Tips and Tricks
Star Fleet Universe Discussion Board: Star Fleet Warlord: Warlord Tactics:
Tips and Tricks
by gene malin (Privateer) Friday, April 07, 2000 - 8:52 pm
Tell us your neat little tricks that help you win.
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by gene malin (Privateer) Monday, April 10, 2000 - 8:24 am
Ok, here is one of the more interesting tips. When moving a gate through a contested sector and you are outgunned or just want to stall the enemy advance, try finding a nice VP to run your gate into. Then by adding a few ships a turn to that gate you can completely stall an enemy advance. He cannot bypass without leaving a big problem behind his fleet and if he hits it odds are he will lose his ships doing it. Later you can leave a WGO there as you continue your offensive.
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by Donald Kelly Jernigan (Kelly) Monday, April 10, 2000 - 4:14 pm
And the first ships you bring into the VP are 2 scouts that you train up. You then get scan-ships and scan cloak every turn...kind of like a poor-mans base, but with a killer terrain defense.
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by gene malin (Privateer) Monday, April 10, 2000 - 10:07 pm
Kelly, I have never sent scouts in but that is a nifty Idea. My plan is strictly to mess up a long term assault against me. I will add your distinctiveness to my own, I am the borg.
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by Kirk D Petty (Zugzwang) Tuesday, April 11, 2000 - 10:18 am
Welcome Borg, I am Species 8472 and i can say that, because as our motto says "Even the Borg dont screw with us" Privateers could be a problem though! One of my favorite plans is a simple one, a scout/raider group punches across the border cloaked usually six hexes from the corner, death fleet is a few hexes behind, uncloak and scan, (possibly BOMB if SH has good stuff revealed), raiders run to a couple of sites, death fleet moves in with as many blips on the screen as possible, several victims simply dont have the stomach for a prolonged struggle and pull an Iraqi "mother of all surrenders" Now if they do resist ----- Hey how about some of you tell the rest of us about the composition of your assault gate group when the player has a Klingon heart and refuses to surrender
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by gene malin (Privateer) Wednesday, April 12, 2000 - 7:51 pm
My last assault group was in DH8 and consisted of 12500 AF with 12 BB, 32 CVA, 6 SCS AND 12 PF Tenders. It took 2 rounds to kill 17 ISC Heavy Cruisers and a Four thousand point base. As far as a small scout group crossing my border, One; I will see it with either a base or an SX scan and Two; If it gets to my space my Hunter Killer groups will destroy it. I use many cloaked decoys around my diagonals as a sosus line
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by Kirk D Petty (Zugzwang) Friday, April 14, 2000 - 12:40 am
My more specific question is : When approaching a resisting HO with an assualt
gate group how do you utilize the LOGB, FRDs
for maximum effect, in general ? I believe most
new players or second tier players arent aware of the proper logistic tool available to them in such an assualt
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by Donald Kelly Jernigan (Kelly) Friday, April 14, 2000 - 1:10 am
After 175 any assault group built at a WG should be REFT with the FRD for MAX speed. Anything less than a speed 5 force (that late in the game) gives too much time to let your target build defenses and ships. After the assault on the HO you then have all them speed 5 cruisers to capture the entire sector within 2 turns, then regroup for the next sector.
IMHO
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by gene malin (Privateer) Friday, April 14, 2000 - 9:06 am
Kirk, I never use FRDs to speak of, I consider them an albatross around ones neck that is worth 2 War cruiser carriers. The Logb needs to be dropped on the turn before you hit his HO. This needs to be done with a higher age repair ship. ( your initial build Slaver works very well here and should always be the first ship purchased)Then all ships below that one in age can immediately change to a strike mode, carrier, commando, etc. Your next turn should have reverse orders on so you will spend most of your EPs arming that fleet to its maximum capabilities. Then on pulse two hit the HO, pulse three move your repair ship with its legendary ace onto the site. At this point all your ships can then repair to wait for his counterstrike. On pulse four move your gate onto the site and now you are done. Stay in reverse orders one more turn and you can then use all that prospecting to build the next fleet and the base on the site HO just taken, then in the active orders phase refit your ships, and send them on their way, since the new batch will be on the site next turn.
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by Isidore J Baker IKE (Cloudmasters) Saturday, April 29, 2000 - 4:25 pm
Cloaked Andros
If you can get your satellite ships cloaked and thay stay linked thay will stay cloaked!
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by Isidore J Baker IKE (Cloudmasters) Sunday, January 07, 2001 - 7:53 pm
And never deal with Gene.
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by gene malin (Privateer) Sunday, January 07, 2001 - 10:12 pm
The last 18 games I have played, either me or my ally has won the game, so in the end it does pay to deal with me, it just doesn't pay to double deal with me, eh Ike?
