Archive through February 03, 2022
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Archive through February 03, 2022
C27 - Thins remain tight for the Coalition Economies!
Lyrans - for once exceed the find a province number by 1, rather than being 1 short - Survey up to 291 and 11 Provinces.
Build 3 x CW,3 x DW, 3 x FF
39 Eps spent on repairs.
They actually have 5.575 Eps left.
Klingons - Survey up to 177 and 7 provinces.
Build 5 x D5, 7 x F5 and 3 x E4.
42.5 Ep's spent on repairs and D5 converted to a D5V.
0.35 Eps left
Romulans - 144 Survey points and 6 provinces found.
SPH, 2 x SP, 3 x SK, plus a BHE and SPB built
22.5 Ep's spent on repairs.
0.13125 Ep's left
The First two moves see a slightly delayed aid package of Windows 95 computers (10 Ep's) arriving in the Romulan Capital and the Coalition pins the Hydrans in 117.
Mike, we use CyberBoard. I do it all by hand. But I've done it enough times that my process is pretty efficient. I sort everything into fleet boxes in groups of 50. It's to the point where a full count takes about an hour.
I don't track who exceeds whose count when. Anecdotally, I can say the following:
The Coalition has maintained general superiority against the Hydrans and Kzinti.
The Fed position is improving, but there are still a lot of Coalition forces in Fed space.
The Romulans have almost, but not quite, been kicked out of Gorn space.
C27 Op move is underway. The Romulans haven't moved much, but it seems that they are choosing to go after the Feds. I suspect this means they will do little or nothing to the Gorns, as they simply don't have the forces to hit both effectively.
The Klingons have moved some forces against the Feds. It remains unclear to me where the main blow will fall, or even if there will be a "main blow". Earth was never much of a possibility, but now it seems pretty much ruled out. Major 2306 remains a possibility. No big attacks is also possible. An attack on the Fed SB in 2103 may also be possible.
Op move continues. In addition to Earth being off the table, I am now comfortable saying that the planets between Earth and Klingon space are not targets either. It looks like there will be a major attack somewhere in the Northern Federation. Possibilities include major 2306 and the SB in 2103.
We need more ships! Earth looked nice - but with so many fighters (and a few ships), it would have been like wading through treacle.
(Alas Feds get double Fighters on the Alliance turn for their PDU's - so this would have been a good turn to attack).
But on builds
Lyrans built 3 x CW, 3 x DW, 3 x FF and spent 39 on repairs, 5.575 Eps left (lots of ships next turn will get to Lyran bases for repairs!)
Klingons build 5 x D5, 7 x F5, 3 x E4, converted a D5 to D5V and spent 41 Ep's on repairs. Balance is 0.35 Eps.
Romulans Build SPH, SPB, 2 x SP, 3 x SK and a BHE . 22.5 Eps are spent on Repairs. Balance of 0.13125 Eps.
Yes, Earth was weak, but the planets in front of it, especially 2509, were not weak in the slightest.
Well we will have to track down the Alliance spy in Coalitiom high Command.
Sol was indeed was ignored - as pretty much the bulk of Gorn space.
A broad offensive in primarily the Federation North West and Federation South and East is happening.
Including an assault on SB 2103 - a thorn in the Coalition side for far too long.
Hopefully, several Federation planets will be captured - but with 3 Federation reserves available (both Kzinti reserves are pinned, Gorn reserves are out of range and the 4th Fed Reserve is also pinned).
Afew moves still to go - the Rainbow Force can go North or South and other less minor fleet elements still can move.
Well, reserves have been dispatched and they will save a Major and Minor planet under attack.
The other reserve did go to 2103 to add to some depth to the defenders.
Combat has started and so far, dice have been varied.
Alliance - 100% success on pursuits.
Coalition - 100% failure on pursuits (I am up to 5 6's in the last 13 pursuit rolls 
)
SSC remains the Alliance friend (6+ needed to kill a Fed FF - another miss, I have no idea how many Alliance ships have lived because I can't roll 6-8
or higher on 2D6, where I have been the attacker and therefore on favourable odds?).
3 Alliance planets have been liberated so far.
Two races have a severe case of the too-many-carriers-and-not-enough-escorts disease. The Kzinti have 12 escorts for 27 carriers and a PFT. They do also have some FF, which work great as outer escorts. But their FF count is also insufficient.
Like our lovely pandemic virus, the disease seems to be contagious, and the Romulans now also have a severe case. They have 11 escorts for 24 "normal" carriers, 4 Warhawks, and 3 Superhawks.
The other races are in better shape.
I've found that you don't really need all that many escorts in many situations. It is basically just for carriers that will be on the line.
For those carriers that will just offer replacement fighters for line units and not be on the line themselves, no escorts are needed at all.
For those carriers which will be contributing IFF squadrons from the support echelon, they can be escorted by any old junk you have laying around like plain old FF, DD, CW. Since it is just a 3x directed damage shield the reduced offensive factors of the the ad-hoc escorts and the lack of escort defensive bonus don't really matter much.
It's one of the most noticeable changes since 1985 F&E: carrier groups are cheaper overall since you don't have to build (sometimes archaic and/or poor quality) escorts for every one like you did with the old static group counters.
