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A Few Thoughts on the Disdev

 
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Klingon of Gor
Lieutenant SG


Joined: 01 Jun 2011
Posts: 150

PostPosted: Wed Feb 22, 2012 9:01 pm    Post subject: A Few Thoughts on the Disdev Reply with quote

I've been thinking about the disdev, after just getting my Andro squadron shot up by a Fed dread and a pair of DWs. Is it better to displace the eenmy, or to yourself? The answer seems to depend in part on what race your fighting.

Drone/disruptor races - These guys have a weapon that fires every turn, and you'll have to come within overload range to get much use out of your weapons. PLus, they can do more leaker points than your damage control can handle. So after you fire, it makes sense to have an exit strategy to open the range while you rearm the TRs. Disdev yourself immediately after you fire.

Hydrans - Fusion armed Hydrans have heavy weapons with a range even shorter than yours. Disdev away from them after you fire. If there are several of them, you may disdev them to break up their formation.. If the Hydrans have fighters out, disdevving the big ships can seperate them from their fighter screen, and it's more energy efficient than using your few available weapons to go after the fighters. With hellbore Hydrans, you really can't play keep away, so disdev them to disrupt their firing opportunities.

Plasma races - Disdeving yourself is cheaper than buying a lot of acceleration when there's a big glowing ball of plasma chasing you, and bolts, if he resorts to them, are a good way of recharging the batteries. Remember, that which does not kill you makes you stronger. Exception: ISC. Disdev yourself to get inside his myopic zone quickly.

Orions - Depends on how they're armed. Actually, with their stealth advantage, it may not matter what you do. Stealth is a huge problem for TRs.

Feds - You need to desdev them, and hope they displace to a location where you can get a good hit on them, because photon torpedos at max overload can quickly turn your PA panels from an asset to a liability. There is the question of an exit strategy after you fire. You'll want a disdev here too, and you may not have one. If you don't, use evasive maneuvers while the TRs rearm.

Comments, criticisms, and additional thoughts are invited.
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Nerroth
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Joined: 08 Oct 2006
Posts: 1744
Location: Ontario, Canada

PostPosted: Wed Feb 22, 2012 10:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Interesting point, and one which may have a role to play in Andromedan tactics against the playtest Omega empires, too.

For one, I could imagine the Andros wanting to displace towards a Probr force, rather than away from them; the sooner they get within the target accentuator's myopic zone, the quicker they rob their opponent of the ability to accentuate their HEAT torpedoes. Plus, even before you get there, the accuracy of the TA to lock on to its target in the first place drops as the range from the firing ship closes. Probr ships have no direct-fire heavy weapons, and HEATs cannot be bolted; so only a held standard-warhead HEAT or few would act as any sort of short-range deterrent. Against the Andromedans, it may be wise for a Probr player to arm standard HEATs during energy allocation, and save the spare Energy Points to enhance warheads at the instant of launch (but only if he's confident he can keep the Andro in the TA's operating range long enough to actually land the hit).

Not too sure about the others just yet; except perhaps for the Federal Republic calling for a similar dynamic to their distant cousins back in the Federation.

EDIT: Actually, the more I think of it, the more I wonder if it's worth gambling on the Probr surrendering the initiative so much. The range the TA operates in is not based on the launch hex, but on the operating ship itself; plus there is no firing arc to maintain the TA's effect (merely to activate it initially). So an incoming Andro may still face running the gauntlet of speed-64 accentuated torpedoes if the Probr commodore is careful enough with his maneuver, though the amount of actual damage scored would be lower than that from the standard speed-32 warheads.
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Bolo_MK_XL
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Joined: 16 Jan 2007
Posts: 836
Location: North Carolina

PostPosted: Thu Feb 23, 2012 12:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Don't currently have opponents, so will let you try this one and write up a tactics for it --

