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	Archive through August 20, 2026	25		08/22 12:42pm
	Archive through August 25, 2026	25		08/26 05:14pm
	Archive through September 03, 2026	25		09/03 06:39pm

Or they might be skiffs: a range of "civilian" unit types found in SFB Module R8.

Skiffs can be found across the Alpha Octant. But, in most of the Federation, their "service lives" were somewhat extended by the lack of domestic gunboat (and workboat) production.

In game terms, they would function somewhere between a (weak) gunboat and a (small) starship.

If so, perhaps formal skiff rules could be added to the next SFM rulebook?

By Simon Duggan (Gamegater) on Thursday, September 03, 2026 - 05:21 pm: Edit

@David, Bombers sounds interesting. So they would have Ground Bombardment Shuttles, as well as Bomber Planes?

I assume Bombers is in J2? Which unfortunately I don't have yet. Does it have a Federation Bomber SDD and Counter?

By A David Merritt (Adm) on Thursday, September 03, 2026 - 05:56 pm: Edit

Yes on both.

Andro RT is Rattler, DB is Diamondback, both are Andromedan Satellite ships used to carry troops.

By Simon Duggan (Gamegater) on Thursday, September 03, 2026 - 06:03 pm: Edit

AH! Ha! Thank you David, I will update my notes with that.

Guess I better put in an order for J2.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Thursday, September 03, 2026 - 06:39 pm: Edit

"Are you sure about that? Captain's Module K Fast Patrol Ships (R2.0) Federation PFs AND PFTs Page 22, shows 4 Thunderbolt PF SSD, Cargo PF, Ground Assault PF, Mine Warfare PF and FI-CON PF."

Ahem, those are conjectural.

By Simon Duggan (Gamegater) on Friday, September 04, 2026 - 04:46 pm: Edit

"You're going to love STAR FLEET MARINES: COUNTER-SUIT which should release next month."

Will this be released Digitally next month or just physically?

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Friday, September 04, 2026 - 05:18 pm: Edit

Just digitally.

By Simon Duggan (Gamegater) on Friday, September 04, 2026 - 05:24 pm: Edit

Great, thanks. Looking forward to it.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Friday, September 04, 2026 - 11:12 pm: Edit

Counter-action (third module expansion with 6 empires)
Counter-ambush (third module expansion with 6 empires)
Counter-assault (third module expansion with 6 empires)
Counter-offensive (third module expansion for more empires)
Counter-balance (trade and business)
Counter-weight (trade and tariffs)
Counter-bid (trade and business)
Counter-barrage (the towed artillery I want to add for 18 empires)
Counter-charge (horse cavalry)
Counter-culture (hippies)
Counter-effect (earthquake weapons)
Counter-suit (lawyers)
Counter-move, Counter-march (counters with art showing grav sled mobility to get Simon to be quite)
Counter-espionage (spies 1: six empires)
Counter-intelligence (spies 2: six more empires)
Counter-spy (spies 3: six more empires
Counter-Magic (forbidden ruin 1: six empires)
Counter-spell (forbidden ruin 2: six empires)
Counter-Curse (forbidden ruin 3: six empires)
Counter-productive (industrial infrastructure)
Counter-programming (signal corps)
Counter-tactic (higher headquarters functions)
Counter-operations (higher headquarters functions)
Counter-strategy (higher headquarters functions)

By Simon Duggan (Gamegater) on Saturday, September 05, 2026 - 08:07 am: Edit

Are you teasing us with future SFM module names?

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Saturday, September 05, 2026 - 11:09 am: Edit

Am I?

By Gary Carney (Nerroth) on Saturday, September 05, 2026 - 12:40 pm: Edit

To think otherwise might be a case of... Counter-Intuition.

But then, if some see things as going too far in a certain direction, they find themselves calling for... a Counter-Reformation.

(Ahem.)

Speaking of which: to go back to an earlier suggestion, I suppose at least one person inside the WYN Cluster would not hope for a Counter-Usurpation. (Although a Count would be involved in his own effort at Usurpation.)

Meanwhile, over in post-General War Romulan space, Rolandus could be said to have placed himself at the forefront of an attempt at Counter-Revolution.

-----

On a side note:

Have any Borak or Peladine counters been offered in SFM to date?

In the case of the Peladine: according to Module E4, most of their infantry squads are (or were) comprised of the raccoon-like Ranel species. However, the dolphin-like Phelen might show up as most of their vehicle crews; in special aquatic units; or equipped with armoured encounter suits as part of Peladine heavy weapons squads.

Indeed, even the Lyran Empire is rumoured to use a small number of Phelen special operatives (which they refer to dismissively as "Fishy Teams") for certain water-bound missions, loath as the Lyrans would be to make use of any subject species personnel otherwise.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Sunday, September 06, 2026 - 05:01 am: Edit

I would have to assume that logistics would prevent "fishy crews" from being used in land vehicles.

