To pilot a Machariel in EVE Online is to embrace the unpredictable spirit of the Angel Cartel—a fusion of Minmatar brutality and Gallente adaptability wrapped in a battleship that moves with the grace of a frigate. As you settle into its command chair, you feel the vessel humming with restrained power, its sleek lines belying the devastating firepower contained within. The Machariel represents more than just a warship; it embodies the Angel Cartel's philosophy of speed, precision, and overwhelming force applied through one of the most versatile combat platforms in New Eden.
Rumors suggest this magnificent vessel originated from ancient Jovian designs uncovered during Angel raids into uncharted territory half a century ago. Its sudden appearance without fanfare and rapid adoption as the Cartel's mainstay battleship only adds to its mysterious allure.
Flying a Machariel means embracing this legacy of opportunistic warfare—striking hard, striking fast, and disappearing before your enemies can mount a proper response. It's a ship that rewards clever pilots who understand that sometimes the best defense is simply not being where your enemy aims their guns.
Understanding the Machariel's Core Identity in EVE Online
The Machariel's design philosophy centers on mobility and firepower over traditional battleship durability. Unlike slower, tankier battleships, the Machariel leverages its incredible speed and damage projection to control engagements on its terms.
The ship's bonus structure reveals its combat identity:
- 7.5% bonus to Large Projectile Turret falloff per Gallente Battleship level
- 5% bonus to Large Projectile Turret damage per Minmatar Battleship level
- 25% bonus to Large Projectile Turret rate of fire (role bonus)
- 25% bonus to warp speed and warp acceleration (role bonus)
- 100% bonus to Shield Extender hitpoints (role bonus)
- 50% bonus to Armor Plate hitpoints (role bonus)
- 5% additional bonus to Reinforced Bulkhead hitpoints (role bonus)
These bonuses create a vessel that excels at hit-and-run warfare and mission blitzing. The Machariel particularly shines in situations where speed matters more than raw tanking ability, allowing pilots to complete content faster than more traditional battleships.
Key Advantages:
- Exceptional mobility for a battleship with warp speed bonuses
- Strong damage output with seven turret hardpoints
- Flexible tanking options thanks to role bonuses
- Excellent for mission blitzing and selective engagement
- Superb platform for learning advanced positioning and manual piloting
Essential Skills for the Machariel Pilot
Flying a Machariel effectively requires significant investment in both core spaceship skills and weapon specialization. The vessel's potential is only unlocked through comprehensive training.
Core Competencies:
- Minmatar Battleship IV/V: Essential for maximizing damage output
- Gallente Battleship IV/V: Crucial for extending falloff range
- Large Projectile Turret IV/V: Foundation for the Machariel's primary weapon system
- Navigation Skills: Afterburner and Microwarpdrive operation to leverage the ship's speed
Support Skills:
- Gunnery Support Skills: Motion Prediction, Rapid Firing, Sharpshooter, Surgical Strike, Trajectory Analysis
- Shield/ARMOR Compensation: Depending on your chosen tanking method
- Drones V: Although secondary, drones are crucial for dealing with smaller targets
- Capacitor Management: Important for active tank configurations
Skill Training Priority Table
| Priority Level | Skill Name | Recommended Level | Impact on Performance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Critical | Minmatar Battleship | IV | Maximizes damage bonus |
| Critical | Gallente Battleship | IV | Maximizes falloff bonus |
| High | Large Projectile Turret | IV | Significant damage increase |
| High | Navigation Skills | IV | Better speed utilization |
| Medium | Gunnery Support Skills | IV | Improved application and damage |
| Medium | Shield/ARMOR Compensation | IV | Major tank improvement |
Machariel Core Fitting Philosophy: Balancing Speed, Tank, and Damage
Fitting a Machariel requires understanding its nature as a speed-based platform rather than a traditional tanking battleship. The ship's slot layout (8 high, 6 mid, 6 low) allows for considerable creativity, but successful fits follow some core principles.
The Machariel lives on a spectrum between two very satisfying pilots’ fantasies:
- Artillery Sniper (Range + Alpha) — sit way back, artillery crystals or projectile ammo in hand, and snipe mission bosses or escalations. The Mach’s falloff bonus makes artillery reach feel surgical rather than luck-based. Good for safer, calmer ISK runs.
- Autocannon Blitz / Roller (Speed + Application) — burn fast, alpha small and medium threats with 800mm/1400mm-type repeaters, speed-tank with a big MWD/AB and clear entire pockets in a couple of volleys. This is the “I’m here for efficiency and danger” option. Community fits still favor the Mach for blitzing L4s because of this agility.
Both souls are valid. Pick the one that matches how much micro you want to do and whether you prefer relaxed snipe farming or uncomfortable-speed ISK per hour.
