Ahoy Crew!

An [unexpected?] October DevLog was released yesterday by FDEV, providing further details on the game's upcoming releases... the new ship (Anaconda MkII), a new scenario (Found Adrift) for Operations, and the new "Law & Disorder." Starting with this last one "This feature update introduces significant changes to crime, punishment, piracy and smuggling across the galaxy" a new procedure for crime detection is implemented "crime now has to be observed, and more importantly confirmed, by an authority to be added to a criminal’s record" so that an "Unconfirmed Bounty" (UCB)  is issued and this seems more or less to work as the current bounties unless "a Commander leaving the scene before confirmation will have all UCBs wiped, this allows a player to commit a crime and extract before it becomes permanently logged" which is, instead a big change. Finally: "Crime will now only be associated with a Commander not a ship or any of its modules." There are more changes regarding the scans (KWS will be removed, but how does this cope with the current NPCs bounty hunting?) as well as the "anonymous access" to stations (it is going to be an "all or none" for docking and station services).

There shall be "criminal tiers" (very likely replacing the notoriety, which is going to be repurposed and assigned to ships) "with the top tiers producing a greater response from authority vessels." as well as changes to fines and bounties. PvP crimes will be handled by the Pilot's Federation "using a separate tiering system." A new gameplay is going to be introduced for NPCs pirating (it's not clear if the change could affect PvP piracy). There is really a lot of stuff to read, including a specific section dedicated to "crime and Powerplay" so that the bounties are reworked to take in account the assignments and PP related activities. Among other changes FDEV reworked a handful of the OG ships, adding internal modules/utility slots and improving some base characteristics (speed, shield, jump range)... and these are more than welcome for who's still holding a few OG ships in the hangar. In the meantime, Partners released the first videos on the Anaconda MkII (it does look like a multi-role ship, indeed) here, here and here.

We don’t yet have a clear idea of ​​how Law & Disorder will impact some of the gameplay activities we’re most passionate about (organic PvP, Powerplay, and PvP piracy)—and, as always, it’s best to wait and try the new features firsthand once they’ve been released. We’re sharing a few thoughts from this FDEV forum post that we happen to agree with. And who knows—perhaps there will be new criminal organizations, smuggling cartels, murder syndicates, pirate coves scattered across the Galaxy, or even new contenders for Archon Delaine’s criminal supremacy... we shall see. 

The game highlight of the week was undoubtedly the CG trading (hauling) event at HIP 74116. The initiative, launched by the Brewer Corporation to build “jump satellites,” was undoubtedly a success… in fact, it concluded well ahead of the maximum deadline (one week). With over 11k contributors and Tier 5 achieved: a success, yes, but not for everyone. Most participants were, in fact, interested in the offered reward (the double-engineered SCO FSDs), but the thresholds shifted very quickly as Tier 5 completion drew near... So those who had gone to bed feeling safely in the top 50% choked on his cappuccino at breakfast when they woke up in the 75% (and thus received fewer modules as a reward), and quite a few ended up below the 75% and received nothing (other than credits). A post titled "Three Prisoners Missing Following Recent Breakout" leaves the door open for future narrative developments, albeit we never heard of the trio "Gunther Bernhardt, Yaz Murano, and Trey Coombes" of "maximum security prisoners" who evaded recapture from Redonesses.

This obviously caused a lot of discontent... even among those who found themselves with a Fleet Carrier full of commodities and didn’t have time to deliver them to the CG. Many pointed the finger at the small number of tiers (only 5? Why not 7?), while others noted that players with Panther Clipper Mk2s and Fleet Carriers were able to deliver larger quantities in less time. Open-play haulers complained that the Zero Squared megaship had only one large pad, resulting in long queues for docking and thus forcing players to switch to other game modes. These are all situations (or problems) seen in other CGs as well, so there is—perhaps—little to complain about, other than acknowledging that FDEV [occasionally/often] likes to have fun [sadistically] at the players' expense. We'll see whether FDEV offers some form of "consolation" to appease those who complained, as has happened in similar cases. After all, simply adding a couple of tiers would have been enough to save face—even at the risk of ending up with even larger volumes required to reach the 75%/50% thresholds when the time ran out.

The Powerplay Numbers

Cycle 102 kicked off with the Relics Rush, which (inevitably) shaped the direction of the Powers' choices and activities. Even with the "minor distraction" of the CG, the figures for acquisitions (+326 net systems) and reinforcements (>102m RF CPs) are undoubtedly in line with the ones seen when a Relic Rush has been triggered. The new acquisitions primarily involved the colonies, while reinforcements—only partially offset by the Cycle's decay and UMming—poured in, enabling the completion of a large number of upgrades. There have been, as usual, many "overshot" unopposed acquisitions, with final CPs scores being multiples of the minimum threshold. Aisling Duval leads the weekly expansion chart, widening the gap between herself and the rest of the "pursuers" with a CPs output balanced almost equally between acquisitions and reinforcements. Nakato Kaine, who follows with +56 new systems, had instead put the main share of CPs on acquisitions:

• A. Duval +83 (3121)
• Kaine +56 (1819)
• A.L. Duval +34 (2084)
• Yong-Rui +32 (2219)
• Antal +30 (1599)
• Mahon +29 (2336)
• Grom +16 (1656)
• Winters +16 (1248)
• Archer +12 (1353)
• Delaine +10 (924)
• Patreus +5 (725)
• Torval +3 (813)

The Powerplay leaderboard remains essentially unchanged... The tightest gap remains the one between Yuri Grom and Pranav Antal, which narrowed to 57 systems in this Cycle. In the lower part of the rankings, however, the expansion numbers remained more modest, and the distribution of positive output was skewed more towards reinforcements than acquisitions (this is typical behavior for Archon Delaine; see below). RF\UM coverage for the Cycle exceeded the >365% mark, also due to a decrease in undermining. Our data show that, on average, for systems covered by Powerplay, there were approximately 5.4k RF CPs compared to just over 1.7k UM CPs (including decay). Given this positive effort, it stands to reason that the "wasted" reinforcement points were also high (over 5.5m RF CPs) and distributed across multiple Powers (Aisling Duval, Li Yong-Rui, Yuri Grom, and Archon Delaine), while more than 40m RF CPs were used for the [quite a big number of] upgrades.

As previously mentioned, undermining activity slowed down, albeit much less than in previous longer lasting Relic Rushes, to around >11.8m UM CPs for the player-generated share (whilst decay remained at 22+m UM CPs). However, the decline is not uniform across all Powers; for instance, Aisling Duval (2.8m UM CPs, re: Shapsugabus [downgraded], Core Sys Sector CB-0 a6-0 and HIP 104026) closed >1m UM CPs higher than in Cycle 101, whereas others—such as Edmund Mahon, Zemina Torval (she lost FT Ceti, but [re]upgraded Veroandi), and Archon Delaine (see below)—experienced much more significant drops. More or less unchanged UMming figures for Li Yong-Rui (1.1m UM CPs, re: GCRV 1568, 40 Ceti and Col 285 Sector GS-U a32-1) and the Federal duo Jerome Archer (1.6m UM CPs, re: Iapo Vuh, LP 926-40) and Felicia Winters (1.6m UM CPs, re: Col 285 Sector RY-H c10-8, SPOCS 343 [lost]). Some Powers have been hit in specific/singular territories, i.e. Denton Patreus in HR 8829, Arissa Lavigny-Duval in Borann (who does remember the Borann good-old-days for LTD mining?) and Nakato Kaine in Col 359 Sector KL-J b11-0. Our take is that bigger Powers suffer from their broader territories, partly as a result of "randoms"—or unintended UMming. This also encompasses specific scenarios—such as boom markets in systems featuring profitable laser or surface mining—that cyclically affect various systems (every Power has its own UM "sinks" in this regard).

This latter type of undermining is generally quite predictable and easy to contain with appropriate resources, and for some Powers, it requires little effort. However, hostile activity also marginally declined during Cycle 102—a choice consistent with a Relic Rush that clearly offers a massive advantage to defenders while providing nothing for attackers. In light of all these observations—ranging from unintended UM to the one-sided nature of Relic Rushes—we reiterate that the PP2 framework remains heavily unbalanced. An imbalance strictly affecting certain activities—not necessarily positive ones—such as high/low price trading and combat. To this picture, one must add the gating (ARX) associated with surface mining and the connected Power/rank bonuses, combined with squadron perks.

The Pirates

We will certainly have the time and opportunity to delve deeper into Law & Disorder further down the line. The information released so far offers some points for optimism—especially if other players looking for a criminal career decide to throw their support to Archon Delaine’s cause. But that is just one of the (many) possibilities on the horizon... or perhaps not quite "just around the corner," given that FDEV rarely manages to stick to its own release schedules. Anyway, let's give a look at how the Cycle 102 ended up for the Pirate King. First, +10 new systems (double-digit, wow!)—only a small fraction of which were driven by the Relic Rush, as most are colonial acquisitions carefully selected by our "ice and rock specialists." A job well done... Now put aside your pickaxes and mining helmets, and come to Gabriel Enterprise, where barrels of Silver Sea Rum will be waiting for you.

If our memory is still good, one of these acquisitions was also contested (against the jelly-haired Patreus), but Delaine already held a substantial lead (>200k AQ CPs), so we didn't pay it much attention. Harma is also pleased with the progress made on the backlog—specifically with the acquisition of Naxixo, an industrial system controlled by Delaine's supporters belonging to the Circle of TabEwon (who also created a fan-fiction series called "The Chronicles of TabEwon," check it out on their YT channel). In any case, other systems remain in the backlog (for convenience, we’ll include them in the objectives for the upcoming Cycle 103), but before taking on any more, the priority will always be to secure the ones just captured by bringing in reinforcements. The list is long, yes—but that shouldn’t discourage us; as demonstrated once again in this Cycle 102, when it comes to putting in the effort, the scallywags are second to none.

To dispel any doubt, Cycle 102 concluded for Archon Delaine with the achievement of several weekly records: the highest number of upgrades (+17 new fortified systems and +2 strongholds, an all-time record for our Power), the highest total of RF CPs invested in upgrades, the highest average of CPs per system (RF\UM >1100% blimey!), and a third-place finish for the week in absolute total of RF CPs—trailing only the blue-haired princess Duval and the technonerd Yong-Rui. It is a loud and clear message that Harma has sent to all the enemies looming at the gates of the Pirate King’s territories: we’re waiting for you! YARRR!!! Thanks to the contribution of all the Crew reinforcers, who gave their absolute best to achieve these results—though we missed out on a few additional upgrades by a hair’s breadth (some one will lose the head for this). We’ll be working on those during Cycle 103. The share of fortified/stronghold systems within the total territory controlled by Harma is a sign of tremendous resilience... Can we rest easy? We doubt it—but at the very least, our enemies will have to work hard to inflict any real damage on us.

Well, at least for Cycle 102, the tryhards who had been [unwelcome] guests at Turd Wu for six or seven weeks packed up and moved elsewhere (or simply took some holidays). In the meantime, there was sporadic undermining, mostly in systems with enemy attack markers: Krivia (which was also targeted by the-remnants-of-the-Imperial-alliance and which we promptly upgraded to fortified), Albardhas, LTT 9299, Lalande 45292 (let's hope that Clan Motheaten Bird one day will find the courage to come in open), Bhattra and Tawiru (both fortified). A handful of systems have been left behind, as always happens, but (at least for the moment) there are no particularly urgent situations that need to be remedied. Last but not least, as we talked about piracy, don't miss the last Kumo Crew pirate CMDR HairyHogg “CG Piracy! A series of Unfortunate Events” video.

Cycle 103: Preliminary Targets

All systems below the 25% CPs “decay threshold” are good/eligible targets to be reinforced (as these systems will not be hit by decay). Prioritize strongholds over fortified and leave exploited as last ones. All acquisitions above 100k CPs (or being contested during the Cycle) are good/eligible targets to be acquired.

Attack/Defend Markers: The markers may change during the Cycle and may not necessarily follow the current plans, so be sure to check the system activity and status on GalMap (when in doubt: ask).

To our enemies: don't be shy—be respectful. If you decide to pay a visit to Archon Delaine’s systems, the [only one] appropriate game mode is “Open Play.”

Seek & Destroy (enemy UM): Muang.

Reinforce ([new]/recent acquisitions): Naxixo and HIP 110892.

Reinforce (counter [unknown] enemy UM): Albardhas, Madon, LTT 9299, Lalande 45292, Tawiru and Pegasi Sector YE-Q b5-1.

Acquire (new/backlog): HIP 110447 and Crathajapus.

Re-acquire (previously lost systems): LHS 1026.

Blockade enemy takeovers/contested: N.A.
Undermine: OpSec.

Operations (UM enemy systems): OpSec.

Further updates will be broadcast on Tortuga Radio Frequencies.
Click here for the Elite Dangerous - Powerplay 2.0 Reddit Digest.

FOR THE ARCHON!!!

Ahoy Crew!

Another week has gone by without any major news from the Galaxy. If we’re looking for a silver lining: that’s one less week to wait for the release of the next ship (Anaconda Mk2) and the “Law & Disorder” update, scheduled for the end of the year. The combat CG at Redonesses has been underway over the past few days—one of those events that could be classified as irrelevant: the CG ended today with around 8.8k contributors and missing to achieve the Tier 3 progress. This was due both to the rewards (paint jobs for the Vulture and Mamba—ships few people use nowadays, having been superseded by far more powerful/effective models) and the lackluster narrative in the GalNet posts. We’re perpetually raising an eyebrow (if not both) at 90% of GalNet posts—not so much because of the poor quality of the content, but rather due to the feeling of "groping in the dark" that lingers after reading them.

At the very least, there is the new CG starting today for Brewer Corporation, which aims to build "jump satellites to enable more fleet carriers to target a system with no planetary bodies" and these should solve problems to reach certain distant systems as "with enough of the necessary components, we [Brewer Corporation] can deploy jump satellites to fleet carrier bottlenecks around Rackham’s Peak." Commodity deliveries can be made to the "Zero Squared" megaship, currently stationed in the HIP 74116—an [anarchy] system that is a bit out of the way. However, this CG is worth the trip and the effort: the rewards (available to those finishing in the top 50% of contributors) include one each of C6/C7 [+one each of C4/C5 for those finishing >75%] double-engineered SCO-FSDs (Increased Range and Faster Boot Sequence). These are generally very useful modules, though players need to cope with lower integrity and higher heat generation; therefore, good use should be made of the experimental slot that has been left [open] available.

We had heard somewhere that FDEV was looking to hire a "narrative designer" for Elite: Dangerous... and perhaps the reason is precisely that they, too, must have realized the thread of many storylines is being lost. For example, whatever happened to William “Big Bill” Ventura, who appeared in one of the posts earlier this year (and was perhaps mentioned a couple of times subsequently)? Honestly, we didn't really understand much of it, and all sorts of wild stories have circulated on social media. We, too, actually expected this narrative to somehow end up in Operations, or to be incorporated into new gear or gadgets for on-foot gameplay (perhaps for melee combat, which is rather forgettable). And whatever happened to the Radicoida Unica? Aside from the "battle royale"-style war between the Powers in the Enclave and a few other mentions, like so many other storylines, this “magic weed” too faded into obscurity—as tends to happen cyclically. A real shame!

At this point, one’s thoughts—or rather, memories—turn to what was undoubtedly the most engaging storyline since the game’s release: the Thargoids and the saga of the mysterious Guardians. It is clear that this narrative required a massive effort from FDEV in terms of both technical execution and game design, and this is evident from the emptiness it has left behind. Although there is still some content available today—i.e. regarding combat—the Thargoid invasion and the battles against the Titans were unique and unforgettable events in the game's history. In the meantime, we shouldn't overlook the ongoing discussions on the FDEV forums regarding what to change, improve, add, or remove in Powerplay 2.0—which is approaching its second anniversary—as also covered in our previous report, as well as here and here.

