News: HERO Coalition Repels Providence Bloc's Attempt to Re-Capture 7MD-S1

7MD-S1 system, Catch region. On the 28th of September, 23:00 EVE Standard Time, HERO Coalition and Providence Bloc clashed over the last Infrastructure Hub timer for the system, in order to decide its fate.

Providence Bloc brought a sentry Prophecy Battlecruiser fleet, sixty-two pilot strong, though light on Logistics ships. HERO Coalition had their signature Eagle Heavy Assault Cruiser fleet, with an equal number of Moa Cruisers, a hundred and fifty pilot big. The two forces clashed on the T-RPFU gate in the system.

The first round of fighting went badly for Providence Bloc, unable to break the tank of the Eagle fleet’s Logistics, and losing ships fast, the Providence Bloc fleet was forced to warp off grid, followed by HERO Coalition giving chase. Providence Bloc attempted to engage once more on the T-RPFU gate with little success, as Northern Coalition(dot) forces jumped into the system and joined the fighting, in a forty pilot Proteus Strategic Cruiser fleet.

However, as Providence Bloc forces were conceding the field, Northern Coalition(dot) forces turned on HERO Coalition forces, engaging them on the gate. They were soon joined by a Pandemic Legion fleet, numbering seventy pilots, in their usual mix of Legion and Proteus Strategic Cruisers. A short battle flared up, ending when HERO Coalition commenced a bombing run on the two Strategic Cruiser fleets, managing to destroy only a Nestor Battleship.

At this point Northern Coalition(dot) retreated, leaving Pandemic Legion to pursue HERO Coalition on its own. The two fleets finally met again on the Infrastructure Hub, where a prolonged battle took place. The fighting itself was intense, with much interference from HERO Coalition Stealth Bombers, who continued to pepper the Pandemic Legion fleet with bombing runs throughout the fight. However, while Pandemic Legion’s fleet was able to volley the Tech I cruisers in the HERO Coalition’s battle group, it was unable to break the tank of the Eagles. For HERO Coalition’s part, they could not break the tank of the Strategic Cruisers.

As the two fleets maneuvered around each other, Pandemic Legion was able to pick off stragglers in the form of Eagles who seemed to drift out of formation or stop mid flight for no apparent reason. Several mistakes by the HERO Coalition Logistics anchor also cost the fleet a few ships, as several time the Logistics wing came to close proximity to the Pandemic Legion fleet, who quickly switched targets to the now exposed Logistics ships.

As the battle dragged on, HERO Coalition’s Stealth Bombers made their presence on the field more pronounced, directing bombing run after bombing run at the Pandemic Legion ships. It seems the added pressure on the Pandemic Legion Logistics Wing did the trick, as HERO Coalition managed to break the tank of a few Strategic Cruisers, finally inflicting losses on Pandemic Legion.

As losses mounted on either side, the two fleets finally disengaged, with HERO Coalition conceding the field to Pandemic Legion, who chose to ignore the vulnerable Infrastructure Hub and instead extract from system. This allowed HERO Coalition to safely remove the hostile Sovereignty Blockade Units deployed by Providence Bloc and replace them with their own.

Fixed Battle Report for the 7MD-S1 system can be found here.

The system peaked at four hundred pilots at the height of the fighting, with Time Dilation being unnoticeable. In total more than one hundred and twenty-one ships were lost, the lion share of them belonging to HERO Coalition. The total cost of the fighting is estimated at fifteen billion ISK.

With this outcome, it seems the stalemate in the Northern Catch pocket continues, as Providence Bloc is heavily entrenched in its station systems, while HERO Coalition is able to continue and dominate the US Time Zone, where most of its timers are set. Without any radical intervention as in last week, we may be facing a long and arduous attrition war before us, where the winner will be decided by sheer willpower.

Special thanks to Draken Forlorn, of Kongsberg Vaapenfabrikk Amarr branch(dot) Corporation, Sev3rance Alliance for supplying an After Action Report.

News: Pandemic Legion Secures BR-N97 Station for Providence Bloc

BR-N97 System, Catch region. On the 24th of September, 16:00 EVE Standard Time, HERO Coalition and Providence Bloc clashed once more over the final reinforcement timer of the station, in a battle that saw several surprising turns during the fighting, right until the very end of it.

Providence Bloc brought their usual Sentry Battleship\Battlecuriser fleet, around a hundred and ten pilots large, though numbers increased during the fighting. They were supported by a Stealth Bomber wing and Stain Wagon Coalition, who brought a hundred and ten pilot fleet as well, in Cerberus class Heavy Assault Cruisers.

Against them were arrayed HERO Coalition and several N3 Coalition entities, mostly Northern Coalition(dot) and The Unthinkables alliances. HERO Coalition was in their signature Eagle class Heavy Assault Cruiser fleet, supported by Ferox class Battlecruisers and Harpy class Assault Frigates mixed in, all total a hundred and fifty pilots. Northern Coalition(dot) and The Unthinkables each came in a Tengu class Strategic Cruiser fleet, seventy and fifty pilots respectively.

Pandemic Legion Alliance came in their Proteus\Legion mixed fleet, a hundred pilot strong, hoping to act as an honorable third party, much like in previous fights.

However, things did not go their usual way.

The fighting that broke up was truly chaotic, with Providence Bloc forces sitting around the station’s undock and engaging all hostiles, who warped in and out at ranges, as both Stain Wagon and Pandemic Legion forces proved to be the most mobile in the system, specifically the Cerberus who managed to kite the other fleets while spamming their missiles.

HERO Coalition attempted to stay on grid longer than in their previous assault on the station, but both Pandemic Legion and Stain Wagon seemed to have focused their attention on their Eagles, causing many losses and forcing the fleet to leave the field for most of the fighting. The Unthinkables themselves also seemed to have left the field early in the fighting, chased by both Pandemic Legion and Stain Wagon.

At some point the only opposing fleet left on the station grid were Providence Bloc and Northern Coalition(dot) who slugged it out, until Stain Wagon forces warped back to the station and started to focus their deadly missile payload on the Northern Coalition(dot) Logistic ships.

Before they could drive the Northern Coalition fleet off the field, the Pandemic Legion fleet managed to warp on top of the Cerberus, Within seconds much of the Cerberus fleet was bubbled, with many ships being pointed by the Pandemic Legion ships. Northern Coalition(dot) then joined the Pandemic Legion and together the two fleets closed in on the Stain Wagon Cerberus’, who were forced to retreat after losing roughly a third of their numbers.

