Archive through June 28, 2022
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Archive through June 28, 2022
Canny Romulans should balance their SUPs with an SPB group (or two, keep half the SUP fighters on board) ...
Not so easy to balance anything when your fleet is 40% carriers, with SPB being the most common. That means if you have a fleet with 12 ships, on average, 5 of the 12 might be carriers. With average carriers for the Romulan fleet, those 5 carriers might have 32 fighters, plus or minus a few, which means they can't all go on the line, even if somebody holds fighters back.
The Kzinti have a similar problem, maybe worse as their fleet is 50% carriers.
At least for the Kzinti, small fleets tend to work out pretty well; big fleets not so much. For example, they have a 5-ship fleet consisting of PFT, 2CMV, MEC, FF. This is facing a 10-ship Coalition fleet as the hex in question was reserved. Even still, the Kzinti compot won't be that much worse than the Coalition compot, and the battle results may not be particularly bad for the Kzinti.
In another battle, the Kzinti have a 10-ship fleet with 6 carriers. It is assaulting a BATS with 9 weakish defenders. The defenders include 2 crips and 0 carriers. The Kzinti are not likely to kill the BATS but should at least be able to force a favorable trade, due to the absurd fighter imbalance.
Stewart
Thats a good idea - but in basic F&E - it's not efficient.
Romulans get 6 Fighters a Turn - and there is no carry over - so if you build a SUP - you waste 2 Free Fighters or have NH/FH's on SB's and spend a stack on conversion (and the extra 2 Fighters).
SUP's are also fairly vulnerable early on - outside the form box, 30 damage to kill in effect a 19/20 Ep hull?
And when the SUB/CNV/PF's arrive - they are not efficient on the line - so as William said - I use them as 10 point cruisers in key battles (you need to transfer the fighters off first etc).
It's a shame the SPB doesn't count as an Oversized Squadron (even in the basic rules).
The Romulans can annualize their FFF in FE2010 if using:
(431.744) In the expansions, players are allowed to “annualize” their free fighter factors. During each Spring turn, an empire receives the free fighter factors for both the Spring and Fall, and can use them during either turn of that calendar year. Players of Basic F&E may mutually agree to do this.
Admittedly, the Roms are somewhat uniquely hampered in FE2010 in using their 6 FFF by their lack of base CV or CW-CV medium carrier units that have exactly 6 FF. Most other empires have 2, like D7V and D5V, for example.
If annualizing using 431.744, then the Roms could build on consecutive turns something like [SPB & SKB], [SPB & SUP], or [(CNV|SUB) & nothing] which allows the use of all 12 FFF per year exactly.
--Mike
>> It's a shame the SPB doesn't count as an Oversized Squadron (even in the basic rules).
The line for the SPB awesomeness has to be drawn somewhere! It already has (in FE2010):
1. Best CR for any CW medium carrier (8 vs 6 for other emps)
2. Largest fighter group for any CW medium carrier (8 vs 6 for other emps)
3. Lowest build cost (6 vs 7 for other emps)
--Mike
Mike
We must have missed 431.744 
But yes, that would help - and would help the smaller Empires get CVA's (Kzinti have none for example).
On 1-3
I think the SPB's CR has been relevant once in 20 turns so far - but it doe also risk if your tryinf to hide the main hulls (KR/KR/SPB/SP for example in a hex - you can't put up the SP).
2) - I think I would prefer 6 fighters - as 8 is not ideal - you cant use 3 SPB's for example!
The Romulans can't hide ships easily due to this (SP's or SK's will always be on the line).
3) Valid - the Modular System is good - but they have the most expensive 'Frigates' to counter it (i.e the SK).
Well, dice still 'suck; - but atleast in some battles I roll enough to still do no damage - but I do get to kill more Alliance Fighters.
Classic case Coalition seems to roll the maximum to still fail... and the Alliance rolls the minimum to succeed - and that has happened a couple of times in some of the smaller battles.
William also got the first capture of the Turn.
Seems William gets 2-4 Eps of ships a turn to scrap.... and I get nothing.
Last few Coalition captures have been 1 Ep frigates - and Alliance has had a FH, D6 and CW - since I captured one of them.
At least William did fail a good persuit chance (not as good as the failed Romulan once - but I would say it was a good persuit force).
Average after 45 rolls is 3.6 for VBIR, 3.69 for the Alliance and 3.24 for the Coalition.
