It’s been a while since my last post. Sorry about that. It’s only since the 27th has my connection to the internet been stable enough to support active gaming online. Even then, some times things just don’t work out, and I pay the piper for attempting PvP on a shaky connection.
So, it seems in the three weeks I have been absent from Molden Heath, little has changed. As usual, a few powers have moved off, and others have taken their place. The Harbinger & pod loss linked above have a bit of story related to one of the new alliances which has staked claim to a system in the area. Beyond that, it’s still the sleepy small pirate infested region of lowsec I call home.
With some help lended to me by friends in the area, my internet connection was made stable enough for combat. After a few minutes wait to see if the changes indeed mended my situation, I set out with friends from Decimus corporation to sate the blood thirst I’ve had to hold back for so long. Piloting a Cyclone battlecruiser, and accompanied by a bait Maller and Rifter, we set destination to Metropolis in search for fights.
Molden Heath passed by without incident, and after giving our Rifter pilot scouting duty, our progress slowed to a crawl. While not new to the game, the pilot was new to scanning, and the first four systems outside of Molden Heath turned into training for the green pilot. Eventually we eschewed a forward scout in favor of making time towards Evati, as Mynxee had informed me of targets abound there. My roam was not fated to end with Mynxee however, as chance would land an engagement sooner than expected.
Passing through the final region before Metropolis yielded a roaming gang heading in the opposite direction, composed of several battleships and supported by a few tackler frigates. Spying my battlecruiser, they halted their course and returned to the stargate, intent on distributing free munitions my way. Two of the battleships opened fire on me while my gang slipped by, and with my fellows through I jumped as well, into the adjacent Otosela system.
While my gangmates warped to the next stargate, I lingered a few seconds, aligned and ready to MWD away from the gang behind us. Sure enough, the gate activated, and a Tempest was the first ship through. He locked me, and once within 20km opened fire with large autocannon. Both of our engines flared as each ship engaged their MWDs, the Tempest trailing my Cyclone away from the gate at nearly a kilometer per second.
Despite the massive ordinance detonating against my shields, my shield booster was able to keep up, and soon we were several dozen kilometers off of the gate. Sentry fire from the stargate had begun to take its toll on the Matari battleship, and maintaining a MWD chasing me meant the Tempest’s capacitor was in dire straights. With distance established between ourselves and the stargate, and with the Tempest’s tank failing against sentry fire, I reversed course to bring the fight to my cocky aggressor.
Even with nearly 60km between my foe and the stargate, I knew it was only a matter of seconds before the returning gang would be upon me. I needed to finish off the Tempest with all haste, and then reassess the situation. I overheated my rack of 425mm autocannon and HAM launchers, engaged my warp scrambler, and set to work on the Tempest. The Tempest returned with a scrambler and webifier of his own, and the line was drawn. Either I or he perished, as there would be no MWDing away from this fight.
With his target tackled, the Tempest was able to disengage his MWD and devote all his capacitor to tanking damage, and sure enough his armor repairers began clawing back against the damage output of my battlecruiser. To make matters worse for me, he had given the go ahead to his gangmates, and they had jumped through to support their beleaguered comrade. Two Ishkurs were the first to fly out to assist, and promptly engaged. Sentry fire faded from the Tempest to meet these new foes, and further reduced incoming DPS on the battleship. It soon became clear that my bleeder Cyclone fit wouldn’t be capable of ending the dual LAR Tempest.
Glancing away from my overview and back to my modules, it became obvious that my Cyclone wouldn’t be ending anyone’s life. In the excitement of new arrivals into the fray, I had forgotten about my overheating weaponry. By the time I noticed, it was too late, and my high rack was burned out and gone. The best I could wish for at that point was to employ my ECM drones on the Tempest, and hope fervently that the Ishkurs were forced off by sentry fire.
Seconds passed as I overheated my tanking modules trying to hang on, the boosting displaying only brief effect before the boost of shield was swept aside and new holes were blasted into my armor. I was losing, and it didn’t look like my drones were going to lend deliverance from this fight. However, despite my guns gone, the sentries were still biting, destroying drones and finally forcing one of the Ishkurs from the field. A few seconds later the second Ishkur was forced off.
I was already aligned to a celestial, and was mashing the warp button, my eyes burning as they observed the Tempest’s EWAR effects on the overview. Just once, just this once I needed my little AI controlled soldiers to do their work, and free me from this menace! It was not to be, as before my drones could break the lock of the Tempest, the remaining battleship support had MWDed into range, and a Megathron began punching holes through the structure of my ship. Seconds later, my pod was free and deftly warped away.
Would the small gun Maller and Rifter made a difference in the fight, perhaps at least allowing me to make my escape? I can’t say. It was enough for me that I was the only casualty to the gank squad. Then again, I really need to learn to share, as at least with my gangmates present, those two Ishkurs would have had hell to pay for engaging. Regardless, with my battlecruiser ruined, the gang disbanded, Raxip deciding to log in system and the Rifter pilot sailing home behind my pod towards Molden Heath.
Taking the walk of shame home, I did have one thought running through my mind that brightened my mood: I was back, and no amount of losses would deter me from meeting the next foe cannons blazing!
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Thursday, February 5, 2009
under construction 3
Finally rotated the banner to another that was produced for me (I'll link the player that did the work when I have access to Eve again). Also completed a few aesthetic alterations to the blog. To those that are capable and interested, I am still accepting new banners to use for my blag, and am in need of a banner rotation script to display them all. If you decide you'd like to contribute, complete a banner roughly 640x145 (or to that ratio) pixels in size under the theme of a broadside. The more individual the style, the better. In the past I've payed out 10m isk for a banner, though feel free to haggle me for more money.
It's been a rough week for me, and on top of it all I haven't had secure access to Eve for about two weeks now. As things stand, I finally have internet at my appt, however all ports are closed except for internet browsers and a few chat applications. At least now I can view KB and blag information at home, which means I'm a hell of a lot more comfortable making posts. Expect a regular schedule of a post every 2-4 days as able.
Friday, January 30, 2009
for those who endure
The massive Matari construct rumbled to life, dormant systems awakening from their slumber into activity once more. Lights flash as energy coalesces, forming a sphere between the two spires of the device. The sphere expands, growing in size and brilliance until it erupts, sending shock waves perpendicular to the machine which spawned them. Its purpose achieved, systems along the leviathan construct power down, and once more fall into a standby state. Peace resumes around the device.
