Federation Commander

[JonPerry]

All I've been told is that I'm protecting a bunch of slow movers with a SeaHawk, and pirates are on the loose.

I decide to look at the smallest possible Orion opponent. The Light Raider.
It is less points than my SeaHawk, it ought to be a reasonable match.

Oh. My. God.

More power, shields, battery, weapons, marines, frame, a better turn mode, better damage control, and stealth coating? For fewer points than my SeaHawk?

I guess the Orion doesn't have a probe launcher, so that counts for something.

[wedge_hammersteel]

Stack the convoy ships so they are all (if there are only 3) in one hex.

[Ravenhull]

You have more internals than him, so once you breach a shield, it hurts him more than the equivalent to you. Also, you do pack two Pl-Fs, which is enough to do him serious damage, though rearming them is not easy for you, so try to make them count. Stacking the convoy works in that they may only have one or two phasers, they do start to add up, especially if a shield is weak.

Try to get him to use his engine doubling early on. He looses his stealth bonus and a point of power every turn, and can only repair them, starting after he's damaged and only 2 every three turns, so he can't keep the repairs up, especially if you breach his shields. If he's not careful, he'll find himself having to continue to double his engines in latter turns just to have enough power to continue to fight.

And don't chase after him, he'll use his superior speed and maneuver to get past you to your charges. Remember, he's the wolf, you are the sheep dog.
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NOLI UMQUAM VIM TURBARUM STULTORUM DEPRETIARE.

Donovan Willett, USS Alabama

[duxvolantis]

[mojo jojo]

Another possibility for the LR is to take 3 PL-F. The LR is going to scream in at 24 spd and carronade the Seahawk to death at 5 hexes using stealth coating to protect itself. If necessary, it can double engines in future turns to maximize carronade damage or it can feed 1 pt per PL-F tube to maintain stealth coating. Taking the PL-F also gives the option of launching if the Seahawk player is going slow for whatever reason, or to nuke freighters if they and the Seahawk get separated.

Personally, I think the Rom is dogmeat vs a competent Orion player.

[IKerensky]

[terryoc]

A lot depends on the pirate's mission. If it's to grab a freighter and fly off with it, he probably has some kind of a clock on him (2-3 turns in most scenarios) to get the job done and get out. If he does tractor a freighter, he'll be slowed and a target for seeking torps. Any size freighter other than Small will slow him by 2 levels, so if he's trying to tow a big one he'll be at a maximum speed of only 16.

[Kang]

Sorry but it's accepted knowledge that the LR is the best ship for its points in the game.

I guess that honour has to go to someone, and in this case it's the LR.....

Tactically speaking now, I would recommend 'targeting power' against the LR. He can't afford to double and take power hits as well. Every time you shoot, target power. If there's a burn-through, you then have a 50% chance of hitting power AND a 66% chance of hitting something important (in this case, a Power or a Phaser).

Every little helps

If he doubles, he loses his stealth bonus, so consider bolting and including enough phasers to give burn through. And target power.

If he doesn't double, you might just be able to anchor him.

Also remember that adding in the freighters' phasers will help whittle his shields down. Not much, but again every little helps.
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[duxvolantis]

[Kang]

Re the phaser-3, I wonder if it was in a recent scenario as a special rule? I seem to recall it somewhere too....
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[Capt Jack]

Its tough.

Could you split the freighters? Make him choose over them and get the others off the map? (thats more limiting your defeat depending on Victory conditions)

Otherwise, I concurr with previous advice. Launch All SS and Pray the dice are with you!

And use that probe launcher
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Captain Jack a.k.a The Unorthodox, Scourge of the Dreadnought and Master of the PH3, Grandmaster of the PH3 RA

[Kang]

[terryoc]

And you can only fire it if more than half of your non-phaser weapons are knocked out, so you'd have to lose your torpedoes first.
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"Captain" Terry O'Carroll, fourteen papers published including six best of issue
"Man, Terry, you are like a loophole seeking missle!" - Mike West

[JonPerry]

Continued in a new thread...

[IKerensky]

Where ?