Subtopic	Posts		Updated
	Archive through June 25, 2025	25		07/13 01:13pm
	Archive through August 31, 2025	25		09/01 04:51pm
	Archive through September 14, 2025	25		09/16 06:28am
	Archive through September 26, 2025	25		09/27 07:26pm
	Archive through October 05, 2025	25		10/06 11:36am
	Archive through October 13, 2025	25		10/13 09:17pm
	Archive through October 17, 2025	25		10/17 02:31pm
	Archive through November 01, 2025	25		11/09 11:39pm
	Archive through November 12, 2025	25		11/12 10:47pm
	Archive through November 14, 2025	25		11/16 04:29am
	Archive through November 18, 2025	25		11/18 08:56pm
	Archive through November 27, 2025	25		11/28 02:34pm
	Archive through December 04, 2025	25		12/04 08:23pm
	Archive through December 26, 2025	25		01/02 10:11pm

Stimp's RKE defeats Spartan's ISC in ten turns.

One of us will deliver the play-by-play, but I'll just mention the highlights (from my perspective). Stimp only really cloaked briefly late in the game, so his shields went quick. He really chased me strongly on Turn 3, both of us used reserve to accelerate. He was able to get to R3, used 12 to anchor me, launched 2xF, and then remarkably launched an S torp! Turns out he was holding a G, and used too much reserve to be able to upgrade to an R. So, with F's and phasers on a flank shield, I took like 18 internals, (3x phasers and a rear F), but the S hit after I was able to turn, so I survived the anchor pretty well. What really got me was a decision on Turn 7; I was holding/arming 3x WW, after having weaseled his 100 pt EPT on Turn 6. He had launched an F singleton, and I was moving speed 4 for the rest of the turn. But, I thought I could peg him with phasers on a weak/down shield by accelerating to speed 12, better than his speed 10. He landed the F on my weak #5 shield (which had taken the massive 10 pt collateral from the EPT), plus phasers, and then he followed that up with the other F bolt, which in combination took out all of my shuttles! So, it was only a matter of time at that point. I got off five PPD shots, but it was not enough! My maneuver was pretty good, except for the overly aggressive speed change. Stimpy's play was great, pushed that old Eagle hull to the limit. I could see Gorn's scales showing from time to time, the ole reptile only managed to find the cloak button once.

Congratulations to Captain Stimpy!
And Happy new Year to everyone!

By Daniel Bitseff (Cadet_Stimpy) on Sunday, December 28, 2025 - 03:46 am: Edit

Thanks Geof. Here's my write-up, hopefully somewhat accurate:

Cadet_Stimpy (TKE) over Spartan (ISC) in a bloody 10 turn brawl. Spartan made a tough RPS matchup very close (much closer than the final SSDs would indicate). My shields were obliterated & Geof was one good PPD shot from stripping my weapons bare. Luckily, it didn't line up & my 100 pt ept & follow up F-torp & phasers on Turn 10 were enough to seal it.

T1 - TKE came out with a 17/31/26 split (24 moves) with 8 pts reinf. across the #1 & #6. Tube A held as a G-torp, 1 ww ready. ISC did a 24/26 split(25 moves). TKE launches the R on impulse 17 (range 15ish) & ISC launches 2xG-torps on impulse 19, followed by PPD at range 12. TKE takes about 13 pts across 3 shields after reinf. (last pulse was at range 10). We both then run out plasmas, ISC shoots the R torp with 5xph-1 at range 3 imp 28.

T2 - ISC comes out speed 19, TKE is speed 31. ISC hits the R with a couple more ph-3s, TKE runs out the G's a bit & then fires a ph-3 at each & eats them for 6 pts total (both real, reinforced). ISC eats the R for what would have been 6 pts on a rear, but it is revealed as fake. TKE swings the boat around & ISC turns to meet up. ISC fires 6xph-1 at TKE at range 8 on imp 30, doing 18 to TKE #1 shield (ow!).

T3 - ISC is speed 26 to start, TKE is speed 31. ISC feels the heat from a fully loaded TKE driving towards them & launches torps B & D. TKE is undeterred & keeps coming in for the anchor, eats the torps on the #2 for 16 (torp B was fake). Both of us slow down, but TKE keeps speed up at 17 for the last half of the turn using 5 batts, hoping to get in range to use the 14 pts of tractor that was allocated. After herding the ISC into the corner, TKE launches 2xF-torp, needing to score something back on the ISC after the pain taken getting here. When ISC decelerates again, TKE gets to range 3 and tries for the tractor since we won't be getting any closer anyway. TKE lands the tractor for 12 pts at range 3! Unfortunately, there's only 1 batt. left, which is only enough to get tube A from a held G to an S-torp. ISC also turns out after eating the F's for 36 on the #3 (19 internals after a couple TKE phasers soften up the shield - Pl-F, couple ph-3s, sensor). A couple more ph-1s from the TKE do 8 more internals on ISC (Pl-F, ph-1, lwarp, battery, impulse).
ISC is then able to turn out & take the S on the fresh #4 on impulse 1 (no ints after phasers & reinf., but another down shield).

