Please note that I have recorded this fleet and videos are online and public on YouTube (as indicated at undock-time). If you still object on your voice being on the recordings, please let me know via Forum-PM, Slack-PM or direct EVE-Mail. Oh, and apparently my recordings did not include command whispers, so I learned something from it! ^^
The planned route was a nice circle through Gallente/Caldari Faction Warfare territory. See also this DOTLAN Map.
Roam members (13)
Spoiler
Analee Tsasa - Kestrel
Asuka Rossi - Kestrel
Bruice Almighty - Kestrel
Ch4rl13 D4M3 B3rry - Kestrel, Ibis, 2IC
Cody Canada - Kestrel
De W Javqe - Kestrel, Velator, 3IC
Ersin Oghuz - Maulus
Esjay Kuovo - Kestrel
Ether Kirk - Kestrel
Giacomo Belenos - Kestrel
Khalista Hemah - Kestrel
Nienke Solette - Kestrel, Velator
Please let me know if I forgot anything or anyone and I'll edit this list!
The interesting part of the fleet started in Abune at the Oinasiken gate. Traffic was relatively high (Federation Navy Comet, Succubus, Garmur) and I hoped to catch something. Fleet ended up jumping the gate a couple of times and not catching anything, I should have put a vanguard at the other side just like the BLAP Merlin fleet on the 4th. Commands were a bit messy and I was busy with helping a newbro find the fleet, so I decided to let the fleet orbit the Abune gate in Oinasiken while our scout was creating a safe for us to warp to. Next time, I should try getting content on gates in LowSec with a Kestrel fleet, I did not think of the gate-guns and paper tank...
The messy part didn't end here, the scout pushed a wrong button which is why we ended at a Small plex (Best Laid Plans). At this point I was 1) considering to use a filament to yeet the fleet again for funsies and 2) trying to get comms clear and 3) clear up the messy part. I decided to slide the gate and see what was in it, partly because I thought it would put us in a safer spot. When landing there were many NPCs so I called to not shoot anything because of faction warfare. Furthermore, I called to anchor up and turn the prob-mod on, just to see which pilots were in a "Sunday afternoon let's chill mood" or if there were any newbros who needed a bit of help. Just to see if I could get it cleaner. It also became clear here that not everyone was following the doctrine: there was an AB-fit kestrel amongst the fleet which was unfortunate.
Then, a Stiletto and a Kikimora landed on the plex and started spiralling in, which is why I decided to warp the fleet to a fresh safe from our scout. Apparently, they had scanners because they followed rather quickly. I warped the fleet to a Small plex to keep the speed high.
Video 1
(14:00:26) Oinasiken
Kestrel -10.1m
Kestrel -5.48m
Then, a Stiletto and a Kikimora landed on the plex (we were at +100k distance) and started spiralling in, which is why I decided to warp the fleet to a fresh safe from our scout. It looked like they had scanners because they followed rather quickly and landed at 200+km. I warped the fleet to a Small plex to keep the speed high. Apparently not high enough, the Stiletto was able to land directly on top of us at the acceleration gate. I called it primary while a Kikimora landed at 50km and a Retribution at 10km. The Stiletto was able to gain distance fast because we lacked scram. Our scout was also in a doctrine Kestrel, which was the reason for that. Next time I must check if the scout has a proper ship.
When the Stiletto and Kikimora were out of range I decided to switch to the Retribution. Like earlier this weekend I did not call it secondary which would have increased a quicker switch. I also wanted to try to give countdowns for engaging to get as much DPS in a second as possible, but the earlier messiness was probably causing me not to do that. Our 2IC went down and I was afraid of losing more ships (our 3IC and EWAR had 1/4 shield left) at an early stage of our fleet, so I decided to warp the fleet out. I also saw the Retribution was at 35km from my own position, again ignoring the fleet positioning. In hindsight, the Retribution was already in half armour and I think we could have taken it down. Broadcasting targets: I didn't broadcast the Stiletto but did properly broadcast the Retribution.
After this fight, I wanted to go out of OIN, regroup somewhere and arrange a fight with a former Unista whom we valiantly de-shipped on the Hyperkitten fleet last Friday. So we went to Pynekastoh to dock up for a bit, managed the reshipping and getting an MWD for our off-doctrine Kestrel. I didn't want to keep the whole fleet waiting too long, so after 5 minutes we undocked again.
