The Jump Clone Debacle

In the hectic schedule of the cult leader, sometimes messages slip through the net and end up 'clogged' in the system. There were multiple messages flashing up on my console as I returned to office in the early hours of the morning.


Just an FYI MB in case you didn't get my message in corp chat yesterday. I have dropped roles and will be leaving corp in order to get some Jump Clones. I have delayed doing this too long. Why play this game in a semi handcuffed position at least as far as mobility in New Eden is concerned.
I trust you will NOT give me any problems with respect to my return. ~Lhorenzho





Coincidentally, about the same time as I was reviewing my correspondence for the day, the Black Rebel communications systems were in the middle of a technical glitch, a blackout of sorts, and most parts of intel and chat were lost to many members. Panic ensued as access revoked warnings popped up on the member's  individual data screens in their rooms and some pilots even thought for a moment they had been kicked from the roster.

On the public feed, various messages began to circulate.



I've lost access to the forums! What is this?


Hey guys, I've been removed from the forums, what gives?! Am I still in corp!?


Erm, can I have my access back please I was in the... erm, middle of something!


Hey where did the forums go?! I had to login to see if Bull hadn't kicked me for repeated ship spinning violations.


The ever flamboyant and controversial director of R1FTA, Lhorenzho, who was readying his travel bag for his Jump Clone Holiday and temporary absence from his duties, saw it fit to wade in and offer reassurance to his members.




Hey Guys don't feel bad.


I am "On the Outside looking In" as the splendid Little Anthony and the Imperials used to sing. 


I am evidently now considered a blight, a pariah of some kind to my former corpmates in my beloved BRRC. 


I hear the vindictive BULL plans to block all my efforts to rejoin the Rebels once my stint with Estel Arador is complete. 
(I HAD to leave my dear cultist Boss as I need Jump Clones! How else can I blindly follow you all over this great Universe.)


Only the Bull can, as Flavius said in Julius Ceasar, "soar above the view of men and keep us all in servile fearfulness"
(I left to BETTER serve you dear BULL)


I am currently incommunicado.  


My access to the forums GONE. 
My company issued credit cards CANCELLED! 
My Rebel communication device neutralized and is now non functional. 
Hangar access and all registration papers to my uber expensive world class collection of ships have been revoked. 
My old quarters, I have been told by my mole, are now occupied by an ungrateful and wily young femme fatale who used my benign infatuation for her (platonic) against me and now has all my possessions under her control.
Why Lao?? 


NO ONE has been more loyal to this corporation. 
My entire sense of self worth is inextricably intertwined with this corporate entitiy. 
I have been told that part of the problem is that I have been too "vocal" in my comments to the great and powerful KAEDA MAXWELL! 


There may be some truth to that statement, but I felt compelled to speak up or risk having this administrative profit driven juggernaut that is Kaeda Maxwell, completely swallow up our corporation. 
His ambition, as many of you will soon realize knows no bounds. 


The ungrateful Miura Bull foments intense feelings of ambivalence in me! 


I love the kid and I hate the kid. 
He has turned his back on me. There can be no mistake about that. I am under no illusions that he will EVER let me back into the BRRC. Apparently, my run as Corporate Jester is over. 
This Payaso as they say in spanish can no longer effectively elicit belly laughs from corporate bigwigs and has been handed his floppy clown hat and shown the door. 


SO BE IT! There are many options an aging, gout riddled, colostomy bag wearing, scoliosis suffering senior citizen can exercise! 


I am a survivor BULL!!! 
With any luck, I can approach my beloved WAFFLES for re-instatement to their PvP colossus. 
I still have some friends over there and I am sure some of them will still take my calls!

Now, I had been called away on some urgent business over at the Interstellar Cultist Convention that was taking place over in Placid and did not have time to respond to the messages now building up in my inbox and on our public data feed. This was seen by the ever disruptive Lhorenzho as an act of ignorant silence.






The silence of my leader during this my most trying time of desolation and acute isolation is the deepest cut of all.


Someone once said......"Like flies to wanton boys, are we to the Gods, they kill us for their sport"


A GOD, in whatever realm can kill both the body AND the spirit. Is the death of one to be preferred over the other?


My spirit is vanquished, driven to that sorry state by the BULL's attitude of overwhelming indifference to my current condition in New Eden.


Yes, he may be busy, hustling and bustling about as he attends to his administrative duties, but life has priorities. 
The mental health of your trusted corp of Directors must be maintained. 


Is an accord with Eve Uni of such monumental importance that all else is subordinated?


Are the machinations and intrigue found at the table of diplomacy so intoxicating that they compel one to let such affairs of state diminish and delegitimize the insult felt by a loyal servant at being discarded as so much flotsam? 


Are the furtive, approving glances of Unista leadership at a conference where the stench of appeasement wafts through the air worth inflicting continuing anguish on a trusted and loyal subject?


EVE uni can wait! 


I WANT RESPECT!


The great BULL, once bristled with anger and indignation at the mere inference that he was not the equal of other renowned men of power in New Eden. 


The GODS OF EVE we called them. 


I am NOT a lesser God he bellowed!!


We, his minions, felt compelled to assuage his gargantuan bruised ego and loudly proclaimed to the heavens by way of our collective voices, a cacophonous roar of sycophantic trumpeting that left no doubt the depth and breadth of our undying devotion and adoration to his inspired leadership. 


Such are the emotions and motivational power that can be marshalled by those skilled in the art of the CULT.


I recall, how we as one, proudly raised our voices and yelled as if our very existence depended on it, "YOU ARE A GOD MIURA BULL!"


We accorded the mighty BULL his fine measure of RESPECT! 


Does not this embellished act of loyalty not warrant at the least a glance or a few words of comfort from he who we hold in such regard, who I hold in such regard? 


One word may suffice. Can you not utter one word?


Why the heartless prolongongation of the mental torment of your trusted director?

Give me peace of mind dear BOSS. 


Blunt my pain and assuage MY ego dear friend. 


