EVE New Citizens Q&A

I don't think pirates target anchored structures. They usually just concern themselves with blowing up your ship.

Using mobile depots as a storage facility isn't a terrific idea because they don't have a ton of storage space. You'd be better off jetcanning and coming back with a hauler, but jetcans only last for two hours I believe.

If I recall correctly, anchorables cannot be scanned down with probes (they can be spotted on d-scan though). Jetcans definitely can't be probed down. So if you leave your stuff in a random pocket of space it should be safe unless they catch you with a probe while you're there.

MTUs especially are often attacked (free killmail + extra loot) and die rather easily. In fact MTUs are often killed first, before the ship using it, as otherwise it will often steal the loot from your own wreck before the attackers can plunder it. Depots aren't so vulnerable because they have a reinforce timer, however they have very poor storage.

Anchorables can be scanned down using combat probes pretty easily.

Best bet is probably to ferry your load to station each time your hold is full, unless others have better ideas (I don't really mine so can't help much with tricks of the trade).

You can drop an enormous freight container at a safe spot, drop off ore/gas as you work and pick it up later if jetcan times are too short. IIRC correctly they're pretty unscannable, your ship isn't though , and will stay until downtime. I'm not sure if they can be scooped and redeployed after use though.

Never use the same safe more than once, change them every time you deploy a container, if you see combat probes on directional while you're there grab as much of the container contents as you can and GTFO. DO NOT return to collect the rest, you'll probably explode.

All of this could be a little wrong.


On MTUs - they are very easily scanned down. IIRC they are about as easy to scan down as a passive shield tanked battleship (i.e. easier than almost any subcap).

Mobile depots are harder to scan down. A standard one is about as hard to scan down as a cruiser (not passive shield tanked) or a frigate with sigrad increasing shield modules. The meta ones are harder to scan - the cheap one is on par with a frigate and the expensive one is on the exact limit of what can be scanned down without using Virtue probes.



On lowsec mining generally: A Venture or Prospect is the best choice. The Venture has its built-in wapr stabilization making it hard to kill unless you can kill it in one volley. The Prospect has a super-low sigrad, making it hard to find (if you are using combat scanner probes) and hard to acquire a target lock on, giving you more time to escape.

If you go with the Prospect, play to its strengths and fit for agility (fast warping) not tank.

When there is a hostile or neutral in local, keep watching D-scan and warp out immediately if something is suspicious.

Mobile depot with it's reinforcement timer is pretty safe but it only has 3k cargo capacity so that's less then one full venture. It's more designed to store ship fittings.

Frankly if you're operating in lowsec it's best to just drop ore at a local station. Only if you're ninja-mining in null would i seriously consider a MTU placed in a system without stations, and you have to be ready to write it off if someone finds you.

Then again...
why mine in lowsec in first place...
When I watched some 4 seasons tv show and did mining many of the low sec rocks pop'd on high sec anomalies anyway and mining on good quiet 0.5 system you get pretty decent large rocks.

I often see if I can pop a venture before it can align out but if they are really new I will fleet with them and use them as bait. Its a win-win. I can pop rats for them and they draw in easy fights for me.

Say hai to Gully for me.

Yes pirates target anchorable MTUs and MDs; and yes MTUs and MDs can be scanned down. There are meta versions of MDs that are more difficult to scan but they are expensive and rare. MDs have a reinforcement timer and can be scooped while it is in reinforcement. So as long as you are paying attention to your MD you really shouldnt lose it.

Look at the packaged size, they're only 1000m3 and can be carried in a T1 hauler in that state. They assemble when jettisoned same as ships and other types of can.

It's only when jettisoned or assembled that they become unmanageable by anything but freighters.

Totally agree that using a freighter in lowsec is a silly idea though. The cans are relatively cheap at <500k so can be abandoned when done