New General War game between Ted Fay (Coalition) and Rob Padilla (Alliance).

Full rules, all expansions. No optional rules. We will be using the newly revised special raid rules published in Captain's Log #53 in place of the existing special raid rules.

Our last game was "Sacrifice of Angels". This time, we elected to go with something a bit more lighthearted, tongue-in-cheek.

By Ray Hoffman (Rayh) on Wednesday, July 10, 2019 - 03:33 pm: Edit

I know it may be a pain, but... Could you list the optional rules that you are excluding? It would help this spectator to understand what your game will look like.

By Rob Padilla (Zargan) on Wednesday, July 10, 2019 - 08:16 pm: Edit

Basically anything that has the text "Optional". Things like variable admirals as an example. I can go through the rulebook and pull them all out, there is not that many of them.

By Ray Hoffman (Rayh) on Wednesday, July 10, 2019 - 08:39 pm: Edit

Thanks. No Federation battleship for gaining both Kzinti and Hydran capitals then.

By Ted Fay (Catwhoeatsphoto) on Friday, July 12, 2019 - 03:56 pm: Edit

CT1 complete:

Lyrans build BC, SR, 4*CW, DWT, 2*DW, FFT, 2*FF, 3*APT, FRD, SAF (USE FTL), MMG (FREE), LAV, PT (FREE) and a survey slot. Convert JGP->JGP+G, FF-DWS, CA->CF, 2*CA->2*CC, CA->DN. Activate POL and FLG. Buy survey slot. Roll 11 on survey. High risk survey cripples the SR.

The only raid is a blockade run to send the MMG to Home fleet in 608.

Klingons build D6M, TGA, D6S, 9*D5, F5G (SUB F5L), F5 (SUB F5L), F5T, 2*F5, E4 (SUB F5), 3*E4, E4A (FREE), DIP (ABSORBS FREE PT), MMG (FREE), AND LAV. Convert D6->D6E (MOTHBALL), D6->D6M (MOTHBALL), AND D7->FD7. Buy survey slot. Activate 2*POL. No raids.

Start two colonies during operational. Sell Lyran DD and Klingon F5 to the WYN. ComCon begins slow trudge.

All available Lyran units, but 5 heavies, hit Kzinti BATS 803.

Kzinti react in their fleets and send reserves. They cripple 4*CA, 4*CW, and DD in two rounds of combat. The Lyrans cripple a FFK on round 1, kill a Zin EFF on round 2 and capture it. Zin lose 30 fighters or so and then abandon the BATS to its fate, which goes down for Lyran fighters on a SAV.

Lyrans stay; Zin retreat to BATS 703.

Lyran reserves at 408 (to prevent shennanigans) and 404 (forward deployed).

By Ted Fay (Catwhoeatsphoto) on Friday, July 12, 2019 - 04:02 pm: Edit

AT1 complete.

Kzinti build TGC, 2*FF, FFK, FCR, FFG, 4*PDU (KZINTAI), PT (FREE), MMG (FREE), 2*SCOUT POD, and activate POL. Pay for survey slot. Convert 2*CL->2*CLD, BC->CVS, BC->BCE, FF->FFK, and 2*DF->SDF. Repair FFK.

During raids, a DNL and a DD raid Lyran provinces 101 and 301. Only the DNL succeeds.

During operational, Kzinti again smite Lyran Home fleet in 803, but do not venture into Lyran space. Home fleet does not move.

After one round, the Kzinti cripple CW, 3*DW Lyrans. In turn, the Kzinti kill a SF and a bunch of Kzinti fighters. The Kzinti again retreat to 703 and the turn is over.

What was Counts and Duke's fleets redistribute back to their starbases, with a few ships at 1202. Extremely strong reserve in 1401 and strong reserve at 1704.

By Ted Fay (Catwhoeatsphoto) on Friday, July 12, 2019 - 04:08 pm: Edit

C2 is started.

Lyrans build DN, TGC, 4*CW, 3*DW, 3*FFT, 4*APT, CONVOY, PT (FREE), SAF (USE 2*FTS), MB, FRD, and activate POL. Repair SR, 2*CA, DD, Z_EFF, 4*CW, CA. Convert CA->CF, CA->SR, and Z_EFF->L_EFF. Purchase survey slot.

