Null sec ratting

General timeline

These instructions are mostly for Pandemic Horde. Each space is different, but most of these rules are the same.  Ask the corporation you join for their fits or starter ships.

1. Start out in an algos. do 'belt' ratting, going from belt to belt, very easy to survive.  (Note, you can also do skyhooks as well as belts!)

1a. This is a passive algos we have configured for the drone regions.  Before you go out, stack your guns with the button to the left of the guns.  Move the AB up to the top row, maybe to F2. Make groups of your drones, I prefer a mix.  you want to max bandwidth and max to 5 drones.  Algos is 2 infiltrators, 3 acolytes.

1b.  You find an asteroid belt by right clicking in space, right click, warp to belt.  Stick to belt ratting if you in an algos. Can move up to a squad in a vexor.

1c. When you land in an NPC site, you do the exact same things:

• Is this site okay to run?  Is there a friendly in it? is there a hostile in it? Is there an infested carrier?  Is there an officer?  Immediately warp out if it is dangerous or already claimed.

• First, orbit.  Find the center of the site or the biggest ship, a battleship.  Hold down W, the orbit shortcut, and click on them for your default orbit.

• Then, turn on your prop mod, aka your Afterburner or MWD.  Move it to the top row and hit F2 for instance.

• Launch drones, which is default to Shift-F.

• Hold down Control key and click on the small rats.  Wait till they start getting locked up and then hold down control again and click on the big rats.  Frigates -> destroyers -> cruisers -> battlecruisers -> battleships.

• Once the smallest frigate rats are locked, hit F to have your drones engage.

• Done?  Hit Shift-R to recall your drones, and F2 to turn off your AB, warp to next site.

• Again: W, F2, Shift-F, Control, F.  Repeat till dead.  Shift-R, F2.

• Note that salvaging is not worth doing on normal rogue drone wrecks, it doesn't pay out well.  Sentients drop loot, and that can be very worthwhile, and you *should* salvage that wreck.  MTUs are pointless in drone regions null sec space. They just don't drop that much for the time.

1d. If you see a Infested Carrier or Infested Dread or any other NPC capital, Warp out immediately.

1e. Go  to the next belt.  Out of belts? go to next system.

Here is a thing to save to a notepad to remind yourself!

1. • right click warp

   • w to orbit

   • f2 to turn on AB

   • shift-f to launch drones

   • control to lock up

   • f to engae drones

   • shift-r to recall drones

2. Work towards a vexor. You can consider moving to a myrmidon or a praxis but it is not recommended. The Gila is actively discouraged due to the price.

   • You find the quiet system.  https://www.pandemic-horde.org/forum/index.php?threads/horde-isk-making-rules-areas-and-industry-areas-updated-2023-10-12.3738/ has maps.  Or use the dotlan version we give you, and click 'NPC kills' at the top right.

   • In the vexor, you start out doing 'Herds' in horde space.  This is the training one. They have 5/10 escalations so don't pay out well but are easier to do.

   • You think you understand herds, you do a squad or a patrol.  These pay you out in escalations, which are 10/10s, which are paying 130 mil Q2 2024.

   • You do not do hordes until you can clear them quickly, which is a LOT of skill points.

   • See below how to run all the sites.

3. The ishtar is the end game ratting ship till you get towards marauders.  See https://www.pandemic-horde.org/forum/index.php?threads/drone-lives-matter-a-drone-regions-ratting-guide-2-0.3340/ for fits.

4. Marauders https://www.pandemic-horde.org/forum/index.php?threads/b-i-g-pankrab-hordes-cap-super-umbrella-crab-sigs-and-how-to-use-it-2-0.3765/  Need to join an ESI- gated group to join that. https://www.pandemic-horde.org/forum/index.php?threads/alliance-corporation-megathread-updated-2022-12-30.3276/  has the list of esi-gated groups.

5. In PC owned Sovereignty, Your payouts are influenced by the Encounter Surveillance System, aka ESS.  They take 40% of your ratting and pay it out every 3 hours.

