News: Heavy Fighting in G-5EN2 Leads to Costly Victories for Providence Bloc

9-F0B2 system, Providence region. On the 29th of May, at 20:00 EVE Standard time, Providence Bloc clashed with Northern Coalition(dot) [NC] and Pandemic Legion [-10.0] in the system, resulting in a sound defeat on the battlefield, but at the same time, a strategic victory in the region.

A few days before, [NC] reinforced both the Infrastructure Hub and the Station in the G-5EN2 system. However, the first timer on the 28th of May went unchallenged, with Providence Bloc removing the Sovereignty Blockade Units and repairing the Infrastructure Hub. [NC] deployed more Sovereignty Blockade Units, resulting in some skirmishing, but for the most part no heavy fighting took place. However, as the shield reinforcement timer for the G-5EN2 Station came up on the 29th, both Providence Bloc and [NC] geared for a fight.

Providence Bloc brought a Nightmare Battleship fleet with a Stealth Bomber wing, 190 pilots strong. The force made it to the system first, and as the reinforcement timer expired was busy repairing the station.

[NC] brought a 110 pilot Proteus Strategic Cruiser fleet, and bounced around the G-5EN2 system, seemingly unwilling to engage Providence Bloc’s fleet on the station, as it was within docking range.

[-10.0] was also aware of the timer, and brought a 130 pilots strong Proteus fleet of their own, and set up in the Irshah system in the Derelik region, where it waited patiently for hostilities to commence.

However, as Providence Bloc declined to fight and was busy repairing the damage to the station, a decision was made to lure Providence Bloc into a fight. The [NC] force jumped out of G-5EN2 while the [-10.0] force kept holding position in Irshah. With the station back to full shields and what seemed like an opening, Providence Bloc forces hurried to the 9-F0B2 gate, attempting to extract to their staging system.

However, due to the size of the system and the warp speed of the Battleships, [-10.0] was able to bridge in front of the Battleship force, into their destination system in fact of 9-F0B2. As the Battleships slowly cleared traffic control and entered the system, they were greeted by the [-10.0] fleet perched on the G-5EN2 gate, which warped on top of them, starting the fight.

The Fighting on the G-5EN2 Gate, Courtesy of Paul Trier

The battle did not go smoothly though, as [-10.0] lost a few ships to the combined damage output of the Battleships. However, as the fight went on and a Triage Carrier brought in, as well as the [NC] force joining the fray, the tide decidedly went against Providence Bloc. It was losing ships one after the other, its Logistics, for the most part, unable to shield transfer fast enough to keep them alive.

After a few minutes of a rather one sided battle, as more Nightmares and Battleships popped, Providence Bloc managed to free enough Battleships and warp them off the field, abandoning its Logistic wing which was massacred nearly to the last, before docking up in the system’s station.

With no more hostiles left on the grid, [NC] and [-10.0] safely extracted from the system, bringing an end to the fighting.

Footage of the Fighting from Providence Bloc’s PoV, Courtesy of Mangraa Dementia

Battle report for the 9-F0B2 system can be found here.

During the peak of the fighting the system saw nearly 500 pilots, with Time Dilation being noticeable and a factor in it. All told the battle lasted close to 20 minutes.

Providence Bloc received the brunt of the losses, 76 ships for a total of 20 Bil ISK damage. [-10.0] and [NC] suffered some losses, 27 ships for nearly 5 Bil ISK damage, most of which were Interdictors and Interceptors.

Though Providence Bloc suffered a tactical defeat, it managed to win the strategic objective, securing the system and station. [NC] for their part seemed unwilling to engage Providence Bloc on their own, giving further evidence to the power showed by the coalition.

With the Imperium slowly deploying to the Providence region, the fighting is expected to intensify. What will happen as the Fozzie Sov changes loom over the horizon? The EVE Scribe will keep you posted.

Special thanks to, Jin’taan, of Pentag Blade, Curatores Veritatis Alliance for granting an interview and Mangraa Dementia, of Blue Tridents, Sev3rance, for supplying the video footage, as well as Paul Trier of Hoover Inc. Pandemic Legion and ISD for giving screenshots of the fight.

News: Massive Fleet Fight in 9UY4-H

9UY4-H system, Providence region. On the 9th of May, 21:00 EVE Standard Time, Pandemic Legion, Northern Coalition(dot) [NC], Spectre Fleet and Providence Bloc clashed in the system in an enormous fight that saw no less than 1,000 pilots battle each other.

[NC] brought a Proteus Strategic Cruiser fleet, 130 pilots strong with Triage Archon Carrier support.

Pandemic Legion brought a Proteus Strategic Cruiser fleet as well, 160 pilots strong, with Pandemic Horde [REKTD] also being present in a Maller Cruiser fleet, 60 pilots big, but operating autonomously from its parent alliance.

In a running theme of the battle, Providence Bloc fielded a Proteus Strategic Cruiser fleet of their own, 160 pilots strong, with a Goku Bomber fleet, 70 pilots large, and a support Naga Battlecruiser fleet, 30 pilots in total. All in all, Providence Bloc fielded close to 270 pilots.

