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Storeylf Vs Targ campaign
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storeylf
Fleet Captain


Joined: 24 Jul 2008
Posts: 1897

PostPosted: Sat Jan 08, 2011 4:09 am    Post subject: Storeylf Vs Targ campaign Reply with quote

Targ and myself have been discussing playing some form of campaign for a long while. I've put together a moderately simple set of campaign rules for us to try out.

For myself there are a few things I don't really want. I'm not interested in a grand strategic, economic, political campaign. I'm not interested in the type of strategic game where it feels the strategic level is a game in its own right, and you can use FedCom for some battles. First and fore most I want to play FedCom, but with some sort of basic high level stuff that gives each game a bit of meaning, and makes you think about how much you really want to have ships damaged and crippled etc.

the following is a brief overview of the campaign rules that we have started to test out tonight.

2 Fleet commanders face each across a quite sector. The 2 empires are at war, but the focus is elsewhere. Both commanders have orders to agrresively patrol and try to weaken the enemy, but under no circumstances allow your position to weaken relative to the enemy such that they may see this as a new front to hit us on.

Each side starts with so many campaign points, These are gained and lost each campaign round based on the results of various missions that come up each round. The campaign winner is the one to obtain a 2:1 ratioof victory points. There will be 3 randomly drawn 'opportunities' (missions) that come up each round. The players will bid for the ability to add a terrain to a mission, points for each mission (to determine who is attacker, and force size), and after the 3 possible battles they will allocate remaining cards to 'rear area repairs' (for cripples), 'front line repairs' (for lesser damage ships) and for 'requesting new ships'.

Each player has 7 numbered cards, 0, 100, 200, 400, 500, 700, 800. Each card must be played on each of the 7 activities above as the round progresses, each card can only be used once per round. Allocating high cards to battles will leave lower cards for repairs etc. The 0 card is a 'pass', played on a battle this means you are not engaging, and unless the enemy also plays the 0 card you will be assumed to suffer a decive defeat, but without risking ships.

At the end of each battle ships that are damaged are recorded with a damage level, which represents the amount of damage they start each subsequent battle with. Ships that are crippled are recorded as such, they start with DC * 10 in damage on any subsequent battle they fight. Cards played for rear area repair allow you to send that value in crippled ships back to rear areas for repair but they miss a whole campaign round. Card allocated to front line repairs allows you to repair that value in damaged (not crippled) ships immediatley.

The card played for new ships allow you call in 1 new ship per round up the value of that card - but ship types you do not start the campaign with cost double and allies cost triple. Those ships are rare and hard to obtain on a 'quiet' front.

Each mission explains the map, terrain, victory points etc. Some missions have campaign 'effects' e.g losing a convoy means forfeiting one of your points card next round (more lost cargo = higher value card), which will mean either one of the repairs or new ship activities will have to be a 'pass'. I have printed off an initial set of missions, and am currently looking through various scenarios to turn into generic campaign missions to add to the deck. Some missions appear in the deck more often to represent them being more common missions (e.g. meeting engagement, convoy raiding), whereas others only appear once. The points value of a mission is the average of the 2 cards played on it. If I play 800 pts and the enemy plays 200 points then it is a 500 pt game. You may choose any ships in your current order of battle up to that, you must choose at least half that. Any ship can only fight in one of the three battles per campaign round.


The intial OOB is specifically tailored to older ship types, its a bit more fun playing with ships you don't other wise use a lot, and puts a slightly more realistic perspective on having to work with what you have. Newer ships may be better, but you will have to decide whether they really are worth it - high command in patricular take a very dim view of having new or specialist ships being destroyed (a bigger VP hit than normal). No ships types are excluded, but the rate of 1 ship per campaign round and the extra cost of rarer/newer ships (anything you don't start with ) will limit their deployment. If you want a BB then bring it on. BoM is allowed, if you want a carrier or mauler etc then request it from high command at the appropiate cost.


A lot of these rules may be adjusted as we play. The idea is we will play a few campaign rounds and see how it is going.


Last edited by storeylf on Sun Apr 24, 2011 6:44 pm; edited 9 times in total
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storeylf
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Joined: 24 Jul 2008
Posts: 1897

PostPosted: Sat Jan 08, 2011 4:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

So we Started. The campaign is Fed Vs Klink. Targ bagged Klink, Capt Jack is also a third player and he prefers disrupters to photons so will be playing with Targ. I get Feds, not my favourite race, but we went with the most obvious historical/classic matchup!

