R vs B Alliance Turn 12 in Review

by on January 21, 2016 at 12:00 pm
Posted In: BvR - The Wind

Crossposted from the SFU blog on BGG.

The financial strain on the Federation is already showing this turn, as the reduction in economy combined with the number of repairs exhausted the reserves, and there was no money left to send the Kzintis this turn. Meanwhile, the Kzinti had to cancel a few ships to pay for all their repairs.

(This was from a mistake; I noticed late that I hadn’t used the Kzinti free fighters on the previous turn. >.< )

There’s a few Kzinti cripples piling up in the Barony again, but things are under control. Most of the Federation cripples were handled, with a notable exception at the 6th Fleet SB, but two SIDS there were repaired by the TG.

The Federation continues to put out a fantastic number of ships, including the fourth CVA, USS Julius Caesar. The Kzinti produced their second CVA (Olympus), and converted the captured F5 converted to Kzinti service last turn to a Z-F5E as its outer escort (I haven’t heard any commentary from Bel on this yet). The Hydrans continue working on the new shipyard, and converted an NCV carrier group from their small stock of war cruisers.

The Hydrans saw a chance, and pinned one group of the Coalition fleets guarding the Old Colonies before sending out a fleet to 0416 to try and reduce the heavy defenses there. Meanwhile, the Federation was not feeling up to challenging the Romulans with the forces available, and avoided combat while moving up the bulk of the 5th Fleet to 3808.

The Kzinti pulled back from 1001, and assaulted 1202 without interference while heavy fighting continued near the Kzinti/Federation/Klingon border area. For the first time, Kzinti forces entered Lyran space, as they pinned a reserve by assaulting BATS 0705. Further forces hit the Klingon planet in 1407 and BATS 0908.

Part of the Federation 7th Fleet moved to take out BATS 2519, and Bel was smart enough not to react and let on 2518 take out other targets unhindered. Other forces hit several targets in Klingon space, including a strong force that piled onto the Southern Reserve SB, and forced his main reserves to go there, instead of saving other targets. I also sent ships to take major planet 1611, prematurely activating the 3rd IWR squadron (I had carefully avoided doing any such thing last turn since I didn’t want to release it and the 2nd IWR early).


A short-lived offensive.


Kzinti offensives.


Operation “Great Attractor”

Battles:
0519: SSC: Klingon: dest E4; Hydran: retreat; planet reverts to Hydran.
0416: Lyran: dest 2xPGB; Hydran: dest DG
0119: Lyran: dest STT; Hydran: dest RN
2519: Klingon: dest BATS; Federation: crip NCL, FF
2214: SSC: Klingon: crip D7, retreat; Federation: capture planet
1514: SSC: Klingon: dest F5L; Federation: crip FF, capture planet
1712: SSC: Klingon: dest cripD5; Federation: retreat
1716: Klingon: 2xSIDS, crip AD5, F5E, 2xE4A, dest FRD; Federation: crip DN+, 2xNCL, dest ECL
2014: Klingon: crip D7, dest BATS; Federation: crip 2xFF
1916: Klingon: crip D6; Federation: crip CC, CL, FF
1611: Klingon: crip D7, F5S, dest 3xPDU; Federation: crip 2xNCL, CL, 2xDD, dest FF
2009: SSC: Klingon retreat
1910: Klingon: crip D6, D5, F5L, dest 2xF5, E4A; Federation: crip CA, DD, 5xFF, dest 2xCL, capture planet
1808: Klingon: dest F5
1705: Klingon: dest D6
1708: Klingon: dest F5
1304: SSC: Klingon: crip E4, retreat; Kzinti: retreat
1205: SSC: Klingon: retreat
1107: SSC: crip D5, dest E4, retreat; Kzinti: crip CL, retreat
1407: Klingon: crip F5E, dest 2xPDU; Kzinti: capture planet
0908: Klingon: dest BATS, cripE4
0705: Lyran: crip STT, dest BATS; Kzinti: crip, 2xCM, SF
1202: Lyran: dest PDU; Kzinti: capture planet

The Hydrans saw a chance and took it, but it isn’t working out. The bulk of the navy is now cut off and out of supply, since I didn’t leave enough at the border to force a Coalition retreat. I also wasn’t considering just how nasty the defenses over 0416 have become. A low Lyran roll helped, but a low roll from me kept me from getting rid of all the PGBs, and there’s still a spare MB and FRD at the SB. I’m thinking it would have been best to wait a turn or two for the major push and see if the Federation can manage to disrupt Klingon supply into the area first.

