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H3LLHOUND5: Week 25 Update/Progress Report
{DD} Smelly
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Hello everyone! About 17 weeks ago I made a very public introduction for the H3LLHOUND5 skirmish fleet here on the forums. Responses to that introduction varied, but overall, most people were cool, kind, and wished us luck. I haven't been around here much since then because frankly, I've had my hands full with the Hounds ever since. But since we just finished a skirmish which happened to be our 25th event played, I thought now might be a good time to post an update on our progress as a fleet.
First Event Rank: 9,206 Alpha and Omega (Faction) 02/28/19
I played this event on my alt account as the sole member of the H3LLHOUND5. Starbase level was 0 at this time.
First Skirmish Event Rank: 1,915 Fixed Variables (Skirmish) 03/14/19
I played this skirmish event with my alt account and (I think) 4 level 9 captains that I begged to join me.
First Event as an official D3VIL DOG5 {DD} Fleet- Rank: 11 Shackled to the Stars (Skirmish) 04/25/19
This was the first event/skirmish following my announcement of the H3LLHOUND5. This was also the first event as an official D3VIL DOG5 fleet. We had 39 players for this event and 9 of them were friends from the D3VIL DOG5 and/or D3VIL PUPZ that came to help (despite mostly thinking I was crazy at this point I would guess). Despite the fact that I won this event and put up 9 million+ points on my own, without the help we got from the {DD} fleet family, this event would've been a crushing and humiliating failure. I still can't thank them enough for saving me that embarrassment.
First Skirmish Hybrid Event- Rank: 134 Integration (Faction/Skirmish) 05/23/19
This was the second skirmish event as a D3VIL DOG5 fleet. I don't remember how many players we had at this point, but I'm sure we were close to full, if not full. I knew it was going to be rough because of the faction/skirmish hybrid aspect, along with the fact that most of our players at this point were around level 30. We also had no DOG5/PUPZ helping this time. However, I wasn't expecting it to be that bad. I wanted to crawl into a hole after this event. I was beyond embarrassed to report our fleet rank to the DOGS. At this point, I'm certain they were questioning the viability of the venture I had asked them to endorse. At that point, so was I.
Fourth Skirmish Event Rank: 30 Reconstruction (Skirmish) 06/13/19
Ha! Finally! After the previous skirmish hybrid, rank 30 felt like a major accomplishment. I knew we still had a long way to go, but this felt like a big step in the right direction. This is when some of those low level captains that had been with us from the beginning could finally begin to compete in skirmishes on epic. Most of our points still came from a minority of players, but at this point, I knew we had something to build on.
Fifth Skirmish Event Rank: 26 Barren Heat (Skirmish) 07/11/19
Alright, 4 ranks better than the previous skirmish. Steady progress is good. I can work with that. A couple of those level 9 captains we started out with just found their groove. First top 1500 finish for several in the fleet. Now they've got a taste for it. As soon as the event is over, they're already talking about how they can do even better in the next one. This pleases me. Target fleet rank for next skirmish: 25 or better.
Sixth Skirmish Event Rank: 11 The Nowhere Gauntlet (Skirmish) 08/15/19
Wait, what?! Where's 25? We jumped from 26th to 11th?! I still can't believe it. A lot of people stepped up this event. 9 players with over a million points each this event. 2 of those 9 had over 2 million points. And 2 more of those 9 had over 3 million points each. But it wasn't just our rock stars who stepped up this event. Our average rank went up nearly 2300 places over the previous skirmish . Our median rank went up over 2000 places. In other words, the H3LLHOUNDS, at 25 weeks old, is finally becoming the fleet I envisioned it to be in the beginning- a fleet that works as a team to win events. We still have a lot of work to do, and I don't think for one minute that it will be easy. Honestly, it's been a struggle every step of the way so far, so I don't expect that to change. But for a fleet that's only 25 weeks old, I think we've done something amazing. And we're just getting started.
Week 25, starbase level: 68
{DD}
First Event Rank: 9,206 Alpha and Omega (Faction) 02/28/19
I played this event on my alt account as the sole member of the H3LLHOUND5. Starbase level was 0 at this time.
First Skirmish Event Rank: 1,915 Fixed Variables (Skirmish) 03/14/19
I played this skirmish event with my alt account and (I think) 4 level 9 captains that I begged to join me.
First Event as an official D3VIL DOG5 {DD} Fleet- Rank: 11 Shackled to the Stars (Skirmish) 04/25/19
This was the first event/skirmish following my announcement of the H3LLHOUND5. This was also the first event as an official D3VIL DOG5 fleet. We had 39 players for this event and 9 of them were friends from the D3VIL DOG5 and/or D3VIL PUPZ that came to help (despite mostly thinking I was crazy at this point I would guess). Despite the fact that I won this event and put up 9 million+ points on my own, without the help we got from the {DD} fleet family, this event would've been a crushing and humiliating failure. I still can't thank them enough for saving me that embarrassment.
