missile types come in sets:
- Precision versus Fury: Precision missiles have a faster, smaller explosion and will do more damage to a small, fast target - while Fury missiles, with their larger, slower explosions do more damage against larger, slower targets.
- Long Range versus Anti-ship: Javelin long range missiles travel considerably farther than their Rage counterparts; but the Rage missiles have a significantly larger base damage.
| Missile | Flight Time | Velocity | Explosion Radius | Explosion Velocity | Base Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Missile | 5.0 | 3,750 | 40 | 170 | 83 |
| Precision Missile | 2.5 | 3,750 | 25 | 204 | 83 |
| Fury Missile | 3.75 | 3,750 | 69 | 143 | 116 |
| Standard Rocket | 2.0 | 2,250 | 20 | 150 | 33 |
| Javelin Rocket | 2.0 | 3,275 | 20 | 150 | 29.7 |
| Rage Rocket | 2.0 | 1,875 | 30 | 129 | 44.6 |
A launcher class and its associated missiles can be thought of as a weapons system, each of which fits best in a particular group of ships. Launchers require high power slots as well as launcher hardpoints. The power drain generally puts a lower bound on the ship size for each launcher class. Typically:
- light and rocket launchers go in frigates and destroyers
- rapid light, heavy and heavy assault launchers go in cruisers and battlecruisers
- rapid heavy, torpedo and cruise launchers go in battleships
- citadel launchers go in capital ships
- torpedo launchers also go in T2 frigate Stealth Bombers, which have specialized attributes to accommodate them.
(Note that while bombs are fired from bomb launchers, they are unguided, area-of-effect weapons whose mechanics are not really comparable to missiles and turreted weapons.)
| SHIP fits LAUNCHER which fits MISSILE that comes in TYPES (Guristas, Rage, Precision, etc.) that comes in DAMAGE VARIETIES (EM, thermal, kinetic, explosive) |
The following tables list launcher systems in terms of the ships into which they are usually fitted. Note that some details are missing - for a complete listing of the characteristics of a launcher or missile, use the in-game Show Info window. See Fitting Missile Launchers for more details on specific launcher types. T1 ships with bonuses for launchers and/or missiles are also listed. For information on T2 and T3 ships, please read Missile Ships.
Frigate and Destroyer Based
T1 bonused ships
| Launcher | Power (MW) | Firing Rate (s) | Reload Time (s) | Missile Type | Flight Time (s) | Velocity (m/s) | Explosion Radius (m) | Explosion Velocity (m/s) | Base Damage (hp) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rocket | 4 | 5 | 10 | Rocket | 2 | 2,250 | 20 | 150 | 33 |
| Light Missile | 6 | 16 | 10 | Light | 5 | 3,750 | 40 | 150 | 83 |
Cruiser and Battlecruiser Based
T1 Bonused Ships
| Launcher | Power (MW) | Firing Rate (s) | Reload Time (s) | Missile Type | Flight Time (s) | Velocity (m/s) | Explosion Radius (m) | Explosion Velocity (m/s) | Base Damage (hp) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rapid Light Missile | 73 | 7.8 | 35 | Light | 5 | 3,750 | 40 | 150 | 83 |
| Heavy Assault Missile | 108 | 8 | 10 | Heavy Assault | 4 | 2,250 | 125 | 101 | 100 |
| Heavy Missile | 100 | 15 | 10 | Heavy | 6.5 | 4,300 | 140 | 81 | 142 |
Note: Rapid Light Launchers have an unusually long reload time.
Battleship Based
T1 Bonused Ships
| Launcher | Power (MW) | Firing Rate (s) | Reload Time (s) | Missile Type | Flight Time (s) | Velocity (m/s) | Explosion Radius (m) | Explosion Velocity (m/s) | Base Damage (hp) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rapid Heavy Missile | 960 | 6.48 | 35 | Heavy | 6.5 | 4,300 | 140 | 81 | 142 |
| Cruise Missile | 1,450 | 20.68 | 10 | Cruise | 14 | 4,700 | 330 | 69 | 375 |
| Torpedo | 1,750 | 18 | 10 | Torpedo | 6 | 1,500 | 450 | 71 | 450 |
Notes:
- Rapid Heavy Launchers have an unusually long reload time.
- Each race has a T2 Frigate class Stealth Bomber (Manticore, Hound, Purifier, Nemesis) that has a 99.65% reduction in Torpedo Launcher powergrid requirements. These ships are also bonused for torpedo damage and stealth.
