Image Credit: AnuranonthecoucH
This weekend, Imperium.news and Twitch.tv bring you [INSERT TOURNAMENT NAME HERE DEAR GOD WE NEED SOMETHING PITHY]! Planned to be only the first in a regularly-occurring monthly tournament, the Imperium FC tournament breaks the mold of existing 10 v 10 tourneys established by the Alliance Tournament. Instead, the Imperium is going bigger! 50-man fleets replace the 10-man gangs as 8 Fleet Commanders (FCs) from the Imperium’s Fleet and Skirmish Command program square off against one another in a quest for fame, riches, and not getting beaten by one of Asher’s gimmick-fleets!
The FCs range from the wily, experienced veterans of many wars to folks who are about as new as new can get. We asked each of them to tell us a little about themselves.
Asher Elias
I’m Asher Elias, 23rd Best FC in the Imperium, and the primae nocta behind this tournament. I originally joined the number 1 HIV positive gay-dating website SomethingAwful.com and found out about how not to be a filthy pubbie through that. I began FCing for the CFC in the Time Before Time, when Karmafleet was not a thing, before Brave Newbies were being farmed by Pandemic Legion in Catch. The first time. Maybe it was earlier.
The point is, I’ve been doing this a while, and I still think RR myrms with a cloak are a viable strategy, so I needed an outlet to test that. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that you can get a Cerb to do 8700 m/s, but you can’t make Atrum reimburse it. But there are a lot of other lessons to pass on to newer FCs. For instance “yelling at your fleet members to improve morale”, “Titan tackled, how many rounds of T1 ammo should I bring to shoot the POS?” and of course that old chestnut, “Warp to the gate! Warp to the gate! … if you warped you’re dead!”. If I lose this tournament I won’t be mad at you, just disappointed.
Charlie Knight
Hey, I’m an OPS FC for the Imperium and a new member of Shadow State. I’ve been playing EVE for a year and six months, so relatively new to EVE in the grand scheme of things. I started EVE by diving into Karmafleet when we were being hellcamped into Saranen and was brought up on 24/7 fleets trying to regain sov in 93PI and EWOK. I started FCing very early on by running ADM raising fleets when we first moved to Delve in our confessor and swordfleet doctrine.
From there on in between a few dips into wormholes (Where I learned to scan well) I improved my FCing gradually, and got promoted from a skirmish commander when taking out SandyFleet (armor hurricanes) to keep Querious clear from Pandemic Horde’s harassment (5 hour fleets of bashing raitarus) when I was one of the few FC’s winning fights in them, regularly beating Gilas and never welping to their Machs. Apart from its speed, I was one of the few people who liked the hurricane doctrine, as well as being one of the FCs that really likes running FYF fleet.
More recently, I’ve joined bomberwaffe as an FC, ran claw fleets in 3rd party battles, and led cerbs up north supporting INIT. As well as this I’ve stolen Kendarr’s idea for pre-fight speeches of how2F1, reminding people of how I expect them to use their ships as we travel, and generally try to come across friendly so people are willing to ask questions. In general I try and run my fleets so they are as painless as possible for the people in my fleets, and also for coord and scouts.
Ediroll
Every FC has stories to tell-stories that will not only engage, inform, surprise, delight, and impact their fleet members, But that will also deliver measurable goals for the pilots that have flown with them. I am a conduit between FC and fleet member. I started EVE back in 2012, lost with only a handful of other new players, and we ventured into lowsec where we tried to defend our mining fleets from bad guys. Being only a week or two in the game we conducted strategies and ideas together to best defend our fleet while in lowsec. We died miserably every time, only getting just a tiny bit better each fleet.
Currently, I am a CEO and content strategist for a corp that started over 2 years ago with 90% new players. I lead these pilots into battle over and over teaching them what I learned over the years of EVE while growing as an FC myself. Started from fighting highsec wardecs, to Russian and aussie groups in Molden Heath, to getting dropped on by RocketX for any timer in the region due to our successes there. After being part of the QFC, leading an alliance named Eclipse. (Moon.), we joined Goonswarm and have been having great experiences here. My specialties include flying and instructing brand new players of the game but sharing the experience level that veterans expect.
Mike Flood
I am Mike Flood, a Skirmish Commander in Goonswarm. I joined Karmafleet about two months ago. I started leading fleets around a week after joining. I came from a crappy high sec group after I spent around a year in high sec I left and joined joined Karmafleet. I have mainly FCed destroyer and battlecruiser fleets. I am still fairly new to FCing fleets, but I know how to do a good deal of it. I am probably the youngest Skirmish commander currently but I enjoy leading fleets and being able to make a impact in our operations.
Parrthunax GreyBeard
I’ve been FCing for a little while, however, I’ve been inactive recently due to finals. 🙁 I’ve come back to fight my way to the end in this FC Tournament. 😛 I started FCing by taking out destroyer fleet after destroyer fleet with random people. It let me get to know some people and get feedback, eventually moving my way up to jackdaws. Since then, I’ve become an FC and worked my way up to battleships before the recent changes in our doctrines. I also think I’m the youngest FC in our alliance that’s active ( dont quote me on that ) haha but did I also mention today’s my 16th birthday?
[Editor’s Note: He’s wrong, and we’re not telling people which day he sent that in on.]Quing Fei
I have been an EVE player for over 5 years, mostly in subcaps in miscellaneous coalitions. I joined Goonswarm around 9 months ago and made a living out of ratting and industry, working my way rags to slightly higher riches. My hobbies are PvP and fleet combat but I also enjoy the industry and market side of EVE. In addition, I’ve been running fleets for over 8 months on and off. I enjoy the solo and small gang meta as well as large fleet fights.
Tigran Legheart
I started my adventure with EVE Online in 2007 and I have been playing with a few breaks so far. I started with CVA driving pirates after Providence mainly from -AAA-. Then there was an adventure with Faction Warfare where together with some friends we had our own small corporations, until I was recruted to C0ven. This is where my real adventure with Null Sec started. Flying with C0ven and Stainwagon was mainly a learning period and my first steps as LA and then FC in small gangs.
After the invasion of the TEST Alliance and desperate defense of Esoteria, I moved to Goonswarm Federation and since then I have been flying for the Polish corporation CBC Interstellar. I mainly run corporate fleets, but as soon as time permits, I will try to run some Alliance fleets . The draw for the first edition of the tournament was a big surprise for me, especially that there are a few well-known posters. Despite everything, I will try to give as much as possible and if I am to die in battle, I will take at least a few opponents with me.
Wyld
I’m Wyld – a marauder, a lover of chaos, and free to dance wherever i wish. I have been playing EVE on and off since 2003. Over the years – I have had the pleasure to fly with some of the greatest pilots and FC’s, but most of the time I was too drunk or flying directly into Celestial objects to truly appreciate the skill and dedication this game requires to be a great FC.
I’ve spent my time in the Imperium as active part of the Military Industrial Complex and currently I am a FC for the BomberWaffe Special Interest Group (SIG), when there is an opportunity to bomb gates, myself, or blues I’m always happy to oblige. My deepest admiration and respect goes out to every pilot that flies with me, as I believe to be an FC is to not only win objectives but win the hearts of those you fly and your enemies, because together we all build a brighter and better tomorrow!
The tournament will be streamed on INN’s Twitch page this Saturday and Sunday (April 14-15) starting at 2000 UTC, tune in, and cheer on your favorite FC!
