Destroyers
Destroyers are larger ships than frigates, but they still mount the same small-sized modules that frigates use. The Tech 1 destroyers have exceptional firepower for their size and cost, making them good at killing frigates and at salvaging, while the Tech 2 destroyers (Interdictors) are used in nullsec and wormholes to prevent groups of enemy ships from warping away.
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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 they 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 Noctis). 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).
Amarr
Coercer: Bonuses to tracking and turret cap usage.- Dragoon: Drone destroyer, bonuses to drone speed, damage and durability. Also has a 20% bonus to energy vampire and energy neutralizer range per level.
Caldari
Cormorant: Bonuses to tracking and turret optimal range; can 'snipe' at surprisingly long ranges with Tech 2 ammo.- Corax: Seven launchers and significant missile bonuses, also an excellent sniper.
Gallente
Catalyst: 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.- Algos: 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
Thrasher: Bonuses to tracking and turret damage; amazing alpha strike when fitted with artillery.- Talwar: Fast missile destroyer, smaller MWD signature penalty and bonuses to missiles for those 7 launcher slots.
Tech 2 Destroyers
- Main article: Interdictor
The only class of Tech 2 destroyer are interdictors, which 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, and are used almost exclusively in nullsec and wormholes.
Tech 3 Destroyers
Tech 3 destroyers, also known as "Tactical Destroyers", are very versatile ships which can switch between three modes while in space:
- Defense Mode, which increases damage resistances and reduces signature radius.
- Propulsion Mode, which increases velocity and the inertia modifier.
- Sharpshooter Mode, which increases weapon range, targeting range, sensor strength, and scan resolution.
Tech 3 destroyers were introduced in the Rhea expansion (Dec 2014), starting with the Confessor.[1] Note that, unlike strategic cruisers, tech 3 destroyers are not composed of subsystems, and you will not lose skill points if your ship is destroyed.