Last but not least was Spectre Fleet, who brought a full Battleship fleet, nearly 250 pilots, most notably in Tempest Fleet Issue. It also had Triage Archon Carriers and Dreadnoughts on standby, for future escalation.

Providence Bloc formed to protect the Infrastructure Hub in the G-5EN2 system and repair it. However, they soon found out that [NC] bridged their fleet behind them, hoping to cut Providence Bloc’s route of retreat, sitting in the 9UY4-H system, which serves as the major crossroad of the region.

Help came in the form of Spectre Fleet and [REKTD], who promised to aid Providence Bloc against [NC]. This was important for Providence Bloc as reports of a large Pandemic Legion Ishtar Heavy Assault Cruiser fleet spotted in the Catch region were received at the same time.

Thus, Spectre Fleet and [REKTD] engaged the [NC] fleet on the 4B-NQN gate, where Providence Bloc were waiting on the other side. As the two sides tangled, bringing Triage Archons and exchanging blows, Providence Bloc jumped in and started brawling with the [NC] fleet.

At this point, Pandemic Legion, who returned from their escapades in Wormhole space, re-shipped into their Proteus Strategic Cruisers and bridged to a perch above the gate. Once they loaded grid, Pandemic Legion’s forces warped on top of the Providence Bloc fleet, choosing to focus on them.

Ships were volleyed off, as Time Dilation kicked into high gear, and even noticeable lag was felt. As Providence Bloc were losing ships at an alarming rate, they attempted to de-aggress and jump back to the 4B-NQN system.

However, they soon discovered Pandemic Legion’s Interdictors were waiting for them, launching interdiction probes and trapping most of the fleet on the 9UY4-H gate, as the Pandemic Legion fleet waited its aggression timers and jumped in after them, continuing the fight between the two.

Providence Bloc attempted to fight as best as it could, but it soon became clear that they were losing. To minimize their losses, the fleet warped to the station and docked up, leaving behind many Proteus and Legions who were tackled by Pandemic Legion and promptly destroyed.

Battle report for 4B-NQN can be found here.

With Providence Bloc dealt with, Pandemic Legion came back to the 9UY4-H system in order to tackle the Spectre Fleet head on. However, while Providence Bloc and Pandemic Legion were having their own engagement in 4B-NQN, Spectre Fleet and [NC] disengaged, Spectre Fleet retreating to the D61A-G system, on the Y-MPWL gate, while [NC] seemed to have extracted form the region.

Battle report for 9UY4-H can be found here.

Pandemic Legion entered the D61A-G system and decided to commit to the fight, warping to the gate and hitting the edge of the deployed Interdiction field. Thus, the fight started in earnest, with Pandemic Legion anchoring up and going into the thick of the Battleships.

The fight was not a one sided affair but a bloody struggle, with both sides volleying ships off. Spectre Fleet had no less than 4 Triage Archons present, while Pandemic Legion had to be content with their Tech II Logistics.

As the battle dragged on, Pandemic Legion lit a cynosural beacon and ushered in its own Triage Archon. In retaliation, Spectre Fleet brought in 4 Dreadnoughts, who promptly targeted the lone Triage Archon, but by the time they brought it down, many of the Battleships were destroyed, making it impossible for the Spectre Fleet to break the Strategic Cruisers’ tank.

Realizing their situation, the Spectre Fleet made a dash for the safety of Empire, jumping into the Y-MPWL system and running to the kari gate, with Pandemic Legion in hot pursuit. Several more Battleships and 2 Dreadnoughts were caught, while the remainder managed to escape.

Battle report for the D61A-G system can be found here.

Pandemic Legion continued to camp the D61A-G gate for a while, before extracting from the region, with no resistance whatsoever and managing to score a few easy ganks on the way home.

Battle report for the Y-MPWL system can be found here.

This marked the end of hostilities for the region.

Footage of the Fighting from Pandemic Legion’s POV

The main battle saw 1,000 pilots in the 9UY4-H system, with Time Dilation peaking at 10% and lag reported by many pilots. The other engagements saw less than 400 pilots in local, with Time Dilation at more manageable levels. From the start of the fight to the end of hostilities, nearly an hour elapsed.

The butcher’s bill is on a grand scale, considering everything. Spectre Fleet bore the brunt of the losses, 128 ships lost, including 2 Dreadnoughts, for a total of 39 Bil ISK of damages. Close second is Providence Bloc, who lost approximately 117 ships, for a total of 24 Bil ISK in damages. Third place was Pandemic Legion, with 27 ships lost, including 1 Triage Carrier, totaling at 14 Bil ISK damages. [NC] for their part, only lost 9 ships, mounting to 3.5 Bil ISK damages.

All told, this battle is further proof that regardless of Phoebe restrictions, huge scale battles are still fought throughout New Eden, and the devastation they leave in their wake, is still something to be awed by.

Special thanks to Fin1712, of Hoover Inc. Pandemic Legion for supplying footage of the fighting.

