Now that both ISC War and Minor Empires have been in print for a while, I was wondering if there might be an opportunity to consider how the (SH246.0) Into The Hive scenario from Star Fleet Battles Module X1R could be used as the basis for a Federation and Empire mini-scenario.

While the aforementioned SFB scenario is focused on the culminating battle itself, in that it portrays the Inter-Stellar Concordium's Echelon of Judgment X-squadron opposing the Seltorian Hive Ship Burning Torch of Vengeance, it is but one of a number of battles, holding actions, and other events which took place before, during, and after the extinguishing of the Torch.

Indeed, in F&E terms, one could even expand the scope of such a scenario to also portray the ill-fated ISC attempt to intervene in Tholian Holdfast space, which took place prior to the decision to turn towards the Seltorians.

With the material on Cordon Charlie (625.C) from ISC War and the Seltorian order of battle and production schedule (715.0) in Minor Empires to draw from, would it be feasible to work up such a scenario?

Or, perhaps, would it make more sense to wait until one were to work up an historical scenario covering the Torch's campaign against the Holdfast from Y182 to Y186, and then use this dramatic event to bring it to an end - akin to how the playtest Romulan Civil War scenario in Captain's Log #50 has the ISC intervention at Tibernia IV added to it in the CL50 Supplemental File?

By Gary Carney (Nerroth) on Friday, April 26, 2019 - 11:32 pm: Edit

So, here is a quick look at the Echelon of Judgment, reportedly the most powerful squadron of first-generation X-ships ever fielded.

As listed in (SH246.2), this X-squadron has a CCX, a CSX, two CLXs, four DDXs, and an SCX. That equals (16+11+11+11+9+9+9+9+5 = 90) attack factors. With two PPD-armed ships out of nine in total, that enables a Medium Echelon Force (324.112) which qualifies for two core positions - with the CCX in one, and either the CSX or SCX in the other.

It also has eighteen casual PFs, which would equate to 3 CPFs/CPXs - which might trigger an exception to (524.14), which otherwise limits the number of casual PF flotillas X-ships may take.

In any rate, the combination of the ten "X-mauler effect" points and the at-start ability to remove six fighter or PF factors per battle round under (523.32) could make life difficult for those trying to defend the Burning Torch of Vengeance.

Historically, the ISC lost a high number of PF crews, but all of the X-ships themselves survived - they would later appear in (SH247) as making a desperate bid to save Korlivala from a pair of Andromedan Dominators. But then, that battle might have to wait a while longer before it can be resolved in F&E terms.

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As for the Torch itself, the Seltorians - having had their forces tied up through a series of holding actions - have been caught somewhat out of the blue: their ships start the SFB scenario at Weapons Status-I.

Aside from the Hive Ship itself, there are a pair of FFs to hand, plus 18 PFs deployed from the HVS (historically, the Torch itself had two combat flotillas and a support flotilla to hand - perhaps its fourth flotilla was being deployed elsewhere?) and six (combat) PFs deployed from the colony planet. The colony planet had two medium fighter ground bases (supporting two squadrons of Z-YCs) plus a GPF (supporting that fourth PF flotilla), 3 GBDPs, a GWS, and a GMG. I'm not quite sure how the ground installations listed for SFB would be accounted for in F&E terms. In any event, even with the allowances of (546.333) in mind, there might need to be some additional allowance made in order for the Seltorians to be able to match their historical attrition unit deployment in this battle.

So that's a modest sum of (11+5+5 = 21) attack factors from the Hive Ship and the pair of FFs - less if the HSP ups its EW factor - plus four "P" factors and 12 fighter factors, plus whatever else the colony world's defences may provide. Also plus three web breaker factors, which in this case would only be useful in shield cracker mode.

In addition, the SFB scenario permits a number of Seltorian reinforcements (really cargo ships carrying supplies to and from the Klingons), though it is noted that the closest "real" warships to the Torch were historically prevented from reaching the battle by intervening ISC ships.

Historically, the Torch was in the midst of building a Size Class 3 ship and two Size Class 4 ships at the time of its destruction, though it is unclear as to exactly what classes of ship these happened to be. There is a scenario variant which posits that these were, in fact, the Seltorians' first CAX and DDXs, and allows them to be launched on the first turn. Perhaps might make for an interesting scenario variant here, too.

Actually, since the Klingons themselves were in no hurry to get in the ISC's way, and in fact turned to mop up the surviving Seltorians later on, perhaps another scenario variant might solve the attrition unit allowances problem by having the "mercenary" fighter pilots defect back to Klingon (or Lyran) space, leaving the Seltorians to rely solely on their PF flotillas?

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Thursday, March 04, 2021 - 08:26 am: Edit

This would be a great scenario to do sometime but not before Civil Wars and Tactical Operations are completely finished and shipped to customers. Until then, the staff needs to be gazelle intense and laser focused on getting the scenarios for CW and TO and nothing else.