F&E Strategy of the Month Continued

EARLY HYDRAN ELECTRONIC WARFARE HELP
- Cadet Bill Sheely, USS Texas

Enter Strategic Operations and the SRV. By pulling one SR off survey duty to be converted to an SRV (and possibly building/converting another SRV), you can help to level the electronic warfare playing field. The SRV is a scout that is not easily plinked out of existence (in a group with the max two escorts, DE and AH preferably).

Care will have to be taken to keep the BIR low if there are maulers about, but when fighting pinning/approach battles, the ability to load up with extra electronic warfare on the line can be invaluable. Not to mention being able to utilize CEDS, which the 'true carrier' poor Hydrans find difficulty in doing.

It gets better on Turn #6, when you can substitute or convert a PIV, giving you a three electronic warfare point scout-carrier that you can field along with its escorts for low risk.

Granted, you are losing survey roll(s) if you pursue this strategy. However, either the Coalition is serious about taking Hydrax (in which case the SRV is back on survey duty once the Royal Navy makes it to the Old Colonies), or you will hold Hydrax- and the SRV can be sent off to survey duty after the immediate danger has passed. Either way, you have managed to dampen the electronic warfare advantage the Coalition usually enjoys on the Hydran front for a few crucial turns.