Trip to the Vale

Took a trip into Vale of the Silent tonight after seeing some modest activity and pilots online.  I headed through low sec and jumped into P3EN-E from Obe.  I followed my autopilot into the Y0-BVN pocket, trying to get some activity stirred up.  I managed to get a Talos interested in my Slasher but I could never get him in a spot where I thought I could take him.  I decided to press on.

I jumped into Y0- and really wished I had a bigger ship as my directional immediately pinged several Hulks, two Rorquals and a couple haulers.  I pounced on the ice field but only found bubbles; they had no doubt been warned of my presence.  My buddy in the Talos followed me in and I started pinging a RF Firetail as well.  They were sitting on my out gate so I waited until they weren't and then gave them the slip.

At this point, I'm giving serious consideration to trying to split them and having a go at the Firetail.  I doubt I can take him but I do have an active tank and if he screws up, maybe I've got a chance.  A Lloyd Christmas kind of chance, but whatever.  I came here to fight.

So, I play dumb and let them both catch up to me and sit at a safe spot some distance from my out gate to see what they do.  I figure the Firetail is the tackler and the Talos is the damage so if I can get the Talos to be dumb and aggro me, I'll have a minute alone with the Firetail.  To my joy, the Talos leaves our little party in 49- and jumps through into V-OJEN.  It's me and the Firetail.  I still don't want to be tackled on this side of the gate so I figure I'll warp within 70 or 100 of the gate, burn away and then either engage the Firetail or warp to the gate and jump through.  It will all depend on who red-boxes me first.

I warp to the gate and start my burn.  The Firetail gives chase and the gate fires as our Talos friend re-joins us.  He starts shooting; the Firetail does not.  Joy!  I hit 150 away, turn, warp and jump.  On the other side I start to orbit the gate and wait.  Gate flash and Firetail pilot is here.  We dance.  I actually do okay until the Talos hops back through and starts smacking me pretty good.  I have him to 40% shield before I pop.  I give them my pod in exchange for a free ride home.

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With these types of engagements and even these roams I really don't go in thinking I can win.  It's all about trying to shape the fight the way I want it, learning and teaching myself how to manipulate the other pilots.  I just knew that the Talos would be itching to one-shot my T1 frig while the Firetail would be over-confident.  It's also all about following through with the plan.  I wanted to fight but I also wanted to set up the fight to my advantage, not theirs.  So, even though it was a lost ship and lost pod, I managed to bend these pilots to my will.  With a different ship and better skills the outcome may have been very different.

PS - Ehrick just finished Hull Upgrades 4 so we will soon be fitting our first T2 module.

PPS - Once the EVE API sees that I'm no longer on trial account, I'll also provide links to my kills and losses.