The Fed should also be using an ECM drone. Spec sensor combat ships are unusual and this warrants a Fed using the somewhat controversial drone.

By John Williams (Johndw) on Sunday, November 17, 2013 - 09:32 pm: Edit

You could try the fed having 5 more BPV than the nicozian instead of the other way around, unless that is chosen as the balance of power for the playtesting, I'm not sure what upgrades you could have in such a situation but its a thought.

By Norman Dizon (Normandizon) on Sunday, November 17, 2013 - 10:16 pm: Edit

Hi Dennis. Using an ECM drone is a great recommendation. That may give the Federation CA the edge it needs to win against the Nicozian CA.

For the first three playtest Duels (Nico vs Fed), we are going to keep all the variables the same, so the testing is consistent. However, after the first three playtest Duels (Nico vs Fed), we may try to run the Duel again and add the ECM Drone. It will probably be after we see how the Nicozian does against other Alpha Sector Empires.

Thanks for the valuable suggestion about using the ECM Drone.

By Norman Dizon (Normandizon) on Sunday, November 17, 2013 - 10:25 pm: Edit

Hi John. Changing the BPV in the Federation's favor is a great suggestion to "even" the odds. Part of the reason for playtesting is to see if the initial BPV for the Nicozian is too high, too low, or just right.

For the first three playtest Duels (Nico vs Fed), we are going to keep all the variables the same, so the testing is consistent. We will probably play around with the BPVs after running the first three playtest Duels (Nico vs Fed). It will most likely be after we see how the Nicozian does against other Alpha Sector Empires.

Thank you for your suggestion about increasing the Fed's BPV.

By Steve Petrick (Petrick) on Monday, November 18, 2013 - 10:52 am: Edit

The ECM drone would ultimately have little effect.

The action is taking place at 15 hexes range. The Nicozian can choose not to shoot weapons and simply use the extra special sensor to "attract" the ECM drone (G24.23). Note that once the drone is attracted, the Nicozian could then fire and blind that special sensor (G24.232), Either way, the drone will be lost as the Federation player will have to cut tracking to keep the drone from lending its ECM to the Nicozian, or the drone will lose lock-on if it was self-guiding {the range to the Nicozian is 15 hexes, which is more than 12 hexes [(G24.23) &(FD5.23)]}.

By Dennis Surdu (Aegis) on Tuesday, November 19, 2013 - 09:47 pm: Edit

That is one spec sensor kinda wasted on ECM drone, plus you are assuming the Fed cannot get closer. But, an ECM drone is effective even as a complication in the Nico decision stream on how to best use the spec sensors. Plus what about missiles reaching Fed beyond range 15? Lastly, the Fed could launch an ECM drone and have another reloaded by the time the spec sensor is a threat. I guess I am just pointed out a way to get the Nico to use up spec sensors and keep him from getting too much an ECM advantage. Plus, in higher BPV games where drone swarms may truly be present, I am not sure the ECM drone will be the biggest threat.

By Steve Petrick (Petrick) on Thursday, November 21, 2013 - 11:00 am: Edit

Dennis Surdu:

Special sensors can be blinded or blown off the ship or you may not have the power to use them.

An ECM drone can provide ECM for six turns beginning three impulses after it is launched.

For one (1) point of power the ECM drone is negated at 15 hexes range.

You can launch another one, and for one (1) point of power it is negated.

If you are a Federation ship with a single type-G drone rack, that is it. No more ECM drones.

The Nicozian will still have his special sensors.

The ECM drone was proposed as a counter. I merely point out that it is not a very effective counter in the face of the Nicozian special sensors for the reasons I have noted.

By Dennis Surdu (Aegis) on Friday, November 22, 2013 - 10:50 pm: Edit

Yes and I agree.....just pointing out that the ECM drone is very handy outside range 15 and once within range 15 provides the Nico with something to occupy a spec sensor channel. Tactically they often muddy the waters nicely and perhaps by that time a scatter pack has done so even more. Use the whole tool box I always say. If fighting a combat ship with spec sensors an ECM drone is not a bad thing to have handy so you can force the use of spec sensors in a way that is reactive to your actions. This takes some initiative from the Nico in their use.

By Stephen Parrish (Steveparrish) on Saturday, November 30, 2013 - 01:00 pm: Edit

Norman, you wrote in your last long analysis,

"(8) It is clear that 4 Phaser-Ps firing as 8 Phaser-3s can easily defeat a whole Scatterpack of (6) Drones. So Nicozians do not need to fear the Scatterpack, as long as they have their Phaser-Ps ready to use."

I'm not sure that this will work.