Capital Ship Based
| Launcher | Power (MW) | Firing Rate (s) | Reload Time (s) | Missile Type | Flight Time (s) | Velocity (m/s) | Explosion Radius (m) | Explosion Velocity (m/s) | Base Damage (hp) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Citadel Cruise | 100,000 | 35.20 | 10 | Citadel Cruise | 15 | 5,700 | 2,000 | 40 | 1,500 |
| Citadel Torpedo | 100,000 | 25.50 | 10 | Citadel Torpedo | 7.5 | 3,500 | 3,000 | 35 | 2,000 |
Specialized
| Launcher | Power (MW) | Firing Rate (s) | Reload Time (s) | Missile Type | Flight Time (s) | Velocity (m/s) | Explosion Radius (m) | Explosion Velocity (m/s) | Base Damage (hp) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light Missile | 6 | 16 | 10 | Light Defender | 10 | 8000 | - | - | 60 |
| Heavy Missile | 100 | 15 | 10 | Heavy Defender | 10 | 7,500 | - | - | 74 |
| Light Missile | 6 | 16 | 10 | Auto-Targeting Light | 5 | 3,750 | 40 | 170 | 62 |
| Heavy Missile | 100 | 15 | 10 | Auto-Targeting Heavy | 6.5 | 4,300 | 81 | 140 | 107 |
| Cruise Missile | 1,450 | 20.68 | 10 | Auto-Targeting Cruise | 14 | 4,700 | 69 | 330 | 281 |
| Bomb | 10 | 10 | 160 | Bomb | 12 | 2,500 | - | - | 6,400 |
Notes
- When fired, a Defender Missile will target an enemy missile that has been launched at your ship. Defenders kill one missile at a time and are more likely to hit missiles fired at you from long range. Defenders are generally considered to be of less value than offensive missiles fitted into the same launcher.
- When fired, an Auto-Targeting Missile will locate and target the nearest enemy ship or drone which has previously fired on you. Since they cannot be aimed, auto-targeting missiles are usually passed over in favor of regular missiles.
- Bombs are included here for reference. Although they are launched, bombs are unguided, area of effect weapons. They do not follow the mechanics of missiles and have their own wiki page.
Related Skills and Equipment
Skills
The standard fitting skills, and the general targeting skills — especially Signature Analysis, Target Management, and Long Range Targeting — are essential to the use of missile launchers. Navigation skills that improve the velocity or maneuverability of your ship will also be useful: Navigation, Evasive Maneuvering, Fuel Conservation, and High Speed Maneuvering. Since most missile ships depend on shield tanks, you might also want to beef up your basic shield skills: Shield Compensation, Shield Management, and Shield Operation.
In addition, Eve offers pilots a number of skills specific to launched weapons systems. If you are new to missiles, train these at least to Level 3, and train higher in the ones that seem most useful to you.
Primary Missile Skills
There are eight specific missile skills, one for each class of missile. Each of the basic skills will let you load and fire that class of missile. In addition, each level of the skill will improve your damage by 5% when using that particular class of missile. These are somewhat cumulative - that is, you need LIght Missiles III to train Heavy Missiles, and Heavy Missiles III to train Cruise Missiles ... and other dependencies apply.
Various levels of Missile Launcher Operation are needed to train these primary skills, and since Missile Launcher Operation gives a bonus to firing rate (which is essentially a DPS bonus), it makes sense to train it quickly to Level III and eventually to Level V.
Attributes: Perception, Willpower
Multiplier: 2x
Price: 20k ISK
Prerequisites: Missile Launcher Operation II
- Note the prerequisite items near the bottom. You cannot, for example, train Light Missiles until you have trained Missile Launcher Operation to Level 2. You cannot use T1 or Faction missiles until you train Light Missiles to Level 1, and you cannot use T2 missiles until you train Light Missiles to Level 5.
- Most pilots train the primary skills for Rockets and Light Missiles at least to Level III first, and then move on to larger missiles and launchers as they move to larger ships.
Launcher Support Skills
These skills apply to missile launchers. They increase firing rate and damage, and they improve the accuracy of missiles against smaller, faster targets.
- Missile Launcher Operation 2% Bonus to missile launcher rate of fire per skill level. This gives a bonus to DPS — and it is a prerequisite for many other missile skills. Train this one first.