With all the defenders, I wasn’t going to kill the Southern Reserve SB, but I went in for a round anyway and killed the FRD to restrict future repairs there. I was a little surprised by the self-inflicted SIDS, but considering our high rolls (5-5), we were both scrambling for things to take damage on. I think with about a dozen more ships, I could have forced the SB, but this was really a diversion. If he didn’t send the reserves here, I’d have taken it out, and Bel can’t really afford that.

I would have liked to take the planet at 1916 as well, but that was to tie down the other Klingon reserve, and I didn’t bring nearly enough to take on the C8V Vindicator. (I am glad I wasn’t facing that over the SB.)

Good Klingon rolls in rounds 2 and 3 probably saved 1611. I had hoped to take the planet, but had to retreat out with a lot of cripples and no fighters. The good news is that 3/4 of the defenses are gone, so it will need a lot more ships to defend in the future. Of course, being in reaction range of the capital, this may be the only chance to take it on the cheap I’ll see….

I expected a much tougher fight for 0705. Bel could have stuck it out a few rounds and burned through some of my forces since I had no spare fighters, but decided to avoid taking much damage himself.

Star Fleet is feeling pretty battered at the moment, with a lot of cripples, and didn’t make some its goals in Klingon space. I’m not sure just how much I’m going to be able to do next turn. On the other hand, Klingon supply points are disappearing fast to the north. It’s probably time to put a little pressure on the Lyrans, though actually consolidating and garrisoning northern Klingon space to reduce income has to become a priority.

Turn 12 scoring:
Coalition: 380.6 EP (x2) + 545 (bases) + 564 ships (/5) + 100 (Hydran Capital) = 1535
Alliance: 324.4 EP (x2) + 495 (bases) + 501 ships (/5) = 1244

Difference = 291 Major Coalition Victory

Adding in the Romulans makes a big difference in the war. More disturbing to the Coalition is that the Alliance gained 24 ships this turn (mostly Federation) while the Romulans and Klingons lost ships. Only the Lyrans came out 10 ahead, and the overall difference isn’t that big. If this keeps up the Alliance will soon overall have more ships just as the western economies start faltering.

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The Four Vassal War Coalition Turn 3

by on December 22, 2015 at 12:00 pm
Posted In: Four Vassal War

Crossposted from the SFU blog on BGG.

And with turn 3 this truly becomes the Four Powers War as the Lyrans attack the Kzinti in support of the Fourth Klingo-Kzinti War.

Thankfully, the Lyran border with the Kzinti is in much better shape than the Hydran border. The Count’s Fleet is in position, but everything else has been needed against the Klingons, giving a much better fleet ratio. The opposite is true for the Hydrans, with the bulk of the Hydran navy sitting in or near Lyran space.

The Lyrans are still struggling with a lot of cripples, though the last of the repairs from the recent civil war are done, and a DD from the Far Stars fleet became active (now that the entire fleet is repaired, one random ship from it becomes available each turn). Meanwhile the Klingons have enough extra money to start the process of turning various inaccessible base stations into battlestations (which is worth VPs… or rather, not doing so is worth VPs to the other side).

Builds:
Klingons: D7, TGA, F5L, F5, 3xE4, E3, D7->D7C, D6->D6D, BS-BATS
Lyrans: BCE, CA, 2xCL, 2xDD, 2xFF

Raiding continued to go poorly for me. I put repaired both ships from last turn and sent them raiding into Kzinti space. Despite attempting to stay away from heavier ships, a Kzinti CC reacted to the Lyran BCE and destroyed it while the CC was crippled. The Klingon D6 only had to deal with a called up POL, and successfully disrupted a province.

The Klingons counterattacked at four Hydran bases along the border, while Lyran efforts focused on getting at the logistical train that had moved up to 0513 (a convoy, FRD and TG hauling the parts for a mobile base).

On the Kzinti front, I spent a lot of time and effort trying to avoid confronting all the Kzinti forces on the Klingon border while still conducting an offensive, but couldn’t manage it. Bel aggressively reacted to all my province raiders, which helped dilute the base defenders, but not by enough. I ended up by concentrating on the west side of the border, with the real drive at Zelkrat in 1105, while Lyran forces took on two border bases unopposed.


