There are times when a ganker can behave so strangely that it becomes nearly impossible to understand his state of mind. It's like going to Osmon Gankology Museum with Aide Royale and Insta Podkiller, but soon realizing that they were actually interested in mining with Lady Shock's Venture. This post will be mainly about my very first Anti-ganking experience in EVE. Here's how it all started.
I was targeted by a ganker for the first time on July 29th 2013 (and that was the only time). Back in those days, I was quite new to mining, but my passion for the Skiff and my interest in GankerJamming™ had already started. As a result, I was mining in the Skiff.
"Tis' all about the Veldspar baby." (Chribba o7) |
My fit was more like a Mining & Battle Skiff combination actually.
As you can see, I also had fitted a 'Hypnos' Multispectral ECM as well. Yes, I should have fitted a Gallente jammer for potential Catalyst encounters, but it was still good to have this module fitted that day.
In the middle of my mining operation, I remember seeing the sudden landing of a Catalyst and Corax on grid. I was alone with my Skiff in the belt, so I was pretty sure that they were just going to warp to the next belts to find a more fragile target than me.
However, the Catalyst belonging to BigGreyMouse started approaching my Skiff while the Corax warped away. Strange. Why was the Catalyst approaching my Skiff? As any experienced ganker will tell you, a properly tanked Skiff cannot be suicide ganked by a single Catalyst, even in a 0.5 system. Maybe BigGreyMouse was actually just going to bump me?
Not really, because she started yellowboxing me as she kept approaching more and more and…
[ 2013.07.29 21:01:02 ] (notify) BigGreyMouse, criminals are not welcome here. Leave now or be destroyed.
[ 2013.07.29 21:01:04 ] (combat) Warp scramble attempt from BigGreyMouse [HATTE](Catalyst) to you!
[ 2013.07.29 21:01:04 ] (combat) 55 from BigGreyMouse[HATTE](Catalyst) - Grazes
[ 2013.07.29 21:01:05 ] (combat) 140 from BigGreyMouse[HATTE](Catalyst) - Hits
...then she became criminal by scrambling and shooting my Skiff. Ladies and gentlemen, you guessed it, BigGreyMouse had actually thought she could solo-gank a Skiff with her Catalyst! Hey, what could go wrong? I was in a mining ship after all!
But not just another mining ship. As a reflex, I applied the Multispectral ECM on the Catalyst quickly (it succeeded!), so quickly that the heretic could only inflict 195 damage in total. In other words, she had only managed to scramble my ship, thus become criminal for nothing. However, there was still about 20 seconds before CONCORD's arrival, so I wanted to do more.
In addition to shutting down her targeting system, I wanted to feel the beautiful joy of inflicting damage to every portion of this criminal Catalyst that had just tried to mess with my hard-working Skiff.
I deployed my 5 Hobgoblin drones Papor, Bubur, Siegfried, Jason and Grigub, ordered them to cleanse the belt from this diseased ganker and then I pleasantly watched them shooting...
