A Game of Frigates

"These people were not only cheering, they were throwing flowers and hats. The hats were made of stone, but the thought was there."
-- Life among the primitive Discworld tribes

(Terry Pratchett, Eric)

My day started with a rather extreme workout, for which my muscles aren't thanking me for right now, but to avoid the atrophy of long spells spent in a capsule full of goo, it's a necessary evil.
The 2/10 seems to be picking up again, thanks to the likes of Sard Caid and his stream and Miura Bull's fantastic guide promoting them as bastions of PvP, the one in Gus is seeing a little more attention paid to it, and this is a good thing.

The first fight of the day was against a Jaguar, a ship I am intimately acquainted with, as of late there is a rather nasty dual medium ancillary shield booster fit making the rounds but regardless I chose a fun new ship to play with, The Sentinel.

Sentinel

Name: Sentinel
Hull: Crucifier Class
Role: Electronic Attack Ship
Electronic attack ships are mobile, resilient electronic warfare platforms. Although well suited to a variety of situations, they really come into their own in skirmish and fleet encounters, particularly against larger ships. For anyone wanting to decentralize their fleet’s electronic countermeasure capabilities and make them immeasurably harder to counter, few things will serve better than a squadron or two of these little vessels.

Developer: Viziam

Viziam ships are quite possibly the most durable ships money can buy. Their armor is second to none and that, combined with superior shields, makes them hard nuts to crack. Of course this does mean they are rather slow and possess somewhat more limited weapons and electronics options.

Amarr Frigate Skill Bonus: 20% bonus to energy vampire and energy neutralizer transfer amount per level and 5% bonus to effectiveness of tracking disruptors per level

Electronic Attack Ships Skill Bonus: 40% bonus to energy vampire and energy neutralizer range and 5% reduction in capacitor recharge time per level 

It ticks a lot of boxes as a Frigate destroyer for me, particularly a few variations that rely on capacitor and turrets. So I undock and warp to the 2/10
The Jaguar seems to be in two minds as it takes him a little while to come to me, but when he does he warps in nearly on top of me, not ideal as his damage would hurt at such range... That it does, but overloaded  energy neutralisers soon shut his propulsion and tackle mods down, which allows me to gain range and use my tracking disruptor to full effect.

Once at range it is pretty much over as he valiantly tries to swat my drones, but the little critters are tenacious and tear the Jaguar apart, piece by piece.

Kenzo Shimada > gf
Kane Rizzel > gf
Kenzo Shimada > never seen this ship in action before
Kenzo Shimada > nice
Kane Rizzel > I've only been flying it a few days, enjoying it, something different
Kenzo Shimada > I have to confess, that I underestimated it a little
Kenzo Shimada > but then my cap was gone^^
Kane Rizzel > I'm finding most people are
Kane Rizzel > yeah, it caps frigates pretty quickly
Kane Rizzel > you got very close in the beginning and got web on, thought I was done for
Kenzo Shimada > yup, but then within a few secs my cap was gone
Kenzo Shimada > and so were you
Kenzo Shimada > couldn't get any closer to you
Kenzo Shimada > good fight though o7
Kane Rizzel > yeah, gf o7

A few minutes later, a Retribution class assault frigate enters system and I guess he'll be heading to the 2/10. I undock the Sentinel again and DSCAN shows him where I expect, I warp over, overheat everything, I land and the DSCAN shows him inside the plex, probably waiting at zero, which is not ideal for me, but I warp in anyways... Yup, he's waiting for me and I hit him with a full force of neuts, but a single volley from his medium pulse lasers strips my shields, the second volley puts me at half armour, if it carries on like this my Sentinel won't be long for this Verse... I probably forgot to mention this thing has no tank whatsoever :)

I struggle to get range, but an overheated afterburner pulls me out to 15km, my tracking disruptor playing havoc with his laser optimal range, and shortly there-after he stops shooting altogether as his cap runs dry. A tense few seconds for me becomes frustration for the Retribution pilot as my drones are now free to do as they want to the golden ship, and what they want is explosions.

I manage to tackle the escape pod before it warps to safety and offer terms:
Kane Rizzel > 50mil ransom?
Maggistr > yes
Kane Rizzel > ok
Kane Rizzel > gf

He accepts and I disengage my tackle and let him go on his merry, although 50million ISK poorer :)


Operation IVY

A rather large fleet of EVE University rolls through Gus (add to that a Manticore and two further Stilettos)
I shall use this opportunity to promote a rather useful tool for all your FC/Scouting needs, DingoGS's FC Toolbox.
Kane Rizzel > there's an acre of you fellas
Jake Uta > Do you know the way to Rens?
Kane Rizzel > go get some more and I'll take you on
Jake Uta > http://i.imgur.com/AvHwD.gif
Kane Rizzel > what's a rens?
powerfreak evans > a system
powerfreak evans > ;)

Nothing comes of this however as they move on.


Links up: A tale of two Maledictions

The family is back in Gusandall, for the moment, and as such I employed the use of skirmish links for this next fight.

A single Malediction enters Gusandall, naturally assuming it will be going to the 2/10, I board something a little more daring to take on the rocket based interceptor, an Incursus.

Incursus

The Incursus may be found both spearheading and bulwarking Gallente military operations. Its speed makes it excellent for skirmishing duties, while its resilience helps it outlast its opponents on the battlefield. Incursus-class ships move together in groups and can quickly and effectively gang up on ships many times their size and overwhelm them. In recent years the Incursus has increasingly found its way into the hands of pirates, who love its aggressive appearance.

Gallente Frigate Skill Bonus: 10% bonus to Armor Repairer effectiveness and 5% bonus to Small Hybrid Turret damage per skill level.

I undock and warp straight to the 2/10 and sure enough, the Malediction warps in at range... And continues to stay at range whilst holding me tackled.


Alekseyev Karrde > let you go for 3mil
Kane Rizzel > :)

There's no way I'm going to catch him at the rate he's moving, and there's no way in hell I'm going quietly without getting a shot off, so gang is formed and skirmish links go up. I overheat my mods and try to activate them but for some reason the overheat primer has fused my mods and I sit helpless as the Malediction skilfully pilots around me, I bide my time, he's holding me for a reason, which soon becomes apparent as his corpmate jumps into system in another Malediction. 

This is when the fight gets interesting, after what felt like 5 minutes of me trying to slingshot into range, the first Malediction starts to close, I try to tackle it, but my mods are still fused, I toggle overheat a few times, eventually I can activate my mods and the fight begins in earnest. Second Malediction warps in and starts to close, my blasters start playing merry havoc with the firsts armour but he seems to be repping well, but only a matter of seconds till he breaks, and break he does, I turn all attention to the second Malediction, I'm easily repping his damage and he's doing the same to mine... It's about now I remember I have a drone to use...

For fucks sake, this will be the first deployment of this drone since I started using this particular Incursus and he's raring to go, I unleash the wee beastie and he zips across the void to add to my Null damage and the second Malediction explodes. 

Alekseyev Karrde > vgf
Kane Rizzel > gf
Kane Rizzel > gf
Kane Rizzel > very gf
Preestar > gf
Kane Rizzel > my overheating wasn't working for most of that
Kane Rizzel > very weird
Alekseyev Karrde > Rizzel, did you have off grid armor links for that?
Kane Rizzel > just skirmish
Alekseyev Karrde > tank was wicked bro
Kane Rizzel > but my overheat wasn't working
Kane Rizzel > the incursus is mad tank
Kane Rizzel > built in bonus
Alekseyev Karrde > aye
Alekseyev Karrde > havnt actually tried to kill one w just frigates since the patch
Kane Rizzel > it's a nasty little ship and a beast with null
Kane Rizzel > good fight though, wasn't going to catch you even with skirmish if you didn't come in, was just biding my time :)
Alekseyev Karrde > p much the same on our end.  I knew i couldnt take you by myself, but i was surprised the two males couldnt break the local.  Now i know hehe
Alekseyev Karrde > gotta scoot

A good fight from good opponents :)

In other news

Long time friend and Celebrity Death Match founder, Nashh Kadavr is leaving the Capsule behind and retiring to a terran existence, all the best old friend, may your skies always be friendly :)

Edit: I've been asked a few times now, those are my knuckles in the previous blog :)

The star of Eifer

The Battle of Koom Valley is the only one known to history where both sides ambushed each other.
-- (Terry Pratchett, Men at Arms)

The Jaguar wants to be hunted, it lingers at belts and celestials, allowing me time to narrow it down but moving before I come out of warp. A smart pilot, but it wont be long until he waits for me to arrive.

I check my hold.

Drugs... Check
Cap Boosters... Check
Ammo... Check

I have loaded Phased Plasma, The Jaguars natural resists and the overwhelming tendency to tank against explosive damage meaning it would be my best choice.

The Jaguar is narrowed down at the heart of Eifer and I warp to the star.