I NEED TO KNOW IF I WILL BE WELCOME BACK TO THE BLACK REBEL RIFTER CLUB!!





This was turning into an interesting saga. Lhorenzho, the director with the opinion, the loud voice in a room of loud voices, once my trusted and loyal advisor, my henchman and spokesperson at times of need, what was he doing? Was he turning the screw in an attempt to spring some sort of favour towards a coup? After all, he had talked about his plans so openly in the past.

Would it be possible now to even consider that the office that Lhorenzho once adorned with his self-portraits and other self-gratifying paraphernalia be opened again? Could he once again sit in that black leather executive office chair of his? Could he be trusted again?

A few hours later one of my associates alerted me to an article that was doing the rounds on the local neocoms, it was from the New Eden Business Journal. I could not believe my eyes.



New Eden  Business Journal


WHEN  MESSIANIC LEADERSHIP FALTERS.


Bix Bixley - correspondent


A celebrated leader has come under fire for his apparent failure to anticipate the effects of his proposed efforts to reconfigure a New Eden corporate entity long known for its loose internal structure. 


Miura Bull, one of the sectors most recognizable pirate Icons, and long known as a figure whose management style relied heavily on unquestioned devotion from a corporate demographic notable for its youthful exuberance and abhorrence of heavy handed management techniques,has experienced an unprecedented pushback by factions within his organization who are resisting his efforts to effect change.

The more tradition minded elements within The BLACK REBEL RIFTER CLUB (R1FTA) are urging MB (a term of endearment reserved for his cronys) to consider maintaining at least a semblance of contemporary management methodologies based on a fiat of corporate bylaws. 


Many of the opponents of the proposed sweeping changes spoke passionately as they detailed their concerns regarding Miura Bull’s bold initiatives, which many feel will destroy a corporate milieu that has not been successfully implemented or duplicated in any other organization.


The Black Rebel Rifter Club, an organization formed over a year ago by “Da Bull”, as he is affectionately called, prides itself on living and operating by a “do your own thing” philosophy that resonates deeply with the membership.  


“We have something unique going here!” stated a senior corporate director who chose to remain anonymous.


“There is no reason to trifle with what has already proven to be a winning formula! I am not one of the “kids” by any means but I can identify with their desire to maintain our current system as it makes it easy to cater to each members comfort zone." 


Da Bull has to realize that any changes are going to move us away from the sweet spot and I fear Miura is going to get some real complaints coming his way. I hope he reconsiders. 


I won’t mention any names but there are some overly aggressive capitalist types in our organization that I fear are having an undue influence on our leader! 


These guys are pushing expansion and they don’t care if the growth destroys the current configuration, which I might add has been very successful!”




Although most of the directors in the company were understandably reticent to comment, we were able to elicit some more substantial opinions from a former director who has since left the Black Rebels. 




Lhorenzho, a former active director and self proclaimed right hand man of Miura Bull, who is currently a member of the Estel Arador corporation was able to provide some additional feedback. In the interest of full disclosure we must add that he did insist on a guarantee that his comments would be protected under current whistleblower legislation.

After some initial negotiation in the presence of legal counsel, Lhorenzho did provide much needed background data and particularily telling were his insights into the persona that is Miura Bull.


"Look, I am by no means going to soft peddle this shit. Miura Bull, as anyone who has ever dealt with him closely will tell you is no angel. He is a force of nature. Devilishly intriquing and at once both menacing and charming.
But, understand, he is first and foremost a pirate and a damn good one, but he clearly prized blowing ships up over spending a couple of hours doing some basic research. 
Seriously, the developments that we find here could easily have been avoided by just a cursory glance at some basic books on business fundamentals. This crap is classic textbook case study shit straight from the old Stanford or Harvard business schools. The age old dilemna of explosive growth colliding with conflicting visions of where a company should be steered!
You fucked it up MB! Look, you may have heard that some of my critics are alleging that I am bitter and that I am jealous and that I was forced out by Da Bull for conduct unbecoming and I am here to tell you that those allegations are untrue. I still love that kid, but I will be damned if I will compromise my beliefs and alter my modus operandi to suit his sometimes chaotic business practices! I WON"T do it! One of the young pups in the corporation I am currently in overheard some of my recorded statements and said I was JELLY, which I believe is some quaint vernacular that intimates I am jealous of Da Bull. That is simply not true! That Rebel company is a powder keg in its current state, but if anyone can turn the situation around and make a go of it I would have to say its MB. We will see won't we?"


These comments as expressed by "Lhorenzho" were similiar to comments made by many who were inspired to come forward and speak.
Miura Bull has been accused of being a cultist and it is not difficult to appreciate why such claims take root!
Many great companies have inspirational and visionary leaders as their developmental catalysts.


Miura Bull has done this before.


This is in essence the second rendition of the organization. 


There was an earlier version of the BRRC started by Miura Bull which records indicate operated from 4/17/2010 to 9/14/2010. 


This initial foray into corporate creation and management by The Bull was apparently not successful and was closed without explanation by the mysterious pirate entrepreneur. 


No one has ever been able to discern with certainty the reason for this closure although there is no shortage of speculation.

Rumors, as yet unsubstantiated have hinted at issues with drugs and also raised the specter that a multitude of payoffs to women to silence their allegations that Da Bull had fathered  a  brood of illegitimate children, all contributed to the financial compromise of the initial Black Rebel Rifter Club, resulting in its disbanding in late 2010.




Subsequent to the failure of BRRC 1.0, Miura Bull, according to Empire records, sought and found refuge in a variety of New Eden companies, to include Blackwater USA and a relatively short stint with the controversial GUNPOINT DIPLOMACY group, led by Sard Caid, a well-known capsuleer in his own right who has garnered some notoriety in recent times for operating a successful New Eden TV stream that focuses primarily on Player versus Player combat. 




This divulging of sensitive information to local media sources was a damning and cold betrayal. I slammed my fist down hard on my desk. I take a couple of days away from the grind and mixed together with a glitch in the comms system and this is how I am thanked. I had to think fast, what sort of fitting punishment could be handed down?

