Distribution missions: Difference between revisions

Level 1 and 2 distribution missions can be run using frigates, although you may need to use cargo modules in the low slots. Cargo size for L1/L2 missions can be up to 450 {{m3}} in size. For level 3 and 4 distribution missions you will need a hauler as cargo sizes will be in the 4,000–8,000 {{m3}} range. Note that it is beneficial to have more cargo room than required as you can then run missions for multiple agents at once.

The [[Sunesis]] is a great option for Level 1 & Leve 2. It has a base cargo capacity of 600 {{m3}} which can be increased by Expanded Cargoholds. One can fit it to align in under two seconds even if skills are not especially good. This means most gatecamps will struggle to lock fast enough. If fit with a bit of a shield tank there is also enough EHP that it's very difficult to be destroyed by a smartbomb camp. For the rigs choose Hyperspatials to warp faster and thus reduce overall travel time which has a greater benefit than adding any additional align time.

If the Sunesis is too expensive, or autopilot is used a lot, the next ideal ship is a  [[Frigates#Exploration|T1 exploration frigate]] ([[Magnate]], [[Heron]], [[Imicus]], [[Probe]]). They all have a base cargo capacity of 400 {{m3}} so it is suggested to fit at least one Expanded Cargohold. Align times of under three seconds with fitting and good skills but one cannot go under two seconds (at least not reasonably) without losing out more in other areas. This means gate camps in lowsec might have an easier time. In lowsec, you might want to use [[Cloak trick|MWD + cloak trick]] or fit a Shield Extender, Warp Core Stabilizer & some Nanofiber Internal Structures. The most versatile of the T1 exploration frigates for Level 1 & 2 missions is the [[Magnate]] due to its 4 low slots which can be used to hold up to 4 modules. Swapping in and out Cargo Expanders will save one from having to do multiple trips and could occasionally be used to hold two level 1 mission's worth of cargo. If less Expanded Cargohold's are needed one can swap them out between missions. Even if Cargo Expanders are not wanted it's still the ideal ship because one can fit up to 4 Nanofiber Internal Structures which helps to increase top speed & align time which can help if autopilot is used a lot.

If flying a T1 Exploration Frigate, keep in mind that some of the Level 1 & 2 missions do have some combat so having a weapon in the high slot & or combat drones is important to save time in swapping ships. Any weapon will work but a Small Laser in the high slot is preferred since lasers do not need any type of ammo other than a standard crystal, having no ammo in cargo is ideal since it keeps one from mixing ammo and mission cargo. The other high slot could be a Mining Laser, this is ideal as one mission in particular requires the mining of every last rock in order to find a specific item. Mining drones will work for that mission but it's much slower compared to being able to quickly cycle a mining laser. As for the drones, some missions do leave behind salvage so a mix of salvage drones & combat drones is optimal. Mid slot should be an afterburner which be used for combat, collecting salvage and also be engaged if autopilot has been activated for a portion of the journey.  

As the required capacity can range up to 4,200{{m3}} for level 3 and 8,000{{m3}} for level 4, you will need to move up from a frigate to a bigger ship. A good option which is cheap and has low skill requirements are [[Haulers#Fast_transports|T1 fast transports]] ([[Sigil]], [[Badger]], [[Nereus]], [[Wreathe]]) which are all able to reach the required cargo capacity with sufficient expanded cargohold even at low skill. While you're going to need to be able to fit up to 8,000 {{m3}}, most missions require 4,000-5,000 {{m3}} which will allow fitting more inertial stabilizers for a faster align speed. Hyperspatial rigs are used for higher warp speed. Cloak and MWD are nice to have for the [[Cloak trick|MWD + cloak trick]]. Anything that increases warp speed, increases agility, or decreases inertial modifiers will help speed up your distribution runs. While there are some differences between the different fast transports, you mostly want to go for the one where you have the best skills.

[[Blockade Runners]] are arguably the best option for distribution missions all around. All of them can carry more than 8k {{m3}} if you fill the lows with expanded cargoholds. Their align time is generally decent and you can switch lows for inertia stabs if you don't need the full cargo capacity. They warp fast with a base speed of 6 AU/s which goes up to 7.5 AU/s with skills and even 11.4 AU/s with T2 hyperspatial rigs which are usually used. A covert cloak increases the safety and you can even fit an interdiction nullifier to avoid bubbles in nullsec.