I land, he's 30 odd clicks off. Instinct takes control as I close, set orbit to 2.5km, spin up the guns, prime tackle.

He lights me up first, slowing me down with a stasis webifier, a warps scrambler making sure I don't have second thoughts. My afterburner strains against the webifier, pushing me closer and closer.

The battle is on as my scrambler glows, a large chunk of my shields disappears... This is going to be tough, my shield booster claws some back, but another large chunk of red appears on my HUD. I take a hit of some drugs, the universe takes on a blue tinge, I lose some control of my capacitor, coupled with the fact he has a small energy neutralizer would make this fight so much more interesting.

With diminished capacitor but with a massive boost to shield repair the fight goes on. He's doing good damage but my small caliber guns are eating away at his shield buffer, whilst my own bounces up and down like crazy.

My capacitor runs dry, an overloaded cap booster charge fills it but the shield booster is hungry, overloaded to keep up with the incoming damage. My opponent hits half shields, my guns are now set to overload as I wait for another cap booster to load.

I've broken his shields as another overloaded cap booster fills my capacitor. I'm rocking inside my capsule, urging my guns to do more damage, that last bit of hull vanishes and all I hear is the rain of metal against the hull of Greebo, my own Jaguar class assault frigate.

A good fight, a very good fight as I share as much in the local comms channel, not even attempting to lock the pod of a most valiant opponent. Not sure I would have been afforded the same courtesy but an honourable warrior deserves an honourable exit to what was a superb display of frigate piloting.

Zodiac Black, I salute you.

(As a side note, I was in the wrong implant clone for the Jaguar setup I was using, it would have made a massive difference were I with my Crystal set. Also, no command boosts as it was only Zodiac and I in Eifer at the time of battle )

The Race

The Ramkins were more highly bred than a hilltop bakery, whereas Corporal Nobbs had been disqualified from the human race for shoving.
-- (Terry Pratchett, Men at Arms)

I'm sitting here in my hangar, leaning back in my office chair that I nicked from some station administrators office, watching The men who stare at goats, a rather funny movie about men who stare at goats

"Dramiel, in the 2/10, piloted by DEATH RIGHTS"

The comm so loud I fall out of the chair as I was balancing rather precariously. I get the boys working on firing up Ridcully, a Jaguar class assault frigate which is rather suited to the job at hand.

Undocking can sometimes take an age to accomplish and it's at these times where patience is truly tested.

Once in the black, I set warp directly to the 2/10, hammering the scanner in that direction, making sure the Dram would still be there. Of course it was, it's a Dramiel, piloted by the most fearsome of warriors, scared of nothing and armed to the teeth.

I activate the ancient acceleration gate and warp into the first room, where my scanner says the Dramiel is. This is conformed as I land, the Dram 35km away. I start to close, the Dram, here for a fight, does the same.

He's quick, very quick and soon we are engaged in mortal combat. He deploys a flight of hobgoblins, they start in on me. Shields holding, for now but he is actively tanked and is doing well against my damage. I overload, his shields start to fail, as have mine, he starts to get range, his drones still on me but I make short work of them as he has now gained about 50 clicks on me.

My shields start to recharge, large chunks of my light armour is missing but the fight is far from over. He closes to within warp disruptor range and holds me in place, another drone is sent my way but it meets a sticky end. He's far quicker than I am, so I need to be smarter.

I hit my afterburners and burn away from him, making straight lines, waiting for him to chase, waiting for the right moment to perform an old and trusted maneuver, the Crazy Ivan.

I gain some range and I can see him make to close, I overheat my afterburner, full thrust and turn directly into his trajectory. He almost runs right into me, but is now webbed and scrammed. I can no longer overheat my weapons as they'll burn out leaving me at his mercy, but I'm firing everything, the race is on, his shields break, my shields break, a Sabre interdictor rocks up, makes my life a little more interesting and I explode...

A moment of worry as my systems freeze up as I try to warp my escape pod out of harms way, I panic like someone who really panics but the lag subsides and I whip the escape pod to safety.

Kane Rizzel > great fight
fukitbucket > yeah good fight mate
DEATH RIGHTS > yeh sorry needed a hand lol
Kane Rizzel > no worries
DEATH RIGHTS > 2006 be hard
DEATH RIGHTS > lol
Kane Rizzel > :)

And it was a great fight, what was probably two minutes felt like twenty. I will never know what the outcome of the fight would have been had his friend in the Sabre not shown up but that's life :)

Disappointment

The hippo of recollection stirred in the muddy waters of the mind.
-- (Terry Pratchett, Soul Music)

A Dramiel pilot had been haunting the local plex recently, ex Electus Matari and I decided to take Maurice out for a spin.

Jaguar

Name: Jaguar
Hull: Rifter Class
Role: Assault Ship

The Jaguar is a versatile ship capable of reaching speeds unmatched by any other assault-class vessel. While comparatively weak on the defensive front it sports great flexibility, allowing pilots considerable latitude in configuring their loadouts for whatever circumstances they find themselves in.

Developer: Thukker Mix

Being the brain-child of the nomadic Thukkers, it is no surprise the Jaguar is as fast as it is. Initially conceived as a way for the tribe to pack some added punch to their organized detachments, they've found it to be equally useful as messenger, scout and escort, and it is likely to become one of the most commonly-seen ships in the Thukkers' stomping grounds.

Minmatar Frigate Skill Bonus:
5% bonus to Small Projectile Turret Damage per level

Assault Ships Skill Bonus:
10% bonus to Small Projectile Turret Optimal Range per level
5% bonus to Small Projectile Damage per level

I easily caught up with the Dram and took out his drones but he was still slightly faster than me with afterburner even while webbed, I made a few fatal errors in the fight but I'll put that down to old age. It was a good fight but Maurice expired when the Dram hit about 25% armour, close, but not quite enough.

A great fight, it took a while but was worth it. Maurice was a veteran of many battles and it was a fitting end for the old boy. Time to unleash a new improved Jaguar fit upon the world :)

ISD Volunteers

Many moons ago I applied for the ISD volunteer program, I thought I could give advice to new players on what EVE was about... fast forward to this evening when out of the blue I finally got a response:

vms@eve-online.com to me, leads

show details 7:50 PM (20 minutes ago)

Greetings!


Thank you for your recent application with the Eve Online volunteer program.


In your application, you indicated a desire to participate in the ISD Team: STAR team.


Upon review of your application and your player account, we have decided not to offer you a position within ISD:STAR.


This process is separate from other ISD volunteer department applications or interviews. Someone from any of the other ISD teams may still contact you, if they approve your application.


Thank you for your interest in the program.

---ISD:STAR Team Leads.

Colour me disappointed :(

The sun doesn't always shine...

Steal five dollars and you were a petty thief. Steal thousands of dollars and you were either a government or a hero

-- (Terry Pratchett, Going Postal)

Well, it's been a mixed bag as of late.

I was in Eifer doing my thing when I spotted a nasty little gang in a belt, they had a Crow with them and were seemingly engaging an old friend in his Thorax. My train of thought was that the Thorax was dead either way but I would warp in at 30km and see if I could pick off the Crow.
Unfortunately for me they had a Curse which totally sucked for me at that point as my capacitor was alpha'd. A few seconds later I was liberated from my Rifter and warped my escape pod off in the direction of the Gusandall gate. Time for a new Rifter.

A few minutes later, after seeing a few blobs pass on, I spotted a Rifter seemingly alone at a planet, I warped in and he was 100 clicks off, I started to close and he warped off to another planet. I followed and warped in at 50km, in case he changed his warpin distance. I landed 50km away and started to close, he did the same and soon we were engaged in violence. The fight was rather interesting in that he didn't do much damage to me as I kept out past 5km from him. My only conclusion is that he had short range ammo loaded and this was confirmed by the killmail.

Still in Eifer I spot a Rifter in a belt, I narrow it down and go in for the kill, it was a very young pilot but there were some others in system and I wanted them to come on in, only way to do so is put myself in a weakened position. I engaged the Rifter and he exploded in a very short time but my plan worked as a Malediction interceptor warped in and closed very, very quickly. Too quick actually and he was webbed, scrambled and then vaporised.

I scored another two Rifter kills before heading to Gusandall for some shut eye.

I woke up rather early and went out to Eifer to see if I could catch anything. It was probably too early. There was a Brutix, Prophecy and Rifter together in a belt and I used poor judgement in going in and engaging. I engaged the Rifter and he went down very quickly but it was a bit too late for me as the Brutix and Prophecy melted my poor Rifter.

Another Rifter and once more in Eifer and it seems to have come alive. A Malediction and two Rifters at a planet, I warp in and they are engaged 200 odd km away, Malediction warps out and both Rifters warp in on top of me. The two pilots are residents of the Independence channel and it was only after that I recognized this. They came away with a prized kill.

I would later offer the Malediction pilot a 1v1 which he accepted and thus started a ten minute duel which ended in a stalemate as he couldn't break me and I couldn't catch him. A good fight even though there was no outcome.

