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This guide assumes you already have experience flying subcap (DPS/logi) fleets and will only explain capital specific mechanics. It also assume you have the doctrine required skills, Jump Drive Calibration V, Jump Fuel Conservation IV, Jump Drive Operation V etc.
You need to join the capitals group before flying in fleets. Joining the group gives access to capitals discord chat, forum and pings; as well as capital SRP.
Your ship has a jump drive, capable of instantly jumping across multiple systems (7 lightyears for a regular capital with Jump Drive Calibration V) to a cynosural field lit by a recon in fleet or to an anchored cynosural beacon. Do not blindly jump to beacons on your own, they are often camped. To jump your ship, right click your capacitor > jump to and select the character or beacon you want to jump to. Several criteria need to be met:
Your ship has a special cargo bay called a fleet hangar, this bay is private to you by default but can be opened up to fleet members or corp members by clicking the little buttons next to the hangar. This is where you can keep things like cap boosters or refits, you probably want to keep it closed to prevent thieves and only open it when needed.
Similar to the fleet hangar the SMA can also be opened to fleet or corp members. This bay can be used to store and jump into fit ships. Possible uses cases include storing spare ships for fleet members to reship into, moving ships for move ops or carrying ammo/charges/strontium/heavywater inside industrials.
Additionally the SMA (even when closed) provides a fitting service like mobile depots to fleet members <5km away. So if you are close to another capital in fleet with you, you can refit your ship in space (see useful refits below).
500mn Microwarpdrive + 3x Inertial Stabilizers: Useful while gate travelling, one cycle of 500mn will align you to warp in 10 seconds
Cloak: Useful for cloaking up after a small hot drop or during move ops
Heavy cap boosters: If your fit doesn't have a cap booster you can carry extra refit cap boosters. Fit one or more so you can quickly inject capacitor
Capacitor Flux Coils + Cap Rechargers: Similar to cap boosters, these will let you cap up passively3)
Warp Core Stabilizers: Adds warp core strength which might help you escape being pointed
The dreadnought is the damage-focussed capital class. The Bomb dread is a buffer-tanked short-range anti-capital damage dealer dropped right on top of the enemy while the Sniper dread is similar but uses long-range guns and is used at range against capitals (or perhaps battleships). The HAW dread is an anti-subcap dread with a modest active rep tank.
Often dreads do not get into the fight which is why it's suggested to use dreads on alts, while you have a character flying subcap in the main fleet.
The Siege Module is the defining siege module of the dreadnought. Sieging vastly improves your DPS and local active reps.
However sieging immobilizes your ship4) ) for the cycle duration (5 min) and prevents you from receiving remote reps or cap transfer.5) FC will tell you when to siege (siege green) and when to end it (siege red), getting this wrong can result in you being unable to jump away with the fleet and being left to die.
The bomb dread is fit with short range weapons and a buffer tank with an emergency hull energizer (EHE).
Fit short range ammunition (T2 ammo if you have it) by default and change to longer range ammo if you end up being too far from the enemy.
Targets will probably be broadcast for dreads, follow them in order as you would with subcap DPS. Pop pyrolancea drugs for extra damage.
If you are primaried however you are probably going to die as you cannot receive reps while sieged. Overheat hardeners and activate your EHE just before you bleed into hull6) , just try to last as long as you can before dying.7) )</sup>
This is quite similar to the bomb dread except with long range guns. Your default should probably be T2 LR ammo.
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Faxes (Force Auxiliary) provide capital reps to both capital and subcapital friendlies alike. Fleet fax (buffer fit) are used when the enemy are expected to bring capitals while master fax are used when the enemy is expected to bring subcaps or only a few dreads. Typically the master fax are used if they can tank what the enemy is likely to bring, typically subcap vs subcap fights, while fleet faxes jump in to rep against capitals.
The Triage Module is the defining siege module of the Fax. Triaging vastly improves your remote reps, remote cap transfer and local active reps.
However triaging immobilizes8) your ship for the cycle duration (5 min) and prevents you from receiving remote reps or cap transfer. FC will tell you when to triage (triage green) and when to end it (triage red), getting this wrong can result in you being unable to jump away with the fleet and being left to die.
You will probably be jumping in together with carriers, supercarriers or titans. Watch broadcast for reps and capacitor. Your job is to keep them alive and provide capacitor against enemy neuts.
When you are out of cap and your triage cycle ends, broadcast for capacitor and a friendly fax9) , will top you up. When you are full go back into siege (this cuts off the capacitor transfer to you) and continue repping people.
If you are primaried however you are probably going to die as you cannot receive reps while triaged. Overheat hardeners, just try to last as long as you can before dying10) .
This differs from fleet fax in that usually only a handful of master fax are jumped in together. The skill requirements for flying this fit are higher and you have more responsibilities.
You will probably take turns going into triage to rep subcaps and/or other master fax, you will also need to take turns capping each other up.
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https://forum.pleaseignore.com/topic/84972-updated-capitals-101/
https://forum.pleaseignore.com/topic/100127-so-you-now-have-a-fax-guide/