Tell us about your flagship

[Kumakatok]

Perhaps there are some reporting methods not fully explained in these short descriptions.

For example, the action reports which the Palatine Abbey submits to the Imperial government noting military activities undertaken, exclude certain classes of crew members. Only Able-rated crew are named or numbered. Slaves, sentenced criminals (save certain nobility) and pressed men are not traditionally reported.

I would find it odd that Federation battleships and Republic cruisers would observe similar practice, but their capsuleer pilots might do so for brevity?

[Isha_Vuld]

Nah. In my case, the cruiser is only outfitted with full or half crews during combat operations. I managed to rig her up good enough that two of us can get her to where she needs to go outside of that, and that’s about it. Frankly, I do not have the ISK lying around to pay for a full crew complement to just sit around 80% of the time. Due to the nature of lowsec, even a cruiser is often undesireable for ops. So yeah, the official complement is two, unless we’re doing something important, in which case warriors are mustered on an as-needed basis.

This is also why I’d be better off listing this as my flagship, but that’s A: Not my home, and B: Probably won’t survive long enough to ever become one:

[Aria_Jenneth]

● Full name: Void Dancer II

● Nickname: Void Dancer

● Class: Cerberus

● Age: About 4 weeks?

● Builder: Unknown; purchased at Amarr EFA.

● Status: Active as latest of a series. There was a Void Dancer I; there will probably someday be a III, IV, V, etc.

● Souls on board: 38 on average, counting myself.

● Purpose: Abyss diving, particularly the Dark Abyss.

● Reasons for flagship designation:

This is, without a doubt, my favorite and most-used single ship. She’s also the first I’ve kind of freely splurged on, both on fitting and on more psychological expenses such as the absurdly pricey Octopus Red Flight nanocoating (which I think has paid for itself several times over just in how good it feels to fly the ship and how encouraged I am to fly her as a result).

I learned early on that the Abyss is unforgiving to the underprepared, and, in the Abyss, when you lose, you lose everything-- ship, entire fit (whether it drops or not), and pod (with all implants). So I made a real effort to make sure I’d be ready for anything and have to replace my kit as rarely as possible. Doing that also makes it possible to take on more dangerous territory with confidence.

As a capsuleer, the Dark Abyss is my primary focus right now. Material wealth aside, the Abyss is full of mysteries, strangenesses, and puzzles I really want to help to solve. The Void Dancer is my tool of choice.

● Favorite moments:

Oh, a few different ones. Let me see: being able to face fleet compositions that killed my prior fits (like a Karybdis Tyrannos with a support wing of nullcharge Scylla) without taking armor damage; confirming I could run the Raging Dark in rapid succession, one filament after another, without very much endangering my ship (I still don’t do it much because: paranoia); finding one of the first “Unstable” mutaplasmid tools to reach the market; finding out that my favorite kind of Abyssal domain is one that basically everybody else hates; and …

… it seems weird to say, but, the loss of the original Void Dancer. I was venturing into the Chaotic Dark for the first time, and, I kind of freaked out a little. Everything seemed … actively malign, stacked against me from the very first chamber: swarms of tiny, fast, hard-shelled Sleeper frigates (my personal bane), and no luminous clouds to bait them into; a Karybdis Tyrannos with MASSIVE nullcharge and webifier escort; a third chamber as full of tiny foes and empty of easy ways to kill them as the first … and I only finally failed at the very last, the crushing depths imploding my poor ship as I battled the last few enemies just the wrong side of the gate back home.

I lost everything: the Void Dancer, her crew, that expensive fit, my similarly expensive pod. But I woke in the clone bay knowing I’d nearly made it through the Chaotic Dark on my very first try, and with a thought very firmly in mind: next time.

[Black_Eagle_Sixx]

My flagship is the Proteus-class Strategic Cruiser Ghost Protocol

All information about date brought in-service, souls on board, combat operations, and current location is classified

Edit: Photo above was leaked, perpetrators: unknown. It was marked: Eyes only/NOFORN. It shows Ghost Protocol in action, conducting surveillance/seek and destroy ops re: Rogue swarm menace.

