Disclaimer: Due to the fight being spread across several systems and both sides receiving reinforcements, all fleet numbers presented here are estimates only.
Insmother region. On the 31st of October at 00:20 EVE Standard Time, Drone Regions Federation (DRF) forces clashed with Red Menace Coalition (RMC) forces over several moons in the region.
The battle started in the I-1QKL system where several DRF alliances including Triumvirate. [TRI] base out of during the current war between the DRF and the RMC. Due to a miscommunication, DRF forces were late to form after RMC forces reinforced 3 towers in the Insmother region 2 days before, with most of them exiting their reinforced mode that night.
DRF forces assembled a 60 pilot Rattlesnake Battleship fleet and were preparing to undock when RMC forces entered system and quickly warped to the station in an 80 pilot Typhoon Battleship fleet. The force positioned itself on the station grid in an attempt to camp DRF forces in. DRF forces decided to undock regardless and a fight broke out on the station grid.
The two sides fought at range, exchanging missile barrages. After a few volleys it became very clear that DRF forces were able to tank the incoming barrages, unlike the RMC. Sustaining a few losses, RMC forces quickly retreated, conceding the field to the DRF fleet. However this was not the end of the fighting. After a few minutes the RMC fleet returned to the field, re-igniting the battle.
The second part of the battle seemed to go like the first. DRF forces were able to tank the damage while RMC forces were losing ships, only the RMC advantage of pilots and fire power was rapidly increasing. A Phoebe Freeport Republic [PFR] Cerberus Heavy Assault Cruiser fleet estimated at 40 pilots entered the system and joined up with the RMC fleet. Added to that was a Stain-Wagon Coalition (SW) 50 pilot Cerberus fleet that bridged to the neighboring system of Q7-FZ8 and came in as well on RMC’s side. Last but not least was The Initiative. [INIT]’s Machariel Battleship fleet, estimated at 30 pilots that also lent its firepower to the RMC.
Against these odds even the DRF Rattlesnake fleet could not contend. After a bruising skirmish in which it suffered a few losses, DRF Fleet Commanders decided to quickly withdraw, choosing to retreat into a staging tower in the system rather than getting camped into the station.
With RMC forces having won the field, the various fleets moved to the tower grid, RMC forces deploying interdiction probes around it to cage the DRF fleet. At the same time, a RMC Capital force was dispatched to the RZ-TI6 system, where the first DRF tower was exiting its reinforced mode. RMC forces were hoping to capitalize on their victory and quickly remove the DRF towers, thinking the DRF force was pinned down in its tower.
And yet, the DRF force was not as helpless as it seemed. Getting reports of the RMC Capital force being deployed without any sub-Capital support, DRF forces quickly secured a cynosural beacon in the RZ-TI6 system. Once the RMC Capitals were engaged on the tower grid, the cynosural beacon was lit at a perch above the tower and into the system bridged the entirety of the DRF Rattlesnake fleet, in front of the RMC fleet no less.
RMC Fleet Commanders realized immediately what was going on and raced their fleet back to their staging in order to secure a bridge to the system as well while their allies raced by gates. The DRF forces used the time to decimate the Capital force. Warping on top of it and applying energy neutralizers, the Capitals went down one after the other, unable to sustain the onslaught.
The First RMC Dreadnought to be Brought Down by DRF Forces, 6 More and 2 Carriers Will Follow It
RMC forces and allies managed to reach the system as the last 2 Dreadnoughts remained, warping to the tower at ranges and engaging DRF forces again. Unable to ignore the RMC fleets, DRF forces reluctantly switched target to the new hostiles, allowing the remaining Capitals to survive.
Again, faced with overwhelming firepower as the entire allied forces of the RMC made it to system, DRF forces quickly entered the tower’s shields, taking the time to wait their aggression timers before warping off to the O-9G5Y gate and jumping to the system. This allowed the RMC forces to finish the job of removing the DRF tower, though forced to bring in 4 additional Dreadnoughts to quickly do it.
The DRF Tower Removed by RMC Forces, Click for Killmail
DRF forces though, were not idle. Reinforcements were assembled on a titan in their staging and the main Rattlesnake fleet undocked once more and jumped into the RZ-TI6 system. It was quickly bubbled on the O-9G5Y gate and the fourth, and last engagement between the two sides unfolded on the gate.
DRF forces quickly bridged in more ships, starting a short but arduous fire exchange with the other 4 fleets as they all maneuvered around the gate grid, exchanging missile volleys and artillery barrages. It soon became apparent that the RMC forces were the ones slowly ground down, having lost ships in the previous engagements and facing an invigorated DRF fleet. After sustaining several losses and losing a Triage Archon Carrier that was brought to help tank the damage output of the Rattlesnakes, RMC forces and allied fleets started bailing out, leaving the DRF to claim the field.
With no more hostiles left in the system, DRF forces warped back to their tower, only to find out RMC forces did not secure the moon after removing it. The DRF quickly bridged in a hauler and erected a new tower, while also repairing the two remaining towers which were reinforced.
With all their towers secured, DRF forces safely extracted to their staging system having won both the field and the strategic objective. Thus hostilities in the Insmother region ended for the night.
The RZ-TI6 Engagements from the PoV of the Drone Regions Federation’s Rattlesnake Fleet
Battle report for the I-1QKL and RZ-TI6 systems can be found here.
All told the battle lasted nearly 80 minutes with local arriving at 240 pilots at the peak of the fighting and Time Dilation not reported.
DRF forces lost 41 ships, including 7 Battleships for a total of 6.02 Bil ISK damage. RMC and allies lost 75 ships including 7 Dreadnoughts, 3 Carriers, 26 Battleships and 3 Heavy Assault Cruisers for a total of 41.88 Bil ISK of damage.
Salivan Harddin is a member of Reikoku, Pandemic Legion, and covers battles across New Eden
