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THE BIG NEWS: HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Plans for the December newsletter were derailed when Stephen V Cole spent two weeks in bed with RSV virus. He's back at his desk and sends you the Christmas ships for this year in the January newsletter.
SFU Starlist Reborn!
Recently the SFU Starlist was turned over to Ranger Sgt Major Al Beddow to take over the daily duties. Since then, over 100 submissions have been processed. Al has deleted several thousand spam submissions, with about 100 spam messages currently coming in each month. On January 1st, a complete update/validation process began.
As part of the validation process, everyone on Starlist is being individually emailed with their current information. As of this newsletter, 571 of the original 1462 entries have either been contacted or come back as bad emails. Of the emails sent out, fewer than 30 people requested removal, 150 emails came back as invalid, and 175 folks confirmed/updated their information. Once this process is finished, individual's requests for new lists of people near them will be processed.
We ask that everyone put in their address book sfurangers@starfleetgames.com, as some hosts have flagged emails from our new host as spam. (You may want to check your "junk" or "spam" folders to see if you already have an email!)
You can resubmit your information via the webform at http://www.starfleetgames.com/starlist.shtml. When replying with updates, please put the information at the top of the email, so the changes are easy to identify and process.
We hope this will provide you with the most accurate information!
If you haven't heard from us byJanuary 31, please reregister here: http://www.starfleetgames.com/starlist.shtml
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.
FACEBOOK:
Jean continues to improve our page on Facebook, adding many new photos and other features.
If you haven't seen the 1,000+ pieces of art in the albums, you should drop by and visit. You don't have to be a member of Facebook to see our page, but if you are, please become our friend so you can get information in your newsfeed.
If you've already liked us on Facebook, but are not
seeing our posts, then remember to check your new "Pages Feed" on the left menu.
You can also go to our page and hover over the "Liked" button. Be sure that "Get Notifications" is checked.
TWITTER:
ADB has a Twitter feed. We are ADBInc_Amarillo. You'll find news as well as links to pictures. Check us out and retweet news of interest to your own followers. We're excited and our next goal is to get 400 followers. Help us reach that, please.
VIDEOS:
StarFleetGames has taken its act to YouTube and we now have a YouTube channel. Our goal is to create a video for the new product releases during each month. We have "In the Box" videos to show you what you will see when you unpack your new game. We have also done "Spotlights" on a single product or product line. So pull up a chair and join us at the movies! Our newest uploads are:
Star Fleet Marines Part 1
Star Fleet Marines Part 2
ADB Late May 2011
Starline 2500 Miniatures Review
Star Fleet Battle Force in the box
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:
Our StarBlog has moved to a new URL
and all links on StarFleetGames.com websites have been changed to match. The new
site is http://federationcommander.blogspot.com
The blog covers all aspects of the company.
STAR FLEET'S LEGIONS EXPAND:
Star Fleet Legions isn't a new game; it is all of you who play any of our Star Fleet Universe games.
For a game universe that is 36 years old, it seems odd (but very gratifying) that the number of active players is growing, not diminishing. We can tell this by the number of people on the fan pages, the number of Rangers and battle groups, the number of new Starlist entries, and of course by the sales numbers.
Starlist is growing by an average of 10 new entries and five updates per month. There are 1,240 active names on the list (plus overseas, Canada, and those who last contacted us in 1991-2004). Not on Starlist? Fill out your application here:http://www.starfleetgames.com/starlist.shtml.
Battle groups have been forming up left and right. We started with one in Tennessee. Now there are battle groups in California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas, and Washington. We've gone international with groups in Canada, England, and Taiwan. Battle groups are doing demos, tournaments, and game days in stores and conventions. Do you have a group you game with? Join us here: http://www.starfleetgames.com/battlegroup/index.shtml
How have these battle groups been forming? Usually through the hard work of a Ranger. Rangers run demos, start game days, contact conventions, reach out to stores, and promote Star Fleet Universe games. Do you want to be a Ranger? Start here: http://www.starfleetgames.com/rangers/index.shtml
Facebook Fan Pages
If you are on Facebook, you have no doubt heard of ADB's page on Facebook. Did you know there are fan pages galore? Fan pages are groups that are started and administered by fans. They are independent of ADB, so we may not know about all of them. These are ones we know about that support the Star Fleet Universe:
So join us on Facebook and get a fix of your favorite game there, too!
