On September 15th of 2016, a large charity event occurred in HED-GP; Reps on Tylor.
It was attended by multiple fleets, including two well known NPSI groups: SPECTRE Fleet and Bombers Bar.
Towards the end of the event, as the various fleets were beginning to leave, SPECTRE Fleet found itself at the Keberz gate in HED-GP. During the event, Bombers Bar scouts had carefully placed book marks at tactical positions around all gates in the nearby null sec systems, including this one. This is a standard practice and nothing new for setting up bombing runs. However, as will be explained later, the exact placement of these bookmarks is notable. After SPECTRE Fleet landed on the gate, the bombing run commenced. The following video has records of both fleets’ perspectives.
The Bombing Runs from the Perspectives of Bombers Bar and Spectre Fleet
For a more detailed look, see the Battle Report here
Best efforts were made to report the results accurately, but the nature of NPSI fleets makes it a calculated guess.
As the video and Battle Report indicate, the results of this bombing run were impressive. Not only were the expected battleships and microwarpdrive fit cruisers devastated, but a large number of Svipl T3 Destroyers were killed. This is an unusual occurrence, as bombing runs typically have a difficult time applying damage to such small targets.
Maximizing damage with bombs is achieved with careful positioning and timing. Multiple waves of bombs can be launched if each wave is timed to go off before the next one flies within range. Another tactic is to launch bombs from opposite directions, carefully distancing the points of impact between 15 to 30 km from each other. This requires exceptional placement of bookmarks, as bombers want to be aligned to a warpout while they decloak and launch their payloads. Bomber’s Bar did both of these things at the same time, successfully deploying a total of 4 fully bonused waves of bombs. Additionally, they had several pilots in each wing launch Void bombs, which neutralize a ships capacitor instead of doing damage. Void bombs are also twice as fast as regular bombs and thus can be launched in addition to the normal maximum of 7. This resulted in the deactivation of tanking modules, further increasing the total damage done.
In the grand scheme of conflicts in New Eden, the 5.86 billion in losses suffered by Spectre Fleet doesn’t amount to much. In the end, though, the result was a fantastic display of timing and preparation for any fleet to achieve, especially one relying on pilots from all over New Eden.
Eve’s organized NPSI groups, like SPECTRE Fleet and Bombers Bar, are “newbro friendly” communities where new players can join in and learn the fundamentals of PvP without the obligations of corporations and alliances. With the coming of Alpha Clones, such groups could become important to help retain the interest of the flood of new players we all hope (and fear) will enter New Eden.