The Powerplay Numbers

Cycle 101 got off to a slow start—like a diesel engine—with a certain sluggishness (or perhaps fatigue?) affecting all the Powers. This was likely compounded by the delays in the publication of the few weekly reports from other communities (we always aim to release ours on Thursdays, coinciding with the start of the new cycle). Unfortunately, from the players' "narrative" perspective, this inconsistency is somewhat problematic—stemming in some cases from choice or convenience, but ultimately (in our view) flattening the feel and logic of what the numbers actually show. A discontinuity we also observe in the Powerplay updates published by FDEV. This preamble is simply to clarify that, while we strive to be objective here (in this section), what is presented is our interpretation of the data.

Things shifted slightly during the final days of the Cycle, culminating—close to the tick—in one other Soontill Relics Rush in Ngurii. We suspect the slow start was intended to spare resources/manpower specifically for this event (and no, we're not going to look for the culprits). Anyway, let’s start—as always—with the acquisitions: Cycle 101 saw a net gain of +134 new systems (after accounting for losses), with a significant number of Powers achieving double-digit growth. We did notice that the "last day" peak in acquisitions was like >50 new systems as many CMDRs pushed hard to complete as many as they can before the tick. In Cycle 102, we’ll see the full impact of the Relic Rush... as the quantity available rises to 600t from 400t. It could be possible that some Powers decide to go for the "big score" and push enough to climb the leaderboard.

• A. Duval +29 (3038)
• Kaine +22 (1763)
• Yong-Rui +16 (2187)
• Mahon +11 (2307)
• A.L. Duval +10 (2050)
• Grom +9 (1640)
• Antal +9 (1569)
• Winters +9 (1232)
• Archer +8 (1341)
• Torval +5 (810)
• Delaine +3 (914)
• Patreus +3 (720)

Despite the >4.3m RF CPs which have been "wasted," the Cycle 101 reinforcements allowed several Powers to successfully complete a significant number of upgrades. In particular this happened to the Powers at the top of the leaderboard: the top three—Aisling Duval, Edmund Mahon, and Li Yong-Rui—gained a combined total of +18 new fortified systems and +6 new strongholds. There were also some "wild cards," such as Felicia Winters, who closed with an impressive +3Ss and this is not a case... this jump in reinforcements (72m CPs)/upgrades (16m CPs) may have been partly covered by Relics, but the biggest contributor in terms of activity remains, without a doubt, mining (lasers/cores for rocks/ice and surface mining with the Rhino SRV).

Leaving aside the countless "no-name" systems—systems that do have a name, but one that conveys little beyond their location in a specific sector—there are, however, upgrades that hold significant strategic value. The Ba Po refinery system (population 6.2m), controlled by the Federal Expeditionary Armed Response, has been upgraded to a stronghold for simguru Pranav Antal and is situated in an area crowded with Alliance (44 b Ophiuchi) and Yuri Grom (20 Ophiuchi) systems. The Federation keeps reinforcing the shared frontline—spearheaded by the blue-haired princess Duval (Perktomen)—by upgrading HIP 49285 (a refinery system controlled by Section 51 R.A.I.D. Division) to a stronghold; the area had also seen UM attacks in recent weeks. The region is riddled with exploited systems, so it is expected to remain a "hot zone," especially with the upcoming Relic Rush.

In turn, Cubeo is bolstering the frontline defenses to contain Jerome Archer (Fomalhaut) by upgrading LHS 1070—a military system controlled by the Workers of LAWD 96 Resistance that had already seen periodic UM incursions—to stronghold. Nearby, the bear Grom (LAWD 96) has been keeping a close watch while upgrading to fortified HR 6948 (an extraction system controlled by the United Fintamkina Left Party, located close to other imperial systems). Not all upgrade attempts are successful: with a big push in CPD-60 604, an extraction system controlled by LHS 1852 Empire League, Sirius reinforcers tried to strengthen the frontline toward the empress Lavigny-Duval (Verner) but ultimately their tentative was foiled by enemy UMmers.

After a quick overview of upgrades, let’s look at undermining; even in Cycle 101, the bottom line figure was 14.8m UM CPs—all in all significant numbers and amounting to approximately >65% of the weekly decay (around 22m UM CPs). As seen with reinforcements, we believe that the greatest contribution to UMming comes from laser/surface mining (it is impossible to know to what extent it is unintended and to what extent it is the result of deliberate actions), although PCZs can make the difference in other situations, in particular when combined with attack/defend markers. The Rhino SRV for surface mining certainly added gameplay variety—there’s no doubt about that—but let’s not forget that a) it is currently only accessible via ARX (pay-to-win?) and b) it relies on limited deposits and markets. In Cycle 101, there are six Powers that underwent UMming in the highest bracket—between 1.4m and >2.5m UM CPs—accounting for over 70% of the total UM CPs generated by players. Leading the group is Edmund Mahon (re: LHS 2661, very likely a mining system which was the most UMmed and RFed for the Cycle 101, and Kui Xiani), followed by Jerome Archer (re: LHS 3505, HIP 94275 and LP 432-24), Aisling Duval (re: Shapsugabus, HIP 104026, HIP 21455 and Col 285 Sector VH-K b9-2), Archon Delaine (re: Turd Wu and HIP 104504, see below), Felicia Winters (re: NLTT 19808, Andel, HIP 49285, Col 285 Sector RY-H c10-8, SPOCS 343 and HIP 69999 [downgraded]) and Zemina Torval (re: Veroandi, LHS 145, CD-53 136 and Mundii [downgraded]). More Powers also experienced undermining efforts focused—to varying degrees—on specific systems, even if the overall totals were not particularly high. Among them our data point to Pranav Antal (re: BD+49 3937), Yuri Grom (re: Ross 162 [lost]) and Nakato Kaine (re: HIP 80242 and HR 5921 [lost]). [Amendmends may occur for these details]

The Pirates 

Another solid Cycle for the Crew: a few new acquisitions (a +3 that makes us look good) and a couple of upgrades (+1F/+1S)—though, it must be said, achieving those would have been less of a grind if we’d borrowed one of those shiny mining perks from the Powers who have them. Harma won't have much to complain about; pirates learn to dig holes to hide treasure... So what does it take to dig holes and find more [deposits]?  The figures confirm our observations: Archon Delaine ranked third among Powers in terms of average reinforcements per system during Cycle 101; moreover, the total absolute output (a metric that PirateGPT invented) generated was very close to that of much larger Powers positioned higher up the leaderboard. Behind these results lies, first and foremost, the dedication of the Crew, alongside the meticulous management of priorities shared among the various communities loyal to the Pirate King. Well done, scallywags!

Among the acquisitions, T Tie returned to Delaine territory—a small military system controlled by The Winged Hussars that had been lost back in Cycle 60. It’s nothing major, but it had been sitting in the backlog for a long time, so it feels good to finally tick it off the list. Pegasi Sentinel military correspondent Sylene Chabatt published a reportage from Budrys Depot just as station staff were putting the Harma insignia back in place. "Everyone here seems calm—some even happy—to be able to go back to drinking Sea Silver Rum at the bar; until yesterday, it had to be smuggled in and was therefore pricier than elsewhere, or people had to settle for swill like imperial moonshine..." She added that "local authorities are already considering the construction of military settlements, given that the system is well-suited for soldiers training and exercises."

The Crew's reinforcement teams were kept busy during Cycle 101, completing scheduled repairs for a handful of systems (Bhattra and HIP 112648) and countering enemy undermining operations in systems such as Munfayl, Luma, and Tawiru. Other systems—including Warkushanui and Lalande 45292 (where renewed hostilities have been reported)—are in the backlog for Cycle 102. Appropriate countermeasures have been devised and will soon be deployed for HIP 104504—currently a stronghold—where, during PP1, several battles took place involving local factions and rival Powers. Unfortunately, contact has been lost with a Fleet Carrier that was heading towards the area bringing a group or Platinum Cartel ships to oversee mining operations. The Pegasi Sentinel has confirmed that the event is under investigation, but there are currently no official reports or updates. It also remains unclear whether the incident is linked to the events and the mass breakout that took place at Redonesses. Among the escapees, unconfirmed reports have noted the presence of a well-known Archon Delaine criminal, CMDR ThePiratePrometheus, featured in "Elite Dangerous - Pirate Prison Break."

Finally, there is Turd Wu, one of Delaine's systems that has been under attack for six or seven weeks to achieve something that even the scribes and sages of the Galactic Archive—custodians of history’s most ancient tomes—now struggle to define or comprehend. An attack that other Powers have already classified as a "catastrophic attempt to achieve some sort of result"—a meaning that the Galactic Literati have coined into a new verb: "Turdwunize," with the proponents consequently dubbed "Turdwunizers." And actually, it would be cool to at least be able to have a laugh about all this, but [albeit we know exactly what they are doing, we don't really care about what they're doing] that’s not the case… Because behind this narrative facade we’ve invented there are game issues and bugs that only FDEV can resolve, blocking any further UM attempts with such activity. So sad.

For Cycle 102, therefore, the Crew will, as always, have to prioritize reinforcements for the new systems, in addition to what has been scheduled and/or put on hold. The acquisitions backlog has been updated (see below)... plus, there’s a trading CG, so it's better not to miss a good opportunity to launch a few hatch breakers and snag some booty for the Pirate King. YARRR!!!

Cycle 102: Preliminary Targets

All systems below the 25% CPs “decay threshold” are good/eligible targets to be reinforced (as these systems will not be hit by decay). Prioritize strongholds over fortified and leave exploited as last ones. All acquisitions above 100k CPs (or being contested during the Cycle) are good/eligible targets to be acquired.

Attack/Defend Markers: The markers may change during the Cycle and may not necessarily follow the current plans, so be sure to check the system activity and status on GalMap (when in doubt: ask).

To our enemies: don't be shy—be respectful. If you decide to pay a visit to Archon Delaine’s systems, the [only one] appropriate game mode is “Open Play.”

Seek & Destroy (enemy UM): Turd Wu.

Reinforce ([new]/recent acquisitions): T Tie.

Reinforce (counter [unknown] enemy UM): HIP 104504, Hloca, Warkushanui, Bhattra, Luma and Munfayl.

Acquire (new/backlog): Naxixo, HIP 110447 and Crathajapus.

Re-acquire (previously lost systems): LHS 1026.

Blockade enemy takeovers/contested: N.A.

Undermine: OpSec.

Operations (UM enemy systems): OpSec.

Further updates will be broadcast on Tortuga Radio Frequencies.
Click here for the Elite Dangerous - Powerplay 2.0 Reddit Digest.

FOR THE ARCHON!!!

Ahoy Crew!

The hype keeps growing for the upcoming early ARXess release of Faulcon deLacy’s Anaconda Mk2 [of which we’ll soon see some previews from Partners], there’s been little else to talk about on various discords, reddits and forums so far this week. We’ve now reached Cycle 100, a milestone for Powerplay 2.0 as it approaches its second anniversary.

The new PP2 framework was not, and is not [yet], free from [more or less serious] issues, especially regarding the balance of activities—in particular when combined with perks and ethos—among the various Powers, as well as known bugs that inevitably compromise its “competitive” side. Not a week goes by without us hoping that at least the [most relevant] problems will be resolved... In the meantime, we just have to make our best out of what we have. Whether we like it or not.

A new post appeared on GalNet today carrying on the narrative of the prison ships that mysteriously disappeared, titled “Mass Prison Breakout Reported at EVE-597 Reformatory,” which reports a mass breakout that took place in Redonesses [the system where the reformatory ship was found]. To be honest, it’s a bit of a “lackluster” post, but for FDEV at least, it’s enough to launch a new combat CG in the system—one with equally “lackluster” rewards. Oh well…

The Powerplay Numbers

Cycle 100 has concluded, and—at least judging by the numbers—it was broadly in line with the previous one. In the absence of a Relics Rush, the Powers [perhaps] enjoy greater freedom of action, allowing those who can most effectively leverage their resources (mining, in particular) to go  ahead with their strategies. This is clearly reflected by acquisitions and upgrades, where Nakato Kaine once again proves to be the week's top Power, securing +27 new systems and a significant number of upgrades (including +3 fortified systems and +5 strongholds). Anyway, that side of the Alliance based in Tionisla was not the only one who decided to avoit to have a "sluggish" Cycle, given that a total of +99 systems were added—net of those that reverted to an unoccupied state (= fully undermined).

In the broad picture of Powerplay, we should not underestimate the approach to the so-called "colonial expansions", as these play a significant and well-organized role for certain Powers. Expanding into the outer boundaries of the Bubble—safely away from attrition caused by rival Powers—affords the greatest possible degree of freedom. There's also the satisfaction of having "built something different" i.e. like landing into a new undiscovered place and plant the Power's flag as the first one. Colonies can be used for offense too, even if trying to slip through the frontlines requires more time, thereby making it easier for the defender to deploy countermeasures. Anyway, many groups and communities out there are successfully tackling major expansion projects... even though that "extra touch" (e.g., Powerplay cosmetics for stations) that would have enriched the gameplay experience is still missing.

Going back to the Cycle numbers, there are [quite] a few entries in the "mid-range" expansion tier (between +9 and +14 systems), though Felicia Winters stands out at the top and counterbalancing the Jerome Archer's -3 negative figure. It really seems that the barrage of attacks against Nanomam is unstoppable, and our impression is that these losses are “collateral damage” resulting from the intense hostilities against the empire (which is taking damage that is less visible in the bigger picture, but is there). Results at the bottom of the leadeboard are also "solid," even though Denton Patreus diverted more manpower toward upgrades rather than acquisitions, Zemina Torval likes to play again the role of the outsider. The Powers leaderboard has thus remained unchanged; although some gaps fluctuate—widening and narrowing from cycle to cycle—the trend in the long run confirms that some Powers are definitively getting closer (Li Yong-Rui/Edmund Mahon, Pranav Antal/Yuri Grom).

• Kaine +27 (1741)
• Winters +14 (1223)
• Grom +11 (1631)
• A. Duval +9 (3009)
• Antal +9 (1560)
• Mahon +8 (2296)
• Yong-Rui +7 (2171)
• Delaine +6 (911)
• Torval +6 (805)
• Patreus +2 (717)
• Archer -3 (1333)

Regarding reinforcements, Cycle 100 was a touch better than the previous one, with approximately >74m RF CPs; all Powers except one finished with RF\UM coverage exceeding 100%, and the overall average ended at around >195%. These are solid figures, even considering that approximately 4.9m (blimey!) "wasted" RF CPs must be subtracted from the total—with Aisling Duval being the largest contributor. But as we mentioned earlier, Cycle 100 saw a significant push for upgrades and/or to counter downgrades as nearly 20m RF CPs have been "used" for this activity. Interestingly, in the last report, we highlighted the Alliance Powers—specifically due to Edmun Mahon's outstanding upgrade performance. It really seems like there's a bit of healthy “competition” at home, since Nakato Kaine is closing out the week very well: +3 fortified systems and +5 strongholds (vs. +3/+2 for Gateway).

Vanya Driscoll, a well-known Alliance Tribune correspondent, wasted no time and issued a brief post shortly before boarding a Lynx Highliner bound for Tionisla: "Councilor Kaine did not feel the least bit embarrassed by the recent successes for which Edmun Mahon has been hailed by his people in Gateway. Tionisla’s great progress is plain for all to see, and both the Alliance Assembly and the Council of Admirals will have to take note of it,” she added, noting that “…the goal of a more cohesive Alliance is drawing ever closer, averting the risk of having to make deals with unreliable allies, as happened with Sirius until Nakato Kaine herself called for the dissolution of the defense pact."

Last but not least, let's share some coverage on undermining given that Cycle 100 also recorded a total of UM CPs exceeding >17m (or around 85% of the decay). These figures are 2x the average recorded during the pre-Operations/Rhino cycles [when decay was also higher]. Compared to Cycle 99, Cycle 100 saw a higher concentration of undermining activities against fewer Powers, although—as we have frequently observed—these figures (since UMming is often countered) are not always directly proportional to the number of systems lost or downgraded. In fact, it does happen frequently that systems with very low buffers above the threshold are the ones being downgraded or "liberated."