RANGERS:
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.
They announce: We have big changes coming to the program. A new handbook, suggestions for demoing our games, and vastly improved rewards. All we can safely say about the (already approved) rewards is they will include ALL physical products and PDFs – but nothing on shapeways.com.
To kick all this off we are verifying everyone’s email, plus getting their handles on the Federation Commander Forum and BBS. Our official comms will be the hidden Ranger section of the Forum, which are for handling business, answering questions, providing links to resources, etc. The Facebook group will be our more public social space, but no one is required to join FB if they don’t want to.
So, we are asking each of you to email Al at the address below with the following:
- Name
- Email (preferably the one used on DTRPG/Wargame Vault)
- Forum Handle
- BBS Handle
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
Ranger Commandant
Al Beddow
Sergeant-Major for Ranger Operations
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/
AMBASSADORS:
Jean Sexton Beddow has succeeded in recruiting two ambassadors (Michael C. Baker and A. David Merritt) to carry the word of the Star Fleet Universe to other
websites. They (and Jean) were awarded the first ever "Star Fleet
Ambassador Badges" as well as appropriate medals for their service to date.
These ambassadors do not just repeat press releases; they answer questions,
encourage discussion, and help people find the relevant documents on our
website. Contact Jean Sexton Beddow if you want to volunteer for ambassador duty.
Forum
BBS
JAGDPANTHER
Take a journey with us to an ancient age, just one step up from carving game rules on clay tablets. The year 1973 was at the very dawn of the independent wargame publishing companies. Typesetting was done with a manual typewriter, print-on-demand meant the photocopier at the library, counters were printed on paper (and drawn by hand), page layout was done with scissors and cellophane tape, and two guys in a garage could turn out a wargame magazine that won two Origins Awards. The point was creativity, new ideas, and imagination. Production values would have to come later.
That magazine was JagdPanther (Hunting Panther), created and run by the same Stephen V. Cole who later co-founded Task Force Games and then went on to found Amarillo Design Bureau. We found the ancient archives of this game company (which ran from 1973-1976, producing 15 magazines, about 50 games, hundreds of variants, and dozens of game reviews) and have placed them on Warehouse 23 so they are available to collectors. (Old issues have been selling on Ebay for over $100 each.) Issue #1, Issue #2, Issue #3, Issue #4, Issue #5, Issue #6, Issue #7, Issue #8, Issue #9, Issue #10, Issue #11, Issue #12, Issue #13, Issue #14 and Issue # 15 are uploaded.
Tenneshington Decals continues to produce decal sets made to fit Federation starships in ADB's Shapeways 3788, 3125, 7000 "Elite", and 2500 "Prestige" scales. A wide selection of ships are available, with sets for the CVo operational ("flatbed") carrier, CVA heavy fleet carrier, CF fast cruiser, and DDF fast destroyer recently added. The 3788 scale decals are also great to use on ADB's metal Starline 2400 ships and the 3125 scale decals can be used on ADB's metal Starline 2500 ships. Tenneshington will also continue to offer their legacy decals for Starline 2500 ships as special orders, for customers wishing to match their existing minis. As with all of their products, the names on the ships are up to the customer and all sheets are custom-printed to order.
Additional decal sets are available for shuttlecraft and to sets to detail any ship with additional window blocks, sensors, hatches, and even phaser scars.
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 .
Update to Sapphire Star IX:
With Sapphire Star tournaments IX and X finished, XI is now running. The second Sapphire Crown tournament will kick off on 1 June with the four most recent winners.
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.
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.
COMMANDER'S CIRCLE: We continue to improve the Commander's Circle. All of the ships and scenarios are available as separate documents (the ships are organized by empire) so you can quickly see what is available. The FC Scenario Database and Master Ship Chart documents are also here. Our newest project was suggested by our players and is uploading low-toner Ship Cards. The Commander's Circle is the best place to find free additions to Federation Commander!
Every month we will feature one or more of our miniatures. If you paint miniatures, submit pictures of your minis and they may be selected for the next Mini of the Month!
This is the 3788 Scale Lyran Java Tiger Heavy Command Cruiser (CCH) painted by Nick Samaras.
Help us pick the mini of the month on our page on Facebook. The mini with the most likes and shares will become the mini of the month. Vote for the ones you like!
