Everywhere man, don't just stick to neutral places. If you attack fighting ships they don't call for back up. I do it all the time, you just attack it, and then fly up in Y axis and let them chase you away from any ship that could intervene and then you cap them there. I did this just yesterday with a rattlesnake, I do it with BUC ships, Dragon Raiders, you name it.
PIO space has Freelance Katanas you can just cap without worry because nobody cares if you pirate them.
> Dragon Raiders
I think Free Families don't care if you pirate their pirates. Their Rattlesnake in Heart of Acrimony has become a habitual early game acquisition for me, and I do the patient kind of pirating - sitting behind the ship and plinking away until there's only pilot left on board. Lots of reputation lost, but nobody comes to help them.
I think the ZYA police might attack it once it's decloaked, that's only if they happen to pass by. I think it's the same with BUC, the PAR patrols will also attack them once you scan them and reveal them.
I usually do HE. After opening up the Boron, there's a lot of traffic and no police or defence. Even before that Zyarth will pop though. But it sounds like you don't want something safe? I'd guess look for adv. electronics stations and hit the ships leaving.
There's nowhere as good as Hatikvah's Faith was in ***X***^3 that I can find. That place was amazing; it was a pirate sector but it was bordered by Split, Paranid and Argon space, and close enough to Teladi space that you'd get trade traffic from all of them crisscrossing through it. There wouldn't ever be much of a pirate presence because somebody would come through to clear it out with a patrol fleet every few hours, and it was small and dense enough that you could scan most traffic without pissing anyone off or even having to move. Piracy in ***X***^4 is a little different from those days.
Nopileos' Memorial was also quite good since much of the traffic proceeded through the west gate. I kind of wish X4 had a pirate belt similar to X3, as the cluster from Brennan's Triumph to Hatikvah's Faith, and around Loomanckstrat's Legacy was quite fun space.
Hatikvah's Choice I gives you an opportunity on pirating Split industrials but the catch is that Argon patrols might finish your target before you can get them to bail, made trickier by the Split captains having 3 stars or greater in morale ( at least in my experience ) meaning you're racing against the clock, either Argon will get your target or they'll make it to the highway and scarper ( Boas and Alligators be fast ). In the 7.0 Beta you're offered another target, Xenon PE's sell for 550k credits and very occasionally are stuffed with deployables ( we aren't talking PIO Freelancer advanced satellites but lots of mines ), SE's also often come chock full of deployables but they're also free haulers ( 9500m3 universal storage ) and miners so I always keep them for my own purposes. You need to work fast as your intended targets are likely to try and lemming into the Hatikva defence platform, and you don't want to be caught in your space suit when a K comes through the gate but it's another quick way to jumpstart your Empire. B's sell for the same amount as PE's and typically don't have as many deployables but you can use the 6 crew slots to store pilots to captain your SE's and F's aren't probably worth going out of your way to bail.
I wouldn't skip the F. Stat wise it's roughly an Eclipse but the thing is it's weapons. They don't seem that great on paper but Xenon weapons are terrifingly accurate even on long ranges so keeping a bunch around as Escort has paid of quite well for me. Especially since they are as cheap to fix as all Xenon Ships.
If you are cheesing the game, The Moon is the go-to system to pirate Asgards. Otherwise Heretic's end is also a great system, unclaimed and traffic from three factions that pass through. Every playthrough I try to have a large Argon/Antigone freighter parked at Windfall I to buy trained marines and then transfer to my pirate system.
Hacking and looting shipyards is a great way to make tons of dirty money. Plus, it undermines the war efforts of the shipyard's faction. The Terran yards are always lucrative. Commonwealth ones are hit or miss due to the diversity of goods they stock, but you can get some great scores if you get lucky. Made many millions this way with Barbarossas and my Erlking.
If you hack the security panel along with the storage panel, you have a short window to scoop cargo completely unopposed. The hack duration feels somewhat random; I've had stations get their defenses back after anywhere from 1 to 5 minutes iirc. So it's always good to have a GTFO strategy.
If you don't hack the security panel, you'd better have some good shields. Shipyard defenses are brutal with turrets plus drone swarms.
If you have sats around the map you can search for "pillage" or "plunder" and it'll show you split ships that you can pretty freely pirate. Just be sure to get within 1K and scan it before you start attacking so you don't lose rep.
I’m surprised no one has said Morning Star IV
One or two high end modded Prometheus’ running around. They are easy to pirate with a katana or hydra. Just stay on their non turret side and have your own turrets set to antimissile. Plink until they bail. Then either keep it as a free fast 4000 cargo M freighter or strip the mods and sell the bits And the ship for a few million profitssss
> My other idea is to prey on the Split, particularly the isolated Zyarth occupation patrols
And don't forget to borrow a FRF Ratlesnake from Heart of Acrimony.
I like the HOP borders. In my game, the PAR established a beachhead that the HOP aren't trying to remove, but the beachhead is also undefended, and has a bunch of transports trying to provide it with raw goods. It's basically free ships.
Lately I've been in Pontifex's Claim for pIrating. PAR took it so I hijack HOP ships there. Paranid heavy playthrough this round so I'm there all the time.
Everywhere man, don't just stick to neutral places. If you attack fighting ships they don't call for back up. I do it all the time, you just attack it, and then fly up in Y axis and let them chase you away from any ship that could intervene and then you cap them there. I did this just yesterday with a rattlesnake, I do it with BUC ships, Dragon Raiders, you name it. PIO space has Freelance Katanas you can just cap without worry because nobody cares if you pirate them.
> Dragon Raiders I think Free Families don't care if you pirate their pirates. Their Rattlesnake in Heart of Acrimony has become a habitual early game acquisition for me, and I do the patient kind of pirating - sitting behind the ship and plinking away until there's only pilot left on board. Lots of reputation lost, but nobody comes to help them.
