Logistics
Logistics aka Logi
Logistics, aka space priest, aka remote repairs (reps), is the act of providing active repairs to a ship while it's in crisis. It comes in three flavors, Shield, Armor, and Hull. The first two have unique play styles. A logistics pilot is the gold standard of 'useful pilot' in any pvp and some pve based fleets. It's the most rewarding thing in the game to repair someone who's hit hull and keep them into the fight. Logistics decide most null sec fights. Those who can repair damage instead of just getting alpha'd generally win. You can see in my Pick a role presentation how important these ships are.
Once you decide to be a dedicated logi pilot, your life changes somewhat.
You always have something to fly that is predictable.
You always can pre-plan ahead, no matter the doctrine
You can easily find a pvp group to join, everyone needs them.
It shortens your skill plans a lot!
You show up on fewer kill mails, but in the end, it shows you in a useful ship.
This is not to be confused with Shipping, which is also sometimes called Logistics as well. I was a Logi main for a very long time, in fact was one of Mister Vee's first logi anchors. So I'll try to get a comprehensive view on what to do a logi pilot, but apologize if anything is out of date here. Thank you to Judai Odunen for the request!
If you are inside horde, please read this very professional guide: https://www.pandemic-horde.org/forum/index.php?threads/a-newbeans-guide-to-flying-logistics.1239/ made by Mithral DeFrense
The basics of remote reps
There are multiple types of reps that are useful at different times. This is just a run down when to use which.
If you are in a small gang, around 5 or less, you will often be active tanked. You will be required to provide your own local reps.
Once you get above 5, a single logistics person will make a HUGE difference. Most will remain active tanked as well. You bring up a watch list of everyone and can see people at all times.
Once you get to 20 ships, and two logistics, things change. All ships in the fleet switch from active tanked to buffer tanked, where they get the maximum amount of hardeners and shield size as possible. You can still easily fit everyone on the watch list, though.
After 50 ships, you require people to broadcast for shield and you watch the broadcast window. You still add your key players, like your FC and your recon ships and your fellow logi brothers.
And at 250 ships, the max a fleet can go, you are going to be the busiest person in the fleet. :)
When people get locked up, you broadcast for repairs. Broadcasting at the right time is VERY important.
Note, most ships use 'Hardeners', things that increase the strength of their shields versus certain damage types. For instance, a Thermal Hardener might mean your thermal resistances go from 20% to 40%, so instead of taking 80 damage, you only take 60. Or 20% to 60%, you only take 40 damage. These come in active hardeners you have to turn on and use capacitor, and those who are passive to apply regardless. These are also affected heavily by Stacking Penalities. Read more about those here: https://wiki.eveuniversity.org/Stacking_penalties.
Shield - (size) Remote Shield Booster
These reps are the most common in the game. The 'size' is one of small, medium, large, capital. These are favored by Caldari and Minmatar ships, due to large number of mid slots on their ships.
Shields apply at the beginning of their cycle. So they are very fast. When someone 'broadcasts for reps', aka heal me, you lock them up, and then as soon as they are locked, boom you can repair them.
Shields use 1 cap per 1 unite of shield repaired. So it is very capacitor intensive. Note, capital reps have been tuned differently.
Shields have 'bleed through' to the armor that happens for lower skilled pilots. So even if you're barely keeping them alive, they can bleed into armor/structure at below 25% shields.
This provides the largest buffer for pilots, as they have to blow through all 3 layers of shields/armor/hull. But if someone has heavy bleed through, follow up shots will kill them.
The reason it is the most popular is because then all your lows can be damage mods. You don't need to tank wrecks.
Alternately, you can put speed mods in the lows, making you super 'kitey' aka run away like a kite while shooting. Eve is a game of range, and putting yourself out of their reach is the most effective tactic. Lots of small elite pvp groups do this to fight larger groups.
Lots of shield extenders can make your signature bigger, making you easier to track. But this also is what provides the best buffer tank.
Most shield comps use active hardeners, so if they get neuted out, they often die.
Armor - (size) Remote Armor Repairer
These reps are less common in some parts game, and the only game in town in others. The 'size' is one of small, medium, large, capital. These are favored by Amarr and Gallente ships, due to the large number of low slots on their ships.
Armor applies at the end of their cycle. You need to have some prelocked. But because enemies have to blow through shields, you often get a prewarning they are being shot, buying a little time. You lock them up, start to cycle, and at the end of the cycle, they repair.
Armor uses 1 cap per 2 units of Armor repaired. This is less capacitor intensive, and is a good trade off under neut pressure. Note, capital reps have been tuned differently.
Armor's shield buffer helps you see when people are gettings hot, and it can bleed into armor, but it makes the Damage Control people tend to run more important. None of the bleed through happens until you hit flat zero armor.
Armor reps are the strongest in the game due to many factors, and is favored in very large doctrines and low sec comps. If someone with armor reps catches, they will live.
Armor doctrines have less DPS due to their lows being filled with armor, but make up for it in numbers. Prelocked ships with armor reps rarely die. You need Alpha Strike to break them.
