Wormholes
The term Wormhole is used to describe both the portals to unknown space and the space itself on the other side of the portal. Wormholes are tranisient phenomena that allow instantaneous transit across vast distances in space. They may be found in every solarsystem in New Eden. Wormhole Space is the lawless (0.0) solarsystems that exist apart from the known solarsystems of New Eden. These solarsystems can at times be extremly rewarding. Wormholes were introduced with the Apocrypha expansion and give pilots an extra 2500 solarsystems to play around in.
Wormholes - General Information
You can scan down Wormholes from anywhere within New Eden by using the System Scanner (found in the same menu as the Directional Scanner). This is done by fitting a Scan Probe Lancher and loading it with Probes. The results of the probes' findings are read on the System Scanner.
Wormholes link Known Space (k-space) with Wormhole Space (w-space). K-space includes all the solarystems contained in the Star Map. If you can set a destination to it, a system is k-space, even if it is deep within nullspace (0.0).
Wormholes also link separate w-space solarsystems (or pockets).
ALL wormholes are randomly placed and are temporary. A given wormhole allows only a certain amount of mass to go through it before it will destabilize and close forever.
Wormhole Space - General Information
There are no Stargates in w-space. Once inside w-space, wormholes are the only way to get from one system to another. If a wormhole closes and you are inside a pocket, there are only two ways to get out - find another WH or self-destruct your pod. The good news is, there's always another wormhole. The moral is, never go into w-space without a scan probe launcher and probes.
Wormhole pockets often contain Exploration sites that can be exploited. The sites are almost always guarded by Sleepers
Wormhole Tactical Information
Any new wormhole you find in WH space may lead to ANYWHERE (even deep 0.0) in Eve. It may also lead to another pocket deeper into w-space (D6 calls this "going deeper down the rabbit hole"). There are often several wormholes into and out of the same w-space solar system, which may be a combination of low-sec, high-sec, 0.0, and other wormhole spaces. If you're lucky, you can occasionally find a wormhole pairing that will let you go between two interesting systems in a couple of jumps.
A wormhole's state will be determined by two factors: Time and Mass. When it spawns, it will be open for a given time, determined by the type of the wormhole, and allow a set amount of mass through. When either variable reaches zero, the wormhole collapses forever. Every time a ship jumps through the wormhole, the mass of the ship (can be seen in the "Show Info" of the ship) will be subtracted from the remaining mass limit of the wormhole. The type of wormhole can be looked up and will tell some basic attributes of the wormhole.
(See Wormhole Size and Stability Information.)
One side of the wormhole will always be the "exit" and is named K162. The "entrance" is the side which was first scanned down and will have the real name of the wormhole.
There are three stages or states in a wormhole's life, which you can get with a 'show info' on the wormhole:
- Not Yet Disrupted (aka Pristine)
- Disrupted But Not Critically (aka Intermediate)
- Critical.
There is a fourth relevant status, which may be displayed below the stage information: "reaching the end of its natural lifetime". This means the wormhole will collapse of old age within two hours or less.
You can tell the state of the wormhole you are about to enter by right-clicking and selecting "Show Info". A pristine wormhole has not yet had 60% of its allotted mass pass through it. An Intermediate wormhole has between 40% and 10% of its allotted mass left. A Critical wormhole has less than 10% of its allotted mass left. Be very sure you want to jump through any Critical wormhole.
When a wormhole spawns, the wormhole is only an entry in your scanner. The destination of that wormhole is not set. The destination is determined randomly the moment the first player lands on grid with the wormhole. When that happens, the corresponding "exit" of the wormhole is spawned in another system and the link between the two systems is established. This can be used to some advantage in gathering information. If you find a wormhole and warp to it, and it is named K162 it means that someone else already found that wormhole from the other side. This can be tactically important -- you know that someone else has visited a K162 wormhole. That means some mass has probably been used, and also that you may have company.
On the other end, if you have just collapsed the last remaining wormhole in a W-Space system and want to be alone for a while, you can scan down and bookmark the newly spawned wormhole, but not warp to it. The link between the systems is never established. However be aware that this will not completely lock other players out, since a new "exit" of another wormhole can spawn at any time in your system.
