This is a technique to nick a few items and make modest profits in the process.
Part I
Ship Build
Any ship that will permit equipping a cargo hold, hatch breaker limpets, collection limpets, a manifest scanner, a planetary surface scanner and an A rated shield will do. Be sure to bring your limpets! I used an Asp Explorer to test this out, but there are many ships that would work. Weapons are not necessary but equipping a mine launcher or two can facilitate your escape should you be attacked.
Location
Find an anarchy system with a resource extraction site (Low) that overlaps a hotspot. In my experience, zones outside of hotspots have a lower probability of spawning ships carrying gold or platinum. This tool can be used to find platinum hotspots, but you will need to then use another tool like EDDB to determine if they are Anarchy or not. I've actually found ships carrying platinum in non-platinum hotspots, so it may be just a coincidence that I have found more platinum carrying ships in hotspots. If you need a tip on how to use your detailed surface scanner to find hotspots, check out this guide. Since you are thieving in Anarchy systems, you will not incur bounties for using hatch breakers.
This is the type of thing you would expect to see in supercruise.
Process
Drop into the instance and wait for the miners to populate. They will have pink/purple beams lighting up asteroids. Use the manifest scanner to peek into their holds. Prioritize combat capable miners first, they tend to have higher quality items. With a small sample, I have found that Keelbacks tend to have the highest probability of having platinum. Adders may have low temperature diamonds.
Select the targets panel with the scanned ship targeted, and you will see what it is carrying.
Prioritize single targets over targets in wings. Get in close and fire off a hatch breaker limpet.
Stay close and launch your collection limpets. Open your cargo scoop and follow your mark as close as possible as the cargo dribbles out. If the target ship has point defense, little green pulses will wipe out your collection limpets. The closer you are to the target, the less likely this will happen. I’d recommend setting undesirable resources to ignore so that your limpets will only pick up the desired quantity. The target may plink away at your shields. Just tank it (chaff if you’d like) and go about your shoplifting. You may have to fire off a few hatch breakers and collection limpets to get all the loot you want from the mark. You can see which resources are nearby using your contacts panel.
While you are ripping off the NPC, you may be scanned by pirate NPCs. Ignore them until you are done with your mark. They will text you threatening messages, and even begin to shoot at you. Don’t panic. Get your loot.
Once you have what you want, boost away while dropping mines and wake out.
Selling the Loot
Head over to https://edtools.cc/miner and find out who is paying the most for your loot.
Make sure that your destination has a black market, or you won’t be able to sell all that gold in the hold (preferably platinum). Check the system panel to confirm the black market service is available.
Since your loot is stolen, it will show up as illegal cargo as you fly about. If cops or pirates scan you in super cruise, you will have a problem (fines or combat), so make directly for the target station.
]
Once you pop into the station instance and get within 7.5 km, make a docking request. Once you have permission and are approaching the entrance to the station, toggle on silent running.
This will prevent the station from scanning and potentially fining you as you enter the station. Toggle silent running off as soon as you get into the station. Land and open up the station services menu.
Part I
Ship Build
Any ship that will permit equipping a cargo hold, hatch breaker limpets, collection limpets, a manifest scanner, a planetary surface scanner and an A rated shield will do. Be sure to bring your limpets! I used an Asp Explorer to test this out, but there are many ships that would work. Weapons are not necessary but equipping a mine launcher or two can facilitate your escape should you be attacked.
Location
Find an anarchy system with a resource extraction site (Low) that overlaps a hotspot. In my experience, zones outside of hotspots have a lower probability of spawning ships carrying gold or platinum. This tool can be used to find platinum hotspots, but you will need to then use another tool like EDDB to determine if they are Anarchy or not. I've actually found ships carrying platinum in non-platinum hotspots, so it may be just a coincidence that I have found more platinum carrying ships in hotspots. If you need a tip on how to use your detailed surface scanner to find hotspots, check out this guide. Since you are thieving in Anarchy systems, you will not incur bounties for using hatch breakers.
This is the type of thing you would expect to see in supercruise.
Process
Drop into the instance and wait for the miners to populate. They will have pink/purple beams lighting up asteroids. Use the manifest scanner to peek into their holds. Prioritize combat capable miners first, they tend to have higher quality items. With a small sample, I have found that Keelbacks tend to have the highest probability of having platinum. Adders may have low temperature diamonds.
Select the targets panel with the scanned ship targeted, and you will see what it is carrying.
Prioritize single targets over targets in wings. Get in close and fire off a hatch breaker limpet.
Stay close and launch your collection limpets. Open your cargo scoop and follow your mark as close as possible as the cargo dribbles out. If the target ship has point defense, little green pulses will wipe out your collection limpets. The closer you are to the target, the less likely this will happen. I’d recommend setting undesirable resources to ignore so that your limpets will only pick up the desired quantity. The target may plink away at your shields. Just tank it (chaff if you’d like) and go about your shoplifting. You may have to fire off a few hatch breakers and collection limpets to get all the loot you want from the mark. You can see which resources are nearby using your contacts panel.
While you are ripping off the NPC, you may be scanned by pirate NPCs. Ignore them until you are done with your mark. They will text you threatening messages, and even begin to shoot at you. Don’t panic. Get your loot.
Once you have what you want, boost away while dropping mines and wake out.
Selling the Loot
Head over to https://edtools.cc/miner and find out who is paying the most for your loot.
Make sure that your destination has a black market, or you won’t be able to sell all that gold in the hold (preferably platinum). Check the system panel to confirm the black market service is available.
Since your loot is stolen, it will show up as illegal cargo as you fly about. If cops or pirates scan you in super cruise, you will have a problem (fines or combat), so make directly for the target station.
]
Once you pop into the station instance and get within 7.5 km, make a docking request. Once you have permission and are approaching the entrance to the station, toggle on silent running.
This will prevent the station from scanning and potentially fining you as you enter the station. Toggle silent running off as soon as you get into the station. Land and open up the station services menu.
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