Due to the extra mass from plates, armor doctrines are slower. These make them more predictable where they'll be for bombing.
Several armor doctrines take advantage of their small signature to dodge shots from larger doctrines. My eris is about 20% smaller than my sabre.
Hull - (size) Remote Hull Repairer
These reps are super uncommon, only for after fights, usually with drones. The 'size' is one of small, medium, large, capital. Nobody uses these, even though there are commonly hull tanked ships out there like the brutix and the gnosis and the praxis.
Hull is applied at the end of the round.
Hull uses 1 cap per 1 unit of hull repaired. But it is very anemic, has a slow cycle time, and takes a VERY long time.
Hull is repaired as you limp home using remote drones.
It is also required to bring Player Owned Stations aka POSes back online if the structure has been reinforced.
You will often use these to save on repair costs if you're repairing at an NPC station.
Logi ships
These are broken down into 3 groups of 2 groups of 2 groups each. Iterative! :D
Frigates - The easiest to get into! You can get into one of these in under a day of training. Logistics Frigates is the obvious upgrade path.
T1 - Tech one ships are place you can try out the content.
These don't provide much reps, but can be useful in some small scale engagements like faction warfare or small gang pvp. They are super easy to try. Their high speed, low cost, and helping tackle do their jobs important!
These include the Bantam and Burst for shield, and the Inquisitor and the Navitas, with the first being the more popular one.
Logi Frig - Logistics Frigates require the Logistic Frigate skill trained (!) This takes awhile to train Signature Analysis 5 and Long Range Targeting 4, but are helpful anyway. Having one frigate to 5 helps a TON.
These make huge difference in smaller fleets, and huge differences in larger assault frigate/destroyer fleets. Super popular in the alliance touranment too!
These include the Kirin and Scapel for shield, and the Deacon and Thalia for armor, with the first being the more popular one.
Cruisers - The most useful small gang ships, bar none. Logistics Cruisers 5 changes your fit a lot too.
T1 - Tech one cruisers are actually extremely strong at providing reps.
Several published comps use T1 cruiser reps as their backbone. They can go inside ESS, keep up with the big boys, They can fit drones to show up on kills too. :) I've changed fights in my Scythe!
These include the Osprey and the Scythe for shield, and the Exequor and the Augoror for armor, with the first being the more popular one.
Start here to try logi out! I have a standing fleet Scythe in Kissist channel in game, it's easy to try out. 18 mil isk and provide cruiser sized reps!
Logi Cruiser - Logistics Cruiser skill is a must have for any seasoned pilot. Useful precursors and a cruiser 5, you are set to rep!
20% of your null sec fleet will be logi. 20 logi and you can change a fleet fight to your favor!
These include the Scimitar and Basilisk for Shield, and the Guardian and Onerios for Armor. These have not favorite one.
Cap Chaining
Each of these ships have a choice as well. They can be either self sustained, or they can require a cap chain.
Self Sustained ships need no external assistance to be effective.
These ships lock new broadcasts more easily, as they can remove all other targets, meaning they can just apply reps.
Even a single ship alone can make a difference.
They don't care if their friends are dying around them.
If you reship, can easily jump back in the fight.
Examples are the Scimitar or the Onerios.
A cap chain requires you to lock your fellow logi pilots.
These use (size) Remote Capacitor Transmitter modules to send cap to their partners.
These make capacitor from thin air, just because the additive effect.
This can slow down your locking of friendly targets, as you have to lock and then switch to them.
Because they have more cap supply, they can generally do more repping.
They 'chain' usually either up or down by their in game name. I would cap chain down to someone below me, and would get cap chained by someone above me. Note, you loop around Z to A.
This means a logistics ship always has you locked, so if your chain starts getting locked, you can easily get reps to help stop alphaing.
You often have spare reps to help people who might struggle to keep their hardeners on.
If people die or new people join, have to adjust the cap chain, which can sometimes be problematic.
Examples are the Basilisk or the Guardian.
Fits
Just steal them. :D See Ship fitting how to do that. Remember, its task -> ship -> traits -> weapon platforms. So you pick your task first, and then everything else gets super easy. These fits don't actually vary that much compared to dps ships either!
Actual doing logistics
Here's the easy part! I'm doing this for the large block format, since that's how most people tend to start this out.
Have your ship fit, in it, insured, with appropiate clone.
Open up Social | Fleet (Drag onto the bart on the left hand side!) | join fleet.
Add important people to watch list.
Open Broadcast history, and make sure you check the meatball menu for 'shield/armor broadcast' is enabled, and colored differently than targets. Maybe remove targets. See Kissist in game for pre-colored layouts.
Follow around the FC.
Then when you get an actual fight:
Hold down 'E' and click on your FC or Logistics anchor to keep at range 1k.
Lock up people calling for shields
Rep them.
Lock other people caling for shields.
Rep those who you can save
Overheat if they're dying for a cycle or two.
Win
Most of this takes in game practice. Insert hoyer video here. :)