Amarr Basic Ship and Skill Guide
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This guide provides general information and recommendations for T1 ships of a single player faction.
For more advanced and in-depth information on specific ships refer to the new ship index. This guide simply gathers the characteristics and overview of racial lineups in an easy to browse format for the very new player.
Amarr General Information
The Amarr Empire is one of the four playable factions and, like the others, has a distinct line of ships with specific quirks and abilities.
Amarr Empire Characteristics
Tank Type: | Armor |
Main Weapon Systems: | Energy Turrets and Drones |
Electronic Warfare: | Weapon Disruption and Energy Destabilization |
Characteristics
The Amarr lineup is characterized by the following:
- Armour tanking. Amarrian ships have high base armour and several ships have direct bonuses to armour resistances (Tech 1 examples: Punisher, Maller, Prophecy, and Abaddon). Armour tanks can be extremely powerful in both PvP and PvE applications. See also Armour Tanking and Armor Tanks for a discussion of the relevant modules.
- Energy turrets. These are the standard for the majority of Amarrian damage dealing vessels in the same way that Gallente and Caldari tend to use Hybrid turrets (although Caldari make greater use of missiles) while the Minmatar make extensive use of Projectile turrets. Energy turrets (more usually 'lasers') offer an excellent combination of range and damage when compared with projectile or hybrid turrets. Frequency crystals, the Energy ammo type, can be changed instantly and Tech 1 crystals are unlimited ammunition as they do not degrade like Faction or Advanced Tech 2 variants. Unfortunately this all comes at a price; there is no variation on damage types. Energy turrets use a great deal of capacitor and have poor tracking, as well as tending to be quite demanding on a hull's powergrid for fitting.
- Large Capacitors. Amarrian pilots rely heavily on their capacitors; lasers are heavy on the capacitor to such a degree that many Amarrian hulls have a bonus that decreases capacitor usage of Energy turrets. Thus Amarrian hulls tend to have larger capacitors than the hulls of the other empires and many Amarrian pilots prioritize capacitor skills.
- Drones. Amarrian hulls have some of the best drone using hulls outside of the Gallentean hull line-up, including the only hulls with drone bonuses that are not Gallentean.
- Lack of Speed. Amarrian ships tend to have lower than average base speeds, fit armour plates which further reduce their base speed and agility, and often use low slots for tank or damage rather than speed modules. At the cost of tanking potential (or damage), a typical Amarrian hull's numerous low slots can be used to achieve a great deal of speed if desired.
- Electronic Warfare. The primary form of Amarrian electronic warfare is Tracking Disruption, which reduces the optimal range, falloff and tracking speed of turrets fitted to the target. Tracking disruption is fairly difficult to counter, however other forms of Electronic Warfare are often still preferred. The secondary form is Capacitor Warfare but bonuses to this are only found on Tech 2 hulls, with the exception of both the the Dragoon and the Armageddon.
PvE
Amarrian ships are more restricted when running missions than the other races. Within Amarr space, against the Blood Raiders and Sansha's Nation factions, Amarrian ships are probably the most effective of all (as is typical with the other empires). However, lasers only do Thermal and Electromagnetic damage, so other factions are more difficult to combat than would be the case for pilots from the other empires fighting in Amarrian space. This is a concern for some Eve University pilots who want to try missioning close to home, as the University is based in Minmatari space where Angels are the common faction but there are effective solutions, such as the Arbitrator (which relies on drones and could carry another empire's drones with proper training) or using alternative turret weapons systems (such as a Punisher with projectile turrets). A classic progression of Amarr mission ships would be to train the Punisher and Coercer for level 1 missions, move to the Omen or Arbitrator for level 2 missions, then Harbinger for level 3 missions, and finally the Apocalypse for level 4 missions.
For salvaging, a Coercer makes a very good, cheap salvager and is only beaten in efficiency by a Noctis.
In Wormholes, the Harbinger can run C1 and C2 combat sites, although it may have trouble with either range or tracking due to the variety of sleeper hulls that can orbit either close or far. Like the other turret-based BCs, the Harbinger does much better in fleets than solo for wormholes. C3 wormholes can also be done in a Harbinger with a fleet of sufficient size.