If found, the leakers of said photo will be tried, convicted, and executed for treason.

[Myxx]

(As seen at the Hellcamp of UALX-3, from the perspective of a squadron of Templar 2 fighters)

● Full name of the flagship: Daughter of Chaos
● Nickname: Isabella
● Class: Thanatos-class carrier
● Age: 7 years
● Homedock: Classified
● Builder: Me
● Status (in service, destroyed…): Destroyed. during a rorqual save operation in Impass as part of deployment alongside redacted
● Souls on board (crew, janitors…): Varies, depending on fighter compliment and loadout, support personnel needed, etc
● Purpose (combat, diplomacy…): Aggressive Diplomacy, Home Defense. Formerly: Combat armor repair support, combat triage, hospital ship, personal mobile base of operations for exploration.
● Reasons for flagship designation: Its my oldest hull.
● Favorite moments: “Carriers just act like you’re an interceptor. think really hard about being an interceptor and it will be so” - PGL.

[Lauralite_Anne_Brezia]

My most recent flagship, the Wellspring Shard

(( Wellspring Shard in orbit over Eugales VI(Shine Eklel) with part of parasite medical response and escort compliment))
● Full name of the flagship: UNF CVG-001 Wellspring Shard
● Nickname: UNF Jump Hospital
● Class: modified Chimera Class Carrier
● Age: 5 days
● Homedock: Eugales
● Original Builder: unkown
● Status (in service, destroyed…): In Service
● Souls on board (crew, janitors…): full compliment includes full general and medical staff for both shipboard and parasite vessel operation and medical facilities, and fighter crews. Additional specialized staff may be added to compliment listing on as needed basis.
● Purpose (combat, diplomacy…): The Wellspring Shard is designed for the rapid deployment of medical response and emergency service vessels within a localized range of its homedock in Eugales and carries a compliment of parasite vessels in its ship maintenance hangar which includes 7 extensively modified ‘hospitalier’ variant exequoror cruisers that each serve as a separate mobile hospital and triage unit, as well as several frigate and destroyer class light escorts for the hospitalier exequorors. The Shard itself has given up a significant portion of its fleet hangar in order to host extensive medical facilities, and boasts strong defensive shielding. It also maintains a full fighter compliment for further defensive purposes.
● Reasons for flagship designation: Largest and most extensively modified vessel currently in ownership
● Favorite moments: “She’s… tackling the Shard… With a Cormorant. Get the fighter crews to remove her while we finish the shakedown.”

[Gaius_Mileghere]

● Full name of the flagship: BO01 Prophylactica.
● Nickname: The Wall.
● Class: Orca Industrial Command Ship.
● Age: Classified.
● Homedock: Classified.
● Builder: Malleus Clusores Skunkworks Facility.
● Status: In Service.
● Souls on board: Classified.
● Purpose: Classified.
● Reasons for flagship designation: Half a million hitpoints and an active tank.
● Favorite moments: Every time she aligns, in ten seconds flat.

[Myxx]

Isabella has been destroyed while participating in a rorqual save operation. It died doing what it was meant to do.

… New flagship being determined soon.

[Aria_Jenneth]

So, I lost the Void Dancer II a bit ago. And, the III a bit after that (more on that another time, maybe). The IV is all set up, but I’ve been taking a short break from Abyss running with all the stuff that’s been going on. But, meantime, I kind of want to bump this topic and also there’s another ship I use a lot.

● Full name of the flagship: SFRIM Etcher II

● Nickname: “my ship” in Hive fleets; otherwise “my Hive Confessor”

● Class: ARC Hive op doctrine-fit DPS Confessor

● Age: about a year, I think?