On the other hand, I have seen actual videos of Canadian raccoons setting up clay-more mines to defend the border with the US against invasion, so they should be kosher.

By Simon Duggan (Gamegater) on Monday, September 07, 2026 - 03:41 pm: Edit

I was told, "the image has no bearing on movement", so why would a fishy crew be logistically restricted to water only?

EG: ISC have a Dolphin Marine, one would assume restricted to water. But the above 'image has no bearing on movement' would mean the Dolphin is allowed on land and in land based vehicles.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Monday, September 07, 2026 - 06:25 pm: Edit

Does not follow. The image or kind of mobility unit isn’t relevant.

Compare a vehicle with a crew of three racoons to one with three dolphins. You would need a water capsule, environmental systems, and it would be bigger, easier to hit, harder to armor, slower, more expensive. Just not worth the bother. And what difference would it make in a game where a tank is a tank?

I could convert a Merkava to carry a couple of grizzlie bears in the back, but why would i?

By Simon Duggan (Gamegater) on Monday, September 07, 2026 - 07:02 pm: Edit

hummm, that was not the point I was making, but ok

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Monday, September 07, 2026 - 10:29 pm: Edit

Counter-charge (horse cavalry, including rules)

By Steve Stewart (Stevestewart) on Wednesday, September 09, 2026 - 07:02 am: Edit

Counter-factual - is any of the above true? :-)

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Wednesday, September 09, 2026 - 03:14 pm: Edit

COUNTER-BLOW: sailing ships on water planets.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Wednesday, September 09, 2026 - 03:15 pm: Edit

Most of it could happen, some of it will. I like horsies, being from Texas and all that. Every Texan owns a horse and several guns. You didn't know that?

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Wednesday, September 09, 2026 - 03:48 pm: Edit

I might comment that COUNTER-SUIT started as an in-house joke, the idea being to print a bunch of counters that said "lawyer" and "warrant" and "motion" and "court order" and never print rules. But I got to thinking and now have rules for a lawyer game that I will include in that package next week or the week after.

COUNTER-BLOW came to me this morning and my mind is turning over ways to handle small five-man sailboats or motor boats. Maybe COUNTER-WAVE and COUNTER-TIDE could be used to spin up all 18 empires. Maybe it will just get buried. I have more new ideas than time to do them, always have.

By Mike Erickson (Mike_Erickson) on Wednesday, September 09, 2026 - 03:55 pm: Edit

And, if things go badly, you may need to counter-flood!

--Mike

By Gary Carney (Nerroth) on Wednesday, September 09, 2026 - 10:07 pm: Edit

For what it's worth, it's noted in Module Y3 that the "Marine" battalions deployed by the Y-era ISC Navy and Police operated more akin to constabulary forces - and went so far as to include legal advocates in their embarked ranks.

Since the bulk of boarding actions in the Y-era ISC was against local "pre-Orion" pirates, this was to ensure that such procedures as maintaining chains of custody for key points of evidence, ensuring that the accused were properly processed, and suchlike were duly followed.

All so as to ensure that, once court proceedings were initiated, there would be no risk of cases being affected by legal technicalities, or by any lack of due diligence on the part of the prosecution.

While the "modern" ISC Navy would see its embarked squads operate more in a "regular" Marine capacity in the wake of First Contact with the Romulans and Gorns, perhaps the ISC Police continued to follow such procedures when campaigning against Orion Pirate activities.

Might certain other "space police" forces in the Alpha Octant, such as in Federation or Gorn space, operate under similar structures?

-----

Based on the historical data in Module E4 - which, to be fair, is still in "playtest" form - part of the reasoning behind the reported Phelen use of armoured vehicles in combat appears to be historical, and/or political, in nature.

Prior to the formation of the Peladine Republic, at a time when armed conflict between the Ranel and Phelen was an ongoing issue, the Phelen initially lacked any means of striking into the "interior" of Ranel-held territory.

To address this, the Phelen invented submersible tanks and other combat vehicles, by which they could emerge from beaches and river banks onto dry land. Eventually, the Ranel were able to capture and reverse-engineer this technology.

Later on, as both sides turned in earnest towards peaceful negotiation, both species strove to develop a spirit of equal co-operation - much as the five pre-ISC planets did so when founding the Inter-Stellar Concordium.

Thus, it could be that including Phelen-crewed armoured vehicles was intended to be seen as a "political" statement of joint service with the Ranel for mutual defence, rather than a merely utilitarian one.

Although, if the author of said module happens to be around, I would defer to her view on the matter...

-----

Indeed, the same could be said for the unified ISC Navy and Police.

While it might seem impractical for the Rovillians to be placed on equal terms with the four "dry land" species in non-aquatic Marine operations, the overarching political imperative to ensure equanimity among the five founding planets is nonetheless deemed to be of greater importance.

Although, in fairness, the Rovillians were demonstrably able to maintain Marine operations prior to the formation of the ISC, perhaps due to certain biological differences between them and the Phelen.