Federation Commander

I would like to see what experiences others have had playing The Coming of the Meteor from Communique #2 (8CM2).

We played it today. I played the Fed CA and Ben played the Klingon F5. We used Middle Years ships because of the year of the scenario (2560...on the borderline between MY and GW era).

It was pretty short and ended in a Fed victory. Granted, Ben made a mistake and was pretty much gutted on Turn 2, but that was my strategy all along. I wanted to chase down the F5 and eliminate any threat of him coming back to try to tow the meteor.

We discussed a lot of different aspects to the scenario after it was over and didn't see how the Klingon could possibly win or even get a draw the way it was written. Granted, starting conditions could be changed as noted in the force dynamics section, but it seems unbalanced without any changes.

Anyone had experience with this scenario?

The F5 can win, but it takes patience because 10 turns is a long, long time. First off, it should never get into any sort of fight with the CA... it's outgunned. If the CA charges the Klingon, he should take the opportunity to pull the Fed away from the asteroid. If the CA returns to the asteroid to pull it, the F5 can play tug-a-war and keep the CA from being effective -or- take shots at juicy #3 and #5 shields. If the CA gives chase around the asteroid the F5 should simply use the asteroid as protection (it should eb able to match speed, turning, etc).

You guys do know it was a CC, not a CA, right?

'Cone:

The Kongo was, in fact, a CA at the time of this incident. It was not refitted to become a CC until later.


eblack:

Part of our "after-action" discussion was about how the F5 could counter-pull the meteor. We noted that when the CA tractored it, the CA would have to be facing away from the meteor. A Middle Years CA has no ability to fire to the rear, so it makes for a good opportunity for the F5 to tractor from the opposite side. The counter-tactic for the CA to try would be to tractor and see if the F5 tractors from the other side. If it does, then the CA could release its tractor and go after the F5. At some point one (or both) of the ships would probably have to perform a high-energy turn to get into position, and if the one free HET was used, it would make things a little dicey to try another one later.

The other thing about using the asteroid as protection...it is not clear from the scenario whether the asteroid blocks direct fire from either ship. It does say that either ship would be destroyed if they enter the same hex as the meteor, but the meteor doesn't seem to be the same size as a medium sized planet. The scenario calls it "a large asteroid" in the initial set up section. Rule (6B) says that some individual large asteroids may be treated as a "tiny" planet. Small planets and moons do not hinder ship movement or weapons fire.

So, the scenario needs to state whether the meteor blocks weapons fire. We assumed that it did not. I can see it either way, but perhaps the meteor should be able to block weapons fire to match its obvious size (destroys any ship that enters its hex).

This asteroid is apparently large enough to do some righteous devastation to whatever it hits, and is thus likely to be a couple of miles wide at least. That's plenty wide enough to provide cover to a cruiser sized ship. I don't know about the 'official' answer, but the 'common sense' answer seems to be that if the F5 placed itself (more or less) directly opposed to the CA (like when it is counter-tractoring the asteroid) then both ships would have their LOF blocked by the asteroid. However, if both ships are just circling the asteroid, then they should have enough 'flexibility' in their courses to do a quick 'turkey peek' and pop off a shot over the horizon.

Sorry, guess I need to check my sources .

Carth, I think you are missing the tree because of the forest here. The "meteor" is a asteroid so it is subject to all rules that applies to asteroids.

That said remember the scale of things here. If you are using the Starline 2400 Miniature that 3" Heavy Cruiser is sitting in a Hex that is over a mile wide tractoring something the size of a Charcoall Briquettee (or even say it is a Basketball) about a mile away. There is no way you can hide under its guns by hugging the asteroid. (From a mile away using the mini because the rules say you can not enter its hex.) A variance of just a degree or 2 will probably eliminate the "shadow" you are trying to hide in. Also that theoretical Hex is a mile deep as well so you have some play up and down as well.

Dal,
In the scenario, it is made out to be a planet killing asteroid- much larger than comparing a Starline mini to a charcoal briquette. It's more like comparing the same mini to, say, a rather large-ish beach ball. In that case, it'd seem to me that you could indeed use it as cover from an enemy's guns.
That's why I assume that you could expect it to generate cover if you were both tractoring it, but not if both were just maneuvering around it.

Mike wrote:Part of our "after-action" discussion was about how the F5 could counter-pull the meteor....

Nice report, I enjoyed reading it - thanks!

One thing about counter-pulling, you realise that only one ship can be actually pulling the meteor at a time? If both want to tractor together, they must do an auction and only one will end up with a working beam.

As an F5 tactic, btw, I liked to pull the meteor one hex forward in the first turn, while the Fed is far away; it does shorten the clock for the game in the Klingons' favour

We're getting a lot of good discussion out of this. One of the main things I'm learning is how individuals can overlook or forget certain things.

only one ship can be actually pulling the meteor at a time

I suppose this comes from the tractor rules that an object can have only one tractor beam attached to it at a time? That's understandable. I guess I was not taking into consideration that even though the meteor can be tractored (with special rules), it still is an object that can be tractored. It would seem to fall under this rule restriction as much as any ship.

As an F5 tactic, btw, I liked to pull the meteor one hex forward in the first turn, while the Fed is far away

That cannot be done. The special rules of the scenario state that the meteor will move one hex in direction C each turn regardless of anything else. Neither ship can make it speed up or slow down. They can only tow it into a different course that is parallel to Pollux IX.

Mike wrote:We're getting a lot of good discussion out of this. One of the main things I'm learning is how individuals can overlook or forget certain things.

only one ship can be actually pulling the meteor at a time

I suppose this comes from the tractor rules that an object can have only one tractor beam attached to it at a time? That's understandable. I guess I was not taking into consideration that even though the meteor can be tractored (with special rules), it still is an object that can be tractored. It would seem to fall under this rule restriction as much as any ship.

Actually while you mention it I'm not surprised you did think you can tractor it simultaneously. It does actually say that 'simultaneous towing attempts would both move the meteor and both ships...' Hmm.

Mike wrote:

As an F5 tactic, btw, I liked to pull the meteor one hex forward in the first turn, while the Fed is far away

That cannot be done. The special rules of the scenario state that the meteor will move one hex in direction C each turn regardless of anything else. Neither ship can make it speed up or slow down. They can only tow it into a different course that is parallel to Pollux IX.

I can see where you get that from; I interpreted it differently though. I decided that the meteor will always move one hex in direction C regardless, but that the ships could superimpose their own movement on top of this. So for example the Fed may 'pull ' the meteor away from the planet in direction F, but the meteor will inexorably move its one hex anyway; that's what nobody can prevent. The F5's tactic of 'accelerating' the meteor would also mean that it does move its one hex in direction C, but in addition to the tractor move. Again, interesting. I would probably sway more towards your interpretation now, though, having looked at it again.

It does actually say that 'simultaneous towing attempts would both move the meteor and both ships...'

Where did you get this statement from? I can't find it in the Communique write-up for this scenario (8CM2).

You know, in War, the odds are just not fair sometimes. Ask the Captian of the USS Hood.

Yeah, all's fair in love and war.

Mike wrote:

It does actually say that 'simultaneous towing attempts would both move the meteor and both ships...'

Where did you get this statement from? I can't find it in the Communique write-up for this scenario (8CM2).

I found it in the Briefing #2 version, earlier in the same paragraph where it describes the meteor movement iirc - I don't have the book to hand as I write.