While allied operations continue to push hard into Imperium territory, the Imperium itself seems to be losing steam. After a few major battles, the Imperium’s strategy seems to have shifted from major defensive battles to battles of attrition, often throwing battlecruiser, cruiser and interceptor fleets at the advancing allied forces. While time will tell whether this strategy succeeds or not, the allies continue to make substantial gains nearly unopposed.
An allied Cerberus heavy assault cruiser fleet was ambushed by Imperium forces in the PZOZ-K system, leading to its destruction.
In a continuation of the allied assault on Imperium infrastructure, a small Cerberus fleet was assembled to escort a dreadnought force which was tasked with removing an Imperium tower in the PZOZ-K system that was exiting reinforced mode. The tower in question was situated over a valuable moon, and the allies wished to claim it.
As the dreadnoughts entered their siege cycles and began the process of destroying the tower, an Imperium Sleipnir command ship fleet bridged on top of them, having assembled in secret and gone undetected by allied scouts. The allied force soon found itself outgunned and outnumbered, forced to concede the field to the Sleipnir fleet which swiftly dispatched the dreadnoughts, thus securing the tower and the objective.
However, the allies soon organized a response fleet, hastily assembling a second Cerberus fleet while reinforcements for the first were still gathering. The two fleets then attempted to intercept the Imperium force as it made its way home towards the UQ9-3C system in the Branch region, catching it in the 9IPC-E system.
The second Cerberus fleet had managed to reach the system first and set up on the EIV-1W gate, waiting for the Sleipnir fleet to arrive. Once the command ships had entered the system, the two sides opened fire.
The second Cerberus fleet managed to kite out of the range of the command ships, inflicting losses while suffering only a few in return as the two sides fought. However, the first Cerberus fleet attempted to join the fight, bridging into the system directly. This turned out to be a mistake as the Sleipnir fleet managed to warp to the cynosural beacon, landing on top of the heavy assault cruisers.
Swiftly, the Imperium force dispatched the first Cerberus fleet, leaving the second one outgunned and severely outnumbered. Deciding to withdraw rather than risk losing a second fleet, allied forces retreated from the system, allowing the Imperium to claim a second victory.
Battle report for the PZOZ-K and 9IPC-E system can be found here.
The first major battle fought over an Imperium staging system was held in the M-OEE8 system over an infrastructure hub and station timer.
The allies gathered a long list of fleets including a Rattlesnake battleship fleet, 3 Proteus fleets, 3 Cerberus fleets, a Tengu strategic cruiser fleet and a Cormorant destroyer fleet as well as a host of stealth bomber wings and skirmish fleets. Against this the Imperium brought 2 Machariel battleship fleets, 2 Proteus fleet of its own and 2 Hurricane battlecruiser fleets as well as a few stealth bomber squadrons and a skirmish wing.
The two sides met in the neighboring J-GAMP system on the M-OEE8 gate, where the allies were able to break the main Imperium force, destroying a Machariel fleet and 2 Proteus fleets in the process. From then on the fighting spread across the 1P-VL2 constellation as smaller engagements were fought over command nodes between allied fleets and Imperium reserves.
By the end of the battle, the allies managed to destroy the infrastructure hub and secure their own, thus winning their main objective. At the same time, allied forces in the Fade and Pure Blind regions launched their own assault, reinforcing much of the infrastructure.
The fight itself saw Imperium alliance Circle-Of-Two [CO2] withdraw from the coalition and join the allies, giving the allies a foothold in the Tribute region.
Full article can be found here.
Drone Walkers (DW) and Vanguard Coalition (VC) continue their assault of the region, making substantial gains while pushing back local defenders. In their efforts to capture more systems and stations, the two coalitions have sent regular patrols across the region to safeguard allied entosis operations.
In one of those instances, an Imperium Cerberus fleet was intercepted by their forces. The Imperium fleet attempted to disrupt entosis operations in the 2-ZRM0 constellation but was reported by allied scouts, which allowed allied fleets to converge on its location and catch up to it in the GW7P-8 system.
Two allied Cerberus fleets converged on the system, where the Imperium force was stopped by allied interdictors on the Y-YHZQ gate. Not wishing to engage the allied forces head on, the Imperium fleet attempted to flee, burning off the gate and warping off. Allied forces gave chase, catching stragglers and inflicting several losses as the Imperium fleet fled.
