Rebellious Rifters

Most pilots who choose the Rifter as their weapon of choice will be quite familiar with the basics of their ship, they know how it will handle and what to expect of it in combat. Taking this into consideration we'll skip through an introduction to the Rifter. We'll assume at this point that we've all read the excellent guides available out there.

The 'cookie cutter' Rifter - the standard fit - is a wise choice for budding pilots, and rightly so, after all it is a popular choice for a reason - it does the job in most combat situations. However, there are other flavours out there and often these fits go unexplored, this short document takes a look at some of these more exotic and niche Rifter fittings.

Rifter catching fire often? You're doing it right!

[Rifter, Cookie Damage Control is For Wimps]


Gyrostabilizer II
200mm Reinforced Rolled Tungsten Plates I
Small Armor Repairer II

Warp Scrambler II
Stasis Webifier II
1MN Afterburner II

150mm Light AutoCannon II, Republic Fleet Phased Plasma S
150mm Light AutoCannon II, Republic Fleet Phased Plasma S
150mm Light AutoCannon II, Republic Fleet Phased Plasma S
Rocket Launcher II, Caldari Navy Thorn Rocket

Small Projectile Locus Coordinator I
Small Projectile Collision Accelerator I
Small Projectile Metastasis Adjuster I


Not really a lot to say about this particular fitting, the only difference from the 'cookie' being the omission of the Damage Control now replaced with a Gyrostabilizer for extra bite. The basic principles of this ship being to kill before your loss in ehp takes its toll. Extra range, pinpoint tracking and damage from the rigs - but these can be swapped around to suit. Perhaps two Ambit Extensions and a Burst Aerator for more fall off and increased rate of fire. Fly this as you would your normal 'cookie'. You can also go with a Nosferatu module in place of the Rocket Launcher, should you wish.


[Rifter, Shield Buff]


Damage Control II
Nanofiber Internal Structure II
Gyrostabilizer II

Medium F-S9 Regolith Shield Induction
1MN Afterburner II
Initiated Harmonic Warp Scrambler I

150mm Light AutoCannon II, Republic Fleet EMP S
150mm Light AutoCannon II, Republic Fleet EMP S
150mm Light AutoCannon II, Republic Fleet EMP S
'Arbalest' Rocket Launcher I, Caldari Navy Gremlin Rocket

Small Core Defence Field Extender I
Small Core Defence Field Extender I
Small Anti-EM Screen Reinforcer I


This can be described as the 'standard' shield Rifter. It is becoming more and more popular within the frigate circuit and can easily catch your opponent off guard. Most pilots about to engage a Rifter will assume that it is an armor version and load up on Fusion ammo, use this to your advantage and let them fall into the trap. If you're out of range, don't give your opponent any clues by burning towards him at full speed, keep your speed down to the average speed of an armor Rifter and he will be none the wiser. You will then have an advantage when his Fusion is having a tough time breaking your shield.

The obvious disadvantage to flying the shield Rifter is the lack of a Webifier which means you lose the ability to dictate range, especially against something with a web. Because of this you are relying on your buffer which will hopefully give you enough time to complete the gank before your opponent realises what is happening.

In the lows we've gone for a Nano to give extra speed and manoeuvrability, the Shield set-up is already naturally fast and should your opponent not have a web then you will be able to in most situations outrun them if needed. The Damage Control needs little explanation and the Gyro is there again for the added kick in damage.

I wouldn't recommend tangling with blaster boats in this fit. If they get you in range they will hurt you quicker than you can hurt them.



[Rifter, Tracking Scratch Rifter]

Small Armor Repairer II
200mm Reinforced Rolled Tungsten Plates I
Damage Control II

DDO Photometry Tracking Disruptor I, Optimal Range Disruption
Initiated Harmonic Warp Scrambler I
1MN Afterburner II

150mm Light AutoCannon II, Republic Fleet EMP S
150mm Light AutoCannon II, Republic Fleet EMP S
150mm Light AutoCannon II, Republic Fleet EMP S
Small 'Ghoul' Energy Siphon I

Small Projectile Burst Aerator I
Small Projectile Collision Accelerator I
[empty rig slot]


The tracking disruptor fit Rifter can be a menace in the right situations, whilst it again loses out to the fact that it has lost its webifier it can be great when fleeted with a ship that does have a web. It also does have its role in solo combat situations where your opponent is relying on his range. Definitely worth experimenting with.


