Ship Types in EVE Online

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Posted November 6th, 2007 by Ethec

Types of Ships in EVE Online

Racial Shipbuilding Characteristics

While there are plenty of exceptions, each race's shipbuilders tend to incorporate certain common characteristics into their designs.

Amarr - Lack speed and maneuverability, but have a lot of armor and firepower (especially energy turrets).
Gallente - Favor hordes of drones, railguns / hybrid turrets, and strong hulls.
Minmatar - Extreme amounts of firepower to the expense of defense, electronics arrays, and just about everything else.
Caldari - An emphasis on the use of missile launchers and shields.

Ship Types

Note: the prices listed are complete approximations and should serve only to give you a ballpark figure.

Ship Type	Description	Loadout Size	A Few Examples...	Approximate Price
Assault Ships	Elite-class frigates that have superior firepower over their relatively-cheap cousins, as well as much more resilliant armor/shields. Their added defensive capabilities, however, slow them down quite a bit.	Small	Hawk (Caldari), Enyo (Gallente), Wolf (Minmatar)	8 M - 14 M
Battlecruisers	Designed for fleet actions, battlecruisers pack a lot of punch but are primarily "Gang Assist Module" platforms which significantly boost a gang's offensive & defensive capabilities.	Medium	Prophecy (Amarr), Brutix (Gallente), Ferox (Caladari)	~25 M
Battleships	The true juggernauts on the battlefield, these well-armored monsters can outgun anything in their path- that is, if they can lumber close enough to track their target within the considerable range of its massive armament.	Large	Apocalypse (Amarr), Raven (Caldari), Megathron (Gallente)	~100 M
Carriers	These behemoths are capable of turning the tide of battle with their hoards of fighter-drones, each packing the power of a souped-up frigate. The larger versions of these ships, Motherships, are also fitted with clone-vats, allowing pilots who have died in battle to respawn at the mothership, grab new equipment, and go back into the fray.	Capital	Nyx (Gallente Mothership), Nidhoggur (Minmatar Carrier), Chimera (Caldari Carrier	~80 M to OMGWTFBBQ!
Covert Ops	Specialized frigates that are designed to interface with the Covert Ops cloaking device, effectively allowing them to move unseen through enemy territory.	Small	Helios (Gallente), Cheetah (Minmatar), Anathema (Amaar)	~8 M
Command Ships	The next step up from Heavy Assault Ships, these tanked-out Battlecruisers pack considerable punch on the battlefield with their array of weaponry and extremely resiliant armor. The Fleet version of this ship is capable of fitting 3 Warfare links simultaniously, giving a huge advantage to the entire gang.	Medium	Damnation (Ammar), Astarte (Gallente), Nighthawk (Caldari)	~125 M
Cruisers	Cruisers are jacks-of-all-trades that can be employed as armed transports, electronic warfare platforms, and ferocious close-quarters fighting ships.	Medium	Osprey (Caldari), Maller (Amarr),	~2-8 M
Dreadnoughts	In Star Wars terminology, these capital ships are one small step down from the Deathstar. Though they move at a turtle's pace, their massive weaponry allows dreadnoughts to decimate fortified targets at distances of more than 100km.	Capital	Phoenix (Caldari), Revelation (Amarr), Naglfar (Minmatar), Moros (Gallente)	If you have to ask...
Destroyers	While you shouldn't mistake destroyers as line-of-battle ships, these fast, inexpensive gunboats can wreck a frigate gang's day with their rapid multi-targetting abilities.	Small	Catalyst (Gallente), Thrasher (Minmatar), Cormorant (Caldari)	~1 M
Exhumers	These elite mining barges are 2-3 steps up from their weaker cousins, due to their much tougher armor and shields, as well as their ability to mine at a far faster pace. Ideally suited for low security mining ops.	N/A (mining lasers only)	Skiff, Mackinaw, Hulk	100 - 500 M
Frigates	Small, nimble ships which act as the cornerstone of your EVE experience, frigates have the versatility you need especially as a young pilot.	Small	Rifter (Minmatar), Merlin (Caldari), Tristan (Gallente), Inquisitor (Amarr)	<300 K
