Difference between revisions of "Bombs"

From EVE University Wiki
Jump to: navigation, search
m (Migrating to the less ambiguous "Ship Fitting" category.)
(Updated the damage dealt by bombs and added history section.)
 
(30 intermediate revisions by 18 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Stub}}
+
{{Hatnote|This page covers the ranged area-of-effect weapon launched by stealth bombers. For the "smartbomb", a ship-mounted area-of-effect weapon with different mechanics and legality, see [[smartbombs]].}}
In Eve, bombs are unguided weapons which deal potentially devastating damage to anything in their area of effect. They can only be used in [[Classifications_of_Space#NullSec|nullsec]] and [[Classifications_of_Space#W-space|wormhole space]], and they can only be launched by [[Frigate#Stealth_Bombers|stealth bombers]] equipped with bomb launchers.
 
  
==How Bombing Works==
+
[[File:Icon electron bomb.png|left]]{{Weapon Systems Links}}
===Bomb Flight===
 
Stealth bombers typically move while cloaked into a position for a good bombing run, and then uncloak to launch.
 
  
When launched, a bomb travels for 30km in a straight line, in the direction that its parent bomber was travelling at the moment of launch. It then explodes.
+
'''Bombs''' are ranged, untargeted, area-of-effect (AoE) weapons. The use of bombs is restricted to [[Stealth Bomber|stealth bombers]], the only ships able to equip bomb launchers, and [[Upwell structures]]. They are banned from use in [[Empire Space|empire space]], and so can only be used in [[System Security#Null Security|null sec]] or [[wormhole space]].
  
Once it is launched, the bomb will do this even if the ship that launched it warps off or is destroyed.
+
When used effectively, bombs can be very effective at damaging or even destroying groups of clustered ships. They make excellent weapons for hit-and-run attacks on unsuspecting enemies.
  
===Kinds of Bomb===
+
==Types and effects==
There are six kinds of bomb. There are four bombs designed purely to do damage, each of which does one of the four damage types:
 
* [http://wiki.eveonline.com/en/wiki/Concussion_Bomb Concussion bombs] do kinetic damage
 
* [http://wiki.eveonline.com/en/wiki/Electron_Bomb Electron bombs] do EM damage
 
* [http://wiki.eveonline.com/en/wiki/Scorch_Bomb Scorch bombs] do thermal damage
 
* [http://wiki.eveonline.com/en/wiki/Shrapnel_Bomb Shrapnel bombs] do explosive damage
 
Each of the four stealth bomber hulls has a damage bonus for one specific type of bomb (the Amarr [http://wiki.eveonline.com/en/wiki/Purifier Purifier] has a bonus to Electron bomb damage, the Minmatar [http://wiki.eveonline.com/en/wiki/Hound Hound] has a bonus to Shrapnel bomb damage, &c).
 
  
The normal damage-dealing bombs all travel at 3,000m/s, so it takes them 10s to travel 30km before they explode.
+
There are seven different bomb types. The four most common bomb types deal large amounts of a single type of damage, and so are most effective when the enemy's fleet composition is known before deployment. Each of these bombs deals a base of 5800 damage of their respective type, which can be further increased by ship bonuses. Bomb damage scales based on the size of a target's signature radius (they have a fixed explosion radius of 400m) and is also mitigated by damage resistances as normal. Unlike missiles, the speed of a target does not influence the applied damage.
  
There are also two bombs which are, so to speak, 'ewar bombs':
+
* {{co|wheat|Concussion Bombs}} deal [[image:icon_damage_kin.png|24px|link=]] Kinetic damage.
* [http://wiki.eveonline.com/en/wiki/Void_Bomb Void bombs] do negligible damage but neutralize 1,800GJ of energy from their victims' capacitors
+
* {{co|wheat|Electron Bombs}} deal [[image:icon_damage_em.png|24px|link=]] EM damage.
* [http://wiki.eveonline.com/en/wiki/Lockbreaker_Bomb Lockbreaker bombs] do negligible damage but emit an ECM burst with a strength (on all sensor types) of 12.5
+
* {{co|wheat|Scorch Bombs}} deal [[image:icon_damage_therm.png|24px|link=]] Thermal damage.
Void and Lockbreaker bombs travel at 4,000m/s, so it only takes them 7.5s to travel 30km before they explode.
+
* {{co|wheat|Shrapnel Bombs}} deal [[image:icon_damage_exp.png|24px|link=]] Explosive damage.
  
===Bomb Damage===
+
The remaining three bomb for types deal small amounts of omni damage, but have other disrupting effects on ships caught in the blast.
When a bomb explodes, it affects everything within 15km range of it. Normal bombs do 6,400 points of one of the four damage types, while Void and Lockbreaker bombs do a little damage and apply a cap-draining or ECM effect.
 
