Archive through April 11, 2019
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Archive through April 11, 2019
Escorted CVEs make good killers against province holding E4s and Lyran FF's. When they catch them alone. You get 2 free casualties in SSC. One for the 3 fighter factors, and the second for the forced retreat under (310.333). I think I've already submitted a tac note on that subject.
I knew the CVE could get blown up. My forces in Kzintai are thin, and I needed every single compot I could scrape up. I'm risking a CVL+EFF this round. Valuable ships for sure. But if he blows up ships, it will mean fewer planets get devastated as he can't stay for many rounds. If the Hydrans are in good shape as of turn 5 or so, I think it was worth it. I know the world disagrees with me -- but that's what makes the game interesting!
I generally don't think it's worth saving a planet for a turn if it costs me a CVE, but YMMV.
William, by no means am I criticizing your decision. There are variables in there that the peanut gallery cannot see when the time came for said decision to be made.
I expended 20 EPs on Rapid Combat Repair for the Kzintis in the Empires of the Dead game. Most likely I could have taken some of that as fighters, atleast for the first 16 EPs. The last 4 I spent on 2xEFFs at a doomed SB.
Losing a Kzinti CVE is not the end of the world. Things happen all the time. I was just pointing out that said CVE can be more than just a glorified FCR.
Criticize away, I don't mind at all! But do take a look at what is left of the "old" Alliance powers (Kzinti and Hydrans) at a later stage. Assuming he takes Kzintai first, I want to get one of two results --
1. Either the Hydrans are still in good shape when he attacks the Feds on turn 7, or . . .
2. He doesn't attack the Feds until turn 10 -- and at that point, the Alliance has additional compensation, which might take the form either of Kzinti/Hydran starbases that are still up, or of a weakened attack on the Feds.
With sufficiently stubborn Kzinti, I think it's possible. We shall see.
Generally if the Coalition doesn't attack the Feds until turn 10 that probably means all on-map bases of the Kzinti/Hydrans are destroyed and all their planets captured (or at least devastated) and both main shipyards destroyed.
Just kibitzing here, but as Coalition I've done it both ways. My only win was with a delayed turn 10 attack (my only completed game actually). However, I've had many abandoned games where a delayed turn 10 attack resulted in me on the losing side too - so it's no panacea for the Coalition.
He did indeed fry the CVL+EFF this round. The Kzinti are running a bit low on ships, but so is he. He could put up one very strong line next round, or two weakish ones. If he goes with one line, the Kzinti line will probably be full. If he puts out two lines, the Kzinti will have some empty slots.
VBIR and my roll had to total 3 or less to not kill the 2CVL group - so I missed the 1/3rd chance the previous round but got it this round.
So two dead carriers by turn 2!
Could have fried the TGT+VP pods...but that would have taken 36 damage (I got 37), but I felt the CVL+EFF for 26 was better value!
That second escort makes a huge difference.
But, it does mean I probably will not be able to attack the Capital planet....I have run out ships.
Two lines going in for the next round....both with a crippled D5.
if the zin are going to get folded spindled and mutilated the way they did last game, a couple non-CVS carrier losses are maybe less significant than in a less... roshambo line of play; the zin are liable to have an excess of carriers over escorts for the critical stretch of the game.
from paul's penultimate comment it is apparent that william has succeeded in buying some degree of delay in the coalition timetable. william is the only player i am sure is willing to bid higher than i would be for a bit of tempo, which makes this game extremely interesting for me.
Chris
Absolutely, I would have loved to have attacked the capital to strip 4 PDU's off - but at best I have already reached close to my repair capacity and at worst, either field repair or delaying some repairs will now occur.
(Two battles are to be concluded over 1401 this round and so there is likely to be more cripples, even if I decided enough has been done).
So a single round over the Capital already has additional costs for me to consider!
After three rounds over Kzintai, with 3 battle lines in the first, and 2 in each of the others, the Klingons can still put up one scary line with a compot of approximately 110. But after that, he has one F5L, one F5, and everything else has a density of 4 or lower -- things like E4, carriers without fighters, scouts, and crips.
The Kzinti were stretched thin defending both SB and the 1502 major. The consequence has been that their lines over Kzintai were generally weaker than his, even with the benefit of the planets. The Kzinti have lost two carriers as detailed above, and two minor planets have been devastated so far. Their remaining damage in the current battle consists of fighters plus maybe 8-10EP worth of crips. In case of further crips, they still have repair capacity available at Kzintai and in the Barony.
Combat is coming to an end....
I made a slight error over 1401 and should have directed on 2 PDU's rather than let the damage fall - and end result was one less planet was devastated.