I was just wondering if it is possible (especially in the early part of the game) to send messages to yourself? I have found that it is sometimes difficult to keep track of what i wanted to due given the lag time between turns. Any comments or suggestions?
John,
What I do is keep a notebook listing each ship
and what i plan to do with them the next few turns, and make general notes about the turns. Since we are sending turns in electronicly i know some who make turn notes on their order sheet for next turn. I prefer the notebook because i can plan for movement, prospecting etc. at last 3 or 4 turns in advance it might look like
Ship t1 t2 t3 t4 t5
OSLV 1 0510 0309 Prsp 1608 scanT31
Also in your notebook you can analyze subspace intercepts write down thoughts ideas things to look for etc
John,
You should always think a minimum of 4 turns ahead. Hence, this will keep you on track.
Any one out there. I have some war lord questions.? If you are listening I will ask. 8-))
We are listening.
We don't tend to be a very talkative bunch, but if you have questions, ask away. We'll try to help.
If your question is sensitive (ie. I'm about to invade my neighbor and ...) then you may email me at the link above.
We are listening.
We don't tend to be a very talkative bunch, but if you have questions, ask away. We'll try to help.
If your question is sensitive (ie. I'm about to invade my neighbor and ...) then you may email me at the link above.
In general. I have been playing SFW off and on for a few years. For some reason I can never out build or even match my opponents in building bases and fleets, I have my ships doing every thing they can. Yet by the time I move into an oponents map (computer or other) I am facing fleets many times my size. Ex: I had a rather powerful mixed fleet of Fed Gorn hyd ships. 1 dn the rest Ca, Cl & DD With a back up group. I moved into a system had a battle. destroyed each other. I moved in with back up fleet and guess what A brand new Star base. In one turn. and we are on like the 8th over all turn. How do you fight that. At that time I could only afford a BAT at my home planet. Any sugestions.
It has been my experience that SFW is about: Economics 1st, Diplomacy 2nd, and Strategy & Tactics 3rd. While all three elements effect every turn, and are interconnected, the gathering and efficient use of EP’s is paramount.
#1 Economics: Prospect, use the extra revenue to buy more prospecting ships, and keep prospecting. I buy lots of small ships whose only goal is to prospect every other turn. A 50ep C-SQ can prospect 20 times it’s cost over the course of a game. By the end of turn 8 in DH22 I had prospected for a total of 2583eps. By the end of turn 7 in G77 I had earned a total of 2020eps from prospecting. Prospecting income can be used as soon as it’s generated, spend it. be thinking about how to maximize your income.
#2 Diplomacy: Make contact with some of your other neighbors, make deals, creating uncontested sectors in which to prospect? (see #1 above). Make contact with other players on the far side of your target, perhaps they can be induced to expand in such a way as to create economic pressure on your target.
#3 Strategy & Tactics: Deny income to your target (see #1 above). Break the sector bonus ASAP. Use cloaked raiders, to deny site income. Kill enemy prospectors.
This is all pretty basic stuff, but from the sound of things it sounds like your target is winning on the economic front, so that is where you should focus.
Hi Ken,
As an interested vet, do you train the crew to level 5 before prospecting? I know this and Y varients yield more when prospecting. I've assumed that this is worth doing for the long run.
Why do you concentrate on prospecting every other turn? Does great income vs lean income every other turn make such a difference?
Just curious!
John
John,
I guess I wasn't clear, each ship prospects every other turn (ie as often as possible), with the pattern: move, prsp, move, prsp, move, prsp...., but with enough ships some will be on an even cycle, some on a an odd cycle, it tends to even out.
I usually do not train all of my prospectors, but I do train some of them (these, I try to aim at high value targets). I tend to go for lots of prospectors. (quantity over quality). On the other hand I do like to build A-OGS and just drop them off in terrain clusters (NE, SC, DC) where they can spend most of the rest of the game.
I also use a significant portion of my initial build on generic Wyn ships, Some of these get trained, put into "Y" mission, and maybe with an officer get sent into High value terrain, like NF. GP, etc
My most recent initial build for D25 was:
1. PS C WG:
2. PS C WG:
3. PS O SLV :
4. PS F POL:
5. PS W AC:
6. PS W OLR:
7. PS W ODR:
8. PS W ACV:
9. PS W ACC
10. PS T TK5:
As you can see up to 60% can be dedicated prospectors after they capture my home sector (this assumes the O-SLV will be a scout, and the T-TK5 is a monster killer), more scouts can be bought on turn two and as needed. With 5 generics (all immune to crew draining effects) I have lots of flexibility.
So, you are saying that it just worked out that you prosp every other turn?