Fighters win again!
--Mike
The problem for the Kzinti and Romulans is now it's actually difficult to make lines - as there just isn't enough normal hulls to go around.
The Kzinti aren't too bad - 3 x CV, 3 x MEC and 3 x FF you can make a line...
...but if you have 3 x SPB, 3 x SP and 3 x SK.
You start to have problems......
Feds have lost 5 minor plants so far - and dice are generally still nice to them (although, I did finally succeed in a pursuit - although William then rolled a 6 (1 in 12 chance of killing something, as VBIR also had to go up - and it did) in pursuit to kill a perusing SK - he lost a crippled FF and NCL (which was a 50/50 with no VBIR change) - but I think that would go down as a Fed win?).
So on 'easy kill' - I don't get them and on lucky kills (although we both have missed some normal rolls to kill stiff) William is still getting them.
Dead so far is
Lyran CW
Klingon D7, 3 x AD5, F5
Romulan - SP, 2 x SK, K5
Kzinti FF
Federation 2 x NCL, 4 x FF, NAC, 2 x DE, 2 x FFE
Tholians DN, PFT
Gorns will not be losing anything (the 2 battles they was in, William got doubly lucky!).
The unbelievably unlucky Federation missed its 1/36 chance of crippling the B-10. Had this succeeded, it would have been difficult-to-impossible to repair the B-10 for the rest of the game. I demand that YHWH step in to correct this horrific injustice!!!!!!!
Mmm.
Well - what can I say, the dice still hate the Coalition.
Another 6 on pursuit (6 of 15 rolls) for me.
Key battle - 3 v 3, 2 v 6 and 1 v 4....
(I was expecting to kill some Kzinti - but couldn't risk directing with such poor rolls).
Dice really are not playing fair.
Well, I honestly do not like SSC.
Another above average chance of killing a Fed FFS - needed a 7+ and get another 4.
So not even crippled.
SSC is so busted if you can't roll average or better - and it's getting ridiculous in this game - I can't remember when I killed an Alliance ship in SSC.
(And we have had a +4, +3 and +2 chance over the last turn).
Honest answer seems to be always send 15 offensive compot and accept sometimes I still roll rubbish and they get away - but I think the chance of getting 20% is alot easier than 6+ on 2D6.
But when Williams 90% of the time kllls me in SSC.... that does't seem right?
I think I average roll 4 (on 2D6) when attacking and in my favour and probably 6 when defending (when a good roll does nothing) on SSC.
I bet William averages 9 in relevant SSC's and 7 in non-relevant SSC's.
In other words, I might get occasionally a lucky cripple - but just don't get enough average rolls or good rolls when needed to kill stuff. And William does.
On normal combat dice haven't been so bad - but William is still out rolling me. (3.49 v 3.70 after 37 combat rolls).
Nothing William is doing is wrong - but the dice just seem to be so unequal again.
On the turns plans - the main operation to cut the Kzinti off from supply failed (and I crippled alot of ships to win the battle force to force him off 1504) - a Fed FFS retreated which alas has reopened supply.
In summary - can't roll well in big battles, can't roll well when single Alliance ships should be dying in SSC - but I roll well in irrelevant battles.
Couple of battles still to do - hopefully I will get some luck.
(And yes, the Unlucky Coalition missed a 1/36 chance of killing a crippled Fed 3CVS group - I thought I had rolled enough, but has mistyped 76 compot as 86!)
and C27 combat is over.
With the final 4 dice being (not surprisingly) 1 win for the Coalition and 3 for the Alliance (including the last being 1 v 6), the last battles ended quickly.
Averages are
VBIR 3.62
Coalition - Normal 3.39 - SSC 5.33 (1 Crippled ship from 0, +3 and +4 modifiers)
Alliance - Normal 3.76 - SSC 5.00 (0 Crippled Ships from -3, -6 and -7 modifiers).
So I actually rolled better in SSC - but basically was given no reward for having large advantages.
(Very much unlike William on A26).
Coalition again took alot more in cripples (timing and value meant Coalition again took alot more damage than they really should have).
Dead
Lyrans - 3 x CW
Klingons - D7, D6, F5, E4 and 3 x AD5
Romulans - FH, SP,K5, 2 x SK and BHE
Kzinti - 2 x FF, MEC and 1 PF
Hydrans - SC and 2 Command Points used
Federation, CC, 3 x NCL, 5 x FF, FFE, 2 x DE and NAC
Tholians - DN and PFT
Coalition recaptured 1 Kzinti Minor Planet, 4 Federation Minor planets and 2 Neutral planet.
Tholians and Federation have about 25 ships cut off on the Fed/Klingon Border - which is about the only success for the turn.
The Kzinti (fleet back in supply), Federation (not much Ep damage done) and Hydran (Hydran's remain on Map) fronts are pretty much a total disaster on the plans.
Coalition are for once, fully back in supply.
Retrograde and Strat Moves have been completed
Due to the failed Kzinti and Federation front offences - the Coalition has significantly pulled back forces to guard the Northern FRD park in 1407 and the Romulan Capitals.
