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April 2018
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Star Fleet Universe News BIG NEWS: 57 NEW ITEMS ON SHAPEWAYS!
Our store on Shapeways continued to expand with 57 new ships released on 1-2 April.
Ships released for both 3788 and 3125 scales include: Federation CVS strike carrier (grid and classic); Klingon D7VB and D7VK strike carriers; Romulan KRC, Shrike light dreadnought, OmniHawk light dreadnought, and OmniHawk+ light dreadnought; Kzinti BF; Gorn FF and BFF (with and without scales); Hydran Uhlan DDV carrier, Outrider DSR survey ship, and Lancer-E destroyer escort; and the Lyran Cave Lion battleship (with and without Aztek panels). Omega was not forgotten and the Bolosco received their cruiser and frigate. For April Fool¹s Day, we released the Crown of Tholia battleship, the Kzinti trimaran battlecruiser, and the Gorn bubbles-on-a-string dreadnought.
Omni scale ships included in this release are: Space Amoeba in three sizes and Juggernaut frigate. For April Fool¹s Day there was the WYN auxiliary heavy mauler.
Ships released for 3788 scale: Lyran Aztek destroyer and Aztek light cruiser.
You can check out the store (699 ships!) here: https://www.shapeways.com/shops/amarillo-design-bureau-inc
We are continuing our release of Nexus with issues #2 and #3 out this month in the PDF stores. This title is being released with the kind permission of Allen D. Eldridge.
WEBSITE:
Our website, www.StarFleetGames.com, continues to grow and improve. You are welcome to send us your requests, comments, and suggestions. Simone Dale, our graphics director, continues to update the website, do covers for the new products, shut down pirate websites, help out around the company, and learn more about the game business.
TWITTER: VIDEOS: Star Fleet Marines Part 1 DOING VIDEOS OF THE SFU
A customer asked about posting "tutorial videos" for our games. We like it when people do that (and even give commendation medals) but you need to have us check the videos to make sure you aren't violating something somehow (or that you didn't make a rules error). Doing such videos to make money is not cool. Please drop us an email before you post the videos.
STARBLOG: STAR FLEET'S LEGIONS EXPAND: This month we feature Battle Group Clifton Park located in Clifton Park, New York. CO Mrk Lurz reports that this group is active, playing Star Fleet Battles, Federation Commander, Federation & Empire, and A Call to Arms: Star Fleet. Recently they have been playtesting ACTASF for volumes 2 and 3. Check them out here: http://www.starfleetgames.com/battlegroup/battlegroup_CliftonPark.shtml
Thanks for your work in playtesting!
Do you have a battle group? Be sure to report your activities here: http://www.starfleetgames.com/battlegroup/report.shtml
Do you want to see if there's a battle group near you? Check out the map here: http://www.starfleetgames.com/battlegroup/gather.shtml#US
Facebook Fan Pages
So join us on Facebook and get a fix of your favorite game there, too!
JAGDPANTHER
Custom Decals for Starline ships Tenneshington Decals continues to provide custom decals for all currently produced Federation Starline 2500 miniatures. For more information or to download the order sheet, check them out at www.tenneshington.com. Or if you prefer, email Will McCammon at: will@tenneshington.com or Tony L. Thomas at: scoutdad@tenneshington.com.
Jupiter IV Decals is a source of decals for the 2400 line and will do custom decals as well as all official SFB names. In the near future Jupiter IV will move into the 2500 line and will work to get every listed name on the Starfleet registry completed in both scales.
Their website is: JupiterIvdecals.com
ONLINE TOURNAMENTS Our seventh Internet SFB International Championship Tournament is underway. This is a single-elimination tournament using a standard tree. All but one of the second-round games are completed. One of the third-round games has been finished.
Fleet Captain Bill Schoeller (winner of the 2016 tournament) is the judge for this tournament. As we did in Platinum Hat 2016, Tournament Marshal Steven P. Petrick will also "ride herd" on the tournament to ensure that games are played on schedule and the event does not drag. There will, inevitably, be some delays near the end when re-entries have to "catch up" to the initial entries. A firm hand on the helm will ensure that these are as minor as possible. People who do not get their next game completed in a set number of days will be disqualified and the player they beat (or a wildcard selected by the judges) replaces them. Deadlines may be adjusted by the Judge or Marshal to allow for a player's serious real life unexpected problem or issue. Rated Ace Tournament 47 is over! Lee P. Graves flew his Archeo-Tholian cruiser to victory over Clayton Krueger's Gorn cruiser. Congratulations, Lee! Bill Schoeller was the judge. Masters 2018 has closed signups and a tree will be up soon. Each player will be randomly assigned a ship in the first round. If you advance, you will next play the ship you just defeated. Good times! Andy Koch is the judge in this "just for fun" tournament.
DEMOS AND CONS WITH SFU GAMES
StratCon 2018 will be in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, July 7-15. They are locking down the venue after the previous one changed hands and wouldn't honor the deal. There will be at least two Federation & Empire games, with room for one more and some minor room for other gaming. Respond here: http://www.starfleetgames.com/discus/messages/37/37078.html?1520623855 for more information. Check out their page on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/151297821607520/ Star Fleet Battles games are held weekly in Tempe Arizona each Friday at Game Depot from 2:00 -7:00 pm. Eric Phillips is the person to contact.
