Alongside our existing killmail of the week bounty (kotw), we're trialling a new regular bounty: battle report of the month (brotm).
A battle report should summarise the kills, losses, and wider significance of a momentous engagement. You can make your report via video or use text supplemented with images and other media. Data and hard numbers are paramount, but you'll receive bonus points for contextualising the battle and its implications for EVE's eternal power struggles.
This bounty and its future iterations will each last a month, so you're welcome to submit a battle report on any impactful, dramatic, or noteworthy battles that take place during the bounty's window. You don't need to have participated in the battle to report on it.
We hope that these monthly bounties will evolve into a regular draw for Just About EVE, establishing our community as a place that members will check to learn in about EVE's bloodiest engagements. Although to add a cherry to the cake, we'll award the three best battle reports - the most informative, best-written, and most observant - $15 each at the end of every month.
already paid
$45 / 45
Reward details
This reward closed to entries at 11:04am on April 30, 2024 but you can still reply, react, and join the conversation below! If you’d like to enter other rewards which are still open, click here.
As the end of the month approaches, it's time to review and summarize the most notorious EVE Online battle of April 2024. This conflict was not merely a matter of the staggering 1 trillion ISK in losses; it also occurred in a famously precarious lowsec system - a crucial point on a map for many capsuleers navigating the shortest route between Jita and Amarr. Yup, I am referring to Ahbazon (0.4), a system that frequently features in the autopilot settings of those seeking a faster, albeit riskier, path across the stars.
For those unfamiliar, Ahbazon is a low-security system that offers a significant shortcut. Opting for this route means risking hostile engagements but reducing the journey to just 11 jumps, compared to the safer 45-jump route, by including another famous system Uedama 0.5 system, which is a well-known hunting ground for gankers. Anyways, let’s look at what happened this month.
Battle Report: The Ahbazon Conflict
Location: Ahbazon 0.4
Date: 2024-04-06
Time: Around 1AM ET
Conflict sides: Imperium vs Pandafam
Involved Parties: Goonswarm Federation, Brave Collective, Snuff, The Initiative VS Pandemic Horde, Deepwater Hooligans, Fraternity, Pandemic Legion and various other alliances.
Initial Conflict
Deepwater initiates the conflict by reinforcing an Imperium Fortizar in Ahbazon.
Pandafam is called upon for assistance by Deepwater; concurrently, Imperium summons Snuff for support.
Fleet Compositions
Imperium: Deployed Rokhs for standard structure defense, a wing of about 40 Retributions from The Initiative. into Hykkota gate and a dreadnought fleet ready in case of escalation.
Pandafam and Allies: Included TFI's from Deepwater, nightmares from BFL, Scorpion Navy and Ferox Navy from Main Horde, and Armor HACs from FRT.
Snuff's decisive intervention with 87 dreadnoughts around 3:07 significantly shifted the battle's momentum, directly engaging Deepwater's dreadnoughts. Initially, support wings, primarily from The Initiative, were taken aback by Snuff's appearance and mistakenly began to target Snuff's dreadnoughts. However, communication quickly clarified the common enemy, and the battle resumed as anticipated.
Turn of Events
Around 3:42, the last dreadnought falls.
Despite the numerical disadvantage, Snuff's intervention disrupts the opposing fleets, leading to tactical withdrawals by Pandafam and Deepwater forces.
At 4:13, a significant skirmish unfolded in the Hykkota (0.8) system, where Pandafam lost dozens of logistics and T2 cruisers without inflicting any notable damage on the Imperium forces.
Damage Assessment
Analysis of the killmails highlighted poor damage performance of the Panfam’s SNI fleet, considering their minimal impact despite the fleet's size of 98 hulls.
The tactical positioning of Zirnitras and Revelation Navy by the Imperium at a strategic range significantly limited their vulnerability, enhancing both their survival and effectiveness. This strategy is supported by data showing that, despite Snuff's dreadnoughts entering the battlefield nearly an hour after the capital fight began, they managed to contribute 42.7% of the total damage inflicted by Imperium forces. Remarkably, only 4 out of the 87 deployed dreadnoughts were lost
Casualties and Losses
Significant dreadnought losses on both sides, with a final tally hinting at a trillion ISK in loses.
I have mixed feelings about the tactical decisions made during the battle, particularly concerning the effectiveness of missile doctrines in large-scale engagements affected by Time Dilation (TiDi). The performance of specific fleets, like the SNI and Phoenixes, raises questions.
The outcome of the battle underscores the critical importance of timely reinforcements and strategic positioning in nearby systems, as well as the need for careful fleet composition adjustments in large-scale warfare. These elements proved crucial in determining the battle's direction and outcome.
That time Fraternity got NUKED by NPC Null Dwellers (Us)
For a bit of context, given the nature of our geographical location our neighbours are less than fond of the idea of us even existing in what they consider to be their backyard. SO once a year they make it their mission to destroy ever citadel or structure we'd anchored in Venal in hopes of evicitng us (something that in a previous post I explained is impossible but whatever).
