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Getting The Most of the KRE's.
Benjamin Johnson
USS Maryland

A lot of the analysis of the cost-effectiveness of survey ships factors in the cost of converting them verses the return on investment.

Where the Romulans are concerned, though, this calculations make one critical assumption: that the additional survey ships are new-build SPS'. This overlooks the fact that the Romulans start with five survey ships: SPS, 2xPE, 2xKRE. This means that the Romulans can maximize survey right away, by converting a third PE and purchasing the three extra survey slots. It's even possible to do this before they join the war with diplomatic income.

By using six survey ships the on-map provinces are surveyed in just two turns and the Romulans max out their survey rolls on Turn 14.

"But what about the KRPs" You are probably asking? What about them? The Romulans have more PFT variants than they can produce given their 50% economy and PFT limits. Between the ROC, the PHX, FAE, the TH, the SUU, the REDHawk (Really Evil Demonhawk), the OMH, and the MGH, you won't even miss the KRPs.

By Paul Howard (Raven) on Tuesday, July 02, 2024 - 05:26 pm: Edit

Reserve - What Reserve?
Paul Howard


On turn 3 - the Hydrans are often left with a dilema - do they allocate one of their two Reserve Counters to the Old Colonies Fleet - and if the Coalition don't attack 617, it's can't be used on turn 4 and as the Reserve Counter as been allocated to an unreleased fleet - it can't then be re-allocated to aoother Fleet - or use the Reserve Counter with released fleets - but it can then be pinned.

The solution is to send additioanl ships to the Old Colony - a CC and 2 FFT's can be sent (and the 2 FFT's can drag a Boxed up MB with them to get it safely off map).

The CC and 2 FFT's then form the core of the Off Map Reserve Fleet - and parts of the Old Colonies Fleet are added to it to make it full strength.

If 617 is attacked - all of the Fleet can be used in the Reserve Phase.

If 617 isn't attacked - the Old Colony fleet remains unreleased, but atleast the CC and 2 x FFT's can be used in the Reserve Phase - and cricually the reserve fleet counter doesn't become frozen with the Old Colonies Fleet!

The only real downside is that some of the Old Colonies Fleet will remain in the Old Colony, if the balance of it does move on map - depending on which expansions are being used, the Old Colony fleet might be too large to fully put in the Reserve Fleet.

But, using the Battlegroup rules might be sufficent to get it all in - and perhaps there isn't much harm in keeping a LN off map - so that it can be convereted to a DE should it be needed (and if the Old Colonies are cut off, use up some of the Old Conlony Ep's).

So - it keeps the reserve counter safe AND ensures a full reserve fleet is available there in a non-pinable position!

By Paul Howard (Raven) on Wednesday, July 03, 2024 - 07:00 am: Edit

Reserve - What Reserve?
Paul Howard


On turn 3 - the Hydrans are often left with a dilema - do they allocate one of their two Reserve Counters to the Old Colonies Fleet - and if the Coalition don't attack 617, it's can't be used on turn 4 and as the Reserve Counter as been allocated to an unreleased fleet - it can't then be re-allocated to aoother Fleet - or use the Reserve Counter with released fleets - but it can then be pinned.

The solution is to send additioanl ships to the Old Colony - a CC and 2 FFT's can be sent (and the 2 FFT's can drag a Boxed up MB with them to get it safely off map).

The CC and 2 FFT's then form the core of the Off Map Reserve Fleet - and parts of the Old Colonies Fleet are added to it to make it full strength.

If 617 is attacked - all of the Fleet can be used in the Reserve Phase.

If 617 isn't attacked - the Old Colony fleet remains unreleased, but atleast the CC and 2 x FFT's can be used in the Reserve Phase - and cricually the reserve fleet counter doesn't become frozen with the Old Colonies Fleet!

The CC is important as with only 3 released ships - it would be otherwise fairly easy to put 2 or 3 Colalition ships in each of 117/118 and 119 and not attack 617 - so the released reserve ships can't get past the blockaid - but with the CC, unless the Coalition use a CR8 ship or higher in the blocking force, the CC (and possily other ship) can coninue using Command Rating - and the FFT or normal Frigate hull if not using relevant expansions can be used to meet the minimum pinimum requirement.

i.e. if a CR 8 hull is each blocking hex - the CC and FF move as reserves - the FF pins and CC continues to the target hex.

