The Hydrax battle is done. The Klingon strategy was to keep killing ships at the side planets until the Hydrans had few enough ships remaining that they felt it wise to allow the planet to be devastated.

Both fleets lost a bunch of big ships:

K -- BT, 3D6M, D7C, 3F5
L -- DN, BT
H -- PAL, LB, 3RN, 2DG, LN, SC

In addition, all side planets were devastated. Hydrax lost 8PDU and still has 4PDU. The Coalition has 67EP worth of crips, while the Hydrans have only 2.5EP. Klingons spent 4CP, and Hydrans spent 2CP.

By Paul Howard (Raven) on Sunday, November 08, 2020 - 01:59 pm: Edit

The only annoying loss was the Paladin - right roll at the right time for William.

Hydran forces was about 6 ships too short to provide an effective defence (I couldn't over cripple to protect the Cruisers) and I had to let the Minors go for a song and not defend them.

Even had to basically self kill the Majors planet PDU's as although I had lots of fighters - I didn't have enough ships to risk leaving too many fighter bays empty.... to allow William to avoid racking up owed points over the capital.

The loss of 7 heavy cruisers (or better) is painful too.

By Peter Bakija (Bakija) on Sunday, November 08, 2020 - 02:07 pm: Edit

>>The only annoying loss was the Paladin - right roll at the right time for William.>>

Yikes. How did he possibly kill the Paladin? Was it just on the line (i.e. not in formation) somewhere?

By Paul Howard (Raven) on Sunday, November 08, 2020 - 04:50 pm: Edit

Basically - William needed a 6 - and got it

A Battle Tug was in form. Probably should have kept the Pal in form and a LN or something instead - would have probably lost a CC instead.

I did kill a Lyran DN at least in exchange.

By Peter Bakija (Bakija) on Sunday, November 08, 2020 - 08:01 pm: Edit

Ah, ok. So the PAL was just on the line. Was this over the homeworld at least? So him killing the PAL saved 4PDU for another turn?

By William Jockusch (Verybadcat) on Monday, November 09, 2020 - 10:18 am: Edit

Worth mentioning that in our other game, my Hydrans also lost a Paladin on a slim chance. In our case, it was 1/12.

Also, some degree of risk is certainly acceptable. For instance, it has to be usually correct to accept a 1/36 risk of losing the Paladin if doing so gains you 6+ compot. This is particularly true if taking the risk increases your chance of killing a big Coalition ship, i.e. a Lyran DN.

By Paul Howard (Raven) on Monday, November 09, 2020 - 10:50 am: Edit

Peter - was over a Major planet which still had 4 PDU's and full fighters* - not the Homeworld.

In my defence, I was unsure at that point if William was going to attack Hydrax - or just strip the other 5 planets and devastate them.

And as William said - I got lucky (for once ) in our other game!

* - After the Paladin had died, I did defending a Major Planet which still had 4 PDU's...but was short on fighters.

Indirectly the death of the Paladin did save some PDU's - as Hydrax still has 4 left on it. (Wllliam could have stayed another round - but would have faced -14 damage as for once I was able to keep my bays full, prior to the death of the PDU's!).

By William Jockusch (Verybadcat) on Monday, November 09, 2020 - 12:14 pm: Edit

A Lyran assault on the Hydran 2nd fleet SB has failed. The Lyrans leave with a bunch of crips (12.5EP), while the Hydrans have 7 SIDS on the SB, plus one crip.

A failed SB assault is always painful, and this one also has an annoying consequence as a Lyran fleet will be out of supply. That said, this one still doesn't feel like the end of the world, perhaps because the Hydran compot edge wasn't that big.

By Paul Howard (Raven) on Monday, November 09, 2020 - 03:15 pm: Edit

215's line although weak, wasn't too bad with the SB (103 compot) - and was 20% higher than the Lyran one (which actually was pretty good).

716 though was a weak line - and with the SB was less than the Coalition attacking force!

So, 2 SB's died and one just about held on.

If I had worked out some plans - might have been able to do a partial retreat from 617 and cut 519 off too - but the Lyran 317 pocket (with 4 cripples in it and 3 uncrippled) is better than nothing.

By William Jockusch (Verybadcat) on Monday, November 09, 2020 - 07:23 pm: Edit

Coalition turn 4 is done.

The Lyrans, whose fleet is largely crippled, sent all of their builds to the South, and still needed some Klingon support to ensure that the Hydrans can't kill their FRD park in 412.

