Thursday 24 September 2009

Celebrity Death Match #14 00sage00

00sage00 – Eve’s rising star. (23rd September 2009)

I contacted Mr Sage earlier this week hoping for him to accept a Celebrity Death Match. Now straight away the conversation revolved on what a celebrity is and why I picked him to fight. It is an interesting question that I clearly have thought about before. What bothered me after our initial conversation is the fact he said I should fight myself…

What? Me? A celebrity?! Ha! Mmm.. no not yet.. maybe soon, but not yet. I get more regular shout-outs in local regarding this specific type of post however there is lots more coming. I like the attention I must admit but that is not why I started doing this. I simply hoped to entertain myself and if people like what I do it’s a mere bonus…

Mr Sage’s name has been coming up more and more, his name usually at the top of any well known comms channel, because of the funny way he’s spelt it. His blog already prominent and becoming more so every day. His story’s are well written and makes one wish for the next update soon.

Time for a CDM? You bet!

After a few swift eve-mails the location was to be in my new home of Evati requiring me to travel nowhere far for the first time in my CDM career. The fight time was to be at 23:00pm Eve time. We agreed to fight in Tech 1 Frigates without any ECM modules or drones.

Again my fight with Venom resonating fear…

After I spotted Mr Sage online earlier in the evening I figured I’d give him a shout to see if he could meet a little earlier to give me a chance of a normal nights sleep before continuing my RL week of hell. The rising star unfortunately had a fleet operation scheduled but established he would contact me if he would be available earlier than the agreed time.

Myself?; I joined in another Bastard roam, this time under the quality fleet command of Realyf, and ventured into wormhole space. We managed to get a Battleship and a Battlecruiser kill but unfortunately I lost my myrmidon under heavy sleeper fire. Not a real worry as it had only been a Tech 1 fit but the trip home in a pod was done in shame. I had hoped to shine as I have recently applied to join the Bastards full-time.

As I returned home ready to bring out another Battlecruiser I got the call. Sage himself had just returned from his combat operation and he himself and his crew had returned in pods too.

Strangely comforting the fact that we had both failed even though my loss was bigger than his…

I was a little unprepared with this early call to action and mid travel I decided to re-plan my route to meet him instead of him meeting me. I had a quick look to see if I could contract out a ship to Nashh from another character but my limited contract slots did not allow me to. And the fact my smallest contract (at 500 mil) outstanding had a buyer already I decided to just buy the ship I needed when I got to the combat location.

Knowing the fit I wanted of by heart by now, it didn’t take me long to get the required modules for my ‘Kestrel of doom’. The only addition I made was Tech 2 Javalin Rockets as a spare in my hold. I had thought of this before but my fight with Hallan Turrek had shown me that it was a necessity.

Without too much delay we both undocked and met at Planet 1 of our agreed system and stole from each others cans. We both warped to planet 2 after, to have a fresh start, and battle commenced…

The enemy Punisher locked my kestrel immediately and commenced fire. His Nosferatu creating electric fireworks, sparking manically between our vessels…



My confidence grew as more alcohol went down my gullet and more rockets slammed into his quickly vaporising shields. There was no need to switch to the less powerful-long range rockets I held back just in case. A feeling of frustration started building as I wished I had fitted the Javalins in my fight with Roc Wieler and Hallan Turrek.

I calmed myself… the beer was good.

I refocused my attention to my current foe as his armour started to collapse at a steady pace. My shields were taking some damage but not as fast as his armour where now melting and I prepared to record the moment…

It hadn’t come?! What?! I quickly pulled up my head up display again and to my shock my launchers had de-activated. How strange I thought. I did overload my racks but had instructed the cancellation of that before I prepared the screenshot…

My webifier on one rack had completely burned out as did the scram on the second. The launchers, although damaged, were still working but had deactivated. With his hull already peering through, his Punisher did not last long after the 4 rocket launchers spewed out more death…



With his Frigate easily dispatched I felt confident enough to accept an immediate re-match in Cruiser hulls. We talked some about my fitting choice and I posted the saved ‘Gank Kestrel’ fit in our communications window, immediately regretting it.

Accepting a rematch in Cruiser hulls brought added problems to my evening. I had by now drunk enough to kill 3 grown men. However my clear victory gave me super human confidence as I uploaded EFT. A quick look through my own made recommended fits came up with ‘The Mynxee Killer’. ‘That’s the one’ I said to myself. My fight with Mynxee had been so close that now with better skills and with her recommended over heating skills I was sure to win…

I had briefly tried to fly a Thorax in my fight with Spectre just the week before but he had quickly shown me not to fly something you can’t fit well.

I undocked the sleek hull I had grown to love many months ago… she looked beautiful. The local sun gleaming brightly of her body as I aligned to planet 1. I had fitted the ship rather quickly but had waited some time for my celebrity target.

I did not mind. The wine was good…

Cans where stolen from and Planet 3 was aligned as I prepare for battle number 2. I was to win this for sure. My confidence soaring as I landed 20 clicks from my target.

Drones calmly deployed, started their approach and fired the additional damage to my already firing missiles. Fury was their name and they delivered just that; fury. The shields stripped away from the enemy Maller, easily. I prepared to gain more distance from Mr Sage but realised I had not fitted any speed modules whatsoever. Hey? I thought this fit was supposed to have at least an afterburner?

