There are hundreds of ships for players to obtain in EVE Online. Everything from lowly shuttles to travel quickly across the stars to massive Titans that represent the pinnacle of ship technology. Each come with their own advantages, disadvantages, and unique playstyles.
What ship you fly is largely down to what you want to accomplish and how much money is at your disposal. For players looking to get an idea of what’s most popular, most noteworthy, and arguably best in class, here are some examples in no particular order.
Updated on October 17, 2021, by Jeff Drake: As stated in the original introduction to this article, there are a seemingly endless number of ships to choose from in EVE Online. So many in fact that a list of just ten ships is barely scratching the surface. To make this list a little more comprehensive five additional entries have been added with this update. What makes labeling a ship in this game as one of the best so difficult is that there are few one-size-fits-all type ships. Different ships are designed for different purposes. A ship designed for mining may or may not be suitable for player-vs-player (PVP) engagements, or missions.
15 Tengu
The Tengu was a favorite among many players as the best all-around ship design in EVE Online. Even though the Tengu was nerfed to make it more balanced, it's still a very powerful ship. This is still one of the most popular ships for player-vs-environment (PVE) missions as well.
The reason for the love shown to the Tengu by players is its customization options, fast repairing capabilities, and overall battle-worthiness. This is a Cruiser that can easily hang with larger ships in a fight with the right upgrades.
14 Tristan
Players that have faced off against a Tristan know how insanely effective this ship can be in battle with its squadron of drones. It takes a bit of upgrading to get the drones to maximum-level efficiency, but when you do they are quite powerful.
The Tristan's drones also have the benefit of being able to deal any type of damage, and the neutralizers available to the Tristan can keep a target from repairing. This is possibly the best Frigate for PVP fights. The downside to the Tristan is that it is an expensive ship.
13 Punisher
The Punisher is the go-to ship for a lot of players for multi-purpose roles. This is for a multitude of reasons, but the chief reason is that the Punisher is immensely customizable. That being said, in a one-on-one PVP fight the Punisher is probably not the best choice.
However, in larger PVP engagements a group of Punishers can absolutely devastate an enemy fleet. It is also well-suited for defensive roles - such as taking care of drones so the larger capital ships can focus on more dangerous targets. The Punisher can also be, with proper upgrades, one of the faster ships in the game. This makes it one of the best ships for exploring.
12 Vindicator
The Vindicator, according to many EVE Online players, is the ultimate Battleship. It is a massively upgraded Sepentis Megathron Class ship; which was already an excellent ship. Larger ships, like the Vindicator, often have problems targeting smaller, faster, ships. This problem is solved due to the webs the Vindicator can cast at enemy ships. These webs slow or stop opponents. While immobilized, enemy ships are much less likely to evade incoming shots.
The Vindicator also boasts a large number of slots for customization and some stout defensive ratings.
11 Drake (Navy Drake)
The Drake has been a favorite among EVE Online players for a long time now, due mainly to its sturdiness in battle. The Drake can take a tremendous amount of damage and still be a threat. Complementing this ship's defensive capabilities is the ability to unleash a devastating volley of missiles at opponents. As a Battlecruiser, the Drake is a large vessel that may have trouble with smaller, more agile, opponents.
The Navy Drake was introduced in the Odyssey expansion and is an upgraded (sort of) version of the Drake. It is more maneuverable and has faster missiles, but fewer resistances. Despite how long the Drake has been around, it continues to be one of the best ships on EVE Online.
10 Vexor
The Vexor is considered one of the best Cruisers in the game and for good reason. It’s capable of tremendous DPS on its own and when combined with a squad of combat drones it can shred most foes in MMO battles. Its tactic in battle is to fly alongside its drones acting like a close combat drone itself.
It’s not cheap as it will set players back about 10 million to purchase and fully outfit. But players who can justify the cost have a PVE beast for blitzing missions and can do serious damage in PVP fights.
9 Catalyst
The Catalysts have an infamous reputation in this multiplayer game as being one of the best ganking ships. Players outfit this thing to have lots of speed and powerful blasters. The goal is to then descend upon foes and blast them into oblivion before backup or the authorities arrive.