News: Pandemic Legion Clashes Head On With Providence Bloc in G-5EN2

G-5EN2 system, Providence region. On the 7th of May, 20:00 EVE Standard Time, forces belonging to Pandemic Legion and Northern Coalition(dot) [NC] clashed head on with Providence Bloc who were defending the Infrastructure Hub in the system, resulting in a massive fight.

In the previous reinforcement timer, Providence Bloc brought an overwhelming force to the field, prompting [NC] to abstain from the fight. This time, taking note of the numbers brought previously, Pandemic Legion was contacted and brought along to reinforce the attackers.

Pandemic Legion brought a 160 pilot Tempest Fleet Issue Battleship fleet, with 5 Triage Archon Carriers. [NC] brought a Proteus Strategic Cruiser fleet, 110 pilots strong with Triage Carrier support as well.

Providence Bloc brought a 200 pilot strong Ishtar Heavy Assault Cruiser fleet with Goku Bomber support, around 70 pilots big and a regular Stealth Bomber wing. All told Providence Bloc had close to 300 pilots in the system.

Providence Bloc was further reinforced by forces belonging to the Curse Russians, also known as the Red Menace Coalition, who brought an approximately 70 pilot large Ishtar fleet as well.

The fighting began when [NC] forces skirmished the Red Menace Ishtar fleet over the 9-F0B2 gate in the G-5EN2 system. While no significant exchanges were made, Providence Bloc forces entered the system soon after, just as Pandemic Legion arrived on the 9-F0B2 gate as well, at a perch. This forced Providence Bloc to anchor up immediately and start the main event.

At this point the two sides started to exchange blows, with Providence Bloc focusing fire on the Pandemic Legion ships, while the Red Menace fleet warped out. The sheer amount of damage output from the two sides was overwhelming. Battleships and Ishtars melted before Logistics pilots could even lock them, which was not helped by the high amount of Time Dilation present.

As the two forces continued to battle, [NC] forces joined Pandemic Legion and contributed their fire as well. With split damage across the Providence Bloc fleet, Providence Bloc was hemorrhaging ships. The Goku Bomber fleet in particular suffered heavy losses and was forced to leave the system for a while.

At one point, one of the Triage Archons belonging to Pandemic Legion was almost destroyed, as the Ishtars rained punishment on it, managing to survive with only a sliver of hull remaining as it exited Triage mode in the nick of time, allowing it to receive remote repaires from its sister Carriers.

At this point the Red Menace fleet warped back on field, but was dragged by the interdiction fields active, landing on top of the Pandemic Legion Battleships. It lost several ships as it tried to burn out. However, they did not contribute much to the fighting altogether.

Screenshot of the Battle Taken by Yulai Federation Network

The battle raged on for a while, but as Providence Bloc was losing more and more mainline ships, its damage output reduced, it was unable to break either the Battleships nor the Strategic Cruisers’ tank.

As a last gambit, Providence Bloc sent their Logistics to the Infrastructure Hub, in order to repair it enough to reach 26%, so the shield reinforcement timer will reset. At the same time, the Ishtar fleet remained on field, distracting the enemy forces.

This however, turned out to be futile, as [NC] brought in their Super Capital fleet to reinforce the Infrastructure Hub, pushing it into its second reinforcement timer while the two sides kept battling.

With the Infrastructure Hub once again reinforced and half the fleet destroyed, Providence Bloc forces sounded the retreat. Red Menace Coalition also took the opportunity to withdraw, leaving the field to [NC] and Pandemic Legion to hold.

Having won the battle, Pandemic Legion and [NC] extracted from the system without further incident.

Battle report for the G-5EN2 system can be found here.
Alternative battle report can be found here.

During the peak of the fighting, the system hosted 713 pilots, with Time Dilation being a constant factor, effecting the battle, capping around 20% and remaining that high for the majority of the fight. The battle took approximately a full hour before dying down.

As killboards are still synchronizing, it is impossible to tell the exact number of losses. However, so far it seems that Providence Bloc lost the majority of the ships, with 88 ships lost for a total of 18 Bil ISK of damages. Red Menace Coalition suffered light losses, only 6 ships for approximately 600 Mil ISK damages. As for [NC] and Pandemic Legion, they lost 26 ships, for a total of 8 Bil ISK in damages, the majority of which was inflicted to Pandemic Legion.

With the conflict escalating further, as more allies and neutral coalitions are sucked into the fray, it becomes very clear that G-5EN2 will see many more pilots lose their lives fighting over it. While losing the battle, it seems morale in Providence is still high, as many see the fact [NC] had to call upon Pandemic Legion for support a clear sign of the former’s inability to take them head on. Thus, they are still confident in their ability to win the war.

Propaganda Poster Calling Providence Bloc to the Flag, Courtesy of Yulai Federation Network

As Providence Bloc continues to resist the jackboot of [NC], further fighting is expected, as both the Station and the Infrastructure Hub come out of reinforced mode in the next few days. The EVE Scribe will keep you posted on the events as they unfurl.

Special thanks to, Jin’taan, of Pentag Blade, Curatores Veritatis Alliance for granting an interview and Yulai Federation Network for supplying the screenshots.

