Ironfleet Towing And Salvage

Wow, has it really been almost five months since I posted here?

Sadly, my gaming time was short this summer, and then recently I got sucked into playing a fair bit of Team Fortress 2. (Look for the Cheese Factory server, it’s run by a friend of mine.) So I haven’t had any good salvage exploits to report.

Tonight, however, I attempted a tricky bit of ore salvage, and got away with the goods, but only by dint of careful preparation. For, you see, I took on a well-defended corporate mining op. Only my extreme caution let me escape alive. I do so hate to lose ships!

These days when I feel like doing a salvage sweep of the belts, I tend to go out in my trusty covert ops frigate. That way, if I find a likely bit of salvage floating loose in a can, I can bookmark the can, then drop right in on it in whatever ship seems best for the conditions and the goods to be salvaged.

Tonight, I found a busy mining op being conducted by the Advanced Combat Machines And Equipment corporation (AC-ME). It was a juicy looking setup (and I choose that word advisedly), featuring two Retriever mining barges, two cruisers with mining lasers burning, and a diverse cloud of mining and combat drones. Ore cans were out and named with well-aged timestamps, no haulers were present, and there was a full buffet with open bar. (Well, no, actually I made that last bit up.)

However.

I’ve had bad luck with multi-vessel mining ops, even fairly undergunned ones like this one. Given time, even a swarm of gnats can lock a fellow down and do him a meanness. So, no combat, no expensive ships, just one quick in-and-out with a well-tanked, well-stabbed, disposable Badger II. Don’t get greedy, don’t get stupid, just haul some ore and move on.

Queue the undocking of the good ship “Iron Extricator”, band playing, crowd cheering, and dockside hookers crying sweetly into their hankies. Without further ado, I drop in on a canful of rich plagioclase.

Actually, it proves not to be full, but it holds more ore than my cheap Badger can carry, so that’s fine. Grab the ore, hit the warp button. It’s about time, too, because somebody I hadn’t seen before is flashing red and locking me.

Geez, I’d forgotten what a pig-dog a Badger II is when it needs to turn. What’s the flashy ship? A Hound?

“Computer, what in the heck is a Hound?”

No answer — not, that is, unless you count the sound of a salvo of cruise missiles hitting me. Fortunately, a skilled and careful mechanic can install a metric shitload of shield extenders on a Badger II.

It turns out, for those of you as didn’t already know this, a Hound is the Minmatar stealth bomber. Also known as potential pwnage on a stick.

Fortunately, I hit warp speed and was gone before a second salvo could land. Mission accomplished without so much as a scratch on the armor.

But seriously, guys: a full-time stealth bomber flying mining overwatch? It’s a great tactic, but nobody actually does it, because nobody can find a bomber pilot patient enough. I am impressed! Sadly, I forgot to note the name of the patient and loyal pilot as I was warping out (in a big hurry).

A very good show by AC-ME, my hat’s off to you all. You came closer to getting me than anybody has in quite a long while.

===

Update: Of course I had to get greedy.

The time: about an hour and a half later. I log in, jump in the covert ops frigate, and zip out to have a look at the op. It’s down to one (visible) ship now, with several ore cans visible.

Alt tab out, look at the log for the prior encounter. Who was flying that stealth bomber? Looks like Chebri. Is Chebri in system? No.

Go back for the trusty disposable badger. Undock. Warp directly to a can. Geez, it’s got two shiploads in it. Fill my hold. Warp out. Visible response from miner: none. Maybe he didn’t notice? It’s late, could be.

Back for a second load, now that I’m a free target for the whole corp?

Sure, why not? What could possibly go wrong?

Warp in. Looks clear, just the miner. Give the approach command for the can, my “warp to zero” was more like 2.2 klicks this time.

“RED ALERT! RED ALERT! Battlecruiser off the port bow!”

I yam, he said in his best Popeye voice, startin’ to respect these AC-ME boys n’ their deadicashun to protectin’ the ores they done thrown overboards like so much garbaggies.

At which point there is much mashing of the emergency warp button, turning on of the shield booster, and sacrificing of chickens to the Voodoo God of Quick Bugouts.