EVE Online PvE Fitting Examples for Machariel
Build #1 — Artillery Sniper Machariel (safe L4 / long-range farm)
This is the Machariel people bring when they want comfort + speed + range. You push artillery (or large projectiles with long-range ammo) into Mach’s falloff bonus and use a combination of tracking/optimal modules and a large micro jump drive or tacked MWD to control distance. The result: you often stand outside incoming DPS while alpha-striking primaries and moving between pockets faster than other battleships.
| Slot | Module (template) |
|---|---|
| Highs (8) | 7× 800mm Repeating Cannon II (or a mix with 1400s/artillery) + 1× Small Tractor / Salvager / Drone Link Augmentor |
| Mids (6) | Large Micro Jump Drive (MJD) / 500MN MWD (choice), Large Shield Booster II or 2× Large Shield Extender II (passive vs active), 2× Multispectrum Shield Hardeners, Tracking Computer II (range/optimal script) |
| Lows (6) | Gyrostabilizer II ×2, Tracking Enhancer II, Damage Control II, Power Diagnostic/Cap mod (fit-dependent) |
| Rigs (3) | Large Projectile Ambit Extension II (falloff), Large Hyperspatial Velocity Optimizer II (range/projection), Large Projectile Burst Aerator II (DPS) |
| Drones | Light drones for tackle / tiny ships |
| Ammo | Long-range/projectile ammo (phased/EMP/therm) and faction ammo for big targets |
How it flies: warp to the pocket, MJD or burn to your chosen 40–80+ km band, paint the biggest problem and rip it with artillery alpha while keeping your shields comfortable. Swap scripts between tracking and optimal depending on whether elite frigates try to dance under your guns. Overheat the guns sparingly for short windows. This is the “safe, surgical” Mach. Community threads and mission guides still recommend artillery Machariels for many L4 blitz routes.
Build #2 — Autocannon Blitz / Speed-tank Machariel (high ISK tempo)
When you want to shorten mission timers and don’t mind juggling cap/booster cycles, the autocannon Mach is king. Use 800mm repeaters or similar, fit more gyros and tracking enhancers, slot a big MWD or 500MN drive and a shield/armor rep or massive extender stack—your speed keeps incoming damage low while your raw projectile DPS eats rooms.
| Slot | Module (template) |
|---|---|
| Highs (8) | 7× 800mm Repeating Cannon II (Autocannon) + 1× Tractor / Utility |
| Mids (6) | 500MN Y-T8 Compact Microwarpdrive (or 500MN MWD), Large Micro Jump Drive (for hard resets), Shield Booster or 2× Shield Extender, 1–2× Multispectrum Hardeners |
| Lows (6) | Gyrostabilizer II ×3, Tracking Enhancer II ×2, Damage Control II |
| Rigs (3) | Large Hyperspatial Velocity Optimizer II, Large Projectile Ambit Extension II, Large Projectile Burst Aerator II or Warhead Rigor (application) |
| Drones | Lights (cleanup) |
| Ammo | Close/medium projectiles (Hail/Blitz/Republic Fleet Fusion) depending on target types |
How it flies: land on grid, MWD out to sculpt range so transversal of rats reduces their hits, alpha small waves with burst guns, use MJD or burn to avoid heavy spawn alpha. This approach is higher-variance (and higher reward): faster clears, better for time-efficient blitz routes, but you must manage capacitor and be ready to swap hardeners by faction. Community L4 threads praise the Machariel’s speed and damage for blitzing when piloted well.
Tactics and Survival Protocols for Machariel
Flying a Machariel effectively requires more than just a good fit—it demands situational awareness and smart tactical decisions.
- Use your Afterburner/MWD to maintain optimal range
- Orbit at unusual distances to throw off enemy tracking
- Use manual piloting to minimize incoming damage
- Blitzable missions that reward speed over completion time
- Epic Arc missions where warp speed provides significant advantages
- Avoid prolonged engagements against heavy damage factions
- Carry multiple damage types to exploit enemy resistances
- Use Barrage for longer-range kiting
- Use Phased Plasma/EMP for close-range brawling
- Always monitor local chat and intel channels
- Have an escape route planned before engaging
- Remember that the Machariel's value makes it a ganker target
Economic Considerations and Upgrade Paths
The Machariel represents a significant investment, typically costing 800 million to 1.5 billion ISK for a fitted ship, making it crucial to understand its economic viability.
Income Potential:
- Standard L4 Mission Running: 40-60 million ISK/hour
- Mission Blitzing: 60-80 million ISK/hour with proper optimization
- Epic Arc Completion: 100+ million ISK per complete arc
Progression Paths:
- Vargur: The natural upgrade for Marauder capabilities
- Nightmare: For more laser-focused gameplay
- Rattlesnake: For drone/missile alternative
The Angel's Legacy
The Machariel represents something unique in New Eden—a battleship that prizes speed over durability without sacrificing meaningful combat capability. It welcomes pilots who understand that sometimes the best defense is simply not being where the enemy is shooting. This philosophy doesn't come at the expense of effectiveness; rather, it provides a different approach to battleship gameplay that can be incredibly rewarding for the right pilot.
Flying a Machariel teaches valuable lessons about positioning, manual piloting, and engagement control that transfer to every other ship in EVE. The skills learned while mastering this Angel Cartel masterpiece will serve you well whether you progress to Marauders or continue refining your Machariel piloting for specific content. So undock with confidence, embrace the speed, and discover why this mysterious Jovian-inspired design has earned its place as one of EVE's most distinctive and rewarding battleships.