In January, Triumvirate. (TRI), Black Legion., and SOLAR FLEET (SOLAR) launched a failed invasion of Cache. Since then, TRI, SOLAR, Intrepid Crossing, Tau Ceti Federation, and Nova Prime. have formed the new Vanguard Coalition, and are fighting the Geminate Coalition (GemCo) over the Drone Regions. Victories and defeats have been felt by both sides, though TRI has been slowly gaining ground in Etherium Reach and SOLAR is off conquering systems elsewhere, with many spots on the influence map bearing their name.
The conflict heated up when Nulli Secunda (S2N), fresh from being evicted out of the south by Pandemic Legion (PL) on a 600 billion ISK contract from the Imperium, was hired by Legion of xXDEATHXx (XIX), leader of GemCo, for 400 billion ISK to fight for them in the war. This has led to S2N Ishtars, Lokis, and their famous Rattlesnakes making appearances in the conflict. S2N has slowed and at times reversed the advance of Vanguard, with S2N taking systems and moons near their staging of Uemon.
However, this had an unintended consequence. As Pandemic Legion (PL) is still on their contract, they continue to hound Nulli Secunda wherever they go. PL is using wormhole chains extensively to project their power across the map, often bringing armor T3 and Ishtar fleets through the holes like the Carthaginians across the Pyrenees. The presence of PL can and has swung the tide of battles as their greater skillpoints and experience dominate the grid.
Vanguard views this as a boon of sorts. When PL shows up in engagements, though they may shoot Vanguard, they mainly shoot S2N, helping Vanguard in achieving strategic objectives and offsetting the problem of S2N being twice the size of TRI alone.
A major flashpoint in the conflict has been LXQ2-T: a key entry system from Empire to the Dronelands, making it a key objective for Geminate Coalition to defend. Skirmishes and timers have happened throughout the conflict and whether or not Triumvirate continues its advance, LXQ2-T will remain important in this campaign.
In a separate theatre of the war in the Dronelands, SOLAR continues to attempt to retake the regions around Cache. While SOLAR has lost all ground gained in Cache as of May 5, it has retained a considerable amount of systems and outposts in The Spire and Outer Passage and a lower number in The Kalevala Expanse, Oasa, and Malpais, fighting a geographically widespread theatre of war. TRI and SOLAR continue to aid each other in their battles, aiming to push GemCo out of their target territory and overcome their hired guns in S2N.
Recently, the conflict gained a spotlight with the deaths of roughly six supers in a single day of fighting. S2N bridged in supers in BNX-AS and initially won the objective, but an unfueled cyno led to four super deaths. Later on, another Aeon died in LXQ2-T under fire from PL supers. In the same night, a TRI titan hit jump instead of bridge and met his end in The Spire at the hands of Mercenary Coalition and Northern Coalition.
Triumvirate sees this as a fun and worthy challenge, according to their head diplomat Garst Tyrell. “I’m very proud of what TRI for what we’ve accomplished against all odds,” he said. TRI has found a fun and engaging well of content for themselves, their allies, and their opponents, to their and many others’ joy.
At the moment the Vanguard Coalition holds 106 systems and 56 outposts across five regions while GemCo and S2N hold 407 systems and 147 outposts in relevant areas across ten regions.
As Pandemic Legion continues to wormhole its might across the map and two coalitions collide, it is uncertain how the war in the Dronelands will end or what will be the state of the area at its end.
This article originally appeared on TheMittani.com, written by Siaka Stevens.
