Thursday 20 September 2012

Tusker down, I repeat Tusker down! :D

Jumping into the Slasher again, I undocked and headed down the pipe towards Esmes, nothing in that direction! A quick 180 and back through Goinard, friendly intel had suggested a Incursus was looking for trouble further down the pipe, so I raced on through to start the hunt.

Onne (0.4)
Quickly D-scanning the frigate, I warped to a belt, then a moon, then a belt, getting bored of the ping pong I moved off the zero point and waited a few moments. The Incursus warped and immediately launched it's drone. The fight was on!

Without a web, and being tracking disrupted the incursus struggled to get any hits in with it's primary guns, it's small warrior drone chipping away. Targeting and popping the drone I now had full control of the fight, the Incursus was repping heavily, obviously dual repper, as it was pulling itself back from low armour in one hit. This wasn't getting anywhere fast. Moving closer I started to neutralise the cap of the incursus, the added pressure of this was starting to tell as it dipped into structure.
It was still clawing its way back up, but was having to burn charges to survive, charges it didn't have enough of...

Lisbaetanne (0.4)
Moving on from this happy with the kill, I headed up further up the pipe. I followed one of the Tuskers into Aeshee, now the Tuskers are known for being good frigate pilots, and always willing to fight! But this Tusker wasn't too keen on taking on the Slasher, and so he moved on through into Lisbatanne, following in I found him sitting on the gate, he yellow boxed but didn't engage. I didn't want to fight on the gate as you don't get any warning of blobbing, so trying to pull the fight off the gate I warped out to a close planet, and waited. Soon another Tusker came into local Rixx Javix of Eveoganda fame! A Taranis appeared on d-scan, and then both Tuskers came to the planet, by this point I had already been burning 250km upwards from the warp in.
1v1 I was confident that I could take on either of the ships, but together they would murder me easily.

The trick to fighting multiple ships is to keep them both within 150km of each other, that way they shouldn't be able to warp to each other, and it gives you time to fight just one of them.
You just need to separate them, there are many ways to do this, you can warp to planets at different ranges, hope that they follow but don't land together. Or you can burn around on grid and try to pull them apart. Being fast helps you do it on grid. I was faster than the Incursus but a mwd Taranis can easily pull in excess of 3000ms.

They wanted the fight, which always helps... I was now 300km above them, so had the space to pull them apart. This they did for themselves, the slower afterburning incursus sat stationary at the planet, whilst the mwd fitted taranis started to burn up towards me, I let the ceptor get 100km up away from it's buddy before warping back to the planet at 100km, this put me within 30km of the ceptor, and 100km up away from the incursus. The Taranis bailed, and came back in at 200km, a few cross warps, and we bouced around the grid finally the Taranis landed close, burning towards it, I was relieved when the it launched drones and engaged, the Incursus started the 90km burn up towards us, but the Taranis was already in trouble misjudging his closure rate, he'd come too close and was now in scram range the slashers tracking disruptor meant it's rail guns were ineffective, but the Warrior Drones were still hurting! and I was forced to run my Ancil a few cycles I wouldn't have time to kill the drones first like I would in a solo fight, I had to kill the hull as quickly as possible before the Incursus arrived.
Realising that Rixx was in big trouble, and that afterburning towards us he wasn't going to get there in time RedBerret warped off to a close spot, so he could return at zero. Landing on top of us the Taranis was now deep in structure, he started to apply damage and I was forced to overheat the Ancil, and I started to switch  my orbit to the incursus I left my guns and scram on the Taranis, whilst now neuting and disrupting the Incursus, the Taranis felt like it took ages to die, but eventually it popped and I could turn my attention to the Incursus, fitted with plate and rep, it had a free midslot for a web, which had meant even with the tracking disruption I was still getting low in armour, having already used up my initial Ancil charges! 60 seconds is a long time to wait... My Energy Neutraliser was starting to bite now, he wasn't tanking and was now slowly bleeding out. Then just as I hit 10% armour and was thinking that I might need to get out the ACB lit up with fresh charges!! I think I made a happy little squeal!
With once more a healthy shield buffer it was all over for RedBerret.

An excellent result with two tusker ships downed, and a field of loot to collect and sell.
GF's exchanged in local,  but I'd love to have heard their comms after that one. "Nerf slashers anyone?"


Sunday 16 September 2012

Free Beer?




Meet CCP at the VETO EVE London party and during Eurogamer Expo

Enjoy a player gathering with free food and drink!


CCP will be present on the largest games exhibition in Europe, the Eurogamer Expo in London, UK, from September 27 to 30, 2012. During the Eurogamer Expo we will not only present fantastic news regarding DUST 514, we will be also available with many developers ready to answer questions.