   • If a hostile entity enters your ESS, they can steal it.  It takes them nearly 6 minutes, and you just need to get a response fleet to them before then.

   • If nobody steals it, it automatically pays out.

   • You can think of it as 5 ticks in an hour instead of 3, it's the easy math.  (1 tick == 20 minutes.  3 ticks is the 60%, ESS is 40%, so 2 extra ticks)

   • Don't count on ESS money :D

Improve your skills so you can fly the vexor or whatever else well.

• Find a system that you can rat in that is your non-gated/esi-gated group using this link: (check horde pages)

• Find a citadel to operate out that way, hopefully a fortizar. Leave your ratting ship there, use a lighter ship to ferry between mj-5/efm and your ratting system.

• Figure out the range you should be warping in.

• Figure out the sites you'll be running.

• Watch bean-intel or setup SMT - https://github.com/Slazanger/SMT  This can help you see hostiles coming towards you.  Releases shows the latest. 

• https://www.pandemic-horde.org/forum/index.php?threads/smt-a-guide.3556/ can help you setup SMT.

• https://www.pandemic-horde.org/forum/index.php?threads/phrealm-your-definitive-source-for-intel-within-ph-space.4086/ explains how phrealm works, allowing you to alert on intel near you.

• https://riftforeve.online/ if you are running linux and need a log monitor on there.

My drones keep getting shot!

Note, patrols and hordes now aggro your drones between waves.  You pull drones between waves.  However, if you are doing squads:

If that happens, dock up, eject from your ship, and then reboard it.  The reason this happens is because you are not enough of a threat or you are too far away.

You can also add modules like an Auto Targeting System I and a Civilian gun.  The Auto Target is cheap, like 20k, and uses a high slot.  The civlian gun is also easy, board your corvette, strip one off, then reboard your vexor, and then trash the corvette.  Note, you don't use either of these modules, you just have them fitted and online, but don't actually activate them.  It causes the rats to think you are a bigger threat thanks to the way the AI is configured.

Note, you don't actually run the Auto Targeting System either.  If you had 6 targets possible, and 8 things pop, and 2 are frigates with webs, your auto targeting targets them all but the larger ships lock up faster because larger sig. So you have to unlock and relock the frigates, giving them a better chance of webbing you.

If Rats turn yellow when you are fighting them, they are busy shooting your drones.

If they still lock up your drones, go to a safe, eject from your ship, and reboard it.  Then orbit at 30km instead of 60km and see if they shoot them less.

Snooppari's Ratting guide

Snooppari is the person who taught me about drone dratting, he's available nearly every day in Newbeans in game in horde:

Ratting basics: IF there are towers on the anomalies, destroy those first

1) Kill frigates (ASAP tacling ones)

2) Kill Battlecruisers (cruisers after that)

3) Kill Battleships

When there is new spawn, repeat from the start of the list.

Orbit the middle object of the site at a range your drones can hit all (example 50-60km drone control range you might want to orbit example 35 - 40km)

When you see neutral in local, turn off your afterburner and align to the station. Warp off immidiately IF you want to be safest possible (another option: turn off your afterburner, wait your drones to come back to your bay and warp off)

When your ratting you want to turn off from route planner "Include Jump Gates" so you can see true distance of the neutral / hostiles reported on the Bean-Intel.

Always Orbit / move, never stay still, have your fit cap stable and have your afterburner always on IF the fit has one or the ship is supposed to use with it.

IF Infested Carrier spawn at your site, TURN OFF YOU AFTERBURNER AND WARP OFF ♦ !!! Warp off immidiately !!! LEAVE YOUR DRONES WARP OFF

Why squads only:

1) vexor has 2x heavy 2x medium and 1x light drones - they're not effective in patrols and hordes as those have more battleships 

2) squads don't spawn infested carrier

3 )Squads, patrol and hordes give you 10/10 escalations

Ratting 'tiers' inside Pandemic Horde

There is basically a tier system inside pandemic horde that has a progression to it.  Note, never rat in MJ-5.

• Vexor ratting - the place everyone starts. 3 mil ticks for low skill point (SP) players, 8 mil for high SP (Skill points), 12 mil ticks for max effort.  You do squads/patrols, not hordes.

