The Sisters of EVE Epic Arc missions - the Blood-Stained Stars - are some of EVE Online’s most iconic; they're a rite of passage for new players and their repeatable faction boosts mean they’re worth pursuing for more experienced pilots too. While our Just About EVE Online community has some newer players in it, it’s mostly composed of veterans - veterans with plenty of expertise on the Sisters of EVE missions. We asked them to share their best advice for the Blood-Stained Stars missions, and their expert guides were put together to form this one.
We’ll start this mission guide by answering some Sisters of EVE FAQs, then we’ll share top tips for the arc, then we’ll provide more detailed walkthroughs for the most challenging missions, before finishing with some CCP-recommended ship fits and some video guides from two of EVE’s top creators. Read on, pilots, and fly safe!
What are EVE Online Epic Arcs?
Epic Arcs are branching series of in-game missions, often of relatively high difficulty but with generous rewards to match. Those rewards usually involve a significant boost to faction standing. Epic Arc missions do not expire, but once completed, can be completed again after 90 days.
What is the Sisters of EVE Epic Arc? Is it the same as the Blood-Stained Stars?
The actual name for this Epic Arc is the Blood-Stained Stars, but it’s more commonly referred to by the faction it’s associated with - the Sisters of EVE. The Epic Arc unravels across various Highsec systems, and it’s considered to be the most beginner-friendly, introductory Epic Arc. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy, and that’s where this Blood-Stained Stars guide comes in.
What should I expect from the Sisters of EVE Epic Arc missions?
The Sisters of EVE Epic Arc contains a whopping 52 missions. That’s more than double any other Epic Arc in EVE Online. Most of those missions are simple, easy, and won’t require any more guidance than you’ll find in-game: travel from A to B, destroy waves of enemy NPCs, loot containers, and deliver goods from one location to another.
As such, it’s neither necessary nor a good use of anyone’s time to provide a mission-by-mission walkthrough for every single objective. Much better to offer Sisters of EVE guidance on the areas that real players report are the most challenging. If you would prefer a mission-by-mission walkthrough, we recommend either checking out Skog's bounty entry or watching NthDimensional’s videos in the final section of this Sisters of EVE guide.
Top tips for the the Sisters of EVE Epic Arc
Before we get stuck into the most difficult Sisters of EVE missions, we’re providing some general top tips for the Epic Arc; the first three are courtesy of Sturmer:
Faction boost: Each of your characters can redo the mission chain for a significant empire faction boost once every three months. Given that a well-prepared pilot can complete it in two to four hours, it’s well worth it, even for veteran players.
Travel efficiency: You'll be travelling a lot (85% of the total time), so focus on stats like alignment time and warp speed. Additionally, you'll pass through the Gallente-Minmatar 0.5 ganker pipe several times, so avoid blingy fits to minimise risk.
Mission simplicity: Most missions are straightforward. Carefully read the mission objectives and you'll have no need for videos or walkthroughs, except for a few missions covered later.
These next two come from Skog:
4. Remote completion: Many of the missions in the Sisters of EVE Epic Arc are completable remotely. Do this where possible.
5. Progress tracking: You can track your mission progress and objectives in the top-left corner of the EVE client. You may need to click it more than once if you wish it to show in the docked and undocked state.
The most tricky, confusing, or difficult missions in the Sisters of EVE Epic Arc
Mission 13: Lair of the Snakes
As Skog notes, there are two ways to complete this mission. You can either destroy the closest Serpentis lab or you can kill the first two waves of frigates and just the cruiser from the third wave of NPCs.
Mission 20: Every Drone Inside
For this mission, you’ll need to kill all enemy drones. They don’t pose much of a threat individually, but it’s possible for under-experienced players to be overwhelmed by their combined firepower. Skog advises getting in range of them, then flying slowly away while fighting them to split them up. This will reduce the amount of damage they can deal to you at once, and thus, their threat.
Mission 27: Tracking the Queen (Part Three)
The first parts of this mission just require you to move ‘Drone Tracking Data’ to your cargo hold before delivering it to a container. However, the threats in the area can deal high DPS if you wait too long, so don’t hang around. If you do wait, the enemies will all spawn and get close to you, where they’ll be a more formidable threat and - chances are - your tank won’t hold. If you’ve let enemies surround you, Skog advises you to attempt to kite them off. Try warping out of the site and then warping back in.
If you do get destroyed, you’ll lose the Drone Tracking Data. But fear not, you can still repeat the mission, albeit with your standings lost.
Mission 28: Burning Down the Hive
Burning Down the Hive is one of the most difficult missions in the Sisters of EVE Epic Arc if you don’t know what you’re doing. It’s very often where players lose their first ship. That’s because some of the rats (enemy NPCs) are capable of webifying and warp-disrupting your ship, a threat rarely seen in Level One missions. If that happens to you, burn off from the main group to reduce incoming damage, then kill the rat with the warp disruptor.
It’s well worth noting that despite the mission’s name, you don’t need to enter the warp-disrupting rat’s room with all guns blazing. The acceleration gate you need to reach isn’t locked. If you can get to it, you can progress.
