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Got the new ST ships and looked to a fight with them or against them.
Had a member make up an opposing Narn force since I was going to make the ST force. Points were to be about 3500 give or take some. If I played ST ships I wanted to be surprised, and if I played the Narns I wanted to see what I could do as Commadore, with what the sector commander gave me.
(In house rules in effect. Secret EW, one free turn of sustained charging (our reasoning is any fleets that knows there may be action begin to charge) and free firing (don't write targets just point and shoot, EW designations tend to direct fire in most cases, all this speeds game up. We play with a modified spotting chart, cause it is more fun not to know what the other guy has. Any range ship base or fighter can be distinguished, not class or anything else. 18 hexes of less M, HCV, Cap, Base, or Osat distinguished 5 hexes or less ship and fighter completely ID'd 2 hexes or less Chameleon ship revealed. We use the standard -1/5 hexes id penalty, + the sensor rating, - any defensive EW target assigned. 1-5 under and id the weapon types, 6+ under and completely ID ship. Otherwise use ranges above.)
Commadore G'Fan paced the deck, the anger, and yet the puzzlement growing. What happened to the research station on Dnar seven? The strange sightings of unidentified ships in the area, designs unknown and now to be considered hostile.
Orders: to engage and destroy hostile ships if possible, disengage and report capabilities of hostile forces. This wasn't going to be easy, but the squadron was a recon in force squadron and we will be up to the task!
Stardate 2287 mark 2335, postition unknown. Captain Kevin Nault commanding wargames fleet Alpha Strike B. We have engaged our primary target, the Klingon Battlestation in sector 77, and are now patrolling sector 79. The Klingon station was destroyed at range by our photon torpedos to avoid the Klingon close defense weapons. We encountered some strange weapons signatures and have duly logged them for analysis. I have been impressed with the new wargame computers installed. I had serious misgivings when the first came on line and overloaded our external sensors for 3 hours, but after readjustments commenced by Starfleet techs, we were able to proceed with the primary mission and destoyed the Klingon Station. The effects of the computer program tied in with the holo deck array is quite amazing in its realism, even to the damage we seem to have sustained.
T'Rakk Frigate Pouncer has reported unidentified energy signatures, could this be the prey? My orders for battle stations is complied with great vigour, there is nothing more deadly than a group of Narns set on retribution. An excellent ship made that way by and excellent crew. The G'Tal CC Eye of Destruction a most excellent ship indeed, the rest of the squadron, a Var'Nic DD, Sho'Kar Scout, Dag'Kar Frigate, 3 flights of Frazi and the T'Rakk, all experienced as recon in force fleets should be. "Move to attack position, calculate enemy trajectories and prepare to mine probable approaches. Fire on my order.....
Stardate 2287 mark 2334 Captain's log supplemental. I have received horrible news, the initial malfunction of the game computers somehow opened a rift in space, and our intital target we destroyed is now classified unknown. Sensors have identified similiar energy signatures, all hails unanswered. How will we atone for our error? My duty is to my crew and the fleet. I have ordered that since we will be attacked we will defend ourselves. We will ascertain the capablities of the hostiles and let the diplomats figure a way out of this for us, if we ever get back. My fleet components are being split into two mutually supporting elements. I will command the Excelsior, the two Constitution Light CA's, and the two Obereth referee ships. Commander Elphic will take the Ambassador and the 3 Mirandas. May God be with us.
Setup: standard map Starfleet setsup NW corner, Narns set up SE corner both can be with in 5 of corner speed is 2-4.
Turn one:
Narns set up and move sp2 I command the Narns and plan to approach slowly, firing emines and torps. I am sustaining all 3 BL's, a calculated risk. I know they will fire photons t1 or t2 and hope they don't ID my G'Tal until I close.
ST #1 (Ex, 2 Cont, 2 Obereths) moves s2 and fires photons. ST#2 (Ambass, 3 mirandas) starts speed 4 and moves to speed 8! (Ambassador a bit slower) and fires also!
