FW Blapping

Roaming today has been some of the most fun I've had in Eve for a while now. Lately, more often then not I've been flying bigger/more expensive things, but decided that today I'd go roam around FW space in an Artillery Thrasher.


The first one I fit, didn't last long, when it landed nearly on top of a Hookbill at a minor-plex a couple jumps from home. Heading back and fitting another one I went back out, with the first casualty being a FW farmer sitting afk on an acceleration gate. Not a real exciting kill, but it's a start to the day. After docking up to wait out GCC and get a bite to eat, my roam started in earnest.

Working my way out to Nennamaila, (and realizing after a couple jumps that I had things on short-range scan, and probably missed a few possible fights), I found a Catalyst at another minor plex. Warping in, and landing 10km off of him, I hit the micro-warp away, and without taking a scratch on my armor, dropped the other Destroyer. 

With GCC gone, and not able to get another fight in system, before long I landed on an Arbitrator/Executioner on a gate. Turning and burning, sure enough the Arb aggressed, setting his TDs on me as the Executioner chased and pointed me, while around 40km away from his friend in the Cruiser. With two-volleys dropping the Executioner into structure, I was unable to overheat my point in time, and keep in range for the finishing blow, and the Executioner got away. With a Firetail joining them, but the Arbitrator warping off, it seemed like it was over with this group.

The Firetail kept following me though, not aggressing. Warping to the sun, he seemed to follow and was on short-range scan, but never actually came, so I kept moving. After the third gate, of the same thing, he did follow me to the sun, landing at 100, while I had warped to 50. Overheating propulsion, I was soon in point range, while local jumped by two. With the top rack overheated, I started aligning away as the Executioner and Arbitrator from before landed. Overheating the point to keep the Firetail locked down, the last volley landed and I was able to turn my attention on the Amarr frigate, who was chasing at this point. Not repeating the mistake from earlier, I kept the warp disruptor overheated as I went for it, and in three volleys, was greeted by a wreck. With only the TDing cruiser left on field, I was a little worried about the drones that were coming after me at the time, until I saw they webbed me. Turning back around, he soon recalled the drones and warped off, allowing me to loot the field.

After waiting out GCC, and having lots of traffic through system (though I once again had my d-scan on short range, and never once saw them) I made my way to Aeschee, after trying to "warp-probe" a Slicer that was sitting AFK between two celestials, only to have it warp off when I was within a couple million KM.

With some local chatter when I entered that showed there was some activity, I soon found a Rupture sitting on a wreck in the ice belt, with an Enyo burning away from it, which was soon joined by a Slicer. I don't think the Rupture and two frigates were friends, but they weren't engaging either. Trying to get towards the two frigs ended up with the Enyo warping off, and Slicer just burning away. Thinking I may have a chance vs a Rupture, I warped at range to the wreck he was sitting on, just to have him warp off at the same time also.

Warping to the sun when that was all done, hoping for some kind of action, saw me landing nearly on top of a Hyena. Thinking that he was probably friends with the other frigates in system, I overheated all the things, trying to pull some range and blap it as fast as possible, and blap it I did. Two volleys. As I started heading for the wreck, a Retribution warped to the sun, one of the Black Rebel Rifter Club pilots, Ohm's Law's, along with the Slicer pilot who is in the same alliance, Captain John Crichton. Burning at an angle closer to the Slicer, but away from both of them the familiar dance started. Overheat. Warp/Tracking disruptors active. With about three volleys into the Slicer, putting it into low armor, it pulled range and I lost lock on it as the Retribution was nearing. Locking Ohm's Assault ship, I started firing while aligning away. I was less confident with both of them still on the field, figuring I'd have dropped the Slicer before having to worry about him. With him tracking disrupted, he wasn't hitting too hard, but he was still hitting. Pulling some range on him, he got beyond my lock range, and landed some much more solid hits. Being aligned to a celestial already, I took that as a cue to warp out.

With my micro-warp nearly burnt, and guns half-way dead, I let my shields recharge and started to look for them again, but other then a near encounter with the Ret and a Tengu, nothing happened. Waiting out my GCC in a safe near the sun, while paying attention to Sard Caid's stream, I suddenly noticed my overview change. The Tengu had probed me down. Luckily I had aligned to my out-gate, and GCC had just finished. Off I went!

Heading back towards home, I got to Agoze, with Xedam in system flying a Taranis. Seeing a Punisher and Hookbill at a minor plex there, I went after them, hoping they'd be outside for some backup from Xedam. Both were inside, so I told him I'd go in and let him know what happened, if they warped off. As exited warp from the acceleration gate, the Punisher was already gone, and the Hookbill warped out towards the 9 cluster. Warping after him, with Xedam also going out there, we landed and soon it was off scan, with nobody having left. Warping back to the minor, it was inside once again, but knowing he'd probably be waiting on the warp-in, I figured I'd rather keep the Thrasher to fight another day.

Checking Intaki, I found Gulidor in system, and warped directly to the minor plex, which was offscan. Seeing a Merlin on scan as I came in, I was surprised to the Gulidor's Merlin sitting at 0 on the acceleration gate. Spamming activation, I went through and warped off ASAP, not wanting to be caught at close range.

Landing in my safe, while chatting a little in local with him, I noticed the Hookbill from earlier, along with a Catalyst on scan towards the minor again. Sending him a message to see if he wanted to gang up to fight them (with Xedam a couple jumps out now, we really should have been in voice), and he agreed.

Warping back to the minor at 20, they were already gone, so I sat there. Sure enough, while talking with Gulidor, trying to figure things out, the Hookbill landed, 10km off of me. Overheating my micro-warp away from him, I got to 11km before the dual-webs hit, and he started reeling me back in. With my propulsion soon being shut off by a scrambler, it was nearly over. Telling Gulidor they had arrived as soon as I could I overheated my top rack, and had the frigate nearly out of shield (which I should have let Gulidor know) when I popped. It turned out that when he came in the Merlin, he went after the Catalyst, which he got into structure before losing his frigate. 

Good fights were had, and I'm currently auto-piloting my alt to Jita while I type this to grab a couple more Thrashers to do this with. I'm really enjoying that fit, and the fights it can take.

Fly dangerous
'Chord