Here at INN, we have been reporting on the emergence of faction Fortizars for a long time. We shared details of the various types of new Fortizars as they were announced by CCP. We shared CCP’s plans for rollout of the new structures, and we covered their movement on the market as they began trading hands.
This being Eve, after all, it is only fitting that we’re now able to share the news again as they start blowing up, one week after their vulnerability ended.
It was on Saturday 16 June, within minutes of each other, that the first two faction Fortizars in New Eden were destroyed. First across the finish line at 16:55 Eve Time was New Eden’s inaugural Faction Fortizar killmail, a collaborative effort between Skill Urself (INGME), WE FORM VOLTA (GLHF), and Snuffed Out (B B C) to take down a “Prometheus” model Fortizar in Etherium Reach (C-V6DQ), owned by the Prothean Alliance (PROT). Just behind them at 17:45 Eve Time was Test Alliance Please Ignore (TEST), taking out the Tenerifis (XGH-SH)-based “Draccous” model Fortizar owned by Ranger Regiment (RR).
INN caught up with GLHF’s Raethrius, who also posted about his alliance’s landmark accomplishment on Reddit. He explained, “It was right next to our staging system, so a member of our valued ally, INGME, went and solo-reinforced it as soon as it was possible. We then showed up with a larger fleet.”
GLHF’s Capqu added that it wasn’t much of a fight. “We killed it without contest, just because we could, basically.”
Capqu continued, “the only reason anyone in Etherium Reach even got any in the first place is because we were to lazy to stop them after we’d already taken three+ regions of stations.”
The second Fortizar to be destroyed also ended up going out with more of a whimper than a bang. TEST FC Seddow shared that “Basically we were gonna form a alliance fleet but Fraternity (FRT) had max pinged and had supers ready. and we were not ready to take on that fleet.”
So instead, Seddow explained, “We stood down, and when FRT saw us do that they stood down as well,” at which point, “we quietly formed a fleet and slowly headed that way, avoiding eyes. SouthsideDevil took the fleet to kill it while I coordinated.”
“We started hitting it, and at about 70% they noticed.” Seddow said.
The delay was enough, however, for INGME, GLHF, and B B C to complete their task in Etherium Reach, beating TEST to become the first to take down a Faction Fortizar.
“When the first faction Fort died, FRT stood down because theirs wasn’t the first to die, so they didn’t care,” Seddow explained.
There were conflicting reports as to the rewards to be gained from destroying Faction Forts. According to Raethrius, there was no salvage to be had from the Prometheus. When asked if TEST’s experience with the Draccous was the same, however, Seddow said, “Nah, we got a Rorqual and about 4 billion in loot.” Presumably the two combined experiences indicate that Faction Fortizars drop loot as normal, but apparently don’t provide anything additional when salvaged.
Estimating the value of the losses is difficult because the Forts themselves are valued at .01 ISK, so zkillboard records only their contents as significant losses. Because of their scarcity, however, and because they can never again be built, they are invaluable. Obviously, in both cases the owners did not value their property enough to mount a particularly determined defense, and it’s not at all clear that some of the new stations’ owners value them all that much, despite their finite numbers. Capqu notes that GLHF is not just in the business of popping Faction Fortizars. They’re also holding a bit of a fire sale on them. “Current stocks are 20 Prometheus, 17 Draccous, 4 Marginis, 3 Horizon, and 1 Moreau.” he said. “Everything must go.”
And “go,” they most certainly will. More Faction Fortizars are certainly likely to go in the next days and weeks – some of them in sales, and some, no doubt, in explosions.
And if there are fights to be had over them, INN will no doubt be there to share those stories with you, as well.
