I am in the Comet of Doom. Or something. Really, I name my Velator the same way so it doesn’t hold THAT much significance. Anyway, I have half an hour to kill (yes, I’m extremely casual) so head out of Ishomilken down the chain toward the middle of the Cal/Gal zone. As I leave I see someone in corp chat mentioning that they had just been killed by a nasty Coercer. Lo and behold, a few minutes later I spot the culprit in Nikkishina looking guilty in the Coercer. Or maybe I’m projecting. Whatever.

Anyway, how hard can a Coercer be to kill? I let the victim know that his nemesis is only a hop away if he wishes to seek revenge and warp into the plex. I figured that I would probably die and he would be just in time to mop up. Unfortunately (sort of) the Coercer only managed to get me down to 20% hull before popping! And just then my corpie landed in the plex, ready for action! I felt a bit guilty about that so offered him the loot which he declined (thank you!)

Coercer: http://eve.battleclinic.com/killboard/killmail.php?id=22918256

A few jumps later I stumbled onto an adventurous Tristan who was more than willing to have a go. I have been dieing to those gimmicky neut Tristans lately (http://eve.battleclinic.com/killboard/killmail.php?id=22590170, http://eve.battleclinic.com/killboard/killmail.php?id=22585516) but decided to dive in anyway since I was fitted with rails. I thought I should be able to stay out of neut range if I flew intelligently.

As you can see I am an eternal optimist.

Surprisingly, this time it actually worked so although a neut was firmly applied as soon as I landed tackle the victim was unable to maintain it due to my superior speed. He died but it was a VERY close fight. His 400mm plates with three armour rigs took quite a while to chew through.

http://eve.battleclinic.com/killboard/killmail.php?id=22918475

I complimented him on his tank. “Not enough! ;)” was the nice reply.

The next night I had only ten minutes to kill but decided to log in anyway. I was still sitting in the Comet of Doom so hit Undock in Isho and d-scan. Algos. Ibis. The Ibis probably isn’t much of a threat (but you never can tell in lowsec!) so I head for the Algos in the plex and land with him about 10 km away. I burn in and apply a scram and web, keep at range successfully (since orbiting will hurt my tracking more than his drone DPS) and kill him without much difficulty.

http://eve.battleclinic.com/killboard/killmail.php?id=22927874

I note an Astero on dscan and quickly gobble the loot and withdraw to a safe. It turns out the Astero was a corp mate hunting me so I was quite proud I had spotted him during the brief decloak window when that became apparent. Did I mention I podded the Algos pilot? Well, I did.

http://eve.battleclinic.com/killboard/killmail.php?id=22927873

He looked like a noob so I convoed him and applied the lecture in the form of a link. He was grateful for a few tips so I sent him my fit and a few iskies to encourage him to keep exploding.

I love lowsec. I was engaged literally one minute after I logged in. Great stuff! But alas that was all I had time for - I'm off to watch the F1 with my better half.

Three Battle Nereus, sitting on a plex! Whatever am I to do about it? I know! Kill them! Except that obvious bait is, well, obvious. But that has NEVER stopped me before so why start now? Especially since one of the pilots has been giving us lip for the last few days in local and there is a competition to accumulate his kill mails.

So I put the call out and a couple of corpies were soon winging their way over from a couple of systems away. I warped to the plex, landed tackle and started chipping away at them.

Sure enough, I am halfway through his armour when the remote reps kick in and bring his shields all the way up. Thankfully my corpies have landed and spread their points around while focusing fire. He goes down but my nice little Incursus goes down.with him. Oh well, it was worth it!

Battle Nereus: https://zkillboard.com/detail/38328461/

They were each fitted identically (yes, all three died). I only wish that the faction reps were more expensive. Still, a surprisingly resilient fit so well done.

Unfortunately, our nemesis was surprisingly quiet about his loss. Maybe next time.

A brief encounter with a noob in an Incursus (http://eve.battleclinic.com/killboard/killmail.php?id=22321384) and his pod (http://eve.battleclinic.com/killboard/killmail.php?id=22321383). I sent him the lecture and shared some fits. Anyone who starts in an Incursus can’t be all bad, right?

But my Comet was defeated soon after by a Rifter and Merlin who just out damaged my rail fit under webs. Sigh - I should have brought blasters.

