Get Rich Or Die Trying'

Wormholes, wormholes, wormholes...
The places with no blobs, no local chat, juicy targets and unpredictable exits. I've been visiting them quite often in the last few months when lowsec became too blobby or empty.
After scoring kills like this, this and this in unknown space I've decided to share some tips on wormhole piracy with my readers.
So, what do you need to kill stuff in those weird places? First, of course, you have to find those wormholes. If you are new to probing, check out this great guide by pirate-turned-merc Hallan Turrek.
Is it possible to use the same ship for probing and killing? I'd say yes if it's a force recon, I've used a Rapier to both scan down holes and then kill smallish stuff inside. But probing becomes longer and the Rapier's firepower and tank are insufficient to kill a battlecruiser or a battleship under Sleeper fire so my favourite approach is to fly with a wingmate in a covops.
Now that you found a nice-looking wormhole, read its info (00sage00 has some nice resources here), bookmark it adding a date (you don't want to end up with dozens of identical bookmarks) and get in. If you are a scout for someone else, it might be convenient to have them warp to the 'hole and bookmark it as well to make a potential incursion easier.
Once inside, look around for bubbles (this is 0.0 after all) and check your directional scanner for targets. If it returns any targets, try warping cloaked to a planet outside of scan range and lay your probes there. Don't forget to bookmark the wormhole again before leaving it: you don't want to waste your time reprobing it.
Your targets could be miners, plex runners or other explorers like yourself. Killing miners is fairly easy (you might want to equip several scrams/disrputors), but you need to be well tanked to take on w-space plex runners. Apparently, as soon as you scram, web and neut/nos them, Sleepers will see you as a major threat and will switch fire onto you.
Another important thing is to bookmark the inner side of the hole with your killer ship to avoid getting stuck in case something happens to your prober. Also, if the prober is switching into a combat ship, make sure the hole is not going to collapse shortly ot you have at least one other wormhole probed out.
Unfortunately, more often than not you will find empty systems, occasionally with people sitting at a POS. Don't hesitate to go deeper by scanning 8AUs around every planet. Also, return to empty wormholes later to see if their inhabitants come out of their caves. The Orca kill linked above followed several hours of spying on a mining group during which I bookmarked their belt but made them aware of my presence. When I returned later, though, I was able to make a surprise landing on top of them.
To sum it up, patience and proper preparation is your best friend when dealing with 'holes. And those patient and prepared will be rewarded.