Initial OOB:

Fed/Klink
DN / C8
BC / C7
CC / D7C
CA * 3 / D7 * 3
CL * 3 / D6 * 3
DD * 3 / F5 * 3
FF * 3 / E4 * 3


The first 3 opportunities were drawm:

Meeting engagement - no special campaign rules.
Miners Strike - destroy a commercial platform within an asteroid belt, losing the platform makes all future reinforcemts more expensive and +500VP
Convoy raid - stop the freigters crossing a map. Defender must forfeit a points card next campaign round based on how much cargo is destroyed and upto +500Vp (4Vp per cargo).

We played a card each to see if either of us can choose a terrain for the missions. The miner one can have no terrain added - it already has terrain. I played 100 pts, Targ played 0pts. So I got to add terrain. I choode to add asteroids to the meeting engagment, try and reduce klink manouver edge and long range sniping amongst the rocks.

We then played cards on each mission in secret:

Meeting enagement: Fed = 800, Klink = 500. value = 650 (Fed gets to choose side = meaningless for this mission)
Miners strike: Fed = 400, klink = 700. value = 550 (klink gets to choose side = attacker)
Convoy: Fed = 200, klink = 400. value = 300. (klink gets to choose side = attacker)


We then allocated our forces:

Meeting engagement.
Fed: BC, CA, CA, CA
Klink: C8, D7, D6, E4, E4

Miners strike.
Fed: DN, DD, DD, FF (+ commerce platform)
Klink: C7, D7C, D6, F5

Convoy.
Fed: CC, DD, (+ LF, LF, SF)
Klink: D7, D6


First mission up is meeting engagement. The other 2 will played in next few weeks.


Last edited by storeylf on Sat Jan 08, 2011 12:35 pm; edited 6 times in total
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storeylf
Fleet Captain


Joined: 24 Jul 2008
Posts: 1897

PostPosted: Sat Jan 08, 2011 4:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Meeting engagment AAR

This was definately more than a patrol, Dreadnaughts and cruisers a plenty! As there was no location based terrain it was a fixed map. An asteroids map as per my previous choice of terrain.


My fleet sets speed 16 on turn 1 and starts arming photons. I'm not expecting to shoot on turn 1 so didn't pre-arm. There is a dense pack of asteroids in the center of map with more scattered asteroids around (we could only find 2 asteroid maps, which are in the middle, and scattered asteroid countrs around that). I moved to the center skirting around the center clump, meanwhile the klingons have moved up the other side of the center clump. The end of turn sees us at range 16 with numerous asteroids between, the klinks fire disrupters and score a few shield hits on a CA. It's not my normal plan with Feds, but I had opted for asteroids to make life awkward for klinks and help me quickly close to ranges where photons are useful, therfore, for once I dump power into photons and overload the lot, retaining enough for batteries though - so it is a mix of +4 and +8 photons.

Turn 2 I plot 24, that doesn't leave much for phasers etc, but I'm wanting to close fast. The klinks go 16. There is a clear run in the 2 clumps of asteroids seperating the 2 fleets, drones are launched on impulse 1, they are going to come up the gap if I want to close. The first couple of impulses see us close to range 8 to the D7/6, but 9 to the other ships. I have kept an asteroid between us, by now there are more drones and some shuttles also coming at me. It appears the klinks are going to fire down the gap then carry on along the other side and swing round the asteroid clumps to where I have just come from. However, I've mentally plotted a route through the asteroids to intercept such a move, even with my terrible turn mode. The klinks open up at range 8 and 9 as expected. My cruiser sees his front shield go down and take some minor internals. At this point one of the klink captains has spotted my possible intercept route, there is a flurry of garbled comms (mutter, ARRGG, mutter, ERRM, mutter, UMM). I pull hard across the gap and turn towards the narrow passage, carefully slipping around sharp looking rocks. The drones pursuing me all explode amongst said sharp rocks. The klinks veer of and away from the center of the map altogether. The C8 and E4s go EM as I close the range to 5, but between the EM and odd asteroid I cannot get a clear shot. I have a bad moment as I find myslef forced to choose a direction around some asteroids and burn several valuable power declerating, trying to await the klinks to commit one way or the other first. I also launch 5 drones at the D7. Fortunately the klinks miss the oppotunity to get me to turn one way (or risk the asteroids at speed) before they turn, phew. The D7/6 are now pulling ahead of the C8 due to their turn mode edge and I turn to intercept them, trying to slip for a good shot as they move across a relatively clear area of space. That does leave the C8 (and E4s) decel'ing and now turning in behind me, but EM. I'm forced to pull the damaged cruiser on a slightly different course around some asteroids in order to hide the downed front shield from the D's remaing phasers, I do however achieve a clear range 4 shot against the rear of the D7 with the other ships. The BC and 2 CAs fire photons, but nothing else. Fairly average accuracy guts the D7, we then turn the BC and 2 CAs in a way to catch the C8 with mass phasers (well maybe not mass, but enough to hurt) if it drops EM. The C8 spots that and holds back, and instead we phaser an E4 quite well even though it is still EM. The last damaged CA rounds the asteroids he had gone around and releases his photons at the D7, which just survives. There are however 5 drones still incoming on the D7 as the turn ends.