Amarr ships are also highly popular with armour incursion fleets, especially the Paladin and Legion. While not technically an Amarrian ship, the Nightmare is one of the most sought after ships for shield incursion fleets and uses energy turrets, so is a natural progression for an Amarr pilot.
PvP
Exceptional tanks, large capacitors and a combination of good damage and range make Amarrian ships a firm favourite in armour fleets, though fits with shield tanks or alternate weapon systems also see some use. Most notably, the AHAC, Hellcat and Foxcat fleet doctrines are centered around Amarr ships.
At the basic level Amarr ships tend to stick to the formula of lots of armour for defence and lots of lasers for damage with fewer 'exceptions to the rule' than in other races' line-ups. As a result Amarr are sometimes said to be the simplest race to fly. There are some good candidates for 'breaking the mould' even for a new player (Punisher fitted with Autocannon turrets is a classic) but they are more skill intensive and often require cross-training. New pilots are likely best served by playing to the Amarr formula until they know when and how to break the rules.
For PvP progression, there are countless possibilities, but the conventional roles are as follows:
Pilots who want to specialize in Damage Dealing will follow the laser hulls from Punisher, to Omen or Maller, Harbinger, and then the Amarr Battleships (all three are effective in different roles) breaking off towards T2 hulls at some point.
EWAR specialists will follow a different path from the Crucifier into Arbitrators before moving into T2 ship training.
In frigate hulls, the Punisher or Executioner are typically used for tackling, and the Crucifier for EW. In cruiser hulls, all four Amarr cruiser are fully capable. The Arbitrator makes an excellent dps or EWAR boat, while the Omen and Maller focus specifically on DPS. The Augoror is a very capable logistics ship. The Harbinger makes an excellent damage dealing battlecruiser, as does the Prophecy for those who favour large tanks and drones. In battleship hulls, the Armageddon, Apocalypse, and Abaddon all have their uses. The Apocalypse can be used as a sniper (sometimes with a very weak tank to maximize damage potential) and the Abaddon's bonus to armor resists grants it gigantic tank, making it one of the most survivable battleships when supported by logi, although a combination of weak capacitor and no bonuses to cap usage can leave a pilot struggling to find enough capacitor. The Armageddon has a large bonus to Energy Neutraliser range, making it the single best t1 neuting ship in the game, only surpassed in this role by the Bhaalgorn.
Skills
The skills which are important to Amarr characters are the same skills which are crucial to every pilot who wants to use the same basic systems. There is already good information on Basic Skills and Support Skills elsewhere. So if you want maximize turret weapon damage you will train the same gunnery support skills as other projectile or hybrid users (but pay particular attention to Controlled Bursts and Sharpshooter). Similarly the skills are the same for all pilots who want to survive with an armour tank, or use drones effectively, and all of this backed up by solid support and fitting skills (prioritize the capacitor skills such as Energy Systems Operation and Energy Management). Amarr pilots should aim for a full T2 armour tank early in their careers.
Amarr pilots should eventually acquire T2 energy weapon skills, though this is often done after having stepped into a battleship, or earlier in their career for dedicated PvPers.
One may also want to check out the certificates system within Eve. It serves as a handy reference for if you want to train for a specific task or role. Note that completing a certificate does not give any boosts or bonuses, they are (for now) merely suggestions. They may be accessed in-game on your character sheet, in the "Certificates" tab of the "Skills" section.
Cross Training
Cross training into or out of Amarr can be quite skill intensive. The easiest prospect is probably Gallente (armour tanking, gunnery and drone synergies) with Minmatar second (some gunnery and armour tanking synergies). Caldari have the fewest skills in common, despite Khanid missile ships at the Amarr Tech 2 level, and could require the most retraining.
Later once pirate faction ships become a consideration, cross training to Minmatar will give access to Blood Raider pirate faction ships. Cross training to Caldari will give access to Sansha ships. Cross training to Gallente will give access to Sisters of EVE ships.
Ships
Here are the Amarr T1 ships. Please follow the links to the specific pages of the ship database for more details and particular fits.
Rookie Ship
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S H I P B O N U S E S Role Bonus: Development |
The rookie ship is the first ship you start with. If you are Amarr, it will be an Impairor. A new rookie ship is given whenever you dock at a station where you do not have any ships. The Impairor can be used to go through the first tutorial missions, although upgrading to a frigate in the Military tutorial as soon as it is offered is recommended.
