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Kaiser Friedlich's avatar
Kaiser Friedlich

*Fitting Your First Ship: A Beginner's Guide for EVE Online*

Welcome to EVE Online, Capsuleer! Fitting your first ship can seem overwhelming, but don’t worry—I’m here to help break it down step-by-step. By the end of this guide, you’ll have a solid foundation for creating ship fits that match your playstyle and goals. Let’s dive in!

### 1. *Understand Your Ship’s Role*

Every ship in EVE has a specific role it performs best in. Some are meant to deal damage, others to tackle enemies (prevent them from warping), or support allies. Read the ship’s description and bonuses to get an idea of what it’s designed for. For example:

- *Frigates*: Small, fast ships ideal for scouting, tackling, and early PvE content.

- *Destroyers*: Good at clearing multiple smaller targets quickly.

- *Cruisers*: More durable than frigates, these can handle tougher missions.

### 2. *Learn the Basics of Ship Fitting*

A ship’s fitting consists of several main parts:

- *High Slots*: Typically used for weapons, mining lasers, or specialized equipment.

- *Medium Slots*: Often fitted with modules like shields, electronic warfare, propulsion, and tackle modules (warp disruptors/scramblers).

- *Low Slots*: Usually used for armor, damage enhancements, or power management.

You’ll also need to watch out for *CPU and Powergrid*—each module you fit requires a certain amount of these resources. Overfitting will prevent you from using everything effectively.

### 3. *Step-by-Step Guide to Fitting*

Here’s a simple walkthrough to fit a basic ship, using the *Cormorant*, a Caldari destroyer, as an example for a new player:

*High Slots:*

- 7 x 125mm Railgun I (Main weapons, use Antimatter Charge S for close range, Iron Charge S for long range)

*Medium Slots:*

- 1 x 1MN Afterburner I (Increases your speed to control distance)

- 1 x Small Shield Booster I (Repairs your shield in combat)

- 1 x Shield Extender I (Boosts your overall shield amount)

*Low Slots:*

- 1 x Magnetic Field Stabilizer I (Increases your weapon’s damage output)

*Rig Slots:*

- Small Capacitor Control Circuit I

- Small Anti-EM Screen Reinforcer I

This fit is good for low-level missions or even ratting in High Sec. The core idea is to stay mobile, use your railguns from range, and repair your shields if you start taking hits.

### 4. *Keep It Cheap*

For your first ships, stick to *Tech 1 (T1) modules*. They’re inexpensive and easy to replace if things go wrong. As you become more experienced, you can start swapping to Tech 2 or faction gear.

### 5. *Optimize for What You Want to Do*

Here are some example ship fitting goals:

- *PvE (Mission Running/Combat Sites)*: Prioritize sustained damage output and tank (shields or armor).

- *PvP (Tackling/Small Gang)*: Focus on speed and electronic warfare. Being able to tackle (stop others from escaping) is more important than damage.

- *Exploration*: Use cloaking devices and scanning equipment, prioritize warp core stabilizers and speed.

### 6. *Use the In-Game Fitting Tool*

The in-game fitting tool lets you see your fit's stats, such as damage, resistances, and speed. If you’re near the CPU or Powergrid limit, swap modules for ones that are more power-efficient. For example, replace a shield booster with a smaller version or use meta-level modules (e.g., “Compact” versions).

### 7. *Ask for Advice*

There’s no shame in asking for advice. Use in-game chat channels like *Rookie Help, join a newbie-friendly corporation, or check out online resources like *[EVE University](

https://wiki.eveuniversity.org/)

**.

### 8. *Be Ready to Lose Ships*

EVE is a game of learning through loss. Don’t be afraid to lose a few ships—every wrecked hull is a step closer to mastering your fits. Stick to cheaper fits when starting out, and treat each loss as a lesson in what could be improved.

### 9. *Next Steps: Start Experimenting!*

As you gain more experience and ISK, you can experiment with other modules and ships. Try different fits for PvE, PvP, and support roles. The more you try, the better you’ll understand what each module does and how ships can complement each other in a fleet.

### 10. *Sample Fits*

Here are a few more sample fits for popular starter ships to get you rolling:

#### Merlin (Caldari Frigate)

*High Slots:*

- 3 x Light Electron Blaster I (with Antimatter Charges)

*Medium Slots:*

- 1 x 1MN Afterburner I

- 1 x Medium Shield Extender I

- 1 x Adaptive Invulnerability Field I

*Low Slots:*

- 1 x Damage Control I

- 1 x Magnetic Field Stabilizer I

*Rig Slots:*

- 1 x Small Anti-EM Screen Reinforcer I

- 1 x Small Core Defense Field Extender I

This Merlin fit is great for new pilots looking to start with basic PvE or PvP content. It’s shield-heavy with some extra tankiness from the Damage Control.