The D7 is only 5 hexes from being able to disengage and preserve the ship for repair, but he can only rake up 4 power ready for the following turn. Again there is a lot of garbled klingon comms again (mutter, tractor, mutter, drones, mutter, ermm, mutter umm). The C8 is looking good for hammering the BC or a CA and the D6 may catch the damaged CA at close range (if it isn't going to tractor the D7 away).


Turn 3, the Feds start rearming 2 photons apiece. I'm not expecting the game to last that long now, but prepare some photons just in case. We go speed 16, the D7 stops, the D6 is speed 8 and the C8 is speed 16 and the E4s 24. The damaged CA moves up close to the D7, it has the ADD left and a phaser and will almost certainly TAC just prior to drone impact on impulse 1. The CA takes the risk against the D6 in order to try and ensure the D7 dies. The other Fed ships and the C8 are engaged in a tight manouvering game on the map edge, we can't avoid the C8 at range 1 as it decls hard again, and our turn mode prevents us gettng forward shots. We do however centerline the C8 out the back, which still gives us 18 Ph1s and 6 ph3s. I'm then planning on a HET to use the remaining phasers and the last 2 photons on the BC (that ship with 6 photons but can only fire 4 a turn!). The D7 is unlucky against the drones, he kills one with ADD and another with a phaser the last 3 strike the forward shield and do 6 internals - whilst he just has the boxes to possibly survive, the DAC rolls weren't his way and the D7 explodes. The CA that had moved to finsh it was now caught bewteen 2 E4s, that had sped past the other Fed ships, and the D6. The D6 and E4s hit the CA hard, but from different sides and then they launch drones at it, OW. The C8 blasts the BC, but doesn't quite cripple it. The C8 however takes much more damage back, which was all aimed to weapons, our gunners prove good at aiming, 5 out of 6 drone racks are lost (which was my big concern), and a lot of other weapons. We launch 3 drones at the C8 from range 1. The C8 then HETs away ti run, and we HET after it slightly further back. The other CA also HETs to take the drones on good shields, avoid the map edge, and pull phasers round on the damage E4. The drones stike the CA doing more damage, and by now it has 5 downed shields - only the rear shields being intact!! The C8 takes drones on its good rear shield, but we are also firing more phasers and photons through the rear, the C8 is left seriously crippled.

The good E4 and the D6 disengage, at that point there is no one on the map with power left, and therefore the other klingon ships cannot be prevented from disengaging this turn, which they do so.


We work out the damage status of the ships for campaign purposes. Each ship sees if 4 turns of DC would repair it. The D6 only has a couple of burnthrough, and therfore it has no problem, it returns to the klingon lines as a pristine ship. The damaged E4 cannot repair itself with 4 turns DC, but it isn't crippled. It has 15 boxes destroyed which we divide by the ships DC to give the ship a damage rating of 8. If it takes part in further battles without proper repairs it will suffer 8 damage rolled at the start of the battle. We do not track actual damaged boxes, the DC teams are considered to get the ship generally battelworthy, but under stress some random systems will go down again. The C8 is clearly crippled, it is marked as crippled, and it will start any further battle with its DC * 10 in damage, or 60 points. The D7 is dead, it is no longer availble for the klinks.

In the Fed side, the BC ended with a damage rating of 10, and a CA with a damage rating of 6.


Overall a crushing victory for the Feds, a destroyed D7, and the largest klink ship (DN) is almost certainly heading for rear area repairs and won't be available next campaign round. This scenario gave campaign victory points just like a standard duel, I gain 322 VP the Klinks gain 29. WE started with 10000 each. So a fairly minor boost in itself, but the effect of lost ships should start to tell over the next few campaign rounds. On the other hand, the next 2 scenarios have nasty special campaign effects and the Klink is the attacker in both, so I'm the only one who can suffer those bad effects.

[edit] Also there are several VP gains and losses that apply to all scenarios. The actual loss of a ship loses the owner VP, that represents a permanent shift in the balance of power on the front. So the klinks lose another 138 for the loss of a D7.

So final scores on the doors after first scenario:
Fed: 10322
Klinks 9891.