• Ishtar ratting - The 'goal', it's somewhat afk.  18 mil low end ticks, 24 mil high end ticks, maybe higher with high effort.  https://github.com/Slazanger/SMT does alarms based on your intel channels when someone is close to you.

• Praxis/Oracle/Marauder ratting - Mix of high effort, spend some isk, can vary a LOT based on skills.  Marauder ratting with pankrab is great money.  Note, these are very specific fits/things you have to do to succeed.  To join Pankrab, you need a cyno 5 alt and join an esi-gated corporation.

  • Note, the praxis is a double edged sword.  You can make more money, but you have to have your head on a swivel because it's very easy to catch and easy to kill and VERY expensive and often won't out earn it's cost.  It also uses a SHITLOAD more skill points, like another 4 mil SP, just do match what a vexor can do out of the box with just 1.5 mil in drones.

  • The oracle, you die if any frigate gets close.  Need specific fits and tactics against patrols. https://www.pandemic-horde.org/forum/index.php?threads/oracle-patrol-ratting.3696/ has a guide but if you mess up, you die.

  • Marauder, need that cyno to protect it.  Because there are blue eyes sometimes, you cannot safely protect it yourself.

• Escalations - This is the real way to make money with a marauder and is pretty safe if you use the bypass room.  Buy escalations for 130 mil, make 300 mil or more sometimes.  Gives SRP if you die if you follow rules in pankrab.  Can also be done with t3cs.  CAN be done with a praxis/Ishtar, but takes entirely too long, much easier to just sell and get paid.

• Beacon - https://support.eveonline.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408566646162-CONCORD-Rogue-Analysis-Beacon-CRAB  Make 150-300 mil an hour doing beacons under the watchful eye of pankrab using dreadnaughts or supers.  If you die and did things right, you get SRP'd your ship.  Usually done with a partner if you can.  Details on running these are not found on my site for reasons.

There are a ton of other variations on this.  But there are a bunch of ships NOT worth doing it in because the cost per ticks just doesn't make sense.  I've done graphs on these on the third page of this post: https://www.pandemic-horde.org/forum/index.php?threads/drone-lives-matter-a-drone-regions-ratting-guide-2-0.3340/  If you are trying to do a gila or a myrmidon, they are a mistake.

Once you join an esi-gated corporation, you get access to way more space, and it's very easy to do if you have over 10 mil sp.  You can also get access to -1.0 systems so you can officer hunt, which is VERY random.

Curious on what to upgrade?  Get your drone skills up under your Mastery Tab and get your main ship skill up.   Drone Interfacing, Drone Navigation, Drone Sharpshooting are the big ones.   Get navy drones if you are flush, they track better and have better tank, see Meta Modules.  Note that Heavy Mutated Drone is not worth using because you'll warp off from them from time to time, same with augmented drones.

Ratting Anomaly Sites

This is just the 'difficulty' of ratting sites, higher being more battleships.   Levels 1-4 are generally high/low sec ones, 5-10 are null sec ones.  These lead to other escalations have other implications.

1  Hideaway/Cluster - Hid  Fors Forl

2  Burrow/Collection - none

3  Refuge/Assembly - none

4  Den/Gathering - Hid  Fors Forl

5  Yard/Surveillance - none

6  Rally Point/Menagerie - Hid  Fors Forl

7  Port/Herd - none

8  Hub/Squad - Hid  Fors Forl

9  Haven/Patrol - none

10 Sanctum/Horde - none

Same list outside of rogue drone space, in order of difficulty, which doesn't have these sub variants.

• Sanctum

• haven

• forlorn hub

• forsaken hub

• port

• hidden hub

• hub

• forlorn rally point

• forsaken rally point

• Yard

• hidden rally point

• Rally Point

• Den

• Refuge

• Burrow

• Hideaway

Escalations

https://www.pandemic-horde.org/forum/index.php?threads/drone-escalation-sales-guide.4305/ has a Pandemic Horde guide.