---

### *Final Tip*

Always *simulate* a fit before spending your ISK. This way, you can see if it meets your goals and won’t accidentally overfit your ship.

Good luck out there, pilot, and fly safe! If you need more help, feel free to ask for more specific fits or advice on any ship or role. o7

Sturmer's avatar
Sturmer
Kaiser Friedlich

Why do you recommend mixing tanking for Cormorant?

LukaZaharin's avatar
LukaZaharin
Sturmer

Hm, I'm sorry, I do not want to be unfriendly in any way, but your fitting advice has two modules that are no longer in the game. The Adaptive Invulnerability Field I was turned into the Multispectrum Shield Hardener I several years ago and was never a highslot module. In addition, the rig Small Anti-EM Screen Reinforcer I was renamed to Small EM Shield Reinforcer I . While veterans can still understand the instructions, I wanted add this in order to facilitate new player's search efforts.

Finally I would like to add, that it is good to aim to fit something useful in every slot of your ship. For example, the Merlin's 3/4/3 layout usually allows it to fit two Magnetic Field Stabilizer Is along with the Damage Control Unit while adding a forth module for tank or tackle in the medium slots.

Alex Sinclair's avatar
Alex SinclairMod
Kaiser Friedlich

Hi Kaiser Friedlich - Thanks for entering this bounty. Just letting you know that we're marking your submission as ineligible because it shows signs of having been produced by generative AI. Our goal with Just About is to reward authentic, human content and to do so in a way that respects the effort taken to produce it. Almost all low-effort use of generative AI in bounties will therefore be rejected and may be considered a violation of our code of conduct, with appropriate penalties for repeat offenders. Please read that code of conduct and our policy on AI content. If you make significant edits to your submission, it will still be considered for a reward. Thanks!

Amoni P's avatar
Amoni P
Limal's avatar
Limal
Amoni P

great video, will use it for my rookies

Sturmer's avatar
Sturmer

When it comes to fitting your first ship, my biggest advice is—don’t fit it yourself, just yet.

Over the years, I’ve helped a lot of players with their ship fits, and I’ve seen many common mistakes. The most frequent one is mixing modules, like fitting both active armor and shield tanking, or combining passive and active systems. When asked why, most people say, “I start with shields, and when they’re gone, I switch to armor.” Another common mistake is mixing weapons, especially on versatile ships like the Sunesis, Gnosis, and Praxis. The Praxis, in particular, has almost become a meme—people fit it with two 1400mm artillery guns “for sniping” along with a mix of lasers and blasters for close-range combat. This approach is not effective and often dangerous.

My general suggestion

  1. Start with community public fittings. They're great! For example, EVE JA fits, which include a ‘how-to-fly’ explanation, are available in-game.

  2. Familiarize yourself with each module in the fit. Understand the situations you might face and how the fit helps you deal with them.

  3. Once you're comfortable with the tactics and module performance, start experimenting. One of the best tools for learning how people fit their ships (and what doesn't work) is zKillboard. With advanced filtering, you can find the fits that interest you.

Tips

  1. Don’t mix weapon types. Align your modules to fully support your chosen weapon type. For example, if you opt for long-range weapons, focus on controlling the battlefield with speed and range. Use a light tank and high speed or add modules like target painters and webs to help you land hits at close range.

  2. Don’t mix tanking systems. Stack resistances and performance-boosting modules and rigs for a single tanking system (either shield or armor) to maximize effectiveness.

  3. Avoid Damage Control in PvE. If you’re relying on structure in PvE, something has already gone wrong. Damage Control offers diminishing returns on resistances across the board and isn't useful in most PvE situations.

Limal's avatar
Limal

I think CCP Games did a fantastic job by allowing us to simulate fittings and share them via links. Before this feature, people had to create fits in EFT and share them through emails or chats, which was time-consuming. It was frustrating to recreate a fit only to find out you lacked the necessary skills, powergrid, or CPU.

As Sturmer mentioned, you can start with rookie-friendly community fittings, most of which are ready to use from day one.