So - William remains lucky 'due to my poor rolling' - and I need to be grateful for smaller mercies.
In the better-late-than-never department, the Kzinti have now killed a Lyran BATS!
The BATS in question (705) already had a SIDS which was probably inflicted 20-odd turns ago.
Another BATS assault (502) was a partial success. We inflicted 2 SIDS and a crip for fighter losses, but 502 stands.
Fair to say 'Romulitus' (i.e. poor dice rolling) has affected the Hydrans - although the most important battle, alas the Hydrans did roll well.
What initially was a modest pinning battle turned into 'will the bulk of the Hydran fleet be in supply or not' battle - the Hydrans had a good Compot Advantage, but the Coalition had a more sustainable compot level (more ships to cripple).**
The first round was 6 v 3 and so the balance bar went in the Hydran favour.... with round 2 being 6 v 6.
Needing to win the battle - William dropped the damage (32) and with the odds fading- killed a LB for 28 and ran.
Hydrans lost a LB, RN, DE and 4 CU's - but did kill a DD, FF, E4, F5 and a D5V!
** - Worth noting there is zero Hydran reserves and so they would have been in some difficulty.
Alliance turn 30 is done. Deadcounts, with big ships noted:
L 11 [DN] (1 captured)
K 15
R 10 [KC9, Condor, SPE]
Coalition 36
Z 1
H 7
F 9 [Battle tug]
G 6 [3DN, Condor, HDP]
Alliance 23
Also killed: Romulus SB, 5 R BATS, L BATS.
One consequence of not capturing Romulus is that we can't fully shut down the Romulans on turn C31. They can strike in any one of three directions. Maybe 2, but it would be a stretch. One of their options would be to temporarily retake Remus.
On the Klingon front, the Fed reserves are smallish. But the non-reserve Fed fleets are generally strong. The Klingons could do some annoying things, for sure. The Feds will be stronger next turn as they are set up to do a lot of repairs.
Gorns and Feds each spent 16EP on field repairs, all of them on the Romulan front. This was necessary in order to cut into the pile of crips from killing the Romulus SB. Both F and G are very close to their deficit limits.
Fleet counts to follow.
Here are the fleet counts in the same style as the R+Kz fleet counts I used earlier:
| L | K | R | Coalition | | Z | H | F | G | Alliance |
| SCS | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | | | 2 | 1 | | 3 |
| PFT (incl. Tugs) | 6 | 3 | | 9 | | 1 | | | 1 | 2 |
| Hybrid carrier | | | | 0 | | | 15 | | | 15 |
| Other carrier (incl. Tugs) | 14 | 47 | 35 | 96 | | 28 | 5 | 37 | 14 | 84 |
| Escort | 21 | 26 | 6 | 53 | | 7 | 11 | 78 | 27 | 123 |
| Plain ships (incl. BT) | 127 | 209 | 33 | 369 | | 16 | 10 | 159 | 61 | 246 |
| Scouts | 8 | 16 | 8 | 32 | | 1 | 4 | 26 | 7 | 35 |
| Other tugs | | 8 | 3 | 11 | | | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| | | | | | | | | | |
| Total | 177 | 310 | 86 | 573 | | 53 | 49 | 303 | 112 | 514 |
And here they are in the way I've been doing in the past. Changes are from one turn ago:
| U | C | Total |
| Z | 44 | 9 | 53 (+0) |
| H | 48 | 1 | 49 (-2) |
| F | 256 | 47 | 303 (-3) |
| G | 61 | 51 | 112 (+2) |
| Alliance | 409 (-56) | 108 (+53) | (517) (-3) |
| U | C | Total |
| L | 102 | 75 | 177 (-13) |
| K | 179 | 131 | 310 (-7) |
| R | 77 | 9 | 86 (-9) |
| Coalition | 358 (-41) | 215 (+12) | 573 (-29) |
Net gain for the Alliance is 26, BUT they actually suffered a net loss of 15 uncrippled as the Gorns took a heavy dose of crips in the Romulus SB assault. Gorns will be working on that.
Coalition builds and repairs came out to exactly 100 ships. So Alliance will be behind in uncrippled ship count as of the start of C31.
Wow, you guys are serious about cranking out the carriers!