Providence Fight Club: K1I1-J 29.4.2015

K1I1-J system, Providence region. On the 29th of April, 21:00 EVE Standard Time, Spectre Fleet and Pandemic Legion met with Providence Bloc in the system, to what would become a one sided battle.

The battle began after Providence Bloc forces were en route back to their staging system, having just destroyed Sovereignty Blockade Units that were deployed by Northern Coalition(dot) in the G-5EN2 system. as they moving, a report came of a Spectre Fleet Omen Navy Issue gang making its way up the pipe from Catch.

Providence Bloc had a Goku Stealth Bomber fleet, 40 members strong, and a Protues\Legion Strategic Cruiser fleet, 100 pilots big.

Spectre Fleet had a 50 pilot Omen Navy Issue gang. However, it also had the help of a Pandemic Legion Ishtar Heavy Assault Cruiser fleet, 40 pilots strong and a Pandemic Horde Caracal Cruiser fleet, some 20 pilots in total who were roaming the region as well.

The two forces met head first on the 2-TEGJ gate in the K1I1-J system. The Gokus were the first to arrive in system and proceeded to engage the enemy, jumping between K1I1-J and 2-TEGJ systems, causing the enemy fleets to split. This gave enough time for the main Providence Bloc fleet to arrive on the scene and engage the disorganized hostiles.

A short and brutal skirmish developed on the 2-TEGJ gate, with Pandemic Legion Ishtars getting caught and melted by the Providence Bloc Strategic Cruiser fleet. A few of the Spectre Fleet ships were caught as well, but the two hostile fleets quickly disengaged, burning out of the interdiction probes and warping off the field as they realized they could not hope to contend with the force brought in by Providence Bloc.

Claiming victory, Providence Bloc decided not to camp the hostiles in, preferring instead to continue on their way home, thus allowing the battered enemy fleets to withdraw from the system.

Battle report for the K1I1-J system can be found here.

The fight saw the system reach a peak of no more than 300 pilots, with Time Dilation being negligible and having no serious effect on the fighting.

Providence Bloc lost only 5 ships during the fight, for 210 Mil ISK damages. Spectre Fleet lost only 1 ship before bailing, valued at 70 Mil ISK. Pandemic Legion and its allies lost the bulk of ships, no less than 19 for 2.44 Bil ISK damages in total.

Providence Fight Club: HED-GP 28.4.2015

HED-GP system, Catch region. On the 28th of April, at 21:00 EVE Standard Time, Pandemic Legion and Providence Bloc clashed in a minor skirmish in the system, leading to no less than a 120 ship losses.

The battle began when Providence Bloc forces, divided to an Augoror Navy Issue Cruiser fleet, approximately 70 pilots strong, a Cerberus Heavy Assault Cruiser fleet, 40 pilots large and a Stealth Bomber wing, came to the HED-GP system with the intent of provoking a response from Pandemic Horde.

Seeing their system camped and their enemies fielding an overwhelming force that they could not help to contend with, Pandemic Horde called their parent alliance, Pandemic Legion, for help. Pandemic Legion answered the call with a 60 pilot Ishtar Heavy Assault Cruiser fleet, which raced to the besieged system.

Entering through the SV5-8N system, the Pandemic Legion fleet waited on their in-gate, when the Providence Bloc fleets landed near them. Quickly, Pandemic Legion’s forces anchored up, dropped drones and started the fight.

One by one, the Providence Bloc ships melted under the drone damage, while unable to return fire, as the Ishtars kitted out of their range. The Cerberus fleet made attempts to close in on the Ishtars only to sustain losses and be driven away.

The exchange continued with Pandemic Horde and WAFFLES(dot) bringing in reinforcements in the form of tackle and e-war Frigates as well as Interdictors.

As the battle raged on Providence Bloc’s bomber wing started to make its presence felt, forcing the Ishtars a couple of times off the field and destroying their drones.

However, re-stocked with drones in the station, the Ishtars returned once more to the grid and continued fighting. Finally, Providence Bloc’s forces were shattered, beating a hasty retreat to the Keberz gate and into the relative safety of High Security Space, ending the fight.

The Battle from Providence Bloc’s Perspective, Courtesy of Mangraa Dementia

Battle report for the HED-GP system can be found here.

The tally stands at 63 losses to Pandemic Legion, mostly Pandemic Horde and WAFFLES(dot) tackle and e-war Frigates, as well as a few Ishtars who were either not anchoring or fell victim to bombing runs. Providence Bloc lost 66 ships, mostly Augoror Navy Issue Cruisers. Total ISK lost is estimated at around 8 Bil ISK for both sides.

Local did not exceed 300 pilots at the peak of the fighting, with Time Dilation being non-existent

Special thanks to Mangraa Dementia of Blue Tridents, Sev3rance for providing video footage

News: Massive Fleet Fight in G-5EN2 System

Disclaimer: Due to the chaotic nature of the fight, and the technical
difficulties experienced, many of the figures written in this article
are approximations only. The article was written using first hand
knowledge, interviews and video footage from multiple sources. Some
inaccuracies may still occur.