[Rifter, Explosive Hard Man Riffy]


Armor Explosive Hardener II
200mm Reinforced Rolled Tungsten Plates I
Small Armor Repairer II

Small Capacitor Booster II, Cap Booster 150
Warp Scrambler II
1MN Afterburner II

Rocket Launcher II, Caldari Navy Thorn Rocket
150mm Light AutoCannon II, Republic Fleet Phased Plasma S
150mm Light AutoCannon II, Republic Fleet Phased Plasma S
150mm Light AutoCannon II, Republic Fleet Phased Plasma S

Small Projectile Collision Accelerator I
Small Trimark Armor Pump I
Small Anti-Explosive Pump I


Slow but an absolute devil for taking explosive pain. You're basically relying on your opponent shooting the usual Fusion ammunition types at you, when he does and you overload your Hardener you will get an armor explosive resistance of around 78%. That's quite a mean tank to break. You need to manage your cap carefully with your booster and watch for burning out your modules. Always set your cap booster settings to auto-repeat off. Auto-reload should be on. And don't forget to load your hold with spare booster charges to avoid any embarrassing moments mid-fight. A fun and often unknown flavour to fly.



[Rifter, 400 Beast]


400mm Reinforced Rolled Tungsten Plates I
Armor Explosive Hardener II
Micro Auxiliary Power Core I

Faint Epsilon Warp Scrambler I
1MN Afterburner II
X5 Prototype I Engine Enervator

'Arbalest' Rocket Launcher I, Caldari Navy Thorn Rocket
150mm Light AutoCannon II, Republic Fleet Phased Plasma S
150mm Light AutoCannon II, Republic Fleet Phased Plasma S
150mm Light AutoCannon II, Republic Fleet Phased Plasma S

Small Trimark Armor Pump I
Small Trimark Armor Pump I
Small Anti-Explosive Pump I


Again, another damage magnet. Will take some breaking as the 400mm plate provides us with a substantial armor buffer. You will need to slam on that web and hold your opponent in place as this overweight Rifter won't be winning no speed trials. With this fit you want to be 'keeping range' of about 3-4 km of your opponent. If something tries to orbit you or kite you it is going to make for an interesting engagement, if you do find yourself being kited try to counter by loading up barrage and hoping for the best or driving this beast into rocks.



[Rifter, Dual Prop 400]


Damage Control II
400mm Reinforced Rolled Tungsten Plates I
Micro Auxiliary Power Core I

Catalyzed Cold-Gas I Arcjet Thrusters
1MN Afterburner II
J5b Phased Prototype Warp Scrambler I

150mm Light AutoCannon II, Republic Fleet Phased Plasma S
150mm Light AutoCannon II, Republic Fleet Phased Plasma S
150mm Light AutoCannon II, Republic Fleet Phased Plasma S
[empty high slot]

Small Ancillary Current Router I
Small Trimark Armor Pump I
Small Trimark Armor Pump I


Another fitting from the 400 plate family and whilst full-fat it does have the extra speed boost from the microwarpdrive. If the MWD is disabled by a Scrambler we then fall back on the afterburner and we then rely on the armor buffer in a straight shoot-out to the finish.

The lack of web is again a problem and limits this ships capabilities, again we don't want to be kited to death so 'keeping range' is an important tool, 3-4k should work fine. I've not personally flown this ship much but I do feel it might prove useful in some situations in null-sec where perhaps another lone frigate or interceptor races in for an easy Rifter kill. Give it a try and see how you fare.