T4 - TKE is too close to the ISC in the corner now & seriously outgunned. TKE does not try to maintain tractor. TKE comes out at speed 26, ISC has to park, as they are nosed into the corner. Impulse 1, ISC hits the TKE weak #1 with a couple phasers which takes out 8 armor, and also launches an F from a destroyed tube, TKE hets away to run away from the remaining ISC phasers as well as the f-torp. TKE gets his #4 shot up on the way out, but does manage to run out the F-torp. ISC gets tacc'd around & up to speed 10 on impulse 10 & fires the ppd on the fleeing TKE, missing with 2 pulses on re-roll when range goes from 10 to 11.

T5 - TKE is 17 all turn and runs away, gets phasers & batts topped off. Should've repaired a box on the #1, but was too tired to think ahead. ISC got re-armed & back up to speed, took center of the map. We end the turn around range 13. ISC launches a G-torp (C) on impulse 32.

T6 - TKE parks, to get the R into arc. ISC is speed 19. I have to tac a down shield to the ISC's ppd to get the R in arc, and do so. But I block the 3 point pulse with 6 pts in general & get the EPT R launched. I then tac a better shield to the ppd using imp tac & take my last 2 armor boxes via splash pts & block the last splash pts on the #1 with general reinf. from batts. ISC emer decels & weasels away the 100 pointer, but takes 10 collateral on the #5 in the process. TKE also takes 11 points to the #6 from ISC phasers at range 8. TKE speeds up to 8, then down to 4, then fires 6xph-3 at the ISC G-torp, eats it for 5 on the #4. TKE then has an ill-advised speed change back up to 8 and ISC puts an EPT on the board from tube B. TKE has to ED late in the turn, but does avoid collateral with impulse 32 movement for the WW.

ISC is reparing like crazy & has both rear F-torps back now. TKE gets back a couple boxes on the #1.

T7 - ISC starts at speed 8, TKE is speed 0. After a couple tacs, TKE speeds up to 10, ISC slows down to speed 4. Imp 25 TKE launches an F-torp, imp 26 ISC speeds up to 12. TKE fires 4xph-1 range 3 on impulse 25, ISC returns fire at TKE & the F-torp. TKE takes 11 to the #6, which is all blocked via specific reinf. ISC takes 16 to the #5, bringing it to 0 after 2 reinf. A couple more phasers from the ISC get past the TKE reinf. & score 2 internals (hull, Plasma-F). ISC takes 12 internals from the TKE F-torp (ph-3, lwarp, 4 batteries, 2 shuttles). Then on imp 32, TKE fires the other F-torp as a bolt on the down shield, rolling "4" for 10 more in - rest of the shuttles gone, and pl-F again, and another Sensor, taking it to 5.

T8 - With ISC shuttles gone, I just need to survive to get the R-torp back online, right? But he is still very dangerous, with 5xph-1, both G torps, the PPD, and a rear F. My shields are not pretty (2/12/26/7/20/0), but I still have some options to fight out of.
We both come out at speed 0 (we are range 3). He rolls for lock-on for the 5 Sensor track & suceeds (he makes all of his lock-on rolls remainder of the game). He immediately launches his rear-F that just came online & I fire 3xph-3 at range 3 on his down facing shield, hitting for 1 int (ph-1). ISC tacs a fresh shield, and TKE begins cloaking out for the first time. During fade out, TKE has to WW the F-torp & takes 5 collateral on the #5. ISC starts moving in reverse for a bit then stops. TKE uses reserves to move reverse as well end of turn to stay at range 3.

T9 - ISC is speed 10 in reverse, TKE is speed 0. TKE starts coming out of cloak, ISC launches a 20 pointer from tube B, TKE weasels it. ISC launches a fake from tube C, which TKE phaser hoses. Then ISC launches a real from tube C, which TKE eats for 17 on the last happy shield. Near end of turn, PPD fires on TKE, tearing up last shields, but not getting inside. Imp 32, TKE manages to tac the R into arc and launches a 100 pt EPT.

T10 - EPT hits for 57 after getting phasered up, and shield repairs allowed Geof to have specific reinf. on each of the weak rears, so he only takes 6 internals! But in doing so, he is parked & used up most of his power. TKE has a tac plotted, then speed 10/8 to get to range 2 around the end of the turn. With a launched F-torp & phasers hitting the same shield on impulse 32, 28 internals render the ISC weaponless.

Good game Geof!

By Peter Bakija (Bakija) on Sunday, December 28, 2025 - 08:26 am: Edit

Excellent. Thanks for the write up!

Has a TKE ever won one of these things before?

By Jack Taylor (Jtaylor) on Sunday, December 28, 2025 - 10:49 am: Edit

The KE definitely hasn't won a Sapphire before; I am sure of that. I would have said it never would win a Sapphire.

Excellent job Stimpy! Better luck next time Geof!!

By Ted Fay (Catwhoeatsphoto) on Friday, January 02, 2026 - 10:11 pm: Edit

HOLY COW!

I would *NEVER* have thought the TKE could beat the ISC. And it won the whole tourney.

Geof. If you're not a fleet captain yet, you will be...

By Justin Royter (Metaldog) on Friday, January 02, 2026 - 10:47 pm: Edit

uhh LOL Dan won, NOT Geof, Ted.

By Ted Fay (Catwhoeatsphoto) on Sunday, January 04, 2026 - 01:55 pm: Edit

/me facepalm...