- Missile Bombardment 10% more flight time for all missiles per level. If you are planning to use a long range or "kiting" strategy, train this higher.
- Guided Missile Precision 5% decreased factor of signature radius for all missile explosions per level of skill. Proficiency at this skill increases the accuracy of a fired missile's exact point of impact, resulting in greater damage to small targets.
- Missile Projection 10% bonus to all missiles' maximum velocity per level. Another range increase that is especially useful for "kiting".
- Rapid Launch 3% bonus to missile launcher rate of fire per level. Essentially, a DPS increase. Train this one to Level V.
- Target Navigation Prediction 10% decrease per level in factor of target's velocity for all missiles. As with Guided Missile Precision, this makes missiles more effective against small targets.
- Warhead Upgrades 2% bonus to all missile damage per skill level. Another DPS increase, smaller than Rapid Launch, but still worth training.
Missile Specialization Skills
Some missile classes also have a "Specialization" skill. This gives you access to T2 launchers and missiles, and it provides a 2% bonus per level to the rate of fire of modules that require the specialization.
Equipment
Widely used equipment is listed here. See Fitting Missile Launchers for the full list.
Ballistic Control Systems are passive, low slot modules which increase missile damage and rate of fire. Stacking penalties apply, but many larger ships still fit three of them. Target Painters increase the signature radius of a target and make it easier to hit.
Missile Launcher Rigs come in four sizes, one for each sized launcher. All of the rigs have an increase in cpu use as their penalty. The Bay Loading Accelerator increases the rate of fire, the Hydraulic Bay Thrusters increase missile velocity, and the Warhead Calefaction Catalyst increases missile damage. Also of potential use are the Targeting Rigs, especially the Small Ionic Field Projector, which increases targeting range.
Tactics and Strategy
Turrets versus Launchers
It is difficult to compare qualitatively different weapons systems based on technical specifications. For example, here are two close range systems that are often mounted on Frigates.
| Launcher | Power (MW) | Firing Rate (s) | Reload Time (s) | Missile Type | Flight Time (s) | Velocity (m/s) | Explosion Radius (m) | Explosion Velocity (m/s) | Base Damage (hp) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rocket | 4 | 5 | 10 | Rocket | 2 | 2,250 | 20 | 150 | 33 |
| Turret | Power (MW) | Firing Rate (s) | Reload Time (s) | Optimal Range (m) | Falloff (m) | Tracking Speed (rad/s) | Damage Modifier | Charge | Base Damage (hp) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ion Blaster | 4 | 2 | 5 | 1,000 | 1,500 | 0.438 | 1.8 | Lead | 8 |
| The first problem is that although both systems function by delivering damage at a distance, the turret's primary effectiveness is based in the blaster, while the launcher's primary effectiveness is based in the rocket. And it is very hard to compare the tracking speed, optimal range and falloff of the one with the flight time, explosion radius and explosion speed of the other. <br\><br\>In addition, the chart cannot take into account the ability of the pilot to keep the blaster within tracking range on the one hand, nor the ability of the pilot to evade damage while the rockets travel to the target on the other. <br\><br\>Consequently, the decision to use rockets over blasters or vice-versa should not depend on a comparison of the two weapons systems, but rather on a comparison of pilot and ship abilities. Does your ship have bonuses for one type of system or the other? Is it better suited for an armor tank (blasters) or shields (rockets)? And does the pilot have roughly the same skills in rockets as in blasters?<br\><br\> The bottom line: don't waste time debating over weapons systems. Improve your skills, find a ship that matches, and then find the right fit for that ship. |
Damage and Range
Missile weapons are best at doing damage to larger, slower targets at longer range. This is not to say that a pilot cannot kill small, fast targets with the right missiles, or that there are no short range missile boats. Rather, the most common applications of launcher fitted ships tend to be as a longer range, heavy damage weapon.
Fleet Roles
As noted in the article on Missile Damage:
Because of this missiles are usually most effective against bigger, slower targets. To this end, missile ships often find themselves in the "sniper" role, assigned to picking off specific targets (such as logistics vessels) in the enemy fleet. In small fleet encounters there may be few, if any, such targets, and the encounter may in fact be over before the missile ship's damage begins to matter. As a result, missile ships are most often found in larger fleets.[3]
Kiting
As a strategy "kiting" is a plan to engage the enemy from a distance, always fleeing just fast enough to stay outside of the enemy's range while remaining inside your own range. Since kiting ships need speed and longer ranged weapons, shield tanked missile boats are good for this approach.