[Rifter, Can Flipper 400]


400mm Reinforced Rolled Tungsten Plates I
Energized Adaptive Nano Membrane II
Adaptive Nano Plating II

J5b Phased Prototype Warp Scrambler I
X5 Prototype I Engine Enervator
X5 Prototype I Engine Enervator

200mm AutoCannon II, Republic Fleet EMP S
200mm AutoCannon II, Republic Fleet EMP S
200mm AutoCannon II, Republic Fleet EMP S
Rocket Launcher II, Caldari Navy Gremlin Rocket

Small Ancillary Current Router I
Small Anti-Explosive Pump I
Small Trimark Armor Pump I


This is a specialist ship which should be used in one role only. Can flipping on stations or where you know your enemy can't run. It lacks a propulsion module but you won't need it, it punches with 200mm autocannons and has a Rocket Launcher for added dps. This ship can make a mess out of any frigate, intie, assault frigate and faction frig. Once the pilot has worked out what is going on then often it is too late.

You will notice that there is no Damage Control in the lows, here instead we've opted for a an EANM II to increase the time it takes our opponent to chew through our armor plating. It is further enhanced with a Nano Plating - this giving a good armor resistance spread of around 74% EMP - 57% Thermal - 51% Kinetic - 55% Explosive.

So we've landed the dual webs on our opponent. Now we need to keep transversal to absolute 0. We do this by 'keeping range' the magic number again being somewhere between 3-4k. We don't orbit and we don't want anything orbiting us - the 200mm cannons will struggle to track anything but the high damage that they can kick out is a deciding factor in the strategy. Before your opponent realises he needs to get out it is usually game over. One more thing, don't even think about using this Rifter in any other role than it is intended for, it will get laughed at.


[Rifter, Arty Rifter]


Nanofiber Internal Structure II
Pseudoelectron Containment Field I
Gyrostabilizer II

Cold-Gas I Arcjet Thrusters
J5 Prototype Warp Disruptor I
'Langour' Drive Disruptor I

280mm Howitzer Artillery II, Republic Fleet Fusion S
280mm Howitzer Artillery II, Republic Fleet Fusion S
280mm Howitzer Artillery II, Republic Fleet Fusion S
[empty high slot]

Small Ancillary Current Router I
Small Low Friction Nozzle Joints I
Small Auxiliary Thrusters I


The Artillery clad Rifter, once it has you in its hold it is often hard to break away from. It is also a fast variant and gives you the option of getting out should you need.

The 280mm Howitzer's can hit for some mean volley damage. With an optimal of around 7k and a fall-off of 11k your main tactic here is to land your Disruptor and start dishing out the pain, once you land an overloaded web you can flirt around this range whilst your opponent (hopefully in an afterburner fit ship - 98% of the time he will be) struggles to get close to you and in the confusion doesn't know whether to keep going for you or to make his escape. By the time he has worked it out he is usually dead.

Any frigate with an afterburner should be fair game to you whilst flying the Arty Rifter. Even assault frigates should be taken on and faction frigates if you're sure they aren't packing an MWD.




[Rifter, Crazy Dual Rep Rifter]


Small Armor Repairer II
Small Armor Repairer II
Damage Control II

Small Capacitor Booster II, Cap Booster 150
1MN Afterburner II
Warp Scrambler II

150mm Light AutoCannon II, Republic Fleet Phased Plasma S
150mm Light AutoCannon II, Republic Fleet Phased Plasma S
150mm Light AutoCannon II, Republic Fleet Phased Plasma S
Rocket Launcher II, Caldari Navy Thorn Rocket

Small Nanobot Accelerator I
Small Auxiliary Nano Pump I
Small Anti-Explosive Pump I


Last of all on our list of exotic Rifter fits and one that really is a hair-raising edge of your seat experience to fly, the Dual Rep Rifter. It has about 30 seconds of base capacitor to play with on paper with all things running, however, we don't fight on paper.

First you need to get comfortable with how it is set-up and what to expect. In the lows we've got the two reppers and a damage control. The DC II gives less resists on paper as opposed to an EANM II but there's one very important thing you need to remember with this ship. You WILL be fighting in hull, if you've got no damage control fitted you will explode due to structure bleed, ignore this at your own peril.

