The consumption of entire asteroid fields fuels the Federation's defence. Hold the line!
Cycle summary:
Let's not beat around the bush – we've had better weeks, but we've also had worse. Winters took and lost 6 exploited systems, for a net zero overall. That said, we held onto everything else that was attacked, including Athena, Andel and that one Col 285 system. In contrast, we managed to cause some damage – more on that later. Archer also had a rough week – 5 new systems, but 4 lost and one stronghold downgraded. The effect of Alpha Centauri continues to hurt the Federation, but we're not down for the count just yet.
So I mentioned a bit of damage, didn't I? Let's shake things up a bit – ALD took 13 systems and upgraded 3 forts, but lost 4 systems and two strongholds for it. The two strongholds were us, and we were not subtle about it – our guys weren't content with sitting on the defensive this week and decided to break some imperial heads, to great success. She who shall not be named also lost a system, though sadly her standings cannot go negative so she's stuck at zero systems. Patty took 2 systems but lost one, while Torval took 2 systems and a fort, but lost 2 systems for it. Overall, not one imperial power got away without losses, and ALD in particular took a big hit. The biggest hit of the cycle, actually. I for one am happy with this – maybe we can't hold onto everything, but we can make the imps bleed for every system they try to wrench from us.
Let's talk independents. Delaine has had a pretty fantastic cycle – 6 new systems and one new stronghold. For most powers that's pretty low, but for the Kumo Crew, who've consistently held onto the systems they've taken and prefer to play the offence game, that's a fantastic count. Antal also have reason to celebrate, with 8 new systems and 3 shiny new strongholds, all at the cost of only one system. That's pretty good. Li Yong-Rui has also done well, with 7 new systems and 7 new forts, but also at the cost of one system – Narans. At time of writing, Grom has begun acquisition efforts of the system, but the cycle is young – plenty of time for the corporation to recover their lost assets. Speaking of the beard, Grom has also taken 7 systems, with 5 new forts rounding out the week. Originally I was surprised at the lack of comment from them last week on the loss of the system of Decamandak, but now we know why – it seems that Grom's communication liaison has departed his ranks, leaving the beard without a voice for the time being.
Finally, the Alliance has had a solid week of their own. Mahon takes 7 systems and 2 forts, with zero casualties. Meanwhile, Kaine takes a whopping 14 systems this week, alongside 2 forts – however a single system has been lost. Is this the start of a new conflict? Have Kaine been attacked by another power?!… no, they lost Orrere to the Code again. Honestly, I don't know why the Alliance continues to try to take it, but as long as they're having fun, I certainly won't judge. Now, I have saved the best for last here, as we've got some big news today – about 2 hours before typing this, Winters, Archer and Kaine diplomats finalised a non-aggression pact with handshakes at Evans City in Asetsi, the site of the Asetsi War almost 2 years ago. Some of the diplomats I shook hands with were the same CMDRs I actually got into firefights with on the ground in Tiveronisa. Today is a good day for diplomacy, for the Federation and the Alliance. Here's to a brighter future!
As for the rest of the galaxy… nothing. Nada. Zilch. Zero. No galnet activity, no new CGs, just silence in the void. Sometimes that's for the best – got to have the quiet weeks so the busy ones feel more special.
That's our lot for the week, though before we go, I have a question I've been mulling over – would these cycle posts be more accessible if I also published an audio recording of the post? I know some people find listening easier than reading, and these posts definitely become walls of text from time to time, so perhaps an audio option might help? Let me know if it would help you or someone you know, or if you think it'd just be wasted effort. If it does get done, I promise to record the lines myself with 100% human-spoken voice (and inevitable slip-ups) for we do not trust the abominable intelligence in this house!
But yeah, quiet week, hopefully things pick up for us. For now, fly safe and don't forget your limpets! Otherwise you'll end up like me, just getting to the perfect spot in the asteroid field and going "wait, where are my… ah, fuck"
Special edition orange limpets available at Carter Port! – join the discord for new updates and zesty tips on powerplaycraft!
Target priorities as follows
Reinforcement:
Carry out reinforcement activities in the following systems, as per the guide:
Andel, Ilbandi, Athena
Reinforcement priorities are ever changing and we cannot update publicly in a timely manner. Join the Discord if you want to help!
Acquisition:
Carry out acquisition activities in the following systems, as per the guide:
HIP 49161
Join the Discord for updates! We can offer rapid mining acquisition options to pilots in our server – they move too fast to put on here!
Undermining:
Current priority:
Nocopani – focus your powerplay operations here!
Join the Discord for targets and opportunities!
Interested in Federal AX? Join FAX-COM.
Interested in emergency relief work? Winters has a place for you.
Interested in PvP? PvP is a lifeblood of powerplay. We train interested pilots with a dedicated server, resources and mentors, and weekly in-house tournaments
Interested in exploration? We maintain a server for our explorers too
Want more nuance on objectives, to wing up, or to keep up to date on the ever-evolving strategy? Join our Discord! Stop by and say hello! Or join to stay quiet and beaver away at your specialism <shrug>. In addition to Powerplay Ops, we have channels for general ED discussion, ship building mastery, and PvP training, with domain experts. We also have an unsurpassed cantina <clink>.
Diplomatic Overview:
Archon Delaine – Cordial (with rum again! I got extra this time)
Arissa Lavigny-Duval – Hostile
Denton Patreus – Unfriendly
Edmund Mahon – Neutral
Jerome Archer – Ally
Li Yong-Rui – Neutral
Nakato Kaine – Neutral
Pranav Antal – Cordial
Yuri Grom – Neutral
Zemina Torval – Unfriendly
Source: r/EliteWinters · by /u/SupremeMorpheus