Net result for 1401 - just 2 minors devastated, plus the CVE and CVL killed.
Keeping a Mauler back though did stop any pursuit.
The forces William sent to 1502 was enough to persuade me it wouldn't fall this turn.
...and none of the SB's died either!
3 Minors were captured and the BATS border bases destroyed (1805 remains).
No Coalition hulls was destroyed though and there shouldn't be a back log of cripples.....
The dice favoured the Coalition, but mainly over the small battles as the main ones over 1401 were pretty even.
Not sure where the Coalition forces went - I just never quiet had enough forces to do what I wanted.
Yeah, it turns out that bum's rushing 1401 on T2 is generally less effective than the Coalition wants it to be, especially with just the basic game rules.
That seems to depend rather heavily on what gets into 1401. Last game, he had maybe 50 Klingons and 30 Lyrans vs. just short of 40 Kzinti. He devastated all the planets except Kzintai.
if it's a klingon-only affair, i think the first round you hit the capital with the least janky line you can muster and throw trash at outlying planets since the zin will be short of ships to fight you.
opportunistically you might beat up on some more planets after that but if the shipyard is going down a little extra money isn't important. in the game as she stands the dead defending ships probably compensate for three or four un-devastated planets.
Well there was 4 Lyrans there this time - makes a big difference in comparing this game and the last one.
Problem was - I just didn't have enough quality ships to sustain a modest battle line if I attacked the Capital and say took even 70 damage.
I could have gone in at the end - I probably would lost the anti-pursuit mauler and felt the reward wasn't worth the risk..
….only time will tell!
Coalition Retrograde and Strategic Movement has been done.
All but one eligible cripple retreated from Kzinti space (I kept the crippled FF in 1001 with a FF) and all but 2 ships are at bases within their repair capacity. There is a crippled FF in 702 which is covering the Lyran Supply Tug, which wasn't eligible to retrograde.
Reserves have been established in 504 and 705 for the Lyrans (9 each) and 1307 (13) and 1507 (11) for the Klingons.
3 FRDs and a Lyran MB are being deployed in 1407.
No Field Repair done (repair bill is already too high!) and no SM paid for.
Over to the evil Kzinti!
Kzinti Economy is down 28 (would be 30, but William got luckyish and found the first off map province 
)
Kzinti economy, turn 2
Survey roll 11
Survey total 24
Survey EP 2
Offmap 17
Capital 28
Planets 8
Provinces 9
Income 64
From last turn 20.8
Total Money 84.8
Repairs
Barony 11.5
Kzintai 5.5
Subtotal 17
Builds
TGC 8
2MEC 12
4xPDU 28
FRD 10
EFF 3.5
Subtotal 61.5
Conversions
BC > CVS 5
FF > EFF 1
Subtotal 6
Total spending 84.5
Money after Econ 0.3
Also: Count's SB grid 1EP. Not spent.
Another difference between this game and the last one has opened up. Last game, he sent the entire Far Stars fleet North. This doubtless contributed to his turn 3 capture of Kzintai, but it also allowed the Green Team to destroy all bases in the EB Duchy on turn 3 with very few losses. This time, the best five or so ships in Far Stars went North, and the rest appear to be headed for the Hydran front. Presumably the EB Duchy won't be such a pushover this time.
Well, turn 2 is pretty much over.
William extracted the Kzinti fleet in 902 and we ended up with 4 battles (3 in deep space and 1 over 1202).
Dice slightly favoured William (3.75 v my 2.75) and end result was several cripples for me and D6M direct killed and William lost a CC, DD and 2 x EFF - all directed.
The only relevant planet battle was won by the Coalition as the Kzinti fled after one round.
Retro to be done - but I expect the bulk of Kzint forces will end up in 1401.
A Mobius Temporal Semiloop is causing some confusion. How will this be mapped to a inear timlinee?
A truce was declared, and a joint Klingo-Lyran-Kzinti operation has repaired the fabric of Time, as all were in agreement that the problem was more important than the developing war. This did not settle anyone's differences however, and the truce ended as soon as the repair was complete. The Kzinti have lost one additional FF but are now in control of 1202, albeit temporarily.
In other words - we did one battle basically twice - and one not at all 
The Kzinti turn is complete. They did indeed retro most of their forces to Kzintai; each Starbase is defended by a medium-strength battle line.
The Baron has now been suitably jolted into awakeness. Between that and the recall of a few ships from the SB, Kzintai is significantly better-defended than before. This was necessary because the threat to Kzintai is now perhaps 3 times greater than it was previously.