Loss: http://eve.battleclinic.com/killboard/killmail.php?id=22327881

When I got back home I hopped into a blasty Incursus and headed out the door. There was an obvious farmer in a small plex near the station but I warped in anyway, because why not? I got a bit of a shock when I landed on the gate at the same time as a Talwar, though. We sailed into the plex together and he took off like a stabbed rat (not the warp core type, you understand) under MWD.

I snared him with an overheated scram at about 10km and my web soon saw me zipping around him at optimal. Ha! That’ll learn him for not fitting rockets! Actually, it was a good fight and he still dealt some nasty damage.

http://eve.battleclinic.com/killboard/killmail.php?id=22329548

A little later I am up near Villyleerer or whatever it’s called. I decided to set up a mini-base there to avoid those nasty long trips home in a Velator. I took on a Comet and was completely cleaned up by his blasty damage fit.

[Federation Navy Comet, blasty DPS]
Magnetic Field Stabilizer II
Magnetic Field Stabilizer II
Small Ancillary Armor Repairer, Nanite Repair Paste
Damage Control II

1MN Afterburner II
Warp Scrambler II
Fleeting Propulsion Inhibitor I

Light Neutron Blaster II, Federation Navy Antimatter Charge S
Light Neutron Blaster II, Federation Navy Antimatter Charge S
[empty high slot]

Small Hybrid Burst Aerator I
Small Nanobot Accelerator I
Small Anti-Explosive Pump I

Hobgoblin II x3
Warrior II x3

I stole his fit and went for a roam. A few systems over I spotted some ships: an Enyo, an Incursus (probably farmer) and a Thrasher. Hmm. I wouldn’t mind a go at any of them (one at a time). I first stumble across the Enyo on an acceleration gate. He is loitering with intent and I have a quick look to see whether he is rail or blaster fit. Unfortunately, he is blasters so I pull range with an overheated burner. I don’t think I can get under his blasters! Now if I had been in my rail Comet…

The Enyo warped away as soon as the Thrasher landed near the gate. He was about 40 off, a solid indication of an arty fit which a cursory glance confirmed. Aha, good stuff. I warped to the next plex and dived in after the Incursus (not a corp mate of either of the others). He was farming the plex semi-AFK at 30km but I still managed to get him into hull before he warped off, assisted by his stabs. By this time, the Thrasher had joined us and moved away from the beacon in the opposite direction. Cautious, this one, but clearly wanting to fight.

I moved to a safe and watched the plex for a moment. The Incursus soon appeared on the 5 degree scan (does he not know how to use dscan?) and since I am already aligned I soon cover the distance back to the gate.

The Incursus activates the gate. I am confused. The thought crosses my mind that they are in the same corp or perhaps dual boxing. Either way, I’m not overly concerned by the farming Incursus and I want to have a crack at the Thrasher. I figure that if the Thrasher pilot is going to be distracted it is going to be right now. I jump in.

He is sitting 30 off the gate. I overheat the afterburner and scram and leap at him. He locks me, gets a volley away (ouch) but then I am in a close orbit, having locked him down. It doesn’t take long to melt him down.

http://eve.battleclinic.com/killboard/killmail.php?id=22331916

We chatted for a bit and it turns out he WAS a little distracted by the Incursus and tried to warp to the wrong (non-aligned) celestial. A very satisfying set-up and fight.

This is why I choose lowsec. I have to get up early in the morning so I don’t want a late night but quickly log in before bed, about an hour before downtime. I tidy up some manufacturing jobs on an alt and set a couple of market order while logging Zappity in. Zaps undocks, spots a cruiser on scan, and dives into the medium plex.

Rupture on the beacon! Target, scram, web, orbit, rails, drones. Oh my goodness, that is one HEFTY armour tank he has. Better kill his drones before settling in… OK, done. Now we check dscan and, um, wait. Three reloads later:

http://eve.battleclinic.com/killboard/killmail.php?id=22307935

He was apparently trying a new fit and was a good sport about the loss. I hop back to Hevrice to pick up some more supplies. While in the station I hear of a Comet in the next system over. Let’s go! By the time I get there the Comet has departed but he is rapidly replaced by a Cormorant who is simply desperate to kill some frigates. That didn’t work out for him so well, seeing there were two of us:

http://eve.battleclinic.com/killboard/killmail.php?id=22307936

I really should go to bed now, so I head toward the Hevrice gate. But before I jump, someone spots an Omen on scan. So back to the medium plex I go and land a scram on the unfortunate cruiser. A remarkably short time later, another killmail arrives:

https://zkillboard.com/detail/37717372/

Now, is lowsec always like this? No. Sometimes you wander for an hour seeing nothing but farmers. But that isn’t usually the case. I almost always get at least one fight when I log in, and I rarely log in for an extended period.