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EXTRAS FOR THE MONTH:
Christmas Ships
You can look at Hailing Frequencies Extras here.Click here to see our previous issues of Hailing Frequencies.
Recently Released
The Star Fleet Battles Module R6 Rulebook 2023, SKU 5617-2, $13.95
Federation & Empire: Advanced Operations 2022, SKU 3209, $39.95
The Star Fleet Battles Module R1 Rulebook 2023, SKU 5606-2, $7.50
Federation & Empire: Strategic Operations 2022, SKU 3211, $24.95
Cadet Training Handbook Reprint Edition, SKU 5620, $9.95
Federation & Empire: Tactical Operations, SKU 3216, $36.95
Starmada Battleships Armada Unity SKU 6135, $16.95
Star Fleet Battles: Module R2 Rulebook Revised for 2021, SKU 5607-2, $7.95
Federation & Empire: Combined Operations 2021, SKU 3207, $29.95
SFB: Module R4J –Shadow of the Eagle, SKU 5638, $17.95
SFB: Module R4T – Tholian Will, SKU 5637, $25.95
GURPS Romulans 2021 SKU 8404, $24.95
GURPS Klingons 2020 SKU 8403, $24.95
ACTASF Book 2 SKU M30002, $29.95
Tholian Master Starship Book SKU 5437, $24.95
SFB: Module J – Fighters! 2020, SKU 5604, $19.95
Distant Armada Unity, SKU 6134, $16.95
Gorn Master Starship Book SKU 5436 $23.95
Captain's Log # 54, SKU 5754, $24.95
Captain's Log # 54 SSDs, SKU 5754-2, $3.50
Captain's Log # 54 Supplement, SKU 5754-S, $4.00
PDF and EBOOK SALES:
Click here and you can see all of the products we have avaliable as PDF and Ebooks.
RECENTLY RELEASED ON Warehouse 23
Federation Commander: Lyran Ship Card Pack #3
SFB: Module R6 Color SSDs 2023
SFB: Module R6 B&W SSDs 2023
SFB: Module R6 Rulebook 2023
SFB: Module R1 Color SSDs 2023
SFB: Module R1 B&W SSDs 2023
SFB: Module R1 Rulebook 2023
Federation Commander: Gunboats Attack
Federation & Empire: Strategic Operations 2022 Rulebook
Federation & Empire: Advanced Operations 2022 Rulebook
Captain's Log #51
Captain's Log #51 Supplemental File
Captain's Log #51 Color SSDs
F&E Romulan Civil War Playtest Counters
Captain's Log #50
Captain's Log #50 Supplemental File
Captain's Log #50 Color SSDs
Captain's Log #34
Federation & Empire: Tactical Operations Rulebook
SFB: Module R2 Rulebook Revised for 2021
Federation Commander: Klingon Ship Card Pack #5
Federation & Empire: Combined Operations 2021 Rulebook
Federation & Empire: Planetary Operations 2021 Rulebook
Captain's Log #33
SFB: Module R4J - Shadow of the Eagle - Rulebook
SFB: Module R4J - Shadow of the Eagle - Black/White SSDs
SFB:Module R4J - Shadow of the Eagle - Color SSDs
GURPS Romulans Revised
Captain's Log #32
Star Fleet Marines Battle Manual
SFB: Module R4T - The Tholian Will - Rulebook
SFB: Module R4T - The Tholian Will - Black/White SSDs
SFB:Module R4T - The Tholian Will - Color SSDs
RECENTLY RELEASED ON DRIVETHRU RPG and WARGAME VAULT
Federation Commander: Lyran Ship Card Pack #3 (DriveThru RPG or Wargame Vault)
SFB: Module R6 Color SSDs 2023 (DriveThru RPG or Wargame Vault)
SFB: Module R6 B&W SSDs 2023 (DriveThru RPG or Wargame Vault)
SFB: Module R6 Rulebook 2023 (DriveThru RPG or Wargame Vault)
SFB: Module R1 Color SSDs 2023 (DriveThru RPG or Wargame Vault)
SFB: Module R1 B&W SSDs 2023 (DriveThru RPG or Wargame Vault)
SFB: Module R1 Rulebook 2023 (DriveThru RPG or Wargame Vault)
Federation Commander: Gunboats Attack (DriveThru RPG or Wargame Vault)
Federation & Empire: Strategic Operations 2022 Rulebook (DriveThru RPG or Wargame Vault)
Federation & Empire: Advanced Operations 2022 Rulebook (DriveThru RPG or Wargame Vault)
Captain's Log #51 ( DriveThru RPG or Wargame Vault)
Captain's Log #51 Supplemental File (DriveThru RPG or Wargame Vault)
