How to Land More Citadels: A Beginner's Guide to Capital Ship Success

When I first started playing EVE Online, landing a successful citadel hit felt like winning the lottery. Those perfect moments when your dreadnought's massive guns connect with an enemy capital ship, bypassing all of its defenses and striking directly at its structure, are some of the most satisfying experiences in gaming. But they were frustratingly rare for me at first.

After years of practice and countless battles, I've learned that landing citadels isn't just about luck. It's about understanding mechanics, positioning, timing, and psychology. Today, I'm sharing everything I wish I'd known when I started.

What Exactly Is a Citadel Hit?

For newcomers to capital ship combat, let's be clear about what we're talking about. A citadel hit occurs when your capital ship's weapons bypass the target's shields and armor completely, dealing damage directly to the structure (or hull) of the enemy ship. These hits are devastating, often dealing 2-3 times the normal damage of a regular hit.

Think of it as finding the weak spot in a massive fortress—one well-placed shot can do more damage than dozens of regular attacks.

Why Citadel Hits Matter

Before diving into the how-to, let's understand why citadels are worth mastering:

1. Damage Efficiency: A successful citadel hit can deal anywhere from 10,000 to 30,000 damage in a single volley, depending on your setup. That's game-changing.
2. Psychological Impact: Nothing strikes fear into an enemy fleet like watching chunks of their capital ships disappear in single volleys. Often, a few well-timed citadels can cause enemy fleets to panic and retreat.
3. Resource Efficiency: Capital ammunition is expensive. Making your shots count means better ISK efficiency in the long run.
4. Faster Kills: In large fleet battles, every second counts. The faster you can remove enemy capitals from the field, the better your chances of victory.

Now, let's get into the strategies that will help you land more citadels consistently.

Understanding the Mechanics Behind Citadel Hits

The first step to landing more citadels is understanding exactly how they work. Many beginners think it's purely random, but there's a science to it.

The Angle Factor

Citadel hits are most likely to occur when your weapons hit the enemy ship at an angle between 85° and 90° relative to their ship's movement vector. This means you want to be firing almost perfectly perpendicular to the direction they're traveling.

I remember my first fleet commander explaining it to me like this: "Imagine trying to throw a rock through a moving train's window. If you throw at the front or back of the train, you'll likely hit metal. But from the side, you have a better chance of hitting the window."

In EVE terms:

• If an enemy ship is moving directly toward or away from you: Low citadel chance
• If an enemy ship is moving perpendicular to your firing line: High citadel chance

Velocity Considerations

The target's velocity also plays a crucial role:

• Stationary targets: Moderate citadel chance
• Slow-moving targets (under 50% of maximum velocity): Highest citadel chance
• Fast-moving targets (over 75% of maximum velocity): Lower citadel chance

This is why you'll often see experienced dreadnought pilots targeting enemy capitals that are repositioning at moderate speeds rather than completely stopped targets.

Step-by-Step Guide to Landing More Citadels

1. Perfect Your Positioning

The single most important factor in landing citadels is your position relative to your target's movement.

My personal approach: When I enter a battle in my Revelation dreadnought, I immediately look for patterns in enemy capital movement. Are they orbiting a structure? Moving between defensive positions? Once I identify their likely path, I position myself to fire perpendicular to that path.

Practical tip: Use tactical overlays (Alt+D) to visualize movement vectors. Position yourself so that enemy capitals will cross your firing line at a 90° angle.

2. Timing Your Siege Cycle

For dreadnought pilots, timing your siege cycle is critical. Once you enter siege mode, you're committed to your position for several minutes.

When to siege:

• When enemy capitals are actively maneuvering (not just sitting still)
• When you've positioned perpendicular to their likely movement path
• When your fleet has tackle on key targets to ensure they'll remain in your firing range

I learned this lesson the hard way during a battle in Delve. I sieged too early, and by the time my guns were active, all the enemy capitals had repositioned. I spent my entire siege cycle firing at suboptimal angles with no citadels.

3. Target Selection Matters

Not all capital ships are equally vulnerable to citadel hits. Here's my priority list based on susceptibility:

1. Carriers and Supercarriers: Their broader profile when launching fighters makes them excellent citadel targets
2. Dreadnoughts in siege mode: While they're immobile, their profile changes during siege, creating citadel opportunities
3. FAXes (Force Auxiliary ships): Similar to dreads, their repair animations sometimes create better citadel angles
4. Titans: Despite their size, their elongated shape can make citadels more challenging unless you're positioned perfectly

Always communicate with your fleet's tackle pilots to ensure your priority targets stay in optimal positions for citadel hits.

4. Weapon Selection and Fitting

Your weapon choice significantly impacts your citadel potential:

For dreadnoughts:

• Capital Beam Lasers (Revelation): Excellent for citadel hunting due to instant damage application
• Siege Missile Launchers (Phoenix): Slightly lower citadel potential due to flight time, but still effective
• Capital Hybrid Blasters (Moros): Great damage but requires closer range positioning
• Capital Artillery (Naglfar): Good citadel potential but timing shots with enemy movement is crucial

My personal favorite is the Revelation with Tachyon Beam Lasers, as the instant damage application lets me time my shots precisely when enemy ships cross my optimal firing angle.

5. Module Management for Maximum Impact

Once you're in position, managing your modules effectively can increase your citadel chances:

1. Tracking Computers: Activate these when firing at targets moving perpendicular to you
2. Tracking Enhancers: Always have these in your low slots for dreadnoughts
3. Target Painters: These increase signature radius, marginally improving citadel chances
4. Staggered Firing: Instead of firing all guns simultaneously, stagger them slightly to catch moving targets at different points in their trajectory

I keep my modules organized in specific F-key groups so I can quickly activate the right combination for different situations.