Your armor repairers should be set to auto-repeat off and should always be overloaded and once you start receiving damage a good tactic is to stagger the reps slightly. Your cap booster is also an important tool - this should be set to auto-repeat off and auto-reload on. You should inject cap just before you're about to hit empty and then again if needed, this should give you enough cap until the next reload cycle is completed. You remembered the spare booster charges in the hold right?

This is by far the craziest Rifter I think I've ever flown but it is great fun. You will need fingers like lightning to micro-manage all the modules and keep an eye on range, what your opponent is doing, how much damage you're soaking up, any drones that may need killing, keeping an eye on that structure bleed ready for the mail man to deliver the bad news. It really does make for a fantastic experience and you should give this frigate a try at least once. I've taken down a Taranis before in this and scared the living daylights out of other inties and assault frigates. It is like a little necromancer bringing itself back from the dead. Popping an Exile can also add to your survivability.

I've also used a Nosferatu module (in place of the Rocket Launcher) for added cap and even an Energy Neutralizer which gives you about 12 seconds of cap to play with. Have a little flight time with it, you'll lose a few but you'll have fun in the process.


These fits are by no means the be all and end all, they're probably a little raw in places and somebody will always have their own version and tweaks that give an extra edge. These are just a guide and should be used as such. Happy hunting!



MB.

Black Jackets and Chain Whips

Spare drive chain parts from the Rifter's deadly autocannons have been known to be stripped down and used as 'belts' on the Rebels' clothing . . . Always at hand when a bar fight turns ugly. - - Gallente Police Training Manual.

Kicking for a fight?

In some circles the Black Rebels have become known as the Black Jackets, the term most probably coined by the local civilian populations who have to put up with their unwashed ways and bad habits. Their uniform or 'colours' as they like to call it usually consists an all black style; heavy black boots, black or similarly dark coloured combat pants, an unwashed dirty looking sleeveless denim shirt or vest underneath a black jacket - usually a flight jacket or similar, leather is always popular. Their emblem is always visible somewhere on their jackets. An embroidered patch of a winged beast on a white circle.

R1FTA club emblem.

In addition, members have been observed wearing various types of loyalist Minmatar insignia and anti-Amarrian garb. Some of the members also have a strong liking for tribal tattoos and piercings, whether just an earring in a single pierced lobe or a full face metal stud show adorned on black tribal artwork. Menacing to face in the flesh for the average civilian.


We get treated real good here, man. Most other outposts we get thrown out of town. - Black Rebel member Tomba, speaking to a reporter not many hours before the Rebels were 'thrown out of town'.


Saftsuze, a Gallente born outlaw with dark hair and a striking ice-cold look about him, self proclaimed King of the Moustache and collector of frozen corpses is one of the Rebel leaders. He prides himself on the way he goes about his business stalking the low-sec asteroid fields and space lanes.

Saftsuze.

Reports were filtering through of a Hulk crew that had been lost on a dangerous mining operation in what they thought was their 'safe system'. Saftsuze had spotted the barge and needed no invitation to commence hostilities. Later that day in a station not too far from the original incident, some of the surviving crew members from the Hulk were awaiting rescue, milling around the station facilities looking bored and with their CEO in tow. Perhaps it was bad timing when at this same station some of the Rebels, Saftsuze included headed to their local haunt to shoot some beers.


Surprisingly, nothing happened in this encounter, the Rebels who were present enjoyed their beers and the Hulk crew left the scene not long after. 'When you walk into a place where people can see you, and you know they're looking, as if mesmerised by your presence, you want to look as repulsive and repugnant as possible,' said Saftsuze. 'We are complete social outcasts - outsiders against society. That's the way we want to be. Anything good, we laugh at. We're bastards to the world and they're the same to us, we expect that.'

