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DECEMBER 2021
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Star Fleet Universe News THE BIG NEWS:
ADB Releases New Ships for November/December 2021
On November 22, 2021, ADB released 48 new items to its shop on Shapeways, which has over 2,800 items available in total. We featured the Federation, Klingons, Kzintis, Gorns, Jindarians, Hydrans, and the Orion Pirates this month. Please note that all miniatures are available in both 3788 and 3125 scales, except when noted.
Check all these out here: https://www.shapeways.com/shops/amarillo-design-bureau-incThe Federation starts with the New Command Cruiser and the Plasma Dreadnought. Each ship is available in both the Federation (gridded saucer) and Fed Classic (smooth saucer) styles. They also gain their Pre-War Collection (two destroyers, two old light cruisers, one old heavy cruiser, and one police cutter) in the 7000 Scale. The Klingons gain their WC10 Battleship. With more aztecking, the ship is also available as the WC10K Refitted Battleship. The fans have been asking for the Fast Naval Transport, and it is here in Omni Scale only. The Kzintis are here in force with their Division Control Ship, Battle Control Ship, Battleship Carrier, New Gunboat/PF Tender, and War Dreadnought. They also get a new X-Ship New Heavy Cruiser. The Gorns gain their Fast Battlecruiser in both the regular and refitted versions. The pirates got X-Ships! The Orions now have their Salvage Cruiser-X and Strike Cruiser-X. The latter was just recently discovered in the files. The Hydrans gain more X-Ships for their Kingdom: the Cavalier-X Carrier, along with the Mongol-X Medium Cruiser and its hellbore-armed companion, the Tartar-X Medium Cruiser. The Jindarians get more of their metal ships, the Heavy War Destroyer, Medium Strike Cruiser, and Heavy Strike Cruiser. In Omni Scale, they gain their Comet Gunboat/PF Flotilla. They also have their Fleet Builder Collection (three war destroyers and three frigates) in the 7000 Scale.
WEBSITE:
Our website, www.StarFleetGames.com, continues to grow and improve. You are welcome to send us your requests, comments, and suggestions. Simone Dale, our graphics director, continues to update the website, do covers for the new products, shut down pirate websites, help out around the company, and learn more about the game business.
TWITTER: VIDEOS: Star Fleet Marines Part 1 DOING VIDEOS OF THE SFU
A customer asked about posting "tutorial videos" for our games. We like it when people do that (and even give commendation medals) but you need to have us check the videos to make sure you aren't violating something somehow (or that you didn't make a rules error). Doing such videos to make money is not cool. Please drop us an email before you post the videos.
STARBLOG: STAR FLEET'S LEGIONS EXPAND: This month we feature Battle Group Hampton Roads, headquartered in Hampton, Virginia. CO William Phillips reports they play Star Fleet Battles and Federation & Empire. They also enjoy attending gaming conventions. Read more here: http://www.starfleetgames.com/battlegroup/battlegroup_HamptonRoads.shtml
Do you have a battle group? Be sure to report your activities here: http://www.starfleetgames.com/battlegroup/report.shtml
Do you want to see if there's a battle group near you? Check out the map here: http://www.starfleetgames.com/battlegroup/gather.shtml#US
Facebook Fan Pages
So join us on Facebook and get a fix of your favorite game there, too! As announced in Captain's Log #54, Jean Sexton Beddow's husband, Al Beddow has been appointed to take over the day-to-day of running the SFU Ranger demo team. He comes with a bit of experience both teaching various types of games as well as having been in quite a few demo teams (and ran/helped run a few). He is most familiar with GURPS Prime Directive but early on played ACTASF and spent Gencon 2012 demoing it in the Mongoose Publishing booth there. So, we are asking each of you to email Al at the address below with the following: - Name Al will add you to the Ranger group on the forum once he has this info, which will let you access our area there. He is looking forward to working with all of you to spread the news of the Star Fleet Universe! Current stats: We have heard from 22 of our Rangers and have three new ones! We are excited to see the Rangers becoming active as playing in person and cons once again start up. Jean Sexton Beddow Al Beddow Ranger Email: adbrangerhq@gmail.com FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/517647465103651/ ADB Forums: http://www.starfleetgames.com/federation/phpbb2/index.php ADB BBS: http://www.starfleetgames.com/discus/
JAGDPANTHER
Custom Decals for Starline ships Tenneshington Decals continues to provide custom decals for all currently produced Federation Starline 2500 miniatures. For more information or to download the order sheet, check them out at www.tenneshington.com. Or if you prefer, email Will McCammon at: will@tenneshington.com or Tony L. Thomas at: scoutdad@tenneshington.com.