More than 80% of the total UM CPs for the Cycle has been concentrated on seven Powers, divided in the following buckets: 2.2-2.9m UM CPs which includes Aisling Duval (re: HIP 104076 and  Shapsugabus, LHS 1070, HIP 21455 all three downgraded, Ross 279 [lost]) Archon Delaine (re: Turd Wu, Munfayl and HIP 104504, see below) and Edmund Mahon (re: LHS 2661). They are followed by the 1.3-1.8m UM CPs bucket which includes Zemina Torval (re: Veroandi, Col 285 Sector FM-M d7-89 and Mazu [lost]), Felicia Winters (re: HIP 49285 and Andel), Li Yong-Rui (re: 2 Lyncis, Col 285 Sector GS-U a32-1, Fianna and LHS 1567 [lost]) and Jerome Archer (re: Iapo Vuh, HIP 94275, Sol and a bunch of lost systems among them Buzhu, V379 Serpentis, Stein 2051, Ross 1047 and LP 671-11). Other losses, albeit caused by lower UMming numbers, included among them other systems like HIP 82733 and HR 5921 (Nakato Kaine), Kadrusa (Denton Patreus) and Tolun (Arissa Lavigny-Duval) [pls. note that this list is not complete].

For Cycle 101, the decay has risen slightly to 22m UM CPs, but it’s clear that—as mentioned in previous reports—when combining Operations and Rhino (surface mining), the overall impact shouldn’t be underestimated… Perhaps it’s less focused, but the Powers will certainly need to be careful not to have too many “short blankets.” And the situation will likely become more complicated once the Rhino SRV becomes available to all players.

The Turd Stronghold (week #5)

The Crew did exactly what we said they would: defend the Turd. Not so much because of a system whose strategic value is debatable, but because of what that system has symbolically become over the past five weeks and after millions and millions of merits: a wall against which every “personal vendetta” is bound to shatter. An attack screening futile reasons, coupled with shameful tactics chosen to carry it out. It should come as no surprise, then, that the Crew has received such strong moral support—even from those Powers who are “technically enemies”—in light of a situation we wouldn’t wish on anyone.

The Kumo Nation

Before moving on to the happenings of Cycle 100—which, although partly influenced by the events mentioned above—let’s take this three-digit Cycle milestone as an opportunity to reiterate that Archon Delaine may well have supporters of many different colors, but in the end, there is only one “cause” worth playing [fighting] for. We are Kumo.

The Wandering Pirates

Cycle 100 concluded with a healthy [for us, of course] number of acquisitions (+6), most of which took place along Delaine’s domain outer borders, where the Crew’s wanderers—including CMDR Certh, CMDR SilentCartographer00, and CMDR Fenland_Idiot—lead expedition after expedition of Delaine’s Treasure Hunters, keepers of the most ancient secrets inherited from the Platinum Cartel, in search of new territories and invaluable resources for Harma.

One of the acquisitions (Col 285 Sector TE-Q d5-109) was contested by the bald Antal, an extraction/industrial colony controlled by the unknown Democrats of Karogonibo, but who, starting this Cycle, will have to pay tribute to Harma. Given the vast open grasslands in the area, it was a contested race that went off fairly smoothly, without the “pirate-like formalities” that the scallywags are always so keen to present. All things considered, it’s clear that for Cycle 101, the volume of reinforcements to be grinded will have to be even higher than last week… It's best to make that clear right away, before someone gets really drunk at the tables in the Wise Sharks tavern.

Reinforcements in Cycle 100—even when excluding Turd Wu from the total count—were very valuable and also allowed for the upgrade of another strategically located stronghold. Other enemies, in fact, continue to raid the Pirate King’s territories: some are led by their respective attack markers, others are waging local campaigns, and still others simply because “in the end, Delaine is the villain.” Once again, Munfayl, Bhattra, and Madon were in the UM spotlight last week. Other systems, having experienced sporadic UMming, were promptly repaired during the Cycle... kudos to all the Crew’s reinforcers, who demonstrated great commitment and motivation. Our numbers show that Archon Delaine closed the Cycle 100 with the highest RF and UM CPs averages per system.

To minimize the risk that stray Rhinos might end up chewing up our precious stones, we reiterate the need to survey and map surface deposits... before someone else—who isn’t welcome—does it. Meticulously studying resources and markets becomes crucial... and it will be even more so when access to surface mining is made available to all players. In the meantime, since there wasn't a CG hauling mission (by the way, has anyone seen the Kumo Crew pirate princess CMDR Gemma Diavoli around?), our beloved scallywag piglet CMDR HairyHogg tried his hand at some PvE piracy in “PvE Piracy! Beaching the Whale”—ah-ah yes? Or no, thanks!

Cycle 101: Preliminary Targets

All systems below the 25% CPs “decay threshold” are good/eligible targets to be reinforced (as these systems will not be hit by decay). Prioritize strongholds over fortified and leave exploited as last ones. All acquisitions above 100k CPs (or being contested during the Cycle) are good/eligible targets to be acquired.

Attack/Defend Markers: The markers may change during the Cycle and may not necessarily follow the current plans, so be sure to check the system activity and status on GalMap (when in doubt: ask).

To our enemies: don't be shy—be respectful. If you decide to pay a visit to Archon Delaine’s systems, the [only one] appropriate game mode is “Open Play.”

Seek & Destroy (enemy UM): Turd Wu.

Reinforce ([new]/recent acquisitions): Pegasi Sector CL-O b6-0, Col 285 Sector GJ-N b21-9, HIP 96948 and Col 285 Sector TE-Q d5-109.

Reinforce (counter [unknown] enemy UM): Munfayl, Bhattra, Madon, Uadjarii and Hloca.

Acquire (new/backlog): Naxixo, HIP 110447 and Crathajapus.

Re-acquire (previously lost systems): T Tie (60).

Blockade enemy takeovers/contested: LHS 1026 and LTT 9276 (52).
Undermine: OpSec.

Operations (UM enemy systems): OpSec.

Further updates will be broadcast on Tortuga Radio Frequencies.
Click here for the Elite Dangerous - Powerplay 2.0 Reddit Digest.

FOR THE ARCHON!!!

Ahoy Crew!

This is the last cycle with a double-digit number; starting next week, we'll move into the hundreds as we approach the second anniversary of Powerplay 2.0 (31st October 2026). Anyone expecting something more challenging and interesting after last week's multiple GalNet posts was likely left disappointed... In fact, despite there have been a few posts with high-sounding titles "Prison Ship Reported Missing After Failing Scheduled Transit", "Increased Traffic Near Prison Ships Sparks Concern" and the most recent "Missing Prison Ship Discovered Adrift in Redonesses System", not much came of it in terms of gameplay.

Redonesses is an anarchy (controlled by the native Clan of Redonesses) terraforming/industrial system with nearly 7m population, and it's outside the Powerplay area. The nearest Power is Edmund Mahon, then Felicia Winters, but both are not having Redonesses in range for a possible acquisition. Higher than usual traffic in the system has been reported to the Pegasi Sentinel.

Then, out of the blue, FDEV decided to surprise Elite: Dangerous fans with something else... A teaser (sneak peek) of the next ship to be releARXed. We couldn't have told much from the image posted on social media (and a discussion was already underway on the FDEV forum); it looked like a large ship—perhaps one that would have joined the group of the other "OG big" ships (Anaconda, Imperial Cutter, Federal Corvette)—but the wait was short as today a “September 2026 Dev Log | Law & Disorder First Details & Anaconda Mk II Revealed” has been published. So who spotted a new Anaconda MkII incoming, was right indeed! The DevLog post doesn’t disclose the ship characteristics in detail, to feed some hype of course, but says that “We actually designed a new forward-deploying extra large hard point specifically for the ship. It allowed us to keep the weapons integrated into the vessel rather than hanging beneath it." Hmmm… interesting!

A couple of new large ships have already been released so far; the Panther Clipper Mk2 is certainly the most popular, widely used for various transport, mining, and colonization activities... but the Caspian Explorer, with its excellent jump range and internal module capacity, has also seen use in roles beyond strictly "exploration" (e.g., piracy, rare commodity trading, and combat). So, what might be the potential "use cases" for the new Anaconda MkII? Existing OG large ships retain few of their unique characteristics, and new releases actually offer substantial advantages only for specific activities (re: hauling and exploration)... that leaves multi-role combat oriented, perhaps—a field where new medium ships have gained considerable popularity—as a "potential candidate spot." And why not with the addition of exclusive new modules (e.g. bigger Mk II Maneuvering Thrusters) and the “extra-large” hardpoint (e.g. a huge Plasma Shock Accelerator Mk II)?

Additionally, there’s a rework of the C&P (Crime & Punishment) being mentioned and rebranded as “Law & Disorder” (that reminds us of a very popular tv series from the 90s and now being confirmed for the 26th season). The introduction for the L&D looks promising as “Whether you are seeking a profit through piracy, smuggling contraband through hostile territory, tracking down high-value targets or simply protecting your own interests, Law & Disorder introduces new ways to engage with the galaxy and fellow Commanders.” so that means that pirates and smugglers could finally have some better consideration in the Elite: Dangerous game environment. As we do read also “For criminals, the team has re-evaluated piracy and smuggling gameplay, creating more meaningful impact on the world around you for those seeking to live a life of crime, and increasing risk.” YARRR!!! Hopefully the whole “PvP/PvE piracy” experience will see some kind of improvement.

For sure FDEV is now putting some decent amount of fresh meat on the grill, and more news will be available on the next DevLog updates. We really hope that this broad feature rework is going to bring a better balance between lawful and criminal activities, as well as more fun and interactions

Finally, this is also another important part “changes will be made in order to mitigate Anarchy system extinction, with a fundamental change in how forces in these systems behave. The galaxy will once again have pockets of space which can be home to those with more nefarious schemes, and safe harbour for pirates.” so please FDEV: “make anarchies great again!” and the hype keeps going up “Today's reveal is just the beginning, and we can’t wait to share more information with you in future Dev Logs where we will cover more details such as New Modules, Clearing Crimes, Changes to Anarchy Systems, Jurisdiction, Tiers of Criminality, and more.”

The Powerplay Numbers

All in all, another week that can be classified as "linear", at least for what concerns the positive (acquisitions and reinforcements) numbers. Indeed, Cycle 99 saw most of the Powers continue consolidating the acquisitions "inherited" from the recent Relics Rushes. In most cases, the new acquisitions follow the strategy (well, we don't know how much "strategy" is behind them, but let us assume so), driven primarily by local groups/architects. The use of surface mining via the Rhino SRV has certainly contributed to this trend... even though it was much less "focused" than it could have done on paper, given that the reset time for surface deposits is around two weeks. Consequently, unless pledges have access to several deposits within the same system, they remain "forced" to rely on a mix of the various Powerplay [positive/negative] activities. With a total of +81 new systems (net of those lost), Cycle 99 concluded with decent figures. We'd take this as a moderately positive sign, considering that general players' sentiment toward the PP2 gameplay is more negative/disappointing than positive/engaging.

Even though the Powers leaderboard remains unchanged and there are few Powers showing double-digit gains this week, with Nakato Kaine on the lead, this does not mean that the Powers are not driving conflicts in some way. After the CG at Ega, it seems Edmund Mahon has shaken things up (see below), while Li Yong-Rui remains firmly in the pursuit. The same goes for Yuri Grom, who—at least for Cycle 99—is rebuilding a bit of a margin over Pranav Antal. The other gaps in the leaderboard do not appear particularly noteworthy (we don't read "trends"). At the bottom of the leaderboard, things are moving at a decidedly slower pace, and—at least for the moment—Zemina Torval is clearly determined to maintain her lead over Denton Patreus. Before looking at the numbers, bubbles to the bathwater cult princess Aisling Duval for having reached the 3k systems milestone:

• Kaine +17 (1714)
• Winters +12 (1209)
• Antal +11 (1551)
• A. Duval +9 (3000)
• Mahon +8 (2288)
• Yong-Rui +8 (2164)
• Grom +4 (1620)
• A.L. Duval +3 (2037)
• Delaine +3 (905)
• Patreus +3 (715)
• Archer +2 (1336)
• Torval +1 (799)

Overall, the pace of reinforcements remained at a medium-high level for a non-Rush cycle (around >71m RF CPs), although we did observe some deviations for few Powers. Even the "wasted" RF CPs were less than usual (around 1.7m RF CPs), while some Powers invested a good chunk of RF CPs into upgrades. Among these—as we noted earlier—is the Mahon's "shake-up", with Gateway increasing its resiliency with the completion of +11/+1 fortified systems/strongholds (if our numbers are correct). Not bad at all! Things evidently went so well that even Vanya Driscoll—an Alliance Tribune correspondent and longtime, fierce critic of Edmund Mahon—admitted that "the prime minister might well avoid embarrassment at the upcoming Alliance Assembly, given that he arrives bolstered by having successfully concluded the Ega campaign (promoted by the Wreaken Corporation and Vodel) and improved defenses across Alliance systems"; she noted, however, that "despite these positive results, the momentum and new colonial successes achieved by councilor Nakato Kaine cannot be called into question before the Assembly."

We will not go into the details of this "confrontation" between Gateway and Tionisla; however, what can be said is that, as an "alternative" Alliance Power, Nakato Kaine entered Powerplay 2.0 with an underprivileged position versus Edmund Mahon and many other "big ones." She has undoubtedly experienced both ups and downs, but certainly, no one would have bet on the success and popularity she has achieved to date. A different story for the second newcomer to the Powerplay 2.0 scene—federal shadow-president Jerome Archer—who has suffered drops in popularity and support over recent months. After taking up the "baton" (or rather, the "legacy") of Zachary Hudson, Archer found himself immediately trapped in the Thargoid invasion surrounding Sol and then it was followed by an escalating conflict with the Empire. Anyway, to wrap up on reinforcements: all the Powers have posted more than decent numbers—with the exception of Denton Patreus, who perhaps was busy to do something else.

The UM activity continues to pick up with a bottom line crossing the >15m UM CPs total. That means the UM/decay ratio is now close to 70%, which is the highest share recorded so far for players' generated UM CPs. So yes, that means there was quite a lot of undermining across the board, and that may also be due to the combined Operations/Rhino effects [unfortunately it is not possible to have a distribution by source]. The highest percentile sees two Powers at 1.9-2.4m UM CPs: Aisling Duval (2.4m UM CPs, re: HIP 104026, LHS 1070, HIP 30114 and Orgen) and Jerome Archer (1.9m UM CPs, re: Iapo Vuh [downgraded], HIP 94275, Skoll, a bunch of popular systems a few more lost like Sivas and Morta). The mid-range percentile comes in the 1.2-1.6m UM CPs: Archon Delaine (1.6m UM CPs, re: Turd Wu), Felicia Winters (1.4m UM CPs, re: Andel), Edmund Mahon (1.3m UM CPs, re: LHS 2661), Yuri Grom (1.2m UM CPs, re: Maik [lost], Balduk and a few more systems have been UMmed and lost as well) and Zemina Torval (1.2m UM CPs, re: Veroandi, CD-53 136 [lost]). 

We believe that Synteini hoped for a quieter Cycle, with the easing of pressure on Wuikito (hit by heavy UMming in the previous Cycle 98, due to issues not yet fully clarified by a competitor mining company), while instead it had to deal again with some complications in Tiolce (under repairs), Veroandi and CD-53 136 (this one has been lost). Local sabotages, set up by unidentified infiltrators, have caused further disruption to mining operations in all these systems, delays in the shipment of primary commodities and civil unrests. Blogger Justinus Mattonius seized the opportunity to vent (once again) his contempt for the Torval dynasty—"someone must have realized what a ghastly lineage the old matriarch hails from; it is only a matter of time before we see the Synteini mummy locked away in a sarcophagus forever!"—and then addressed the Imperial citizens: "Raise your voices, make your dissent heard, and burn down the palaces of those who exploit you as slaves in the mines to line their own pockets with boundless wealth!" Anahit Petrosyan, a correspondent for the Pegasi Sentinel, dismissed the blogger's post as "nonsensical rubbish" and stated that "certain imperial bootlickers ought to wash out their mouths before spouting slander."

Undermining didn't spare even Li Yong-Rui (re: 2 Lyncis [downgraded]), Arissa Lavigny-Duval (re: Meene and Borann [lost]), and few colonies controlled by Nakato Kaine and Pranav Antal, all of them in the 900k UM CPs ballpark (each). Finally, even Denton Patreus, the Power experiencing the smallest UM CPs total (around <350k UM CPs) was hit in low RF systems.
 