In an instant, the stargate had thrust the Cyclone battlecruiser over an unimaginable distance, its pinpoint accuracy depositing the ship of war at the nearby inhabited system known as Ennur. Breaking from the protective cloaking field afforded by the gate, the Cyclone lurched to life, aligning towards a distant stargate within the system. Despite its size, the ship moved ably, accelerating until the warp core took over, thrusting the ship into a warp tunnel. Millions of kilometers passed in the blink of an eye, and after a few seconds computer controlled navigation systems slowed the ship until a safe exit velocity was achieved. The Cyclone exited warp a mere kilometer away from the destination stargate. There was no hesitation before the cycle began anew, and stargate lit to life, preparing to send the ship one hop further along its journey.
It had been roughly forty minutes since that journey had begun, a duration which comes to define the term ‘lackluster’ exceptionally well. System after system housed dull faces, images of which reflected back at my glittering eye, all secure behind station walls or a withering battery of POS weaponry. Little stirred this night, and with my roam coming to a close, I looked forward to nothing beyond a warm drink and comforting food.
A new scene erupted before my eyes. The last stargate activation landed me in the Skarkon system, which housed only one local. Habit drew the cursor over the scan button, and all pertinent objects in space within 14.4au collected themselves neatly as data before my eyes. An anomaly came up; Falcon on scan. The cursor flicked over to the other pilot’s portrait in local, and a dossier appeared soon after. This Falcon was flown by an anti-pirate. How quaint.
The Cyclone’s warp drive deposited me on the Mirimor gate, and I jumped through without another thought. Mirimor was unusually busy, and I set to scanning the locals, sorting known POSed ships with unknowns. I hadn’t been at it for any more than ten seconds before the stargate adjacent to me flashed. The Falcon had entered local, and after a few seconds hesitation proceeded to warp his ship to what appeared to be the top belt.
With the addition of the anti-pirate Falcon into local, my latent paranoia screamed setup. However, it could be a poor setup. Exceptionally poor if the Falcon pilot was as sloppy as I believed him to be. I warped to the top belt at 100km and held my breath.
The warp tunnel collapsed, and I welcomed a view of asteroids drifting in lazy rotations, their number stretching several dozen kilometers in a rough semi-circular pattern. Aside from the dirt balls and my Cyclone BC, the belt was empty. I had expected to land on top of the Falcon, decloaking the recon ship in the process and blasting him into scrap, however it seemed I misjudged the Falcon’s destination. With determination wrought from routine rather than excitement, I began scanning celestial pockets for ships once more. Then a Falcon decloaked two kilometers away from my ship.
Now, after about forty-five minutes of traveling through empty systems, warping, scanning and jumping for a net result of nothing, this sort of opportunity is something every solo PvPer savors. There is nothing worse than an ECM ship dropping out of cloak or warp a dizzying distance away to render your targeting ability useless. Retaliation is impossible. The only worthwhile activity at that point is to mash the warp command towards a celestial to save the pod. So, to say the least, there was a little pent up aggression as I sank my fangs into this hapless cruiser.
I locked the Falcon with practiced haste, and proceeded to slam ordinance into my fragile opponent. Between the surprise of warping on top of his quarry and my vicious onslaught, the Falcon pilot didn’t even manage to return a sensor lock before his ship buckled and blew apart around his pod. It had only taken three volleys to demolish the Falcon.
I scooped loot, and initiated warp towards an old safespot in the system. Minutes ticked down as the GCC diminished towards zero, and I posted the mail. Roughly three minutes had elapsed before one of the other pilots in local sought to confirm my ship type. I confirmed it, to which he countered with a 1v1 request. Chuckling while I typed, I agreed, and warped to the first planet of the system to meet him. Sometimes quiet roams turn out alright as they concluded, which is why it’s important to stick to them. Any kind of roam, quiet or otherwise is more productive than sitting in a station.
My foe piloted a Myrmidon battlecruiser, which if fit properly could deal near double my damage, tank all mine, and still have spare midslots for EWAR modules. Lacking a turret bonus meant pilots used anything from lasers to cap warfare modules in their highslots, all of which combined to an unpredictable, deadly combatant. I had warped to the planet at 10km, and landed an identical distance away from the Myrmidon. MWDs flared to life as pilots jockeyed for position
My plan of attack was to destroy all the heavy and medium sized drones of the Myrm’s drone flight, then peck away at the ship itself with the majority of its arsenal eliminated. Upon landing, I pulsed my MWD away from the enemy BC to draw its drone flight into a low transversal approach pattern, and then set my armament against them. The Myrmidon managed to webify me, however lack of a scrambler to counter my own meant I was able to dictate range at will. Heavy drones were quickly shredded as my Cyclone sped away.
The more agile medium drones provide elusive, and even MWDing away I couldn’t track them without the aid of a webifier, which I didn’t have. Deciding I would have to manage with their presence, I reversed course and returned the fight to the Myrmidon itself. At close range, the Matari and Gallente vessels exchanged fire, drones dancing about ships as pilots tested their opposites’ tank.
I wasn’t dictating range well enough, and the Myrmidon had unleashed its full rack of blasters upon me at their optimal range. Along with the remaining medium drones in the field and an energy neutralizer my tank had no way of keeping up. I retreated once more, taking potshots at the drones as I maneuvered out of webifier range and back to a standoff distance.
I dipped into range for one more go, however once more I neglected to maintain appropriate distance and was forced to retreat, this time with significant armor damage. Unable to break the Myrm’s active tank, or eliminate the drone flight that was pounding my shields, I left the field to the Gallente battlecruiser. We exchanged congratulations and chatted for a few minutes about the fight before he went on his way. I waited down the renewed GCC, and the remainder of the trip home to Egbinger was quiet.
It’s often the fights you lose or end in a stalemate that hold the most valuable lessons. Something so simple as kiting a blaster boat while using longer range weapons is so innate to my combat doctrine that I was shocked to realize I didn’t do so in this fight. Additionally, my flight of ECM drones offered little help interrupting incoming damage versus the drone ship. With damage drones I’d have been better able to cope with drones while giving my overall damage a boost. Still, there are those ‘OH SHIT’ moments such as a few days ago with the Broadsword and Astarte where ECM drones played a large role in escaping.
Ah, the conundrum of flying Matari: a myriad of choice which can leave a pilot duct tape crazy.