By this time, it was expected that Providence Bloc will be forced to brawl once more with Northern Coalition(dot) alone, when Pandemic Legion warped on top of the Providence Bloc forces and started to engage them. Again, Northern Coalition(dot) joined Pandemic Legion in the task, and soon after both The Unthinkables and HERO Coalition fleets were seen on grid again, assisting in the destruction of Providence Bloc’s ships. Providence Bloc forces were unable to bear the punishment poured down on them by the four combined fleets and attempted to dock up what remained of their fleet in the station.

After this unexpected turn of events, Northern Coalition(dot) chose to lit a cynosural beacon on the station. At this point, both HERO Coalition, The Unthinkables and Pandemic Legion’s fleets left the grid, and Northern Coalition(dot) jumped in no less than twenty Aeon\Nyx class Motherships and ten Dreadnaughts, mainly Moros and Revelation class. This fleet quickly setup on the station and started grinding it down.

Northern Coalition(dot) fleet grinding the station

Seemingly unhappy with Northern Coalition(dot)’s actions, Pandemic Legion decided to jump into the system its own Mothership group, including the rare Revenant class. This force quickly attempted to remove the HERO Coalition Sovereignty Blockade Units in the system, managing to destroy the last one as the station had only one percent structure remaining. This caused the station, as well as the system, to become invulnerable again, effectively securing it for Providence Bloc.

With the station once more invulnerable, Northern Coalition(dot) forces seemed to have no choice but to retreat, along side HERO Coalition’s fleet, who did use Northern Coalition(dot)’s presence in the system to bring in new Sovereignty Blockade Units, and later anchor and online them before leaving. With most hostiles gone from the system, Pandemic Legion forces elected to extract as well, leaving Providence Bloc to lick its wounds.

Once it became apparent that no other threats to Providence Bloc’s fleet remained in the system, the fleet quickly left the system, re-shipped and came back in force, bringing a fresh batch of its Sentry Battleship\Battlecruisers, now reaching one hundred and forty pilots. They also brought two Capital squadrons, mainly Archon\Thanatos class Carriers who were quickly put to work repairing the station’s armor.

With the work progressing smoothly, Providence Bloc’s sub-Capital fleet set to work on removing the hostile Sovereignty Blockade Units in the system. Yet, as the Providence sub-Capital fleet was pre-occupied on the system’s gates, another strange turn of events occurred, with HERO Coalition jumping in no less than nine Capital ships, eight Dreadnaughts and one Carrier. The Capital group landed on the station, possibly in an attempt to interrupt the repair operations and maybe snag one of the Providence Bloc Carriers if they managed to bump it off the undock.

Regardless of their intention, the HERO Coalition Capital group was unsupported and vulnerable. Within seconds they were tackled, with Providence Bloc deploying interdiction probes to prevent them from jumping out. With the Providence Capital group safely docked in station, the sub-Capital fleet landed on top of the stranded Dreadnaughts and started to apply damage. In a few minutes, seven Capital wrecks were left on the field, with only two HERO Coalition Capitals managing to escape, an Archon class Carrier and a Revelation class Dreadnaught.

With that taken care of, Providence Bloc returned to the task at hand – removing the hostile Sovereignty Blockade Units and repairing the station. Managing to restore its armor to full, thus securing another reinforcement timer, they also managed to destroy the last Sovereignty Blockade Unit in the system unmolested. Then, they anchored their own, which at the time of writing are still there and online, effectively securing the system and delaying any attempts to contest it once more.

Fixed battle report for the BR-N97 System can be found here.

During the peak of the fighting, the system hosted more than eight hundred pilots, with Time Dilation being noticeable at its peak at forty percent, but not impacting the battle in any meaningful way. Though some random disconnects were observed, server performances seemed to be stable, unlike in previous fights. Some complains have been made about the grid itself, with many commenting its comparatively small size for a station grid. This seemed to concern mainly the Stain Wagon fleet, who relied on speed and distance as its main defense. Stealth Bomber activity during the fighting proved to be quite minimal compared to previous fights.

The final tally of the battle seems to be three hundred and eleven ships lost, with the total damage amounting to fifty seven billion ISK. This time, HERO Coalition suffered the lion’s share of the damage, though most of it is attributed to its failed Capital squadron drop.

As the conflict continues to escalate further, many questions arise. How far is Northern Coalition(dot) willing to go to secure HERO Coalition’s victory in this war? Why has HERO Coalition been relegated a secondary role in its own campaign? Why did Pandemic Legion decide to prevent the station’s take over? Can Providence Bloc stand up to the combined might of HERO Coalition and N3? Only the next few weeks will give us answers.

Providence Fight Club: IS-R7P 22.9.2014

IS-R7P System, Catch region. On the 22nd of September, 19:00 EVE Standard Time, a large fight unraveled over the Infrastructure Hub in the system, as forces belonging to Providence Bloc clashed with Pandemic Legion and Northern Coalition(dot) over the structure, with the aid of Stain Wagon.

The fighting began when Providence Bloc forces attempted to repair the Infrastructure Hub which came out of reinforcement mode earlier in the evening. A full Sentry Battleship\Battlecruiser class fleet (Two hundred and fifty-six pilots strong) guarded the repair attempts, supported by a full Stealth Bomber wing. Stain Wagon Coalition brought a one hundred pilot Cerberus class Heavy Assault Cruiser fleet to aid, as HERO Coalition was expected to attempt and interfere with the operation, though the system’s Sovereignty Blockade Units were replaced the day before with defensive ones, ensuring the safety of its sovereignty, bar any mishap.

The first sign of hostiles was a Nulli Secunda Typhoon class Battleship gang, fifty pilot strong which entered the system through BR-N97. Unfortunately, the Nulli Secunda fleet was intercepted by Stain Wagon forces as it jumped into the system, and promptly decimated on the BR-N97 gate, with only a handful of survivors managing to escape the slaughter.

A few minutes later, a Cynosural Beacon was lit in the vicinity of the fifth planet in the system, and Pandemic Legion and Northern Coalition(dot) forces bridged in, each in a Strategic Cruiser fleet. Pandemic Legion sported their usual Legion\Proteus mixed fleet, a hundred pilot large, and Northern Coalition(dot) chose their usual Tengu fleet, one hundred and thirty pilot big.

