Supercarrier
Overview
Motherships are part of the class of ships known as Super Capitals and are currently the 2nd largest class of ships in EVE.
Technically, a mothership is carrier class vessel which is however many time larger and much more expensive to build.
In comparison to a typical carrier, a mothership has the following features:
- Has larger cargo, hanger and drone bays
- Cannot be built in, or docked in stations
- Deploys 3 additional Fighter Drones per level compared to 1
- Can deploy Fighter Bombers Fighter Bombers
- Immune to all forms of Electronic Warfare (e.g. ECM, Conventional Warp Disruptors, Stasis Webifers, etc)
- Can only be prevented from jump/going into warp by Interdictor Bubbles, Mobile Warp Disruptors, and focused warp disruption generators used by Heavy Interdictors
- Has six high slots instead of five
- Able to fit Remote ECM Burst I
- Allowed to use one warfare link per racial carrier skill level, instead of just one regardless of level.
There are 4 types of Mothership, 1 for each of the 4 races
Roles
Although all motherships mainly provide logistical and support roles, the bonuses each of the 4 race motherships allow different areas of specialization.
- Aeons have armor resistance bonuses which allow them to field heavy armor tanks
- Wyverns have shield resistance bonuses which allow them to field heavy shield tanks
- Nyxs have deployed fighter bonuses allowing them provide more firepower to offensive operations while fielding a moderate armor tank
- Hels motherships have their strength as a logistic platform with bonuses to shield/armor remote repair amounts. They are also extremely flexible and are able to field either a modest shield or armor tank
Operational Tactics
Motherships excel in performing two function.
While performing POS repairing, the mothership's immunity to EW allows it to easily slip in/out of POS shields while repairing the POS's Shields/Armor without being concern of attackers with stasis webifers preventing an easy escape.
During attacks against hostile carriers employing spider tank tactics, the mothership's remote ecm burst is invaluable in breaking their cycles and allows for friendly ships to overwhelm the target ship.