In an instant, the stargate had thrust the Cyclone battlecruiser over an unimaginable distance, its pinpoint accuracy depositing the ship of war at the nearby inhabited system known as Ennur. Breaking from the protective cloaking field afforded by the gate, the Cyclone lurched to life, aligning towards a distant stargate within the system. Despite its size, the ship moved ably, accelerating until the warp core took over, thrusting the ship into a warp tunnel. Millions of kilometers passed in the blink of an eye, and after a few seconds computer controlled navigation systems slowed the ship until a safe exit velocity was achieved. The Cyclone exited warp a mere kilometer away from the destination stargate. There was no hesitation before the cycle began anew, and stargate lit to life, preparing to send the ship one hop further along its journey.
It had been roughly forty minutes since that journey had begun, a duration which comes to define the term ‘lackluster’ exceptionally well. System after system housed dull faces, images of which reflected back at my glittering eye, all secure behind station walls or a withering battery of POS weaponry. Little stirred this night, and with my roam coming to a close, I looked forward to nothing beyond a warm drink and comforting food.
A new scene erupted before my eyes. The last stargate activation landed me in the Skarkon system, which housed only one local. Habit drew the cursor over the scan button, and all pertinent objects in space within 14.4au collected themselves neatly as data before my eyes. An anomaly came up; Falcon on scan. The cursor flicked over to the other pilot’s portrait in local, and a dossier appeared soon after. This Falcon was flown by an anti-pirate. How quaint.
The Cyclone’s warp drive deposited me on the Mirimor gate, and I jumped through without another thought. Mirimor was unusually busy, and I set to scanning the locals, sorting known POSed ships with unknowns. I hadn’t been at it for any more than ten seconds before the stargate adjacent to me flashed. The Falcon had entered local, and after a few seconds hesitation proceeded to warp his ship to what appeared to be the top belt.
With the addition of the anti-pirate Falcon into local, my latent paranoia screamed setup. However, it could be a poor setup. Exceptionally poor if the Falcon pilot was as sloppy as I believed him to be. I warped to the top belt at 100km and held my breath.
The warp tunnel collapsed, and I welcomed a view of asteroids drifting in lazy rotations, their number stretching several dozen kilometers in a rough semi-circular pattern. Aside from the dirt balls and my Cyclone BC, the belt was empty. I had expected to land on top of the Falcon, decloaking the recon ship in the process and blasting him into scrap, however it seemed I misjudged the Falcon’s destination. With determination wrought from routine rather than excitement, I began scanning celestial pockets for ships once more. Then a Falcon decloaked two kilometers away from my ship.
Now, after about forty-five minutes of traveling through empty systems, warping, scanning and jumping for a net result of nothing, this sort of opportunity is something every solo PvPer savors. There is nothing worse than an ECM ship dropping out of cloak or warp a dizzying distance away to render your targeting ability useless. Retaliation is impossible. The only worthwhile activity at that point is to mash the warp command towards a celestial to save the pod. So, to say the least, there was a little pent up aggression as I sank my fangs into this hapless cruiser.
I locked the Falcon with practiced haste, and proceeded to slam ordinance into my fragile opponent. Between the surprise of warping on top of his quarry and my vicious onslaught, the Falcon pilot didn’t even manage to return a sensor lock before his ship buckled and blew apart around his pod. It had only taken three volleys to demolish the Falcon.
I scooped loot, and initiated warp towards an old safespot in the system. Minutes ticked down as the GCC diminished towards zero, and I posted the mail. Roughly three minutes had elapsed before one of the other pilots in local sought to confirm my ship type. I confirmed it, to which he countered with a 1v1 request. Chuckling while I typed, I agreed, and warped to the first planet of the system to meet him. Sometimes quiet roams turn out alright as they concluded, which is why it’s important to stick to them. Any kind of roam, quiet or otherwise is more productive than sitting in a station.
My foe piloted a Myrmidon battlecruiser, which if fit properly could deal near double my damage, tank all mine, and still have spare midslots for EWAR modules. Lacking a turret bonus meant pilots used anything from lasers to cap warfare modules in their highslots, all of which combined to an unpredictable, deadly combatant. I had warped to the planet at 10km, and landed an identical distance away from the Myrmidon. MWDs flared to life as pilots jockeyed for position
My plan of attack was to destroy all the heavy and medium sized drones of the Myrm’s drone flight, then peck away at the ship itself with the majority of its arsenal eliminated. Upon landing, I pulsed my MWD away from the enemy BC to draw its drone flight into a low transversal approach pattern, and then set my armament against them. The Myrmidon managed to webify me, however lack of a scrambler to counter my own meant I was able to dictate range at will. Heavy drones were quickly shredded as my Cyclone sped away.
The more agile medium drones provide elusive, and even MWDing away I couldn’t track them without the aid of a webifier, which I didn’t have. Deciding I would have to manage with their presence, I reversed course and returned the fight to the Myrmidon itself. At close range, the Matari and Gallente vessels exchanged fire, drones dancing about ships as pilots tested their opposites’ tank.
I wasn’t dictating range well enough, and the Myrmidon had unleashed its full rack of blasters upon me at their optimal range. Along with the remaining medium drones in the field and an energy neutralizer my tank had no way of keeping up. I retreated once more, taking potshots at the drones as I maneuvered out of webifier range and back to a standoff distance.
I dipped into range for one more go, however once more I neglected to maintain appropriate distance and was forced to retreat, this time with significant armor damage. Unable to break the Myrm’s active tank, or eliminate the drone flight that was pounding my shields, I left the field to the Gallente battlecruiser. We exchanged congratulations and chatted for a few minutes about the fight before he went on his way. I waited down the renewed GCC, and the remainder of the trip home to Egbinger was quiet.
It’s often the fights you lose or end in a stalemate that hold the most valuable lessons. Something so simple as kiting a blaster boat while using longer range weapons is so innate to my combat doctrine that I was shocked to realize I didn’t do so in this fight. Additionally, my flight of ECM drones offered little help interrupting incoming damage versus the drone ship. With damage drones I’d have been better able to cope with drones while giving my overall damage a boost. Still, there are those ‘OH SHIT’ moments such as a few days ago with the Broadsword and Astarte where ECM drones played a large role in escaping.
Ah, the conundrum of flying Matari: a myriad of choice which can leave a pilot duct tape crazy.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Color blind
The situation was this: Having destroyed his ship in a 1v1 engagement, an outlaw has decided to even the score by force. Flying a Cyclone battlecruiser, I lead the outlaw, now piloting a Broadsword HIC into a trap that would render his ship into a collection of slag. I had just jumped into Istodard, and was leading the Broadsword to the Oddelulf gate. What the Broadsword pilot didn’t know was that I had recruited Biz Quick as aid, and he was waiting for orders on the Istodard gate in Oddelulf. I was to be the anvil, Biz the hammer, and my outlaw acquaintance the crunchy bit between.
