[QRF] Chasing squirels in our backyard

[Kora K]

o/

No fleet planned tonight, so the Kamela - Beach House tenants decided to take some frigates out and go chase the squirels in our backyard. We got around 20 kills this evening (the roam continued after I logged off, so they might have more now), and we only had to stay in Kamela and 1 jump away.

Operation Kamelalot

Anyway, it's going to be collective AAR, because it's a roam more than a fleet. If your participated in any capacity in this roam, please comment on your experience below. Show what you learn, the nice kills you got and how nice Kamela is

Roam members (12)

Spoiler

B'aldrick Aivoras
Decklin Quark Reiger
Eddie Dante
Glen Burney
Kora K
O'Hearn
Padraic Musbrandt
Rebulah Conundrum
Trillian Ituin
Tyler Arnoux
Willow K
ashahara

Kills and Losses
(18:09:25) Kamela
Punisher +3.32m
Tormentor +8.06m

(18:26:52) Kourmonen
Punisher -7.24m
Capsule -0.01m

(18:46:43) Kamela
Osprey +25.54m

(19:00:23) Lamaa
Rifter +5.35m

(19:15:04) Lamaa
Executioner -8.63m
Algos -15.09m
Merlin -7.9m
Cyclone +83.4m

(19:27:54) Lamaa, Kamela, Uusanen
Merlin -7.9m
Federation Navy Comet +45.5m
Retribution +141.92m
Capsule +0.01m
Harbinger +78.26m
Atron -9.68m
Capsule -0.01m
Capsule +0.01m

(19:45:56) Lamaa, Kamela
Kestrel -9.38m
Imperial Navy Slicer +42.98m
Rifter +1.02m
Capsule +0.01m
Algos +20.82m
Thrasher +22.35m
Thrasher +20.76m
Corax +11.12m
Corax +720.64m
Talwar +13.03m
Corax +10.84m
Merlin -7.9m
Coercer +17.85m
Incursus -11.36m
Hurricane +77.23m

(20:04:47) Lamaa
Punisher -11.76m
Hurricane +77.59m
Merlin -7.65m

(20:13:00) Lamaa
Vexor +40.97m

(20:19:01) Lamaa
Atron -11.25m
Tristan -9.64m

(20:26:20) Lamaa
Federation Navy Comet +37m
Tormentor +7.47m
Imperial Navy Slicer +49.08m
Caldari Navy Hookbill -32.29m
Capsule +0.01m

(20:44:51) Lamaa
Caldari Navy Hookbill -36.44m
Vexor Navy Issue +107.31m

(20:54:48) Tzvi
Rifter +1.53m

(21:12:10) Kamela
Atron -10.08m


Stats
ISK Destroyed: 1,670,984,255.9
ISK Lost: 204,212,257.64
ISK Delta: 1,466,771,998.26
Efficiency: 89.11%

[O'Hearn]

I had a blast. I'm still confused about the difference between a roam and a fleet.

I learned a lot:

* I felt embarrassed about asking where to go all the time, so I spent a lot of time quietly trying to figure it out. I think this was a mistake, because I often arrived late for the action.
* I think getting Mumble overlay would help me out a lot, because people often don't say their own name when speaking.
* When the FC asks for "your double yous", they're asking for you to type "www" into fleet chat, so folks know to warp to you.
* Panicking on sight of enemy doesn't help. The fleet wants information. "Two flashies on TZV gate" isn't enough. I had to resize my overview to see full Ship Type so that I could share that information.
* When the FC says "Don't stay on grid," warp off. I lost a ship because I dithered, wondering whether we were running from a winnable fight.
* Holding scram without web or AB is hard. Something for me to consider when fitting.
* When fighting drone boats, have drones enabled on the PvP tab.
* Drone micro is a thing in PvP too: recalling the individual drone under fire can waste the enemy's time.

Thanks for the roam!