The 4 phaser Ps can be fired as 8 phaser-3s. If a scatter pack is composed of 6 regular drones, each of which is destroyed on 4 hits. Two of the drones will have 2 phaser-3 shots, which at a range of 1 hex, means that they will be automatically destroyed. However, the other 4 will have only one phaser-3. On a roll of a 5 or 6, only 3 points of damage will be hit on them, leaving them undestroyed. Is there anything wrong with this analysis?

Thanks for playtesting the Nicos. I look forward to your next report.

By Norman Dizon (Normandizon) on Saturday, November 30, 2013 - 01:39 pm: Edit

Hi Stephen. Your analysis looks correct, but perhaps we are looking at the same thing differently.

Here is how I look at it:

1) At a Range of 1, a PH-3 will destroy a Drone on a 1-4. It will not destroy a Drone on a 5-6.

2) You have 8 PH-3s and there are 6 Drones.

3) There is a good chance you will roll 1-4 on six die rolls (meaning the first six PH-3s firing at 6 Drones). However, if you don't, then you have 4) below.

4) If any of the die rolls (meaning the first six die rolls) do not come up 1-4, then you have 2 more rolls which will certainly destroy the Drone.

5) If you roll so badly that you don't destroy all 6 Drones with the 8 PH-3s, then you will get hit unless you have some other plan in place.

6) From our Playtest Duels, we never had a problem with shooting down 6 Drones with 8 PH-3s. But maybe we just didn't roll really bad (I suppose you would need to roll more than two 5-6s on the first six die rolls-very possible).

So I think the primary difference in our thinking is that, in my train of thought, we are only doubling up a PH-3 on a Drone if there was a bad roll and it was necessary. If the first 6 die rolls were all 1-4, then there is no need to double up PH-3s on a Drone.

In your example, you start off with the idea that 4 PH-3s are used up to destroy 2 Drones, leaving only 4 PH-3s left. Essentially the same thing, but approached from a different perspective.

Yes, we will be playtesting the Nicozians more in the future. We recently ran a Playtest Duel with a Peladine CA and some Playtest Duels with the Triangulum Worlds of Unions CA.

Don't worry, the Nicozians are too crazy to not come back for more. They must find their Non-Rotating Neutron Star!!

By Dennis Surdu (Aegis) on Saturday, November 30, 2013 - 11:13 pm: Edit

Do the Nicos have limited Aegis or are you assuming you start firing at range 1 but will maintain range 1 for 2 straight impulses? Seems like a big assumption since a skilled drone opponent may not oblige you :-) Another nasty surprise that tends to overwhelm Nicos is timing a second SP to pop on one turn.....this requires a Fed to have an ATG drone and to time the 2nd pack to pop after the first is expended but is do-able.

By Richard B. Eitzen (Rbeitzen) on Sunday, December 01, 2013 - 01:16 am: Edit

Your opponent seems to be making your drone defense easier than it should be.

Point 1, above.

A 1-4 destroys a drone... if it takes 4 damage points.

Unfortunately it is often the case that it does not, in my experience.

By Dennis Surdu (Aegis) on Sunday, December 01, 2013 - 10:54 pm: Edit

Yes, and this hi-lites my original premise that hopefully you can force the Nico to use the spec sensors for either ecm shielding or other uses but not both. Throw a Kzinti or Klink into the mix with real stand-off potential and watch drones make the Nico tactical officer's head pop.....or whatever they have for a head ;-)

By Norman Dizon (Normandizon) on Monday, December 02, 2013 - 02:41 pm: Edit

Hi Dennis and Richard. Thanks for your valuable ideas. I agree with you about everything you said, but I wanted to clarify some things:

1) The statement that was originally made:

"(8) It is clear that 4 Phaser-Ps firing as 8 Phaser-3s can easily defeat a whole Scatterpack of (6) Drones. So Nicozians do not need to fear the Scatterpack, as long as they have their Phaser-Ps ready to use."

was made in the Context of Playtest Duel #1 and #2. It was not a generalized statement to cover all situations against all opponents (and I'm sorry if that was not clear when I wrote it).

At the beginning of Playtest Duel #1 and #2, it says:

NICOZIAN CA (BPV 156, All Skip-Warp Missile Frames are Speed 10, No Warp Field Distortion Mines) vs FEDERATION CA (BPV 151, With PLUS, CAR, AWR Refits, All Drones are Fast Drones-Speed 32, No Transporter Bombs) DUEL #1 (and #2).

The Drones that are referenced above are Type I-F. So they do take 4 points to destroy.

I believe my revised statement should read:

"(8) It is clear that 4 Phaser-Ps firing as 8 Phaser-3s can easily defeat a whole Scatterpack of (6) Drones, Provided that the Nicozian CA is fighting against a Federation CA armed with Type I-F Drones."

