Tips For War

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This page includes tips on how to better survive during wartime in EVE. It is recommended reading for all students.

Tips to Survive

Survival is often a matter of common sense, patience, and remembering to put into practice some tried and true basics.

The following are a number of points that if followed will help you minimize your risks during wartime.

For a more in-depth write up on what to expect during war please read Wartime Operations in EVE University. This page is a very good read, especially for the newer members, and it helps give a broad understanding of the Uni during wartime.

The Main "Rule" of EVE: Don't Fly What You Can't Afford To Lose

Read the title of this. Read it again. Remember it. This means don't fly your entire wealth in a single ship. It will get blown up. Don't fit large amounts of expensive mods on a cheap hull. Always balance isk/benefit.

Smart Pilots take Precautions when Flying...

...PVE Ships

These are ships that are fit for PVE purpose, such as missions and/or incursions. The nature of these activities mean the ships are typically fit in a way that is suboptimal for PVP.

...Mining Ships

This includes the specialized mining ships.

...Haulers

This is any ship which is designed to move large amounts of cargo around[1]. If you need to move items safely during wartime, you should use an 'out-of-corp' Alt Hauler or issue a public courier contract.

Smart Pilots will fit...

...your ship for PvP

This depends greatly on the ship and what you plan to do, but usually means no Mining lasers, cargo expanders or exploration (Codebreaker, Analyser, etc) modules, along with a Buffer tank where appropriate. For relevant fittings, see the forum.[2]

...your guns and launchers efficiently

This means using faction ammo where you canCite error: Closing </ref> missing for <ref> tag, and module cost scales with the cost of the hull[3].

You should always...

...check the Local channel for War-Targets

Check it before you undock, and keep checking it whenever you are in space. Read up on how to identify war targets in local. Hostiles may appear at any moment.[4]

...check liveintel.ILN regularly

You should join the chat channel liveintel.ILN and check it for wartarget reports regularly. You can find instructions for use of the intel channel & map by opening the corporation panel in-game, going to the Alliances tab and checking the bulletins.

...use D-Scan regularly when undocked

Your ship's onboard scanner, or D-Scan, is a valuable tool for you to use. Read up on it on our Directional Scanner Guide.

...set up various bookmarks for where you operate

Create your own bookmarks for safes, undocking and insta-docking, gate observation and tacticals, etc., for systems you operate in and travel through.

...know how to save your pod

Knowing How to save your Pod will give you confidence in operating in space during wartime. It's also an essential PvP skillset.

...understand and know how to take advantage of timers

Knowing how to take advantage of Timers will help you get out of tricky situations and give you the time you need to make the best decision to avoid unnecessary losses.

...avoid Trade Hubs when travelling

You should avoid Trade hubs when travelling[5], and go around them when you can. Remember, you can use Trade skills for station trading remotely without having to be docked in the station.


Dumb pilots who want to die quickly will

...use the Autopilot to fly your ship

Apart from using it to plot a course and highlight gates, it must never be used to actually fly your ship. All manoeuvres[6] must be done manually.[7]

...go AFK in space

Never leave your ship unattended for long periods when in space[8]. Always dock up if you have to leave. If you are a scout or picket and need to take a short break, warp to a safe-spot and cloak up until you get back.


Activities you can try

There are a number of things which you can do during wars apart from hunting War Targets. These are some of them.

...travel around EVE

Traveling is defined as moving with no cargo (opposed to hauling) and should be done in a 'Fast Frigate'[9], Shuttle or Starter Frigate[10]. You should avoid hauling cargo on your Uni character, especially into and out of trade hubs, into and out of the campuses, and along common trade routes. It is strongly encouraged that you create an OOC (out-of-corp) Alt Hauler. Many a new player's "fortune" of stuff has found itself destroyed or floating in space to be scooped up and sold by the enemy.

...run fleets in Low Sec and Null Sec

Just because there are no war targets around doesn't mean there is nobody to fight. Take a fleet out to low sec or null sec, and see what you find[11].