Captain's Log #51 Color SSDs (DriveThru RPG or Wargame Vault)
F&E Romulan Civil War Playtest Counters ( DriveThru RPG or Wargame Vault)
Captain's Log #50 ( DriveThru RPG or Wargame Vault)
Captain's Log #50 Supplemental File (DriveThru RPG or Wargame Vault)
Captain's Log #50 Color SSDs (DriveThru RPG or Wargame Vault)
Captain's Log #34 (DriveThru RPG or Wargame Vault)
Federation & Empire: Tactical Operations Rulebook (DriveThru RPG or Wargame Vault)
SFB: Module R2 Rulebook Revised for 2021 (DriveThru RPG or Wargame Vault)
Federation Commander: Klingon Ship Card Pack #5 (DriveThru RPG or Wargame Vault)
Federation & Empire: Combined Operations 2021 Rulebook (DriveThru RPG or Wargame Vault)
Federation & Empire: Planetary Operations 2021 Rulebook (DriveThru RPG or Wargame Vault)
Captain's Log #33 (DriveThru RPG or Wargame Vault)
SFB: Module R4J - Shadow of the Eagle - Rulebook (DriveThru RPG or Wargame Vault)
SFB: Module R4J - Shadow of the Eagle - Black/White SSDs (DriveThru RPG or Wargame Vault)
SFB:Module R4J - Shadow of the Eagle - Color SSDs (DriveThru RPG or Wargame Vault)
GURPS Romulans Revised (DriveThru RPG)
Captain's Log #32 (DriveThru RPG or Wargame Vault)
Star Fleet Marines Battle Manual (DriveThru RPG or Wargame Vault)
SFB: Module R4T - The Tholian Will - Rulebook (DriveThru RPG or Wargame Vault)
SFB: Module R4T - The Tholian Will - Black/White SSDs (DriveThru RPG or Wargame Vault)
SFB: Module R4T - The Tholian Will - Color SSDs (DriveThru RPG or Wargame Vault)
RECENTLY RELEASED ON AMAZON - KINDLE
For the Glory of the Empire
PLASMA TORPEDOES
Randy Blair asks: A King Eagle launches a shotgunned plasma-R torpedo and the following targets are available: Federation heavy cruiser, ground-based defense phaser-4, small fighter ground base, defense satellite, and the planet's surface itself. Are those all acceptable targets for the shotgun load? Rule (FP7.22) does not seem to give any restrictions on the target types.
ANSWER: The only restriction is that each torpedo must be launched at a different target. As long as you are within five hexes of the planet so you can target the ground installations and can launch at the defense satellite under its targeting rules, you would be able to select those five targets.
Troy Latta asks: We would like to confirm rule (FQ1.563). Should that really be ECM or is it ECCM?
ANSWER: Per the after action report in Captain's Log #29, the quantum wave torpedo indeed has three points of ECM.
Mike Johnson asks: Does the Tournament King Eagle's plasma-R torpedo have any launching restrictions? I seem to remember hearing that it could track any target in the FA arc, but had to actually launch in the same direction as the ship. I guess the question is whether the plasma-R torpedo launcher is fixed as per (FP3.11).
ANSWER: By (FP3.11), the torpedo must be launched straight ahead, as it is not a swivel launcher (only bases and advanced technology ships have swivel launchers for their plasma-R torpedoes).
Josh Driscol asks: A WYN auxiliary tournament cruiser (with two B-racks and two plasma-F torpedoes in its option package) had six drones on the map, and launched both plasma-Fs. It was my understanding that you had to control the plasma at the time of launch, but my opponent argued that he could immediately release control involuntarily.
ANSWER: The launch was illegal. In order to launch a plasma torpedo, you must have an available control channel on the impulse of launch. The WYN player would have needed to first drop control of two drones to launch the two plasma torpedoes.
