Fortress Sahtogas. The system that would never fall, the only system that stood against the Minmatar envelopment of the Mar/Tar warzone some months ago. Held fast and strong by mostly Team Amarrica <FUQYA>, Amarr 7th Fleet <A-7TH>, and PIE [PIE], it was the shining beacon of Amarr power for a long time. On the 26th of August, it fell.
SAHTOGAS: FROM THIEVES’ DEN TO IMPERIAL HOLD
First, some history on why this victory for the Minmatar and loss for the Amarr is an important one. Sahtogas, when I first joined Faction Warfare four years ago Sahtogas was the den of pirates. The level five Amarr Navy agents made it valuable for Amarr faction items, as this was before the introduction of FW missions, the end-all be-all of quick LP grinds. It stayed this way for a long while until an Amarrian FW corp, First Praetorian Guard [1PG], gained blue status to the pirates and began to grind level fives with them.
From this humble beginning did Sahtogas begin to grow over the years. It soon gathered more Amarrian forces within its walls and when the pirates moved out, all that was left were Crusaders. Many corps called it home and it came to be an Amarrian stronghold.
Fastforward to six months ago and it was the unassailable Amarrian fortress. Any attempts by the Minmatar to contest the system were either stopped immediately or undone shortly thereafter. When the Minmatar held all systems but two, Sahtogas was one of those two and the base of operations for the defenders of the other. Only Eggehelende, a non-FW system bordering the warzone could compete with Sahtogas’ numbers.
THE EROSION OF THE WALLS
Biohazard [-BIO-] led WINMATAR <WMTR> set their sights on Sahtogas and began a fierce plexing campaign to capture it. The custodians of Sahtogas, PIE Inc, attempted to defend the sacred citadel, but could not match the 30-40 man fleets <WMTR> was able to field. For two and a half days [PIE] and Radical Astronauts Plundering EVE [WPWKT] formed fleets to attempt to stave off the invasion, but to no avail. Despite the fleets formed to deplex Sahtogas, the contested rate grew ever higher.
Sahtogas’ garrison, however, was not at the strength it used to b.; Blackwatch Guard, a dedicated plexing corporation who once lived in Sahtogas, moved to null. One of the more fierce defenders of the system, Amarrian Vengeance [A-VNG], suffered a burnout after a divide in the Amarr militia related to Predator Elite’s leave of the crusade and the subsequent predations of Death By Design [UGRD] upon their former comrades. A summer of lackluster fights and low activity from both sides also saw to a loss of pilots that once called Sahtogas home.
The defense of Sahtogas turned almost into a reunion of sorts as pilots from almost all Amarrian militia corps and alliances united to try and defend it; 24eme Legion Estrange <24FL>, a long standing Amarrian FW alliance, Amarr 7th Fleet, one of the older guardians of Sahtogas, and those already mentioned, as well as newcomers to I.LAW but FW vets Dirt ‘n’ Glitter [D-N-G]. Contratto [CTRO], now a member of Rat Pack Renegades but once a member of Amarr 7th Fleet, returned to the warzone and assisted in Sahtogas’ defense. 1st Praetorian Crusade [1PC.] was also represented by Sarah Mattson, who had been assisting for days. In spite of the attempts of these corps, alliances, and members of the Amarrian Militia at large, the Minmatar attacked rolled on, culminating in the assault on the ihub in the early morning of the 26th .
LIKE SINGAPORE BEFORE
Sahtogas now lies fallen, conquered by a 50-strong Minmatar fleet of assorted ships, mostly <WMTR> but bolstered by a handful of pilots from Iron Oxide <FEO> and Late Night Alliance <LNA>. The battle for Sahtogas was fought in two parts. The first organized Amarrian defense of the ihub was a fleet of cruisers, frigates, and destroyers mostly from Radical Astronaughts and PIE Inc that attempted to capture a medium in the system to forstall the flip of the ihub. Eight jumps away in Egghelende, a second Amarrian fleet comprised mostly of Imperial Outlaws <I.LAW> readied a twelve man panzer fleet, mustering all that it could.
With the ihub’s health dwindling and time running out, the deplexing fleet, outnumbered and outgunned, attempted an attack on the main Minmatar force, hoping to pull enough dps off of it to buy time for the reinforcements from Egghelende to arrive. However, the four logistics and raw dps of the Minmatar bash fleet was too much, and the Amarrians withdrew after taking heavy losses, the Minmatar losing only a smattering of frigates and assault ships.
Just as the first Amarrian fleet withdrew, the second fleet arrived next door in Oyonata. It obtained a warp-in on the Minmatar logistics, but lacked the dps needed to break the chain, and when its own logistics were unable to hold reps, gave the order to retreat. This second fleet managed only to kill off a couple of thrashers but paid for them in four Augoror Navy Issue losses, myself included. Attempts to defend the system were for naught. Sahtogas belonged to the Minmatar.
A full battlereport listing total losses for all of the skirmishes can be seen here.
This article originally appeared on TheMittani.com, written by Raphael Saint.