They are bigger than us, have FAR superior numbers and despite us being the better players abd being able to outsmart them most of the time our citadels do eventually get destroyed, and so we make it our mission to make to make their siege of Venal as costly as possible, and so was the objective of this operative you are about to witness.
You see the route FRT has to take to get in range of the Astrahus citadel they wanted to kill is filled with le longest warp distances from gate to gate in the game, a feature of Venal that we exploit more often than not. So with the expert planning of an old friend of the alliance we deviced a plan that would sure destroy whatever confidence and morale Fraternity has brought with them. By taking advantage of the long warps of Venal and with the help of a Sabre interdictor we deploy a bubble at range from the next gate the enemy will take so catch them and ensure that they can't escape through the gate, and as the fleet lands we drop a bunch of smartbomb fitted battleships on top of them.
By using this doctrine we disrupt their logi my forcing people to broadcast for repairs in the middle of their panic while applying significant damage to the whole fleet at the same time. when whell executed this tactic is able to wipe whole fleets in a matter of seconds with minimal opposition. And that's exactly what we did.
Battle Reports for this annual event are always tricky. Primarily due to the large number of explosions happening in one system, in a short period of time. Traditionally, after the event, CCP Fozzie steps in to help clear things up for us. But this year that didn't happen.
Dotlan reported that 12,073 ships were blown up in Ouelletta that day. While zKill puts the number slightly below 7,000 total losses. Either way it was another epic day and we handed out around 6,000 Frigates over six hours. Unfortunately the Anger Games ended up conflicting with our date, something we did try to avoid. And participant numbers were down from the past few years. However, all in all, the event was a huge success and everyone who attended had a lot of fun in local.
Traditionally we don't think of the FF4A as being a fight between one group or another, but a chaotic battle between small groups, solo pilots, and everyone else on the field. But in this year's case, more than ever, it was truly one side of fun-loving PvP groups - against another side.
Does this count as a BR submission? Obviously I think it should, but I will leave the final determination up to others. In either case, enjoy the explosions!
First of all the Structure Shenanigans have started and stopped after a wardec got applied.
Since it is not nullsec (NS) which you claim your system. Wormholes (WH) are unclaimable.
You actually drop something big with your name on it and then it's yours. Easy.
If somebody just dislikes you, you transfer the structure to something nice like the
“Happy Red Commus <3”
and hope nobody is gonna evict you out of your WH.
Anyway there are many WHs and it's impossible to be everywhere at the same time.
In particular if you need to find a chain to it.
There is currently a very nice BR on Reddit which summarizes the current state.
(Thanks to nug4t for publishing it)
As you know there is currently a War between Group A and Group B
What you can't see on the BR is the Structures which are currently unanchoring or already have been pulled. There is a focus on C5 & C6 which you have around 500 to 100 floating around.
And one after one gets cleaned out or tried to clean out.
Like if you really really want to track this Stuff let me show you another approach on the WH WAR from the user "lynkfox"
By writing this report an update from the same user appeared on reddit.
Team A lost 16 Forts, 21 Astras and 7 other upwell structures
Team B lost 9 Forts, 10 Astras and 9 other upwell structures.
Honestly it's currently hard to track what's actually happening all over WH Space.
For example the following BR is probably about a reffed structure from Team A.
(I have just pulled a little bit out of it and maybe polished it)
That "BR" that was shared yesterday is woefully under-able to really
show whats going on. Corps have switched sides. Some corps arent picking
a side and 3rd partying their way into content. So many systems were
missed in that BR.
Hawks(Team A) set a Traphttps://br.evetools.org/related/31002375/202404040100
From all reports ive been able to gather from people in various WH
corps, this was a trap - Hawks rolled the hole in the middle of Synde
infilling.
Stay tuned this won´t be the last report of the ongoing war in the C6 & C5 Wormhole Space.
And it looks like more people are looking into this than before.
Over in the Devoid region, a joint militia operation delivered a knockout punch to the Angel Cartel! Teamwork brought down the Angel FOB in Oyeman. Props to the Amarr Militia, that kept those pirates in check this time.
Providence Plays Musical Chairs
Speaking of the devil, the Providence region saw some serious capital combat erupt between the Minmatar Militia (MINMIL) and the Amarr-aligned Providence Bloc (PROVIBLOC). Now, capitals are expensive toys, and losing a whole wing of Naglfars? Ouch! At least we traded nicely!
FL33T Fleet Finds a New Frontier
Meanwhile, the ever-intrepid Minmatar Fleet Alliance decided to shake things up in the 4YFT-F constellation of Scalding Pass. Talk about shaking things up! Imagine the locals' surprise when a whole fleet of Minmatar warships showed up on their doorstep. Maybe they're there for playing, or sightseeing, or maybe they're looking for a new neighborhood – whatever the reason, Scalding Pass just got a whole lot more exciting!
FL33T is recruiting btw, join our discord, we have memes and a lot of propaganda!