There are no aggression timers on wormholes. This means that, unlike stargates, you can jump through a wormhole even if you have just initiated combat. However, there is a time limit on sequential jumps through one wormhole.
You can make a maximum of 2 jumps through a wormhole in 4 minutes. If you try to jump a third time through a wormhole inside those 4 minutes, you will receive a message informing you how long you have to wait before you can jump again. Be extremely careful with this if you initiate combat and try to outmaneuver your opponent by jumping repeatedly through a wormhole -- you don't want to end up trapped for four minutes in an unfriendly place.
Wormhole Space Tactical Information
All W-Space solarsystems are null sec (0.0), even the ones you enter from empire. This means anyone can shoot at you at any time with no response from Concord. You're on your own. PvP is only one cloaky ship away whether you want it or not. Prepare accordingly.
Every W-Space systems difficulty is identified through the class of the Wormhole leading to it. The class can range from 1 (easy) to 6 (insanely hard). See Wormhole information sheet below. Another way to identify the W-Space systems class is to look up the Locus Signature of the system in a system database like http://www.ellatha.com/eve/WormholeSystemslist.asp
The only possibility to enter a W-Space system is through wormholes, it is not possible to cyno ships in or out, nor is it possible to clone jump into W-Space.
It is extremely possible to get stuck in W-space, if your Wormhole closes you will have to find another one via scanning, if your scanner ship isn't in W-space with you then you will be stuck and a petition to a GM will NOT get you out. You have 2 choices if you end up stuck and unable to scan down a Wormhole from within W-Space.
- Self destruct
- Wait until other players come in and hope they are nice enough to gang you and let you warp to them and allow you to leave via the Wormhole they came in on.
There are around 2500 W-Space systems, so there is plenty of space to get lost. W-space can NOT be found in the EVE map, so you will not see where you are, you can however bookmark things the normal way.
Every W-Space System can spawn multiple exploration sites which can be scanned down with probes and the System Scanner. Those sites are guarded by the remnant drones of the now vanished Sleeper race, which have a better AI then normal NPCs and can prove to be very difficult opponents.
The sites can be broken down into cosmic anomalies and cosmic signatures. Cosmic Anomalies are the equivialent of K-Space combat sites and can be found without probes via the System Scanner. Just warp to a planet and start the scan, if you havent found one, warp to another planet and repeat the process. Some cosmic anomalies can be heavily guarded, so be carefull if you warp to one.
Cosmic Signatures are again broken down in 5 types:
- Ladar - Those Sites will contain gas clouds, which can be harvested through a Gas Harvester. The gas is needed in Tech 3 production and is lightly guarded.
- Radar - Radar Sites will contain locked containers, containing items like datacores, which can be unlocked through Hacking. Sometimes there will be a Talocan ship wreck, which can be salvaged and will drop ancient hull sections for Tech 3 Ships. The sites are heavily guarded.
- Magnetometric - Those sites will contain ancient relics in containers, which have to be opened through an Analyzer. Mag Sites are heavily guarded.
- Gravimetric - A grav site contains asteroids which can be mined. In higher class Wormholes the sites can contain enough ore to keep a dozen Hulks busy for days. A grav site can contain every known ore (even Mercoxit) and is lightly guarded.
- Unknown - A unknown site is always another Wormhole and is not guarded by Sleepers (though maybe by players).
In higher class wormholes it may happen that additional Sleeper reinforcements will spawn after you already are mining, gas harvesting or salvaging for a time. So be prepared and never go AFK while at a site.
All sites have a maximum life time which seem to range from 24-72 hours after they are found. The despawn timer of a site which was not warped to seems to be much higher. If a site despawns, either through completion of the site or expired time, the site will randomly respawn in other system of the same constellation as the W-Space system. This can lead to extreme rich systems where 20 or more cosmic signatures or anomalies are found. The downside of this is that a W-Space system which is farmed over and over again, will be nearly barren of signatures and anomalies because the sites will amass in other, not visted systems.
Exceptions of these rules are wormholes. Every W-Space system will have at any time at least one wormhole, their despawn timers are set through the type of the wormhole. If the last wormhole in a W-Space system despawns the "default" wormhole of the system will spawn nearly instantly. This wormhole will mostly have the same name, ie same mass and time limit though the destination will still be random. Some W-Space systems will have a "default" wormhole which leads only to other W-Space systems. Those systems, called Hubs, will rarely connect to K-Space and can be used for extended W-Space operations.