1 Reserve is on the Hydran Front, 4 Reserves are on the Kzinti Front, 2 Reserves are on the Federation Front and the 3 Romulan reserves are in their capitals.
Modest re-inforcements have been sent to the Hydran front to try and get the Hydran Genie back in their bottle.
Alas - I lost far too many ships this turn - and put simply, didn't kill enough (the SSC ship swing is just horrendous - not rolling a net 10+ has massively hurt me over the last few turns).
William has 90% of the time rolled enough in SSC to kill me (and I bet mine is well below 5%) - so I have pulled back what I can and have tried to leave pockets of 3 ships to atleast give me a better chance in SSC - although I bet William will roll even better and will kill Multiple ships rather than single ships.
'Even or good chances' SSC does not exist for me. (I would love to be proved wrong - but the dice inbalance in SSC far exceeds Williams superior capture, persuit and poor Romulan cloak rolls).
Lyrans spent 3 Ep's on PF's - empty PFT's are nearly useless and the Fed 3rd Way has probably been worth 10 Compot in every round so far (although Williams occasionally has not used the CVBG, to increase any pursuit potential).
So 2 PFTS stripped a Lyran base and one took some of the few remaining free Klingon squadrons and a 3rd got paid for.
Federation will have alot of Ep's to spend - atleast the Gorn will drop to 75% this turn though (although only 2 provinces have Romulans in).
Kzinti Economy, Turn 27
Survey roll 10
Survey total 285
Survey EP 20
Offmap 17
Capital
Planets
Provinces 4
Total 41
Percentage 0.5
Income 20.5
From last turn 0
Total money 0
Builds
CMV 7
MEC 6
3FF 7.5
Total spent 20.5
Balance 0
no command points
Hydran Economy, turn 27
Survey roll 10
Survey total 237
Survey EP 18
Offmap 17
Provinces 1
Total before exhaustion 36
Percentage 0.5
Income 18
From last turn 0
Scrap BC 2.5
Total Money 20.5
Builds
RN 6
3CU 7.5
2HN 5
Total spent 18.5
Balance 2
4 Command points available
Federation Economy, turn 27
Survey roll 17
Survey total 414
Survey EP 28
Offmap 6
Capital 59
Planets 17
Provinces 58
NZ 3
Income 171
Offmap treasury 18
From last turn 21.35
Total Money 210.35
Repairs
Earth 13.5
Near Earth 7
6th 12.5
BATS 2
Subtotal 35
Builds
3FFE, 10FF, FFS 46
8NCL, 4NAC 64
2CC 18
Subtotal 128
Conversions
DN+ => SCS (Earth) 42
FFS, FFE, NAC (6th) 3
NAC, FFS (near Earth) 2
Subtotal 47
Total spent 210
Remaining after econ 0.35
Command points: 2+1=3
Survey roll 5
Survey total 105
Survey EP 10
Offmap 12
Capital 24
Planets 9
Provinces 33
NZ 4
Conquered 1
Income 93
Percentage 0.75
Exhausted Income 69.75
From last turn 18.4
Scrap SK 1.5
Total Money 89.65
Repairs
SW 8
Gdhar 2 9
Gdhar 3 3.5
Offmap 1
Subtotal 21.5
Builds
BCH 12
HV 19
3DE, DD 15
MB 10
HD, HDE 11
Subtotal 67
Total spending 88.5
Money after Econ 1.15
9CP available
Tholian Economy, turn 27
Balance 6.3
Income 26.8
Percentage 0.75
Exhausted income 20.1
Total 26.4
Repairs 2
PFT 7.5
9PF 4.5
PDU 7
Remaining 5.4
Still 3CP available. Idk if they will find a way to spend them or not. CP at the end of A28 have zero value . . .
The economy highlight of the turn has got to be the Feds. Four things conspired to make them absurdly wealthy:
1) They received 20EP from the Gorns last turn.
2) They had 18EP stuck offmap last turn (last turn's econ misreported this as 20EP). This turn, it was reconnected to the Earth grid.
3) Their on-map economy is 13EP larger than it was last turn.
4) They cleared out their repair backlog last turn. This turn's repair expenses were only 35EP.
As a result of all of this, they had 175EP available for builds and conversions! By skipping the DN build, they had enough money for an SCS!
Even if their overall economy continues to improve, they are not likely to have that much again for a few turns. They already took a bunch of crips on the Klingon turn, and these will need to be repaired on turn 28. The Gorns actually do have 10EP leftover they could send, but both offmap Gorn tugs are otherwise occupied. And there are no EP stuck offmap this turn. I am guesstimating that next turn, available funds for builds and conversions may be 100EP or so.
Alas for the Gorns - the SK is only worth 1 Ep in scrap.
Scrapped captured ships - you round down so 3 compot becomes 1 Ep (same for the Fed FF's I got!)
Hopefully the Alliance will now be just as poor as the Coalition though - the Gorn surplus is gone!
oooh I've been a cheater all game long in that case. On the bright side, I've been cheating myself on supply to NZ hexes, which is easier than I thought it was. So I'll just ignore prior turns and fix it for this turn.