Jupiter IV Decals is a source of decals for the 2400 line and will do custom decals as well as all official SFB names. In the near future Jupiter IV will move into the 2500 line and will work to get every listed name on the Starfleet registry completed in both scales.
Their website is: JupiterIvdecals.com
ONLINE TOURNAMENTS Update to Sapphire Star IX: Sapphire Star IX is moving towards a conclusion with the final match being something fo a Civil war with a Wyn Aux facing off against a WYBN shark.
DEMOS AND CONS WITH SFU GAMES Due to the COVID-19 virus, many conventions have been cancelled. We encourage you to check out Star Fleet Battles Online where there is a free demo version. It is a good way to hang out with others who play Star Fleet Battles and Federation Commander. Check it out here: https://www.sfbonline.com/index.jsp Star Fleet Battles games are played regularly in Columbus, Ohio, on Sunday afternoons at the Soldiery. Lee Hanna is the contact person. Download Transmissions HAILING FREQUENCIES: This is our newsletter and will let you know all the news for all our games. You can subscribe here. Have you missed an earlier newsletter? Click here to get caught up! COMMUNIQUE: This monthly magazine repeated much of the same information that Hailing Frequencies does. December 2019 was the last month it was published. Old issues can be downloaded from the Commander's Circle. |
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New Releases EXTRAS FOR THE MONTH: You can look at Hailing Frequencies Extras here.
Click here to see our previous issues of Hailing Frequencies.
Recently Released Federation & Empire: Tactical Operations, SKU 3216, $36.95 SHAPEWAYS:
We’re now offering some of our miniatures and some new designs on Shapeways. You can check out the store here: https://www.shapeways.com/shops/amarillo-design-bureau-inc?sort=newest
PDF and EBOOK SALES:
RECENTLY RELEASED ON Warehouse 23
Ask Admiral Vanaxilth Commander's Options and Refits
Troy Latta asks: There is something I "always knew" but cannot find support for in the rules, and perhaps you know where it is. Are Commander's Options (S3.2) exempted from the (A3.5) rounding rule? In other words, does my 109-BPV Drex battle destroyer qualify for 22 BPV worth of Commander's Options, or only for 21.8?
ANSWER: Kommodore Ketrick replies: The only time a fraction matters is if there is nothing that fraction can be used for. In the case of Commander's Options, there are things that a fraction can be spent on, even if you do not want to buy them. That is your choice, but you do not get to say "I have a half point of Commander's Option points, so I will buy two boarding parties by rounding it up to one whole point." You can spend a half point on one boarding party, so there is no rounding. If you had 0.6 points, once you bought the boarding party (0.5), you have 0.1 remaining. If you had 0.8 BPV, that gets you a boarding party (or a conversion of a boarding party) and a single round of transporter artillery if you want it, but it does not round up because you still have something you can buy. You would need at least half of the cost of the cheapest thing to round it up to that cost. Josh Driscol asks: Can you as a general rule not pay for a UIM when it says the UIM is standard and the year is Y165 or later? I may have been paying for the free UIM, and am hoping to get that BPV back. ANSWER: It depends on the ship. For most Klingon ships, purchasing the UIM is optional. If the ship's availability date is Y165 or later, and UIM is listed as standard equipment, then you have UIM and don't pay for it. There is no provision for removing standard equipment from ships to reduce their BPV. If the ship was available without a UIM, prior to Y165, then by (S8.312) for scenarios set in Y170 or earlier, you could assume that it has not yet received the UIM refit and save a few points. Follow-up Question: So, specific to the D6C, does it pay five BPV more per ship after Y165 to get its UIM standard? ANSWER: The D6C does not show UIM as standard equipment, as that was not available during its operating time. If a D6C were still in service in Y165, it would be able purchase a UIM, but would not be required to. (End of Admiral Vanaxilth) F&E Q&A
OPERATIONAL BASES Q: My opponent wants to destroy my OPB and I want to withdraw it from the battle before combat (302.1) using a tug. My opponent used a prime team mission to cripple the tug, blocking this, but there is a second tug (not the one that originally carried the OPB) in the hex. Can it evacuate the OPB by (302.1) despite the fact that it is not the "assigned" tug?