For those less PVP-minded, the Catalyst also makes a solid salvaging ship. It can roam through battlefields scooping up wrecks and processing them for materials thanks to its high number of turret slots. It’s no surprise that ganking crews have a Catalyst for the suicide run and a team of Catalysts to gather the pieces.
8 Astero
Asteros represent a commitment by the player to pursue exploration as a way of life in the game. These ships cost tens of millions of dollars but enable the player to loot Data and Relic Sites through Wormholes worth ten times that.
Outside of exploration, this frigate can hold its own in many fights against many types of class ships. Anything it can’t go toe-to-toe with it will likely be able to outrun. It’s a great ship for solo players without roots who just want to explore the open world and survive the trip.
7 Stratios
The Stratios is the larger more expensive sister to the Astero. This Cruiser-class ship is designed for long hauls in the depths of space, traveling through various wormholes to get there. It’s far more flexible than the Astero and can fight a wider variety of things.
For many, this ship represents a shift from simply exploring to also salvaging, fighting, and even hunting other explorers. It's not for the faint of heart as a fully outfitted Stratios is worth well over a quarter of a billion dollars. But a skilled pilot will make that back in a very short time while getting to see and do a lot of cool things.
6 Brutix
For many, the Brutix is the best Battlecruiser in the entire game. It’s an absolute beast in PVP fights if it can get close enough to its enemies. With shocking DPS and formidable tanking abilities, it’s a juggernaut that takes a lot to put down.
This power comes with a price tag of 45 million dollars or so. It can run various missions, scrap with other players in Null Sec, and frequently makes appearances in large-scale battles. These are often the tanks holding the frontlines of battle.
5 Nyx
Nyx are the most popular Supercarriers in the game and have earned their popularity. For many, they’re known as AFK PVE machines capable of ratting high-level pirates on autopilot thanks to their fighters. They’re a major moneymaker for solos and large corporations.
When manually controlled they can direct their fighters to shred enemy ships. Just one of these on the battlefield is enough to make waves and a squadron of these will finish most battles. For many players, this is the pinnacle of the solo warrior living in Null Sec.
4 Legion
Players interested in Strategic Cruisers have likely learned that while exploring is profitable, hunting explorers is more so. The Legion is one ship that is capable of descending upon various exploration ships and relieving them of their hard-earned loot.
The Legion is arguably one of the best-looking Strategic Cruisers while able to hold its own in the dark reaches of space. They can skirmish with just about anything and can be custom fit for whatever the player wants or needs out of them. This is assuming, of course, their character has been through the months of required training and has over a 100 million or so to buy and outfit the thing.
3 Rorqual
By far the best Industrial class ship in the game is the Rorqual. Made by the ORE corporation, this ship can shred asteroid belts in very little time. Between the onboard excavators and drones, it outpaces even Orcas when it comes to mining.
It can even hold its own in fights making it a risky target for gankers and desperate pilots. These are the ships that make EVE Online’s crazy economy run. This is fitting considering they’ll set players back a little over two billion dollars to get up and running.
2 Erebus
Objectively speaking there is a hard argument to make that the best Titan exists. But considering the powerful doomsday weapon, ridiculous armor, and ability to increase the armor of fleets, the Erebus is a strong contender for that title.
Which Titan players prefer comes down to how long it takes to train into and the look of it. While some may prefer the shiny golden Avatar, the dark and brooding Erebus takes the cake. It’s literally described in-game as the entity that resides in the gaping maw of the void.
1 Molok
While the Erebus may conjure dark and foreboding imagery, the Molok comes out on top. Built by the insane Blood Raiders who obsess over consuming the blood of Capsuleers, their ship is flying nightmare fuel. It’s a fully functional Titan that fittingly drains the energy of its opponents.
But perhaps the most noteworthy feature of the Molok is its ability to carry large amounts of corpses thanks to its unique Corpse Hold Capacity stat. Whether for roleplaying purposes or to feed the niche corpse market, players will be drawn to this dark ship.