Now, he could have managed to get all eight seeking weapons on the board by doing something like this: Launch two plasma torpedoes and four drones on one impulse. On the following impulse, release the plasma torpedoes to their own tracking, and then launch two more drones. Or, with five drones on the board, launch a single plasma torpedo on one impulse, and launch the other one the following impulse, after releasing the first one. But with six drones on the board, he cannot launch his plasma torpedoes without dropping control of at least one of them.
Brendan Lally asks: If I have six drones in flight in my modified WYN auxiliary tournament cruiser can I launch two plasma-F torpedoes from a range greater than five (like a passive launch) without having to use control channels?
ANSWER: Nice try, but no, see rule (D19.224).
Lieutenant Kilgore asks: I blew up the Gorn ship before it launched its plasma torpedo. Can it still launch it?
ANSWER: No.
(End of Admiral Vanaxilth)
CONSTRUCTION AND PRODUCTION
Q: Does the rule (450.13) prohibiting the construction of minor shipyards in the capital include all hexes of a multi-hex capital, or only the hex with the shipyard?
A: Rule (511.0) defines "capital hex" to include all hexes of a multi-hex capital, so you cannot build minor shipyards in any of those hexes.
Q: Can a half fighter factor be exchanged for two PFs under (442.21)?
A: If the players have a methodology to keep track of fractional fighter factors, then, sure.
Q: Can an empire exchange leftover free fighter factors for PFs during the fall turn production phase?
A: No, it must happen in the Spring turn (422.21).
Q: Does Conversion During Repair (425.2) reduce the cost of converting a CA or CC to a CX by one XTP? The CX is showing that the base hull is a CA(3) on the SITs.
A: A Federation CX has a base hull of CA(3), and so does the CA or CC. As such either could be used with Conversion During Repair (CDR) at a major conversion facility with a SBX to make a CX with a CA for (6-1=5) or with a CC (5-1=4) with XTP to make a CX.
Q: Are area control ships considered CVAs for build limit purposes?
A: No. Area control ships count against heavy fighter carrier and scout limits only.
Q: Many of the NCAs have "minor" in their conversion column (from CWs) on the SIT. Does that mean that these conversions can be done at a starbase in one turn?
A: Yes! That's the beauty of the NCA concept. Even better, some of the conversions to variants qualify for a two-step conversion and still are a three-point minor conversion capable at a starbase outside a major conversion facility location per (437.21).
(End of F&E Q&A)
In this section we will provide links to various web pages and items that we think you will find "cool".
We have recently updated the look and design of the Rangers Page, check it out here: Rangers Page
Here are links to various flyers you can use to advertise your Demos and Game Days: Ranger Resources
Here are links to the new pages of Starline 2500 miniatures pictures.
Starline 2500 Battleships page
Starline 2500 Federation Miniatures
Starline 2500 Klingon Miniatures
Starline 2500 Romulan Miniatures
Starline 2500
Traveller Prime Directive
Call to Arms Star Fleet
We have also uploaded new Xander wallpapers to our Wallpapers section on the website: Wallpapers
We have new images of our game Star Fleet Marines posted on our BBS topic page.
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
Alert 190709 CL53 (Adobe Acrobat Required)
Alert 190309 Distribution (Adobe Acrobat Required)
Alert 170327 CL52 (Adobe Acrobat Required)
Alert 160531 Cart (Adobe Acrobat Required)
Alert 160518 Captain's Log #51 (Adobe Acrobat Required)
Alert 160317 For the Glory (Adobe Acrobat Required)
Alert 150331 Captain's Log #50 (Adobe Acrobat Required)
THE SEVENTH SHIELD
Lieutenant J.G. Tony L. Thomas, USS Tennessee
Everyone knows that in the Star Fleet Universe, all starships have six shields. How many victory points would a seventh shield be worth? What if I told you that every ship comes with a seventh shield, or at least something fairly equivalent to a seventh shield? What is this mythical device you ask? It's the hull of your ship."
Take the Federation heavy cruiser for example. It has sixteen hull boxes and can lose all sixteen of them without any reduction in its combat potential. Now, in a normal battle, you will not lose only your hull boxes and nothing else, but they can be repaired cheaper and faster than most other systems, and they come up on the Damage Allocation Chart proportionally more often than any other system. It's this combination of low repair cost and their frequency on the Damage Allocation Chart that combines to make this tactic work.
