To sit in the cockpit of an Ishtar is to embrace a legacy of automated dominance. This EVE Gallente Heavy Assault Cruiser hums with a singular purpose: to unleash a swarm of lethal drones that will methodically dismantle anything foolish enough to challenge your sovereignty over a patch of nullsec space. The Ishtar isn't merely a ship; it's a floating command center for a robotic army, a testament to the Gallente philosophy of winning wars through superior technology and tactical leverage rather than brute force.
Its reputation as the undisputed king of AFK ratting is well-earned, offering a perfect blend of formidable tank, exceptional drone damage, and a price point that makes economic sense for the relentless grind of nullsec anomaly farming .
The Ishtar's dominance in EVE Online emerged from the ashes of its predecessor, the Vexor Navy Issue. When the VNI was nerfed, capsuleers sought a new platform that could deliver consistent, high-yield bounty ticks with minimal active input. The Ishtar, with its bonuses to drone hitpoints and damage, rose to claim the throne. It represents a calculated risk: an investment of roughly 250 million ISK for a hull and fit that can generate 15-20 million ISK per tick (every 20 minutes) in a system with a 100% Bounty Risk Modifier.
For pilots operating in upgraded systems with a 150% modifier, this can soar to 34 million ISK per hour from bounties alone, with additional income from loot and salvage. This guide will walk you through transforming this iconic hull into your personal ISK-printing fortress.
Understanding the Ishtar's Core Identity in EVE Online
The Ishtar's supremacy isn't accidental; it's engineered into its core through a powerful set of bonuses and a versatile slot layout. As a Tech II Heavy Assault Cruiser, it leverages the Gallente's drone expertise to create a platform that is both resilient and relentlessly destructive.
The ship's bonuses are the foundation of its power:
- 10% bonus to Heavy and Sentry Drone hitpoints and damage per level
- 7.5% bonus to drone maximum velocity and tracking per level
- 50% reduction in drone control range requirements per level
These bonuses create a vessel with overwhelming, capacitor-independent damage output. Your drones are your primary—and often only—source of DPS, capable of chewing through nullsec anomalies while you maintain a stable orbit. The Ishtar can field a full flight of five bonused heavy drones, a firepower level that rivals many battleships but on a much more agile and cost-effective cruiser platform. This allows it to apply damage efficiently to targets of all sizes, from swarming frigates to lumbering battleships.
Key Advantages:
- Five bonused heavy drones provide exceptional, sustainable DPS without consuming capacitor.
- Excellent slot layout (4 high, 4 mid, 6 low) allows for a powerful active or passive tank.
- High base velocity and agility make it excellent for signature tanking with an Afterburner.
- Relatively low skill requirements for a Tech II ship, making it accessible to newer pilots.
- The perfect balance of cost, effectiveness, and survivability for semi-AFK operations.
Essential Skills for the Ishtar Pilot
While the Ishtar is accessible, its true potential is unlocked with proper skill training. Prioritizing these skills will dramatically increase your effectiveness and survivability:
Core Competencies:
- Drones V: This is non-negotiable. It unlocks Heavy Drones and is the absolute foundation of your damage.
- Drone Interfacing V: Provides a 10% increase in drone damage per level. This is your single largest damage multiplier.
- Heavy Drone Operation V: Allows you to field a full flight of five T2 Heavy Drones.
- Gallente Cruiser V: Significantly improves the ship's core attributes and unlocks the full potential of its role bonuses.
- Heavy Assault Cruisers IV/V: Directly improves the ship's hitpoints and damage resistance.
Support Skills:
- Shield Operation/Management V or Armor Honeycombing/Compensation V: Depending on your tanking choice.
- Drone Navigation & Sharpshooting: Improves drone speed and optimal range, crucial for applying damage quickly.
- Capacitor Systems Operation & Management: Essential for maintaining cap stability on active tank fits.
- Afterburner IV/V: Improves the speed and capacitor usage of your primary propulsion module.
Core Fitting Philosophy: Tank, Application, and Drones
Fitting an Ishtar is an exercise in balancing three key components: your tank, your drone application, and your damage output. The ship's generous slot layout allows for considerable flexibility, but most nullsec ratting fits follow a similar pattern, tailored to the specific NPC faction you're facing.
The Tank Choice: Shield vs. Armor
The Ishtar can be effectively fit for both shield and armor tanking, but the choice is heavily influenced by the NPC faction you plan to fight.
- Shield Tanking: Preferred in Angel Cartel space due to their heavy explosive damage. This fit uses mid slots for shield hardeners and a booster, freeing up low slots for Drone Damage Amplifiers (DDAs). This setup excels at signature tanking—using a 10MN Afterburner to create high speed and a small signature radius, making you harder for NPCs to hit .
- Armor Tanking: Often used in Sansha's Nation and Blood Raider space where EM and thermal damage are prevalent. This fit uses low slots for armor repairers and hardeners, and mid slots for application modules like a Drone Navigation Computer and Omnidirectional Tracking Link .
The Application Modules:
Your drones are useless if they can't hit their targets. Mid slots are often dedicated to improving their performance.
- Omnidirectional Tracking Link: With scripts, this can significantly increase your drones' optimal range or tracking speed.
- Drone Navigation Computer: Boosts drone velocity, getting them to targets faster.
- Target Painter: Helps your drones apply damage better to smaller, faster targets (more common on Rattlesnake fits, but a concept to understand).
The Damage Modules:
Your low slots are sacred. On a shield-tanked Ishtar, all 6 low slots are typically filled with Drone Damage and tracking. This is your primary method of boosting your already formidable drone DPS to its maximum potential.
