Carrier Ratting has long been regarded as the beginning of the endgame for making ISK, with Rorqual mining and Supercarrier ratting being the only conventional means of making more. Your ticks in this ship skyrocket from the 15-20 million ISK the Gila and Dominix offered, all the way up to 40-55 million ISK. You also gain an obscene amount of tank, and the ability to instantly jump to safety with the click of a button.
In exchange for this though, the carrier is among the most action-intensive ships to fly in Eve. AFK ratting is not possible with this class of ship, and on top of this you need to familiarize yourself with the different mechanics surrounding capital ships to give yourself the best chance of survival when ratting, and to make yourself the most ISK.
Ratting carriers are extremely variable in their fittings, and can be customized in countless ways. For the sake of simplicity three fits are supplied here:
Almost all modules can be safely downgraded to T2, Meta, or even T1 to accommodate your budget and comfort level.
[Nidhoggur, Ratting Nidhoggur - Balanced Configuration] Imperial Navy Drone Damage Amplifier Imperial Navy Drone Damage Amplifier Imperial Navy Drone Damage Amplifier Drone Damage Amplifier II Sentient Omnidirectional Tracking Enhancer Dread Guristas Multispectrum Shield Hardener Dread Guristas Multispectrum Shield Hardener Sentient Sensor Booster Sentient Omnidirectional Tracking Link Sentient Drone Navigation Computer CONCORD Capital Shield Extender Fighter Support Unit I Fighter Support Unit I Fighter Support Unit I Heavy Energy Neutralizer II Large EMP Smartbomb II Capital Core Defense Field Extender I Capital Core Defense Field Extender I Capital Core Defense Field Extender I Dragonfly II x9 Dragonfly II x9 Dragonfly II x9 Dragonfly II x9 Einherji I x9 Einherji I x9 Einherji I x9 Equite I x12 Equite I x12 Equite I x12 Scan Resolution Script x1 Tracking Speed Script x1
[Nidhoggur, Ratting Nidhoggur - Safety Configuration] Imperial Navy Drone Damage Amplifier Imperial Navy Drone Damage Amplifier Imperial Navy Drone Damage Amplifier Sentient Omnidirectional Tracking Enhancer Damage Control II Capital Capacitor Booster II Dread Guristas Multispectrum Shield Hardener Dread Guristas Multispectrum Shield Hardener Sentient Sensor Booster Sentient Omnidirectional Tracking Link CONCORD Capital Shield Extender Fighter Support Unit I Fighter Support Unit I Fighter Support Unit I Heavy Energy Neutralizer II Large EMP Smartbomb II Capital Core Defense Field Extender I Capital Core Defense Field Extender I Capital Core Defense Field Extender I Dragonfly II x9 Dragonfly II x9 Dragonfly II x9 Dragonfly II x9 Einherji I x9 Einherji I x9 Einherji I x9 Equite I x12 Equite I x12 Equite I x12 Cap Booster 3200 x60 Scan Resolution Script x1 Tracking Speed Script x1
[Nidhoggur, Ratting Nidhoggur - Max Tick Configuration] Imperial Navy Drone Damage Amplifier Imperial Navy Drone Damage Amplifier Imperial Navy Drone Damage Amplifier Drone Damage Amplifier II Sentient Omnidirectional Tracking Enhancer Dread Guristas Multispectrum Shield Hardener Dread Guristas Multispectrum Shield Hardener Sentient Sensor Booster Sentient Omnidirectional Tracking Link Sentient Drone Navigation Computer CONCORD Capital Shield Extender Fighter Support Unit I Fighter Support Unit I Fighter Support Unit I Heavy Energy Neutralizer II Large EMP Smartbomb II Capital Hyperspatial Velocity Optimizer II Capital Hyperspatial Velocity Optimizer II Capital Hyperspatial Velocity Optimizer II Dragonfly II x9 Dragonfly II x9 Dragonfly II x9 Dragonfly II x9 Einherji I x9 Einherji I x9 Einherji I x9 Equite I x12 Equite I x12 Equite I x12 Scan Resolution Script x1 Tracking Speed Script x1
Give the Introduction to Ratting page a read to avoid common mistakes and get some background knowledge.
You absolutely must be proficient at controlling your fighters to successfully rat in a carrier. A guide on controlling your fighters can be found here.
It is highly recommended that you keep a Cyno Recon Ship on a dockable structure in a nearby system while ratting.
Your Sensor Boosters and Omnidirectional Tracking Links should always be active while you're in a site.
The key to maximizing ticks while carrier ratting is to always keep your fighters moving. When a target's about to drop, command them to start orbiting the next target. Letting your fighters stay stationary could result in them getting volleyed.
Kill Order: Cruisers → Frigates → Destroyers → Battlecruisers → Battleships
Some sites require special attention due to a particularly nasty wave or unusual mechanics.
The sites in this list have been tested and determined to be runnable using the above fit(s). It is not necessarily comprehensive, and some sites may require special attention which will be noted in the section above.
This assumes you are fully aligned to a dockable citadel.
This assumes you have a Cyno Recon sitting on a dockable structure in a nearby system.
"Light" resistance is any combination of up to 10 subcaps that does NOT include:
Anything that's stronger than "Light" resistance is "Heavy" resistance.