====== Scouting ======

Scouting is one of the most important jobs in fleet when there are other fleets in system. A good scout will ensure the FC at all times has the most up to date information on where the other fleets are, what their composition looks like, how far they are through their site, etc.

A good scout is the difference between doing a TPPH because another community took a TCRC while we weren't looking and doing a TCRC wall for 5 hours. If you are a good scout, FCs will love you. Learning how to scout is also a great step on the way to becoming an FC because of the awareness it gives you regarding predicting other fleets' behaviours.

===== Volunteering to Scout =====
Ask the FC if they would like a scout, usually the answer will be "Hell yes!", occasionally the answer may be "Thanks but we're the only fleet in system so it isn't really needed". If the answer is yes, login your scout and link its name in fleet chat so that the FC can invite it into Wing 2 in a Squad Command position. This will allow you to tag sites which is very handy for communicating information to the FC about which sites are taken.

===== Ships for Scouting =====
Ideally you want something that warps fast and has a covert ops cloak. Covert Ops frigates are excellent if you want to carry one with you in a Bowhead/Orca, if you haul your stuff around in a Blockade Runner, they can also be excellent scouts due to their hull bonus which gives you increased warp speed.

Those are just the ideal options though, any small, reasonably fast warping ship can be used for scouting, T1 Frigates will get the job done just fine.

===== Tagging Sites =====
To tag a site, you will need to be at the gate. Then simply right click on the site on your overview, or the beacon in space, go to Tag Item and choose the tag to give to the site.

You should use the following tags:
  * A - Our Site (the site we are currently in, or a site we have partially completed and bounced out of)
  * J - Do not warp, tag things like The Kundalini Manifest, Unidentified Wormholes and other sites that no one should ever be warping to
  * X - Taken site, a site that has been taken by another fleet

Sometimes, if you are sitting on a site and the FC wants to know which one you are at as they want to warp to it next, they may ask you to tag it "C" for clear. Usually there's no need to tag sites as C, since a site can quickly become not clear if a fleet lands on it. We just assume that any untagged sites are clear.

===== Figuring out which communities are in system =====
You should join the following channels in-game, these are the other active HighSec HQ communities in EVE:
  * **"ARMOR-1"** (RU Armor Community)
  * **"New Galaxy Age"** (RU Shield Community)
  * **"WarpToMe Incursions"** (EN Shield Community)
  * **"The Ditanian Fleet"** (EN Armor Community) (not active much anymore as of June 2016)

For the Russian channels, you can tell when a fleet is active by looking at the bottom:

<div group>
<div column half>
{{:guides:nga_motd.png|}}

//NGA's MOTD, as you can see, HQ is in green, I have no idea what the word says but I'm guessing something like "Active".//
</div>
<div column half>
{{:guides:armor1_motd.png|}}

//ARMOR-1's MOTD, again, HQ is in green, the linked character is presumably the current FC.//
</div>
</div>

===== D-Scan =====
You should regularly take D-Scans of the other fleets and paste them into a D-Scan tool ready for passing to the FC when he needs them. Knowing another fleet's composition is pivotal to successfully contesting. I recommend [[https://skyride.org/dscan/|Skyride]] since it is clean and easy to use.

You can drop the d-scan links in fleet chat for the FC when they ask.

As well as using D-Scan to determine composition, you can also use it to determine how far through a site a fleet is, without taking the gate. Simply use a d-scan preset which shows wrecks and you can quickly work out which wave they're on by checking for the presence of certain rats. For example, if you see a single Mara wreck in a TPPH, they must be in the second room. 2 Mara wrecks indicates 3rd room. Due to the random nature of NRF spawns it can be difficult to determine which wave they are on, if you need accurate information you should take the gate and cloak up. Covert Ops ships are great for this.

===== Scouting with One Other Fleet in System =====
With just one fleet in system, best practice is to simply follow them and give the FC regular updates on comms about what they're doing. When a fleet is close to finishing a site, you should inform the FC, and when they start aligning, quickly work out which site they are going to next.

===== Scouting with Two+ Fleets in System =====
Bounce around the place tagging sites, then select the next site we want and sit on it. This may be a TCRC or NRF. If only TPPHs are up then you may be better off simply following a fleet as sitting on an empty TPPH is rather pointless.

===== Priorities =====
Please always prioritise managing your main in fleet. Don't use scouting as an excuse for late broadcasts, not shooting for extended periods, etc. Try to do your scouting when agro is safely established and you are shooting something with a reasonably large HP pool.

Logi should avoid ever being a scout, logistics pilots need to focus 100% on the fleet and ensuring that no one is dying!

===== Do not abuse your position in Wing 2 =====
Unless explicitly instructed to do so, you must never come on grid with the fleet to ensure your alt does not receive payouts and thus cause a reduced payout.

Please do not invite people to wing 2 or anything similar, abusing a wing 2 position which you have been trusted with is grounds for disciplinary measures including but not limited to a suspension from TVP fleet participation.