6. Learn to Read the Battlefield

This is where experience really counts. Over time, you'll develop an intuition for predicting enemy movement.

Watch for these patterns:

• Enemy capitals tend to align toward their exit celestial when they're preparing to retreat
• Capitals supporting subcapital fleets often move to optimize their support range
• Defensive capitals often establish orbit patterns around key structures

When I see enemy capitals starting to align out, I know they're about to accelerate—perfect timing to position for citadel hits as they pick up speed.

7. Communication Is Key

In fleet battles, information is ammunition. Good communication can dramatically increase your citadel hits:

• Call out when you notice enemy capitals changing position or speed
• Coordinate with tackle pilots to position targets optimally
• Share successful citadel angles with your fleet members
• Use voice comms clearly and concisely: "Nyx at Planet 4 Moon 1 is moving northwest, good citadel angle from the southern tactical"

Common Situations for Landing Citadels

Situation 1: The Initial Engagement

When enemy capitals first warp into battle, there's often a moment of confusion as they establish their positions. This is prime citadel hunting time.

Why it works: During initial positioning, enemy capitals often move at moderate speeds while adjusting their range and alignment, creating perfect citadel opportunities.

My approach: I position my dreadnought slightly offset from our main fleet's position. As enemy capitals land and begin maneuvering to optimal ranges, I siege up and prepare to fire as they cross my perpendicular firing line.

Situation 2: The Support Rotation

Enemy Force Auxiliary ships (FAXes) often reposition to provide repairs to different parts of their fleet.

Why it works: These support ships move predictably between damaged friendly ships, making their path easy to anticipate.

My approach: I watch for damaged enemy ships, knowing that FAXes will likely move to support them. I position to fire perpendicular to these likely support lanes.

Situation 3: The Extraction Attempt

When a battle turns against the enemy, capital ships will begin aligning out to escape.

Why it works: This creates a predictable movement pattern as ships accelerate from standstill to warp speed, passing through that perfect moderate velocity window.

My approach: When I see signs of enemy withdrawal, I immediately reposition to fire perpendicular to likely escape vectors (usually toward stargates, friendly structures, or safe spots).

Situation 4: The Fighter Deployment

Carriers and supercarriers briefly change their orientation when launching fighter squadrons.

Why it works: This momentary change in ship positioning often creates unexpected citadel angles.

My approach: I time my shots to coincide with enemy carrier fighter launches, which you can spot by watching for the distinctive fighter deployment animation.

Advanced Techniques for Experienced Pilots

Once you've mastered the basics, these advanced techniques can further increase your citadel success rate:

Bait Positioning

Work with your fleet to create situations where enemy capitals must move in predictable ways:

• Position a seemingly vulnerable ship to bait enemy capitals into pursuing it along a predetermined path
• Have your fleet's interdictors create bubble paths that force enemy capitals to move in specific directions

Multi-Vector Attacks

Coordinate with other dreadnought pilots to attack from different angles:

• Position dreadnoughts at roughly 90° angles from each other
• When enemy capitals move to avoid citadel angles from one position, they often create perfect angles for another

Forced Movement Tactics

Use game mechanics to force enemy movement:

• Coordinated microjumpdrive bursts near enemy capitals can cause them to adjust position
• Strategic void bomb deployment can pressure enemy capitals to reposition

Common Mistakes to Avoid

I've made all of these mistakes, so you don't have to:

1. Sieging too early: Wait until targets are in position and moving predictably before committing to siege
2. Ignoring target velocity: Remember that very slow and very fast targets reduce citadel chances
3. Poor angle assessment: Always prioritize firing perpendicular to movement, even if it means slightly longer range
4. Tunnel vision: Don't focus so much on one target that you miss better citadel opportunities elsewhere
5. Failing to coordinate: Capital battles are team efforts—communicate your positioning and successful citadel angles

Training Tips for Improving Your Citadel Skills

Use Singularity (Test Server)

The test server is perfect for practicing citadel mechanics without risking your expensive ships. I spend at least an hour on Singularity for every ten hours on the main server, testing different angles and approaches.

Record Your Battles

I started recording all my capital engagements and reviewing them later to analyze why certain shots landed as citadels and others didn't. This dramatically improved my understanding of the mechanics.

Practice Visualization

Even when you're not playing, practice visualizing ships moving through space and imagining the perfect firing angles. This mental training helps build the intuition needed for split-second decisions in battle.

Final Thoughts: The Psychology of Citadel Hunting

After landing thousands of citadel hits, I've found that the psychological aspect is just as important as the mechanics. Patience and confidence are key:

• Stay calm: Rushed decisions lead to poor positioning
• Be confident: When you see the perfect angle developing, commit to it
• Learn from misses: Each non-citadel hit provides information about how to adjust your approach
• Celebrate successes: There's nothing more satisfying than seeing that massive damage notification

Remember that becoming a citadel master is a journey. My first month flying capital ships, I landed maybe one citadel hit per battle. Now, I average 30-40% citadel hits in most engagements, with some perfect battles reaching 60-70%.

The difference wasn't luck—it was understanding mechanics, positioning deliberately, and developing the patience to wait for the perfect shot.

So next time you're in your capital ship watching an enemy fleet maneuver, don't just fire at whatever's in range. Watch their movement, position yourself deliberately, and wait for that perfect perpendicular crossing. Your patience will be rewarded with the distinctive explosion of a successful citadel hit—and the admiration of your fleet mates.

Good hunting, capsuleers. May your angles be perfect and your citadels devastating.