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== Scout roles == | == Scout roles == | ||
Some scouting is purely defensive: a group of players is doing something or travelling somewhere, and need one or more scouts to check how safe the space around the group is, and to warn of incoming threats. | Some scouting is purely defensive: a group of players is doing something or travelling somewhere, and need one or more scouts to check how safe the space around the group is, and to warn of incoming threats. | ||
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The ships and tactics used can vary a lot depending on which of these goals a scout has, and which kind of space they're flying in. | The ships and tactics used can vary a lot depending on which of these goals a scout has, and which kind of space they're flying in. | ||
=== Picket === | |||
Picket scouts watch and wait in one location: one system, and often just one point in space, such as a gate or wormhole. Some example uses for picket scouts: | Picket scouts watch and wait in one location: one system, and often just one point in space, such as a gate or wormhole. Some example uses for picket scouts: | ||
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Medium- or long-term picket scouting is often provided by alts. In high security space an alt in an NPC corporation can sit in a system or on a gate safely in a [[corvette]]; in other types of space, even a basic Tech 1 frigate with a prototype cloak works perfectly well, and requires minimal skill training investment. In nullsec, an [[interdictor]] with a prototype cloak makes a surprisingly good picket scout for a gate, as it can rapidly uncloak, warp to the gate, and drop a bubble to close the way. | Medium- or long-term picket scouting is often provided by alts. In high security space an alt in an NPC corporation can sit in a system or on a gate safely in a [[corvette]]; in other types of space, even a basic Tech 1 frigate with a prototype cloak works perfectly well, and requires minimal skill training investment. In nullsec, an [[interdictor]] with a prototype cloak makes a surprisingly good picket scout for a gate, as it can rapidly uncloak, warp to the gate, and drop a bubble to close the way. | ||
=== +1/-1 === | |||
Travelling fleets are very often preceded by an advance scout moving one system ahead of the main fleet, commonly called a "+1" or "plus one". | Travelling fleets are very often preceded by an advance scout moving one system ahead of the main fleet, commonly called a "+1" or "plus one". | ||
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[[Interdictors]] can work well as -1 scouts, because this role synergizes well with their ability to slow down pursuers by bubbling gates. | [[Interdictors]] can work well as -1 scouts, because this role synergizes well with their ability to slow down pursuers by bubbling gates. | ||
=== Roaming hunter === | |||
A PvP fleet can field one or more roaming hunter scouts, who will move with more freedom of initiative through systems on or near the fleet's route, seeking incautious pilots in vulnerable PvE ships or hostile gangs. | A PvP fleet can field one or more roaming hunter scouts, who will move with more freedom of initiative through systems on or near the fleet's route, seeking incautious pilots in vulnerable PvE ships or hostile gangs. | ||
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Interceptors are ideal ships for roaming scouts in known space, as their high warp speed and short align times let them cover a great deal of ground, while their high survivability compared to other frigates gives them a better chance of holding a target or keeping a hostile gang interested until allies can get to the scene. Strategic cruisers have more limited range, as they warp more slowly, but they can use stealth to their advantage, can probe, and can fit reasonable tanks, so they can also have their uses. In wormhole space, cloaking ships of all kinds see more use. | Interceptors are ideal ships for roaming scouts in known space, as their high warp speed and short align times let them cover a great deal of ground, while their high survivability compared to other frigates gives them a better chance of holding a target or keeping a hostile gang interested until allies can get to the scene. Strategic cruisers have more limited range, as they warp more slowly, but they can use stealth to their advantage, can probe, and can fit reasonable tanks, so they can also have their uses. In wormhole space, cloaking ships of all kinds see more use. | ||
=== Cyno hunter === | |||
Almost all ships which can fit a covert ops cloak can also fit a covert cynosural field ("cyno") generator, which lets a [[Black Ops]] Tech 2 battleship bridge and teleport other stealthy ships into battle while circumventing the normal gate network. Force [[Recon Ships|recon]] ships and Black Ops battleships can fit a normal or "hard" cyno generator, which lets a Titan bridge ''any'' ships into battle. Some industrial ships can light an industrial cyno, and Black Ops battleships can bridge to these too. Specialized scouts can fly these ships not for a nearby fleet, but for a fleet "staged" and ready to bridge to a cyno. | Almost all ships which can fit a covert ops cloak can also fit a covert cynosural field ("cyno") generator, which lets a [[Black Ops]] Tech 2 battleship bridge and teleport other stealthy ships into battle while circumventing the normal gate network. Force [[Recon Ships|recon]] ships and Black Ops battleships can fit a normal or "hard" cyno generator, which lets a Titan bridge ''any'' ships into battle. Some industrial ships can light an industrial cyno, and Black Ops battleships can bridge to these too. Specialized scouts can fly these ships not for a nearby fleet, but for a fleet "staged" and ready to bridge to a cyno. | ||