Another Rebel, known to the gang as Overnauta, a menacing man of Caldari blood, shaved head and often seen wearing trademark black shades joined in the conversation. 'I don't care one jolt if people think we are bad. I think this is what keeps us going, pushes us on and keeps us on the edge. We fight society and society fights us.'

Overnauta.

There are very few Rebels who won't go far out of their way to lay a bad hit on a civilian or some other punk from another crew - preferably to the extent of unbalancing their metabolism and causing them to shriek in their sleep for a few days afterwards - but there is also a certain amount of humour involved. But not everybody digs the Rebels' sense of humour .... which ranges from silly little jokes about the Amarr to the quiet giggling at the sight of a man's face torn to shreds with a broken beer bottle.

MB.

Stripped-Down Rifter Hulls

Aedald VII - moon 5 - Vherokior Tribe Bureau.


With some rare exceptions the outlaw ship of choice is the standard Rifter, spat out from industrialist production lines en masse, in its normal form it comes out of the factory full-fat and whilst still a 'nimble frigate' to some, the Rebels like to customize their rides to their exact needs and specs. The Rebels get to work by stripping down the hulls and 'chopping' parts that they don't need or want on their rides.

Basically it is the same machine that would be sported by Minmatar fleets in their homelands, but the Minmatar issue could be likened to an accessory-loaded elephant compared to the lean, custom fit dynamos that the Rebels fly. The Rebels refer to these 'standard' Rifters (and any other bog standard ship for that matter) as 'garbage wagons' and no Black Rebel pilot worth his wings would be seen piloting one of these with his colours showing.

A 'chopped Rifter' or 'chopper' for short is nothing more than a heavy hull, a minimalist interior, usually with the lightest armor plating and sometimes in a different form can be fitted with even lighter shielding systems, usually when they have to outrun something or dodge customs officials the shield version is the ship of choice. Both can spit out some heavy venom though and can't be underestimated with their heavily modified autocannons and hard-wiring systems.

The stripping alone makes a big difference in performance but most Rebel Rifters are also power-jumped with hot thruster and engine modifications, larger valves that increase the bore and stroke, custom flushed aerodynamics, half-size custom designed cap tanks that still hold the same charge and some even fit their ships with a 'suicide clutch navigation system', so called because it requires exceptional skill and timing to operate the thrusters and air-braking system during combat.

A 'chopper' is often a work of art, costing the Rebels a hefty chunk of ISK to build, not counting labour. From the highly-polished chrome thrusters to the super-light balanced flywheels and feather-lite gearing systems, it is a beautiful and graceful machine and so nearly perfect mechanically that it is sometimes hard to imagine it screaming along some midnight space-lane in the hands of a drunken, sometimes drugged up combat pilot who is hell bent on finding his next 'good fight'. This is one of the many paradoxes of Rebel lore. Whatever these guys lack in personal grooming, they make up for it in spades with their frigates. These guys will sleep on grease-caked beds in the slummiest of stations but their frigates will always be spotless.

Rifter Flywheel

There is not a Rebel out there who hasn't woken up in the medical facility at his station of choice and one of the natural results is that their fear for death is well tempered by a cavalier kind of disdain and swagger towards personal injury. Outsiders might call it madness but the Rebels inhabit a world in which violence is as common as spilled beer, and they live with it as easily as ski-bums on frozen ice planets play daily with the risk of broken legs. This casual acceptance of blood-letting is key to the terror they inspire to the civilians in the regions where they are active.

It is a simple matter of accumulated experience, of having been hit or stomped often enough to forget the ugly panic that 'nice' people associate with a serious fight. A Rebel who has had his nose smashed three or four times in a brawl will risk it again with hardly a second thought. No amount of instruction in any lethal art can teach this mentality.

In spite of this sinister immunity and disregard for pain and danger, they occasionally overextend themselves and get badly worked over by people who either don't know the score or choose to disregard it.

Which brings us nicely to our next chapter, published soon, where we look at the Black Rebels and their liking of a good bar brawl.

MB.

Can YOU fly a Rifter?

Just a quick plug and pointer towards our new recruitment post.