DED Rated complexes, aka escalations.  Often termed as '5/10' or '10/10', based on their difficulty out of 10.  These are escalations from either combat signatures or normal combat anomalies.  These use specialized ships with specialized fits often, on a per site basis.  A ship capable of running one type of 10/10 might not be able to run a 5/10 even though it's similar rats, for instance.

These require very good skills and great ships.  There are cheese ways to do it, but it's site specific.

The most common ships to do these are the T3Cs and Marauders.  Doing this in normal anomaly ratters like the ishtar is almost guaranteed to die or make less money than just doing hordes.

You can sell these escalations to people who specialize in running them as well.  These escalations can go from anywhere from 50 mil to 200 mil a site.  To do this, you warp to the site, make a bookmark, and then sell that bookmark to the person using a ACL gated bookmark list.  Ask for help from your alliance to do this.  However, they have only 24 hours to run these sites from when you are first given it, so some don't sell, so don't rely on this method.

Want to run these sites?  First, have great skills for one of the ships that are used to run them.  Then watch a bunch of youtube. This content has not changed much over the years, though the ships have.  A marauder, setup for the right type of damage, can do a lot of these sites for instance, but needs a unique fit per type of 10/10.

Note, the 4/10 escalations are a lot easier to run, only require a battlecruiser.   These can pay well as well, as they're not super common to run.  But only in high sec.

https://wiki.eveuniversity.org/Combat_sites#DED_rated_complexes has a list of the different sites.

Note, there are some sites like the Outgrowth Rogue Drone Hive that sometimes gets confused about what it is.  It will say in game 'Difficulty 5', but it's not a 5/10 but actually a 10/10.   You have to warp to the site to see which DED level it is.  Herds can give you 5/10s, but patrols and hordes will always give you a 10/10.  Warp to it, bookmark it, and sell it in the in game channel <url=joinChannel:player_-80954942>Zulu's Escalation Bazaar</url> to sell it.

To give proof, warp into the system too bookmark it, say something in local, screenshot the escalation and the local screen, to prove you are doing it live. :D

https://www.pandemic-horde.org/forum/index.php?threads/drone-10-10s-in-a-solo-ishtar-the-isktar.3967/ has a guide on running 10/10 in an ishtar.

https://www.pandemic-horde.org/forum/index.php?threads/drone-10-10-in-alpha-compatible-praxis.3662/ has a guide on running 10/10 in a praxis.

Both of these are pretty slow and not always worth doing.

New sites, see google for any other people with guides.

• Drone Infested Mine 5/10 - Doable in an ishtar (or vexor), but not really worth it other than the sentient.  Most likely worthless to sell, but worth running.

• Drone Infested Starbase 4/10 - Requires 4+ Marauders, 5+ Leshaks or a dread to clear.  If in cap range of mj-5, 30-40 mil.  0 if beyond that.

• Drone Capital Hive 5/10 - Dreads or supers only.  If in cap range of mj-5, 30-40 mil.  0 if beyond that.

• Germinating Drone Enclave - Unknown content, guaranteed sentient.  Does not spawn enough to know a price.  Most likely worthless.

tldr: youtube the name of the escalation.

See below how to use the Opportunity window to find the location, the time left, and level (5/10 or 10/10) of the escalation!

You ONLY need the difficulty out of 10 if it's an Outgrowth Rogue Dronve Hive, the rest of the sites are uniquely named.

If you are in Pandemic Horde, Gobbins made an update here with everything you need to run 10/10s:

https://discord.com/channels/201704763874738176/385465973391622144/1308283363819261974 

Buying/selling escalations in Horde

To sell an escalation in horde, check the pins in the newbeans channel.  This will give you access to Zulu's Escalation Bazaar if you are in a non-esi-gated corporation like Pandemic Horde Inc.

You fly to the escalation in a shuttle, bookmark the hole, and then immediately leave.  The person buying will give you a bookmark folder that you have to online first.  You can then edit the bookmark to move it to that folder.

For the person buying, you first setup an Access List, aka ACL.  This is under Neocom / Social / Access List.  You make a new Access list, called like 'Escalations'.   You can drag the person onto the list, or your alts.