I landed on the Istodard gate, and gunned my MWD, piloting the ship up and away from the massive Matari structure. The Broadsword lands only seconds after I started away from the stargate, and initiates his own MWD after me. Reaching 30km, I kill my speedboost and coast for a few more kilometers until reaching 40km. The Broadsword barrels into Warp Scrambler range, I place tackle, and the trap is sprung.
From personal experience, HICs don’t fit warp scramblers: it’d be asinine to fit any midslot tackling module other than a Webifier due to the powerful Warp Disruption Field Generator. This meant not only would the HIC be limited to normal navigation while engaged with me, I could dictate range with my own MWD which still operated under his tackle. Having chased me 40km away from the gate, the Broadsword found himself committed to a foe that out damaged him, tanked him, and most importantly, had backup.
After calling tackle, Biz jumps into system, calls out for a destination to warp to. Cursing under my breath, I inform him the target is right on the gate he just jumped through. Seconds drag while my battlecruiser and the Broadsword exchange lead, and the little bean called Biz’s brain finally stops rattling to give an answer to the dilemma facing his senses. Biz informs me with a laugh that my target is blue to him, and he can’t engage. I hastily inform Biz that I hate him and concentrate on the task at hand: deciding whether I had a snowflake’s chance in hell in breaking the HIC’s tank.
Seconds grow to minutes, and it seems the moderate DPS the Cyclone was putting out might be able to break the Broadsword’s tank. So enthralled with damage data and watching the HIC’s shield reading fill with red that I didn’t notice a new arrival to the field. I did however notice my tank failing and the trickle of damage bleeding through into my armor plate. Biz stated something in local chat, and my eyes flashed to my overview. An Astarte had joined the fray, was 20km and closing.
The Astarte’s flight of Hammerheads combined with the Broadsword’s chattering Autocannons had been enough to rout my tank, which I promptly began overheating to compensate. What would occur when the Astarte arrived in range to unleash his Hybrid turret arsenal, I didn’t want to know. What I did know was that I was low on capacitor and needed to flee.
Instincts kicked in, and I started to MWD away from both foes and aligned towards a celestial. My Warp Scrambler denied the Broadsword the ability to use his own MWD to keep up, and given a rigged Astarte isn’t the most agile of ships, I was able to make range. . however not enough. The Broadsword pilot started his MWD the moment my Scrambler disengaged, and I couldn’t accumulate enough distance between our two ships before my capacitor hungry modules consumed the last of my energy and I was left waiting for the next 800 charge cycle. I was out of shields, out of cap, and had death’s hand closing as fast as the Astarte could lumber forward. I needed a miracle.
Lady luck shined on me, and my ECM drones managed to break the Broadsword’s lock. I mashed the warp command, and sailed smoothly away from the carnage. I gave a deep sigh, and sounded a triumphant laugh. The Broadsword pilot started smacking me in local, and I played along in mocking salute to his skills. Biz, blue to both outlaws, came to my defense in words where he couldn’t in action and the chat soon drew still. After boosting my shields to an acceptably high level, I warped back to the Oddelulf stargate and jumped through to the other side. Biz had scooped my drones, and after both of us docked, he returned the drones while I repaired my savaged ship.
Later that day I met up with Biz once more, and with a few of his friends we managed a few ganks to round out the day’s experiences. It’s interesting to note that while roaming that night and the following day, a few pilots remarked how powerful the Cyclone is, and used it as an excuse not to engage. Powerful? The Cyclone?! Hearing this leaves me in awe of what the mighty Bellicose could do in capable hands!
I landed on the Istodard gate, and gunned my MWD, piloting the ship up and away from the massive Matari structure. The Broadsword lands only seconds after I started away from the stargate, and initiates his own MWD after me. Reaching 30km, I kill my speedboost and coast for a few more kilometers until reaching 40km. The Broadsword barrels into Warp Scrambler range, I place tackle, and the trap is sprung.
From personal experience, HICs don’t fit warp scramblers: it’d be asinine to fit any midslot tackling module other than a Webifier due to the powerful Warp Disruption Field Generator. This meant not only would the HIC be limited to normal navigation while engaged with me, I could dictate range with my own MWD which still operated under his tackle. Having chased me 40km away from the gate, the Broadsword found himself committed to a foe that out damaged him, tanked him, and most importantly, had backup.
After calling tackle, Biz jumps into system, calls out for a destination to warp to. Cursing under my breath, I inform him the target is right on the gate he just jumped through. Seconds drag while my battlecruiser and the Broadsword exchange lead, and the little bean called Biz’s brain finally stops rattling to give an answer to the dilemma facing his senses. Biz informs me with a laugh that my target is blue to him, and he can’t engage. I hastily inform Biz that I hate him and concentrate on the task at hand: deciding whether I had a snowflake’s chance in hell in breaking the HIC’s tank.
Seconds grow to minutes, and it seems the moderate DPS the Cyclone was putting out might be able to break the Broadsword’s tank. So enthralled with damage data and watching the HIC’s shield reading fill with red that I didn’t notice a new arrival to the field. I did however notice my tank failing and the trickle of damage bleeding through into my armor plate. Biz stated something in local chat, and my eyes flashed to my overview. An Astarte had joined the fray, was 20km and closing.
The Astarte’s flight of Hammerheads combined with the Broadsword’s chattering Autocannons had been enough to rout my tank, which I promptly began overheating to compensate. What would occur when the Astarte arrived in range to unleash his Hybrid turret arsenal, I didn’t want to know. What I did know was that I was low on capacitor and needed to flee.
Instincts kicked in, and I started to MWD away from both foes and aligned towards a celestial. My Warp Scrambler denied the Broadsword the ability to use his own MWD to keep up, and given a rigged Astarte isn’t the most agile of ships, I was able to make range. . however not enough. The Broadsword pilot started his MWD the moment my Scrambler disengaged, and I couldn’t accumulate enough distance between our two ships before my capacitor hungry modules consumed the last of my energy and I was left waiting for the next 800 charge cycle. I was out of shields, out of cap, and had death’s hand closing as fast as the Astarte could lumber forward. I needed a miracle.
