On the Federation having a drone G rack, I do not think it is needed. I do think the Romulan KE could use one extra phaser-1, and make it a 360%. The current Andromedan, you could give it a 10 point energy module.

By Gregg Henry (Labyr) on Sunday, August 11, 2019 - 12:42 am: Edit

I have a deep and abiding love for the Archeo-Tholian. I love their lore, I love their looks but for the life of me I can not figure out how to win consistently with them.

I think I am at least average with most disruptor ships, at least in my local group. With the Klingon or the Black Shark I advance behind my drones, I use the drones to tie up my opponents phasers so I can make winning trades with them. When I fly the Lyran I try to use the threat of the ESG to keep my opponent at a distance and send a lot of disruptors down range. These tactics need to be tailored to the ship and the person flying them, they don't always work but they seem like a good starting point.

Two or three years ago when I began flying the Tholian I would almost exclusively cast web. My opponents were very skittish around it, I don't think I saw one dive into it for months on end. It made them very easy to position. I would try and make passes on their 3 or 5 shields, outside of their FA weapons. I couldn't win quickly but I could win over the course of a few turns.

Over time my opponents got a better understanding of the web caster. They began flying around the web better and were more willing to HET for a good shot. I began having to trade FA volleys against Feds and Klingons. The Archy has a decent punch but loses its good phasers really quick if you can't make the trade in the RX arc. Also being an especially power hungry war cruiser means any power loss is a serious complication.

Can the Archy compete on an even field with the other tournament ships or is it a sad puppy like the LDR and the Romulan TKE?

By Gregory S Flusche (Vandor) on Sunday, August 11, 2019 - 04:49 pm: Edit

Even the TKE can win. I have done so against some good players. I have lost far more then I have won.

The web is used to force the other ship into a more disadvantaged position. To protect the Tholian from seeking weapons. A fire break and to some times catch a ship. The Archeo is a good phaser boat with Disrupters added. Is fast until you need to rearm. Not charging the Disr and running away recharging phasers and using web to hide behind to then reset for you next battle pass.

By Jack Taylor (Jtaylor) on Sunday, February 02, 2020 - 07:16 pm: Edit

I have played the Aux a few times now using (HPBD, HFDD, and HHBB) trying to find a package that I thought was winnable in the Sapphire tourney.

I played against a Kzinti, Hydran, and ATC and pretty much got my butt beat. In my life I have played and beat the Aux a bunch of times but never really flown it myself much. I think the Aux is a decent ship some of the time but I guess I am thinking there are some matchups where it might be nearly impossible to win. Some of those ships are pretty common too.

Right now, I can't imagine the Aux winning 4 in a row and winning a tournament all players being equal. The ship draw would have to be very favorable. Maybe some horrible dice would help Maybe through some herculean effort? I doubt it. What do you think?

By Andy Koch (Droid) on Monday, February 03, 2020 - 02:44 pm: Edit

HBgD or HBDg or 11G1. Especially 11g1...
These are proven packages that are less dice and matchup dependent.

By Peter Bakija (Bakija) on Tuesday, February 04, 2020 - 08:43 pm: Edit

The WAX is incredibly strong; the packages that Andy suggests (HbgD [Hellbore, b-drone rack, gatling, Disruptor] or 11g1 [P1, P1, gatling, P1]) have a very solid track record. What makes the WAX good most of the time is the ability to move speed 31 all the time, still have, like, 6-10 power for reinforcement or tractors, and then even when it is on a reload turn, it can run you over with 4+ drone racks and a gatling enhanced phaser run.

-Always have a gatling.

-Avoid too many expensive to arm torps.

-A Hellbore is always good to have, but two is probably too many.

-A side disruptor is good for rear arc defense off of batteries, takes a hit, and gets repaired instantly for 4 points.

The Orion tends to be murder on the WAX; Tholians can be rough, until you realize that you can beat the Tholian while moving at speed 11 all the time (so you can't break down in the web) and having 20 power in general reinforcement most of the time.