Klingons build C8, D6M, D6S, D5H, 8*D5, F5G (SUB F5L), E4 (SUB F5L), 4*F5, 3*E45, E4A (FREE), PT (FREE), CONVOY, and activate 2*POL, FLG, and PV. Purchase survey slot. Activate 2*D6, 2*F5, E4 (FREE), AND 2*E3. Convert D6->D6E (MOTH), D6->D6M (MOTH), D6->D6V (HOME), D6->D6V (NR), and D7->FD7.

Raids: Lyrans raid 1002 and 1101 with CWs. Klingons raid 1701 and 1203 with D5s. Waiting for raid reactions.

By Richard B. Eitzen (Rbeitzen) on Friday, July 12, 2019 - 04:54 pm: Edit

No D6Ds.

By Thomas Mathews (Turtle) on Friday, July 12, 2019 - 05:03 pm: Edit

Ted wrote:

---

Quote:

Start two colonies during operational.

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By Ted Fay (Catwhoeatsphoto) on Friday, July 12, 2019 - 07:45 pm: Edit

Typo. What I should have said was start 1 and continue on the 1 begun last turn.

No to D6Ds. I had some money issues and had to make choices.

By Richard B. Eitzen (Rbeitzen) on Friday, July 12, 2019 - 07:58 pm: Edit

No ADS?

By Ted Fay (Catwhoeatsphoto) on Friday, July 12, 2019 - 08:52 pm: Edit

Not yet. Trying to save money.

By Paul Howard (Raven) on Sunday, July 14, 2019 - 09:07 am: Edit

Only 1 round over 803 for the Kzinti on their turn?

Seems to attack (bringing the Coalition reserves forward) and then only doing 1 round allows more Lyrans hulls to get within range of 1401 for turn 2?

Also - Kzinti built a Survey slot, but I can't see that they built another Survey Cruiser?

By Rob Padilla (Zargan) on Sunday, July 14, 2019 - 09:55 pm: Edit

Correct purchased the survey slot but not a survey cruiser. On T1 the Kzinti cannot build a tug, a CVS and a survey cruiser all in the same turn. They only have 1 BC slot and 1 Major conversion available.

Now I know I could have accelerated production to get a second BC slot, but I opted not to.

And yes, the only reason I attacked 803 was so I could retrograde Kzinti forces for defensive redeployment. Sure it brought a reserve forward but those ships were going to be attacking me anyway, so 12 more ships in range of 1401 doesn't really bother me. The alternative was having an under defended Dukes SB, as well as an under defended capital hex. Pretty sure I made the right decision.

By Rob Padilla (Zargan) on Monday, July 15, 2019 - 11:27 am: Edit

This was the Kzinti Econ for T1:

Starting EPs: 0
Income Generated: 92

Ship Builds: 28 EP (TGC,FFK, FCR, FFG, 2xFF)
Repairs: 1 EP(FFK)
Other Production: 42 EP (4xPDU,2xSP,PT,MMG, Survey Slot, Command Point)
Conversions: 15 EP and 6 FFF
2xCL to CLD
BC to CVS
BC to BCE
FF to FFK
2xDF to SDF

Remaining EPs: 6

By Thomas Mathews (Turtle) on Monday, July 15, 2019 - 03:03 pm: Edit

I assume you are using the 2xSP on a TGT. Saving the TGC for 2xBPs or 2xVPs, right?

By Rob Padilla (Zargan) on Tuesday, July 16, 2019 - 10:22 am: Edit

Of course!

By Chuck Strong (Raider) on Tuesday, July 16, 2019 - 06:42 pm: Edit

Why not down-sub 2xD5 for 2xF5 to convert to a D6D and save a buck doing so?

By Stewart Frazier (Frazikar2) on Tuesday, July 16, 2019 - 07:11 pm: Edit

Ahhh, he did 2 D6/D6Vs rather than 2 D6/D6Ds, interesting choices …

By Richard B. Eitzen (Rbeitzen) on Tuesday, July 16, 2019 - 08:12 pm: Edit

As I was fond of saying in discussion with others as to why third parties took different actions from us:

'Different people are different'.

By Ted Fay (Catwhoeatsphoto) on Wednesday, July 17, 2019 - 10:45 am: Edit

I wanted the carriers now, because they will be used now. I will only *need* the D6Ds in another couple of turns, so I chose to convert them later.

In all my other games I went ADS early and ADS hard. I'm going to see how well I can do by saving cash until I really need to go ADS to keep the pressure going.

