Combat continues. The Alliance destroyed the last two Romulan BATS on the Gorn and Fed borders. One of these was certain to die after reserves; the other was likely to die. The Romulans do still have 12 BATS elsewhere.

The Feds failed to stop a Klingon MB setup because they wanted to be able to retro, which forced them to retreat after the approach round. As a consolation prize, they retreated over and killed an E4.

There are still a bunch of battles to be resolved on the Klingon side, including a bunch in the Kzinti region with complicated retreat possibilities.

By Paul Howard (Raven) on Thursday, April 16, 2020 - 08:03 am: Edit

I think it's just fair to say....its not my week.

Another 6 battles.

I actually roll higher than a 3 in 3 of them....


Two of them are 1's though - not enough to kill anything

And when I roll a 6 - I still don't get enough to kill anything.

Not a good turn for average luck..

By Paul Howard (Raven) on Thursday, April 16, 2020 - 03:10 pm: Edit

Well, although the dice did get better towards the end I think Alliance turn 18 had the greatest spread of Good luck and bad luck for a long time..

Average rolls ended : -
VBIR 3.51
Coalition 2.87
Alliance 3.5

(Shows how some of the dice did reversed a bit).

Alas for me, timing was pretty much perfect for William though and awful for me.

In the 1 battle William rolled insufficient to direct cripple a ship (as there was battles were neither of us directed, but we could have) and I had enough fighters on the line to take all the damage - I crippled (it would have needed 32.5%, and I had EW, William didn't) a ship to give the STT a good chance of surviving the massive Hydran persuied force ....I rolled a 6 for pursuit (50/50 failure on pursuit rolls for the turn) so the crippled RN (or on a modest roll, a fresh RN) lived.

William also failed a modest pursuit - but succesed on all his other ones (including a 33/67 chance one!)

Elsewhere - I think 4 battles, I rolled 1 below what I need to kill or cripple anything and William failed twice.

Equally, where he shouldn't have done lasting damage.... he did due to VBIR going up and rolling well.

Can't think of any key roll on A18 where 'I got lucky'?

The Romulan losing the SUP is perhaps the greatest element of luck (for William) on the turn.

On ESSC - William rolled 100% success to kill me in every battle with no relevnt damage in return.

He should have won probably all of them, but I was expecting 1 or 2 ships to survive (including 1 battle needing 4 casualties to kill me).

Romulan cloak rolls was about average overall - although shock rolls was 0/100% with the failure.

Happy for William to point out any particular relevant and good Coalition roll!

(I don't think there was any).

Overall, I think William will be very very very happy with the turn?

Huge ship killed mismatch
2 BATS killed
Several plamets re-captured

And the loss of the Gorn DN was more than offset by the 2 Romulan ships (SKE and SUP) he got in exchange.

Can't think of a Alliance failure*

* - Only surprise (other than the loss of the SUP) was the fact a Klingon MB lived and gets set up, but I was hoping William wouldn't notice he would get cut off - as I was happy to Abandon the setting up of it and leave him stranded.

By William Jockusch (Verybadcat) on Thursday, April 16, 2020 - 08:58 pm: Edit

Frustrated mostly, actually. Not with the game result. I've tried to point some things out, but the impact seems to be zero.

By William Jockusch (Verybadcat) on Friday, April 17, 2020 - 07:34 pm: Edit

Alliance turn 18 is over! The Feds could not retro to ideal positions. A bunch of their Northern planets are now threatened. They are valuable because they have never been devastated. Even after retroing everything back there that could, the planets still aren't safe. The Feds do at least have a CR 10 ship at each one, with either a full battle line or at least most of one. Three small Fed reserves are in range (18 ships total). The Coalition threatens with over 100 ships total and therefore could take at least some of the planets.

The Feds had about 60-70 ships whose only available retro point was the 3rd fleet SB. They sent 40-odd there. The others remained in forward positions where they can contest provinces and can pin a portion of any Klingon fleet that moves through the region.

As a result of the need to defend in the North, the minor planets 2509 and 2610 are only lightly defended. They have changed hands multiple times over the past few turns. They have military value as a retro point but won't produce any EP next turn in any case.

By William Jockusch (Verybadcat) on Friday, April 17, 2020 - 08:03 pm: Edit

Madman that I am, I counted the fleets again, as of the end of turn 18:

	Uncrippled,	Crips,	Total
L	154	34	188(+5)
K	261	113	374(+3)
R	126	48	174(-20)
Coalition	541(+70)	195(-82)	736(-12)

Z	45	5	50 (-5)
H	48	1	49 (-11)
F	258	22	280(+24)
G	93	10	103(+6)
Alliance	444(+45)	38(-30)	482(+15)

The red and green numbers are changes from the end of turn 16.