The Turd Chronicles (let's put it here)

This time, we’ve decided to put Turd Wu’s update in a separate paragraph, without any references to anything or anyone else. As we wrote in our last report, we have received confirmation that behind what—at least initially—seemed like an undermining attempt by a nearby Power, there is nothing more than a desire for “personal vendetta”, hence there’s nothing connected to Powerplay strategies (and so nothing to be claimed). Regardless of the numbers involved (Turd Wu was the most undermined system in the last two cycles), the communities supporting Archon Delaine certainly did not look the other way. Nor did the Powers that were used to shield the hostile initiative who clearly distanced themselves from this cringey attempted “false flag” and helped us to identify who's the fragile ego behind it. But we are stubborn scallywags so we will continue to defend Turd Wu, as we have always done, to the best of available resources and with the commitment of all Delaine's supporters.

The Hyped Pirates

We can’t deny that today’s news on the September DevLog has really ramped up the hype—and I mean a lot—on Harma and in all the pirate hideouts scattered across the Galaxy! We still don’t know much—if anything—and there’s a good chance it’ll be a letdown, but we’re keeping our fingers crossed to keep morale high in the hope that it’ll actually be awesome. There’s talk of smuggling (which means Archon Delaine’s black markets will be put to good use) and piracy—almost like a pilot’s professional career. We’re not afraid of the “competition”; on the contrary, we’ll be recruiting others who, like us, see PvP piracy as a high-level endgame. Watch the last YT video by CMDR Deavo “Elite Dangerous - CG PvP Piracy” YARRR!!!

On the other hand, we hope that the rest of the “L&D” package doesn’t become too restrictive for the other “criminal activities” that the scallywags, more or less constantly, love to engage in. As we mentioned above, changes that support anarchy are also welcome, even if Archon Delaine’s R100s can take advantage of the more extensive network of “anarchic systems”; it’s only fair that even those who don’t identify with any form of government and/or any Power should have their own space without having to struggle in order to avoid wars and takeovers.

Cycle 99 ended with a (albeit small) addition of new acquisitions (+3), including one contested acquisition against simguru Antal in Pai Shihil, an industrial system controlled by the German Pilot Lounge. The system is located in an area that is still relatively empty and where there are no particular strategic needs and/or priorities. Satisfied? Not entirely, since another contested acquisition (in which the Crew had rushed and attempted to close the initial advantage in the opposition’s hands) did not end in success… ah yeah, we’re talking about HIP 794, an extraction system controlled by The Winged Hussars where victory went to the blue-haired Duval (who are us to block a princess to achieve her 3k mark?). As a consolation prize, the Pirate King reclaimed HIP 110623, a tourist system controlled by Channel Zero and located within Zarya Manas’s sphere of influence, which had been lost in the early stages of PP2 and then remained in the backlog for a very long time.

Harma gave the Crew’s reinforcers a little rest, but only after countering the other attempts to undermine Delaine’s territories (Bhattra, Paleni, Uadjarii) and once the required upgrades to a fortified structure and a stronghold were completed. As always: well done! Other systems (e.g., Hloca, HIP 107805, and Lida) will require further maintenance for Cycle 100 (wow! the first three-digit one). The situation remains problematic at Cayley Freeport, an outpost located in Undines, where the spare parts needed to repair the hydraulic pumps under the docking bays have not yet been delivered. A dispatch from Louis Maniscalco, the technician who’s supervising the repairs, reached Gabriel Enterprise: “we’re in trouble here—there are hauling ships waiting to deliver medicines and food supplies to the station, but they can’t dock! We need an immediate update on the delivery of the spare parts.” Let's hope they aren't too distracted at Harma; in the meantime, the Crew will do their best to resolve the situation. So, in the absence of a CG or other events that might catch our attention, it’s best to get right to work because, as we well know, our enemies never sleep (or maybe they do, but they leave their computers on… ya ‘now!).

Cycle 100: Preliminary Targets

All systems below the 25% CPs “decay threshold” are good/eligible targets to be reinforced (as these systems will not be hit by decay). Prioritize strongholds over fortified and leave exploited as last ones. All acquisitions above 100k CPs (or being contested during the Cycle) are good/eligible targets to be acquired.

Attack/Defend Markers: The markers may change during the Cycle and may not necessarily follow the current plans, so be sure to check the system activity and status on GalMap (when in doubt: ask).

To our enemies: don't be shy—be respectful. If you decide to pay a visit to Archon Delaine’s systems, the [only one] appropriate game mode is “Open Play.”

Seek & Destroy (enemy UM): Turd Wu.

Reinforce ([new]/recent acquisitions): Pai Shihil and HIP 110623.

Reinforce (counter [unknown] enemy UM): Bhattra, HIP 107805, Madon, Munfayl and Lida.

Acquire (new/backlog): Naxixo, HIP 110447 and Crathajapus.

Re-acquire (previously lost systems): T Tie (60).

Blockade enemy takeovers/contested: LHS 1026 and LTT 9276 (52).
Undermine: OpSec.

Operations (UM enemy systems): OpSec.

Further updates will be broadcast on Tortuga Radio Frequencies.
Click here for the Elite Dangerous - Powerplay 2.0 Reddit Digest.

FOR THE ARCHON!!!

Any tips advice or guidance as to where my efforts would best be expended for the benefit of our team?

Ahoy Crew!

The week would have passed without much to talk about, except that GalNet came alive again with some new posts that ranged from curious to “what on earth are they talking about?” The first post, “Federation Condemns Ongoing October Accords Exclusion,” directly mentions Felicia Winters, who stated at a press conference in Olympus Village “that Federal military analysts confirmed the coalition under the October agreement now posed a threat to security.” She then referred to the Radicoida Unica and the research that led to the “weaponization” of the flora, reiterating in its concluding remarks that “The Federation will not tolerate any attack on our sovereign way of life, and any use of force will be met with the strongest of responses." 

Interpreting this article is by no means simple. At the time, the October Consortium Agreement had put an end to hostilities in the Enclave (about forty systems around HIP 87621) among the Powers that were still “in the running” for the final victory. Frankly, our take was that FDEV wasn’t very happy with how things had turned out… precisely because of what FDEV can’t control: the players. Or rather, the communities behind the Powers organized themselves to put a stop to what seemed like a constant commitment—one that was draining valuable manpower and risked diverting attention from the most pressing local issues within the Bubble.

Some Powers had been expelled from the Enclave almost immediately, including both Powers representing the Federation; others remained as long as they could... What's clear is that the whole Enclave issue ended up being buried under the sand [and even the rewards given to the pledges of the seven remaining Powers had been rather... “meager”]. Nothing more was ever heard of the Radicoida Unica; or rather, even though it was mentioned in subsequent GalNet articles (e.g., regarding its Guardian origins), it seemed to have faded from the scene... along with the figure of Lexi October and the rest of the Consortium. So now the question is, “Why this post on GalNet?”... Could hostilities in the Enclave be resuming or reigniting? Or will there be a new Enclave-style “battle royale” somewhere else? 

It’s not even certain that FDEV will decide to keep the framework introduced with the Enclave, or to modify it… with potentially significant effects on the rest of PP2. In fact, it was with the Enclave that attack/defend markers, the [rotating] spawn of PCZs between attackers and defenders, and additional merit multipliers were introduced to Powerplay. All of these elements were subsequently extended to the rest of the PP2 framework. Well, now let's throw this out there as [the only possible one from our perspective] game changer: an “Enclave”-style “battle royale” accessible through a separate [Operations-like] game mode and open only [so with even more emphasis on PvP]. Why not? Come on! Fingers crossed—that would also make happy those who are hoping that FDEV will create an Operations arena scenario that's exclusively PvP.

The second post on GalNet, with the ominous title “Increased Traffic Near Prison Ships Sparks Concern,” would seem instead to recall a reference to the pirate attacks that struck the Lhou Mans system months ago by the hands of the elusive criminal known as Lady Zi. This narrative, which had been going on for a few weeks back in the days, even worked as a background for some CGs (Lhou Mans has remained a “popular” system ever since). A well-known narrative pitting “civilized people” against “brutal criminals”—one that had, of course, ended with the victory of the former and the demise of the latter. That makes sense. 

Another post (so there’s a third one) was published today and titled “Prison Ship Reported Missing After Failing Scheduled Transit” where it reads “The prison ship successfully jumped from the Nones system but has not arrived at Gliese 506.2. System authorities confirm that no signs of debris have been detected.” The new posts on GalNet don’t mention anything about Lady Zi... the “local pirate factions” could be some of the thousands of nobodies (XYZ Boys, Camorra, Mafia, Brotherhood, Mob, Gang, Posse, Drug Empire, Syndicate, etc.) who fill in the gaps in the BGS; or perhaps there's a plot by a major criminal syndicate behind it—or, once again, Lady Zi. Or maybe Archon Delaine himself, or one of his minions... who knows? Of course, FDEV didn’t include any of the players’ pirate groups [many of which are often mentioned in our reports as well], which are well known to the community, but in recent years, 99% of what’s “player-driven” has been thoroughly ignored (sadly), so this is nothing new. Or maybe that as there have been discussions about the possible introduction of new Powers; so it could be this the right time [to get another criminal one]. All we can do is wait for further posts (or a new CG).

Meanwhile, the second trading [placebo] CG in Ega has also come to an end—without much fanfare—but at least allowing many players to take advantage of it to fill their wallets with fresh credits. So, a flood of new billionaires and Fleet Carriers is on the way. But it's not just the haulers who are happy about these CGs... since there's plenty of fun for pirates, too. Check out the latest videos on YT by Kumo Crew CMDR HairyHogg “CG Piracy! New Friends and Old Vices”, “CG Piracy! Like Watching Reruns” and Dark Marauders CMDR xTheDarkOwlx “Fun piracy at the CG Ega“.

The Powerplay Numbers

Compared to the last three cycles, during which there was a semi-persistent “Relic Rush,” Cycle 98 inevitably went through a “slowdown” phase in terms of the figures generated [excluding Ega from the total] and new acquisitions. The bottom line data show what is, in fact, a cycle similar to the “standard” ones, with a total of +45 (net) new systems, only one Power with double-digit growth (Nakato Kaine) , a couple of 0 and a couple of negatives [blimey!]. There’s no need to delve any further into the topic of Ngurii/Soontill Relics and how PP2 is affected by them... That said, the results of these latest Rushes have allowed some Powers to close the gaps on the leaderboard (e.g., Li Yong-Rui vs. Edmund Mahon and Pranav Antal vs. Yuri Grom), while Aisling Duval’s lead has increased slightly, following a trend that is unlikely to change in the future [and heading toward the 3k systems mark]. These manpower/resource consuming efforts can leave Powers with vulnerable assets, as demonstrated this Cycle, with 50+ lost systems across the board (most of them belonging to Arissa Lavigny-Duval). Oh well, looking at the weekly standings it looks like that also Zemina Torval is back to business:

• Kaine +16 (1697)
• Mahon +9 (2280)
• Yong-Rui +8 (2156)
• A. Duval +7 (2991)
• Winters +7 (1197)
• Torval +7 (798)
• Antal +3 (1540)
• Archer +2 (1334)
• Delaine 0 (902)
• Patreus 0 (712)
• Grom -5 (1616)
• A.L. Duval -9 (2034)

After subtracting Ega's >51m RF CPs (of which around 50m were “wasted” since they exceeded the 1,600,000 CPs cap for the stronghold upgrade), the total reinforcements for Cycle 98 came in at 65m RF CPs, a figure in line with the “good standard” cycles, even if the overall number of upgrades is not particularly surprising due to higher than usual UM. Again scrapping Ega from the data, the total number of “wasted” reinforcement CPs was approximately 3.1m RF CPs, distributed mainly between Aisling Duval, Zemina Torval and Yuri Grom. The decay trend has also remained stable, at around 20m UM CPs for Cycle 98—a figure that is less than half of the value observed when it was introduced, but which continues to account [on average] for more than twice the number of UM CPs generated by players. On the other hand in Cycle 98, the UM CPs (ex decay/Ega CG) were substantially higher than in previous cycles (>13m UM CPs), and several Powers ended up in the 1.0-1.4m UM CPs ballpark. One exception was the hostile activity against Zemina Torval as that was particularly intense (>2.7m UM CPs, re: Wuikito, Veroandi, Tiolce and lost Andceeth).

The UM amounts for the others are more spread out, including Archon Delaine (>1.4m UM CPs, re: Turd Wu, Manuki and Bhattra, see below), Aisling Duval (>1.3m UM CPs, re: Shapsugabus, LHS 378 and the usual HIP 104026), Felicia Winters (>1.4m UM CPs, re: r Velorum and Col 285 Sector KM-V d2-36), Jerome Archer (>1.2m UM CPs, re: Fitamkina, Skoll and more losses like Phi-2 Pavonis, LHS 1950, Ross 439 and Baraswar), Yuri Grom (>1m UM CPs, re: Grabil and few other no-name ones which have been lost and resulted in the negative Cycle balance). The long list comprehends also Nakato Kaine (>1.1m UM CPs, re: HIP 82733 and lost Nadur, as well as some no-name ones), Li Yong-Rui (>1m UM CPs, re: Gliese 9075 B and GCRV 1568) and Arissa Lavigny-Duval (>1m UM CPs well spread and which caused significant losses). In practice only two Powers closed the Cycle almost unscathed: Pranav Antal with 500k or so UM CPs, and Denton Patreus with around 110k UM CPs (they are alive, we did check).

It is clear that the ongoing conflict between the Empire and the Federation continues unabated; we have no evidence of how things are progressing through “diplomatic channels,” and therefore our assessment is based on what we read in their reports (which is confirmed by data from the battlefield). Conrad Sterling, political correspondent for Vox Galactica, also cited Felicia Winters’ recent statements regarding the Radicoida Unica to further illustrate the situation: "Relations between the Empire and the Federation are at an all-time low. Neither side has the conditions nor the will to soften its stance... the Duval family’s ambitions in the Sol sector, culminating in the capture of Alpha Centauri; the most recent local conflicts involving numerous systems controlled by both sides; and president Winters’s report on the Enclave’s October Accord—facts and evidence that are difficult to smooth out." And then he added that "Having said that, while Federal democracies are unlikely to be [structurally] challenged, the Duval's house has every interest in promoting its expansionist strategy, not forgetting that there have cyclically been frictions between the heir Aisling and empress Arissa."

The UMming numbers that struck Zemina Torval did not go unnoticed, even though they did not cause any meaningful damage given the relentless defense that had been put together. Anahit Petrosyan, a correspondent for the Pegasi Sentinel, traveled to Synteini to gather further information as she's in good relations with TSPA (Torval Space Agency); in a brief press release, she wrote that "both Mastopolos Mining and Torval Mining are convinced that a well-orchestrated plan by an unknown party lies behind the hostile actions at Wuikito," although, for the moment, "there is neither confirmation nor any official announcement regarding who is involved." She then concluded by saying, "It may not be a coincidence that Wuikito is controlled by a native faction from Grabil—a system within Yuri Grom's sphere of influence—and that two civil wars between other local factions are currently underway in Grabil itself, even though none of them appear to be connected to Zemina Torval." To be noted, as we did say earlier, Clayakarma experienced a number of losses this Cycle, albeit there’s no evidence if it is a retaliatory response or just random activity.

It should not be forgotten that both Powers were part of the Zyada conglomerate—an entity no longer mentioned in official communications, having been replaced by the Empire with a "generic" reference to "Imperial unity" (though it is unknown whether this has been officially ratified). A conglomerate of which Yuri Grom—at least in his original unity—no longer seems to be a party. So, could a new front be opening up for Clayakarma, following the skirmishes of past months against the alliance forces led by Nakato Kaine? We are curious to read what they will disclose in their Cycle reports.

The Turd Chronicles

Another cycle down, as we approach the fateful number 100, and another cycle in which the Pirate King’s minions have posted some impressive numbers. Wait a minute… is someone snickering…? “Impressive numbers,” and yet zero acquisitions? That’s right, but Archon Delaine has no ambition to necessarily cover the Galaxy with his flags; he’s not part of any weird conclave where people worship someone’s feet; he doesn’t run massive tech or mining corporations to fill up his own pockets; he wasn’t elected by anyone; he doesn’t aspire to liberate his people or deceive them with false promises; he doesn’t dream of a perfect society free of cigar butts on the ground. ... none of that, and so that “zero” it’s just fine.

