It would only take 5 devoted souls to end high-sec freighter ganking as we have known it for the last year or longer.
Now 5 is only an estimate, it could be a few more or less. But forget trying to field a fleet of 20+ logistics and electronic warfare ships to prevent freighter ganks. Stop trying to protect the freighters. All we need is a team willing to gank bumper ships. Without bumpers, gank fleets will find it nearly impossible to gank freighters.
The first defense of a bumper is to add tank, which is why a team of 1 or 2 isn't enough. I figure 5 should probably do it. And you don't even need to bother trying to sneak up on them. You can casually fly your fleet over towards the bumper. They will run, which is fine, as that stops the gank. Or they will stay, in which case, gank them! Either way, the freighter goes free.
This may eventually lead to gankers fielding anti-gank fleets to prevent the bumper ganks. While this would be an added challenge, it would also be hilarious to have the roles flipped in such a manner, so I would consider this a win regardless.
This may eventually lead to gankers attempting to gank the bumper gankers. This is okay too. It will divide the ganker fleets making it easier for other anti-gankers to pick them off or stop them with logi and ECM. And you can switch to using a neutral warp in to help protect the bumper gank fleet, just the way gankers use a neutral warp in to help protect the freighter gank fleet.
I have been supportive of this approach for a long time, and willing to participate in such a fleet. I would like the bears and white knights out there to think about it too. It's not for the faint of heart, but there are ways of managing the negative side effects that I am always happy to share with others. And there is nothing like using your opponents own tactics against them to give them the proverbial middle finger.
