Ships & Modules

Pilgrim is good for professions sites but it is quite terrible for combat sites in low/null. Can be used to do hisec combat sites.

Ishtar is considered to be one of the best hi/low/null exploration boats. It can also deal with low/null anomalies.

Tengu is considered to be the king of most types of pve. It is perfect for low/null exploration, wormholes and anomalies.

Drone Proteus is very good for lowsec. Can be used in null but Tengu is considerably better here.
It is the best low/null profession sites explorer however. Works in any space.

All T3s can be fitted with scannning subsystem, which will make scanning much faster but you can fit probe launcher on any ship. With good skills, some implants, grav cap rigs and SOE probes/launcher you can pin down most of the sites in unbonused ships.

If a ship can deal with exploration sites in systems with specific sec level it will also deal with anomalies there.

Ship's choice depends on pirate faction you will be dealing with ( for combat sites at least ).

About Ishtar ( and nullsec exploration in general ) : Nullsec ninja exploration

My lowsec Tengu fit for Serpentis/Guristas spaces:

[Tengu, Naughty Peeper]
Caldari Navy Ballistic Control System
Caldari Navy Ballistic Control System
Caldari Navy Ballistic Control System
Power Diagnostic System II

Pithi A-Type Small Shield Booster
Invulnerability Field II
Invulnerability Field II
Dread Guristas Photon Scattering Field
Corelum A-Type 10MN Afterburner

Heavy Missile Launcher II, Trauma Fury Heavy Missile
Heavy Missile Launcher II, Trauma Fury Heavy Missile
Heavy Missile Launcher II, Trauma Fury Heavy Missile
Heavy Missile Launcher II, Trauma Fury Heavy Missile
Heavy Missile Launcher II, Trauma Fury Heavy Missile
Heavy Missile Launcher II, Trauma Fury Heavy Missile
Improved Cloaking Device II

Medium Warhead Rigor Catalyst II
Medium Warhead Flare Catalyst II
Medium Core Defence Field Extender II

Tengu Defensive - Adaptive Shielding
Tengu Electronics - Dissolution Sequencer
Tengu Engineering - Augmented Capacitor Reservoir
Tengu Offensive - Accelerated Ejection Bay
Tengu Propulsion - Fuel Catalyst


I don't have experience with Sacrilege.

haha!

Does this work as an Ishtar fit anymore? (i think i used to use something similar to this back in the days of old when plexing against serpentis)


[Ishtar, Explo]
Drone Damage Amplifier II
Drone Damage Amplifier II
Power Diagnostic System II (this could be another SPR II making a nicer tank but i dont like having no cap... ever)
Shield Power Relay II
Shield Power Relay II

10MN Afterburner II
Thermic Dissipation Field II
Analyzer I
Large Shield Extender II
Large Shield Extender II

Sisters Core Probe Launcher, Core Scanner Probe I
Salvager I
75mm Gatling Rail II, Antimatter Charge S
75mm Gatling Rail II, Antimatter Charge S
75mm Gatling Rail II, Antimatter Charge S

Medium Core Defense Field Purger I
Medium Core Defense Field Purger I


Ogre II x5
Warden I x5
Valkyrie II x5
Warrior II x5

That or a dual-mar ishtar would work.

It has already been mentioned once but its worth mentioning again that the tengu is the best way to go for this sort of thing.

I have taken my pvp fit cloaky scanny tengu and soloed up to 5/10's in various parts of space. Granted I have to do a fair bit of kiting in mine but its possible to make a brick out of one without much issue.

"Is it feasible to use the same ship to scan them down AND complete the sites?"
does not equate :
"Please - ONLY ships that can scan AND complete the sites at the same time"


You are right.
Sorry about that

You can use that Tengu with a scanning alt or travel fit like I said. You will spend much less time doing combat sites that way. Using all-in-one Tengu will always hamper your general efficiency one way or the other. Taking more time to do the sites is pointless/dangerous ( in lowsec/nullsec ).

I just use alts

This way you don't need to make any compromises, and you have the added bonus of being able to run a site while scanning down your next

Or alternatively you don't need to do the dscan, because you can sit a cloaky covops at the entrance and just watch for people coming to get ya

Would it be worth trying to armor tank an Ishtar if you are going primarily against Blood Raiders? (Since they do all EM/Therm) rather than a passive shield tank? Or should I just stick to shield tanking and fit EM/Therm hardeners?

So, if we were to play devil's advocate. What kind of setup are we talking? I cant seem to have one work well enough. Even if i take the covert offensive subsystem off its still kinda iffy.

For low sec? Carry a refit. I swap two subs on my Tengu (covops for accelerated ejection bay and emergent locus analyzer for dissolution sequencer) along with some mods (tank stays the same, add a launcher, strip off the codebreaker, add a BCU) when I want to run a combat site. Travel fit also has an expanded cargohold for more ammunition/loot. Just don't get yourself camped in to a station and you should be fine that way.