Question from a potential player: D7 or Romulan KR?

[OGOPTIMUS]

I will second the 3rd generation of Romulan ships. The small ones (Skyhawk and Seahawk) are especially deadly. Used in pairs, they equal the BPV of a cruiser and can give that cruiser a real challenge from the amount of plasmas (4) and nest of phasers they have.

Just don't count on the cloak to regularly outrun anything. Being limited to speed 16 is a real tough position to be in with the ease of speed changes and acceleration in FC.

I remember running that scenario several times when I started. It definitely gives you a chance to just run through everything really well. You get to try all kinds of weapons systems (notice that there is nothing in the rules that says you can't fire a photon or a plasma torpedo at a drone), and then you can use defensive fire and tractors.

[storeylf]

I did use the cloak once when I had three drones dangerously close. Fortunately, I was still able to outmaneuver them, so the cloak never actually came into play, since I was able to outrun them until I could re-arm. But it seemed to me like cloaking is better to use when one is threatened from medium range or so, but can still run... it doesn't seem like it would be a good idea to turn it on from a distance and just cruise around with it activated. It seems more like you use it to shake off or reduce weapons already after you when you're in a pinch, break off, re-arm and come back in for the attack. Am I on the right track?

I may be misreading this, but it sounded like you think you were outmanouvering and ourrunning speed 24 drones whilst cloaked.

You did remember that when cloaked you drop to speed 16 and if you move 3 hexes in an impulse (due to accelerating) then the cloak is voided. If you cloaked with 3 drones dangerously close then they ought to have hit you (at reduced damage).

[NeoTanuki]

I did use the cloak once when I had three drones dangerously close. Fortunately, I was still able to outmaneuver them, so the cloak never actually came into play, since I was able to outrun them until I could re-arm. But it seemed to me like cloaking is better to use when one is threatened from medium range or so, but can still run... it doesn't seem like it would be a good idea to turn it on from a distance and just cruise around with it activated. It seems more like you use it to shake off or reduce weapons already after you when you're in a pinch, break off, re-arm and come back in for the attack. Am I on the right track?

I may be misreading this, but it sounded like you think you were outmanouvering and ourrunning speed 24 drones whilst cloaked.

You did remember that when cloaked you drop to speed 16 and if you move 3 hexes in an impulse (due to accelerating) then the cloak is voided. If you cloaked with 3 drones dangerously close then they ought to have hit you (at reduced damage).

Oops! Actually, I did not know about the accel/decloak rule, sorry. I will definitely remember that for next time...I did accelerate when cloaked in a late impulse I had it up, which would have voided cloaking at that point if I understand you correctly?

But, IIRC, I'm pretty sure it didn't affect drone attacks, because the remaining drones at that stage were coming from much farther away, and my movement put them 1-2 hexes away from my ship at the start of turn 2, when I had full power and had completely "decloaked." (In other words, the accelerated movement put me just out of range of the drone impacts until I regained capability to fire. So you're right, I wasn't "outrunning" them, I think I just got lucky with my timing.)

So it sounds like I THOUGHT I had cloak when I wouldn't have...but before it could make a difference, I already had plotted energy to turn it off and was gearing my ship to fire anyway. So I think I was still OK.

But thanks...learning details like that are the reason I keep running these practice games and posting them. I may try the scenario again this weekend to be sure I keep track of that this time!

[storeylf]

Oops! Actually, I did not know about the accel/decloak rule, sorry. I will definitely remember that for next time...I did accelerate when cloaked in a late impulse I had it up, which would have voided cloaking at that point if I understand you correctly?

Actually, no it doesn't void because you accelerate, it voids at the point you move a 3rd hex during an impulse. You can in fact accelerate to 16+ during speed change declarations and then as long as you decelerate for one of your moves you will not void the cloak.

It may initially sound daft to pay to accelerate and then pay again to cancel a move, but it isn't - It can be a game winner at times.

Accelerating makes you faster than anyone doing 16 (at least until you decel), so they have to move first, which can be crucial if they are sitting on top of you waiting for you to decloak. Also it means you can cancel sub-pulse 2 and make your 2 moves on sub-pulse 3 & 4, again that can be a huge advantage at times, as it can force someone moving on sub-pulse 2 to commit his movement and then you respond to it (ie someone doing 16/24 will move on sub-pulse 2 so they will have to move before you without you losing either of your 2 moves, whereas normally you would move before them on sub-pulse 2). It can also allow you to turn faster, as the cancelled move will still count towards fullfilling your turn mode.

[Savedfromwhat]

Accelerating makes you faster than anyone doing 16 (at least until you decel), so they have to move first, which can be crucial if they are sitting on top of you waiting for you to decloak. Also it means you can cancel sub-pulse 2 and make your 2 moves on sub-pulse 3 & 4, again that can be a huge advantage at times, as it can force someone moving on sub-pulse 2 to commit his movement and then you respond to it (ie someone doing 16/24 will move on sub-pulse 2 so they will have to move before you without you losing either of your 2 moves, whereas normally you would move before them on sub-pulse 2). It can also allow you to turn faster, as the cancelled move will still count towards fullfilling your turn mode.

This is a great observation Storyelf, it would make a great tactics article. (As far a the tactical advantage it gives the cloak that is).