With Imperium forces managing to escape, allied forces continued to patrol the constellation while carrying out entosis operations, securing more stations and systems for the allies.
The Engagement from the Perspective of the Drone Walkers Cerberus Fleet
Battle report can be found here.
An Imperium Avatar titan was destroyed by allied forces in the S-NJBB system.
Following the Imperium’s retreat from the region, many of its pilots found themselves behind enemy lines as allied forces continued to advance through the area uncontested. With many jump bridges and cynosural beacons destroyed, Imperium pilots were forced to risk using the few that remained in order to evacuate. One such cynosural beacon in the S-NJBB system saw an increase in usage as Imperium capitals jumped to it in order to escape the region, which in turn drew allied attention.
As the scouts kept watch on the tower, an Avatar titan belonging to The Bastion [BASTN] jumped to the beacon. Without wasting a second, allied forces quickly lit their own cynosural beacon on the field, bridging an allied Cerberus fleet to tackle the behemoth and bump it away from the tower’s shields. As news spread of the tackled titan, other allied fleets converged on the system, with allied pilots trickling in as heavier assets were brought in to aid in the destruction of the ship.
By the time an allied super capital fleet arrived on grid, jumping in to the allied cynosural beacon, the titan’s fate had already been sealed. Exploding in a huge conflagration, the titan was destroyed by allied forces, marking the first Imperium super capital to be destroyed by allied forces in Imperium territory during the war.
The Titan’s Demise as Seen from the Perspective of the Test Alliance Please Ignore Cerberus Fleet
Loss mail can be found here.
A long and arduous battle was fought between allied forces and the Imperium over the C-OK0R system‘s infrastructure hub in the 7X-X1Y constellation as the former continued their assault on the region against the latter.
Imperium forces attempted to blockade the constellation, deploying a Hurricane fleet in the 8W-OSE system to block allied movement while working on securing command nodes in order to save the infrastructure hub.
In response, several allied fleets formed in an attempt to contest the Imperium, including but not limited to: A Ferox battlecruiser fleet, an Oracle battlecruiser fleet, a Tornado battlecruiser fleet, a Svipul tactical destroyer fleet and an interceptor fleet.
Together, the allied fleets were able to engage the Imperium force, the two sides fighting over the command nodes. With the Ferox fleet managing to soak most of the damage and the different allied fleets hammering at it, the Imperium Hurricane fleet was quickly annihilated, leaving the allies to dispose of Imperiun entosis ships and replace them with their own.
The Imperium, however, had not given up, and simply re-formed its fleet, bringing another Hurricane force towards the constellation. With allied scouts reporting the fleet’s movement, allied forces set a trap, feigning retreat and allowing Imperium forces to chase them into the X36Y-G system, where they chose to engage on the YKSC-A gate.
Caught on the gate, the allied fleets concentrated fire on the Hurricane fleet, managing to annihilate it yet again, though suffering some losses in the process.
By now more Imperium fleets were forming up, and after suffering casualties in two battles, the allied Ferox fleet chose to withdraw in order to re-ship and get more pilots, switching to a Proteus fleet. At the same time, another allied Proteus fleet was assembling and heading to the region in order to reinforce allied operations.
At this point, the allies had managed to destroy the infrastructure hub, but with plenty of timers in the region, were determined to stop the Imperium from securing any of its vulnerable systems. By now though, the Imperium had managed to bring another Hurricane fleet to the region, as the first one was being re-formed for the third time.
With the allies wishing to continue entosis operations while the Imperium was determined to stop them, both sides came to a head in the E9KD-N system on the 6RCQ-V gate. With an Imperium Hurricane fleet guarding the gate and securing command nodes and allied reinforcements still a few systems away, the gathered allied forces decided to jump in regardless to stop it.
The two sides exchanged fire on the gate, with the allied Oracle fleet destroyed in the process, having sustained losses throughout the previous fights. The Proteus fleet for the most part managed to tank the incoming fire and inflict heavy damage on the battlecruisers, but with the second Imperium fleet arriving on grid and joining the fray and an error committed by its logistics anchor, things began deteriorating fast. Losing its logistics wing entirely, the Proteus fleet was forced to retreat, jumping back to the 6RCQ-V system.
