Sansha's Nation signature battleship: Nightmare

The Ancient City

Expedition chainHigh Security Low Security Null Security

An expedition — a multi-part escalation chain (typically four sites) obtained by chance (~5%) from an unrated complex, tracked in The Agency. Each completed part has roughly a 50% chance to continue, usually toward lower-security space than where it began.

Quick answers Access NPC roster Payout Go deeper Escalations Sources

Quick answers

Where is the Ancient City in EVE Online?

The Ancient City spawns in high-sec, low-sec and null-sec. How you find it: escalation only — cannot be scanned down.

What spawns in the Ancient City?

The Ancient City has 10 waves and about 243 NPCs: 112 battleships, 54 cruisers, 53 frigates and 16 sentry towers. Killing the trigger ship spawns the next wave; the triggers are Newly Constructed Acceleration Gate and Sansha Organization Center.

Does the Ancient City escalate?

The Ancient City is itself an escalation from Sansha Provincial HQ.

What does the Ancient City drop?

Faction/commander drops scale with the chain's depth; the fourth site carries the headline table.

Access C Single-source / unverified

Ship restrictions: Not recorded

NPC roster C Single-source / unverified

Community-maintained wave list from the site's own wiki page — counts and triggers vary between spawns; treat as the shape, not gospel.

Location 1 — Initial defenders 5 ships

Qty	NPC	Hull
4	Centii Manslayer/Butcher/Loyal Enslaver	F
3	Centatis Wraith/Behemoth	C
8	Centus Tyrant/Dread Lord	BS
1	True Sansha's Dread Lord 12m bounty, wreck contains possible True Sansha faction modules, ammo/tags, Nightmare BPC and produces T2 salvage	BS
1	Newly Constructed Acceleration Gate TRIGGER

Location 2 — Pocket defenders 6 ships

Qty	NPC	Hull
2	Centii Loyal Savage/Slavehunter	F
11	Centum Loyal Mutilator/Fiend/Hellhound	C
9	Centus Tyrant/Dread Lord	BS
1	True Sansha's Dread Lord Wreck contains possible True Sansha faction modules, ammo/tags, Nightmare BPC and produces T2 salvage	BS
2	Sansha Stasis Tower	Sentry
6	Sansha Tower Sentry	Sentry

Location 3 — Initial defenders 6 ships

Qty	NPC	Hull
6	Cruiser	C
7	Battleship	BS
1	True Sansha Wreck contains possible True Sansha faction modules, ammo/tags, Nightmare BPC and produces T2 salvage	BS
2	Sansha Stasis Tower	Sentry
2	Siege Pulse Laser Sentries	Sentry
1	Sansha Battletower

Location 3 — Wave 1 2 ships

Qty	NPC	Hull
10	Frigate	F
12	Battleship	BS

Location 4 — Initial Pocket 1 ship

Qty	NPC	Hull
1	Sansha Organization Center TRIGGER

Location 4 — Wave 1 5 ships

Qty	NPC	Hull
9	Frigate	F
20	Cruiser	C
30	Battleship	BS
2	Sansha Stasis Tower	Sentry
2	Siege Pulse Laser Sentries	Sentry

Location 4 — Wave 2 3 ships

Qty	NPC	Hull
6	Frigate	F
8	Cruiser	C
13	Battleship	BS

Location 4 — Wave 3 3 ships

Qty	NPC	Hull
7	Frigate	F
6	Cruiser	C
15	Battleship	BS

Location 4 — Wave 4 2 ships

Qty	NPC	Hull
7	Frigate	F
7	Battleship	BS

Location 4 — Wave 5 4 ships

Qty	NPC	Hull
5	Spider Drone
8	Frigate	F
7	Battleship	BS
1	Colonial Master Diabolus Maytor Wreck contains possible True Sansha faction modules, ammo/tags, Nightmare BPC and produces T2 salvage	BS

Payout C Single-source / unverified

Faction/commander drops scale with the chain's depth; the fourth site carries the headline table.

Go deeper

David V Goliath (Expedition chain) Drop (Expedition chain) Hidden Riches (Expedition chain)

Escalations

Escalates from: Sansha Provincial HQ

Sources

EVE University wiki: Combat site C Single-source / unverified retrieved 2026-08-19
EVE University wiki: The Ancient City C Single-source / unverified retrieved 2026-08-26

Last reviewed 2026-08-19 · game version: Cradle of War (Jun 2026). Spot an error? Corrections land fastest via the channel.