Federation Commander

[Patrick Doyle]

Has anyone come up with neat tactics or tricks for using Special Sensors? I'm familiar with the rules, I was just curious if anyone had any good tactics for using them. Any ideas welcome.
_________________
Once again I have proven that even in the future, your photon torpedoes are built by the lowest bidder.

[storeylf]

We've used them quite a lot, either on bases (which we always use the sensor rules) or in our campaigns where a scout ship is pretty much an auto include, even though we have no strategic rules for them, but for larger battles they are just too good not to take.

I don't think there is much to them beyond the obvious. For the most part even a small scout ship will have enough sensors to cover a fair size fleet, and as they're cheap to use you don't have many power issues on scout ships making using them very easy. Although bases can be a little short on power by the time they factor in Ph4s other weapons and batteries.

It is obvious, but if you are using a scout ships rather than a base then keep it back behind the rest of your ships, preferrably in a further away range category. They can give EM ships in front of them a +3 shift approaching which can be nice sometimes.

If you are fighting against a fleet with sensors then there may be times where rippling your fire over several impulses may be better than firing all at once, this is mainly useful against bases as their rotation means you can be sure of hitting the same shield if you plan it. That at least can force a base to either use more of its somewhat limited power or let in some unadjusted shots.

Against fleets it is difficult, as rippling your fire will usually allow a target to switch shields over the impulse, firing at different shields is not that great a tactic in many cases, and sensors are so cheap that the ships (with fewer other demands) are more or less impossible to run out of power.

[Patrick Doyle]

Thanks Lee, that helps.
_________________
Once again I have proven that even in the future, your photon torpedoes are built by the lowest bidder.

[mjwest]

Well, do be careful on which set of rules you want to write about. We (unfortunately) do have two sets: One from CL/Communique, and one from HA/RRB6. I recommend focusing on the latter set. (Which, I think, is what Lee is using.)

And I do agree with Lee. The tactics around scout channels is rather obvious. It is all around doing the shifts. That said, I do think you can work in some more subtle points, if you wish. Namely, there are some operational questions you can work with:
- How big of an attack warrants use of one or more special sensors?
- How to trick your opponent into wasting his special sensors before your "real" attack? (From the other side.)
- When to forfeit the opportunity for a shift to kill a drone? What is a good threshold to determine when to do that?
- Point out how to use the lab bonus to help with monsters. How does your approach change?
- Which is better: cancelling the penalty they gave you for an even exchange, or giving him a penalty, too, so both have the penalty? Which empires benefit from which approach?
- How does one handle fighting when the opponent has a scout and you don't.
- What does it really mean when a base uses special sensors? How much bigger of a force do you need to win?

Notice I don't actually have any answers on these. But I would really love to see them.
_________________

Federation Commander Answer Guy

[storeylf]

[mjwest]

[Patrick Doyle]

Thanks all. If anyone thinks of anything earthshattering, let me know.

Mike, I liked the questions you posed, thanks. It provides good direction.

Pat
_________________
Once again I have proven that even in the future, your photon torpedoes are built by the lowest bidder.

[storeylf]

Based on our experience:

[paulgenna]

We've used the sensors in a couple of battles and here are some of the tatics I have found:

Defense:
1) You have to choose wisely when to use the sensor. If the teams have not closed then you know you most likely have a few impulses that little will happen. Examine the enemies weapons. I'm playing the ISC and the PPD's do not feel the effects as much. However, my Fed opponent suffers badly when he gets -1 on his photon rolls. Phasers firing from a distance really suffer as well.
2) I'd save the sensors on drones until the last impulse if at all possible. Ships have phasers and tractor beams to deal with the pesky drones.
3) Protect the ships you need the most. For the ISC, I do not do much protection for Frigates and Destroyers. I prefer to save them for any ship carrying a PPD.
4) Limit the sensor benefit against Plasmas to the 'R' and 'S' ones.

Offensively:
1) Throwing all your eggs into one impulse basket against a fleet with a scout is inviting a bad impulse. Fire weapons over several impulses and against multiple ships. The only race that will have enough sensors will be a Fed fleet or an opponent with a base. Any other race can only protect four ships or reduce four plasmas.
2) Consider reducing your opponents rolls when you have multiple seeking weapons striking that turn. I learned this one the hard way.
3) Target the scout with seeking weapons to force them to manuever. If you are lucky they will let a ship get outside the 12 hex support range.
4) At the end of an early turn, and the fleets still have some distance, shoot at the scout. Any shield damage might force the scout player to stay back and be more cautious.

Hopefully these help.

[Steve Cole]

I'd suggest you email that to Petrick (Rules@starfleetgames.com) and let him put it in the command notes grading pool. He'll need your real name and state/country/province.
_________________
The Guy Who Designed Fed Commander