J101652 system, Wormhole space. On the 12th of July at 23:00 EVE Standard Time forces belonging to DURA LEXX [DURA] clashed with Dominatus Atrum Mortis [DAM] over the C6 Red Giant system, with [DAM] attempting to protect their system from [DURA]’s invasion in a battle that saw over 100Bil ISK destroyed.

The event started when [DURA] scouts located the system a couple of weeks before the battle. [DURA] is a Russian Time Zone alliance which mainly specializes in wormhole PvP, using the threat of eviction to force large scale fights. [DAM] is a veteran wormhole alliance with a large number of settled wormholes, who have occupied the J101652 system for the last 2 months. [DURA] scouts noticed the system had many Capitals in it and decided to attempt to evict [DMA], hoping for a large fight and Capital brawl. From then on, it was merely a matter of time before a suitable chain could be found to the [DAM] system, allowing [DURA] to start its invasion plan.

On the 11th of July the opportunity presented itself with a static connection that allowed [DURA] forces to move their Capitals into the system uninterrupted, as [DURA] sub-capitals quickly seized control of the system, effectively locking it down. The Time Zone difference played to [DURA]’s advantage, as [DAM] is comprised mostly of American Time Zone players, and could not organize a force to counter their invasion at that Time Zone.

Within 12 hours [DURA] was able to bring in multiple Capitals and plant 3 towers in the system to stage from. Once they had their members and Capitals in the system, they started reinforcing [DAM] towers. The [DAM] members lacking the numbers to contest them were forced to watch silently as the Capital force quickly reinforced tower after tower, however, [DAM] did not sit idly by. Members started contacting other wormhole groups for reinforcements. The wormhole corporations of Brave Collective [BRAVE]; Dropbears Anonymous, The Desolate Order and Catastrophic Overview Failure each attempted to come to the aid of [DAM], rolling their static exits in hopes of connecting with the besieged [DAM] system. Some of them for hours on end with little result.

On the 12th, just as the towers were coming out of reinforced mode and [DURA] kept the entrances to the system under control, Catastrophic Overview Failure managed on their third attempt to open a connection with the [DAM] system. [DURA] noticed the intrusion immediately, warping its force which comprised of approximately 30 pilots in Capitals and assorted sub-capitals to the new exit, hoping to get a fight.

As the [DURA] force landed on the wormhole, the Catastrophic Overview Failure fleet, 31 pilots mostly in Strategic Cruisers, jumped into them. With Catastrophic Overview Failure in the system, [DAM] members quickly organized a joint fleet and warped their Capitals to the entrance as well. The two sides starting a close-range brawl.

At first, [DAM] Capitals managed to burn down two of the [DURA] Capitals, while the sub-capital fleets traded blows. However, the [DURA] ships were better fitted, especially the Capitals, while the [DAM] side had most of its Capitals still in their ratting fits. Additionally, many of the [DAM] Capital pilots were inexperienced and lacking a veteran Capital Fleet Commander to guide them. Thus, [DURA] managed to quickly turn the Capital engagement, decimating the [DMA] Capitals to the last.

And yet, the [DAM] members re-shipped to sub-capitals, with [BRAVE] pilots flooding the system, swelling the ranks of the allied fleet. The battle went back and forth as the two sides fought in close proximity. The [DAM] side having problems applying damage due to the [DURA] Nestor Battleships which were fitted with smartbombs, effectively firewalling incoming missiles. Only after heavy energy neutralizer pressure did they run out of capacitor to activate them, allowing [DAM] to hit for full damage.

Quick target switching, energy neutralizer pressure, and the constant stream of reinforcements allowed the [DAM] side to slowly grind down the [DURA] fleet. One after another sub-capitals were decimated. The [DAM] side losing ships but able to cope with the losses as a string of reinforcements poured through. For the [DURA] fleet, each ship lost was irreplaceable, dwindling its ranks. Finally after a long and protracted struggle most of the [DURA] sub-capitals were destroyed. Their pilots podded out of the system, making sure they couldn’t re-ship and return to the field. Then it was the turn of the Capitals. By this point the [DAM] fleet reached nearly 80 pilots, as more reinforcements came through from different wormhole groups, with Catastrophic Overview Failure lending a hand to other groups in order to reach the battle.

With these numbers, the Capitals were quickly overwhelmed. The field was held by [DAM] and their allies, ending the battle.

Footage of the Battle from Catastrophic Overview Failure Logistics PoV

Battle report for the J101652 system can be found here.

The battle lasted more than a full hour, with the system hosting less than 100 pilots by the end of the fighting. Time Dilation was not a factor.

[DURA] lost 29 ships, including 5 Dreadnoughts and 2 Carriers for a total of 52.62Bil ISK. [DAM] and their allies lost 41 ships, including 4 Dreadnoughts and 3 Carriers for a total of 51.43Bil ISK.

In the end, both sides got what they wanted: [DURA] getting a good fight and [DAM] managing to save their system. The battle itself was described by all sides as fun, and was a long and hard brawl with the result not clear from the onset.

[DURA] itself was suffering from low numbers due to the Time Zone difference, giving an advantage to [DAM] and its allies. During the early stages of the battle, both main Fleet Commanders for the two fleets were taken off the field, though in both cases unintentionally.

Instead of resting on the laurels of victory, [DAM] and its allies quickly reinforced the [DURA] staging towers, while also repairing their own. As of the moment of writing, [DAM] maintains control of their system with [DURA] forces apparently deciding not to pursue further action against the group.

The engagement itself highlighted a few interesting aspects of wormhole life that were previously unknown or rarely reported to the greater New Eden community. Most important to note is the quick seeding of Capitals for the eviction, only 12 hours! In the past the seeding of Capitals could take the better part of a week for a big fight, and could give the eviction target enough time to prepare a counter, with continued skirmishes over wormhole control occurring during the seeding process. However, the new method, especially for the C6 wormholes allows for a somewhat rapid deployment with a quick grab of wormhole control. This in turn means that fights occur at shorter intervals, allowing for specialized groups such as [DURA] to exist, who do nothing but roam through wormhole space attempting to evict groups as a roving band of marauders.

While fights like these represent for the residents of wormhole space the apex of their secluded existence, with many groups either evicted or having abandoned C6 and C5 wormhole space, many in the wormhole community express concern that these type of battles are already becoming a rarity. Whether this is true or not, remains to be seen.

Salivan Harddin writes for The EVE Scribe, Providence Bloc’s News Portal. When he isn’t busy writing articles, he usually accumulates Jump Fatigue.