🚢 Ship Progression

The Drake — every new player's milestone ship

The Ship Size Ladder 

Rookie Ship (free)
    |
Frigate (T1) → Destroyer (T1)
    |               |
Cruiser (T1)    Interdictor / Command Destroyer
    |
Battlecruiser (T1) → Command Ship (T2)
    |
Battleship (T1)
    |
Capital Ships (Carrier, Dreadnought, Force Auxiliary, Supercarrier, Titan)

Tech Levels Explained

Tech Level Description Cost Range
T1 Basic ships — cheap, accessible, good starting point 1M – 100M ISK
T2 Specialised, powerful, require advanced skills 30M – 500M ISK
Faction/Pirate Enhanced T1 stats, rare drops or LP purchases 50M – 1B+ ISK
T3 Cruiser (Strategic) Modular, extremely powerful, can lose skills on death 500M – 2B+ ISK
T3 Destroyer Flexible role destroyer 50M – 200M ISK
Capital Only in null/low sec, massive power 5B – 100B+ ISK

Phase 1 — New Player (0–30 days)

  • Frigate → Destroyer → Cruiser
  • Stay in T1, learn your weapons and tank
  • Suggested: Caldari Drake path or Gallente Vexor path

Phase 2 — Getting Comfortable (1–3 months)

  • T1 Battlecruiser (Drake, Hurricane, Prophecy, Myrmidon)
  • Start exploring T2 modules (they matter more than T2 ships)
  • Consider faction frigates for PvP (Dramiel, Worm, Garmur)

Phase 3 — Serious ISK (3–6 months)

  • T1 Battleship for L4 missions
  • HAC (Heavy Assault Cruiser) for PvP
  • Consider Marauder or T3 Cruiser for endgame PvE

Phase 4 — Endgame (6 months+)

  • Marauders (Golem, Paladin, Vargur, Kronos) for maximum L4/Abyss income
  • T3 Strategic Cruisers
  • Capital ships (requires corporation support)

🔧 Fittings & Fitting Philosophy

The Hurricane — one of EVE's most versatile ships to fit

The Golden Rules of Fitting

  1. Fit for purpose — a mission ship and a PvP ship are completely different
  2. Never underfill CPU or Powergrid — every fitting should be tight
  3. T2 modules over faction for most slots — T2 is usually 80% of faction performance for 10% of the cost
  4. Always cap stable or have a plan for when cap runs out
  5. Overloading kills modules — use Thermodynamics skill and use it deliberately

Module Slots Explained

High Slots: Weapons, cloaks, utility (energy vampires/neutralisers, remote reps)

Medium Slots: Shields, tackle (scramblers, webbers), cap boosters, sensor boosters, MWD/AB

Low Slots: Armour, damage mods, speed mods, cap power relays

Rig Slots: Permanent modifications (can’t be removed without destroying them) — use wisely

Key Module Types

Module Purpose
Afterburner (AB) Speed boost, doesn’t increase signature
Microwarpdrive (MWD) Massive speed, blooms signature (makes you easier to hit)
Warp Scrambler Prevents target warping away (1 point)
Warp Disruptor Longer range point (1 point)
Stasis Webifier Slows target — critical for catching fast ships
Sensor Dampener Reduces target lock range and scan resolution
ECM Jams target — breaks lock randomly
Energy Neutraliser Drains enemy capacitor
Remote Shield/Armour Rep Repair allies in fleet
Damage Control Massive bonus to all resistances — fit this always

Fitting Tools

  • PyFA — the industry standard offline ship fitter. Simulates exact stats with your skills
  • EVE Fitting Tool (EFT) — older but still used
  • In-game fitting tool — use for quick checks

🛸 Proven Ship Fits

The Gila — Abyssal Deadspace meta ship

These fits are real, widely used, and effective in 2026. Adjust for your skill level as needed. All assume T2 modules unless noted.

Drake — PvE Mission Runner (New Player) 

[Drake, L3/L4 Mission Drake]

Ballistic Control System II
Ballistic Control System II
Damage Control II

Large Shield Extender II
Large Shield Extender II
Adaptive Invulnerability Field II
Thermic Dissipation Field II
Caldari Navy Shield Boost Amplifier

Heavy Missile Launcher II x6
Drone Link Augmentor I

Medium Core Defence Field Extender I x3

Hammerhead II x5

Role: Run level 3 and early L4 missions safely. Tank is excellent, missiles are consistent. ~30–50M ISK/hour.