  
Like missile damage, Bomb damage can be modified by the signature radii of the target ships, which are compared to the bomb's explosion radius of 400m. But, unlike missile damage, bomb damage cannot be modified by the target ships' speeds.
+
* {{co|wheat|Void Bombs}} neutralize 1,800 GJ of energy from the affected ships' capacitors.
 +
* {{co|wheat|Focused Void Bombs}} are similar to regular Void Bombs, but neutralize 15,000 GJ of energy in a much smaller area of effect. They are only effective against capital-sized ships.
 +
* {{co|wheat|Lockbreaker Bombs}} emit an ECM Burst of 12.5 strength to all sensor types.
  
This means that frigates can often survive one or two bombs because, although frigates don't have many effective hitpoints, they have very small signature radii.
+
Like all other bombs, Lockbreaker Bombs will apply ECM jamming to all ships in the area of affect, so they should be used with care. Because of the potential consequences of unexpected or badly-aimed Lockbreaker use, it is advisable to check with an FC before bringing or using Lockbreaker Bombs.
 +
 
 +
==Mechanics==
 +
[[File:QSM_bomb.gif‎|frame|right|alt=bomb exploding|<center>Bomb</center>]]
 +
Bombs are an unusual weapon system, as on stealth bombers they are unguided, do not require a locked target to be launched, and depend on the launching ship's orientation to aim. Like missiles, deployed bombs are physical in-game objects while traveling to their destination, and thus can be destroyed by certain methods.
 +
 
 +
Each bomb takes up 75&nbsp;m<sup>3</sup> in a ship's cargo hold, meaning that stealth bombers, with an average cargo hold of 260&nbsp;m<sup>3</sup>, can only carry three at a time. In most cases, this will not be an issue as only one bomb will be launched per ship per bombing run, but it can become a logistical factor in larger operations.
 +
 
 +
===Speed and flight time===
 +
 
 +
Once deployed, bombs travel forward from the front of the bomb launcher in a straight line, continuing until they reach a distance of 30km from the launch point, where they then detonate. Bombs travel at a constant, predetermined speed specific to the bomb's type, and thus also have a predetermined flight time that is useful for coordinating bombing runs.
 +
 
 +
* Pure damage bombs (Concussion, Electron, Scorch, and Shrapnel) travel at 2,500 m/s, and have a flight time of 12 seconds.
 +
* Void and Lockbreaker bombs travel at 4,000 m/s, and have a flight time of 7.5 seconds.
 +
* Focused Void bombs travel at 2,000 m/s, and have a flight time of 15 seconds.
 +
 
 +
Upon detonation, bombs cause damage or other disrupting effects to all ships within a 15km radius of the detonation. These effects are indiscriminate, and are applied to all ships within the blast zone, including any allies and even the launching ship. As stealth bombers usually have few hit points or defenses, any bombers caught within a bomb's blast radius will likely be destroyed. Thus, bomber pilots should avoid flying in a straight line following the launch of a bomb, and should also be aware of the launch points of any other allied bombers present.
 +
 
 +
===Destroying bombs===
 +
 
 +
Like missiles, bombs have very few hit points, and can be destroyed by defender missiles, smartbombs, and even other bombs. While the nature of the former two methods means that not all enemies will have such defenses at their disposal, the interference of friendly bombs can be a very real concern during larger fleet operations. All bombs have a very small signature radius which decreases the damage they will take from other bombs, but in larger fleet operations this on its own is not enough to avoid destroying friendly bombs without taken additional precautions.
 +
 
 +
Defender missiles will never target standup bombs and standup [[Guided Bombs|guided bombs]] (bombs deployed by Upwell structures). They should not be counted upon for the successful defense of a fleet attacking a structure. Nor should they be counted upon for the defense of structures by a fleet, as the act of targeting anything breaks tether and makes you vulnerable to attack and counter-bombing runs.
  
A frigate that has an MWD on at the moment of detonation is likely to die to one bomb, however, because of the MWD's signature-quintupling side effect.
+
Each of the four damage-dealing bomb types has a 99.8% resistance to its own damage type. Therefore, it is necessary for groups of bombers to choose one damage type and all use the corresponding bomb. This minimizes the risk of bombs being lost to friendly fire during large bombing runs.
  
A small signature radius only helps to mitigate bomb damage -- it does not protect against the ECM effect of Lockbreaker bombs or the cap-drain from Void bombs.
+
==Ship bonuses==
 +
Each of the four racial stealth bomber hulls has a damage bonus for one specific type of bomb linked to the {{sk|Covert Ops}} skill. Each damage bonus corresponds to that race's preferred damage type.
  
