MTU FAQ

There are a few questions about MTUs and MTU Hunting that I am frequently asked, so I’ve compiled them on this page for easy viewing. For general information and stats of MTUs, check the UniWiki entry here.

Will CONCORD attack me if I shoot an MTU?
No, shooting an MTU is a suspect-level offense. After shooting an MTU, you will see a flashing yellow skull next to your name in local, and for the next 15 minutes other capsuleers will be free to engage you in combat without CONCORD intervention. If in doubt, check your safety button, the game won’t let you commit a criminal-level offense resulting in CONCORD intervention unless that button is set to red.

Do you lose security status for killing an MTU?
No.

Does the MTU’s owner get a kill right on you if you destroy their MTU?
No.

Do I get a kill mark on my ship for killing an MTU?
No.

Do you lose standings for killing an MTU?
You do not lose faction standings (Amarr, Caldari, Gallente, Minmatar) however, you will lose NPC corporation standings (e.g. The Scope, State War Academy) if the MTU’s owner belongs to an NPC corp. You can avoid corp standing loss by using Show Info on the MTU and checking it’s owner before you shoot it.

If the MTU’s owner has a bounty on him, do you get a bounty payment from killing his MTU?
Yes.

Can you loot someone else’s MTU without destroying it first?
No.

How do you scan-down an MTU?
You will need a ship with an Expanded Probe Launcher fitted and 8 combat probes, you will also need some scanning skills to use them. You scan the MTU down much like you would scan down exploration sites or ships. For a full guide on how to scan-down an MTU, please see MTU Hunting 101.

Which ship/fit do you use?
You can use any ship capable of fitting an Expanded Probe Launcher to hunt down MTUs, but I find that Tactical Destroyers (T3Ds) are best suited to the task. Here is an example of fits I use: Hecate and Svipul. If you’re an alpha clone, your best option is to fit a ship with an Expanded Probe Launcher and use Co-Processors to give you enough CPU, then use that for scanning MTUs down. If you then carry a Mobile Depot in your cargohold with all your guns and other modules, you can refit your ship for combat once you’ve scanned the MTU down.

How long do MTUs last before despawning?
The official answer is 2 days after being deployed, however I have killed MTUs that have been sat in space for longer than this. Most of those longer-lasting MTUs were empty when I popped them, meaning that there is a chance that the loot inside an MTU despawns after 2 days, with the possibility of leaving the MTU itself intact, but empty, for a little while longer.

Is there a lot of ISK to be had in hunting MTUs?
Not especially, the majority of MTUs you will find in the wild are either empty, or hold very little value in loot. Occasionally you’ll get lucky and find an MTU filled with tags, or the remains of the MTU owner’s bling-fit battleship.

Why do you hunt MTUs?
It’s fun, and often it can lead to interesting scenarios, and create opportunities for even more fun. I have made many friends (and one or two enemies) in my MTU Hunting journey so far, it’s a lot more engaging than grinding rocks and rats that’s for sure.

What loot will an MTU not collect?
Your MTU will not loot yellow wrecks, that is wrecks that do not belong to the MTU’s owner.

I shot an MTU but the killmail didn’t appear?
For some reason there is a delay in the killmail notification in-game when you pop an empty MTU. It usually takes around 30 seconds to 1 minute for it to appear. If it doesn’t appear after some time, check your combat log, and if you can’t find it there, send a ticket to CCP.

Do NPCs/mission rats attack an MTU?
No.

Do MTUs have reinforcement timers?
No. Thankfully they are nothing like their annoying half-cousin, the Mobile Depot, and can be shot freely until they explode.

How much DPS should I bring to kill an MTU?
As much as you can. It will take around 1 minute to pop an MTU with around 1000 DPS at your disposal.

Do MTUs tractor-in abandoned drones?
No.

Does the MTU’s owner get a notification that their MTU is under attack?
No. They will not get any notification about their MTU while it is still under attack, they will only get the lossmail notification when it has died. (Thanks to Purgo for this information).

I saw you warp scrambling/webbing an MTU, why?
I can’t let that MTU get away now, can I?

If you have any questions related to MTUs that haven’t been covered here, please send me (Pix Severus) a mail in-game, or drop a comment on this blog somewhere.