A: There is nothing in (453.2) or in (509.0) that says a OPB has to have a tug assigned to it. So, if you have two unassigned tugs in the hex and one is crippled as mentioned in this question or any other way before (302.1) you can use the other one to assist the OPB in withdrawing. If a tug already assigned a mission is used to rescue the OPB, it gives up that mission including abandoning any pods it was carrying. Q: I used a tug to take an operational base (OPB) to a hex and set it up. Now, the situation is dire. Does the OPB do a "slow unit retreat" or can the tug withdraw the OPB before combat under rule (302.1)? A: An OPB doesn't require "setting up" or "packing up" like an MB does. It can retreat on its own as a "slow unit", but can only use (302.1) Withdrawal Before Combat if carried by a tug. Q: Can an operational base, using slow retreat towed by a tug, use the formation bonus? It is a base, which is disallowed (308.74), and it is "treated like a set-up mobile base in combat" by rule (453.32), so no. However, it is a slow unit which can be in the formation slot, as can towed FRDs. A: The fact that it is a base is specific while the fact that it is a slow unit is general. The specific overrules the general, so, no, it cannot use the Formation Bonus box in combat. Q: If an operational base retreats with a tug does it use slow movement or (since the tug is towing it) does it use normal retreat rules (453.24)? If the operational base is in slow unit pursuit combat, is it considered set-up? A: The term "withdraw" in this rule refers to withdraw before combat (302.11) not retreat (302.7) and the subsequent pursuit (307.0) even though a unit that withdrew during (302.11) can still be part of (302.7) and (307.0). An operational base that retreats with a tug would be considered a slow unit, but, per (453.22) it would be considered "set-up" for the subsequent combat. Q: Rule (453.12) in SO says that OPBs can have a repair module in one of the positions. I can't find a cost for a repair module. A: Repair modules are not in the game, yet. Cool Stuff on the Website In this section we will provide links to various web pages and items that we think you will find "cool". We have also uploaded new Xander wallpapers to our Wallpapers section on the website: Wallpapers STAR FLEET ALERTS These are the press releases we send to the wholesalers, retailers, and media. You can get on the mailing list for them by asking Marketing@StarFleetGames.com to add you to the list. (Obviously, they are free.) They are uploaded to the Star Fleet Alert page FC Tactic of the MonthTIPS FOR SFB PLAYERS PLAYING FC
If you are in command of a sublight ship, your mobility is very limited. One way to increase your flexibility and keep your opponent guessing is to use reserve impulse power to either move forward, backward, engage Erratic Maneuvering, or use a Sublight Tactical Maneuver as the situation requires.
Instead of committing to a particular tactic, keep your options open using reserve impulse power. (End of SFB Tactic of the Month)
If you read the Lyran carrier production notes, it sounds like the Lyrans are limited to two carrier builds per year: one as a substitution and one as a conversion.
But if you look more closely, you will see that the VP+ (carrier pallet) is available in Y171 (along with the CVL). The CV is available in Y172. Planning carefully (to use your free fighters) you can build two VP pallets in Y171 (one each turn) and a TGC. (You must use one of your TGCs already available.) So instead of building two CVLs in Y171, you can build two carrier tugs that have the same amount of fighter factors, yet have four more combat potential each over the CVLs they replace. With the introduction of FCRs in Y171, it will make the Lyran CVT fight much longer, with its higher density over their CVLs. (End of F&E Strategy of the Month)
A Call To Arms: Star Fleet Tactic of the Month Dust clouds are similar to asteroid fields in size and only slightly less common. Ships can enter or exit dust clouds at will and can even move about inside them. Unlike asteroid fields however, ships take no damage from moving inside a dust cloud. That's not to say they aren't without effect. All ships suffer a -1 modifier to their Crew Quality as result of the random glitches common inside of these dust clouds. In addition, Romulans also lose the benefits of being cloaked while inside a dust field. As with an asteroid field, ships within the dust cloud that are attacked receive the 5+ Stealth trait (or +2 to Stealth if they already have that trait) as the dust particles interfere with target locks. If a ship located inside a dust cloud attacks a ship outside the dust cloud, that ship also gains the Stealth 5+ trait as the target lock interference works both ways..
Mini of the Month Kent Ing painted this ISC Star Cruiser (3125 Scale, Smooth Fine Detail Plastic)
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