As a tactic, kiting requires a "hit and run" mentality. You want to approach your target until you are close enough to shoot, fire your missile, and watch. If the enemy flees, you want to pursue; if the enemy attacks, you want to flee ... at a speed approximately the same or a bit more than the enemy ... firing all the time. Because missiles will chase the target without any further guidance from your ship, you are not restricted to any particular flight path. You simply want to be sure that your missiles will have time to reach the target.
PvE enemies tend to be rather fanatical, locking on when they see you and never giving up. This makes kiting a popular strategy when running Missions. It takes longer to kill the NPCs, and the resulting loot can be scattered over a wide area, but your ship will take relatively little damage, and since you are already running, if you decide to break off, it is usually easy to get away.
PvP is much more difficult in this regard. Inexperienced pilots may chase you to their deaths, but experienced pilots will just let you run. PvP kiting is more likely to show up in gangs of fast ships that hit and run from multiple directions at once ... a kind of "wolfpack" attack that leaves their target unable to either run or close on a target.
Footnotes and References
- ^ If the flight time is a fraction, EVE rounds it up or down. At times, this produces considerable departures from the computed range. See Interesting fact about missile mechanics for details.
- ^ For example, with a firing time of around 40 seconds, 1400 mm artillery is slower than any launcher. This is a rarity, though.
- ^ There do exist doctrines for entire fleets of missile ships. Fleets of Stealth Bombers, for example, are common, and there is even an E-UNI group, the UniBombers, dedicated to this style of combat.
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This article focuses on the knowledge you need to be able to fit missile launchers to your ship. It contains a number of detailed discussions and does not cover various general concepts. If you are not completely clear as to how missile launcer systems work, or as to how missiles do damage when they hit, you should read Missile Launchers and Missile Damage before continuing on this page.
Thinking About Fitting Launchers
The essence of ship fitting is picking and choosing among the various possibilities, looking for an equipment balance that maximizes offense and/or defense without overloading the powergrid or cpu. How you do this depends a great deal on your skills, so if you have not done so already, you should read the article Fitting Guidelines. The general rules listed in that article are absolutely essential to good fitting, regardless of the class of ship or type of weapon.
The Launcher fits shown below can be accomplished with various levels of the given equipment. Where a Light Missile Launcher is called for, for example, you might use Light Missile Launcher I, Arbalest Compact Light Missile Launcher, Light Missile Launcher II, or a number of others. The equipment data and example fits shown here should be treated as templates. You will need to mix and match as needed to accommodate the characteristics of your ship and your own skills.
Basic Fitting Skills
As you improve these skills, you need less and less power and cpu to fit various items to your ship. This in turn allows you to fit more powerful equipment. Therefore, these skills should be trained immediately to Level III, and higher as soon as that becomes feasible.
- CPU Management: 5% more CPU per level
- Power Grid Management: 5% more powergrid per level
- Weapon Upgrades: 5% less CPU need for weapons per level
- Advanced Weapon Upgrades (requires Weapon Upgrades V): 2% less powergrid need for weapons per level
- Electronics Upgrades: 5% less CPU need for signal amplifiers, co-processors &c
- Energy Grid Upgrades: 5% less CPU need for most of the modules listed under "Engineering Equipment"
Primary Missile Skills and Specializations
Each class of missile has a skill that must be trained before the missile can be loaded and fired. Some missile classes also have a Specialization skill that gives access to T2 launchers and missiles. Most pilots train the primary skills for Rockets and Light Missiles at least to Level III first, and then move on to larger missiles and launchers as they move to larger ships, but you will want to advance these skills depending on your own needs. You can find a list of these skills at [[Skills:Skills:Missiles]].
Launcher and Missile Skills
It pays to increase the DPS and range of your missiles. Additional skills make it easier for larger missiles to hit smaller targets. Launcher support skills help with any kind of missile. While missile support skills improve the effectiveness of particular missile types.
Launcher Support Skills
These skills apply to missile launchers. They increase firing rate and damage, and they improve the accuracy of missiles against smaller, faster targets.
- Missile Launcher Operation 2% Bonus to missile launcher rate of fire per skill level. This gives a bonus to DPS — and it is a prerequisite for most other missile skills. Train this one first.
- Missile Bombardment 10% more flight time for all missiles per level. If you are planning to use a long range or "kiting" strategy, train this higher.