And what can be even better? Yes, the VETO EVE London player gathering!

In fantastic tradition Verone and the VETO Corp hosts one of their legendary player gatherings and CCP will be present there too with almost a dozen developers.

And what can be even better? Yes, free drinks and food!

CCP will sponsor free drinks and food, no one should leave hungry or thirsty (or sober?) from this incredible party.



Where:        
Goodmans Field Wetherspoons
87-91 Mansell Street
Greater London E1 8AN

When:
September 29, 2012
From 11 AM to last orders, that's a lot beer!

Spread the word, tell your friends and fellow EVE pilots and get to London.
We are looking forward to meet you this amazing event, see you there!
 
The EVE Community team

Friday 14 September 2012

Slashing at the Enemy

Anabaric moved closer to the rupture, it still hadn't attempted to neut him, but there wasn't any missiles either... so he was pretty sure the rupture was baiting him into getting too close but he had to know. 
Moving in a tight arc around the Rupture, the 220mm autocannon dangerously close with every shot to tearing the Slasher apart, each hit tore off 50% of his shields, and every time the new Ancillary booster kicked in and repaired the damage, but with only 5 charges left he had to commit to the fight or try to reload.

Approaching again, he fired at the rupture, which showed minimal shield damage, then at 13km the web effect surrounded the Slasher, and the rupture fired up it's MWD racing towards the Slasher. Scram warning followed, with the dreaded energy neutralisers starting to suck the cap out of the frigate.


But expecting this Anabaric had already overheated his afterburner, and with the rupture also scrammed the Slasher pulled range back to 9km outside the deadly range of the neutralisers. Now with the rupture scrammed and tracking disrupted he could concentrate on clearing the warrior drones that were trying to catch and kill him...


It was taking too long, the drones were long since dead, but the applied damage to the Rupture just wasn't enough, unable to get closer because of the neutralisers, he could only pepper it with Barrage ammo, as the Rupture entered armour Anabaric realised a little late that the web+scram meant it was going to be a 1600plate rupture, there was no way he was going to do this before support came. Putting a call out on alliance comms, and a couple of Shadow Cartel pilots started to the head down the pipe towards Basan, some six jumps out. 

Just then 60km away the Gate flashed signalling another pilot coming into local, the same gate the Rupture had come from, checking local quickly confirmed his suspicions that the Rupture had also called for support, things were about to get interesting. A Navy Slicer decloaked and burned straight towards him at 3000ms. Leaving the Rupture, Anabaric started burning away with the 220's instantly finding their mark as his traversal lowered. Heading up away from the cruiser, which was already running to the gate in the opposite direction, sure of his buddy's ability to kill the lesser frigate, Anabaric knew his only chance was to separate them enough to engage just the Slicer.

The Slicer was fast, stupidly so, orbiting out at 20km it started to rain purple fire on the Slasher, pulsing the ancillary booster Anabaric managed to pull the fight still further away from the gate. Being a veteran Slicer pilot and knowing their strengths and weaknesses intimately, he switched to optimal range disruption forcing the slicer to come just a little closer. The slicer was still trying to orbit, this was exactly what he was hoping for Anabaric forced a slingshot and hit approach, his overheated scram finding it's mark on the Slicer, the Rupture realising his support was in trouble started to head back out from the gate but it was already too late for the fragile slicer.

Quickly switching back to the rupture, local spiked again, and this time a daredevil jumped in and started to close on the fighting ships, this was going to end badly...

Just as the Daredevil got within range the Shadow Cartel support fleet landed in system, maybe just maybe this could still work, the Daredevil came close enough to web him, but also within neut range, realising it's mistake the DD pulled range again, but the Slasher didn't quite make it out, that 90% web really ruins your day. Support landing on the field sealed the fate of the Rupture, both the Daredevil and Rupture followed the Navy Slicer into the void. GF's exchanged in local, and to the winner goes the spoils. 
It's always nice to get to loot the field and reimburse the losses

Friday 7 September 2012

The Battle of Gukarla.

The fleet had taken ages to get started, someone had posted the advert too early and the everyone was grumbling about now waiting for the POCO* timer to come out. Anabaric had left the alliance briefing room and was back in the office still trying to catch up with the paperwork Nashh had left, when the call to undock sounded. 

Rushing past the recruits still fast asleep in their bunks he quickly jumped into the capsule and called up the hanger manifest. One of the latest editions to the hanger was to be the ride this evening. The Oracle class Battlecruiser was fitted in an unorthodox way, coupling shields with Ammarian ships was sketchy at the best of times, but no one could complain about the damage output from the Heavy Pulse lasers, still able to hit hard at 70km with Scorch Crystals. 

