The vast, cold void of space is a very, Very, VERY dangerous place, and exploring it is the job for only the most dedicated (or crazy) individuals. Not many of those explorers live to tell their tale, but the few who do can sometimes be heard talking about strange rifts in the known space, rifts that lead beyond frontiers of the known galaxy. This rifts, known as Wormholes, introduced in the Apocrypha Expansion, allow interstellar travel just like Stargates do. But unlike Stargates, Wormholes are quite... unstable, can connect two star systems regardless of the distance between them, lead to completely unknown parts of the galaxy, or even to the Wormhole Space.

Wormhole Space, also known as the Anoikis Galaxy consists of about 2600 semi- and uncharted systems. Those systems present a lot of opportunities and countless dangers to those brave (or stupid) enough to venture into them. There are no rules in the Anoikis Galaxy and the only law is the Law of The Strongest.

This guide will go over all things that are important when preparing for and during the Wormhole exploration. It will also, hopefully, help you survive the dangers of the Anoikis Galaxy.

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The first, and the most important thing when preparing for a journey through the Wormhole is realizing that you will probably not survive it; unless you chose one which leads to somewhat safe space, but where is the fun in that? With your mindset right, it is time to choose your vessel and equip it accordingly:

• Select a Ship which is dispensable (this will help you avoid painful loss of Credits if you get yourself killed) and able to fit a Cloaking Device. It's size also matters, as Wormholes vary in sizes, and bigger ships will not be able to travel through some of them (we will go over this in more detail a bit further in this guide).
• Fit your ship with a Cloaking Device. The reason for this is simple; A player list is not available in Wormhole systems, so there is no indication of who is present in the system with you after you travel through a Wormhole. Keeping yourself under the radar might be a good idea because of that.
• Equip your ship with a probe launcher, and prepare a hefty supply of Scanner Probes. These will enable you to search for Wormholes and will be necessary for finding your way out of them.
• Remember to update your Clone before setting off...

Now that you are equipped properly for your journey, it is time to start searching for appropriate Wormhole. To do that, you will have to open your Probe Scanner window, launch your probes in pinpoint formation, and start scanning down Cosmic Signatures.

The Scanning Process

Once you identify Cosmic Signature as a Wormhole, you can Warp to it, and jump through, but... there is some information you should gather, and some things you should do before doing it.

First of all, remember to recall your probes, you will definitely need them later. Now, that your probes are safe on board, you are free to Warp your way to freshly found Wormhole. Upon arrival, you will be welcomed by a sight that looks more or less like this:

Our freshly discovered Wormhole.

So, you have arrived and feasted your eyes on the sight for some time. Now you should gather some more intelligence. In order to do that, right click on the Wormhole and press "Show Info"; a window containing a lot of useful information will pop up. Let us explain the meaning of this information in more detail:

Wormhole Information Tab - the main indicator of what to expect on the other side.

1. Wormhole Type Code (this indicates where exactly this Wormhole leads; these Codes are described in detail in the Wormhole Type Table).
2. Some general, not particularly useful information.
3. Information about the exit point of the Wormhole; this tells you what to expect on the other side. There are 6 possible Keywords that can appear in this line:

• "This wormhole seems to lead into Unknown parts of space." This keyword indicates that the Wormhole leads to Class 1, 2 or 3 System:
  1. Class 1 Systems are beginner-friendly, relatively safe, and do not require a lot of skill points. These systems do not offer much when it comes to Site Running or Harvesting, and a Battlecruiser can easily solo any Site present in these Systems. You can't enter these sites in a vessel bigger than a Battlecruiser. There are three possible Static Wormholes present in C1 Systems, and they always lead to K-Space (Hisec, Lowsec, or Nullsec).
  2. Class 2 Systems offer Sites that are a bit more profitable than those present in C1's, but their difficulty level is visibly higher. That small increase in ISK gain is not worth the hassle, and C2 systems are generally skipped in favor of C3's. There are two Static Wormholes present in C2 Systems, one of them will take you to the W-Space system, and another one leads to the K-Space system; These Statics are locked in permanent pairs: Hisec+C1; C3; C4, Lowsec+C2, and Nullsec+C5; C6.
  3. Class 3 Systems offer good ISK/difficulty ratio and are great for beginner corporations. A profit of about 200-300 million ISK per hour can be made in them. There is one static Wormhole present in C3 systems, and it will take you to a K-Space system (Hisec, Lowsec or Nullsec). You can't enter these sites in a vessel bigger than a Battleship.
• "This wormhole seems to lead into Dangerous Unknown parts of space." This keyword indicates that the Wormhole leads to Class 4 or 5 System:
  4. Class 4 Systems are quite difficult to do solo and offer just a little bit more ISK than C3's. There are two Static Wormholes present in C4 Systems, each of them will take you to another W-space system (C1. C2, C3, C4, C5 or even C6). You can't enter these sites in a vessel bigger than a Battleship.
  5. Class 5 Systems are visited mostly by hardcore Wormhole Corporations. Sites present here offer about 500 to 600 million ISK, but soloing them is very difficult, and requires a powerful ship, like the Paladin. Static Wormholes present in C5 Systems often lead to other C5's; this is where "The C5 Highway" nickname came from. You can't enter these sites in a vessel bigger than a Dreadnought.
• "This wormhole seems to lead into Deadly Unknown parts of space." This keyword indicates that the Wormhole leads to Class 6 System:
  6. Class 6 Systems are the hardest Wormhole systems available. They are highly contested and venturing into them will most likely end up with a tragic "accident" and by accident I mean "being shot to very little pieces". Sites present there are almost impossible to solo. The only Static Wormhole leads to another W-Class Space (C1, C2, C3, C4, C5 or C6).
• "This wormhole seems to lead into Null-Security parts of space." This keyword indicates that the Wormhole leads to Nullsec System:
  7. Null-Security Systems are lawless, and aggression will never result in an NPC Organisation's response. Players in these systems will generally try to kill you on sight or flee if they do not fancy their chances against you.
• "This wormhole seems to lead into Low-Security parts of space." This keyword indicates that the Wormhole leads to Lowsec System:
  8. Low-Security Systems have the sentry guns mounted on Stargates and Stations, which will open fire on the hostile players (those who made an unprovoked attack on another player). However, hostilities between Pilots will not cause any response from CONCORD.
• "This wormhole seems to lead into High-Security parts of space." This keyword indicates that the Wormhole leads to Highsec System:
  9. High-Security Systems may be patrolled by NPC Ships and have Sentry Guns present on all the Stations and Stargates. Any Criminal-level Offense will result in a swift response from CONCORD and the nearby Sentry Guns. These Systems are the safest places in EVE Online.

4. Information about the stability of the Wormhole; this indicates the time that will pass before it collapses:
   • "This wormhole has Not Yet Begun its natural cycle of decay and should last at least another day." This keyword indicates that the Wormhole will be active for more than 24 hours.
   • "This wormhole is Beginning to Decay, and probably won't last another day." This keyword indicates that the Wormhole will collapse in over 4 but less than 24 hours.
   • "This wormhole is Reaching The End of its natural lifetime." This keyword indicates that the Wormhole will collapse in less than 4 hours.
5. Information about the mass (number and weight of ships) that was transferred through the Wormhole (when the transferred mass reaches its maximum, the Wormhole will collapse):
   • "This wormhole has Not Yet had its stability significantly disrupted by ships passing through it." This keyword indicates that less than 50% of the maximum transferable mass was transported through the Wormhole.
   • "This wormhole has had its stability reduced by ships passing through it, but Not to a Critical Degree yet." This keyword indicates that between 50 and 90% of the maximum transferable mass was transported through the Wormhole.
   • "This wormhole has had its Stability Critically Disrupted by the mass of numerous ships passing through and is on the verge of collapse." This keyword indicates that over 90% of the maximum transferable mass was transported through the Wormhole.
6. Information about the maximum size of a Ship that can pass through the Wormhole:
   • "Only the smallest ships can pass through this wormhole." This means that only specially fit HICs, Destroyers and Frigates are able to squeeze through the Wormhole.
   • "Up to medium size ships can pass through this wormhole." This means that only Battlecruisers and smaller vessels can squeeze through the Wormhole.
   • "Larger ships can pass through this wormhole." This means that  Battleships, Battlecruisers, and any smaller vessels can squeeze through the Wormhole.
   • "Very large ships can pass through this wormhole." This means that all vessels except for Supercarriers and Titans are able to squeeze through the Wormhole.