For me, it is when ever a ship can get to the prospectable terrain (not planned). In some games, it just works out that I have a lot of prospecting on the same turn.
I can only afford to train a few ships in the early stages of the game, so I tend to buy and train the Y variant ships first. In addition to prospecting, I survey the moons to get a bit of extra income. I admit that I do not bother with a site with less than 5 moons.
I suppose that quantity over quality is the better strategy.
I've done the Andro prospecting tactic. If the Home Sector has lots of clusters as you say, then this makes sense when picking a race to play.
Wow, mostly Wyn? This is a new trick for me to learn.
Have you tried the 4 scout tactic? The goal is to get maps of adjacent sectors sooner rather than later.
The T-TK5 is enough to take out a monster by itself? Interesting. Having bounced or been destroyed when fighting monsters with single ships, I tend to employ at least 2 cruisers to monster killing.
John
Well you got me to look at my Prospecting in G80.
At turn 5 1268
Turn 10 5792
Turn 15 10,027
John,
My "goal" is to try and get each ship to prospect every other turn. Sometimes ships bounce, sometimes they die. But by planning several turns ahead, it's not too hard to keep most of the prospectors fully employed.
I used to buy more scouts in my initial build, but in a DH game I'd rather have more generic (Wyn) ships. In a pinch, I can turn all 5 of them into scouts.
DH games are a little different since it's less of a race, and I'd rather have the 3rd WG. The way the maps are set up, no scout can get out of your home sector on the first turn, but unless your HO in is the center 4 hexes, a scout built at a WG (that moved two) can get over the nearest border on it's first move. Hence it is pretty safe to build fewer scouts (and if I end up in one of those 4 hexes, I use a wyn ship as a scout.)
The T-TK5 has stats of: 35/30/24/32. for 80 EPs. Those are CL stats (except shields) for a DD price. Normally I send along the F-POL for insurance, but if you look at the list of monster stats, the TK5 is a better than even match for most home sector monsters.
A third WG?
Usually, a scout can get to the sector by the second turn (5+5). From the WG, it would be the third turn (2+5+5) or (2+4+4) asumming that the HW is usually in the middle. If it is not, then it is closer to one side than the other. I would think that it would be a wash.
The reality (for me) is the third turn, as taking systems is my priority. Often, the systems are not in a direct line to the adjacent sector.
If one is not in a hurry, then prospecting now, scouting later makes sense. I can not dispute that your way allows more prospecting income sooner. Perhaps I should slow down eh? Then again, if one stops to prospect, then available systems are not taken as soon as possible.
I'll have to reexamine the T-TK5. Like the Q-ships, it has more bang for the buck than I realized.
Ah well, I rarely play the Tholians. I normally do not even look at their ships. The Drone race ships are the most popular choice for me. One drone equates to +1 AF. This is the best bang for the buck. T-Bombs, Commandos, Fighters, PFs are nice, but they do give less bang for the cost.
John
Yes, a third WG.(counting the one pre-built)
This if for a Die Hard game only of course.
You start with a WG pre-built. WG-1.
WG-2 costs 200 EP's
WG-3 costs 230 EP's (it will never be cheaper)
In a time shift game this will be enough until I can buy multiple WGB's, on their first turn of availability. (a second WGB will only cost 259 EPs, probably a good deal).
I also rarely play Tholians. But the T-TK5 is available in the initial build of a time-shift game, and in a pinch it can deal with a site in WS. I seem the recall one or more sites in WS in your home sector in D22. A real pain.
I agree drones are nice, I usually have at least one drone using race.
Well, I do buy a second WG in DH games. There is enough extra cash to do this via the setup.
My thinking is to wait until Y175 before buying a third (or fouth) WG. I can get 3 to 4 DD/FF class ships instead of a 3rd WG, depending on my needs at the time.
Again, I see the 3rd WG is long range planning.
N (navigtor) can solve the WS problem. The cost is low if put on a DD or FF class ship.
My choice of races and ship construction depends on what the Home Sector looks like. That is part of the joy (and frustration) of SFW. You don't know what your Home Sector will look like until after the initial turn.
In some games, I get very few DC sites or too many OR sites. In another, lots of RZ or lots of OM. This sets me back big time.
My first choices are the Drone races. Depending on my mood at the time, I have gone all plasma. Rarely, I've done the PF races, usually in a time shift game. Occasionally, I'll do the Andros. They are expensive and it is tough to set up a chain of SB's in order to utilize their displacement ability. Sadly, the Tholians are under represented in my long SFW history of choices. Come to think of it, the fighter race (aka Hydrans) are rarely played.
I suppose, upon reflection, I choose fun. I think my weirdest choice was O, W, D.
John