EVE Online Mining Guide
This guide to mining in EVE Online will tell you which systems have the asteroids that you need to find, about the best ships for mining, and generally how to become a good miner.
What is the best mining ship?
Good beginner mining ships for the casual miner are frigates: Tormenter (Amarr), Bantam (Caldari), Navitas (Gallente), and Burst (Minmatar). The best mining cruisers are Arbitrator (Amarr), Osprey (Caldari), Vexor (Gallente), and Scythe (Minmatar).
Serious miners should use Mining Barges and then train up to use Exhumers. Start with the Retreiver, move on to the Covetor, then move on to the Hulk. To pilot the Retriever, train Mining and Science to level IV, then train Astrogeology to IV. Train Industry to V and finally train Mining Barge to III, and you will be able to pilot a Retriever. To move up to the Covetor, train Astrogeology to V, and Mining Barge to V, and you can use it. Then, to pilot the Hulk, train Exhumers to III, and Spaceship Command to IV.
Almost any ship can be used as a mining ship. If you are mining solo, be sure to use a ship with many mining turrets, and decent cargohold and drone bay size. If you are mining in a group hauling ore that someone else mines, use an Industrial (the Caldari Badger Mk II is a good one to start with). If you are just mining, with someone else hauling, get a Hulk.
What ore do I get from each asteroid type?
| Asteroid | Tritanium | Pyerite | Mexallon | Nocxium | Isogen | Zydrine | Megacyte | Morphite |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Veldspar | Yes | |||||||
| Scordite | Yes | Yes | ||||||
| Pyroxeres | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||||
| Plagioclase | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||||
| Omber | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||||
| Kernite | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||||
| Jaspet | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||
| Hemorphite | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||||
| Hedbergite | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||||
| Gneiss | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||||
| Dark Ochre | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||||
| Crokite | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||||
| Spodumain | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||||
| Bistot | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||||
| Arkonor | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||||
| Mercoxit | Yes |
Where to find specific types of asteroids
Some types of asteroids can only be found in systems with a specific range of security ratings. Some asteroid types can only be found in systems of a specific faction. See below for the details of which systems have which types of asteroids.
| Asteroid Type | Where to Find It |
|---|---|
| Veldspar | 1.0 Systems |
| Scordite | 1.0 Systems |
| Pyroxeres | 0.9 and lower Amarr and Caldari Systems |
| Plagioclase | 0.9 and lower Gallente and Minmatar Systems 0.7 and lower Caldari Systems |
| Omber | 0.7 and lower Gallente and Minmatar Systems |
| Kernite | 0.7 and lower Amarr Systems 0.4 and lower Caldari and Minmatar Systems |
| Jaspet | 0.4 and lower Gallente and Amarr Systems |
| Hemorphite | 0.2 and lower Gallente and Amarr Systems |
| Hedbergite | 0.2 and lower Caldari and Minmatar Systems |
| Gneiss | 0.0 Systems |
| Dark Ochre | 0.0 Systems |
| Spodumain | 0.0 Systems |
| Crokite | 0.0 Systems |
| Bistot | 0.0 Systems |
| Arkonor | 0.0 Systems |
| Mercoxit | 0.0 Systems |
Which asteroids are the best sources of each mineral?
| Mineral | Best Ore |
|---|---|
| Tritanium | Veldspar, Concentrated Veldspar (5% more yield), Dense Veldspar (10% more) |
| Pyerite | Scordite, Condensed Scordite (5% more), Massive Scordite (10% more) |
| Mexallon | Plagioclase, Azure Plagioclase (5% more), Rich Plagioclase (10% more) |
| Isogen | Omber, Silvery Omber (5% more), Golden Omber (10% more) |
| Nocxium | Hemorphite, Vivid Hemorphite (5% more), Radiant Hemorphite (10%) |
| Zydrine | Crokite, Sharp Crokite (5%), Crystalline Crokite (10%) |
| Megacyte | Arkonor, Crimson Arkonor (5%), Prime Arkonor (10%) |
| Morphite | Mercoxcit, Magma Mercoxit (5%), Vitreous Mercoxit (10%) |
How do I get better at mining?
Learn skills that improve your mining yield, mining drone yield, and ship speed, and skills that reduce the CPU, powergrid, and capacitor needs of mining equipment. Use modules that increase cargo space, increase the speed of your ship, and use the best mining lasers that you can afford. Use Strip Miners if your ship can fit them. Put scout drones in your drone bay to defend against attackers, and fit EWAR modules to your ship to help you escape from enemies.
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