Lady luck shined on me, and my ECM drones managed to break the Broadsword’s lock. I mashed the warp command, and sailed smoothly away from the carnage. I gave a deep sigh, and sounded a triumphant laugh. The Broadsword pilot started smacking me in local, and I played along in mocking salute to his skills. Biz, blue to both outlaws, came to my defense in words where he couldn’t in action and the chat soon drew still. After boosting my shields to an acceptably high level, I warped back to the Oddelulf stargate and jumped through to the other side. Biz had scooped my drones, and after both of us docked, he returned the drones while I repaired my savaged ship.
Later that day I met up with Biz once more, and with a few of his friends we managed a few ganks to round out the day’s experiences. It’s interesting to note that while roaming that night and the following day, a few pilots remarked how powerful the Cyclone is, and used it as an excuse not to engage. Powerful? The Cyclone?! Hearing this leaves me in awe of what the mighty Bellicose could do in capable hands!
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Back to basics
The past two weeks have been met with moderate success as far as PvP goes, but results have been lackluster at best. Flying T2 hulls near exclusively placed me in the position where I wasn’t willing to commit to fights where I wasn’t sure about the situation. The problem with PvP is that nothing is certain, and every missed opportunity is another moment passing through my fingers without chance of recovery. Further, avoiding challenges meant I was finding myself winning ganks rather than fights. I needed to do something radical. I needed to fly something T1.
A caffeine powered freighter haul with fresh supplies and ship hulls delivered just what I needed. Among the tried and true hulls I was accustomed to, my market alt delivered several Cyclone class battlecruisers. I had seen some impressive feats with this first tier BC hull, and decided to give the ship a spin as well. If all else failed, it was incredibly affordable, and the change of pace would be well worth the cost.
I can’t understate how much of a paradigm shift this vessel represented to my normal PvP style. Normally when flying in a battlecruiser hull, such as with the Drake or Harbinger, I employ a passive buffer with minimal to no repair ability. The Cyclone hull, with its shield boost bonus relies on an active tank to mitigate incoming damage. The lack of midslots and need for a cap booster means I can employ only a Warp Scrambler, rather than the classic point/web tackle kit. ECM drones take the place of my usual thermal and explosive damage drone mixings, which provide breathing room for the Cyclone’s active tank to recover.
Prior to the latest expansion, the Cyclone was eclipsed by its more able cousin, the Hurricane. Changes with the QR patch made the Cyclone a viable vessel once more. With alterations to Warp Scramblers, ships with limited midslots could get by with only one tackle module, as long as their foes chose to use a MWD over an AB. As the vast majority of PvPers employ MWDs (for good reason), the Cyclone can manage while supporting a powerful tank/gank combination. I was soon to experience it could not just manage, but excel beyond its competition.
After several hours of fitting ships and logistics work, I took my Pig Razor into the field for the first time. I enjoyed how smoothly this plateless battlecruiser maneuvered, and systems passed by without event. Five jumps into my roam I happened upon my first challenge for the day: an outlaw Rapier idling on a gate.
With optimal munitions already loaded, I decided to provoke the Rapier pilot into action. Targeting systems acquired a lock on the recon ship, and ordinance filled the void between the ships, slamming into the shields of the Rapier. The Rapier pilot weathered a further three volleys before initiating jump procedures at the gate and escaping my grasp. I Waited down my aggression timer, and followed the recon ship into the adjacent system. I repeated my intentions with shell and missile, while he slipped away once more into another system. I was beginning to think he was griefing me for ammo.
Once more I jumped through the gate to pursue the cruiser, this time finding him waiting for me. Understanding the relationship between our two vessels, I decloaked, overheating my MWD to return to the stargate while firing at my opponent. Predictably, the Rapier gracefully moved away from the stargate to place himself at a comfortable 25km away from me, opening up with Artillery shells and a drone flight. Dual Webifiers caused a significant decline in my velocity, however inertia kept my battlecruiser on course at a good clip towards the stargate.
Arriving on the gate and with my quarry unattainable, I stilled my weapons and waited down my aggression timer, easily tanking the Rapier’s damage. Realizing this, the Rapier pilot commented in local that I was wasting his time, and warped off. He followed this with a smile and reported that he would return with a battlecruiser. I stated I’d be waiting, and watched him leave local. I docked up in a nearby station, repairing some mild heat damage caused by my MWD, and wisely placed the maximum insurance allowable on my ship. It was a few minutes before he returned with his battlecruiser.
The situation was this: we were in Half, with my opponent waiting for me on the Istodard stargate in a Hurricane battlecruiser. My plan of attack was to use my Warp Scrambler to hold him at about 7.5km away where my Barrage and HAMs would damage well, while the assumed EMP loadout my foe would employ would have lesser effect. ECM drones would harass the enemy BC, and would be recalled at the slightest sign of his drones countering them. While ECM drones are fragile, they don’t need to be in space to get the job done: their effect cycles just like normal ECM modules do.
All of this in mind, I warped to the Istodard gate at 10km, and both ships lurched into action upon landing. Projectile ordinance glittered, yellow streaks dancing between the two vessels as we jockeyed for position. My foe neglected a Warp Scrambler of his own, which meant my plan to stay at arms length would prevail. My scrambler shut down the Hurricane’s MWD, and I eased into my desired range, tapping my MWD when necessary to hold the position. My shields were holding remarkably well, regardless of the hurricane pilot resorting to Electro-Magnetic damage drones exclusively for this fight. I barked a laugh at that particular tactic, launching my own drones onto my foe.
My arsenal was making surprisingly good progress against the Hurricane’s active tank, while my Large Shield Booster had little issue matching incoming damage. The Hurricane pilot was oblivious to my drone flight, a decision which was to plague him with frequent sensor lock disruptions, all the while my shield booster erasing any headway into my shield reserves. Minutes marched past, and the battle seemed near routine. Even with two medium sized capacitor warfare modules running against me, the Hurricane’s armor was dropping must faster than my shields, and touched hull roughly the same time I reached 33% shields. Overheating my weapons erased remaining resistance, and the Hurricane proved no match for my ‘dated’ vessel. Pilots exchanged congratulations in local, and he departed.
I scooped the loot, returning to the nearby station to repair damaged modules caused by overheating. After undocking, The Hurricane pilot returned once more into local, and this time in a Broadsword HIC. I had a surprise for my vengeful foe, and warped to the Istodard gate just as he landed on the station. I jumped through, aligning to the Oddelulf gate, making sure to wait long enough for the Broadsword to catch up and identify my trajectory as I warped away. I had enlisted aid, and it waited for me in Oddelulf on the Istodard gate. I was going to catch this pilot, and prove that it doesn’t pay to make rash decisions. Despite my scheming, I was the one to be surprised this time, and will report on that soon™.
