---
esi_data:
  fitting_stats:
    cpu_output: 130
    high_slots: 3
    low_slots: 3
    med_slots: 3
    powergrid_output: 35
    rig_slots: 3
  group: Frigate
  hull_stats:
    hp_armor: 450
    hp_shield: 350
    hp_structure: 550
  name: Tristan
  race: Unknown
  skill_requirements:
  - level: 1
    skill_id: 3328
  type_id: 593
  velocity: 315
image: /593.png
last_updated: '2026-04-19T22:49:33.542819'
source: eve-university
source_stats:
  armorem: 50
  armorexp: 10
  armorhp: 450
  armorkin: 35
  armortherm: 35
  bandwidth: 25 Mbit/sec
  bonuses: <b>Gallente Frigate bonuses (per skill level):</b><br>7.5% bonus to Small
    Hybrid Turret tracking speed<br>10% bonus to Drone hitpoints and tracking speed<br>
  capacitor: 350 GJ
  cargohold: "140 m\xB3"
  class: Frigate
  cpu: 130
  dronebay: "40 m\xB3"
  externallinks: ''
  extrahold: ''
  extraholdtype: ''
  faction: Gallente Federation
  forumlinks: ''
  grouping: Standard Frigates
  highlights1: ''
  highlights2: ''
  highlights3: ''
  highlights4: ''
  highs: 3
  hulltype: Tristan Class<br>
  inertia: 3.44
  info: Often nicknamed The Fat Man, this nimble little frigate is mainly used by
    the Federation in escort duties or on short-range patrols. The Tristan has been
    very popular throughout Gallente space for years because of its versatility. It
    is rather expensive, but buyers will definitely get their money's worth, as the
    Tristan is one of the more powerful frigates available on the market.
  launchers: 0
  lows: 3
  mass: 1044000
  maxlockedtargets: 5
  maxvelocity: 315
  mediums: 3
  powergrid: 35
  quote: When you need a helping hand, they'll lend you an iron grip.
  quote_attribution: Old Man Darieux
  reqskills: '*{{RequiredSkill|Gallente Frigate|I}}

    ** {{RequiredSkill|Spaceship Command|I}}'
  scanres: 600 mm
  sensortype: Magnetometric
  sensorvalue: 9 points
  shieldem: 0
  shieldexp: 50
  shieldhp: 350
  shieldkin: 40
  shieldtherm: 20
  shipid: 593
  shipimg: Tristan.jpg
  shipname: Tristan
  sigradius: 41 m
  structurehp: 550
  targetrange: 40.00 km
  tech: ''
  totaltraintime: 25m 0s
  turrets: 2
  variations: '{{Ship|Nemesis}}'
  volume: 26500
  warpspeed: 5 AU/s
  warptime: 4.98 s
  wikireferences: ''
source_url: https://wiki.eveuniversity.org/Tristan
title: Tristan
type_id: 593
validation_score: 1.0
---

<img src="/593.png" alt="Tristan" width="300" style="float: left; margin-right: 25px; margin-bottom: 10px; width: 300px;" />

<div style="display: flow-root;">

## Summary

</div>


The Tristan is a Gallente combat Frigate and the earliest ship in the line of Gallente droneboats. It has a bonus to both Hybrid Turret tracking speed and Drone hitpoints and tracking speed, which gives it high damage application and projection at any range. The drones are an excellent tool in both PvP and PvE, and the Tristan is the only Tech 1 frigate that can field a full flight of 5 light combat drones.
## Skills
As a Tech 1 frigate, the Tristan is a cheap and relatively forgiving ship. New pilots should feel able to step into one with minimal preparation. Like any ship, though, the Tristan's performance can be boosted dramatically by improved character skills. Furthermore, its reliance on drones makes it more skill-intensive than the Incursus for very new pilots.

Since the Tristan is a drone boat, drone skills will help you fly it; this training will prepare you for the Algos, Vexor, and other even larger drone boats, and all the skills useful in a Tristan will help those too. The Tristan can field a full flight of 5 light drones. Train Drones V in order to field all 5 drones. For support skills, train Light Drone Operation V and Drone Interfacing IV to increase the damage of your drones, Drone Avionics V increase your drone control range, and Drone Durability IV to increase drone hitpoints.

You may want to further increase the damage of your drones with weapon upgrades in the low-slots. The Tech 1 Drone Damage Amplifier I (T1 DDA) module requires Weapon Upgrades I and Drones I.

General support skills and fitting skills help the Tristan as they help other ships.
## Tactics
PvE

The Tristan can cope well with Level 1 missions, especially if the pilot has Drones trained to IV or V. Select the right drones to hit your NPC targets' greatest weakness; With good skills, all you need to do is to launch drones, target and keep pressing “F”. Just keep an eye on your drones' health in the drones window, and recall-and-relaunch them if they come under attack. If you want to and you have space capacitor, you can add two hybrid turrets to boost your DPS. Railguns will let you fight at longer (that is, safer) ranges, though at such ranges you won't be using the hull's tracking bonus much.

With its balanced slot layout, the Tristan can be shield- or armour-tanked. New Gallente pilots might find that training for basic armor tanking prepares them better for larger Gallente ships. Experienced pilots can use either approach.

Besides missions, a carefully-fitted Tristan can also take on basic pockets of Abyssal Deadspace, with potentially quite lucrative rewards. Since the exact fits which work best will depend on character skill and the changing meta, it's recommended that players interested in this consult resources such as the Abyss Tracker and confer with more experienced players.

PvP

The Tristan is a highly versatile ship which can adopt a variety of fits and tactics in PvP, with the caveat that it is normally going to rely on drones for much of its DPS.

In small-scale frigate versus frigate PvP, the Tristan can brawl with blasters, drones, and a basic tank, or it can try to kite and let its drones bring its target down. It is also possible to fit energy neutralizers for capacitor warfare, much like in some of the Tristan's bigger siblings, such as the Vexor and Dominix. Neutralizers can be a nasty surprise for a frigate that has underestimated the Tristan and gotten too close, but their energy drain on the Tristan itself will have to be managed carefully, and might well require a cap booster to inject more energy.

In larger-scale PvP the Atron is a more effective pure tackle frigate than the Tristan, and new characters are likely to extract more DPS from the Incursus. The Tristan finds niche uses nevertheless, because it has a huge drone bay for a ship so small and so cheap. Swarms of Tristans can launch enough drones to deliver ferocious DPS, even achieving enough damage to attack structures, making it a low-SP siege ship. Fitting some Tech 2 Drones and blasters can achieve shocking DPS (150-160 or so). The Tristan can also boost its drone control range and fight at surprisingly long distances if other ships can hold its targets in place; it is even possible for the Tristan to use one (but only one) sentry drone.
## Notes
The ship is probably named after Tristan, a hero from high medieval chivalric romances. Most versions of Tristan's story involve a doomed love affair with Iseult, the bride of Tristan's liege lord, and the legend was eventually incorporated into the cycle of stories surrounding King Arthur.
## Patch History