madpax wrote:So, which torpedo mode do you prefer?
I feel that, for the first shot, if you suppose you will not lose your torp mounts, firing them in torpedo mode is better. As you said, it gives something to think for your opponent.
But when ships are closing, I would avoid this mode as you can lose your weapons during the shooting phase and thus lose the oportunity to fire them.
Marc
Unless I've completely misread the rules, there is only rarely a case where launching in torpedo mode is the best answer.
When to fire in Torpedo Mode
Jeff Johnson
USS Virginia (yep, I've relocated)
Unlike SFB, the plasma bolt is far more likely to hit and do significant damage than the plasma torpedo. This leads to just a few cases where it is the correct decision to fire plasma in torpedo mode:
a) When you are outside of maximum bolt range *and* you can cloak. (If you fire torps just out of bolt range while closing, you'll risk being hit by enemy heavy weapons while your own are recharging on the next turn.)
b) When your target has a down shield and firing in torpedo mode will give you a chance to put the plasma through it. (Also, as seeking weapons are resolved before direct-fire weapons, you can choose to target a shield facing that will make subsequent phaser fire more likely to penetrate. If you have ships closing to point blank range where their phasers each get three shots, this can be especially effective.)
c) When you have a significant advantage in the game and don't wish to squander it by gambling everything on a very small number of plasma bolt die rolls. At close range, the plasma torpedos will give you the chance to roll a *large* number of to-hit rolls each with a 50-50 chance of scoring an impact.
d) Large ships with shield ratings greater than three can be very difficult to damage. Against these targets, the larger number of die rolls in torpedo mode can also help, but even better... the torpedo hits are completely resolved one flight at a time. This means that any shield damage will take effect between plasma impacts-- significantly increasing the chance of subsequent hits causing damage.
Note however that, due to the cloaking device, the Gorns will probably never be firing in torpedo mode when fighting against Romulans.
[PS... this can be combined with my previous plasma tactic for an double sized term paper. Haven't seen the latest issue, yet, but I doubt it got printed.]
Edit:
Here's my old term paper from the discus board just so they're together:
WE ARE ALL DIRECT FIRE RACES NOW
Jeff Johnson, USS *VIRGINIA*
In the first place, plasma bolts are more accurate than plasma torpedoes. At short range they hit on 2 or better. At medium range, they hit on a 3 or better. These odds are better than that of a torpedo hit even if it can hit within a single turn! Granted, the torpedo will roll a number of dice equal to its size minus the amount of phaser damage it has taken. But the increased impact and damage scores of plasma bolts mean that they get multiple chances to get past shields for each hit... and extra damage rolls for those that do penetrate. A plasma-R can potentially do 9 points of damage this way-- compared to a maximum of 8 if it is fired as a torpedo instead.
Plasma torpedoes can be run out and whittled down, but weapons that are destroyed by plasma bolts won't be pestering you during the time it would have taken a torpedo to travel. At the same time, the Range Based ROF trait on phaser-1's means they'll get to fire three times against any plasma torpedoes with in five hexes while the Anti-fighter trait on phaser-3's means that those weapons will ignore the -1 ACC penalty for targeting plasma torpedo "fighter squadrons."
Their improved chances of hitting and their respectable impact and damage values make plasma bolts a much better option under Starmada than they were in Star Fleet Battles. The poor to-hit rolls for plasma torpedoes make them much less of the sure thing that they used to be. Finally, the massive amount of firepower that phasers can bring to bear on incoming seeking weapons mean that the direct fire bolting option will almost always be the correct choice for plasma races.