Say, looking for some input on the D6D.
But let me back up a bit. I've flown F5 squadrons a handful of times. An F5L, F5D, and F5 really rock.
Forgive my ignorance, but I'm not sure of the D6 squadron setup.
Also, in reference to (S8.47) DRONE SHIPS, as long as you have 2 ships to to group with every drone ship, and a command ship with a rating of at least 9, you can run 3 drone ships. That's very cool.
I think I'd like to build a force with 2 drone ship and a carrier group. That would be really fun.
Anyway, D6s: any recommendations for a three D6 force? Or any 3 ship group for a D6D to operate in?

By Gregory S Flusche (Vandar) on Sunday, January 15, 2023 - 05:21 pm: Edit

I like a D7c,2D7 or D6. Then the D6D. The D6D has 6 drone racks. As well as the Special sensors. You could of course only use the D7C and a D7 or D6 with the D6D. That gives You a 3-ship group.

By Dal Downing (Rambler) on Sunday, January 15, 2023 - 05:59 pm: Edit

Joseph Jackson the difference is ships like the E4D, F5D, D5D and D7D are Drone Combat Variants intended for Squadron use AKA, F5C, F5D and F5 or D5C, D5D and D5 are common Combat Squadrons.

The D6D, with its Sensors and Cargo Spaced is actually a Drone Bombardment Unit and operates outside of a typical Fleet Structure or even Off Board. Is usually firing Ballistic Drones, into a designated Target.

Some times a D6D is slipped into a Force usually as the Scout unit, Sometime out of just dumb luck as a combat ship. This the reasoning for the limiting rules for D6D's deployment. When deployed with a Fleet it is add to just another Cruiser Squadron or operates with the Command Unit as a Scout. You can pick.

By Mike West (Mjwest) on Sunday, January 15, 2023 - 06:06 pm: Edit

Another side note for anyone interested in the Early Years: Module R4J Shadow of the Eagle gives the Romulans Early Years ships that don't suck. It postulates what the Romulans would have been like had they somehow obtains warp technology early. There are obviously ships from time periods after the Early Years, but many presented are from that time.

By Mike Erickson (Mike_Erickson) on Sunday, January 15, 2023 - 06:50 pm: Edit

As a 10 ship force how about:

CVT AD5 F5E
D6V AD6 F5E (could swap AD5 for AD6)
F5L F5 F5D
D6D

Quite a bit of flexibility in that force, and the capability to launch quite a few drones.

Or for a smaller game just try:

D6V AD6 F5E (could swap AD5 for AD6)
D6D

--Mike

By Ginger McMurray (Gingermcmurray) on Sunday, January 15, 2023 - 09:56 pm: Edit

Do you mean "a D6" or is there a ship called AD6?

By Richard Eitzen (Rbeitzen) on Sunday, January 15, 2023 - 10:12 pm: Edit

An AD6 is an escort variant of the D6.

By Alan Trevor (Thyrm) on Sunday, January 15, 2023 - 10:15 pm: Edit

The AD6 is a heavy carrier escort, based on the D6 hull. It is escorting the D6V carrier. (But why not use the superior D7V carrier?)

By Mike Erickson (Mike_Erickson) on Sunday, January 15, 2023 - 11:41 pm: Edit

I chose D6V since I'm a D6 fan. I like how much value the Klingons get out of the "old" platform, and the unusual position it holds as the Klingon "light cruiser".

--Mike

By Mike Erickson (Mike_Erickson) on Monday, January 16, 2023 - 01:42 am: Edit

(R3.76) AD6 ESCORT CRUISER is on page 45 of the Klingon MSB for those who want to read more about that ship.

--Mike

By Ginger McMurray (Gingermcmurray) on Monday, January 16, 2023 - 10:07 am: Edit

Thanks. I forgot the Klingons prefix their escorts instead of postfix like most others.

By Mike West (Mjwest) on Monday, January 16, 2023 - 10:17 am: Edit

The reason is because the "postfix" use of A is to designate an SFG. So and AD6 is an escort, but a D7A is a statis ship.

By Joseph Jackson (Bonneville) on Monday, January 16, 2023 - 01:15 pm: Edit

I have the same confusion in real life. Some people call me adult. But what they meant was: a dolt.
Either way, I'm a big fan of the D6 too.

