Defense turned Offense.

Last night I went on a defensive roam that was forming. I had just gotten home from a long ride, and Hom3 was forming a gang to go hit a Wildly Innapropriate gang that was sitting outside PNQ station.

We rolled out with 3x Canes, Onyx, Curse, 2x Drake, Arazu, Sleipnir and Vagabond. We moved into position on the jump bridge to PNQ and got intel that they were still on station with bubble up. I suggested sending the Arazu in first, but we all went in at the same time.

Unfortunately their entire gang warped off or was warping when we landed on station, except their Broadsword. So we killed the Broadsword; as he was being podded their Onyx and a Ferox warped into the station, landing where his bubble had been (bubbles effect at the time of warp, so if you initiate warp while its up it may be down when you land but you still land off gate/station etc.). I burned at the Onyx with MWD (he was further off) and he warped off about 4 seconds from getting pointed. The Ferox, however, was caught and he died in a ball of flames.

Not sure what they hoped to accomplish.

We pursed towards Cloud Ring and I was closing on a Drake when someone in our gang yelled about neuts behind us. So Hom3 stopped the gang.

Too bad the guy had an overview glitch.

So we prepared to head home when I jumped ahead one more on a whim.

WI was in local still.

I explained this to Hom3grown, who brought the gang up quickly. I was in local in my Cane, but being nano/buffer fit (shit for tank) I hel alignment to the gate from a nearby planet, and had them all on directional.

Hom3 sent in the Onyx who warped to the outbound (where they were sitting). I initiated warp while he was in warp, assuming the would all jump through.

They did.

Unfortunately they had had the Onyx bubble up and cycle... so we landed 15km off gate and they had all jumped through. So we burned through and continued the chase. All the way into Cloud Ring. Then in 0-B I noticed a shift. The WI gang was not exiting local while I was in warp. I figured they were going to fight.

They were.

Bubble up and they were all waiting with drones out. Unfortunately for them, the bubble had gone up after I was in warp, allowing me to land on the gate at 0km. Same for a drunken Viandamanor Red (MVN member) in his Curse. I sat on the gate long enough to get them aggressed and then jumped through.

Then our Onyx pilot landed on gate and instead of bubbling up he jumped through. I'm not sure why... he was in an Onyx and their gang didn't have much for DPS. But this allowed them to all escape, and I was not happy.

They booked off their route of travel (towards Pure Blind) into 9-4RP2. I jumped first (pro scout) and saw them all sitting their, drones out. Gang was right behind me.

Our Onyx came through, bubbled up. I broke cloak and was insta primaried. I held tackle on the Onyx as long as possible, and then started buring straight down. I finally figured out the 2 stealth bombers they had were pounding me, and 20/20 hindsight I would have instapopped both of them. But survival was on my mind (as points were all around) and we destroyed their Onyx and Crusader. I made it out of the fight at about 10% shields.

A Drake jumped in right as we started looting the field, but he reapproached and aggression kept us from getting him. We started the chase once more, and I actually passed him in 7D-0SQ. He safed up, but on I went as new targets were dissapearing in local (and had to be in front of us on the pipe to P-2, as the gang reported no new contacts behind).

Sure enough, I spotted 2x Dramiels in H1-... and they left local. Then they came back. So I warped to KU5R (outbound gate). Dramiel x 2 and  Cynabal from a corp I didn't recognize. They jumped through, and I follwed.

Right into a Fidelas Constas gang.

I held cloak and watched. Not sure if the 3 ships I jumped with were friendly or not, and I had called gang into H1- (the system I had just left, whose in gate the Fidelas gang was camping). I told them to hold warp, as local bumped by a couple. Hom3 responded that it was too late.

I revaluated the situation and realized that we could take this with good target calling and smart flying. As the 2x Dramiels and Cynabal broke cloak, they were fired on by the Fidelas gang.

Question answered.

"Guys the are aggressed on neuts, jump jump jump. Primary the Tengu!!!"

I broke cloak and reapproached asap, as they were busy shooting the reapproaching Dramiels. This allowed me to make it back to the gate, and I jumped back into H1, as the gang cross jumped me into KU5R. Hom3 thought I needed saving in their, but I told him I was out and coming back in.

Tengu died fast. With a Curse neuting him along with 3 Canes with medium neuts, whatever repping power he had was gone. His fit was also horribad... a Fengu (Falcon/Tengu).

Next primary Hom3 called was the Harbinger. Perfect choice... not much tank but decent DPS. I shot the pesky Rifter down before switching to the Harbinger, as he was 7km off of me (perfect range for Phased Plasma 425IIs). He instapopped. Switched over the Harbinger as he was going down. After the Harb popped we moved on to the Drake. Points were spread from the get go so none of these guys could escape. I had the Raven pointed from the start and held that point. Drake went down quickly, next target called was the Raven, but Hom3 switched after it was apparent people had already started shooting the Dominix (I agreed with Raven being called next). So Dominix went down... an odd fit. Remote reps, with no neuts, and CCC rigs instead of trimarks. I am a firm believer in trimarks on any armor tanking ship; its a given on an RR setup. Last was the Raven, who had de aggressed at this point and was sitting on the gate. So Casebolt and myself gave him some nice bumps off gate (nano cane close to 2km/s), and down the Raven went. Interesting fit, active tanked with 2 fitting mods in the lows (CPU) along with a shield transporter... not entirely pro. Battle report here.

We lost our Curse... as he was primaried at the onset of the engagement. I would have primaried him too... and had I been piloting I might have broke cloak and reapproached assuming I would be primaried (he was drunk though, can't expect too much). But he died, the only loss of the evening. The kills we made more than made up for it.

We looted the field, I scoped out P-2 (and found nothing), and we headed home. Job well done to Hom3grown.

That is all.