You can anchor a POS in W-Space, however there are no ice belts in W-Space nor is ice found in the grav sites, which means you have to import the POS fuel from K-Space. A POS, correctly set up, is very hard to destroy in W-Space and in some classes (1 to 2) nearly impossible since the mass limit of the wormholes does not allow many capital ships in. It is not possible to bring Motherships or Titans through a wormhole due to their high mass. Though unconfirmed and only rumored a POS in a class 6 system can attract a Sleeper Dreadnaught which will raze the POS (even DeathStars) to the ground and is extremly tough to defeat.
Exploring/Exploiting Wormholes
Exploring/exploiting wormholes can be a fun and profitable activity, it can also cost you a lot if not planned and executed properly. It is also one of the few activities that Eve University members may engage in during times of war. Since wormholes are effectively 0.0 space and have much harder rats (Sleepers), there is a generally high risk when entering them, but this risk can be mitigated in several ways.
Scouting the Wormhole Space
Before entering w-space, and during your time in w-space, you should scout out the area for information. This information includes information about the w-space itself (locus, anomaly, wormhole time and mass limitations) and other people that might be in the w-space pocket already. It is becoming more common these days to see POS's set up in W-Space, and this is not always an indicator that the wormhole is unsafe to enter.
Many wormhole ops have found it useful to take along a permanent covert ops (or cloaking in general) scout whose sole responsibilities are scanning for sites and exits and keeping tabs on any other players entering or moving about in the wormhole. You should always be aware of your surroundings in w-space.
Safety
Sleepers are much harder than normal rats you would find in k-space. They have been known to show up in large numbers and often use MWDs, target painters, webifiers and warp scramblers. Because of this you should take extra caution when engaging them and err on the side of caution. Fighting aligned is suggested as getting out of combat when your tank is low should be a priority. For anything higher than a class 1 it might be advisable to take along logistics capabilities in your fleet.
W-Space Fleet Composition
Below are some suggestions on fleet composition based on people's experiences. Note that a rigged salvaging ship can be used to salvage with lower skills than mentioned (-1 level per rig).
Class 1
3-4 cruisers, 1 battlecruiser
With good skills, solo-able in a Heavy Assault Ship
Class 2
3-5 Cruisers or 2-3 battle cruisers, logistics, scout, salvager with level 3 salvaging
With good skills, solo-able in a Heavy Assault Ship
Class 3
4 or more battle cruisers / battleships, logistics, scout, salvager with level 4 salvaging
Class 4
1 Scorpion plus 5+ RR battleships. Rigged salvager. Be sure of wormhole mass limits going in.
Class 5
2 Scorpions plus 5+ RR battleships to run anomolies only. Much more for the Radar/Mag sites. Be sure of WH mass limits -- there are some with only 1B mass.
Class 6
Need suggestion
These are recommended fleet compositions. You don't have to follow them, yet without these compositions and added to that the necessary support skills trained up high enough it still might not be possible to do the sites in the WH's
Wormhole, Wormhole Size and Stability Information
Wormhole Information More and more information is gathered by the exploring EVE Pilots over time. I try to put this information together on this page, and keep it updated. This table shows the characteristics of a Wormhole. K162 is the generic exit name of a Wormhole, jump to the other side to get the ‘real’ type of the Wormhole. Of course, this information gives no guarantee whatsoever; the information can be more random than we anticipate and/or CCP might change it overnight !