Frigate
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S H I P B O N U S E S Amarr Frigate bonuses (per skill level): Development |
The Crucifier is the Amarr EWAR frigate, and works great as an extremely cheap long range EWAR platform for very new pilots.
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S H I P B O N U S E S Amarr Frigate bonuses (per skill level): Development |
The Executioner is the Amarr fast frigate. The Executioner was buffed in the Inferno expansion, gaining an extra mid slot and a bonus to propulsion jamming so that it now resembles a T1 interceptor, making it a great stepping stone for new tacklers.
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S H I P B O N U S E S Amarr Frigate bonuses (per skill level): Development |
The Inquisitor is the Amarr logistics frigate. It acquired this role in the Retribution expansion.
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S H I P B O N U S E S Amarr Frigate bonuses (per skill level): Development |
Magnates are a perfect platform to practice probing skills which will come in handy later both for exploration and PvP probing.
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S H I P B O N U S E S Amarr Frigate bonuses (per skill level): Development |
This is easily the most tenacious of the T1 frigates. Due to excellent armour HP together with the bonus to armour resistances and the 5 low slots, this platform can handle a surprising amount of damage for a T1 frigate. The Punisher's 4 turrets can give it decent dps, but its 2 Mid slots prevent it from fitting the tackling trinity: a propulsion module, a point, and a web.
Along with the Executioner, the Punisher is a popular E-UNI tackler for new Amarr pilots. However, it does not excel at this role due to the limited mid slots, low base velocity, and mediocre scan resolution.
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S H I P B O N U S E S Amarr Frigate bonuses (per skill level): Development |
While lacking the resistance bonus of the Punisher, or the speed of the Executioner, the Tormentor makes a good middle ground; four low slots allow for a good armor tank, and the three medium slots allow for better tackling than the Punisher.
Destroyer
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S H I P B O N U S E S Amarr Destroyer bonuses (per skill level): Development |
The Coercer sees some use in PvE activities or as a cheap Noctis substitute. It was recently changed in the Retribution patch to have two mid slots, making it a very viable PvP ship.
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S H I P B O N U S E S Amarr Destroyer bonuses (per skill level): Development |
The Dragoon was introduced in the Retribution expansion. It is a drone / ewar ship. It is the only t1 ship smaller than a battleship to have a bonus to energy neutralizer and energy vampire range, allowing it to have a very unique combat style.
Cruiser
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S H I P B O N U S E S Amarr Cruiser bonuses (per skill level): Development |
You can easily argue this is the most flexible and capable platform for Amarr T1 cruisers, and even make a strong case for it being the best T1 drone cruiser in the game. There are many effective configurations for both PvE and PvP with this ship.
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S H I P B O N U S E S Amarr Cruiser bonuses (per skill level): Development |
The Augoror is the Amarr logistics cruiser. It is one of the two armor logistics cruisers, the other being the Gallente Exequror. While the Exequror is bonused for more of a solo role, the bonus to Energy Transfer amount on the Augoror means it works best when paired with one or more other logistics ships with an Energy Transfer bonus.
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S H I P B O N U S E S Amarr Cruiser bonuses (per skill level): Development |
The Maller was buffed in the Retribution patch to have a bonus to medium laser damage rather than a capacitor use bonus. It can obtain a good tank while retaining decent DPS. However, due to the lack of a capacitor use bonus, for PvE, an Omen might be a better choice for lower skilled players. The Maller is likely to become much more popular in PvP.
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S H I P B O N U S E S Amarr Cruiser bonuses (per skill level): Development |
The Omen is one of the two dedicated DPS cruisers. It is more adept at speed tanking than the Maller because of the lower signature radius and higher base velocity.
Battlecruiser
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S H I P B O N U S E S Amarr Battlecruiser bonuses (per skill level): Development |
The Harbinger is an extremely capable Combat Battlecruiser and is well balanced with its competitors from the other races. It is the first real laser powerhouse in the Amarr lineup.
