Fed DDL (and DNF too) and Plasma Fs

[OGOPTIMUS]

I'm betting this has been said sometime before in the history of the Star Fleet Universe, but I haven't seen it for Federation Commander yet, so here goes.

Last week I tried out the Federation DDL (from Communique) in a small fleet engagement; the details aren't that important, but in this game, and one I played previously, the following came up:

After turn 1 with both photons and Pl-Fs loaded and fired, the DDL then fell into it's SFB state of being anemic, with not enough power to arm all its weapons. Several ships were still close to the DDL, and it became clear that the DDL needed to still punch back since it was going to be fired upon.

So, I decided to skip loading the photons and instead allocate one unit of power to each of the plasma torpedoes. This gave me the flexibility of using them as carronades or using the energy as the first turn of loading if a good firing opportunity did not present itself. Using them as carronades also gave me guaranteed damage every turn as long as the enemy was within 5 hexes, which was easy enough to maintain. With just 5 points of power 7 points of damage could be generated guaranteed. While this is more expensive than photons, there is no die roll to see if they hit, and the damage is given each turn, not every other.

In a previous game I played using a DNF, much the same thing happened, however, there was enough power to load some photons and the plasmas and use them, but it became better to guarantee damage using plasmas rather than take two turns loading photons.

These ships can be used to help keep an enemy at arms length and not swoop in on the alternate turns between photon firing, which is often felt with ships using multiple turn arming weapons.

[Patrick Doyle]

OGOptimus,
I like your tactic, it definately offers flexibility to Fed.

The other thing I would add to the Plasma armed Fed ships is this. On their first attack run they can hold fire until getting a good shot with Photons. They may take damage before firing but they can afford to take a TORPEDO hit, and take it on the Plasma torp. This way they get the full effect of firing their Photons, but they will still be able to launch from the damaged plasma launcher (as long as they do it before the end of the turn). They can then repair the damaged Plasma launcher at thier leisure.

[Scoutdad]

Patrick Doyles signature:

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

I love it! That explains my luck with Photon dice (and why I prefer Kzinti - at least drones hit)

[Patrick Doyle]

I adopted that line after an attrocious hit record at Origins last year. It was painful, very very painful. I believe Todd Jolley and Paul Scott can verify the low hit rates.

[OGOPTIMUS]

OGOptimus,
The other thing I would add to the Plasma armed Fed ships is this. On their first attack run they can hold fire until getting a good shot with Photons. They may take damage before firing but they can afford to take a TORPEDO hit, and take it on the Plasma torp. This way they get the full effect of firing their Photons, but they will still be able to launch from the damaged plasma launcher (as long as they do it before the end of the turn). They can then repair the damaged Plasma launcher at thier leisure.

I completely agree with this. After turn one, or one with fired photons, this can be reversed, where it may be better to keep the plasma torpedoes operational since the photons will take another turn to load, and one needs to generate damage immediately.

[Mike]

So the Fed DDF can use the carronade because they got their plasmas from the Gorns?

[mjwest]

Fundamentally, yes.

[OGOPTIMUS]

So the Fed DDF can use the carronade because they got their plasmas from the Gorns?

Makes them, sorta evil, eh?

[TJolley]

I believe Todd Jolley and Paul Scott can verify the low hit rates.

I TOLD you not to purchse your Photons from "House of Kang..your total Federation Weapons Warehouse"

Yea..range 2-3..less than a 25% hit rate...couldn't hit a barn from inside with the doors closed

[junior]

The Federation get their plasma torpedo designs from the Gorn, and the Gorn get their fighter designs (not seen so far in Fed Com) from the Federation.

And their pilots are mercenaries from a Federation planet.

[Patrick Doyle]

I TOLD you not to purchse your Photons from "House of Kang..your total Federation Weapons Warehouse"

But Kangs prices are so good......

[justicar]

Yea..range 2-3..less than a 25% hit rate...couldn't hit a barn from inside with the doors closed

Pardon the thread necro...

I once fired 6 fully overloaded photons at range 2, with no shifts applied, and rolled six 6's.

We had a sanctioned Rated Ace tourney a few months back and in one game I hit with 1 photon out of 12, with each shot having 1-4 or better odds of hitting.

A couple days ago (see Fed v Klink BatRep for details) I hit with 1 of 6 photons with 1-4 odds.

But that's Ok, the phasers usually make up for it by rolling 6's...

I live in Las Vegas and no, I don't ever go to the tables...

[Mike]

You've got to insulate yourself from the die. Put it in a plastic cup, shake the thing up and down a few times, and then peek inside. The less you actually touch it with your hand, the less chance there is that whatever aura you have will rub off on the die.

[Sweeper]

One of the things folks tend to forget(I know I do on occasion) is that PL-Fs can be held indefinately. So if the scenario allows it, the squad DDL can suck up battery power to pre-arm at least one of the Fs. This will allow a few more options on Turn 1.

[OGOPTIMUS]

One of the things folks tend to forget(I know I do on occasion) is that PL-Fs can be held indefinately. So if the scenario allows it, the squad DDL can suck up battery power to pre-arm at least one of the Fs. This will allow a few more options on Turn 1.

Ah, but recall that plasma Fs are fully loaded at the beginning of the scenario anyway, unless otherwise stated.