This was not the first time Lhorenzho had embarrassed his leader. I remember with angst sometime earlier in the year when challenged by Lhorenzho to a solo kills competition for the month, watching with disgust as he went about murdering every cyno ship in New Eden he could lay his grubby hands on. He had very cleverly laid down a challenge that he simply could not lose, such was the abundance of his chosen target for the month. My disdain for the practice of easy cyno kills and the way he had gone about engineering his victory and then flaunting it so brazenly in my face filled me with hate. Revenge had been on my lips now for some time, and right now in my office, as I studied the information in front of me, I could taste it.

The corporate neocom blinked.




Reinstatement please.


Gentleman I am ready to come back. Please process my re-entry to corp. AND......don't give me no fucking bullshit!




In a rage of fury I threw my fist smack into the middle of the neocom screen. The bastard! This was getting sinister, what kind of evil plan was this madman hatching now? Was I just paranoid or did I have reason to fear the way this sycophant was playing his little game? I did not want to let him back in. Or should I? I was torn..... I wanted revenge and some form of token embarrassment planted firmly on Lhorenzho's smug shoulders.

I decided there and then on the introduction of a corporate oath, that all new members and former members returning should take before admittance into the ranks. A short ceremony where the applicant swore by this oath on bended knee would also be implemented into the new application process.


In the presence of this Black Jacket, which represents our Leader, I swear to devote all my energies and my strength to the saviour of our Corporation, the almighty and powerful Miura Bull. My words will never be against Him and my love for him will remain Loyal. I am willing and ready to give up my clone for him, so help me God.


And with that, with thanks to Lhorenzho, the R1FTA Oath was passed into corporate law. I await his fealty on his returning to corp.



MB.

Inside the Gunnery Room pt 1

Nowhere is man more conscious of his mortality and his transience than in space, where the crewman can hear the movement of the turrets along the ship's side, sometimes gentle and almost melancholy and sometimes hammering away like thunder through an excess of strength.... like the devil playing an organ with all the stops out.



First Battle.

Beads of sweat pooled off his forehead and ran deep into his eyes, stinging like an angry wasp. It was his first tour of duty in the gunnery crew of the Hurricane class battlecruiser. His first taste of battle. This was a million miles away from the peace and calm of home. The adrenaline thumping him hard in the chest. Nervous tension and excitement mixed in with the fear and not knowing made for a hedonistic cocktail of emotions.

The glowing red lights would fade to black with every angry slamming of missiles against the battlecruiser's armor. Boots clanked along the meshed floor as the crew scrambled to position. Alarms wailed and the turrets spat out their projectiles from sizzling hot autocannons. Clak, clak, clak, boom. The noise was constant. Deafening and frightening, but at the same time reminding him of a classical piece of music, almost beautiful and somewhat reassuring. The heat inside the gunnery room was searing. Unbearable. Steam hissed from pipes he never even knew existed. The noise was like thunder, like a wing of bombers passing through the inside of a maze of metal corridors. Heat was being forced into the autocannons high above his head. As the heat intensified to each gun an occasional surge of water and nano-accelerators could be heard working their way through the pipework.

Then it stopped.


The utter blackness of the room swamped everything and for a moment he considered that this could be the end. The silence was briefly interrupted by the sound of the microwarpdrive spluttering back into life. A welcome noise. The soft red glow of the emergency lighting pierced the darkness and then the lights flickered back to a brilliant white, again stinging the eyes. CW lowered his black visor to shield his eyes from the new light. The victory light. 




MB.

My Faction Warfare Fix

Disclaimer. I'm not a faction warfare pilot, nor do I wish to be in the future. However, I feel the fix I am proposing would greatly enhance the experience of the faction warfare playground for all.

Faction warfare is great! The lore of it all, the blobs, the cool dudes who fly solo picking off the weak or the willing, the politics and everything else that goes with it. There are some cool people in FW, no doubt about that. There are cool people that have come from FW to other areas of the game too. It's all good.

But there is one problem.

FW is broken in one way.

Dungeons.

You see when I spot a juicy looking frigate or destroyer inside one of the many Installations, Compounds, or Outposts and I warp in and land in my bright red spaceship (overview) what happens 99 times out of 100?

The guy inside the dungeon is usually 100k+ away from my landing zone and in a moment of shock and utter fear he warps off.


This is especially annoying because:

A - I want to destroy his ship and then pod him.

B - It wastes my time when they leave system.


So how can we fix this? Well. My proposal is simple. 

Once inside a FW dungeon you can not warp off your ship if another pilot not affiliated to your faction warps in. So if a pilot from an enemy faction warps into your dungeon, or, I dunno, say a flashy pirate warps in..... It should be locked so that you can not leave until blood has been spilled, a ship lost or a ship abandoned.

Only a pod can warp out when hostiles are on grid. This would mean the cowards who warp out as the mechanic stands at the minute could eject from their ship and leave if they wish, with their tails between their legs and shipless. The hostile party can then board the new ship or blow it up.

One more thing I would do as well. As I understand the way FW works, the person running these dungeons gains loyalty points that they then spend in the store. Complimenting the above mentioned dungeon lock-in system--If a lock-in is sprung, then the winner of any duel that takes place inside the dungeon gets a reward of all the loyalty points that would have been claimed, even if they are not a FW pilot.

These changes would make life in FW more dangerous, it would promote more fights in general and it would make FW a more interesting place for everyone and not just a place where people stick an alt in to farm loyalty points. If you can kill the FW people then you too can claim the loyalty points. A kind of theft to accompany a well-deserved killmail.

What say ye?


MB.

Letters for the Boss Man #1

Killing in Teonsude Icefield
From: Tylor Weaver
Sent: 2012.06.03 15:16
To: Miura Bull,

One of your members Pfeils Goodman attacked and destroyed my ship in the icefield at Teonusude. The ship was a mining vessel worth 200 mill lsk. A Mackinaw. I have done nothing wrong to her or your company. I like your company to compensate the loss of my ship, and not attack me again in hi sec.