If you do decide to exterminate the vermin, equip an afterburner so you can outpace them, then kite them, destroying them from a safe distance. Electromagnetic or thermal ammunition is advisable.
Mission 48: Chasing Shadows
Another mission said to be one of the most difficult in the arc, Chasing Shadows has players attempt to capture mini-boss Kritsan Parthus. Skog recommends splitting up your foes and first clearing out the mercenary frigates guarding Parthus. Once they’re out of the picture, engage Parthus. But be warned: Parthus' ship will neut (drain your capacitor) if you get too close. He can also disrupt your ship’s tracking speed and turret range. Finally, note that Kritsan Parthus has 30% EM (Electromagnetic) resistance and 50% KIN (Kinetic) resistance, and choose your arsenal appropriately in advance.
Mission 49: The Missing Piece
While this mission isn’t necessarily a difficult one, you do have to do something that the mission UI doesn’t make immediately obvious: choose a faction commander. Here’s Sturmer:
“You need to choose an item yourself. You’ll likely want to choose the faction you completed the previous 48 missions for. Once selected, the ship log will guide you to the next agent.”
Kane Carnifex adds: “Choose wisely! It’ll determine which faction you receive a standing boost with, which will be granted in Mission 52: Dal Segno Al Fine.”
Mission 51: Our Man Dagan
As FirestormGamingTeam notes, this mission - the second-to-last Sisters of EVE mission - is widely agreed to be “the hardest in the entire arc”. As such, we’re providing a more detailed Our Man Dagan guide so you don’t get stuck at the penultimate hurdle.
You only have two objectives: kill Dagan and loot Dagan. No prizes for guessing which one is trickier. Defeating the very well-tanked Dagan will earn you 250,000 ISK, but if you’re fast, you’ll secure an additional 170,000 ISK on top.
Dagan deals explosive and kinetic damage, and according to FirestormGamingTeam those are also the damage types that are most effective against him. They recommend the following tactics for all those seeking to put Dagan down:
“Dagan uses a target painter, but he can’t hit past 30 km. His maximum speed is 300 m/s, so ensure you have an afterburner fitted. If you can keep him at 40 km or more and use long-range weapons, you’ll increase your odds.
“Warp in, immediately right-click on Dagan, and orbit him at 30 km. After orbit has commenced, switch on your afterburner, which will keep you 35 km from him. I advise training in the thermodynamics skill, which will allow you to overheat your weapons and increase their damage.
“If you can’t break him, then just ask for help in local chat. There are usually around 30-50 players in the system, and - at least in newbie areas - the EVE community is friendly. Experienced players will often hang around in the system just to help new players with Dagan.”
Keep your friends close and your enemies closer? While FirestormGamingTeam recommends keeping Dagan at a safe distance, Sturmer suggests the opposite approach:
“Many struggle with this mission, but it can be quite simple. Instead of kiting him, I recommend engaging him up close. To prove it, I made a video in which I defeat him in a rookie ship from less than a kilometre away:”
Meanwhile, Skog provides the following advice:
“It’s a hard solo fight with low DPS and no active tank. It can be done with under 100 DPS, but you’ll need a cap-stable active tank, and it’ll take a long time. It’s better to ask for help if you’re not confident. That said, there are no warp-disruption capable enemies at the site, so it’s okay to give it a shot, as you should be able to retreat if the tides turn against you. I suggest refitting so that you’re bringing an active tank ship that can deal higher damage. If you’re attempting a solo takedown, you should aim for DPS of 100+ and do refer to fitting guides.”
Sisters of EVE fitting guides you say? Read on!
Which ships and ship fits are recommended for the Sisters of EVE missions?
If you’re looking for recommended fits for the Blood-Stained Stars Epic Arc, you’ve come to the right place. Not only do we have a list of community-submitted fittings for the job, covering a range of different ships, but three of those fittings were so well-designed for the Blood-Stained Stars arc that our partner CCP Games decided to include them in-game as recommended Community Fittings. You can access them directly within EVE, but we’ve laid them out with more detailed explainers below:
Sisters of EVE Algos fit
The first comes from Jaques Ufaltred. It’s an Algos fit, named the Cutrate Champion - a great low-cost, low-skill option that serves as an effective all-round beginner ship. There are several features that make it the perfect fitting for the Sisters of EVE missions: it has a microwarpdrive, allowing you to quickly cover the ground required by the missions; it has both guns and drones, giving you sufficient damage output to tackle Dagan; it has onboard armour repairs and damage control, meaning that it can absorb some heavy hits as well as dish them out; and it costs less than “the low price of three million ISK, meaning you can afford to fly dangerously!” It’s also worth noting that its railgun and drone combination make it effective in both short-range and long-range combat, so you’re able to tackle Dagan using either of the strategies we proposed earlier in this guide. Here’s the fit:
Small I-a Enduring Armor Repairer
Damage Control I
Drone Damage Amplifier I
5MN Quad LiF Restrained Microwarpdrive
Small Compact Pb-Acid Cap Battery
Eutectic Compact Cap Recharger
125mm Carbide Railgun I
125mm Carbide Railgun I
125mm Carbide Railgun I
125mm Carbide Railgun I
125mm Carbide Railgun I
Salvager I
Small Capacitor Control Circuit I
Small Capacitor Control Circuit I
Small Capacitor Control Circuit I
Hornet I x12
Lead Charge S x1000
Antimatter Charge S x5400
Iron Charge S x1000Sisters of EVE Coercer fit
Although a fraction pricier, this second Blood-Stained Stars fit is also cost-effective and beginner-friendly. It’s perfectly capable of taking down Dagan if you use the orbiting strategy explained in the previous section. This fit comes from FirestormGamingTeam, who has even provided a video guide explaining how to get the most out of it:
It’s an Amarr battleship, a Coercer, named Arc Blaster Rage. Here’s Firestorm’s description of why it’s great for the Blood-Stained Stars:
“As stated in the video, only one skill (Amarr Destroyers) prevents players from flying this ship on day one. The fitting boasts a 30 km combat range that’s effective right down to an optimal CQB range of 9 km. It’s been tested on the Sisters of EVE Epic Arc and works perfectly. It's fairly quick for a destroyer and, best of all, very cheap at around four-to-five million ISK, depending on which region you’re in!”
