On the 24th November 2014 two fleets collided in LBGI-2. The CFC forces, mostly comprised of members of Fatal Ascension (FA) and N3 forces consisting of a merged Legion gang from DARKESHI. and a Proteus fleet from NCdot with both the CFC and N3 fleets bringing logistic cruiser support and assorted tackle, duked it over the fate of the system upgrade infrastructure (iHUB) in LBGI-2. This system is one of a small number in the highly contested border region between Delve and Fountain. FA leading the CFC defense of Fountain while NCdot/Darkness/Kadeshi attack from the southwestern Delve region.
In most respects the battle of LBGI was a typical brawl over a final timer, the last of three and the only one that counts. The mission: NCdot needed to take it down while the CFC needed to protect and repair it. Both sides have put posturing behind them and are now fully committing to the war effort, mobilizing a great number of assets to the area.
The Battle
NCdot entered the system early having formed up in a very expensive Proteus fleet. They set up a defensive position near the iHUB and waited as intelligence reports poured in from embedded spies within the CFC while the CFC awaited reports from their spies within the N3 fleet. Both sides were looking for an advantage.
The CFC were indeed forming. Knowing that a Proteus fleet awaited them they weighed their options between an Armageddon battleship fleet (close range) and the Tengu (longer range) before opting for the more expensive Tengu doctrine. The Proteus prefer close range fighting, while the Tengu’s prefer a little distance as they pick off enemies. The two tech level 3 fleets were set to collide and the hour was at hand.
Three, two, one…
A cynosural field lit up within 250,000 kilometers of the waiting NCdot Proteus fleet. This allowed NCdot to get a visual on it. They immediately scrambled fast interceptors to get on top of it, allowing the rest of the fleet to warp right into the middle of the CFC fleet that was bridging in.
The CFC Tengu pilots braced, jumped, and landed into absolute chaos. Warp disruption fields instantly surrounded them making a fast reposition impossible and, as such making it difficult to get into an optimal fighting position. The CFC fleet’s logistics wing also scrambled to try and make distance from the close range NCdot fleet, but the Tengus started moving in a different direction from the logistic anchor. They were getting divided by the brawling Proteus fleet, a fleet that was swinging wildly at anything that came close. Repairs were limited to 70 kilometers and grew difficult as the DPS and Repair ships moved further away from each other.
This put the CFC fleet commander in a terrible position. He would have to manage to get the fleet into position by concentrating fire on the tacklers that had them pinned, or begin to weaken enemy logistics to try and win outright. The NCdot FC had no such worries and was exactly where he wanted them to be, up close and personal.
Each side targeted the other’s logistical support. Undercutting the enemy fleet’s ability to repair itself is a key first step to winning a fight. NCdot quickly managed to get into a destructive rhythm, focused on the CFC Scimitars. The synchronizing of damage of railgun volleys made repair impossible. Every 3 seconds, one by one, the CFC Scimitars exploded. The CFC in return were having less success in destroying the N3 alliances Oneiros, perhaps splitting their dps to some of the N3 tacklers.
The NCdot interdictor pilots constantly deployed warp disruption fields in front of the Tengus, preventing them from warping away and back for better range dictation and allowing the Proteus to stay at their optimals. NCdot was constantly testing the Tengu support by targeting a few of them. If they caught sufficient repairs they went back to targeting logistics. This pattern continued until the logistics were unable to negate the incoming damage to the there Tengu’s.
Darkness and Kadeshi later reinforced NCdot and helped contain the CFC ships with extra tackle. Some of the CFC pilots managed to pull range and NCdot logistics started to explode, but it was too little too late. The damage was done before CFC were able to effectively punch back and they had too little left on the field to really trouble the remaining N3 fleet. The CFC maned to do around half the damage that the N3 alliances were able to do.
In a game where war is a constant, this fight just is just one drop in the overall bucket. When all was said and done the losses in this one small fight amounted to one thousand US dollars split between the CFC and N3.
Statistics
Northern Coalition. (145 pilots) Vs CFC (half were Fatal Ascension) (243 pilots)
NCdot lost 70 ships for a total 20 billion ISK ($300 USD) vs CFC who lost 150 ships at a total of 47 billion ISK ( $705)
The battle lasted 20-40 minutes.
NCdot held the field and the iHUB was destroyed.
*Note the timeline of this kill report. You can see the priorities of the FC’s and changing tactics as the fight went on.
http://evf-eve.com/services/brcat/?s=4663&b=6257994&e=41&t=erzb
Here is a sped up video of the fight;
If you have any details you would like to add please post them in the comments, this way it will be a more complete and balanced picture.