Regards

--Tylor

MB.

The Death of the Gold Magnate and other short stories.

There are some ships in New Eden that are so rare they have become the stuff of legends. Play toys of the mega-rich, spawned from blueprint prizes at tournaments and other unique events, most are now collector's items that will rarely see the docking ramp of a station. Some have seen combat and have been subsequently lost to the void, some have been stolen and some have even seen use in Alliance Tournaments. Spotting one of these rare ships in space is likely to never happen to the average capsuleer, such is their rarity.

In this blog post we will take a look at these rare ships and some of the stories behind them.


The Death of the Gold Magnate.

There was only ever one Gold Magnate produced, a prize for winning the Amarr Championships back in 2003. The winner of this prestigious event, Ecliptical, later sold the prized frigate for 1 Billion ISK to Tyrrax Thorrk, the current CEO of Guiding Hand Social Club.

Tyrrax was kind enough to offer some words on how he came to own and lose this powerhouse of a frigate. In a time where tech II ships were but a distant dream and the killmail system as we know it today was non-existent, all we have left is a few screenshots and fading memories.


I didn't take part in the Amarr Championships myself, I just bought the ship later from Ecliptical, the winning team's captain, for a billion ISK (about half of which I had to borrow).
There were 5 teams, MASS, BIG, Evolution and I forget the other two corps, 4v4 frigate fights, the winners (MASS) flew Punishers.
1st place got 4 Imperial Issue Apocalypses, 3 Silver Magnates and a Gold Magnate, the losing teams got 1 Imperial Issue Armageddon and 4 Silver Magnates each.

Then I went through a kinda bored with EVE phase where I pvped semi-suicidally in all my ships, including the Gold Magnate, had some pretty awesome fights in 0.0 in it including one where I fought 5 other frigates/interceptors in a running battle and blew up a Crow before escaping.
Then I died fighting a m0o gate camp in A2-V which consisted of a Raven and 3 cruise missile Rifters, I made a mistake and got in web range of one of the Rifters.

Stats.

The trade.

So there we have it, the infamous m0o pirates, who I am told are one of the main reasons we have CONCORD as they are today, took the life of the unique starship the Gold Magnate.

Inside the safety of the station.

The last flight?

The Silver Magnate lives on!

Nineteen Silver Magnates were given out as runner-up prizes in the Amarr Championship event. As no more have entered the game since their release, their price has steadily risen and they have become collector's items. In addition, some have been destroyed, further increasing their value. At the time of their release, they were nearly the most powerful frigate in the game, second only to the even rarer Gold Magnate. The advent of Tech II frigates, however, made the Silver Magnate less notable as a combat ship.

At the last known count there were sixteen of these magnificent spaceships remaining, two Silver Magnates had been lost in combat and one was removed through the banning of an account.

The majestic Silver Magnate.

Opux Luxury Yacht.

"The Opux Luxury Yachts are normally used by the entertainment industry for pleasure tours for wealthy Gallente citizens. These Opux Luxury Yacht cruisers are rarely seen outside of Gallente controlled space, but are extremely popular within the Federation."

Perhaps the ultimate in hangar ornaments for the rich and famous, there are only three of these cruisers known to exist in the game and only two of them are player-controlled. One was acquired during an event, during which Iece Quaan boarded it after an actor ejected from it. This ship was then sold to Voogru, the now current owner. The second was given out by CCP to a couple from New Zealand known in-game as Caytlyn Rose and Ramius Monteagne, who got engaged on the stage at the 2005 Fanfest and are now married.



Apocalypse Imperial Issue.

A rare glimpse of the Apocalypse Imperial Issue.

Originally four of these ships existed in EVE, but three have since been destroyed. These vessels were given out as part of the Amarr Championships. The only remaining ship was last known to belong to the player DigitalCommunist. However, a fifth edition briefly existed; one Apocalypse Imperial Issue was given out as a prize from the BIG Lottery. It was flown by a player named Clone 0, and while moving the ship from one station to another, an attempt was made to destroy it by a group of Minmatar roleplay corporations. It was defended successfully by a group of Amarr roleplayers. CCP took the Apocalypse Imperial Issue back as part of a roleplaying event on the request of the player receiving the ship.

Grikl's ship was destroyed by m0o Corp in DSS-EZ (Stain Region) on December 1st 2003 during a battle and that kill was much contested due to the alleged use of an exploit.

Another of the first four issued ships fell into the hands of Tyrrax Thorrk, with reports suggesting this was lost in battle in December 2006.

Raem Civrie's ship was destroyed by Cult of War during the December 2006 Alliance Tournament, with DeddyMassive striking the final blow. The accuracy of the killmail and the mods fitted may be questionable.

The remaining ship is superior to the Apocalypse Navy Issue, due to her much better powergrid and CPU. Her value comes both from her rarity and the fact that the current owner seems unwilling to ever part with her at any price.



Armageddon Imperial Issue.

Designed and constructed by the most skilled starship engineers and architects of the Empire, the imperial issue of the mighty Armageddon class is an upgraded version of the most-used warship of the Amarr. Its heavy armaments and strong front are specially designed to crash into any battle like a juggernaut and deliver swift justice in the name of the Emperor.

Another of the prizes from the Amarr Championships, four were only ever commissioned for service. Three now remain, two of which belong to spaceship collector Entity. The one that was lost during battle belonged to Tyrrax Thorrk, his Imperial Issue Armageddon lost to the vacuum of space on July 24th 2007.



Guardian-Vexor.

It is not currently known how many Guardian-Vexors actually remain in the game today, it could be as few as twenty. Originally there were rumours that 55 of these ships existed, fifty of these given out as prizes from an in-game event.

At first glance the Guardian-Vexor is a slightly improved standard Vexor. Their value came not from the ability of the ship, but solely from the rarity of this limited edition ship. However, when changes in the game mechanics removed from ships special abilities to control more than five combat drones, this ship was not changed, and its ability to control up to five extra drones made it extremely powerful.