The fact that this was a campaign, where ship loss and damage would have future repercussions definately affected the way we played.

Next mission = miners strike. Another asteroid battle, but the klink only has to kill a commerce platform and then disengage to score good points. But my DN is present at the that battle Smile


Last edited by storeylf on Sat Jan 08, 2011 8:07 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Drew Klenotic
Lieutenant JG


Joined: 31 Aug 2010
Posts: 81

PostPosted: Sat Jan 08, 2011 5:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just a question that popped into my head.

While I know it's highly unlikely, almost nearly impossible unless of course, it was happening to me.....

Let's say that while rolling the DC*10 for a crippled ship at the start of a new round, you somehow... explode?

Do you re-do it, or is that ship now dead?
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Targ
Lieutenant SG


Joined: 02 Nov 2006
Posts: 125
Location: York U.K.

PostPosted: Sat Jan 08, 2011 7:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think it is imposable as after a quick look, all ships have a greater number of frame hits than dam/con. But if there are any exceptions I have 3 suggestions
1) The harsh one is the ship is destroyed, critical frame collapse ect.
2) The ship has to be with drawn for 2 turns and cost one and a half time its normal repair value, again due to critical frame damage.
3) The ship has to be withdrawn for that turn and is missing from the fleet it was allocated to.
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storeylf
Fleet Captain


Joined: 24 Jul 2008
Posts: 1897

PostPosted: Sat Jan 08, 2011 8:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Aye - You'd have to have a pretty high DC relative to the size of the ship for that to happen, Off hand I can only think of an Orion LR where that is likely.

For most ships, DC * 10 is fairly close to cripple level damage, I suppose we could say that skips are lost damage, that way you can't take more than DC in frame hits involuntarily, which should do the trick. Other wise I like the Targs number 3, the ship broke down en route to the mission.

Another possibility is Move cost * 40ish. Move cost maybe a more reliable guide to ship size, though I haven't really looked at that closely.
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Targ
Lieutenant SG


Joined: 02 Nov 2006
Posts: 125
Location: York U.K.

PostPosted: Sat Jan 08, 2011 9:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Happy to play with the way we’ve got it at the moment and use my option three if it happens.
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storeylf
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Joined: 24 Jul 2008
Posts: 1897

PostPosted: Sat Jan 29, 2011 1:46 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Convoy AAR

(late and tired, this and the next post is probably full of spelling and grammar errors)

Got a bit confused on the order of scenarios noted earlier. The convoy had come up as the next scenario (the mining platform is the last one this campaign round).


The scenario had no terrain added to it in the earlier terrain phase so it was open space. Under the terms of the scenario therefore the convoy player had to escort freighters with a mininimum 125 cargo boxes across a 50 hex long map, disengaging off that far side, the map was 35 hexes wide. The attacker comes in half way across one of the long sides (and that is the side he can disengage from). Disgenagement during the first 2 turns is not allowed by warships unless they have taken internal damage and a downed shield (so not just a burnthrough). VP for the campaign are the convoy player loses 4 VP per cargo lost. Campaign effect is that the convoy player must forfeit a points card next campaign round if he loses any cargo (at least equal in value to the VPs lost), the effect of this is that he would not have 3 cards left during the 'repair' phase of next round and would effectively have to pass on one the 3 action in that phase (rear-area repair, front-line repair or request a new ship). A heavy defeat for the convoy player could therefore be very nasty.

The klingons as noted earlier had obtained attacker status for this, so I was the convoy player. The Klingons were attacking with a D7 and D6, i was escorting with a CC and DD (the 105 pt lollipop destroyer). I had 2 large and 1 small freighter.

The map meant that I would be on the map at least into turn 3, and the setup meant that fighting could get close and personal on turn 1. Memories of 2 Suicide freighters popping very quickly in our big starbase game were very fresh in my mind. I wasn't sure whether Targ woud go for the freighters and the VP/campaign effect or for my ships and try and make up for his losses last battle. I had decided that I would try and get the freighters across, but if the chance presented then I would abandon them if I could significantly hurt the klingons - I wanted to pile on the pressure on the klingon OOB and put them beyond repairing everything this campaign round, leaving them looking a bit dubious next round.

