Angel Sound
Each epic mission arc is a special series of missions tied together in a dramatic story. These are often more difficult than standard missions of "equivalent" level, but have better narrative and often better rewards. The last mission in each arc gives a significant faction standing boost - with no derived standings changes to other factions - and may also award a valuable item. Each epic arc has at least one branch point where your decision of how to continue will affect both the story and your rewards.
The epic arcs can involve a lot of travel, but many of the missions can be accepted and/or completed remotely to reduce travel time. Epic arc missions do not expire, and each arc can be repeated every three months.
Angel Sound is the Epic Arc for the Angel Cartel faction. Angel Sound differs from most of the other epic arcs in three major way: it takes place almost entirely in null security space mainly the Curse region, it is designed to be completed in a small, fast ship, and it is significantly shorter than other epic arcs, able to be completed in only a few hours.
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Overview
Angel Sound features enemy NPCs in frigate-class ships, rather than the large fleets of cruisers, battlecruisers, and battleships found in the empire arcs. However, the difficulty of these encounters in some cases approaches the level of burner missions or PvP. The rewards for Angel Sound are in line with most of the other epic arcs, often totaling several hundred million ISK, including a Cynabal BPC and faction loot.
Though most players won't care about their standings with the Angel Cartel, completing this arc can improve standing by several full points, though this also means a slight standing loss with the Minmatar Republic (usually no more than .25).
Preparations
Most of Angel Sound takes place in Curse, a region in null security space, so pilots will want to plan accordingly and be ready to escape any unexpected PvP. As the epic arc might suggest, the Curse region is is controlled by the Angel Cartel faction, so pilots will be able to dock up in systems that have stations if the need arises. While operating in nullsec does mean that warp bubbles may be present, interceptors are a suggested ship for the arc, so they may not end up posing a threat. Pilots should, however, still be familiar with how bubbles work and how they affect both inbound and outbound warps.
Many of the systems in Curse will seem quiet, but there are most certainly hostile players nearby. Most players operating in Curse will at least be aware that this arc exists (and will thus attract players), and many will be familiar with the mission paths and where to set traps; pilots may even see the remnants of gate camps along their route. Even when flying an interceptors, it is still possible to get trapped. Pilots should take care to use D-scan, insta-undocks, gate perches, the cloak trick, and so on. Pilots may also wish to review the procedure for creating a safe spot on the fly in case of confrontation with hostile players.
Ships and fits
On paper, any of the following frigate-class ships will meet the mission restrictions:
- Stealth Bomber
- Assault Ship
- Destroyer
- Corvette
- Interdictor
- Frigate
- Shuttle
- Electronic Attack Ship
- Covert Ops
- Interceptor
An interceptor is the most popular choice due to its immunity to warp bubbles. Prior to the Rubicon expansion in 2014, many pilots preferred a cloak-fit destroyer, and ran this arc successfully with those fits. However, those setups placed a much greater demand on the pilot, and were inherently riskier to fly. It can still be done, but it is not recommended.
Many of the NPCs hit hard and move fast, so ships will need a decent tank, good propulsion, and most likely a web -- the last item is especially important if you're flying a close-range setup such as hybrid blasters.
Angels Runner Brawler
Light Ion Blaster II
Light Ion Blaster II
Light Ion Blaster II
1MN Afterburner II
Stasis Webifier II
Small Ancillary Armor Repairer
Magnetic Field Stabilizer II
Damage Control II
Small Hybrid Burst Aerator I
Small Hybrid Collision Accelerator I
Hobgoblin II x2
Void S x1
Angels Runner Kiter
Light Missile Launcher II
Light Missile Launcher II
Light Missile Launcher II
Light Missile Launcher II
1MN Afterburner II
Target Painter I
Medium F-S9 Regolith Compact Shield Extender
Damage Control II
Micro Auxiliary Power Core II
Small Anti-EM Screen Reinforcer I
Small Ionic Field Projector I
Scourge Fury Light Missile
Regardless of the chosen ship and fitting, pilots should carry the following items in their cargo hold:
- Nanite Repair Paste or Cap Booster chargers (if the fit requires them)
- Nanofibers
- Warp Core Stabilizers
- Damage modifiers (Ballistic Controls, Magnetic Field Stabilizers, etc.)
- Warp Disruptor/Scrambler
For some missions pilots may feel the need to swap out agility for tank, or vice versa. While traveling home with loot, warp stabilizers may provide some peace of mind. For pilots who are supremely confident in their piloting skills and don't mind the risk, there are fights to be had in Curse, so those pilots may wish to bring a warp scrambler/disruptor. However, PVP is strongly discouraged during this arc. Losing a mission item will result in failure, and pilots must wait three months to start the arc over again.
General Tactics
- Think of this like a PVP mission with some PVE sprinkled in. The big difference here is that you're not going to be PVP'ing head-on -- you're going to be PVP'ing by out-piloting, outsmarting, and avoiding your enemies.
- Periodically check your star map for ship kills, pod kills, and jumps in the last hour. Compare these systems against your mission route to see if you can avoid those systems, or wait until the action has subsided.
- Keep an eye on local, but never speak. You don't want to give away the fact that you're active.
- The D-scan button is hotkeyed these days, so there's no excuse not to mash it constantly. Do a 360 scan every few seconds while running your missions. Look for combat scanner probes first and foremost (this is the only way pirates can find you inside a mission's deadspace pocket), but also keep an eye out for other ships so you know who's active in the system. You'll see lots of assault frigates and interceptors flown by other missioners and those hunting them.
- Some missions include waves of frigates and destroyers that can be quite punishing. Don't be afraid to cherry pick a few, dock up, repair, rinse, and repeat.
- Once you accept a mission you should minimize the agent conversation window instead of closing it. This way, once your objectives are complete the window will pop back up, giving you a clear indication that your work is done.
Walkthough
You can start this Arc by visiting one of three Agents. All of the three Agents are located in space at one of the beacons.
- Ellar Stin in Konora (at 'The Coward Eller Stin') - You need effective standings (including skills) of 3.00 with the Dominations corporation or the Angel Cartel faction
- Aton Hordner in Egbinger (at 'Minmatar Shipyards') - You need effective standings (including skills) of 3.00 with Republic Security Services corporation or the Minmatar Republic faction
- Arajna Ashia in Sendaya (at 'Abandoned Research Station Sigma Nine') - You need effective standings (including skills) of 3.00 with the Amarr Navy corporation or the Amarr Empire faction
Depending on the Agent you choose the first mission will be different. After the first mission everything will be the same.
(Note: If you've already run this arc before, the first agent will warn you that you've already completed it, and that they'll need to wipe your memory. That's fine, just click "okay" -- it's simply going to reset your epic arc in your journal so you can start over.)
Wrap-Up
You made it. Now you need to get your shinies and head home. The item rewards should have appeared in the hangars of one or two stations in Curse. Make sure you double-check that you've put them into your cargohold before you leave; it can be a fairly long trip and you probably don't want to do it twice.
Remember that this arc (like the others) can be run every three months. Subsequent runs will be faster and easier.