Big plasma *can* be rough, but if you just move speed 31 all the time, and avoid situations where you just turned towards the plasma ships so it can dump 100 points of plasma at you that you can't avoid unless you decel and stop to weasel, you can do just fine.

By Jack Taylor (Jtaylor) on Tuesday, February 04, 2020 - 10:53 pm: Edit

Thanks for your thoughts guys. I signed up as a Gorn this time and will keep on practicing the Aux. Maybe next time I will be brave enough for it!

By Peter Bakija (Bakija) on Wednesday, February 05, 2020 - 07:51 am: Edit

There is a Victory article in one of the relatively recent Captain's Logs (i.e. the last 10 years) that has Paul Scott winning a big tournament (maybe one of the online ones) with the 11g1 WAX. Steve McCann certainly has won numerous tournaments in the 11g1 WAX. The HbgD WAX does reliably well (I won the online Masters tournament with it, defeating an Archeo Tholian one time, but that event was "take the ship you just beat for the next round")

Like, the WAX has flaws; it can't HET and it can't speed up if it stops, both of which are problematic. But it has way too much power, at least 4 drone racks, takes damage very well, and can just move speed 31 all the time.

Use drones to make up for bad maneuverability and a low power weapons package so that it always has 6-10 power floating around for reinforcement and/or tractors.

By Ted Fay (Catwhoeatsphoto) on Wednesday, February 05, 2020 - 09:29 am: Edit

The WAX can be inconsistent.

You know. WAX on.... WAX off.

By Ginger McMurray (Gingermcmurray) on Wednesday, February 05, 2020 - 12:25 pm: Edit

How well do WYN tournament tactics translate to patrol scenarios?

By Peter Bakija (Bakija) on Wednesday, February 05, 2020 - 01:27 pm: Edit

Not necessarily well? The tournament game has a very fixed set of rules and a very narrow set of variables.

I mean, like, general concepts are the same (depending on the ship, say, and general opponent), but that the tournament game uses a fixed map, very specific opposing ships, specifically limited seeking weapon options, etc., means that most of the specific tournament discussion about the various tournament cruisers mostly apply to the tournament setting.

Like, in a historically based scenario, the WYN will generally be in some random array of janky freighters and up-gunned frigates, and their opponents will be under the WYN Radiation Zone rules, unless they are using the WYN Fish Ships outside of the radiation zone. In the tournament, the WYN Aux is just another ship that has strengths and weaknesses in the context of the tournament.

By Alan Trevor (Thyrm) on Wednesday, February 05, 2020 - 01:42 pm: Edit

Peter beat me to it. But to expand on what he said, a "patrol scenario" might also use the EW rules and/or other optional rules like Critical Hits or "leaky" shields. It might be a fleet battle rather than a duel between two ships. There might be PFs and fighters (not just a handful of Stingers, but entire squadrons) involved, as well as terrain. All of these have to be considered in determining what tactics are appropriate.

By Ginger McMurray (Gingermcmurray) on Wednesday, February 05, 2020 - 01:46 pm: Edit

Thanks!

By Richard Eitzen (Rbeitzen) on Wednesday, February 05, 2020 - 01:52 pm: Edit

I don't think EW falls under the general umbrella of optional rules.

By Alan Trevor (Thyrm) on Wednesday, February 05, 2020 - 02:22 pm: Edit

Richard,

I'll have to wait to check my books until I get home. But I think EW is an optional rule.

By Alan Trevor (Thyrm) on Wednesday, February 05, 2020 - 02:54 pm: Edit

Actually, as I think about it, I think Richard Eitzen may be right and I may have been wrong. I think EW may be an "Advanced" rule rather than an "Optional" rule.

By Ginger McMurray (Gingermcmurray) on Wednesday, February 05, 2020 - 03:24 pm: Edit

It's not technically "optional" but so many people ignore it that it might as well be.