2) I agree that if you change the mixture of Drones on the Federation CA, you will be able to throw off the Nicozian CA and make him guess a bit more.

3) I agree that if the Drones used were not Type I-F, then you could implement a Drone that takes more than 4 points to destroy. This would make it more difficult for the Nicozian, you are right.

4) I agree that using different Empires (such as the Klingons and Kzinti) against the Nicozians will yield different results than the Federation.

5) You have a great point about the Aegis and Range 1. I believe my train of thought was that the Nicozian would simply fire 8 PH-3s at Range 1. If the rolls went badly, then the Nicozian would just take a hit (which probably wouldn't be so bad with its Collapsium Armor). In our Playtest Duel, we never had a problem with the rolls (meaning that the 8 PH-3s easily dealt with 6 Type I-F Drones: 4 points to Destroy each Drone).

6) That is a great idea about using two Scatterpacks with ATG (Active Terminal Guidance) Drones. It would require excellent timing, but it is possible.

7) The ECM Drone adds another option to the Fed's arsenal. As SPP pointed out, it may not be effective when put to the test. But I believe the more options the better, and the ECM Drone does add another option to the Fed's strategy.

8) In the two Playtest Duels we ran, the Nicozian did not use any Warp Field Distortion Mines. If the Nicozian was fighting another Empire (like the Kzintis or Klingons) who were mixing up the Drones (so they are not all destroyed on 4 points), then I'm sure the Warp Field Distortion Mines can be used with great effect. Especially if the Drones are chasing the fast Nicozian and the Nicozian just has to drop the Warp Field Distortion Mine out of the hatch.

9) Nicozians can also use T-Bombs to counter enemy Drones and Transporters to place their own Warp Field Distortion Mines. Both of these strategies can be effective in countering an opponent who is mixing up their Drones or using Scatterpacks.

10) The purpose of running the Federation against the Nicozian was to see what the Nicozian was capable of. To determine what its Strengths are and what its Weaknesses are. With every new Playtest Report (whether it be the Federation or another Empire), we learn more and more about the New Empire (Nicozians) being Tested.

By Steve Petrick (Petrick) on Monday, December 02, 2013 - 03:02 pm: Edit

For what it is worth.

In my experience arranging for drones to spend two impulses at Range 1 is not all that difficult (harder versus fast drones, yes, but still not all that difficult).

Second point is that when you are talking about drones from a scatter pack, while it is possible that the six drones might be two type-IVs and four type-VIs, unless the type-IVs are armored you are going to kill them all. Otherwise six type-I drones from a scatter pack are likely on average to be destroyed by eight phaser-3 shots at Range 1, even though you have to fire the second two shots on a subsequent impulse (and again, that is not that hard to set up). The devil is, of course, in the details. The AVERAGE rolls say that four type-Is will be destroyed and two damaged by the first six shots, and the pair of subsequent shots on the following impulse will kill the two surviving drones. The problem is that you might kill only two drones this way. The dice are fickle as any Federation player who has whiffed with four fully overloaded photons at Range 2 (or any disruptor captain who has whiffed with four overloaded disruptors at Range 1) can tell you. Yes, it is possible to roll six "fives or sixes" the first impulse you fire at the drones, meaning your last two shots will kill two, but the other four will hit you if you do not do something else. It is also possible that you will roll four or less on all six of the initial shots, destroying all six drones, but you play the averages, hope for the best and be prepared to deal with the worst.

The thing about Federation ships with a single type-G drone rack is that they rarely have two fully loaded scatter packs. They (normally) only have eight spaces of reload drones (and that only after the Y175 refit). (You cannot begin a scenario with the drone rack partially or fully unloaded, i.e., at all weapons status levels the drone racks are "loaded" and there is no rule allowing them to be unloaded except, of course, as provided by "special scenario rules," and if you choose to have it fully loaded with ADDs, then that is what all of your reloads are and you cannot use a scatter pack at all unless you use Commander's Option points to buy the drones individually.) In order to have two fully armed scatter packs a Federation ship with a single type-G drone must either spend several turns unloading the drone rack and then loading the drones into a scatter pack [and this is very time consuming, see (FD2.422)], or it must purchase additional drones as Commander's Options (which can get expensive), or it can purchase an MRS shuttle [which comes with a lot of spaces of reload drones at a relatively cheap overall cost, but this is only available to War Cruiser Leader (which does have two type-G drone racks) and larger ships].

Thirdly, and again, a Nicozian captain knowing he is going to be fighting a drone user should probably invest a few Commander's Option points in T-bombs or warp field distortion mines to deal with scatter packs. (I would get warp field distortion mines if I were facing a plasma-armed opponent.)

