Monday, April 13, 2015

A Gila gank and baiting theory

A Gila gank


If you still have doubts about advantages of having extra toons, here's an average gank day story.

I do some scanning and luck would have it I end up in a system with Gila doing a site. I like Gila. It's a faction cruiser, going up 270mil, more than a battleship. It also means it usually is more expensively fit. A perfect gank target. 


They can be quite tough, but nothing my 3 Dominixes couldn't handle. Only challenge is to tank with my proteus enough time for their slow asses to warp and get in range for remote reps in case pilots tries to burn out of range with afterburner. Proteus is a tanky ship, but even it can take only so much dps from Gila and Sleepers.

Gila was tackled and Domis were on grid. Fight started. In W-space it is always race against time. You stick too long and you might be a victim of another fleet or a backup. I usually try to finish the job as fast as a I can, unless I feel quite confident I have time for a ransom.

However current situation was not the one for a ransom. Just as I started throwing ogres on Gila, I see an Astero decloak near me. Oh boy. My only guess is, that pilot asked for help. It makes sense, because Proteus has been tackling him "solo" while Domi fleet was in warp for awhile. I quickly tackle Astero and unleash warriors on it and a heavy cap neutralizer as a cherry on top. It doesn't last very long.


With Astero out of the picture, I resume my dps on Gila and convert it to wreck in short time. I get a nice, almost a billion worth, killmail.


I sometimes feel like I have a sixth sense that acts as a ship scanner array. When I see a target, my gut tells it will have only t2 stuff or it may carry some shinies. Too bad greedy mobile tractor unit slurped the wreck before I could kill it. People often say: "shoot an mtu first", but I would like them try and do that when neutrals are buzzing around and only thing you are concerned with is so that d-scan stays clear and keep tabs on what's on grid.

In any case, I am not in it for the money. I'm in it for the thrill. Killmail is enough of reward for me. Stuff that drops is only a bonus. I quickly rewarp on mtu wreck, scoop what's left and gtfo to safespot. My only theory on why I didn't end up killed, is that enemy needed time to organize a proper fleet to take on 3 Dominixes. It's not so easy to do. Apart from warping a logi and a faclon to range, you can't do anything at brawling range, which usually would mean I could get out if things started to get too hot. Would I be flying a Proteus and a Falcon alt, I probably would be dead. Could't break Gila with Proteus anyways.

Seeing through the bait


It was not over yet. While I was at my safespot with Domi fleet, I was watching the site while cloaked up. I found out which is their home system and went to see what is happening. I saw a couple of cloaky ships go in. One being cloaky Legion, who then warped directly to Gila's wreck. I follow. Legion pretending to be looting stuff, minding his own business. You know, typical bait stuff. 


Though in the beginning it looked it was a legit try to scoop stuff. As it warped to site cloaked, got to wreck, then warped off cloaked again. But then he came back and just sat there on the wreck. After a bit of time it started aligning out and flew like that for about 15 km. 


I think it smells. Smells awfully lot like bait. Sometimes I can take the bait. To do that, I have to have a backup plan. It usually means polarizing half the fleet trying to gank me or having an exit to another wormhole, such as lowsec that I could jump out and mwd+cloak out.

Taking a bait in mid space is often situation all in. And after checking their killboard, I see 6-10 people, with nasty stuff like logi and ecm in fleet fights. No thanks. I don't feel like pod express home just yet. Minutes passed and both parties call it quits. Legion goes back and I log out for the day.

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