| Wormhole Type | Leads to | Total Mass Allowed (Kg) | Max Individual Mass (Kg) | Mass Regeneration (Kg/day) | Wormhole Classification | Max Stable Time (Hours) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A239 | Lowsec | 2,000,000,000 | 300,000,000 | 0 | 8 | 24 |
| A641 | Highsec | 2,000,000,000 | 1,000,000,000 | 0 | 7 | 16 |
| A982 | Class 6 W-space | 3,000,000,000 | 300,000,000 | 0 | 6 | 24 |
| B041 | Class 6 W-space | 5,000,000,000 | 300,000,000 | 500,000,000 | 6 | 48 |
| B274 | Highsec | 2,000,000,000 | 300,000,000 | 0 | 7 | 24 |
| B449 | Highsec | 2,000,000,000 | 1,000,000,000 | 0 | 7 | 16 |
| B520 | Highsec | 5,000,000,000 | 300,000,000 | 500,000,000 | 7 | 24 |
| C125 | Class 2 W-Space | 1,000,000,000 | 20,000,000 | 0 | 2 | 16 |
| C140 | Lowsec | 3,000,000,000 | 1,350,000,000 | 0 | 8 | 24 |
| C247 | Class 3 W-space | 2,000,000,000 | 300,000,000 | 0 | 3 | 16 |
| C248 | Nullsec (0.0) | 5,000,000,000 | 1,800,000,000 | 500,000,000 | 9 | 24 |
| C391 | Lowsec | 5,000,000,000 | 1,800,000,000 | 500,000,000 | 8 | 24 |
| D364 | Class 2 W-space | 1,000,000,000 | 300,000,000 | 0 | 2 | 16 |
| D382 | Class 2 W-space | 2,000,000,000 | 300,000,000 | 0 | 2 | 16 |
| D792 | Highsec | 3,000,000,000 | 1,000,000,000 | 0 | 7 | 24 |
| D845 | Highsec | 5,000,000,000 | 300,000,000 | 500,000,000 | 7 | 24 |
| E175 | Class 4 W-Space | 2,000,000,000 | 300,000,000 | 0 | 4 | 16 |
| E545 | Nullsec (0.0) | 2,000,000,000 | 300,000,000 | 0 | 9 | 24 |
| G024 | Class 2 W-Space | 2,000,000,000 | 300,000,000 | 0 | 2 | 16 |
| H121 | Class 1 W-Space | 500,000,000 | 20,000,000 | 0 | 1 | 16 |
| H296 | Class 5 W-Space | 3,000,000,000 | 1,350,000,000 | 0 | 5 | 24 |
| H900 | Class 5 W-Space | 3,000,000,000 | 300,000,000 | 0 | 5 | 24 |
| I182 | Class 2 W-Space | 2,000,000,000 | 300,000,000 | 0 | 2 | 16 |
| J244 | Lowsec | 1,000,000,000 | 20,000,000 | 0 | 8 | 24 |
| K329 | Nullsec (0.0) | 5,000,000,000 | 1,800,000,000 | 500,000,000 | 9 | 24 |
| K346 | Nullsec (0.0) | 3,000,000,000 | 300,000,000 | 0 | 9 | 24 |
| L477 | Class 3 W-Space | 2,000,000,000 | 300,000,000 | 0 | 3 | 16 |
| L614 | Class 5 W-Space | 1,000,000,000 | 20,000,000 | 0 | 5 | 24 |
| M267 | Class 3 W-Space | 1,000,000,000 | 300,000,000 | 0 | 3 | 16 |
| M555 | Class 5 W-Space | 3,000,000,000 | 1,000,000,000 | 0 | 5 | 24 |
| M609 | Class 4 W-Space | 1,000,000,000 | 20,000,000 | 0 | 4 | 16 |
| N062 | Class 5 W-Space | 3,000,000,000 | 300,000,000 | 0 | 5 | 24 |
| N110 | Highsec | 1,000,000,000 | 20,000,000 | 0 | 7 | 24 |
| N290 | Lowsec | 5,000,000,000 | 1,800,000,000 | 500,000,000 | 8 | 24 |
| N432 | Class 5 W-Space | 3,000,000,000 | 1,350,000,000 | 0 | 5 | 24 |
| N766 | Class 2 W-Space | 2,000,000,000 | 300,000,000 | 0 | 2 | 16 |
| N770 | Class 5 W-Space | 3,000,000,000 | 300,000,000 | 0 | 5 | 24 |
| N944 | Lowsec | 3,000,000,000 | 1,350,000,000 | 0 | 8 | 24 |
| N968 | Class 3 W-Space | 2,000,000,000 | 300,000,000 | 0 | 3 | 16 |