Vexor Navy Issue — Null-Sec Ratting 

[Vexor Navy Issue, Null Sec Ratting]

Drone Damage Amplifier II x4
Drone Damage Amplifier II

500MN Cold-Gas Enduring Microwarpdrive
Large Shield Extender II
Large Shield Extender II
Omnidirectional Tracking Link II (Optimal Range Script)

Drone Link Augmentor II
Drone Link Augmentor II

Medium Drone Speed Augmentor II
Medium Drone Speed Augmentor II
Medium Drone Durability Enhancer II

Ogre II x5

Role: Clear null-sec anomalies with sentry drones. AFK-able after you warp in and deploy. 80–120M ISK/hour.

Gila — Abyssal Deadspace T3/T4 

[Gila, T3/T4 Abyss]

Drone Damage Amplifier II
Drone Damage Amplifier II
Drone Damage Amplifier II

Large Shield Extender II
Large Shield Extender II
Adaptive Invulnerability Field II
Thermal Dissipation Amplifier II
Republic Fleet Gyrostabilizer (or 5th LSE)
50MN Cold-Gas Enduring Microwarpdrive

Heavy Missile Launcher II x5
Rapid Light Missile Launcher II

Medium Anti-Thermal Screen Reinforcer II
Medium Anti-EM Screen Reinforcer II
Medium Core Defence Field Extender II

Caldari Navy Hookbill Infiltrator (faction drones or T2 Mediums)

Role: Run T3/T4 Abyssal Deadspace. Adjust resist modules to filament type. 80–150M ISK/hour.

Hurricane — PvP Armour Brawler 

[Hurricane, Armour Brawl Fleet]

Gyrostabilizer II
Gyrostabilizer II
Damage Control II
800mm Rolled Tungsten Compact Plates
Energised Adaptive Nano Membrane II
Energised Adaptive Nano Membrane II

50MN Cold-Gas Enduring Microwarpdrive
Warp Scrambler II
Stasis Webifier II

425mm AutoCannon II x6
Medium Neut II

Medium Ancillary Armor Repairer (Nanite Repair Paste)
Medium Trimark Armor Pump II x2

Hobgoblin II x5

Role: Small-gang or fleet PvP brawler. Get in close, web them, apply full autocannon DPS. Use the MAAR in tight spots.

Astero — Exploration + Combat 

[Astero, Exploration PvP]

Drone Damage Amplifier II
Drone Damage Amplifier II

5MN Cold-Gas Enduring Microwarpdrive
Relic Analyser II
Data Analyser II
Warp Scrambler II
Stasis Webifier II

Covert Ops Cloaking Device II
Sisters Expanded Probe Launcher (Sisters Combat Scanner Probes)

Small Ancillary Armor Repairer
Small Armor Repairer II

Hobgoblin II x5
Acolyte II x5

Role: Scan down relic/data sites in null and wormhole space. Can kill other explorers you catch. Cloak lets you travel safely.

Paladin — L4 Mission Marauder 

[Paladin, L4 Mission Marauder]

Tachyon Beam Laser II x4
Bastion Module I
Drone Link Augmentor II

Sensor Booster II (Scan Resolution Script)
Cap Recharger II x2
Tracking Computer II (Optimal Range Script)

Pithum A-Type Armor Repairer (or T2 Large)
Damage Control II
Capacitor Power Relay II x2
Heat Sink II x4

Large Capacitor Control Circuit II x3

Curator II x5 (Sentry Drones)

Role: Bastion in, activate repair, Beam everything from 70km+. Lasers mean zero ammo cost. 80–120M ISK/hour in L4. Use multiple Tachyon beams for maximum damage.

💰 Ways to Make ISK

The Ishtar — the ISK-per-hour king of null-sec

Tier List Overview

Method ISK/Hour Skill Required Risk Notes
Null-sec ratting (Ishtar/VNI) 80–150M Medium Medium Very popular
L4 Missions 50–100M Medium Low High-sec safe
Wormhole sleepers 100–500M+ High High Big variance
Abyssal Deadspace T4/T5 100–300M High Medium Very popular 2026
Incursions 100–200M Low Low Need fleet
Trading (station) Unlimited Low None Time intensive
PI (Planetary Interaction) 20–100M Low None Passive
Exploration (null/WH) 50–200M+ Low Medium Variance
Mining (moon/ice) 30–80M Low Low AFK friendly
Pochven content 100–300M High High Triglavian space
Manufacturing Variable High Low Market dependent

⛏️ Mining

Retriever Mining Barge

Mining is the backbone of EVE’s economy. Every ship hull, module, and structure starts as ore.