At the end of the turn, when you're thinking of what to repair with your four damage control points (assuming a typical cruiser at squadron scale) you may be thinking of repairing a power system box for three repair points. Stop! Think for a moment. What's a better use of those three repair points? A single power box, or three separate hull boxes? Sure, repairing the power box will generate another point of power that may make the difference between winning and losing, but sometimes repairing three hull boxes (that may take three points of damage to destroy again) may prevent the destruction of three additional power system boxes. Or maybe three weapons boxes or a combination of power systems and weapons boxes.
So late in the game, when every point counts, don't forget to take advantage of your ship's seventh shield.
(End of FC Tactic of the Month)
GORN PLANETARY ASSAULT DOCTRINE
Commander Terry O'Carroll, HMAS New South Wales
When attacking planetary ground bases, Gorns can use their unique combination of plasma torpedoes and balcony-and-track shuttle systems to overwhelm the defender's phasers. To do this, while approaching the planet, load all plasma torpedoes. (Plasma shotguns are useful here.) Reach your desired launching range near the end of the turn and launch plasma torpedoes at the ground bases. While approaching, move shuttles from the bay out onto the balcony. This will take two impulses per balcony position. When ready, launch the shuttles simultaneously (one per balcony position and one straight from the bay), filled with boarding parties. Immediately declare that the shuttles are in convoy (D15.52). (Administrative shuttles can be declared as escorts for the ground assault shuttles, helping to make sure the more valuable ground assault shuttles get to the ground.) The defender will be confronted by a very large number of targets for his weapons, virtually guaranteeing that something will get through. The defender can respond to the ground invasion by moving troops around himself, but it is another thing complicating the defender's situation and this will create opportunities.
(End of SFB Tactic of the Month)
THE COALITION SPECIAL WEAPONS GROUP
-Ensign Jeff Tiel, USS Ohio
The Coalition has a number of limited production units that, when joined together, can create formidable heavy cruiser killing groups. These special weapons groups are both available and most useful between Turns #4 and #10 against the Hydrans and then the Federation, and then, again, against the Gorns. During these turns, the Hydrans, Federation, and Gorns lack enough carriers to fill out their combat lines, requiring them instead to deploy heavy cruisers. Although the rapid destruction of Alliance heavy cruisers, command cruisers, and battlecruisers is usually difficult to achieve, the Coalition Special Weapons Group can destroy a few of these units in a single round of battle.
The Special Weapons Group requires the following ships: a Klingon C8, two Klingon stasis ships, a 10-point mauler, a four-point scout, a Klingon D6D, a Klingon D6J, a combat tug with troop pods (or a Klingon D6G), three prime teams, an Admiral, three support echelon drone ships, and as many Lyran battlecruisers and dreadnoughts as are available to fill out the battleline. The objective of the group is to stasis freeze, maul, and then capture or destroy Alliance heavy units outside the formation bonus, while taking a minimum of return fire. The C8 commands a fleet of 10 ships. The Admiral permits one additional ship beyond command limits.
Unlike most troop ships, the heavy tug with troop pods contributes eight points of combat potential as well as permits an enhanced capture roll, especially when paired with one of the prime teams. Since a Marine major general cannot be used unless a ground or base target is being assaulted, the specific Marine major general restriction requiring only troop pods on the assaulting ground ship can be ignored for a Coalition Special Weapons Group. As such, one could consider replacing one of the troop pods of the Klingon TGA with either a drone pod (for one additional electronic warfare point and a combat potential reduction) or with a battle pod (increasing the combat potential by two). If a tug is unavailable or its vulnerability undesirable, the Klingon D6G should be substituted, trading a reduction in combat potential (compared with the TGA) for a survivable G factor should the D6G be crippled during battle.
The D6J is especially useful in a Special Weapons Group. Because of the presence of stasis ships, it is less likely that the penal ship will be targeted by the Alliance player. Offensively, the penal ship could be used in an honor duel to remove one weaker Alliance ship. But the ideal mission for the D6J in the Special Weapons Group is the Sacrifice Mission which cripples the penal ship but strips eight points off the top of the Alliance's damage. Without the combat potential of his frozen ships and with the heroism of the D6J crew, the Alliance player's final damage numbers may even prove insufficient to kill the stasis ships.