- Guided Missile Precision 5% decreased factor of signature radius for all missile explosions per level of skill. Proficiency at this skill increases the accuracy of a fired missile's exact point of impact, resulting in greater damage to small targets.
- Missile Projection 10% bonus to all missiles' maximum velocity per level. Another range increase that is especially useful for "kiting".
- Rapid Launch 3% bonus to missile launcher rate of fire per level. Essentially, a DPS increase. Train this one to Level Five if you can.
- Target Navigation Prediction 10% decrease per level in factor of target's velocity for all missiles. As with Guided Missile Precision, this makes missiles more effective against small targets.
- Warhead Upgrades 2% bonus to all missile damage per skill level. Another DPS increase, smaller than Rapid Launch, but still worth training.
Other Skills
targeting skills — especially Signature Analysis, Target Management, and Long Range Targeting — are essential to the use of missile launchers. And, since most missile ships depend on shield tanks, you might also want to beef up your basic shield skills: Shield Compensation, Shield Management, and Shield Operation. Navigation skills that improve the velocity or maneuverability of your ship will also be useful: Navigation, Evasive Maneuvering, Fuel Conservation, and High Speed Maneuvering.
Fitting Examples
You should regard the fits shown here as templates. They do not intend to tell you exactly which items to put in your ship. Instead, they give you a set of items that other pilots have found useful, which you will probably have to juggle to fit your skills, strategy and experience.
Frigate Class
| # | Equipment | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Light Missile Launcher | Prefer T2 for higher rate of fire |
| 1 | Afterburner | |
| 1 | Small Shield Booster | Expends energy to provide a quick boost in shield strength. |
| 1 | EM Ward Amplifier | This adjusts for the lack of base EM shield resistance |
| 1 | Medium Shield Extender | |
| 1 | Damage Control | T2 is preferred |
| 1 | Power Diagnostic | +power, +shield and capacitor recharge rate |
| 0 | Drones | Kestrel has no drone capacity |
| 1 | Rig: Small Warhead Calefaction Catalyst | +missile damage, +cpu requirements for launchers |
| 1 | Rig: Small Bay Loading Accelerator | +rate of fire |
Caldari Frigate bonuses (per skill level):
- 5% bonus to Light Missile and Rocket damage
- 10% bonus to Light Missile and Rocket max velocity
With its bonuses and four launchers, the Kestrel is an excellent ship for Level I Missions. The four mid slots allow for a solid shield tank. This configuration can be set up with lower level equipment to match lower level skills and upgraded as skills improve.
Focus on:
- Missile Launcher Operation III - to get T2 Light Missile Launchers
- Hull Upgrades IV - to get T2 Damage Control
| # | Equipment | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Rocket Launcher | Prefer T2 for higher rate of fire |
| 1 | Afterburner | Prefer T2 for PvP |
| 1 | Medium Shield Booster | Ancillary version preferred because it uses Cap Booster Charges |
| 1 | Stasis Webifier | |
| 1 | Warp Scrambler | |
| 1 | Damage Control | T2 is preferred |
| 1 | Nanofiber Internal Structure | T2 preferred, +velocity, +maneuverability, -hull strength |
| 1 | Ballistic Control System | T2 preferred, +rate of fire, +damage |
| 2 | Drones | T2 Preferred, Hobgoblins often used for PvP |
| 1 | Rig: Small Anti-EM Screen Reinforcer | +EM resistance, +signature radius |
| 1 | Rig: Small Anti-Thermal Screen Reinforcer | +Thermal resistance, +signature radius |
| 1 | Rig: Small Core Defense Operational Solidifier | Reduces the duration of shield booster cycles, +signature radius |
Minmatar Frigate bonuses (per skill level):
- 5% bonus to Light Missile and Rocket rate of fire
- 7.5% bonus to Shield Booster amount
This fit builds on the bonus for Shield Booster. The two drones provide significant support for close-in PvP action with Rockets. Note that T2 drones require two level V drone skills ... a considerable investment. This fit is best for pilots who are thinking about using drones in larger ships later on.
The Ancillary Medium Shield Booster uses Cap Booster charges to power itself, thus reducing the draw on the ship's capacitor. This is an effective approach in PvP fights, which tend to be fairly short.