If it's a CR 7 or lowwer blocking hull - the TG or second FFT can also go to the target hex.

The only real downside is that some of the Old Colonies Fleet will remain in the Old Colony, if the balance of it does move on map - depending on which expansions are being used, the Old Colony fleet might be too large to fully put in the Reserve Fleet.

But, using the Battlegroup rules might be sufficent to get it all in - and perhaps there isn't much harm in keeping a LN off map - so that it can be convereted to a DE should it be needed (and if the Old Colonies are cut off, use up some of the Old Conlony Ep's).

So - it keeps the reserve counter safe AND ensures a full reserve fleet is available there in a non-pinable position!


Edited to add reason for why a CC is needed.

By Lawrence Bergen (Lar) on Saturday, July 06, 2024 - 08:43 am: Edit

Reserve? What Reserve? Paul Howard

This tactic brings up two Qs

1. Does the deliver MB mission require all three Theatre Transports to complete under 509.22 & 509.23? Rules for this mission seem to require a full tug or 2xLTT so the assumption is yeah, at least 3xTT.

2. Can transports running a delivery mission in the previous phase be considered “Reserve Eligible” immediately after the mission is completed?

By Paul Howard (Raven) on Saturday, July 06, 2024 - 09:52 am: Edit

Lawerence

1) I think the number of TTs does need to be unified - which it may have been in the reprint, as my copy of SO (2006) states only two TT's are needed to move a MB (539.72 - top of page 7) - but the F&E 2010 rule book does say 1/3rd of a 'mission' per TT.

As the rule book is newer - I would go for 3 are meeded.

2) I don't see why not - as long as the ship only moves by Strat moves and wasn't involved in combat - it is Reserve Fleet eligible.

Missions don't effect it.

By Paul Howard (Raven) on Saturday, July 06, 2024 - 10:02 am: Edit

Reserve - What Reserve?
Paul Howard


On turn 3 - the Hydrans are often left with a dilema - do they allocate one of their two Reserve Counters to the Old Colonies Fleet - and if the Coalition don't attack 617, it's can't be used on turn 4 and as the Reserve Counter has been allocated to an unreleased fleet - it can't then be re-allocated to aoother Fleet - or use the Reserve Counter with released fleets - but it can then be pinned.

The solution is to send additioanl ships to the Old Colony - a CC and 3 FFT's can be sent (and the 3 FFT's can drag a Boxed up MB with them to get it safely off map).

The CC and 3 FFT's then form the core of the Off Map Reserve Fleet - and parts of the Old Colonies Fleet are added to it to make it full strength.

If 617 is attacked - all of the Fleet can be used in the Reserve Phase.

If 617 isn't attacked - the Old Colony fleet remains unreleased, but atleast the CC and 3 x FFT's can be used in the Reserve Phase - and cricually the reserve fleet counter doesn't become frozen with the Old Colonies Fleet!

The CC is important as with only 4 released ships - it would be otherwise fairly easy to put 3 Coalition ships in each of 117/118 and 119 and not attack 617 - so the released reserve ships can't get past the blockaid - but with the CC, unless the Coalition use a CR8 ship or higher in the blocking force, the CC (and possily other ships) can coninue using Command Rating - and the FFTs or normal Frigate hull if not using relevant expansions can be used to meet the minimum pinimum requirement.

i.e. if a CR 8 hull is each blocking hex - the CC and FF hulls move as reserves - the 2 x FFT pin and rest continues to the target hex.

If it's a CR 7 or lowwer blocking hull - the TG or second or third FFT may also be able to get to the target hex.

The only real downside is that some of the Old Colonies Fleet will remain in the Old Colony, if the balance of it does move on map - depending on which expansions are being used, the Old Colony fleet might be too large to fully put in the Reserve Fleet.

But, using the Battlegroup rules might be sufficent to get it all in - and perhaps there isn't much harm in keeping a LN off map - so that it can be convereted to a DE should it be needed (and if the Old Colonies are cut off, use up some of the Old Conlony Ep's).

So - it keeps the reserve counter safe AND ensures a full reserve fleet is available in a non-pinable position!

Edited to add correct number of FFT's and afew other gramatical errors.

