Testing the fleet in a class 5 w-space system

The corporation fleet has the opportunity to test itself. We live in a class 4 w-space system and generally engage Sleepers at this level or below. Today our neighbourhood holds a class 5 w-space system with a catacylismic variable phenomenon, which increases remote repair rates and capacitor capacity, as well as decreasing capacitor recharge rate. Our Guardian logistic ships will be able to repair a huge amount of damage whilst bursting with excess energy that will hardly need to be fed to the battleships. We have been reluctant so far to attempt any Sleeper engagements in a C5 because of the potential for increased damage, but today we are ready. Our fleet forms and we warp off to a new challenge.

In the C5 a final systems check is performed and we warp in to the first site. I am a little surprised by the sparseness of the structures in the anomaly until I realise that we are in a ladar gas mining site, facing a mere two Sleeper battleships. I don't quite see why we have brougt two ECM ships with us for this. Apparently we are gathering information on the levels of damage we can expect from this class of system, but sitting around for twenty minutes getting shot by Sleepers is not my idea of fun. In a Guardian, I still need to monitor and repair incoming damage, whilst the ECM is not active and no one shoots the Sleepers back, and I feel like I am being taken advantage of. Considering that we tackle the most challenging sites in any class 4 w-space system it seems to me that spending quite so long in a ladar site is a waste of my time, particularly in a system that significantly promotes the abilities of the Guardian.

It takes a while but it seems everyone is at last ready to face a terribly scary C5 anomaly, the weakest we can find. A bit of initial damage is shrugged off, both ECM boats jam the Sleepers' targeting systems, and this C5 anomaly becomes easier than a difficult C4 anomaly. I realise that our fleet has increased its tank a little and doubled our ECM, but it is because we did that I am surprised we didn't attempt an anomaly immediately. Even now, only my armour repair drones are actively repairing, my other reppers unneeded. The Rook recon ship, supplying half our jamming, disconnects and warps out of the site and still we are fine. When the capsuleer returns he takes the cue to swap his ship for a salvaging vessel to clear up behind us, sweeping up our profit as we progress. A new colleague takes his place in the fleet, bringing an Abaddon battleship with her to add to our damage output instead.

A more challenging anomaly is attempted, with an extra Sleeper battleship involved in one of the waves. Again, once the ECM jams the Sleeper ships our Guardians have no trouble keeping everyone ship-shape and Bristol fashion. I even take a quick break to feed the cats, keeping reppers active on important ships, coming back to find everything copacetic. The cataclysmic variable phenomenon is no doubt helping us cope, as is the lack of Sleeper dreadnoughts warping in. Having entered the system with a concern about losing ships to the most basic of anomalies our squad commander flings us in to the most dangerous of the C5 anomalies here, confidence clearly growing.

The extra big ships in this anomaly certainly pack a punch. Our battleships can withstand the hits well enough, and the Guardians seem to be able to cope with the some sustained fire against their armour, but our poor pilot in the Hurricane battlecruiser doesn't seem quite as sturdy when several Sleeper battleships focus fire on him. The Hurricane's shields and some armour disappear with the alpha strike, subsequent hits pulverising his armour and adding structure damage to his worries. The Guardian pilots are on top of the situation, activating all of our reppers and sending our repair drones to the Hurricane and we pull him back from the brink of destruction to having full armour once again. But the next volley of damage sees the Hurricane explode in an impressive but surprising manner. It seems that even having fully repaired armour isn't a guarantee against destruction when only 40% of your structure is intact. The Sleeper damage must have hit a weak spot.

A pod floats disorientated in space and there is some confusion as to quite what happened, particularly as none of our other ships are taking anywhere near as much damage from the same ships. It's possible that the Hurricane's fitting wasn't optimised for the anticipated damage, or its smaller hull simply crumpled more quickly. Whatever the cause, the rest of our fleet remains resilient to the Sleeper ships and the anomaly is cleared without further drama. Regardless of the loss of a ship, our collective time for combat has come to an end. It was a bit lame to send a whole fleet in to a ladar site but the evening perked up when the Hurricane got in the way of the Sleepers.

We have completed four anomalies in this system and our salvager is reporting impressive profits being collected. Having all returned to our tower a second salvager heads out to help clear the final site of wrecks. Almost a billion ISK in profit is brought back, boosting everyone's wallets by 120 million ISK each, which is rather splendid. I'm fairly sure Hurricanes don't cost that much, even fully fitted. Our next real adventure against Sleepers will be to attempt anomalies in a regular class 5 system, without the help of a cataclysmic variable phenomenon.

Posted in Gaming |
Tags: abaddon, eve online, guardian, hurricane, mmorpg, penny ibramovic, rook, sleepers, w-space