A caffeine powered freighter haul with fresh supplies and ship hulls delivered just what I needed. Among the tried and true hulls I was accustomed to, my market alt delivered several Cyclone class battlecruisers. I had seen some impressive feats with this first tier BC hull, and decided to give the ship a spin as well. If all else failed, it was incredibly affordable, and the change of pace would be well worth the cost.
I can’t understate how much of a paradigm shift this vessel represented to my normal PvP style. Normally when flying in a battlecruiser hull, such as with the Drake or Harbinger, I employ a passive buffer with minimal to no repair ability. The Cyclone hull, with its shield boost bonus relies on an active tank to mitigate incoming damage. The lack of midslots and need for a cap booster means I can employ only a Warp Scrambler, rather than the classic point/web tackle kit. ECM drones take the place of my usual thermal and explosive damage drone mixings, which provide breathing room for the Cyclone’s active tank to recover.
Prior to the latest expansion, the Cyclone was eclipsed by its more able cousin, the Hurricane. Changes with the QR patch made the Cyclone a viable vessel once more. With alterations to Warp Scramblers, ships with limited midslots could get by with only one tackle module, as long as their foes chose to use a MWD over an AB. As the vast majority of PvPers employ MWDs (for good reason), the Cyclone can manage while supporting a powerful tank/gank combination. I was soon to experience it could not just manage, but excel beyond its competition.
After several hours of fitting ships and logistics work, I took my Pig Razor into the field for the first time. I enjoyed how smoothly this plateless battlecruiser maneuvered, and systems passed by without event. Five jumps into my roam I happened upon my first challenge for the day: an outlaw Rapier idling on a gate.
With optimal munitions already loaded, I decided to provoke the Rapier pilot into action. Targeting systems acquired a lock on the recon ship, and ordinance filled the void between the ships, slamming into the shields of the Rapier. The Rapier pilot weathered a further three volleys before initiating jump procedures at the gate and escaping my grasp. I Waited down my aggression timer, and followed the recon ship into the adjacent system. I repeated my intentions with shell and missile, while he slipped away once more into another system. I was beginning to think he was griefing me for ammo.
Once more I jumped through the gate to pursue the cruiser, this time finding him waiting for me. Understanding the relationship between our two vessels, I decloaked, overheating my MWD to return to the stargate while firing at my opponent. Predictably, the Rapier gracefully moved away from the stargate to place himself at a comfortable 25km away from me, opening up with Artillery shells and a drone flight. Dual Webifiers caused a significant decline in my velocity, however inertia kept my battlecruiser on course at a good clip towards the stargate.
Arriving on the gate and with my quarry unattainable, I stilled my weapons and waited down my aggression timer, easily tanking the Rapier’s damage. Realizing this, the Rapier pilot commented in local that I was wasting his time, and warped off. He followed this with a smile and reported that he would return with a battlecruiser. I stated I’d be waiting, and watched him leave local. I docked up in a nearby station, repairing some mild heat damage caused by my MWD, and wisely placed the maximum insurance allowable on my ship. It was a few minutes before he returned with his battlecruiser.
The situation was this: we were in Half, with my opponent waiting for me on the Istodard stargate in a Hurricane battlecruiser. My plan of attack was to use my Warp Scrambler to hold him at about 7.5km away where my Barrage and HAMs would damage well, while the assumed EMP loadout my foe would employ would have lesser effect. ECM drones would harass the enemy BC, and would be recalled at the slightest sign of his drones countering them. While ECM drones are fragile, they don’t need to be in space to get the job done: their effect cycles just like normal ECM modules do.
All of this in mind, I warped to the Istodard gate at 10km, and both ships lurched into action upon landing. Projectile ordinance glittered, yellow streaks dancing between the two vessels as we jockeyed for position. My foe neglected a Warp Scrambler of his own, which meant my plan to stay at arms length would prevail. My scrambler shut down the Hurricane’s MWD, and I eased into my desired range, tapping my MWD when necessary to hold the position. My shields were holding remarkably well, regardless of the hurricane pilot resorting to Electro-Magnetic damage drones exclusively for this fight. I barked a laugh at that particular tactic, launching my own drones onto my foe.
My arsenal was making surprisingly good progress against the Hurricane’s active tank, while my Large Shield Booster had little issue matching incoming damage. The Hurricane pilot was oblivious to my drone flight, a decision which was to plague him with frequent sensor lock disruptions, all the while my shield booster erasing any headway into my shield reserves. Minutes marched past, and the battle seemed near routine. Even with two medium sized capacitor warfare modules running against me, the Hurricane’s armor was dropping must faster than my shields, and touched hull roughly the same time I reached 33% shields. Overheating my weapons erased remaining resistance, and the Hurricane proved no match for my ‘dated’ vessel. Pilots exchanged congratulations in local, and he departed.
I scooped the loot, returning to the nearby station to repair damaged modules caused by overheating. After undocking, The Hurricane pilot returned once more into local, and this time in a Broadsword HIC. I had a surprise for my vengeful foe, and warped to the Istodard gate just as he landed on the station. I jumped through, aligning to the Oddelulf gate, making sure to wait long enough for the Broadsword to catch up and identify my trajectory as I warped away. I had enlisted aid, and it waited for me in Oddelulf on the Istodard gate. I was going to catch this pilot, and prove that it doesn’t pay to make rash decisions. Despite my scheming, I was the one to be surprised this time, and will report on that soon™.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Solo Sard 5
The downside of solo
We’ve all experienced the difficulties of flying alone. Flying solo means there will be no backup when shit hits the fan, no friends to call favors on, no one to scout for you, or chit chat with during the dull nights in corp chat. Flying alone means dying alone, without anyone to scoop your wreck or complete what you started. It means when you do manage some outside assistance, you can only take it at face value, as those that aid you have only personal goals to bind them, rather than the obligations present between those within a corporation or alliance.
Reliable, consistent quality aid is perhaps the most difficult in my case. When I was still in UGH and working my solo experiment, Capital Punishment (CAP) was still present in Molden Heath, and with them we worked some pretty wicked engagements with the locals. At about the same time I started my own corporation, CAP moved to Syndicate (where UGH decided to move to, go figure) and I was left to my own devices. Since then I’ve occasionally had the aid of pirates around the area, but these are individuals with their own aspirations and schedules, neither of which require me. And trying to organize assorted elements of pirates into a cohesive gang? That can be the subject of an entirely different blag post.
