In The Black BloodSport Guide — Tactics, Tips & Best Ships
5v5 ranked PvP. The flagship competitive mode — Assault, Conquest and Team Deathmatch sub-rotations.
About BloodSport
BloodSport is In The Black's 5v5 PvP league, played across three rotating sub-modes (Assault, Conquest, Team Deathmatch). Matches use a Newtonian flight model with no flight assist by default, meaning positioning, vector planning and energy management decide the engagement before the first shot. Ranked play uses an Elo-style ladder; expect your first 10 placement matches to drop you into Bronze unless you already understand cold-thrust drifting.
Top tips for BloodSport
- Open with a Kolibri Axe — best tier-for-cost duelist in current EA.
- Always burn away from your own capital before engaging — Hyperions love wounded targets.
- Use cold thrust to disengage: cut main drive, rotate, then RCS to break tracking.
- Communicate which Hyperion you are spotting; focused fire wins every 5v5.
Recommended ships
The "second" light hull — slightly heavier than the Shrike but with a real weapons bay. Currently the strongest light frame in the meta.
The all-rounder. Medium hull with enough armor to brawl and enough mounts to carry a real weapon mix.
Heavy weapons platform. Two-crew hull. Slow, armored, and capable of one-shotting any light fighter.