It was after this that I spotted the Brutix and Prophecy back in Eifer so it was a quick trip to Gus to grab something appropriate, Karma™ would do quite nicely.

I warped to a safespot and quickly scanned them out in a belt, warped in and engaged. Brutix was primary and the fight was on, they both lit me up like bonfire night. My shields were taking immense damage but the Brutix was going down, unfortunately he warped out but I managed to switch tackle very quickly on to the Prophecy who melted with my armour down to 60%.

I think it would have been a lot closer had the Brutix stayed in the fight.

I went out for coffee and people watching only to return this evening to try and kill a Wolf in the local 1/10 angel plex. I warped in and he was 40km away, I quickly closed with him doing the same. The fight kicked off and things were about even as we traded blows but then a system lag and as my sensors recalibrated I had burnt out my guns, with the Jaguar on fire and no hope of winning this fight I started to move out of range. As I was warping out, almost 25km from the Wolf, my Jaguar exploded, unexpected to say the least. Oh well, I warped my escape pod out and shared a "Good fight" in local.

Five Frigates, an Interceptor, a Cruiser and three pods for the loss of two Rifters and a Jaguar. Not one of my better hunts but fun none the less.

Tilburn > that's a hell of a jag

The shortest unit of time in the multiverse is the New York Second, defined as the period of time between the traffic lights turning green and the cab behind you honking.

-- (Terry Pratchett, Lords and Ladies)

Well now, where do I start.

I had a Reaper rookie ship hanging about and decided to take it out and see what I could catch, unfortunately for me it's first catch was also its last but I got damn close to popping a Rifter before exploding. My first loss in almost two months :(

Some good old fashioned Rifter action in Eifer. It started off rather quiet with very little about until a small group of frigates caught my attention. I had used my scanner to narrow them down to a cluster of asteroids, warped to the planet and scanned each belt separately until I found them, I hit warp and soon I was in the midst of battle. First Rifter was 6km away and was primary. Target lock resolves and I go through the motions. As he's about to pop I switch my warp scrambler onto the next Rifter who had by this time engaged, along with a Merlin and Reaper. Second Rifter was going down hard and I switched tackle to the Merlin. Rifter explodes and Merlin becomes the next lucky participant. My guns and rockets make a mess of the Caldari frigate and the Reaper decides to leg it. Merlin's escape pod hangs about a second too long and the corpse now resides in "The Morgue"

Good fight, good fight

I then proceeded to attack another two Rifters later on and then headed home to Gus for dinner and a smoke.

Back in the black after dinner and there seems to be a Manticore, Hound and Condor combo hanging about, not at any belts. So I decided to go hang out at the 2/10 plex entrance. I had scanned out a Harpy inside and warped in but he was gone.
It was only then I noticed the Hound and Condor had entered and were busy trying to violence my Rifter. Of course I could have none of this and proceeded to violence them right back.

Hound was first as a volley of cruise missiles slammed into my trusty Rifter while the Condor tackled. Hound starts to feel the pain of my 150s and rocket launcher and it explodes in the most fantastic manner. Manticore warps in but legs it as soon as his friend explodes, leaving the Condor at my mercy. Pity for him I have none.

Thrasher warps in and I engage immediately, he's taking massive damage and my modules decide nows the time to play silly buggers, armor rep is only working in single cycles, so is the warp scrambler and it's this little nugget of tragedy that means the Thrasher escapes to lick his wounds.

Good fight, good fight

I warp back to station to offload the loot when a Sabre undocks and tries to fry me, I dock and board my Jaguar as the Sabre heads to the 2/10 plex.
After what seemed like an ice age, I eventually get to undock, warp to plex and go inside, I land just off the Sabre and engage, fight kicks off and we both trade punches, his shields doing well as I like a dumbass have the wrong ammo loaded. Too late to change now as I continue to launch salvo after salvo at him. I start to take heavy shield damage and bleed into armour whilst my shields are at 75%. What the fuck is going on tonight? He hits armour but it's too late as Maurice™ explodes, my escape pod warps out immediately to safety, not wanting to become that which I so enjoy creating.

Farewell Maurice™, I shall miss you, we spent many nights creating such masterful destruction.

Good fight Tilburn, good fight

I need a name for the new Jaguar and I'll take suggestions from my readers as to what it should be. Name Kane's new Jag and be a part of history :P

With a Vengeance

"Today Is A Good Day For Someone Else To Die!"

-- (Terry Pratchett, Feet of Clay)

Keira finally got off her ass and moved the loot from the "Farmer Smash" campaign, which only totalling 14 kills thus far has netted some nice ISK. I took a break from harassing them and mostly messed about in a Rifter.

One kill, that's all I had. A Rifter sat still at a planet, My systems froze up for a few seconds and by the time I regained control of my ship the other Rifter was dead. So not much to write about. The varied blobs and unwillingness of others to leave safespots meant I spent a lot of time in station sorting out paperwork and shooting the breeze in the various pubs.

While Keira moved the loot to highsec she reported a Vengeance class assault frigate in the 2/10 plex. I raced to my Jaguar and started the undock procedure. After more seconds than I cared for I eventually emerged into the Gusandall night sky, scanner primed towards the 2/10 plex. Vengeance still there.

WARP DRIVE ACTIVE

I burst out of warp on the gate and scan in it's direction... Nothing. I swing the scanner's narrow arc towards the 1/10 plex and the Vengeance appears in its direction.

WARP DRIVE ACTIVE

Another warp and the gate is in front of me, scan in the direction of the deadspace confirms he's in there. The ancient gate slings me into warp. Warp disruptor is primed and set to overheat so that if the mark has moved off from the warpin that I would have the range to keep him in place.

Warp trails stream off my Jaguar and the Vengeance is only 5 clicks off my port side, targeted and scrammed in an instant, the game is on. My autocannons and rocket launcher strip his shields away but that's not the meat of a Vengeance, it has a formidable armour tank and it was only now I realised I made a schoolboy error... WRONG BLOODY AMMO KANE!

Tech 2 Amarr ships have good resists except for Thermal, which is its weakness, lo and behold I didn't have any ammo that would take advantage of that hole so it was down to my thermal rockets and EMP based ammunition to wittle the armour away. Meanwhile the Vengeance pilot was hammering away at my shields, a futile excercise on his part as I was holding steady with passive regen and good resists.

Slowly but surely my damage output was creeping up on his repping ability and soon he was in low armour. The time had come to overheat everything and throw the kitchen sink at him. Three minutes of dogfighting and his Vengeance was venting fuel and oxygen into space, it was on fire from bow to stern and exploded in a satisfying ball of flames. The pilots escape pod made a hasty retreat as my systems tried to establish a lock. A good and honest fight and a view the other pilot acknowledged in local comms.

A quiet few days for me but New Eden has been busy with the 6th Alliance tournament in which my good friends The Bastards are competing. They totally annihalated KIA alliance and have Cry Havoc next up on the dinner plate.
Next qualifying rounds are Saturday and Sunday and you can listen live at New Eden Radio and if you missed any of the action can watch recorded footage of the matches from here.

Good luck to The Bastards in their next match

Ooh it's like a Pinata.

For animals, the entire universe has been neatly divided into things to (a) mate with, (b) eat, (c) run away from, and (d) rocks.

-- (Terry Pratchett, Equal Rites)

OK, I'm on fire... Fire isn't good.

How did this happen? How did I let myself get into this position? Well, it's because I get big headed sometimes, I get greedy. I just can't leave well enough alone, I always have to take another shot at the title.

So it was that I chased the Jaguar into the 2/10 plex again, I had already killed him once today and I wanted the double.

The first fight was a good battle, both webbing each other, trying to maintain range, trying to keep transversal up. His tank similar to mine broke after a good 4 minute fight. This time however, I warped in right on top of him. I was locked, scrammed and webbed as I landed, I returned the favour but this time things went pretty bad for me, a close fight but he came out on top. I warped my pod out and docked up, no time to lick my wounds, I wanted to get out there and have another shot.

I grabbed another Jaguar , the corp requisition form will have to be filled in later, it was revenge time. 1-1, scores tied, there needed to be a winner. I undocked and warped to the plex, the red mist had descended, I wanted blood. Unfortunately the other Jaguar pilot decided that a draw was sufficient and docked up.

There was something else of interest, a Crow interceptor, in the top belt. Well time to play.

I warped in at zero, knowing full well the Crow would probably have moved off a bit and he had, over 120km, no bother, I hit my afterburner and started to move towards him at a liesurely pace. The Crow slowly started to bridge the gap and soon he settled into a lazy orbit around me, between 25km and 35km, peppering my shields with light missiles.

"Keira! You awake? Could use some of your magic."