Focus on:
- Missile Launcher Operation III - to get T2 Rocket Launchers
- Hull Upgrades IV - to get T2 Damage Control
- Light Drone Operation V, Drones V - to get T2 drones
Destroyer Class
| # | Equipment | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | Light Missile Launcher | T1 are fine here, look for a type that will improve firing rate |
| 1 | 1MN Microwarpdrive | Ship bonus reduces the signature radius penalty for microwarp |
| 1 | Medium Shield Booster | |
| 1 | Prototype Sensor Booster | Use the Targeting Range Script |
| 1 | Low Frequency Sensor Suppressor | |
| 1 | Damage Control | |
| 1 | Nanofiber Internal Structure | +velocity, +maneuverability, -hull strength |
| 1 | Ballistic Control System | +rate of fire, +damage |
| Missiles | Use Nova (explosive) missiles as the ship is bonused for them | |
| 1 | Rig: Small Hydraulic Bay Thrusters I | +missile velocity, increases cpu use by launchers |
| 1 | Rig: Small Auxiliary Thrusters | +max velocity, -armor amount |
| 1 | Rig: Small Low Friction Nozzle Joints | +agility, -armor amount |
Minmatar Destroyer bonuses (per skill level):
- 5% bonus to explosive Light Missile and Rocket damage
- 15% reduction in Microwarpdrive signature radius penalty
Role Bonus:
- 50% bonus to Light Missile and Rocket max velocity
This is a fleet build that is designed to deliver heavy damage from range while other ships tackle the targets. This is an inexpensive T1 fit that requires relatively low level skills. This is consistent with fleet combat in a ship that has little defense – if it blows up, you just replace it.
Note that two of the rigs focus on ship speed and maneuverability. This ship needs to be fast and nimble as it cannot stand to take much damage.
Focus on:
- Light Missile skills to improve damage and range
- Navigation skills to improve speed and maneuverability
Cruiser Class
| # | Equipment | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Heavy Missile Launcher | Prefer T2 for higher rate of fire |
| 1 | Afterburner | |
| 1 | Adaptive Invulnerability Field | T2 preferred |
| 1 | EM Ward Field | This adjusts for the lack of base EM shield resistance, T2 preferred |
| 2 | Large Shield Extender | |
| 2 | Compact Shield Power Relay | +shield recharge, -capacitor recharge |
| 2 | Ballistic Control System | T2 preferred, +rate of fire, +damage |
| 2 | Drones | T2 drones not required, but will help during missions |
| 3 | Rig: Medium Core Defense Field Purger | +shield recharge rate, +signature radius |
Caldari Cruiser bonuses (per skill level):
- 5% bonus to Rapid Light Missile, Heavy Missile and Heavy Assault Missile Launcher rate of fire
- 10% bonus to Light Missile, Heavy Missile and Heavy Assault Missile max velocity
This is an excellent ship for Level II Missions. It has an active shield tank, and once T2 Heavy Missile Launchers can be equipped, it does good damage without needing many other advanced skills.
Focus on:
- Heavy Missiles V - to get T2 Heavy Missile Launchers
- Tactical Shield Manipulation IV - to get T2 Invulnerability Field and EM Ward
Battlecruiser Class
| # | Equipment | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | Heavy Assault Missile Launcher | Prefer T2 for higher rate of fire |
| 1 | Small Energy Neutralizer | Prefer T2, Drains part of the target ship's capacitor |
| 1 | 10 MN Microwarp Drive | |
| 2 | Adaptive Invulnerability Field | Prefer T2 |
| 1 | Large Shield Extender | Prefer T2 |
| 1 | Stasis Webifier | Prefer T2 |
| 1 | Warp Scrambler | Prefer T2 |
| 1 | Damage Control | T2 is preferred |
| 1 | Nanofiber Internal Structure | T2 preferred, +velocity, +maneuverability, -hull strength |
| 2 | Ballistic Control System | T2 preferred, +rate of fire, +damage |
| 1 | Damage Control | T2 is preferred |
| 1 | Power Diagnostic | +power, +shield and capacitor recharge rate, T2 Preferred |
| 5 | Drones | T2 Preferred, Hobgoblins often used for PvP |
| Missiles | Faction preferred, use kinetic damage to activate the ship's bonus, use Rage or Javelin as required | |
| 3 | Rig: Medium Core Defense Field Extender | +shield capacity, +signature radius |
Caldari Battlecruiser bonuses (per skill level):
- 4% bonus to all shield resistances
- 10% bonus to kinetic Heavy Missile and Heavy Assault Missile damage
Role Bonus:
- 25% bonus to Missile velocity
This fit builds on the bonus for Heavy Assault Missiles (HAMs) and Shield Resistance to create a fast, powerful tackler for fleet combat. It is an advanced ship, requiring a number of T2 components.