G-5EN2 system, Providence region. On the 25th of April, at 20:00 EVE Standard Time, no less than 6 fleets clashed in the system, in what would become one of the most infamous battles in the region’s history.

The fight began when Northern Coalition(dot) [NC] forces removed the defensive Sovereignty Blockade Units in the system, replacing them with their own, as well as reinforcing key infrastructure in the system.

This led Providence Bloc to field 3 fleets, a 150 pilot Nightmare Battleship fleet, a Goku Bomber fleet, 70 pilots strong and a Zealot Heavy Assault Cruiser fleet, 50 pilots large.

Against this force [NC] brought a Loki Strategic Cruiser fleet, 150 pilots strong, which settled on the 9-F0B2 gate in the system, Providence Bloc’s only means of entry.

The two forces collided head on, on the 9-F0B2 gate, as Providence Bloc jumped into the Loki fleet. In the first exchange of fire the Loki fleet suffered losses while the mainline ships of the Nightmare fleet managed to tank relatively easy. With their Logistic ships breaking, [NC] lit a cynosural beacon and brought forth 2 Triage Archons as well as 10 tracking Dreadnoughts, in order to counter the battleships.

At this point a CFC Harpy fleet entered the fray, some 80 pilots large, warping straight into the middle of the fight and engaging the [NC] Lokis. Providence Bloc decided to retaliate and bring their own Triage support, in the form of 2 Chimera Carriers, and the battle continued in earnest. Providence Bloc showing the power of its Nightmare fleet, as the first Triage Archon for [NC] was nearly destroyed, the second already in armor and the tracking Dreadnoughts next on the list.

As local continued to rise, with such entities as The Gorgon Empire [-GE-] and RvB Ganked entering the system, and the unexpected power and tanking ability of the Providence Bloc Nightmare fleet, the [NC] fleet commanders decided to drop in their Super Capital fleet. Onto the field were brought no less than 80 Titans and Motherships, who promptly destroyed the Providence Bloc’s Chimeras, and turned their attention to the Nightmares themselves.

At this point [-GE-] Machariel Battleship fleet showed up on grid, some 60 pilots big, choosing to perch above the gate and not committing to the fight while an RvB Ganked Dominix Battleship fleet, around 170 pilots strong, warped straight into the Super Capital blob, coming to the aid of Providence Bloc and starting to brawl with the [NC] forces.

Providence Bloc continued to fight, realizing the hopelessness of their situation, deciding to attempt and take down as many enemy Capitals as possible, thus focusing their attention on the remaining Archon and tracking Dreadnoughts, who one by one succumbed to the dwindling damage.

As the fight continued, Pandemic Legion came into the system as well, bridging behind the lines, and coming from the 9-F0B2 system, jumping straight into the raging battle on the gate. Pandemic Legion brought a 100 pilot strong Protues\Legion Strategic Cruiser fleet, and set its sights on the Nightmare fleet.

By this point, the Providence Bloc fleet was in tatters. Though it managed to snag a few more Dreadoughts and a second Archon, it could not sustain the incoming damage, especially with the addition of the Pandemic Legion fleet on top of it. An attempt was made to de-aggress on the 9-F0B2 gate and extract the remaining Battleships from the system.

The Fight from the viewpoint of Providence Bloc forces, courtesy of Mangraa Dementia

With Providence Bloc forces out of the system, [NC] and Pandemic Legion’s attention now turned to the RvB Ganked and [-GE-] fleets which were still in the system. The two forces were hounded across the system, with a couple of bruising skirmishes taking place in safe spots and around the Assah gate. However it became clear the [-GE-] and RvB Ganked forces were not willing to fight, choosing to extract to Low Security space instead.

A chase attempt was made by Pandemic Legion after the retreating RvB Ganked fleet down to the Nakah system in Derelik region. Yet, only a few stragglers were caught, as the RvB Ganked fleet docked in the system’s stations, refusing to fight Pandemic Legion. [-GE-] and the CFC fleets both managed to extract as well, leaving [NC] to hold the field.

The Fight from the perspective of [NC], courtesy of SoarXIII

After [NC] withdrew its forces, Providence Bloc took down the Sovereignty Blockade Units and replaced it with their own, allowing them to keep the system.

Battle report for the G-5EN2 system can be found here (Still missing killmails).

The fight proved to be one of the costliest and largest battles fought in recent EVE history. No less than 900 pilots occupied the system at the peak of the fighting, with Time Dilation been an ever present factor, influencing the outcome of the battle greatly as it peaked to 10% and swung wildly as the battle ebbed and flowed.

It is estimated that no less than 400 ships were lost, at an estimated cost of 70 – 100 Bil ISK in damages. However the true figures may be higher, as the killboards have not finished synchronizing at the time of writing.

Regardless, it is plain to see that Providence Bloc suffered a devastating defeat, though gained a moral victory by forcing [NC] to deploy its Super Capital fleet in order to win the fight. With these ever escalating skirmishes over the G-5EN2 system, one may wonder if a peak was reached, or is a second B-R5RB waiting around the corner? Time will tell.

