Saturday 29 October 2011

VELATOR!

He moved in a way that suggested he was attempting the world speed record for the nonchalant walk.
-- (Terry Pratchett, The Light Fantastic)


BATTLESTATIONS! BATTLESTATIONS!

Oh sweet jesus, he's shooting at someone again... AND THEY ARE SHOOTING BACK!

I'm too young to die

Shut it, you knew this might happen when you signed on

Well yeah, but I didn't realize it would happen within five minutes of undocking, everything seemed so peaceful.

He's a Pirate, what did you think would happen? Tea and biscuits?

Ooh yes please.

What was that?

What was what?

Was that the armour giving in?

Wait, aren't we armour tanked?

Technically speaking.... No

What do you mean no?

well, this is a Velator, not a lot of room to fit an armour tank, or any tank to be fair.

You're saying we have no tank and this maniac is attacking someone?

Yeah, and to make things more interesting he's attacking a Rifter class frigate.

And that's bad right?

You really have no idea. The Rifter ranks right up there with things you don't attack with a Velator, even a young pilot with a decent fit would make short work of us.

Is he mad?

It has been established on many occasions but he's damn funny and always willing to help.

How about helping us by not committing suicide, some of us aren't immortal.

Live on the edge kid, life is more interesting that way. Besides, looks like we won.

We won? The ship is on fire, in fact, everything is on fire.

One helluva ride kid.

Been an interesting evening with two close calls with Greebo, a mission jack in Eifer and helping some of the M34N corp guys to dispatch a Drake who thought flying through Gusandall a few times wouldn't pique anyone's interest.

Wednesday 19 October 2011

The 200

It is said that whosoever the gods wish to destroy, they first make mad. In fact, whosoever the gods wish to destroy, they first hand the equivalent of a stick with a fizzing fuse and Acme Dynamite Company written on the side. It's more interesting, and doesn't take so long.
-- (Terry Pratchett, Soul Music)


Some milestones are best left without fanfare but to be honest, I'm just honest. I'm also not very bright but you don't have to be the smartest to be the best, you just need to be smarter than the other guy. This does not however, always work.

A known plex runner/farmer is in Gusandall, in a Dramiel, in the direction of the 2/10. My normal reaction would be to grab a Daredevil and go ruin his day, however he is wary of me and my Greebo, he has felt the fury before. This time I chose something a little, how shall I put it?

Unconventional.

The Worm class faction frigate has garnered me one or two successful kills, but test like a Dramiel is something she has never encountered, I warped to the 2/10, he had warped out, I waited at the gate, just out of activation range, hoping if he spotted on scan he would investigate.

He did, warped to the gate, but instead of engaging he activated the gate and warped to the first room. I closed till in range of the gates activation range and followed him in, where he was waiting. I engaged, he obliged and started shooting right back. I launched a flight of drones, quite possibly the only way to win this fight would be to use the 'hope and pray' tank afforded by ecm drones, as my Worm was not very strong. However, my luck, much like my intelligence abandoned me to the mercy of the Dramiel's guns and drones. My Worm explodes and I whisk my pod to safety, but not before looking upon the wreck of my latest milestone, loss number two hundred.

The Dramiel then engages a Claw inside the plex and I hope this distraction will allow me the subterfuge to grab my Greebo and to extract revenge. However he warps out as I land, but curiosity gets the better of him.

Is Kane having a bad day?
Would he be able to overcome the might of the Rizzel Daredevil?
Only one way to find out. He warps back at 70km from the plex entrance, I start to close, he's staying still, until I reach 20km, he starts to move but is shortly halted as my web and scrambler stop any thought of escape, we engage at point blank range, the Angel frigates, both fearsome in their own right, locked in mortal combat, only one would warp away intact.

The Dramiel explodes, much as any other before that has danced with Greebo and his kin.

As this happens, another Daredevil enters local, piloted by an ex resident of these parts, devildog215. He lays down the challenge, a 1v1 vs Kane foshizzle Rizzel. The Dramiel pilot indicates to him I would be found at the 2/10, which I confirm, he warps in and we dance the deadly dance, until one stands, victorious, Greebo, the Champion of Gusandall.

A little saddened that one of Greebo's kin has been slain, I warp to a safespot to wait out my GCC timer, the Dramiel pilot has returned in a Rifter and is waiting inside the 2/10 for me, I kindly oblige and once again introduce his pod to the cold, harsh, reality of the Gusandall solar system.

A mixed evening for me, but once again, frigate combat reigns, the truest test of man and machine, even if it only lasts seconds, the euphoria of winning or losing, stands till the end of time.

I dock up, Greebo sitting comfortable over his docking circle, a spin or two before I retire to my quarters for a cup of Earl Grey and a movie.

Thursday 6 October 2011

Indestructible... NOT!

"Real children don't go hoppity-skip unless they are on drugs."
-- Susan, the ultimate sensible governess
(Terry Pratchett, Hogfather)


I lost two goddamn Rifters today... TWO. These were against a corp who are fast becoming my Nemesis, Black Rebel Rifter Club. The first Rifter was lost to a rather well flown Arty Rifter, the second to a Jaguar and same Arty Rifter.

You win some, you lose some :) But it seems I will need to adjust my tactics. I think I'm going to enjoy RIFTA, like I said before, a good bunch of pilots and finally folk who are going to give as good as they get.

Other than the two devastating losses, it has been a good day for the solo Pirate, a solo kill of a Typhoon Fleet Issue at the Emolgranlan gate, an EVE Uni pilot on his own, running a plex in Eifer (I was surprised as anyone that it wasn't a trap)
A nice Vengeance kill plus 60million ISK Pod ransom and a rather fast Dramiel kill. A Merlin and Rifter rounded off the days activities.

Solo Piracy isn't dead, it never will be as long as folk keep trying, stay strong, never retreat, never surrender.