By Lawrence Bergen (Lar) on Saturday, July 06, 2024 - 01:10 pm: Edit

You are correct about 539.7 needing to be updated further into the 509 rules. Seems two TT may move a Non-deployed MB but it takes three to set it up (in one turn). Therefore I wil propose that mission C be split into two C1 Move and C2 Installation/Removal.
This question seems to be to rest.

By Mike Erickson (Mike_Erickson) on Saturday, July 06, 2024 - 02:16 pm: Edit

Hi Paul,

I'd recommend:

1. Since this note uses FFT and the theater transport rules, I'd indicate it requires the use of at least parts of SO. Or you could write the note to emphasize using FFs, and then put in an option to use FFTs to move the MB if using SO.

2. I'd include a reference to (507.43) as the main rule this note seeks to steer around.

3. I'd include a reference to (203.55) for the command rating/pinning interaction.

The only question I have is: Does (507.43) really work like this? It seems like the note proposes the creation of a reserve fleet off map combining:

Released ships moved off-map via strategic movement to create reserve:
1xCC (LM or LB), 3xFFT

Old Colonies ships joining reserve:
LM, 2xLN, CR, 2xHN

Old Colonies ships not joining reserve:
1xLN

By Paul Howard (Raven) on Saturday, July 06, 2024 - 03:37 pm: Edit

Mike

Looks like in one of my edits, I removed the reference to the TG in the first part (as without FFT's and LLT's the MB is dragged off map by the TG).

On 507.43 - Correct - as there are released ships which are within the reserve, the unreleased shps would husr stay there.

By William Jockusch (Verybadcat) on Sunday, October 13, 2024 - 02:26 pm: Edit

PGBs are better than you think
William Jockusch
USS Illinois

Alliance players don't seem to like to build PGBs. They should. Getting 3 compot and 1EW for 3EP is good value for money. And they are less vulnerable to directed damage than PDU are. If the Coalition player spends 16 damage to kill a 7EP PDU, that's painful for the Alliance. If the Coalition spends 10 damage to kill a 3EP PGB, that's better.

PGB are best suited to situations where the Alliance fleet is almost, but not quite, good enough to fight a long battle with the Coalition.

One example of such a situation is the early Kzinti defense of their 1401 side planets. If a planet has no defenses, the Kzinti probably can't afford to stay there and trade blows with the Coalition. But if it has 4 PGB, providing 12 compot and 4-5EW (depending on whether or not the Kzinti have an Early Warning Network), the Kzinti fleet probably won't mind fighting a long battle and trading a lot of damage.

PGBs do have one weakness. They are an inefficient way to absorb non-directed damage. Using three damage to kill a PGB is painful. If the PGB has supplied its compot and EW for a lot of rounds, this could still be worth it over-all. But in general, you should avoid building PGB in locations where you are likely to have to kill them to satisfy non-directed damage.

By Ted Fay (Catwhoeatsphoto) on Sunday, October 13, 2024 - 09:10 pm: Edit

I can vouch for the effectiveness of William's new tac note.

By William Jockusch (Verybadcat) on Thursday, December 05, 2024 - 04:28 pm: Edit

SUP raiders are amazing
William Jockusch
USS Illinois

A Romulan SUP raider has a good chance of killing one ship per turn from almost any Fed fleet.

A careful reading of the Advanced Operations cloaked raider rules (314.246), (314.28), and (314.254), together with the small scale combat rules (310) makes it clear that a Romulan SUP+PT raider can raid a hex with a large Fed fleet and bring one Fed ship per turn into single combat, with a good chance of killing it. For example, SUP with a Prime Team would kill a Fed DN+ on a roll of 7 or more on two dice. By contrast, the Fed DN+ can kill the SUP only on a roll of 12, and that only if the DN+ has a Prime Team.

The only Fed defense against this is to have a powerful carrier stacked with any fleet that is in range of Romulan raiders. CVA, CVB, or a homeless Kzinti CVS will do the trick. Fed CVS is better than nothing but is still at a disadvantage in the single combat.

Bases in the hex do not help. The Romulans can even do it at Earth.

By Stewart Frazier (Frazikar3) on Thursday, December 05, 2024 - 06:02 pm: Edit

Note that this does requires the carrier to intercept the Romulan …

By William Jockusch (Verybadcat) on Saturday, January 18, 2025 - 10:04 pm: Edit

My tac note about raids is all wrong. It can be ignored. The PGB one should be good though.