[OOC] With My Mind On My Money And My Money On My Mind

"Money over power, power over money, beeyatch!"
Warren G

Aspiring pirates are often concerned with the issue of financing their activities: they are afraid of losing more isk than they make and want to have alternative income sources. And experienced pilots have different viewpoints on how to finance their PVP habits. Some try to live by what they earn through ransom and loot, flying cheap insurable hulls, while others say it's more fun to fly expensive ships and add isk to their accounts by other means such as selling time codes, running missions and complexes, trading or research.
I myself have tried many options. In the beginning of my pirate career, I had tried to maintain a high enough security status to run missions in hisec: that was enough to finance my Rifter losses for quite some time.
But then missions started giving much less of a security status boost and I decided to try nullsec ratting instead. It didn't take me long to fail at it and lose a Raven to an Arazu and a Falcon. Screw it, I thought, and decided to train up alts for mission running and hauling while letting Nursultan's sec status drop.
Now, training a new character to fly battleships takes time and I started selling time codes to support my PVP losses in the meantime. As I moved on from Rifters to Wolves and Jaguars, I had to sell more and more GTCs to finance my losses. Fortunately, at about that time I managed to acquire (for free) another character which was very easy to train for a prober. This has greatly increased the range of targets available to me and allowed me to have better intel before engaging in combat.
However, I still needed isk and continued selling time codes. Finally, in late May, once I skilled up to fly Tech 1 cruisers, I decided I'd try to finance myself without real life cash. I started picking fights more carefully, ransomed as much as possible and also began running 2/10 plexes (which themselves often provided opportunities to kill stuff).
Slowly but steadily my wealth started building up. After this kill, my isk balance jumped to about 1.5 billion - up from about 400 million I had at the moment I decided to stop selling GTCs.
With so much money, I once again started engaging in riskier fights using more expensive ships and, after the loss of a couple Vagabonds and my alt's Rapier, my overal wealth dipped below the 1 billion mark.
Once again I restricted myself to flying insurable Tech 1 hulls, cutting losses to a minimum and looking for ways to replenish my balance. I also doubled my wormhole exploration efforts, diving deeper into unknown space in search of targets or exits into other pockets of low- or nullsec.
Yesterday, I scanned down a wormhole in Siseide, which was empty but small making further probing convenient. Soon, I found an exit into a lowsec system, Ohkunen. The system was empty save for a few people who were either docked or inside a 2/10 Guristas plex. I jumped to the neighbouring system, Obe, which had a nullsec entrance gate. With nothing on scan in Obe, I decided to scout P3EN-E and stumbled upon a Dread Guristas cruiser in one of the belts.
I quickly brought Nursultan over in a Jaguar, killed the cruiser and picked up a Low-Grade Crystal Epsilon implant worth 125 million in Jita.
Not bad, I thought, making my way back through Ohkunen, when another Jaguar appeared on scan. I warped to the plex hoping to find it there but activated the gate just as it appeared in front of me. Still, there was a chance the pilot would follow so I sat at the warp-in point waiting. The Jag did jump and was game for a duel. Unfortunately for him, my setup proved to be better suited for the fight (he had an anti-Guristas tank). This is even better, I thought, scooping up the loot which included a Dread Guristas Warp Scrambler.
Hours later, I decided to check the same wormhole system again. A readout from my directional scanner contained just one line: Vargur. OMGWTFBBQ11111111, I thought as my launcher spat out four combat scanner probes. Check the scanner again, it's still here. Nurs, board something that can break his tank! 8AU, 4AU, 2AU, 100%! Let's get it.
I landed 30 kilometres away from the Minmatar marauder, a Tech 2 battleship designed to withstand heavy fire and loot the dead enemies on the spot. Overloading my midslots, I rushed towards the Vargur and pointed it. Activating my guns, I started a private conversation with its pilot and asked for 1 billion in ransom. "I don't have that much," he replied. Bad luck (for him).
But the fight was not an easy one. Although Vargur's large artillery cannons could not track my battlecruiser, bloody Sleepers had decided I was also a threat (haven't killed a single Sleeper in my whole life, honestly). My shield and armour were being destroyed almost at the same rate as Vargur's shield. I overloaded my guns when his shield approached 30 percent and successfully broke through the top regeneration point but my own armour was approaching zero.
Somewhere at about that time, the Vargur pilot said "Please let me go for 400 million". Sorry mate, too late, I thought - can't wait for the payment under Sleeper fire. Plus 400 million is really not enough for a ship whose hull alone costs twice as much.
Finally, as my hull integrity dropped below 10 percent, the Vargur blew up. I let the panic take over me and warped out without scooping the loot. However, as I brought my prober to the wreck it got decloaked and barely managed to escape heavy Sleeper fire. One last time, I told my beaten up Hurricane, sending it back to the site. Just in time - a Helios covert ops frigate was approaching the juicy wreck but left as soon as I started targeting it. I grabbed the loot and warped to the exit.
Only then did I look at my cargohold and the killmail and realised the Vargur had dropped a 500-million isk (don't believe killboards) Pith A-Type X-Large shield booster.
Phew, I think I have some isk to spend now.