Combined assault on the Hegemony


Counterattack into Hydran space


Limited operations in Lyran space

Combat:
0703: Kzinti: dest BATS, crip CL; Lyran: crip FF
0803: Kzinti: dest BS; Lyran: crip FF
1004: SSC: Kzinti: crip CL, retreat; Klingon: crip E4, retreat
1205: SSC: Klingon: retreat
1105: Kzinti: dest FF, 2xPDU; Klingon: crip D6, F5, capture planet
1304: Kzinti: 2xSIDS, crip CL; Klingon: crip D6, D6J, F5, F5S, dest E4
1605: Retreat on refused approach
1219: Hydran: dest BS; Klingon: crip F5
1217: Hydran: crip SA, dest BATS; Klingon: crip 2xF5, F5G, E4, E4J, dest E4
1116: Retreat on refused approach
0915: Hydran: crip HNG, dest BATS, POL; Klingon: crip D6, D6J, 2xE4, dest F5
0211: SSC: Lyran: crip CL, dest FF, retreat
0513: Hydran: crip TEM, RN, dest 2xLN, FRD, Convoy; Lyran: crip CC, 2xCA, CL, dest DD, FF
0412: Unopposed defender withdrawal
0512: SSC: Hydran retreat

Both 1004 and 1205 were province raiding missions gone bad when Bel proved more willing to react off of bases than I had supposed. Neither of us rolled very well in either of them, which was fortunate in 1205 since I was overmatched.

Our lack of experience with the ground attack rules showed at 1105. I sent in the D6G, and directed on a FF. Bel took some of his leftover damage on a PDU, which gave the defense gap needed for a bonus on the ground attack. If we’d looked at the modifiers, I’d have directed on the PDU. As it was, the ground attack took out the remaining PDU, and Bel retreated out.

I’d sent a reasonably sized force to SB 1304, which drew the Kzinti reserve. Without that, he only had a pile of cripples stationed there. I went in for one round, then retreated, but between cripples and SIDS, his repair capacity is overloaded there….

1217 had about half a line protecting it, which with all the fighters was able to do a good amount of damage before retreating out right before the BATS blew.

Bel was determined to make my raid on his support units as painful as possible, and succeeded. We went five rounds, increasingly desperate to keep a viable force together while I tried to kill the valuable units. Eventually, he retreated out, and I was just able to kill the FRD and Convoy in the slow unit battle. (For some reason, hauling around a MB doesn’t make a tug slow….)

0512 was another in a chain of SSCs with low rolls. I did one casualty to him, which he used to retreat out. However, he’s stuck against the edge of the LDR, and was forced into 0511 and out of supply.

Killing five bases this turn does a lot for my score, as does capturing a Kzinti planet. My VPs are up to 63.25, and a healthy percentage of that is in points that can’t be taken away later. The Alliance is up to 73.2, thanks to the ships I’m loosing, which shifts me up to a Minor Defeat.

A big problem is that just to do this much, I had to use just about all my available ships, and my reserves are small for the upcoming turn.

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The Four Vassal War Alliance Turn 2

by on September 30, 2015 at 12:00 pm
Posted In: Four Vassal War

Crossposted from the SFU blog on BGG.

For the Alliance half of turn 2, the war continues to expand into the Four Powers War, with the Hydrans able to attack the Klingons in support of the Kzinti.

The Kzinti repaired the damage to their SB, while the Hydrans repaired a number of frigates.

Builds:
Kzinti: DNE, CS, 2xCL, CLD, 3xFF, MB, Convoy, CS->CD
Hydran: TEM, RN, 2xLN, SA, 2xHN, Convoy, MB

Bel concentrated his raids against the Klingons, and disrupted two provinces at the cost of a crippled LN.

The Hydrans kept up pressure on the Lyrans, putting much of their navy into Lyran space for a second assault on the Enemy’s Blood SB, and sent a strong force forward to kill the BS at 0109. Meanwhile, the 1st Fleet crossed the Klingon border and attacked the two border stations near the rim of the galaxy.

The Kzintis also counterattacked, hitting four border stations, the NZ planet, and the planet in 1407.


Hydran occupation of Lyran space.


Kzinti counterattack.


Supporting the Hegemony.