It was clear the Crow didn't want to come within 20km of me, I don't blame him, so another tactic was required. I made as if I was aligning out, this choice would appear wise as my shields started to fail. I warped out to the planet and immediately set warp back to the belt. This short reprieve gave my shields a chance to regenerate. Once again we were separated by over 100clicks, once again I went through the motions to close the distance. The Crow now full of confidence did the same and soon we were dancing above the asteroids.

Deep in space a Claymore command ship uncloaked, it's gang mods activated.

"OK, you're good to go, don't lose another Jag, this could get embarrassing you know"

Well thank you Keira, so kind of you to join us.

Extra speed, extra range on the web, which was now set to overload. I made the motion to warp out again, lulling the Crow in. His orbit ellipsed and I did a Crazy Ivan.
Metal strained as the Jaguar fought the massive forces of the turn, my web set to overload and Keira's bonuses meant I was getting closer to the magic number. I kept a close watch on my overview and as he came into range it kicked in. I approached at full speed, ramming my Jaguar right into him. Webbed and scrammed, the Crow was vapourised in a flash.

Good fights were shared in local comms. Indeed it was.

Been a good day so far, even with the loss. A solo kill of a Rupture with my Rifter, a Wolf downed in a plex with my unfortunate Jaguar. Another Rupture using a Broadsword, then got a 1v1 offer from the downed pilot who brought a Burst to a Rifter fight (I let him get me to half shields before destroying him), then a suicide tackle on a Drake an Myrm with my Rifter, called in some friends for help, got the Myrmidon but Drake warped out (Need to share those points lads) and a good old fashioned Rifter vs Rifter fight.

I would later partake in a bit of a melee outside the station against pilots from Rage and Terror which ended 3 to 1 in their favour but interesting to be involved in.

Some good fights, an avoidable loss and fun all round, I retire to the comfort of my bunk.

Violence isn't the answer, it's the question... and the answer is Yes

This isn't life in the fast lane, it's life in the oncoming traffic.

--Terry Pratchett

I've been asked on more than one occasion why I pirate, well the answer is simple, it's just so much damn fun. Killing and looting with scant regard for the law is one of the most rewarding experiences in the universe and as such I wholeheartedly embrace it.

I was having a bad day, same old headache and in desperate need of some sleep. I decided to take out my frustrations on anyone who happened to come to Gusandall and it wasn't long before my first target of opportunity came knocking.

Experience has taught me that new pilots flying anything bigger than a Cruiser will fit a Warp Core Stabiliser on there first outings in lowsec and it was this little nugget that led to my first kill of the night. A Hurricane battlecruiser was spotted en route to a belt, well I just had to roll out the welcome wagon, in the shape of Monstrous Regiment, my Broadsword heavy interdictor.
Systems were active as I had the crew prep a few ships in anticipation for this evenings festivities.

The undock is long and dark and with each passing moment the anticipation builds, some friends are having a fight next door in Eifer but I have a singular mind at this point in time, that Hurricane and it's pilot. Finally, light dawns on the Sword as she undocks into the Gusandall sky, my onboard scanner already working to narrow down my prey, three 90 degree arcs and I had his general direction, only one place he could be so I initiated warp

WARP DRIVE ACTIVE

"Please stay there, please stay there" I said to myself, willing the Hurricane pilot to still be there when I landed. I burst out of warp and it seemed to have worked, the Hurricane was engaging some Angel Cartel frigates. I had landed 3 clicks off his starboard and lock was initiated, Warp Disruption Field Generator was primed, my guns started to spin up.

Lock resolves and all systems kick in as they are intended, Hurricane locks back and opens up, the Broadsword's immense shield systems barely registering any damage but the Hurricane is feeling the pain. My 220s tearing shreds of it's armour away as it desperately tries to align and warp out but there's no escape, an infinite warp disruption point making sure of that, a Stasis Web slowing him down to a crawl.

I must admit I almost called for help in a local Pirate Intel channel as wasn't sure I had the firepower to take him down but that thought vanished along with the rest of my prey's structure, a mighty fine explosion and it made my day that little bit brighter. The unfortunate pilot was naturally podded for my efforts and the trophy scooped. My suspicion of a warp core stabiliser confirmed by the killmail.

Next up was a combo meal, a Jaguar and Rifter had been spotted near one of my favourite hunting grounds, the local 2/10 Angel complex. Mmm, time for some Jaguar action so I boarded Kittie and went to work. I burst out of warp on top of the gate, as I knew I would, the Rifter and Jaguar sitting in wait, not sure if it was a Admiral Akbar moment as I'd never seen or killed either pilot before but I was lit up by both pilots. Jaguar was primary, a more than even match for me, warp scrambled and webbed my guns spun up, my rocket launcher spewing forth some Caldari Navy goodness. I then noticed I had the wrong ammo loaded, my Barrage rounds not best suited for taking out the Jaguars formidable shield systems but it didn't matter as they were failing fast. I was soaking up some good damage but my shields were holding against the onslaught of my two opponents. Once through the Jag's shields it melted very quickly, my attention now turning to the Rifter who to his credit stayed to the end.

Next on the menu was a Rifter, so I grabbed my own Rifter and started to track him, chasing him through the belts a few times until I anticipated his next warp and got there just before he did. I locked and engaged, he did the same, a Small Nosferatu energy vampire reached out and touched me, slowly draining my capacitor but it didn't matter, he was totally outmatched in this fight but took his loss well.

Later on I would warp in on a Stabber engaging a Rifter. I engaged the Stabber and started to do what Kane does. He set a Hobgoblin II on me so I locked it as is my way and went in for the kill but he withdrew the small drone and warped out :(
Oh well, I guess I can't kill them all.

A good night really, never left my home system, got some kills, ruined some people's day and generally enjoyed myself. What more could a Pirate ask for?

Well there are a few things but that would probably get this blog censored ;)

Oh my

"Some factual information for you. Have you any idea how much damage that bulldozer would suffer if I just let it roll straight over you?"
"How much?" said Arthur.
"None at all," said Mr Prosser.

My eyes open ever so gently, the low light of the hangar sears my eyes, this is not good.

The constant headaches a legacy of many cloning procedures.

This technological marvel has it's side effects but at least death is not a worry although sometimes I feel it would be a welcome change to the constant pain. I take a handful of painkillers and head for my Rifter, some old school frigate piracy was needed.

First

My friend in her covops was sitting in a spot in Gusandall and she notified me of another Rifter bouncing between the belts so I took that as my cue to get my Piracy hat on and undocked into the black. It wasn't long before I found said Rifter but he warped straight to the station, a place where fighting in my Rifter would mean a short end for me unless I could get him to aggro me first, we danced for a while, both having locked each other and then he warped off... to a belt, so I did what comes naturally to Kane and warped in and killed him.

Second

I headed to Eifer and spotted a pilot who I missed a few days ago due to him flying a stabbed Thrasher, this time he was in a Stabber. I started to track him and was joined in my mission by an accomplice, we tracked him to a belt separately and both warped in, both got points on and he just warped out... HE FUCKING WARPED OUT.

Right, this guy just made my shit list, GCC be damned, I headed back to Gus to get my Broadsword. I sent word to my deck crew to get Monstrous Regiment™ prepped, once docked it took me a short time to get ready and I headed back to Eifer where the stabbed Stabber was still ratting, oblivious to his impending doom.

I narrowed him down to a belt and aligned.

WARP DRIVE ACTIVE

Space folds around my Broadsword as I'm slung into warp, my on-board scanner working overtime making sure the mark is still there. I burst out of warp.

"Well hello there" I say to myself "Let me introduce you to my little friend."

The Broadsword is part of a unique class of ships called Heavy Interdictors, able to fit a Warp Disruption Field Generator, a device that can be scripted to a focussed beam of infinite strength to warp disruption. It was this device that now kicked into action as it bridged the 18km between myself and the stabber, I flick my MWD into life and close the distance, I activate my Stais Webifier, that Stabber is going nowhere... NOWHERE! In a heartbeat I'm right on top of him and my guns spin up and begin to rain sweet destruction upon the Stabber.

I could hear the Stabber pilot screaming "WHY I NOT WARPING?" as he frantically aligned but the end came swiftly and without mercy I locked his escape pod and sent him home via the Clone Vat Express™

See kids, fitting stabs makes Uncle Kane angry and you don't want to make him angry do you?

Third

(EDIT:Waiting out my GCC) I waited out my GCC and headed to Gus for my Rifter, once back in Eifer I spot a Punisher idling near a belt, warp in to find him 80 clicks out, I start to close, the red mist descends as another kill beckons. We get in range of each other and fireworks ensue, the Punisher going down hard. I'm laughing like a maniac, the thrill of the kill overtaking my sense. Had I been paying attention I would have noticed local light up as reds poured into Eifer, the Punisher explodes and I lock the pod, a Taranis, then a Jaguar warp in on me... DOH

Welp, here I am, warp scrambled and webbed, but not going down without a fight, I lock both ships and start on the Taranis, his shield melts away in an instant, his armour taking a massive beating. My shields are holding up well but then I lose lock... FUCKING JAMMED.
I overload everything and try Keep distance on the Taranis, reacquire lock and web him, My shields have been stripped away and it's not looking good. Taranis hasn't done any damage to me at this point as I successfully keep range but the artillery on that Jaguar is doing me in. I select a celestial object as I'm three quarters into hull and start spamming the warp button, my escape pod jettisons into space as my Rifter explodes and then... NOTHING, no warp, I get locked by the Taranis...

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!

I fall onto the cold floor as I spill out of the cloning VAT, the searing pain behind my eyes dawning the realisation I just got podded. It gets worse every time. I update my clone, it's getting expensive and board a Jaguar, my head still spinning but this new body is strong. I head back to Eifer for some revenge and warp in towards my wreck, my corpse floating next to it. The Jaguar is still there, the Taranis warps out, I start to close on the Jaguar when a Crow, Stiletto and the Taranis warp back in... not good so I warp to a spot high above the belt and watch them. I offer 1v1s to all the pilots but they don't respond. It appears this is the forward group of a larger fleet moving through the area, local lights up as about 20 pilots jump in on there way back to Highsec.
I wasn't going to get any 1v1s or any semblance of revenge. They left system and I warped to my wreck, grab my loot and my corpse, this one has a special place in the Morgue

There was news of a carrier in Bundindus and I raced to grab my Sleipnir and headed over there but it was a wash as the pilot docked up in the safety of the station.

Fourth

I head back to Gus to grab the Rifter, the night is still young and there's killing to be done. Eifer seems to be alive tonight, there's a buzz and the buzz was a Thrasher in a belt. It seems a friend of mine had already scanned him down and was engaging, I warped in to find Kerjin, in his Rupture, just warp scrambling the poor Thrasher and letting the belt rats do the damage. He's a sick puppy that Kerjin. I joined in and added a web to the mix. The Thrasher lit me up and started firing on me, Kerjin informed him that this was a bad idea and as with all bad ideas they end in tears as we finally landed the killing blows after about two minutes. Another pod, another corpse for the Morgue.

Fifth

I was waiting out my GCC when some friends from The Bastards reported a Thanatos carrier at a planet in Gultraten.

"You have got to be fucking kidding me, at a planet?" I asked

The reply was a firm yes

"Tackled?"

"About to be" was the reply

Well I guess I'll just forget about this GCC and go grab something more appropriate.
It was a choice between a Sleipnir and a Hurricane and Karma won, she needed some blood and what better than a carrier. I made all haste to get to Gultraten.

"Where is it?" I asked

"Planet V at zero"

This was too good to be true, a carrier at a planet, on its own and about to have a very, very bad day.

"He's going down a might too fast"

Double you tea eff!

Move Karma, I ain't fucking missing this. I burst out of warp right on top of the mighty carrier, just as the pilot logged his systems. Oh dear, this poor Thanatos left at the mercy of Pirates, whatever was he thinking?

Well the carrier exploded, a massive flash blinding our systems for a second as the escape pod from the carrier warped off with the unconscious pilot inside. z0de probed it out and it was squashed with extreme prejudice. The cowardice of logging one's systems in a fight not tolerated by most Pirates.

Sixes and Sevens

Back in Gusandall my friend notified me of a Thorax, seemingly at the gate of the 1/10 plex, a strange place for a cruiser to be, so I grabbed my Rupture and headed out, warped in, killed him, squashed his pod and warped out.

My friend once again told me of a Nemesis stealth bomber bouncing the belts, I boarded my Jaguar, undocked and warped to the belt where he was reported at, as I came out of warp he was over 90 clicks away and warped to another belt as I started to close, I followed but when I got there he had cloaked... well damn, I hit the scanner and nothing, definitely cloaked then. The belt rats started to swarm around me and then just like that the Nemesis was de cloaked, 3km from me, I locked, scrammed, webbed and popped him in short order, stealth bombers not known for their ability to tank, the pod being squished even quicker.

Added another Rifter to the kills for the night, the pilot was grossly outclassed but a good sport and a reader of these tales.

I did come up against a surprising Rifter just after, over 4km/s and I burnt out my MWD and warp disruptor chasing him down so took my chance to warp out of a fight when he lost point as he wildly orbited me as I stood no chance of winning at that point.

JAM2 > come back when you grow some balls

It's got nothing to do with balls son, no point, no kill and I don't hang about plainly when the fight is beyond me if I don't have to.

I wait out my GCC and head back to Gusandall, it's late, I'm tired, my head is seemingly about to explode and JAM2 will have to wait his turn.

Chances taken, opportunities lost

The story so far:
In the beginning the Universe was created.
This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move.
- The Restaurant at the End of the Universe

Chances taken

A weird evening for me, got back from the club after a bit too much to drink and sidled over to my Rifter, what a pretty Rifter. I roamed a bit with no real targets of note, my head all fuzzy like it's wrapped in cotton wool, me thinks I had too much bourbon. Of course flying under the influence is never recommended but details such as this have never stopped me.

I jumped into Gultraten and spotted a Rupture seemingly auto piloting to the gate, I decided to give him a nudge and see what he would do. Well... he evaporated my shiny Rifter in short order, at least I had the presence of mind to warp my pod out. I convoed the pilot and offered a Rupture 1v1 and much to my surprise he accepted. I headed back to HQ and quickly boarded my Rupture, a sturdy beast, not as fragile as my Rifter and packs a massive punch. I made all haste back to Gultraten and made arrangements for the 1v1, I would allow him to Fleet me and let him warp to my safe spot for his peace of mind. People are so untrusting of Pirates.

So, here I am, sitting at a safespot and waiting, I check my systems, ammo and drone bay just in case I forgot to load my guns, which wouldn't surprise me at all this evening. Much to my annoyance I had small ECM drones in the drone bay, these things have never worked for me... NEVER but have been used against me to great effect. Oh well, I would just have to make do.

The Rupture pilot warped in and the fight began, autocannon rounds bridging the gap between the two Ruptures, I was certain he was running a similar plated setup to mine and it was confirmed as we both slowly chewed into each others armour. His hobgoblin II drones were doing a good job, I had yet to deploy my ECM drones. Overloading my guns had allowed me to edge ahead in the damage race, even though I wasn't using drones but now the time had come, I gave the command and 5 light ECM drones were launched from their bay. A quick flick of my command console sending them racing towards my opponent. They were spinning wildly about him even as we continued to trade blows and then a strange thing happened, they got a jam cycle. Well I'll be damned, they do work, my opponent starting to dip into structure, his drones still buzzing about me but not doing terribly much. He started to reacquire target but then something even more amazing happened, my ECM drones got another jam cycle. The fight was as good as over, his last bit of structure vanishing, a brilliant explosion lighting up the Gultraten skyline and I felt kind of bad, my hate for ECM now being shared by another individual. To be honest though I was out damaging him, our setups similar but his being more tanked than gank.

We had a good conversation about Piracy and combat then went our separate ways, good fight Myrkala.

Later on I was bumming about in my Jaguar, getting Keys for the 2/10 plex so I could hunt more efficiently in there when I warped back to the station, much to my surprise a Navy Issue Vexor undocked, well hello there. This faction ship a rare occurrence in our parts and it prompted a mass undock of the locals, all wanting to get a look, maybe shoot at it and shoot at it we did.
It didn't last long, flashing into nothing. The pilot made two mistakes... Number one, he undocked, might seem innocuous but it's the death of many, especially when there's a bunch of bored Pirates about... Number two, he agressed me, silly thing to do, means he wouldn't be able to redock for a bit, it's this little nugget that led to his downfall as the station emptied of Pirates eager for a faction kill. We were under sentry fire for most of the fight but it didn't stop us, we would gladly sacrifice ships for a shiny explosion.

Opportunity lost

I woke this morning to a bright hangar, I forgot to put the lights out last night, passing out in my bunk with everything still on. Keira's gooing to have a fit when she sees the electricity bill. Oh well, I'll deal with that later, right now my attention was drawn by a blinking message on my comms unit.

"Two Ravens probed in Ingunn, bring something with teeth"

Yumm, Ravens for breakfast. My friend in her Cheetah was up early and had probed out two Ravens in a mission, they had an Ibis pilot as scout so timing would be important. She had not warped to the probe hit yet as it tends to decloak her and she didn't want to tip them off just yet.
I powered up The Fifth Elephant™, a Sleipnir having enough teeth to deal with Ravens in the right hands.

Undcoking into the black of the Gusandall sky I made my way to the Ingunn gate, waiting for my friend to report she was in position before jumping in and warping to her. I didn't have to wait long, she reported she was there but much to her dismay she had been decloaked by the gate, the Ravens started to align out even as I jumped in and initiated warp to her postition.

"DAMN"

My Sleipnir burst out of warp just as the last Raven warped out towards the station. I was annoyed so locked the Ibis and introduced him to my 425s, his corpse joining "The Morgue"

I would have camped the plex gate but had to join some friends for drinks, not a very good start to the day for me and I felt bad for my friend after all her good work. I have developed a new strategy that I will use next time to avoid this happening again. Time will tell.

It's a TRAP!

Wash: "Inara...nice to see her again."

Zoe: (beat) "So...trap?"

Mal: "Trap."

Zoe: "We goin' in?"

Mal: "Ain't but a few hours out."

Wash: (confused) "Yeah, but...remember the part where it's a trap?"

Mal: "If that's the case then Inara's already caught in it. She wouldn't set us up willin'. Might be we get a shot at seein' who's turnin' these wheels. We go in."

Kaylee: "But how can you be sure Inara don't just wanna see you? Sometimes people have feelings. I'm referring here to people."

Mal: "Y'all were watchin', I take it?"

Kaylee: (everyone looks guilty) "Yes."

Mal: "Did you see us fight?"

Kaylee: "No."

Mal: "Trap.

Of course it is but damn I was going to spring it.

One of my favourite plex farmers was in system in his Crow, the last time we fought was an epic 5 minute dogfight so I was up for it again. He had a corp mate in system, probably cloaked in a stealth bomber but I was going in regardless.

I warped to the gate and activated it, checking my scanner to confirm the Crow was still there, affirmative. I burst out of warp with the Crow 45 clicks off my starboard, I made the motions to approach, he locked and engaged and the stealth bomber uncloaked, just as predicted, a Hound. I changed course and headed straight for him, my shields being stripped away by the cruise missiles, he was 52 clicks away and it was a race to get into range before the Hound's missiles violently relieved me of the confines of the Jaguar.

It was a race I lost, my Jaguar exploding as the Hound reached half structure, my pod was locked before I could warp out and I awoke in the station, my head pounding. The two pilots had just scored a nice bounty and some good loot, good fight and a very well executed trap.

They'll be back.... and I'll be waiting :D

Cat vs Bird

Wash: "I'm a leaf on the wind...watch how I soar."

Mal: (watching battle around them in grim satisfaction) "Chickens come home to roost."

Wash: (flying debris glances off ship's hull, rattling everyone) "It's okay...I-I'm a leaf on the wind."

I bank sharply, the hull of my Jaguar twisting as it fights the turn, afterburners glowing in the night sky over Gusandall, the gauge is going red as I'm squeezing every last drop of speed from them, my HUD is glowing red, not much left before the afterburners literally burn out.
I bank sharply again as a salvo of missiles lashes my shield systems, they are glowing red too.

"Hold together baby, hold together"

Adrenaline is coursing through my veins, my senses heightened to dizzying levels, every second an eternity as I once again bank, my shields deep in the red, My afterburners about to die, web and scrambler set to overload for the extra range. Just a few more metres.

"Come on baby, you can do it"

He's getting cocky now. My HUD shows he's now 14km away and it's shortly to be over, web and scrambler kick in simultaneously, you're mine now. High tech Barrage rounds and Javelin rockets start to tear into his shields, my afterburners are shot, no use now but it doesn't matter as the web is doing its job holding him in place as his armour fails, the weak hull not lasting long at all. My systems recalibrate quickly as the sleek interceptor explodes and locks the pod, warp scrambler already primed in anticipation, my autocannons spit out a salvo and the corpse is liberated, a sacrifice to the gods of Gusandall

Name: Crow
Hull: Condor Class
Role: Interceptor

Interceptors utilize a combination of advanced alloys and electronics to reduce their effective signature radius. This, along with superior maneuverability and speed, makes them very hard to target and track, particularly for high caliber turrets.

Developer: Kaalakiota

As befits one of the largest weapons manufacturers in the known world, Kaalakiota's ships are very combat focused. Favoring the traditional Caldari combat strategy, they are designed around a substantial number of weapons systems, especially missile launchers. However, they have rather weak armor and structure, relying more on shields for protection.

VS

Name: Jaguar
Hull: Rifter Class
Role: Assault Ship

The Jaguar is a versatile ship capable of reaching speeds unmatched by any other assault-class vessel. While comparatively weak on the defensive front it sports great flexibility, allowing pilots considerable latitude in configuring their loadouts for whatever circumstances they find themselves in.

Developer: Thukker Mix

Being the brain-child of the nomadic Thukkers, it is no surprise the Jaguar is as fast as it is. Initially conceived as a way for the tribe to pack some added punch to their organized detachments, they've found it to be equally useful as messenger, scout and escort, and it is likely to become one of the most commonly-seen ships in the Thukkers' stomping grounds.

Fighting an interceptor in an assault frigate is not that easy as it is more maneuverable and quicker but with clever piloting it can be done, it pays to know your surroundings and the capabilities of your ship and especially yourself. The above dogfight took place in the 2/10 plex in Gusandall, quite possibly one of my favourite hunting spots and a place where microwarp drives are useless, hence the afterburners. I love the Jaguar as it's quick, has a good shield system and can pack a nasty punch with it's mix of tech 2 autocannons and tech 2 rocket launcher. It's especially good for taking out quick interceptors because with an overloaded afterburner I can nearly match their speed which makes intercepting orbits easier.

This particular pilot I've caught on three previous occasions running the plex, twice his Rifters exploded and he changed to the Crow, one of my favourite interceptors to fly. I caught one of his Crows on the entrance gate before as he warped in, right on top of me so there was no chase but this time he managed to warp into the plex before my lock resolved, naturally I followed. Once I got in he was already out of range of my web and he locked and engaged me, I of course returned the favour and a 5 minute dogfight ensued. Sometimes it pays to play with your prey, make them believe they have the upperhand so it was that I set my afterburner to 75% of it's normal speed as I tried to close the distance. Caldari Navy Bloodclaw missiles were streaking across the black and slamming into my shields but I was in no hurry, one gun active to make him think I mean business. My shields hit 50% and it was time to play my hand, I set a straight trajectory away from him, afterburner at 100%, his orbit changed as he tried to compensate, he was a good 400m/s faster than me but patience as always is key. Every now and again I would Crazy Ivan and bank sharply, in an intercept pattern, his orbit would change accordingly, every bank brought me to within 16km, too far but getting closer and I still had the Ace up my sleeve.

Overloading of modules is one of the greatest advances in the universe, able to change the tide of a dogfight just as it was about to do. My web and scrambler were set to overload, waiting for that magic number to appear on my overview. My afterburners were active, set to overload now and I was almost matching him for speed but it was burning quick, I banked once, twice, third time I came within range and I hit the tackling gear, the satisfying green glow of active modules, a quick glance at my HUD proved the web and scrambler had him pinned down just as my afterburner winked out of life, the stricken Crow had no chance at this point as it's only defence is its speed and that was now forfeit, it's feeble shields, armour and structure winking out of existence in a few salvoes.

I popped the pod and added the corpse to "The Morgue"

I docked up, absolutely pumped up with adrenaline, my mouth as dry as a nuked from orbit planet, I light a cigarette and take a deep draw.

"It's good to be the king"

Stupid is as stupid does

I'm not best pleased with myself right now, made a stupid mistake and paid the price.

I had spotted a regular plex runner in system, his Hawk sitting on the gate and this should have been my first clue as he never did that, in fact he barely stays in system if he spots me about but I had one thing on my mind and that was a kill. I warped in and there he was, I locked and engaged.
My "Admiral Akbar Sense" should have been tingling off the hook but noooooo, I was under the red mist and it all became clear as an Ishtar warped in and engaged me.

Well executed trap on their part and I desperately tried to at least kill the Hawk before I exploded but to no avail, my trusty Jaguar crumpling under the assault of the Ishtar's Hobgoblin IIs. I spammed warp to get my escape pod out but something weird happened that I can't explain and nothing happened, I just sat there as I was locked by the Ishtar and sent home via the Clone Vat Express™. Not something I'm used to any more and very jarring, I already have a massive headache as it's not a very nice process.

I lost not only the Jaguar but some very nice implants (which have already been replaced) but I also took a bit of a hit to my ego. I was due something like this to be honest, I've had a good run recently and these things are bound to happen. I'm tired, have a headache and will make plans to replace the Jaguar tomorrow, for now I'm going to slump into my bunk and try to forget this whole episode.

You killed a what? With a What?

Early: "You know, with the exception of one deadly and unpredictable midget, this girl is the smallest cargo I've ever had to transport. Yet by far the most troublesome. Does that seem right to you?"

Simon: "What'd he do?"

Early: "Who?"

Simon: "The midget."

Early: "Arson. Little man loved fire."

Mmm, Hawk... tastes like chicken

Sometimes I struggle to sleep, it's a condition I'm so used to but one which nevertheless causes me much anguish. So I undocked and christened yet another ship into my fleet, a Taranis. The Gallente interceptor is quite interesting to me, able to carry two light drones and pack a mean punch with blasters at close range, all the while being nimble and quick. A good all round package which makes for some fun flying. It's maiden hunt would take us to Eifer, my spiritual home.

I warped to my regular scan spot above a belt and was surprised to see a Hawk about 300 clicks below me in a safespot near mine, so I did what comes naturally and started to close the distance. It took me a while as I was just shy of 4km/s in this new ship but the gap was closing.
Within 30km I was lit up by his targeting systems, a flight of missiles streaking across the sky towards me. I finally made into locking range, locked, then tackle range, tackled. My blasters lit up and started to stream hydrid ammo across the void. The Hawk pilot was firing missiles constantly at me, his shields being boosted somehow but soon he was deep into armour. My Taranis was venting atmosphere into space, I had taken an incredible beating from the kinetic missiles. At point blank range the Hawk's structure vanished in the blink of an eye, his escape pod jettisoned into space but locked and tackled in an instant, the corpse joining the many in "The Morgue"

¯\(º_o)/¯

I awoke from a good sleep, that Hawk kill was just what I needed to relax me enough. I had passed out in the Taranis so decided it would suffice for the first hunt of the day, once again I headed to Eifer, one pilot I recognised in system but he's mostly cloaked and doesn't engage anything that might fight back. One pilot did catch my eye, a Maelstrom being piloted by a very young pilot. I decided to go for it, suicide my ship and see what I could do.

I warped in to where my scanner indicated he was only to see the warp trails to another belt, I quickly aligned and jumped there coming out of warp almost at the same time as the massive Minmatar Battleship. I was right on top of him so locked and tackled, my two point warp scrambler lighting up and emitting a soft hum through my ship, stasis web went active, making the bulky ship a huge sitting duck. My blasters went live, Caldari Navy antimatter rounds punching there way into the mighty shield systems. I had called for assistance in a local intel channel, killing the Maelstrom drones while waiting for a response. One pilot responded, saying he was en route with a Megathron, but by this time my small blasters were digging holes into the Maelstrom's armour. With the armour gone and deathstar about to jump in I was in hysterical laughter, the structure was vanishing in front of my eyes, tears rolling off my cheeks as the once mighty Maelstrom exploded. The escape pod made tasty snack as deathstar jumped into system, the fight over and me rolling in a fit of laughter.

The killmail would deliver further laughs as the fitting boggles the mind.
A deeply satisfying kill, an improbable kill, one in which if you asked me before if it would happen I would have said "NEVER!"

Welcome to Heimatar

Sitting in Gusandall station, basking in how awesome I am, I was talking to flashfresh and news of some mission runners came through the grapevine. You could literally hear Pirate ears perking up at the sound. Blood was in the water and the sharks started circling. Covops were dispatched to the system to track them down and soon a small but very deadly gang was formed and made their way to the target system. The Covops were tracking two ships, a Dominix and a Maelstrom, not together but both definitely running missions. First contact was reported as the Domi, the Covops setting up the warpin at the mission acceleration gate. flashfresh gave the order and the gang jumped in, warped to the acceleration gate and waited a moment till everyone landed before activating the gate. The gang was launched as one into the mission deadspace and we were dismayed to see the Domi over 60 clicks away, the distance giving him the opportunity he needed to warp out which he took.

An opportunity lost but the Covops pilot was still probing for the Maelstrom and soon she reported that she had setup the warpin to the acceleration gate, once again the gang formed up and the order was given, we warped in but again the target was not there. Curses I thought but then a curious thing happened as the Maelstrom warped in from the direction of the acceleration gate, right into the middle of the rabid pack assembled.

Muhaar Gemeinian > oh hai thar

The Maelstrom was about to have a very bad day as seven ships simultaneously locked, tackled and opened fire. There was no way he was getting out of this, even when the notion of a ransom was mentioned, the bloodlust was just too strong. The flash from the Maelstrom's exploding hull blinding but the escape pod instawarped as the pilot logged his critical systems to save himself.

The loot was scooped and we waited out our GCC when reports of another Maelstrom running missions a few systems away reached us. The Covops was dispatched and soon she had probed out his mission and was setting up the warpin as the rest of the gang made their way. The pilot was identified as being from Band of Brothers, a tasty victim and one we were keen to kill. Once we had assembled on the acceleration gate the word was given and we warped in. Damn, 70km away but we had a Vagabond and Rapier setup just right to close the distance quickly enough. Once tackled it was just a matter of time as the rest of us got into range and soon the Maelstrom evaporated under the sustained assault. The words of flashfresh certainly ringing in his ears "Welcome to Heimatar" as he logged his critical systems to save his pod.

Oh poo... terhead

I headed back to Gusandall, some modules offline from overheating and in desperate need of repair but as I was en route the rest of the gang destroyed a Tempest battleship on the Gus station undock. I had entered system and spotted an Enyo in the direction of the 2/10 plex, I docked, repaired the Sleipnir and boarded my Jaguar, undocked and set warp for the plex, I was pleased to see that the mark was still there, I activated the ancient acceleration gate and warped in, the mark 40km from me but I closed the distance very quickly and the Enyo didn't last long.

Whilst this was going on the gang had gone to Eifer and engaged a Deimos, I made all haste to join them but only managed to warp in as the exploding Deimos lit the night sky.

The rest of my day was spent in a Succubus, got a few kills in Eifer with it, nothing of significance but did engage a Rapier and Hound duo, who thought they had a tasty faction treat but were surprised when a friend of mine in system uncloaked in a Falcon which jammed the Rapeir, I had gotten right on top of him but ran out of capacitor and my tackling systems shut down. The Rapier took this as his cue to leave which he did, the Hound long having left the fight.
I was kinda upset about losing that kill but you can't always kill em all.

The Maelstrom solo kill from earlier made my day, everything else pale in significance compared to that but a good day in the end. I have a headache again, really annoying so I'm going to take some paikillers and try get some sleep.

Murder and Mayhem

Jayne: "Testing, testing. Captain, can you hear me?"
Mal: "I'm standing right here."
Jayne: "You're coming through good and loud."
Mal: " 'Cause I'm standing right here."

Been a quiet few days for me, been busy sorting out inventories, supplies and liquidating stagnating assets. Keira's been busy making sure the loot from the past few months has been moved to Rens and sold. All in all the wallet is healthy and so are we.

Undock... Pop, Pop... Redock

Sometimes targets come too easy, especially when they sit right outside the station. Thursday evening was one of those times. I had just walked into the hangar when reports of two Hurricanes sitting outside Gus station came in. The various Pirates who call Gusandall home all raced to their ships. The Undock lane became very crowded in a very short time. To us there is no such thing as overkill, only a kill, it's all that matters. The two Hurricane pilots came face to face with two Vagabonds and three Hurricanes. The fight was short and wholly unremarkable. Two dead Hurricanes, one of their pilots podded for good measure.

Plexing my muscles

Sunday night I was nursing a slight hangover, had a great night on Saturday, had slightly too much Jack but I tried to shake the cobwebs out and undocked my Jaguar to see if anyone was trying to run the 2/10 plex. I had spotted a regular plex runner in the local comms net and more or less knew I would have a target. He normally flies a Rifter and was very suprised to find a Crow class interceptor on my scanner. I warped to the ancient stargate, waited and as expected he warped in. Now a curious thing about deadspace gates is you can't set distance to your warpin, you just warp right on top of it. My web and scram primed, waiting, lock resolves my guns spin into action and the Crow vaporizes in front of me. His pod follows suit.

I later caught some strangely fitted ships in a Rifter with a laser, salvager, miner and autocannon sporting a armor/shield/hull tank and a mining Thrasher, the pilot seemingly asleep at the helm.

Where's the Party

Hanging out in Gusandall tonight I saw the Crow pilot from previous enter system again, I undocked and warped directly to the plex gate, he was 30km off it as he had moved away with afterburner as soon as he landed, would be tricky as he had range and could easily dictate it. I engaged nonetheless and tried to close but he was too nimble for me to intercept his orbit. I had taken too much damage and warped out, he followed suit and left system shortly after. I tried to bait him but he has learnt his lesson and won't warp into me again.

There were various reports of targets in the area with a small gang giving chase, one particular bunch caught our eye, a Hurricane, Zealot, Caracal and Myrmidon were running a mission in a system next door to Gus. I tasked a friend with probing them out as the gang got ready, four of us from four different corps, my good friend flashfresh our FC. Our dual Hurricane, Cerberus and Vagabond gang was strong enough to take them on and we were keen as always.

My covops friend had located them nearing the end of their mission and a warp in was hastily setup, our primary target being the Zealot. Order was given to jump in and warp the covops but as local spiked the targets started to warp out, the telltale trails of warp as I burst onto the scene, only the Caracal left and it became the primary instantly. The rest of our gang landed and the Caracal became a memory. A bit disappointing really but things were about to get better as the Zealot warped back in, right on top of me. All four Pirates almost giggling as the unfortunate Zealot pilot had his Heavy Assault Cruiser demolished, he was fortunate enough to get his escape pod out but the job was done, the Hurricane and Myrmidon pilot leaving the system as soon as they could. We waited out our GCC and went back home, the party over.