By Jeff Anderson (Jga) on Monday, January 16, 2023 - 01:22 pm: Edit

If you're going for something not quite historical, perhaps you might consider the D6Y (R3.114). I flew her (once) against the Kzinti as a part of a mostly "Surface Action Group," where she provided a minimal fighter support.

In this case, I had her carry five Z-E fighters (R3.FA17). Between the ADD-4 on each fighter and the ADD racks on the mandatory escort, a great deal of Kzinti drone fire was neutralized.

(HOWEVER, I will agree that the D6Y was retired from service, or lost, before the Z-E fighter was introduced, so my use of that combo was DEFINITELY non-historical... )

By Shawn Gordon (Avrolancaster) on Monday, January 16, 2023 - 07:16 pm: Edit

I do not have F&E, have never played it, and do not know how it works.

There is a lot of content for it. I'm curious about how "complete" it is.

One of my favourite things about the world of SFB is its "historical" character. By this I mean being able to choose a year and a front, almost arbitrarily and being able to play a battle between an empire and its neighbours. The march of technology, the availability of new hulls and variants, all of this is fleshed out for a specific year in the history. We know exactly what ships and weapons everyone had in Y94, Y156, Y188, and Y200.

The SFB timeline isn't "complete" though. It is missing the pre-Y62 sublight era, and the X2 era. It is otherwise very fleshed out and very complete (for Alpha anyway).

How complete is F&E? Could you, for example, play any given war or just the general war? Could you do the Four Powers war? The Second Romulan War? The First Kzinti War?

By A David Merritt (Adm) on Monday, January 16, 2023 - 07:50 pm: Edit

It is, primarily a setup to play the General War, through to the ISC Pacification campaign. There are rules for the Four Powers War, beyond that, nothing. Some feel that the Four Powers War rules are an inadequate simplification of the General War era rules, some think they are good enough to just fine.

By Nick Samaras (Koogie) on Monday, January 16, 2023 - 08:11 pm: Edit

F&E is geared towards the General War. The Orders of Battle are set up for the historical alliances/enemies. If you want something more generic I would look at the old Commander's Editions order of battles using the F&E map and rules.

By Joseph Jackson (Bonneville) on Wednesday, January 18, 2023 - 10:35 pm: Edit

Mod R1, Rule (1.33) covers suicide freighters. Any thoughts on using them in a star base assault?

By Mike Grafton (Mike_Grafton) on Thursday, January 19, 2023 - 07:38 am: Edit

You need a pack of them or they are pretty useless.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Thursday, January 19, 2023 - 10:58 am: Edit

Suicide freighters actually exist specifically for starbase assaults, but as Mike says, you need several as the enemy knows what they are. You can confuse things with other freighters.

By Joseph Jackson (Bonneville) on Thursday, January 19, 2023 - 01:21 pm: Edit

What's the trade off ratio? How many warships don't get to show if you send in the freighters? Seems like a risky gamble.

By Douglas Lampert (Dlampert) on Thursday, January 19, 2023 - 01:51 pm: Edit

"Real" fleets aren't BPV limited, and IIRC suicide freighters do not count against command limits, so suicide freighters don't neccessarily cost any warships; it's likely to be warships alone or the same warships + a swarm of suicide freighters.

By Randy Green (Hollywood750) on Thursday, January 19, 2023 - 04:03 pm: Edit

I would think the BPV of the additional freighters is known and a like BPV would be added to the defending starbase forces, or will count as victory points.

By Gregory S Flusche (Vandar) on Thursday, January 19, 2023 - 06:26 pm: Edit

How much does one cost? looked thru my stuff and cannot find the R sections. If they do not cost any command limits. The SS Freighter or regular freighters. Would force the defender to fire on them. Other than your warships. A turn or two of Phaser IV on them and not your fleet Might be worth it.

By Joseph Jackson (Bonneville) on Thursday, January 19, 2023 - 11:53 pm: Edit

(S8.541) covers cargo ships and freighters in a fleet setting. Just to sum up, you're gonna trade freighters for warships. But if you're going up against a starbase and plan on loosing a few small ships anyway . . .
So that's something to consider.