However, as the Imperium fleets attempted to give chase and jump after the Proteus fleet, allied reinforcements arrived and engaged them on the E9KD-N gate in the system. The first Proteus fleet then merged with the second, and the combined force started hammering the two Imperium fleets, forcing them to flee once more.
By this point, the allies had managed to thoroughly exhaust Imperium forces, thus winning the field and several more timers as allied entosis operations continued unhindered in the region.
Battle report can be found here.
Allied forces clashed with two Imperium fleets in the R-LW2I system over an infrastructure hub timer.
The system in question serves as an important junction in the Imperium’s jump bridge network and the loss of its infrastructure hub would effectively serve to sever it, complicating Imperium logistics and fleet movement.
Thus, Imperium forces formed a Hurricane fleet and a Caracal cruiser fleet in order to protect the system and disrupt allied entosis operations, with the Caracal fleet arriving first to the system.
In response, an allied Ferox fleet was hastily assembled and dispatched to the system, supported by allied stealth bomber squadrons and skirmish wings. The force made its way to the R-LW2I system, discovering the Caracal fleet on one of the command nodes and engaging it.
The Caracal fleet, quickly realizing it was outgunned and outnumbered by the allied force, didn’t try to engage the allied fleet but decided to warp out, concentrating on disrupting entosis operations. This forced the much slower battlecruisers to give chase, with interceptors and interdictors sent ahead to catch stragglers.
The chase continued for a short time, with the Caracal fleet losing mainline ships as they were caught attempting to disengage. Deciding to retreat from the system, the Caracal fleet landed on the 3V8-LJ gate in order to extract. However, as it landed, allied stealth bombers de-cloaked, starting a bombing run on the gate as the Imperium fleet was still landing.
The run was expertly timed, catching the fleet as it landed and obliterating half of it, thus forcing the remains to run back to their staging system after being effectively neutered. Yet at the same time, a reinforcing Imperium Hurricane fleet entered the system, attempting to contest the command nodes as well.
The Allied Bombing Run on the 3V8-LJ Gate in the R-LW2I system
The allied Ferox fleet sprang once more into action, and the two sides met over one of the command nodes. After a quick exchange of fire, the Hurricane fleet warped out, attempting to contest a different node before the Ferox fleet warped in once again and fought it. Once more the two sides traded blows, exchanging mainline ships as allied bombers made their presence felt again.
Warping off, the Hurricane fleet managed to escape the allied bombing run. At this point the allies were making gains in their entosis operations, and having to contend both with the Ferox fleet and the allied bombers, the Imperium force preferred to find refuge in a safe tower in the system, conceding the field.
Thus, allied forces were free to continue their operations unchallenged, destroying the infrastructure hub and securing both a strategic and a tactical victory.
Battle report can be found here.
An allied Proteus fleet was destroyed in the 1IX-C0 system by Imperium forces attempting to reinforce towers in the region.
Allied forces had assembled a joint Proteus fleet to escort a squadron of dreadnoughts to the area, where several Supercapital Ship Assembly Arrays (SSAA) were found. The goal of the fleet was to reinforce the towers in order to further increase pressure on the Imperium, as well as show the reach of allied forces.
However, due to several delays, the force had reached its destination after nearly 45 minutes, enough time for Imperium forces to scout the fleet and form up in response. Imperium forces were able to muster a Sleipnir fleet and a Hurricane fleet, the two fleets moving in to trap the Proteus fleet.
As the allied dreadnoughts entered their siege cycles and reinforced tower after tower, guarded by the Proteus fleet, allied scouts reported on the Imperium’s movements. Wishing to engage Imperium forces, the Proteus fleet went to intercept the enemy fleet, moving to the 1IX-C0 system where the jump bridge was located in order to cut it off, while the dreadnoughts were told to make preparations for extraction as the initial objective of reinforcing said towers had been achieved.
As the Imperium Sleipnir fleet entered the 1IX-C0 system via the jump bridge, allied forces were already there waiting and attacked it on the tower itself, starting the fight. The two fleets traded blows, the Proteus fleet for the most part tanking the incoming damage and destroying mainline Imperium ships. However, it was bleeding logistics cruisers, finally losing the entire logistics wing due to an anchoring mistake which allowed the command ships to get on top of them.