And here’s the fit:
IFFA Compact Damage Control Small Armor Repairer II Reactive Armor Hardener
1MN Y-S8 Compact Afterburner
Small Compact Pb-Acid Cap Battery
Small Focused Beam Laser I
Small Focused Beam Laser I
Small Focused Beam Laser I
Small Focused Beam Laser I
Small Focused Beam Laser I
Small Focused Beam Laser I
Small Focused Beam Laser I
Small Focused Beam Laser I
Small Auxiliary Nano Pump I
Small Auxiliary Nano Pump I
Small Ancillary Current Router I
Xray S x8
Multifrequency S x8
Radio S x8Sisters of EVE Jackdaw fit
For those who wish to remove all chances of failure, here’s a heavy-hitting Blood-Stained Stars fitting from Kane Carnifex that boasts 240 DPS, way more than the 100 DPS minimum recommended for solo-ing Dagan. It’s a Caldari tactical destroyer, a Jackdaw named Tanngrisnir. It has many features that make it ideal for this arc, including:
A propulsion mode that allows pilots to initiate warp within two seconds, reducing travel time between the Epic Arc’s many missions.
The ability to “go sharpshooter” and tackle the Sisters of EVE’s lesser NPC threats with light missiles. Kane recommends ungrouping your guns to shoot multiple enemies simultaneously.
An oversized 10MN afterburner, which allows pilots to reduce incoming damage, which can be further negated with the shield boosters. This should be more than enough tank for the Sisters of EVE arc.
A cap recharger II, allowing for the permanent running of modules.
An abundance of ammunition types, allowing you to adjust to the resistance holes of the Epic Arc’s varying NPC threats.
Sure, it could be considered overkill, but as Kane notes, it “shines in the comfort it offers for those seeking to complete the Sisters of Eve Epic Arc with ease”.
Here’s the fit:
Ballistic Control System II
Ballistic Control System II
Inertial Stabilizers II
Cap Recharger II
10MN Y-S8 Compact Afterburner
Shield Boost Amplifier II
Small Shield Booster II
EM Shield Amplifier II
Light Missile Launcher II
Light Missile Launcher II
Light Missile Launcher II
Light Missile Launcher II
Light Missile Launcher II
[Empty High slot]
Small Warhead Calefaction Catalyst I
Small Ancillary Current Router I
Small Ancillary Current Router I
Inferno Fury Light Missile x750
Mjolnir Fury Light Missile x750
Nova Fury Light Missile x750
Scourge Fury Light Missile x750
Caldari Navy Inferno Light Missile x750
Caldari Navy Mjolnir Light Missile x750
Caldari Navy Nova Light Missile x750
Caldari Navy Scourge Light Missile x750
Nanite Repair Paste x25If none of those fits are right for you, check out the list of fits linked above where you’ll find more great options, including a Coercer and a Sunesis. But with our guide you shouldn’t find the Sisters of EVE Epic Arc overly challenging, so don’t be put off flying in a ship of your own design instead. As Kane says in signing off: “Just go and kick some NPC asses and get your well-deserved faction standing boost!”
Recommended video guides for the Sisters of EVE Epic Arc
Finally, we’ll leave you with some detailed and professional Blood-Stained Stars video guides, submitted by expert EVE Online content creators. The first is a two-parter which forms part of a highly detailed “new player walkthrough extravaganza” from revered EVE creator Nth Dimensional. Here’s part one:
And here’s part two:
While those videos also tackle other topics, you may have noticed that together they last over ten hours. If you’re looking for a more digestible walkthrough, check out this great 45-minute video guide from Wadd Enderas:
Are there any difficult elements of the arc that we didn’t cover? Do you have any further advice to share? If the answer to either of those questions is ‘yes’, go get stuck into the comment section! For more new-player-friendly EVE Online resources, check out this EVE Online wormhole navigation guide or this selection of EVE Online mining tips.
Some text has been edited for brevity, clarity, or spelling, punctuation, and grammar. You can find the original wording here. Image credit: Razorien, CCP Games, and member submissions.
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