Handbook WH-1 · for pilots new to wormholes

Wormhole
Space

J-space has no Local and no gates, and the way home changes every day. This handbook covers what to know before your first jump. Read it through once, then keep it open while you fly.

Applies to: All pilots, any corp
Units: Mass in M kg (millions of kg)
Revision: 3 · October YC128
Ground truth: If Show Info disagrees with this page, Show Info is right.
Before every jump: D-scan.

Show Info: mass and time.

Bookmark both sides.

Know the way home.

J-space basics

1.1

Wormhole space is called J-space because every system is named like J123456. The rest of New Eden is K-space, for known space. Six differences matter.

1.2

There is no Local. Pilots in system stay hidden until they speak. The directional scanner (d-scan) is how you see who is around, so press it every few seconds and every time something changes.

1.3

There are no gates. Systems connect through wormholes, found by probing cosmic signatures. Connections change daily, so yesterday's route home may be gone.

1.4

Every hole dies. A wormhole collapses when it runs out of time or mass. Each jump uses up some of its mass. If it closes while you are on the far side, you are stranded.

1.5

Statics and wanderers. A static always leads to the same class of space and respawns as soon as the old one dies. A wanderer is a random extra connection that may or may not appear.

1.6

K162 is the exit side. K162 marks the far end of any wormhole; its real type shows only from the side that spawned it. A new K162 in your system means someone elsewhere just warped to a hole that leads to you.

1.7

Sleepers fight back. J-space NPCs remote-repair each other, neut, switch targets and hit hard. System effects (chapter 4) apply only to player ships, never to Sleepers.

System classes

2.1

Higher class means tougher Sleepers, better loot and larger holes. The class of the system on the far side shows in the wormhole's Show Info.

Class	Statics	Static leads to	Largest ship via static	Notes
C1	1	High, low or null	Battlecruiser	Quiet; good for learning solo. Every hole into a C1 is medium-sized, so battleships (except the Nestor) and capitals cannot enter.
C2	2	One K-space, one W-space	Battleship	Busy and popular with small groups.
C3	1	High, low or null	Battleship	Good income for small groups. Always one K-space static, so a C3 is a dependable way out to empire.
C4	2	W-space only	Battleship	No static to empire. Since September 2025, rare wandering holes to high, low and nullsec can appear.
C5	1	W-space	Capital if the static goes to C5/C6	Capital escalations; big groups and dreadnoughts.
C6	1	W-space	Capital if the static goes to C5/C6	Hardest content; the largest wormhole groups.

2.2

Special space. C13 shattered systems (frigate holes only), Thera (a hub with Sisters of EVE stations and many K-space links), Drifter systems and Pochven. Treat all of these as hostile until you know better.

Reading a hole

3.1

Right-click the wormhole and choose Show Info. The type code, for example C247, gives destination and limits. The colour-coded lines below it give mass and time remaining.

3.2

Size. The colour of the glow (aurora) around the hole shows the heaviest single ship it will pass.

Aurora	Max per jump	Passes
Royal blue	5M kg	Frigates and destroyers. Scouts get through; the fleet does not.
Teal	62M kg	Up to battlecruisers, strategic cruisers and industrials. The Nestor is the only battleship that fits.
Grey	375M kg	All subcapitals, including rolling battleships with a 100MN prop running.
Yellow / orange	1,000–2,000M kg	Freighters and capitals. Certain C5, C6 and K-space holes only.

3.3

Mass remaining. Three states, shown with the Show Info wording.

0%10%50%100%

Crit"Less than 10% remaining"

Reduced"Less than 50% remaining". The hole visibly shrinks.

Stable"More than 50% remaining"

3.4

Time remaining. Most holes live 16 or 24 hours, frigate holes 4.5, a few 48. The time shown is the earliest the hole can close.

Expired"Closure imminent". Do not jump.

Last hour"Less than 1 hour remaining"

EOL"Less than 4 hours remaining". End of life.

Under a day"Less than 1 day remaining"

3.5

Total mass is approximate. Each hole spawns with 90% to 110% of its listed mass, so nobody knows exactly how much is left.

3.6

Polarisation. After a jump you cannot make the same jump in the same direction for 5 minutes. Out and straight back is fine; out, back and out again is not. The timer sticks to the pilot, so swapping ships does not reset it.

3.7

Fresh signatures are closed. A new signature has no K162 on the far side until someone starts a warp to it. Starting that warp opens it for both sides.

Caution

Do not warp to a new signature "just to look". You may open a way in for people who could not reach you before.

System effects

4.1

Some systems orbit a special star that changes ship stats for every player in system. A C6 effect is about three times a C1: a Pulsar adds 30% shield HP in a C1 and 100% in a C6. Hover the effect icon at the top left of the screen for exact numbers.

