What this is about
Solo mining is a cycle: fly out, search, mine, fly back, hand in. Optimising does not mean mining faster but shrinking the time between mining phases – for most people search and return are the biggest items.
Preparation
Before launch comes the decision where to go – and that is a question of mining area and drop-off point. A slightly worse area with a short refinery run often beats the better area far out.
- Set laser and modules before launch, not on the way (see mining heads and modules and consumables).
- Ore container empty, cargo handed in.
- Choose the route so mining area and refinery fit together (see refinery).
Tasks and roles
Solo you are everything at once: pilot, scanner, laser operator and cargo handler. The order is always the same – which is exactly why it can be practised until it runs without thinking.
What you cannot do at the same time: fly and break up a rock. Hold still while you are on the laser. Manoeuvring while mining loses you the position and the rock.
Equipment
Solo the fit is a compromise: you have no second person to swap a module. Take the modules that suit your area, not the ones that help a little everywhere. Which modules and consumables exist and what the blueprints say is in modules and consumables; the laser values are in mining heads.
Solo you operate scanner, laser and modules alone. The modules in the three slots are bound by default – hunting for them loses you the rock.
| Game action | Default keyboard/mouse | Default joystick | Trigger |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toggle Scanning Operator Mode | V | not bound by default | toggle |
| Activate Scanning | Mouse left | not bound by default | hold |
| Increase Scanning Angle | Mouse wheel up | Button 3 | single press |
| Decrease Scanning Angle | Mouse wheel down | Button 4 | single press |
| Fire Mining Laser (Toggle) | Mouse left | Button 1 | toggle |
| Switch Mining Laser (Toggle) | Left Alt + Mouse left | Button 2 | toggle |
| Increase Mining Laser Power | Mouse wheel (axis) | Button 3 | single press |
| Decrease Mining Laser Power | not bound by default | Button 4 | single press |
| Increase / Decrease Mining Laser Power | not bound by default | not bound by default | axis |
| Activate Mining Module (Slot 1) | Left Alt + 1 | not bound by default | single press |
| Activate Mining Module (Slot 2) | Left Alt + 2 | not bound by default | single press |
| Activate Mining Module (Slot 3) | Left Alt + 3 | not bound by default | single press |
| Toggle Laser Beam (High / low) | Left Alt + 4 | not bound by default | toggle |
| Jettison Cargo | Left Alt + J | not bound by default | single press |
Game default binding, game version 4.10.0-hotfix (55227). If you rebound it yourself, your binding applies.
Anything marked “not bound by default” you have to bind yourself in the game settings – we do not guess a key.
HOTAS/HOSAS: the joystick column is the default binding of ONE stick. On two sticks you assign pitch, yaw, roll and lateral strafe yourself – which axis a manoeuvre needs is listed in the HOTAS / HOSAS section.
Sequence
- Transit. Straight into the chosen area, no detours.
- Scan instead of searching. The scanner shows signatures; fly the signature, not what you see.
- Assess before you fire. A rock you cannot crack costs you more than the next one (see fracturing).
- Mine. Hold still, meter the power, use modules deliberately.
- Keep going while there is room. Do not fly back while the container still has space – the return trip always costs the same.
- Return and hand in. In one go, no detour.
- Straight back out. The second cycle is always faster than the first – if you fly it right away.
- Goal
- Fly a complete solo run without idle time and know your own cycle time.
- Preparation
- A mining ship, a known mining area, a refinery within range. Run a clock.
- Task
- Fly three complete cycles: out, scan, mine until the container is full, back, hand in. Time each cycle and note where the time goes – transit, search, mining or return. In the next cycle improve only the biggest item.
- Success criterion
- You know your cycle time and which of the four sections is the longest for you.
- Partner
- required
- Functions needed
- Toggle Scanning Operator Mode
- Activate Scanning
- Increase Scanning Angle
- Decrease Scanning Angle
- Fire Mining Laser (Toggle)
- Switch Mining Laser (Toggle)
Risk and reward
Solo the risk is not the rock but the time: a ship standing in one place for long is found. Anyone mining far out alone should know the way back before needing it.
On the return: what an ore is worth depends on the market, not on the mining. Prices are in the OMC trade hub, not in this guide – and there they carry their measurement date. We deliberately write no aUEC figures here that will be wrong tomorrow.
Typical mistakes
- Flying back half full. The return trip costs the same whatever the container holds.
- Taking on every rock. Two failed attempts cost more than one skipped rock.
- Hunting for modules instead of setting them. The three module slots are bound – use them.
- Manoeuvring while mining. Costs position, time and usually the rock.
- Planning the refinery last. The drop-off point is part of choosing the area.
Next step
Once the cycle time is solid, look at the return: risk and reward. If you want more throughput than solo allows you need crew mining.