Looking for low sec hauler survival tips

[w00key]

See topic. I'm currently running around with cargo and once in a while, the most profitable routes must pass through a 0.3/0.4 system to reach the destination. Is it possible for a newbie to fit a Badger II effectively to survive outside of high security space?

Ideas so far:

Assume no bubble: IStab, Warp stabilizer x2, Medium extender x3 + Invul + EM Active hardener + Random hardener.
Bubble: +AB, way less shield stuff, my low engineering skill has me running against the power cap


I guess I'll just try the no bubble variant tomorrow (If I hit a bubble, I'm screwed anyway, don't think 400m/s will save me) with a T1-only fitted ship and see how many times I get blown up

[Nevermore]

Bubbles can't be used in low sec anyway, iirc.

[IainC]

No bubbles in Empire space at all. It might be possible for a Heavy Interdictor to use its single target 'bubble' on you but if anyone is suicide ganking in a Hictor then they deserve whatever you are carrying.

Fit a buffer tank (shield extenders etc) to give you as much time as possible to align and warp, fit at least two Warp Core Stabilisers so that they can't tackle you with a single expendable ship and don't autopiliot. Most of the time, being awake, warping to zero and being alert to what's around you is the best defence against sudden decompression syndrome. It will be almost impossible for a ganker to get you on the outbound gate and if they are waiting on the inbound side then look for a celestial body that you're already closely aligned to and warp to that first before breaking cloak. That way they'll have less time to pop you as you align.

[Pax]

Cloak.
ECM Burst.
Luck... or a scout.

[xorx]

Losec I would suggest:

1. Proto cloak and patience. If you're worried about a particular system, warp to a celestial less than 1au away, cloak, then scan the gate.
2. buffer tank and if you find that you jump into a small-> medium exit gatecamp, align for a celestial that's roughly near you and try to warp to that and cloak.
3. if you're doing this a lot, take the extra 14-20 days to train to industrial V and get a blockade runner. They can warp cloaked, life is easy.


Highs: Proto cloak
Meds: Buffer tank
Lows: Nano + WCS

[Sir T]

Cloak.
ECM Burst.
Luck... or a scout.

No ECM burst! If you hit the gate with it the sentries will shoot you and the gates wont let you jump for a full minute if you hit anything with it..

Sadly the badger is not a great hauler, but your best bet is to fill up the midspots with shield extenders and maybe a single invulnerability field, and the lows with an inertial stab and maybe a nanofiber to get into warp faster and the rest Warp stabs. The buffer tank is there to let you survive the first volley from a group of snipers that are sitting outside sentry gun range. If they are sitting tanking the sentries then you are probably buggered anyway.

I always flew a mammoth as its got a lot of midspots, great carrying capacity and aligns into warp the fastest.

[Gets]

I'd suggest avoid taking a hauler into low-sec. But if you must I agree with xorx. Use an alt-scout at all times!

You will get blown up if you get courageous though. Those patches of low-sec in Empire are like minefields.

[Goumindong]

Meds:

As many shield extenders or hardeners as possible:

Lows:

1 WCS
Rest istabs.

Warp to zero, leave as fast as possible with as much hit points as possible with protection against a throw-away point(or single sensor boosted point)

If you're in a high volume system, consider warping to a planet near the next gate BEFORE warping to the gate. This should protect you from smart bombing battleships who are waiting to kill you as you warp in since it may change your warp in angle to the gate. The key part is changing your warp in angle to the gate.

This is especially important in Rancer

[ClydeJr]

Make sure you check the map to see the various statistics on the systems your going through: number of pilots in system, number of ships destroyed in last hours, number of pods popped in last hour. If you see a lot of big numbers, you might want to just wait.

[w00key]

Gave up on the idea for now... Hauling NPC cargo like antibiotics is profitable, but not that much more as I had to sacrifice 2 cans of space. 31 days left to transport ships & covert ops