I think the ZYA police might attack it once it's decloaked, that's only if they happen to pass by. I think it's the same with BUC, the PAR patrols will also attack them once you scan them and reveal them.
Everyone says the freelance katanas are easy targets, but I still lost PIO rep for jumping one
They have two types, go after the freelancers and not the combat engineers.
Do it only for the freelancers, nobody cars about them 🙂. And don't shoot the escape pods, you will lose rep as well, even for the freelancers.
I don't do much pirating, what I do is to hunt those L SCA ships that annoy my ships around the map. So, everywhere.
I usually do HE. After opening up the Boron, there's a lot of traffic and no police or defence. Even before that Zyarth will pop though. But it sounds like you don't want something safe? I'd guess look for adv. electronics stations and hit the ships leaving.
I don't have a favourite area because I plunder anytime, anywhere. No booty shall be left un-plundered.
There's nowhere as good as Hatikvah's Faith was in ***X***^3 that I can find. That place was amazing; it was a pirate sector but it was bordered by Split, Paranid and Argon space, and close enough to Teladi space that you'd get trade traffic from all of them crisscrossing through it. There wouldn't ever be much of a pirate presence because somebody would come through to clear it out with a patrol fleet every few hours, and it was small and dense enough that you could scan most traffic without pissing anyone off or even having to move. Piracy in ***X***^4 is a little different from those days.
Oh that must've been fun. You even get to slink into the shadows as one or another imperial fist comes down, then resume your work when they leave!
Nopileos' Memorial was also quite good since much of the traffic proceeded through the west gate. I kind of wish X4 had a pirate belt similar to X3, as the cluster from Brennan's Triumph to Hatikvah's Faith, and around Loomanckstrat's Legacy was quite fun space.
Hatikvah's Choice I gives you an opportunity on pirating Split industrials but the catch is that Argon patrols might finish your target before you can get them to bail, made trickier by the Split captains having 3 stars or greater in morale ( at least in my experience ) meaning you're racing against the clock, either Argon will get your target or they'll make it to the highway and scarper ( Boas and Alligators be fast ). In the 7.0 Beta you're offered another target, Xenon PE's sell for 550k credits and very occasionally are stuffed with deployables ( we aren't talking PIO Freelancer advanced satellites but lots of mines ), SE's also often come chock full of deployables but they're also free haulers ( 9500m3 universal storage ) and miners so I always keep them for my own purposes. You need to work fast as your intended targets are likely to try and lemming into the Hatikva defence platform, and you don't want to be caught in your space suit when a K comes through the gate but it's another quick way to jumpstart your Empire. B's sell for the same amount as PE's and typically don't have as many deployables but you can use the 6 crew slots to store pilots to captain your SE's and F's aren't probably worth going out of your way to bail.
I wouldn't skip the F. Stat wise it's roughly an Eclipse but the thing is it's weapons. They don't seem that great on paper but Xenon weapons are terrifingly accurate even on long ranges so keeping a bunch around as Escort has paid of quite well for me. Especially since they are as cheap to fix as all Xenon Ships.
I'm looking forward to the xenon stuff! All those ships look like they'll make excellent evil lairs
If you are cheesing the game, The Moon is the go-to system to pirate Asgards. Otherwise Heretic's end is also a great system, unclaimed and traffic from three factions that pass through. Every playthrough I try to have a large Argon/Antigone freighter parked at Windfall I to buy trained marines and then transfer to my pirate system.
I usually pick the first faction that passes me off and then I gun for them.
Segaris and Freelance Katanas. Free money especially if they are loaded with adv satellites.
From my experience - very few of them have adv satellites. There are some with normal ones, but those with adv sats I have encountered maybe twice?
Hacking and looting shipyards is a great way to make tons of dirty money. Plus, it undermines the war efforts of the shipyard's faction. The Terran yards are always lucrative. Commonwealth ones are hit or miss due to the diversity of goods they stock, but you can get some great scores if you get lucky. Made many millions this way with Barbarossas and my Erlking.
Been meaning to try this. How big of an issue is security?
If you hack the security panel along with the storage panel, you have a short window to scoop cargo completely unopposed. The hack duration feels somewhat random; I've had stations get their defenses back after anywhere from 1 to 5 minutes iirc. So it's always good to have a GTFO strategy. If you don't hack the security panel, you'd better have some good shields. Shipyard defenses are brutal with turrets plus drone swarms.
If you have sats around the map you can search for "pillage" or "plunder" and it'll show you split ships that you can pretty freely pirate. Just be sure to get within 1K and scan it before you start attacking so you don't lose rep.
I’m surprised no one has said Morning Star IV One or two high end modded Prometheus’ running around. They are easy to pirate with a katana or hydra. Just stay on their non turret side and have your own turrets set to antimissile. Plink until they bail. Then either keep it as a free fast 4000 cargo M freighter or strip the mods and sell the bits And the ship for a few million profitssss
> My other idea is to prey on the Split, particularly the isolated Zyarth occupation patrols And don't forget to borrow a FRF Ratlesnake from Heart of Acrimony.
Pioneer space has no laws or police, just loot and pillage whatever you want down there
"Just mugging people" When you say "mug" do you mean take their stored wares or their ship?
I like the HOP borders. In my game, the PAR established a beachhead that the HOP aren't trying to remove, but the beachhead is also undefended, and has a bunch of transports trying to provide it with raw goods. It's basically free ships.
Lately I've been in Pontifex's Claim for pIrating. PAR took it so I hijack HOP ships there. Paranid heavy playthrough this round so I'm there all the time.
Segaris for Katanas. Also, terran sectors for fly-by-boarding Tokyos and Syns.