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	Archive through April 04, 2020	25		04/04 06:41pm

Hrmm... Methinks I needs to rethinks this a bit.

Perhaps the name I gave it by accident should serve me as a clue; Chaff.

Going in for a Gorn Anchor, release the shuttle "Chaff" before getting in close enough to where an opponent can get through the shields and score "Aft Hull" hits.

Five shuttles out there, including one that MIGHT be an 18 point suicide warhead (and, should there be the G-7, 20 additional points of potential plasma damage). Does my enemy blast shuttles, the BC, or save phaser firepower to mitigate the "Hundred Points of Plasma" soon to be headed his way.

I'd have to wait to drop them off until I could pretty much guarantee a successful Gorn Anchor; if I launched them too soon, it would telegraph my intent to slow WAY down, but if I waited too long, they'd be vulnerable to being blasted off the balcony before doing anything tactically productive.

The threat of all the ouch from a suicide shuttle might encourage an opponent to target the one shuttle launched from the bay (instead of the ones launched from the balconies), especially if its remote piloted LIKE a Suicide Shuttle; a "Pseudo-Suicide Shuttle?"

That'd at least draw SOME fire away from the BC. Also, with the G-7, its Plasma-Ds have the range break at five hexes. If I (remote pilot?) fly it so it doesn't close with the enemy, it just sits at longer ranges while it clears its "Seeking Weapons Delay" time, it might draw enemy fire away from the other bits of phaser armed "Chaff."

Methinks I need to work on this a bit more.

By Steve Petrick (Petrick) on Saturday, April 04, 2020 - 05:20 pm: Edit

Dummy Suicide shuttles are already in the rules. Again, if you launch within 17 hexes range (no shift) the opponent knows which one might be a suicide shuttle (could be a dummy) that can be killed with two phaser-3 shots, and can evaluate the other four based on when their phasers would come on line. If one of the other four is a G-7, he knows which one is, and can decide to kill it based on when it might launch its type-K plasmas, which he might determine by using a lab on it (if it is on a seeking course, then it can release the plasma-Ks 8 impulses after launch, i.e., a "scatter-pack," but it will never be a phaser platform unless it is recovered and serviced. If it is not on a seeking course, then whether it is piloted or remote controlled it cannot launch the plasma-Ks until 16 impulses after launch, and will be a phaser-platform eight impulses after launch like the other shuttles.

By David Tye (Squadleader) on Saturday, April 04, 2020 - 06:14 pm: Edit

This got me thinking about launching a dummy MRS for non- drone races - an admin shuttle with dash packs at speed 10 or 12 in the hope of drawing enemy fire. Is there any mileage in writing that up as a term paper submission?

By Steve Petrick (Petrick) on Saturday, April 04, 2020 - 06:26 pm: Edit

David Tye:

Well, at that point you are hopping that your opponent is not simply going to ask you what shuttle you launched. Again, if you are not actually playing under (D17.0), the opposing player knows what kind of shuttle it is when it appears on the map. You are hoping he just looks at the speed and makes an assumption. And, yes, sometimes players forget to ask very basic questions (obviously they have legendarilly incompetent science officers (GRIN)]. So you can propose it as a term paper, but you should note that you are hoping to fool an opponent who knows you bought an MRS but may be too lazy to actually ask what kind of shuttle you just launched, or at least you should invoke the tactical intelligence rules and launch the dummy MRS outside of Range 16 in hopes of fooling your opponent.

By David Tye (Squadleader) on Saturday, April 04, 2020 - 06:41 pm: Edit

Steve Petrick:

Yep. The fact I might fall for a speed 9 erratic decoy MRS doesn't mean that a competent player would!

By Ginger McMurray (Gingermcmurray) on Wednesday, December 14, 2022 - 10:32 am: Edit

How do you prefer to go against bases when there are defenders present? Our phaser suites are good but theirs could be as well. High speed and lots of plasma? Low speed bricks and let them come to you? •••• the minefield, full speed ahead?

Inquiring minds want to know.

By Jeff Anderson (Jga) on Wednesday, December 14, 2022 - 12:45 pm: Edit

Gorn BC has those LP/RP arcs for their Plasma-S torpedoes which makes it difficult, but if your force consists of CM and HDD, you can concentrate multiple Plasma-S from a favored long range break in weapons.

As I mentioned in the ISC version, at a range of fifteen, the Plasma-S, in enveloping mode, will do forty four points of damage. The team-up of a single CM and single HDD can have three of those things out in a single turn. Spaced out, a BatS can kill one with Phaser fire, Weasel a second, and halve the third IF they send no Ph-4 fire after the Gorns. As with the ISC, this will tend to prompt them to send out mobile units.

A coy plasma dance in the Glory Zone can do a number on them. Consider the value of shotguns and dancing away, leaving the mobile defenders having to choose between breaking back towards their base or charging uphill against incoming Multi-Effers...

(If that term is offensive, I apologize, even though it actually is meant to be... )

By John L Stiff (Tarkin22180) on Wednesday, December 14, 2022 - 11:17 pm: Edit

Stopped at range 10 (with #1 reinforced), launch an enveloping S to force a base WW launch. After the WW explosion period ends, launch another enveloper. Rinse and repeat until the base is out of WWs.