[ 2013.07.29 21:01:07 ] (combat) 41 to BigGreyMouse[HATTE](Catalyst) - Hobgoblin II - Grazes
[ 2013.07.29 21:01:07 ] (combat) Your Hobgoblin II misses BigGreyMouse completely - Hobgoblin II
[ 2013.07.29 21:01:07 ] (combat) 97 to BigGreyMouse[HATTE](Catalyst) - Hobgoblin II - Penetrates
[ 2013.07.29 21:01:07 ] (combat) 75 to BigGreyMouse[HATTE](Catalyst) - Hobgoblin II - Hits
[ 2013.07.29 21:01:11 ] (combat) 56 to BigGreyMouse[HATTE](Catalyst) - Hobgoblin II - Glances Off
[ 2013.07.29 21:01:11 ] (combat) 78 to BigGreyMouse[HATTE](Catalyst) - Hobgoblin II - Hits
[ 2013.07.29 21:01:11 ] (combat) 45 to BigGreyMouse[HATTE](Catalyst) - Hobgoblin II - Grazes
[ 2013.07.29 21:01:11 ] (combat) 41 to BigGreyMouse[HATTE](Catalyst) - Hobgoblin II - Grazes
[ 2013.07.29 21:01:11 ] (combat) 72 to BigGreyMouse[HATTE](Catalyst) - Hobgoblin II - Hits
[ 2013.07.29 21:01:15 ] (combat) 106 to BigGreyMouse[HATTE](Catalyst) - Hobgoblin II - Smashes
…and shooting…
[ 2013.07.29 21:01:15 ] (combat) 80 to BigGreyMouse[HATTE](Catalyst) - Hobgoblin II - Penetrates
[ 2013.07.29 21:01:15 ] (combat) 51 to BigGreyMouse[HATTE](Catalyst) - Hobgoblin II - Glances Off
[ 2013.07.29 21:01:15 ] (combat) 75 to BigGreyMouse[HATTE](Catalyst) - Hobgoblin II - Hits
[ 2013.07.29 21:01:15 ] (combat) 88 to BigGreyMouse[HATTE](Catalyst) - Hobgoblin II - Penetrates
[ 2013.07.29 21:01:19 ] (combat) 77 to BigGreyMouse[HATTE](Catalyst) - Hobgoblin II - Penetrates
[ 2013.07.29 21:01:19 ] (combat) 85 to BigGreyMouse[HATTE](Catalyst) - Hobgoblin II - Smashes
[ 2013.07.29 21:01:19 ] (combat) 55 to BigGreyMouse[HATTE](Catalyst) - Hobgoblin II - Hits
[ 2013.07.29 21:01:19 ] (combat) 34 to BigGreyMouse[HATTE](Catalyst) - Hobgoblin II - Grazes
[ 2013.07.29 21:01:19 ] (combat) 71 to BigGreyMouse[HATTE](Catalyst) - Hobgoblin II - Penetrates
…and shooting...
[ 2013.07.29 21:01:23 ] (combat) 139 to BigGreyMouse[HATTE](Catalyst) - Hobgoblin II - Smashes
[ 2013.07.29 21:01:23 ] (combat) 93 to BigGreyMouse[HATTE](Catalyst) - Hobgoblin II - Hits
[ 2013.07.29 21:01:23 ] (combat) 49 to BigGreyMouse[HATTE](Catalyst) - Hobgoblin II - Grazes
[ 2013.07.29 21:01:23 ] (combat) 88 to BigGreyMouse[HATTE](Catalyst) - Hobgoblin II - Hits
[ 2013.07.29 21:01:23 ] (combat) 139 to BigGreyMouse[HATTE](Catalyst) - Hobgoblin II - Smashes
[ 2013.07.29 21:01:15 ] (combat) 80 to BigGreyMouse[HATTE](Catalyst) - Hobgoblin II - Penetrates
[ 2013.07.29 21:01:15 ] (combat) 51 to BigGreyMouse[HATTE](Catalyst) - Hobgoblin II - Glances Off
[ 2013.07.29 21:01:15 ] (combat) 75 to BigGreyMouse[HATTE](Catalyst) - Hobgoblin II - Hits
[ 2013.07.29 21:01:15 ] (combat) 88 to BigGreyMouse[HATTE](Catalyst) - Hobgoblin II - Penetrates
[ 2013.07.29 21:01:19 ] (combat) 77 to BigGreyMouse[HATTE](Catalyst) - Hobgoblin II - Penetrates
[ 2013.07.29 21:01:19 ] (combat) 85 to BigGreyMouse[HATTE](Catalyst) - Hobgoblin II - Smashes
[ 2013.07.29 21:01:19 ] (combat) 55 to BigGreyMouse[HATTE](Catalyst) - Hobgoblin II - Hits
[ 2013.07.29 21:01:19 ] (combat) 34 to BigGreyMouse[HATTE](Catalyst) - Hobgoblin II - Grazes
[ 2013.07.29 21:01:19 ] (combat) 71 to BigGreyMouse[HATTE](Catalyst) - Hobgoblin II - Penetrates
…and shooting...