Warp procedures have commenced, and — hey! — the can’s in range, so let’s get the ore we came for.

At this point I think I’ll let the damage log speak (mostly) for itself:

[ 05:50:07 ] (notify) Autopilot engaged
[ 05:50:10 ] (combat) Widowmaker Heavy Missile belonging to Deathslovelystar hits you, doing 144.0 damage.
[ 05:50:11 ] (combat) Widowmaker Heavy Missile belonging to Deathslovelystar hits you, doing 144.0 damage.
[ 05:50:11 ] (combat) Widowmaker Heavy Missile belonging to Deathslovelystar hits you, doing 144.0 damage.
[ 05:50:11 ] (combat) Widowmaker Heavy Missile belonging to Deathslovelystar hits you, doing 144.0 damage.
[ 05:50:12 ] (combat) Widowmaker Heavy Missile belonging to Deathslovelystar hits you, doing 144.0 damage.
[ 05:50:12 ] (combat) Widowmaker Heavy Missile belonging to Deathslovelystar hits you, doing 144.0 damage.
[ 05:50:16 ] (notify) Autopilot warping to Inoue stargate
[ 05:50:18 ] (warning) You are about to steal items from Shye Hwa. If you continue, Shye Hwa and Shye Hwa’s corporation will be free to attack you!

Are you sure you want to continue?

Er, yes. What’s the downside in this situation?

[ 05:50:22 ] (combat) Widowmaker Heavy Missile belonging to Deathslovelystar hits you, doing 144.0 damage.
[ 05:50:23 ] (combat) Widowmaker Heavy Missile belonging to Deathslovelystar hits you, doing 144.0 damage.
[ 05:50:23 ] (combat) Widowmaker Heavy Missile belonging to Deathslovelystar hits you, doing 144.0 damage.
[ 05:50:24 ] (combat) Widowmaker Heavy Missile belonging to Deathslovelystar hits you, doing 144.0 damage.
[ 05:50:24 ] (combat) Widowmaker Heavy Missile belonging to Deathslovelystar hits you, doing 144.0 damage.
[ 05:50:25 ] (combat) Widowmaker Heavy Missile belonging to Deathslovelystar hits you, doing 144.0 damage.
[ 05:50:34 ] (combat) Widowmaker Heavy Missile belonging to Deathslovelystar hits you, doing 144.0 damage.
[ 05:50:34 ] (combat) Widowmaker Heavy Missile belonging to Deathslovelystar hits you, doing 144.0 damage.
[ 05:50:36 ] (combat) Widowmaker Heavy Missile belonging to Deathslovelystar hits you, doing 144.0 damage.
[ 05:50:36 ] (combat) Widowmaker Heavy Missile belonging to Deathslovelystar hits you, doing 144.0 damage.
[ 05:50:36 ] (combat) Widowmaker Heavy Missile belonging to Deathslovelystar hits you, doing 144.0 damage.
[ 05:50:36 ] (combat) Widowmaker Heavy Missile belonging to Deathslovelystar hits you, doing 144.0 damage.
[ 05:50:44 ] (combat) Widowmaker Heavy Missile belonging to Deathslovelystar hits you, doing 144.0 damage.
[ 05:50:45 ] (combat) Widowmaker Heavy Missile belonging to Deathslovelystar hits you, doing 144.0 damage.
[ 05:50:47 ] (combat) Widowmaker Heavy Missile belonging to Deathslovelystar hits you, doing 144.0 damage.
[ 05:50:47 ] (combat) Widowmaker Heavy Missile belonging to Deathslovelystar hits you, doing 144.0 damage.
[ 05:50:48 ] (combat) Widowmaker Heavy Missile belonging to Deathslovelystar hits you, doing 144.0 damage.
[ 05:50:49 ] (combat) Widowmaker Heavy Missile belonging to Deathslovelystar hits you, doing 144.0 damage.
[ 05:50:56 ] (combat) Widowmaker Heavy Missile belonging to Deathslovelystar hits you, doing 144.0 damage.
[ 05:50:57 ] (combat) Widowmaker Heavy Missile belonging to Deathslovelystar hits you, doing 144.0 damage.

