Ninja Plexing- When SH!T H!TS the Fan

In my last post, I promised I would cover:

A: How to maximize griefage while Leeching (aka Ninja Plexing)
B: What to do if they do drop an alt on you.
C: Why I Leech rather than plex.

Before I go any further, Let me present my typical fit for Leeching (Ninja Plexing) FW Minmatar Plexes.  I use a Slasher, with the following fit:

Lows: Warp core stab I X2
Medium: 1mn Microwarpdrive i
EM Resistance Amp i
Thermal Resistance Amp i
4th slot is your choice. (ECM burst, warp disruptor, web, warp scrambler, another resistance amp, whatever will fit).

Highs: Prototype Cloak i

I use the MWD to be able to get to the button quickly.  This is useful when I notice that there is minimal time remaining (say 20-30 seconds) upon my initial warp in.  I used to use an AB so that I could run the sites as well, however, after missing out on one too many majors by a few kilometers, I switched to the MWD.

The resistance amps aren't necessary, but if they do warp out, and I grab agro, they let me survive long enough to warp out (or on rare occasions finish the plex myself).

The warp core stabs are if they bring (or decloak) a neutral alt who points you, so that you can get away.

I will explain the cloak in a bit.  In the mean time, I will go over my strategy.  If you want to maximize profit, you will keep a stopwatch (or stopwatch app on your phone) handy.  I will warp in to major and medium plexes, note how much time is left (a piece of paper and pencil dont hurt), and unless it is 2 minutes or less, i will leave.  No sense spooking the poor bastard too soon.  I typically check a couple neighboring systems for their mediums and majors.  You can check minors too, but they really don't pay too much.  After I notice, that there is roughly 2-2.5 minutes left until a plex is about to be completed, I will warp to the plex, enter it, double check the time (on occasion, people were chased out, or otherwise left the button, thus making my timing be off) and proceed to orbit the button. 

To maximize profit, you typically want to switch between complexes and systems, and not leech off any one person too much (for profit, you want to anger people as little as possible, because having to deal with them will lower your LP/hour).  After working an area of systems, switch to a new area.  At one lucky point, I was able to leech 3 majors, and 1 medium, in about 20 minutes.  Thus having made roughly 46K LP in 20 minutes (or at tier 5, which I cashed the LP out at, roughly 140M isk in 20 minutes).

Now, if they try to drop an alt on you, or you notice there is roughly say, 4 minutes left, and you don't want to warp off, and warp back, that is where the cloak comes in.

And the cloak, can be used two different ways.  If you don't want to spook them, and do want them to do the "heavy lifting" for you, at least until it is too late, yet you don't want to warp off, (I usually do this with say, 2-4 minutes left on a timer) you can enter the plex, burn off the entrance, and cloak up.  Then simply wait for the timer to get low, before decloaking and burning into range of the button.  If you get into the plex, and notice they have a neutral alt waiting for you, you can quickly turn the mwd on, to get away from the warp in (which usually decloaks you, and prevents you from cloaking), and cloak up.  This way you are safe, and in the plex. You merely decloak and approach the button with like 15-20 seconds left (MWD on).

Between the warp core stabs, and the cloak, I have yet to be blown up, since I have switched to this fit.  Sure, no fit is full-proof, but this greatly enhances your survivability.

Now, for those of you whose main goal is to cause grief, and a lowered morale of your opponents plexers, here are some things you can do to maximize pain to the enemy.

1: Leech in groups of 3 ships.  With 3 ships, you can scour for major and mediums in multiple systems at a time, form up, and take 3/4 of their LP.  Careful though, Hell hath no fury, like a carebear who just had his earned LP for running a major go from 25K to 6.25K.  In groups, you can even have more of a pvp fit, and take down neutral alts who try to chase 1 toon off (you can even bait neutral toons this way).  Because you are splitting the LP 4 ways rather than 2, the LP/hour isn't as good, but is much more demoralizing, and harder to counter.

2: Follow a guy around.  Use your cloak to stalk someone and keep stealing their LP.  It makes most people want to log, after they unsuccessfully travel a few systems, only to be constantly harassed.

3: And of course, when causing pain to the enemy, local is your friend.  Taunt them, kindly of course.

My Kind Taunting Face

All in all, although plexing is easy, and pays better, I tend to leech more often due to it being fun.  Face it, plexing is boring as hell.  Leeching (Ninja Plexing), not only has an element of demoralizing the enemy, and helping your side win the war, but also, since you are going whits to whits with a real person, there is a bit of a challenge there.  They can perform an action that you didn't see coming, or vice versa.  It can be a bit of a game of cat and mouse, but much like in pvp, you often learn something.

Enjoy your leeching.