By Dennis Surdu (Aegis) on Monday, December 02, 2013 - 09:12 pm: Edit

On a ship with only one rack your options are more limited but there are options. Cannot the SP have type 6 dogfighters in it? The point is, and it is a point you SPP indirectly made as well, there are options for the Fed player that may not have been explored in the above play testing. If those options are not fully tested the Nico will seem OP when in fact they may need "buffing".

By Norman Dizon (Normandizon) on Tuesday, December 03, 2013 - 10:02 am: Edit

Hi Dennis. I agree that it is important to explore as many options as possible while Playtesting. That is why Playtesting can be a long and lengthy process at times.

Our Playtest Group is going to finish up with the Fed and then move on to other Empires for the Nicozian. Later on, we will explore some of the options you and Richard have brought up.

Our Playtest Group appreciates all your valuable input.

By Steve Petrick (Petrick) on Tuesday, December 03, 2013 - 11:37 am: Edit

Dennis Surdu:

I did mention type-VIs. I specifically covered them in the "two type-IVs and four type-VIs scatter pack concept. I just noted that once again the numbers are limited when you have just one drone rack. Other problem are that type-VIs are auto-killed by phaser-3s and very short ranged, often running out of endurance before they hit a target.

And for what it is worth I was not "indirect" on options. I have been noting options continuously.

By Dennis Surdu (Aegis) on Tuesday, December 03, 2013 - 09:37 pm: Edit

SPP I used the word "indirect" since you seem imply the SP options are not good ones and therefore should not be used. Yes, I see that you mentioned the Type VI's loaded in the FIRST SP but I was noting if the second, preloaded SP has them in it, this would help make a two SP option a more viable tactic with a ship having only 1 drone rack. Perhaps I should have been clearer. Yes, the Fed would be blowing the drone reloads but with only one rack, it allows an attack that if timed well works nicely. Just another tool is all, even if easily countered when planned for by your opponent. After all, it takes little effort and has no real risk to the Fed if it fails. Now let's turn to a ship with more than one rack and you best not forget to do this. I will often start loading a third SP! Any-hoo, this is all pertinent since drones do seem to give the Nico ships fits.....at least in mass waves.

By Stephen Parrish (Steveparrish) on Monday, December 23, 2013 - 02:04 pm: Edit

I have a question about the background. Why do the Nicos need a non-rotating neutron star to live on? What is the difference between that and a rotating neutron star (other than the fact that one rotates and the other doesn't)? Do they get dizzy? In other words, is there some rationale behind this, or is it merely a plot device to keep the poor Nicos endlessly searching?

Also, Norman, will you be doing any more Nico playtesting soon?

By Steve Petrick (Petrick) on Monday, December 23, 2013 - 02:39 pm: Edit

Stephen Parrish:

Only Ken Burnside can answer that one. It is the background he provided. I did a google search that just confirmed that there were such things and left it at that.

By Norman Dizon (Normandizon) on Monday, December 23, 2013 - 02:50 pm: Edit

Hi Stephen. Yes, we just ran a Duel with a Gorn CA this last weekend. It was quite a battle.

I just need to type it up. Its difficult to find the time with all the holiday stuff going on.

Thanks. Talk to you soon.

By Norman Dizon (Normandizon) on Tuesday, January 14, 2014 - 01:04 pm: Edit

Hi SPP (and everyone else). Here is a summary of the first Nicozian CA vs Gorn BC Playtest Duel.

This battle will be included in my official playtest report, along with a couple of other battles.

During Turn 1, both ships approached each other cautiously. The Nicozian CA launched two Skip Missiles and then followed them in.

Turn 2 saw the Nicozian CA and the Gorn BC go head to head. The Nicozian moved at Speed 16/Skip 32 and practically ran right up to the Gorn BC. The Nicozian fired its Subspace Augers, and launched another wave of Skip Missiles.

The Gorn BC launched its Plasmas and then fired its Phasers at the incoming Skip Missiles. The Gorn BC had no trouble destroying all the incoming Skip Missiles with its Phasers.

The Nicozian CA turned away after firing, drawing the Plasmas after it. The Nicozian CA fired its Phaser-Ps into the Plasmas and then ran away as fast as it could. The Plasmas could not catch the quick Nicozian CA and ran out of energy after moving 25 Hexes.

During Turns 3 and 4, the Gorn BC ran away from the Nicozian while recharging its Plasmas. The Nicozian CA gave chase. The Nicozian CA fired its Subspace Augers and Phaser-Ps into the Gorn BC's Rear Shield and launched another wave of Skip Warp Missiles. The Gorn BC returned fire with its rear-firing PH-1s, but only scored marginal damage on the Nicozian's Front Shield.

