Angel Sound

Angel Epic Arc Guide

This guide will explain how to get through the Angel Epic Arc. The rewards include a Domination Target Painter (100-125Ml,) a Cynabal Blueprint Copy (~240M,)  a Concord tag from the last encounter (9-10M,) and about 43M in agent rewards.  You also get a huge standing increase to the Angel Cartel.  I went from -9.39 to -2.76.  You will also lose about .25 standing with the Minmatar Republic.  

General Notes

This Epic Arc takes you into 0.0 space. There are game mechanics that do not exist in high security or low security space. The most notable mechanic to be aware of is "warp bubbles." If you don't know what one is you should become familiar with them and how they can affect a warp-in on a gate. In 0.0 space you need to constantly be aware of local, of your d-scan, about where you are going, and how you plan on sling-shotting around possible bubbles. YOU WILL PROBABLY LOSE SHIPS. I recommend an empty clone and a cheap fit destroyer for these missions. Most guides and sites will say use an assault frigate. I found that a cheap fit destroyer worked better for the missions and was just about as clunky as an AB fit AF in terms of escaping camps.  I also used a cloak/mwd Rifter sometimes.  Be aware of the range and tracking benefits of different ammo.  Bring both long and short range ammo. 

Cheap Thrasher fit (I used, and lost, several of these)
7x 250m light artillery cannon
1MN microwarpdrive
Medium Shield Booster II
Sensor Booster I with Targeting Range
Gyrostabilizer I
Tracking enhancer I

Mission Chain:

You begin this chain by visiting one of the below agents.  Pretty much everyone should have access to one of these agents, but you may have to grind a bit to be able to get the mission.  Some of the missions can be accepted and completed remotely.  Always check if you can request or complete the next mission remotely, it can save you much unnecessary travel through dangerous places. Some of the missions have choices, I have only outlined the chain I completed to receive my Cynabal blueprint copy.

Starting Agents:

Aton Hordner works for Republic Security Services in Egbinger
Arajna Ashia works for the Amarr Navy in Sendaya
Ellar Stin is in the Dominations branch of the Angel Cartel and is based in Konora

Mission 2: New Opportunities (Agent Abdiel Verat in K-QWHE)

The agent wants you to go check out a wormhole. Travel to the location. Check it out man... groovy. Return to the agent to receive your reward. Travelling is very different in null. Try to approach gates from odd angles. Warp to celestials near gates and d-scan them to check for camps. Always be aware of local and your grid.  

Mission 3: Fight or Flight -> Serpentis Fill-in

This mission presents you with a choice.  I chose the less combat intensive mission to make it as quick as possible.  This is a courier mission.  You want to make sure that you do NOT get killed while transporting the cargo or you will not be able to complete the mission.  I've heard the cool-down for this epic arc is 3 months but have not confirmed that.  Regardless, you should transport this cloaked and take utmost care while travelling with it.  It is small (10m3) so you can fit it in a cov-ops or cloaked frig.  When you get to the drop off container you have to right click it and choose open cargo and put the delivery in.  You can not hold the left mouse button to bring up the little "cargo" context dial for some reason.  Right clicking the drop-off container and dragging the delivery into the building's cargo is confirmed to work.  You can complete this mission remotely, just start a conversation with the agent from your mission journal.  Always check if you can request or complete the next mission remotely, it can save you much unnecessary travel.

Mission 4: Ride to the Rescue 

You travel to a destination and warp in on a battle that is finishing up between the Angels and their enemies.  There will be 4-5 ships leftover, most likely two frigates, a cruiser, a battlecruiser, and Yukiro Demense.  Yukiro is the objective.  Completion should be easily obtained in a long range destroyer.  Be careful, Yukiro and the battlecruiser can tag team you pretty quick if you don't pay attention.  You can bring a salvager to this mission and salvage all those wrecks but I didn't want to risk getting probed down or attacked.  Are you checking if you can turn this in remotely?

Mission 5: The Best Kind of Revenge 

In case you weren't picking up what the good agent was laying down... the best kind of revenge is destruction.  Bring a long range destroyer out to a location and kill two mercenary cruisers that can tear you up if you get close.  I used the trash fit arty thrasher listed under general notes and set orbit to 40.  You can probably safely ignore the missile batteries.  When the mercenaries die you get a group of 5-6 frigates.  When those die you also get a wave of "rookie" ships that are easy to kill.  

Mission 6: Wrath of Angels 

Kill Yukiro again.  Same arty fit as last mission will let you pound him easily.  He will repair for quite a while but eventually you will break him and claim victory.  If you stay far from the missile batteries they should pose little threat.  Check if you can turn this in and get next mission remotely.

Mission 7: Dominus

Go talk to a Domination Agent.  These guys are the shadowy overlords of the Angel organization.  Sweet reward for travelling to him and chatting it up. 

Mission 8: The Lesser of Two (Kadeja Dulche in K-QWHE) -> Situation Normal

Choose Situation Normal and rejoice in your easy mission.  Long range destroyer owns this solo little cruiser's face.  Don't get careless.. it could kill you if you give it the chance.  You have to bring the code the engineers drop over to the communications array and drop it in the station cargo the same way as you did for Serpentis Fill-in.  The context dial thing seems not to work on those.

Mission 9: Breaking the lock

Warp into three successive pockets.  Each pocket has a building you have to destroy.  The 1st pocket has 4 destroyers, the 2nd has 5, and the 3rd pocket has 6.  I was very glad I was in a destroyer for this, the artillery killed them before they got close.  If they get within 20km they can bring the pain.  Keep your distance and they go down easily.

Mission 10: Fear of Angels 

You've actually been such a raging pirate that you've attracted the attention of CONCORD special forces.  Some agent is trying to gun you down.  Strip the artilleries off your destroyer and load up auto-cannons or your short range equivalent.  The agent will orbit you at 9km, neut you, and do pretty decent damage from her interceptor.  Loot the tag she drops, it is worth 9-10m.  Turn in mission.

Victory is yours: Important Considerations

Now that you have obtained your delicious rewards you probably want to get them to high-sec to sell.  The target painter, blue-print, and tag from the concord agent take up about 6m3.  You can fit that in a cov-ops ship if you can fly one and think you can make it without getting caught... there is quite a bit you stand to lose if you do get caught.  You could also create a courier contract for the items.  If you do that you probably want to move the target painter to the same station as the blueprint and CONCORD tag and set up a courier contract.  Luckily both stations are in the same system so you don't' have to risk a gate jump.  Remember to make the collateral worth MORE than the contents of the contract.  I recommend a collateral of 500m as of August 3, 2010.