Without their logistics wing, the strategic cruisers proved quite vulnerable and were forced to retreat, chased by the Sleipnir fleet which had been further reinforced by the Hurricane fleet. At the same time, the majority of the allied dreadnoughts managed to jump out of the system, except two which got tackled by Imperium forces in the N-5476 system in the Venal region and were destroyed with ease.
As Imperium forces continued to give chase, the Proteus fleet hemorrhaged more and more ships that got caught by hostiles during the rout. A small allied Cerberus fleet that was in the vicinity attempted to aid the strategic cruisers, but was easily destroyed by the Imperium force. Finally, the remnants of the Proteus fleet managed to escape their pursuers, leaving the Imperium in control of the field.
Battle report can be found here.
An Imperium Hurricane fleet was destroyed in the E9KD-N system by allied forces while attempting to contest command nodes in the region.
The Imperium fleet attempted to secure command nodes in order to reclaim some of its sovereignty in the area, but was spotted by allied scouts who relayed the information to allied command. With the news of the Hurricane fleet making their way across the front, several allied fleets quickly formed up to tackle it, including a Ferox fleet, a Proteus fleet, a Cerberus fleet and a Svipul fleet.
These fleets traveled to the Fade region, managing to catch the fleet as it was busy guarding entosis operations in the system. The Ferox fleet jumped in first to engage the Imperium force, warping to a command node where the Hurricane fleet was located and opening fire. The two fleets quickly fought, trading blows as the Imperium fleet found itself tackled.
With the Imperium fleet engaged, the rest of the allied forces swiftly piled in, jumping into the system and landing on grid. As allied numbers increased, the Hurricane fleet found itself losing ships at an accelerating rate while allied interdictors and interceptors kept it pinned down, unable to escape.
In a few minutes, the entire fleet was lost, with only a few ships managing to escape the carnage. To its credit, the Imperium fleet fought to the last, though unable to do much against the sheer number of hostiles as its forces dwindled.
With the Imperium fleet destroyed, the allied fleets departed from the system while their entosis squadrons continued to secure systems unchallenged.
The Battle from the Perspective of the Imperium Hurricane Fleet
Battle report can be found here.
The following changes occurred during the period of fighting (Infrastructure hubs are not included):
27/3: LS-JEP, 47L-J4 in Vale of the Silent and Z-SR1I, OE-4HB, A1RR-M, GW7P-8 in Tenal fell into allied hands with the following stations entering free port mode: K8X-6B in Vale of the Silent and Z-SR1I, A1RR-M in Tenal.
28/3: IPAY-2 in Vale of the Silent and SF-XJS in Tenal fell into allied hands with the following stations entering free port mode: 6OYQ-Z in Tenal. The Imperium was able to reclaim YKSC-A and C-OK0R in Fade as well as recapture the 0-ARFO station in Fade.
29/3 Q3-BAY, E-D0VZ, EIDI-N in Vale of the Silent and Y-YHZQ in Tenal fell into allied hands with the following stations entering free port mode: Q3-BAY, JZV-F4, A8A-JN in Vale of the Silent, C8-CHY in Fade and OE-4HB in Tenal.
30/3: MGAM-4, 1VK-6B, S6QX-N, A8A-JN in Vale of the Silent and NV-3KA in Tenal fell into allied hands with the following stations entering free port mode: VORM-W, S6QX-N, MGAM-4, S-NJBB in Vale of the Silent.
31/3: 6WW-28, IT-YAU, Map E-SCTX, JZV-F4, 7-PO3P, R-RSZZ, 7G-H7D in Vale of the Silent, O-BY0Y, D7T-C0 in Pure Blind and 6OYQ-Z, A-1IJ9 in Tenal fell into allied hands with the following stations entering free port mode: KRUN-N, E-SCTX, JZV-F4, A8A-JN, 7-PO3P in Vale of the Silent, E9KD-N in Fade, UMI-KK in Tribute and O-BY0Y in Pure Blind.
Salivan Harddin is a member of Reikoku, Pandemic Legion, and covers battles across New Eden