Turn 5 was the deciding turn. The Gorn's Plasmas were recharged, but this resulted in slowing the Gorn BC down. The Gorn BC slowly turned around to bring its Plasmas to bear on the Nicozian CA.

The Nicozian CA, moving at Speed 16/Skip 32, easily got behind the Gorn BC and destroyed its #4 Shield with its Phaser-Ps, scoring decent Internals. The Nicozian CA then turned, fired its other Phaser-Ps (hitting Shield #3) and used its quick Skip Movement to get away from the Gorn BC before it could fully turn around. The Gorn BC did manage to Plasma Bolt one Plasma-S before the Nicozian CA could get away, scoring 15 points of damage. The Gorn BC also fired a few of its Phasers at the Nicozian CA before they were destroyed by the Internals caused by the Nicozian rear strike.

The Gorn BC turned to keep its Down #4 Shield away from the Nicozian. Two Skip Warp Missiles were approaching and the Gorn BC could fire three PH-1s at them from its current position. Although two PH-1s scored 8 points of damage and the other PH-1 scored 4 points of damage, these two Skip Warp Missiles were Modular Anti-Shield Missiles requiring 9 points to destroy! Both Anti-Shield Missiles hit the Gorn BC and completely destroyed the Gorn's #3 Shield. The Gorn BC was now missing its #4 Shield and its #3 Shield.

With two Shields missing, it was an easy task for the Nicozian CA to take its time, circle the Gorn BC and fire its Subspace Augers through the Down Shields causing Triple Internals. The Nicozian CA still had a large Skip Missile compliment, which made things even worse for the wounded Gorn BC. The Gorn BC tried to Plasma Bolt and fire its Phasers when it could, but in the end, it was Overwhelmed by the Nicozian CA.

This battle reinforced some disturbing suspicions we had about the Nicozians.

Please see the Notes/Suggestions/Conclusions section at the bottom.


NICOZIAN CA

(BPV 160 (Ship BPV 140 + BPV 20 Missiles) with the following breakdown:
* 12 Speed 10/Skip 20 Missiles (24x.5=+12 BPV)
* 8 Speed 20/Skip 40 Missiles (8x1=+8 BPV) RESTRICTED
* 4 of the Speed 10 Missiles are Modular Anti-Shield Warheads that do 8 points of shield damage but take 9 total points to destroy RESTRICTED.
* 4 of the Speed 10 Missiles are Modular Explosive Warheads that do 4 points of damage but take 9 total points to destroy RESTRICTED.
* Only 50% of the 32 Missiles are RESTRICTED.
* No Warp Field Distortion Mines)

vs GORN CA (BPV 160) DUEL #1:

* Note that this Duel uses the new Skip-Warp Missile Rule that allows a Skip-Warp Missile to move at regular speed at Range 1 from the target *


TURN 1

The Gorn BC is moving at medium speed. The Nicozian CA is moving at medium speed.

Gorn 0 ECM
Nicozian 0 ECM No Special Sensors

Nicozian launches 2 Skip Missiles (Speed 10/Skip 20)

TURN 2

The Gorn BC is moving fast. The Nicozian CA is moving very fast.

Gorn 0 ECM
Nicozian 0 ECM No Special Sensors

Both ships are approaching each other head on. They are 12 Hexes apart.

Nicozian launches 4 Skip Missiles (Speed 10/Skip 20)

Gorn launches 2 Plasma-S and 2 Plasma-F Torpedoes

Nicozian fires 4 Subspace Augers at Range 6. 13 points of damage are marked off Shield #1.

Nicozian fires 4 Phaser-Ps as 8 PH-3s at Plasma-S at Range 2. They score 24 points of damage which reduces the Plasma-S warhead by 12 points.

Gorn fires 3 PH-1s and 1 PH-3 at 3 Skip Missiles at Range 3. All 3 Skip Missiles are destroyed.

Nicozian fires 4 Phaser-Ps as 8 PH-3s at Plasma-S at Range 1. They score 28 points of damage which reduces the warhead by 14 points.

Gorn fires 5 PH-1s and 1 PH-3 at 3 Skip Missiles at Range 1. *2 of the Skip Missiles require 9 points to destroy!*. The Gorn player rolls well and all 3 Skip Missiles are destroyed.

The Plasma Torpedoes could not catch the Nicozian! The Plasmas were moving speed 32 and the Nicozian was moving Speed 16/Skip 32. The Plasmas dissipate after moving 25 Hexes!

At this point in the Duel, the Gorn BC has taken 13 points of damage to Shield #1.

TURN 3

The Gorn BC is running away to recharge his plasmas. The Nicozian CA is turning widely to pursue. They are 20 Hexes apart.