Special thanks to Jin’taan of Pentag Blade, Curatores Veritatis Alliance for granting an interview, as well as, Mangraa Dementia of Blue Tridents, Sev3rance and SoarXIII of Militaris Industries, Northern Coalition(dot) for supplying the video footage.

Providence Fight Club: G-5EN2 23.4.2015

G-5EN2 system, Providence region. On the 23rd of April, at 20:00 EVE Standard Time, Providence Bloc forces clashed with Northern Coalition(dot) [NC] in a bloody battle that left 7 Archon Carriers dead on the field.

Since their defeat in the Fountain-Delve war, [NC] has withdrawn from Null Security space to the Hasateem system in the Derelik region. From there it has been harassing Providence Bloc, in particular contesting the G-5EN2 system, which serves as one of the major gateways into the region.

This marked the third time in the week that [NC] has deployed Sovereignty Blockade Units in the system. and while previous engagements proved to be small to medium in scale, this time the ante was raised.

An [NC] fleet, comprised of around 114 pilots, mostly in Loki Strategic Cruisers and with no less than 7 Triage Carriers entered the G-5EN2 system through the 9-F0B2 gate as the Sovereignty Blockade Units came online.

Providence Bloc answered the provocation with an overwhelming show of force, bringing almost 500 pilots to the system divided into 5 fleets: The main fleet was a 205 pilots strong Proteus Strategic Cruiser fleet, supported by 2 Ishtar Assault Cruiser fleets (one of which fielded by Providence Bloc’s long time enemy, Spectre Fleet), a Goku (Uncloaked Stealth Bombers who remain on grid) wing and an ordinary Stealth Bomber wing.

The two forces met each other on the Assah gate in the G-5EN2 system, as the Loki fleet landed at zero on the Proteus fleet’s Logistics wing. Immediately a brutal exchange took place, as Providence Bloc and [NC] slugged it out in close range. Providence Bloc lost nearly half their Logistics wing in the exchange, but managed to take down a few Lokis for their losses. However, the Triage remote repairs proved to be overwhelming, keeping most of the [NC] fleet alive.

The Two Forces Engaged on the Assah Gate

As the exchange continued, a decision was made to switch to the Triage Archons. This was done in order to get the Lokis to aggress on the fielded Proteus, allowing Providence Bloc to bring in their own Triage Carriers. Yet, the damage output of Providence Bloc proved to be so overwhelming, that the first pair of Triage Archons was destroyed with a couple of minutes, prompting the [NC] force to attempt a retreat, burning back to the Assah gate.

Pandemic Legion forces entered the system around this time, flying a Muninn Heavy Assault Cruiser fleet, some 40 pilots strong and an equal sized Maulus Frigate e-war fleet piloted by their newbie friendly alliance, Pandemic Horde.

The force attempted to help the [NC] fleet but was bombed mercilessly by the Providence Bloc bomber wing, and forced off field. At the same time, Providence Bloc managed to destroy another Archon, as well as bubble the rest. Thus the [NC] Loki fleet was forced to jump out to Low Security Space, or risk total annihilation, leaving the rest of the Archons to be destroyed by Providence Bloc, who now had Heavy Interdiction Cruisers to keep them trapped.

Archon Wrecks Drifting Forlornly on the Assah Gate as the Fighting Continues

With the last Archon destroyed and both Pandemic Legion and [NC] on the run, Providence Bloc cleared the field and returned to their staging system.

Battle report for the G-5EN2 system can be found here.

During the peak of the fighting, the G-5EN2 system hosted 700 pilots, with Time Dilation proving to be a factor, as it spiked and subsided throughout the battle.

NCdot and its allies lost 97 ships, totaling 28 Bil ISK in damages, including 7 Triage Carriers. Providence Bloc lost only 81 ships, a total of 8 Bil ISK damage sustained.

As Null Security space adjusts to the recent political upheavals and wait in abated breath to the Sovereignty Warfare changes, the Providence region will probably become ever more busy, as the number one place to get a fight now that BNI had vacated Catch.

Special thanks to ISD for providing the screenshots.

Providence Fight Club: 9UY4-H 21.3.2015

9UY4-H system, Providence region. On the night of the 21st of March, 3 fleets clashed violently in the system, leading to a prolonged battle which saw Providence Bloc’s defeat at the hands of the NPSI community.

The battle started when a combined force of Spectre Fleet and RvB Ganked, some 190 pilots strong entered Providence region in 2 fleets. The first was a Heavy Interdictor fleet with robust Logistics wing and Triage Carrier support, some 115 pilots strong, while the second fleet was mainly Ishtar Heavy Assault Cruisers and Vexor Navy Issue Cruisers fleet, encompassing the rest of the pilots

The NPSI Fleet Anchoring Before the Battle

The force made its way down the pipe from the Assah system, Derelik region, when it ran head first to a Providence Bloc Apocalypse Navy Issue Battleship fleet, some 80 pilots strong, which sat on the 4B-NQN gate at zero. The NPSI fleets immediately anchored up and engaged Providence Bloc.