R1FTA RECRUITMENT

Artwork by Saftsuze

MB.

Beat The Devil's Tattoo

Things are looking good for Chapter II in the history of the Black Rebels and we've not even placed an official advert yet. A small number of pilots are asking about membership and what the corp will have to offer, which is positive. I'm also pleased that one of my good friends in-game has accepted a directorship role and will be joining shortly along with his corp mate. I look forward immensely to working with both.

So what will the corp have to offer?


As a small band of predominantly frigate flying combat pilots we offer you a home in New Eden where you can enjoy your play style with no political restraints, no blues and no strict rules. What we offer is camaraderie and friendship.

Each pilot will be encouraged to play the game how they wish and where they wish. Whether that is as a -10 pirate patrolling the low-sec space lanes, taking part in high-sec harassment and small scale mercenary work, roaming the lawless null-sec regions or spending their time hunting in wormholes - every play style will be catered for and each member will be free to choose what activities they wish to be a part of.

There will be no skillpoint limit and I for one am particularly keen to hear from potential recruits who are maybe new to pvp, have decided the Rifter is a cool ship to learn in and want to try frigate combat first hand. We can help with sharpening skills and teeth should this be the case.

But you don't want to spend all day in a Rifter? Right?

That's cool. Neither do I. The Rifter is a fantastic little ship and although we will have fun roaming and fighting in this trick hull we'll also have a strong taste for other variants. Our pilots will be proficient at flying any race of ship they like. Interceptors, Assault Frigates, Recons, Bombers, Heavy Assault Ships right through to Battlecruiser and Battleship hulls - all will be at our disposal.

All pilots will have a solo edge to them, communications facilities will be available for when a gang is formed but pilots won't be expected to 'be on comms at all times' - if at all should they wish. Heck we all have RL duties and I for one enjoy roaming to a soundtrack.

I didn't actually start this blog post with the intention of turning it into a recruitment spiel but seeing as I now have I would welcome anybody interested in joining to contact me in-game or hang out for a chat in our public channel The Autocannon.


-----


Above I mentioned roaming to a soundtrack. Well last night I loaded up a trusty Wolf and set my navigation systems to Great Wildlands.

After a few weeks of no luck on the kill count I was just a few jumps into my roam when I jump into my next system and notice a Sabre cloak up on the gate some 10 clicks off of me. Just as this happened the next track on my in-flight entertainment system strikes up and I prime myself for combat - holding cloak ready for battle. The words of the music send a tingle up my spine .....

You have forsaken all the love you’ve taken
Sleeping on a razor there’s nowhere left to fall
Your body’s aching every bone is breaking
Nothing seems to shake it it just keeps holding on




I drop my cloak and begin to burn back towards the gate, the Sabre now appears on my overview and drops his bubble. My autocannons fizz, pop and whistle as they begin to spit fury at the shields of the Interdictor as my Wolf now makes a turn for its foe. The 200mm autocannons of my enemy rip my shields away in an instant and I'm left with a race to break the Sabre before my own buffer is depleted.

26% armor left.


Then in a flash the Sabre is no more. As soon as the shields were breached the rest of the ship folded in on itself leaving a glowing hot wreck. The escape capsule of the pilot sitting trapped in his own bubble is quickly locked and then slain. No mercy is shown for those that wish to tangle with the beast that is the Wolf.


MB.

Rubbing out the Bad Guy

The last few weeks have been full of change and this is a brief summary of what has happened and the outlining of future plans, hopefully it's not too boring a read and if I'm totally honest I'm mainly writing this for my own reference.

So you can stop reading now if you like.


Still here? Ha.

A few weeks ago I decided to leave Gunpoint Diplomacy and head back into null-sec and rejoin -A-. I had been sensing there was some unfinished business out there after my last stint in the lawless lands. It was with a heavy heart that I left behind some awesome people, I didn't really tell anybody in advance as I was blinkered with what I wanted to do. I'd like to thank all the RANSM peeps for being fantastic corp mates and genuinely nice people during my stay.

