The Thera plan

Currently HERO is in something of a quandary. PL is forcing fights from us by attacking our sov structures, fights in which we are at a disadvantage. We have been out-metaed - PL use Tempest Fleet Issues which are a perfect counter to our Tengu/Eagle fleets while we haven't developed a doctrinal response. We can be out-escalated - the few times we win, we win mostly because PL chose not to cyno in supers for a free win (although sometimes we win because of the French).

Our counter to this is waiting for PL to get bored and pick on someone else.

The problem with this is that we've become PL's base. If they get a contract they'll fly up to Geminate or wherever and do what needs to be done, then they'll roll back down here and continue farming us. This will continue when entosis links come in (although potentially PL might be away a lot because they will be offered a lot of contracts). Still they're always likely to roll back to Stain and resume farming us in the region next door because we are and will remain the most fun option for them between contracts.

Let's consider the pros and cons of moving to Thera, the new mega wormhole system recently opened up.

Let's look at the pros first.

- It's a huge floating skycastle with usually around a dozen connections to K space plus some w-space access. We would be able to sit up in our unassailable base in the sky and send roams, raids and newbie explorer frigates all over New Eden.

The Signal Cartel does a great job mapping Thera - here's their map and the wormhole list on their site. They even pay people for bookmarks.

At the time of writing there are 4 exits to W-space, 3 exits to nullsec, 2 exits to low sec, 4 exits to high sec. We could go small ganging in Essence, explore in Dronelands or try to provoke a panicked kitchen sink defence in Delve.

- it's unassailable. No capitals are allowed and even if someone were to bring a mighty subcap armada and actually get it in without the wormhole collapsing we could just dock up and laugh at them as they try to find their way out. No one can shoot our structures - we wouldn't have any.

- lots of small gang pvp and elite soloers. It's dangerous enough that there will be content in our home system.

- a base from which to raid all over the universe.

- instead of being nullsec's punchbag, nullsec would be our punchbag. In fact we could use the threat of our raids and ops to extort money from people. Our diplos can secure lucrative mercenary contracts for us.

- great exploration opening for newbro explorers with access to virgin nullsec and lowsec backwaters all the time.

- can return to base any time just by self-destructing.

- easy access to high sec hubs (although hopefully people will use neutral alts).

- we can cycle wormholes to get access to different space.

There are some cons:

- the only ways in are through wormholes, which may be a bit offputting to new players (even if we hold their hands and show them the way in).

- no PI, moon goo or missions

- mining and ratting for the most part would need to be done in ops through exits to other systems.

- we'd have to leave our own caps and supers. This could still be made to work - if we staged them to somewhere fairly central (like Uemon or 319) and then deployed them in conjunction with subcaps when we got a nearby exit.

Dont' fret little Archon, we'll be back soon. Real soon.

What might improve it, especially in the all important matter of newbro isk-making is if we could combine moving to Thera with joining a faction in Faction Warfare. This would open up highly lucrative missions and LP rewards which are very newbro friendly. And Thera pretty much always connects to somewhere in or near FW space. (Joining a faction allows you to also run sites in its ally's zone).

Another tactic that would be worth trying would be to conquer low sec money moons. We can probe these moons all over low sec and it's we can usually get a nearby hole a couple of days after reffing a moon. Few people in low sec have the ability to fight us off alone, they might band together to try to oppose us but that could be a lot of fun in itself. In particular PL's low sec moon empire is quite vulnerable, at least if they still own the moons I've seen them tower in the past. Sniggwaffe have moons around Kinakka, Body Count (iirc) owned the R64s in Hemouner, I've seen PL moons in Minnie space. We know PL can muster enough force to beat us but it would be frustrating for them to play whack-a-mole as we keep reffing assets 50 jumps away from each other.

Or we could cut a deal with PL and conquer all R64s in low sec with them. Once we establish a solid and secure base it opens up diplomatic possibilities that aren't available from a position of weakness.