Wednesday 15 January 2020

Why PvE?

Too many people, when listing all the perils to be found in the search for lost treasure or ancient wisdom, had forgotten to put at the top of the list 'the man who arrived just before you'.
-- (Terry Pratchett, The Last Hero)

When there's not much happeing, and targets are few, what is a Pirate to do?

Scanning entire constelations sometimes shows you some juicy hunting grounds, the Angel's Red Light District is one such place, it is the best Cosmic Signature in Minmatar Low Security space, and as such draws treasure hunters from far and wide. If you manage to scan one down and find someone running it, it normally results in a profictable bit of Piracy, greed will bring people back, even with the threat of Piracy ever present. If they don't, you just get an associate to run it and collect the loot.

Some days though, it is so quiet, a call to an associate happens quicker than usual. Of late NovaKane and associates haven't had much luck hunting in these sites, with runners running and never returning, as such we have run a fair few, with little luck, today though was different, a site in Gusandall with nothing else happeing just had to be run.

Not going to bore you with the details of PvE, but it paid off today, quite nicely in fact.




Saturday 11 January 2020

Tough nuts too

 It was the sort of thing you expected in the Street of Alchemists. The neighbours *preferred* explosions, which were at least identifiable and soon over. They were better than the smells, which crept up on you.
-- (Terry Pratchett, Moving Pictures)


Welcome to 2020 everybody and the 12 year of A Pirate's Perspective.

Is it just me or are tanks on ships super powerful of late?

A quick hunt turned into a almost ten minute battle between a super tanked Tengu and my Stratios. Thinking it a trap, as I always do, I was hesitant but chose to throw caution to the wind.

I chose the Stratios for the added energy neutralizer ability, it has half the DPS of my Proteus but I felt the neuts would be more beneficial against an active tanked Tengu which seems to be all the rage.

I caught the Tengu running a Besieged covert site, waiting for it to clear most of the Gurista battleships before engaging.
With only one battleship left it was time, I closed, decloaked, locked target and launched drones, a flight of Ogre IIs. The Tengu initially tanked very easily, even with dual neut pressure, and it soon became evident that it wasn't going to break, even with the last Gurista battleship switching DPS between my Strat and the Tengu.

My tank took some strain when the Gurista focused on me but was never in danger of breaking. After what seemed an age I made th decision to call Keira in, asking her to bring overwhelming DPS in the shape of her Machariel, with the added benefit of a large energy neutralizer. She quickly docks and grabs her Mach, undocks and warps to the fight, loading Republic Fleet EMP rounds into the massive autocannons.

On landing she immediatley engages, with neut and cannons, and soon the Tengu breaks, and breaks hard, a glorious explosion, lighting the black of Gusandall.

The pod managed to warp out quickly, denying me the satisfaction of another corpse for the Morgue.
Looking at the mail I see a somewhat familiar module, which explains why dual medium neuts were having a tough time breaking the cap stability of a super tanked Tengu, a Thukker Large Cap battery, something that not only adds more capacitor but also helps negate energy neutralizers.

Regardless, a nice little 400mil payday as the Pith X-type large shield booster survived.

I'm saving up to buy either a Marshal or an Amarr dreadnought and this helps out a great deal.