I’m trying to return back to the game on a bit of a casual basis - just doing some low sec mining, building some t1 ships for the local market just to give myself a goal and pass the time. I’m not really interested in joining a corp right now beacuse I expect my playtime to drop once the corona virus lock down is finished.
Anyway I’m fairly experienced in low sec of old but how do I go about countering T3 ships with the covert subsystem? Before T3 I’d only really have to deal with cloaky frigates and I can probably escape/destroy those before they call in reinforcements. But with the T3 strategic cruisers my barge won’t be able to destroy it before it destroys me and I can’t see it warp into the belt so even if I’m aligned and stopped I won’t be able to escape before they can lock/point.
I mine in a skiff/procurer so I have the tank but I don’t think this helps.
I’m guessing EC-300 's aren’t going to be very reliable?
Is there any defence I’m missing here? I don’t mind taking some risk and I won’t dock up as soon as a neut comes into the system but I don’t want to hand over easy kill mails either.
Sounds like you’re taking excessive risk to me. You’re in low sec mining, I’d be using all the tools available and docking up when a neut comes into system (unless you’re bait?).
You could try and be aligned to a safe spot at all times, as you move through the belt mining, and at that point I’d suggest a bomber uncloaking and lighting a covert cyno (for more bombers) is more of a threat than a T3 decloaking on you (due to the no delay to locking on decloak bonus a stealth bomber gets). How long does it take you to lock up a bomber and engage your drones with your barge? If you’re aligned and a T3/stratios/recon/anything-not-a-bomber decloaks you can just warp.
If you’re just sat in the belt/anom/etc (not moving) then you’re probably going to die no matter what decloaks (or warps in) on you, cause when you see an Interceptor on dscan and you’re not moving it’s already too late, the rest of the gang is otw.
I feel the need to point out if you’re stopped no amount of ‘alignment’ is going to help, because you’re not moving, so having your ship pointed in a direction isn’t going to help you get up to warp speed and get out.
Have you considered mining in an Emerging Conduit in high sec? Between regular static belts and the ore in Emerging Conduits, you can get all of the minerals you need to manufacture T1 ships in high sec.
I think high sec mining must be boring as hell. The only thing that keeps it interesting for me is doing it in lowsec and staying alert. I always find null sec quite isolating.
But yes starting to come to this conclusion, maybe time for a new career!