You then go to Locations, make a new 'shared folder'.  You setup 'use' access to the new ACL.  You hit Submit.

The person can now submit edits to the folder.  The real key is that you strip their access as soon as the bookmark shows up for you, so you don't have them remove it later.  And confirm it is the right type of target, like an acceleration gate.  Can read the description on Zulu's to avoid getting scammed.  And always check brand new players before paying them.

Thank you to Maximus Brutalior for the gif!

Fits: Newbie Belt ratting Algos fit

This is a newbie algos fit for killing Rogue Drones.  To do other types of content, you might have to change things around.  And you can refit to do other types as well.  This is a very beginner version, with room for extra drones or meta items.

[Algos, NBI Algos RATTING]

Shield Power Relay I

Shield Power Relay I

Shield Power Relay I

1MN Monopropellant Enduring Afterburner

Medium Shield Extender I

Medium Shield Extender I

150mm Light AutoCannon I

150mm Light AutoCannon I

150mm Light AutoCannon I

150mm Light AutoCannon I

Small Core Defense Field Purger I

Small Core Defense Field Purger I

Small Core Defense Field Purger I

Acolyte I x1

Infiltrator I x3

EMP S x6640

Pro Snooppari Glass Cannon Oracle

So, you are convinced that the MOST expensive ship you can run that isn't a marauder is the solution to your isk problem.  It isn't. But hey, I can't stop you.

You only run this ship if you have a massive wallet, an inflated sense of ego that you can do anything in video games, and don't ever lose focus.  You miss one frigate rat?  boom, you're out 2.8 bil, never to recoup that lose.  Miss someone entering local, inty points you?  You're dead.  Not running SMT?  Whoops, dead.  Get a bad infested super carrier spawn?  Dead again.  You can run with t2 guns, but why, you said you wanted max ticks.

Max ticks being 14-17 mil an hour with a huge amount of focus.  When I can do 12 mil ticks in a T2 vexor that costs 43 mil.  Or afk a vexor for 8 mil ticks.

You 100% need:

• A scout to move this

• T2 pulse laser skills

• All the other support gunnery skills to 5

• The following implants (Can paste to notepad in game to link to them) or the 5% versions:

  • <url=showinfo:9957>Eifyr and Co. 'Gunslinger' Motion Prediction MR-703</url> 

  • <url=showinfo:24632>Zainou 'Deadeye' Guided Missile Precision GP-803</url> 

  • <url=showinfo:13244>Eifyr and Co. 'Gunslinger' Surgical Strike SS-903</url> 

  • <url=showinfo:13217>Inherent Implants 'Lancer' Large Energy Turret LE-1003</url>

Basically, don't be stupid.  You were warned.  But hey, you know better than everyone so ... :D

[Oracle, Glass Cannon]

Tracking Enhancer II

Tracking Enhancer II

Tracking Enhancer II

Heat Sink II

Heat Sink II

Heat Sink II

Tracking Computer II

Tracking Computer II

Medium Micro Jump Drive

Polarized Mega Pulse Laser

Polarized Mega Pulse Laser

Polarized Mega Pulse Laser

Polarized Mega Pulse Laser

Polarized Mega Pulse Laser

Polarized Mega Pulse Laser

Polarized Mega Pulse Laser

Polarized Mega Pulse Laser

Medium Energy Locus Coordinator I

Medium Energy Locus Coordinator II

Medium Energy Locus Coordinator II

Conflagration L x26

Tracking Speed Script x1

Optimal Range Script x1

Scorch L x47

Imperial Navy Multifrequency L x15

Pro Guristas rats with Ishtar

You can also semi-AFK some Guristas sites using certain fits, doing some Havens, Forsaken Hubs, Rally Points.