Big battles are less frequent lately. This enabled every power to reduce or eliminate its crip backlog. Because the Coalition had more crips in the first place, they were able to make more progress and actually gained more uncrippled ships than the Alliance did, even though the Alliance gained in total ships. This likely explains why the Feds are still under a lot of pressure in the West.

The Kzinti have been building about 8 ships a turn. But their fleet is shrinking as they are losing even more!

Lots of changes are coming up, starting with the new Hydran shipyard, to be followed in succession by PFs, Tholians, exhaustion part 2 and the Third Way.

By Paul Howard (Raven) on Saturday, April 18, 2020 - 06:52 am: Edit

And C19 starts

Romulans find a New province (hurrah!) but lack the cash for either a CNV or the lowly Condor.

Repair backlog is improving with the Klingons repairing their first D6 for a long while!!

Lyrans build, BC, DN(Converted), 3 x CW, 6 x FF and a PDU - plus 46 Ep's on repairs. Balance is 4.8 Ep's and 2 CP's.

Klingons Build D7C, TGB, D5V, AD5, 7 x D5, 6 x F5, 3 x E4 plus 55 Ep on Repairs. Balance is 0.8 Eps and 3 CP's

Romulans build 2 x FH, SP, SPB, SPH, SPF, SKE, 2 x SK plus 2 x SN from mothball and convert a K5 to a K5S plus 30.5 Eps on repairs. Balance is 1.1 and 8 CP's.

Supply into the Federation remains a problem, but the use of Tugs keeps the bulk of Coalition forces in supply.

The Klingons also for the first time during the game, have been able to set up a MB in Federation space!

By Richard Eitzen (Rbeitzen) on Saturday, April 18, 2020 - 08:10 am: Edit

I think you meant to say something like 'are unwilling to pay for a CNV or CON' as I'm sure the Romulans have enough EPs to produce one.

:p

By Paul Howard (Raven) on Saturday, April 18, 2020 - 09:50 am: Edit

Well, not if the Romulan Admiral wants a Federation Admirals style pleasure Yacht too

But yes - repairs would have been massively cut as no Lyran aid arrived last turn...

By William Jockusch (Verybadcat) on Saturday, April 18, 2020 - 10:27 am: Edit

The Gorns suggest a Romulan policy of overbuilding WE. They do have enough EPs to do that.

By Paul Howard (Raven) on Saturday, April 18, 2020 - 02:18 pm: Edit

Clearly that Gorn Spy was

A) Known to us
B) Not very good


The previous successful Gorn Spy instituted the program of building lots of FE's and SNB's......

By Paul Howard (Raven) on Saturday, April 18, 2020 - 03:45 pm: Edit

Operation movement is nearing completion....

Kzinti front - Battles over 1502 and 1703 are fairly one sided.

On the Hydran front - Battles are in 118 and 516 and reports indicate heavier patrols next to the Old Colonies will be implemented.

In Federation space - SB 2211 is under heavy attack as well as several planets.

In Gorn space - due to the forward deployed Gorn forces, the Romulans have pushed into action a huge number of crippled ships.... and have punched a line through Gorn Defensive lines to reach 4402....which other than 8 PDU's and the SB, is undefended.

By Paul Howard (Raven) on Sunday, April 19, 2020 - 07:36 am: Edit

Operational movement has been completed.

SB 2211 is under attack by 71 equivalents - which includes 6 Maulers.

Hopefully the SB is going down this turn - after so many failed assaults!

6 Federation planets are also under attack - reserves can try and save 4 of them.

On the Gorn Front, other the drive on the three Gdhar Systems, there are four pinning battles - which may see 1 BATS also die.

Romulans need to keep 2 uncrippled ships from the 4402 Gdhar I battle force to capture the shipyard.

With 14 attacking hulls, that should be possible...

Hydran front has indeed been blocked off - the Hydran reserves can go to 1 battle (118) - or not at all.

The Hydran Home fleet is currently in supply... and will in effect remain in supply due to the Hydran Expedition Supply Tug!

2 True Kzinti Patriarch planets which 'rebelled' are liberated and the Imposter will hopefully be driven off 1502.

By Paul Howard (Raven) on Sunday, April 19, 2020 - 11:55 am: Edit

…… for immediate release....

The Romulan High Command earlier today announced the capture of the traitors homeworld of the Gorn.