Unfortunately, its high price tag ensures that even those who own one will most likely not use it in combat. The last reported sale price for one of these rare ships was reported to be close to 30 billion ISK.



The Theft of the Megathron Federate Issue.

Fedathron.

The Megathron Federate Issue (or 'Fedathron') is without a doubt one of the rarest ships in the game. There is only one in existence, and it is unlikely another will ever be handed out.

It was originally given to 'Doc Brown' by the Gallente Federation as a reward for killing Fatal, one of the two founders of the Guristas pirates as part of the Crielere event. Doc Brown kept the ship for around two years before selling it to DigitalCommunist for 15 Billion ISK.

The current owner of the ship, the avid spaceship collector Entity, acquired the vessel in deceptive circumstances. Entity was kind enough to talk about how he came into the possession of arguably one of his most-prized items.


Madcap Magician was angry with his friend DigitalCommunist and talked to me about it, saying he intended to steal his Malediction and Ishtar BPOs because of it. So I said "Screw the blueprints, get the Fedathron!" I provided him with some officer modules to come up with a plausible excuse for Madcap to "borrow" the ship, and ~2 weeks later, the evil deed was done and Madcap donated the ship to my collection :)
I even received some RL threats from his (very very angry) buddies, but I actually met one of the people that made the threats later on at one of the Fanfests and he turned out to be a nice guy.

Up close and personal.

A rare outing for this rarest of the rare.

Raven State Issue.

Raven State Issue.

The Raven State Issue (originally named the Corvus) was designed by CCP as the top prize in the 3rd Caldari Alliance Tournament in December of 2006. Four were awarded to the winning team from Band of Brothers at the end of the tournament, of which one was sold on to wealthy item collector Entity (Entity's item collection) for a very large sum of ISK. It is one of the most coveted ships in EVE and as such, it commanded a hefty price-tag of approximately 240 billion ISK in the most recent auction held in 2010.

Like most unique event ships, it is unlikely that any more will ever be handed out. The Raven State Issue (sometimes referred to as the State Raven) is -like most special issue ships- vastly more powerful than the standard Raven, and even its faction counterparts the Raven Navy Issue and the Rattlesnake. Its greatly improved fitting and 8 launcher hardpoints give it a definite damage advantage over its lesser counterparts, and an extra low slot can be used to further fortify its defences.

All four Raven State Issues are known to be still intact and safely tucked away in private hangars. Seeing one out in the spacelanes is very rare, although rumours have circulated in the past that one of the owners has been known to use his Estamel fit State Raven with a Falcon buddy in close company.



Tribal Issue Tempest.

Commissioned by the four ruling tribes of the Republic, the Tribal Issue of their Fleet's key vessel is presented only to those who have displayed unyielding valor in the Republic's interest, and a tireless commitment to maintaince of the Tribes' precious freedom. Given the ship's status as a badge of honour, it is not uncommon for pilots or ship crew to add special tattoos to their anatomy, celebrating both the gift of the ship and the honour of piloting it.

The Tribal Issue Tempests were presented as alliance tournament prizes. There are currently thought to be only four Tempest Tribal Issues in existence, at least one of which is owned by Entity, the avid collector of rare ships and other curiosities. As with all unique battleships, the Tempest Tribal Issue is vastly superior to its brethren.



Mimir.

These near-unique ships were the 1st place prizes of Alliance Tournament VII. The winning team were given enough blueprints to make 50 such ships.

Rupture on steroids--the Mimir.

A highly experimental prototype created by Minmatar scientists, intended to combine the qualities of their front line heavy assault ships. Heavily plated and sporting additional thrusters, this ship is not to be taken lightly.


Freki.

These near-unique ships were the 2nd place prizes of Alliance Tournament VII. As with the Mimir, 50 blueprint copies were handed out.

Freki.

Developed along with the first wave of Minmatar Assault Ships but later abandoned due to cost, the Freki is known for its extremely well designed warp core that enables it to arrive first on the scene to snare and eliminate its target.

It is rarely seen on the battlefield, as only a limited number have ever gone into production. It is usually given to pilots as a reward for their excellence in combat.


It is not known for certain how many Frekis remain, Circle-Of-Two fielded a handful in Alliance Tournament  matches and it was thought that three were destroyed. Here is one of the lossmails.



Adrestia.

Another Alliance Tournament 1st placed prize, this time from AT8. The winning team were given enough blueprints to make 50 such ships.

Adrestia.

The Adrestia is a high-powered blaster platform specially commissioned for the 8th Alliance Tournament. While similar to its sister vessel the Deimos (on which its design was based), this ship nonetheless differs in some very important ways. Utilizing lightweight alloys and a prototype form of ion thruster, the Adrestia is capable of reaching truely mind-boggling speeds for a heavy assault vessel. While this makes it less sturdy than its predecessor, the lack of defensive plating is compensated for by state-of-the-art targeting systems, thoroughly optimized weapon hardpoints and upgraded warp scrambling capability. Don't let the lack of defense fool you; very few vessels out there can stand against the Adrestia toe to toe.

There have been a few high profile Adrestia lossmails. Perhaps this one by the famous pvper Garmon one of the most well known losses. Tinkerhell of Muppet Ninja's lost her Adrestia in Agoze solar system and HooKz, also once of Muppet Ninja's has also had his name to many killmails in his Adrestia, although I do believe that Adrestia is still in one piece. A quick sweep of his killboard would suggest no losses of an Adrestia to date.



The Story of the Utu Killer.

These near-unique ships were the 2nd place prizes of Alliance Tournament VIII. The successful team were given enough blueprints to make 50 such ships.

Utu.

The Utu is a highly advanced drone platform specially commissioned for the 8th Alliance Tournament. While based on the Ishkur's design, this ship featured design elements that go above and beyond the original blueprint.

In addition to revolutionary heat dispersion field projectors, the Utu is equiped with cutting edge hardwired drone protocols and upgraded warp scrambling capability. Combined with the sturdy armor plating, these qualities make the Utu a powerful ally in any combat encounter.