The Gorn BC is moving fast. The Nicozian CA is moving very fast.

Gorn 0 ECM
Nicozian 0 ECM No Special Sensors

The Gorn BC is running away. The Nicozian CA is following directly behind him, slowly gaining distance with his Skip Movement. They are 15 Hexes apart at this point in the turn.

Nicozian launches 4 Skip Missiles (Speed 10/Skip 20)

TURN 4

The Gorn BC is running away to recharge its plasmas. The Nicozian CA is chasing him. They are 12 Hexes apart.

There are also 4 Skip Missiles (Speed 10/Skip 20) that are 14 Hexes from the Gorn BC.

The Gorn BC is moving very fast. The Nicozian CA is moving very fast.

Gorn 0 ECM
Nicozian 0 ECM No Special Sensors

Nicozian fires 4 Subspace Augers at Range 8. 15 points of damage are marked off Shield #4.

Nicozian fires 4 Phaser-Ps as 4 PH-2s at Range 8. 4 points of damage are marked off Shield #4.

Gorn fires 6 PH-1s at Range 8. 9 points of damage are marked off Shield #1.

Nicozian launches 2 Skip Missiles (Speed 10/Skip 20)

At this point in the Duel, the Gorn BC has taken 13 points of damage to Shield #1 and 19 points of damage to Shield #4.

The Nicozian CA has taken 9 points of damage to Shield #1.

TURN 5

The Gorn BC is facing Direction C. The Nicozian CA is facing Direction C. They are 8 Hexes apart.

There are 2 Skip Missiles (Speed 10/Skip 20) that are 8 Hexes away from the Gorn BC.

There are 4 Skip Missiles (Speed 10/Skip 20) that are 22 Hexes from the Gorn BC.

Gorn 0 ECM
Nicozian 0 ECM No Special Sensors

The Gorn is moving slow. The Nicozian is moving very fast.

The Gorn's plasmas are now rearmed. The Gorn BC is slowly turning around.

The Nicozian CA, moving at Skip 16/Speed 32, is able to get behind the slow moving Gorn BC, getting a shot at his rear shield.

Nicozian fires 4 Phaser-Ps as 8 PH-3s at Range 2. After subtracting reinforcement, 21 points of damage are marked off Shield #4. Shield #4 collapses. The Gorn BC takes 16 Internals.

The Gorn BC loses 2 Warp Engines, 2 PH-3s, 1 PH-1, 1 Bridge, 1 Sensor, 1 Damage Control

Gorn fires 2 PH-1s and 2 PH-3s at Range 2. After subtracting reinforcement, 8 points of damage are marked off Shield #6.

Nicozian fires 4 Phaser-Ps as 4 PH-2s at Range 3. 12 points of damage are marked off Shield #3.

Gorn fires 1 Plasma-S as a Plasma Bolt at Range 3. 15 points of damage are marked off Shield #5.

The Nicozian CA quickly moves away and gains some distance from the Gorn BC. The Skip Missiles continue to close in on the Gorn BC.

The Gorn BC is turning to keep its down #4 Shield away from the Nicozian CA.

Gorn fires 3 PH-1s at Range 2 at 2 Skip Missiles. 2 PH-1s score 8 damage points to one Skip Missile. 1 PH-1 score 4 damage points to the other Skip Missile. Both Skip Missiles require 9 points to destroy! They both continue to their target.

2 Modular Anti-Shield Skip Missiles (8 points of damage each, 9 points to destroy each) impact the Gorn BC. 16 points of damage is applied to Shield #3. Shield #3 does not have this many boxes and collapses. No Internals are scored.

The Nicozian CA uses its speed to avoid the left side firing arcs of the Gorn's Plasma Torpedoes, so they cannot Plasma Bolt.

TURN 6 AND ON

The Gorn BC is missing Shield #3 and Shield #4. The Gorn's Shield #1 is damaged.

It is easy for the Nicozian CA to use its speed (Speed 16/Skip 32) to gain the angle to fire through the Down Shields. The Subspace Augers will score Triple Internals through the Down Shields.

The Nicozian still has plenty of Skip Missiles, including 2 Modular Explosive Missiles that do 4 points of damage and take 9 points to destroy.

The Nicozian CA takes its time circling the Gorn BC and wearing it down. The Gorn BC tries to fight back by firing Plasma Bolts and Phasers, but it has lost power, weapons, and has 2 Down Shields. Eventually, the Gorn BC is overwhelmed by the Nicozian CA.

The Nicozian CA is Victorious!


Captain Bates of the Nicozian CA-Motel states, "We have a Vacancy...."


