“Sig tanking” referers to the signature of your ship. Small ships typically have a small signature making it more difficult to hit than e.g. a Cruiser with a bigger signature. Add “speed tanking” to this - with an Afterburner, not, with an MWD, those increase your signature, reducing your sig-tank. And you can have an efficient way to mitigate damage. Most of the time you need an additional active tank to survive the rest of incoming damage.
I’m not sure what you mean by ninja mining. I would understand that you leave the site in the moment sleepers warp in. But as I understoond the opening post, you didn’t want to do that?
Sure, I have cleared both Vitals and Instrumentals in a Solo Paladin. Was hairy as â– â– â– â– . Just up the tank and Cap regen over a C4 fit and you are fine.
My Fit was full rechargers in the Mids, 2X DS Reps + 2X Faction EAM + DC2. Smartbombs to Kill frigs.
I use 2X Nestors now, might not be solo but its much safer and cheaper too.
Most individual ships will be hard-pressed to survive in a C-5 site - say, Instrumental Core Reservoir - without other ships on hand to divert away firepower. Sleeper DPS is high, something like 1000 DPS with 18,952 per volley. The more ships to bear the load, the better.
For an individual, divide however much of your EHP you can afford to lose by 1100 or so, then multiply the result by your DPS. That is how much damage you will do to 1 enemy ship. Warp out, repair, and warp back to kill another; it is very hard to complete a C5-exclusive gas site in 1 ship. Ships like the Paladin will be hard-pressed for this; DPS in a C4 gas site is like 1/5 of that of a C5-exclusive gas site.
If the site you are planning on clearing is not one of the following: Exceptional, Infrequent, Isolated, Rarified, Uncommon, or Unusual Core Deposit, or Instrumental or Vital Core Reservoir, take the advice of the Paladin-users above.
Pretty sure at least 1 if not both of the C5/6 Gas sites and points for Warping out is not really an option.
As for the DPS. pretty sure those Gas sites are well over 2K DPS , Alpha is very high. Any Marauder would handle them if fit for tank its just that you drop to like 20% Armor (or Shields for a shield ship) before repping up. Cap Can also be an issue but with a heavy booster or max Reg and a bit of DPS tanking its not an issue.
PS, when I said C4 fit , I meant C4 Anom fit. No need to use a Pally for C4 gas sites.