The Klingons sent many of their best builds to the Hydran front, as they have unfinished business there. However, the situation is sufficiently in hand that they also sent some new ships to the North.

Four of the seven Coalition reserves are in the North, as the Kzinti are not under much pressure and can therefore attack the Coalition. The other three are in the South. One of the Northern reserves could go South in the unlikely event of a Hydran attack on the Klingon FRD park in 1013.

By Paul Howard (Raven) on Wednesday, November 11, 2020 - 02:15 am: Edit

Alliance Turn 4.

With an intact 1401 - the Kzinti are able to build everything :-

DN, TGC, 4 x MEC, 5 x FF and a SF. They also convert a BC to a CVS and spend 11.5 Eps on repairs. 7 Command Points are available.

The Hydrans are under pressure though and build :-

TG, 3 x CU, HN, plus convert a LN to a UH, bring out the LN and HN from mothball and a Command point (2 available again). 7 Eps are spent on repairs.

By Paul Howard (Raven) on Wednesday, November 11, 2020 - 02:18 am: Edit

Alas, the FRD parks are safe.

I worked out with everything (including cripples) I could get 16 equivalents into the main Lyran FRD park.

But with a 14 Equivalent Klingon reserve (with Mauler) an 12 Fighters from the adjacent SB, my modest force (2 Cruisers, 2 Destroyers and the rest frigates - no Scout) would need to roll 4 pips higher to win an approach battle.

With little fighters to burn, any damage would be on ships, which will be needed for the coming turn!

But we do have some plans for the Alliance.

By Paul Howard (Raven) on Wednesday, November 11, 2020 - 04:27 pm: Edit

Operational movement has been completed.

Two of the Northern Front Coalition reserves have been pinned and 2 BATS, 2 Minor Planets and 404 are under assault.

William can free 1 reserve up and can save 404.

In the south - I was about 4 ships short of what I wanted and so I am just attacking 317 (which has several Lyran cripples in it) and 718 to liberate it.

An attack on the FRD might have got 1 or 2 FRD's - but I could have been cut off and suffered heavy casualties - so the easy option was done.

Coalition reserves are next.

By Paul Howard (Raven) on Thursday, November 12, 2020 - 03:55 pm: Edit

A School report for the Alliance would say something like

"Always tries hard, but lacks overall ability"

The two Alliance offences had mixed success.

In the North, the Kzinti Liberated 1202 and killed BATS 705.

BATS 908 suffered 2 SIDS but lived and the 1504 attack was repulsed - and 404 was left unmolested.

In the South, the Hydrans was repulsed from 718, blundered around 518 (failing to open a Strategic Movement route from 617), but did succeed in opening a route for 416 to the Old Colonies.

Total losses

Kzinti : CC, BC, FF and EFF killed and 16.5 Ep's of cripples.
Hydrans : RN, 2 x LN and SC killed

Lyrans BATS, CC, CW and FF killed and 26.5 Ep's of cripples

Kklingon D5, 3 x F5, E4, E4A and F5E and 12 Ep's of cripples (plus 2 SIDS on a BATS).

By Paul Howard (Raven) on Friday, November 13, 2020 - 04:47 am: Edit

Just finishing up Retro and SM...

A small Lyran fleet might end up cut off in 903 although William can change where he retreats to from 1105, which could keep supply open.

Reserves are set up in 902 (5 Eq), the Barony (7 Eq) and the Old Colonies (4 Eq and 2 Eq).

Due to my blunder in failing to open 617 to the Old Colonies - the bulk of the forces earmarked for the reserve can either be a reserve in 617 (and almost certainly will get pinned!) or allow two small reserves in the Old Colonies - the latter I felt is better.

215 sees a small force guard it and small Hydran detachments are in 317, 416 and 518.

Kzinti forces remain partially forward deployed - 1401 is barely defended with just 30 Equivalents (plus some cripples) currently there!

In Lyran space, a junior member of the Lyran Royal Family declares an Independent state covering Black Stripe, Pelt Hunter and Golden Fang County's, under the protection of the Kzinti Patriach.

(Lyrans will lose 6.2 Ep's for the 1 hex NZ I am in (and so I don't think he can claim the 0.2) and 6 Ep's for captured provinces )

By William Jockusch (Verybadcat) on Friday, November 13, 2020 - 09:20 am: Edit

I can't claim any of the four Kzinti border NZ hexes. Two I don't hold, and two are OOS.