Call it the Runaway Attack ---

Run the Andro like a Klingon and Sabre Dance, once you cross his bow outside of Overload Range, naturally he will turn to follow you, once he turns, displace behind him (since your facing away when you displace), when you reappear you will be in his Rear Arc and him in your Forward Arc (yes, depending on where in the game you are, he may have his HET, when you displace in the turn he may or may not have the energy) --

After firing, displace him, giving you the chance to withdraw enough to rearm weapons ---
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Klingon of Gor
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Joined: 01 Jun 2011
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 23, 2012 2:47 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The problem with displacing behind him is that you will be disrupted, and he won't. Drones are 360, and some ships are pretty well covered for firepower. Some Klingons won't even have to HET, they can get you with their FX or FH weapons. Once when playing Feds, I HETed into an Andro who had disdeved behind me and turned him into a smouldering wreck. TR beam range is overload range for photons.

Displacing behind him is better for opening the range than for setting up an attack, as he'll have to come about to pursue. The assumption is that you can be out of overload range before he can get you in arc. If he does HET, he'll presumably be hitting your rear panels instead of the front panels he hit with the previous volley. (Unless he has hellbores, of course)
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Bolo_MK_XL
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Joined: 16 Jan 2007
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 23, 2012 3:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Every tactic is dependent on what your opponent does/has done,
it's all about timing, some events have to wait a long time
before the hour is right --

Quote:
The problem with displacing behind him is that you will be disrupted,

So disruption time was doubled ???

Too many changes (not all for the good) ----
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storeylf
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Joined: 24 Jul 2008
Posts: 1897

PostPosted: Thu Feb 23, 2012 10:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

As above a lot depends on the situation.

How many disdevs do you have, ships, how many the enemy etc.

In a small game where I may just have 1 Conq or Int I'd prefer to disdev myself. Its more reliable. Using your valuable disdev on the enemy is more likely to fail. Whether I use it to attack or escape will likely depend on who I face, and how they play.

In larger multi ship games andros are probably losing anyway (they suck in fleet actions), but with more disdevs and more enemies to target I'd be more inclined to disdev the enemy. Firing 4 disdevs is much more likey to disrupt multiple of the enemy, split them up etc, leaving you to hopefully take out a ship that has little support.

Try and displace someone on impulse 8 as you fire your other weapons is a possibility as well, you might then get to shoot phasers a second time on impulse 1 next turn whilst they are disrupted (unless I'm forgetting a rule that clears disruption over a turn).

Also bear in mind that a ship that has been targeted by a disdev may have to decide whether to fire there and then, or risk being dsiplaced to a bad position and not fire at all (and maybe mauled whilst disrupted). If you are going to disdev the enemy, try and time it at a range (or position) that is currently better for you than next impulse is going to be (e.g. range 9 as you are closing head on). If he fires from that inferior range/position then you achieved some success even if the disdev itself fails.

As much as possible always try and keep 1 disdev ready to fire, the threat of a disdev, be it to escape or disrupt the enemy, is worth at least as much if not more than the actual useage. Unlike weapon fire there is no permanent effect per se, the benefit is very temporary but potent.

Keeping yourself turn fullfilled at the end of each impulse is very important as you appraoch the enemy intending to uise a disdev, it allows you to displace and turn straight away, that greatly increases the possibilities of where you can end up at the end of the follwing impulse if you displace yourself. It also enures that if you displace the enemy you are in a better position to deal with enemies who randomly displace off to more your side and may othewise then escape whilst they are disrupted.


If you think your best tactic is to displace behind him at some point, but don't want to face a HET (or the free one at any rate) then early on in the battle displace at some range to his side such that you can continue to manouver against him out of his FA even if he turns normally (presumably). If he doesn't HET then you may get to attack at close range and displace away 12 hexes nice and safe. If he does HET you can pull away and manouver back for your initial plan knowing that at least he has to take the 50/50 on a HET breakdown the next time you displace behind him.
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