Scouting: Difference between revisions

===Missions===

There are two basic types of scout missions: route security and hunting. Route security simply means making sure the fleet's planned travel route is free of hostile forces that should be avoided, as well as preventing anyone from surprising the fleet. Hunting means finding good fights for the fleet. All scouts provide route security, all the time, on every operation. If the fleet is looking for a fight, scouts are also responsible for hunting down a good fight for the fleet.

With those two missions in mind, the following are the most common scout roles.

The most basic scout roles are the 'picket' and the '+1'. In addition to these two roles, there is another add-on role called 'hero tackle'. 'Hero tackle' can be performed along with 'picket' or '+1'.

Pickets are the easiest of scout jobs, sometimes not considered scouting at all. The picket's job is usually to sit at a gate and report the specific types of ships coming into either the system his fleet is operating in or a nearby system. For example, incursion fleets use pickets to warn them of war targets. If you're a picket, and your only job is to watch for war targets, you can actually do this docked up safe in a station by keeping a careful eye on local. However, sitting 200 km + off a gate cloaked up is often better as it allows you to report the details of ships coming into system.

The job of the +1 is to move one jump ahead of his fleet to provide intelligence to his FC. If the fleet is simply traveling to a destination, then the scout's job is route security (i.e., warning the FC of war targets, gate camps, and any other possible danger). In low-sec or null-sec space, individual ships may ask for a +1 to guide them into or out of dangerous areas.

When jumping into a new system, keep cloaked and immediately check three things. First, check the grid on your overview for ships that might pose a threat to the fleet. Second, check local for war targets, flashy targets, criminals, etc. Finally, check D-Scan for ships sitting off grid. Report anything that might be a threat to the FC.

If the mission is to find good fights and there are other pilots in local, then the +1 will check out mission sites and asteroid belts with D-Scan to see if there are appropriate targets available.  

Why move one jump ahead? If a fleet jumps into a system, it spikes local and everyone in the system will know a fleet has come in. That puts everyone on alert. The scout moves in alone so as to not alarm anyone in the system. The fleet doesn't move into the system until either the scout finds a good fight or the scout and FC determine that there is nothing interesting and the fleet will move through.

Why not just roam? Why exactly 1 and only 1 system ahead? Even when looking for good fights, scouts are always performing a security role. A scout 1 system ahead prevents the fleet from being surprised. If you are two or more systems ahead and there is no +1, then another fleet can move in behind the scout and surprise the fleet when it jumps in.

Good ships for the +1 role are tackle frigates, or usually even better, interceptors and covops ships.

Hero tackle is an add-on role. Hero tackles are scouts already performing one of the other scout roles who find a target the FC wants to fight. With FC approval, and when the fleet is ready to jump into the scout's system, the hero tackle drops in on the target and tackles it in an attempt to hold it in place until the fleet can arrive to kill it. It is essential to communicate with the FC what is happening and to time the tackle to just before the fleet jumps into system. Have your fleet warp to you. Be mindful of the affects of mission sites; the fleet may have to warp to an acceleration gate first. Hero tackles often get blown up (hence the "hero" part), so interceptors and covops ships are not generally used for this purpose. Before you try to do this, [[Tackling_Guide | read up on tackling]] and practice a bit with a fellow corporation member.