● Homedock: SFRIM facilities near Amarr

● Builder: unknown (purchased from market)

● Status (in service, destroyed…): happily once again in service!

● Souls on board (crew, janitors…): usually about 20

● Purpose (combat, diplomacy…): Hahahahaha!

Working with a task force to penetrate Hives, protect ARC ships as they explore their secrets, and hunt Drifters on their own turf.

● Reasons for flagship designation

Out of all the stuff I do in this world, Hive operations (as frustratingly opaque as they can be) seem like some of the most meaningful. A Hive op isn’t about wealth (there’s a little, but, by our standards, not much) or danger (there’s a fair bit) or glory; it’s about trying to puzzle out one of the greater and more potentially deadly mysteries of our time.

In a way, the Etcher series is the opposite of the Void Dancer; an ARC Confessor is strictly a team player, built with limited resources with limited expectation of reward. It has only modest teeth, and in a very real way it’s the least-important ship in an ARC fleet. It’s not something I’d consider expending a lot of resources on, but, at the same time it’s a role I’ve played more or less regularly over the last … I guess it’s about three years, now? It’s a role I’ve been very proud to play.

● Favorite moments:

“Fleet, take gate.”

I’m, well, either an enthusiastic scout or maybe a little bit of a glory hog? Maybe those aren’t opposed ideas … anyway, I take a little pride in getting set up to be the first into, and out of, warp within a Hive, and provide intel on what I see. It’s not a position without risk; usually whoever’s first in is also a Drifter’s first target, so I often wind up being the center of attention for a few seconds before the Drifters notice they have bigger problems.

Also … I love, and worry about, the fact that we have worked out how to engage the Drifters without taking losses, ourselves. It used to be my old Caracals were getting obliterated with all hands so regularly that I took to calling that the “Acceptable Loss” series (and I got up over the “Acceptable Loss X” before the new doctrine emerged). So, Drifter doomsday fire without a loss on our side … that’s a pretty good feeling.

The worry comes from wondering how long it’ll be before the Drifters switch tactics, and we’re back to dreadful losses in every single fleet again. For now, though, there’s work to be done. And I’m proud to be able to help do it.

[Makoto_Priano]

Ms. Jenneth, the regularity with which you’re first onto field, first under fire, and first to relay intel is both laudable and perhaps a bit a farce. And I mean that bit in a good way! Your enthusiasm is both boggling and to be commended.

Which reminds me: I need to deal with some evemail, and yours is on the list that needs reading and reply.

[Gaven_Lok_ri]

As a fighting Admiral on the front lines, having a ceremonial flagship would be a bit of a pointless affectation.

However, I do have a couple ships that I have retired for service above and beyond their specifications:

The TES Pyrgos, a dual MSE type beam Coercer, that has 11 final blow kills, almost all of which were either in single combat or in situations where the Pyrgos engaged multiple opponents. These include a couple victories against T3d. Retired in YC118

The TES Kyrios, a small pulse laser Maller that managed to destroy or drive off a 7 person RKK fleet in the first year of the war. It managed ten kills before being retired. Retired in YC 110.

[DrysonBennington]

Its almost as if the two eyes and the horns to either side on the rock behind your ship…

[Edamielle_Nulvelith]

● Full name: Subtle Winds
● Nickname: n/a
● Class: Oracle Battlecruiser
● Age: infantile
● Homedock: Amarr Emperor Family Academy
● Builder: refitted Imperial vessel
● Status: Exploring
● Purpose: Peaceful Diplomatic Reclaimation Efforts and the Dutiful Purging of Irredeemable Criminals
● Designation Reason: (because Oracles are sexy ships) She has performed her duties admirably well thus far, and is a bit more imposing in the face of space-scum than a Magnate would be, but isn’t so large as to paint a target on herself when passing through foreign systems.
● Favorite moments: exacting justice and the wrath of God upon terrorists who corrupt the people and massacre the faithful indiscriminately.