Freighters	Immense bulk transports whose top speed is around 60 m/s, freighters could easily haul more than a few packaged industrial ships around.	Capital	Providence (Amarr), Charon (Caldari), Obelisk (Gallente), Fenrir (Minmatar)	500 M +
Heavy Assault Ships	Like Assault Ships are big brothers to Frigates, Heavy Assault ships are the elite form of cruisers. These ships are very expensive both in terms of ISK and time spent learning to use.	Medium	Sacrilege (Amarr), Deimos (Gallente)	130 M
Industrial Ships	These heavy-footed, hulking mid-sized transports can haul well over 8,000 m3 and can work as a poor man's mining barge (with their solitary turret) in high-security space.	Small	Iteron (Gallente), Badger (Caldari), Bestower (Amarr)	400 K - 1 M
Interceptors	Superior maneuverability, speed, and a slim signature radius means that interceptors bring a lot of hurt in a hurry, and can effectively evade high caliber turrets. Their defensive capabilities, or lack thereof, means that they cannot handle many hits without falling apart.	Small	Crusader (Amarr), Taranis (Gallente), Claw (Minmatar)	6 M - 12 M
Interdictors	The elite version of Destroyers, these ships are designed with a very specialized role in mind: The deployment of interdiction bubbles, which are effectivly big, deployable spheres of warp jamming goodness. They also have more firepower than the standard destroyer, especially in the department of missile bays.	Small	Heretic (Ammar), Flycatcher (Caldari), Sabre (Minmatar)	~20M
Logistics	The backbone of any decent fleet, this class of ship is designed to keep the front line fighters in good, working condition by use of remote armor repairs and shield transfer arrays. They are very resilient to attack as well, making them able to absorb some hits for the team.	Medium	Schimitar (Minmatar), Oneiros (Gallente), Basilisk (Caldari)	~32 M
Mining Barges	ORE manufactures 3 size-variants of its high-quality mining platforms, which can equip strip miners for rapid ore extraction, and ice harvesters to mine high-quality minerals. The sizable drone bay allows for a full compliment of combat drones which may be employed defensively in medium security space.	N/A (mining lasers only)	Retriever, Procurer, and Covetor	2 M, 8 M, 24 M
Shuttles	Fast, inexpensive transports that cannot be modified, require no skills to fly, and have very limited cargo space. Shuttles are sold at every station.	N/A	Just search for "Shuttle" :)	10 K or slightly less
Stealth Bombers	Cousins of the Covert Ops frigates, these silent assasins are designed to fire ultra-heavy cruise missiles from a far out range to decimate unsuspecting pilots.	Small	Hound (Minmatar), Nemesis (Gallente), Purifier (Ammar)	~ 4M
Titans	The biggest ships currently in existance, none are confirmed to have been created yet. Their ability to fit Doomsday devices, which are capable of destroying entire fleets in a single motion, are the stuff of legends. They also have the ability to create jump-bridges, allowing even smaller ships to move to different systems without the need for a stargate.	Really, really big.	Avatar (Ammar), Erebus (Gallente), Leviathan (Caldari)	You have to ask?
Transport Ships	The souped-up versions of industrial ships, these haulers come in two flavors: Deep space transports, sacrificing speed for the ability to take a beating and still keep trucking; and Blockade runners, ultra-fast transport ships with extremely stable warp cores, allowing them to resist the effects of Warp scramblers to a high degree.	N/A	Occator (Gallente), Crane (Caldari), Impel (Amarr), Prowler (Minmatar)	25 M - 85 M+

Buying A Ship

It's a major investment, so make sure you're getting the best price possible. Regions with lots of competition (like Verge Vendor in the Gallente federation) typically offer the best prices. Also, try to form a relationship with a shipbuilder; ideally you'll find a corporation whose shipbuilders will sell close to their cost of manufacture.

No matter what ship you buy, be sure to set some money aside for fitting it out. Depending on the type of ship, purchasing quality equipment can easily cost between 25%-50% of the cost of the ship.

Good luck working your way up through the ships and equipment in EVE Online!

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