I missed the roaming gangs of null and had hoped that going back to -A- would spark some pretty epic gangs, in reality I didn't go on a single roam or bag one single kill. Bad timing in parts and lots of CTA's didn't help matters. I fitted up a few battleships in preparation for the CTA fleets but when I looked at the fit in detail and with my limited skill in battleships I often found myself deciding not to take part for the fear of a pretty lame looking loss mail. I wouldn't have minded losing a pimped Cynabal whilst roaming but the thought of a Tempest with tech I guns scared me somewhat. I just didn't feel comfortable.

So what did I do out there? Well, I went on a bookmarking roam which was pretty epic. Did I just say that? Well I mapped out some nice routes that I hope to run on my own in the near future. Bookmarks are cool. I spun my ships some more in some nice surroundings and I read the -A- forums in quite some detail, it was an interesting read for sure.

Then one day I decided to hop into a Vagabond load up the cargo with ammo and do a bit of ratting. The result some 24 hours later was a fatter wallet and I went from -10 to -1.8 in one day. I think that's quite impressive going, I don't know what the going rate is for ratting up sec status but I can tell you this - I don't want to see a damned Sansha rat for some time thanks. My eyes were nearly bleeding when I logged off after that session.

The future.


I'm back in my project corp - Black Rebel Rifter Club - and I plan to stay put in here now playing the game how I want and when I want, flying what I want and where I want. I am unsure at the moment whether or not to open up recruitment again. The last time I ran R1FTA (cool ticker huh?) we had 7 or 8 members and for the short time it was active it was great fun. I'm certainly now in a better position than back when I was a n00b and I have some great ideas for the corp but I need to find the willpower to push them into reality.

I'd need to recruit four or five members to form a strong directorship but I understand that those people I'd like to ask (they probably know who they are) are otherwise engaged right now with other duties, off having fun elsewhere or probably not interested in the project or indeed institutionalized in the world of starter corps.

Hehe - all that is cool of course but if anybody is interested in my project then please get in touch and we'll talk small gang pvp, the art of solo combat, rifter hulls and fittings, narcotics and boosters, wormhole ganks, high-sec harassment, null-sec roams, black ops drops and other nice things. Oh I best stop now I'm exciting myself and sounding like a whiny recruiter. I also said this was going to be brief so best cut it short.

Oh yes, that -1.8 security status will be part of an upcoming blog feature I have planned. I've got to reverse fix my security status and I'll be documenting every single drop in sec as I go about ripping up the space lanes and restoring my -10 badge. First I'd like to have a little peek around the high-sec neighbourhood and roam the null-sec regions before I do - I must have literally hundreds upon hundreds of fitted ships dotted around the place that I really should start trying to lose.

See you in space.

MB.

Black Rebel Rifter Club

The Rebels are coming back, chapter II is on the horizon and this time they mean business. There will be blood, broken bones and barrel rolls.

More details to follow.


Can you fly a Rifter?

:)

MB.

The Solo Combat Pilot's Guide to Good Roaming #5

Heydieles to Ishomilken


Heydieles 0.3

Can be a busy system as it is usually used as a starting point for various gangs who set out to roam the murky space lanes that lead to Black Rise and beyond. There are five asteroid belts to explore, all relatively close together. Spend a little time loitering in the belts and you're sure to find a fight in here.

The two stations in Heydieles are owned by Duvolle Laboratories, a Gallente aligned corporation that produces hi-tech weaponry, nano-robots and cloning equipment. The factory and warehouse stations both offer cloning and repair facilities. The market is pretty good, feeding the local faction warfare needs.


Abune 0.3

The Gallente system of Abune, bathed in the glorious red glow from its giant star, has no stations or outposts but is a busy gateway to the Black Rise region. Small in size, with all of the system in scan range to cross-system warpers, loitering in one of its five asteroid belts should again grab the attention of anybody interested in a duel.


Oinasiken 0.2

Welcome to Black Rise. Although the first system of this Guristas loyal region is far from welcoming, no docking facilities for the traveller means this system is usually quickly bypassed as those traversing its gaseous skies head onto their next stargate.

