That is one reason for the Lyrans to try to rebuild.

By Paul Howard (Raven) on Wednesday, November 28, 2018 - 04:34 pm: Edit

Well - how often in reality does a minor operation get added to and added to and added to....and becomes a major operation.

The Dieppe operation in WWII is an excellent example of this - originally it was supposed to be just a large Commando raid....

...so don't feel too bad in getting greedy.

By Dana Madsen (Dfm330) on Wednesday, November 28, 2018 - 04:54 pm: Edit

On a side note, my grandfather was at Dieppe. He had a couple of ugly scars where a bullet went between his upper right arm and his chest. Left a scar on the flesh of his inner arm and the flesh over his rib cage but didn't go through the chest. He managed to get back to the boats and make it back to England.

I went to France a few years ago and walked on that beach with my family.

By Ted Fay (Catwhoeatsphoto) on Wednesday, November 28, 2018 - 06:25 pm: Edit

@Dana, that's cool. Props to grandfather. My grandfather's (mom's dad) war story was that he was shot down no less than 3 times in the Pacific theater and lived to tell the tale. And he wasn't even a pilot!

@Paul, no, no regrets really. The game would be boring if it were entirely predictable!

@Jon & Richard: Agree to both. One idea is not to rebuild in EB territory at all, but rather build a second replacement SB at 408. That would allow the Lyrans the ability to purchase a second major conversion for 5 EPs when they need it. Or he just might go ahead and complete that SB at 1407. YMMV.

By Richard B. Eitzen (Rbeitzen) on Wednesday, November 28, 2018 - 07:17 pm: Edit

Well, a 3rd major conversion assuming the Lyrans do a major conversion shipyard.

By Stewart Frazier (Frazikar2) on Wednesday, November 28, 2018 - 07:20 pm: Edit

home fleet can really only hit border BATS.

Sounds like the Klingon player didn't read the Home Fleet setup ('within two hexes of 1411'), as 1212/1313 allows the Home to hit the Exp SB (plus 1413 can reinforce 1415 for the throat Exp route) on Turn 4. That leaves the West (and Turn 3 production sent in) to look at the Hydran Homeworlds or 718 (if setup on 1214).

Does makes me want to consider placing a Lyran MB in 1013 for the coverage it gives in Hydran space …

By Ted Fay (Catwhoeatsphoto) on Wednesday, November 28, 2018 - 07:21 pm: Edit

A3 is over.

I have 11 ships on 515 (no choice but to retrograde there - from Skagmark raid).

I have 19 SEQ of mixed good/small ships at each of 215 and 716. I have 11 SEQ at 1017. 617 is only defended by 15 SEQ of ships and 6 SEQ of AUXes - but I have cripples (10SEQ roughly uncrippled) which I can RCR if he decides to send the maximum of 47 Coalition units to hit the capital. Plus I'm backed up by 10 SEQ in Old Colonies if he hits the capital - so I'm reasonably confident the capital is safe from a serious raid on C4.

I severely doubt he will do that. 25 of those are Lyrans that would not be able to retrograde on C4 - and any kills would be for no salvage because he's OOS. But, it's possible I suppose.

The Kzinti have turtled up and done nothing of interest this turn. I have 15 SEQ and a SAS at 902 (Count's SB). He could take it if he wanted. The question is... does he want? I have 65 SEQ at Home (1401). I have two powerful reserves (15 SEQ and 13 SEQ) offmap. I don't *think* he can take the capital this turn, but with two really good reserves I have some options about saving Count's SB.

Otherwise, Zin space (except for the Marquis zone) is completely controlled by the Coalition.

Let's see what Dana does!

By Ted Fay (Catwhoeatsphoto) on Wednesday, November 28, 2018 - 07:22 pm: Edit

@Stewart: Home fleet is in 1413 to prevent the expedition. However, it can still hit 1017.

He'll need a Lyran supply point - 1013 or 1214 are good candidates.

By Paul Howard (Raven) on Thursday, November 29, 2018 - 03:11 am: Edit

Didn't say earlier as didn't want to give tactics away at the wrong point

Did much stay in 509?

One option if the Lyrans don't have much in the south is for the Hydrans to use 509 as extended route to Hydran space - needs the Kzinti to keep 1105 (or a Tug+FRD in range) to create a retrograde point in Kzinti space.

Coalition can stop it - but they need to use a lot to ships to stop retreating closer to the Kzinti (ie. the Coalition have to also help keep the Hydrans in supply).

By Ted Fay (Catwhoeatsphoto) on Thursday, November 29, 2018 - 08:27 am: Edit

Paul, I kept a single CU at 509, just to keep it captured for the turn.

All non-essential personnel were evacuated from the CU and left on the fleet. All that remained were political prisoners given basic instructions on how to fire phasers and the hellbore and told to target the planet at will until the inevitable arrived.

Fools kept trying to fire regular hellbore shots at the planet.... but, unable to target cities with sufficient accuracy, their phasers did some damage to the forest preserves on Skagmark before the Lyrans came to finish off the hapless courier, renamed Catmeat.

By Marc Michalik (Kavik_Kang) on Thursday, November 29, 2018 - 10:14 am: Edit

A long time ago I visited the grave of my grandfather's brother in France, he died during the early stages of Operation Cobra.

By Karl Mangold (Karlsolomon) on Thursday, November 29, 2018 - 11:11 am: Edit

I was under the impression that the home fleet was not released unless the Hydrans actually enter Klingon territory? Or am I reading that wrong?

