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Long range fed photons

 
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storeylf
Fleet Captain


Joined: 24 Jul 2008
Posts: 1897

PostPosted: Wed Jun 24, 2009 1:44 am    Post subject: Long range fed photons Reply with quote

So i was sat playing with some numbers and maths. Looking again at the long range (as in over range 8 ) photons and how feasible it is to engage in a shoot out at such ranges with fed vs klink. Whilst I've always been aware that many small attacks can be batteried away better than crunch weapons, I've never got round to looking at just how they compare.

On the face of it the photon is quite inferior to the disrupter at range 9-12:

4 Photon average damage per 2 turns = 10.67
4 Disrupter average damage per 2 turns = 16

However if you assume that the other ship will reinforce the volleys to the full then things look a lot different:

4 Photon average damage per 2 turns = 8.26
4 Disrupter average damage per 2 turns = 8.3

Almost 50% of the Disr damage has been reinforced away compared to just 23% of the photon damage, they are pretty even now in damage done. The big difference is that the disrupters cannot do more than 8 damage per volley, where as the photons have a ~40% of doing 13 or more (ie burnthrough and more than the rotation limit). Add in a few phasers and there is a not insiginficant chance of dropping one of those rear shields in a single volley (not a great chance, but not one to ignore either). With the phaser 1 suite and better internal padding the Fed actually looks good if both ships just stay at that sort of range. The corollary of that is that the Fed is spending a lot more power on reinforcement than the Klink, though at the longer range he doesn't really need the power so badly.

So you are approaching the klingon with standard photons, he fires at long range and then turns to tack away in good old sabre dance tradition. He has done his 8 or so damage with disr and phaser 1s. Rather than try and chase him down, how about you throw a full spread at him with 4-6 phasers, and then turn away to rearm whilst he is still heading in the opposite direction. His turn 2 volley is probably on a different shield, so that is good as well.

I suppose what I'm interested in is what would you klingon players do on the second pass - you find your self approaching in the 9-15 bracket again and have had one of your rear shields hit last time round, not for a massive strike, but enough to know that you might lose it this time. Would you fire and turn away in traditional style, or take another approach knowing that this Fed won't necessarilly hold on looking for the overload if you do turn?
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Mike
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Joined: 07 May 2007
Posts: 1675
Location: South Carolina

PostPosted: Wed Jun 24, 2009 2:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The answer you'll see most often is that the Klingon would quickly turn, run up on your rear shield, and hit you with as much of an alpha strike as possible while you are attempting to rearm. And he wouldn't wait until the next turn to do so, if possible. As soon as the Fed fires everything, he will begin closing the distance so he can gain some ground before the next turn.

One other point... A good Klingon won't allow the Fed to take a centerline shot anywhere within 15 hexes.
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pinecone
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Joined: 03 May 2008
Posts: 1862
Location: Earth

PostPosted: Wed Jun 24, 2009 5:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

You could get it to work though; naturally the Klink would take his chance to attack the fed while their pohotons weren't loaded, and therefore try to be up close and personal. Snag him with a tractor, and kill him next turn.
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djdood
Commodore


Joined: 01 Feb 2007
Posts: 3412
Location: Seattle, WA

PostPosted: Wed Jun 24, 2009 6:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

How do you intend to win a tractor auction while loading torpedoes?
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storeylf
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Joined: 24 Jul 2008
Posts: 1897

PostPosted: Wed Jun 24, 2009 11:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mike wrote:
The answer you'll see most often is that the Klingon would quickly turn, run up on your rear shield, and hit you with as much of an alpha strike as possible while you are attempting to rearm. And he wouldn't wait until the next turn to do so, if possible. As soon as the Fed fires everything, he will begin closing the distance so he can gain some ground before the next turn.

One other point... A good Klingon won't allow the Fed to take a centerline shot anywhere within 15 hexes.


I wasn't expecting a centerline.


I've been playing around with maps and counters, and I'm sort of struggling to see the immediately turn and close for alpha (at least with a CA vs D7). What is your preferred base speed on the turn you are expecting to be shooting in the 9-15 bracket, and what do you expect to fire (before you know he will shoot after you turn)?
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pinecone
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Joined: 03 May 2008
Posts: 1862
Location: Earth

PostPosted: Thu Jun 25, 2009 1:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

djdood wrote:
How do you intend to win a tractor auction while loading torpedoes?


...uh ...mm ...hm ...ah ...er ...ee

Little help anybody?
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Bolo_MK_XL
Captain


Joined: 16 Jan 2007
Posts: 836
Location: North Carolina

PostPosted: Thu Jun 25, 2009 12:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
Little help anybody?


Why would you want to ---

If he's close enough to tractor he's already got his first shot at you anyway, since weapons only fire once a turn, save your energy, use phasers in response while photons are charging, on the second turn OL photons, HET so you centerline and blast away ---

Anyone that holds a Fed that long deserves what he gets ---
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