Lack of interaction has also been a void in my gaming experience of late. While in a corporation, there are the forums to follow, corp mail to read, corp chat to watch, and voice comms to listen to. Killmails mean a damn, as there are other pilots to see one’s exploits and comment on them. After weeks of deliberation about leaving UGH, I didn’t pause to realize who I discussed this with: my friends within UGH and STUGH.
While less of an issue for me as I have alts to produce isk, UGH did provide extra backing in the form of free ammunition, modules and the occasional ship. UGH possessed the logistics ability to move operations to anywhere in the galaxy, while alone I struggle to move one ship or another to my current proving grounds. I still have at least 20 ships of varying class mothballed in Arnola awaiting the day I decide to move them or lose them.
All in all, I was having more fun in UGH than in this quiet corp called RANSM, despite flying on my own 30 jumps away from my allies within the corporation and alliance. Despite the most familiar face in UGH corp chat being my own, the lack of activity or vigor from other members, and difficulty I had with some in the alliance, it was better than the solitude I’ve experienced this past month. I miss bantering with old friends, listening in on one exploit or another and the hijinks recorded on forums.
I don’t wish to return to UGH at this point; my reasons for leaving that corporation are still sound. Where else to consider beyond my allies there, I can’t say. I know Biz has a good deal going with his current corporation, and I see those pilots around MH often. My frequent journeys to Metropolis have exposed some fun with the Bastards, however their PvP method seems far too chaotic for my tastes. Militia life would yield a great deal of PvP in the lowsec I frequent without the sec hits I’m accustomed to, however I’ve heard mixed reviews as far as quality of PvP goes. Gods above, I could even start recruiting for my own corporation: a frightening thought!
Parting note: Hellcats public chat makes for queer reading.
We’ve all experienced the difficulties of flying alone. Flying solo means there will be no backup when shit hits the fan, no friends to call favors on, no one to scout for you, or chit chat with during the dull nights in corp chat. Flying alone means dying alone, without anyone to scoop your wreck or complete what you started. It means when you do manage some outside assistance, you can only take it at face value, as those that aid you have only personal goals to bind them, rather than the obligations present between those within a corporation or alliance.
Reliable, consistent quality aid is perhaps the most difficult in my case. When I was still in UGH and working my solo experiment, Capital Punishment (CAP) was still present in Molden Heath, and with them we worked some pretty wicked engagements with the locals. At about the same time I started my own corporation, CAP moved to Syndicate (where UGH decided to move to, go figure) and I was left to my own devices. Since then I’ve occasionally had the aid of pirates around the area, but these are individuals with their own aspirations and schedules, neither of which require me. And trying to organize assorted elements of pirates into a cohesive gang? That can be the subject of an entirely different blag post.
Lack of interaction has also been a void in my gaming experience of late. While in a corporation, there are the forums to follow, corp mail to read, corp chat to watch, and voice comms to listen to. Killmails mean a damn, as there are other pilots to see one’s exploits and comment on them. After weeks of deliberation about leaving UGH, I didn’t pause to realize who I discussed this with: my friends within UGH and STUGH.
While less of an issue for me as I have alts to produce isk, UGH did provide extra backing in the form of free ammunition, modules and the occasional ship. UGH possessed the logistics ability to move operations to anywhere in the galaxy, while alone I struggle to move one ship or another to my current proving grounds. I still have at least 20 ships of varying class mothballed in Arnola awaiting the day I decide to move them or lose them.
All in all, I was having more fun in UGH than in this quiet corp called RANSM, despite flying on my own 30 jumps away from my allies within the corporation and alliance. Despite the most familiar face in UGH corp chat being my own, the lack of activity or vigor from other members, and difficulty I had with some in the alliance, it was better than the solitude I’ve experienced this past month. I miss bantering with old friends, listening in on one exploit or another and the hijinks recorded on forums.
I don’t wish to return to UGH at this point; my reasons for leaving that corporation are still sound. Where else to consider beyond my allies there, I can’t say. I know Biz has a good deal going with his current corporation, and I see those pilots around MH often. My frequent journeys to Metropolis have exposed some fun with the Bastards, however their PvP method seems far too chaotic for my tastes. Militia life would yield a great deal of PvP in the lowsec I frequent without the sec hits I’m accustomed to, however I’ve heard mixed reviews as far as quality of PvP goes. Gods above, I could even start recruiting for my own corporation: a frightening thought!
Parting note: Hellcats public chat makes for queer reading.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Solo Sard 4
Pirates of Molden Heath 2
The afternoon following my venture into nullsec with a group pirates found me again with the same individuals. I bumped into Odareum and his alt in Istodard while roaming Molden Heath, and quickly formed a gang with him after exchanging greetings. We chatted idly about what we had seen in adjacent systems, and I decided to scout the one we hadn't probed, Half. It so happened I would need the backup for what I found there.
After jumping into system, I maneuvered my Huginn recon ship towards a pocket of asteroid belts to begin my scans. Upon arriving at a planet, I was able to narrow down scan on a Hurricane ratting at one of the belts surrounding the planet. The pilot was oblivious to my presence right up to the point where I immobilized his vessel with two Webifiers and a Warp Disruptor. With tackle completed, I reported to my gang mates that I had a target and they should make haste to my position in Half.
It was seconds before aid arrived in the form of a Hurricane, Bellicose and Rapier. Our combined damage swamped the target battlecruiser in projectile ordinance, which quickly reduced the ship to rubble. The Hurricane was able to summon friends however, and before being consumed by fire an Armageddon, Eagle and Rapier arrived in the asteroid belt. Being seasoned cutthroats, there was no hesitation as I called the Rapier primary and the Eagle secondary.
The enemy Rapier had the misfortune of landing amongst the asteroids of the belt after coming of warp: this left him easy prey as he couldn't MWD away or recloak. The moderate buffer tank on the ship was swept aside and the Rapier dissolved moments after being called primary. The Eagle then became the focus of our attention, and I raced to place my tackle kit on the Caldari HAC. A burst of my MWD slew the distance between the two ships, and the Eagle was firmly held for my gang to pound to dust.
In the excitement of destroying the two cruisers, the Armageddon was able to slip away. The field was ours, and we set about scooping the loot, eventually forming midwarp safespots to wait down our GCCs. While waiting, we decided to head towards Egbinger, where we would likely dodge into nullsec to give the residents there a run for their lives.