I preloaded photons as a turn 1 exchange seemed very much on the cards (or at least if I didn't have the threat of photons it would be). My warships went speed 16 so as not to badly outrun the freighters (and in the DD case because it is energy challenged), the ships and freighters slipped to put the escorts between them and the attacking vessels. The klinks came roaring in at speed 24. It was clear quite quickly that the enemy ships were looking for a perfect mid/long range oblique volley at the freighters. I managed to manouver the freighters to avoid that, swinging across the oblique mid impulse and leaving the disrupters out of arc. At that point the klingons were left with a choice of turn into my warships or waste time swinging right around. They split, 1 ship carrying on across the map and the D7 starting to swing back round. The turn end ended with the small freighter takiing some minor shield damage from phaser 2s, the D7 about 13 hexes in front of the convoy, and the d6 way out on my right. Every one had fired drones, mine at the d6, the klingons at the small freighter.

As turn 2 started I carried on at speed 16, I wanted to attack the lone d7, but given it was going to be doing speed 24 almost certainly didn't want to find my self being pulled away whilst the d6 swung in at the freighters. The klingons indeed went 24. The D7 was finishing his swing round and on my left as I slipped that way, though I delayed slightly to give my Anti-drones chances to fire on drones going past. (whilst not having seen the wording yet, we were using the new offensive fire function, and I assumed fed racks get that option as well). The D7 fired on the small freighter from beyond range 15, still doing noticeable damage, but failing to take out any cargo. It then swung further left. By now the D6 was swing back in from my right rear, but a good range out. I slipped closer to the D7 but not committing to a turn (with fed turn modes) until I saw what the D7 would do as it closed on the map edge. At this point a navigation error that changed the game occured, with the map edge closing the D7 realised that he had gone just to far and could no longer turn way from me without to much decel, he woud have to turn and try and cut from my front left to rear left with no real room for manouver. Once he commited I swung away from the freighters and attacked the D7 with both warships. I got range 8, but the CC waas on shield 5 and the DD on 6, I fired with the CC (6 phasers and 4 standard photons) and held the DD - I could await results and next impulse would get the down shield at closer range with the DD. The CC, however, scored a fantastic volley all photons hit and the phasers all hit home quite hard dowing the shield and scoring 36 internals. Unfortunatley my attempt to aim at weapons was abysmal - all 4 rolls on the DAc failed to get a weapon row. I had a look at the DD - it could possibly close and cripple the D7 or HET and engage the D6 before it really reached the freighters. The D7 made my mind up as it immediately slipped off the map and disegaged. The DD HETed and headed towards the D6. It was a bit late protecting the freighters though - a long range volley from the D6 right at the end of the turn hit the small frieghter and managed to score a single cargo hit. Whilst not worth much VP, it would however force a point card loss on me next campaign round. The D6 captain decided that was enough and prepared to disengage.

This started what was probably the best part of the evening - the D6 had to get past me to disengage, prefereably without noticeable damage (for campaign reasons), however it did have a slight postitional advantage at that point, in that my ships were facing badly and with turn modes to fulfill. Although the DD with photons ready started only a few hexes away the D6 was able to outmanouver it and for some 4 impulses kept out of its FA, the CC HETed but the range again was a bit close and the D6 managed to turn in on it and avoid the point blank range phasers. We slowly crept to the klingon edge, the D6 captain staying behind my ships and me unable turn on him without having him slip past me, it became a game of who could decel most - he had more power and thought he was going to last longer, until Klink Commander Targ pointed out that my DD only had 1/2 move cost and I would last longer, disengagement being only a tantalising 7 hexes away. At that point with power running low, and a turn break coming up the D6 went EM and made a dash for it, I managed to get just behind him at range 1 with the DD and fired, the standard photons only hit twice but the phasers did a good job and the D6 disengaged carrying enough internal damage to class as damaged for campaign purposes.

VP wise the game was very low scoring - the Fed loses 4VP for a lost cargo box.

[edit] The Klink actually scored a bonus 300, for not giving up VP whilst scoring VP (or making me lose some).


Campaign effect - I give up the 100 pt card next round.

Ship status, the fed ships were pristine, the D7 has a damage status of 9, and the D6 5.


Side note: We used the anti drones offensive fire rule. Or at least as best we think it will be written. We got the basics right (range 2, 1-3 kills). The drones in this fight were really massively neutered in effect. OK it wasn't a mass kzinti style drone bombardment, but this first game at least reinforced my intial thought that this new rule is probably a significant change in the balance of several races.


Last edited by storeylf on Sat Jan 29, 2011 9:44 am; edited 9 times in total
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storeylf
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Joined: 24 Jul 2008
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PostPosted: Sat Jan 29, 2011 1:46 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Overall status currently.