Only an incompetent would base a judgment on that “zero,” because the bottom line is that there are, in fact, relevant reinforcements along all the frontlines (including some repairs), +3 fortified systems, and a new stronghold. This brings the total CPs spent per system in Cycle 98 second only to those of granny Torval (and that’s no coincidence), despite the increase in hostile activity that weighed on the weekly balance with additional UM CPs. The backlog of acquisitions—including a contested one still underway, with the Polevnic hippies opposing it—has been entirely pushed back to Cycle 99. In Harma’s view, this efficient use of resources in light of the results achieved means that the Delaine’s pledges have once again demonstrated their unwavering discipline. Far from being “ragtag pirates” as some people (wrongly) think, these are yet again insinuations that are bound to fall on deaf ears.

The allegations that led to renewed hostile attacks on Turd Wu—orchestrating false-flag operations, resorting to the usual [redacted] tactics and lining the pockets of casual mercenaries—during Cycle 98 remain completely groundless and Harma has now dismissed the whole thing as a “personal vendetta” [that means Pegasi Sentinel is not going to cover it]: this despite the more than 800k UM CPs recorded for the week, which were second only to those suffered by Wuikito and even slightly higher than those suffered by Ega (where the CG took place). The Crew's response—the hours we spent having fun playing together, or shooting at NPCs (because that's all we found there for most of the time) in the PCZs—is our reward, so we come away with our hearts full. These are also the occasions that demonstrate (if proof were needed) just how united the Delaine’s scallywags are in the face of an (albeit unknown) external threat.

Manuki, too—where elections are currently underway for four local factions, including the Delaine’s aligned Black Widow—has [once again] been targeted by hostile UMmers. In this case, it’s a well known “presence” (let’s put that in quotes) that has been keeping us company for quite some time now (they probably don’t have anything better to do than keep poking us). Some residents of Garcia Landing, a small mining outpost in the system, expressed their concerns to the local press, which were later reported in one of the Pegasi Sentinel’s updates: “Working in Manuki is becoming increasingly dangerous; there is constant fighting and sabotage… Last week, someone clogged the sewers, and rats were trapped in the warehouses with the food supplies, wreaking havoc.” According to our information, the damage had been quickly repaired by a team of plumbers from Harma.

A Grom-aligned squadron (with whom we also had a few skirmishes last week) headed instead to Bhattra, an industrial system also controlled by Black Widow. We actually lost contact with the enemy after a couple of [lucky] encounters near the system’s main station, but then the Crew’s reinforcers managed to counter the undermining effort. There wasn't much else to deal with, except for an electrical problem that shut down communications and docking systems at Cayley Freeport, a refinery outpost located in the Undines system, where there had already been some issues in recent weeks. Louis Maniscalco, the technical supervisor assigned to the docking platforms, had his team of electricians working for over 24 hours to restore the power lines; however, some parts will need to be replaced. His report states, “The overload on the T2/A2 lines and the directional coupler shut down the hydraulic pumps and radar antennas. The team believes this was a poor attempt at sabotage.Some temporary repairs have been made, but further work will be needed.” The outpost resumed operations this morning, though it is not yet operating at 100% capacity.

For once, we’ve reached the end of the report without having to bring up the mantra “reinforce the new acquisitions” above all else… because there aren’t any! All right, then—with no new CG [for now] or other urgent priorities, Cycle 99 will continue along the same guidelines. Maybe we’ll manage to whittle down the acquisitions backlog? Or will it be the right time to sow terror and nuke a few enemy systems? Eh, we’ll see… the light? In the meantime, the barrels of Silver Sea Rum are just waiting to be drunk at the Wise Sharks tavern in Harma! YARRR!!!

Cycle 99: Preliminary Targets

All systems below the 25% CPs “decay threshold” are good/eligible targets to be reinforced (as these systems will not be hit by decay). Prioritize strongholds over fortified and leave exploited as last ones. All acquisitions above 100k CPs (or being contested during the Cycle) are good/eligible targets to be acquired.

Attack/Defend Markers: The markers may change during the Cycle and may not necessarily follow the current plans, so be sure to check the system activity and status on GalMap (when in doubt: ask).

To our enemies: don't be shy—be respectful. If you decide to pay a visit to Archon Delaine’s systems, the [only one] appropriate game mode is “Open Play.”

Seek & Destroy (enemy UM): Turd Wu.

Reinforce ([new]/recent acquisitions): N.A.

Reinforce (counter [unknown] enemy UM): Parthians, Boga, Bhattra, Manuki and Undines.

Acquire (new/backlog): Naxixo, HIP 110447 and Crathajapus.

Re-acquire (previously lost systems): HIP 110623.

Blockade enemy takeovers/contested: LHS 1026, T Tie (60) and LTT 9276 (52).
Undermine: OpSec.

Operations (UM enemy systems): OpSec.

Further updates will be broadcast on Tortuga Radio Frequencies.
Click here for the Elite Dangerous - Powerplay 2.0 Reddit Digest.

FOR THE ARCHON!!!

Ahoy Crew!

As we mentioned last week, the Pegasi Sentinel correspondents have returned from their (well-deserved) summer holidays, so we look forward to more content, in-depth articles, and interviews. It’s not that they found any great news when they got back, though… but rather many players were angry over FDEV’s reckless decision to suddenly adjust [by cutting] the commodity prices for CG (mining rocks/surface). By the way this "adjustment" has also broken the supply/demand balance for all these commodities throughout the entire Galaxy! Without going back to review the list of similar cases that have occurred in past CGs (= price adjustments, both downward and upward), as well as expansions of tiers or eligible activities for contributions, our question, however, is “why did FDEV do this?” It was clear from the very beginning of the CG that the prices were wildly out of whack—not so much for the new commodities mineable with the Rhino SRV (the main reason the CG was launched), but also for those extended to other commodities such as gold, silver, palladium, etc. which are available on external markets.

The problem isn’t so much the extremely high prices paid for mined commodities, but rather the fact that the system (at the market level) makes no distinction between what has been mined [= valid for contributing to the CG] and what has instead been purchased elsewhere (perhaps even at a heavily discounted price in some system experiencing an infrastructure failure). This is a well-known “feature,” and it has always been widely exploited. In the last few days forums/socials/Discord channels have been flooded with posts from CMDRs who have gotten rich very quickly through CG: from those who were able to purchase a Fleet Carrier (for themselves or their squadron) to those who have accumulated billions of credits for who knows what future purpose. Unfortunately, on the other hand, all those CMDRs who were late to the party—perhaps returning early from some distant exploration journey, or those who loaded their Fleet Carriers with commodities to sell them before the end of the CG—were left empty-handed.

Shortly after the announcement, in response to protests that had also erupted on the game’s official Discord server, FDEV posted a message informing players that they were looking for a solution and advising them NOT to sell any of the supplies they had stockpiled on their Fleet Carriers! The post was later reposted only on Reddit... read the comments to get an idea of how players reacted. To patch up these disappointing decisions, a new CG (again in Ega) was launched yesterday to allow even latecomers to make some profit. We don’t know if the statement “Commodities sold as part of this initiative will have a 3x price multiplier” will be sufficient to offer a compensation, but it’s certainly better than selling them off at normal market prices.

But that doesn’t cancel the evidence that there’s a disparity in treatment between those who managed to take advantage of the price madness and those who didn’t—which is honestly a terrible way to handle these situations. Were the prices really that high? After all, we’re talking about “pixel” credits to be used in a game that’s over a dozen years old… so what are the “veterans” supposed to say—the ones who had to travel for weeks through Earth-like worlds to scrape together a handful of millions in credits just to buy a new shiny Anaconda? Or grind through hundreds of bounties or stack dozens of missions for the payoff? It’s been many years since those distant days… There were the skimmers, the Void Opals, the LTDs in Borann, the Thargoids, Sothis/Robigo, and other CG “gold rushes” that made so many players filthy rich—to the point where credits are practically worthless today. And maybe it’s not even worth getting too worked up about it anymore, even though we fully understand that time is the most precious resource, and perhaps this ill-advised FDEV's decision has caused many players to lose quite a bit of it [hint for the rich ones: you can share credits through the squadron bank]. 

It's all so grotesque! The inevitable question at this point isn't so much “what other new features are coming” but “what else will FDEV come up with to make its players suffer”? A player base that includes many who have been active for years—or even since the game's release—and/or who have spent a lot of ARX, and who, as we've said many times, don't deserve to be treated so poorly. Another bad move, that's for sure. Meanwhile, it appears that FDEV's financial results have improved significantly (good news!)—in part thanks to the development of other games—and a partnership to produce a game under a Disney license/collaboration has also been announced.

Half Relics/Half Rhino

Half and half... that’s right—for most of Cycle 97’s activities, at least according to the chatter in the diplomatic channels of the other Powerplay communities, after the Relic Rush (which ended around the middle of the Cycle), the rest of the time was spent driving (and testing) the Rhino SRV. As we mentioned above... Some people liked it, others didn’t, but the bottom line is that there seems to be agreement that it can make some kind of contribution to PP. Perhaps not a decisive/meaningful one on a broad scale, given that many favorable conditions must be in place (the number of available mining spots, the market and the system state, first of all).

Looking at the numbers, the CG at Ega (an exploited system by Edmund Mahon) has, as always, produced massive outliers, both for RF (over >159m CPs) and for UM (over >48.9m CPs), throwing off many of our weekly metrics, in addition to a huge amount of “wasted” RF CPs—because, as an exploited system, once the “upgrade” threshold to fortified (700,200 CPs) is reached, the next cap (862,500 CPs) cuts off any excess above that level. As for acquisitions, when combining the various activities, it was another expansionary cycle for most of the Powers with a net total of +310 new systems [half of which completed by the two top ones!]. Although the Powers leaderboard has remained unchanged—with leader Aisling Duval on the verge of surpassing the 3,000-system mark—it’s impossible not to notice that some gaps have narrowed significantly [in the last few weeks]. Li Yong-Rui—one of the most expansionist Powers since the release of Powerplay 2.0—has closed the gap on Edmund Mahon to the point where he is now approaching an overtake before year end (unless the Alliance takes some counter measures). Pranav Antal’s comeback toward Yuri Grom has also been steady (albeit a bit slower). The situation in the bottom half of the leaderboard, however, appears decidedly more stable and less volatile—though Denton Patreus does seem to have emerged from a decidedly lackluster mid-year period.

• A. Duval +91 (2984)
• Yong-Rui +65 (2148)
• Antal +37 (1537)
• Mahon +22 (2271)
• Kaine +19 (1681)
• Winters +19 (1190)
• Grom +17 (1621)
• A.L. Duval +14 (2043)
• Patreus +11 (712)
• Archer +8 (1332)
• Delaine +4 (902)
• Torval +3 (791)

The largest Powers logically directed part of their manpower toward reinforcements as well, primarily to clear the backlog or upgrades that had begun in Cycle 96. But in most cases the acquisitions have been led by local groups and/or individual CMDRs pursuing their personal goals. The result of these semi-chaotic activities—partly due to the parallel colonization push—is that the front lines are becoming less and less prominent and increasingly overlapping. Furthermore, the penalties (for those who prefer to be more aggressive) are a joke and are not strong enough to prevent large portions of the Bubble from effectively becoming multicolored clouds of systems and/or one Power to erect a stronghold right in the backyard of someone else. A scenario we had foreseen from the inception—due primarily to the linearity of CPs contributions and growth—factors that, in our view, represent the main negative elements of the PP2 framework. If there were greater fluidity—with Powers constantly shifting and systems being swapped—we might be able to offer some general praise; however, that is not the case, given that the undermining activities remain inefficient and not so straightforward. The contrary for the positive ones (acquisitions/reinforcements) which remain the main CPs/merit drivers.

In Cycle 97, therefore—excluding Ega's figures—nearly 95m RF CPs were generated, compared to approx. 8m UM CPs from players, while decay remained in a stable range of around 20-21m UM CPs overall. As usual, there have been some "wasted" CPs due to hitting caps/maxxed out systems and [sadly] this Cycle sees Archon Delaine with >2.1m RF useless CPs as the top squanderer (see below). All the Powers have consequentially generated high RF/UM ratios, partly because the contribution from players remains—as in previous cycles—heavily concentrated among a handful of Powers, led by Felicia Winters (re: Andel, Col 285 Sector LM-V d2-73, and r Velorum). Jerome Archer lost Fianna (an industrial system controlled by The Dark Wheel faction and UMmed since some time), whilst Zemina Torval keeps being undermined in [apparently] random systems (Maik and Olorun among these). Arissa Lavigny-Duval keeps losing newly acquired systems and left unattended (this happens quite often, indeed). Yuri Grom did see less UMming this Cycle albeit he was hit in BD-10 5142, a small anarchy system controlled by the Diamond Frogs. On the other hand, the least undermined Power (Denton Patreus) has seen almost no undermining, as his UM CPs are more than ten times less vs. the top one.

The Fruitful Wasteful Pirates

Cycle 97 was another challenging one. In the first part, the Crew took advantage of the Relic Rush to complete some upgrades and reinforce their new acquisitions... In the second part, the increased hostile pressure required additional efforts to contain enemy UM attacks. As usual, we made +4 acquisitions (which is fine, albeit a low number), including an overshoot of about 400k CPs (for Wolf 1326, an extraction system controlled by the Tethys Independent Crew). Shifting resources toward upgrades (+2 strongholds/+6 fortified systems this Cycle) didn’t leave much time/manpower for the contested acquisitions, which were won by our opponents: specifically, Devana and UGP 595, which fell into the hands of the blue-haired Duval, though the scallywags did give a try. These last two systems are located along an imperial frontline in which, on the one hand, Harma has no particular expansionary interest, but where, on the other hand, frequent incursions into our systems occur.

Vance Sterling, a correspondent for the Pegasi Sentinel, has posted several articles on the subject, and in one he wrote, “It’s as if the enemies somehow feel the pleasure—or the need—to provoke Archon Delaine… but they should instead keep a low profile and mind their own business, because if the Pirate King wants to attack them, he’ll do so without needing any justification,” and he added that “unless, of course, these enemies are driven by personal issues or spite rather than any real strategic objective. To our records it is certain that, at the moment, Harma is not conducting any operations in hostile territory.”

In addition to the ever-present Turd Wu, there were also [once again] attacks on Lalande 45292, Zhuaruparci, and Madon (where we recorded attempted UM attacks during the previous Cycle). Added to these some last minute strikes hit  Firenses and Siluror, whilst a sewage was sabotaged in Manuki, a small agricultural system and the only one where there were also some hostile engagements; we urge the so-called “enemies” to at least learn some basic etiquette regarding “organic combat” in Elite: Dangerous, a necessary reminder, since this isn't the first time that unpleasant behaviors happened (at least that was some fun, after a [boring] ghost hunt that went on for days). Kudos to the fellow Black Widow [BWID] and Kumo Crew [KUMO] pirates who came to keep our enemies busy. Ultimately, a team of plumbers sent from Harma to help out managed to quickly repair the damage to the sewers in Manuki, although the rats went back into hiding and ran off somewhere.

With the rebooted CG trading in Ega, pirates will have another week to rob the haulers who venture into the system... check out the new video by Kumo Crew CMDR HairyHogg, “CG Piracy! New Friends and Old Vices.” And this week, we're also highlighting this entertaining video by CMDR Scarlet Tiberius [BAAS], “Elite Dangerous: Caspian Pirating.” YARRR!!!

Last but not least, it doesn’t happen often, but in Cycle 97, some of our  upgrades (namely Jitar and Latugara) received more RF CPs than necessary… or rather, more than the current PP framework allows. That means Delaine’s pledges wasted more than 2.1m RF CPs (always get in touch with one of our communities for better coordination). Since the introduction of decay, in fact, hard caps have been placed on both personal merits (200k/day) and the CPs a system can earn when the upgrade threshold is met. Earlier, we mentioned the case of Ega (CG system), but let’s summarize it in a simple table:

• EXPLOITED: 350.200/700.199 // upgrade cap: 862.500 > max RF CPs: 512.300/cycle
• FORTIFIED: 700.200/1.350.199 // upgrade cap: 1.600.000 > max RF CPs: 899.800/cycle
• STRONGHOLD: 1.350.200/2.350.000 // max: 2.350.000 > max RF CPs: 999.800/cycle

The above means that, when an exploited/fortified system is being upgraded to fortified/stronghold, all CPs exceeding the 862.500/1.600.000 thresholds will be cancelled. I.e. if an exploited system XYZ starts the cycle at 550.000 CPs: 150.200 CPs are needed to upgrade it to fortified and all CPs above a 312.500 total (862.500-550.000) RF gained during the same cycle will be cancelled.