If you’re curious and want to create your own fits, I recommend reading these articles first:

  • https://wiki.eveuniversity.org/Low_slot

  • https://wiki.eveuniversity.org/Mid_slot

  • https://wiki.eveuniversity.org/High_slot

  • https://wiki.eveuniversity.org/Rigs

This approach will help ensure your first undock is smooth, and it pays off in the long run. The fitting system in EVE may seem complex at first, but it's logical and easy to grasp once you get used to it.

For a personal recommendation, check out my Abyssal Starter Tristan—it’s my favorite T1 frigate. It’s versatile and will help mitigate most mistakes you might make early in your capsuleer career.

https://justabout.com/eve-online/36505/ccp-guest-bounty-share-an-early-game-abyssal-fit-and-get-your-name-featured-in-game/replies/37973

FirestormGamingTeam's avatar
FirestormGamingTeam

I think video submissions are allowed. I am just going by below.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/OjhLHH9NMrg?feature=oembed

Alex Sinclair's avatar
Alex SinclairMod
FirestormGamingTeam

They are indeed! Tyvm!

S
ShoMenao

Step 1:

Determine the specific goal you want your ship to achieve. You will be much more effective picking a single task, whether it's shoot Gurista npcs in nullsec anomalies, or mining Isogen roids in lowsec, or ganking transports in highsec. Trying to be a jack-of-all-trades will make your ship weak at all tasks rather than good at what you're looking to do.

Step 2:

Pick a ship that has bonuses for that specific task, even better is selecting a hull that also fits into your current level of skills. As you are a newer player, you will only have a relatively small selection of SP and allocating them into improving the performance of your ships will be imperative. Make sure to select ships that you have good skills for and that have bonuses toward modules that you also have good skills for. I advise initially training for active shield tanking and drones/missiles as they open up good early game ships like the Caracal and further along the Gila that help increase your combat capabilities early game.

Step 3:

Find a good fit for the ship of your choice. At this point there are many community fittings in the fitting window to choose from, or additional guides to specific fits for specific ships. These fits are often tailored to the niches that they excel in and will indicate what they do best.

Step 4:

Fly to Jita and pick up the ships and fits. Jita is the main market hub in EVE and often has the best prices and availability for all ships and modules in the game. There are other markets, but these can have higher prices and occasionally modules at exorbitant prices waiting for some unsuspecting pilot to click purchase all without looking at the bottom line.

Kane Carnifex's avatar
Kane Carnifex

We give you guidance not a dummy guide, learn padavane you must.

Start here to locate if you are ready:
Let me show you what already happened before we were going to fit a ship.
The first steps in EVE:Online will be missions(“Quests”) to guide you.
Once you have chosen a mission, you are kind of bound to a ship arche.
Means security will require you to kill something, distribution wants you to move stuff and so on. Therefore the ship hull you want to use should be suitable for the task


Ok, if you have done above we can head into fitting understanding:

So lets say you have:
Security or PVE means we need Guns to shoot, a Tank which regenerates and  maybe something to get us in position to shoot.

-> PVE highly tends to be a stable,relaxed activity, keep that in mind for the fit.

Your Ship Hull will have bonuses, keep them in mind and use them.
If you get + 50% Damage on Weapon X, that will be the gun you use.
This all happens in the High Slots.

To boost damage further you can use your Low Slots. Match the Gun with the right damage applicator. But an armor tank will share these low slots as well so keep following in mind:

Tank
Shield - Mid Slots
Armor - Low Slots (here are also your ++damage modules)

So in PVE Missions it looks like you get the most damage and Tank with shield.
Doesn't mean it's the holy grail but it makes the most stuff easier.
Shield has the option to regenerate passively, armor & hull doesn't.

Now you choose the right size of your module for your hull and bozzeling everything together.
Frigate/dessi is size small mostly xD
Volià, this should work out for the first missions from there the game will feed you more knowledge.

Another small Example:
Distribution on the other hand requires you to move stuff.
You will recognize which Hauler has limited access to guns, beside the Edencom Haulers.
What's my purpose? You move stuff and you are kind of tanky vs. your cargo value.

So Rambo may could be a mule and a mule can´t shoot rockets.

Hunter's avatar
Hunter

Fitting Your First Ship in EVE Online: A Beginner's Guide

Welcome, new pilots! Starting your journey in New Eden can feel overwhelming, especially when it comes to fitting your first ship. But don't worry – this guide will help you fit your ship like a pro and set you on a course for success.

