The Phantasm is one of my favourite ships in the game. No joke, it’s a grand cruiser and one of the most fun ships to fly in an anti-tackle role. It can go fast, it has tracking bonused lasers, it has spikes and for a cruiser, it can sig tank for days. Honestly, it’s one of the most fun kiting cruisers to fly and it provides a welcome break from Kiki kiting all day.
So what allows the Phantasm to perform this role so well? Let’s take a look at the ship bonuses.
Caldari Cruiser bonuses (per skill level):
20% bonus to Afterburner velocity bonus
Amarr Cruiser bonuses (per skill level):
7.5% bonus to Medium Energy Turret Tracking Speed
Role bonus:
150% bonus to Medium Energy Turret damage
Looking at the ship bonuses it’s clear that the ship is designed to zip around and burn down smaller ships. The AB speed bonus helps the ship keep its speed high and its sig low. The tracking speed bonus aids the ship in hitting smaller targets. The bonus also keeps medium-sized targets in sight when fitted with beams.
The fits described in this article were created before the resistance nerf in April 2020. Post-patch revised fits will be marked with a ++ at the start of each fitting name although screenshots will not always be updated.
High Speed, Low Drag
The first fit I’m going to showcase is what I consider to be a pretty standard, a bling kiting Phantasm. This fit is designed with its role bonuses solely in mind. It has high DPS, high tracking, a medium-range as well as decent speed and tank. Feel like nipping around at 30km and bathing frigates in glorious scorchlight?
Playing to its strengths, the afterburner velocity bonus gives us a cold speed of 1.5km/s cold // 2km/s hot. Its speed can be further improved to 1.9km/s // 2.5km/s with Quafe and links and up to 3.1km/s with implants, if you have the ISK...
While not initially impressive in comparison to other kiting cruisers. The Phantasm is running this speed with a signature of 126. That’s smaller than a kiting Kestrel (228) while being scram proof. And in combination with its heated tank of 405 EHP/s omni, it can be a right slippery eel on grid. Do be warned, though, that when getting up close to brawl that that tank probably won’t be too much help.
Moving onto its offensive capabilities. The Phantasm is capable of outputting 521 heated DPS at an optimal range of 31km, including drones. With the innate tracking bonus and the offensive web, this applies INCREDIBLY well to small ships. You’ll see how well it does this performs later on.
Still, messed up and let a frigate get a bit too close? Overheat that AB, turn on the neut, burn in one direction and hit it with 641 heated Multifrequency DPS. Alternatively, load Conflag and shower anything larger with 710 heated DPS. Scary!
10mn Active Pulses
[Phantasm, 10MN AB Active]Heat Sink IIHeat Sink IIHeat Sink IIDamage Control IINanofiber Internal Structure IIAdaptive Invulnerability Field IIFederation Navy 10MN AfterburnerFederation Navy Stasis WebifierDark Blood Medium Capacitor BoosterPith X-Type Large Shield BoosterCaldari Navy Warp DisruptorHeavy Pulse Laser IIHeavy Pulse Laser IISmall Energy Neutralizer IIHeavy Pulse Laser IIMedium Energy Locus Coordinator IIMedium Energy Locus Coordinator IIMedium Anti-EM Screen Reinforcer IWarrior II x3Quafe ZeroScorch M x3Navy Cap Booster 800 x1Additionally, if you feel like your ship needs a bit more ‘oomph’ with longer ranges. It’s very easy to swap out the pulses for beams with a bit of compacting in the lows. While you won’t track as easily (16.3 as opposed to 33.5), the bonus does help beam lasers immensely. It is still possible to hit small ships in heated web range with some careful flying. Damage wise, you’d see an increase of DPS from 521 heated to 646 with Imperial Navy Gamma loaded. Importantly, this beam fit also showcases an equivalent buffer shield tank. Signature radius struggles, but you can get an idea of what a 240m ISK Phantasm can do.
Do bear in mind that with the ample mid slots and power grid/CPU, there’s plenty of room for experimentation when modifying these fits.