It doesn’t matter I figured as his armour was starting to fade. My shield still fully intact as my drones had taken the damage for me… His armour decreasing with every volley I attempted to retract my remaining drone to save it but it was too late. On route back to its hold the Hornet II exploded in a bright spark. Never mind I told myself again as the Maller started to encroach on my personal space. It is too late for him… I am reclaiming my victory status in this little adventure. Ha! Ha ha!



My euphoria didn’t last long. His Armour stalled at about 25% and didn’t decrease any further. My shields however had started to melt quickly, I fact very quickly. I panicked briefly hoping to change the outcome but realised I couldn’t affect the result any further…

I was unable to increase my speed and therefore the distance between us. I could not boost my shields as I had a passive fit My damage output had already reached its limit and that was just it…

My mouth opened slightly as I could only look on as my shields lost the last bit of resilience… I did not move knowing what this meant… my armour gave way without a single second of resistance, as did my hull.

Floating in space I managed to utter ‘GF’, still stunned by the outcome.

We docked up and exchanged the goods dropped as we did before. With the score 1 vs 1 there had to be a third fight. There cannot be a CDM without a winner surely.

I comforted myself in the fact there would only be one ship to fly home after our third fight. Frigates it was to be again and I knew I would not change my ship from my previous super victory. Why would I?

The wait for my opponent took a little longer again. I had by now well stayed up beyond my desired bedtime.

I did not mind… the rum was good…

I remembered the fact I had given away my ‘Gank Kessy’ fit but decided not to change my tactics. I gave a lame attempt to bluffing instead. As I waited I explained I too was looking for an ulterior fit. Hoping to throw him off preparation of a ‘Gank Kessy kill fit’.

I mentioned a different ship type and different speed mods…

Maybe the beer, wine and rum had got to me. Maybe I just can’t bluff to save my life… I don’t know. What I do know is that our fight lasted as long as rabbit sex.

After landing our guns opened up and his shields stripped away from him, a comforting sight normally, not when my shields had been removed within 2 volleys.


Hazadawhat?!..

With primed lasers Mr Sage peeled me like a banana would be peeled by a skilled surgeon wielding an axe.

I was gob-smacked. A loss? Ok no problem. A close match? Ok no problem. Being beaten up by long range weapons? Sigh… ok, no problem. Being annihilated within seconds? Not ok.

I had to cough up a drunken ‘GF’. Damn it. What had just happened?! Bewildered I decided to dock, ashamed of my extremely convincing defeat. Kicking myself for allowing to much time for him to come up with a fit that could kill my Kessy.

Mr Sage played it well, too well in fact and I did not.

Am I gutted? Am I upset? Mmm yeah, obviously I would have preferred to win, but it has been a great opportunity to meet a great person, one sure to make his name very big in the Eve community.

I am pleased I have been one of the first to be a part of this rising stars career, and am glad to provide the proof that its not the age of a character, but the skill of a pilot that makes the difference.

Don’t be a stranger Mr Sage…


Related links/posts;
00sage00’s account; http://00sage00.wordpress.com/2009/09/23/celebrity-death-match/
CDM kill board #1; http://818-k.eve-tools.net/?a=kill_detail&kll_id=20
CDM kill board #2; http://818-k.eve-tools.net/?a=kill_detail&kll_id=21
CDM kill board #3; http://818-k.eve-tools.net/?a=kill_detail&kll_id=22

7 comments:

  1. My name is spelt unusually because I originally didn't intend to play Eve past the trial…blog post on that incoming. =)

    Apologies for the issues the location and time caused; I should've put it off till the next day or when you were more ready.

    I shouldn't have asked about your Kestrel fit; I was not expecting a third fight to happen. But if it's any comfort, the fit you posted was nearly identical to the one I already had saved, aside from the ballistic control (instead of Damage Control) and rig choice (missile instead of shield rigs). Plus as I said, I was expecting a different ship while fitting; I was dreading the possibility of you bringing a range ship and slowly plinking me to death while I was unable to do any damage.

    "I could not boost my shields as I had a passive fit." I absolutely hate that feeling. It's repulsive enough that I frequently have an urge to fit an armor rep to my buffer ships…

    And your bluffing was quite effective. I was panicking and gritting my teeth as I warped. xD

    If you want, we can have a rematch at a time that you're less tired at. Plus you'll have more time to plan out fits. And I still do want a destroyer fight sometime.. >.>

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  2. sorry i had to re-post the blog as i had labeled it CDM 13 whilst it is CDM 14. soz.

    it was a mere 14 jumps Sage so in CDM terms still very local.

    dont worry about me being tired, thats just how i roll =) work hard play hard an all that jazz.

    It has been a good EVEning and ou beat me well.

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  3. I love reading these posts. Don't have much insightful to offer cuz i'm pretty drunk right now after my own hell week, but suffice to say another excellent CDM. Sorry ya lost, though Nashh. But then again, happy for 00sage00. LOLS...oh the emotional conflict of so many pilots I like very much...

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  4. What I'm still trying to figure out is how you only took 12K damage before your Caracal popped. When I put your fit into EFT I get almost 23K EHP vs hybrid weapons. I know EFT's numbers don't take "everything" into account, but I still can't see why it'd be such a huge discrepancy. I can't imagine our shield tanking skills are so very different, after all.

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  5. mm Interesting. Indeed EFT says i should have 22k EHP. How strange...

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  6. Change the damage profile to pure EM, or whatever the tank is weakest to.

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  7. The damage taken does not refer to EHP but total raw hitpoints ;)

    Good read!

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