[ 2013.07.29 21:01:23 ] (combat) 139 to BigGreyMouse[HATTE](Catalyst) - Hobgoblin II - Smashes
[ 2013.07.29 21:01:23 ] (combat) 93 to BigGreyMouse[HATTE](Catalyst) - Hobgoblin II - Hits
[ 2013.07.29 21:01:23 ] (combat) 49 to BigGreyMouse[HATTE](Catalyst) - Hobgoblin II - Grazes
[ 2013.07.29 21:01:23 ] (combat) 88 to BigGreyMouse[HATTE](Catalyst) - Hobgoblin II - Hits
[ 2013.07.29 21:01:23 ] (combat) 139 to BigGreyMouse[HATTE](Catalyst) - Hobgoblin II - Smashes
…and shooting the criminal.
[ 2013.07.29 21:01:22 ] (combat) Warp scramble attempt from CONCORD Police Captain to BigGreyMouse [HATTE](Catalyst)
[ 2013.07.29 21:01:22 ] (combat) Warp scramble attempt from CONCORD Police Captain to BigGreyMouse [HATTE](Catalyst)
And then the boring CONCORD intervention arrived. Damn you CONCORD, I didn't even need your stupid God-like DPS & ECM to kill this ganker. My Skiff was doing those already. Why ruin my fun? Now go back to your donuts and never come back. Let a real player deal with this criminal.
Overall, our courageous exhumer had done more damage than the invincible, God-like CONCORD, and this was before the drone damage buff to the Procurer and the Skiff.
"Invincible NPCs are the dumbest idea since solar powered torches. Given that this is supposed to be a player-driven universe they make even less sense here than in other games."
-admiral root
Kill Report |
Overall, our courageous exhumer had done more damage than the invincible, God-like CONCORD, and this was before the drone damage buff to the Procurer and the Skiff.
"New stronger defenses to the Skiff and the Procurer including, for the first the time ever, a damage bonus on mining barges so if someone comes at you, you can punch them right back."-CCP Fozzie
Seriously, players vs. players is a hundred times more fun than CONCORD vs players.
[ 2013.07.29 20:56:48 ] Astecus > lol
[ 2013.07.29 21:03:43 ] Azov Rassau > Kill: BigGreyMouse (Catalyst)
[ 2013.07.29 21:04:27 ] Demutar > good kill ;-)
[ 2013.07.29 21:04:47 ] tfdsim Hucel-Ge > one less ganker ;) nice one
[ 2013.07.29 21:08:23 ] Astecus > Oh, he left system?
BigGreyMouse must have been frustrated, disappointed and confused. However, I'm sure she had benefitted from this lesson-teaching encounter. Her ruthless Catalyst had done only 195 damage to my exhumer. In exchange, she was jammed and shot at by my Skiff. "A Catalyst being ganked by a Skiff" would actually be a more accurate description of the scene. Meanwhile, CONCORD was busy whoring on the KM.
[ 2013.07.29 21:11:35 ] Astecus > So inexperienced gankers, that didnt get their target?
Indeed, sir. Inexperienced and nervous gankers now educated by ECM.
The penetrating hum of ECM calms the criminal mind, allowing the ganker to well consider his ill-conceived actions.-Thomas Chasteaux
Message to gankers: Do not try to solo-gank Skiffs with your Catalyst! It looks ridiculous and you will end up getting ganked.
Unlike the strange mentality of BigGreyMouse, most gankers agree that the Skiff or Procurer are tougher ships to gank. These two ships are actually more than just mining ships.
Kill Report |
Even some heretics are now aware of Skiff's amazingness. You're on the right track, Overlay One.