HAMs are short range, high damage missiles. Combined with this ship's large passive shield tank, they make for a strong, fast tackler that can also do considerable close in damage.
Focus on: this is an advanced fit that requires numerous skills. See the Drake ship page for a detailed list.
| # | Equipment | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Rapid Light Missile Launcher | Prefer T2 for higher rate of fire |
| 1 | Salvager I | Can be swapped for non-launcher weapon or other equipment |
| 1 | 10MN Afterburner | Prefer T2 |
| 1 | Eutectic Compact Cap Recharger | Faster capacitor recharge |
| 1 | Medium Ohm Capacitor Reserve | Increase capacitor storage |
| 1 | Drone Navigation Computer | Extends drone range |
| 1 | Damage Control | T2 is preferred |
| 1 | 1600mm Reinforced Steel Plates II | Armor |
| 1 | Medium I-a Polarized Armor Regenerator | Armor |
| 1 | Energized Adaptive Nano Membrane II | Armor |
| 3 | Drone Damage Amplifier | Increases drone damage, stacking penalty |
| 20 | Combat Drones | Medium drones preferred |
| 2 | Salvage Drones | May be swapped for combat drones |
| 2 | Rig: Medium Drone Durability Enhancer | +drone defenses, -ship cpu |
| 1 | Rig: Medium Trimark Armor Pump | +armor hitpoints; -max velocity |
Amarr Battlecruiser bonuses (per skill level):
- 10% bonus to Drone hitpoints and damage
- 4% bonus to all armor resistances
Role Bonus: • Can fit Warfare Link modules
- 12.5% bonus to Drone microwarp velocity
This somewhat unusual fit builds on the ship's capacity and bonuses for drones, and on the fact that the ship has no particularly bonused weapons system. While you would expect an Amarr ship to use energy weapons, the Rapid Light Missile Launchers do not draw on the ship's capacitor, and they provide plenty of defense against smaller, faster PvE ships.
With medium combat drones, this fit works well for Level III Missions.
Focus on:
- Missile Launcher Operation III - to get T2 Rocket Launchers
- Hull Upgrades IV - to get T2 Damage Control
- Drones III, Medium Drone Operation I, - to get medium drones
Battleship Class
| # | Equipment | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | Cruise Launcher | Prefer T2 for higher rate of fire |
| 1 | Drone Link Augmentor | Increases drone control range |
| 1 | 100MN Afterburner | |
| 1 | X-Large Clarity Ward Booster | Expends energy to quickly boost shield strength |
| 2 | Adaptive Invulnerability Field | Increases shield resistance |
| 1 | Shield Boost Amplifier | T2 preferred, Improves the efficiency of shield boost modules, stacking penalties apply |
| 1 | EM Ward Amplifier | T2 preferred, boosts EM resistance - change damage type as needed |
| 1 | Phased Weapon Navigation Array Generation Extron | Makes targets easier to hit, stacking penalties apply |
| 1 | Damage Control | T2 is preferred |
| 1 | Power Diagnostic System | +power, +shield and capacitor recharge rate, T2 preferred |
| 1 | Ballistic Control System | +rate of fire, +damage, T2 preferred, stacking penalties apply |
| 10 | Drones | 5 Light, 5 Medium, T2 preferred |
| 1 | Rig: Large Capacitor Control Circuit | +capacitor recharge rate |
| 1 | Rig: Large Warhead Rigor Catalyst | Gives a bonus to missile explosion radius, increases cpu requirements for launchers |
Caldari Battleship bonuses (per skill level): 5% bonus to Rapid Heavy Missile, Cruise Missile and Torpedo Launcher rate of fire 10% bonus to Cruise Missile and Torpedo max velocity
With its bonuses and six launchers, the Raven is a popular ship for Level IV Missions. The mid slots allow for a solid passive shield tank. This configuration can be set up with lower level equipment to match lower level skills and upgraded as skills improve.
Focus on:
- Cruise Missiles V - to get T2 Cruise Launchers
- Light Drone Operation V and Medium Drone Operation V - to get T2 Drones
Fitting Missile Weapons Systems
Because the numbers differ for each class of missile or launcher, the values listed in these charts are presented as percentage variations from the Tech I Standard item. These will give you a clear picture of the differences between items. For the exact data needed in fitting, you should use the in game Compare Tool. (By the time you go to the Tool, you will usually be down to two or three items, and the comparison will be easy to set up.)