News of the auctioning off of some of the Utu blueprints had become common knowledge as reported in this article. It was also understood that one of the Utu class ships belonging to Morel Nova had already been lost in combat.

The pilot in question, CTPAHHUK UKC spoke to me regarding how the events unfolded. He also has another toon that also attempted to kill the Utu, known as UKC. It was a case of third time lucky as he explains in this interview.


One day I remember I logged in and saw the Utu in space! In that time I couldn't autolink his ship, but I could show ship info from the overview. Mmm, what a tasty ship!! In total there were 3 fights:

First, as I remember, I came alone for my first attempt using UKC in my stupid/special arty Dramiel with 1 point disruptor. He couldn't web or point me and in the end he warped off, and then I figured out that he was indeed stabbed.

Second try I made with both my characters (as you say in some of your old blogposts if someone sees one of my characters and then the second it usually means a trap ;)). I warped to him in my Ishkur with tech2 scram, but again he got away as soon as my second character landed. Okay I thought, 2 stabs at the minimum =\

Next day I moved to Rens (with very little hope that Morel would play with me again) to build a special Daredevil (TS scram, tech2 scram and a web, no props: Utu has 4 lowslots, I had to be sure in that time he would not warp off again). It was a very long waiting game of getting into position (I was without prop and needed for him to land on me at 0), he was sitting in the 2/10 plex and I just flew around the Lulm area in my DD for something like 3 hours waiting for the right moment. Finally he left the plex, so I warped in and waited for him to land on top of me at 0, as soon as he did I killed him, it was an easy fight.

The Utu Killer.

Vangel.


The Vangel is a heavy assault ship design exclusively commissioned as a reward in the ninth Alliance Tournament. Like its smaller sibling the Malice, it possesses greatly enhanced energy destabilization systems. Though it was primarily conceived as a combat vessel for the solitary pilot, the Vangel‘s great stores of capacitor power and top-of-the-line armor plating make it no less effective in small fleets. A sleek, deadly triumph of both form and function.

Vangel.

Perhaps the most famous Vangel lossmail to date was this killmail of Count MonteCarlo's (Garmon) Vangel which was destroyed in February 2012.




Malice.

The Malice is an assault frigate design exclusively commissioned as a reward in the ninth Alliance Tournament. Sporting custom metal alloys in its plated carapace, it is one of the most expensive ships ever produced in its class. Far from being a mere ornament, though, the Malice features quality armament systems, strong defensive plating and a massive capacitor, and its vastly augmented facility for energy destabilization makes it a formidable adversary in any engagement.

The Malice.

At the time of writing I have no records of any killmails or lossmails involving the Malice. Maybe its time will come?


Final thoughts.

My own thoughts on rare ships are probably not shared by the vast majority of EVE's player base, but if I was ever in any position to own and fly such a ship (anybody want to sell a Freki?), I would do just that and it would probably be a brief ownership. I would fly it until it burned and then let it live out its legendary status as a shiny lossmail. Of course, I'd hope to take some people down with me first but I imagine such ships do attract a lot of attention.

So what are your thoughts on rare and unique ships? Have you ever seen any of the above ships in combat? Do you own one yourself or know of a friend who does? Do you know of any other interesting stories relating to the above ships? Would you also fly it like you stole it or spin it until you were dizzy?


I would like to thank Entity, UKC/CTPAHHUK UKC and Tyrrax Thorrk for the valuable feedback, the links and screenshots they provided for this article.




MB.

Good fights bad fights?

Yesterday when passing through Melmaniel solar system I noticed quite a few frigates and destroyers on scan, narrowing them down to a military beacon I was pleased to see that my Wolf would be allowed to fire up the acceleration gate. I landed on grid with two Dramiels, two Catalyst, a Rifter and a Tristan. This would be a nice test for my newly unwrapped Wolf. 6 v 1, my kind of dogfight.

Landing right on top of the Rifter I quickly blitzed through his, erm, multiple tank and then started taking railgun fire from the two Catalysts. At this point the Dramiels had fled the scene, no surprise there, good to see people still putting the Dram to good use and doing what it does best. I was soon on top of one of the Catalysts, and he was soon space wreckage. The other Catalyst had now managed to slip from my overheated scram range and despite my best efforts he too warped off, quickly followed by the Tristan who was always quite far away from the action.

I was slightly disappointed, in the course of the fight I had only needed to pulse my repper once, after taking initial heavy railgun fire, when what I really wanted was a mangled and buckled overheating mess of a repper. This could have been a real test for the Wolf, if all those ships had stuck together and coordinated some kind of attack then the Wolf may well have bitten the dust. In fact I was resigned to losing it, in exchange for a couple or three killmails of course. Instead, pilots who were (supposedly) all flying under the same banner went and scattered to the four winds, every man for themselves, what is an ally or a friend when you've got your pixelated piece of scrap metal to save?


At the moment the best fights seem to be good old fashioned 1v1 dogfights, or in some cases 1v1's that turn into a 2v1 or 3v1, such is the nature of the beast. I seem to be noticing a lot of Daredevils in space at the moment, a ship I've never really liked, it just strikes me as a poor ship, not something I could ever see myself flying in all honesty. But of course I will always fight them, or try to fight them, as I have noticed a fair few Daredevil pilots have read the Dramiel Flyer's Guide To Making A Quick Escape.

I spotted one such beast out bouncing around the many asteroid belts of Agoze, carefully watching his movements I second guessed the projected landing spot of his next belt and sat there in wait, guns sizzling under the forced heat. Sure enough the Daredevil was soon on top of me and I sparked the Wolf into action, reducing the Daredevil into a glittering pile of bent metal.