Following fierce and brutal fighting, and the death of many brave Romulans, Ghdar I has been captured.

Initial reports of a heavy loss ratio, including 2 x KE, 2 x FH and 3 x SP's ship being lost, but humanitarian aid is being supplied to the desperate survivors and civilians by two SUP's, who appear to have not been well treated by their Gorn overlords.

By Paul Howard (Raven) on Sunday, April 19, 2020 - 12:52 pm: Edit

Combat updates then

4402 - Romulans spent 1 Command Point (probably wasted it, but with poorer rolls on both sides, combat could have lasted longer).

Romualns lost the Command Point, 2 x KE, 2 x FH, KRT, 3 x SP and have 2 Condors crippled.

Gorns lost the Shipyard, SB and 8 PDU's - and 2 MB's which were stored at the SB.*

Hydran front has been completed - Hydrans hid behind Carriers and 'Fake Carriers' (lost of CU's with 18 Fighters Fed forward).

2 a Hydran CU's killed and 2 Coalition ships crippled.

Kzinti - the Kzinti Pretender was last seen running back to his Barony.

Klingons lost a D7 and Kzinti lose 2 x FF and a SF.

All loyal Kzinti planets are back in the fold.

(The True Patriarch has a SB and 8 PDU's guarding his palace - which hopefully will be 9 PDU's by the end of the turn).

Federation Front is just starting.

* - Just need Gdhar II and III now then!

By Richard Eitzen (Rbeitzen) on Sunday, April 19, 2020 - 01:07 pm: Edit

How'd you lose a KRT on the Romulan's turn?

By Paul Howard (Raven) on Sunday, April 19, 2020 - 01:56 pm: Edit

Quite simple.

Self killed it!!!

It had a lower compot than other ships - and I have plenty of SPH's now (basic rules so they are a full tug).

The battle could have been a lot closer if either BIR bounced the wrong way - or I rolled a lot worse than William (who did roll 4 pips higher over the 6 rounds) .

I was worried that if the dice were bad - and I didn't keep 2 ships uncrippled, I might not have take the hex.

In the end, I had 20 compot of cripperable ships (and keeping 2 uncrippled) - but they were SUP's - so a tad expensive to throw away.

So I was brutal in self killing ships - and started early (round 1 as William rolled very well).

By Richard Eitzen (Rbeitzen) on Sunday, April 19, 2020 - 03:04 pm: Edit

SPH can't tow FRDs as tugs can, only 3FE and KRTs can do that.

Anywho you do what you gotta do.

By Thomas Mathews (Turtle) on Sunday, April 19, 2020 - 04:15 pm: Edit

3FE can't tow an FRD. See (509.1-F). The FEs are considered to be Theater Transports even though they are on the equivalent of light cruiser hulls.

By Richard Eitzen (Rbeitzen) on Sunday, April 19, 2020 - 04:50 pm: Edit

3FE (as a group of 3 ships) have the 'T' designation rather than the theatre transport designation and are generally tug capable. I don't see anything explicitly stating they cannot do the mission.

By Paul Howard (Raven) on Monday, April 20, 2020 - 07:21 am: Edit

After 5 years of War on the front line - the Federeration 4th Fleet SB is finally dead.

After a titanic stuggle, the SB was pounded over several months (I had to SID it 7 times, William had repaired it (several times) and it had 1 SID on it - and then Maul killed it when crippled).

Admiral K'ang's masterful offensive decimated the enemy defending fleets and Klingon High Command is proud to leave him in command the the CMVof all his uncrippled ships...

….which to be fair, isn't much).

Klingons used 2 CP's and lost 3 D5's.

Federation used 1 CP's and lost the SB and an NCL.

Some wandering Kzinti in the area 'disappeared' (the CMV+BC group dying due to directing).

Repair bill may be slightly expensive.

(The Coalition crippled 58 ships and the Federation crippled 34 ships).

Dice - well, what a nightmare to start the battle with William rolling a lot better for the first 4 rounds (including 1 round where BIR went down and after owed, couldn't muster 18 damage for the SID) - but the middle of the Battle, the K'ang raged on his crew and I rolled 3 6's in a row - the final third of the battle was pretty even.

Starting on the SID route, meant I had to finish on the SID route, and if I had let damage fall, the SB would have fallen a lot quicker (Over 100 damage was 'wasted') - but after the first few rounds, my plan got changed from killing the SB - to crippling it - and the only way to ensure that happened, was SIDDing!

I also never failed a Mauler shock roll.


Weirdly, I never passed one either and Willam never directed on them - as I self crippled the 5 maulers I had!


