Wormhole scouting: Difference between revisions

{{Wormhole Links}}

This page is intended as a step-by-step guide to ''covertly'' scouting a wormhole for PvE/PvP Opportunities.

** [https://www.google.com Google]

Now it's time to start scouting, but before you jump...

# <span style="color: #FF00FF; font-size:125%; font-weight: bold;">Bookmark the wormhole</span>

#* Bookmarks created at a signature location from your scan probe results are often more than 5km from the Wormhole's actual location, resulting in your warp to 0km not placing you in jump range.

#* As such, you should bookmark the wormhole itself from your overview while on grid.

#* Reference the [[Wormhole attributes|table in the wiki]]

# Next, Show Info on the wormhole and reference this page for details: [[Wormholes#Wormhole_Text|Wormhole Text]] and [[Wormholes#Example_Wormholes|Example Wormholes]]

Even if the wormhole type is K162, you have some idea what you're jumping into, and whether or not you should be able to get back via this wormhole.

# <span style="color:#FF00FF; font-size:125%; font-weight:bold">Hold your cloak!</span> (but remember it is only 30 seconds on a WH)

#* <span style="color:#FF00FF; font-size:125%; font-weight:bold">Bookmark the other side of the wormhole!</span>

#* The main goal of wormhole life is never letting anyone know you are there until you are ready to, and probes are obvious, we will get to that later

Now you are cloaked and somewhat safe away from the wormhole where your chances of being de-cloaked are lowered, and you've made the decision that time should be invested digging further, let's figure out who's home.

# Pull up your pod saver tab and show info on the Customs Offices.

#* Utilizing a narrow beam d-scan, locate and make note of any planet at which you find an active force field and any ships nearby.

By now you have several safe spots, and a list of the planets with active POSes on their moons, time to locate the POSes for monitoring.

This tab is useful in quickly locating Moons containing POSes.   

'''Caution''', this tab does add clutter to your overview and d-scan results, particularly in a system with many planets being orbited by many moons.  As such, it should not be used while in combat situations.  Its benefit though is the ability to quickly reference moon distance, and align the d-scan beam towards a moon of interest

Usage instructions

# turn on [[camera]] tracking (default "c") and set 5° scan

#* If there are a large number of moons, this can be sped up by scanning 360° and locating the POS first by range

# D-scan the moon one last time, if there are any warp disruptors in d-scan that implies a trap has been set near the POS

When warping to a moon with an active tower, where warp disruption bubbles are present, the utmost care must be taken.  As such here's a quick guide of bubble mechanics from [http://www.evealtruist.com/2012/03/bubble-mechanics.html Azual Skoll at The Altruist].

[[File:bubble_path.jpg|right|framed|A catch bubble on the left, and a drag bubble on the right.<br>Red line illustrates a safe warp path]]

'''Key points relating to warping to a POS:'''

** The bubble is on grid with your destination (regardless of distance)

* Common alignments to be trapped are as follows in order of likelihood:

*# The planet the Moon is orbiting

*# Adjacent moons of the same planet

*# Other stuff...

** Smaller more agile ships will end up at the edge of the bubble

** Larger ships may drift all the way into the center of the bubble

* traps are often littered with anchored cans, abandoned drones, corpses, and other assorted space trash.

** The disruption field itself will not de-cloak you, being within 2km of any object will

Now that you know which moon is occupied, you can hop on grid with it to check for piloted ships

* <span style="color:#FF00FF; font-size:125%; font-weight:bold">NOTE: It is highly suggested to only do this in ships fitted with covert ops cloaks</span>

# D-scan the moon one last time, if there are any warp disruptors in d-scan that implies a trap has been set at the warp-in from at least one approach

# Select warp to moon at 0km - since POSes can't be anchored at zero, there is less of a chance of getting decloaked this way compared to warping in at a larger distance.

# While in warp, have a celestial or safe available for easy access in case you need to bug out (preferably as directly behind you as possible so that should you have to escape, you won't end up trying to warp forward where other POS modules or bubbles are likely anchored)

# Repeat for any other possibly occupied POSes

If all has gone well up to this point, the only time your ship has appeared on D-scan is the brief time when swapping from jump cloak to cloaking device (that is if you have a covops cloak).  No reason to break the blissful ignorance of possible occupants by announcing your presence now!  Thus, the goal of the following section is to get your probes out into space, out of range for d-scan, as quickly as possible so that you may re-cloak and go about your business.

You and your probes will be visible while launching, so you want a nice spot out of d-scan range of any active ships.

If you can find a spot that is > 14.36au from all the above, super!  If not, minimize your exposure to anything on the above list with the first 2 being the most important.

Now, time to pop out some probes.  Your goal here is to get your probes out, cloak up, and fling your probes out of d-scan range as quickly as possible.

# Spread probes to cover the system, select scan

* Ignore all the anomalies, they are easy to find again

** Keep/Bookmark them if you think you may be hunting anomaly runners later, ignored anoms can't be reaquired after the sleepers are clear which is a prime opportunity to gank a [[Noctis]].

* Ignore structures as you've found all the POSes already

* Count and record the number of ships, this should agree with results from d-scan

So there might be something worthwhile in system to gank, this part of the guide will go over best practices of dropping in on someone unawares.   

