Disclaimer: Due to the chaotic nature of the battle and the scarcity of eye witness accounts, the figures presented in the article are merely approximations and may change as killboards continue to synchronize.
LXQ2-T system, Etherium Reach. 5th of May, 20:00 EVE Standard Time. Once more, the system hosted a massive fleet fight, as Pandemic Legion clashed with Nulli Secunda [S2N], triggering an all out fleet fight as Legion of xXDeathXx [X.I.X], Geminate Coalition, referred to as GemCo, the Vanguard Coalition (Tau Ceti Federation [TCF], Intrepid Crossing [IRC], Triumvirate. [TRI] and SOLAR FLEET [SOLAR]) and even Spectre Fleet joined the fray.
The station was once again in its final reinforcement timer, prompting [X.I.X] and GemCo to bring maximum numbers to the field, including [S2N], whom [X.I.X] hired to help in their defense of the region against the continued aggression of the Vanguard Coalition. GemCo and [X.I.X] brought Machariel and Dominix Battleship fleets, 300 pilots strong approximately. [S2N] had a Loki Strategic Cruiser fleet supported by a bomber wing, estimated at 150 pilots total.
Pandemic Legion brought a Proteus Strategic Cruiser fleet, 130 pilots strong, and were later bolstered by a 70 pilot Maller Cruiser fleet flown by WAFFLES. [N0MAD] and Pandemic Horde [REKTD].
Spectre Fleet came to third-party the fight, mainly in Ishtar Heavy Assault Cruisers, some 70 pilots big, but ended up assisting Pandemic Legion in the fight.
The Vanguard Coalition brought a Machariel Battleship fleet, estimated at around 100 pilots, as well as an Ishtar Heavy Assault Cruiser fleet, estimated at 50 pilots, which arrived in the system quite late in the fighting.
As the timer reached its final moments, the Vanguard Coalition proved absent, unable to fight the overwhelming force brought by GemCo and their allies; they decided to avoid the fight altogether. Thus, GemCo used the opportunity to quickly remove the Sovereignty Blockade Units in the system, securing it once more. At this point Pandemic Legion forces arrived on the LXQ2-T gate in the PX-IHN system, with [S2N] forces waiting on the other side, sitting at their optimal, having removed all hostile Sovereignty Blockade Units in the system.
A decision was made to jump in and fight the [S2N] force, as Pandemic Legion are still contractually obligated to fight [S2N], not to mention the latter have been avoiding Pandemic Legion thus far. A brawl started on the PX-IHN gate, with Pandemic Legion and [S2N] exchanging losses as the Pandemic Legion force moved swiftly on top of the Lokis. As more Lokis were volleyed off, the damage output of [S2N] dropped considerably, allowing Pandemic Legion to tank with ease. Thus started a one sided massacre of the [S2N] Lokis. After a brutal exchange that saw perhaps half the [S2N] Lokis cut down, [S2N] had no alternative but to withdraw.
At this point though, more fleets arrived at the PX-IHN gate. Both [X.I.X] and [TRI] warped in, as well as Spectre Fleet and the Pandemic Legion reinforcements. A chaotic battle ensued with [TRI] and [X.I.X] exchanging heavy volleys. Pandemic Legion targeted GemCo forces, going after their Dominix and Machariels. As the chaos spread, fleets became disorganized, dispersed with many small engagements taking place between different forces. At last, with both GemCo and the Vanguard Coalition bloodied, all sides disengaged.
Pandemic Legion decided for its part to withdraw, after having achieved both a fight and destroying [S2N]’s fleet, managing to extract without further incident. Though skirmishing continued for a bit in the system, the main fight was over, and all sides departed.
Battle report for the LXQ2-T system can be found here.
The battle once again astounds in its scale, being mainly a sub-capital affair. The system hosted no less than 850 pilots at the peak of the fighting, with 3 sides represented on the field (4 if Spectre Fleet is counted separately). Time Dilation was a constant factor, ebbing and flowing as the battle raged, reaching extremes of 60% at times and falling to 10% at others. The battles raged for nearly a full hour.
The butcher’s bill is still being tallied up, but if killboards are to be trusted, exceeds the previous engagement by far. GemCo, [X.I.X] and [S2N] suffered the brunt of the losses, 135 ships for a total of 47 Billion ISK. Pandemic Legion lost 67 ships, for a total of 9 Billion ISK (Though the vast majority belonging to [REKTD] and [N0MAD]). Vanguard Coalition lost 53 ships, for a total of 17 Billion ISK in damage. Including third parties, the the total losses in the fight reach a staggering 274 ships and approximately 75 Billion ISK, twice that of the previous engagement!
Though the station was saved, or maybe because the strategic objective was already met, all participants felt free to brawl all-out resulting in another spectacular fight that will go down in EVE history. As the two coalitions continue to battle for supremacy of the Drone Lands, engagements like these may become even more common, making the North of New Eden one of the bloodiest regions once more.
Salivan Harddin writes for The EVE Scribe, Providence Bloc’s News Portal. When he isn’t writing articles, he bubbles his own fleets by accident.
