EvE Online Orca - All you need to know about mining ship

Orca is a mining fleet support ship which is a class of its own: Industrial Command Ship which requires Industrial Command Ship skill to fly. Even tho Orca is listed under Captial Industrial Ships it does not Capital skills to fly.

Table of contents

• EVE Online Orca Features
• High slot modules in Orca
• Skills you want to have when flying an Orca

EVE Online Orca Features

Orca is often called a “mini rorqual” thanks to a wide array of fleet utilities it provides. One of the major Orca features is its massive cargo hold in four different storage areas which costs about 800 Milion ISK:

• Cargohold: Orca has a base cargo of 30.000m3, which can be further expanded with appropriate modules and leveling up Industrial Command Ships skill (5% for each level). You can push the cargo up to 90,000m3 if you want to build your Orca as a hauler.
• Ore Hold: Ore hold is a specialized, additional, space on Orca dedicated only for carrying raw mined materials like unrefined ore and unprocessed ice and gas. You cannot place anything else inside the ore hold. Base ore hold capacity is 150,000m3 but can be expanded further by leveling up Industrial Command Ships (5% per level)
• Fleet Hangar: Fleet hangar is additional 40,000m3 of space that can be used for other fleet or corp members. It is extremely useful for mining operations as you can move gathered raw ore placed in your fleet hangar by your fleet buddies to your Ore Hold.
• Ship Maintenence Bay: This bay can hold up to 400,000m3 of assembled ships which means 4xProcurer 3XRetriever or 2X Hulk. Ship placed in a fleet hangar can only have ammunition in his hold. The ship maintenance bay will allow any pilot from your fleet or corporation to swap ships without going back to the station.

Apart from four different types of cargo bays, Orca provides fleet members with unique bonuses. For example thanks to Orca fitting services you are not only able to swap ships in space but you can also adjust your fitting whenever you feel like it. Thanks to tractor beam range and velocity Orca can collect jettisoned ore without moving from can to can. 500% range of survey scanners will fully cover asteroid belt of any size.

High slot modules in Orca

Orca is also capable of “buffing” their fleet using Command Burst modules in high slots and can keep using three different Command Bursts at the same time (up to five with proper rigs). For mining operations, for example, Orcas will be fitted with three Mining Foreman Burst charges or a single Mining Equipment Preservation charge. Bursts can be changed by changing the charge which works like switching ammo. Mining command bursts are as follows:

Mining Laster Field Enhancement: Increases range of mining lasers, strip miners, gas harvesters, and survey scanners.

Mining Laser Optimization: Reduces cycle time and capacitor use of mining equipment

Mining Equipment Preservation: Mining crystals last longer

The strength of the boost depends on Industrial Command Ships level (each point in this skill increases bonuses to Mining Foreman bursts by 3%)

Post-Ascension update, Orca has been provided with additional functions that greatly increases ships usability in lower security sectors. Orcan can repair friendly ships with drones, store combat ships in the Fleet Hangar. Orca also serves as excellent hauler with a capacity close to that of a freighter but with far better agility and survivability.

Skills you want to have when flying an Orca:
 

• Mining Foreman V
  • Mining Director V
• Shield Command V
  • Shield Command Specialist V
• Industrial Command Ships V
• Cybernetics V

Additionally, to further benefit your fleet, you might want to consider leveling up your Leadership, Fleet Command and Wing Command skills.