===Bomb Resistances===
+
* {{sh|Hound}}: 5% bonus to [[image:icon_damage_exp.png|24px|link=]] {{co|wheat|Shrapnel}} bombs
Although they cannot be directly targeted, bombs have a defined number of hitpoints and can be destroyed by smartbombs or by other bombs.
+
* {{sh|Manticore}}: 5% bonus to [[image:icon_damage_kin.png|24px|link=]] {{co|wheat|Concussion}} bombs
 +
* {{sh|Purifier}}: 5% bonus to [[image:icon_damage_em.png|24px|link=]] {{co|wheat|Electron}} bombs
 +
* {{sh|Nemesis}}: 5% bonus to [[image:icon_damage_therm.png|24px|link=]] {{co|wheat|Scorch}} bombs
  
Each of the four damage-dealing bombs has a 99.5% resistance to its own damage type, however.
+
Bombs deliver less damage to smaller targets and in general a single bomb will not in itself deliver sufficient damage to destroy any ship. It is usual for bombers to fly in a wing to deliver a large amount of area of effect damage to as many ships as possible. It is possible for bombs to be destroyed in flight, the 12 second flight time allows a fast locking ship to identify lock and destroy the target however the pilot would have to be expecting the launch and as the bomber remains cloaked prior to deployment this is an unlikely scenario.  
  
This means that if a wing of bombers launches a mixture of bomb types at the same time and in the same direction, the first bomb to explode will probably destroy all the other bombs before they have a chance to go off and deal damage themselves.
+
Like missile damage, Bomb damage can be modified by the signature radii of the target ships, which is compared to the bomb's explosion radius of 400m. But unlike missile damage, bomb damage cannot be modified by the target ships' speeds.
  
It is therefore necessary for groups of bombers to choose one damage type and all use that kind of bomb. That way, when the first bombs explode, the other bombs' resistance to their own damage type will let them survive the damage and explode themselves.
+
This means that frigates can often survive one or two bombs because, although frigates don't have many effective hitpoints, they have very small signature radii.
 +
A frigate that has an MWD on at the moment of detonation is likely to die to one bomb, however, because of the MWD's signature-quintupling side effect. The deployment of a target painter also serves to increase the signature radius of the targeted ship.
  
Void and Lockbreaker bombs have no such special resistances.
+
== History ==
  
==Bombing Tactics==
+
On 2022-03-08 bomb damage got increased from 5200 to 5800 to compensate for the resist module stat increase in the same patch. At the same time bomb armor HP got increased from 75 to 88 apparently so that the same bomb run sizes remain possible.<ref>https://www.eveonline.com/news/view/patch-notes-version-20-03</ref>
  
[[Category:Ship Fitting]]
+
== References ==
 +
{{reflist}}
 +
<!--
 +
* Credit to Hallan Turrek, from his guide "A Merry Life and a Short One"
 +
* Credit to Space Junkie for "Flying Stealth Bombers In EVE Online"
 +
-->
 +
[[Category:Weapons]]

Latest revision as of 07:04, 22 June 2022

This page covers the ranged area-of-effect weapon launched by stealth bombers. For the "smartbomb", a ship-mounted area-of-effect weapon with different mechanics and legality, see smartbombs.
Icon electron bomb.png


Bombs are ranged, untargeted, area-of-effect (AoE) weapons. The use of bombs is restricted to stealth bombers, the only ships able to equip bomb launchers, and Upwell structures. They are banned from use in empire space, and so can only be used in null sec or wormhole space.

When used effectively, bombs can be very effective at damaging or even destroying groups of clustered ships. They make excellent weapons for hit-and-run attacks on unsuspecting enemies.

Types and effects

There are seven different bomb types. The four most common bomb types deal large amounts of a single type of damage, and so are most effective when the enemy's fleet composition is known before deployment. Each of these bombs deals a base of 5800 damage of their respective type, which can be further increased by ship bonuses. Bomb damage scales based on the size of a target's signature radius (they have a fixed explosion radius of 400m) and is also mitigated by damage resistances as normal. Unlike missiles, the speed of a target does not influence the applied damage.

  • Concussion Bombs deal Icon damage kin.png Kinetic damage.
  • Electron Bombs deal Icon damage em.png EM damage.
  • Scorch Bombs deal Icon damage therm.png Thermal damage.
  • Shrapnel Bombs deal Icon damage exp.png Explosive damage.

The remaining three bomb for types deal small amounts of omni damage, but have other disrupting effects on ships caught in the blast.

  • Void Bombs neutralize 1,800 GJ of energy from the affected ships' capacitors.
  • Focused Void Bombs are similar to regular Void Bombs, but neutralize 15,000 GJ of energy in a much smaller area of effect. They are only effective against capital-sized ships.
  • Lockbreaker Bombs emit an ECM Burst of 12.5 strength to all sensor types.

