Solo PvP
Solo PvP is said to be a thing mostly abandoned by the greater Eve community, for myriad reasons and circumstance, some of which I am familiar with, and others that I am not. I don't buy that. As such, this article shall outline basic skills and tactics as they apply to solo and small gang PvP in lowsec.
Why
Learning to solo PvP helps you develop a skillset that any FC will appreciate. You will become competent with using your d-scan, comfortable flying as a +1 skirmish or scout, and have a situational awareness that only comes from doing PvP. The losses you suffer are worth the ISK price you pay to become a better PvPer.
Ship Choice and Fitting
Directional Scanning
ROE or "Can I shoot that malefactor?!"
Gate and Station Guns
Gatecamps
Hunting Grounds
Barring yourself from doing certain things until you feel you meet certain prerequisites is a good way to hold yourself back. Let's skip that part. Find a good lowsec pocket with highsec access, and move there. Immediately. Drag some friends along, or speak to your CO (if you're ILN) about moving there as a squadron. Opportunities for solo and small gang abound when you live in lowsec.
A very good handbook was written that illustrates some good stomping grounds. It outlines lowsec pipes where a fight can often be found.
This link will only work if you have ILN forum rights ---> The Pirate Hunter's Handbook
123 Now or "Let's shoot some shi... er, stuff!"
The example below uses small gang to illustrate my point only for the narrative flair that a Uni wardec allows for.
Ok. Let's start at the beginning. You're sitting in Aldrat, and the University has been wardecced by yet another pack of screaming fools calling themselves Mercs. Whatever. Let them flounder in the face of real PvP. You're bored, station spinning, and Alliance is just... sitting there. That blinky ain't gonna come soon.
As you're not comfortable FCing, let's do some small gang!
You'll have to assemble the requisite PvP fleet, which only needs to be 3 other pilots. Grab a few people that you're familiar with, and get in Vent. Now consider what ships you'll be bringing. I recommend frigates of the t1 or t2 variety, as they move quick, and warp quicker still. The fast warp is an extremely useful asset when you're hunting targets as a small gang or solo.
Useful Links
http://wiki.eveuniversity.org/Tips_and_Tricks#PVP.2FLow.2FNullSec
