Missions & Complexes

Some of you might remember this classic thread

https://forums.eveonline.com/default.aspx?g=posts&t=30338

I would have necro'd it but alas it is locked. I haven't done any exploration in awhile, and certainly not since the changes in odyssey nor the HAC rebalance.

Recently I felt like dusting off the trusty old Ishtar and head out into the great unknown. I thought I'd let people give feedback on the fit (which I think should be fine) but also had some questions.

First the questions. With the changes to profession sites, is it going to even be worth trying to run them in a ship that does not get bonuses to the modules? My only experience with the minigame is with Wormhole sites. Even there, with a maxed pilot using T2 analyzers I find the minigame to be a challenge, often failing due to the strength of the barriers in the minigame.

So is an Ishtar going to even be able to handle the nullsec minigame on a toon that isnt at max skill (lvl 4) on a ship with no bonus to the modules?

Now onto the fit. It isn't t

[Ishtar, Nullsec Ninja]

Armor Kinetic Hardener II
Armor Thermic Hardener II
Armor Thermic Hardener II
Medium Armor Repairer II
Drone Damage Amplifier II

Experimental 10MN Microwarpdrive I
10MN Afterburner II
Data Analyzer I
Relic Analyzer I
Cargo Scanner I

Core Probe Launcher I
Prototype Cloaking Device I
Small 'Solace' Remote Armor Repairer
Salvager I

Medium Sentry Damage Augmentor I
Medium Sentry Damage Augmentor I


Garde II x5
Warden II x5
Hobgoblin II x5
Hornet EC-300 x5
Hammerhead II x5
Hornet EC-300 x5

A covops is +10 to coherence.

I use an unrigged covops with T1 access modules. I usually lose 1 can in a 5-6 can spawn in null. If you can get T2 analysers on the ishtar they have +20 coherence or +10 coherence to what I'm using. Note that the game is probabilistic, some of them can't be done (thats why they give us 2 goes), some of them are trivially easy (to the breadth first strategy) and the gear doesn't matter, some of them are in the middle where the gear might help. Since I get most of them out anyway, its mostly just improved isk/hr from not needing to try twice.

If you have access to NPC stations where you are inclined to roam, then I would cargo/nullfier/covops fit a proteus with the 2 scanners, and then I'd refit out of stations for combat sites which will reduce your exposure to sabres and the like at gates. It fits to quite a tolerable droneboat if thats what floats your boat.

Obviously not so important if you have a scout account to throwaway checking it.

Looking at the fit it seems you would also want to do some combat complexes. IMO solo running around in nullsec was a thing before oddissey - now you would probably either want to fly a frigate and engage in the minigame or only hunt for combat sites. Unless you have a base that is either a station/pos or an orca.

Are you maxed in the Astrometric skills? You might have problems scanning down the tougher signatures in an Ishtar without the bonus a scanning ship would give you. Those smaller signatures usually have the better loot.

derath, kspace exploration is limited to a few trys per can. wh cans are unlimited.
secondly, the data sites are worthless. farm relic sites instead for juicy T2 salvage.
if anything, since u already live in wh space, get a c3/ns. run c3 sites for isk, roll the nullsec for fun/ice/etc...

& yes, i've left my C4 :D

edit: nullsec is usually really really really empty. I've ran anomalies, 6 - 8/10s quite a few times in upgraded systems. Very few nullsec pubbies will chase you into a wh. NPC nullsec one the other hand is were bad memories get made. Those f*ckers are relentless.

Train up for FW or sign it up with RvB. The amount of isk/excitement in FW is hard to beat.

Well honestly I think CCP answered the question, and it will be called the Stratios

Not really sure what that ishtar would be scanning out in null sec. I imagine the survivability would quickly drop to nill if it were webbed and scrambled in a null sec complex. Would work good against belt ratting and decent for anomalies but other than that, it's probably best left on his Pyfa.

Not gonna be anything "ninja" about it when it hits an interdiction bubble either.

hey thanks man. that silly thread kind of exploded after i decided to break from the game lol. glad it helped u enjoy the game more.



combat sites mostly. a similar loadout to that one has helped me earn my first 3bill in a matter of few weeks of casual ninja plexing. ive dodged plenty of bad bubble camps. drag bubbles are quite easy to avoid, especially if you have an alt in an inty that can create safe warp BM's. big bubble camps are basically the death of any cloaky ship, even though u CAN get lucky. no real tank for combat, but thats why you have the cloak. you do lose an Ishtar here and there for making bad decisions, but it's so cheap for the amount of isk it makes you. better than losing a plexing Proteus, which happens all the time in nullsec =S

main thing i wanna know now is if the new HAC bonus is enough to speed tank the harder plexes without the AB.

Missing the point, but thats ok if you never read the original thread.