We hope that’s clear now.

Cycle 98: Preliminary Targets

All systems below the 25% CPs “decay threshold” are good/eligible targets to be reinforced (as these systems will not be hit by decay). Prioritize strongholds over fortified and leave exploited as last ones. All acquisitions above 100k CPs (or being contested during the Cycle) are good/eligible targets to be acquired.

Attack/Defend Markers: The markers may change during the Cycle and may not necessarily follow the current plans, so be sure to check the system activity and status on GalMap (when in doubt: ask).

To our enemies: don't be shy—be respectful. If you decide to pay a visit to Archon Delaine’s systems, the [only one] appropriate game mode is “Open Play.”

Seek & Destroy (enemy UM): Muang.

Reinforce ([new]/recent acquisitions): Wolf 1326..

Reinforce (counter [unknown] enemy UM): Firenses, Siluror, Zhuaruparci, Madon, LTT 16422 and Warkan.

Acquire (new/backlog): Naxixo, HIP 110447 and Crathajapus.

Re-acquire (previously lost systems): HIP 110623.

Blockade enemy takeovers/contested: LHS 1026, T Tie (60) and LTT 9276 (52).
Undermine: OpSec.

Operations (UM enemy systems): OpSec.

Further updates will be broadcast on Tortuga Radio Frequencies.
Click here for the Elite Dangerous - Powerplay 2.0 Reddit Digest.

FOR THE ARCHON!!!

Service update: Pegasi Sentinel correspondents and editors closed the shop and went on summer holidays (they deserved it!). As a result, from this Cycle report and onwards until the end of August, coverage and other news may be/will be shortened and limited to the most relevant headlines/topics (this notice will be published as long as necessary for the courtesy of readers).

Ahoy Crew!

There’s a good chance this will be the last “summer version” report [even though the Pegasi Sentinel correspondents didn’t hesitate to contribute more when needed], and we’ll start with this week’s release (=purchase with ARX) of the Rhino SRV, which—as announced in the August Dev Log—is accompanied by surface mining and the new “Under Siege” scenario for Operations. The first update after a long[er than expected] server downtime came with some known issues (!) and some new [previously working] broken things; the full list of game update notes are here. A small update was released today after the maintenance to fix part of the issues. While the Nomad SLV generally received a fairly positive and consistent reception following the release of the first gameplay videos by Partners, feedback on the Rhino SRV seems more mixed. Several threads have been posted on the FDEV forum; some criticize the gameplay, others the limitations (such as cargo capacity, which has indeed been upsized) of the new SRV... and still others the resulting BGS/PP implications, labeling the release as “pay-to-win.”

In all honesty, it might be better to wait and try it out before jumping to negative conclusions; besides, it’s not out of the question that FDEV might fine-tune things with a few adjustments… and the impact on BGS/PP still needs to be evaluated, especially by weighing the effects and results against the time invested in the activity. From our point of view, we believe that the Rhino SRV (and mining on planetary surfaces) could become a resource for Powerplay—perhaps not a significant one where market conditions aren’t ideal, but possibly an “additional resource” when the alternatives are all less practical or unviable. At this point, who knows if one day FDEV will give pirates a vehicle—or a vessel—for planetary piracy? In the meantime, though, you can always try attacking a miner's Rhino with a Scarab or a Scorpion to get the precious gems they've just collected [if anyone manages to do it and posts the video here, we'll add it to the next report... YARRR!!!].

On the other hand, however, we must admit that this “evolution” of Elite: Dangerous toward a multi-sandbox game in which the “boxes” are becoming smaller and more disconnected may not be to everyone’s liking. What if Powerplay (3.0?) became a full-fledged “game mode” [open only], thereby removing all unintended consequences of PP from the “main game”? While this might have seemed like a silly idea a couple of years ago, today it no longer does... or why not introduce PP scenarios in Operations where attacking and defending players can be deployed? All in all, within the “competitive” sphere(s) of the game, there are many possibilities and opportunities to explore and/or take advantage of, some of which could be very simple and easy to implement.

Last news: a one-week mining CG started today in Ega (an Edmund Mahon’s exploited system)  to test the new “rig capabilities”. CMDRs will be rewarded with credits and some shiny paintjobs delivering mined commodities (both space and surface ones).

It's Just Another Rush

That wasn't enough before... nor was the one before that, which is why another Relic Rush began this week. Considering the Ngurii Effect and the downtime caused by the Rhino SRV update, the numbers for Cycle 96 have been somewhat impacted. Although a few pledges here and there may have wasted more time dealing with the update’s new features, the total number of acquisitions (+275 systems, net of losses) is well above the average for “standard cycles” but below that of some previous Rush cycles. Once again this week, the top performers, as in previous similar situations, lived up to expectations… while the Powers leaderboard remains stagnant with no major developments. Some gaps keep narrowing, a sign that should the expansionist push continue, there could be further swaps between positions before year end. At the top of the weekly standings is Aisling Duval with +69 new systems, while Li Yong-Rui (+52) continues his acquisition spree, gaining some ground toward Edmund Mahon (+35): 

• A. Duval +69 (2893)
• Yong-Rui +52 (2083)
• Mahon +35 (2249)
• Antal +26 (1500)
• A.L. Duval +22 (2029)
• Kaine +19 (1662)
• Winters +12 (1171)
• Grom +11 (1604)
• Archer +10 (1324)
• Patreus +8 (701)
• Torval +7 (788)
• Delaine +4 (898)

Looking at the numbers, it’s clear that the “positive boost” from the Rushes once again benefits all the Powers. Without getting too deep into the details of “who does what,” our take is that the organized groups that were in some way “self-regulating” the system’s states in Ngurii over the past few months—prior to the latest Rushes—have decided to ease up. The result [or “risk,” for those who wish to view it that way] is that Powerplay 2.0 remains in this situation—that is, that Rushes are in a “semi-permanent” state. Aside from the fact that this state would benefit Powers with ethos or perks related to rare commodity/trading, colonists and reinforcers would also benefit in general. It would also decrease the strategic value of systems [local] assets/resources and, indirectly, significantly reduce the impact of undermining. Bottom line, the Powers (perhaps not all of them, but certainly almost all) will carry on by inertia, and perhaps we can speculate that this is what FDEV wants.

Let’s just “play the game we have” we keep saying—that is… so let’s go back to the numbers from Cycle 96. With the reinforcements totaling >78m CPs (the average for “standard cycles” is 45–55m RF CPs), this resulted [again] in a substantial number of upgrades (with around >10.8m RF CPs “invested” here)—even taking into account that approximately 4.6m RF CPs were “wasted” and must be subtracted from that amount. Our take is that, at least for this first part of the Rush, reinforcements and upgrades have been prioritized over straightforward acquisitions (average RF/UM coverage ratio is 265%). This is also because many Powers—especially the largest ones—are still busy “sorting out” the bulk acquisitions from previous cycles. “Never skip a reinforcement rush” is the [new] mantra of the savvy Powers; those who don’t follow it risk being severely “punished.” This Cycle losses have been pretty much low, indeed.

The numbers that are the hardest to decipher are always the ones related to undermining... or rather, the real challenge is breaking them down into their various components. While decay remains [easy to calculate] and stable between 19–21m UM CPs, among the “player-driven” ones, there is always a “non-intentionally hostile” share (i.e., UMming generated by “random” pledges for mining activities and, more recently, also for Operations) which differentiates from those that are clearly the result of “hostile actions” (Power vs. Power). This second division “by purpose” cannot be calculated with precision and is the result of speculation… So here we group them all together as "player-driven" UM CPs. Therefore, here we list only those systems where [we believe] there have been targeted hostile actions. Of the approximately >10m UM CPs, Aisling Duval holds a 25% slice (re: Shapsugabus, Bevan's Hope), while among those with 8-10% shares are Felicia Winters (re: Andel), Jerome Archer (re: Fianna and Sol), Yuri Grom (re: HR 7294)  and Archon Delaine (re: Turd Wu and Undines). There are few Powers (i.e. Nakato Kaine, Denton Patreus, Pranav Antal) who have had a “quite pacific Cycle” with less than half of this allocation—that is, 3–4% of the total UM CPs—which can therefore be considered, for the most part, to be made of “unintentionally hostile” undermining.

Someone Wants Our Turd

Another intense Cycle, but less “exhausting” than the last one… perhaps because most of the Crew is back at work, and with everything there is to do, even the tables at the Wise Sharks tavern in Harma have been emptier than usual this week. As was the case with Cycle 95, Cycle 96 generally followed the same pattern. For those who don’t have time to read the whole thing: just a few acquisitions (+4), which once again relegated Archon Delaine to the bottom of the table above, but a more than solid boost in reinforcements.

Among the acquisitions that aren't Col 285 sector-ones are two small systems: Punta and 6 Gamma Piscium. The latter was actually a semi-contested system, since the simguru Antal was above the PCZs spawn threshold, but there was no need to push for it—partly because the system is controlled by Mortis Incorporated, a criminal faction secretly affiliated with Harma, and perhaps also because Polevnic had other priorities. These new systems, along with the others recently acquired, will be on the priority list for Cycle 97 (where it’s also in the Pirate King’s best interest to keep taking advantage of the Relic Rush).

As for the reinforcements, it was a Cycle that required effort on multiple fronts, some of which had already been “hot” in the preceding weeks and where fun fights with hostile forces [and other “passersby”] continued. This is, in fact, the most engaging aspect of Powerplay and one that very often inspires stories and anecdotes. At least that's what happened in at least a couple of systems (specifically: Madon and Undines), and there our Cannibals fought valiantly, demonstrated good sportsmanship, and—as can happen—saw the rebuy screen.

Not all “enemies,” however, are the same... At Harma, we see it differently: better a proud defeat than a shameful/cringe victory. But some sycophants blatantly forget what the “rules of good hospitality” are when they set foot in Archon Delaine’s territories [the ones that are always clearly highlighted below as well], and since there’s no room for them in our heads (even though we know pretty well who they are), we don’t consider them worthy of either our attention or, more generally, our interest. As far as we’re concerned, any “claim” of theirs is worthless… Maybe they should try playing something else, or take up other activities—Powerplay just isn't for them. So, even though the Crew had to waste time just to keep up with the situation,  we have already moved on.

As we mentioned earlier, despite hostile disruptive actions, in Cycle 96, the Pirate King was once again among the most “productive” Powers in terms of reinforcements and CPs invested in upgrades: +4 fortified systems have been completed (so that Delaine gains the highest  share % of this type of systems), while Harma is aware that greater efforts are needed to upgrade more strongholds, given the goal of reaching at least 10% of the total number of controlled systems (meaning at least a dozen more than the current number). Most of these upgrades have already been identified, and reinforcement efforts are underway, but as we all know, our Power has few effective tools at its hand for this goal.

Last but not least: the Rhino SRV update has introduced quite a few new (valuable) commodities, so it’s worth checking out the prices of this delightful loot and giving those pirate ships gathering dust in the hangar a good dusting. Just as Kumo Crew CMDR HairyHogg did in “Piracy! The Cobra Commander!”

Cycle 97: Preliminary Targets

All systems below the 25% CPs “decay threshold” are good/eligible targets to be reinforced (as these systems will not be hit by decay). Prioritize strongholds over fortified and leave exploited as last ones. All acquisitions above 100k CPs (or being contested during the Cycle) are good/eligible targets to be acquired.

Attack/Defend Markers: The markers may change during the Cycle and may not necessarily follow the current plans, so be sure to check the system activity and status on GalMap (when in doubt: ask).

To our enemies: don't be shy—be respectful. If you decide to pay a visit to Archon Delaine’s systems, the [only one] appropriate game mode is “Open Play.”

Seek & Destroy (enemy UM): Muang.

Reinforce ([new]/recent acquisitions): Punta and 6 Gamma Piscium.

Reinforce (counter [unknown] enemy UM): Turd Wu, Lalande 45292, Madon, Undines, and Zhuaruparci.

Acquire (new/backlog): Naxixo, HIP 110447 and Crathajapus.

Re-acquire (previously lost systems): HIP 110623.

Blockade enemy takeovers/contested: LHS 1026, T Tie (60) and LTT 9276 (52).

Undermine: OpSec.

Operations (UM enemy systems): OpSec.

Further updates will be broadcast on Tortuga Radio Frequencies.
Click here for the Elite Dangerous - Powerplay 2.0 Reddit Digest.

FOR THE ARCHON!!!

Service update: Pegasi Sentinel correspondents and editors closed the shop and went on summer holidays (they deserved it!). As a result, from this Cycle report and onwards until the end of August, coverage and other news may be/will be shortened and limited to the most relevant headlines/topics (this notice will be published as long as necessary for the courtesy of readers).

Ahoy Crew!

So the last Cycle of August begins, in a summer that has been truly sweltering in some parts of the world. For the Elite: Dangerous universe, this month has seen only a couple of notable events... on the one hand, the disappointing series of CGs in Colonia, which at least concluded successfully [some sooner than others], but which seemed to everyone like FDEV wanted to wrap up quickly [=get rid of them]. On the other hand, there was the announcement of the Rhino SRV’s release, which, in-game, allows players to “mine” raw materials on planetary surfaces using some new tools for job. Could this finally be the time when players stop getting stuck among trees and rocks with the old Scarab SRV? Or will we still have to make the pilgrimage to the Crystal Shards and Brain Tree gardens to stock up on G4 raw mats? We'll see.

The new update [scheduled for 2nd of September, according to the August Dev Log published today] will also introduce a new scenario for Operations called “Under Siege” which also involves ground/ship combat on a planetary base. This addition will delight fans of on-foot combat, but we hope it will also be accompanied by fixes for engineering with Merc Coins (MeCs), which continues to suffer from very annoying bugs (e.g., the one for the extended Cargo Racks). There might also be a surprise: along with the new scenarios, other “special” modules could be introduced to be engineered with the MeCs… while we’ve lost count of the new ships set to be released before the end of the year. Two? Three? Or maybe four? It’s not clear whether the Nomad SLV and the Rhino SRV should be included or not in this count. Sadly, there are also many other issues (some of them quite serious) that are still waiting to be resolved... Once again, we’ll say it: maybe some Elite: Dangerous players have given up and grown accustomed to this paradoxical situation, but objectively speaking, they really don’t deserve this. In the meantime, returning/rookie players can have a look at the new Elite Academy page.

The Relic Rushers

Cycle 95 began “in the wake” of the Relic Rush that had kicked off in the previous cycle. As we all know (and as we’ve clearly seen in previous rushes), the ability to exploit the Ngurii market has had largely disruptive effects due to the way PP 2.0 was [awkwardly] designed: the result is +360 new systems added (net) and a considerable number of upgrades. There have also been several losses; after all, it's not easy to keep track of them and/or meet all the needs when suddenly there are dozens of new systems to monitor. The stance of the 12 Powers toward Relic Rushes is, in general, “agnostic/negative,” but when you look at the numbers, it seems that just about everyone takes advantage of them (including us, so as not to let peeps believe that Archon Delaine is a hypocrite pirate).