First Skirmish Hybrid Event- Rank: 134 Integration (Faction/Skirmish) 05/23/19
This was the second skirmish event as a D3VIL DOG5 fleet. I don't remember how many players we had at this point, but I'm sure we were close to full, if not full. I knew it was going to be rough because of the faction/skirmish hybrid aspect, along with the fact that most of our players at this point were around level 30. We also had no DOG5/PUPZ helping this time. However, I wasn't expecting it to be that bad. I wanted to crawl into a hole after this event. I was beyond embarrassed to report our fleet rank to the DOGS. At this point, I'm certain they were questioning the viability of the venture I had asked them to endorse. At that point, so was I.
Fourth Skirmish Event Rank: 30 Reconstruction (Skirmish) 06/13/19
Ha! Finally! After the previous skirmish hybrid, rank 30 felt like a major accomplishment. I knew we still had a long way to go, but this felt like a big step in the right direction. This is when some of those low level captains that had been with us from the beginning could finally begin to compete in skirmishes on epic. Most of our points still came from a minority of players, but at this point, I knew we had something to build on.
Fifth Skirmish Event Rank: 26 Barren Heat (Skirmish) 07/11/19
Alright, 4 ranks better than the previous skirmish. Steady progress is good. I can work with that. A couple of those level 9 captains we started out with just found their groove. First top 1500 finish for several in the fleet. Now they've got a taste for it. As soon as the event is over, they're already talking about how they can do even better in the next one. This pleases me. Target fleet rank for next skirmish: 25 or better.
Sixth Skirmish Event Rank: 11 The Nowhere Gauntlet (Skirmish) 08/15/19
Wait, what?! Where's 25? We jumped from 26th to 11th?! I still can't believe it. A lot of people stepped up this event. 9 players with over a million points each this event. 2 of those 9 had over 2 million points. And 2 more of those 9 had over 3 million points each. But it wasn't just our rock stars who stepped up this event. Our average rank went up nearly 2300 places over the previous skirmish . Our median rank went up over 2000 places. In other words, the H3LLHOUNDS, at 25 weeks old, is finally becoming the fleet I envisioned it to be in the beginning- a fleet that works as a team to win events. We still have a lot of work to do, and I don't think for one minute that it will be easy. Honestly, it's been a struggle every step of the way so far, so I don't expect that to change. But for a fleet that's only 25 weeks old, I think we've done something amazing. And we're just getting started.
Week 25, starbase level: 68
{DD}
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Comments
During the event that you ranked No1 in I greatly admired your determination and tenacity. It was glorious to behold! I really just popped in to say I think it's great that you've taken this challenge on and I very much enjoyed this catch up. I regularly check the leaderboards during events and when I see you guys up there with the giants after such a short time, well you get a little virtual high 5 from me. Keep up the great work 👏 👏 and please keep posting updates. I found your post heartwarming and funny. Great stuff
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Off topic: * Thank you so much, BTW, for advocating mixing up the primaries in the ranked rewards for skirmishes in your other thread. Yes, I agree, skirmishes are, in my opinion, the most straightforward way for a newer player to start winning ranked 5*s. The first ranked reward 5* I ever earned was Science Officer Spock, and since then I've managed to rank for the 5* in all subsequent skirmishes, but have only managed to do that for a non-skirmish once.
However, you conflate possible and easy. Essentially there is a point where an account can do skirmish well and when you get there, it's just your effort. I've hit top 15 twice, I know how much effort that took, it's totally not really worth it
Accounts hit the point where they can rank in Galaxy significantly earlier than when they can rank in Skirmish, though obviously spending money can close that gap. Galaxy is almost certainly a better starting point for people too because 4/4 crew are better than the 3/4 crew you get from skirmishes. Again, you can spend money to get skirmishes over that hump by buying event packs, but don't equate that with easy, it's just something you can do as an alternative to the Galaxy route.
My own anecdote is that many of my RL friends who play this game hate skirmish because they don't have the ships and/or the time to put into the event. They would strongly prefer Faction events as the commitment is lower, and they can do well.
And this is the heart of it, people prefer the events that suits their personalities and commitment to the game. I have a friend who swears by expedition events. Why? Because he did well in them. He liked the clicking.
I rank in every event these days. My preference is Galaxy because I can do it when I feel like it. Skirmishes are good, but they are *a lot* for work nowadays. Factions are a pain, because I have to actually pay attention to the game all weekend. Others will have completely different ranking.