By Jeff Anderson (Jga) on Thursday, December 15, 2022 - 10:45 pm: Edit

Respectfully, at range ten, the base can expect to do twenty six points of damage, average, with four Ph-4. Sure, a sixty point enveloping Plasma-S is impressive, but the "Rinse and Repeat" of that is more than even a reinforced #1 shield can withstand.

At range fifteen, the expected damage from the four Ph-4s the base can fire in any given direction is about half that much while your enveloping Plasma-S has only lost a touch over 25% of its hitting power.

It is for this reason that, again, respectfully, I must regard Range 15 to be superior to Range 10 for this sort of trick.

By Richard Eitzen (Rbeitzen) on Friday, December 16, 2022 - 12:54 am: Edit

A lot of firepower is also found in plasma Fs, which are not at all effective at range 15. Still, if the base fires at you at range 15, you can then move in for a closer shot.

By Mike Grafton (Mike_Grafton) on Friday, December 16, 2022 - 07:37 am: Edit

Those plasma F are best used as ECP and for the finale when you close.

By John L Stiff (Tarkin22180) on Friday, December 16, 2022 - 09:41 am: Edit

All true.

Never-the-less, a great amount of specific reinforcement is possible. It will not stop all of the P4 damage. It will stop a lot of it. And TACs are available. Add multiple ships and the base is in BIG trouble. In theory, only 2xWW are available at the start of a turn. Over time, the base will be helpless. Yes, the Plasma Fs help, doing 15 damage each!

One could use range 20. It takes longer. The Plasma S does 15 (or 30 enveloping) and will do more damage than the P4s.

By Jeff Guthridge (Jeff_Guthridge) on Friday, December 16, 2022 - 10:13 am: Edit

The base doesn’t have to Weasel. Unless you throw enough plasma at it, it can use the entire phaser suite to burn the plasma down to the point where the base can brick what’s left.

Then on turns you don’t lob plasma, lend itself 6 ECCM and work your shields over as the rotation rate brings each set of IV’s into arc, plus heavy weapons, fighters/PFs/gunboats/defender fleet and the almost universal minefield….. SEIDS is a serious issue, after all.

Now if you had three sub-formations of plasma ships that move up, fire, withdrawal to reload… Then you have a better chance to wear down the expendables before going in for the fleet alpha launch.

By Gregory S Flusche (Vandar) on Friday, December 16, 2022 - 10:24 am: Edit

I would think It would be better for the Gorn. To Leave one ship like a scout. At 35 from the base taking control of launched plasma with a Higher ECCM. Run the cruisers in at Med speed with Max ECM. Fire the left or right-side Plasma as envelopers. Turn back out to longer range. Then next turn come in firing the other side torps. Use the F Torps if the enemy sallies forth the defending ships.

By John L Stiff (Tarkin22180) on Friday, December 16, 2022 - 10:29 am: Edit

That is what pseudo torpedoes are for. Burn away!

Ah well, adding all of that will change the fleet composition and tactics.

Yes, 3 "sub-formations" attacking a base should do the trick. With base assaults one always wants a lot more ships than your opponent has.

By Richard Eitzen (Rbeitzen) on Friday, December 16, 2022 - 11:35 am: Edit

Burning incoming plasma invites a close range strike from the attacking ships. Four phaser fours can only reduce 40 plasma warhead anyway, which isn't even one EPT-S.

Bases don't actually have a lot of power, their ability to brick a shield is not really that good. Generally they can better spend their power on weapons or EW.

By Jeff Guthridge (Jeff_Guthridge) on Friday, December 16, 2022 - 12:20 pm: Edit

The suggested tactic was to lob an enveloping S at the base rinse/repeat. If its an enveloper, it cannot be a pseudo.

On a BATS the IV’s firing at range three or less will average 18.33 each or approx 74 points, more than enough to pull the pain out of an Enveloping S. The Ph-IIIs can average another 3.67 points each at range 1 for another 14.67 points. If the rotation rate is sufficient to of allow the offside module to fire, you can get another 36.67.

So, with lucky timing, its plausible for a BS/BATS to be able to get 110 in phaser hits. The BS can add another 13.32 and the BATS another 26.64 with the phaser-IIIs theoretically allowing the base in question to vaporize an enveloping S without launching a weasel.

An enveloping-S after moving 14 times will be reduced to 44 points in the warhead, standard S’s 22, and G’s 15. F’s can be ignored as they would only hit for 1 point. This makes allocating phasers to the inbounds rather simple.

Therefore my conclusion is a lone unsupported BS or BATS could indefinitely hold off a single plasma chucker cruiser lobbing enveloping torpedoes at range 15. Granted, the attacker would only need to brick 19 points to beat the average damage from the base, so without lucky rolls or the base’s other weapon systems, it would remain a stalemate.

Run the numbers at range 10, and its much less survivable for the attacker, as the base can average 39 hits with the IV’s. While still being able to phaser away most if not all of the inbound torpedoes.

By Richard Eitzen (Rbeitzen) on Friday, December 16, 2022 - 02:10 pm: Edit

Of course pseudos get used. It's not like the base knows if you have an EPT S or not, until you launch it.

Srsly.