Now, that you have gathered all the available information, it is time to see what is on the other side of the Wormhole with your own eyes.

Important Note: Remember to always take Probes with you when traveling through Wormholes, as the only secure way out of a Wormhole Space leads through another Wormhole; well, there is a second way technically, but it involves dying or self-destructing... Still, it is a good idea to create a Waypoint close to a Wormhole after passing through it (the Wormhole will possibly collapse or relocate before we manage to get back to it, but for a limited time, it is another way out).

As established in the Search and Identification chapter, Wormhole space can be a very dangerous place. In order to increase your chances of survival and making a profit out of your expedition, you should consider following the below-described hints:

• You should activate your Cloaking Device immediately after entering the Wormhole Space. This will increase your survival chances considerably, and make avoiding hostile Pilots much easier.
• Do not, under any circumstances, use the Local Chat, as using it will alert all other Pilots present in your Wormhole Space to your presence. Most of the players met on the other side of Wormholes will prove to be hostile, so staying under their radar is more than recommended.
• Use the Directional Scan every few seconds in order to avoid any unpleasant surprises. Doing this will let you gather a lot of intelligence about your new surroundings; any Player Structures, and Wrecks might mean that there are other Pilots nearby. Important Note: Directional Scan will not find Vessels with active Cloaking Devices.
• Be aware that although unclaimable, Wormhole Space can be inhabited by Players that treat it as their own, which generally means that they will shoot you on sight. This means that avoiding any Player Structures is a good idea.

During your journeys through the Wormhole Space, you will stumble upon various, W-Space specific "System Effects" which will affect your ship's modules and/or statistics. There are a total of 6 of these effects, and every one of them has its unique properties (these properties get stronger with increasing W-Space Class number, which means that their effects will be strongest in Class 6 Systems) which when utilized properly can swing any Wormhole Space engagement in your favor:

1. Pulsars

Pulsars are star-like objects which emit very powerful electromagnetic beams. They will Increase your Shield Capacity and Signature Radius, Decrease your Armor Resists, Lower your Capacitor Recharge Time, and improve NOS and Neut Drain Amount.

2. Black Holes

Black Holes are regions of a spacetime exhibiting gravitational effects so strong, that not even light can escape from inside of them. They will increase your Missile, Missile Explosion, and Ship Velocities, Decrease Stasis Webfinder Strenght, increase Inertia, and improve Targeting Range.

3. Cataclysmic Variables

CV's are stars which are able to increase their brightness by a large factor, only to drop back down to the previous state. They will decrease your Local Armor and Shield Repair Amounts, improve Remote Armor Repair Amount, and Shield Transfer Amount, Increase Capacitor Capacity and Capacitor Recharge Time and lower Remote Cap Transmitter Amount.

4. Magnetars

Magnetars are Neutron Stars with extremely strong Magnetic Fields. They will increase your Damage and Missle Explosion Radius but worsen Drone Tracking, Targeting Range, Tracking Speed, and Target Painter Strenght

5. Red Giants

Red Giants are luminous Giant Stars in the late phase of their stellar evolution. They will increase Heat Damage, improve Overload Bonus, and widen Smart Bomb and Bomb Range and Damage.

5. Wolf Rayets

WR stars are a rare breed of heterogenous stars with prominent broad emission lines, which is unusual for stars. They will increase Armor HP, and Small Weapon Damage, decrease Signature Radius, and lower Shield Resist.

Remember that it is very important to utilize the above-mentioned system effects to your advantage, as many of them will help you speed up the Site Clearing process, while others might help you survive. They are a great tool for increasing your ISK gains per hour.

Wormholes can possibly connect two very distant places, some of them may even lead to Systems on the other side of the Galaxy. This means that Traveling through Wormhole Space might let you save a lot of time and fuel. Taking a shortcut through a Wormhole is quite tricky, however, and consulting a Wormhole Mapper is recommended in order to establish the optimal route.

END NOTE

We hope that this guide has answered most of your questions about the Wormhole Space, and will enable you to Farm in the W-Space more effectively, or even allow you to settle there.

Please do note that this is an early version of our guide, and we will be happy to receive constructive criticism, that will help us improve it, so leave your suggestions in the comments section below. If we have missed a piece of information that is important for you, please let us know!

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