Mastering Ship Fitting in EVE Online A Comprehensive Guide

Sheperd Amarr
15 hours ago
3 min read

Fitting a ship in EVE Online can feel overwhelming at first. The game offers countless modules, rigs, and ship types, each with unique roles and capabilities. Yet, mastering ship fitting is essential for survival and success in New Eden. This guide breaks down the process step-by-step, helping you build effective fits that match your goals, whether you’re mining, exploring, or engaging in combat.

Eye-level view of a spaceship cockpit with detailed control panels — Spaceship cockpit showing detailed control panels and modules

Understanding Ship Fitting Basics

Ship fitting means selecting and installing modules and rigs on your ship to improve its performance. Every ship has three fitting slots:

High Slots: For weapons, mining lasers, or utility modules.
Mid Slots: For electronic warfare, propulsion, and shield modules.
Low Slots: For armor, damage, and power enhancements.

Each ship also has a limited amount of powergrid and CPU, which restricts the modules you can fit. Balancing these resources is key to a successful fitting.

Key Stats to Consider

Powergrid: Limits the total power consumption of modules.
CPU: Limits the processing power needed for modules.
Calibration: Limits the number of rigs you can fit.
Capacitor: Your ship’s energy pool, needed to activate modules.
Slots: Number of high, mid, and low slots available.

Knowing these stats helps you avoid overfitting and ensures your ship runs smoothly.

How to Build a Fit That Works

Step 1: Define Your Role

Start by deciding what you want your ship to do. Are you fitting for PvP, PvE, mining, or exploration? Each role demands different modules.

PvP fits focus on damage output, tanking, and mobility.
PvE fits prioritize survivability and sustained damage.
Mining fits emphasize mining lasers and cargo space.
Exploration fits require scanning and cloaking modules.

Step 2: Choose Your Core Modules

Select modules that support your role. For example, a PvP frigate might need:

High Slots: Small blasters or missiles.
Mid Slots: Afterburner or warp disruptor.
Low Slots: Damage control and armor repairer.

For mining, you might fit:

High Slots: Mining lasers.
Mid Slots: Shield boosters or survey scanners.
Low Slots: Mining upgrades and power diagnostics.

Step 3: Balance Your Tank and Damage

Decide whether you want a shield tank or armor tank. Shield tanks use mid slots for shield extenders and boosters, while armor tanks use low slots for armor plates and repairers. Balance your damage output with tank modules to survive longer.

Step 4: Manage Capacitor and Mobility

Capacitor stability is crucial. Modules like capacitor boosters or energy neutralizers help maintain energy levels. Mobility modules such as afterburners or microwarpdrives improve speed and positioning but consume capacitor quickly.

Step 5: Add Utility Modules

Utility modules enhance your ship’s capabilities. Examples include:

Warp scramblers to prevent enemies from warping away.
ECM jammers to disrupt enemy targeting.
Remote repair modules for fleet support.

Choose utilities that complement your main role.

Close-up view of a spaceship fitting screen showing module slots and stats — Spaceship fitting interface displaying module slots and powergrid usage

Tips for Effective Fitting

Use Fitting Tools: Tools like Pyfa or the in-game fitting simulator help test fits without risking ships.
Check Your Capacitor: Aim for at least 10-15 seconds of capacitor recharge time to avoid running out mid-fight.
Consider Your Enemy: Adapt your fitting based on who you expect to face. For example, use shield tanking against missile users.
Train Relevant Skills: Skills affect fitting stats and module effectiveness. Focus on those that improve your ship’s role.
Experiment and Learn: Try different fits in low-risk environments to understand what works best.

Advanced Fitting Strategies

Using Rigs and Implants

Rigs provide passive bonuses but consume calibration points. Choose rigs that enhance your tank, damage, or capacitor. Implants can boost fitting attributes like CPU or powergrid, allowing more powerful modules.

Fitting for Fleet Roles

In fleet operations, ships often specialize. For example:

Logi ships focus on remote repairs.
Tackle ships use warp disruptors and scramblers.
Damage dealers maximize DPS with high slots and damage rigs.

Coordinate fittings with your fleet to cover all roles effectively.

Balancing Speed and Survivability

Sometimes, speed is your best defense. Fitting a fast ship with a microwarpdrive and minimal tank can help you avoid damage. Other times, a slow but heavily tanked ship is better for sustained fights.