Effect	Raises	Lowers or worsens	Favours
Pulsar	+ Shield HP + Capacitor recharge speed + Neut and NOS drain	− Armor resists − Larger signature radius	Shield ships, neuts
Wolf-Rayet	+ Armor HP + Small weapon damage (very large) + Smaller signature radius	− Shield resists	Armor, frigate-size guns
Magnetar	+ Weapon damage	− Missile application (bigger explosion radius) − Turret and drone tracking − Targeting range − Target painter strength	Close-range brawling
Cataclysmic Variable	+ Remote armor repair + Shield transfer + Capacitor capacity	− Local armor repair and shield boost − Slower capacitor recharge − Remote capacitor transfer	Logistics fleets
Black Hole	+ Ship velocity + Missile velocity and explosion velocity + Targeting range	− Inertia (slower to align) − Stasis webifier strength	Fast kiting
Red Giant	+ Overheat bonus strength + Smartbomb range and damage + Bomb damage	− More heat damage to modules	Overheating, bombers

Note

Effects apply only inside that one system. Jump out and you get the next system's effect, or none. A fit that is strong in one hole may be weak two jumps away.

Code lookup

5.1

Enter the code from Show Info, or filter by class. Total mass varies ±10% around the figure shown. Statics in C4–C6 that lead to C4–C6 can also turn up elsewhere as wanderers.

Found in

Code	Kind	Found in	Leads to	Size	Total	Per jump	Life

Rolling

6.1

Rolling is collapsing a hole on purpose with mass so a new static spawns with a new neighbour. Groups roll to find targets, find a better route out, or close the door on hostiles.

6.2

Out light, back heavy. Plan the jumps so the hole dies on the return trip, with the roller on your side.

6.3

Hot and cold. Hot means the prop module is on and adding mass; cold means it is off. A Higgs Anchor rig doubles ship mass and a 100MN afterburner adds 50M kg, so a rolling battleship is about 200M kg cold and 300M kg hot. Check your own fit.

6.4

Check after every jump. When Show Info turns to reduced, slow down and re-plan. When it turns to crit, only the planned final jumps happen.

Warning

A roller caught on the far side of a collapsed hole is usually a lost ship. Get eyes on the far side before anyone jumps out.

Mass log example plan loaded

Wormhole

Ship

Mass, M kg

#	Dir	Ship	Mass	Total

Presets are rough. Use the mass from your own ship's Show Info.

Expected state

Stable

0critreducedmax

Mass used: 0
Left, at listed mass: 0
Left, ±10% range: 0
Roller is on: Your side

Hatched area: the uncertainty from spawn mass. Show Info outranks this estimate.

Staying alive

Warning

Never go deep through a crit or EOL hole. If it closes behind you, getting home can take hours, or not happen at all.

7.1

Spam d-scan. Every few seconds, whatever you are doing. Probes, combat ships or a new wormhole on scan mean pay attention now.

7.2

Bookmark every hole you use. Both sides, with names a corpmate can read. Bookmarks are your way home.

7.3

Map the chain. Use a mapper such as Pathfinder or Tripwire and mark which holes are reduced, crit or EOL.

7.4

Carry probes on anything that could be stranded. A core probe launcher, or a mobile depot to refit one, turns "stranded" into "late home".

7.5

Watch for new signatures. A new sig where you are working may be a fresh connection with hostiles behind it. Scan it or leave.

7.6

Use the jump cloak. You stay cloaked after a jump until you move or the timer ends. D-scan and look at the grid before you commit.

7.7

Fly what you can replace. Anything you undock can be lost. Leave expensive implants and hulls at home until you know the space.

7.8

Say what you see. If you fly with others, call new holes, ships on scan and anything odd. Too much information beats too little.

Glossary

Filter

Anom: A site that shows without probing.
Chain: The systems connected to your home right now.
Crit: Under 10% mass left. Any jump might close it.
D-scan: Directional scanner.
Effect: System-wide stat change from the local star.
EOL: End of life: under 4 hours left.
Frig hole: 5M kg limit; frigates and destroyers only.
Higgs: Higgs Anchor rig. Doubles ship mass.
Hot / cold: Jumping with prop on (heavier) or off.
J-space: Wormhole space.
K-space: Known space: high, low and null.
K162: The exit side of a wormhole.
Mapper: Tool that tracks the chain and bookmarks.
Polarised: On the 5-minute timer after a jump.
Reduced: Under 50% mass left. Also "destab".
Roll: Collapse a hole with mass so a new one spawns.
Shattered: Odd J-space systems; C13s take frigate holes only.
Sig: A cosmic signature that needs probing.
Sleepers: J-space NPCs; their salvage builds T3 ships.
Static: Connection that always exists and respawns at once.
Thera: Large J-space hub with many K-space links.
Wanderer: Random extra connection beyond the statics.

Support

This handbook is free for any pilot to use. If it saved you a ship, or a long trip home, ISK donations are welcome. In game, open the character Chooster Bobjeffman and choose Give Money.