EVE's fitting system has a logic that becomes second nature once it clicks. Slot types, CPU and powergrid budgets, meta levels, and EFT blocks give you the vocabulary to understand every fit you see, paste, or copy from a killmail. This guide is new — please send feedback if something is off or missing.
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The mechanics and habits that prevent the most confusing early losses.
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Every module fits in a specific slot type. The slot type tells you roughly what role that module plays and which part of the ship it connects to.
Ships have a fixed number of each slot type. A ship with 4 high, 4 mid, 4 low, and 3 rigs cannot have more of any type — every slot is a permanent constraint of the hull, not something you can change.
Slot counts vary enormously between hulls. A Kestrel has 4 high and 3 mid but only 2 low. A Punisher has 4 high, 2 mid, and 4 low. These differences define the ship's role.
Turrets, launchers, smart bombs, neuts, remote armor/shield repairers, salvagers, mining lasers, cloaking devices.
Shield tank modules, MWD/AB, warp disruptors/scramblers, sensor dampeners, target painters, cap injectors, signal amplifiers.
Armor tank modules, damage mods (gyrostabilizers, magnetic field stabilizers, etc.), nanofibers, reactor control units, power diagnostics.
Rigs are permanent — once fitted they cannot be removed without destroying them. They enhance specific stats and always come with a calibration cost. T1 rigs are cheap; T2 rigs are expensive and have skill requirements.
Every ship has a CPU output and a Powergrid output. Every module has a CPU requirement and a Powergrid requirement. If any module tips you over the limit, the fit doesn't work. This is the most common reason a fit won't save.
Think of CPU and PG as two separate budgets. Each module you fit spends from each budget. The moment either budget hits 0, you cannot add more modules. The fit won't save with a red "not enough CPU" or "not enough powergrid" warning.
Upgrade modules in your fit typically cost more CPU/PG than basic versions. A T2 module might perform better but push you over budget — forcing you to use a T1 or meta version elsewhere to compensate.
Every module type exists in multiple versions, ranked by meta level. Higher meta = better performance or lower fitting cost, but typically more expensive and requires higher skills.
Example: Warp Disruptor versions
Civilian / T1 basic. Full CPU/PG cost. Weakest stats.Abyssal/officer modules (meta 6+) exist but are extremely rare and expensive. Faction modules (meta 8–10) from NPCs provide excellent performance at high cost.
It depends on your budget, skills, and the ship's CPU/PG constraints. A T2 module requires the relevant T2 skill to use — without the skill, it won't fit. Meta 4 modules ("named" modules) often give you 80% of T2 performance for a fraction of the cost with no extra skill requirement.
For beginners: meta 3–4 modules are the sweet spot. Better than T1, usable without T2 skills, and significantly cheaper than faction or officer. Don't fly what you can't afford to lose — a T2 fit on a ship you'll lose in lowsec might not be worth it until your skills support the whole doctrine.
EFT (EVE Fitting Tool) format is the universal way to share fits in EVE. When someone posts a fit in Discord, a forum, or a killmail, this is the format. Once you can read it, you can paste it directly into the in-game fitting window.
To use in-game: copy the entire block, open the fitting window (Alt+F), and use the import button or paste directly.
Fitting both armor and shield modules splits your tank between two pools with no synergy. Pick one and commit. The exception is passive buffer fits that run pure HP with no active modules — but even then, one layer is primary.
A ship without a propulsion module (MWD or afterburner) is a stationary target. Every PvP fit needs one. PvE fits benefit from them for transit speed. The only exception is a deliberate stationary sentry/structure defense fit.
If you want to fight, you need to be able to hold your target. A ship with no warp disruptor or scrambler will watch every target simply warp away the moment you start shooting. Solo PvP always needs tackle.
Spending all three rig slots on CPU/PG extenders to make a fit work means the fit itself is overcompressed — the hull is too small for those modules. Better to downgrade a module to meta 4 and use rig slots for actual performance bonuses.
A T2 fit requires T2 skills. A ship you barely have the skill to fly will perform far below the killmail version. Check the fitting's required skills before buying it — the in-game fitting window shows unmet requirements in red.
A fit designed for kiting doesn't work if you burn into close range. A passive PvE fit isn't suitable for active PvP content. Read what each module does before undocking — understanding your fit is part of piloting it correctly.
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