Aren't Sleepers Fun.

I finally got all my stuff into the Provi pocket and have started to try to get "good" at finding stuff to do.


As of right now, there are not a ton of US TZ players around during my normal playing time so I am usually trying to find some solo or small fleet stuff to do.

My choices start at finding a high end WH (our area seems to get a lot of C5 entrances) to clear the ladar and grav site of rats.  This seems to be safer as there are far fewer roaming gangs in WH space then our pocket.

If a higher end WH is not around then any WH will do and I can then look to "solo" some anom's.

If all else fails its off to run anom's in our pocket or simply rat in belts. (Nice side benefit is my security status is much higher)

So few nights back I get on just as a Corp Op is wrapping up clearing some C5 sites.  I get into the hole and find like 11 ladar and grav sites.  Potential for a very good night.  No one else is interested in running them so I hop in my Raven and Harby (both with tractor and salvager) and head in.  Now most of the low end Ladar and Grav have 4-6 frigs, or 3-4 cruisers, or some combination of sleep rats to kill.  Very easy, especially with dual target painter Raven and Pulse setup Harby.  So I get to a site I am not familiar with.  It is an "Exceptional" grav site.  Quickly check ArcDragon and says its not one of the high end ones with multiple BS's.  To be on the safe side I go ahead and warp to it in a pod to see what it entails.  I see a single lone BS.  No Problem, Right?  Wrong.

I warp the Raven in at range and am insta web'd and scram'd from like 65km away (man I want some Sleeper mods). Still no sweat.  Warp the Harby in closer and start orbiting really fast and close (about 2000 km).  Now my Raven is not full tanked because of the dual Target Painters but I am able to perma run the large Caldari Navy Shield Booster.  Well the BS never changes targets.  It completely ignores the Harby at close range.  About 50% armor on the BS and the ravens shields are starting to struggle.  I throw my 5 hammerhead II's hoping they become sacrifices to the Sleeper and will get some heat off the Raven.  No Luck.

30% armor on the Sleeper and the Raven is now starting to take some armor damage between shield rep cycles.  The Sleeper has given no thought to switching targets.  I align the Raven for the chance to get away and hope for just a second he decided to take a few shots at the drones.

Finally get the Sleeper into Hull and the Raven is taking more and more armor damage.  Cap is also starting to feel the effects of the NOS and I am thinking I really might want to jettison the 20 melted nano's in my cargo for fear of losing that 100M in addition to my ship.

It becomes very apparent that this is going to be a very close race to see who dies first.  I keep wishing for a target change as I have to start feathering the shield booster to try to keep cap above 15% and not completely drain it.

Closer and closer to cutting through the remainder of the Ravens armor and now testing the single digits of Cap, the Sleeper BS gets closer and closer it its end.  Finally I get the death sentence of the Raven in the sweet female voice informing me "the capacitor is empty".  A last volley of Cruise Missiles leaves the launchers, and the Harby sends a pulse of energy streaking across space, and mercifully the Sleeper BS explodes (how is that possible in a vacuum).  I finally catch my breathe.  Final analysis shows 87% structure left on the Raven and no capacitor.   To make matters worse, I could not even salvage the wreck as both toons have Salvaging to IV and I did not have a dedicated salvager in pocket yet with salvage rigs on it.

All the risk, for a few blue tags.

Well thankfully our station has free repairs.

Mick