Fifteen minutes passed, and I moved ahead of our gang to scout for targets. Systems passed without any excitement, and we breezed through lowsec until reaching the Heild system, two jumps out from Egbinger. While scouting the multitude of belts there, I spied a Ferox battlecruiser working the belts surrounding the seventh planet of the system. It wasn't much longer than half a minute before the Ferox hull lit the void with a sapphire brilliance.
The Ferox left little in the way of booty, however once again it seemed the victim had an ace up his sleeve, as Foundati0n presence in the system multiplied while our pirate gang destroyed his ship. Atomic Betty, a foundati0n pilot known for flying Broadswords and baiting for blobs was in local, and it wasn't long before his HIC arrived at our belt. I could only grin as our gang took the bait, autocannons licking fire towards the FDN cruiser as we awaited the eventual enemy response.
I don't know whether it's an intentional tactic of Foundati0n to trickle in support when blobbing a foe. Perhaps it's a trick to lull their prey into a sense of security until it's too late. Today their retarded maneuvering system would cost them. Atomic Betty put up the usual heroic show as his HIC tanked our small gang, too slowly running out of shields for our gang to drop him before his support arrived. However, the first ship to arrive at the scene to aid Betty was a FDN Falcon... a mere 20km away from our gang and stuck in the asteroids of the belt. Voice comms was thick with variants of "SMOKE THAT FALCON!"
The pirate gang retreated from the HIC to concentrate fire on the Falcon, which was incapable of jamming all of our ships. Shield, armor and structure faded and the Falcon was removed from the field. In the time it took to maneuver and kill the Falcon, the rest of the FDN gang had arrived, and as they outnumbered us four to one, those that could escape did. In doing so, we traded a Hurricane for a Falcon: a fair trade any day, especially when the Caldari recon fit rigs and a Dark Blood Warp Disruptor.
With Foundation presence in the system established, we pirates decided to take a break and let things cool down before continuing. We docked up, and the rest of the day was relatively quiet, with only a few minor upsets. A note about the Myrmidon gank: Odareum has little compunction about using shady means to achieving his goals. This particular victim happened to accept the wrong gang invitation that day, as we descended upon his ship like the rabid opportunists we were. While using such means to an end felt below me at the time, it's certainly worth a try, and any pilot that falls for such a trick deserve the lesson.
The afternoon following my venture into nullsec with a group pirates found me again with the same individuals. I bumped into Odareum and his alt in Istodard while roaming Molden Heath, and quickly formed a gang with him after exchanging greetings. We chatted idly about what we had seen in adjacent systems, and I decided to scout the one we hadn't probed, Half. It so happened I would need the backup for what I found there.
After jumping into system, I maneuvered my Huginn recon ship towards a pocket of asteroid belts to begin my scans. Upon arriving at a planet, I was able to narrow down scan on a Hurricane ratting at one of the belts surrounding the planet. The pilot was oblivious to my presence right up to the point where I immobilized his vessel with two Webifiers and a Warp Disruptor. With tackle completed, I reported to my gang mates that I had a target and they should make haste to my position in Half.
It was seconds before aid arrived in the form of a Hurricane, Bellicose and Rapier. Our combined damage swamped the target battlecruiser in projectile ordinance, which quickly reduced the ship to rubble. The Hurricane was able to summon friends however, and before being consumed by fire an Armageddon, Eagle and Rapier arrived in the asteroid belt. Being seasoned cutthroats, there was no hesitation as I called the Rapier primary and the Eagle secondary.
The enemy Rapier had the misfortune of landing amongst the asteroids of the belt after coming of warp: this left him easy prey as he couldn't MWD away or recloak. The moderate buffer tank on the ship was swept aside and the Rapier dissolved moments after being called primary. The Eagle then became the focus of our attention, and I raced to place my tackle kit on the Caldari HAC. A burst of my MWD slew the distance between the two ships, and the Eagle was firmly held for my gang to pound to dust.
In the excitement of destroying the two cruisers, the Armageddon was able to slip away. The field was ours, and we set about scooping the loot, eventually forming midwarp safespots to wait down our GCCs. While waiting, we decided to head towards Egbinger, where we would likely dodge into nullsec to give the residents there a run for their lives.
Fifteen minutes passed, and I moved ahead of our gang to scout for targets. Systems passed without any excitement, and we breezed through lowsec until reaching the Heild system, two jumps out from Egbinger. While scouting the multitude of belts there, I spied a Ferox battlecruiser working the belts surrounding the seventh planet of the system. It wasn't much longer than half a minute before the Ferox hull lit the void with a sapphire brilliance.
The Ferox left little in the way of booty, however once again it seemed the victim had an ace up his sleeve, as Foundati0n presence in the system multiplied while our pirate gang destroyed his ship. Atomic Betty, a foundati0n pilot known for flying Broadswords and baiting for blobs was in local, and it wasn't long before his HIC arrived at our belt. I could only grin as our gang took the bait, autocannons licking fire towards the FDN cruiser as we awaited the eventual enemy response.
I don't know whether it's an intentional tactic of Foundati0n to trickle in support when blobbing a foe. Perhaps it's a trick to lull their prey into a sense of security until it's too late. Today their retarded maneuvering system would cost them. Atomic Betty put up the usual heroic show as his HIC tanked our small gang, too slowly running out of shields for our gang to drop him before his support arrived. However, the first ship to arrive at the scene to aid Betty was a FDN Falcon... a mere 20km away from our gang and stuck in the asteroids of the belt. Voice comms was thick with variants of "SMOKE THAT FALCON!"
The pirate gang retreated from the HIC to concentrate fire on the Falcon, which was incapable of jamming all of our ships. Shield, armor and structure faded and the Falcon was removed from the field. In the time it took to maneuver and kill the Falcon, the rest of the FDN gang had arrived, and as they outnumbered us four to one, those that could escape did. In doing so, we traded a Hurricane for a Falcon: a fair trade any day, especially when the Caldari recon fit rigs and a Dark Blood Warp Disruptor.
With Foundation presence in the system established, we pirates decided to take a break and let things cool down before continuing. We docked up, and the rest of the day was relatively quiet, with only a few minor upsets. A note about the Myrmidon gank: Odareum has little compunction about using shady means to achieving his goals. This particular victim happened to accept the wrong gang invitation that day, as we descended upon his ship like the rabid opportunists we were. While using such means to an end felt below me at the time, it's certainly worth a try, and any pilot that falls for such a trick deserve the lesson.
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