The fighting was fierce, with the NPSI fleet targeting Providence Bloc’s Logistics wing, while the latter was focusing damage on mainline ships. The exchange saw both forces lose ships, when at last Providence Bloc brought in Triage Carriers to supplement their Logistics wing. At this point the NPSI fleet was unable to break the tank of the mainline ships and was forced to call Triage Carriers of its own.

The two forces continued to brawl, but with so many Triage Carriers on field, no side was able to break the tank of the other. Instead, the NPSI fleet decided to focus fire on the Triage Carriers themselves. When the first one was destroyed, the rest of the Carriers were forced to exit their Triage mode in order to catch remote repairs and tank the incoming damage, managing to survive.

However, this proved to be fatal for the rest of the Providence Bloc fleet. Without the power of the Triage Carriers’ remote repairs, the Navy Issue Apocalypses were destroyed one after the other.

With their damage dwindling and their losses mounting, Providence Bloc decided to concede the field, with its Battleships using their Micro Jump Drives to create distance before warping off. However, this left the Triage Carriers behind. Two of them were unable to jump out and were destroyed by the NPSI fleet.

The 9UY4-H Fight from the Perspective of Providence Bloc (Provided by Mangraa Dementia)

At this point, the NPSI fleet evacuated its own Triage Carriers, as reports came of a Pandemic Legion fleet closing in on their location. The Pandemic Legion fleet was around 70 pilots strong, mainly in Proteus Strategic Cruisers. It arrived into system just as the last NPSI Carrier managed to jump out of system.

The 9UY4-H Fight from the Perspective of the NPSI Fleet’s Triage Carrier

With the Carriers safely extracted, the NPSI fleet decided to retreat to the 4B-NQN system, and re-organize on the other side, resolved to keep on fighting, but in a more favorable position. Pandemic Legion pursued it, after nabbing stragglers in the 9UY4-H system, and jumped into the 4B-NQN system. An intense battle soon erupted on the 9UY4-H gate between the two fleets.

Yet, this engagement proved to be a short and one sided affair. The NPSI fleet tried to concentrate fire on the Logistics wing of Pandemic Legion, managing to destroy two of them before remote repairs could hold. At this point Pandemic Legion had their own Triage Carrier on the field, and were quickly decimating the remnants of the Heavy Interdictor fleet, whose Logistics wing was half spent from its previous battle.

The Ishtar fleet, which was anchored further away from the main fighting, decided to disengage and withdraw, exiting the region to the marginal safety of Low Security space without incurring further losses.

With the Heavy Interdictor fleet destroyed, and no more hostiles to challenge it, the Pandemic Legion fleet made its way home, safely extracting its own Triage Carrier and arriving safely to its staging system without any more losses.

Battle report for the 9UY4-H system can be found here.
Battle report for the 4B-NQN system can be found here.

Time Dilation proved to be a factor in the fighting, peaking at 60% and remaining around that region for a part of the fight. The system did not host more than 300 pilots at the peak of fighting. The battle on its two parts lasted 1 hour in total.

Providence Bloc lost 56 ships, including 3 Archon Carriers for a total sum of 17 Bil ISK damages. The NPSI fleet lost 38 ships in the first engagement, for 7 Bil ISK damages, and 26 ships and 8 Bil ISK damages in the second. Pandemic Legion lost only 3 ships, for a total ISK damage of half a Bil.

All told, the battle proved to be a fascinating game of rock-paper-scissors, as the NPSI fleet managed to destroy the Providence Bloc fleet, only in turn being destroyed by the Pandemic Legion fleet.

Regardless, this fight continues to prove that the Providence region is still one of the most violent, and active regions in Null Security space.

Special thanks to Apex Aubaris, of Hoover Inc(dot), Pandemic Legion for granting an interview, and Mangraa Dementia, of Blue Tridents, Sev3rance for the video of the fight.

News: HERO Coalition Fleet Destroyed in V-3YG7

V-3YG7 system, Catch region. On the 14th of March, at 18:00 EVE Standard Time, a HERO Coalition fleet was annihilated en route to capture the FAT-6P system.

The HERO Coalition fleet, a Tengu Strategic Cruiser fleet of around 190 pilots strong, un-docked from the GE-8JV station, HERO Coalition’s staging system, and warped to the V-3YG7 Gate, in order to travel down the pipe and reach the FAT-6P system, which HERO Coalition has been attempting to conquer from Northern Coalition(dot).

Pandemic Legion, though, was aware of the fleet’s goal and had Interdictors prepared in advance. Once the Tengu fleet jumped through the V-3YG7 gate, the Interdictors jumped after them, launching interdiction probes and trapping them on the GE-8JV gate. This allowed Pandemic Legion to catch up to them with a 90 pilot Proteus Strategic Cruiser fleet, which bridged into the GE-8JV system and quickly followed through.