Final round saw a Federation FFE crippled and a crippled D6 directed on plus another ship crippled.

Although William could have persued, with a DN+ and CC,it might not have done much damage (the FFE was an uncrippled 4CVA group!)

By William Jockusch (Verybadcat) on Monday, April 20, 2020 - 11:01 am: Edit

Clearly I screwed up to use the Gorn shipyard. My first thought was that I had blown the game. My second thought was that I hadn't, and I still think that. It will hurt as the Gorns will miss about 24 builds. But their DD builds will continue unabated, and the Romulans lost 8 ships. Additionally, two Condors are crippled and out of supply, with basically zero chance of surviving.

Then there is the 3rd fleet SB battle. A bit of a comedy of errors I think. I should have spent a second command point. Paul probably should have let the damage fall rather than directing. At the end, I should have left myself a few minus points so he had next to no chance of a kill shot. A crippled SB would actually still be quite a thorn in his side.

The end result is . . . interesting, and not all bad for me. That progress that everyone was making on their crip backlog? Not anymore. The Feds have maybe 40EP of crips from the battle, but they should be able to fix the vast majority on turn A20. The Klingons and Lyrans have about 100EP of crips from the battle. That's about their typical combined repair budget on recent turns.

By Paul Howard (Raven) on Monday, April 20, 2020 - 05:27 pm: Edit

The Gorn Shipyard and Fed SB certainly was good, but the losses are high.

On dice, the end of the turn ended with some more horrible Coalition dice - more so for the poor Romulans - again.

Looking at the dice, last 17 rounds didn't see higher than a 4 for the Coalition (and it had 6 6's for the Alliance).

Averages for the turn are : -

VBIR - 3.56
Coalition 3.29
Alliance 3.66

Most relevant battle though was over 2509 - as both the battered Federation 3rd Fleet ad Carrier 1 Fleet (20 ships) would have been out of supply - but averages of 2.5 v 5 blew that though.

Final Romulan battles I think cost the Romulans 4 hulls - and best they got was a Gorn FRD and no enemy ship kills.

On errors, I might have increased the chance of 3rd Feet and Carrier Fleet 1 being cut off, if I did the battle order slightly different (should have done 2610 after the SB and 2411 battles) - but 3rd would have been able to get within range of a battle (and retrograde), but Carrier Fleet 1 is annoyingly more mobile than it could have been.

Total Dead

Lyrans - Nowt!
Klingons 2 x D7, 4 x D5, 2 x F5
Romulan 2 x KE, 2 x FH, WE, 4 x SP, KRT, BHE, SKF SK and SNB.

Kzinti CMV, BC, 2 x FF, SF
Hydran CU
Federation 3 x NCL, 2 x FFE, SB and 1 x PDU
Gorn, DE, Shipyard, SB, 8 x PDU, FRD and 2 x MB

6 Romulan ships in 4402 are Out of Supply, as is a Lyran Fleet (which would have been in supply next turn if 2509 had been captured!) and a small Federation Fleet in 2613 is out of supply.

Federation lost 2 minor planets (including 1 newly captured).

Retrograde to be done.

By Paul Howard (Raven) on Thursday, April 23, 2020 - 04:31 pm: Edit

And so C19 has ended.

The Coalition have withdrawn the bulk of the 3rd SB cripples forces deep into Klingon space and the Romulans pull out what they can from the Gorn front for repairs.

Lyrans set up 3 Reserves in the Kzinti/Federation border area.

Klingons set up 2 Reserves in Southern Klingon space, 1 reserve in Federation space and 1 reserve in Western Romulan space.

The Romulans set up 2 reserves in Central/Northern Romulan space and 1 in Gorn space.

I did run out of Romulan Strategic Movement points and so 1 fleet was unable to be re-positioned (and 1 fleet seems to have not received any operational movement orders - fortunately, it's was left in an OK area).

For once, the Coalition spent a modest amount on Field Repair, the the Lyrans repairing a CV, the Klingons repaired 2 x C8V and a F5E and the Romulans repaired a CNV.

And so, Alliance turn 19 can now start.

By William Jockusch (Verybadcat) on Friday, April 24, 2020 - 04:23 pm: Edit

Kzinti economy, turn 19

Survey roll 11
Survey total 196
Survey EP 16
Offmap 17
Provinces 2
Unexhausted 35
Multiplier 0.75
Income 26.25

From last turn 1
Total Money 27.25

Builds
CMV 7
MEC 6
5FF 12.5

Total spending 25.5

Money after Econ 1.75