EVE Journey

2 days to go! With the current lull in alliance activities, I’ve decided to go back to school and get a fresh perspective on fleet formation and tactics. Was introduced to the school while reading two articles at Eve Tribune titled “Back to pvp Basics” and “Destroyers”. While I’m no slouch when its comes to fleeting up during days in Sylph. It has been over a month since I last saw action. Running missions for SOE has been great for my wallet but when the mission rats are unable to hurt my Dominix, its time to hunt some capsuleers.

After a rushed sign up for the limited spots in the class (only 50 are allowed), I managed to register for PVP-BASIC [BASIC - 2305091800] and PVP-WOLFPACKS [WOLFPACKS-3005090030]. The course materials has just been released and I’ve gone through the well written materials that is great read for new players or as a refresher course. I’ve made sure that the basic skills are met and took time to train up skills for the destroyers class that is held next week as I’ve neglected some of the training for it.

The basic class will consist of using T1 frigates in a Hydra fleet. I’ve decided to go with the Incursus since it is the T1 version of the Ishkur which I’m fond of flying. With spare ships and hydra ewar fittings (ecm, webifer, tracking disruptors, dampeners, scram, disrupt) all ready, I’ll be ready to set out for Nonni where the course will be held. Just need to remember to use a new jump clone before I fleet up for the class.

Our corporation needed a new look for the website (I’m not too happy with my first attempt) and I thought a series of graphics from Mica’s shots during fleets would work well to highlight the scale of engagements we encounter.

A series of recruitment advertisement for TGIND (Fleet)

While I have been keeping busy with mining and also dabbling in Invention of tech 2 modules, Mica got into a real interesting situation with Titans and getting himself blown up in the process.

When a blue alliance recently lost control of a border system to AAA, the nearby blue alliances decided to attempt a joint fleet rescue and try to wrestle back control. This resulted in a fleet that lasted several hours from the form up at ERVK-P for the Sylph Fleet to the final jump into F9E-KX.

Amarr Titan – Avatar

Of course, this is just the first titan Mica witnessed, there’s still 2 more to go that night and not all would be friendly.

Sniper Fleet in warp

After a failed attempt to bridge the blue fleet into the battlefield, conventional ships had to take the long way into F9E which included an agonizing jump into a well-laid large bubble trap all over the star gate.

Wreckage after a Double Doomsday

Mica miraculously survived the trap and made it safely into the shields of a blue POS. Things didn’t turn out so well due to a technical glitch in POS mechanisms that allowed Doomsday weapon effects to penetrate the POS shields resulting in a huge loss that day for the blues. AAA cynoed in two titans, an Erebus and a Leviathon, and sets off a Double Doomsday that obliterates the blue fleet in the POS. It would be the first time Mica lost his Megathron fitted for sniper duty.

2008.11.09 00:48

Victim: Mica Breeze
Corp: TransGalactic Industries
Alliance: Sylph Alliance
Faction: NONE
Destroyed: Megathron
System: F9E-KX
Security: 0.0
Damage Taken: 47316

Mica storms into the bunk and starts to rail about PvE and PvP fittings. I look up his loss

2008.09.19 15:05

Victim: Mica Breeze
Corp: TransGalactic Industries
Alliance: Sylph Alliance
Faction: NONE
Destroyed: Myrmidon
System: ERVK-P
Security: 0.0
Damage Taken: 23597

When he first flew into 0.0, he had hurriedly x’d up (term we use for joining a fleet) for a FC (Fleet Commander’s) call to battle versus Against ALL Authorities. Being slightly cocky, he thought he had faced the worse in Lvl 4 Agent missions and he brought his only mission setup ship to the fight which turned out to be a huge mistake.

With nothing to his name but the ISK in his wallet and his trustworthy Myrmidon, he flew straight into a well set up camp by reds and watched as his shields crumbled under the onslaught of 3 Falcons (keeping him jammed), 2 Rapiers, 1 Curse, 1 Arazu, 1 Huggin, 1 Zealot,  1 Drake and a Crow. The well rounded recon gang kept him jammed and locked down with little that could be done. Thankfully, the friendly fleet managed to come out on top.

I quickly sent Mica a new ship (after all, I had encouraged him to join us) to help him along while he rummaged through his weapons locker to get refitted. He learnt a lesson that day to always have the right ship for the job.

Lesson learnt after seeing all those capital ships assembled, to truly enjoy a POS takedown, you need to pilot a dreadnought in siege mode. This quickly transforms the ship into putting out tremendous amounts of damage that makes short work of a POS.

Our fleet makes short work of the offending POS (they were red, enough said) and assembles at a nearby planet while we take stock of the situation. In my rather tiny incursus, there isn’t much I can contribute but to watch intel channels and observe the proceedings.

Even though I’m a miner, I’ve quickly learnt that even the smallest frigate is appreciated in fleets in 0.0. As a tackler, we can contribute to bringing a red down at the expense of our usually frail but inexpensive tech 1 frigates. My first fleet signup was amusing in that I had not fired a single shot or locked down a single ship before I was downed by hostile fire due to a mix up in POS passwords.

I do however get to view some of the more impressive ships most pilots don’t ever get to see in Empire. From carriers to dreadnoughts.. these capital ships fill the sky when they undock. Seeing them for the first time makes truly appreciate the scale of my training. I send Mica photos of the capital ships and he informs me that the Moros is a ship he hopes to pilot one day. I vow to be able to build one for him when the day comes.

Gallente Dreadnought – Moros

Caldari Dreadnought – Phoenix

Amarr Dreadnought – Revelation

Gallente Carrier – Thanatos

Caldari Carrier – Chimera