[Ishtar, AFK-Guristas]

Assault Damage Control II

Capacitor Flux Coil II

Drone Damage Amplifier II

Drone Damage Amplifier II

Drone Damage Amplifier II

Omnidirectional Tracking Enhancer II

Large Cap Battery II

Large Shield Booster II

Multispectrum Shield Hardener II

10MN Afterburner II

Medium Energy Neutralizer II

Salvager II

Medium Kinetic Shield Reinforcer II

Medium Thermal Shield Reinforcer II

Warrior II x5

Valkyrie II x5

Hornet EC-300 x5

Wasp II x6

Caldari Navy Warden x5

Mobile Tractor Unit x1

Pro Belt ratting fits - T2 Eris

This looks like a combat ship to outside observers. It's very slipery at interdictor 5, thanks to the plate reduction. It has VERY little tank, so you gotta do normal combat maneuvers to move around. But the 811 dps to kill battleships is very good. It's sub 3 second warp as well, so easy to escape when things go poorly. It's very active ratting. I've mainly been using it for hauler spawns to rebuild my mineral supplies. Note, use null versus frigate rats.

[Eris, Eratis]

200mm Steel Plates II

Small Armor Repairer II

Magnetic Field Stabilizer II

Magnetic Field Stabilizer II

5MN Quad LiF Restrained Microwarpdrive

Stasis Webifier II

Light Neutron Blaster II

Light Neutron Blaster II

Light Neutron Blaster II

Light Neutron Blaster II

Light Neutron Blaster II

Light Neutron Blaster II

Light Neutron Blaster II

Improved Cloaking Device II

Small Ancillary Current Router II

Small Low Friction Nozzle Joints II

Nanite Repair Paste x20

Void S x12560

Antimatter Charge S x2400

Null S x6480

High Sec space areas

Guess I'll do this too since I'm already here.  Hunting mission running, same thing.

Amarr/Ammatar Mandate/Khanid

1. Shoot: EM, Praetor drones

2. Tank: EM, Thermal (lasers pewpewpew)

3. Ewar: none

4. Spawns: Missions

5. Null Regions: None

6. High/low Regions: Aridia, The Bleak Lands, Derelik (Ammatar Mandate space), Devoid, Domain, Kador, Khanid (Khanid Kingdom space) Kor-Azor, Tash-Murkon

7. Mission fits: https://zkillboard.com/group/667/ 

8. Level 4 Mission site: https://wiki.eveuniversity.org/Massive_Attack_(Amarr) 

9. Rat names: Amarr/Ammatar/Khanid/Imperial

10. Elite: Devine

11. Faction: None?

12. Officers: None?

Caldari

1. Shoot: Kinetic, Wasp drones

2. Tank: Kinetic, Thermal

3. Ewar: none

4. Spawns: Missions

5. Null Regions: None

6. High/low Regions: Black Rise, The Citadel, The Forge, Lonetrek

7. Mission fits: https://zkillboard.com/group/674/ 

8. Level 4 Mission site: https://wiki.eveuniversity.org/Federal_Confidence 

9. Rat names: Caldari/State

10. Elite: Taibu

11. Faction: None?

12. Officers: None?

Gallente

1. Shoot: Kinetic, Wasp drones

2. Tank: Thermal, Kinetic

3. Ewar: Sensor Dampening (Shortens your lock range up to 1/4th)

4. Spawns: Missions

5. Null Regions: None

6. High/low Regions: Essence, Everyshore, Placid, Sinq Laison, Solitude, Verge Vendor

7. Mission fits: https://zkillboard.com/group/680/ 

8. Level 4 Mission site: https://wiki.eveuniversity.org/Extract_The_Renegade 

9. Rat names: Gallente/Federation

10. Elite: Elite

11. Faction: None?

12. Officers: None?

Minmatar

1. Shoot: Explosive, Berzerker drones

2. Tank: Explosive, minor Kinetic, minor everything else

3. Ewar: Target paints (Struggle to sig tank as it increase your signature)

4. Spawns: Missions

5. Null Regions: None

6. High/low Regions: Heimatar, Metropolis, Molden Heath

7. Mission fits: https://zkillboard.com/group/706/ 

8. Level 4 Mission site: https://wiki.eveuniversity.org/Police_Invasion_(Minmatar_Republic) 

9. Rat names: Minmatar/Republic

10. Elite: Chief

11. Faction: None?

12. Officers: None?