On Monday I was getting a bit frustrated. My first kill was a trash-fit Tristan. Next was a completely unfit Venture. Don't get me wrong, a kills a kill but I would like them to fight back once in a while! Next up was actually a proper combat fit Atron. He tried to breach the plex and make range but my double over-heated webs managed to snag him, just. My scram dropped but the webs had enough range to stop him burning away.
It was getting late and I was thinking about calling it a night when I got a Federation Navy Comet on short scan. Unfortunately it was a very short scan, given the stargates and stations in close proximity to the faction war plex I was camping, I was only scanning at 1AU range. Just before I was about to warp out I noticed he hadn't renamed his ship. I quickly clicked show info and saw he was a February 2014 account. Think fast Drackarn, he'll be on you in seconds!
A properly trained character could be close or even surpass max skills for a Comet in ten months. Its not like a pirate faction frigate that needs two racial skills. Gallente all the way for the Comet. How likely was this character to be specialised in Gallente frigates? A well skilled Comet pilot should be able to mince my T1 rocket Kestrel. However, if he's been training other things, at 8 months his skills might not be max and I might have a chance. He'll be here any second. Decision time Drackarn. If I'd had time I could have looked on the killboards and seen what he'd been flying. Cruisers or BC's would have let me know he'd not been specialising. However, there was no time. He'd be here any second.
Sod it. Pre-Overheat the launchers and get ready!
He enters and I set up a 6km orbit on him with the afterburner running. The overheated rockets are pounding through his shields and I've not seen any, oh wait, here come the drones! He rips through my shields in short order and then slows considerably when he reaches my 400mm plate. I've tanked for hybrid ammo and Gallente drones doing thermal are hitting my 2nd highest resist. At this point I'm well ahead. His armour is failing fast and he's about to enter structure when his armour bounces back. Active armour repper as expected as there was no buffer there to speak of. So its down to his active tank verses my buffer. The game is indeed on!
Soon things are starting to get a bit hot on my top rack. I'm still overloading and the rocket launchers are turning red. Several of my crew have gone on an EVA to cook bacon and eggs on my sizzling launchers. We're locked in a proper shin-kicking contest here so no need for me to do anything but than monitor the overheat damage to my launchers. I hover the mouse over the modules and watch the damage tick up. I'm loathed to turn off the over-heat as I am breaking his tank with the increased rate of fire it creates. For every cycle of his repper, I'm getting two separate rocket volleys off. The first negates the repairs his repper just did and the second slams him deeper into structure. However, if my rocket launchers burn out I'll have to resort to using harsh language which is not going to work is it? All this time by buffer tank is being depleted. Its going to be very close.
My low armour alarm has already gone off. The rocket launchers are pretty fried. He's bouncing low structure with his repper just keeping him up. Someone pops. Its him! "GFs" in local and I quickly scoop the loot and drones whilst spamming D-Scan. I could take one of those not-fit Ventures but anything like that Tristan from earlier will kill me easily. I have my structure left and the rocket launchers, whilst still useable, are dripping molten tritanium onto my hull! Thankfully nobody disturbs me whilst I'm collecting my booty. I warp to the nearest station to get my ship repaired.
A very close fight and always a favorite of mine. T1 verses Faction leaving me with shaking hands.
Good fight, good fight!
That's where this article should have ended. However last night I saw a Hookbill in a plex. I decided to have a go. I warped to the acceleration gate and paused. I mentally willed the pilot in the plex to change to EM rockets. After I'd given it a minute I went in. It wasn't as exciting and whilst my launchers were almost melted again, I still had a fair bit of armour left when he popped. Looking at the fit... he was firing kinetic rockets at me which was my second worse resist and he was a much older toon than the Comet pilot on Monday. Eve, sometimes you make no sense!
A properly trained character could be close or even surpass max skills for a Comet in ten months. Its not like a pirate faction frigate that needs two racial skills. Gallente all the way for the Comet. How likely was this character to be specialised in Gallente frigates? A well skilled Comet pilot should be able to mince my T1 rocket Kestrel. However, if he's been training other things, at 8 months his skills might not be max and I might have a chance. He'll be here any second. Decision time Drackarn. If I'd had time I could have looked on the killboards and seen what he'd been flying. Cruisers or BC's would have let me know he'd not been specialising. However, there was no time. He'd be here any second.
Sod it. Pre-Overheat the launchers and get ready!
Soon things are starting to get a bit hot on my top rack. I'm still overloading and the rocket launchers are turning red. Several of my crew have gone on an EVA to cook bacon and eggs on my sizzling launchers. We're locked in a proper shin-kicking contest here so no need for me to do anything but than monitor the overheat damage to my launchers. I hover the mouse over the modules and watch the damage tick up. I'm loathed to turn off the over-heat as I am breaking his tank with the increased rate of fire it creates. For every cycle of his repper, I'm getting two separate rocket volleys off. The first negates the repairs his repper just did and the second slams him deeper into structure. However, if my rocket launchers burn out I'll have to resort to using harsh language which is not going to work is it? All this time by buffer tank is being depleted. Its going to be very close.
A very close fight and always a favorite of mine. T1 verses Faction leaving me with shaking hands.
Good fight, good fight!
That's where this article should have ended. However last night I saw a Hookbill in a plex. I decided to have a go. I warped to the acceleration gate and paused. I mentally willed the pilot in the plex to change to EM rockets. After I'd given it a minute I went in. It wasn't as exciting and whilst my launchers were almost melted again, I still had a fair bit of armour left when he popped. Looking at the fit... he was firing kinetic rockets at me which was my second worse resist and he was a much older toon than the Comet pilot on Monday. Eve, sometimes you make no sense!
Merry Christmas
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