I’m not a fan of overly enormous vessels (partially because I can’t pilot them yet), but the Oracle class is a nice middle-niche. The fact that all advice I am given tells me they’re useless except as additional (squishy) kiting firepower in larger fleets just makes me stubbornly grow more attached.
I’ve tried out a variety of builds (wasted a lot of isk and time on modules; discovered the hard way that a swarm of frigates that webs me screws things up because I couldn’t hit them, but they couldn’t hurt me fast enough to get by my armor repair, and spent a long trip slowly limping away from the mission area trying to figure out if the aggro would wear off; after about 800km I gave up and let them blow the ship up, just to head back and put this new one together.)

[Arsia_Elkin]

As actually bringing ships into combat against other capsuleers tends to mean that they don’t survive long enough for me to worry about designating one any sort of “flagship,” I don’t have one.

The only retired ships I have are the ones that survived combat in the Amarr Championships.

My longest serving ship (that’s not poorly fit in some hangar across New Eden, forgetten about and collecting dust) is an Augoror Navy Issue called TES Lion of Arzad VII, a ship that was given to me in commemoration of a drawn out siege on the Arzad system some years ago. It sees combat every now and then and has survived both one on one and fleet fights.

[Evi_Polevhia]

Posting to satisfy a friend’s curiosity.

● Full ship name: Arnon Crus Cerebi
● Nickname: Crus
● Class: Nightmare Battleship
● Age: Couple years.
● Homedock: PNS Home Base, currently.
● Builder: Built by the Industrial wing of TSF
● Status: In service.
● Souls on board: Enlightened
● Purpose: Light patrol and acting as a mobile base for personal Nation Loyalist matters unsuited to bringing aboard PNS stations.
● Reasons for flagship designation: While I have many ships like most capsuleers, the Crus is one of the few that allows me to carry a slice of home with me wherever I go.

[Lucas_hurley]

● Full name of the flagship : Normandy
● Nickname : has none
● Class: Triglavian class Cruiser
● Age: about 6 months
● Homedock : Jita 4-4
● Builder : Classified
● Status (in service, destroyed…) : In service
● Souls on board (crew, janitors…) : None
● Purpose (combat, diplomacy…) : Combat
● Reasons for flagship designation : Great Tracking and Dps .
● Favorite moments : Dueling people in jita.

[Solonius_Rex]

Name: The Fulton Wares
Nickname: Dembe
Class: Vagabond class heavy assault cruiser
Age: 7 and a half years old
Homedock: Hek
Builder: West India Trading Company
Status: Drydock
Souls on board: 27 combat crewmen, 6 engineers, 2 janitors, 2 slaves.
Purpose: To uphold the law as I see fit
Reason for flagship designation: Most combat operations flown under this ship have ended badly
Favorite moments: once, I was bashing a tower because I wanted the moon goo for myself. A guy in a Oracle shows up, dual warp core stabbed, who also wants to bash it. I come in and try to kill him but realize he has warp core stabs so I fail to keep him on grid. A couple hours later, hes back at it again. I fit extra warp scrams and engage, killing him.

2 hours later, hes back and with a friend in a vexor. I come In and kill him, again, while his friend in the vexor gets cold feet and warps off, only to warp back in when the Oracle is already half dead. My guess is that the Oracle pilot was shouting at him to come back. He lands on grid with 5 seconds to spare, and watches his friend die as i start orbiting him. He has neuts so he thinks hes won, but realizes hes an idiot and neuts himself out before i run out of cap, and he dies.

Later on, I receive a mail from the owner of the tower, thanking me and gives me isk. He beefs up the tower preventing me from bashing it alone, but I got my pay day so I’m happy.

We had a party in the mess hall of the vagabond that night, 5 extra slaves too.

