Bombers Bar is an NPSI (Not Purple Shoot It) group which specializes in the operation of Stealth Bombers. One of its main activities in recent times has been hunting ratting Carriers in Null Security space. Also referred to as Whale Hunting, Bombers Bar has been able to inflict severe damage throughout New Eden with its ghostly fleets emerging through wormholes, striking fast before disappearing once again into the unknown.
On the 10th of October, no less than 4 ratting Carriers fell victim to the group, in what was one of the most successful hunting expedition experienced by the group in recent memory. The Bombers Bar fleet assembled in High Security space in the system of Dodixie in the Sinq Laison region. The force numbered 30 pilots and included a bridging Black Ops Battleship, Faclon and Rapier Force Recons which acted as support and of course, Stealth Bombers.
Setting out, the force utilized a wormhole chain in order to slip out of sight and make it to the Oasa region. There it waited patiently as its Hunters were unleashed upon the region. Hunters are usually (But not restricted to) Strategic Cruisers pilots who, using the covert configuration of their ships, slip through gate camps and anchored bubbles in order to tackle ratters in anomalies. Once a ratter is caught they will lit a cynosural beacon which allows the Stealth Bomber fleet to be bridged on top of the helpless victim.
The first catch of the fleet was that of a Chimera Carrier ratting with 2 Myrmidon Battlecruisers. Bombers Bar forces had to burn quite a way in order to reach the target, which allowed one of the Myrmidons to escape. However the Carrier and the remaining Myrmidon weren’t so lucky and were quickly overwhelmed.
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Having secured their first kill, the whaling expedition was only getting started. 3 Thanatos Carriers were spotted in an anomaly, seemingly oblivious to the existence of the unknown pilot that had just intruded into their system. The Fleet Commander for Bombers Bar hesitated, fearing a trap and the hunter maintained his cloak, positioning himself close to the Carriers.
As the Carriers started to warp out of the anomaly, the hunter quickly de-cloaked and caught the last one. The fleet quickly bridged on top of the Carrier and unleashed Torpedo volleys, which proved devastating. Quickly, the Carrier was destroyed along side with whatever ships it held in its Ship Maintenance Array.
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One of the other Thanatos Carriers though, apparently either disconnected or logged off in space. With an active timer from activities such as ratting, a ship will not disappear from the system upon logging out until its timer runs out, which allowed Bombers Bar to quickly probe it down. Once the Bombers Bar fleet was on top of it, it could re-activate its PvP timer, allowing the fleet enough time to destroy the Carrier which was literally defenseless.
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The last Carrier kill of the fleet that day was the most bizarre one. As reports of a Scorpion Navy Issue Battleship ratting in an anomaly reached the fleet, several hunters were dispatched to get a tackle on it. One of them noticed a Thanatos Carrier warping around a star system. Deciding to investigate, the pilot found the Thanatos camping a gate with anchorable bubbles and sentry drones. Quickly tackling the ship, the hunter signaled the rest of the fleet to burn to the system.
A few more hunters quickly establish secondary and tertiary point, and the Bombers Bar fleet entered the system, only to be caught in the bubbles. Burning out and re-pinging on the grid, the Bombers Bar fleet starts applying damage to the Carrier. At the same time the support fleet busied itself clearing drones and keeping the Carrier jammed.
While ratting Carriers can be easily overwhelmed by a Stealth Bomber fleet, the Bombers Bar force had expanded most of its Void bombs, which drain the capacitor ships they hit. Whats more, the Carrier was fitted for combat, and not a specific damage profile tank as is the usual with ratting Carriers. Bringing in the bridging Black Ops Battleship with its rack of Heavy Energy Neutralizers, the Carrier was finally incapacitated, allowing Bombers Bar to dispatch it.
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Once the Carrier was destroyed, Bombers Bar quickly caught its original intended target before disappearing once more into High Security space, leaving behind it a trail of smoldering wrecks.
The Whale Hunting Expedition from the PoV of Bombers Bar’s Stealth Bomber
All told Bombers Bar managed to destroy 4 Carriers, 1 Battleship, 1 Battlecruiser. 2 Heavy Assault Cruisers and 2 Cruisers for a total of 13 Bil ISK of damages, suffering only 4 losses; 3 Stealth Bombers and 1 Falcon Force Recon, reaching a total of 400 Mil ISK damage.
The List of Bombers Bar’s Victims from the Expedition