Together, the two fleets warped on the Providence Bloc fleet and started to brawl, with Stain Wagon forces joining in to support Providence Bloc. At the same time, Northern Coalition(dot) lit another Cynosural Beacon, this time fifty kilometers from Providence Bloc’s main fleet, and jumped in a Capital group consisting of ten Dreadnaughts supported by two Carriers. The Dreadnaughts themselves were equipped to track Sub-Capital ships, and went to work on Providence Bloc’s significant Battleship numbers.

Providence Bloc and Stain Wagon forces managed to destroy one of the enemy Capital ships, a Naglfar class Dreadnaught, but at the cost of dozens of Battleships. At this point it became clear the Providence Bloc forces could not hold the field, and after losing two of their Fleet Commanders, beat a hasty retreat to the neighboring 3KB-J0 system, with Stain Wagon forces departing system as well.

The fixed battle report for the IS-R7P fight can be found here.

Pandemic Legion and Northern Coalition(dot) attempted to give chase, and managed to force a fight on the IS-R7P gate in the 3KB-J0 system, Providence region, but at a cost of a few Strategic Cruiser losses. Regardless, Providence Bloc forces did not attempt and prolong the fight with the hostile fleets, and docked up instead in the 3KB-J0 station, putting an end to hostilities.

The fixed battle report for the 3KB-J0 fight can be found here.

During the fighting, Providence Bloc managed to cycle* its defensive Sovereignty Blockade Units in the system, allowing the Infrastructure Hub to remain invulnerable during the time of the fighting, thus ensuring the system could not easily fall to HERO Coalition’s hands.

HERO Coalition itself was mostly absent from the fighting, bringing only a token twenty pilot Kestrel class Frigate gang, which was later quickly dispatched by Providence Bloc. It is important to note though, that with the system containing only defensive Sovereignty Blockade Units, there was little to no chance for HERO Coalition to make any significant gains in their assault of the system at the time.

The final tally stands at two hundred and thirty-nine ships destroyed, with forty two billion ISK in damaged incurred. At the peak of the fighting the IS-R7P system hosted seven hundred pilots, with Time Dilation proving to be of little consequence.

While this battle proved a fun diversion from the main campaign, it is expected that the coming week will prove quite important in the course of the war between HERO Coalition and Providence Bloc, as the BR-N97 station comes out of reinforcement mode this Wednesday.

Special thanks to Vince Draken, of D00M(dot) Corporation, Northern Coalition(dot) Alliance for giving an interview, and Bobmon, of Habitual Euthanasia Corporation, Pandemic Legion Alliance for facilitating that interview.

*The action of turning Sovereignty Blockade Units offline then
online again, causing a three hour delay during which the system’s
Infrastructure cannot be damaged nor the Sovereignty Blockade Units themselves
stolen from the owners.

News: Providence Bloc Manages to Defend BR-N97 Station, Halts HERO Coalition in IS-R7P

BR-N97 system, Catch region. On the 21st of September, 16:00 EVE time, a battle unfolded on the BR-N97 station between forces belonging to Providence Bloc, HERO Coalition, N3 and Stain Wagon Coalition, with Pandemic Legion present as well and engaging choice targets. The intense fighting later spilled into the neighboring IS-R7P system as well.

The fight began with Providence Bloc forces defending the armor reinforcement timer of the BR-N97 station. A mixed sentry Batttleship\Battlecruiser fleet, comprising of two hundred pilots and supported by a full wing of Stealth Bombers was staged around the station itself, with a Carrier class Capital ship squadron ready to undock as well. Stain Wagon Coalition, which has been aiding Providence Bloc throughout the campaign, brought a seventy pilot fleet, mainly of Tengu class Strategic Cruisers, to help the defense of the system.

Against them, HERO Coalition and Northern Coalition(dot) Alliance brought a one hundred and seventy pilot fleet comprising mostly of Eagle class Heavy Assault Cruisers and a two hundred pilot fleet, mostly in Tengu class Strategic Cruisers respectively. These fleets were supported by Stealth Bombers wings, supplied by members of HERO Coalition and N3 entities such as Nulli Secunda and The Unthinkables.

Pandemic Legion Alliance was present on the field as well, with a hundred pilot fleet, a mix of Legion and Proteus class Strategic Cruisers.

At this point the system hosted one thousand and one hundred seventy-five pilots, when the fighting actually began.

At first it seemed as though Providence Bloc might hold the field, as both HERO Coalition and Northern Coalition(dot) forces were unable to stay on the station grid for long, before being forced off again and again by bomber wings and Pandemic Legion’s presence. The HERO Coalition fleet was only seen twice on field, as it was chased by both Pandemic Legion and Stain Wagon fleets, whose attempts to warp in on the elusive Eagle fleet brought them into a direct confrontation. In the meanwhile, Northern Coalition(dot)’s Tengu fleet seized the initiative and engaged the Providence Bloc forces head on, fighting on the station while suffering a few bombing runs, though they seemed to cause it little to no actual harm.

Time Dilation became a noticeable factor as grid strained under the weight of the fighting, reaching nineteen percent before the server buckled, causing many pilots to disconnect. In a moment the system’s population was halved, dropping to six hundred and thirty-eight pilots, with Time Dilation, lag and random disconnects reported throughout the game. At this point it seems that both Pandemic Legion and Northern Coalition(dot) fleets remained mostly intact, while both Stain Wagon and Providence Bloc forces were in disarray. Reports of ships destroyed while pilots were offline have become a common complaint as result.

Providence Bloc attempted to rally in the aftermath of the event only to see ships volleyed off the field one after the other, including an Archon class Carrier, while most of their pilots had problems re-connecting or logged in to find themselves in pods. Stain Wagon forces decided to wait thirty minutes before logging back in, in order to avoid such losses. HERO Coalition forces suffered as well from the disconnect, but since they were not present on grid at the time, were spared any losses from the incident.

Before the fight could turn into a complete and utter slaughter, a second disconnect occurred only a few minutes after the first one, dropping the system’s local count from the seven hundred pilots it managed to climb to, and down to only a hundred and twenty three in total, effectively putting a halt to hostilities. This time the disconnect encompassed most of the EVE Online player base.