Combat:
0411: Hydran: dest RN, SC, crip SA, 2xHN; Lyran: crip 2xCC, 2xCL, 4xDD
0109: Lyran: dest BS, POL
0512: Hydran: crip HN; Lyran: crip FF
0312: SSC: Hydran: crip CU; Lyran: crip DD, retreat
0412: Lyran: dest DD
1419: Hydran: dest SC, crip HN; Klingon: crip D6, F5L
1417: Hydran: dest 2xCU; Klingon: crip F5, 2xE3
1004: SSC: Kzinti: crip FF, retreat; Klingon: crip F5, retreat
1305: SSC: Klingon: dest E3
1505: SSC: Klingon: dest F5
1606: SSC: Klingon retreat
1506: Kzinti: crip 3xFF; Klingon: crip 2xF5
1507: Kzinti: dest CL, crip 2xCL, CLG; Klingon: crip D7, D6, E4
0906: Kzinti: dest CL
1005: SSC: Klingon: dest F5
1107: Refused approach, retreat
1307: Kzinti: dest DF, crip SF; Klingon: crip D6
1407: Kzinti: dest CLD, SF, SAS, FTS, crip CL; Klingon: crip 2xD7C, D6, TGB, F5, E4

The SB battle was impressive, with the Lyrans getting 114 ComPot even while dialing the SB EW up to 4. The Hydrans went for a heavy line, and got up to 118, but were looking at a -2 shift, and then I destroyed the only scout so I could dial the EW back a little. After killing a RN on the second round, he retreated out, as I still had a pretty deep reserve even with all the cripples I was taking.

The cost of all the mayhem in Lyran space is that the Hyran forces facing the Klingons are completely inadequate. He attacked two bases, and after the reserves showed up, didn’t have nearly the firepower of the Klingons at either.

The SSC in 1004 should have been a kill for Bel, as it was 3xFF vs an F5. But a low roll on his part just did two casualties, allowing it to retreat out. Better, a ’12’ from me caused one of the FFs to cripple as the Kzinti retreated out. I’d promote the captain to a D6 command, but the F5 was overrun and destroyed by forces retreating out of the 0906 battle.

The main action on the Kzinti border was an attack on my minor planet in 1407. I was able to retreat 1307 into the battle, which sadly moved some cripples away from repair, but made sure I could drive him off. He’d even brought in a couple auxiliaries, but they had no chance to do anything in the one round before retreat.

The Hydrans still have substantial forces in Lyran space, which really puts the onus on the Klingons to be active on that front to try and force him to redeploy. Not a pleasant prospect in the face of good ships, bases with fighters, and the BIR adjustment against hellbore-armed ships, though so far everything there is fusion-armed.

Thanks mostly to a good number of ship kills, the Coalition total is up to 41.45 VPs. The Alliance is starting to gain VPs for occupying Lyran provinces and a large number of cripples, and is up to 71.2 VPs for a Major Victory (at this moment).

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SH126 The Sally

by on July 25, 2015 at 5:25 pm
Posted In: SFB

Crossposted from the SFU blog on BGG.

Patch and I decided to turn back to SFB a little while ago, finishing off a project that our group had been stuck on for a while (more on that in a bit). This particular scenario is the third of a set of three in S2 that has Klingons vs the LDR in Y157 (pre-gatlings).

“Captain Kruze had been watching the Hydran border for months, with no activity, when word reached him that the LDR had initiated hostilities. Kruze’s frigate squadron was the northernmost on the Hydran border, and having just left the base at the angle where Klingon, LDR, and Hydran space conjoined, he was in excellent position to sally into LDR space. Kruze intended to raid LDR shipping and avoid a decisive engagement. He found what he thought was a convoy and moved to attack.”

However, Kruze had found an LDR force of armed freighters (three small phaser-armed, and two large disruptor-armed) accompanied by two police ships. It doesn’t look like much, but there’s a lot of weapons in there. The Klingon squadron consists of an F5C, F5, and E4. Both sides cannot disengage at first, with the LDR only being able to disengage at all when both F-ALs are crippled or destroyed, and any Klingon ship only being able to disengage after being crippled.

I had the LDR and decided to load the POLs and F-ALs up on transporter bombs, and started each one with a suicide shuttle armed and ready to go (leaving the three shuttles on the F-ASs for point-defense and group protection if it should come down to that). I started with everything going speed 12, while the Klingons moved in at speed 19. I started in a pretty loose formation, and then tightened it up with sideslips, but Patch split off his F5C about halfway through the first turn. I turned for the larger group, as the F5C’s shields are tougher. A little later, Patch hit with three out of four disruptors to nearly take down a shield on an F-AS (not bad at range 13 with a +1 shift!). The F5C followed up and got one point in (hull…). As he turned away, I volleyed all six disruptors at the E4 and nearly got shield 2 down on four hits. We both followed up with Ph-2 shots, but range and ECM were problems. The F-ASs finally got an internal on the E4 after firing all phasers, and got a lucky R Warp hit.


First pass.
↓ Read the rest of this entry…

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R vs B Alliance Turn 11 in Review

by on July 6, 2015 at 4:20 pm
Posted In: BvR - The Wind

Crossposted from the SFU blog on BGG.