Heavy Beams
[Phantasm, Heavy Beam Memes]Heat Sink IIHeat Sink IIHeat Sink IIDamage Control IINanofiber Internal Structure IIFederation Navy 10MN AfterburnerWarp Disruptor IIFederation Navy Stasis WebifierAdaptive Invulnerability Field IILarge Shield Extender IILarge Shield Extender IIHeavy Beam Laser IIHeavy Beam Laser IIHeavy Beam Laser IISmall Energy Neutralizer IIMedium Energy Locus Coordinator IIMedium Anti-EM Screen Reinforcer IIMedium Core Defense Field Extender IWarrior II x3Navy Cap Booster 800 x16Imperial Navy Gamma M x3Imperial Navy Multifrequency M x3Imperial Navy Standard M x3100MN Cruising
Ashy: I wrote out this little section during the editing process with Amy. I feel it helps give a better overall picture of the ship and demonstrates one of the more popular setups.
One of the big reasons people consider the Phantasm for their next solo PvP ship is purely because of that afterburner bonus. We’ve already talked about the potential of a regular 10MN AB, but the 100MN is a wholly different beast. You have an unwieldy align time to deal with, but the disengagement potential it provides is second to none in EVE Online. A properly fit overpropped ship of any is hella difficult to catch. Run that on a bonused ship and it’s like catching a greased up deaf guy.
The fit below is one I’m a fan of simply because of the compromises it does make. It doesn’t shoehorn on the C-type (or better) AB, it doesn’t have an amazing tank or amazing range. What it does do is offer a reliable 100MN Phantasm platform for less than 200m ISK. 25.6s align time also means its more forgiving than most other fits. Just be aware that 26 seconds is still freight train speed. Once you get going try not to change direction all that much and you’ll be gucci.
100MN Budget
[Phantasm, 100MN Cheap Phantasm PvP]Dark Blood Reactor Control UnitNanofiber Internal Structure IIHeat Sink IIHeat Sink IIHeat Sink II100MN Y-S8 Compact AfterburnerWarp Disruptor IIAdaptive Invulnerability Field IILarge F-S9 Regolith Compact Shield ExtenderRepublic Fleet Large Shield ExtenderSmall Capacitor Booster IIHeavy Beam Laser IIHeavy Beam Laser IIHeavy Beam Laser IISmall Energy Neutralizer IIMedium Low Friction Nozzle Joints IIMedium Ancillary Current Router IIMedium Anti-EM Screen Reinforcer IIWarrior II x3Aurora M x3Gleam M x3Navy Cap Booster 400 x1Trying out a new way of displaying fits. Let me know if you like it!
Dual Prop Lasers
Now that I’ve warmed you up to the idea of AB Scorch/Gamma kiting. Here’s a fit which is like pineapple on pizza, bacon on ice cream or salt in coffee. It’s weird until you try it.
Dual Prop Pulses
[Phantasm, Dual Prop Pulse Phantasm]Heat Sink IIHeat Sink IIHeat Sink IIDamage Control IINanofiber Internal Structure II50MN Quad LiF Restrained MicrowarpdriveRepublic Fleet Large Shield ExtenderFederation Navy 10MN AfterburnerDark Blood Warp DisruptorSmall Capacitor Booster IIFederation Navy Stasis WebifierHeavy Pulse Laser IIHeavy Pulse Laser IIHeavy Pulse Laser IIMedium Gremlin Compact Energy NeutralizerMedium Energy Locus Coordinator IIMedium Energy Locus Coordinator IIMedium Anti-EM Screen Reinforcer IWarrior II x3Quafe ZeroYes, this fit has two prop mods and for good reason. It is philosophically the same as the active tanked fit. However, it is instead lightly buffer tanked at 21.9k EHP, and has one trick up its sleeve which has saved myself and my corpmates ships many times before. It can quickly pulse to 3.5km/s heated with Quafe. The idea behind this is that while you’re in your engagement range, you sig tank with the AB on. And if you quickly need to reposition on grid, the microwarpdrive can do that. Interceptor coming at your pal at an odd angle? Overheat to reposition and screen. Fraternity dropped carriers on your gang again? Overheat, get out of that bubble and warp away laughing. At the price of a decrease in tank, this ship has become stupidly nippy when it needs to be.
It may come as no surprise that this fit is my favourite fit of the bunch. After trying it, flying the Phantasm feels wrong without having a ludicrous speed button.
DPS and range wise it’s exactly the same as the previous pulse fit. 521, 31km heated Scorch with a max of 710 with Conflag loaded.
