Stealth Bombers

Stealth bombers are one of the most versatile ship types in the Eve Universe. They act as a combined platform for high-alpha DPS, Electronic Warfare, Intelligence, and even Capital Ship Navigation.

The Purifier and the Hound are generally believed to be better at bombing runs (they have a 3-3-5 slot layout), while the Manticore and the Nemesis are generally considered better Torpedo Bombers (with a 2-4-5 slot layout). Many players assume the reverse: that slotting 3 Ballistic Control Systems is better than slotting 2 of them, and they assume incorrectly. The reason they are incorrect is because you would be hard pressed to find an effective fit with the CPU to allocate 120 of it to BCS IIs. Additionally, the Manticore and Nemesis can fit one more utility/EWar/etc module in their mids, resulting in a more versatile ship than their Amarr and Minmatar counterparts.

University pilots in Stealth Bombers will most likely be using them in Lowsec, so Bomb Launchers have been omitted from the example fittings below. The obvious exception to this is Wormhole Space, but even then the Stealth Bomber pilot should always double check with their FC before fitting a bomb launcher.

Stealth Bomber Fitting Examples

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. High fitting skills are a must for a bomber pilot.

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.

Additional Notes

• There is no propulsion module. You won't need one if you're not in null/W-Space, because 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. You should be able to align fast enough off gate to cloak and warp before anyone knows what is going on. If they can lock you off a gate, you wouldn't have gotten away if you had a propulsion mod anyway. This recommendation is only for pilots who plan on flying with Uni fleets in lowsec. Nullsec and W-Space have different hazards and techniques to avoid them.

• Note the offlined probe launcher. 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.

Manticore

The Manticore is the Caldari Stealth Bomber. It is considered by many to be the "best" Stealth Bomber because of its ample CPU space and slot layout. It gets a bonus to Kinetic damage.

Additional Notes

• There is no propulsion module. You won't need one if you're not in null/W-Space, because 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. You should be able to align fast enough off gate to cloak and warp before anyone knows what is going on. If they can lock you off a gate, you wouldn't have gotten away if you had a propulsion mod anyway. This recommendation is only for pilots who plan on flying with Uni fleets in lowsec. Nullsec and W-Space have different hazards and techniques to avoid them.

• The slot layout and CPU available on the Manticore allows the pilot to fit an array of beneficial modules in the mids. In the example above, the pilot has fit a Tracking Disruptor, which will make it more difficult for ships with guns to hit her or her friends. Some pilots choose to fit an additional Sensor Booster to increase their lock speed, or even a Passive Targeter so enemy ships cannot tell when they are locked by the Stealth Bomber.

• Note the offlined probe launcher. 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.

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 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.

Additional Notes

• There is no propulsion module. You won't need one if you're not in null/W-Space, because 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. You should be able to align fast enough off gate to cloak and warp before anyone knows what is going on. If they can lock you off a gate, you wouldn't have gotten away if you had a propulsion mod anyway. This recommendation is only for pilots who plan on flying with Uni fleets in lowsec. Nullsec and W-Space have different hazards and techniques to avoid them.

• The slot layout on the Nemesis allows the pilot to fit an array of beneficial modules in the mids, though they will be slightly hindered by the CPU. In the example above, the pilot has fit an additional Sensor Dampener, which will make it more difficult for ships to target her or her friends at longer ranges. Some pilots choose to fit an additional Sensor Booster to increase their lock speed, or even a Passive Targeter so enemy ships cannot tell when they are locked by the Stealth Bomber.

• Note the offlined probe launcher. 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.

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.

Additional Notes

• There is no propulsion module. You won't need one if you're not in null/W-Space, because 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. You should be able to align fast enough off gate to cloak and warp before anyone knows what is going on. If they can lock you off a gate, you wouldn't have gotten away if you had a propulsion mod anyway. This recommendation is only for pilots who plan on flying with Uni fleets in lowsec. Nullsec and W-Space have different hazards and techniques to avoid them.
• Note the offlined probe launcher. 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.

Tips

Basic Fleet Tactics

• 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 Stealth Bombers really shine.
• After landing at the battle site, 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

• Shoot at anything. The best way to check how your torpedoes will work against another player in a given type of ship is to shoot at a rat in that ship type. You will damage them from a long way off either way, and your torpedo explosion will be spectacular. Other players will be jealous of how big your explosions are. Every time you hit, it's like blowing up the Death Star.
• You will be far more effective against larger targets like battlecruisers and battleships, but who cares? You're an invisible frigate with moderate E-War capabilities, and you shoot battleship-class missiles.