The next Daredevil I found had a Cynabal buddy in tow and also a couple more corpmates in the system and in the surrounding systems. This too was in Agoze, oddly enough. I wasn't sure what the other pilots were flying but had narrowed down the Daredevil and the Cynabal to an asteroid belt. Engaging warp I knew this could be a tough fight, my plan would be to quickly remove the Daredevil then hopefully land a scram on the Cynabal. I landed smack bang on top of the Daredevil but the Cynabal was some 50 clicks off of us. As to be expected the Daredevil was no match for the blistering power of the Wolf, and was soon delivered to the scrapyard in the sky. The Cynabal came in closer, to 30k, I had no chance of realistically chasing him but I tried anyway. Narrowing the distance to 20k, taking some heavy fire in the process he then    pulled some more range before warping off the field. At this time I had noticed that multiple ships were now on scan, maybe 5 or 6 buddies of the Cynabal and in nasty looking ships, so I decided to wait out my GCC in safety before moving on, happy with my killmail.

After championing the Firetail in my previous blog post I have been flying them quite a bit recently. Most of the fights I have found where I have won have been quite standard affairs, or alternatively, fights that have simply been the wrong fit for the Firetail, resulting in expected lossmails. I have quite a few in stock now so will pretty much engage anything in them if it means getting a fight.

I spotted a Daredevil in an asteroid belt, again, these guys must love loitering in belts. Landing in the belt with him I was 50k off, after a short stand off as I weighed up my options I was soon burning for him. He did the same and we met about half way and we began the dance. This was more of a test for the Firetail and the repper was put through some serious hard work, but the resultant flames from the Firetail's structure were well worth it in the end, as another Daredevil killmail was added to the bank. I also podded the guy and collected a bounty of 36 million isk.

Another fight that got the blood pumping recently was a fight I had with a Claw whilst I was out in a no plate cap boosted Rifter. At first the Claw carefully danced around my Rifter, no matter what I did I just couldn't break his piloting and land the scram, but at the same time there was no exchange of damage. Then he decided to go for it and we were soon brawling up close. This fight was one of the best frigate dogfights I have had for a long time, a very, very close fight and lots of burning modules afterwards. I was happy to leave with the killmail and also had a good chat with the pilot after the fight, which is always nice. He was on his way home to dock up for the night and thought 'what the hell, let's have a brawl', this kind of attitude towards fights I like, a lot. We need more pilots out there like this.

Sometimes you find a fight that ends in no killmail for either party, and whilst you have nothing to show for it in the end you certainly take away some satisfaction of a good fight. Sitting in Iges solar system in my Firetail I noticed another Firetail on scan. Soon enough, Dischordant from the pirate corporation Repo. was in the belt with me and we were slugging it out in what was a good brawl, unfortunately I managed to cap myself out near the end of the fight, not sure if I bled my cap dry from my over use of the repper outside of nos range or if I got neuted, I can't recall if he had a neut or not, but either way I lost the power to my scrambler in the end and he slipped away from my clutches in structure I believe. Good fight. Dischordant has a cool blog that is well worth a read.

Finally, another fight that resulted in no killmail.

Again I was in my cap boosted no plated Rifter when I encountered an Incursus spoiling for a fight in Ouelletta solar system. The pilot, well-placed in the top 500 of battleclinic's ranking would sure pose a mean threat, together with the new improved capabilities of the Incursus.

This was a fantastic fight, almost up there with the Claw fight. The Incursus danced around the edge of my neut range, zipped in and out and at one point we were straight up brawling each other in the face in blaster range. My repper was singing and working overtime to repair the damage as it got hotter and hotter. At one point I thought I had the upper hand, the Incursus deep in Gallente structure, he was fast and as it looked like I may pull off an unlikely victory he began to burn out of my range so I gave chase. In the excitement of the pursuit I was doing my level best to push the afterburner to its absolute limit and then suddenly it went bang! Oops. The Incursus was still with me, but with no afterburner now I decided to hammer the warp drive and get out of there before he noticed how slow I had now become. Good fights were exchanged in local.

Every gfgf should end with your modules toasted.

MB.

Republic Fleet Firetail

A long time ago in a solar system, far, far away.......

It is a time of fear within the Republic, the borders of this great tribal nation are infested with cruel and twisted space vermin. Trade lanes are regularly plundered, kidnap and horrific station-side murders are on the increase. Rumours circulate of an evil pirate warlord--name and face unknown--his evil band of corsairs and mercenaries raiding together under the black flag of the Lazari Dromitus.

Little is known about these cutthroats; who they are, how many they number, where they come from and where they base. Operating exclusively in small squads of frigates that lurk in the shadows and then strike with ruthless efficiency and barbarianism, spearheaded by a mysterious, heavily modified, wasp-like, agile, speed junky of a frigate called the Shamrock.

The Matari militia will stop at nothing to defeat this terror cell.......

The Republic Fleet Firetail is often dismissed as an underwhelming frigate, however, I feel this is quite unfair as it is an immensely fun ship to fly and if flown correctly can be a mischievous little killmail winner. It is a logical stepping stone before jumping into other advanced frigate classes such as the Interceptor and the Assault Frigate.

The Firetail really comes alive with its speed which is right up there with the Interceptor hulls, this gives it the ability during solo engagements to dictate range, and also means it can be used to great effect as tackle in gangs. 

There are quite a few different fits out there, its slot layout meaning an armor or shield tank can be fielded.

