While we’ve spoken of Incursions in the past, the position of Incursion Fleet Commander is as unique as the battle grid upon which their fleets engage Sansha’s Nation on a daily basis. These highly-skilled and diversified men and women charge headlong at the tip of the spear of their fleets and set themselves apart from every other style of fighting.
Incursions are high-end player-versus-environment combat sites which involve coordinated attacks across a given region of space by Sansha’s Nation. These are not your typical Level 4 Sansha’s Nation ships you will face in a Security Mission. Their defenses and offensive power are significantly increased. They attack in coordinated fleets with boosts, electronic warfare, neutralizers, webifiers, jammers, scramblers, and timed target-switching. They will reduce even the most powerful ships to scrap in literal seconds, which is the reason that Incursion fleets require logistical support.
Taking on the incursion requires a skilled fleet, and an equally skilled and knowledgeable fleet commander, and these positions are as demanding as null-sec leadership.
Mainly, the appeal behind the Incursion fleet commander position is the money, of course, as incursions are extremely lucrative, especially for those who run incursions in high-security space. Likewise, becoming an Incursion fleet commander grants one an opportunity for leadership and further involvement in one’s choice Incursion community and their partner groups (and even null-sec alliances). Commanding an incursion fleet opens the door to leadership of some of the best pilots in the universe, who likewise command some of the most powerful and specialized ships, all refined for survivability, offense, and efficiency.
Specifically, Incursion fleet commanders grant their fleets the opportunity to make hundreds of millions of ISK per hour in consistently available combat sites. On a weekly basis, Incursions can help pilots earn literal billions of ISK. A fully-fledged Incursion fleet commander can organize and lead a fleet without the oversight of a more senior member after passing the appropriate tests. They earn the right to host a fleet when their schedule permits, and likewise their role provides them an opportunity to secure a position of decision-making leadership in their choice community. The decisions they make can affect an entire Incursion community, including dictating the flying style and doctrine. There are also sometimes opportunities to advance into null-sec alliances, as some Incursion community officers likewise fly with certain null-sec groups.
As the saying goes, “With great power comes great responsibility.” An Incursion fleet commander, must master multi-tasking, as well as maintain a strong sense of situational awareness. Leading and managing the fleet requires an Incursion fleet commander to possess the tactical knowledge of where and when to move, what targets to shoot, and how many of what types of ships are required to maximize the efficiency and survivability of your fleet. These requirements of course are exacerbated when a rival fleet enters the combat site. Incursion fleet commanders also control a literal “waitlist” of pilots waiting in queue to enter the fleet, and must decide who gets invited into the fleet and when. Controlling the waitlist means inspecting the fits of every prospective pilot, although this process is made more efficient through the use of waitlists which check the fits of the applying pilots and identify discrepancies. Incursion fleet commanders help to manage matters concerning the ship replacement fund and ship insurance, helping to determine who can benefit from funding to replace lost ships, provided they qualify for such reimbursement. Incursion fleet commanders are also required to have at least one alt account which can fly a command ship with high booster levels. With any community that hosts hundreds of players, personalities are bound to clash, so Incursion fleet commanders must prepare to deal with members who might resist their orders and decisions, and may be required to act as moderators when necessary.
If you wish to pursue the unique role of an Incursion fleet commander, prepare for some intensive training. Prospective fleet commanders must demonstrate competency in the presence of a senior fleet commander from their choice community. This includes taking on various scenarios and simulations that may threaten the fleet (such as a pilot disconnecting, rival fleet entering the grid, or disruptive communications or a complete Teamspeak crash), and ultimately enduring a final test which can be chaotic (and fun for the fleet members!). Likewise, train an alt pilot who can fly a command ship, as most communities require this to be brought onto the grid. Be prepared for multitasking and understand how to be a tactical leader as much as an off-grid manager.
Being an Incursion fleet commander is to be a committed community member which serves as a cornerstone of a given Incursion community.
Without Incursion fleet commanders, there are no Incursion fleets.