Scores on the doors:
Fed = 10318
Klink = 10191


Fed ships (damage status):
DN
BC (10)
CC
CA (6)
2 *CA
3 * CL
3 * DD
3 * FF


Klink ships (damage status):
C8 (cripple)
C7
D7C
D7 (dead)
D7 (9)
D7
D6 (5)
2 * D6
3 * F5
E4 (8 )
2 * E4


1 battle to go this round - the klingon attack on a mining platform in an asteroid field. This is a largish fight again:

Fed = DN, DD, DD, FF
Klink = C7, D7c, D6, F5

The loss of the platform will permantley increase the cost to me of new ships.


The repair phase of this campaign round will see the following cards available

Fed = 0, 500, and 700 pts cards
Klink = 100, 200, and 800pts cards

So the klink can do a bit of each of cripple repair, damage repair and new ships. Whereas I will have to 'pass' on one of them by playing the 0pt card. Forunately I don't yet have any cripples to worry about. The klink is already beyond his ability to repair everything, and may be hurting more after the last battle of the round. Effectively this campaign round has been a highly aggressive combat phase of operations, and the klingon is suffering in his ability to keep up the tempo and his ships going after ensuring that he got to be the aggressor in the 2 battles with strategic campaign effects. My 0pt card could yet leave me suffering if in the last battle if I take a cripple and some damaged ships as well. It is possible that the klingon will try to calm down the aggression next round and try to keep the battles small whilst using big cards to get him self fully repaired again, on the other hand he already knows I will be forced to pass next round on one repair action.. if he can hurt me next battle and hit me next campaign round as well... Ofcourse I don't really want to let up on him next round either now that he is hurting with all those damaged ships.
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IKerensky
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Joined: 17 Jan 2011
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Location: blois - France

PostPosted: Mon Jan 31, 2011 7:36 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Great AAR and great campaign game.
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storeylf
Fleet Captain


Joined: 24 Jul 2008
Posts: 1897

PostPosted: Sat Feb 05, 2011 2:18 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Miners Strike AAR

So the final battle of the first campaign round has just finished. Targ and captain Jack launch a strike on an important asteroid mining out post. Ok it's only a commerce platform in an asteroid field, but it reflects a raid on key industrial facilities.

The map was a 35 location map around the platform. With only 6 asteroid maps we made them into a 3*2 and then just had open space around that, not what I was after, but it was easier than dispersing loads of asteroid counters. The asteroids are all Heavy asteroids.

In my mind I was struggling to see how to protrect the platform, it doesn't really take damage very well, and the klingons can sit at long range and take it down even through asteroid shifts. In the klingon minds they couldn't see how they could take it out without getting hammered by the Fed fleet.

Attackers = C7, D7C, D6 and F5. Capt Jack had command of the C7, Targ the rest.
Defenders = DN, DD, DD, FF

Turn 1 started with the klingons going slow at 8, except for the F5, which went 24. The Feds preloaded and then finished loading photons. I was anticipating a close exchange early hence pre-loaded. The slow speed 8 sort of caught me by surprise, but did seem to indicate that they were going to sit at range and plink the platform to death with disrupters unless I moved into open space to engage. I tried to avoid any early ship damage by swinging back round a bit and going round an asteroid clump, I wanted to end with asteroid protection but just ready to leap out at the start of turn 2. IN fact I was prevented getting to my desired end position by a lot of drones, which had me decelerating to ensure that they all had to come through asteroids and died. A large number of klingon shuttles were launched at the platform, down a line that would get them to the platform without hitting asteroids, but they'd take a few turns to arrive. The F5 sped across the map clearly looking to sneak round the other side of the map to where I was and come at the platform from the far side whilst the heavy ships held in the center with their lomg range volleys tempting me out. I had to HET a DD to head across to counter the F5. The F5 ended up HEting back away at the end of turn 1 as the DD closed and asteroids were interfering with its forward manouvering. Some fairly ineffectual fire was chucked out all round on imp 8.


TUrn 2 saw the main Fed group speed out 24+ towards the main Klink ships, the other DD also moved out to follow the F5 back towards the main ships. An attempt by the klink cruisers to get the oblique against the lone DD failed as it slipped past that line and left them not wanting to turn in as the DN and other ships were bearing down. The C7 with its better arcs was, however, able to deliver a good volley at range 7, leaving the DD badly damaged although his return fire did put a dent in the D7C shields. The Klinks then pulled away back towards their map edge, as the F5 swung wider out to try and again come back in at the platform away from the heavy action. I dispatched the damaged DD to harry the F5, I knew it could no longer beat it, but the idea was to harry and slow down its attempt to get close to the platform. Meanwhile the main Fed ships set in pursuit of the klink cruisers, dodging around numbers of drones. By the end of the turn we had closed to just within overload range and were behind the klinks, however, lacking power for overloads, and with them approching the map edge and a decision point as to what to do we settled for phasers at the D7C and held on to the photons to hopefully get closer next turn. The damaged DD meanwhile ended up right the next to the F5 as it reached the asteroid field again. The DD was further hit with more damage by the F5 as we jockeyed for position with our last couple of points of power for the turn.

