Background:
Bellona tagged my trade fleet (Redoubtable +3 Indiamen) in between Navasse and Jeremie. Went through the battle, I got out, he tagged again. Went through the battle, this time he sank 1 of my Indiamen. I got out again and had a friend in a Constitution outside. We tagged him and fought him. Halfway through a Requin joined. We fought, decided we couldn't kill the Bellona, I got out. The constitution stayed in with the Bellona because he was tagged and I wasn't.
Based on the penetration problems I was having with long guns, the damage he was dealing to me, and his reload speed, I believe this Bellona was using either seasoned or new woods, and was equipped with Navy Guns. This player (R0cker) is fully leveled AND in a clan)
Here's where it gets strange. The Requin left when I left. I continued on towards the nearest port, and he came to tag me. I assumed since Requin is 100 BR, and I had 830 BR (Redoubtable +2 Indiamen), that he would not be able to tag me. Well, I was wrong. He successfully tagged me. That is when I noticed that this account is NOT fully leveled, and NOT in a clan. Hmmmm, smells like an alt to me!
In the battle, the Requin DID NOT TRY TO ATTACK, DID NOT FOLLOW ME, DID NOT ATTEMPT TO DEAL ANY DAMAGE. I have provided screenshots below that show him with his sails down just sitting.
1st screenshot: Shows the initial tag and the damage I already had. I was running low on hull repairs and did not repair on the open world before I was tagged.
2nd screenshot: Further into the battle, I have started to repair my hull. I am moving upwind at a PERFECT POINT OF SAIL for the Requin. His sails are up but he is not catching me, because he doesn't want to, because he had no intention of fighting me. Just holding me until his main account can exit the other battle and get in a position to tag me again.
3rd screenshot: Further into the battle, this clearly shows he made no attempt to engage me. HE PUT HIS SAILS DOWN. (Perhaps to focus on another account, Bellona that was still in battle with allied Constitution)
4th screenshot: Closer to the end of the battle just for context, clearly shows he is still super far behind me, no way for him to have done any damage.
5th screenshot: End of the battle, added my assessment of the situation in team chat for documentation.
First point: How is it even possible for him to have tagged me with that BR difference? 100 into 830? Is this intended to work?
Second point: Clearly he had no intention to fight, is this not griefing? Clear abuse of the tagging mechanic. I do not have a video, but I believe my screenshots are clearly comprehensive and display the full situation.
Third point: That account is likely an alt account of R0cker who was sailing the Bellona. Not just griefing, but doing it with an alt to hold a target in a battle for his main in a slower ship. I guess he's too scared to sail the fancy Bellona without alt tagging support? Apparently a Requin can tag 830 BR, so if he had something chasing him he didn't like he could just make a crazy tag with the Requin and escape v0v.