Item prices can vary dramatically from system to system, but typically, higher meta level gear is more expensive, and the most widely used gear is less expensive (because industrialists manufacture more of it). Meta levels vary from 1 to 10 and give a very rough estimate of the item's value in combat.
Missile Varieties
In general, different types of missiles vary the Flight Time, Explosion Radius, Explosion Velocity and Base Damage. Specific values are different for each class of missile - this chart lists the percentage variation from the standard missile in each class.
| Name | Meta | Flight Time % | Velocity % | Explosion Radius % | Explosion Velocity % | Base Damage % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Precision | 5 | --- | 0 | --- | +++ | 83 |
| Fury | 5 | -- | 0 | +++ | -- | 116 |
| Javelin | 5 | eee | eeee | eeee | eeee | eee |
| Rage | 5 | eee | eee | eee | eee | eee |
| Caldari Navy | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 95 |
| Guristas | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 90 |
| Dread Guristas | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 99 |
| "+" = 0 to 10%, "++" = 10 to 19%, "+++" = 20% or more%, "--" = -10 to -19% | ||||||
Generally, Caldari Navy and Fury missiles are widely used, though Precision missiles can be very useful against smaller, faster ships.
Launcher Varieties
In general, different types of launchers vary the firing rate, shots per load, and power grid and cpu requirements of the launcher.
| Name | Meta | Firing Rate % | Shots per Load % | Power % | CPU % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard I | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Malkuth | 1 | + | ++ | 0 | ++ | |
| Limos | 2 | + | + | 0 | + | |
| TE-2100 | 3 | + | + | 0 | + | |
| Arbalest | 4 | ++ | ++ | 0 | ++ | |
| Light II | 5 | ++ | +++ | -- | -- | |
| Gallows | 6 | + | 0 | ++ | ++ | |
| Domination | 7 | ++ | 0 | 0 | ++ | |
| Republic Fleet | 7 | ++ | +++ | 0 | ++ | |
| True Sansha | 7 | ++ | +++ | 0 | ++ | |
| Caldari Navy | 8 | +++ | + | ++ | -- | |
| Dread Gurista | 8 | +++ | + | ++ | -- | |
| "+" = 0 to 10%, "++" = 10 to 19%, "+++" = 20% or more%, "--" = -10 to -19% | ||||||
As always in fitting, utility trades off against cost and destruction. There is little sense in fitting expensive equipment if you have a reasonable chance of losing the ship in combat. That said, it is fair to note that Arbalest are the most used T1 launchers for pilots whose skills do not accommodate T2s.
Support Equipment
Modules
Launcher modules generally benefit damage, flight time, velocity and explosion effectiveness.
- Ballistic Control Systems: these are passive, low slot modules which increase missile damage and rate of fire. Stacking penalties apply. It is not unusual to see two or three of these in a larger missile ship.
- Missile Guidance Enhancers <not in Evelopedia>: these are active, mid slot modules that give bonuses to missile velocity, missile flight time, and explosion velocity; while shrinking the explosion radius. Stacking penalties apply.
- Missile Guidance Computers <not in Evelopedia>: these are active, scriptable, mid slot modules that give bonuses to missile velocity, missile flight time, and explosion velocity; while shrinking the explosion radius. Stacking penalties apply. (Using ‘Missile Precision Script’ or ‘Missile Range Script’ you can double either missile range and velocity OR explosion velocity and radius; while reducing the other by half.)
- Signal Amplifiers increase a ship's maximum target acquisition range. Stacking penalties apply.
- Target Painters increase the signature radius of a target and make it easier to hit. Stacking penalties apply.
Rigs
Missile Launcher Rigs come in four sizes, one for each launcher type. All have the penalty effect of increasing the amount of cpu that the ship's launchers require.
- Bay Loading Accelerator: +rate of fire, stacking penalties apply
- Hydraulic Bay Thrusters: +velocity, stacking penalties apply
- Rocket Fuel Cache Partition: +flight time
- Warhead Calefaction Catalyst: +damage, stacking penalties apply
- Warhead Flare Catalyst: effectively increases the explosion velocity
- Warhead Rigor Catalyst: reduces explosion radius