Types of Mining:

  • Asteroid Mining — basic ore in belts, low ISK but simple. Good starter income.
  • Ice Mining — slower, requires Ice Harvester modules, sells for consistent ISK (used for POS fuel and PLEX)
  • Moon Mining — corporation activity, requires moon drill structures, extremely lucrative
  • Gas Huffing — harvest gas in wormholes and null sec for T3 manufacturing

Mining Ships:

  1. Venture (frigate, free from career agents) — start here
  2. Procurer / Retriever / Covetor (barges)
  3. Skiff / Mackinaw / Hulk (exhumers, T2)
  4. Orca (industrial command ship, boosts fleet)
  5. Rorqual (capital, null sec only, enormous yield)

Pro Tip: Never mine alone in low/null sec. Join a mining fleet with an Orca booster — you’ll mine 40–60% faster.

🎯 Mission Running

Raven Battleship — L4 mission benchmark

Agents in stations give combat missions — kill specific NPCs, deliver items, or escort ships.

Mission Levels:

  • L1 — tutorial level, 500K–2M ISK/hour
  • L2 — beginner, 5–15M ISK/hour
  • L3 — intermediate, 20–40M ISK/hour, cruiser/battlecruiser recommended
  • L4 — main endgame, 50–100M+ ISK/hour, battleship required
  • L5 — low-sec, extreme difficulty, 200M+ ISK/hour, rarely done solo

L4 Mission Meta (2026):

  • Golem (Caldari Marauder) — highest efficiency, uses Bastion module to greatly boost tank and DPS
  • Paladin (Amarr Marauder) — laser variant, no ammo costs
  • Rattlesnake (Pirate Battleship) — drones + missiles, very beginner-friendly for L4
  • Raven Navy Issue — strong budget option before Marauder skills

Loyalty Points (LP): Every mission gives LP with the agent’s faction. LP is converted to faction items via the LP store — this is where the real money is. Some LP stores pay 1,000–2,000 ISK per LP. Research which LP stores are most valuable before grinding.

🔭 Exploration

Astero — exploration and relic hunting

Exploration involves scanning down hidden sites with probes and running them for rewards.

Site Types:

  • Relic sites — hack containers for modules, BPCs, ancient materials (most valuable)
  • Data sites — similar to relic, lower value but useful
  • Combat anomalies — rat-filled sites for ISK and escalations
  • Wormholes — unknown space with massive rewards

Required Skills:

  • Astrometrics (scanning)
  • Survey (relic/data sites)
  • Hacking (data sites)
  • Archaeology (relic sites)

Best Exploration Ships:

  • Heron (Caldari frigate) — starter, decent bonuses
  • Buzzard (Caldari Covert Ops) — best scanner, cloaking
  • Astero (Sisters of EVE frigate) — combat + exploration, extremely popular

Exploration ISK:

  • High-sec relic: 5–20M per site
  • Low-sec relic: 20–80M per site
  • Null-sec relic: 50–200M per site
  • Wormhole relic: 50–500M+ per site

Pro Tip: Use the Relic Analyser and Data Analyser with bonused ships. In null-sec, always D-Scan before warping to a site.

☄️ Ratting (PvE Combat in Null/Low Sec)

Ishtar — null-sec anomaly ratting

Ratting means killing NPC pirates in asteroid belts and anomalies.

Anomaly Ratting: Anomalies respawn constantly in null-sec. Clear them for bounty ISK.

Best Ratting Ships (2026):

  • Ishtar (Gallente HAC) — sentry drone king, AFK-able, 80–120M ISK/hour
  • Vexor Navy Issue — budget version, still very effective
  • Rattlesnake — tank monster, great for newer players
  • Carrier (endgame) — 200–400M ISK/hour with fighters, requires null-sec corp

Bounty System: Each NPC has a bounty. Killing it pays ISK directly to your wallet. Faction rats and officer spawns drop extremely rare modules worth billions.

Escalations: Certain combat sites escalate into deadspace complexes worth 50–500M ISK. These can be sold to other players.

🌀 Abyssal Deadspace

Gila — Abyssal Deadspace meta

Introduced in 2018, Abyssal Deadspace is instanced PvE in a dangerous pocket of space. You enter via a Triglavian filament, complete 3 rooms of combat, and escape through the exit — all within a 20-minute timer or your ship is destroyed.

Tiers:

  • T1–T2: New player friendly, 10–30M per run
  • T3: Mid-level, 30–60M per run
  • T4: Serious income, 80–150M per run
  • T5: Highest tier, 150–300M+ per run, very dangerous

Best Abyssal Ships (2026):

  • Gila (Guristas pirate cruiser) — the meta king for T3/T4 Abyss. Shields + drones, incredible tank
  • Cerberus — missile alternative
  • Sacrilege — armour, strong in certain filament types
  • Vagabond — speed-tanking specific weathers

Filament Weather Types:

Filament Effect
Electrical Reduces shields, boosts armour
Firestorm Reduces armour, boosts shields
Exotic Reduces EM/Thermal resistance
Gamma Reduces armour, boosts explosive
Dark Reduces capacitor recharge

Match your ship’s strong resist to the filament type.