Turm 3 was speed 24 again for the heavy group, I was now in a good position to intercept any attempt by the klingon cruisers to turn back in, and still behind them outside their main fire arcs. The DD went 16, he started in the same hex as the F5 and I had repaired a tractor, 16 would esnure that I ended imp 1 in tractor range where I would grab him and hope to survive with the tractor for the turn. Usefully the F5 also went 16 - looking to save power to hit the platform hard. There was another exchnge of fire between the F5 and DD, with again the DD coming off bad, taking frame to protect the tractor. However, the F5 did not have the power to reisist the tractor and we came to a halt. This prompted a lot of reading about tractor rules as we tried to work out who could do what. Then we both launched our drone at each other. Mine was shot by the ADD, whilst I had nothing to shoot with and the drone came through my down front shield, where the 12th point of damage finally nailed the tractor as I had run out of frame to protect it. Drat. The F5 now had a clear run at the platform.

Meanwhile things were going better in the bigger battle. As the klinks tried to turn back in to the fight they opened up on the FF in order to try and take out that before I got any closer. The FF was badly hit, but his return fire smacked the D7C again. The D7c then turned away towards disengagment - whilst it had taken little internals, I was clearly focusing on that and it was rapidly running out of shields on my side. The DN and DD held fire but by now had 10 drones aimed the D6, which was forcing that vessel to go wider and away from me. The still somewhat inexperienced Capt Jack at this point made a fatal error, and turned into me hoping to tuck inside my FA but badly misjudged and found him self at range 0 to the DN and DD with little power left (and having already fired anything that could bear). The result was fairly predictable, though I held back on the DD photons as I was wanting to rush back to the platform on the off chance I could get the F5 before it destroyed the platform. The C7 was utterly gutted by some 139 damage, but that wasn't enough to kill it, it did however leave the DN with 1 powerleft to the 0.5 of the C7 = another tractor. The C7 was now hostage to the DN. Further more, following discussions last week on baording actions we had agreed on a campaign rule that a crippled ship loses half of its boarding parties. That meant that I had a chance of capturing the C7 - but first I needed to make sure the remaining klinks were cleared away. At this point there was a D6 just in transporter range, and there was some discussion on whether to emergency evac the C7 and self destruct, but as it was controlling several suicide shuttles that were closing on the platform the klingons took the risk of a captured C7 in order to increase the chance of taking out the platform. Right at the end of the turn the F5 reached the platform and delivered a modest amount of damage aimed at power - which ensured it was ready to take frame on the 10 column of the DAC.

As the next turn started my damaged frigate, which was still close to the D7C/D6 hit speed 24 and ran for cover, the klink cruisers were not going to be pulling round fast enough so it was safe. The DN with C7 slowly plodded back to the asteroids. The DD was closing fast on the F5, but probably not enough - the F5 would get another volley on imp1 before I could do anything, I'd have to hope for the best. Hope wasn't with the platform as it was clobbered hard by the F5 and collpased. The F5, however, had had to go slow to do that and the DD caught it by the end of the turn and hit it hard. The Klink cruisers seeing that further fighting was pointless disengaged.

At that point it was getting late, The F5 was accepted as dead, with a DN and FF to get past and a DD about to be hitting it again from point blank range. That left the C7, we rolled out the boarding action quickly with nothing that the klingon could really do to stop it. The C7 was captured! Woot.

So the Klink succeeded in the objective of kill the platform, and I am hit with a permanent 25% increase in new ships costs. However it was quite a pyrhicc victory - an F5 destroyed and a C7 captured. The 2 cruisers were pristine - the D7c had taken damage, but not enough to count as persistent damage for the campaign. On the Fed side 1 DD was crippled and the FF was damaged.

Klink Victory points:
+500Vp for killing the platform
-192 for the loss of the C7
-82 for the loss of the F5

Fed Victory points:
+192 for capturing the C7.


Last edited by storeylf on Sat Feb 05, 2011 1:58 pm; edited 6 times in total
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storeylf
Fleet Captain


Joined: 24 Jul 2008
Posts: 1897

PostPosted: Sat Feb 05, 2011 2:18 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Repair/Supply phase

I use the 500 card to repair all my damaged ships (BC, Ca, FF value = 425)
I use the 0pt card for cripple, so cannot repair my cripple DD

The klink uses the 200 card to repair a D7 and E4 (value = 200)
The 100 card can't repair anything crippled (C8 = 252 pts).