Since scouting happens after ballistic launch, this is blind shot. They target the G'Tal, of all the rotten luck. I am full defensive, and they don't ID me, but the photon is proving to be a nasty long range weapon, as this fleet can fire 14 to the forward. I have little to intercept with as some turned off for sustain firing. 8 hit and proceed to wrack up my front, I lose 1 laser and mostly structure damage. ugh. Narn return Ions hit half and damage an unknown ship, Half EM's hit adj hexes of ships (8 EM launchers, 7 Ions) but as I now see shields very effective.
Ions probably killed a weapon and structure. Narns launch Frazis
Turn 2
More Id's not much else as both sides turtle and close. Launch last flight of Frazies
Turn 3
Narns catch ST fleet #2 nicely with mines some direct hits crushing some side shields, but no internals (Miranda shield is 30!) Narns send T'Rakk on suicide run up the middle with Frazis behind. Scout lends total defensive to G'Tal and G'Tal turtles, but fires EM. Dagar fires her wad again and the Var'Nic adds her Ion. We target the Ambassador. ST #1 is closing fast and is moving speed 8-10, ST#2 a bit slower at sp 6 and further to the north. G'Tal suffers massive photon strike losing 1 Bls and EM' rest of thrusters and then the forward Structure.....phaser fire from ST#1 ships skill the flagship!!....I of course survive in my escape pod to be picked up by the Var'Nic T'Rakk continued to speed up and found herself 1 hex from Ambassador. Ion Torp fire and T'Rakk plasma and one laser from G'Tal smoke the Ambassador. T'Rakk suffers the combined phasers of ST #2 and vaporizes. Var'Nic targets Miranda #1 and with help of Frazis blows it up.
After the G'tal died, I figured the rest of the Narns would get mopped up. The flagship dead, it was depressing.
Turn 4
No Ballistics. The ST fleets still haven't targetted the Dag'kar and the Scout and I begin to retrograde them this turn. It is up to the Frazis to slow the enemy down and the Var 'Nic turns to recharge and open the range. Phasor fire on the Var'Nic nails both Med Lasers! and the aft section suffers some damage. Then the Frazi's kill a Miranda in one pass....oh oh I have discovered the ST achilles heel!!
Turn 5
Ballistic launch on ST # 2 fleet...luck is with me as the EM hit well around the Excelsior and Ions all hit!! Excelsior is hurting! ST#2 photons hit Dag'kar and do moderate damage...about time they shot at him, since the Ion damage has been mounting. Var' nic gets nicked by some phasor fire, but the Frazi attack and kill a Consitution class.
Turn 6
Var' Nic shoot in the aft of a charging Miranda as it goes for the scout with the HPC and rolls 6 pulses!! Miranda aft blows off! Frazis attack Excelsior's wasted front and destroy it. Some half hearted phaser shots here and there and StarFleet calls it quits acknowledging that their ships are too spread out and will be Frazi meat. ( I think they were a bit premature, but they could be correct.)
Conclusion: I was impressed with the power of the photons, though it is interceptable, there are a lot in a small fleet. The damage is good and every other turn firing makes it a Ion Torp equivalent. The phasers were effective and the mediums that were sustained took their toll. The shields were effective and fun for the guys to use. The ST ships are eggshells. The shields go and then the low armor and low number of internals make for sudden destruction. Very fighter susceptible on the early ships, seems the later ships are better protected and can have a carrier attached. Obereth was the biggest elint joke, but still fun to play with and had more anti fighter than some of CA's. I really thought after the G'Tal died I was dead, and even retrograded and turned all away except the fighters. But after the fighters (remember 3 flights) hit one fresh Miranda and killed it dead, I said...wait a minute. Great game and the ST ships lots of fun...but must be handled carefully.
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The Fed initiatives were simply amazing and a real strength. They constantly won over the Narns ships, though on one critical turn they all rolled poorly and the Narn ships won a few. The Frazi's were for the most part able to stay a few jumps ahead, but occasionaly lost. The Feds didn't make much use of that. I don't remember the Feds actually chasing the fighters around with anything. I still feel their major mistake was not taking out the Dag'kar as this made them hesitant to group up for fighter protection...with good reason '-)
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