By Richard Eitzen (Rbeitzen) on Wednesday, February 05, 2020 - 04:55 pm: Edit

That's somewhat anecdotal I think; I had a group of over 30 players once upon a time and we did use it.

It's not used in tournament play which might be why people think that.

By Alan Trevor (Thyrm) on Wednesday, February 05, 2020 - 05:04 pm: Edit

Back when I was in the Air Force, I had to move every few years and so ended up playing with several different groups that preferred different combinations of rules. Some of the groups I played with used EW, some didn't.

Still anecdotal. But at some point you get enough anecdotes that it becomes data...

By Ginger McMurray (Gingermcmurray) on Wednesday, February 05, 2020 - 05:24 pm: Edit

We used it all the time back in the day, roo. The group I'm playing with now seems split between people who don't want it and people who are fine either way.

I prefer the extra layer of tactics it adds, but it definitely slows things down. Not directly, mind you. The rules for it aren't cumbersome. It's the slower speeds and fewer hits generated that make games last longer. It also adds a tiny bit of overhead in any situation where you're getting close to a firing decision and bother sides haven't already gone full ECCM since you have to contemplate battery usage.

By Peter Bakija (Bakija) on Wednesday, February 05, 2020 - 06:15 pm: Edit

(D6.3) Electronic Warfare is listed as listed as "some elements are Commander's Level" (which are the "use power for EW").

I think EW is generally regarded as "optional" in the sense that a lot of people opt not to use powered EW a lot of the time. But it is not technically an Optional rule, like, say, Leaky Shields and Critical Hits.

By Eddie E Crutchfield (Librarian101) on Wednesday, February 05, 2020 - 08:03 pm: Edit

Have never played without it.

By Andy Koch (Droid) on Thursday, February 06, 2020 - 01:07 pm: Edit

Yeah.. it's no Narrow Salvo...

By Ginger McMurray (Gingermcmurray) on Thursday, February 06, 2020 - 01:39 pm: Edit

Narrow salvo I'm usually fine with, though I understand why it doesn't work well in a tournament setting. In a standard game you sometimes need it to punch through reinforcement and do some damage, especially if ECM is in play and you've got a shift.

Well, maybe not "need." There's always luck to fall back on when statistics fails.

By Graham Cridland (Grahamcridland) on Thursday, October 15, 2020 - 04:08 am: Edit

I played a Klingon v. ISC battle today which was interesting, and which I won by arriving at Range 0 almost by accident and dealing something like 100 damage over two impulses. My first-ever flight against the ISC. One of only a few games I've played in the Klingon.

That's not why I'm here. I'm here because I got roundly outflown on Turn One, and I have no idea what the Klingon (or any D&D ship) is supposed to do apart from some very good advice Neonpico gave me in the lobby before the game.

I used my "usual" Klingon allocation: 12 (1-17) 24 EOT for 18 moves, 1 tractor for the SP, OLs. I think this is probably just wrong, but I hate not arming OLs as the Klingon, because if you aren't using the UIM, you should be flying the WBS.

On turn one, Lee Hanna outflew me in every possible way. He launched some plasma, I maneuvered to get R8, fired OLs, turned off, and ate the plasma anyway, firing at the fake torpedo. Okay, that was maybe avoidable. But the "good" alternative is either turning off early to avoid taking the torpedo at or near full, and not getting R8. Maybe I don't turn off and end the turn a little closer to the ISC so I get a second overload shot Turn 2.

But an overload shot on impulse 1 of turn 2 against a fresh shield, at R8, is... okay I guess. Maybe I'm being influenced by bad disruptor dice.

I saw that Paul Scott had standard disruptors on T1 against Kevin Block-Schwenk in 1999. https://www.sfbonline.com/ra99q4victory.htm

This was something Neonpico suggested too (trying to get R15 disruptor shots twice on the same shield).