Before anyone could recover a third disconnect followed suit, and the server was left completely empty. As people logged back in, it became apparent that the server conditions were not conducive to further fighting, and Northern Coalition(dot)’s Tengu fleet departed system, allowing Providence Bloc’s Carrier squadron to repair the station’s armor past the fifty-one percent mark, which would allow the reinforcement timer to reset, thus giving another invulnerability cycle for the station.

At this point, HERO Coalition forces attempted to intervene, bringing their signature Eagle fleet back, though undermanned, along with a Ferox class Battlecruiser gang and a Test Alliance Please Ignore mixed Heavy Assault Cruiser fleet. Altogether, the number of hostiles in the system, excluding bombers and Pandemic Legion, was around a hundred and fifty pilots at best.

Pandemic Legion attempted to engage the HERO Coalition fleet, but several bombing runs carried by Nulli Secunda and The Unthinkables discouraged them, forcing Pandemic Legion to depart the system as well. At this point, Stain Wagon’s fleet was the only one committing to the fight, with Providence Bloc’s fleet beating a hasty retreat in order to secure the neighboring IS-R7P station, which was coming out of reinforcement mode as well.

Stain Wagon attempted to hold the field, but continued bombing runs and volleys from the Eagle fleet decimated its Logistics wing (not counting the damage they suffered earlier from the hands of Pandemic Legion during the server disconnect) thus forcing them to retreat as well. HERO Coalition did lose its Ferox support gang to a well placed bombing run, but ultimately, the station was allowed to re-enter its armor reinforcement mode.

Fixed Battle Report for the BR-N97 System can be found here.

By now, Providence Bloc forces were already setup in the IS-R7P system, and repairing the station in full swing when HERO Coalition attempted to once again intervene. However, by now the Eagle fleet numbers were vastly depleted, down to seventy pilots only, and lacking bomber support.

HERO Coalition did manage to score a Nidhoggur class Carrier kill, as the pilot warped from a safe tower to the station in order to help the repair efforts, only to be dragged by the mobile warp disruptors covering the station, thus separating him from the rest of the Providence Bloc fleet and making him an easy prey. Regardless, they were unable to maintain their position due to repeated bombing runs, and were losing ships to Providence Bloc’s volleys, thus necessitating their speedy retreat from the system.

Providence Bloc managed to repair the station umolested and was in the process of removing the hostile Sovereignty Blockade Units when Northern Coalition(dot) returned once more to the field, this time bridging to the IS-R7P station with a Nestor class Battleship gang numbering thirty pilots with a single Archon class Carrier as Triage support. This was a roam to celebrate the foruth anniversary of Burning Napalm Corporation‘s foundation, and a throw back to the days of Remote Repairing Battleship fleets (Also known as “Spider Tanking” due to the visual effect).

Unfortunately for the Northern Coalition(dot) fleet, their position close to the station allowed the Providence Bloc fleet to warp on top of them. Another adverse effect of their positioning was the fact the Providence Bloc fleet had many Energy Neutralizing Battleships in its composition, which quickly drained the Capacitors on both the Carrier and the Nestors, thus quickly shutting them down.

Without the ability to operate their Remote Repairers or those of the Carrier, the fleet was quickly overcome by Providence Bloc, who managed to destroy eight Nestors, the Triage Archon and a Bhaalgorn class Battleship that operated as their flagship. The rest of the fleet managed to successfully escape using their Micro Jump Drivers to get away of the mobile warp disruptors and the Providence Bloc fleet.

After this interruption, Providence Bloc forces returned to the task of removing the hostile Sovereignty Blockade Units and anchoring their own defensive ones instead. This task proved mostly uneventful, with only a small HERO Coalition Cormorant class Destroyer gang harassing the force, with little to no impact.

Fixed Battle Report for the IS-R7P System can be found here.

All told, Providence Bloc forces managed to defend both systems, and though unable to completely repel the attack on the BR-N97 system, they have managed to gain another opportunity to do so while securing the IS-R7P system at the same time. For HERO Coalition’s part, it seemed as though the brunt of the work was done by Northern Coalition(dot) Alliance, with HERO Coalition engaging very late in the battle and appearing to fill a secondary role in their own campaign. This may have cost them the opportunity to gain both systems. Server performances had a huge impact on the battle, apparently to the detriment of Providence Bloc who seemed to hold the field until the first disconnect occurred.

The final tally is five hundred and forty-five ships destroyed, for a total of ninety-six billion ISK of damages, with Northern Coalition(dot) and Providence Bloc suffering the majority of it.

One may wonder if we have reached the peak of the fighting, or whether this battle will be just another one in a chain of ever escalating engagements.

CCP Games have been reached out for comments over the server performances during the fight. If and when a reply will be received, it shall be posted below.

News: Providence Bloc Repels HERO Coalition Attempt to Caputre ZQ-Z3Y System

ZQ-Z3Y System, Catch region. On the 10th of September, Providence Bloc forces met HERO Coalition forces head on in the system in order to stop HERO Coalition’s attempt to reinforce it, resulting in one of the largest sub capital fights in recent memory.

Providence Bloc forces numbered three hundred and thirty pilots organized in four fleets, with the main fleet comprising of two hundred and fifty-six pilots in Battleships, two bomber wings and a sniping fleet comprised mostly of Battlecruisers. HERO Coalition, supported by The Unthinkables Alliance, had approximately two hundred pilots organized in two fleets, a one hundred and twenty pilot Eagle class Heavy Assault Cruiser fleet and a sixty pilot Ishtar class Heavy Assault Cruiser fleet.

The two forces clashed on the G-AOTH gate in the ZQ-Z3Y system, with Providence Bloc forces already sat up on the gate at close range, twenty kilometer off, to catch the incoming enemy fleet. As it turns out, HERO Coalition forces with their N3 allies entered the system as predicted and were immediately caught off by the battleships, with most of their Tech II Logistic ships being effected by the Providence Bloc’s Heavy Neutralizers fitted on their Battleships, unable to apply their remote repairers or even pull range in time.

In quick succession, most of the HERO Coalition and Unthinkables’ logistic wing was decimated, though Providence Bloc lost many Logistic ships as well, due to the sheer firepower of the two combined fleets. However, to add to the blow suffered by HERO Coalition and its allies in losing much of their logistics wing, a successful bombing run carried by Providence Bloc bomber wing managed to decimate The Unthinkables’ fleet, destroying most of their Ishtar class Heavy Assault Cruisers and forcing them to retreat from the battle permanently.