...run Wormhole Operations

You may run combat sites in wormholes during wartime[12]. A cloaked scout (either covert ops or picket) should stay at the exit to known-space[13].
If you are using a salvage Destroyer, Battlecruiser or Noctis ', it is safer if they are kept cloaked at a safe spot until time to salvage and then be guarded while salvaging.

...run Incursions

Check out the page on incrusions: http://wiki.eveuniversity.org/Incursion

...run missions, ideally in a small group

As these tend to involve high-value ships, so you should ensure you are some distance away from HQ in either a quiet (or very busy) system. You may run missions solo, but is strongly advised that you mission in a fleet of at least three students.


...run exploration sites, ideally in a small group

You can look to run exploration sites (relic, data, and combat) in the various security sectors of space away from the higher and more probable areas the war targets like to operate in. Exploration ships are extremely vulnerable so if you're caught by a war target expect to lose it.

...mine, ideally in a group

This is best done with four or more members, with at least one of them in a scout keeping an eye on incoming gates, and/or combat ship as support. Ideally, all mining should be done in an exploration pocket located in a quiet system or wormhole as far away from HQ and known operating areas of any war-targets as possible. Ensure that all fleet members keep a lookout in local for any hostiles. Don't forget to use an out of corp hauler to pick up any minerals. Solo mining is strongly discouraged and should only be undertaken if you can manage to mitigate the risks involved and you should definitely avoid popular systems where you would be easy prey and dangers are difficult to spot.

...station trade

This is usually done on an alt character dedicated to it.

...use an out of alliance character

You can use an out-of-alliance character or alt for Missions, Mining and Hauling alone. Many missions may be accepted on your E-UNI character but performed with an alt.

...leave E-UNI for a time

If you want to, you may leave the Uni during wartime without any penalties. You will retain access to the vast majority of forum content, channels, classes, the Wiki and even Mumble, and will be fast-tracked through recruitment when returning if re-applying within 30 days of leaving. Please note that the Uni may be under wartime conditions almost constantly.

References and Notes

For new players, its not immediately obvious why the rules are as they are. Below are answers to some of the more common questions.

  1. ^ In short, if there's something worth moving, its worth money to someone, and is better not put in harms way at all.
  2. ^ Hopefully this should be fairly self evident after playing a little EVE, but PvP fits tend to focus on 'buffer' tanks and are significantly different to PvE fits which focus on repairing over time.
  3. ^ The bigger the ship, the less likely it is to die quickly in a fight, therefore it is worth fitting it well.
  4. ^ The Local channel is the best tool any player has as to what is going on, and during war it should be made as tall as possible so you can see as many people as possible without scrolling.
  5. ^ These are prime hunting grounds for most wartargets, and will often have hostiles or their alts present.
  6. ^ This includes setting the next system as a waypoint, and enabling autopilot while in warp, as it leaves a crucial few seconds before jumping.
  7. ^ The Autopilot is dangerous even in peacetime as it drops you around 15km from the gate, meaning that you need to either align and enter warp to escape or burn those 15km to the stargate to jump through. Not to mention that Autopilot promotes being AFK.
  8. ^ Being AFK, for an extended time, even cloaked at a safe-spot or sitting at the POS, simply isn't worth the risk.
  9. ^ These are small, fast and can typically get through a camped gate if you encounter any hostiles. On top of this, they are also cheap, and will not typically make a significant ISK dent on the killboard.
  10. ^ Travelling in a Capsule, while possible, is generally a bad idea as they are so fragile. If flying a shuttle at least, you can survive at least one volley.
  11. ^ This is a good way to practice, and there is usually someone to shoot and practice with, and you may run into wartargets.
  12. ^ Wormhole combat sites require fits very close to normal PvP, and are a good way to practice fleet command.
  13. ^ This is simply to watch for any one entering the system, to give you advance warning.