Friday, October 1, 2010

The Smile on the Face of the Tiger

There once was a lady from Niger
Who smiled as she rode on a tiger
They came back from the ride
With the lady inside
And the smile on the face of the tiger

A quick look at the Catch region shows the tight spot Against All Authorities (AAA) is in. Their Main trade center at GE-8JV and, more importantly HED-GP, the region's primary gateway to empire are in enemy hands. AAA is pushed back and making a stand in the region's West-South-West quadrant.

Worse yet, AAA's defense has been complicated by IT Alliance attacking AAA holdings in Catch from Querious. IT has rolled up Catch BRK2-K constellation and are presently staking their claim on 6JCS-4 constellation, which is a direct attack on the remaining concentration of AAA systems rather than the nibbling at the edges IT has engaged in until now. 

It's understandable that IT Alliance would like to grab some real estate before AAA is completely over-run. However, I have the sense that IT is making a very serious and short-sighted mistake. 

IT Alliance's long term interests would have been better served by salvaging the remains of AAA and helping it stabilize as a buffer vassal alliance between IT Alliance and the RUS coalition, their new vassals and Pandemic Legion. 

Should AAA fall, IT Alliance will be the last of the pre-Dominion "great powers". It sits on some of the most valuable real estate in all of nullsec. Rumors abound that IT is not the fighting alliance BOB of old once was. Over time IT has made many enemies - some of whom are whetting their knives a mere step away from IT Alliance's doorstep. 

SirMolle is deluding himself if he thinks that sitting down next to the tiger at the AAA feast is going to keep IT Alliance off the tiger's menu. 

2 comments:

  1. This time I'm going to disagree, probably to my regret as you will demolish my arguements with proven ability. However I will persist.

    "last of the pre-Dominion 'great powers'." - With Morsus Mihi and Razor alliance still strong in the north, andLegion of xXDeathXx in the dronelands - off the top of my head - I think your proclamation as a little off unless your definition of "great power" is different.

    Also, I am not sure IT is making a mistake. Perhaps they want good PvP more accessible to home as the days of going on month long road trips is apparently over, so a large power like IT might prefer to have a challenge to work against rather than a buffer to have to prop up and defend. As long as IT can protect itself from serious Sov threats, having good pvp close by is preferable to the alternative (and I speak from very recent experience).

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  2. We can disagree in good faith about what constitutes a pre-Dominion "great power". I think BOB/IT remains the gold standard for that definition. It is arguable as to whther either Razor or Morsis, on their own, punch in the same weight class as BOB or Goonswarm of old. Putting BOB/IT down for good would define the end of an era in the EVE metagame.

    I don't think AAA regards what's happening to them as "good, accessible pvp". Nor should IT Alliance. As the next obvious target once AAA is mopped up, IT Alliance would be foolish to think that the forces that gobbled up Atlas and AAA, and are close to surrounding Delve and Qerious, are going to forget past grudges and go back to business as usual.

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