Instead of the Procurer or Skiff, most experienced gankers know that a ship like the Retriever is a better target. Several months later, I was once again mining at an asteroid belt with my Skiff which this time had several Gallente jammers in mid-slots.
During my mining operation, I remember seeing the sudden appearance of a Catalyst on D-Scan.
[ 2013.11.05 22:11:34 ] Azov Rassau > Dave Hart in Otela local, possibly scouting
I immediately informed my miner comrades in the fleet and the Anti-gankers around the area. About 10 minutes later, the Catalyst belonging to Dave Hart landed to our belt. In addition to me, there was also a Retriever nearby.
Dave started approaching the Retriever while I was ready to activate 4 Gallente jammers on him.
[ 2013.11.05 22:21:17 ] (notify) Dave Hart, criminals are not welcome here. Leave now or be destroyed.
Needless to say, he attacked the Retriever, got jammed by my Skiff immediately, thus failed miserably.
Kill Report |
Our Skiff was a revamped, effective, player-driven form of CONCORD. It was the one preventing the gank. It was the Neo-CONCORD.
[ 2013.11.05 22:23:08 ] Azov Rassau > Dave Hart just decided to solo on a nearby Retriever at Otela III - Asteroid Belt 3, gank prevented Kill: Dave Hart (Catalyst)
Oh boy. A few seconds later, the furious ganker placed a bounty on me. I accept it, Dave Hart, as a sign of your enjoyment during my Skiff's ECM lesson. Thank you!
Message to miners: You can start enforcing GankerJamming today. This link will show you a fitting example. Fly the Skiff, jam Catalysts, have fun! EVE is really a great game if you play it.
BONUS! : Yesterday I had another fun engagement with a ganker. This time, it was Lenda Shinhwa.
I was actually on my way to Aufay with my ganker alt to murder another gank-scout at a gate, and then I noticed a Probe named "Permit Inspector" on Balle D-scan, at an asteroid belt. It was the scout of Lenda.
In an impulse, I changed my course and quickly warped to that belt hoping that I will land on top of that Probe so that I can maybe gank it.
I landed about 4500 meters away from that Probe which was heading towards a Retriever, and I started approaching and shooting the Probe right away for the hell of it. Mistake. The problem is, my Catalyst was fitted for ganking under gate guns DPS. As a result, no webs, no scramble. *gasp* As my criminal timer started, the Probe was already getting away from my optimal range and I was laughing while frantically spamming the Approach button and trying to understand why I couldn't get any closer. The Probe was faster than me. Consequently, the Probe survived, my gank failed. Lenda's scout is currently the only survivor of my gank-scout hunting series and I really had a hilarious WTF-moment in Balle that day. Ironically, my gank attempt on Lenda's scout actually resulted in CONCORD's arrival to that belt, possibly preventing Lenda's gank on that Retriever.
About 30 minutes later, I arrived in Balle again, this time with my Griffin.
I saw a Retriever at an asteroid-belt on D-scan, so I warped there and cloaked my Griffin within my jammers' optimal range.
Everything was now ready for protecting the Retriever. Including the fireworks.
As expected, Lenda's scout in a Probe landed at the belt shortly after my arrival, and he started approaching the Retriever to provide warp-in to Lenda.
I decloaked my Griffin as the Catalyst appeared on D-Scan. Having seen my Griffin, they aborted the gank and the Catalyst docked back to station. The gank was prevented.
Alright, well… yeah, thanks for that.
Overall, my goal in Balle that day was reached. I had actually stopped both of his miner ganking attempts (the first one, ironically, with my gank attempt on his Probe and the second one with my Griffin pilot). Lenda couldn't gank any miner that day, and I will continue to disrupt his ganks.
To conclude, this enjoyable, short and emergent encounter in Balle made me realize once again that Highsec PvP between Gankers and Anti-Gankers will remain one of my favorite activities in EVE. Thanks for the fun. o7
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