Tricks of the Trade: Emergency Backup Prober

A covert ops friend with the ability to launch scan probes and narrow down targets at your convenience is a great tool to have at your disposal. Unfortunately you don't always have that luxury, you might be a long way from home flying solo or you just simply don't have access to a prober.

This is where the Emergency Backup Prober (EBP) comes into play. An unusual device, unlike any other module, largely due to the fact that it isn't actually a module at all. 

The EBP is a small device that can be situated in most capsules and is roughly the size of a small toy handgun. The EBP is a mind control device that allegedly feeds off of space and time brainwave energy of capsuleer pilots in any given solar system.

Case Study.

Justice League member Miura Bull is, funnily enough, patrolling the sector in his Helios covert ops ship. Unfortunately for Miura Bull, his covert ops ship is rigged for battle and does not have a probe launcher fitted. A Thorax class vessel appears on scan and Miura Bull is confident that this pilot is running a nearby mission.

Normally, Miura Bull would move along and out of the system, as he doesn't have any means to narrow down his potential prey. However, down by Miura's left side is his EBP unit, glistening brightly through the lime-green slime of his capsule.

He fires open the EBP. A fleet invite is sent to the Thorax pilot. Scientific study rates the success rate of the EBP at approximately 50%. The pilot will either accept the fleet invite from the incoming EBP signals or he will reject it.

After a successful EBP fleet invite Miura Bull initiates the next stage of the trap. He already has a message typed and ready to display in the fleet communication channel.

Miura Bull > Oops sorry about that wrong button :)

Miura initiates warp to his fleet member and then immediately leaves the fleet. The initial shock of a hit from an EBP fleet signal, and then the closing of the fleet usually does one of two things.

1. The unsuspecting victims think to themselves, "Heh what an idiot, what was that guy?", and then they carry on their business.

2. They will warp off in confusion. Luckily for us though, they will usually warp back to their mission gate once the initial shock has worn away.

If number 1 is activated then we warp into the mission and make our kill. If number 2 is activated then we wait and bookmark mission gates. 

Either way, the Emergency Backup Prober has provided many pilots with kills that would be otherwise unobtainable. It is a great mind trick tool. Try it one day, you'll be surprised how good it can be.

Oh yeah, that Thorax chose option 1.

MB.