Disclaimer: Due to multiple fleets and participants present in the fight, all the numbers supplied in this article are estimates only.
Ikoskio system, Black Rise region. On the 27th of December at 22:30 EVE Standard Time, Imperium forces fought the inhabitants of low security space and their allies over a tower in the system.
The battle was sparked after a Snuffed Out [B B C] tower in the system was reinforced by Imperium forces as part of their campaign against the residents of low security space. With the tower coming out of reinforced mode, both sides were gearing up for a major clash.
Snuffed Out and their allies (The OSS [OSS], Psychotic Tendencies. [TISHU] and Suddenly Spaceships. [CYN0]) formed a joint 120 pilot Machariel battleship fleet and made their way to the system. The force bridged into the system before warping to a perch on the tower grid only to find Imperium forces waiting for it.
The Imperium itself had no less than 600 pilots on the field divided into two Proteus strategic cruiser fleets, a mixed shield assault frigate fleet, an electronic warfare frigate fleet and an interceptor fleet. The combined force quickly perched on the grid as well before warping in close proximity to the Machariel fleet, starting the actual fight.
The first exchanges went badly for Imperium forces. While several support ships on the Machariel fleet proved too frail to withstand the amount of firepower the Imperium forces could project, the Machariels managed to tank the incoming damage just fine. Yet the same couldn’t be said for the Imperium forces, as the Machariels’ auto-cannon fire brought down strategic cruisers in rapid succession.
As the battle heated up reinforcements arrived for Snuffed Out. Both Pandemic Legion [-10.0] and Northern Coalition. [NC] were told of the timer and formed separate fleets for it. Pandemic Legion brought a 100 pilot Tengu strategic cruiser fleet while Northern Coalition. brought a similarly sized force of Sleipnir command ships.
Both forces entered the system as the fight started, Pandemic Legion attempting to land at a maximum range of the Proteus fleets and snipe from long distance. However, the Imperium’s interceptor fleet was prepared for this. Using a scout with a Virtue implants set, the interceptors managed to probe down the Tengu fleet and land on top of it, forcing it to withdraw while inflicting casualties. Pandemic Legion attempted several times to return to the fight but kept being hounded by the interceptor fleet and forced to retreat, thus not contributing much to the battle.
Northern Coalition.’s Sleipnir fleet on the other hand, landed on the grid near the tower and immediately became the focus point of the Imperium’s Proteus fleets who warped at close range and started engaging the Sleipnirs. After a grueling fire exchange the Sleipnirs warped out, replaced by a Spectre Fleet Harbinger battlecruier fleet that joined the fray.
The Harbinger fleet proved no match for the Imperium forces who dispatched it with ease, though the distraction allowed the Machariel fleet to take a few free shots at the hostile force. The Harbinger fleet quickly retreated, leaving the Machariel fleet to take on the Imperium forces head on.
Northern Coalition.’s Sleipnirs attempted to return to the grid but were chased again by the Proteus fleets and forced off once more. At this point the Machariel fleet continued to hold the field, the Proteus fleets trying and failing to break it and sustaining continued losses as the fight wore on.
And yet, the tables quickly turned when a small command destroyer force belonging to the Imperium executed its trap. The force managed to warp to the Machariel fleet and activate its many micro jump field generators. In an instant, the Machariel fleet was effectively split in half. Not wasting the opportunity, Imperium forces quickly tackled as many battleships as they could and started obliterating them as confusion set in.
First on the list of casualties were the Nestor battleships. They enabled the fleet to change configuration and helped counter the Proteus fleets and thus had to be gotten rid of. Next came the turn of the Machariels themselves. A dreadnought squadron was brought in by the Imperium to help and expedite their removal as the separated Machariels were quickly destroyed.
The Machariel fleet attempted to regroup while the Northern Coalition. Sleipnir fleet returned for the third time to the field. With the Proteus fleets occupied with decimating the Machariel fleet, the Sleipnirs had leeway and started engaging the many frigates and destroyers on grid in an attempt to free as many Machariels as possible.
Finally the Machariel fleet managed to rally its forces and stabilize. Though suffering a heavy blow, the force was able to continue fighting, especially since its logistics backbone had remained intact. It chose to target one of the dreadnoughts on the field, a Naglfar, and bombarded it with fire. As the behemoth lost its shields and started to dip quickly into armor and with the Proteus fleets unable to render assistance, Imperium commanders chose to further escalate matters.
Into the field jumped a full Imperium super capital fleet complete with carrier escorts. It became quite clear that the Machariel fleet, already battered and exhausted from hours of fighting, could not contend with these reinforcements. Thus the fleet attempted to extract from the system, assisted by Northern Coalition.’s who continued to clear tackle from the field, though Imperium reinforcements kept pouring in.
In the end, while a few Machariels and many Legion strategic cruisers were tackled and subsequently destroyed by Imperium forces, half the fleet managed to extract to safety. Having supplied covering fire to the retreating Machariel fleet, Northern Coalition. forces also withdrew, lest they become the target of the overwhelming Imperium force gathered on the tower.
With the field won, Imperium forces quickly took down the tower before extracting safely to their staging system, signaling the end of hostilities in the system.
The Battle from the Perspective of the Joint Machariel Fleet
Battle report for the Ikoskio system can be found here.
All told the battle lasted 2 hours with Time Dilation reaching a peak of 10% and remaining high throughout the fight. The system itself hosted nearly 1000 pilots for the duration of the engagement.
The Machariel fleet lost 54 ships including 35 battleships for a total of 60.17 billion ISK damage.
Imperium forces lost 133 ships including 31 strategic cruisers for a total of 24.61 billion ISK damage.
Pandemic Legion and Northern Coalition. lost 22 ships in total including 9 command ships and 6 strategic cruisers for a total of 10.31 billion ISK damage.
Spectre Fleet and other unaligned entities lost 88 ships including 16 battlecruisers for a total of 6.07 billion ISK.
*Banner image was created by Niden, all credit is reserved to the original artist.
Salivan Harddin is a member of Reikoku, Pandemic Legion, and covers battles across New Eden
