Posted: Fri Mar 25, 2011 11:58 pm
Round 2: Paul Scott vs. Tamari (me)
Winner is Paul's Hydrans over my Klingons in Turn #3.
Turn 1: We closed at speed 16 to each other, the Hydrans went evasive, and I took some potshots at the end of the turn with disruptors and phasers at his 2 evasive fighters. 9 points and 5 points total damage on the two of them. I then launched 10 drones at Mohawk #1.
Turn 2: Paul dropped evasive and landed his crippled fighter (which I should have taken a couple of shots at, since it was no longer evasive, but it didn't change the outcome) and stayed at speed 16, while I jumped to speed 24. I attempted to circle the Hydrans with some speed 24+1 moves, and took some more shots at his other fighter with waist phasers. It was left with 9 points total damage, and Paul landed that one too. I also launched 10 more drones at Mohawk #2 at the start of the turn.
All 20 drones were destroyed with casual gatling phaser fire, along with a few phaser-1's and 2's.
Unfortunately for the Klingons, the Hydrans used enough 16+1 movement to cut them off against the edge of the map and assure closing to Range 1.
The game was essentially over at the end of Turn #2 as the Hydrans put the Klingon Fleet into Zugzwang - there was no move the Klingons could make that avoided the Hydrans getting Range 1. Even if the Hydrans had to use speed 24+1 in Turn #3 to do it, they have enough energy on their ships to still do crippling damage and/or use tractor beams to wait for Turn #4 and load their Wave Motion Guns.
I was afraid of this happening, as I tested some maneuvering and found it's hard to avoid getting cut off. I was 1 hex away from keeping the Hydran Fleet at range 2, but that's a 10K bridge too far.
Turn #3: The Klingons and Hydrans went speed 24. The Klingon fleet did some spite fire at the Hydrans before using High-Energy turns, and launched 10 more drones at a Mohawk. I destroyed 2 labs for the glory of the Empire, and one drone actually forced the use of a tractor beam on the Mohawk. The Hydran Fleet had the angle to the edge of the board, and the Klingon Fleet was at range 1 or 0 to the Hydrans at the end of movement pulse #4. It was that or ram the map edge, so it didn't really matter where it happened. I didn't make Paul bother with the damage allocation, he would have destroyed or crippled two of my ships and tractored the 3rd in the best-case scenario, while I might have done a bit of damage to one of his ships, so I waved the white flag.
With a "real" fleet I would have disengaged after Turn #2 when I was trapped and saved my ships and crew, but there's no point in a tournament not to keep going and hope for an opening. Paul wasn't going to leave an opening, as he's way too experienced to leave one on his worst day. I *could* have just slowed down and powered all weapons, but the problem is that I could realistically mission-kill 2 of his ships, while he could do the same to my two heavy cruisers. That leaves a D5D vs. 2 annoyed Rangers or Mohawks, a total mismatch. Even if I had taken a regular D5, there's still one undamaged Hydran waiting to pounce after an exchange.
What would I do different? Maybe go for a Range 8 end-of-turn strike and then whatever range it ends up at the start of the next turn, but the Hydran just has to turn a new shield to face the second strike, and then they'll steamroll the Klingons on Impulse 2 or 3. Maybe hold the drones for close-range launches, but if the Hydran has fired his gatlings at your ships, they are probably burning wrecks with not much to launch in retaliation, and otherwise drones are just a chance for the gatling gunners to make with the pew-pew. It's a tough match-up, even going 24+1 doesn't avoid the Hydrans from getting the shot they want in six turns. My fleet doesn't have the firepower to hurt them before they do, but some other fleets might, and I'll be interested to see how it goes. There's a point getting proven that should spark some debate if the proof is completed after the tourney.
Overall it was a good game, Paul is a nice opponent, and didn't badger me too much about making decisions quickly
but this was a gross mismatch from the start. It's not like my original WYN fleet was any better of a match, as this Hydran fleet was the one I was not looking forward to facing.