By Dana Madsen (Dfm330) on Thursday, November 29, 2018 - 11:12 am: Edit

Re; 0509 and a kzinti retrograde point near it. No real likelihood of Hydrans getting through that way even if he left all the ships, the kzin are suppressed. Closest Kzin retrograde point is Count's SB at 0902 and the kzin fleet on their is mostly spare FF'S with a CC, BC and CVS. The two groups would have trouble meeting with the Lyran border BATS in their way and even a moderate sized Resv group. That's assuming the count's SB lives through the turn, otherwise nearest Kzin retro is off map or homeworlds.

The reason the Hydrans could go on a successful rampage through southern Lyran space is I have purposely went hard on Kzin and left the Hydran front a little weak. In retrospect. Maybe I could have afforded to let another 5 to 10 lyran ships move south.

Regarding Klingon Home fleet setup. I waffled on where to place it. i certainly thought about 1212 so it could attack the expeditionary SB but decided to place it where it could help block an expedition. Again, that left me free to transfer more ships to Kzin sector at the expense of having a weaker T4 Klingon attack on the Hydrans

By Ted Fay (Catwhoeatsphoto) on Thursday, November 29, 2018 - 11:12 am: Edit

Karl, it's not. Which is why I didn't enter Klingon territory - on AT3.

However, on CT4, Home fleet is released and can (and will) attack the Hydrans.

By Ted Fay (Catwhoeatsphoto) on Thursday, November 29, 2018 - 12:23 pm: Edit

I did briefly consider leaving 2nd fleet at Skagmark and then slowly making my way north and try to make an expedition of it. Doing so would distract some 20-30 Lyrans while they dealt with the expedition attempt.

However, I've done this before and it doesn't work out. The Hydrans will lose all those ships and not really accomplish all that much.

By Paul Howard (Raven) on Thursday, November 29, 2018 - 12:46 pm: Edit

The Expedition I feel is about the most crucial rule in the game....even if it's not attempted.

You allow the Hydrans an easy route to the Feds - you lose

Hence why I feel the Klingon home will not do much 'offensive' actions until turn 5 - on turn 3 it's needed to help cover the against the Hydrans going across the middle or southern Klingon space - so Dana you made the right call.

The Coalition can afford to waste a turn on getting stuff in the right place - they can't afford the Green Menace getting through

By Ted Fay (Catwhoeatsphoto) on Thursday, November 29, 2018 - 01:16 pm: Edit

Well, the "Green Menace" sure made nuisances of themselves this turn!

By Karl Mangold (Karlsolomon) on Saturday, December 01, 2018 - 11:16 pm: Edit

Re: 0509; did the lyrans have any ships there or was it 2nd fleet vs PDUs? I imagine there must have been something lying around in the capital to react in. At least, I usually have a couple CA/CL sitting there awaiting conversion the following turn. Not that it would have made all that much difference.

By Richard B. Eitzen (Rbeitzen) on Sunday, December 02, 2018 - 01:34 am: Edit

A single ship can allow the defender to pick the defensive BIR which can cause more damage to the enemy, sometimes.

By Dana Madsen (Dfm330) on Sunday, December 02, 2018 - 12:35 pm: Edit

Nope, no coalition ships reacted into 0509. I had a cripple CL and DD in the capital waiting on repair and conversion. Otherwise the only healthy ship was the D7N which was too expensive too risk. I did the math though on whether I could guarantee it's survival but a couple of good die rolls would have got it. So the only reactions were the fighter groups off the neighbouring SB.

Otherwise, I'll post T4 income later but the Klingons went to max deficit for T4 and the lyrans borrowed a little, repair bills are adding up and the lyrans and klingons both bought new FRD and PRD.

Moves have mostly finished in Kzinti space. Lyrans ignored the 15 ships on the Counts SB and didn't give them an opportunity to react anywhere. So other then a few E4s and G ships switching up occupation duty and some sacrificial ships cutting off the Marquis area, almost every available ship went into the capital.

About 170 ships in total, by class 7 DN, 4 battle tug, 2 DNL, 4 D6M, 2 BC, 25 CC/CA, 39 CW, a couple SAF, 45 DW/DD/FF and assorted scouts, carriers and stuff. Even brought a LAV and SAV.

I figure I should get all 13 remaining PDU in 4 or 5 rounds. Then we will see what the damage has been like and where my fleet is at. I may have enough to take the capital this round, or I might leave then and come back on 5 to finish it.

Moves just starting in Hydran space, nothing more exciting then BATS on the Klingon border getting jumped.

By Richard B. Eitzen (Rbeitzen) on Sunday, December 02, 2018 - 12:52 pm: Edit

So, when will you get serious about hitting 1401?

By Ted Fay (Catwhoeatsphoto) on Sunday, December 02, 2018 - 05:48 pm: Edit

He's very serious about hitting 1401 NOW. He has enough heavy ships there he has a chance of knocking off the Zin *this* turn, much less T5.

But he's paying the price in the HTO, as already discussed. However, he still does have a ship superiority down there.

By Peter Bakija (Bakija) on Sunday, December 02, 2018 - 06:56 pm: Edit

(I'm pretty sure Richard was being comedical; I was about to respond with "...and boy, are my arms tired!", but figured that would just confuse people :-)

By Richard B. Eitzen (Rbeitzen) on Sunday, December 02, 2018 - 07:10 pm: Edit

:-)

By Ted Fay (Catwhoeatsphoto) on Monday, December 03, 2018 - 09:31 am: Edit

....
/me facepalms
....