| O128 | Class 4 W-Space | 1,000,000,000 | 300,000,000 | 100,000,000 | 4 | 24 |
| O477 | Class 3 W-Space | 2,000,000,000 | 300,000,000 | 0 | 3 | 16 |
| O883 | Class 3 W-Space | 1,000,000,000 | 20,000,000 | 0 | 3 | 16 |
| P060 | Class 1 W-Space | 500,000,000 | 20,000,000 | 0 | 1 | 16 |
| Q317 | Class 1 W-Space | 500,000,000 | 20,000,000 | 0 | 1 | 16 |
| R051 | Lowsec | 3,000,000,000 | 1,000,000,000 | 0 | 8 | 16 |
| R474 | Class 6 W-Space | 3,000,000,000 | 300,000,000 | 0 | 6 | 24 |
| R943 | Class 2 W-Space | 750,000,000 | 300,000,000 | 0 | 2 | 16 |
| S047 | Highsec | 3,000,000,000 | 300,000,000 | 0 | 7 | 24 |
| S199 | Nullsec (0.0) | 3,000,000,000 | 1,350,000,000 | 0 | 9 | 24 |
| S804 | Class 6 W-Space | 1,000,000,000 | 20,000,000 | 0 | 6 | 24 |
| T405 | Class 4 W-Space | 2,000,000,000 | 300,000,000 | 0 | 4 | 16 |
| U210 | Lowsec | 3,000,000,000 | 300,000,000 | 0 | 8 | 24 |
| U319 | Class 6 W-Space | 50,000,000,000 | 1,800,000,000 | 500,000,000 | 6 | 48 |
| U574 | Class 6 W-Space | 3,000,000,000 | 300,000,000 | 0 | 6 | 24 |
| V283 | Nullsec (0.0) | 3,000,000,000 | 1,000,000,000 | 0 | 9 | 24 |
| V301 | Class 1 W-Space | 500,000,000 | 20,000,000 | 0 | 1 | 16 |
| V753 | Class 6 W-Space | 3,000,000,000 | 1,350,000,000 | 0 | 6 | 24 |
| V911 | Class 5 W-Space | 3,000,000,000 | 1,350,000,000 | 0 | 5 | 24 |
| W237 | Class 6 W-Space | 3,000,000,000 | 1,350,000,000 | 0 | 6 | 24 |
| X702 | Class 3 W-Space | 1,000,000,000 | 300,000,000 | 0 | 3 | 24 |
| X877 | Class 4 W-Space | 2,000,000,000 | 300,000,000 | 0 | 4 | 16 |
| Y683 | Class 4 W-Space | 2,000,000,000 | 300,000,000 | 0 | 4 | 16 |
| Y790 | Class 1 W-Space | 500,000,000 | 20,000,000 | 0 | 1 | 16 |
| Z060 | Nullsec (0.0) | 1,000,000,000 | 20,000,000 | 0 | 9 | 24 |
| Z142 | Nullsec (0.0) | 3,000,000,000 | 1,350,000,000 | 0 | 9 | 24 |
| Z457 | Class 4 W-Space | 2,000,000,000 | 300,000,000 | 0 | 4 | 16 |
| Z647 | Class 1 W-Space | 500,000,000 | 20,000,000 | 0 | 1 | 16 |
| Z971 | Class 1 W-Space | 100,000,000 | 20,000,000 | 0 | 1 | 16 |
Classifications of Wormholes
| Class 1, 2 and 3 | This wormhole seems to lead into unknown parts of space. |
| Class 4 and 5 | This wormhole seems to lead into dangerous unknown parts of space. |
| Class 6 | This wormhole seems to lead into deadly unknown parts of space. |
| Class 7 | Highsec Wormhole |
| Class 8 | Lowsec Wormhole |
| Class 9 | Nullsec (0.0) Wormhole |
Wormhole Space Designation
| Class 1 | H121 | P060 | Q317 | V301 | Y790 | Z647 | Z971 | |
| Class 2 | C125 | D364 | D382 | G024 | I182 | N766 | R943 | |
| Class 3 | C247 | L477 | M267 | N968 | O477 | O883 | X702 | |
| Class 4 | E175 | M609 | O128 | T405 | X877 | Y683 | Z457 | |
| Class 5 | H296 | H900 | L614 | M555 | N062 | N432 | N770 | V911 |
| Class 6 | A982 | B041 | R474 | S804 | U319 | U574 | V753 | W237 |
Known Space Designation
| Class 7 High Sec | A641 | B274 | B449 | B520 | D792 | D845 | N110 | S047 |