NOTES/SUGGESTIONS/CONCLUSIONS

1) The Nicozian CA can easily outrun Plasmas. This could be a serious balancing issue. With its Skip Warp Movement, the Nicozian can afford to move at Speed 16/Skip 32 and still have power to spare. Other ships moving at Speed 32 will be limited in their other systems. It seems, at least from this Playtest Duel, that the Nicozian is not so limited while moving at top speed.

2) Mixing the Modular Anti-Shield Warheads and the Modular Explosive Warheads into the Skip Missile Arsenal makes the Nicozian attack quite Deadly. The Modular Warheads will take 9 points to destroy!

3) We had a question for SPP. This came up in our group discussion when sorting out the BPVs. The Speed 20/Skip 40 Missiles are Restricted Items. The Modular Warheads are Restricted Items. Can these be Combined? If yes, then how much is the total BPV for a Modular Anti-Shield/Explosive Speed 20/Skip 40 Missile? Whatever the answer, we recommend that this be clarified in the Nicozian's Rules.

4) The Nicozian CA did not even need its Special Sensors to win this Playtest Duel.

5) The Nicozian CA did not rely on or use its Nimble Ship Bonus for long range fighting. It did not need it to win this Playtest Duel.

6) Plasma ships are going to have a VERY hard time trying to hit the Nicozian CA with their Plasmas. The only solutions we could think of were to use the Plasma Bolt for direct-fire or possibly SABOT if it is available. Speed 32 Plasmas will not catch a Nicozian moving at Speed 16/Skip 32 and they will run out of energy.

7) As previously predicted, the Nicozian Skip Warp Movement might be TOO much of an advantage. It has forced a Federation CA to fight with Proximity Photons and now it has forced a Gorn BC to only Plasma Bolt. While extremely fun to play, the Nicozian Skip Warp Movement might be too unbalancing. Who is going to want to play against an enemy ship with this tremendous advantage? Of course, further playtesting is required.

8) A ship that slows down (due to launching a Wild Weasel, to limited Power because of weapon arming, or whatever other reason) is extremely vulnerable to the Nicozian's quick skip movement.

9) The Subspace Auger Triple Internal damage might be too excessive. If an enemy ship has even one Down Shield against a Nicozian, there is a great chance the Nicozian will now win the battle because of the Triple Internal aspect of the Subspace Augers. If an enemy ship has more than one Down Shield against the Nicozian, the battle is pretty much over. But is this correct? Is this balanced? Other empires can continue to fight, and even win sometimes, with one or two Down Shields. Why is this not true against the Nicozian? At this point, we are considering recommending that the Subspace Auger score Double Internal Damage instead of Triple Internal Damage. This may give the opponent with a Down Shield at least a chance for survival or victory against the Nicozian.

10) The Nicozian Playtest Duel Results are a bit disturbing at this point:

Federation CA vs Nicozian CA #1: Nicozian Won
Federation CA vs Nicozian CA #2: Nicozian Won
Gorn BC vs Nicozian CA #1: Nicozian Won

There seems to be a trend of imbalance that is appearing...

11) The Playtest Duels Results and each individual battle have raised some serious questions about the Balance of the Nicozians:

A) Can the Nicozians only be beaten on a Closed Map? How will this affect Tournament play in the future? Even on a Closed Map, the Nicozian can still use its quick Skip Movement to great advantage.

B) Are the Nicozians invulnerable (when played a certain way) on an Open Map? Is there any Empire out there than can defeat a Nicozian on an Open Map?

C) Is the Only Way to defeat the Nicozian with Overwhelming Numbers of Drones moving at High Speeds? In theory this would work, but this still remains to be playtested and proven. Even if this is true, SHOULD it be true as the Only Way?

D) The Nicozian might have too many advantages which are too powerful/imbalancing. Not only does the Nicozian have its Skip Warp Movement (which is already a great advantage), but it has Triple Internal Damage Subspace Augers, Collapsium Armor that completely blocks low damage hits, Skip Warp Missiles that can take up to 9 points to destroy (!), Warp-Field Distortion Mines for Plasma/Drone Defense, and Special Sensors (that provide a variety of advantages, including Double ECM if the Nicozian does not fire). Are all these Nicozian Advantages Too Much?

12) The Nicozians are extremely fun to play. They have a very unique flavor to them and lots of cool toys to play with. But Playtesting is about Balance. Who is going to want to play against a Nicozian knowing they will have little to no chance of winning? Will the argument then turn into playing on a Closed Map vs an Open Map just so the opposing player can have a chance against the Nicozian? This is not how it should be. Other empires should have an equal chance of beating the Nicozian whether on an Open Map or Closed Map.

13) If the Nicozian can easily defeat a Gorn, how will it fair against other Plasma Empires, such as the Romulans or ISC? Will the results be the same? Will the ISC have a better chance because of their PPD?

