Destroyers

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Destroyers are larger ships than frigates, but they still mount the same small-sized modules that frigates use. The Tech 1 destroyers have a large number of high slots, giving them a lot of firepower for their size and cost and making them good at salvaging. The Tech 2 destroyers have unique abilities; Interdictors can launch warp disruption probes in nullsec and wormholes to prevent groups of enemy ships from warping away, and Command Destroyers can provide link boosts and utilize Micro Jump Field Generators to move nearby ships 100 km away. Tactical destroyers, the Tech 3 destroyers, have exceptional flexibility and firepower.

Tech 1 Destroyers

With numerous turrets and high slots, Tech 1 destroyers are designed specifically to destroy frigates. However, destroyers are considerably slower than frigates and have a larger signature radius, making them nearly as easy to hit as cruisers. They also have few mid and low slots, and when combined with their weak powergrid and CPU, means that they cannot mount cruiser-sized tanks. As a consequence, they can do a lot of damage, but are fragile for their size.

These characteristics limit destroyers uses in PvP, but they have niche roles. Their high damage output (for small, cheap ships) makes them popular tools for suicide-ganking weak targets in highsec. They are sometimes used to hunt frigate pilots or to kill a carrier's fighters. In PvE, they are ideal ships for completing Level 1 combat missions very quickly, and with forethought and good piloting some can complete many Level 2 missions (though for newer players a properly-fitted cruiser is probably a more suitable tool).

Finally, destroyers are also superb salvaging ships because of their many high slots (second only to the ORENoctis). Salvaging destroyers commonly fit a full high slot rack split between equal numbers of Salvagers and Tractor Beams, with a propulsion module and some Cap Rechargers in the mid slots, and as many Expanded Cargoholds as possible in the lowslots. Fitted like this, a Tech 1 destroyer is a suitable salvager for missions up to and including Level 3s, or even some Level 4s if the pilot is willing to make multiple trips to and from the nearest station.

Each race has two Tech 1 destroyers, one of which uses turret weapons, while the other uses that race's alternate weapon system (missiles for Caldari and Minmatar, drones for Amarr and Gallente). In addition to their skill-based bonuses, all tech 1 destroyers also have a Role Bonus that significantly increases either their turret range, or their missile or drone flight speed.

Amarr

  • AmarrCoercer: Bonuses to tracking and turret cap usage.
  • AmarrDragoon: Bonuses to drone speed, damage and durability. Also has a 20% bonus to energy vampire and energy neutralizer range per level.

Caldari

  • CaldariCormorant: Bonuses to tracking and turret optimal range; can 'snipe' at surprisingly long ranges with Tech 2 ammo.
  • CaldariCorax: Seven launchers and significant missile bonuses, also an excellent sniper.

Gallente

  • GallenteCatalyst: Bonuses to tracking and turret falloff range; possibly the best salvaging destroyer, and certainly the one with the highest potential cargo hold after accounting for rigs and expanders. When fitted with blasters, has one of the best DPS to cost ratios in the game, and is very popular for suicide ganking.
  • GallenteAlgos: Drone destroyer, bonuses to drone range and damage, as well as small hybrids. An good PvE ship thanks to the range afforded by drones.

Minmatar

  • MinmatarThrasher: Bonuses to tracking and turret damage; amazing alpha strike when fitted with artillery.
  • MinmatarTalwar: Fast missile destroyer, smaller MWD signature penalty and bonuses to missiles for those 7 launcher slots.

Precursor

  • Triglavian CollectiveKikimora: Bonus to damage and optimal range; Exceptional DPS, range, and tracking, for a price.

Tech 2 Destroyers

Tech 2 destroyers sacrifice some of their offensive potential to gain greatly improved defenses and unique functions in fleet support. Tech 2 destroyers are among the most popular, and most frequently killed, ships in New Eden.

Interdictors

Main article: Interdictor

see also: Tackle#Warp disruption fields

Interdictors are highly specialized ships used for deploying warp disruption probes (also known as "bubbles"), which prevent ships inside them from warping away. They are based on the four turret destroyer hulls, however oddly two of them use missiles. As bubbles cannot be deployed in high or lowsec, Interdictors are almost exclusively seen in nullsec and wormholes.

  • AmarrHeretic - Extremely thick armor for its size, but also rather slow because of its thickness
  • CaldariFlycatcher - Extremely thick shields for its size, but with only 1 Low slot it must choose between speed and resiliance
  • GallenteEris - For years the least popular Interdictor as it was outperformed by all the others. On paper, the highest-DPS and fastest Interdictor, but also the most fragile.
  • MinmatarSabre - For years the most popular Interdictor by far, because of its high speed, durable shields, and reliable ability to fit a rack of Autocannons with which to kill any ship it can catch.

Command Destroyers

Main article: Command Destroyer

Command Destroyers, sometimes called 'Jump Destroyers', are dual-purpose support ships.

  • They are the smallest platform which can mount Command Bursts, which allow them to greatly improve the performance of allied Frigate or Cruiser gangs.
  • They are the only ships able to use the Micro Jump Field Generator (which gives them their nickname), a module which allows them to teleport themselves and any nearby ships (friendly or hostile) around the battlefield. However, this module cannot be used in Hisec.

Most Command Destroyers (other than the Draugur) do not use weapons, forgoing them to gain room to fit more durability or more Command Bursts, and assuming that they will be flown by alt accounts and not be paid attention to.

  • AmarrPontifex - Heavily armored, and thus most able to survive while projecting Armor bursts. Bonus to Armor and Information Command Bursts.
  • MinmatarBifrost - Fast and evasive, the best choice as a 'backpack' ship for fast attack cruisers. Bonus to Shield and Skirmish Command Bursts.
  • CaldariStork - Heavily shielded, thus most able to survive while projecting Shield bursts. Bonus to Shield and Information Command Bursts.
  • GallenteMagus - Easily underestimated, but a powerful ambusher and duelist able to separate lone targets from their friends and pick them apart with its drones. Bonus to Armor and Skirmish Command Bursts.
  • Triglavian CollectiveDraugur - Less a traditional 'Command Destroyer' and more a direct evolution of the Kikimora. Retains the Kikimora's damage and much of its speed, but gains much more durability, alongside Command Bursts and the Micro Jump Field Generator. Bonus to Skirmish and Information Command Bursts.

Tactical Destroyers

Main article: Tactical Destroyers

Tactical Destroyers are the Tech III variant of destroyers. These are unique hulls, not based on existing T1 ships. Tactical Destroyers are able to attain higher mobility, damage, and tank than any other destroyers, but they must select which of these three bonuses to assume at one time.

Rare and Unique Destroyers

  • Society of Conscious ThoughtSunesis: Distributed as part of significant events (such as EVE's release anniversary), able to fit a small rack of any type of weapons, and featuring an unusually large cargo bay and fast alignment.