| Class 8 Low Sec | A239 | C140 | C391 | J244 | N290 | N944 | R051 | U210 |
| Class 9 Null Sec | C248 | E545 | K329 | K346 | S199 | V283 | Z060 | Z142 |
Special Designation
| Wormhole | K162 | This is the exit point of a wormhole that has been entered. |
Wormhole Phenomena
Pulsar Phenomena
| Effects | Class 1 | Class 2 | Class 3 | Class 4 | Class 5 | Class 6 |
| Shield | +25% | +44% | +55% | +68% | +85% | +100% |
| Armor Resists | -10% | -19% | -27% | -34% | -41% | -50% |
| Cap recharge | -10% | -19% | -27% | -34% | -41% | -50% |
| Targeting range | +25% | +44% | +55% | +68% | +85% | +100% |
| Signature | +25% | +44% | +55% | +68% | +85% | +100% |
Black Hole Phenomena
| Effects | Class 1 | Class 2 | Class 3 | Class 4 | Class 5 | Class 6 |
| Missile velocity | -10% | -19% | -27% | -34% | -41% | -50% |
| Ship velocity | +25% | +44% | +55% | +68% | +85% | +100 |
| Drone control range | -10% | -19% | -27% | -34% | -41% | -50% |
| Inertia | +25% | +44% | +55% | +68% | +85% | +100% |
| Lock Range | -10% | -19% | -27% | -34% | -41% | -50% |
| Falloff | -10% | -19% | -27% | -34% | -41% | -50% |
Cataclysmic Variable Phenomena
| Effects | Class 1 | Class 2 | Class 3 | Class 4 | Class 5 | Class 6 |
| Repair amount | -10% | -19% | -27% | -34% | -41% | -50% |
| Shield transfer amount | -10% | -19% | -27% | -34% | -41% | -50% |
| Shield repair | +25% | +44% | +55% | +68% | +85% | +100% |
| Remote repair | +25% | +44% | +55% | +68% | +85% | +100% |
| Capacitor capacity | +25% | +44% | +55% | +68% | +85% | +100% |
| Capacitor recharge | +25% | +44% | +55% | +68% | +85% | +100% |
Magnetar Phenomena
| Effects | Class 1 | Class 2 | Class 3 | Class 4 | Class 5 | Class 6 |
| ECM eff | +25% | +44% | +55% | +68% | +85% | +100% |
| TP eff | +25% | +44% | +55% | +68% | +85% | +100% |
| Damp eff | +25% | +44% | +55% | +68% | +85% | +100% |
| TD eff | +25% | +44% | +55% | +68% | +85% | +100% |
| Damage | +25% | +44% | +55% | +68% | +85% | +100% |
| AOE Velocity | -10% | -19% | -27% | -34% | -41% | -50% |
| Drone Velocity | -10% | -19% | -27% | -34% | -41% | -50% |
| Targeting Range | -10% | -19% | -27% | -34% | -41% | -50% |
| Tracking Speed | -10% | -19% | -27% | -34% | -41% | -50% |
Red Giant Phenomena
| Effects | Class 1 | Class 2 | Class 3 | Class 4 | Class 5 | Class 6 |
| Heat Damage | +10% | +19% | +27% | +34% | +41% | +50% |
| Overload Bonus | +25% | +44% | +55% | +68% | +85% | +100% |
| Smart Bomb Range | +25% | +44% | +55% | +68% | +85% | +100% |
| Smart Bomb Damage | +25% | +44% | +55% | +68% | +85% | +100% |
Wolf Rayet Phenomena
| Effects | Class 1 | Class 2 | Class 3 | Class 4 | Class 5 | Class 6 |
| Armor Resist | +10% | +19% | +27% | +34% | +41% | +50% |
| Shield Resist | -10% | -19% | -27% | -34% | -41% | -50% |
| Small Weapon Damage | +25% | +44% | +55% | +68% | +85% | +100% |
| Signature Size | -10% | -19% | -27% | -34% | -41% | -50% |
source:
