Harpy - That which snatches

"But ye gotta know *where* ye're just gonna rush in. Ye cannae just rush in *anywhere*. It looks bad, havin' to rush oout again straight awa'."

-- Feegle tactics (Terry Pratchett, The Wee Free Men)

The black welcomes me, like a prodigal son returning after a long absence, her cold embrace a reminder of why I do what I do.

I am Kane Rizzel, Pirate, freelancer and trouble maker extraordinaire, my home is Gusandall in the Evannater constellation of Heimatar, a home for over three years and a good home it has been.

The Angel Creo-Crop complex is a favourite haunt of mine and has in the past provided some excellent fights and more than my fair share of losses but it can be very lucrative. When targets are spotted trying to run through it, I make it a priority to run out the Gusandall welcome mat, in the shape of me.

Harpy

Name: Harpy
Hull: Merlin Class
Role: Assault Ship

Already possessing a reputation despite its limited initial circulation, the Harpy is a powerful railgun platform with long range capability and strong defensive systems. Formidable both one-on-one and as a support ship, it was referred to as the "little Moa" by the pilots who participated in its safety and performance testing.

Developer: Ishukone

Ishukone created the Harpy as a long-range support frigate for defense of Ishukone holdings as well as increased muscle and visibility in the constantly shifting game of cold war the Caldari megacorps' police forces play amongst themselves.

Caldari Frigate Skill Bonus:
10% bonus to Small Hybrid Turret Optimal range per level

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

A Harpy piloted by Buschi was spotted trying to run the complex a few times but each time I got there, the Harpy had bugged out. Once, twice, three times a lady, I was getting a touch frustrated but persistence is key to success as a Pirate.

After having warped in a third time and narrowly missing him I warped to a shallow safe, spamming my on board scanner for his position. I got a hit once again in the direction of the plex and warped straight in. The curious nature of the plex made me burst out of warp right on top of him and it was imperative I gained distance on him, to get out of range of his blasters. Lock resolves, warp scrambler glows green and I open up with my pulse lasers. Harpy is a touch slow on the uptake and seems like forever before he locks back and starts to engage, by this time I have gained approximately 7.5km and am now in my sweet spot.

My knowledge of Harpy fittings led me to believe he would be blaster fit as it is very common, their short range would make range key to this fight.

His damage is negligible but my pulse lasers are rocking his verse, his shields bouncing around as he furiously tries to rep. He hits armour with shield booster still running but as he hits structure, the Harpy violently explodes, the fragile hull not up to the task.

Quick on the draw I lock his escape pod.

Buschi > ouch
Kane Rizzel > 25mil and you can go
Buschi > wait i'm checking accounts
Buschi > hm lets see
Buschi > ...... yuo suck .... lol
Kane Rizzel > lol
Daplat Mode > :)
WayCharles > compliment to succubus pilot right?
Kane Rizzel > :D

A very reasonable offer for an experienced pilot but he chose poorly so I scooped yet another corpse for The Morgue.

And yes, I was flying a Succubus, not something many people fly these days, many choosing the high powered Dramiel but I like to do things slightly differently.

Succubus

The Succubus is one of the most feared frigates ever to harrow the space lanes and asteroid belts of civilized space, and with good reason: tales abound of its superiority over ships twice or three times its size. Whether you believe this to be fact or rumour, the Succubus will still strike fear in your heart.

Special Ability: 100% bonus to Small Energy Turret damage

Amarr Frigate Skill Bonus: 7.5% bonus to Small Energy Turret tracking per level
Caldari Frigate Skill Bonus: 5% bonus to Small Energy Turret damage per level.

Once again I have missed an important date, I have been a member of NovaKane Incorporated for 3 years and 11 days. So belated happy anniversary to myself :P

Rifter Power

He didn't look mad, but they never did.
-- (Terry Pratchett, Strata)

Y'all know what my favourite ship is right?

Rifter

The Rifter is a very powerful combat frigate and can easily tackle the best frigates out there. It has gone through many radical design phases since its inauguration during the Minmatar Rebellion. The Rifter has a wide variety of offensive capabilities, making it an unpredictable and deadly adversary.

Minmatar Frigate Skill Bonus: 5% bonus to Small Projectile Turret damage and 7.5% bonus to tracking per level.

Y'all know what my favourite system is right?

So I'm bumming around in Eifer after roaming around in a Harbinger to no avail. I'm in Rincewind the Rifter, trying my best to look innocent and let me tell you that this is no easy task. There's not much about until a Magnate astrometric frigate catches my attention and I quickly narrow it down to a planet where it has some Sisters' combat probes out. Was it looking for me? Well, whatever the case it had found me and then conveniently exploded.

I scoop the loot and check my scanner, there's a Myrmidon class battlecruiser in a belt, again, quick and professional use of the scanner allows me to pinpoint its location and in I barrel.

I land just as the Myrm warps out, with a cheeky mail saying "close", well son, it's going to be close as I've seen where you warped to. I follow as is my nature. I land on top of him and engage with everything my little Rifter can dish out, up to and including the kitchen sink. He deploys drones and I start to kill them one by one, wave by wave, until it's just me and the Myrm

Alliance comms is quiet, everyone seemingly asleep on this fine Sunday evening. I decide to try and solo him but his tank easily deals with my Rifters damage output. Eventually Dogz offers a hand and I except as I'm starting to run out of ammo.

Kane Rizzel > You gonna die anytime soon or what?

Dogz warps in with his Typhoon class battleship

Kane Rizzel > OHSNAP

The Myrmidon was in for a beating and I for one welcomed my Dogz overlord. The myrm goes down hard and I scramble the pod, offer 25 million ISK ransom which he accepts. We let go of tackle and he warps out, I scoop the loot and do the same. A good 15 minutes from initial tackle till Dogz came in to help finish him off.

I send Dogz his share of the ransom and spot a Thrasher on scan, greedy Kane is greedy and warps to where the scanner indicates he would be, I engage and so does he, Thrasher hits 20% hull as my mighty Rifter expires and it is only then I notice the Thrasher pilot is in the same corporation as the Myrmidon pilot.

Oh well, back to Gusandall to get another Rifter being put together by the hangar crew.

Back in Eifer I spot a Jaguar on scan, too much for my Rifter but I'm going in regardless. The outcome was certain the moment I warped in and another Rifter expires, I head back to Gusandall to get something Rifter shaped but a lot more sturdy and sharp. I take Maurice the Jaguar back to Eifer and offer the jag pilot a 1v1.

He agrees, I offer for him to form gang and make a safe for the fight as is my custom, he does so and soon it's game time. I had a simple strategy, with barrage loaded I would skirt at about 10km keeping him webbed and scrammed whilst raining sweat death down upon him.

My strategy take s a turn for the worse as my 'Warp to 10km' lands me right on top of him. Oh well, overload and try gain some distance, my shields take a pounding but soon I'm moving out of his range and into mine. My shields recover but his are fairing rather badly as I'm now in the sweet spot. My opponent goes down and we share 'good fight' in local. I scoop the loot, it will help offset the loss of the second Rifter to some rather reckless flying, but then you never know what you can kill until you try.

Eifer, the system of good times.

Until next time, y'all stay classy

[OOC] Back and how the loot gods have smiled

"Not a man to mince words. People, yes. But not words."
-- (Terry Pratchett, Small Gods)

I'm back from my adventure to Geneva, have finally gotten all my stuff moved to the new place, hooked up the computers and got the internet running. Have also got a PS3 for the new place so I've been kinda distracted but logged in this evening to be greeted by a Navy Scorpion fighting some Mean Coalition in Gus.

The tank was epic and was easily handling the assembled posse but then a few more of us landed on the gate with Neuts and exploded him. The loot gods smiled. The guy had killed two Abaddons so was no mug and he was quite graceful in defeat. Kudos to him for bringing that plaything to our home. Also caught a Loki jumping into Gus but he logged and paid the price.

Bad news is that I won't be as active as I have been in the past but I won't be quitting EVE or anything that daft, just I have a lot to do and to get sorted in my life, plus the PS3 will probably take me on new gaming adventures.

Y'all stay classy and till I see you again I leave you with a tune I'm really liking.

[OOC] Moving and travelling

Just a quick note to say I'm not dead.

I'm moving house tomorrow and will be without internet until about the 13th when I get back from a short break in Geneva.

Y'all stay classy

Back with a bang... Well... More like a dull thud

When you can flatten entire cities at a whim, a tendency towards quiet reflection and seeing-things-from-the-other-fellow's-point- of-view is seldom necessary.
-- (Terry Pratchett, Small Gods)

Finally, my systems are back online and hopefully all technical difficulties experienced thus far this year will be a thing of the past.

Now if Only I could find something to kill. Other than a Shield Extender Rifter and a poorly fit mission Rifter kills in Gusandall with the Succubus, my thirst for blood went unquenched.

There was a slight glimmer of hope when an obvious bait Abaddon started engaging alliance mates outside the station, I undocked in my Armageddon and engaged, cyno goes up and in jumps an Archon carrier, I'm heavily neuted and now capless. Kurtz undocks his Archon and reps me. With this going nowhere we decide to push the escalation they so obviously want and I dock to grab something shinier, the Bhaalgorn. This was enough for them to jump in another Archon, a Thanatos and a dreadnought (either a Rev or a Moros, can't remember now) and joined by a lone Vexor.

With Kurtz' Archon easily repping my Bhaalgorn it was clear this wasn't going anywhere, we were aware they could possibly escalate further were we to undock more Capital ships but to be honest we just weren't that interested. So we docked up and watched them waste more fuel by jumping out.

Hotdrops suck by the by.

I would later chase a Vengeance and a Rifter in my own Rifter but neither pilot seemed interested in making my acquaintance.

A rather quiet return to action but hopefully things will pick up.

[OOC] News and tattoos

Kids! Bringing about Armageddon can be dangerous. Do not attempt it in your home.

-- (Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman, Good Omens)

There will be light

Good news on the graphics card front, a friend from Arsclan, Krissea, has been kind enough to ship me a spare card for the cost of shipping, so hopefully I'll be back up and running around the 22nd of this month. I'll remove the dead 8800 GTX and plug in the 9800 GTX as soon as it arrives :)

Under my skin

As some have requested shots of my tattoos I dug through my images to find what I could. Picture quality isn't amazing as most were taken with a camera phone the day they were completed and it's awful difficult trying to get shots of your arms by yourself. I cannot for the life of me get a good shot of the sun dragon on my right shoulder blade. I can also not get a good shot of the text that is on the inside of my left upper arm as it wraps around too far (My artist has a collage of three shots that shows it of well but he doesn't have them online)

My arms are a work in progress and will eventually be full sleeves as time and inspiration allow. Each bit of ink has specific meaning to me and I have never felt the need to justify them to anyone, least of all my family.

Work on my right outer forearm and right wrist commences on the 6th of April, I can barely wait.

[OOC] From Bad, to Worse

++?????++ Out of Cheese Error. Redo From Start.
-- (Terry Pratchett, Interesting Times)

Seems 2010 is starting to look like one fucked up year for me, EVE and gaming in general.

Got back from a club last night, turn the gaming rig on and it seems my graphics card has followed the Raptor drives example and gave up on me. So... No PvP for the foreseeable future as I venture to replace it, if and when time and my budget allow.

Normally I'd replace it straight away but with various projects in Real Life™ this is just another cost that wasn't planned for. Between trips to Geneva and new tattoos it might take me a few weeks to get it sorted so until then, Stay Classy and fly reckless.