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S H I P B O N U S E S Amarr Battlecruiser bonuses (per skill level): Development |
The Oracle is the Amarr Attack Battlecruiser, swapping the tank of most Battlecruisers for the ability to fit battleship-sized weaponry. This allows it to project heavy DPS, while maintaining the agility of a battlecruiser.
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S H I P B O N U S E S Amarr Battlecruiser bonuses (per skill level): Development |
The Prophecy is a Combat Battlecruiser that is primary focused on being a tanky drone carrier.
Battleship
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S H I P B O N U S E S Amarr Battleship bonuses (per skill level): Development |
The Abaddon has a bonus to laser damage and armor resistances, but the normal bonus to laser capacitor use is conspicuously missing. This makes the Abaddon a "high skill" ship, because it requires good core skills to keep its lasers firing while powering its tank. The bonus to tank and the high damage makes the Abaddon a popular PvP ship, where its difficulty staying cap stable is also not so much of an issue.
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S H I P B O N U S E S Amarr Battleship bonuses (per skill level): Development |
The Apocalypse has a bonus to optimal range that with the Amarr ability to switch crystals instantly can be turned in to a damage bonus quite easily. Pulse laser Apocalypses with T2 Scorch ammunition are able to deliver good damage at a decent distance and the tracking bonus can allow it to hit smaller ships quite well. Apocalypses are also well suited to beam laser sniper fits, making the hull surprisingly versatile for an Amarr ship. The Apocalypse does not have the raw firepower of the Abaddon however, but is an easier ship to skill for.
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S H I P B O N U S E S Amarr Battleship bonuses (per skill level):
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While previously all Amarr battleships were fairly similar, the Armageddon's new face makes it an entirely different beast. With the bonus to cap warfare range, the Armageddon is now the premier t1 neuting battleship, whilst still being able to put out a very respectable amount of DPS through its drones.
Industrial
T1 industrials are useful to transport large amounts of cargo, but they are vulnerable to suicide ganks in highsec, and piracy in lowsec. For war time hauling, a hauling alt is recommended. See the Creating an Alt Hauler article for more information.
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S H I P B O N U S E S Amarr Industrial bonuses (per skill level): The Bestower has for decades been used by the Empire as a slave transport, shipping human labor between cultivated planets in Imperial space. As a proof to how reliable this class has been through the years, the Emperor has used an upgraded version of this very same class as transports for the Imperial Treasury. The Bestower has very thick armor and large cargo space. |
Arguably the best of the T1 industrials from a skill training time per cargo capacity perspective, the Bestower is a favourite for alternate character hauling setups. If only training an alt to racial industrial III, the Bestower has the highest capacity for less than 18 hours of training time. With the Odyssey expansion, it is only necessary to train to racial industrial III instead of V on the way to racial freighter I. Additionally, the removal of racial frigate III as a requirement for industrial ships means that any race can select the Bestower as their hauler of choice on the way to becoming a freighter alt.
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S H I P B O N U S E S Amarr Industrial bonuses (per skill level): The Sigil is a recent ship from Viziam based on an old slave transport design. |
Although lacking the cargo capacity of the Bestower, it is significantly faster, more agile, and more flexible with five low slots that can be swapped between nanofibers, expanders, or warp core stabilizers as needed. It can easily be expanded to hold 8000m3, the max needed for running L4 distribution missions, while still having three nanofibers for an under eight second align, or a nanofiber and a couple of stabs if the mission takes you into lowsec.
Related Links
- Basic Skills and Support Skills Training support skills is the first step in flying a ship well. Read up on support skills here.
- Fitting Guidelines Some general guidelines for fitting ships.
- Fitting Modules and Rigs Guide A list of rigs and module types with short descriptions.
- Full T2 Tank Having a full T2 tank is a requirement for many ships during wartime in the Uni. If you fly anything other than a T1 frigate, destroyer, or cruiser, make sure you have the required skills and recommended support skills for the type of tank you use.
- NPC Damage Types and NPC Ship Attributes To see which resists to use and damage type to deal against NPC rats.
- Creating an Alt Hauler Having an alt hauler can be essential to be able to make shopping trips during wartime.
- Failheap Challenge The new incarnation of Scrapheap Challenge. A good place for experienced pilots to find fittings, and many threads also had tactic discussions on how to use them.