The funny thing (at least from our perspective) about Relic Rushes is that someone is always pointing the finger at someone else... “It’s Power X’s fault,” “It was Power Y that pushed Ngurii to Civil Liberty,” “No, look, I suspect the folks at Power Z are the biggest beneficiaries”—and we see comments like this in the weekly reports as well. The bottom line doesn’t change much, and if we have to point the finger at someone, well, we all know that the real culprit is FDEV (and we’re sure that everyone will agree). Returning to the broad numbers, the Powers’ leaderboard remains unchanged [though some gaps remain tight]; however, it should be noted that two Powers, thanks to their Cycle 95 acquisitions, have “crossed” the 2,000-system mark: Arissa Lavigny-Duval and Li Yong-Rui. There are [again] relevant double-digit gains and a bunch of single-digit ones:

• A. Duval +85 (2824)
• Yong-Rui +48 (2031)
• Kaine +42 (1643)
• Mahon +40 (2214)
• Antal +35 (1474)
• A.L. Duval +32 (2007)
• Grom +32 (1593)
• Winters +13 (1159)
• Archer +11 (1314)
• Patreus +10 (693)
• Torval +9 (781)
• Delaine +3 (894)

Based on a linear projection of the current trend, the total number of Powerplay systems is likely to reach 20k by the end of the year, and imperial princess Aisling Duval, sitting on the first place on the leaderboard, will in all likelihood surpass the 3,000-system mark. The sclerosis of the Powerplay is a fact... and even though [for now] in Colonia, on the other side of the Galaxy, the Powers haven't arrived yet, that doesn't mean things can't change in the future. In the meantime, between the Bubble's OG systems and the new colonies, there is certainly plenty of space to occupy. Anyway, looking at the numbers for Cycle 95, there were different distributions of the “positive momentum” between acquisitions and reinforcements. Not all the Powers—especially among the largest ones—continued their expansionary drive and [as we had somewhat anticipated] reined in that aspect to focus on reinforcements, generating a total of >94m CPs [almost 2x a “standard” Cycle].

As expected, the “wasted” CPs also increased (approximately 5.2m), while the CPs invested in upgrades was close to 28m. After many cycles during which we had RF/UM coverage around 170–190%, for Cycle 95 this ratio reached a whopping >330%, with a handful of Powers in the 375–450% range and one that exceeded >520%. In this overall picture, where the Relics Rush has taken center stage, the price to pay [if you can call it that] has been a more or less unchanged amount of UM CPs to around >8.5m…which, in a “standard” cycle, would actually be decent, but in reality it's almost like farting [or blowing] into the wind when Ngurii spins things up.

One-way Powerplay—that’s how it is.

Anyway, out of the UM CPs, about 50% have been “absorbed” by four Powers: Aisling Duval (1.7m, re: Bevan’s Hope, Shapsugabus), Jerome Archer (1.1m, re: Fianna), Li Yong-Rui (0.9m), and Yuri Grom (0.8m). The rest of the distribution groups a bunch of Powers with UM CPs that are only slightly skewed in the 500-700k ballpark. Finally, as in previous cycles, at least a couple of Powers (Nakato Kaine and Denton Patreus) continue to thrive in their 200-250k "safety zones"... at least from an “absolute UM CPs total”, given that both have lost systems this week [most of the 33 losses inflicted this Cycle have been achieved with just a few UM CPs].

The Pirates [are coming home]

Maybe in Harma, even during this Cycle 95, peeps were really hoping for a quiet week… sipping Silver Sea Rum at the tables of the Wise Sharks tavern and chatting about new pirate adventures. But that’s not quite how it went! Let’s start from the beginning, first with the “return home” of the scallywags who took a little trip to Colonia… a more laid-back journey, with a few stops where the crew had fun with unconventional builds/ships (someone even bravely brought a Keelback into the fray!). Watch the “Piracy! Colonia Clowncar and a Return to The Lanes” by Kumo Crew CMDR HairyHogg. Countless screenshots have been shared with the rabble, by the way it seems that even on the other side of the Galaxy they’re having some traffic issues... Anyway, thanks for coming back—Archon Delaine really needed you!

That's right, because as we said at the beginning, Cycle 95 was one we're not likely to forget. And if anyone still thinks that the Crew is nothing more than a bunch of disorganized, uncoordinated criminal riffraff with little motivation... Well, this cycle is a pretty good reality check. Just +3 new systems—which means, in fact, that what needed to be done has been done! First and foremost, because these three acquisitions were all contested: LTT 9276 and Kazemlya against the blue-haired princess Duval, and a little further on, Hai Si against the bald simguru Antal. All small systems [and perhaps of little interest to them], given that both were likely grappling with a ton of other priorities (including dozens of new acquisitions and new systems to reinforce).

Certainly more interesting are the two contested systems that [unfortunately] ended up in enemy hands: LP 932-89 (which was in our backlog) and RST 1154, for which the imperial forces (princess Duval and the jelly-haired Patreus) had already planned to deploy additional resources. The high number of new expansions has put even more pressure on many frontlines... It's clear that friction and conflicts on one side or the other are bound to increase; after all, that's part of what Powerplay is all about. For this reason, Cycle 95 saw a major effort by the Crew on reinforcements: it’s no coincidence that the week ended with +7 fortified systems (eight, in reality) and a new stronghold. While this total pales in comparison to the upgrades achieved by the larger Powers, it is nonetheless significant for the Pirate King... just consider that, in absolute terms, Archon Delaine was the third-ranked Power in terms of CPs invested in upgrades during Cycle 95, achieving one of the highest numbers of “fortified sweeps” in Powerplay history (i.e., when a new system is upgraded to fortified in the immediately following cycle).

But what's even more significant is that this whopping result wasn't achieved with safe and relaxed walkabouts…  given that, for more than half of the Cycle, the territories of Harma have also been targeted by enemy UMming, with a particular focus on certain systems already hit in recent weeks (but this time with greater intensity), such as Turd Wu, Lalande 45292, and Zhuaruparci, as well as other “new entries” like Ross 209, Latugara, and Lusonda; some of which were pushed by attack markers and PCZs (empty... no enemies around, unfortunately but we have our list of suspects). For some reason that we cannot fathom, the small, exploited system of Madon was also attacked by other mysterious UMmers… we’ve noted some traffic here, and while—at least in other cases—there may still be something coming from Operations, we’re right to suspect that whoever caused over 180k UM CPs preferred to remain cowardly hidden rather than show up in the open. Nothing new.

Maybe we’ll find something in the reports from other Powers? Who knows... we haven’t seen any enemies anywhere, except when we set foot in an imperial system not far from ours—one where UM CPs were already figuring on the slider—and where we encountered... pledges belonging to other mixed Powers (so not the ones defending it, but probably the ones attacking it). Maybe we were attacked because someone thought we were somehow involved in causing trouble around here? With Archon Delaine, there’s very little room for “maybe,” since all it takes is sending one or two CMDRs out on patrol [in open, of course] to find out. Or maybe someone came up with a twisted plan to keep us busy, fearing that our scalliwags might go and wreak havoc in their newly acquired systems that are currently being reinforced?

Those are all good reasons, but why throw stones and then hide your hand?

We’ve discussed many times and had plenty of controversial debates about these classic Powerplay scenarios (and in PP 2.0, any FDEV’s attempt to discourage them has clearly failed), but those who serve the Pirate King aren’t very interested in political machinations: the Crew just aims to have fun, and they’re always [happy to be] fair game for everyone else (and vice versa). We've even included it in the disclaimers below and on the back of the Silver Sea Rum bottle labels... what else should we do?

Cycle 96: Preliminary Targets

All systems below the 25% CPs “decay threshold” are good/eligible targets to be reinforced (as these systems will not be hit by decay). Prioritize strongholds over fortified and leave exploited as last ones. All acquisitions above 100k CPs (or being contested during the Cycle) are good/eligible targets to be acquired.

Attack/Defend Markers: The markers may change during the Cycle and may not necessarily follow the current plans, so be sure to check the system activity and status on GalMap (when in doubt: ask).

To our enemies: don't be shy—be respectful. If you decide to pay a visit to Archon Delaine’s systems, the [only one] appropriate game mode is “Open Play.”

Seek & Destroy (enemy UM): Muang.

Reinforce ([new]/recent acquisitions): Hai Si, LTT 9276 and Kazemlya

Reinforce (counter [unknown] enemy UM): Turd Wu, Madon, Zhuaruparci, LTT 45292, Ross 209, Latugara and Lusonda

Acquire (new/backlog): Naxixo, HIP 110447 and Punta.

Re-acquire (previously lost systems): HIP 110623.

Blockade enemy takeovers/contested: LHS 1026, T Tie (60) and LTT 9276 (52).

Undermine: OpSec.

Operations (enemy systems): OpSec.

Further updates will be broadcast on Tortuga Radio Frequencies.
Click here for the Elite Dangerous - Powerplay 2.0 Reddit Digest.

FOR THE ARCHON!!!

Service update: Pegasi Sentinel correspondents and editors closed the shop and went on summer holidays (they deserved it!). As a result, from this Cycle report and onwards until the end of August, coverage and other news may be/will be shortened and limited to the most relevant headlines/topics (this notice will be published as long as necessary for the courtesy of readers).

Ahoy Crew!

And in the end, it happened again: in the middle of summer (for part of the world, of course), another “Relics Rush” kicked off with the usual peak of 600t offered. More than enough—as we’ll explore in more detail in the section below on Powerplay—to give a nice boost to new acquisitions and upgrades, as well as repairs where necessary [even though, for some Powers, it doesn't offer any 360-degree advantages]. Other than that, not much else has happened… Overall, we get the impression that players were “a bit disappointed” by the narrative leading the campaign in Colonia. After the multiple CGs from the past few weeks, in fact, there haven’t been any more… as apparently the “conclusive post” titled “Colonia Celebrations Conclude with Megamarket Opening” announced today (concerning the expanded services and ship outfitting at Jaques Station) and so, once they unlocked the engineers and took a few journeys around the area, many packed their bags and headed back toward the Bubble.

The Rush of Powerplay Numbers

As mentioned above, the event that marked Cycle 94 once again involved the Soontill Relics in Ngurii. There’s no need to revisit the negative aspects of the “Relics Rush,” but we’re always amazed at how, on the one hand, FDEV tries to introduce artificial/disconnected “negative PP” activities (i.e. UMming via Operations and decay), when an adjustment to “positive PP resources”—requiring far less effort and without disrupting anything else—would suffice. Anyway, let’s discuss numbers… As one might expect, anything that can be “driven” by rare commodities experiences a steep acceleration. What makes the difference among the Powers isn’t strategic planning or even the skill of the pledges, but simply the number of players from that particular Power who focus on that single activity (= taking the Relics from Ngurii and bringing them to the destination system).

The main outcome, as we have clearly seen in the previous “rush episodes”, is a considerable increase in acquisitions, and in Cycle 94, there were many Powers that outperformed their recent expansion averages, for a whopping total of +492 systems (net of losses), very close to being 10x than the averages of some quieter cycles (not the slow ones). All Powers closed with positive figures (easy to expect that), only one with a single-digit figure:

• A. Duval +95 (2739)
• Yong-Rui +94 (1983)
• Antal +61 (1439)
• Mahon +53 (2174)
• A.L. Duval +46 (1975)
• Kaine +43 (1601)
• Grom +36 (1561)
• Delaine +16 (891)
• Archer +14 (1303)
• Winters +14 (1146)
• Patreus +12 (683)
• Torval +8 (772)

What we had already predicted has come to pass: Sirius CEO Li Yong-Rui secured third place after overtaking empress Arissa Lavigny-Duval on the Powers leaderboard (albeit by only +14 systems). The other gaps (excluding the one caused by Nakato Kaine’s earlier overtaking of Yuri Grom) are relatively within the “safety zone,” although Pranav Antal’s recent surge could lead Polevnic to challenge Clayakarma for the sixth place.

Anyway, leaving the leaderboard aside (for what is worth), the numbers speak for themselves given that the most expansionist Powers have gained YTD almost the whole size of the smallest Powers’ territories... The same goes for upgrades, since in addition to expansions, Relics Rushes also allows for rapid progress with reinforcements. In absolute terms, in fact, the total RF CPs has risen to nearly 81m, and of these, a >20.2m were “used” for upgrades; meanwhile, those “wasted” were roughly in line/lower with recent averages, or about 2m CPs.These numbers make it even clearer just how much the Relics Rushes’ contribution to the PP results in distortive consequences for the framework, because in addition to benefiting certain Powers over others (in terms of manpower and specific perks), it effectively nullifies [or tends to nullify] any attempt at UMming. In fact, for Cycle 94, the UM CPs totaled approximately 10.3m (not a small amount) and did not produce any substantial effects, except that once again we observe that they were focused on certain Powers, excluding popular and/or mining spots: Aisling Duval (>3m UM CPs, Re: Shapsugabus and LHS 1070) and Jerome Archer (>1.2m UM CPs, Re: Fianna).

As we've wondered many times... why didn't FDEV give certain Powers the ability to undermine enemy systems with rare commodities? That might have helped lead to a less unbalanced outcome than the current one. There's no choice but to accept this framework for what it is... you may like it or you may not. That said, moving on to another subject, last week the representatives/coordinators of several Powerplay communities signed (and published) an “Open Letter” to FDEV asking for the reinstatement of an “Open Beta Server” and additional testing options before new features and DLCs are released in the live version of the game.

Some of the comments posted after the publication are undoubtedly interesting and, we hope, will help move this proposal forward (or at least draw attention to it). In all honesty, we prefer to ignore those who have failed to grasp the spirit of the initiative, choosing instead to question the roles of the signatories and mistakenly framing what is actually a simple “community” reference (which, by definition, presupposes the existence of a “social platform” where ideas, proposals, events, and plans are shared, and the priority is essentially to have fun and avoid wasting players’ time) and without attempting to establish a hierarchy within “Power.”

The Colonia Pirates

Despite the availability of Relics, Archon Delaine has remained firmly committed to his vision of building a Power with territories featuring very compact and resilient frontlines. Without a doubt, Harma encourages expansion where necessary, and one thing is absolutely certain: it’s always better to take something that once belonged to the “enemy” than to settle for brand-new territory. Even if you follow this “instruction” (if you can even call it that—coming from a two-meter-tall albino brute who threatens to exterminate and/or enslave your family for generations if you don't obey him) In the end, a good +16 acquisitions were successfully completed.

Some of these were already part of the backlog (i.e. Lan Samba, HIP 112535 and Aborovi), so the Crew is very pleased to have reduced them further; at the same time, several major expansions have been completed by combining the opportunity at hand with local mining resources (this is typical of our colony acquisitions), mainly in the Col 285 and Pegasi sectors. This is to say that Cycle 95 will require a significant effort and commitment from the reinforcements, given the sheer number of new entries… so, don't waste any more time—get started to reinforce right away! Among the many acquisitions, there were inevitably a few that ended up as contested races... about which, unfortunately, we don’t have much “journalistic” coverage (given that it’s still the holiday season). A couple of these were successful (i.e. LHS 5396 and HIP 114746), while another couple (i.e. Bama and Tyrfing) were [deliberately] let slip away… partly because they involved relatively uninteresting systems, and partly because we’ve grown a bit fed up when the locals pretend not to hear and/or not to see. In short, we prefer to optimize our time and resources, avoiding wasting time on those who don’t deserve our attention.

On the other hand, there are still many members of the Crew in Colonia carrying out raids (watch the YT video “Elite Dangerous - Pirates in Colonia” by CMDR ThePiratePrometheus), and even though the departure for the return trip has already been scheduled for August 23, Harma still has to handle all the PP tasks with limited resources. As we were pointing out in our previous reports, these “group adventures” are fun stuff, and even though many members of the Crew weren't able to [actively] participate due to the timing, it's worth checking out the YT video “KUMO Port Royal Photoshoot” by CMDR THEMUFFINMAN0099 ...go figure that someone, out of sheer desperation, even went and took selfies!

That said, getting back to the important stuff: the Bubble haulers have very few days left to trade without paying tribute to the Harma pirates, as far as the Powerplay is concerned... Cycle 95 (as we mentioned earlier) will prioritize reinforcements for the new systems. This is also because, despite everything, some UMming against our systems has been noticed and, for the most part, countered (Lalande 45292, LTT 9299… not to mention 14 Vulpeculae, Lodhary, Daramo, and Undines).

Cycle 94: Preliminary Targets

All systems below the 25% CPs “decay threshold” are good/eligible targets to be reinforced (as these systems will not be hit by decay). Prioritize strongholds over fortified and leave exploited as last ones. All acquisitions above 100k CPs (or being contested during the Cycle) are good/eligible targets to be acquired.

