"The Pirate's Playbook" is a series of articles in which I detail every scam, con, hustle, hoodwink, gambit, flimflam, strategem and bamboozle that you can use to separate your prey from their loot.
Please note: the author of the Pirate's Guide to the Galaxy does not guarantee the success rate or even the sanity of any of the schemes described below. Use at your own risk. For best results, read in your best Neil Patrick Harris impression.
THE VENTURE CAPITALIST
To perform the Venture Capitalist, here’s what you’ll need:
- A Tayru or other means to transport ships
- A lowsec or nullsec system that is popular with miners (preferably far away from Jita)
- A ship that can pop said miners efficiently (a Hound should work nicely)
- An entrepreneurial spirit and some start-up cash
THE PLAY
- Scout out the system incognito (any cov-ops ships should do), making note of the common ships flown by the miners in the area.
- Head to a major trade hub and buy or build the most popular ships from step 1. Buy some appropriate modules while you are at it. If you don’t know what modules to get, check your killmails.
- Using a Tayru or other hauler, move the ships and modules to the target system and place them on the market at a 20-50% markup. The further you are from Jita, the higher you can get away with. Deep in nullsec can fetch VERY high prices...
- Switch to your combat ship of choice and slaughter every miner you can find, collecting their loot as you go.
- Periodically return to station and sell your ill-gotten goods (for a decent markup)
- Sit back and watch as your targets buy your ships and modules to replace the ones you just destroyed.
- Rinse and repeat as needed (but don’t come back so often they look for another system!)
Additional Notes
- The above assumes that you are a pure combat pilot with no appreciable industry skills. If you have an industry alt or some knack for making ships yourself, then you can make this even more profitable by placing cheap buy orders for minerals in the target system, then building the ships at the target location. This works especially well in deep nullsec, since it is easier to transport blueprints than fully-built ships.
- Obviously, it is important not to let your targets know they are buying from you - they might feel... resentful and shop elsewhere. Luckily, the market in Echoes is anonymous.
- This can also work for ratting ships, but you REALLY have to know your targets. Ratters tend to be more particular than miners - a Prophecy pilots isn’t likely to buy a Caracal.
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