Clone Soldier Tags

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preliminary -- work in progress -- Yanu Zantal March 23, 2014 ----

Introduction

This article is mostly solo techniques and tips for finding the most valuable of the Clone Soldier tags, without getting killed by low sec pirates. ;-) Your moderate familiarity and comfort with low sec operations is assumed.

The information is based on experience using cov-ops ships for finding the rats, stealth bombers for shooting the rats, and then cov-ops ships again for transporting the tags to market.

Low sec is dangerous, but you quickly adjust. The isk rewards are substantial.

This article does not discuss how to use the tags to raise your security status.

Reference Material

Clone soldier tags were new in the 2013 Eve Odessey release, and are used in game mechanics for raising a pilot's security status. Tags are dropped by special NPC rats in low sec. The tags can be bought and sold in regular Eve markets, with values from roughly 1,500,000 to 30,000,000 isk.

CCP Dev blog from Odessey explaining the concept: [1]

The value of each tag is based on which type of tag it is. And, each 'type' of tag, is found in asteroid belt rats in a specific Security Status low sec system. For example, Negotiator tags are found only in Security Status 0.2 systems, and are dropped only by rats which have '...Negotiator' in their name.

There are four tag types: <br><br> Rat Name/Tag Type, Value, Low Sec Where Found <br><br> Trainer 1,500,000 Sec Status 0.4 <br><br> Recruiter 3,500,000 Sec Status 0.3 <br><br> Negotiator 30,000,000 Sec Status 0.2 <br><br> Transporter 25,000,000 Sec Status 0.1

Current market values can be seen at [2] or in your local Market Detail display, searching on 'Clone Soldier'.

NPC rat names show what kind of tag that rat will drop. The specific NPC rat names vary depending on what region of Eve you are in, for example Serpentis rats in the Placid region, or Blood rats in the Aridia region. The names show on your overview, like Guristas Clone Soldier Negotiator or Sansha Clone Soldier Recruiter. Those two examples drop a Negotiater and a Recruiter tag respectively. Regardless of the NPC faction name like Serpentis or Blood, a '... Transporter' rat will always drop a generic Transporter tag, and so on.

Putting it all together -- If you are in a 0.1 low sec system, and you see a 'Sansha Clone ...' rat, then: <br><br> 1. It is a Sansha Clone Soldier Transporter rat. <br><br> 2. If you kill the rat, he will always drop a Transporter tag. <br><br> 3. When you get the tag to market, it will be worth 25,000,000 isk.

As discussed below, we hunt only for Transporter and Negotiator tags, to justify the time and effort and risk.

Choosing a Low Sec Region

We need a location in low sec where we can hunt thru multiple systems' asteroid belts for Clone Soldier rats.

Transporter and Negotiator NPCs, and thus those tags, are found only in 0.2 and 0.1 low sec systems. Dotlan or similar maps can be used to identify possible locations. You will be going from system to system hunting for the tags, so a number of systems close together will speed things along.

For example, look at the area around Barleguet and Gare in the Placid region, a dozen 0.1 and 0.2 systems all together.

A warning -- perfect-looking groups of systems, are often occupied by organized pirate groups, who like to shoot poachers ;-( On the other hand, such groups usually have inactive times of day, when the systems can be safely searched. ;-)

Preparing the Low Sec Location

Safety, efficiency, safety, comfort, safety. The following are my techniques -- you are welcome to devise your own system.

Preparation consists of scouting out the target systems, and bookmarking them. It takes perhaps 10-12 hours of work, but is well worth the effort for providing safe comfortable travel around the area.

As a first bookmark in every system, created as soon as I warp in to a new system, I create a bookmark approaching the sun. This is done by warping to the sun and dropping a new bookmark just before reaching the sun. I name these e.g. for the Uphallent system, "Uph aa sun". All bookmarks for the system will begin "Uph..", and the 'aa' makes this bookmark always the top bookmark when you right click in space.

A instant safe, quickly accessible because it is always the first in the system's list of bookmarks. And it is a good place to take a bio or lunch break in a cov-ops or other cloaky ship.

Second, for all gates, I create an 'approach' bookmark, dropping the bookmark at 10 to 100k from the gate as I'm warping into the gate. This provides a dscan perch for each gate, where you can safely stop and scan the gate before approaching the gate and jumping. Example in Placid in Gare at the Aunsou gate: "Gare Aun app".

All bookmarks around the Aunsou gate would begin "Gare Aun ...", so that they sort together in the system's bookmark list.

Third, for all gates (when I have time), I create an on-grid tac, up, down, or occasionally sideways, 200-300k from the gate. This provides a visual perch to watch the gate, and a comfortable resting place for a cloaky ship. Example in Aulbres at the Barleguet gate: "Aul Barl tac up". I don't bother trying to do precise up or down directions, like with clock hands, imo too much effort for little return.

These gate tacs *do* need to be sideways from the directions of other gates and the sun, to avoid having arriving people pass too close to your cloaky ship.

Fourth, in a *few* systems, I bookmark a station. A station provides a place to store ammunition, to change fittings, to temporarily stash tags (instead of flying around with a 150 million isk cargo hold), and if dual-boxing, a place to exchange bookmarks. One station for 5 or 6 systems is enough.

I do a 'approach' bookmark (so I can dscan the outside of the station), a 'warp to 0' bookmark, and at least three insta-undocks (tested !).

The station should be chosen to be as far away from the system's stargates as possible, to lessen the chance of unwanted people dropping in. Repair facilities are not needed, as you normally won't be getting shot at.

With the above bookmarking, you'll be able to travel with confidence, warping tac to tac, checking out gates before jumping, you will be familiar with the region's layout, and you will have met, so to speak, the region's inhabitants.

Opinion: OP paranoia is just barely enuf.

General Technique

The general technique is to use a scout to locate the NPCs by scanning each asteroid belt in a system, then flying to the next system. Each system will take five to fifteen minutes. When an NPC is found, a damage dealing ship is brought in to kill the NPC.

For the scouting, I use a cov-ops frigate with agility and warp speed rigs and modules.

This can all be done solo with a single stealth bomber, for example, or more efficiently by dual-boxing a cov-ops frigate and a stealth bomber. The cloaking makes relatively safe traveling possible, and allows for taking a break at any time by just pointing off into space and cloaking.

If dual-boxing, the scout would form a fleet and invite the dd alt in. This allows the scout to pick up the tags from rat wrecks without going suspect (and flashing to everyone in system.

I use a stalth bomber in a torpedo fitting (with extra target painters), and 'keep range' at 65km or so, which is beyond the rat's range. I've used a heavy missile drake with a cloak in the past. While shooting, the dd ship is uncloaked, and spamming dscan.

The rats are reasonably tough, and I suggest either shooting from range or flying a strong ship.

As soon as the rat is dead, I cloak up the dd ship, and warp the scout to the wreck to pick up the tag. With a single stealth bomber, you would need to MWD in while uncloaked, extending your exposure.

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