If anyone is interested, I just posted an ISC battle for PFs in the attrition ship tactics. I'm looking to get any input you might have on how to run this game with success.

By Chris Bonaiuto (Epyon) on Wednesday, November 18, 2009 - 12:18 pm: Edit

Hypothetical question on ISC tactics...

How would ISC tactics change if the rear Pl-Fs were repleced with an upgraded modern version of the Q'Nabiaan plasma drone?

Note: I'm thinking of doing this as a just for fun house rule without any kind of submission. I'm just curious to see how it would work.

By John Trauger (Vorlonagent) on Wednesday, November 18, 2009 - 01:52 pm: Edit

For those of us playing at home that aren't familiar with the Q'Nabiaan plasma drone...

By Terence Sean Terry O'Carroll (Terryoc) on Wednesday, November 18, 2009 - 03:31 pm: Edit

IIRC the Q'Naabian plasma drone is a drone that requires charging up at the moment of launch, the more power put into it the bigger the warhead. But it's a Y-era weapon, so it's slow and doesn't do much damage compared to Main Era weapons.

By John Trauger (Vorlonagent) on Wednesday, November 18, 2009 - 04:21 pm: Edit

...so it's a drone with a warhead armed like a suicide shuttle?

By Chris Bonaiuto (Epyon) on Wednesday, November 18, 2009 - 04:48 pm: Edit

(YFD22.0)

It's basically a Type-II drone (one-space, spd 12, 4 damage points to destroy, 32 impules endurance). It is launched from a rack that holds five spaces and can launch one drone per turn. If it hits, it does 4 points. If one point of warp power is allocated to it on the turn of launch, the warhead is enhanced and does eight points to the target. If two points of warp energy are allocated to a plasma drone on the turn of launch, it is super-enhanced and does 12 points of damage.

By John Trauger (Vorlonagent) on Wednesday, November 18, 2009 - 06:33 pm: Edit

The ISC should watch out for flankers. These things do not have the intimidation value that massed F-torps would have.

On the upside, this might give them ECM drones.

By Chris Bonaiuto (Epyon) on Wednesday, November 18, 2009 - 07:36 pm: Edit

I would moderize the plasma drone a bit, basicaly make it on a type-IM or F frame. Probably up the warhead strength a bit. For one hit damage, it wouldn't have the intimidation of the Pl-F, and they would be easier to destroy, but they would have the advantage of a faster launch rate, but they do run out of ammo.

I'm going to go over it with my normal opponent tomorrow and see what we can come up with.

By John Smith (Johnsmith) on Thursday, November 19, 2009 - 03:09 am: Edit

I don't own any Y modules, so I'm not sure what exactly the rules are for these things. A few things spring to mind, however.

For plasma ballet, the rear-firing plasma gives a deterrant vs. overruns/persuit when an ISC ship must run to recharge. A seeker that absorbs only 4 points of phaser power isn't so much of a deterrant. A speed 12 seeker isn't a deterrant at all. It seems like ISC would suddenly become very interested in the anchor, as opposed to their usual ballet.

The second obvious point is that they would protect the PPD (assuming they're hit as drones). The problem here is that PPDs want to be far away from the opponent, so with spd 12 and 1 turn endurance they'd only be useful as protection for the PPDs.