Trading War Stories

A minute after I have destroyed a Wolf ratting in Amamake's III-1, I get a convo from its pilot.
Nursultan > 0/
Ryddic > give me 60 milion o i declar war you
Ryddic > i and me alleans declar war you
Ryddic > 60 milion
Ryddic > have 5 minut time
Nursultan > hahaha
Ryddic > wtf you ahahah mother b---
Nursultan > i'm at war with all eve
Ryddic > ???
Ryddic > you us a noo
Ryddic > and your corp is dead
Ryddic > 60 milion
Nursultan > please go ahead
Ryddic > ???
Ryddic > no pleas no
Nursultan > wardec me
Ryddic > you give me 60 milion o your noob corp is dead you no undestand
Ryddic > ok
Ryddic > ahahahahahah
Ryddic > 3 player
Ryddic > huhuhuhuh
Ryddic > 60 milion
Ryddic > o you is dead lol
Ryddic > onorata societa (corp link)
Ryddic > is cor for me friend
Ryddic > and declar war your corp
Ryddic > +
Ryddic > me corp
Ryddic > +
Ryddic > hikage (corp link)
Ryddic > you undestand
Ryddic > ??
Ryddic > 50 milion
Ryddic > 30 ship
Ryddic > 20 fitting and rig
Ryddic > camon
Nursultan > Ryddic, I will not pay
Ryddic > no pay...in isk...ok pay in pod and ship....
Ryddic > for me is no problem
Ryddic > you dead no me
Ryddic > o
Ryddic > 50 milion
Ryddic > o clos your corp
Damien Korrybane > ?
Nursultan > i'm waiting for your wardec
Nursultan > bye

Staring At The World Through My Overview

Aaaaaand, I'm back!
I haven't posted for a while due to playing too much and missed the first anniversary of me going rogue, a nice opportunity to look at what I have achieved. Yes, just over a year ago, inspired by Ka Jolo and Wensley's blogs, I bought a few Rifters and some mixed T1 and T2 modules, established a base in the Sujarento solar system and started my pirate career.
On August 31, I spotted a Kestrel in a belt and engaged it. I'll never forget the adrenaline rush of that first fight: my hands were shaking as I typed "gf" into local chat after getting beaten by the Caldari frigate. The loss did not frighten me and less than an hour later I scored my first kill, a Tristan class frigate. Ever since, I knew what my career in Eve would be.
Since that day, according to statistics, I have destroyed 740 ships worth 17.3 billion isk and lost 234 ships worth 4.1 billion isk.
A lot of things have changed within that year. I improved my skills and learned to fly assault ships, cruisers, battlecruisers and heavy assaults. I have moved to Amamake. I have joined and left Starbridge, a corporation where I had learnt a lot about various aspects of Eve. I then joined Pyrotechnics, a once active young pirate corporation which has since become much smaller. I have met and parted with a number of other pirates, joining forces for great kills and fun roams. I have acquired a wingmate skilled at the art of probing out ships in space. My security status has dropped to -10.0.
But some things remain the same. I still enjoy a good fight above anything. I still feel a wave of excitement as my ships comes out of warp next to a target. And I still think piracy is my job in Eve.

Your Bark Was Loud, But Your Bite Wasn't Vicious

Yesterday I came across a couple of Brutix class battlecruisers whose pilots had gone offline with aggression timers on. Sure enough, I destroyed both.
The first one was TwiceDAsiZe of the Python Cartel and Spectre asked me in local chat to pop his pod for letting that happen.
The second was DonHel from House of Houses. I couldn't find their killboard so I don't know what his mates' reaction to that was.
But DonHel himself was apparently furious when I met him in Olfeim today:

EVE System > Channel changed to Olfeim Local Channel
DonHel > you lil fucker
DonHel > how the duck did u do it?
DonHel > i must know
DonHel > killing an offline brutix
Nursultan > no need to be rude
Vladimir Nabokov > sup
DonHel > \o
Vladimir Nabokov > so what are you guys up to in this dead end system
Cirridan > where up to no good
DonHel > wondering how nurultan killed an offline ship
Cirridan > i think he used guns :) but that is just a theory
DonHel > want to 1 vs 1 nurs now that i'm online?
Vladimir Nabokov > oh you can probe out an offline player if you get him within 1 minute i think
DonHel > only if they have agression flags
...
DonHel > good question
Nursultan > DonHel, free tip: it's 1 minute WITHOUT aggression flags and 15 MINUTES WITH THEM
DonHel > so 1 vs 1 now?
DonHel > or do i need to log?
Nursultan > what ship class?
DonHel > BC, BS, HAC i dont care
Nursultan > i have none of that here
DonHel > AF?
Nursultan > t1 frig?
...
DonHel > k, i got a rifter nurs
DonHel > where u want to meet?
Nursultan > undocking in a sec
Nursultan > accept fleet and warp to me
Cirridan > may i watch?
Cirridan > or do you feal to threatned
Nursultan > why not
Cirridan > by my awesomeness :P
Nursultan > btw drop the scpa charge
DonHel > who?
Nursultan > cirr
Nursultan > don, you coming?
DonHel > i dont realy have a rifter
Nursultan > drop your current fleet
DonHel > havnt seen your ship on scan yet either
Cirridan > i can lend u 1 donhel
Cirridan > if you lose my baby i will me mad :P
Cirridan > my ships are my children
Nursultan > ugh, why did yoou have to lie to get me undock?
Nursultan > and then come out in a jag?
DonHel > i dont fly crap
Nursultan > and i don't have an af here
Nursultan > so sorry dude
Sen Palpatine > someone loan him a rifter :)
Sen Palpatine > nigh olf
Cirridan > i can sell u nurs an AF
Nursultan > i dont need it here and now, thanks. it's don who wanted a fight

