Question about Klingon Saber Dance

chazrobbins · Post by **chazrobbins** » Fri Sep 12, 2008 12:57 am

Long ago I played a lot of SFB using Klingons. I have started FC and want to use Klingons again, but much is different than I remember (e.g. no ecm/eccm, no phaser capacitors). It seems to me that the Klingon Saber dance is different than what I remember. Where can I find a good description of the Klingon Saber Dance for FC?
Thanks

junior · Post by **junior** » Fri Sep 12, 2008 1:09 am

Heya Chuck.

Smattering of information in this post here -

http://www.starfleetgames.com/federatio ... .php?t=894

Basic tactics I suggest are somewhat similar to what I did to you last night, i.e. -

1.) Keep the range open. One of the posts in that thread mentions 12-15 hexes, and that's probably optimal.
2.) Try and tease a multi-turn arming heavy weapon volley out of your hopefully frustrated opponent at long range so that you can swoop in and hit him with a blast of phasers and overloaded disruptors while he's still reloading his heavy weapons.
3.) Time your drone strikes so that you launch drones in Impulse 8 of the turn before you start your charge, and Impulse 1 of the turn that you're going to make your rush so that you tie up as many of his phasers as possible for drone defense.

Davec_24 · Post by **Davec_24** » Fri Sep 12, 2008 10:04 am

For the most part, the basic principles of the Saber Dance are similar in FC to what they were in SFB, despite the rules differences. While there is no ECM there is also no ECCM either, and so the net effect of that is pretty much more power to use and less complexity to worry about. The lack of phaser capacitors can actually work in your favour if using a Saber Dance tactic, as your (photon or plasma-armed) opponent can't charge his capacitors and then use the power that he would have had to spend arming the phasers in FC to put into speed to get within effective range of you.

When fighting Feds, don't worry about lack of ECM because his photons still won't be worth the energy he is spending to arm them if you stay at range 12-15. When fighting plasma-armed ships, he's likely to use bolts if you are fast and not letting him get to point blank range for a normal launch. If you stay outside range 10 he hasn't got a very good chance of hitting you with plasma bolts, while your chance of hitting with disruptors is still twice that of his bolts at that range. For the damage output, bolting is very power consuming by comparison to disruptors, and in a drawn out long range fight you should be able to whittle him down before he can do the same to you.

Once again and as mentioned earlier, patience is the key to this. Unless he's hosed off all of his plasmas in a single volley, resist the temptation to get too close where his plasmas can hurt you properly. If he does fire all at once, then close and hose using overloads if you have any extra power available but as always use the phasers first.

DNordeen · Post by **DNordeen** » Sat Sep 13, 2008 1:44 am

Only thing I would add is not to get closer than range 15. The disruptor has the same stats at range 5 that it has at range 15; so unless you're planning to move into range 4, don't bother getting any closer--aim for range 15. If you miss it by a little, you'll still be in the 12-15 range, if you go for range 12 and miss, you'll be in a better phaser arc and most everyone has more Ph-1's than a Klingon does.

Davec_24 · Post by **Davec_24** » Sat Sep 13, 2008 10:56 am

As a slight aside, I'd be interested to see what you guys would suggest for Klingons fighting the Kzintis and also the same in reverse. The two are quite similar, and both able to do the Saber Dance pretty much as well as each other, but what would you suggest as a winning tactic for either side in such a battle? Use a D7C against a Kzinti BC for example (if I remember right, that's a closer points match then a D7 and BC), what would you do?

Mike · Post by **Mike** » Sat Sep 13, 2008 1:40 pm

The Klingons have a better phaser array with better firing arcs than Kzintis do. They have to take advantage of that.

In multi-ship engagements, Kzintis can use drones to "cut out" specific Klingon ships from the herd, then either go after the stray or use their advantage in numbers to go after the remainder of the squadron.

Scoutdad · Post by **Scoutdad** » Sat Sep 13, 2008 2:08 pm

Mike wrote:The Klingons have a better phaser array with better firing arcs than Kzintis do. They have to take advantage of that.

In multi-ship engagements, Kzintis can use drones to "cut out" specific Klingon ships from the herd, then either go after the stray or use their advantage in numbers to go after the remainder of the squadron.

Although... in a multi-ship engagement, a clever Klingon player can avoid this by judicious maneuvering of the target ships. You can lead the Kzinti drones through the non-target ships on their way to the target ships and get range 1 or 0 shots on them during Offensive Fire.

DNordeen · Post by **DNordeen** » Sat Sep 13, 2008 3:06 pm

Against Klingons, I use massive drones waves and try to break up his saber dance. My ultimate goal is usually to follow at least one double drone wave in and smack him with overloaded disruptors.

He's got manueverability, but the drones can limit that. His extra phasers usually get reserved for drone defense. Overall a very even match.