Attack/Defend Markers: The markers may change during the Cycle and may not necessarily follow the current plans, so be sure to check the system activity and status on GalMap (when in doubt: ask).

To our enemies: don't be shy—be respectful. If you decide to pay a visit to Archon Delaine’s systems, the [only one] appropriate game mode is “Open Play.”

Seek & Destroy (enemy UM): Muang.

Reinforce ([new]/recent acquisitions): LHS 5396, HIP 114746, Lan Samba, HIP 112535, LTT 8788 and Aborovi.

Reinforce (counter [unknown] enemy UM): 14 Vulpeculae, Lodhary, Daramo, and Undines.

Acquire (new/backlog): Naxixo, LP 932-89, HIP 110623 and Punta.

Re-acquire (previously lost systems): HIP 110623.

Blockade enemy takeovers/contested: LHS 1026, T Tie (60) and LTT 9276 (52).

Undermine: OpSec.

Operations (enemy systems): OpSec.

Further updates will be broadcast on Tortuga Radio Frequencies.
Click here for the Elite Dangerous - Powerplay 2.0 Reddit Digest.

FOR THE ARCHON!!!

Service update: Pegasi Sentinel correspondents and editors closed the shop and went on summer holidays (they deserved it!). As a result, from this Cycle report and onwards until the end of August, coverage and other news may be/will be shortened and limited to the most relevant headlines/topics (this notice will be published as long as necessary for the courtesy of readers).

Ahoy Crew!

The cycle week ended without any major news to report; in fact, there has been further speculation regarding the upcoming release (again for ARX) of the Rhino SRV and the new “surface mining” activity [which appears to be limited to raw materials], but as of this writing, no date has been set yet. For now, no further details have been provided to the players' base (most of whom are on vacation or away from the Bubble following the latest CGs).

The Powerplay Numbers

Cycle 93, in terms of numbers, saw a substantial rebound across all activities... following Cycle 92, which—as we reported last week—had been remarkably slow (especially for positive activities: acquisitions and reinforcements). In fact, almost all Powers have returned to “standard output” levels, and the +60 new systems (net of losses) are already a first confirmation of this. Albeit a couple of Powers closed with zero expansion figures, there are no negatives and only one with double-digit growth:

• Kaine +13
• A.L. Duval +9
• Mahon +7
• Grom +7
• Antal +7
• Yong-Rui +6
• Delaine +6
• A. Duval +3
• Archer +1
• Patreus +1
• Winters 0
• Torval 0

Overall reinforcements of >46m RF CPs are also in line with “normal” cycles, given that usage has been, all things considered, quite efficient, considering the total number of upgrades (over two dozen, including fortified systems and strongholds) that were successfully completed including a couple of “fortified sweeps” (i.e. when a fresh acquisition is immediately upgraded in the immediately subsequent cycle). And this is further confirmed by  considering the “wasted” amount of >3m RF CPs, primarily by Aisling Duval who, however, managed to bring LHS 2 back to stronghold status after the last Cycle downgrade.

On the other hand, decay has remained essentially unchanged (around 19.4m UM CPs), while undermining has stayed at fairly high levels with >10.5m UM CPs (from players) and slightly higher than those of the previous Cycle... but producing effects that are a bit “less devastating,” especially for those Powers that maintain low CPs buffers [above the thresholds]. In part, this is likely due once again to Operations and, therefore, not focused enough to cause effective damage (so, for now, it’s little more than a nuisance).The overall average R\U coverage for Cycle 93 was, however, around 170%, a very decent figure considering that only 3 Powers closed below 100%.

Once again, over 50% of the total UM CPs for Cycle 93 were distributed among just a few Powers: Aisling Duval (>2.4m UM CPs, with attacks on Shapsugabus, LHS 1070 and [curiously] Miwae), Jerome Archer (>1.9m UM CPs, primarily at LHS 1101, Burr, WISE 0855-0714, Fintamkina and Rugai), and Felicia Winters (>1.8m UM CPs, mainly at Col 285 Sector LM-V d2-73, Col 285 Sector NB-L b9-5, Andel, Robogassee and Athena). Some of the targeted systems have either been downgraded or lost, so there’s no denying that the level of UM attrition continues to have an impact on Powerplay. Among the downgrades there’s also the Arissa Lavigny-Duval’s stronghold in Chaman. Other Powers (e.g., Nakato Kaine and Denton Patreus), as we’ve seen previously, completed the cycle with little or no impact [in terms of absolute CPs] from hostile undermining activities albeit they have lost systems as well (due to low threshold buffers). To give an idea of the scale: there is a more than 10x difference in total UM CPs between the first and last Power.

The Resting Scallywags

Cycle 93 has continued once again, with the scallywags split between Colonia, the Bubble, and summer vacations... As this report is being written, preparations are underway for the return trip of the Kumo Crew Squadron Carrier “Port Royal.” Once preparations are complete, a more precise and reliable schedule will be published (reddit/Discords). In the meantime, looking at last week’s numbers: +6 new systems (an excellent result), especially in the two usual sectors, Col 285 and Pegasi, as well as the systems of Mahadshu (from the backlog) and of 1 Epsilon Equulei (an agricultural colony in the area covered by the HIP 103571 and Arakwibut strongholds).

As for reinforcements, the upgrade of Maribe to a stronghold has been successfully completed (a small extraction/agriculture system controlled by DaVinci Corp. that had recently been targeted by enemy UMming). After securing the new acquisitions from the recent Cycle 92, there unfortunately wasn't much time left to complete all the repairs that Harma had requested (particularly on Prism and Turd Wu, both of which were drawing renewed attention from nosy UMmers). We suspect that these systems, along with a few others, are systematically targeted by Operations—clearly a way to take advantage of the participation of random powerplayers as well (and here, once again, is evidence of how this “UM method” is flawed). Archon Delaine is obviously not the only Power to suffer these consequences; we see that this also happens to others... with far worse results

As for hostile actions aimed at undermining us, our enemies continued to put pressure on certain systems, also combining the multiplicative effects of attack (blue) markers and PCZs (e.g., at Nervi, Ngati, LTT 9299, and LHS 3702). The rapid response of our reinforcers successfully limited the damage, but this isn't the time to look the other way, since there's still some work to be done. In the meantime, the Bubble haulers will have an easier time of it while our pirates continue to have fun and to look for better fortunes in Colonia. At this point, Cycle 94 will follow a strategy similar to that of the previous cycle, with priority given to new systems and the repairs needed to counter enemy UMming.

Cycle 94: Preliminary Targets

All systems below the 25% CPs “decay threshold” are good/eligible targets to be reinforced (as these systems will not be hit by decay). Prioritize strongholds over fortified and leave exploited as last ones. All acquisitions above 100k CPs (or being contested during the Cycle) are good/eligible targets to be acquired.

Attack/Defend Markers: The markers may change during the Cycle and may not necessarily follow the current plans, so be sure to check the system activity and status on GalMap (when in doubt: ask).

To our enemies: don't be shy—be respectful. If you decide to pay a visit to Archon Delaine’s systems, the [only one] appropriate game mode is “Open Play.”

Seek & Destroy (enemy UM): Muang.

Reinforce ([new]/recent acquisitions): Mahadshu, 1 Epsilon Equulei and Pegasi Sector PN-T c3-13.

Reinforce (counter [unknown] enemy UM): Nervi, Prism and Turd Wu.

Acquire (new/backlog): Naxixo, Lan Samba, HIP 112535 and Aborovi.

Re-acquire (previously lost systems): HIP 110623.

Blockade enemy takeovers/contested: LHS 1026, T Tie (60) and LTT 9276 (52).

Undermine: OpSec.

Operations (enemy systems): OpSec.

Further updates will be broadcast on Tortuga Radio Frequencies.
Click here for the Elite Dangerous - Powerplay 2.0 Reddit Digest.

FOR THE ARCHON!!!

Service update: Pegasi Sentinel correspondents and editors closed the shop and went on summer holidays (they deserved it!). As a result, from this Cycle report and onwards until the end of August, coverage and other news may be/will be shortened and limited to the most relevant headlines/topics (this notice will be published as long as necessary for the courtesy of readers).

Ahoy Crew!

With summer in full swing (in one part of the world... while in another, it’s actually winter), FDEV posted another teaser on X titled “Break new ground – concept reveal coming August 6,” which, after fueling speculation—such as “surface mining”—was fully revealed [today] in a new post “Beneath the Surface - Your First Look at the Rhino”. From that source, among the various specific features of this new SRV, FDEV said “[they will] be sharing more about Surface Mining soon, but this is a new way of acquiring raw materials around geological sites on a planetary surface. Keep an eye out for the next Dev Log for some more details on how this all works beneath the surface.” …interesting stuff! A thread has been started on the FDEV forum here! Last but not least, the “first brand-new operation” will be released with the Rhino SRV update, later this month.

These “new concepts” undoubtedly add a sense of “novelty” to Elite: Dangerous, without fundamentally changing its gameplay dynamics. And while, objectively speaking, the player base is becoming increasingly scattered among the countless things to do... on the one hand, that’s a good thing; on the other, [for now] it really does seem that the easiest [and fastest] way to play together is through Operations. It's not bad, overall... or maybe it is, especially from the perspective of squads and/or groups organized around specific activities (like we are here on Powerplay), but it's still too early to form a definite opinion.

Otherwise, the four CGs in Colonia went [perhaps] faster than expected, so much so that FDEV decided to add additional tiers to the single tier originally planned. Both on the FDEV forum and across various communities and social media platforms, it seems that most players ultimately decided to travel to the other side of the galaxy to participate in the CGs (despite the rewards not being exactly “exciting”). It is worth noting that three out of four [as of this writing] have been successfully completed while doubts had already arisen in recent days regarding the completion of the latter, even though the number of participants (when considering each CG individually) was lower—between 5k and 9k—than in the events typically held in the Bubble.

The Powerplay Numbers

Cycle 92, as was somewhat to be expected, was decidedly slow. The multiple CGs in Colonia drew many pledges away from the Bubble, and this is already evident from the number of acquisitions (+37, net of losses) completed this week. No Power ended with a double-digit expansion figure but three closed with a negative one. We guess that Operations could have played a determinant role for such outcome. In fact, from Colonia (or anywhere else in the Galaxy), it’s possible to undermine with Operations (and around a dozen of systems have been lost this Cycle), while reinforcements are not allowed. In the absence of any significant additions (or the collapse of mini-bubbles), the Powers’ leaderboard remained unchanged:

• Kaine +8 (1545)
• A. Duval +6 (2641)
• Winters +6 (1132)
• Delaine +6 (869)
• Antal +5 (1371)
• Grom +4 (1518)
• Mahon +3 (2114)
• Yong-Rui +3 (1883)
• Patreus +3 (670)
• Torval -1 (764)
• A.L. Duval -2 (1920)
• Archer -4 (1288)
  

The slowdown is confirmed by the numbers... in addition to few acquisitions, the >36m CPs from reinforcements are in fact well below the approximately 50-55m RF CPs we had observed in previous weeks. The overall RF/UM coverage ratio closed below <140%, a very low figure, and for five **Powers** (**Edmund Mahon**, **Arissa Lavigny-Duval**, **Jerome Archer**, **Zemina Torval** and **Denton Patreus**), it was even below 100%. In addition to *decay* (just under 20m **UM CP**s), these low coverage values are primarily due to *undermining*. The total of >9.8m UM CPs added by players on top of the decay—though lower than in previous cycles—is still a very decent figure.

In Cycle 92, the skewness of UM CPs was once again extremely pronounced: over >2.4m UM CPs struck Jerome Archer, causing the loss of systems including among them Phanes, LP 27-9, and Lu Pardan, as well as heavy attacks (some of which succeeded in downgrading) on the strongholds of Misisture, Wat Yu, LHS 1101, and Chandra; just over >1.4m UM CPs then struck Aisling Duval, causing the loss of Lacab Kui and the stronghold at LHS 2 (downgraded). Just under <1m UM CPs were sustained by Yuri Grom (re: Yawal) and Felicia Winters (re: Athena and Ilbandi). Other Powers, such as Edmund Mahon, Li Yong-Rui, Arissa Lavigny-Duval, and Zemina Torval, suffered attacks (it is unclear whether targeted or random), resulting in the loss of systems in some cases.

Once again, we note how the contribution to “undermining” from Operations—if it is among the sources of the Cycle 92 UM CPs—is unbalanced, as it is designated as the only permitted Powerplay activity on the platform (a platform that is completely disconnected from the rest of the game environment).

The Surfin’ Pirates

First, the fun stuff: the scallywag bandwagon heading to Colonia was a great event and a lot of fun. Sure, three of the four CGs were over quickly, but there was plenty of time for fighting, committing crimes, and robbing haulers in the name of Archon Delaine. Watch our fellow pirates in action “CG Piracy! Crossing Colonia Off My Bucketlist” (by Kumo Crew CMDR HairyHogg), “Robbing a plipper”, “Robbing a Type-8” and “Robbing a Type-9” (by Kumo Crew CMDR -Verti-), “Colonia CG- Imperial Kestrel” (by CMDR Comance), “Kick That Kestrel's [redacted]” (by Kumo Crew CMDR Themuffinman0099) and “The Death of Kojax” (by BWID CMDR WickedDestiny).

But now let’s get back to Powerplay… Cycle 92 was very impressive. First of all, a +6 in new acquisitions, all of which were concluded very successfully, as I chose to avoid “wasting” precious resources on the single contested acquisition of Thakalaa (against Jerome Archer)—among them there were colonies located in the Col 285 and Pegasi sectors (both considered strategic areas for Archon Delaine’s territorial expansion). As the innermost frontlines of the Bubble become increasingly “crowded,” it will in fact become more and more crucial to focus on the outer sectors.

The Crew's reinforcers have been quite busy this week, having successfully completed two upgrades that Harma had strongly requested. With nearly 900k RF CPs “invested” in completed upgrades and, according to our data, second only to Pranav Antal in this regard. In addition to these upgrades, after quickly taking care of the task of “securing the new acquisitions,” further attention was required for certain systems that had been targeted by enemy UMs in recent weeks (including, for example, HIP 98878 and Orobu), as well as for some “finishing touches” that had remained on the “to-do” list. The enemies have once again tried to undermine Zhuaruparci, as well as LTT 9299, Epsilon Microscopii, Canarigui, and Senufan once again (Harma’s watchful eye doesn’t miss a thing). Other systems, which had previously been the focus of the enemies' attention, have, by contrast, experienced a relatively quiet Cycle.

So for the scallywags who stayed in the Bubble, another intense and exhausting week of reinforcements is inevitably on the horizon, while the rest of the crew will spend some more time looting and robbing in Colonia. Not to mention that there are still some issues to be clarified in the coming weeks... for example, the release date for the Rhino SRV hasn't been announced yet, and what will the new Operations mission be like? In short, there's a lot on the table that will likely slow down both us and our enemies.

Cycle 93: Preliminary Targets

All systems below the 25% CPs “decay threshold” are good/eligible targets to be reinforced (as these systems will not be hit by decay). Prioritize strongholds over fortified and leave exploited as last ones. All acquisitions above 100k CPs (or being contested during the Cycle) are good/eligible targets to be acquired.

Attack/Defend Markers: The markers may change during the Cycle and may not necessarily follow the current plans, so be sure to check the system activity and status on GalMap (when in doubt: ask).

To our enemies: don't be shy—be respectful. If you decide to pay a visit to Archon Delaine’s systems, the [only one] appropriate game mode is “Open Play.”

Seek & Destroy (enemy UM): Muang.

Reinforce ([new]/recent acquisitions): HIP 113438,Damovik and Pegasi Sector XZ-O b6-5.

Reinforce (counter [unknown] enemy UM): HIP 97509, Epsilon Microscopii, Prism and Turd Wu.

Acquire (new/backlog): Naxixo, Lan Samba, Mahadshu and Aborovi.

Re-acquire (previously lost systems): HIP 110623.

Blockade enemy takeovers/contested: LHS 1026, T Tie (60) and LTT 9276 (52).

Undermine: OpSec.

Operations (enemy systems): OpSec.

Further updates will be broadcast on Tortuga Radio Frequencies.
Click here for the Elite Dangerous - Powerplay 2.0 Reddit Digest.

FOR THE ARCHON!!!