“Skill Training Completed.”

I particularly like that phrase, especially as I have finally reached a milestone. I can no longer improve upon my turret skills; they are all at level 5, this includes all the tertiary skills. Save for +5 brain augmentations, illegal stimulants or hard wiring skills into my flesh, there isn’t much more I can do to improve my death dealing abilities. I've mentioned this before, but today the final skill was actually ticked off the endless 'to-do' list.

Next, my plan is to maximise my engineering skills as these are currently adequate. One of the keys to surviving combat is capacitor, an element the Amarr are notoriously weak due no small part to the vast amounts diverted towards weapons and armour maintenance. I am constantly at war with my power-grid and recharge rate, even with my turret skills maxed. It would be nice to fit without being constantly reminded of our(Amarrian) shortcomings, so engineering needs some lovin’.

Navigation wise, I am lacking. I refused to train the Micro-Warpdrive to Tech II, I prefer to utilise Afterburners as they are much more versatile and penalise the ship less. My ECM skills also need a little work but my drone skills are second to non; unusual for an Amarr pilot.

Traditionally I prefer to train ship skills first then outfit them with weapons as I train up the turret skills. I currently have Assault Frigate 5, Heavy Assault Cruiser 5, Recon Ships 5, Covert Ops 5, Marauders 5 and Interceptors 5. These skills enable me to use any ship from the group with maximum potential and, in the grander scheme of things; I feel the extra boni are worth the months of hard training.

The Redeemer is my next target. With that comes a plethora of level 5 tertiary skills which must be trained, not to mention the 65million ISK I need for the Jump Portal skill book. So back to the books, the graft and the late night booster abuse.

Now where’s that damn bookmark gone…?

Maximum Potential

Skills make a pilot deadly. This isn’t exclusively the skills that one can train for boosting damage or power-grid, but those skills that are linked to experience too. Knowing when and how to attack a target can be vastly important, more so than the amount of pain one can deliver.

I’m at the current level where all my combat trainable skills are maxed and, through the use of boosters and implants, my combat effectiveness has peaked. It’s an interesting situation to be in as I can’t decide what I should be training next. Save for a couple of shield skills that could be maximised, there isn’t much more I can do to improve my skill-set for combat. I will continue to learn through experience, but aquiring points is becoming a problem.


Perhaps it’s time to broaden my horizons a little. Bounty hunting is something which has my current attention but again there isn’t much in the way of skills that I can train to improve what I already know. I don’t yet have sufficient standing with an intelligence agent so perhaps I should begin running missions.

I’ve also considered running for an NPC pirate corporation. I’m not yet sure whether one can join such an outfit, but it is a desire of mine to run with the Angel Cartel. My reasons for this I will keep private for now, but I’m beginning to feel restless with my current position in New Eden.

I don’t care much for vessels beyond sub-capital class so furthering my expertise to these behemoths would be a waste. Perhaps I should embark on a journey toward surviving exclusively within w-space. This realm is my current favourite domain and grants me with almost unlimited freedom to do as I choose and there are yet a few skills to improve upon.

I’m not a born leader so corporation creation is not something I want to pursue. I like being behold to no-one except my conscience which just happens to be as twisted as I.

So with the road ahead of me forking again in several directions it’s time for me to reflect on my experiences and decide where I should be heading next.

Happy hunting…

Tackling Adversity

Survival in New Eden is a tale of frustration and cloning. Every-time I un-cloak I suspect the dangers surrounding me, eager to steal everything from me including my precious life. As a clone I am immortal, but the loss of life still bears the pain of death.

If we want to grow as a community we have a responsibility to take care of our fellows. Many disciplines have a code of conduct and piracy is no exception. Attacking fresh pilots from the academy rarely breaks a sweat and therefore harbours little rewards. I abstain from such behaviour; identifying such a young pilot in low sec prompts assistance in the form of advice and in some cases ISK. This happens with alarming regularity and indicates a need for clarification.

A right of passage into low sec is one of experience. Be certain about your fate if you venture into these lawless lands without the necessary preparations as you will surely lose everything. If you’re finding it hard to maintain any sort of healthy existence in Empire you must understand that the riches found in low sec or null sec are only obtainable with the correct tools to survive.

Intelligence
Intel is the most important factor which is vital to survival in low or null sec. A lack of intel will surely turn your final destination into a clone vat bay. For this reason, operations in low sec are best planned and should have a specific role. Research the area you plan to ‘visit’ and check the last known kills in the system as this can usually indicate whether the system harbours a blockade or pirates.

Local
The local beacon contains the most readily available intel. It identifies pilots within the system and also shows their security status or their state. A low security rating should heed a warning, although a high security rating is by no means a guarantee that the pilot is honourable. Dependant on your intent, try to find a system that is devoid of pilots and either dock at the local station or cloak your ship until the local beacon is cleared. This valuable intel should always be open and available on your HUD.