The klingons have the 800 card for new ship. It appears there is some disagreement amongst the klingon players, Targ wants to bring in a romulan carrier, capt Jack wants some drone/scout cruiser.

I wanted to bring on a Fed carrier which would have been 600 pts (300pts * 2 for a rare ship that I don't start with), however the loss of the platform has an immediate effect as +25% makes that 750 pts and I only have a 700 pt card to spend. I might be able to get a carrier with a cheapo fighter squdron still, other wise a Fed Scout or Gorn BC maybe tempting (again the Gorn BCH/DN are out due to the +25%- grrr).

We will be choosing our new ships in time for next week.


Last edited by storeylf on Sat Feb 05, 2011 2:25 am; edited 2 times in total
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storeylf
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Joined: 24 Jul 2008
Posts: 1897

PostPosted: Sat Feb 05, 2011 2:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Scores on the doors after end of campaign round 1.

Fed VP = 10510
Klink VP = 10417

So pretty neck and neck at the moment VP wise.

Fed OOB (damage status)
DN
BC
CC
3 * CA
3 * CL
DD (cripple)
2 * DD
3 * FF
New ship to be determined


Klink OOB (damage status)
C8 (cripple)
D7C
2 * D7
D6 (5)
2 * D6
2 * F5
3 * E4
New Ship to be determined

Campaign effect:
Fed loses 100 pt card next round (which means I won't have enough cards for the supply phase, and will miss either a repair action or a new ships action).
Fed +25% on all new ship costs.


So far the Klink has suffered badly in ship losses but has achieved some strategic success against the convoy and commerce platform. This appears reflected by the VP position. If I can pile on the aggression next round I might be able to push the klingons into a bad situation. On the other hand I can't afford a round like the klingons just had as I'm going to be a card down on repairs. Starting to lack ships, and with outstanding repairs I'm expecting the klinks to play lower cards on the fights to concentrate a bit on repairing, maybe 1 large fight from them if an important campign objective comes up.
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storeylf
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Joined: 24 Jul 2008
Posts: 1897

PostPosted: Sat Feb 05, 2011 11:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

We have made a couple of extra modifications to the rules.

Extra new ships: In order to help prevent total escalation to large ships, there will be a trickle of FF/DD size ships that arrive without playing a card, 1 per campaign round, or every other round - we'll see which works better. In theory there is likely to be need for smaller ships anyway, as small 100pt battles will be forfeit if you don't have small ship to bring. also smaller ships will be useful to allow more fine tuning of forces up to the battles point value, and they are cheaper to repair etc. To many larger ships will require larger cards for the battles leaving smaller cards to try repairing the larger ships with.

Boarding: As noted above, we have decided that a crippled ship loses half its marines at the point of cripple. This should make boarding badly damaged ships a bit more feasible. Captured ships can't be used by the capturer, they just provide extra VP as they are hauled back home for the propaganda possibilities.

Carriers: The fighter wing is determined at the point of purchase, and that is the fighter wing you are stuck with. Damaged/Crippled fighters are always repaired free after each battle. Replacement fighters have to be bought, but can be purchsed using spare change from the card for a new ship - e.g. a 200pt card buys a D7 and the remaining 62 points can be used to purchase replacemant fighters at base cost (the appropiate new ship multiplier applies at purchase but not for replacements).
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duxvolantis
Lieutenant SG


Joined: 16 Nov 2010
Posts: 185

PostPosted: Sat Feb 05, 2011 3:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

storeylf wrote:
We have made a couple of extra modifications to the rules.

Extra new ships: In order to help prevent total escalation to large ships, there will be a trickle of FF/DD size ships that arrive without playing a card, 1 per campaign round, or every other round - we'll see which works better. In theory there is likely to be need for smaller ships anyway, as small 100pt battles will be forfeit if you don't have small ship to bring. also smaller ships will be useful to allow more fine tuning of forces up to the battles point value, and they are cheaper to repair etc. To many larger ships will require larger cards for the battles leaving smaller cards to try repairing the larger ships with.


I like this. One thing that we always did in campaigns was to make the BPV cost for buying new (non-scout) Destroyers and smaller discounted by 30%. You had to count their full BPV for purposes of balancing each scenario but for repair and replacement purposes they were cheaper.

I personally love frigate squadron duels. They tend to have a higher firepower:durability ratio and a less flexible energy budget which really can hone play and help players learn good maneuver.
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Dux Volantis
Romulan Star Empire
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