[Tiberius Auduin]

* I felt embarrassed about asking where to go all the time, so I spent a lot of time quietly trying to figure it out. I think this was a mistake, because I often arrived late for the action.
* I think getting Mumble overlay would help me out a lot, because people often don't say their own name when speaking.
* When the FC asks for "your double yous", they're asking for you to type "www" into fleet chat, so folks know to warp to you.
* Panicking on sight of enemy doesn't help. The fleet wants information. "Two flashies on TZV gate" isn't enough. I had to resize my overview to see full Ship Type so that I could share that information.
* When the FC says "Don't stay on grid," warp off. I lost a ship because I dithered, wondering whether we were running from a winnable fight.
* Holding scram without web or AB is hard. Something for me to consider when fitting.
* When fighting drone boats, have drones enabled on the PvP tab.
* Drone micro is a thing in PvP too: recalling the individual drone under fire can waste the enemy's time.

Thanks for the roam!

1. Everyone is lost when starting to fly. It gets much easier, trust me. If you set your desto, aka the "yellow-brick road" , when you jump into a system, the next gate is colored yellow and automatically appears in your "selected item window". Try to listen carefully to FC's commands and look for the gate in your overview. If you're lost, ask in fleet or if the comms are open, just ask "Fleet location?", it'll be posted in fleet chat.
2. been playing 3 years, still too lazy for that, but the benefits are immense. After a while you start recognising voices.
3. www! very important if you want fleetmates to be on grid sooner rather later.
4. panic will subside with experience. Remember you have gate cloak and if you're on a gate at 0, if you get attacked, you simply can jump through the gate and your attackers are stuck on the other side with a weapons timer (agressive action prevents you from taking gates/docking).
5. you'll get better with experience.
6. depends on the ship you're tackling.
7. this is only applicable in many vs few, otherwise your overview gets clogged by drones and you lose situational awareness.
8. mos def!

[Eddie Dante]

I had a blast. I'm still confused about the difference between a roam and a fleet.

Well, theres not set definition. Usually fleets are planned in advance, put up on the calendar, have a doctrine and most importantly: a clear structure of an FC, 2-3IC, scout, logi wing, ewar wing etc. What we in the uni call 'roams' are more impromptu, everyone brings what he thinks is reasonable etc. Goal is the same though: pretty explosions. This specific roam had enough people to have Kora somewhat FC'ing to keep everyone loosely together. A destination was not set because there was just too much to kill in our current system.
So yeah, understandably way more confusing for the newbros but also the opportunity to have some more individual input then just following FC instructions.

As for the roam itself:
- The harbinger went down pretty easy but we had some trouble with a retribution who was attacking our flashy members. Most of the fleet couldnt help there since retribution wasnt flashy himself. (personally had the luck to have my weapons timer run out with 4% hull left). We got revenge when the retribution decided to play at a large though.
- After that in Lamaa, we were at a small and suddenly it started raining destroyers. Literally, they were warping into us one by one. Their lack of coordination was impressive. Bonus points for finishing the destroyer-stream with a hurricane
(Also, check out the awesome 700mill corax with a mining laser upgrade. Opponents dont get more stylish then that!)
- Hurricane guy came back with another hurricane
- hurricane guy came back with a vexor
- hurricane guy came back with a tormentor
- following 30ish minutes we had some trouble with two navy slicers who carefully tried to snipe us one by one. Quite fun manual piloting there to try and catch em.
- had to go before the VNI kill, so no info there.

[Willow K]

I had a blast. I'm still confused about the difference between a roam and a fleet.