Succ this

I would also unveil a new toy this evening, a Succubus Sansha faction frigate, a friend had reported tackling a Hawk in a belt next door in Eifer. His Crow unable to break its tank so he asked in a shared intel channel if anyone wanted to help kill it and I naturally said yes as it's what I do. I undocked from Gusandall and headed over to Eifer, jumped in and set warp to his position in the belt. I burst out of warp and my overview resolved to show the Hawk 60 clicks from my position. I hit the deadspace MWD I have fitted and closed to within range of my tech 2 medium pulse lasers, I closed very quickly, in an instant I was on top of him and the DPS that the Succubus can pump out overwhelmed the Hawk. My friend in his crow easily holding range and tackle making sure he didn't go anywhere but straight back to the cloning vat, his pod vaporised instantly by the Succubus as it was ejected from the exploding Hawk. I grabbed the corpse for "The Morgue" and warped to a safespot to wait out my GCC, I left the loot for my friend in his Crow as he did all the work for the kill.

I docked up for the night, I'm planning something special for next weekend and hopefully some old friends will be joining me for some fun. I sat down on my bunk, reading local comm chatter and checking out some setups.

I light a cigarette and inhale deeply.

This is what I do... This what I do

A frig in time

Mal: "Well they tell you: never hit a man with a closed fist. But it is, on occasion, hilarious."

Yvaine Bellatrix > if only goons and Kane could be friends, then together they could rule the galaxy as father and goon :P

That damn Raven got away, came out of warp over 50 clicks away. The Vexor however was closer and I engaged. Lock, disrupt, guns and drones. The Vexor melts under fire from my Sleipnir as the Raven warps out to safety.

Mission busting is something I really enjoy and is a team effort. Normally Keira would be doing the probing but she has taken her Command role in her stride, flying a Claymore commandship with skirmish gang and mindlink, giving me more speed and greater tackling range, something which aids in Piracy and helps me lock down targets. We have a new Covops pilot in our little team, not in NovaKane proper but an affiliated corp, her skills far outstrip Keira's and she is able to pinpoint targets with greater accuracy and in shorter time. Her name for now will remain a secret as she doesn't want to be named in this blog and also as not to tip off any potential targets.

The loot from the Vexor was poor but Keira warped into the mission plex and finished off the last rat, which dropped a +4 intelligence implant, very surprising and something which will turn a tidy profit in Rens. I cursed the Raven getting away but I can't kill everything.

Earlier than the Raven/Vexor mission jack I did catch a Kestrel running the 2/10 plex, warped in on him in the third room as he was finishing up, not yet able to scoop the loot from the overseers station, a full set of Gistii B-type mods mine for the taking.

Snake Boy > Kane doesn't look, he already KNOWS

I awoke today with a slight headache, something which I experience frequently and have learned to live with. I take a handful of painkillers with some Quafe and take a look around the hangar, a Dramiel Angel faction frigate catches my eye, it's sleek lines paint a beautiful silhouette in the low light of the hangar, it's not the best frigate I have ever flown but it sure is the best looking so I get setup in my pod and plug in. I always enjoy undocking, the unnatural light of stations giving way to the majesty of space, lit by a single star, the light shimmering off the angles of the Dramiel, I hit warp towards Eifer, time for some random violence.

Eifer is a violent system, it borders on high security Empire and has no station, lots of asteroid belts and is home to a bunch of crazy pirates who live next door, it's the first stop for many of the Evannater residents on any hunt and can be very profitable. Sometimes profit takes a back seat though and violence ensues for the sake of violence, exactly what I was here for. One other Pirate in system was flying a Vagabond heavy assault cruiser, a marvel of Minmatar engineering, very fast and very, very dangerous. This particular Pirate didn't worry me as he's a friend, one of the many I've made in my time. We exchanged greetings in a private Intel channel and kept to ourselves, both out for the pleasure of a solo hunt.

I spotted a Rifter below me in a belt from my scan safe and warped in 30 clicks above him, reason being I didn't want to warp into web range, a place where the fragile Dramiel would be very vulnerable as it relies on speed to minimise any and all damage. Exiting warp I saw the Rifter in the belt engaging Angel Cartel frigates and I locked and warp disrupted, settled into a nice comfortable orbit and opened up with the three tech 2 missile launchers and two autocannons. The Dramiel like all other Angel faction frigates having a split weapons system and strange bonuses. My orbit was large enough to negate any fire from the Rifter with my speed keeping me ahead of his tracking, my disruptor doing its job as intended, the shields of the Rifter being peeled away. This is where the fight gets interesting, an Ishtar heavy assault cruiser uncloaked a mere 20km above the belt and engaged me, launching a flight of warrior II drones and setting them on me. I took this as my cue to MWD in a straight line away from them and keep my distance, using my speed to make sure they didn't catch me and tear me apart. The Rifter strangely didn't warp out even as the Vagabond pilot entered the fray. Muhaar's timing as always impeccable. The Ishtar pilot now had a choice, he could try and take me out or get eaten up by the two of us and he chose to cloak and get out of dodge leaving the Rifter to pay for the mistake of hanging around. The Dramiel and Vagabond slight overkill but a kill none the less.

Ten minutes later and I caught a Slasher in a belt, it melted so quickly I was lucky to check my velocity and stay in range to snag the pod. Local was getting more interesting with an Anti Pirate blob swarming in from their High Security Empire haven. I warped to a safespot and waited out my Global Criminal Countdown not wanting to give them an easy kill. Once the GCC was up and I wasn't at risk of drawing sentry fire at the stargates I went back to Gusandall to sort through the loot, all of which was poor.

Almost an hour later and I hear Keira over our internal comms net, she reports a Stabber cruiser and Catalyst destroyer possibly ratting, I boarded my Jaguar and undocked, warped to a central scan safe and proceeded to sweep the asteroid belts. The pair weren't in any of the belts and weren't near a planet so I opened up my on board probe and scanned for Cosmic Anomalies, suspecting they might be inside one of them. I warped to my first hit, lo and behold, there they were, Stabber primaried and engaged, Catalyst warps out but the Stabber is going nowhere as my warp scrambler has him pinned down, I get in close and web for good measure, making sure he doesn't run as the Stabber can achieve some amazing speeds. This cruiser however didn't last long and exploded in a blinding flash which illuminated the night sky of Gusandall, my targeting systems quick to lock the pod, warp scrambler trapping it and my guns doing the rest. Some respectable loot and a bit of hate mail made the kill worth it.

I would later destroy a Rifter trying to run the 2/10 plex and caught a Breacher at a planet after he warped out of the belt I tracked him down to, both corpses now residing in "The Morgue"

Kill of the day was a strange one indeed. There was a Crow interceptor in Gus local and he was doing his thing so I decided to play a little game I like to call Dead Interceptor. I undocked and warped to the 2/10 plex Acceleration Gate, a place where the energy given off by the gate interferes with MWDs, not something I'm too worried about as I have an afterburner fitted. I was counting on the Crow pilot not being aware of this and as is the case so many times I was right, the lure of a lone Jaguar too much for him to resist. He warped in, landing right on top of the gate, me just over 10 clicks off as I didn't want to get jumped by the other ships in system which included at least a Cerberus. The Crow however started moving towards me, locked me and aggressed, three Bloodclaw missiles slamming into my Jaguar. My lock had resolved, tackling systems overheated and waiting for him to come into range, which he did, right at me in fact. Warp scrambler active, Stasis Web active and a Crow in deep, deep trouble. The fragile nature of the Crow and the fact it uses speed to minimise damage nullified by my web and the cosmic interference from the ancient acceleration gate leading to its inevitable death. The Crow disintegrated very quickly, the pilot probably wondering why he was so stupid, a mad grin across my face as my systems lock onto his escape pod and send him home via Clone Vat Express™
One of the most satisfying kills in a long time, always good to outsmart a target, using local knowledge and that of the ships they are flying against them.
Keira was at the ready to activate her Skirmish mods on the Claymore to give me extra speed and range on the web had I needed it and I think she was kind of disappointed the Crow died so quickly and wasn't needed.

I docked up, only to be called later by flashfresh saying that the Myrmidon pilot from a week back is in Eifer and in a Hurricane, the gank was on as a few other pilots expressed interest in a kill but it all fizzled out as he entered Gusandall, warped to the station and docked. I took a few shots at him when he undocked but the docking game that is so in vogue took precedence over a fight, even with me drawing sentry fire.

I docked up for the night, my headache seemingly getting worse and a throbbing in my right hand from earlier in the day when I took some aggression out on a punching bag. I take another handful of painkillers, these slightly stronger than earlier, well, actually a lot stronger. The numb takes over my body in short time.