By Rob Padilla (Zargan) on Wednesday, July 17, 2019 - 01:48 pm: Edit

CT2 After Action Report:

Battle at 1401:
One Kzinti Reserve was sent here to help the smallish Home Fleet fight off a raiding Klingon navy. The Klingons managed to punch through the Kzinti forward lines (i.e. they won the first Approach round), and then proceeded to attack the jewel of the Hegemony itself, Kzintai Prime. After two grueling rounds of combat, the cost for the battle was:

Kzini Losses: SDF, 9xPDU, 28 drone stickpile used
Kzinti Crippled: EFF
Klingon Losses: D6M, D6J (pursuit), 3xD5, 3xF5L, F5 (1 D5 made depot)
Klingon Crippled: D6M, 2xD7, 3xD6, 6xD5, 3xF5, 2xF5G

Various Border fights (BATS 701, 703, 1004, 1105, 1205, 1405, 1506)
Lyran crippled: 2xDD
Klingon crippled: D5, 2xF5, E4

Battle for 1202:
Only defended by it's local support (a Monitor), the planet comes under attack by a modest Coalition joint attack force. The planet is captured after 3 rounds of combat.
Kzinti losses: MON, 2xPDU, planet
Coalition crippled: CL, 2xE4

Battle for 902/1001:
The Lyrans sent a small but effective force to capture planet 1001. They succeeded in doing so, but then have to deal with the Kzinti forces at the Count's SB retreating into 1001. In the end the Lyran fleet takes heavy losses and is forced to abandon the planet. The Kzinti sent their other reserve to save the SB. The approach battle was declined and the Kzinti retreated to 1001 (only available hex in shortest supply).

Lyran crippled: 2xDD, DDG (from the first battle)
Lyran Losses (after SB forces retreat to 1001): CL, 2xDD, DDG
Lyran crippled after the SB retreat: none, they all died

Battle in Empty space 1102:
A pinning action, which the Kzinti wind up on the loosing end of. After one brutal round of combat the damage is:
Kzinti crippled: CVL, 2xCLE, EFF
Lyran crippled: DW, 2xDD

So in the end the final tally is:
Kzinti Losses: MON, SDF, 11xPDUs, 3 minor planets, 5 BATS
Kzinti Crippled: CVL, 2xCLE, 2xEFF
Coalition Losses: D6M, D6J, 3xD5, 3xF5L, F5, CL, 2xDD, DDG
Coalition Crippled: D6m, 2xD7, 3xD6, 7xD5, 5xF5, 2xF5G, 3xE4, CL, DW, 4xDD

By Rob Padilla (Zargan) on Wednesday, July 17, 2019 - 01:52 pm: Edit

Coalition End of Turn stuff is ongoing for Turn 2.

By Ted Fay (Catwhoeatsphoto) on Wednesday, July 17, 2019 - 03:41 pm: Edit

What Rob said.

During retro/strat/reserves I only pulled back a few ships for defensive positions and to bring cripples back for repairs. The map looks like mess, but I'm highly forward deployed, and honestly the mess will make moving around for the Kzinti a bit harder.

I maxed Lyran strat and used 8 of 15 extra Klingon strat, moving the whole of the Tholian Border Squad to the Kzinti border. I moved some 11 Far Stars units using additional strat to the Zin border (including the FRD) and the rest of Far Stars (15 SEQ) went to 108 and are heading for the Hydran border.

I have two good (one really good) Klingon reserves at 1307, in range of all useful targets. I have one decent and one really good Lyran reserve at 803 (via a supply tug I had designated at the start of C2). Lyran FRDs moved to 803 (1) and 1307 (2). Klingon FRD at 1407. Plenty of repair capacity for what I want to do.

It's a target rich environment for special raids, but I *THINK* I've insulated my forward FRDs with powerful fleets. I suspect I might lose a small AUX FRD or two.

Time to put the new special raid rules to the test!

Over to Rob for Alliance Turn 2.

I have consulted the crystal ball. It says "Kzinti to attack a few places, fight a round each, and then retrograde back to the capital to prepare for the coming Typhoon!"

He'll probably leave token forces at the starbases and use new con and Baron's fleet for offmap reserves.

By Rob Padilla (Zargan) on Thursday, July 18, 2019 - 08:50 am: Edit

Calling Kzinti Offmap Reserves is akin to being a fortune teller. You don't really *know* the future, but you've just dealt with people for far too long not to be able to read them well!

And yeah, I think you are covered enough to make any Drone raid next to pointless. Operational moves are another thing however....