Warp Core Stabiliser
These ridiculous modules prevent the warp-field from becoming disrupted or scrambled. A side effect reduces your ships ability to target effectively. This can also result in the inability to target smaller craft. I would only recommend using WCS (Warp Core Stabilisers) if you intend not to engage in combat.

Cloaking Device
This little item is one of my favourites. Generally most of my ships are designed for covert operations but occasionally I will risk the drop in combat effectiveness for the added security a cloak can offer. Similar to the WCS they reduce the ability of the ship to target as well as reduce the speed of the craft significantly. Use wisely and ensure that you are not within 2500km from any floating body including gases as they will disrupt the visual distortion field and disable the cloak.

Corporations
If you’re not yet enrolled within a corporation beyond the academy it is advised to make this a priority. Ensure that you research the corporation you intend to apply to as there are organisations that will take advantage of inexperience, tricking them into submitting ISK. An application to a corporation costs nothing and kosher corporations do not require you to submit any ISK except through taxes.

As a new pilot you may find it difficult to apply successfully to some of the bigger corporations but there are groups out there who specialise in training young pilots. A good place to start is the Recruitment Forums or the Recruitment Channel(in-game).

Enrolling within a corporation is by no means mandatory but it does present you with more options. New Eden is best enjoyed in tandem with other pilots and corporation enrollment provides additional man-power and security for your excursions.

Awareness
This is a skill that cannot be taught but which becomes increasingly natural the more time spent in your POD. Combining experience and intel, awareness is the ability to judge situations quickly and proceed with the appropriate tactical actions.

Testing
If combat is what you seek you would be well advised to stay out of low sec and enter Singularity. Here all fittings, ammunition, ships, skills and all else has a default price of 100 ISK. Here you can refine your fittings and test them to destruction almost for free. Podding is outlawed on Singularity making for a safer and less frustrating environment for all. There are disadvantages to Singularity but combat is so easily available here that the basics can be self taught through trial and error very quickly.

Fit To Lose
If you’re at the stage where you are ready to enter low sec make sure that whatever you fit on your ship you are prepared to lose. I generally fit items I have appropriated from my prey which helps keep costs to an absolute minimum or I build my own modules from parts and salvage. Don’t fit best named modules and never fit faction equipment, unless you are stinking rich. Stick to Tech 1 items and use the specific abilities of the ship, paying special attention to it’s bonuses.

Experience
There is simply no substitute to experience. Regularly engage in a cheap hull and don’t become disheartened by losses. Train to specialise in your chosen profession and become proficient at the frigate sized vessels before moving up a class. New Eden is a violent and un-forgiving landscape and one which refuses to be tamed. Only experienced pilots dare venture deep into null sec for a reason, it’s very dangerous. Don’t be a fool until you’re ready.

This guide is by no means definitive and is only meant as a rough guide. Use your head and your eyes effectively, and the rest will come naturally. Fly safe...

Related Links
Ten Top Tips For New Pirates
Recruitment Forum

Shield Manipulation Level 5

Being Amarr I have little use for shields. My on-board shield is rudimentary and acts as a buffer against unwanted collisions with space junk or frozen corpses, but for the main part I find that my armour is as robust as my needs necessitate.

A colleague of mine, LPn is Caldari. Now I would never normally give a Caldari the time of day but as a member of the I-A I am obliged to converse in civility with any member of the Corporation. During such conversing I recently learned an interesting fact regarding active shields. LPn has maximum skills in shield harmonics meaning that he can brush off over 1k DPS without a sweat in many of his vessels. He told me that with Shield manipulation level 5, during combat any foe must first delete his shield before he takes any damage on his rudimentary armour.

This may sound obvious but a ships armour will begin to take damage when the shield falls below one quarter strength, even though there are points left on the shield. With Shield Manipulation trained to level 5 armour damage is not taken until the shield is completely deleted. If you were to actively shield tank, your ability to absorb damage is very robust and effective as the Shield Repair cycle must be deleted before any armour damage is taken.

As Amarr I find this information slightly dull but I am aware that some may find it useful.

Alternatives

Back in the dark ages my security rating was almost a perfect -10.00. I say almost as it is incredibly difficult to hit the magic -10.00 security rating and only a handful of pirates have managed such acclaim (It’s one of my many missions in this life and the next). During this time it became increasingly difficult to obtain supplies due to the local Concord forces wanton destruction of my vessel. Faction ammunition was especially hard to come by even with my loyal I-A Corporation funding my motley crews’ cause deep in low sec.

For me an ALT account became essential, but fearing a significant loss to my training gain I decided to temporarily purchase a slave account and train an ALT to the required levels to make supplying my escapades easier. The plan was to train Miss NEXUS to the required levels then transfer the account onto the main. This never happened as I found new and interesting ways to use my new found freedom.

As an ALT Miss NEXUS has the liberty to do what she pleases even more so than myself, Mr NOXx. As a member of an NPC corporation she cannot be held accountable for her actions. This means that War-Declarations are forbidden and complaints are unheard beyond direct contact. I’ve come to believe that if you wish to pirate it is wise, nay essential to use an ALT to ‘clean-up’ in the wake of destruction left by such acts of aggression and to maintain a healthy supply line to Empire.

