Federation Commander

I do love the Fed DDL+. Even more fearsome once it gets carronades.

This is tough:
I love the Tholian C classes, particularly the Refitenstien CAPW. Kind of like a "what do I want to smack you with this turn?"

Having played the Hydrans for so long, I think my all time favorites fall into this fleet. The only self-escorting CVA, the Iron Duke for the win. 24 Fighters AND hellbores? Yes, please.

The Overlord is a mini-dreadnought and one of the few "mixed" ships I really like.

The Ranger is a good stand by. I like to keep the opponent guessing as to whether I will rush in for the kill or long range snipe. Tougher on a fixed map, but still worth a try.

All anything Gorn. If the plasmas are not enough to keep you away, then I will phaser you to death.

I'm flying an odd mix of a Romulan King Eagle, and Sparrowhawk, + Klingon D5C in a current fleet battle. I like them all! But the D5C is just nasty with those disruptor arcs...

Originally, I mostly played Federation in SFB. I never really branched out to explore different ship types.

Now that I'm getting into FC and am almost finished reading through the FC Rulebook I think I want to get out and play some different empires. The Hellbores really got me thinking - both about facing them and playing them against other empires...

I think I'm gonna like using them, and I think I'm not gonna like defending against them...

think I'm gonna like using them, and I think I'm not gonna like defending against them...

The thing is to learn to fly them -- then your better able to defend against them ---

From what I remember of how FC works, the ability to 'shift shield' boxes (I can't remember how many each turn) should be a boon in defending, assuming of course that Hellbores still do half their damage to the weakest shield(s) in FC... It won't always be easy of course, but it gives more tactical flexibility to handle hellbores.

In SFB, I think I read a tactics paper by Petrick who asked why anyone who flew against Hydrans wouldn't use the trick in the Tactical Intelligence section which allows you to set your shields to any level (the primary reason would be to pretend to be another ship, but against Hydrans one could do this to present the same strength all the way around). Of course, the reason the rule isn't used by all opposition to the Hydrans is that the whole section is an Optional Rule, which means your opponent has to agree to it first.

During the end of Turn phase, you may rotate 5 non-disabled boxes from any one shield to an adjacent shield.

My personal fav. is the D6D. I love high speed combat, as such a D6D packs a lot of wallop with no need to slow down. Add in some well timed scatterpacks and it gets even better.

It is a toss-up between the D7D and the D6M in SFB as the appearance of the classic D7 in TOS was always a highpoint for me.

Many moons ago in the mid-90s I was quite successful with the D7D (IKV Strangler) to the point where I was asked by my group's Alliance members to try something else. I fought mostly against Federation, Gorn, and the occasional Hydran. My partners in the many campaigns we played as the Coalition flew a Lyran (can't remember the class) and Romulan King Eagle in addition to the other coalition players.

Can't tell you how many times I wished for an ADD on the D7D ( the FedCom version has it! ). As it was, it forced me to master maneuver, T-bombs, tractors and other tricks while my Lyran compatriot had mastered the art of the ESG. Together that would solve most drone issues the Alliance would throw at us. For some reason I rolled extremely well with that ship...frustratingly so for the Alliance players.

So at the behest of the Alliance players I tried a different Klingon ship, the D6M (IKV Mangler). Apparently I "wasn't using it correctly" cause we were obliterating Alliance ships with the Mauler, almost always in concert with a previous ESG ram or Plasma strike from the Romulans, instead of going after their base(s) or other bulk-target like I was "supposed" to. Never could figure out what that meant...

I love getting so good or anoying with a particular unit that it is "suggested" you use something else.
Of course in my case there were no "suggestions," just out-right bans. Anything Hydran. Kzinti CVA groups (nothing like owning an entire sectin
on of the map:-) ), and, strangely, the LDR. Now I am NOT a diruptor guy., never could seem to master them. But in the LDR I felt like a Hydran again. And as most of the group consisted of drone-addicts or Romulans, having a comparable LDR ship was a night mare. ESG rams for the Romulans, and darn-near drone proof. And god forbid, you should be playin a fed with minimal drone firepower. Feign a charge to draw out the photons, then head straight towards him with the ESG up at about two. Ram, move forward, fire disruptors and phaser-1s, go to range zero and phaser-g, rinse and repeat.

Had a tendency to run a D5 Squadron -- D5L, D5D, D5M --

Result that most stayed as far from the group as they could --

Three ships that could run and gun --
If I needed a scout around would swap out the D5D for a D6D --

In no real order;

Fed DD
Orion LR with ph-1's
Kzinti CC


The LR is my favorite small ship to play. I don't know why but its just a blast to phaser hose on every turn.

After being humilated at a tournament by a Saber Dancing Kzinti CC player I swapped to that ship to learn a weakness but ended up loving its arcs, drones and speed. Its now my default goto ship.

And who doesn't love 4 photons of the DD. More firepower in a small package then just about anything else.

Depends on the battle, but in general I like the Lyran CWL with power, shields and phaser upgrades. If the points are a pinch, I will step down to a DWL.

Love me my Lyran trimarans!

Gorn CA. Sure, the arcs are clunky and she turns like a brick, but that ship has character.

Klingon D6D - I love how cheap that ship is BPV-wise, and its low power consumption, one can really move in that ship and the multiple drone racks make for a decent firing rate.