At this point, HERO Coalition forces attempted to carry on fighting, but with little to no logistics wing and mounting casualties, were forced to safe up, warping between celestial bodies in the system and safe spots, much to the chagrin of Providence Bloc which made half hearted attempts to give chase. Though catching a few stragglers, HERO Coalition managed to preserve the core of its fleet, giving time for them to gather reinforcement and attempt a second engagement along with a fifty-five Test Alliance Please Ignore Ishtar class Heavy Assault Cruiser fleet.

Yet in a repeat of the earlier engagement, the Test Alliance Please Ignore Tech II Logistics ships were easily destroyed, followed by several Ishtars. Unlike The Unthinkables though, Test Alliance Please Ignore managed to retreat with approximately half their fleet intact, though Providence Bloc did lose a few ships in the scrape. At this point HERO Coalition forces retreated from the system, allowing Providence Bloc forces to remove one of the Sovereignty Blockade Units.

Reports quickly came of a Pandemic Legion Tempest Fleet Issue class Battleship fleet, some seventy pilots large, bridging into the nearby system of 9UY4-H in the Providence region. Providence Bloc forces were already situated on the 9UY4-H gate in the system, about to remove the last HERO Coalition Sovereignty Blockade Unit. As the Pandemic Legion force jumped into the system, Providence Bloc forces held their fire, mainly due to confusion as in previous engagements Pandemic Legion has intervened on Providence Bloc’s side.

However, when it became clear that the Pandemic Legion force was hostile, as it opened fire on Providence Bloc forces, retaliation was swift. Providence Bloc Battleships were unable to break the Tempest Fleet Issue tank, but were able to decimate the Machariel class Battleships mixed in the fleet, when one of the Providence Bloc bomber wings executed a flawless bombing run, destroying fifty-seven Tempest Fleet Issue ships in one fell swoop. With the bulk of their fleet destroyed, Pandemic Legion forces retreated.

https://youtube.googleapis.com/v/zVMljKt5iVU&source=uds

Pandemic Legion fleet getting bombed (Courtesy of Judiciary Pag, of W.A.S.P Corporation, Curatores Veritatis Alliance)

This did not mark the last engagement, as reports came of a combined Northern Coalition(dot) and HERO Coalition force making its way to the ZQ-Z3Y system. This time, though, the hostile force did not make it into the system, as Providence Bloc forces removed the last of the hostile Sovereignty Blockade Units and were making their way home, intercepting the N3\HERO Coalition fleet in the 9UY4-H system in Providence.

The fight flared up on the ZQ-Z3Y gate in that system, with Northern Coalition(dot) bringing a seventy pilot Tengu class Strategic Cruiser fleet and HERO Coalition contributing around a hundred pilots in a mix of Eagle class Heavy Assault Cruisers and Moa class Cruisers. It seems that the Northern Coalition(dot) warped to close to the Providence Bloc forces and thus was unable to pull range in time, which allowed Providence Bloc to annihilate its Logistics wing. Without their Tech II Logistics ships, and starting to lose Tengus, Northern Coalition(dot) decided to retreat. HERO Coalition attempted to help their allies, but suffered loses as well and this time retreated for good.

During and between the engagements HERO Coalition bombers proved a continued nuisance to Providence Bloc forces, but unlike previous engagements, were unable to deal any severe blow to Providence Bloc’s fleets.

According to killboards, more than four hundred and fifty-nine ships were destroyed in the five hour long engagement, representing a loss of more than seventy-two billion ISK. The ZQ-Z3Y system saw more than five hundred pilots occupy it at the height of the battle, with noticeable Time Dilation reaching upwards of sixty percent.

Fixed Battle Report can be found here (Courtesy of TheMittani.com).

Though the ZQ-Z3Y system has been saved, the question remains, whether this battle represents a second turning point in this war in favor of Providence Bloc, or will only a one-off success?

Providence Fight Club: UL-7I8 7.8.2014

UL-7I8 System, Catch region. On the 7th of August Providence Bloc and HERO Coalition clashed for a second time over the control of the system, with entities such as N3, Stain-Wagon Coalition and Pandemic Legion getting involved as well in the fighting.

The first engagement saw an eighty pilot strong Harbinger class Battlecruiser fleet fielded by Providence Bloc, engage a similar sized HERO Coalition force in Moa class Cruisers, on the G-AOTH gate in the UL-7I8 system. The fight did not go well for Providence Bloc, as the loss of Fleet Commanders and logistics ships quickly forced them off the field, leaving the system in order to re-ship and re-group.

At the same time, Stain-Wagon Coalition entered the system, in a fifty pilot Ishtar class Heavy Assault Cruiser fleet. As with the previous battle in the system, Stain Coalition and Providence Bloc forces agreed to hold a mutual ceasefire so long as HERO Coalition forces were present in the system. This force effectively cut off HERO Coalition reinforcements in the form of a mixed Fraternity(dot) and The Unthinkables allainces gang, some thirty strong and mainly consisting of Ishtar and Cerberus class Heavy Assault Cruisers. As the two forces ran head first into each other on the ERVK-P gate in the UL-7I8 system.

While Providence Bloc forces were regrouping, scouts reported a sharp hostile spike in the D-GTMI system in the Providence region, which is under the control of Northern Coalition(dot) Alliance. With Pandemic Legion Alliance Fleet Commanders logging into the game it became clear that a hot drop was only a matter of time, as an Erebus class Titan was reported showing on the directional scan in the system. Within moments a cynosural beacon was reported in the UL-7I8 system, and a force of around sixty pilots, in assorted Strategic Cruisers, bridged into the system.

The force, comprising of both Northern Coalition(dot) and Pandemic Legion pilots, proceeded to brawl with the HERO Coalition force, quickly decimating a good chunk of their ships before they managed to disengage. After a short stay in the system, the Strategic Cruiser force departed. Providence Bloc took the opportunity and entered the system, focusing on the Sovereignty Blockade Unit located on the G-AOTH gate and erecting defensive bubbles around it. HERO Coalition attempted to brawl with the fleet a couple of times, but found themselves lacking in fire power, with each engagement ending with a few losses, while Providence Bloc forces took almost little to no damage.

A couple attempts were made to corner the HERO Coalition force, but with little tackle and almost no Interdictor class Destroyers, it was impossible for the heavier, slower Harbinger fleet to catch up to the nimbler and faster Moa fleet. Thus, it was decided to focus on the strategic objective, and trust Stain Wagon with keeping watch over the Infrastructure Hub.