Miss NEXUS has become an invaluable part of my repertoire of piracy in many ways. She regularly supplies me with faction ammunition, acts as my eyes and ears in low sec and helps me maintain a legitimate foothold on my home; Sarum Prime.

There are many other uses for an ALT dependant on ones intentions, but if you don’t have an ALT it is recommended to get one, particularly if you intend to operate within the lawless confines of piracy. CCP regularly offer discounts for buying slave accounts(The power of two) but if you don’t mind losing a week or so in training(an ALT cannot be trained simultaneously to your main), an ALT can be born from a spare POD slot of which every pilot has 2 of(3 including your main).

Of course this is entirely up to you, but I can personally vouch for the practicalities of having a loyal slave.

Happy Hunting...

"I Used To Have One Of Those...!"

Battleclinic, a veritable banquet of ship fittings, advice and general usefulness has recently launched a video entitled: Battleclinics' new Guide To Amarr Tech 1 Frigates. The video is very well produced and contains plenty of sound advice for all you new players out there. So watch the video and learn...learn...learn.

(The sound is a little loud and distorted)

Related Links
Battleclinic.com

Ten Top Tips for New Pirates

To be a successful pirate requires patience, a steady nerve and skill. There are no rules to pirating but there are a few simple things you can do if just starting out as a pirate to help you on your way to success.

1. Combat in EvE Online is all about skills combined with the experience to use those skills effectively. This is much more pronounced if you concentrate on the lowest common denominator first. This means that you must learn to walk before you run. Train for the smaller ships first and train your skills for those ships to at least level 4. Continue to train like this until you can fly a Battle-Cruiser competently.

2. Find a ship you like to fly then specialise for that ship. Train all your skills to level 5 for that ship including the desired weapon skills. This will max out the bonuses given on that ship making you more effective in combat. Also don't forget to train the tertiary skills either as these will help you operate your ship more efficiently. Don't overlook your Engineering skills as these are usually crucial to your ships ability to maintain a healthy capacitor, and capacitor is life.

3. Make sure that you fit the ship with the relevant equipment. Note the bonuses on the ship and fit accordingly taking advantage of any weapon bonuses or shield or armour bonuses. This will greatly increase the effectiveness of your fitting.

4. Practice makes perfect. Arrange for your corporation to engage in combat with you so you can get some experience of what to expect. Obviously try not to get yourself destroyed but fight until one of you is into 10% armour then disengage. Also try to engage in combat which is slightly unfair, don’t always fight 1v1 as chances are in real combat the odds won’t be even.

Another place to test your metal is the test server (Singularity). The test server is anywhere from 1 day to 2 months behind Tranquillity(depending on the mirror of the server) so any new skills you have will not be available here until you train them again. You can still train different skills on the test server and all market items are available at 100 ISK regardless of actual value. This means you can buy skills, equipment, ships and implants for next to nothing and try many different setups in actual combat. Pod killing is forbidden on Singularity so be careful with your smart bombs!

5. Concentrate your attack. Don’t spread your firing across multiple targets as this will weaken your effectiveness in combat. Make sure that you fire on one target only. You can use your electronic warfare on multiple targets, for instance you may want to attack one target while jamming another’s weapons, and this is fine as long as you concentrate your turrets and missiles on one target.

6. Your scanner is your friend. Learn how to use it quickly and efficiently. Keep it open at all times. This also goes for the Local Chat window. Keeping an eye on this can help you avoid any other ships coming to the victims aid.

7. Successful pirates rarely travel alone. Travelling with a wingman can enable you to split your roles so that one can ‘trap’ the target (tackler) and the other can kill and/or tank the target. Doing this makes you both a much more deadly unit as you work together to take down you opponent.

8. Ransom your targets and respect your enemy. If they decline to pay you then feel free to destroy them and their POD. If they pay the ransom then honour your prey and let them go. Don’t smack-talk local or your ‘customer’ and never allow more than 30 seconds paying the ransom as they may trying to dalay you while calling for assistance.

9. Train your learning skills to maximum. You do not need to do this straight away but be advised, the longer you put it off the more time you will have lost overall. It isn’t a lot of fun to train just learning skills immediately but once you have a few ‘fun’ skills, return to these essential skills and max them out. While training them you can always practice your techniques in combat.

10. Above all never under-estimate your enemy. Knowing the limitations of both your ships abilities and your enemies’ will help you a great deal so swat up on the most common ships capabilites (weapons, weaknesses and strengths). Always try to engage your prey on your grounds instead of theirs and always be mindful of your surroundings.

Trust this guide, and your life as a pirate will be more successful and eventful.

Happy hunting.

Related Links
A Pirates Guide to Scanning Targets
Test Server (singularity installation guide)
Test Server (singularity patches)