Charting Your Path for Mining in EVE

I figure that after reading about the billions of ISK I've earned by mining using Stealth Miner, maybe some people are sold on the whole idea of mining but don't really know how to get started. So I'm going to put together a quick summary of what you want to look for in EVE Online mining ships for each race. Just remember this is the quick and dirty version, so you can always look online at all the tons of other EVE Online resources for more detailed info.

            Starting out you have four basic options. I started my alternate account as a hauler so I have an Amarr miner who already had some Amarr Frigate skills. I chose not to bother adding in a different race's ship types at that time and it hasn't really hurt me all that much. Also, nobody told me at that time how to do it “the right way” like I'm telling you now!

            So, my advice: go with Caldari ship skills for the Bantam. You need Caldari Frigate 2 and Mining 1 to hop in. Simple and quickly achieved. Raising these to 4/4 (in that order) is a great plan. Also consider training Mining Upgrades and Electronics to fit a low slot with a Mining Laser Upgrade. For base fittings, a pair of T1 miners is the best option. Cybernetics (and Science of course) can help you fit implants to make everything better as you need. Drones (up to T2 mining to increase yield or various combat versions for defense) can also be useful if you'd like to get them trained.

            If you really don't want to go with the Caldari ship option for some reason, just grab the racial ship you prefer. The Gallente Navitas, Minmatar Burst, and Amarr Tormenter are all fine EVE mining ships.

            Oh, and a quick tip: at the beginning make sure to save your ore. You should train Refining 4 before you do anything with it. I didn't for a while when I started and I really regret it more than my choice of using the Tormenter, that's for sure! Also, remember to make sure that what you are selling for is worth it. There are loads of resources available to you in and out of the game which can let you know when you are selling for a good deal. Don't sell if you're getting a terrible deal. Just stockpile and wait, or haul to a different location where you can get a good one.

Speaking of which, hauling is important with a miner. Make sure you skill for and grab an industrial ship at some point. As far as beginner ships go a lot of people love the Minmatar Mammoth. You'll have an easier time with the Badger if you're following Caldari, and the other races also have haulers of course. (I personally love the Amarr Bestower. It served me well for a long time when my alt was new.)

            Make the jump into an Osprey once you have Caldari Cruiser 1 and Spaceship Command 3. It happens to be the best of the available options in the cruiser department, but if you've gone a different racial route you can settle for one of the other eve online mining ships. Bump your Mining to 5, add in more Mining Upgrades (4), Electronics (5) and Engineering (5 is always a good number but you may not need it right now) and you can fit triple T2 miners, more than the single Mining Laser Upgrade that you had on the Bantam, a heavy launcher, and some tank. Make sure to pick up Astrogeology 4 at some point in the process, as you will need it to move up to a better ship.

            The next EVE Online mining ship on the list is the Retriever, a mining barge. Some people go for battleships, but they take a longer period of time to train and are not necessary for serious mining. So, get Mining Barge 3, and Industry 5 then hop into the cockpit. Say hello to strip miners in this eve mining ship!

            Top your skills off with some more training. Like Astrogeology 5. Then keep working to Mining Barge 5. This will get you into a Covetor, which is in essence a larger Retriever. It has another strip miner available, dramatically increasing your yield.

You should be an old hand at fitting eve ships by now, and mining should come as second nature. You might (if you have not already) go ahead and train Metallurgy 3. Then make sure you train up each metal's Ore Processing skill to 3 (or 4) and you'll be able to slot T1 (or T2) mining crystals, increasing your yield a great deal. Remember this doesn't work for ice mining!

            Once you're this far there's some serious mining muscle that becomes available at the next step. You'll need Industry 5 and Spaceship Command 4;  Exhumers 1 for the Skiff, Exhumers 2 for the Mackinaw, and Exhumers 3 for the Hulk. These are used (respectively) for mercoxit (though you'll need Deep Core Mining 2 and you will absolutely want Exhumers 5 to help out your bottom line), ice, and all other jobs. Of course you won't want to stop at Exhumers 3, so keep training for the bonuses.

            Once you're topped off on Exhumers, make sure you have Mining Drone Operation 5 and Drone Interfacing 5 for your mining drones. If you work in a team or use an alt account you can use Mining Foreman 5 for an additional boost to yield. There's a few implants that effect mining skill, so make sure to get your Cybernetics to 5. For rigs, you'll want to go with training for cargohold rigs, or for capacitor and/or shield rigs to help your tank.

            There you have it. My totally quick and dirty guide on how to train and progress as a miner. Believe me, with this and Stealth Miner you will have no problems pumping out the ISK in no time. These EVE Online mining ships coupled with the mining bot are your ticket to the big time.