--Mike
Partly yes, but mostly I think we are serious about preserving the carriers. Free fighters do not carry over from turn to turn in the basic game. Therefore, if one wants to use one's free fighters, one needs to build a carrier every turn. The Lyrans, Klingons, Feds, and Gorns have been mostly successful in keeping their carriers alive. With one being built every turn, they gradually accumulate.
Carriers - they are just too valuable to lose in the basic game.
We have lost less than a dozen carriers to date (at least 2 Romulan SUP;s, 2 Gorn HV's, 1 Kzinti CV and I think 2 CMV's and a Klingon D5V - plus I bet a FV must have died at some point).
As William have said - use it or lose it.
But this turn, it is a lose it for for the Romulans.
Lyrans build a CW and 2 x FF, plus convert a MB to a BATS and spend 48 Ep's on Repairs.
Klingons build a D5V, D5, 7 x F5, 3 x E4 and spend 57.5 Ep's on Repairs. They also spend 2.5 Ep's on Romulan Homeless Support for 3 Ships (including 1 CV).
Romulans are split in to - the Capital Main Supply Grid has 8.5 Ep's and so builds a SK and a Command Point (so have 2 now), The Off Map Main Supply Grid has 14 Ep's has spends 2.5 Ep's on a new SN (at the 1 remaining Romulan SB) and 11.5 Ep's on Repairs.
Turn C31 op move is under way. The Coalition are starting it about the same way they started the game, namely picking on the Hydrans and the Kzinti . . .
Turn C31 op move is under way. The Coalition are starting it about the same way they started the game, namely picking on the Hydrans and the Kzinti . . .
Op move continues. The Romulans are striking at Alliance FRDs. Two FRD are in danger. The still have a moderate fleet at Romulus, as well as a few ships in the South.
Well, with the Romulans fighting for their life, the Klingons lastest offensive will hopefully help - with Sigma Draconis (3509), 3611 (Sixth Fleet SB) and 3612 being attacked by Klingon and supported Romulan forces.
Elsewhere, the Kzinti counter attacker has inflamed the True Kzinti Patriarch, who unleashes forces at all Kzinti Rebel forces.
Two planets have been liberated and 1001 and 1202 should be liberated too - leaving the Rebel forces with no on map bases.
Op move continues. Romulans are attacking in all directions from Romulus. They have a good chance of killing two FRD. But they will also lose ships -- probably a high-single-digit number.
Klingons are fighting a bunch of battles at planets to the West of Earth. None are currently in danger of falling, but there are some Klingons yet to move. Some Fed planets are threatened by Klingon forces to the South-East of Earth. But the Feds have reserves available.
Kzinti will lose most of their on-map planets. They do have a reserve that might save one.
Hydrans may find a large part of their fleet pushed off-map. But they have an 18-ship fleet that is on the map and is currently not under attack.
Op move is almost done. Looks like someone is getting tired of the Kzinti. Feds will lose at least one Fed planet.
Op move is completed.
Kzinti Front - Two planets have been liberated and the other two planets should also be liberated.
Hydran Front - Push and Shove in 117 between the the bulk of the Hydran Navy and most of the Hydran Front Coalition forces.
Federation - Interesting.
Major new assault on 2103 - plus major attacks on two minor planets.
1 Federation planet has been captured and 2 other planets are under attack.
Two pinning battles are also taking place.
Romulan Front.
Attacks on the Two FRD parks, plus Federation Forces South East are occurring - with 4716 being hopefully liberated.
Federation forces fled from 5117, allowing it to rebel.
Garrison forces in North East Romulan space are under attack.
Alliance reserves can make a mess of some of the plans - but their success should hopefully be limited.
Well, as suspected the Reserves are causing some mischief - but the Romulans are confident the plan is partially working (losses are high).
Losses so far
Romulans, SP, 2 x SK, BH and SN killed
Federation, 2 x FF killed (and 1 FF crippled)
Gorn, DD and FRD killed
The Romulans have escaped the Alliance trap though (the FRD in 4408 was 6.... or 7 if William used his reserves well (which he did) from getting back to a Romulan base - so I used Cloaked Approach to sneak up on the FRD - and nabbed it before he could drag it to safety. An accepted approach would have allowed him to retreat, dragging the FRD with 2 HD's.
The FRD would have died (along with a HD or both), but my force would have been trapped.
One SK did die as part of a feint AND to get the SPB and SE back into supply (the brave 3 ships attacked 4309, which was well defended!!).