Which plex can I enter?
| Site | Ship limit | Restriction | Reward scale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scout BSC-1 | Tech I Attack & Combat Frigates | Basic / T1 only | 1 |
| Scout NVY-1 | Frigates | T1 & Navy | 1 |
| Small NVY | Destroyers and below | T1 & Navy | Use number shown |
| Small ADV | Destroyers and below | Advanced hulls allowed | Use number shown |
| Small Interceptor-1 | Interceptors only | T2 Interceptor class | 1 |
| Medium NVY | Cruisers and below | T1 & Navy | Use number shown |
| Medium ADV | Cruisers and below | Advanced hulls allowed | Use number shown |
| Moderate NVY-3 | Battlecruisers and below | T1 & Navy, including Navy Battlecruisers | 3 |
| Large NVY | Battleships and below | T1 & Navy | Use number shown |
| Large ADV | Battleships and below | Advanced hulls allowed | Use number shown |
| Open | Any ship | No gated ship restriction | Use number shown |
| Contested Liberated FRF ELT-5 | T3 Destroyers and eligible smaller ships | Elite | 5 |
- Ships
- Tech I Attack & Combat Frigates
- Rule
- Basic / T1 only
- Reward
- 1
- Ships
- Frigates
- Rule
- T1 & Navy
- Reward
- 1
- Ships
- Destroyers and below
- Rule
- T1 & Navy
- Reward
- Use number shown
- Ships
- Destroyers and below
- Rule
- Advanced hulls allowed
- Reward
- Use number shown
- Ships
- Interceptors only
- Rule
- T2 Interceptor class
- Reward
- 1
- Ships
- Cruisers and below
- Rule
- T1 & Navy
- Reward
- Use number shown
- Ships
- Cruisers and below
- Rule
- Advanced hulls allowed
- Reward
- Use number shown
- Ships
- Battlecruisers and below
- Rule
- T1 & Navy, including Navy Battlecruisers
- Reward
- 3
- Ships
- Battleships and below
- Rule
- T1 & Navy
- Reward
- Use number shown
- Ships
- Battleships and below
- Rule
- Advanced hulls allowed
- Reward
- Use number shown
- Ships
- Any ship
- Rule
- No gated ship restriction
- Reward
- Use number shown
- Ships
- T3 Destroyers and eligible smaller ships
- Rule
- Elite
- Reward
- 5
The exact number at the end of a plex name can vary. It tells you how many eligible characters the site's reward scales to, it is not a limit on how many pilots can enter.
Special sites can have tighter restrictions than their apparent size suggests, so always read the full name.
Reading the name.
- Medium
- Tells you the size of ships the site is built for. Medium plexes allow Cruisers and eligible smaller ships.
- NVY
- Tells you which kinds of hull are allowed. NVY sites allow eligible T1 and Navy ships.
- 3
- Tells you how many eligible characters the site's reward scales to.
So "Medium NVY-3" is a Cruiser-sized Navy plex with rewards designed to scale to three eligible characters.
Not every modern plex follows this exact three-part format. Some sites name a specific ship class or use special restrictions. We'll cover those below.
How big can you go?
- ScoutFrigates
- SmallDestroyers and below
- MediumCruisers and below
- ModerateBattlecruisers and below
- LargeBattleships and below
- OpenAny ship
The size gives you the first clue about what can enter, but it isn't the whole story.
A Small plex may be physically suitable for Destroyers, for example, but a Small Interceptor-1 only allows Interceptors.
Always check the restriction as well as the size.
What can actually enter?
The standard restricted FW plex.
Allows eligible T1 and Navy hulls within the site's size limit.
Pirate and T2 hulls cannot enter.
A broader ruleset.
Allows eligible T1, Navy, Pirate and T2 hulls within the site's size limit.
The range of possible opponents is much wider than in NVY.
A tightly restricted ruleset used by Scout BSC-1.
Only Tech I Attack and Combat Frigates can enter.
No Navy. No Pirate. No T2.
Used by specialised sites allowing more advanced hulls.
The Contested Liberated Field Research Facility ELT-5 allows T3 Destroyers and eligible smaller ships.
Small Interceptor-1 is the clearest example. It doesn't use NVY, ADV, BSC or ELT. The restriction is right there in the name.
Plexes with their own rules.
T1 frigates only.
Restricted to Tech I Attack and Combat Frigates, with rewards scaling to one eligible character. Good if you're specifically looking for fights without Navy, Pirate or T2 frigates entering.
Interceptors only.
A dedicated space for the T2 Interceptor class, with rewards scaling to one eligible character.
Battlecruisers and below.
Moderate fills the gap between Medium and Large, giving Battlecruisers a plex without opening the site to Battleships. Rewards scale to three eligible characters.
T3 Destroyers and eligible smaller ships.
A specialised Field Research Facility using the ELT restriction. Rewards scale to five eligible characters.
Taking the gate.
Scout, Small, Medium, Moderate and Large plexes use acceleration gates.
Warping to the plex lands you outside. Activating the gate takes you to the combat area inside.
Open plexes don't have an acceleration gate, so ships can warp directly onto the grid.
- Check the full plex name
- Check your ship is eligible
- D-scan inside
- See what's waiting for you
- Decide whether you actually want the fight
Don't just activate the gate because D-scan shows someone inside.
Their ship, your ship and where they're likely to be positioned all matter.
Once you're inside.
When you enter through an acceleration gate, you land at a predictable warp in near the capture area.
To participate in capturing the plex, you need to remain within the capture radius.
Because everyone entering through the gate arrives at roughly the same place, the pilot already inside has a positional advantage. A brawler may sit close to the warp in. A kiter may position further away and try to make you land at their preferred range.
This is why checking D-scan before taking the gate matters.
Plexes use deadspace mechanics.
You can't simply warp directly to another pilot, fleet member or bookmark inside the plex from outside. Trying to warp to something inside will generally take you to the acceleration gate instead.
Pick the fight you want.
Look for
Scout BSC-1
The tight ship restriction removes Navy, Pirate and T2 frigates from the equation.
Look for
NVY plexes
These keep Pirate and T2 hulls outside while allowing eligible Navy ships.
Look for
ADV plexes
Pirate and T2 ships join the mix, giving you a much wider range of possible opponents.
Look for
Specialist plexes
Interceptor-1, Moderate NVY-3 and FRF ELT-5 create more specific environments for particular hull sizes or classes.
The plex doesn't guarantee you a good fight. It does let you control some of the things that can come through the gate.