14) The lack of Shuttles on the Nicozians is a bit limiting on their playability. We understand this was necessary because of their background and racial concept. But consider the total tactical options available to the Nicozian player. They are reduced simply by the fact the Nicozian has no Shuttles. The Nicozian can never launch a Wild Weasel or Suicide Shuttle. Imagine a Scatterpack with Skip Warp Missiles. Or perhaps Fighters that carry Skip Warp Missiles. Imagine a Fighter that can drop a Warp Field Distortion Mine. We will never see a Nicozian Carrier. Sure it matches their background, but at the same time, it limits the racial potential of the Nicozians. Should this be so? Or are the Nicozians cool enough they deserve this added game aspect?

15) We tried to brainstorm on ways to "fix" the Nicozians (based on our opinion that they have too many advantages):

A) Skip Warp - Not sure what to do with this. You either move two hexes at a time or one hex at a time. We feel there needs to be some kind of limitation on this ability, but we are not sure how to limit it. The Nicozians should be able to move Speed 32 like every one else. Just not so easily. Maybe increase the power cost to use their Skip Warp?

B) Skip Missiles - The regular Skip Missiles seem fine (at 5 points to destroy). The Modular Skip Missiles might be too strong at 9 points to destroy. We like how the missiles are tactically required to knock down a shield to make the ship vulnerable to Subspace Augers.

C) Subspace Augers - Triple Internal Damage might be too much. We might recommend Double Internal Damage instead, but further playtesting is still required.

D) Warp Field Distortion Mines - Haven't used them enough to comment on them.

E) Collapsium Armor - This seems fine so far. It gives the Nicozian an advantage at long range, which is perhaps where they should usually be. Also, the Nicozian CA does not seem to have too many Collapsium boxes, so it is not too great an advantage (so far).

F) Special Sensors - They seem fine because of the Blinding Rules. Otherwise, the Double ECM might be too imbalancing. The Blinding Rules force the Nicozian player to either use the Special Sensors or don't use them. So they become a type of defensive ability for getting away, which is fine for balance.

G) Phaser-P - These seem fine as is. The energy cost is fine and their damage output (both as PH-2s and as PH-3s) does not seem excessive. The Phaser-Ps force the Nicozian to get close to the enemy, which is an interesting tactical twist for a ship that is built to fight at long range.

H) Nicozian Nimble Ship Benefits - Seems fine as is. It makes sense for their background and helps the Nicozian fight at long range. Does not seem too imbalancing.

So the Playtest Results so far seem to indicate that the Nicozian is imbalanced (in our opinion), but we are a bit unsure how to correct it. Hopefully, further playtesting and discussion which yield new insights into the Nicozians.

By Michael Grafton (Mike_Grafton) on Tuesday, January 14, 2014 - 11:15 pm: Edit

1) Gorn probably needs to be able to Sabot his plasmas.

2) Gorn probably SHOULDN'T shoot "one hundert points of plazzma" at an opponent that can move that fast, unless they KNOW it'll hit.

3) Why did the Nico even shoot at the Plasma?

4) Did the Gorn consider just sucking up the damage from the DF, phasering the drones and closing until he could mug the Nico in a corner?

By Norman Dizon (Normandizon) on Wednesday, January 15, 2014 - 01:41 am: Edit

Hi Mike. We appreciate all your suggestions. I can try to answer your questions as best as I can.

1) The Gorn BC does not have a Sabot refit. But we agree that using the Sabot is one solution to counter the fast moving Nicozian. The other solution being to Plasma Bolt.

2) Yes, perhaps the Plasmas might have been more effective if they were not all fired at once. We suspect that the speed of the Nicozian would have enabled it to evade Plasmas launched on any turn and in any combination, but that is only an unproven theory.

3) It is easy to look back on a battle and pick out something that shouldn't have been done. But when you are in the middle of the action, and emotions are running high, it can be quite different. Since the Nicozian was turning (and moving quite fast), I believe that the Nicozian player (who was not me) was unsure if he would be able to evade the Plasmas (due to his high Turn Mode). The Nicozian is still new to some of my players and the Skip Movement does take some getting used to. Especially with 100 points of Plasma coming at you.

4) I am not sure what you mean by DF. Are you referring to the Subspace Augers or the Phaser-Ps? Anyway, we were playing the Nicozian on an Open Map. So there is no way to "mug the Nico in the corner."

This is one of our concerns, that a Closed Map is Necessary to beat the Nicozian, which should not be true (meaning the Nicozian should be able to be beaten both on an Open and Closed Map).

I am sure when we run another Playtest Duel with the Gorn, the Gorn player will try a different strategy against the Nicozian. We will see if it works.