I have always assumed that an NZ hex is OOS if it is adjacent to an enemy ship but not to a friendly ship. For example, no EP for 704 on the current map.

As a general matter, Kzinti have been quite annoying the past two turns.

By William Jockusch (Verybadcat) on Friday, November 13, 2020 - 07:23 pm: Edit

Lyran economy, Turn 5
Survey roll 9
Survey total 51
Survey EP 4
Offmap 24
Capital 35
Planets 24
Provinces 26
Conquered 1.2
Income 113
From last turn 55.5
Total Money 168.5

Repairs
Lyrantan 7.5
104 2
109 1
707 2
Red Claw 7.5
411 14
412 30
Far Stars 6.5
608 8
Subtotal 78.5

Builds
BC 10
STT 10
3CW 15
2DW, DWS 14
3FF 7.5
Battle pod 6
Subtotal 62.5

Conversion
Lyrantan CA>DN 6

Total spent 147
Remaining after econ 21.5
Allocated for Klingons 20
Remaining 1.5

Command points: 6+1=7

By William Jockusch (Verybadcat) on Friday, November 13, 2020 - 07:26 pm: Edit

Klingon Economy, Turn 5
Survey roll 6
Survey total 31
Survey EP 2
Capital 49
Planets 41
Provinces 52
Conquered 12.2

Total before exhaustion 156.2
Income 156.2
From last turn 31.9
Total Money 188.1

Repairs
1017 26
1212 6
1214 2
1417 1.5
1419 1.5
1618 2
906 2
Klinshai 2
NR 5.5
SR 3
Subtotal 51.5

Builds
D7C 9
D6M 10
D7 8
6D5, D5V, 2AD5 49
2F5, F5S, 3F5E 20
3xE4 7.5
B10 roll 5
Activations 4
Battle pods 8
Subtotal 120.5

Conversions
Klinshai D7C, D6M 7

Total spent 179
Remaining after econ 9.1

Command Points: 5+1=6 (4 spent last turn)

By William Jockusch (Verybadcat) on Friday, November 13, 2020 - 07:29 pm: Edit

The Hydran war is making short work of our budget surplus. The Lyrans had 50EP in the bank at the end of C4. But on C5, after doing their repairs, they couldn't afford to do their full builds, build a battle pod, overbuild a CA, and send 20EP to the Klingons. Something had to give, so they didn't overbuild the CA. They may have to settle for a CL>BC conversion next turn.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Saturday, November 14, 2020 - 01:36 am: Edit

I have seen this play. Godot never arrives.

By Paul Howard (Raven) on Saturday, November 14, 2020 - 04:00 am: Edit

At least no more Gold Bathrooms for the Coalition... only the Feds can afford such wonderful Admiral Quarters

By William Jockusch (Verybadcat) on Saturday, November 14, 2020 - 07:40 am: Edit

Nonsense SVC, he is coming. Soon.

By Paul Howard (Raven) on Saturday, November 14, 2020 - 12:45 pm: Edit

As I keep telling all these Klingon and Lyran Visitors - Hydrax is full and they will have to come back.

But no - they just keep pushing to the front.

On the northern front - seems the Coalition is again ignoring the core Kzinti regions and is just hitting 1001 and 1105 (plus outer garrison forces).

Mind you - there is a fair amount of stuff still to move....

By William Jockusch (Verybadcat) on Saturday, November 14, 2020 - 06:14 pm: Edit

Turn C5 combat is done. Hydrax has fallen. The Hydrans have no on-map bases. Their fleet is trapped, sort of, but they have the exp. supply tug with them, so they should be able to escape.

On the Kzinti front, we retook minor planets 1001 and 1105.

The Coalition killed 14 ships while losing 8. Both sides lost some quality ships:

2DN and D6M for us
LB and 3RN for the Hydrans.

By William Jockusch (Verybadcat) on Saturday, November 14, 2020 - 11:13 pm: Edit

Turn C5 is now done.

The Hydrans made the (probably wise) decision to fight only five rounds at Hydrax. As a consequence, the assault there was overkill. The Coalition sent 114 ships there in all, and probably only 30-40 of them saw combat. The Hydran front FRD parks will have unused capacity next turn.

With the main action on the Hydran front completed, five of the seven Coalition reserves are in the North. The two Southern ones are pretty strong however, in an attempt to cause further trouble for the Hydran fleet.

Many fleets that rushed to the Hydran front for the campaign are now rushing in the opposite direction. For example there are now 49 uncrippled Klingons in 1214. All retroed there from Hydrax.