EVE PvE Fitting Examples for Ishtar
Standard Angel Cartel Forsaken Hub Farmer (Shield Tank)
This fit is optimized for the predictable and manageable NPCs of Angel Cartel Forsaken Hubs, the anomaly of choice for most Ishtar pilots due to its safety and consistency . It emphasizes a strong active shield tank and maximum drone damage.
[Ishtar, *Angel Forsaken Hub Farmer]
Low Slots:
Drone Damage Amplifier II
Drone Damage Amplifier II
Drone Damage Amplifier II
Drone Damage Amplifier II
Omnidirectional Tracking Enhancer II
Omnidirectional Tracking Enhancer II
Mid Slots:
10MN Afterburner II
Multispectrum Shield Hardener II
Large Shield Booster II
Large Compact Pb-Acid Cap Battery
High Slots:
Drone Link Augmentor II
[Empty High slot]
[Empty High slot]
[Empty High slot]
Rigs:
Medium Explosive Shield Reinforcer II
Medium Explosive Shield Reinforcer II
Drones:
Berserker II x5
Valkyrie II x5
Warrior II x5
Hornet EC-300 x5
How to Fly It:
- Warp to the site at 10 km.
- Find an object near the center of the rat spawn and orbit it at 20-30 km.
- Deploy your Berserker IIs (Explosive damage, optimal against Angels) and aggress a rat.
- Keep your Afterburner and shield modules active at all times.
- If your drones come under heavy fire, recall them, wait a few seconds for the rats to re-aggress you, then re-launch them .
Sansha's Nation Armor Tank Fit
This fit is designed for the EM/Thermal damage profiles of Sansha's Nation, using an active armor tank to mitigate incoming damage.
[Ishtar, *Sansha Armor Tank]
Low Slots:
Medium Armor Repairer II
Medium Armor Repairer II
Drone Damage Amplifier II
Drone Damage Amplifier II
Drone Damage Amplifier II
Drone Damage Amplifier II
Mid Slots:
10MN Afterburner II
Omnidirectional Tracking Link II
Drone Navigation Computer II
Large Compact Pb-Acid Cap Battery
High Slots:
Drone Link Augmentor II
Drone Link Augmentor II
Rigs:
Medium EM Armor Reinforcer II
Medium EM Armor Reinforcer II
Drones:
Praetor II x5
Infiltrator II x5
Acolyte II x5
Hornet EC-300 x5
Charges:
Tracking Speed Script x1
Optimal Range Script x1
How to Fly It:
- Warp to the site at 30 km.
- Orbit a central object at 35 km.
- Deploy your Praetor IIs (EM/Thermal damage) and aggress.
- Keep your Afterburner, Armor Repairers, and Omnidirectional Tracking Link active .
Tactics and Survival Protocols
Flying an Ishtar effectively involves more than just launching drones. Situational awareness is your most valuable asset, as the primary danger in nullsec is not NPCs, but other players .
Managing Aggression: NPCs will typically target your drones if they are the first thing they see. A common technique is to approach a site, let yourself get targeted by the rats, and then deploy your drones. Your ship's tank can handle the damage far better than your drones can.
The ESS and You: Remember that 40% of your bounties are held in the Encounter Surveillance System (ESS) and paid out every three hours. This ISK can be stolen by other players, though often it remains unclaimed if your space is safe .
When Trouble Arrives:
- Light Tackle (1 frigate/destroyer): Align to a safe spot or citadel. Immediately switch all drone damage to the tackler. If the point drops, warp off instantly.
- Heavy Tackle (multiple ships): Align out. Switch drones to the weakest tackler. Start calling for help in your alliance communications immediately .
The AFK Trap: The Ishtar is famous for semi-AFK ratting, but this is a huge risk. Never be truly AFK. Minimize the game, but keep sound on and check the screen frequently. The difference between a saved ship and a killmail is often just a few seconds of reaction time .
The Economic Calculus: Risk vs. Reward
The Ishtar's popularity is driven by simple math. A 250 million ISK investment can generate 15-20 million ISK per tick in a 100% system. This means the ship pays for itself in roughly 12-16 ticks, or about 4-5 hours of ratting. After that, it's pure profit .
This economic reality creates a calculated risk. Hunters can't be everywhere at once. The goal is to make back the investment—and hopefully many times over—before your number is called. This is why systems with upgradated iHubs providing bounty risk modifiers of 150% are so valuable, as they accelerate this process significantly .
The Ishtar is more than a ship; it's an institution. It represents the pinnacle of efficient, scalable PvE income in nullsec space. It will serve you faithfully, printing ISK with metronomic regularity, but it demands vigilance in return. Mastering it teaches you the core tenets of nullsec survival: constant awareness, calculated risk, and the understanding that in EVE, the greatest threat always comes from another player.
So undock, deploy your drones, and let the relentless whir of your robotic swarm announce your claim to the asteroid belts and anomalies of your home region. The Ishtar is a queen for a reason. Now it's your turn to rule. Fly safe—and always watch local.
Ishtar Quick Reference Guide
| Aspect | Angel Cartel (Shield Fit) | Sansha/Blood (Armor Fit) |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Damage Type | Explosive (Berserker II) | EM/Thermal (Praetor II) |
| Orbit Distance | 20-30 km | 35 km |
| Key Tank Modules | Large Shield Booster, Explosive Hardener | Medium Armor Repairer, EM Hardener |
| Key Application Modules | Omnidirectional Tracking Enhancer | Omnidirectional Tracking Link |
| Estimated ISK/tick (100%) | 15-20 million | 15-20 million |