After a while HERO Coalition received reinforcements from ERVK-P system, swelling its numbers to almost a hundred pilots. Emboldened by their new numbers, they attempted to engage Providence Bloc forces several times, however, Providence Bloc ships held under the fire, and instead it was the HERO Coalition ships who broke, with Moas and Scythes volleyed left and right. As the engagements lengthened, Stain Wagon forces joined in as well, trapping HERO Coalition on both sides and forcing it to disengage.

This ritual continued a few times, with HERO Coalition at one point attempting to to land on top of the Providence Bloc logistics wing, in order to re-create the scenario from the previous battle. However, this time the logistics ships were kept much closer to the fleet, and the Moas found themselves in the unenviable position of fighting close range with the Harbingers. Taking another bruising, the HERO Coalition fleet attempted at this point to harass the Stain Wagon forces, who kept on the field, helping Providence Bloc forces. Though they managed to destroy several of the Stain Wagon ships, the grid was strewn with wrecks, allowing Providence Bloc to warp on top of the HERO Coalition fleet and once more apply damage. Again, Moas and Scythes were destroyed in increasing numbers, slowly decimating HERO Coalition’s effective damage and logistics.

After a continuation of this cycle, HERO Coalition forces seemed to have been spent, allowing Providence Bloc to safely remove the Sovereignty Blockade Unit and effectively making the Infrastructure Hub invulnerable again. This meant the system’s sovereignty was safe, remaining firmly in Providence Bloc’s hands. The HERO Coalition fleet, failing its goal and suffering heavy casualties, chose to retreat. Without much tackle, Providence Bloc forces declined to chase, instead turning their attention to the Sovereignty Blockade Unit on the ERVK-P gate.

This turned to be a mistake, as this gate was not the site of much fighting, and lacked much in wrecks. Worse off, Providence Bloc was light on tackle, and had no more anchor-able bubbles to put a defensive perimeter against bombers. Within minutes, a bomber wing belonging to HERO Coalition performed a bombing run which was easily tanked by the Harbingers. However, after that another bombing run was performed, managing to destroy at least five Harbingers. Before Providence Bloc forces could rally or warp off, a third bombing run, this time carried by Northern Coalition(dot) was performed. This third run basically obliterated a large percentage of the Harbingers, forcing Providence Bloc to retreat in order to muster more ships and pilots.

Returning after a quick reform, Providence Bloc forces found the system mostly empty, with only a few opportunistic hostiles remaining in the system. Stain Wagon forces having left the system after the bombing run, when it was made clear that HERO Coalition forces were not going to re-group, choosing instead to schedule a low priority fleet later that night. Providence Bloc took the opportunity to lock down the system, eliminating many of the pirates around the system and quickly taking the other Sovereignty Blockade Unit down. This marked the end of large scale hostilities in the system, as well as insured it remained in Providence Bloc’s hands.

Though the second battle of UL-7I8 was both a strategic and tactical success for Providence Bloc, it is still too early in the campaign to say whether or not HERO Coalition’s expansion to Northern Catch is doomed to failure, or whether Providence Bloc will falter in its defense. What is certain though, is that the Northern Catch pocket is going to see a lot of action in the coming weeks.

The original battle report can be found here.
The fixed battle report can be found here.

Report: Northern Coalition(dot) Loses Four Nyx Class Motherships in the RLDS-R system

RLDS-R system, Stain region. On the 15th of July, 20:33 EVE Standard Time, four Nyx class Motherships belonging to Northern Coalition(dot) Alliance were destroyed by a combined Stain-Wagon and CFC force.

According to alphastarpilot, of THORN Syndicate, Circle-Of-Two Alliance, who was the CFC Fleet Commander for the operation, Northern Coalition(dot) Alliance had been operating Titan and Mothership class Capital ships in the Stain region for quite some time unopposed. Thus, Stain-Wagon Coalition made a decision to lay a trap for Northern Coalition(dot) forces, in the form of an Archon class Carrier in the RLDS-R system, with cooperation of CFC forces.

As expected, a Northern Coalition(dot) fleet, belonging to BURN EDEN Corporation, comprised of an Erebus class Titan and four Nyx class Mothership escorts jumped into the system in an attempt to destroy the carrier, only to find itself tackled and under attack from a large Dreadnaught class Capital fleet, numbering forty pilots and supported by a large sub-capital contingent some two hundred and sixty pilot strong.

In a few short minutes, the combined forces of the Stain-Wagon Coalition and the CFC were able to destroy the four escorting Nyx class Motherships and bring the Erebus down to twenty-five percent armor before reinforcements could enter the system and assist the fleet. From this moment onward, the tide of the battle changed, as Stain-Wagon Dreadnaughts were destroyed in an alarming rate, reaching a thirty-six loss tally before the two parties disengaged.

https://youtube.googleapis.com/v/vMwPS9MRxHw&source=uds

video depicting the battle from the perspective of CFC forces

Original battle report can be found here.
Fixed battle report can be found here.

Part of the reason for the delay in the arrival of the Northern Coalition(dot) rescue fleet was the fact that their staging system of KFIE-Z, in the Delve region was heavily bubbled by CFC forces, thus making it impossible for their ships to jump out of the system and necessitating the removal of said bubbles, which took time – Time that was proven costly later on.

Though both sides have claimed victory, with Stain-Wagon able to lay a trap and destroy no less than four Nyx class Motherships, and Northern Coalition(dot) decimating Stain-Wagon’s Dreadnaught fleet in return, it is hard to decide whether or not there were any winners in this engagement, considering the huge losses experienced by them.

Summary of the battle can be found here.

Regardless, this probably won’t be the last fight between Stain-Wagon Coalition and the Northern Coalition(dot) Alliance, as internal Stain-Wagon Coalition leadership memos would imply.

Special thanks to vyshnegradsky, of Love Squad, Pasta Syndicate Alliance for giving a third party account and alphastarpilot, of THORN Syndicate, Circle-Of-Two Alliance for granting an interview. zKillboard link courtesy of TheMittani(dot)Com.

Update: Catch Region 8/4/2014 – 21/4/2014

Continuing their previous momentum, H.E.R.O Coalition has kept taking more systems in the Catch region. With Against ALL Authorities Alliance seemingly offering no resistance, the only set backs to plague the operation have been the Black Pearl Alliance incident, and the controversial intervention of Pandemic Legion and Northern Coalition(dot) Alliances.