OK, that’s a downside, but I think it was already incoming before I took the ore (this time).

“Er, Nav? Is there some reason we are still here?”

“Look out the window, Captain. We’re humping an asteroid.”

Shit.

[ 05:50:59 ] (combat) Widowmaker Heavy Missile belonging to Deathslovelystar hits you, doing 144.0 damage.
[ 05:51:00 ] (combat) Widowmaker Heavy Missile belonging to Deathslovelystar hits you, doing 144.0 damage.
[ 05:51:00 ] (combat) Widowmaker Heavy Missile belonging to Deathslovelystar hits you, doing 144.0 damage.
[ 05:51:01 ] (combat) Widowmaker Heavy Missile belonging to Deathslovelystar hits you, doing 144.0 damage.
[ 05:51:07 ] (notify) Medium Shield Booster I requires 57.6 units of charge. The capacitor has only 49.3 units.

That can’t be good. I guess I’ll keep mashing the shield booster button, maybe I’ll get a few single boosts in while this humping situation resolves itself.

[ 05:51:07 ] (combat) Widowmaker Heavy Missile belonging to Deathslovelystar hits you, doing 144.0 damage.
[ 05:51:09 ] (combat) Widowmaker Heavy Missile belonging to Deathslovelystar hits you, doing 144.0 damage.
[ 05:51:11 ] (combat) Widowmaker Heavy Missile belonging to Deathslovelystar hits you, doing 144.0 damage.
[ 05:51:12 ] (combat) Widowmaker Heavy Missile belonging to Deathslovelystar hits you, doing 144.0 damage.
[ 05:51:13 ] (combat) Widowmaker Heavy Missile belonging to Deathslovelystar hits you, doing 144.0 damage.
[ 05:51:14 ] (combat) Widowmaker Heavy Missile belonging to Deathslovelystar hits you, doing 144.0 damage.
[ 05:51:15 ] (notify) Medium Shield Booster I requires 57.6 units of charge. The capacitor has only 48.3 units.
[ 05:51:19 ] (combat) Widowmaker Heavy Missile belonging to Deathslovelystar hits you, doing 144.0 damage.
[ 05:51:21 ] (combat) Widowmaker Heavy Missile belonging to Deathslovelystar hits you, doing 144.0 damage.
[ 05:51:22 ] (notify) Medium Shield Booster I requires 57.6 units of charge. The capacitor has only 28.6 units.
[ 05:51:23 ] (combat) Widowmaker Heavy Missile belonging to Deathslovelystar hits you, doing 144.0 damage.
[ 05:51:25 ] (combat) Widowmaker Heavy Missile belonging to Deathslovelystar hits you, doing 144.0 damage.
[ 05:51:26 ] (combat) Widowmaker Heavy Missile belonging to Deathslovelystar hits you, doing 144.0 damage.
[ 05:51:27 ] (combat) Widowmaker Heavy Missile belonging to Deathslovelystar hits you, doing 144.0 damage.

Just how long can one Badger hump an asteroid? That’s about it for shields. “Nav, you can warp any time!”

[ 05:51:30 ] (combat) Widowmaker Heavy Missile belonging to Deathslovelystar hits you, doing 144.0 damage.
[ 05:51:32 ] (notify) Medium Shield Booster I requires 57.6 units of charge. The capacitor has only 20.4 units.
[ 05:51:33 ] (combat) Widowmaker Heavy Missile belonging to Deathslovelystar hits you, doing 144.0 damage.
[ 05:51:35 ] (combat) Widowmaker Heavy Missile belonging to Deathslovelystar hits you, doing 123.5 damage.
[ 05:51:37 ] (notify) Medium Shield Booster I requires 57.6 units of charge. The capacitor has only 45.8 units.

Warp. At last.

On the bright side, I got home with all the ore. And the armor repair bill was only 2,012 ISK. Only a scratch, only a scratch!

I must remember to send a Giant Secure Container full of whiskey to the shipyard that fitted my shield extenders. They did a fabulous job!

This entry was posted on Sunday, December 9th, 2007 at 10:11 pm and is filed under Salvage Notes, Today In Ironfleet. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.