I don't think this needs any comments.

Heart Beating Fast, Time To Die

OK, let's point that Ishkur, done, open up with Barrage rounds, ugh what? He's too close, I'm scrammed! Not to worry, my ECM drones should jam him in no time. Damn, his drones are killing them! Arrgh, a Vengeance has arrived to help him! They've killed my mate's Rifter! My drones are now gone! BEEEEYAAAAAATCH!!!
This is how I lost my first shiny Vagabond, a Tech 2 cruiser that has become my favourite toy lately. I made so many mistakes it makes me cringe: going after an Ishkur with a nos fitted instead of a neut, losing control of range, failing to check intel... I really deserved to be punished for that.
Fortunately, that Vagabond (rigged for speed before the nano nerf) had had a good run before dying, killing a couple of expensive battleships and lots of smaller stuff. And a replacement will probably be cheaper thanks to the introduction of smaller rigs.
I really need to learn a lot of things about flying it properly though: what distances to orbit at, how to manage my cap, how to engage some tougher targets.
Now, please, CCP, let it be a quick server update!!!

Trigger Hippie

I've podded people too much lately. It has become an instinct to lock a pod after a ship goes boom. But I really should think more about what I do after that.
The first case was a young Drake pilot running a mission in Siseide. Oblivious to scan probes, he let my mate pinpoint is location to which I then jumped in my Hurricane. I landed a bit too far away so the Drake warped out but soon he returned to the mission site and I got him. We were the only pilots in the system at the moment. I destroyed the Drake, managed to catch the pilot's pod and started negotiating a ransom. My victim was a bit slow with his replies, probably contemplating my offer, and finally said something like "bleh k". At that point I noticed local spike and, being a paranoid that I am, decided a rescue mission may be on its way. I one-volleyed the pod just as its pilot was typing, "wait a sec, I'll transfer the money". Argh!
I felt really bad about the whole thing and sent some money to the guy along with apologies.
The second case took place in Olfeim, a lowsec dead-end frequented by carebears. I spotted a Thrasher in a deadspace complex and went after it in my Wolf. As I engaged the destroyer, a Hawk assault frigate jumped in and started locking me. I quickly finished off the Thrasher, podded its pilot and overloaded my midslots to catch the Hawk. It was a long fight as he kept moving away and I was using short-range ammo, but in the end he died too. With adrenaline rush preventing my brains from working properly I quickly podded the Hawk pilot as well. WHY?!!! I should at least have tried to ransom!!!
Finally, I had a fight with Venom Orchid of the notorious Hellcats. I spotted her Rifter in Amamake's III-1 and started approaching in a Rifter of my own. She accepted the implicit duel offer and we were soon circling each other, shooting and repping. I won the fight (Venom said she was a bit slow with overloading her guns and actovating the repper) and again instinctively locked the pod. I didn't really want to pod Venom and started looting her wreck while thinking about my options. I mean, it's not every day that you get to have a sexy pirate chick next to you, scrambled and defenceless... Oooh the perverted fantasies!
"GET OUT!" a warning from my fleetmate, Leeloo Malaquin of Genos Occidere, brought me back to reality as a Pilgrim recon ship showed up next to us, probably after warping to Venom's wreck. I warped to a safespot as he was locking me, saved by the fact that he went after Venom first. Again, I felt like a dumbass for letting some random guy pod Venom, although she didn't seem to be upset with that.
WTB podding management courses.