CCP Games launched EVE Online on May 6, 2003 and it still runs on a single shard, so all of the roughly 7,800 star systems in New Eden are shared by the entire playerbase at once. Skills train in real time whether the client is open or not, and a destroyed ship is gone for good along with most of its fittings. Free Alpha accounts cover a wide slice of the game; Omega subscriptions open the rest.
Your choice of equipment defines your damage output and playstyle. This guide ranks every major option, explains what makes each one strong, and tells you which builds they pair best with.
Equipment Rankings
| Equipment | Tier | Best For | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hybrid turrets | S | Gallente brawlers that want to close and hold point, and Caldari railgun snipers sitting at range. | The Caldari and Gallente weapon line. |
| Energy turrets | A | Long deployments with no resupply, and fights against shield tanked targets weak to EM. | Amarr lasers. |
| Projectile turrets | A | Cap starved fits and artillery fleets built to delete one target per coordinated volley. | Minmatar guns. |
| Missiles | B | Pilots who want damage that lands regardless of tracking, and fits that pick a damage type per target. | Damage that flies to the target instead of needing turret tracking. |
| Drones | B | Multitasking in PvE, and ratting or mission running where you want damage without managing ammo. | Autonomous damage from your drone bay in light, medium, heavy and sentry sizes. |
S-Tier: Hybrid turrets
The Caldari and Gallente weapon line. Blasters hit brutally hard at knife range, railguns trade that damage for reach, and both fire thermal and kinetic.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | S |
| Best For | Gallente brawlers that want to close and hold point, and Caldari railgun snipers sitting at range. |
| Key Mechanic | Real time skill training |
| Recommended Build | Miner |
How to get it: Available from mid-game onward. See our walkthrough for the exact progression point.
Best builds using Hybrid turrets: Pairs naturally with Miner thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
A-Tier: Energy turrets
Amarr lasers. Pulse for close work, beam for range, both firing EM and thermal with instant crystal swaps and negligible ammo consumption.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | A |
| Best For | Long deployments with no resupply, and fights against shield tanked targets weak to EM. |
| Key Mechanic | Security status zones |
| Recommended Build | Industrialist |
How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using Energy turrets: Pairs naturally with Industrialist thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
A-Tier: Projectile turrets
Minmatar guns. Autocannons up close and artillery for alpha volleys, and they draw almost no capacitor, freeing cap for tank and propulsion.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | A |
| Best For | Cap starved fits and artillery fleets built to delete one target per coordinated volley. |
| Key Mechanic | Capacitor management |
| Recommended Build | PvP combat pilot |
How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using Projectile turrets: Pairs naturally with PvP combat pilot thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
B-Tier: Missiles
Damage that flies to the target instead of needing turret tracking. Rockets and light missiles on frigates, heavy and heavy assault on cruisers, cruise and torpedoes on battleships.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | B |
| Best For | Pilots who want damage that lands regardless of tracking, and fits that pick a damage type per target. |
| Key Mechanic | Full loot destruction |
| Recommended Build | Explorer |
How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using Missiles: Pairs naturally with Explorer thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
B-Tier: Drones
Autonomous damage from your drone bay in light, medium, heavy and sentry sizes. They keep firing while you manage tackle and tank, and Gallente hulls build whole doctrines around them.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | B |
| Best For | Multitasking in PvE, and ratting or mission running where you want damage without managing ammo. |
| Key Mechanic | Player driven market |
| Recommended Build | Hauler |
How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using Drones: Pairs naturally with Hauler thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
Equipment Progression Path
The order you should acquire equipment as you progress:
- Starting gear → Enough to clear Jita 4-4
- Energy turrets → Your first real upgrade, available early
- Projectile turrets → Mid-game upgrade with good scaling
- Hybrid turrets → Best-in-slot, aim for this by late game
- Upgrade to max → The power spike from max upgrades is enormous
Equipment Tips
- Always upgrade your primary equipment before diversifying. One strong option beats three mediocre ones.
- Match your equipment to your build's stat priorities for maximum scaling.
- Train the core support skills before chasing a bigger hull. Capacitor Systems Operation, the shield and armor compensations, Navigation and the fitting skills raise the performance of every ship you will ever fly, while a battleship skill only helps in a battleship.
- Check our tier list for how equipment rankings affect overall build effectiveness.
More EVE Online Guides
- EVE Online EVE Online Overview
- EVE Online Best Builds
- EVE Online Tier List
- EVE Online Walkthrough
- EVE Online Beginner's Guide
- EVE Online Tips & Tricks
- EVE Online Combat Guide
- EVE Online Boss Guide
- EVE Online Maps & Locations
- EVE Online Crafting Guide
- EVE Online Classes & Characters
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