1. Know Your Ship’s Role

Before you fit any modules, ask yourself: what do you want to do? The ship’s role will dictate the type of fitting you need. For beginners, stick to:

  • Combat Frigates: Great for PvE (missions or ratting) and PvP skirmishes.

  • Mining Ships: For those focused on gathering resources.

  • Exploration Ships: Perfect for hunting down relic and data sites.

Each of these roles will need a different setup.

2. Understand the Basics of Ship Fitting

EVE’s fitting system uses three main resources:

  • Power grid (PG) and CPU: Every module you fit consumes power and CPU. Ships have limits on how much they can handle.

  • Capacitor: This is your ship’s energy supply. Modules like afterburners, shield boosters, and warp scramblers use capacitor energy. Manage your cap well, or you'll be stranded with no power to defend yourself!

3. Slot Layouts: High, Mid, and Low

Each ship has a layout of high, mid, and low slots where different modules go. Here’s a quick overview of what typically goes into these slots:

  • High Slots: Offensive weapons (like guns, missiles, mining lasers) and utility modules (like salvagers or cloaking devices).

  • Mid Slots: These vary based on your ship’s role but typically include things like afterburners/microwarp drives, shield modules, or tackle gear (warp scramblers or disruptors).

  • Low Slots: These are for Armor modules, damage mods, or fitting assistance (e.g., modules that improve your ship’s CPU or power grid output).

4. Weapon Choices for High Slots

If you're fitting a combat ship:

  • Hybrid Turrets (Blasters/Railguns): For Gallente ships, blasters are short-range with high damage, while railguns offer longer range but lower damage.

  • Projectile Turrets (Autocannons/Artillery): For Minmatar ships, autocannons are fast-firing and short-range, while artillery is great for long-range strikes.

  • Lasers (Pulse/Beam): Used by Amarr ships. Pulses are short-range/high-damage, and beams offer long-range capabilities.

  • Missiles: Caldari ships typically use missiles. They ignore tracking and hit wherever you aim, though slower than turrets.

5. Shields or Armor? Mid and Low Slot Decisions

  • Shields: as Basic rule but not set on stone If your ship has more mid slots, go with shield-based defence. Fit shield extenders for passive tanking or shield boosters if you want active defence (healing as you fight).

  • Armor: Ships with more low slots benefit from Armor-based defence. Use Armor repairers for active defence or plates to increase raw hit points.

6. Cap Management: Stay Powered Up!

When fitting modules that use capacitor (e.g., shield boosters, warp scramblers), always monitor your cap usage. Use modules like Cap Rechargers (mid slots) or Capacitor Power Relays (low slots) to help maintain cap stability.

7. Propulsion: Afterburners vs. Micro warp drives

Having a speed boost is crucial for many roles:

  • Afterburners: Less power drain, can be used when warp scrambled. Ideal for missions and general PvE.

  • Microwarp drives (MWD): Massive speed boost but uses a lot of capacitor and makes you less easier to hit. Great for traveling quickly or dodging in PvP.

8. Tackling: Get Up Close and Personal

If you’re fitting for PvP, having a warp scrambler or disruptor is key. They prevent enemies from escaping by disabling their warp drives. Scramblers have shorter range but also shut down enemy MWDs, while disruptors have longer range and have no effect on Micro Warp Drives.

9. Balancing Fittings: Use the Fitting Tool

The in-game fitting tool is your best friend. It shows if you’re exceeding power grid, CPU, or cap. Aim to keep your capacitor stable .

11. Keep Learning and Experimenting

As you progress in EVE, you’ll gain access to more modules, better skills, and more ships. Keep experimenting with different fits, and don’t be afraid to ask your Corp mates or Rookie's chat for advice!

yan57436's avatar
yan57436

I believe that the basics, when done well, are much better than crazy ideas without the proper knowledge. Here's what I consider to be basic but effective knowledge:

  1. Choice of Ship and Skills

    I know that choosing just one seems like a difficult idea, focus on those with bonuses for specific weapons or modules (I'm thinking of the Caracal). Remember to always train to perfect the modules

  2. Understand Low, Medium and High Slot Modules

    Just like when you buy a car, it's always good to understand how it works, so you understand what you're using. Based on this, understand that low-slot modules generally increase defense or damage, medium-slot modules help you navigate and high-slot modules are related to your weapons.