[Claudia_Osyn]

● Full name of the flagship: Dizwonzony

● Nickname: none

● Class: Apocalypse Navy Issue

● Age: 2 years

● Homedock: Classified

● Builder: Bought off market, builder unknown

● Status (in service, destroyed…): Retired

● Souls on board (crew, janitors…): 50 janitors

● Purpose (combat, diplomacy…): L4/L5 missions

● Reasons for flagship designation: It’s the most expensive ship I own.

● Favorite moments: All the ISK it made me.

[Mizhir]

Picked a new flagship as the Leshak has proven to be a strong ship that fits well into the role I need it. It is actually a shared title between two different ships with two different configurations.

Vash’ka docking at the Goryn Stronghold after an engagement

• Full name of the flagship: Vash’ka
• Nickname: Laser pointer, Troika.
• Class: Leshak
• Age: A half year
• Homedock: Goryn Stronghold - Argo (J211000)
• Builder: classified
• Status: In service
• Souls on board: classified
• Purpose: Anti-capital siege (Troika configuration), Skirmishing (Nano configuration)
• Reasons for flagship designation:
  The Leshak is a vessel that can easily punch above it’s weight and the Entropic Disintigrator provides us an effective tool against the heavy defences of capital vessels. Leshaks can reach an excellent speed, making it great for fighting outnumbered, while still carrying durable armor, making it able to endure some heavy fire. On top of all this it features a high amount of utility and a large dronebay.
  All this makes the Vash’ka just what I needed and it has allowed me to develop my combat performance especially in situations where I have not had the same possibilities before the Leshak got into capsuleer hands.
• Favorite moments: I have two favorite moments with the Vash’ka
  First was getting featured in an official DED report on the Leshak’s capabilities. The report refered to an engagement we have had where we with 4 Leshaks, 2 Nestors, and a small support wing of cruisers and destroyers took out 2 Supercarriers, 1 Dreadnaught, 2 Carriers, and some of their support. ((The “DED report” can be found here.))
  Then there was taking out a Leviathan and a sizable capital fleet with our “Troika” Leshaks with assistance of a Pandemic Legion Bomber fleet. We were able to hold the grid ourself but we decided to call in aid as we were worried about a potential saving attempt by Test Alliance. Fortunately Test Alliance didn’t show up.

Our Leshaks’s combined power let us break through the shields of the Leviathan Titan.

[Arrendis]

This one isn’t actually my Flagship… though it might get that designation if we deploy the armor supers for the next war again, who knows? Either way, before I fly it into combat, I’m going to change the livery, for, well, obvious reasons.

It is, however, an important and significant vessel, even if I never undock it to fight.

● Full name of the flagship: Formerly I Suck You Dry, awaiting redesignation.
● Nickname: Pending
● Class: Dagon-class Force Auxiliary
● Age: Approximately 18 months since construction.
● Homedock: 1DQ1.
● Builder: DekSwat Consortium.
● Status: Undergoing refurbishment
● Souls on board: Current compliment 1500 engineers, assessing the hull’s condition.
● Purpose: Undetermined
● Reasons for flagship designation: See Below.
● Favorite moments: Acquiring the vessel.

Even if I never fly the ship again, it’s an important acquisition. Force Auxiliaries are the newest type of capital ship to see service in New Eden, and it was not until June of YC119 that the so-called ‘pirate nations’, the Blood Raiders, Guristas, etc, began attempts to construct their own.

This Dagon was the first.

By that, I don’t mean the Dagon-class was the first pirate Force Auxiliary, though of course, that’s true. I mean this hull is the first one ever constructed in New Eden. There will eventually be thousands of these things built, I’m sure… but only one will ever be the first pirate fax to ever exist. And it’s mine, now.

Quick update: alternative livery has been procured in Jita for the exorbitant rate of 1.5M ISK.

The vessel is still not rated for manned operations outside of tether range.
Potential naming candidate: Strzyga.

Edit: Seriously, how much could it cost to grab a few thousand cans of spray paint to make a ‘Sebiestor SKIN’ for this? It’d all be black! I wouldn’t even need to be able to replace the nanocoating later!