Provi-Bloc

The Volition Cult – 1 system, 1 station

Apocalypse Now. – 1 system, 1 station

Curatores Veritatis Alliance – 4 systems, 1 station

Total: 6 systems (6%), 3 stations (7%)

RUS Coalition

Against ALL Authorities – 43 systems, 17 stations

AAA Citizens – 8 systems

Total: 51 systems (47%), 17 stations (41%)

H.E.R.O Coalition

Brave Collective – 16 systems, 4 station
Spaceship Samurai – 19 systems, 8 station

Total: 35 systems (32%), 12 stations (29%)

N3 Coalition

Pandemic Legion – 1 system, 1 station
Northern Coalition. – 4 systems, 1 station

Total: 5 systems (5%), 2 stations (5%)

Unaligned

P-A-T-R-I-O-T-S – 1 system, 1 station
Black Pearl Alliance – 6 systems, 4 stations
The Initiative. – 1 system

Total: 8 systems (7%), 5 stations (12%)

Unclaimed

F4R2-Q, V-3YG7, J-ODE7

Total: 3 systems (3%), 2 stations (5%)

8/4/2014 – Spaceship Samurai Alliance claims sovereignty over the A-VILQ system, with Against ALL Authorities Alliance losing sovereignty over the CB4-Q2 system.

9/4/2014 – The CB4-Q2 system is gained by Spaceship Samurai Alliance. Against ALL Authorities Alliance loses sovereignty over three systems: 3-OKDA, 36N-HZ and J6QB-P, with the P-A-T-R-I-O-T-S Alliance claiming the 3-OKDA system later that day.

10/4/2014 – Northern Coalition(dot) Alliance gains sovereignty over the 36N-HZ system. Brave Collective Alliance claims sovereignty over the J6QB-P system.

12/10/2014 – Against ALL Authorities Alliance loses sovereignty over the KW-I6T and G-7WUF systems.

13/4/2014 – Spaceship Samurai Alliance takes sovereignty over the KW-I6T and G-7WUF systems. Against ALL Authorities loses sovereignty over the 3-SFWG and CNC-4V systems, with the 3-SFWG system later claimed by Spaceship Samurai Alliance. AAA Citizens Alliance loses its sovereignty over the N-8BZ6 system.

14/4/2014 – Black Pearl Alliance claims its first system in the Catch region, CNC-4V. AAA Citizens Alliance loses its sovereignty over the 6-MM99 and FZ-6A5 systems, with the FZ-6A5 system later gained by Spaceship Samurai Alliance, which claims the N-8BZ6 system as well. Agaisnt ALL Authorities Alliance loses sovereignty over the 25S-6P and Y-PNRL systems.

15/4/2014 – Black Pearl Alliance claims sovereignty over the 25S-6P and Y-PNRL systems. Spaceship Samurai Alliance gains sovereignty over the 6-MM99 system, but loses later that day sovereignty over the 3-SFWG system. Infinity Welcomes Careful Drivers Alliance loses its sovereignty over the JW22-V system, later claimed by Brave Collective Alliance. Against ALL Authorities Alliance loses sovereignty over three systems: S-U2VD, W9-DID and WQH-4K, with AAA Citizens Alliance losing its sovereignty over the JBY6-F system as well.

16/4/2014 – Spaceship Samurai Alliance claims the S-U2VD, W9-DID and JBY6-F systems, with Northern Coalition(dot) Alliance claiming the 3-SFWG system and Brave Collective Alliance taking sovereignty over the WQH-4K system. Rookie Empire Alliance loses its sovereignty over the R-K4QY system. Against ALL Authorities manage to lose five systems in one day: GE-94X, I-8D0G, 2J-WJY, A-803L and GMLH-K.

17/4/2014 – Brave Collective Alliance claims four systems in one day: A-803L, R-K4QY, 2J-WJY and I-8D0G. Spaceship Samurai Alliance takes two sovereignty over two more systems: GMLH-K and GE-94X. Against ALL Authorities loses its sovereignty over the 6BPS-T system.

18/4/2014 – Black Pearl Alliance claims sovereignty over the 6BPS-T system, while Against ALL Authorities Alliance loses sovereignty over the GJ0-OJ system.

19/4/2014 – The GJ0-OJ system is claimed by Brave Collective Alliance. Against ALL Authorities and AAA Citizens alliances lose sovereignty over the RR-D05 and M8-NKE systems respectively.

20/4/2014 – The RR-D05 and M8-NKE systems are picked by Brave Collective and Spaceship Samurai alliances respectively. Rookie Empire Alliance loses its sovereignty over the OGL8-Q system, while Against ALL Authorities Alliance loses its sovereignty over the QBQ-RF and 4-07MU systems.

21/4/2014 – The Initiative(dot) Alliance loses its sovereignty over the QSM-LM system, later claimed by Brave Collective Alliance alongside the OGL8-Q and QBQ-RF systems. Black Pearl Alliance gains sovereignty over the 4-07MU system. Northern Coalition(dot) Alliance claims sovereignty over the FAT-6P and HP-64T systems, which were lost earlier the same day by Against ALL Authorites and AAA Citizens alliances respectively. Rookie Empire Alliance loses sovereignty over the J-ODE7 system, with Against ALL Authorities losing two more systems that day: F4R2-Q and V-3YG7.

Summary: Large Fleet Battle in HJ-BCH 30.3.2014

In the early hours of the thirtieth of March, a large fleet fight erupted in the HJ-BCH system, Scalding Pass region, between CFC and N3 Coalition forces over a tackled Titan on a station.

Almost Awesome(dot) Alliance is a small, unaffiliated organization in New Eden, who has taken possession of the HJ-BCH system and outpost in order to illicit a fight from any of the sides involved in the Halloween War.

However, on two previous sovereignty timers, Northern Coalition(dot) Alliance opted to field a small, unsupported Capital fleet to quickly burn through the reinforcement process, leaving Almost Awesome(dot) unable to respond. During the second timer, though, qicia, of Mercurialis Inc, Razor Alliance, one of the Fleet Commander of Razor Alliance, was present and witnessed the Northern Coalition(dot) Capital deployment in the system.