[Republic Fleet Firetail, 400 DualWebBrawler]

400mm Reinforced Rolled Tungsten Plates I

Micro Auxiliary Power Core I

Damage Control II

J5b Phased Prototype Warp Scrambler I

1MN Afterburner II

X5 Prototype Engine Enervator

X5 Prototype Engine Enervator

200mm AutoCannon II

Small Unstable Power Fluctuator I

200mm AutoCannon II

Small Trimark Armor Pump I

Small Trimark Armor Pump I

Small Trimark Armor Pump I

---

[Republic Fleet Firetail, Dual Repper]

Small Armor Repairer II

Damage Control II

Small Armor Repairer II

Small Capacitor Booster II, Navy Cap Booster 400

Warp Scrambler II

Stasis Webifier II

1MN Afterburner II

200mm AutoCannon II

Rocket Launcher II

200mm AutoCannon II

Small Auxiliary Nano Pump I

Small Auxiliary Nano Pump I

Small Nanobot Accelerator I

---

[Republic Fleet Firetail, ShieldStorm]

Damage Control II

Gyrostabilizer II

Overdrive Injector System II

Faint Epsilon Warp Scrambler I

Fleeting Propulsion Inhibitor I

Medium F-S9 Regolith Shield Induction

1MN Afterburner II

200mm AutoCannon II

Small Unstable Power Fluctuator I

200mm AutoCannon II

Small Ancillary Current Router I

Small Core Defence Field Extender I

Small Anti-EM Screen Reinforcer I

---

[Republic Fleet Firetail, Dual Prop]

Gyrostabilizer II

Micro Auxiliary Power Core II

F85 Peripheral Damage System I

Limited 1MN MicroWarpdrive I

1MN Afterburner II

Medium Azeotropic Ward Salubrity I

J5b Phased Prototype Warp Scrambler I

150mm Light AutoCannon II

Small Unstable Power Fluctuator I

150mm Light AutoCannon II

Small Projectile Burst Aerator I

Small Anti-EM Screen Reinforcer I

Small Core Defence Field Extender I

---

[Republic Fleet Firetail, TD Howitzer Turbo]

F85 Peripheral Damage System I

Nanofiber Internal Structure II

Gyrostabilizer II

1MN Afterburner II

J5 Prototype Warp Disruptor I

X5 Prototype Engine Enervator

DDO Photometry Tracking Disruptor I

280mm 'Scout' Artillery I

[empty high slot]

280mm 'Scout' Artillery I

Small Projectile Metastasis Adjuster I

Small Projectile Burst Aerator I

Small Low Friction Nozzle Joints I

---

[Republic Fleet Firetail, TankArty]

Micro Auxiliary Power Core II

Damage Control II

Tracking Enhancer II

Medium F-S9 Regolith Shield Induction

1MN Afterburner II

J5b Phased Prototype Warp Scrambler I

X5 Prototype Engine Enervator

280mm Howitzer Artillery II

[empty high slot]

280mm Howitzer Artillery II

Small Anti-EM Screen Reinforcer I

Small Core Defence Field Extender I

Small Projectile Collision Accelerator I

---

[Republic Fleet Firetail, 250]

Pseudoelectron Containment Field I

Fourier Transform Tracking Program

Micro Auxiliary Power Core II

1MN Afterburner II

J5b Phased Prototype Warp Scrambler I

X5 Prototype Engine Enervator

Medium Shield Extender II

250mm Light Artillery Cannon II

Rocket Launcher II

250mm Light Artillery Cannon II

Small Core Defence Field Extender I

Small Projectile Burst Aerator I

Small Projectile Ambit Extension I

---

[Republic Fleet Firetail, TDSkimmer]

Damage Control II

Small Armor Repairer II

Adaptive Nano Plating II

1MN Afterburner II

J5b Phased Prototype Warp Scrambler I

Stasis Webifier II

DDO Photometry Tracking Disruptor I

200mm AutoCannon II

Small Nosferatu II

200mm AutoCannon II

Small Anti-Explosive Pump I

Small Auxiliary Nano Pump I

Small Projectile Burst Aerator I

---

[Republic Fleet Firetail, TwinGyroDualProp]

Gyrostabilizer II

Gyrostabilizer II

F85 Peripheral Damage System I

Limited 1MN MicroWarpdrive I

Experimental 1MN Afterburner I

Medium Azeotropic Ward Salubrity I

J5b Phased Prototype Warp Scrambler I

125mm Gatling AutoCannon II

[empty high slot]

125mm Gatling AutoCannon II

Small Anti-EM Screen Reinforcer I

Small Projectile Collision Accelerator I

Small Ancillary Current Router I

---

Quite a variety! I'm sure there are even more variations out there as well. What is your favourite fit? Some of the fits are pretty tight on the fitting requirements so some playing around with meta modules may be required. Have a play in eft and then give some of them a try.

MB.

Top Toys

The table below shows the top 5 of ships used by R1FTA pilots during combat operations.

No surprise at the number 1 spot really, if it was something else there we'd probably get done for false advertising. It is a figure that should really be a bit higher, as I think most of the killmails that get registered as a capsule were in fact hero tackle Rifters that bit the dust.


Number 2 spot goes to the Wolf. I would probably say my favourite assault frigate at the moment. I can't get enough of its kick, once it gets you in its jaws it doesn't like to let go.


In 3rd place we've got the Thrasher. A figure that is always going to be inflated slightly due to its long service as a suicide gank ship, however, you can't knock the sheer destructive capabilities of a combat Thrasher.


Number 4 on the list goes to the Jaguar. For a long time my numero uno weapon of choice. I lost a little bit of love for the Jag when the assault frigate changes came around, but after playing around with various different fits I am now enjoying flying her again. A fantastic ship.


In the number 5 position we see a cruiser hull poking its nose into the realms of popularity. What can be said about the Rupture? One of the best ships in the game, value for money, versatility--devastating in armor or shield form. Not to be messed with. You can fly them solo or put them to excellent use in gang form, this fight here showcasing its potential.




Whilst on the subject of kills, I recently broke the 1000 corp kills barrier and received a shiny new medal for my troubles. Now to go sprinkle some gunpowder on my cornflakes.

Finally, R1FTA are currently recruiting new blood for a limited amount of time. Go check out our recruitment post on the eve forums by clicking this link here.


MB.

And now.....

For something totally different........

A taster, a sneak peek, an appetiser, a teaser, you get the drift? Courtesy of Lao Mah/R3v3r Productions here is an insight into the life as a member of R1FTA and what 'goes down'--but that is not all, there is method to this madness.

Starting this Summer 2012, R1FTA will begin work on its latest ambitious venture. Outside of the box thinking and a dynamic approach to script writing and performing arts, we will bring to you the R1FTA Musical.


Stay tuned.







MB.