Repair Tactics

Kang · Post by **Kang** » Sun Jun 07, 2009 7:07 am

Consider carefully the order in which you allocate odd repair points to your damaged systems.

For example, let's say you have a Frigate with a warp hit and a few hull hits. Repairing the warp hit takes three repair points, so with your frigate's two repair points, it's going to take you two turns to fix it.

Rather than allocating two points on one turn and then the final point to complete the repair on the next turn, do it like this. Spend one point to completely repair a hull box, and one point to begin repairs on the warp box. Then, on the next turn, allocate your two points for the turn to complete your warp repair.

This idea may sound pointless, but if you look at the damage charts you will see how much the hull boxes protect the warp boxes. Repairing that hull box first and then commencing repairs on the warp box may just save you another warp box to a later damage volley. This trick is of course useful for larger ships and not just frigates, but the main point is to think about the order in which you allocate 'odd' numbers of repair points.

Alternatively, if you have no damaged hull boxes, you could always perform a partial reload on a drone rack with that one point.

Bolo_MK_XL · Post by **Bolo_MK_XL** » Sun Jun 07, 2009 11:53 am

you could always perform a partial reload on a drone rack with that one point.

I know it was talked about, but don't recall seeing a change in reload rules, there isn't one in the CRUL --

a partial drone reload requires a total repair cost (4pts) even if you only get 1 drone ---

Kang · Post by **Kang** » Sun Jun 07, 2009 12:13 pm

That's fair comment; it's not in the CRUL but it's an unmarked 'new' rule in the Rev 5 rulebook, the FCRRB. Rule 5E3 or similar... no doubt someone will fill in the correct reference if I'm wrong; I don't have the book to hand.

dave · Post by **dave** » Sun Jun 07, 2009 1:36 pm

(5G5b) Partial Reload

5G5 in the Rev5 rulebook is well worth a read over. There are some subtleties to reloading and repairing drone racks that are very handy to know about.

MJW> Is partial reloading limited to one repair point (and there for one drone) per turn? It is quite clear that only one drone rack can be partially reloaded, I just want to be sure it's only one drone as well.

Bolo_MK_XL · Post by **Bolo_MK_XL** » Sun Jun 07, 2009 1:48 pm

Whether Partial Reload is 1pt or 4 pt for the single drone,
there's still the requirement that the drone rack not be used the
turn its reloaded ---
In the heat of combat where that much damage is taken, more than likely you launched a drone ---

mjwest · Post by **mjwest** » Sun Jun 07, 2009 4:59 pm

dave wrote:MJW> Is partial reloading limited to one repair point (and there for one drone) per turn? It is quite clear that only one drone rack can be partially reloaded, I just want to be sure it's only one drone as well.

No.

The limit is on one drone rack at a time (not a turn).

So, for some examples:

1) You have four empty racks and four repair points: You can reload from 1 to 4 drones in a single rack that turn. (Presumably, if you reload less than four drones you are using it to repair some other system.) You may NOT reload one drone in each drone rack.

2) You have four racks with three drones in each, and four repair points: In this case, you CAN reload one drone in each rack in that turn. The reason is because you can only load one drone until it is full. So, you put one drone in the first rack, and it is now full. Since you have filled it, you may move on to the next. This is different from case #1 because you would not have finished a drone rack until it received four reloads.

3) You have one empty drone rack and two repair points: You can reload either 1 or 2 drones in the rack that turn. (Again, presumably you fix a hull box or something with the other point if you only load one drone.)

4) You had drones missing in a rack, and one repair point: You may reload a drone in the rack and fire it next turn.

5) You repaired a drone rack last turn (which is now empty) and you have one other drone rack with two drones in it, and you have four repair points: You may reload the repaired rack, OR you may reload the other drone rack first (fully loading it with two drones) and then put two drones into the repaired rack.

Note that, in all cases, you may not have used any drone rack you are reloading, whether completely or partially. As Bolo mentions, this tends to be self-limiting.

The whole intent of this rule is to help small ships with only 1 or 2 repair points at least reload *something* so their drone racks are not effectively reduced to single-shot weapons. Counter-balancing this is the desire to not give ships with 4 or more repair points *too* much flexibility.

Wolverin61 · Post by **Wolverin61** » Tue Jun 09, 2009 1:40 am

I like this!

Always thought it was unfair to have a Fed drone rack that you'd launched both drones from, but still had all the anti-drones in it, and have to pay full price (4pts) to reload. Now that you can top it off for 2pts it seems a lot more fair.

Kang · Post by **Kang** » Tue Jun 09, 2009 8:04 am

Wolverin61 wrote:I like this!

Always thought it was unfair to have a Fed drone rack that you'd launched both drones from, but still had all the anti-drones in it, and have to pay full price (4pts) to reload. Now that you can top it off for 2pts it seems a lot more fair.

Yeah, I like it too. In fact the tactic was 'invented' doing just that; I hadn't fired my 'last' [proper] drone that turn from my Fed frigate, so I just topped off the rack in the repair phase. Very handy.