EVE Online – Best High End Mining Ship

High End Mining Ship Rating

• Retriever – solo, best cargo hold but slow m3 rate bad defense.
• Covetor – solo, low cargo hold but best m3 rate bad defense.
• Procurer -solo best defense, medium cargo hold medium m3 rate.

Tech 2 versions are pretty much the same but with more perks and better m3 yield.

I have nerver used command ships to mine so cant say if they are better in m3/min.

I just know the rorqual is the best mining ship but this are not recomended for solo players because they are an easy target in null sec, you need corpmates willing to save you if you get attacked.

“Best” is situational. But if you’re asking this question, you should go for the Procurer/Skiff. They’re the tankiest, aside from Command/Capital ships.

The Retriever/Mackinaw are meant to stay on the belt longer, with their large ore hold, but you’ll be a target since you’re FAR easier to destroy than the above.

The Covetor/Hulk mine the fastest, but their small hold generally requires them to work with an Orca (or such) to dump their ore into, and are also the juiciest targets on the belt that gankers drool over. You can also jet-can mine, but that has it’s own risks, as well as still being left with a large amount of ore to move.

The Orca is a Command Ship, and generally meant to support the above ships by providing boosts, protection, and a drop off point. But they can also mine solo with Drones, although not as effectively as other ships that are receiving Boosts. The only reason you’d solo mine with an Orca is if you wanted to go afk, checking back now and then to reassign your drones to different asteroids. In theory, it’s an effective way to still make a little profit while you attend to RL things. But it’s also dangerous. You could be jumped by 20 Destroyers while you’re away and unable to react (such as sending out your powerful attack drones,) or you could be bumped away and have your drones stolen.

I’ve never owned a Rorqual, but apparently they used to be able to strip mine a belt in record time. I’m not sure how they are now after the changes, but they’re beasts in every category, except, understandably, speed. But one thing about them is they can’t enter Hi-sec. So if you dream of piloting one, you have to expect, and prepare for, people who desperately want to destroy it, and you’ll get no help from Concord.