Now you may be wondering how these fits apply to smaller ships. From personal experience, I can say it applies incredibly well even to interceptors. But if you’d prefer, here’s a graph showing the application to a Malediction approaching at a slight angle, trying to keep transversal up.
Bonus Fits: Polarised Memes and Armour Dreams
I’m going to admit, this isn’t my fit. Boo. I know. This was actually a fit I was introduced to by my corp CEO and pioneer of the Ashy in Space blog, Ashley Traynor.
In common Ashy style she has decided to polarise the ship. There’s not much more to say really.
Yeah, you’re seeing that right. 886 heated DPS. The same tank as my dual prop Phantasm and a cheeky hyperspatial. You don’t use this fit to solo roam but instead, bring it along with your friends. You’ll land on grid, the enemy will think “eh it’s a Phantasm he’ll just sig tank us to death, kill him later” and all of a sudden stuff dies at a stupidly increased rate. This is a big Hecate disguised as a heavy metal space slug.
Are you not ballsy enough to sit on a strangers face? 23km optimal with 650 heated DPS will do the trick. Don’t forget that this is a Phantasm also. So when stuff gets spooky you can heat the AB and have a decent chance of getting out. All this for approximately 106m ISK. Try it, it’s silly fun.
Ashy: For the sake of completeness, we have an armour-tanked Phantasm, too. It’s the brainchild of Jin’taan, if I remember correctly, and looks like good fun if you have the numbers. More of a curiosity than anything else these days, but mass tracking disruptors would be very interesting to see in the Muninn meta (or Triglavian ships, take your pick).
Polarised
[Phantasm, Polartasm]Heat Sink IIHeat Sink IIHeat Sink IITracking Enhancer IINanofiber Internal Structure IILarge Shield Extender IILarge Shield Extender IILarge Shield Extender IILarge Shield Extender IIWarp Scrambler II10MN Afterburner IIPolarized Heavy Pulse LaserPolarized Heavy Pulse LaserPolarized Heavy Pulse LaserSmall Energy Neutralizer IIMedium Hyperspatial Velocity Optimizer IIMedium Core Defense Field Extender IMedium Energy Locus Coordinator IIHobgoblin II x3Conflagration M x3Scorch M x3Imperial Navy Gamma M x3Imperial Navy Multifrequency M x3Imperial Navy Xray M x3Armour
[Phantasm, Armorg*sm 3.0]Damage Control II1600mm Steel Plates IIEnergized Adaptive Nano Membrane IIEnergized Adaptive Nano Membrane IIHeat Sink II10MN Monopropellant Enduring AfterburnerTracking Computer IITracking Computer IITracking Disruptor IITracking Disruptor IISensor Booster IIHeavy Beam Laser II, Imperial Navy Xray MHeavy Beam Laser II, Imperial Navy Xray MHeavy Beam Laser II, Imperial Navy Xray M[Empty High slot]Medium Ancillary Current Router IIMedium Trimark Armor Pump IMedium Trimark Armor Pump IWarrior II x3Aurora M x3Gleam M x3Imperial Navy Gamma M x3Imperial Navy Multifrequency M x3Imperial Navy Xray M x3Closing Thoughts
The Phantasm is incredible simply due to its versatility. You can do so much with it! You can armour fit it and have utility for days. You can put an XLASB on there and have a cheap active tanked kiting ship. You can even 100MN it and fit beams. It’s just ridiculously versatile and is able to do so many things well. The only thing I wouldn’t do with it is brawl (other than polarised ganking). Fitting the ship for brawling doesn’t tend to result in much of an increase in tank. The ship just shines so much brighter in a kiting role.
The only downsides I can think of is the low actual tank, and the innate cap issues of using medium lasers. While the former isn’t much of an issue as you’ll be sig tanking and the latter is usually solved with cap boosters, these weaknesses can be exploited. If you get webbed down you’re gonna hurt. If a Curse lands on grid, you’re gonna hurt.
While I fully endorse fitting it with shields and pulse kiting, feel free to experiment. It’s an easy ship to learn to fit and fly so you’re sure to have fun. The ship hull is only 80 million at the time of writing, so go buy some and experiment. You might find it becomes your favourite ship, too.
