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Tholian Tactics: Double your Webs and Double Your Fun

 
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Patrick Doyle
Lieutenant Commander


Joined: 18 Aug 2007
Posts: 208
Location: Norfolk, VA

PostPosted: Thu Aug 28, 2008 5:21 am    Post subject: Tholian Tactics: Double your Webs and Double Your Fun Reply with quote

Web Doubling
Cast webs last for 8 impulses from the time they solidify. If you can fire WCs on Impulse 8, then they will be around for the entire next turn. This effectively doubles your WC capability for the next turn. Thus a force with 3 Web Casters can effectively have 6 for some portion of the following turn. Always fire off any unfired WCs on impulse 8. If nothing else it creates obstables for the enemy, cover and options for you.

Firing webs on impulse 8 lets you use power from turn 1, to place webs that get used on turn 2. Then, during turn 2, you can save webs for emergencies, or Impulse 8 of turn 2.

General Advice
If the enemy decides to stay away from your webs, throw a web in front of him and cut off his escape route. If the enemy splits his forces to go after you, make sure his forces never link up again by placing a web between them, and killing his forces piecemeal. Your primary weapons are phasers fired through webs. Target engines every time you fire phasers unless the target is already badly damaged. If you are a Tholian and you engage in a fair fight, your tactics stink. Lastly, save enough power to perform a High Energy Turn as a last ditch way to escape an aggressive enemy.

Unless you are delivering the Killing blow to the enemy (or there is some other VERY compelling reason do do so) don't use your WCs as web fists. In all of my examples of the successful employment of WCs, web fists were not used.

Don't use Web casters with the expectation that you will trap and enemy with it, though you should look for opportunities. Fast and unmaneuverable ships that make a turn on SUB-pulse 4 might be good candidates. Ultimately, the ability to cancel movement points will make it difficult to trap an enemy, though it may cost him some power.
Use the web to influence his maneuvering, and prevent damage to your ships.

Web Placement
And finally, how do you place the web? First get out a mapboard from the boxed set. Turn it to the side with the small hexes. (I did not invent this tactic, it was taught to me by Paul Scott, so credit goes to him.)

Assuming a head on approach, when you are 15-20 hexes away from the enemy, place a 5 hex web directly in front of you opponent. Place it far enough ahead of the enemy that he will get stuck if he accelerates and moves straight (ie if his base speed is 24, place it 5 hexes in front of him.) The web should be placed in the shape of a "W" (see the example in the rules). Generally, always place web in the "W" shape. It creates more cover options.

So, its the direct fire phase. The enemy is in hex 0701. Place the web in the following hexes: 0506,0605,0706,0805,0906. This placement forces him to commit to going left or right around the web if he accelerates.

If the enemy turns right to go around the web, fire another web in the following hexes: 0508, 0509, 0409,0410, 0311. You can vary this placement slightly as necessary based on the situation. Whichever way the enemy decides to go around the web, you should move to the other side. If he dives into a "W" shaped web, he will have blind spots where his weapons won't be able to fire at you. (Place a ship counter in a "W" shaped web and notice where its weapons are blocked by the surrounding web.)

Make variations to this tactic and placement as necessary for your situation. To learn how to use the web will require you to get out a map and some counters to test out different situations.

Conclusion
Webs create obstacles for your enemy and cover for yourself. Because webs last 8 impulses, you can effectively have double the number of webs on the board. Effective placement will come with practice, but the suggestions in this article are a good starting point.
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