The Federation continues to burn through its stockpiled EPs. At the current rate, there won’t be enough left over next turn to ship 20 EPs to the Kzinti, before accounting for any economic damage from a Romulan invasion. The likely solution will be to slow down carrier production, and just produce a CVA next time.

But this turn the Federation did produce two CVSs and four DEs to escort them. The Kzinti have finally taken care of the cripple backlog and converted an F5 that was captured ages ago to Kzinti technology (there’s still a backlogged D5 to take care of).

While I knew that my main operational focus was going to be to do keep the Lyrans from extending their supply range into eastern Kzinti space, I had a hard time coming up with a real plan. In the end, I decided to take out all the infrastructure the Lyrans had built in Kzinti space, and sent out a line of FFs to block the remaining routes to the Lyran supply grid from 1202. The Federation pushed into the “neck” of Klingon space, taking out two planets there that had very little in range to defend them.

Bel had left a stack of crippled D5s in 2008, and I’m still not sure why. I think he had plans of using them to help pin some cripples in the neutral zone, but I just pinned them, and moved my cripples out.

Meanwhile the Hydrans tried to make an entry at the SW corner of the map that was immediately pinned. Their on-map fleet in 0117 did get a CU into 0116 to take (partial) control of that province again.


Kzinti theater. Lots of ships to coordinate.


Operation “Wedge”

Battles:
0119: Lyran: crip CVL, CWE, DWE; Hydran: dest RN
2008: Klingon: dest 3xcripD5; Federation: crip FF
1911: SSC: Klingon retreat
1808: Klingon: dest F5
1514: Klingon: 2xPDU, dest 2xE4, crip 2xE4; Federation: crip 2xNCL, capture planet
1714: Klingon: 4xPDU; Federation: crip 2xFF, capture planet
1813: Klingon: dest BATS; Federation: crip 2xFF
2215: SSC: Federation retreat
2214: Klingon: crip D6, D6M, D5; Federation: crip CC, FF
1107: Klingon: dest BATS; Kzinti: crip FF
1105: SSC: Klingon: crip D5, retreat; Kzinti capture planet
0703: SSC: Lyran: dest MB
0903: SSC: Lyran: dest FF
1203: SSC: Lyran: crip CW, retreat; Kzinti: crip BC, retreat
0902: Lyran: dest BATS; Kzinti: crip BC, MEC
1001: Lyran: 2xPDU, dest SB; Kzinti: capture planet
1201: SSC: Lyran: dest CC; Kzinti: crip CC, retreat
1202: Lyran: dest TGP(MB), 3xDW, crip CA, 3xCW, 3xDW, capture CL; Klingon: dest F5E; Kzinti: dest CL, DD, crip 2xCC, 2xBC, CM, 2xMEC, EFF
1806: SSC: Klingon: crip D5, retreat; Kzinti: retreat
1907: Klingon: crip 2xD6, D5; Federation: crip 2xDD, FF
1403: SSC: Klingon: crip E4, retreat

The Hydrans can’t afford to lose a cruiser every turn like this. I am starting work on the problem, however.

With the Reserve, the attack on the minor planet at 1514 was pretty even (I had a CVA and smaller ships, and the reserve was pretty small), and I figured I’d end up taking fighters and retreating. But two rounds of good rolls forced Bel to retreat and let me take the planet.

I had a decent superiority at 0902, but Bel had a full line, and I figured he would make me go a round or two before retreating behind the base. Instead, he blew it the first round and we both retreated out. That allowed me to send those forces onto the Lyran SB+RGT at 1001 which only had a few cripples at it (the reserve being pinned on 0902, the main fleet reacted to 1202).

I had originally figured to have a big pinning battle at 1001, but the big climax was six rounds at 1202, which I mishandled. We were about even going in, and I was hoping to take the planet, but the die rolls were even (and against me in the second round), and I ended up retreating out with most of the fighters gone (kept 12 on the CVA Titan in case of pursuit). I just dumped damage on him, which hurt a lot, but I should have just blown the two tugs in the hex (got one) and retreated out a round or two earlier.

Turn 11 scoring:
Coalition: 283 EP (x2) + 320 (bases) + 363 ships (/5) + 100 (Hydran Capital) = 1058.6
Alliance: 334.2 EP (x2) + 515 (bases) + 478 ships (/5) = 1279

Difference = 220.4 Major Alliance Victory

I seem to have missed a couple of Lyran bases last time …and something else went wrong. Probably didn’t multiply the Coalition EPs by 2. I’ve updated the totals on the Turn 10 post.

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