I learned a lot:

* I felt embarrassed about asking where to go all the time, so I spent a lot of time quietly trying to figure it out. I think this was a mistake, because I often arrived late for the action.
* I think getting Mumble overlay would help me out a lot, because people often don't say their own name when speaking.
* When the FC asks for "your double yous", they're asking for you to type "www" into fleet chat, so folks know to warp to you.
* Panicking on sight of enemy doesn't help. The fleet wants information. "Two flashies on TZV gate" isn't enough. I had to resize my overview to see full Ship Type so that I could share that information.
* When the FC says "Don't stay on grid," warp off. I lost a ship because I dithered, wondering whether we were running from a winnable fight.
* Holding scram without web or AB is hard. Something for me to consider when fitting.
* When fighting drone boats, have drones enabled on the PvP tab.
* Drone micro is a thing in PvP too: recalling the individual drone under fire can waste the enemy's time.

Thanks for the roam!

1) in my first 3-4 fleets, i was always out place, wrong gate, or even wrong system... so i kept quite because after asking 1-2-3 times. i was like.... hmmm ... i am too newbro for this, but i got handle of it after... so it is goes natural to get used to it. (i am still new to fleets)
2) Mumble overlay will help you, but at the end for me it is distraction to try to see who talks, so i have been learning the voices of main people on roams/fleets. Also, i always try in the beginning of fleet, to record on my head, Scout voice.
Also there is another "trick", if i dont get it where we go and it is not broadcast. There is always Warp to Member that said www or he said point/web (i am already hitting warp to member).
3) when i hear dont stay or sca...tter (i already hit warp out somewhere to my Pod Tab) and after warp to FC (he is alive)
4) for me, it "slowed down", from fleet to fleet and it still does from fight to fight.


I joined nearly the middle of roam, as i was away 20 jumps and in the beginning thought will be few people, when i saw, it turns out to a small fleet, i grabbed my Atron and burned to our new "Beach House", reship to only ship, i have at the moment at Kalema, my trusty Punisher that has survived 3 fleets and 1 roam now ( have to admit it has been upgraded slowly as i train skills).

I joined exactly on Lamaa that destroyers were flying and manage to get the two killmails on Coraxes (the one with the festival launchers), also i got the two killmails on Vexor and VNI and i end up having 4 killmails, when until the roam, had only 1!

Personally, i liked roam a bit more than a strict fleet, it was more chaotic. Kora K in one system, Decklin somewhere else, Glen somewhere else, trying to tackle so the content was nonstop and the pace was fast. You could go repair, rejoin the fights without need to announce to FC or wait FC to move everyone together somewhere.

I have to admit the content is more Rich than our normal fleets and it seems people on this area, are up for a fight nonstop. I have been to 2 fleets and roam on this location and all of them having been good.

Also, i would like to thank LSC, for having Europe timezone fleets because a month ago or so everything was 00:00-02:00 my time and it was really hard to be part of them.

[Kora K]

Thanks for the people who commented

I called it a roam / QRF, because I had no intention of really FCing. I was more looking into a small gang type of flying. It means I have to manually pilot my ship and coordinate everyone else, which can be tricky at times. For some quick, general info on small gang : https://forum.eveuniversity.org/viewtop ... 04&t=92059. In this type of roam, the full fleet won't be together. Everyone is a scout / FC / tackle and need to find content for the fleet. You can look at your d-scan, check side systems, and call on comms when you have a potential target. It was more of an hybrid between a fleet and a small gang, but it went really well

We will have more of these in the next month, so get a handfull of T1 frigates ready in Kamela.

Anyway, for my AAR :

https://zkillboard.com/kill/68190082/ Kestrel lost. I was flying a basic nullsec Kestrel, with shield and MWD. I took this fit into LS to be a quick scram tackle, to grab kiters and shut them down completely. The 2 slicers following us around for quite a while were doing some really nice piloting, but I managed to survive a few times. I think I died the 3rd time I tried to go for them, so I'm still happy with my piloting there.

https://zkillboard.com/kill/68191311/ Hookbill loss. I spotted the cruor inside a novice, and it was a shame I had this SAAR for reps. I got an easy tackle on the Cruor, got a tight orbit with my dual webs and the tracking disruptor, and called the fleet. Unfortunately, the neuts pushed me to stop using all my modules except my scram (I though someone could grab secondary before I died). So I had no reps, no way to mitigate DPS and no way to escape. I almost killed him tho, so a MASB fit or buffer one would have worked well. Second pirate frig who escape me in 2 days, grrrr