While the four-point scout takes its usual place in the protected scout slot, the Klingon D6D goes into the line where it adds two additional scout points while still contributing seven combat potential, better than what most scouts can accomplish. This extra scout in the line is critical to prevent an Alliance negative electronic warfare shift, which can adversely affect the stasis die rolls. (Have another D6D available to add to the line in case the Alliance player has several scouts in the battle hex.)
The two remaining prime teams boost the combat potential of the battle force by four points. Crushing killing power is provided by the Lyran heavy units, the Klingon support echelon drone ships, and the mauler. The mauler together with the stasis ships enable the first 10 points of firepower from the battle force to function at one-to-two effective damage. The stasis ships also permit multiple targeting of ships by directed damage. Finally, no damage absorption ships or carriers are necessary, since the enemy fleet will not only be focused on killing the stasis ships but, because of the stasis and the penal ship effects, will find its own combat potential reduced. If push comes to shove, the D6D or the mauler can be voluntarily crippled to absorb additional damage. After the targeted Alliance cruisers are destroyed, the enhanced capture roll (a four or less because of the troop ship and prime team) should be made.
This tactic should be rarely employed against Alliance fleets backed by starbases, because starbases possess not only increased firepower but variable electronic warfare. However, on the Turn #7 Klingon invasion of the Federation, if a Special Weapons Group can be added to any of the main three Coalition invasion forces targeting the Federation Fourth, Third, and/or Seventh Fleet starbases, then it is possible, with care, to use the Special Weapons Group tactic. The Federation at this point is particularly vulnerable because of its lack of carriers, but, to defend his starbases, the Federation player will very likely include his fast dreadnoughts, command cruisers, heavy cruisers, and maybe even battle tugs in the line.
Since the Federation player will turn down your offered approach battle, your first target in each starbase battle hex must be the four-point scout. He has only one, so be sure to maximize your damage on this first round in order to kill the fleet protected scout. If you only cripple it, he can use the rapid repair system of the starbase to immediately bring it back online for the next combat round. Once the scout it destroyed, the Klingons will possess an electronic warfare advantage against the Federation, and only by severely reducing the starbase's combat potential will the Federation player be able to equal let alone exceed the Special Weapons Group's electronic warfare. If in the particular starbase battle hex the overall Federation fighter count is low, you might choose to add an additional combat round (before deploying the Special Weapons Group) to direct on Federation fighters and so reduce the combat effectiveness of the starbase. But on the very next round put the Special Weapons Group into operation and try to freeze and destroy as many Federation heavy cruisers as possible. With the loss of the scout, the starbase fighter squadrons, and a few heavy cruisers, the remaining Federation units will have trouble generating enough firepower to prevent your destroying the starbase.
After the Federation and Hydrans have had time to deploy carrier groups, the Federation will avoid placing heavy units in such vulnerable places. The Hydrans may remain vulnerable to this tactic because of their penchant for filling the line with powerful heavy and command cruisers. Once the Gorns come into the war, at least one Klingon B10AA is usually available. With two stasis field generators and heavy firepower, this ship (especially when coupled with a C9A in Y175 or a second B10AA if ever constructed) becomes extremely effective as the core unit of the Special Weapons Group. Additionally, the Lyran STL adds two more mauler damage points. It is useful for the Klingons during Turns #10-#12 to deploy a line of mobile bases through Romulan territory to enable strategic movement all the way to the Gorn border. In this way (and with Klingon support of the Lyran STL), the Special Weapons Group can crush the wholly unprotected Gorn heavy units. (The Lyran dreadnoughts can be replaced with Romulan heavy carriers with Firehawk escorts to retain dense firepower.)
(Ed of F&E Strategy of the Month)
IF YOU CAN'T BEAT THEM, BOLT THEM
-Captain Terry O'Carroll, HMAS New South Wales
At first glance, plasma bolts seem like a very weak option for plasma-armed ships. The maximum range is shorter (10"), damage is halved, and on top of that you must roll to hit. Statistically, your torpedoes will do around one-quarter or less of the damage they might if launched (and they hit).
There are two advantages to plasma bolts, however. Bolts cannot be intercepted by defensive fire, and may bypass shields (by rolling a "six"). If your target still has enough unfired phasers to stop your plasma volley, or is protected by other ships using their weaponry in defense of the target, then bolting your plasma torpedoes may be a better option.
(End of A Call to Arms: Star Fleet Tactic of the Month)
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