blueskin wrote:I had a question, although I can't see them on your assets list anymore, I seem to remember you using Falcon Vanguards as wingmen / pounders.
I've been doing the same but have just noticed that I can get Falcon Haulers with the same shielding, and since they can carry XL cargo, I'm going to load them with a lasertower each for big targets.
Was there any reason you've chosen the Vanguards over the other variants? I'm using EBC so the laserbank is less of an issue...
They were actually Falcon Haulers and they haven't vanished, just been reassigned. What exactly they're up to these days I'll explain soon.
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69 - 3/1 Favourite
Even better, I've realised the Ares is heading southwards not north, which gives me more time and space to organise the attack properly..
http://dbbr17626.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/steve/69-1.gif
.. I've temporarily dropped 'Troubleshooter' from Blue wing as I've yet to source a suitable supply of Mass-Drivers for him and it seems somewhat mean to send an unarmed fighter into a combat situation. Not to worry tho for 'Mockingbird' is on the case, so next op Blue wing should be up to full combat readiness. It'll be interesting to see how a full Mass-Driver loadout works out. Short range it may be, but I'm thinking anything getting inside that 1km kill radius should suffer quite considerably.
Anyways, moving on in with an initial hail of Tempests at the surrounding fighters and with Blue and Purple ordered to round up the leftovers everything goes pretty well. I say pretty well as not everyone gets off scot-free..
http://dbbr17626.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/steve/69-2.gif
.. Yep, it's 'Limbo' once again taking a beating. How this guy managed to survive long enough to make pilot with his predilection for getting himself shot to pieces at every opportunity I've no idea. I'll tell you one thing tho, should I get around to taking a swipe at that Python over Rhy's Crusade way I'll give 3/1 odds 'Limbo' is the first one that'll wind up sucking hard vacuum. With the escort out the way tho it's just a standard boarding op by the guys, or should be. the Ares has other ideas and attempts a last ditch Flail assault on the incoming boarding pods in an attempt to shoot them down..
http://dbbr17626.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/steve/69-3.jpg
.. Fortunately for one squad their boarding pod is just quick enough to avoid a nasty Flail related accident and they all make it to the hull safely. A couple minutes later and with a few last ditch Flails fired at Purple wing, which they shrug off quite happily, the ship is safely secured and once again this team has done so in exemplary fashion..
http://dbbr17626.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/steve/69-4.gif
Some of them have even made 4-star fighting grade. I think one more good capture and a few of the guys here will have hit the magic 5-stars which promotes them to my elite ninja-badass training program where they'll ultimately get given the opportunity to die horribly boarding the kinds of ships everyone else much prefers to run away from.
With the cash from the sale of the Ares, along with some other moneys I managed to pick up here and there and creamed off my Nostrop complex, that just gives me a fraction over 30 million in disposable assets and I've decided that rather than invest this lot in more construction right now I'm going to apply this lot to expanding the support vessels of my increasingly burdgeoning fleet. TM's are ok, but I'd like to have something with a little more deployment capability. With this in mind I've made the decision to retire 'Short Bus' and 'Ard As Nails'. So, from here on in, both Blue and Purple wings will be running joint operations from their new base-ship, the Shrike class M7 'Shorter Bus'.
Assets
1x Shrike 'Preemptive Shrike'
1x Gannet 'Providence'
1x Elephant 'You Want It Where!?!
1x Kestrel 'Flash II'
1x Caiman 'NMMC Storage'
1x Iguana Vanguard 'Suicide Taxi Services'
10x Vulture Miner ' Miner - 01,10'
2x Vulture Super Freighter
Time: 5-17:23
Credits: 407,117
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