Like all other bombs, Lockbreaker Bombs will apply ECM jamming to all ships in the area of affect, so they should be used with care. Because of the potential consequences of unexpected or badly-aimed Lockbreaker use, it is advisable to check with an FC before bringing or using Lockbreaker Bombs.

Mechanics

bomb exploding
Bomb

Bombs are an unusual weapon system, as on stealth bombers they are unguided, do not require a locked target to be launched, and depend on the launching ship's orientation to aim. Like missiles, deployed bombs are physical in-game objects while traveling to their destination, and thus can be destroyed by certain methods.

Each bomb takes up 75 m3 in a ship's cargo hold, meaning that stealth bombers, with an average cargo hold of 260 m3, can only carry three at a time. In most cases, this will not be an issue as only one bomb will be launched per ship per bombing run, but it can become a logistical factor in larger operations.

Speed and flight time

Once deployed, bombs travel forward from the front of the bomb launcher in a straight line, continuing until they reach a distance of 30km from the launch point, where they then detonate. Bombs travel at a constant, predetermined speed specific to the bomb's type, and thus also have a predetermined flight time that is useful for coordinating bombing runs.

  • Pure damage bombs (Concussion, Electron, Scorch, and Shrapnel) travel at 2,500 m/s, and have a flight time of 12 seconds.
  • Void and Lockbreaker bombs travel at 4,000 m/s, and have a flight time of 7.5 seconds.
  • Focused Void bombs travel at 2,000 m/s, and have a flight time of 15 seconds.

Upon detonation, bombs cause damage or other disrupting effects to all ships within a 15km radius of the detonation. These effects are indiscriminate, and are applied to all ships within the blast zone, including any allies and even the launching ship. As stealth bombers usually have few hit points or defenses, any bombers caught within a bomb's blast radius will likely be destroyed. Thus, bomber pilots should avoid flying in a straight line following the launch of a bomb, and should also be aware of the launch points of any other allied bombers present.

Destroying bombs

Like missiles, bombs have very few hit points, and can be destroyed by defender missiles, smartbombs, and even other bombs. While the nature of the former two methods means that not all enemies will have such defenses at their disposal, the interference of friendly bombs can be a very real concern during larger fleet operations. All bombs have a very small signature radius which decreases the damage they will take from other bombs, but in larger fleet operations this on its own is not enough to avoid destroying friendly bombs without taken additional precautions.

Defender missiles will never target standup bombs and standup guided bombs (bombs deployed by Upwell structures). They should not be counted upon for the successful defense of a fleet attacking a structure. Nor should they be counted upon for the defense of structures by a fleet, as the act of targeting anything breaks tether and makes you vulnerable to attack and counter-bombing runs.

Each of the four damage-dealing bomb types has a 99.8% resistance to its own damage type. Therefore, it is necessary for groups of bombers to choose one damage type and all use the corresponding bomb. This minimizes the risk of bombs being lost to friendly fire during large bombing runs.

Ship bonuses

Each of the four racial stealth bomber hulls has a damage bonus for one specific type of bomb linked to the Covert Ops skill. Each damage bonus corresponds to that race's preferred damage type.

  • MinmatarHound: 5% bonus to Icon damage exp.png Shrapnel bombs
  • CaldariManticore: 5% bonus to Icon damage kin.png Concussion bombs
  • AmarrPurifier: 5% bonus to Icon damage em.png Electron bombs
  • GallenteNemesis: 5% bonus to Icon damage therm.png Scorch bombs

Bombs deliver less damage to smaller targets and in general a single bomb will not in itself deliver sufficient damage to destroy any ship. It is usual for bombers to fly in a wing to deliver a large amount of area of effect damage to as many ships as possible. It is possible for bombs to be destroyed in flight, the 12 second flight time allows a fast locking ship to identify lock and destroy the target however the pilot would have to be expecting the launch and as the bomber remains cloaked prior to deployment this is an unlikely scenario.

Like missile damage, Bomb damage can be modified by the signature radii of the target ships, which is compared to the bomb's explosion radius of 400m. But unlike missile damage, bomb damage cannot be modified by the target ships' speeds.

This means that frigates can often survive one or two bombs because, although frigates don't have many effective hitpoints, they have very small signature radii. A frigate that has an MWD on at the moment of detonation is likely to die to one bomb, however, because of the MWD's signature-quintupling side effect. The deployment of a target painter also serves to increase the signature radius of the targeted ship.

History

On 2022-03-08 bomb damage got increased from 5200 to 5800 to compensate for the resist module stat increase in the same patch. At the same time bomb armor HP got increased from 75 to 88 apparently so that the same bomb run sizes remain possible.[1]

References