(A Short History of Black Rise)

For centuries, this volume of space remained inexplicably impenetrable to investigation. It possesses no apparent mass or dimension, but the abrupt disappearance of every expedition into the zone made it an effective bulwark against flanking attacks during the first Gallente-Caldari war, and the subsequent uneasy peace.


Several decades ago, a coalition of like-minded Caldari megacorps discovered ways to traverse Black Rise safely, and began a secret programme of colonization. The start of the Empyrean War forced them to show their hand, and the region soon became a key front in the conflict between Caldari and Gallente forces.


Today the region remains somewhat underdeveloped, but rich in raw materials. The poorly-understood phenomena that still manifest can make life awkward, but fluid router networks and jump travel permit unrestricted travel and communications. Of the many early expeditions, though, no trace has yet been found.

Six asteroid belts for you to explore, should you wish to test your mettle against the local Guristas pirates and flag those who are crossing the system.



Pynekastoh 0.2

Entering this system we are greeted by an angry looking plasma planet, its constant electric storms an interesting sight for the passing space farer. Unfortunately there is little else of interest in the system, with only two asteroid fields and no stations, Pynekastoh lives up to and enhances the Black Rise philosophy of emptiness and fear, although it is an important junction system.

Sheltering under a tree not advisable.

Rakapas 0.2

The State Protectorate Logistic Support and Home Guard Assembly Plant are welcome sights for those seeking rest and repairs. Cloning and repair facilities are available and the market is more often than not well stocked with ships, spare equipment and munitions.

Two asteroid belts occupy the system, but the main source of a fight might be found in one of the many military installations that are usually present in system.


Reitsato 0.2

Another no frills station-less system, Reitsato has 17 asteroid belts, one of which is an ice belt, its white glaze and glare crust attracting miners from miles around. Or so you hope for on your visit.


Okkamon 0.3

Boasting 19 asteroid belts and two Caldari controlled stations, Okkamon is a strong system that nears the Citadel border region. Repair facilities are available and the market can sometimes be relied upon for the basics.


Mushikegi 0.4

Four asteroid belts and not bucking any trends - no outpost in the last of our Black Rise systems, we find ourselves firmly fixed on the regional out-gate to the Citadel region.


Manjonakko 0.3

The Citadel


Acting as both an ideological fort as well as a physical impediment to invasion, the Citadel is among the most well fortified regions in the cluster. Despite their penchant for squabbling and competing with each other, nearly every Caldari corporation keeps a presence here, all working together to diligently defend their home. After having been ejected from one homeland, the Caldari are not about to suffer such a fate again. The Citadel stands as proud testament to that resolve.

Manjonakko has nine asteroid belts to pay a visit and hopefully pick up the attention of passing visitors to the system's Corporate Police Force Testing Facilities, which offers the traveller a repair facility but little else.


Uuna 0.4

The system of Uuna is a high-traffic system, has seven asteroid belts and has two stations - the Mercantile Club Academy - The Mercantile Club has grown from being a simple gentleman's club into a full fledged political entity, such are the peculiarities of the Caldari governmental apparatus. The Mercantile Club is a meeting place for diplomats, business men, CEOs and politicians to make deals and discuss matters of the state. And the Chief Executive Panel Bureau, both of which offer good services including ship repair and medical clones.



Ishomilken 0.4

Pirates!

Ishomilken has a long history in New Eden's pirate lore, it has been and still is home to many a pirate corporation. It is easy to see why such cutthroats are attracted to the system; six well stocked stations with all the services needed including cloning and repair facilities, 17 mineral-rich asteroid belts and a neighbouring high-sec system, not to mention that the system is an excellent base for roaming further afield and into the North. Ishomilken is an excellent place to visit and look for a fight in the system and nearby clusters.

The market is usually average, with some ammunitions and drones available but from experience, not enough goods to fit your own ship from scratch.


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Happy hunting!

MB.