Video 2
(14:17:27) Pynekastoh
Garmur +68.09m
After undocking, I wanted to wait a bit in a Novice plex for people still reshipping and returning. We warped to the plex and landed almost at the same time as a yellow flashy Garmur. Called it primary and we took it down. In the video, I can see that my primary concern was keeping myself safe, which is why I aligned back to the station. Next time, I should work with a set default orbit which makes sense and use it. Furthermore, for Alpha-Bird Kestrels in LowSec, I would consider an AB fit instead of an MWJ fit next time. For more range, I can consider swapping the point out for a different utility module (damps/paints/something else?).
Video 3
(14:22:41) Pynekastoh
Federation Navy Comet +21.85m
After the kill, we took the acceleration gate to wait for our arranged fight. While waiting there, a Federation Navy Comet and a Tristan landed at 30km from us. Again forgot to call a secondary point on the Tristan, so that one warped off. We got the FNC, though ^^.
We stayed in the Novice plex to prepare for the arranged fight. When everyone was ready I warped us to the Large plex at 0 where an Imperial Navy Slicer was spotted on D. We landed at 100km from the INC.
Video 4
(14:31:30) Pynekastoh, Rakapas
Kestrel -5.14m
Kestrel -10.05m
Kestrel -9.29m
Kestrel -7.55m
Kestrel -10.29m
Kestrel -5.41m
Kestrel -11.33m
Maulus -5.22m
Kestrel -5.47m
Kestrel -7.67m
Kestrel -5.47m
Kestrel -11.61m
Velator -0.01m
Velator -0.01m
Ibis -0.01m
Capsule -0.01m
Capsule -0.01m
Capsule -0.01m
We stayed in the Novice plex to prepare for the arranged fight. When everyone was ready I warped us to the Large plex at 0 where an Imperial Navy Slicer was spotted on D. We landed at 100km from the INC. I did not call to anchor up but let the fleet orbiting the beacon, which in hindsight is a mistake. Two Wolves and another INC landed (one Wolf at 30km and the others at around 125km). I called the closest Wolf primary (incl. broadcast) and we started our pew-pewing. The Wolf got at distance fast (around 60km) and I called to go back to the beacon. In the video, you can see we were quite spread out (around 100km spread) which was not a good thing, they could take us one at a time because of this. The fleet got point on the other Wolf because it approached up until 20km from me. However, without scrams, there wasn't much we could do to slow them down with our Kestrels. We got the second Wolf into armour but again it got enough distance to get out of range.
Our EWAR was distracting one of the INCs and I called for him to bounce and come back in if possible. At this point, we lost around three to four ships and we kept bleeding. 2IC and 3IC had to bounce for repairs when our EWAR returned. One of the Wolves and INCs came in a bit closer to around 35km and I started orbiting and engaging the Wolf with my prop-mod activated. This pulled me away from the fleet and the INC got point on me after which it took me down. At this point, 3IC was just back on the grid to take over with only six of our ships left on the grid. I think the fight went on like this and we did not manage to take anything down. A bit sad but a very good learning experience for all of us, I think!
After the fight, Titans were reported in our neighbouring system. We went tourist mode and saw an Avatar at a Fortizar near the State Protectorate Logistic station. We had some more fun and I took the pod express home near a Cyno at the NPC station near Rakapas V.
Stats
ISK Destroyed: 89,942,905
ISK Lost: 110,107,905.31
ISK Delta: -20,165,000.31
Efficiency: 44.960%
Overall evaluation
- ✔ (Positive stuff)
- I had my first arranged fight with Tuskers
- Slowly getting broadcasting targets drilled into muscle memory
- We saw an Avatar in LowSec
- Good learning opportunity
- A 100M fleet whelp is, in my opinion, reasonable. Especially when everyone learned from it ^^
✘ (Learnings) - Messy attempt to catch targets at the OIN-ABU gate with gate guns with paper-tank Kestrels. This is not the way to get proper content for an Alpha-Bird Kestrel fleet.
- Check our Scout's ship before leaving the form-up system
- Anchoring is really, really important with skirmish fleets
- Own distance from the target is not the same as the fleet's distance from the target
- AB-fit Kestrel with something else than point may be better in LowSec