The best defence against a gank isn’t your tank—it’s making yourself an unprofitable target.

High Security Space is not safe space.

CONCORD punishes illegal aggression, but they do not prevent it. If a group of attackers can destroy your ship before CONCORD arrives, they will lose their ships but may still make a profit.

The good news is that most ganks are preventable. By following the guidance in this document, you can significantly reduce your chances of becoming a target.

Understanding High-Sec Ganking

A gank is a planned attack where one or more players sacrifice their own ships to destroy yours before CONCORD intervenes.

Gankers usually look for one or more of the following:

Expensive cargo
Poorly tanked ships
AFK pilots
Valuable modules
Predictable behaviour
Easy kills

Your objective is to avoid being any of these.

Rule 1 – Never Fly What You Can’t Afford to Lose

Every ship in EVE is expendable.

Before undocking, ask yourself:

“If this ship explodes today, can I replace it?”

If the answer is no, fly something cheaper.

Rule 2 – Fit a Proper Tank

Mining yield means nothing if your ship dies.

Prioritise:

Shield Extenders
Shield Hardeners
Damage Control
Shield rigs
Appropriate resistance modules

An extra minute spent fitting can save hundreds of millions of ISK.

LSE recommends balanced fittings that combine good mining performance with a strong defensive tank.

Rule 3 – Don’t Fit “Bling”

Every expensive module increases your value.

Ask yourself:

Does this module genuinely improve performance?
Is the improvement worth the additional risk?

Often, Tech II modules provide excellent performance without making your ship an attractive target.

Rule 4 – Stay at Your Keyboard

AFK mining is one of the easiest ways to lose a ship.

Stay alert by:

Watching Local
Watching your Overview
Monitoring fleet chat
Listening on voice comms if available

A pilot paying attention has far more options than one who returns to a wreck.

Rule 5 – Know Your Local System

Learn who regularly visits your area.

If you repeatedly see the same characters arriving shortly before ships are destroyed, take notice.

Patterns matter.

Rule 6 – Watch Local

Local chat is your early warning system.

When unfamiliar pilots enter system:

Take note.
Check their behaviour.
Stay alert.
Be ready to warp.

One new pilot isn’t always a threat—but several known gankers arriving together should raise your awareness.

Rule 7 – Use Your Overview

Configure your Overview to show:

Combat ships
Destroyers
Battlecruisers
Catalysts
Tornados
Thrashers
Coercers

If a group of destroyers suddenly appears on grid, assume they are hostile until proven otherwise.

Rule 8 – Stay Aligned

Whenever practical, remain aligned to:

A station
A structure
A safe bookmark

An aligned ship enters warp much faster than one starting from a standstill.

Rule 9 – Avoid Predictable Habits

Don’t always:

Mine the same belt.
Mine at the same time.
Haul at the same hour.
Use the same route every day.

Predictable pilots are easier to hunt.

Rule 10 – Don’t Advertise Wealth

Avoid carrying unnecessary valuables.

Examples include:

Large amounts of ore
Expensive blueprints
Valuable implants (when avoidable)
Rare modules

Only carry what you need.

Rule 11 – Haul Smart

When transporting cargo:

Split large loads into smaller trips.
Use ships suited to hauling.
Avoid autopilot.
Warp manually.
Stay attentive.

Losing one smaller load is far better than losing everything in a single trip.

Rule 12 – Understand CONCORD

CONCORD will destroy the attackers.

They will not:

Save your ship.
Repair your ship.
Arrive instantly.

Their response time depends on the system’s security status and other factors, so never rely on them as your primary defence.

Rule 13 – If You Think You’re Being Hunted

If something feels wrong:

Dock up.
Take a short break.
Switch activities.
Move to another system.
Inform your fleet.

Waiting a few minutes often causes opportunistic gankers to look elsewhere.

Rule 14 – Fleet Up

Mining with others provides:

Better awareness.
Shared intelligence.
Fleet boosts.
Faster communication.

While fleets cannot stop every gank, they greatly improve your ability to react.

Rule 15 – Learn From Every Loss

Eventually, everyone loses ships.

When it happens:

Review the killmail.
Identify what could have been done differently.
Ask experienced members for advice.
Improve your fitting or habits.

Every loss is an opportunity to become a harder target.

LSE Best Practices

Within Last Stand Enterprises we encourage all members to:

Fly properly tanked ships.
Stay active while mining.
Report suspicious activity in corporation chat or fleet.
Help newer pilots understand common ganking tactics.
Avoid unnecessary risks for marginal gains.
Follow fleet instructions promptly.

Keeping everyone informed makes the entire corporation more resilient.

Quick Checklist Before Undocking

✓ Ship fully fitted

✓ Tank modules online

✓ Cargo checked

✓ Skill queue running

✓ Local monitored

✓ Fleet joined (if applicable)

✓ Destination confirmed

✓ Replacement ISK available

Final Thoughts

High-sec ganking is a part of EVE Online’s sandbox. The objective is not to eliminate risk, but to manage it wisely.

Most gankers are looking for quick, profitable kills. By fitting sensible ships, staying alert, avoiding unnecessary risks, and working together with your corporation, you can make yourself a far less attractive target.

A prepared pilot is rarely the easiest kill.

Fly smart. Stay vigilant. Make the gankers look elsewhere