  3. Test the configurations

    Before spending your hard-earned money, use the simulation function to test your ideas (which are often better in your head than in practice). Using ready-made configurations is always a valid alternative

  4. Define the Ship's Objective

    Don't try to have a 10-in-1 ship, define a clear objective and make it as efficient as possible at it, be it PvP, transportation or mining. Be focused!

D
dydo

First, head to a major trade hub (like Jita) for a wide variety of ships and modules.

On the left side of your screen, click on the Ship Fitting icon (or ctrl+f) to start.

At the window, on Hulls & Fits menu, filter the fittings by choosing Community Fittings. These are helpful for new players, because fitting may be very complex at first, but you will get it after some time playing EVE.

Find the type of ship you want to fit. For beginners, I would recommend a basic frigate (logistics or combat ships, useful in warfare) or hauler (cargo ship, good for transports), depending on your role in the game.

 

You need to check for not overloading the CPU or power grid, even on Community Fittings (it’s rare, but I’ve seen it happen). Look for flashing bars, that indicates you don’t have enough power or CPU to run that ship.

Check your current skills too, to ensure all the modules in the fit can be used on your ship.

Right-click the fitting and select Buy All. The cost of all the required items, including the ship you want to buy, is then shown on a window, where you can now click on Buy.

 

After purchasing, click the ship in your inventory to unpack it, to then fit modules.

 

Now, right-click on the Community Fitting you choose again and select Fit to Active Ship, or just click Fit Ship in the interface so all the purchased modules will automatically equip.

Once fitted, your ship is ready for action!

 

And now remember:

Ensure you have a balance of offense (weapons), defense (shield or armor), and utility modules.

Community Fittings are tried-and-tested setups that can help you avoid mistakes early on and to decide how to fit your ship. So… stick to them!!!

As I said, always check that you’re not overloading your ship’s power grid or CPU, as it will prevent you from equipping modules.

And the MOST important thing: do it after some research, to now what role/career fits… you! You are the commander, and there’s no ship better than another if you don’t know what kind of commander you want to be.

M
mypets

I think there are several valuable tips for those just starting out, as I've seen many of them mentioned here! In general, I would say the following:

1. First, you need to have a clear idea of what your ship's objective is and focus on that. Specializing in something will make you more efficient, rather than trying to be versatile and “multitasking”. And according to your objective, you can choose your ship. I think the Gila is a good option for those just starting out!

2. Get to know your ship! Learn about the modules, the low, medium and high slots. Also, before you start spending money, it's very important to test the configurations. The game has a simulation function for just that. There are also public settings available in the game, which are very interesting for beginners.

3. Focus on training! It's important to know exactly which skills are most interesting to train, be strategic and objective, use these skills to complement your objectives. We don't want to waste money or time!

4. Keep an eye on the market! Don't be compulsive and buy everything at once, here we'll do our research and think carefully before investing. Markets like Jita are an excellent place to explore.

There are many important points, but these topics will help you a lot!

LukaZaharin's avatar
LukaZaharin

I feel like nearly everything has been said in these many good guides, so I just want to reinforce some ideas and add a few tips of my own.

  • It is very important to define the role of your ship on the long term and do not hesitate to have several fits for a same hulltype depending on what you want to do with the ship at that moment.

  • If you start flying in PvP, get at least 5 fitted ships of the same type ready in your starting station. There is nothing worse than to have to get a new ship every time you die and see that ISK drain out of your wallet. You will die, certainly, but it is easier if you can jump right into the next ship and undock again.

  • Don't mix guns, tank or utility unless you are really sure that is want you want to do (Dualrep Breacher).

  • Use other people's fits as a starting point. Dissect and analyse every fit you get by a trustworthy player to understand how it works.

  • Ask for advice. Every group has that crazy fitting dude who will tell you much more than you ever thought you wanted to know.

  • Simulate your ships and do not buy things until you are sure they are the right modules for your ship. Use the filters in the simulation to find exactly what you want and try to buy at one of the large tradehubs for better prices. (Ask any friendly person ingame and you'll get the stations linked.)

  • For the very first ships, do not take it too seriously. Fly chap stuff, throw together what you have in your hangar and enjoy the game. There is always time for min-maxing as you continue playing.

  • Do not fly what you cannot afford to lose! By now this is more a meme than a real advice, but it is true! Do not fly anything you are not ready to lose and replace. Eve is a harsh world and no ship has ever survived getting undocked.

Fly safe out there and I'm going to leave you with this.

(My all purpose machine came quite late as I had heard this joke before, but I love my Loki and the mobile depot)

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