Vince Draken Returns and Ignites NCdot

Author’s Note: The writing style is for EVE and non-EVE players.

In typical form, Northern Coalition. [NC.] dropped Sovereignty Blockade Units (SBU) in the Providence region (9-F0B2) to provoke a fight from the locals. “Providence Holders” [Provi] had three hours to respond before the SBUs opened the door to attacks on sovereignty structures: The station and territorial claim units.

Back at NCdot HQ (Hasateem), pilots were surprised to hear the formation order given by their beloved leader Vince Draken – the Blackbeard of EVE. He hasn’t been seen since NC hammered Providence Nightmares, displaying a massive show of super capital force in G-5EN2. His call to arms got a strong response. Twice the usual number of pilots logged on and uncharacteristically waited quietly for two hours as Provi assembled.

Provi deployed Attack Battlecruisers with blistering volleying potential and good speed for range control. NCdot climbed into heavily tanked T3 cruisers, mostly Lokis.

NCdot stood ready to pounce on Provi as they entered 9-FB2 but Provi didn’t fall for it. NCdot bridged into a cold 9-FB2 anyway. They formed on the gate nearest to Provi HQ (4B-NQN). Provi was piled up on the other side. The two fleets waited for one another to jump first.

Vince dispatched FC Quesa to get bombers on the other side to “persuade” Provi to jump through the gate. The bombers used Black Op battleships to get behind enemy lines and made a few ineffectual bombing runs at Provi. The bomber’s pressure and confusion in Provi’s fleet led to accidental jumps through the gate. This forced Provi’s hand. The Battlecruisers all jumped into the waiting Lokis to avoid being split up.

NCdot opened fired on Provi as soon as they began to decloak. Vince called primaries faster than an auctioneer selling a stampede of cattle (see video below). The NCdot Lokis tripped over themselves blasting through everything in range. They webbed down nearby ships while they further ones. The speedy Battlecruisers found themselves in a tough spot. They scrambled to get away.

Provi’s FC corebloodbrothers command ship was immediately webbed and held, but Vince forbade anyone to shoot him, harshly rebuking anyone that did. It is bad form to head-shot a fleet’s commander before the battle is over.

The Yulai Federation [YU], a part of Provi, used bombers to break NCdot’s logistics, but failed to do so. The logistical pilots were very experienced and held up well. Vince told his fleet not to ask for repairs. Bombs often panic a fleet into asking for repairs all at once. That flood or broadcasted requests can confuse logistical pilots and often breaks down efficient repairing. By assuring the fleet they were safe he avoided that collapse of confidence.

Another fleet then entered the fray: Fidelas Constans [FCON] in Heavy Assault Cruisers (HACS). FCON is a former Providence alliance, but moved on to the Imperium, formerly known as the CFC. Imperium, led by Goonswarm, publicly announced they will come to kill Providence soon. In this fight, however, FCON sided with Providence and fired on NCdot.

Provi finally got away from the Lokis as FCON moved in on NCdot from below. Vince ordered defensive warp disruption fields (bubbles) put up to block them from landing on his forces. The FCON HACS landed in the bubbles at range. The Lokis opened fire, snapping some hulls quickly. Provi saw an opportunity while NCdot fired on FCON and closed in on NCdot, putting NCdot between two hostile fleets. Vince ordered a warp, then changed his mind but it was too late. He had split his forces at a bad time.

Instead of panicking, Vince ordered both halves of the fleet to warp directly to FC Quesa who was on top of the Provi fleet, unifying them and putting them at close range. The killing spree was reignited. Targets were constantly called and hardly repeated, dead before Vince could finish pronouncing the target’s name. By this time all three fleets were slugging it out, but the damage was done. Neither Provi nor FCON could overcome the NCdot logistics, nor could they sustain themselves under NCdot’s firepower.

Ultimately, Provi left the field. When asked if they could pursue Vince said “Let them go, ‘goodfight’s’ in local.” He ordered all the webbed stranglers to be executed. With that Vince handed the fleet to a subordinate and said he needed a drink. Then he disappeared again, leaving standing orders not to shoot any of the vulnerable sovereignty structures.

Battles Statistics:

With the overall battle report here.

Great Audio. Credit goes to Murkelost79 for the video below. “Vince highlights at 6:20 (6:30) and 16:50 (16:54) apart from the swift target-calling – my guns can’t keep up! ;)”

Additional views: 9-F0B2 Slaughter NC. VS Provi + FCON 02/06/2015