Contacting the locals, an agreement was reached to set a trap for the Northern Coalition(dot) Capital force in the next timer, with Almost Awesome(dot) supplying initial tackle and cynosural beacon, and Razor Alliance bringing the damage to the field.

However, when the timer was reached, Northern Coalition(dot) forces did not seem to commit. A decision was made to use a bait to lure them, an Archon class Carrier to sit on the un-dock and enter Triage mode, repairing the station. qicia hypothesized that once seeing that, Northern Coalition(dot) will jump a Titan in, but he had no illusions that his fleet was even capable of destroying the Titan itself.

His hypothesis was confirmed when a cynosural beacon went up in the system, and an Erebus class Titan, with fifteen assorted Mothership escorts jumped into the system. The Titan immediately fired its doomsday device, destroying the Archon class Carrier. However, the Northern Coalition(dot) fleet was severely lacking in support, and was quickly bubbled down by the Almost Awesome(dot) Interdictor class Destroyers, effectively preventing it from jumping out. Almost Awesome(dot) lit their own cynosural beacon and allowed the Razor Alliance Tempest class Battleship fleet to bridge in.

At this point, both forces were pinging their allies for reinforcements. Northern Coalition(dot) itself quickly formed a Tempest Fleet Issue class Battleship fleet and bridged it into system thanks to one of the tackled Motherships refitting cynosural generator. The fight seems at this point to have gone Razor Alliance’s way, however, with reinforcements entering the field from both coalitions, reaching over six hundred pilots in the system, and Time Dilation kicking in, the tide of the battle was uncertain to stay this way.

qicia, believing he didn’t have enough support to deploy a Capital fleet, and with mounting reinforcements coming from the N3 Coalition side, decided to withdraw. At this point in time there were seven fleets in the system fighting. For the most part the CFC forces managed to extract with minimal losses, with only a Harpy class Assault Frigate fleet lost to the last pilot, with opinions divided for the reason, as some claim it remained on the field to cover the other CFC entities’ retreat, or that it may have not realized the other fleets were withdrawing.

The N3 Coalition itself managed to save the tackled Titan and its Mothership class escorts, who safely jumped out of the system.

The fixed Battle Report.

Both sides have since claimed victory in this battle, with Almost Awesome(dot) achieving the fight they have been looking for, the CFC causing more damage in ISK to the N3 Coalition, and the N3 Coalition holding the field and taking over the system.

Alexander Jabez, of Burning Napalm, Northern Coalition(dot) Alliance, who was the Fleet Commander in charge on N3 Coalition’s side, has admitted that lack of resistance from the locals, coupled with confidence in the US Time Zone of the Alliance, has led to the use of Capitals and Super Capital ships unsupported.

qicia, of Mercurialis Inc, Razor Alliance, has only lamented the lack of numbers from the CFC side, and the miscommunication with the Harpy class Assault Frigate fleet. However, for the most part, he is satisfied with the result and wished to commend the N3 Coalition for committing to it.

Roweena Azur, of Hit Squad 420, Almost Awesome(dot) Alliance, wished to express his gratitude to qicia for organizing the trap, and claims that Almost Awesome(dot) will continue to cause mayhem, however in a different region of New Eden.

SpiritOne, of Burning Napalm, Northern Coalition(dot) Alliance, wished to commend his Corporation’s members for fielding the Archon class Carrier force, which he believes was instrumental in securing the victory for the N3 Coalition.

Special thanks to SpiritOne and Alexander Jabez, of Burning Napalm, Northern Coalition(dot) Alliance, qicia, of Mercurialis Inc, Razor Alliance and Roweena Azur, of Hit Squad 420, Almost Awesome(dot) Alliance for granting the interviews.

Update: GoonSwarm Federation Avatar Class Titan Destroyed in GXK-7F

A GoonSwarm Federation Avatar class Titan was destroyed yesterday, the twenty-sixth of March at 18:41 EVE Standard Time in the GXK-7F system, Immensea region. The Titan, belonging to Mister Vee of GoonWaffe, GoonSwarm Federation Alliance, was used earlier in that day to bridge a CFC force in order to destroy a Nyx class Mothership belonging to a member of Black Core Alliance in the Y-N4EF system, Immensea region.

This alerted Northern Coalition(dot) Alliance to the existence of the CFC task force, and scouts were sent to pin point the origin system of the CFC fleet. The initial intent was to locate and destroy the CFC Capital fleet which accompanied the strike force, as it was making its way back to its staging system. However, Northern Coalition(dot) scouts soon discovered the Titan which was used to bridge in the CFC fleet, still online and in a safe Tower. A decision was made then to use a spy in the CFC, equipped with a Typhoon class Battleship, and bump the Titan out of the Tower’s force field, thus allowing Northern Coalition(dot) forces to destroy it.

For the most part, the plan worked perfectly. The Titan was bumped out of the force field, and a cynosural beacon was deployed, courtesy of Krall Junior, of Rebellion Co, Echoes of Nowhere Alliance. However, due to the Northern Coalition(dot) Titans jumping in close proximity to the GoonSwarm Federation Titan, it was bumped back into the force field and continued on its journey, exiting the force field on the opposite side. This has led to some controversy, which according to Travis Musgrat, of BURN EDEN, Northern Coalition(dot) Alliance, is unwarranted.

Regardless, the GoonSwarm Federation Titan was outside of the force field, locked by the Northern Coalition(dot) Titans and destroyed by a volley of twelve of them, using their doomsday devices. With the Titan destroyed, the Northern Coalition(dot) Titans safely extracted. From the time of the Titan’s discovery to its inevitable destruction and the safe extraction of Northern Coalition(dot) forces, only six minutes elapsed.

When asked if he was worried, at the time, about deploying the Northern Coalition(dot) Titans on the field unsupported, Travis Musgrat replied that due to the high activity in the Alliance at the time, he was not at all worried about the possibility of a Northern Coalition(dot) Titan being tackled, as he was confident the Alliance could easily form up and save it in time.

In an interview to TheMittani(dot)com, Mister Vee, owner of the destroyed Titan, claimed he was not paying attention when the entire sequence of events occurred, which may account to the lack of response on the CFC’s side to the entire situation.

Mister Vee was unavailable for comment for the EVE Scribe

Special thanks are in order to ravis Musgrat, of BURN EDEN, Northern Coalition(dot) Alliance for granting me an interview, as well as EVE News 24 and TheMittani(dot)com for supplying the initial reports.