Jump clones are wonderful things, spare bodies that allow you to zip around the universe and keep different sets of implants for different applications. Their use is subject to a number of number of restrictions however and I am coming to realise that I need to rethink my ideas about being able to jump around at will.
The first restriction is that you can only jump between clones once every 24 hours. That time delay is proving more frustrating that I thought it would be. If I need to jump back to my high sec clone then I am stuck there for at least a day.
The next restriction which I completely overlooked is that clones can only be stored in stations meaning you need a friendly station to dock in before you can clone jump out (some of the bigger ships can carry clone bays apparently but that is way out of my league at the moment). I had naively assumed I could hide my cloaky frigate in a remote region of space and then jump out but that is not so. This wasn't really a problem in low sec because there were still plenty of stations. In 0.0 however stations that will allow me to dock are few and far between. There are some however and I guess that is where I am headed next.
Another major restriction is that unlike medical clones jump clones cannot magically be transported to any station with a medical bay. If you want a particular clone in a particular location then you need to to fly him there yourself.
Due to lack of planning on my part Traveller Marb who is is currently making his way through 0.0 space has a head full of valuable implants while Stay At Home In High Sec Marb has none. Given that Traveller Marb is almost certain to meet a lasery doom very shortly I decided to swap him for a no implant clone. Unfortunately the only place I can currently buy clones is in Minmatar space and it was going to be a 60 jump round trip to get a new clone delivered to Traveller Marb. Ouch.
Fortunately there was an alternative - the venerable and ancient art of Jump Clone Jujutsu, otherwise known as travelling by dying. The process makes use of the fact that the medical clones you wake in when you get pod killed can be magically transported even if jump clones cannot.
Step 1: Transfer medical clone to the closest medical station to chosen destination.
Step 2: Buy a spare implantless jump clone at starting A to allow return to there later.
Step 3: Assuming you are already in an implantless clone undock in a pod.
Step 4: Self destruct the pod losing the implantless clone you are in.
Step 5: You wake up in your medical clone much closer to chosen destination.
Step 6: Don't forget to pay the fee to upgrade clone for your current skill points.
This is a handy way of transporting implantless clones about but you do need to pay for a new medical clone each time. At my level of skill points that is only 350k isk but it could get very pricey for an older pilot.
The first restriction is that you can only jump between clones once every 24 hours. That time delay is proving more frustrating that I thought it would be. If I need to jump back to my high sec clone then I am stuck there for at least a day.
The next restriction which I completely overlooked is that clones can only be stored in stations meaning you need a friendly station to dock in before you can clone jump out (some of the bigger ships can carry clone bays apparently but that is way out of my league at the moment). I had naively assumed I could hide my cloaky frigate in a remote region of space and then jump out but that is not so. This wasn't really a problem in low sec because there were still plenty of stations. In 0.0 however stations that will allow me to dock are few and far between. There are some however and I guess that is where I am headed next.
Another major restriction is that unlike medical clones jump clones cannot magically be transported to any station with a medical bay. If you want a particular clone in a particular location then you need to to fly him there yourself.
Due to lack of planning on my part Traveller Marb who is is currently making his way through 0.0 space has a head full of valuable implants while Stay At Home In High Sec Marb has none. Given that Traveller Marb is almost certain to meet a lasery doom very shortly I decided to swap him for a no implant clone. Unfortunately the only place I can currently buy clones is in Minmatar space and it was going to be a 60 jump round trip to get a new clone delivered to Traveller Marb. Ouch.
Fortunately there was an alternative - the venerable and ancient art of Jump Clone Jujutsu, otherwise known as travelling by dying. The process makes use of the fact that the medical clones you wake in when you get pod killed can be magically transported even if jump clones cannot.
Step 1: Transfer medical clone to the closest medical station to chosen destination.
Step 2: Buy a spare implantless jump clone at starting A to allow return to there later.
Step 3: Assuming you are already in an implantless clone undock in a pod.
Step 4: Self destruct the pod losing the implantless clone you are in.
Step 5: You wake up in your medical clone much closer to chosen destination.
Step 6: Don't forget to pay the fee to upgrade clone for your current skill points.
This is a handy way of transporting implantless clones about but you do need to pay for a new medical clone each time. At my level of skill points that is only 350k isk but it could get very pricey for an older pilot.
Comments
I actually had jump clones set in empire space, including one with a nice set of +5 implants that I jump to if I am going to be away for a few days, to speed up training. And then I have a couple of jump clones I use in null sec. For ship convoy work I tend to fly one out, jump back to base, install a new one there, fly another out with the next ship, destroy the first one, jump back, and so on.
At least jump clones are cheap.
If you have a lot of skill points it must get a bit expensive though to have to replace your medical clone every time.