📈 Station Trading

Buy low, sell high. Pure market manipulation and arbitrage.

How it works:

  1. Find items with large bid/ask spreads
  2. Place buy orders below current lowest sell
  3. Wait for sellers to fill your order
  4. Relist at competitive sell price for profit

Popular Trading Hubs:

  • Jita 4-4 (The Forge) — the biggest market in the game, trillions of ISK daily
  • Amarr VIII — second largest
  • Dodixie — Gallente hub
  • Rens — Minmatar hub
  • Hek — smaller but less competition

Required Skills:

  • Trade (more buy orders simultaneously)
  • Retail / Wholesale / Tycoon (more orders)
  • Broker Relations (reduce fees)
  • Accounting (reduce taxes)

Income potential: Literally unlimited. Top traders make hundreds of billions per month.

🌍 Planetary Interaction (PI)

Extract resources from planets and process them into goods sold on the market or used in manufacturing.

Setup:

  1. Scan planets with your Planetary Interaction skill
  2. Build Command Centres, Extractors, and Processors on planets
  3. Set up routing between facilities
  4. Collect and export finished goods every few days

Best PI Products (2026):

  • Robotics — consistent high demand
  • Transcranial Microcontrollers — POCO taxes vary
  • Integrity Response Drones — used in structures

Income: 20–100M ISK/day passively per account with good setups. Totally passive once configured.

🔺 Pochven

Pochven is a 27-system region created by the Triglavian Collective during the Triglavian Invasions. It exists as its own disconnected region accessible only via wormholes or filaments.

Why Pochven:

  • Enormous bounties and unique loot
  • Triglavian standings required to operate safely (grind invasions to earn)
  • Some of the best ISK/hour in the game for prepared players
  • Unique implants and modules only found here

Entry Methods:

  • Pochven filaments (cheap, available on market)
  • Natural wormhole connections
  • Standing with Triglavians (allows docking in Pochven stations)

Income: 100–400M+ ISK/hour for skilled players with correct standings

⚡ Incursions

Incursions are cooperative PvE events where the Sansha Nation invades high-sec systems. Players form fleets to fight them off for massive ISK rewards.

Why Incursions are great:

  • Safe (high-sec)
  • 100–200M ISK/hour
  • Social — requires fleet coordination
  • Low skill requirement — bring a correctly fitted battleship

Getting Started: Join the Warp to Me (WTM) or The Valhalla Project (TVP) incursion communities. They provide fleets, fits, and guidance for new incursion runners.

Required: A T2-fit battleship matching their approved doctrines (usually Leshaks, Machariels, or Nightmare battleships)

🏭 Industry & Manufacturing

Orca — industrial command ship

Buy blueprints, source minerals, manufacture ships and modules, sell for profit.

Manufacturing Chain:

  1. Research a Blueprint Original (BPO) to improve efficiency
  2. Source minerals from mining or market
  3. Manufacture using industrial facilities
  4. Sell on market at a profit

T2 Manufacturing: More complex — requires invention (a random process turning T1 BPCs into T2 BPCs). Much more profitable but more involved.

Income: Varies wildly based on market conditions. Skilled industrialists make billions consistently.

🛠️ Essential Third-Party Tools Tools

The Loki — fly smarter with the right tools

Market & Economy

Tool Purpose
EVE Marketer Market price history and trends
Janice Paste loot list, get instant valuation
Adam4EVE Deep market analysis
EVE Trade Find profitable trade routes
Fuzzwork Spreadsheets for industry, manufacturing, PI

Fitting & Planning

Tool Purpose
PyFA Best ship fitting tool — download and use this
EVEmon Skill planning and queue management
EVE Skill Board Share skill sheets publicly

Maps & Navigation

Tool Purpose
Dotlan EVE Maps System stats, jump routes, sovereignty
EVE-Gatecamp Check Check if a gate is camped before jumping
Tripwire / Pathfinder Wormhole mapping tools
EVE-Scout Wormhole rescue service and Thera connection mapper

Intelligence

Tool Purpose
zKillboard Kill/loss records for every pilot and corp — check anyone
EVE Who Corporation and alliance lookup
EVE Prism Intel on pilots, corps, alliances
EVEPRAISAL Quick paste-and-value tool for loot
Little Helper Intel tool for null-sec alerts

Communication

Tool Purpose
Discord Every major corp/alliance uses it
Mumble / TeamSpeak Some older alliances still use voice here

Mobile

Tool Purpose
EVE Portal Official mobile app — manage skills, mail, wallet
Neocom II (iOS) Excellent third-party EVE companion

➡️ PvP & Endgame