Of course, just because you FIND a fight doesn’t mean you WIN the fight! Although now that I think about it I have not been losing many lately. It must be getting boring for you readers! I think it must be time to step things up again. Maybe I should get some of those racial Cruiser skills to 5 some time..

And a couple of hours later another Assault Frigate, this time a Vengeance, dies to the Comet:

http://eve.battleclinic.com/killboard/killmail.php?id=22293418

The next plex was potentially more interesting with a Slasher and an Incursus. I figured I would get double-webbed by them and have to kill the Slasher quickly before dealing with the Incursus at range.

That was the plan, anyway. But when I warped in I found them going at it hammer and tongs on the beacon. I hit the burner and double-clicked to get a bit of distance but when I hit ‘e’ nothing happened and I continued to sail into the distance. Does anyone else have an occasional problem where their navigation hotkeys fail to respond until you log? Anyway, by the time I manually turned around the Slasher had finished off the Incursus and very wisely scarpered.

My disappointment vanished a couple of systems later when I snared a kiting Slicer. I had followed him into the plex on the off chance that he wouldn’t immediately hit his MWD and kitescrub me to death. He didn’t, and I found him very unwisely sitting on the beacon. He melted in a most satisfactory manner:

http://eve.battleclinic.com/killboard/killmail.php?id=22293843

The Comet finally met its end at the hand of a Hawk. He was much faster than I expected and had a scram that extended further than my own meta 4. Still, a great fight that ended with him at one quarter shield and me with a crispy afterburner. I really should have remembered to sic my drones at him. Must remember! Must remember!

Loss: http://eve.battleclinic.com/killboard/killmail.php?id=22293844

Oh well. Win some, lose some. And I think it’s about time I lost one anyway. What to fly next?

A Bestower fit with 5 x Expanded Cargohold I, a 550m cargo and a Tornado on the route from Amarr to Jita. It is an age old tale: https://zkillboard.com/detail/37997183/

Yes, that is my cargo. But thankfully not my ship, and the 900m collateral I had set turned this into a rapidly profitable trip!

Sucks to be the Tornado, though. A grand total of 3 x Expanded Cargohold I modules dropped!

I am STILL in the rail comet which is surprising since my ships usually die far more often than this. First up I clubbed a baby seal in a brawling Enyo (http://eve.battleclinic.com/killboard/killmail.php?id=22270184). I just hit keep at range and kitescrubbed him to death. I felt a bit bad about it to be honest. Brawling seems much more honest, somehow.

But he didn’t say ‘gf’ so bugger him.

The next one was a bit strange:

Ship: http://eve.battleclinic.com/killboard/killmail.php?id=22270185
Pod: http://eve.battleclinic.com/killboard/killmail.php?id=22270183

A very odd pod for an AFK farmer! He actually messaged me later and told me that nature had called at an inopportune moment (“took a piss, hope it looks good on the old kill board”). Oh well, these things happen.

By now I’m getting a bit bored of the rail Comet so decide to find some destroyers to fight. It is US timezone so things are a bit busier than usual for me. There are lots of frigate gangs wandering around, trying to pick fights with innocent Comets. The rest of the corp is picking fights with them but I am in an antisocial mood this morning. I keep an eye on things while hunting for a suitable target.

Finally, a Coercer! Things seem to be hotting up for the fleet with some juicy targets but I can’t resist a long destroyer. I hop into the plex and find him sitting at zero. I guess he is blaster fit and the rapid disappearance of my shield confirms this suspicion! I overheat the afterburner and, before you know it, I’m at the edge of overheated scram range. He is still hitting me but my drones tip the damage and his armour starts to drop.

And then a Thrasher appears on scan. I check the arrangement of the celestials and notice that I am pretty well placed to align away from both the beacon (where the Thrasher will land) and the Coercer. I stay. The Coercer has just hit structure when the nasty Thrasher lands. They aren’t in the same corp but I still have deep suspicion about his intent. Probably a cunning plan along the lines of “Kill the weakened loser”. I check the Coercer: half hull. Time to align.

Sure enough, he locks me just as I finish off the Coercer and finish aligning and hit warp.

http://eve.battleclinic.com/killboard/killmail.php?id=22290859

Then I check the fleet notices and see that they have all been destroyed in a medium plex. Oops, I probably should have been helping! No doubt I would have even lost the Comet!