Ships & Modules

I don't use a Loki for this; a Tengu is just hands down better for the purpose. The main reason for this is that a Tengu can combine good damage with excellent damage projection, both of which are important to successfully run the more difficult low sec combat sites. With a Loki you get the choice between goodish damage (with ACs) or okish projection (with arties).

So. Take that for what it's worth. On to some actual advice.

The standard MO for T3s in lowsec exploration is to fit for scanning/travel and carry a combat fit that you can throw on when need arises. If you're running radar/mag sites, make sure your scanning/travel fit has the proper equipment to handle them as you won't want to dock for every one you find.

After playing around with Lokis for a bit in EFT, I couldn't find a combination of fits I liked. The combat fits all seemed a bit short on DPS even with 425s and the scanning fits all seemed to lack mids for professional sites(at least if you're not carrying around a whole slew of subsystems, which will run you out of cargo space rather quickly). I'm sure there's a way to swing it, but I haven't run across the answer just yet.

But in any case, damage projection or damage amount will eventually become a problem. Low sec combat sites require both to be done efficiently -- and you need efficiency since you don't want to be exposed for too long. So at least consider a Tengu.

Hardly a waste, just not the best for low sec exploration. I wouldn't hesitate to use a Loki, Wolf, or Jaguar for high sec exploration, and Minmatar (and Minmatar-flavored) BSs are probably the best mission runners in the game right now.

T3 training times are pretty low for the benefit you get. The painful hurdle is usually racial cruiser V, but once there you're only a few weeks from a maxed-out T3.

It is a shame you hadn't explored this matter earlier. Tengu is far and away the most versatile PvE T3, and is no slouch for PvP and other stuff. Of course to deliver DPS with a tengu you need some decent missile skills ... but being of matari stock you probably have those already.

I fly three races' T3s and am all-5s for tengu and loki. Over 90% of my T3 time is spent in tengu and the rest in the loki. Tengu is for everything except scanner and 'freighter'. For each of those roles I use loki ... because of the slightly better agility.
When it comes to PvE activities requiring tank the tengu is superlative. My loki can deliver better DPS than my tengu, but not while carrying that amount of tank and not while also being able to do a range of other things.

Don't write your loki off, it will probably be able to do the stuff you're after. Go play with fitting-tool-of-choice and see what you can come up with ... and quietly train those tengu skills in the background while you're doing it.

As for time training matari skills being a waste. That'd be complete and utter codswallop!! I won't expand here though, but expect you will work out why one day.

p.s. We build and sell tengu (and loki) ... heaps of them. Be warned that tengu prices are bubbling bigtime atm. IDK why, but some manufacturing component prices have literally doubled over the weekend. So if you're looking for tengu you're gonna be torn between getting-in b4 a lot more price rises, or waiting for the bubble to (inevitably) burst ... however long that may take.

It has some promise, I have to admit. It seems to me to make more sense to drop the third metastasis adjuster for, well, anything that isn't a projectile rig and swap the power core multiplier for an augmented cap reservoir. It still won't take a 6/10. And I'm not sure I like being that dependent on cap charges. But it's an idea.

Pilgrim?????!!!

you mean herpa derpa?