[Decklin Quark Reiger]

PvP / PvE shenanigans:

(18:09:25) Kamela
Punisher +3.32m
Tormentor +8.06m

Just before / as we were gathering, I was alternating between running the Gala sites, and looking for PvP opportunities. I saw the first Punisher in a novice, so docked up, grabbed a standard kitey Tristan, and went to go fight him. I chose the Tristan because even if he was waiting at zero with a scram, I should be able to slip away from him (the Punisher only gets 2 mid slots). So I should be able to get to range, and keep an eye out for anyone else arriving to join the fight.

I was happy to see that he didn't just immediately warp off with warp core stabilizers fit, and it went down fairly easily. (Looks like it was someone's alt, just flying a super-cheap fit for plexing).

While I was fighting this punisher, a second Punisher and Tormentor appeared on close-range d-scan. At first I though they were together, and started kiting away from them with my drones on the Tormentor, since it is more dangerous.

However, it turned out these two weren't together, and started fighting each other. Seeing this, I switched my damage to the Punisher, expecting it to be more tanky, and that it would require both my dps and the Tormentor's dps to kill. However, the Punisher was *very* tanky (it had 2 plates and 2 resist modules - the lossmail is here: https://zkillboard.com/kill/68190135/). The Tormentor died, and I eventually ran out of cap to keep both my MWD and point running, so I had to let the Punisher escape with about half his armour remaining. It turns out this Punisher pilot came back later in a Hurricane and various other ships to fight our gang - thank you Rahgg Graageor for the fun fights

(18:46:43) Kamela
Osprey +25.54m

Prior to this fight, I had returned to my Gila and was in the middle of finishing off a Gala site, when I saw Glen's messages in fleet chat saying that he was in his battle-exequror and be ready to warp to him.

I saw his WWW's in fleet chat, so bookmarked my site and warped off to Glen, asking 'what am I warping to' in fleet chat, since Glen wasn't on comms yet. He said there was an Orthrus there. I landed on a gate, and Glen was gone (he had to disengage). The Orthrus was working together with an Osprey, but they were separated badly on the grid, so I was able to focus down the Osprey and then the Orthrus disengaged as Glen came back.

This was a nice example of having a PvE fit sort of viable for PvP - it was tanked specifically for the Gala sites, but did at least have a point fitted, so I was able to catch the Osprey.

Around this time, we started to form up for our small gang roam, and I decided to try out an Algos fit with rails and a neut. This is something that I've been meaning to try for a while. The fit is tight with the 10MN AB, but doesn't need any fitting modules, has quite a bit of utility and is inexpensive.



During our skirmishes, a pair of Imperial Navy Slicers flew really well, and harassed the edges of the fight. The light drones from the Algos were fast enough to apply to them, and drive them away, but didn't do enough damage to kill them, so at one point I switched into a dual-prop, scram, double-web Hookbill in order to catch them.

Here, I managed to bait a Slicer into following my warp to a small plex - I warped at 30km, and he landed right on top of me. I was able to kill the first one, but got greedy staying for the second, and he killed me:
(20:26:20) Lamaa
Imperial Navy Slicer +49.08m
Caldari Navy Hookbill -32.29m
Capsule +0.01m


After Kora had to go, most of us also decided to call it a night, and travelled back to our summer beach house.

Throughout the roam, we basically just kept finding fun fights - pilots from the local groups were happy to return with more ships for extra fights, and it was a lot of fun for everyone. The battlecruiser and cruiser pilots that we fought often fit their ships specifically to fight smaller ships. I suspect the novelty of fighting a gang of Unistas in frigs and destroyers was very appealing for these guys, and they mostly enjoyed the skirmishes.