The two fleets engaged immediately at close range, with the Tengus attempting to pull range but being webbed down by the Proteus. The Pandemic Legion fleet slowly chipped away at the strength of the HERO Coalition fleet, able to tank the incoming damage. However, due to a miscommunication, Triage Carriers were brought to the field on Pandemic Legion’s side.

HERO Coalition attempted to do away with the Triage Carriers, by bringing in 3 Dreadnoughts on top of them. As they were attempting to destroy the Archon Carriers, Pandemic Legion’s Interdictors had the Dreadnoughts bubbled and a cynosural beacon was lit, ushering in a Pandemic Legion super-capital wing, of several Titans and Mothership support.

The newly arrived force quickly dispatched the HERO capitals, while at the same time, the Tengu fleet attempted to de-aggress and jump back into the GE-8JV system. However, their plan was foiled by Pandemic Legion reinforcements, who were waiting for them. The Tengus tried to burn away from the V-3YG7 gate but were quickly bubbled. Only a handful managing to extract and reach the safety of their station.

Pandemic Legion’s Titans Clearing HERO Coalition Dreadnoughts on the GE-8JV Gate

Pandemic Legion cleared the field of any remaining hostiles, then proceeded to safely extract its super-capital force, followed quickly by its Proteus fleet.

Battle report for the V-3YG7 system can be found here.

All told, Time Dilation proved to be a non existent factor for the battle. During the fighting, in both systems, the local population did not exceed 400 pilots. HERO Coalition suffered a devastating defeat, losing a large bulk of their Tengus, a loss that is summed not only in ISK, but Skill Points as well.

221 ships were lost in the fighting, for a sum of 30 Bil ISK in damages, almost all of it done to HERO Coalition.

In the wake of the battle, there have been dissenting voices heard in HERO Coalition about the management of the war, as evident in their Middle Management Meeting.

Video of the Fighting, from the Perspective of Pandemic Legion’s Logistics

Whether HERO Coalition can continue and withstand the pressure applied to it by Pandemic Legion, or is on the verge of collapse, will be seen in the next few weeks as the conflicts continues.

Special thanks to fin1712, of Hover Inc(dot), Pandemic Legion, for the video of the fighting and Helena Shun, of Brave Newbies Inc(dot), Brave Collective, for the screenshot.

Providence Fight Club: Nightmare in V-3YG7 13.3.2015

V-3YG7 system, Catch region. On the night of the 13th of March, Providence Bloc forces met Pandemic Legion and HERO Coalition in a decisive battle on the GE-8JV gate, which proved disastrous.

Providence Bloc rolled its Nightmare Battleship fleet, 100 pilots strong, and made its way to GE-8JV system, HERO Coalition’s staging system, in order to provoke a fight. HERO Coalition had a 60 pilot Caracal Cruiser fleet roaming at the time, but it declined to engage the Providence fleet on the 3-OKDA gate, jumping into the system instead, followed closely by Providence Bloc.

A short battle ensued in 3-OKDA system, with Providence Bloc melting away the Caracals, who were forced to quickly disengage and warp away, abandoning the field. By this time, Pandemic Legion gathered reports of the fighting, and organized its own fleet, a 90 pilot Proteus Strategic Cruiser fleet.

Providence Bloc made its way to the V-3YG7 system, waiting near the GE-8JV gate, possibly for HERO Coalition to form a larger response fleet, when Pandemic Legion bridged into the system and warped on top of Providence Bloc. Fighting erupted immediately, with Providence Bloc managing to annihilate the Logistics wing of the Pandemic Legion fleet, who melted away under the laser fire of the Nightmares.

However, at the same time, the Proteus fleet managed to cling to the Nightmares, spreading points and effectively barring any attempt to escape. The Proteus fleet was able to overcome the Logistics of Providence Bloc, destroying 2 Nightmares before losing its last remaining Logistics. This quickly forced Pandemic Legion to jump in Triage Carriers to replace its Logistics wing.

Providence Bloc and Pandemic Legion Tangle on the GE-8JV Gate

With the Triage on field, Pandemic Legion was able to tank the incoming damage, and set to the task of destroying Providence Bloc’s remaining Nightmares. Providence Bloc, for its part, tried to destroy the Triage Carrier, but was losing ships fast. With a second Triage Carrier on the field and not enough damage, the order to retreat was given. The remnants of the Nightmare fleet made their escape to the B-3QPD system, and then the long track home.

HERO Coalition only showed briefly during the second fight, quickly shooting Providence Bloc’s Nightmares before retreating again in a Caracal fleet, estimated at 90 pilots strong.

Battle report for the 3-OKDA system can be found here.
Battle report for the V-3YG7 system can be found here.

Time Dilation was not a noticeable factor in the fight, with local staying at the range of 300 pilots at the peak of fighting in the V-3YG7 system. No complaints were registered by pilots regarding server performances.

All told, Pandemic Legion lost 17 ships, mostly Logistics, While Providence Bloc lost 41 ships, almost half of their fleet. HERO Coalition lost 53 ships, mostly to Providence Bloc, but also some to Pandemic Legion. The death toll summed reaches 111 ships, but for a total ISK damage of 28 Bil ISK, most of it caused to Providence Bloc.