As we dispatched several scouts to the system the targets were spotted in, reports started filtering in that they were indeed running missions. Probing them down proved to be difficult, for they were extremely careful with their directional scanners, warping off as soon as any probes were spotted. Despite using several different probing methods, we could not narrow them down. Mentioning this to our friends in fleet, they started going AFK and dropping fleet, whilst the Tusker element stayed on standby, eager to kill a Carrier.
Sending my own scouting alt out, I quickly found another Carrier running missions in a different system, but still a member of the same alliance (Roughnecks) as the previous two. As I dropped probes, the CEO of the Roughneck Alliance spoke out in local:
[ 2010.11.24 00:15:52 ] DAX AKARRI > too lateHowever, I had managed to get a 100% hit. Even with our relatively small fleet, consisting of 2 Battleships, 3 Battlecruisers, a Recon and a Stiletto, I decided it was worth a shot. At the same time, other scouts in system reported a 15+ gang of VETO. Battlecruisers with multiple Guardians entering the same system as our fleet waited in. Hoping their scouts would not spot us, we sent our Stiletto in to achieve point.
Jumping in, my alt fleet warped him to the Carrier. What seemed like hours later, but must have been less then half a minute, he announced he had point on the Carrier. As one, the fleet jumped in and warped.
Landing 5km off thecarrier, I locked him up and applied my own warp disruptor, noticing he already had some slight armor damage due to the mission. Meanwhile, our tackler reported he was having no problem zipping around and picking off the Warrior II drones set upon him. With no logistics of our own, we had to make this quick, electing to focus fire upon the carrier itself rather then the fighters it was loosening upon our fleet. As we started carving through his armor, we noticed a VETO. scout in local, spotted in a Rapier minutes before. Luckily, he appeared to not notice us and quickly left the system.
After the initial shock of being attacked in his home system, the carrier pilot sent out a distress call in alliance chat and intel channels. A Falcon warped into the midst of us and was promptly obliterated before he could start jamming us. With his colleague's death, the carrier pilot spoke in local
[ 2010.11.24 00:26:26 ] Rufus McSlap > warSteadily working our way through the carrier's armor, our other battleship reported that he was pointed by the carrier, with Fighters bearing down upon him. At the same time, I noticed the falcon pilot's pod was still here and ordered it destroyed, hoping it would slow down further reinforcements.
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| The Maelstrom, famous for having an absurd active shield tank |
Luckily, our Maelstrom had a formidable tank fitted on it, buying the fleet time to carve through most of the Thanatos' armor before the Battleship fell, its modules nearly burnt out and almost out of cap boosters. In the end, I attempted to burn over to him to drop off spare cap boosters I had in my cargo hold, but it was too little too late.
After the Maelstrom fell, he set his Fighters on Rend, however the timely arrival of an Advocated Destruction Sleipnir provided us with much needed additional DPS and the Thanatos exploded with my Abaddon in low armor.
However, before we could congratulate ourselves, an additional two carriers landed. With the fleet being half dead and running low on ammo as well as cap boosters, we made our escape. Unfortunately, with microwarpdrive use disabled in the mission, our friendly Sleipnir and one of our own Drakes were taken down before they could warp off.
With the rest of the fleet safely docked in a station, it was clear that we would be unable to escalate further without additional support. With Advocated Destruction mostly AFK, we contacted other friends and Muppet Ninjas were willing to assist. Being based in Dastryns, a fair distance away, they decided they would be willing to bring in a single supercarrier, an Aeon, supported by a RR carrier of their own in order to keep our support alive.
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| Aeon, Amarr supercarrier |
With our scouts reporting the two hostile carriers still loitering around the mission, picking up fighters, we knew we only had one choice. Our hurricane pilot swapped to a Rapier with a cyno fitted. Warping our fleet back into the carriers, he attempted to light it but was told it was impossible within the confines of the mission. Warping to a planet, he lit it there whilst our fleet attempted to pin the carriers down.
As the cyno was finally lit and the friendly capitals warping to us, Rend had taken a real pounding, being reduced to low armor and scrambled. Just as I slipped into half structure, I somehow managed to warp off. Returning as soon as possible, with the fighters in warp behind me, our RR carrier managed to patch me up before the fighters returned in pursuit. As the first carrier dropped into low armor, a third Thanatos landed on the field, as well as a Scorpion at range. With all our support focused on the Scorpion, he went down fast, followed swiftly by the primaried carrier.
Working our way through the second Carrier, a Roughneck Rapier warped in at range, decloaked and sat there as we blew him up. Judging by his fit, he was also attempting to light a cyno and ran into the same problem we had.
With their reinforcements cut off, we settled in fairly comfortably, until our RR carrier reported he was running out of cap trying to keep me alive. After telling him to turn them off to regen some capacitor, I warped off. With my re-arrival to the battlefield, the third carrier popped, overwhelm by the sheer amount of DPS the friendly supercarrier put out, whilst the last one managed to self-destruct just in time. After reading the logs, it dawned on me that the self-destructed carrier was flown by the original carrier pilot. Two carriers lost in one night, that must hurt!
With all hostiles eliminated, we scooped the fighters and the loot and made our escape. One last look at local reminding us why we particularly enjoy targetting Roughnecks, their comments in local make us giddy.
[ 2010.11.24 00:15:52 ] DAX AKARRI > too late
[ 2010.11.24 00:26:26 ] Rufus McSlap > war
[ 2010.11.24 00:33:49 ] BuckWyld > gf
[ 2010.11.24 00:33:53 ] Tsubutai > gf
[ 2010.11.24 00:34:02 ] cl1de > gf
[ 2010.11.24 00:34:11 ] Hazel Starr > gf
[ 2010.11.24 00:34:17 ] Suleiman Shouaa > gf
[ 2010.11.24 00:34:45 ] DAX AKARRI > u just brought shit on
[ 2010.11.24 00:34:59 ] Suleiman Shouaa > ?
[ 2010.11.24 00:35:07 ] DAX AKARRI > ull find out
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Epic. In a word.
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