Defense Fleet turned Offensive

Yesterday was my day off from work, so I hopped on and started ratting (I know, I know).

It didn't last long.

Reports of a Panda team gang on the way came in, and we formed up a defensive fleet. They moved through our home system of 5-C and into KEE-, before turning around and moving into ZXB- (on the way back to Fountain).

We ambushed them in ZXB-.

I had an Armageddon with a cyno fitted, and they took the bait. Unfortunately for us, their gang was Machariels/Vagabonds/ a Curse/Ceptors. Very fast. We didn't catch anything.

They bounced around ZXB- for a few before moving into Y-2ANO. We played games, killed a Cov-Ops, while they killed our dictor. I tried to explain to our dictor pilot how you can bubble and jump without being held up by aggro timer but I don't think he understood.

As we were in Y-2 word came in through intel that a Morsus Mihi gang that had been traveling through Delve was making its egress through our constellation. I made the call that if the Morsus Mihi gang continued towards us we would disengage from Panda, due to Panda's Composition and unwillingness to engage.

The MM gang was battlecruiser heavy, and jumped into 5-C. They had a Vagabond scout, and a small blue gang was pursuing. I got a convo from the BLAST FC who was pursuing them. Their gang rolled right through 5-C and into ZXB- (a pipe system leading to Fountain). Our Rapier was sitting next to them in ZXB-; they were all on the Y-2ANO gate. We were in LBGI- on the Y-2 gate waiting for them...

The blast gang moved into position in 5-C on the ZXB- gate. The MM gang was now effectively sandwiched. After a couple minutes their scout jumped 5-C, and of course spotted the BLAST camp on the gate. For reasons unknown (as I don't believe they knew of our 15 man gang in LBGI-) their gang warped 5-C gate. I can only guess they saw the BLAST fleet and thought they could take it. The moment my Rapier reported them warping to 5-C gate I jumped us into Y-2ANO and went to ZXB- gate. As we were landing I reported the movement to the BLAST FC. My plan was for the MM gang to jump into 5-C, and we would follow. BLAST would hold/bubble them, and any that reapporached would get killed by us coming in behind. If they all aggressed we would jump in and slaughter.

Plans always have a way of not working out. In this case, the BLAST FC decided to jump INTO them in ZXB- without informing me. Lucky for us, they all aggressed (or they could have jumped right into 5-C and run). So in we went into ZXB- and warped to the 5-C gate. We all landed amongst the MM gang, who continued to duke it out. My Armageddon lit another cyno, and in came three carriers :)

BLAST lost a Raven (which would have been avoided had they communicated better) and MVN lost our scout Rapier (he warped with the MM gang to the 5-C gate at range... but got de-cloaked by a MM ship that also warped in at range. Sucks, but what ensued was worth it. 2x Vagabond, 3x Harbinger, 2x Cane, 1x Hound. Battle report here. Their Curse and Rapier got out... but everything else got smoked.

We ended up chasing the Curse all the way to to NOL-, along with his Rapier buddy. The Curse died in AJ, ping ponged between our pursuing force and a small blue camp that waited for him. Rapier moved on, to fight another day.

With my blood lust only partially quenched, I decided to stand down the fleet and take an alliance roam out.

That is all.