* No probes required, to be performed prior to launching probes

* Most likely this will only be used to catch people working on PI

* Will require warping around in larger systems

* No probes required, to be performed prior to launching probes

* Used for catching combat or salvage operations underway

* Will require warping around in larger systems

* Un-warped probes can be used as markers

Below is a list of the general types of targets to be found in w-space and how to best track them down.

[[Planetary Industry]] is very profitable in wormholes, as such it is a popular activity for pilots to be working on while you pop into their system.   

* '''NOTE:''' combat probes are not needed to hunt PI haulers (unless you plan on getting them on a wormhole)

* Ship: T1 or T2 hauler, or if you are lucky and they are slow witted and flying an [[Orca]]

* Fit:  

** Cargo expanders, agility, or tank in the rigs

# D-scan planets with a narrow beam until target is located at a POCO

# Warp to current location at range and start playing catch up until you land on grid with them

#* Stealth bombers can stay cloaked due to lack of recalibration delay

They may have friends in system, so do not linger around afterwards.

----

*'''Note:''' probes are not required to hunt down a mining operation - wormhole ore is found in Anomalies

* Ships: [[Venture]], [[Prospect]], [[Mining Barge]] or [[Exhumer]], [[Orca]] if you're lucky.

* Fit: Shield tank with mining stuff

'''Low:''' - T2 strip miners are kinda nice, but the ore won't fit in a combat ship's hold.

In w-space, ore is found in Anomalies and does not need to be probed down.

* Drones, should be able to tank a flight of light or medium drones depending on the target

* The [[Procurer]] and the [[Skiff]] can have some very nice tank

----

* Ships: [[Venture]], [[Prospect]], [[Cruiser#T1_Cruisers|T1 cruiser]], [[battlecruiser]], and possibly a T1 or T2 hauler

* Fit: shield or armor tank

* The [[Venture]] will require 3 or 4 warp disruption points to lock down, though a high alpha strike can be sufficient

'''Medium:''' - T2 gas harvesters sell nicely, and chances are you can fit some of the gas in a combat hold as it isn't very bulky

In w-space, gas sites are the only place where gas clouds are found, and need to be probed down.

* Battlecruisers can still fit some weapons and tank while huffing and shouldn't be considered a soft target

* They may have friends nearby

----

* Ships: Combat ships and possibly Logi

* Fit:

** If logi are present, most likely buffer fit either for max damage projection (incursion style fitting) or PvP fit for gank resistance

'''Medium to High:''' - Chance at some nice shiny modules if players have taken the money to bling out their ships

* At an anomaly: no need for probes

# Run a basic system scan and d-scan each anomaly for ships

# Warp in, spread points, kill stuff, don't die to sleepers

* Taking on combat ships, so be sure you have good intel on ships and are attacking with a force that can win

* They may have friends nearby

----

*Ships: [[Frigate#Exploration|T1 exploration frigate]] for hacking/archeology, [[:Category:Standard_Destroyers|Destroyer]] or [[Noctis]]. A [[Strategic Cruiser]] can also be fit with a subsystem that increases tractor beam range and velocity - if you find one of these salvaging, be aware that it will have a much better tank than any of the other salvaging ships mentioned above and in addition, it may have enough dps modules fit to kill you.

'''High''' if you catch a salvage operation that has been through several sites, you can profit off the work of others

* If you have a fleet, consider ganking the salvager with a bait ship, then when defense fleet warps in, bring in your fleet and get them too

* At an anomaly: no need for probes

# Warp in, spread points, kill stuff, don't die

* The salvager will have limited defensive ability and most likely limited tank unless it's a [[Strategic Cruiser]] - see above.

* Combat ships may be available, so do not stick around unless you are prepared to fight them

* [https://drive.google.com Using a shared Google Docs spreadsheet]

# As connecting wormholes are scanned, scouts can branch out into adjacent systems

Repeat the above for each connection (time permitting)

* Remember to bookmark both sides of all wormholes

* Once you start moving 2 or more systems deep in w-space, make sure a map of connections has been generated, as you will become lost otherwise.

You might think flying around in a Covert Ops ship is pretty safe, and it's easy to escape from any situation.  This is unfortunately not so. The well-known CovOps Trap is something to watch out for. It goes something like this (described from the point of view of the hunters)...

# You have a connection to an unknown w-space system.  Maybe it's your static and you just opened it.  Whatever the situation, the K162 is on the far side. You have a scout in that w-space system, that is looking at probes moving around on d-scan, and maybe a CovOps on d-scan.

# Your scout moves back to the K162, whilst your corp gathers the following ships: one [[interdictor]], plus at least one fast-locking [[interceptor]].  More interceptors, and DPS ships that can assign their scout drones to the intercptor(s) will make a successful catch more likely.

# Your interceptor waits for the victim to decloak and re-cloak.  If you're lucky, he manages to lock him before he can re-cloak, but what usually happens is the victim jumps back through in an attempt to get away. The interceptors immediately follow him and de-cloak on the far side.

# Your victim de-cloaks and then re-cloaks (we'll assume you weren't quite fast-locking enough to catch it).  Your interceptors (plus any assigned drones) chase at full speed to where he disappeared.  The more interceptors, and the more assigned drones, the more likely you are to de-cloak him.  Once he's de-cloaked, it's a simple matter to kill him and his pod, since the bubble prevents warping out, and the wormhole polarization timer prevents jumping through again.