Undocking he quickly followed the remaining ships out to an Alliance POS where they caught a ride out towards the target system. The small fleet of 14 ships were going to be gate crashing a party where the locals were defending a POCO that had been reinforced by a large group of neutrals. Fighting a three way fight out numbered on both sides was on the cards, and would test each of the pilots skills to the limits. 

Battle Report. Gukarla (Metropolis), 06-09-2012 (20:38 - 21:35)
Rushing the last few jumps towards the target system the fleet was lucky to not run into any scouts from either party, and our own intel said that only the locals were in system and were preparing to rep up the POCO.

With our own scout hidden at the POCO we waited a few jumps out, everyones nerves were a little frayed, the long delays, and now being forced to wait for others was never good. The locals still hadn't come to the POCO, and there was no sign of the gang that had reinforced it originally. 

Impatient to start the party, and to try and force some action we warped to the system, and jumped in. Warping to the POCO we started to shoot it, quickly dropping in into armour. The locals buzzed a few scouts in at range, but still didn't come in force.

Then suddenly they appeared on scanner at short range. A mixed gang of about 20 ships, with our fleet ready and waiting they landed on grid with us, unfortunately for them they hadn't warped in as a gang and the first Naga died before most of them had even loaded the grid properly, unable to get their logistics into place propely their 3 scimmys couldn't keep up with the damage from the smaller Shadow Cartel fleet, whilst our own logistics had pulled one of the Oracles back from 50% structure. A Tornado and a Talos quickly followed the enemy Naga into the void, at which point their fleet wisely bailed leaving behind a Huginn and single hero scimmy who was saved by their falcon pilot after the Huginn died.

We hung around looting the wrecks, and started to shoot the POCO again, and were rewarded when they came back in this time they landed at range all together and were much more prepared. They fought well, but were unable to break our logistics, and again their losses started to mount, Drake, Drake, Hurricane, we tried several times to kill off their logi's but their pilots managed to keep them at range, with their fleet between us. A stabber fleet issue came too in close and died bathed in purple fire from the Oracles. Their gang once again broken warped out, a lone Loki left on the field tackled and doomed.

The final round happened just as we were preparing to leave, their gang now numbering 30+ came back in at range, we warped to a previous wreck to bring us immediately back into combat range. Once again their logi's held up against our fire and we were still unable to kill their logistics outright. Switching primaries we probed their fleet looking for weakness, finding another 8 kills in their ranks before the remaining enemies disengaged leaving us the field victorious. 

Anabaric


*POCO - Player Owned Customs Office.

Killboard Linky

Sunday 2 September 2012

Blog Banter 39: Home is what you make of it.


"Some say a man's home is his castle. For others it is wherever they lay their hat. The concept is just as nebulous in the New Eden sandbox. 

In EVE Online, what does the concept of "home" mean to you?"

Anabaric looked over the data slates piled high on his desk, yes it really was his desk now. Nashh's name had been partially scratched off the door by Maxx, who after getting bored half way was now shouting things at the new recruits.

Nashh's sudden retirement had left the corp in a bit of shock, but the manner of leaving was typical;

The data slate with the note hadn't been found for three days, without realising it was actually important Anabaric had been using it as a coaster for his Q-Zero, it was only when Maxx pried the sticky slate off the ready room table did the message from Nashh flash up on the screen.

"Have run out of rum going planetside, back sooner or later (maybe). Made you Boss, left you something in the kitty for expenses."

Anabaric read the message again, before putting the slate down on the his desk. It really was his desk now, Nashh obviously wasn't coming back any time in the near future, and the slate had gone on to suggesting a few changes to the corp branding, but those could wait a while. There was no hurry.

The pile of slates in his new office was simply staggering, unpaid bills, impounded ships, the repairs to the docking clamps from Nashh's most recent departure, these would all have to be dealt with in time. For now Anabaric lazed in the worn out leather chair looking out over the KBG hanger, still a hive of activity as the new recruits were still moving in. Recruitment was going quite well, 3 promising recruits in as many days, but more were still needed to drive the corp forward.

Home is what you make of it he thought to himself, of all the stations Anabaric had lived in over the last few years this one felt the most like home, it wasn't the hanger itself or good hunting in the local asteroid belts, it was the people he shared it with. They were the ones who'd put the holes in the walls, spilt the Quafe on the floor, and were hard at work screaming at the recruits, or hauling ammunition and equipment ready for the next roam.

The neo-comm chimed with a new message to alliance, time to go, time to fight with friends.

BB:39 Links