Anyway, my Klingons will get their sessions in the Agonizer Booth and do better another time.
Winner is Paul's Hydrans over my Klingons in Turn #3.
Turn 1: We closed at speed 16 to each other, the Hydrans went evasive, and I took some potshots at the end of the turn with disruptors and phasers at his 2 evasive fighters. 9 points and 5 points total damage on the two of them. I then launched 10 drones at Mohawk #1.
Turn 2: Paul dropped evasive and landed his crippled fighter (which I should have taken a couple of shots at, since it was no longer evasive, but it didn't change the outcome) and stayed at speed 16, while I jumped to speed 24. I attempted to circle the Hydrans with some speed 24+1 moves, and took some more shots at his other fighter with waist phasers. It was left with 9 points total damage, and Paul landed that one too. I also launched 10 more drones at Mohawk #2 at the start of the turn.
All 20 drones were destroyed with casual gatling phaser fire, along with a few phaser-1's and 2's.
Unfortunately for the Klingons, the Hydrans used enough 16+1 movement to cut them off against the edge of the map and assure closing to Range 1.
The game was essentially over at the end of Turn #2 as the Hydrans put the Klingon Fleet into Zugzwang - there was no move the Klingons could make that avoided the Hydrans getting Range 1. Even if the Hydrans had to use speed 24+1 in Turn #3 to do it, they have enough energy on their ships to still do crippling damage and/or use tractor beams to wait for Turn #4 and load their Wave Motion Guns.
I was afraid of this happening, as I tested some maneuvering and found it's hard to avoid getting cut off. I was 1 hex away from keeping the Hydran Fleet at range 2, but that's a 10K bridge too far.
Turn #3: The Klingons and Hydrans went speed 24. The Klingon fleet did some spite fire at the Hydrans before using High-Energy turns, and launched 10 more drones at a Mohawk. I destroyed 2 labs for the glory of the Empire, and one drone actually forced the use of a tractor beam on the Mohawk. The Hydran Fleet had the angle to the edge of the board, and the Klingon Fleet was at range 1 or 0 to the Hydrans at the end of movement pulse #4. It was that or ram the map edge, so it didn't really matter where it happened. I didn't make Paul bother with the damage allocation, he would have destroyed or crippled two of my ships and tractored the 3rd in the best-case scenario, while I might have done a bit of damage to one of his ships, so I waved the white flag.
With a "real" fleet I would have disengaged after Turn #2 when I was trapped and saved my ships and crew, but there's no point in a tournament not to keep going and hope for an opening. Paul wasn't going to leave an opening, as he's way too experienced to leave one on his worst day. I *could* have just slowed down and powered all weapons, but the problem is that I could realistically mission-kill 2 of his ships, while he could do the same to my two heavy cruisers. That leaves a D5D vs. 2 annoyed Rangers or Mohawks, a total mismatch. Even if I had taken a regular D5, there's still one undamaged Hydran waiting to pounce after an exchange.
What would I do different? Maybe go for a Range 8 end-of-turn strike and then whatever range it ends up at the start of the next turn, but the Hydran just has to turn a new shield to face the second strike, and then they'll steamroll the Klingons on Impulse 2 or 3. Maybe hold the drones for close-range launches, but if the Hydran has fired his gatlings at your ships, they are probably burning wrecks with not much to launch in retaliation, and otherwise drones are just a chance for the gatling gunners to make with the pew-pew. It's a tough match-up, even going 24+1 doesn't avoid the Hydrans from getting the shot they want in six turns. My fleet doesn't have the firepower to hurt them before they do, but some other fleets might, and I'll be interested to see how it goes. There's a point getting proven that should spark some debate if the proof is completed after the tourney.
Overall it was a good game, Paul is a nice opponent, and didn't badger me too much about making decisions quickly
but this was a gross mismatch from the start. It's not like my original WYN fleet was any better of a match, as this Hydran fleet was the one I was not looking forward to facing.Anyway, my Klingons will get their sessions in the Agonizer Booth and do better another time.
