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.

1. Shush. Don't mention capitals in chat or comms unless prompted by an FC
2. Stay docked, only undock when told to¹⁾
3. Wait and listen for commands²⁾

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:

1. You have enough capacitor (71.25% with Jump Drive Operation V)
2. You are not pointed (warp disrupted/scrambled) or bubbled
3. You are not in siege (more on this later) or cloaked
4. You do not have red jump fatigue timer
5. You need to be in the same fleet as the character lighting the cyno

Dreadnought have the Siege Module, faxes have the Triage Module. These use strontium clathrates to activate and immobilize your ship (preventing travel, warping, jumping, cloaking, docking etc) and prevent remote assistance (you can't be repped or receive capacitor transfer) but in exchange your local active rep gets boosted and your outgoing dps and reps get boosted. Because of the downsides FC will tell you when to siege (siege green) and when to exit siege (siege red).
It is important when you first jump in to wait until your speed is lower than 10 m/s before sieging. If you bump and siege, the increased mass from sieging will mean you go flying off.

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.

Further reading for Dreadnought pilots

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.

Further reading for FAX pilots

Carriers provide fighter support, which are basically suped up, very long range drones. They have their own control system so you should familiarize yourself with them, that is not covered in this guide (yet).

Further reading for Carrier pilots

https://forum.pleaseignore.com/topic/84972-updated-capitals-101/

https://forum.pleaseignore.com/topic/100127-so-you-now-have-a-fax-guide/