Star Fleet Battles games are held regularly in Indianapolis, Indiana at Family Time Games. Anthony Harding is the contact person. For more information see: http://www.meetup.com/Star-Fleet-Battles-Indy/. Star Fleet Battles games are played regularly in Columbus, Ohio, on Sunday afternoons at the Soldiery. Lee Hanna is the contact person. Games are held in Spokane, Washington on an irregular basis. Contact them to see if there's a game scheduled. They meet at The Gamer's Haven, 2114 N. Pines St., Suites 1 & 2, Spokane Valley, WA 99206, (509) 443-5992 http://store.thegamershaven.net/ Download Transmissions HAILING FREQUENCIES: This is our newsletter and will let you know all the news for all our games. You can subscribe here. Have you missed an earlier newsletter? Click here to get caught up! COMMUNIQUE: The latest Communique brings you more Ship Cards, scenarios, and more news from the Star Fleet Universe! It can be downloaded from the Commander's Circle. FC Forum Recent Posts
F&E Strategy of the Month There are many occasions when using directed damage is the best option. These could be:
1. Targeting PDUs on a capital planet (when you will face more fighters than you can possibly kill). 2. The enemy has few of a key unit, such as command ships or scouts. 3. When there is a strategic target like a tug deploying a MB, or even upgrading a battle station if the conditions are right. 4. It is also appropriate when doing regular damage will only kill fighters or when only one round of combat will be fought. However, "letting it fall" should not be lightly dismissed. There are other primary motivators on how to allocate your damage. At certain times, using Directed Damage is not the right choice and letting it fall is: 1. Blunting an offensive: If the enemy is attacking in large numbers, letting it fall (especially if he sticks around for numerous rounds of combat, like over a capital) may create so many cripples that he cannot field battle lines able to generate high enough combat potential to make it worth continuing. If you direct damage on a key unit, your opponent has only one hole to fill on the line, but three to four cripples pulled back means he must bring up his reserves faster. He will also have to start thinking about how get them out of the hex and repaired and if his forces are strong enough to defend against your counter attacks. 2. Overwhelming repair facilities: True, a dead ship is gone for good (except for salvage), but crippled ships are gone for a time as well. If you have 10 ships at a repair facility that can only repair three a turn, you have taken those other ships out of the fight for two to three turns and made him spend Economic Points on repairs instead of new construction of probably more capable ships. Add a strike or two on FRDs or if your enemy is on an extended logistics line and it takes even longer to get them back, repaired, and back into the fight. 3. Pursuit: Yes, you should try to pop a key unit if it is under your guns on pursuit, but do not blindly believe you always have to use Directed Damage against pursued ships. By letting it fall, your enemy may have to kill more hulls than you could have destroyed with Directed Damage (and for no salvage), or cripple healthy ships to protect the retreating cripples. If you are being pursued, you may have the firepower to use Directed Damage on one of your pursuers, but letting it fall may leave three to four cripples he will have to use expensive field repair for or leave crippled for your turn.
4. When they are all the same: If you are facing nothing but "vanilla" ships (i.e., no variants or rare hull types), go for volume. Make lots of cripples and let him deal with the cost and logistics of dealing with them. 5. To drive your enemy nuts: If you always use Directed Damage, he will start basing some tactical decisions on that. If he thinks you will only kill one key unit, he may load up his battle line to get a really high combat potential, confident only one will die. Just throw him a curve and let it fall. Now he may have to cripple three or four hulls and deal with getting them out (pursuit) and fixed (repair). Directed Damage has and will always have its place, but sometimes it is better to just let it fall. A Call To Arms: Star Fleet Tactic of the Month HE WHO RUNS AWAY . . . Veteran players of other Star Fleet Universe games should take a moment to read the Maximum Warp Now! special action. What this does is allow a unit to escape by going to high warp right in the middle of a battle. The downside is your opponent gets one round to shoot at you when you can only move six inches in a straight line but, if you are playing in a campaign this is a small price to pay for the chance to save a key unit. Do not forget while that key unit is making its run some of your other units can still use their weaponry to help with the defense of the target. Just be sure that you are aware of any notes or rules in the scenario that control what side of the map you can disengage from, otherwise your ship can still be considered lost.
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New Releases Communique #148 has been posted to the Commander's Circle Click here to see our previous issues of Hailing Frequencies. Recently Released To be released in 2018
A new Starmada book for both editions.
Federation Commander Reference Starship Book
Traveller Prime Directive Core Rulebook
New starships for the 2500 (1/3125) range including Klingon B10
New starships for the 2400 (1/3788) range including heavy war destroyers and the jumbo freighter.
SHAPEWAYS:
We’re now offering some of our miniatures and some new designs on Shapeways. You can check out the store here: https://www.shapeways.com/shops/amarillo-design-bureau-inc?sort=newest
PDF and EBOOK SALES: RECENTLY RELEASED ON Warehouse 23
Admiral's Bridge, Starbase 15
"We already know we're at war," Admiral Connell said to his intelligence officer. "We already know that the Klingons are not doing what you said they would do." "I just told you what Star Fleet Intelligence told me!" Captain Laura Hummel said, somewhat louder than she had intended. "It's not my fault that I was given bad information!" "Quit with the excuses and answer the admiral's question," Chief of Staff Rear Admiral Michael Mulkowski ordered. "Just how many Klingon ships are in this attack?" "Now you trust me?" Hummel said. "Now you think I magically have the right answers? I don't have exact numbers, and there is almost certainly a lot of duplication. We know that three cruisers attacked Hood, and I think they're the same three cruisers that attacked K7 later. We know that Hornet was crippled by a fast dreadnought and I think I know where that ship went, unless they have two of those. The Klingons seem to have sent squadrons to pick off the cruisers you had on station and then those same squadrons were part of the attacks on the battle stations. K6 said it was being attacked by over 20 ships, but we know that the Klingon command-and-control system isn't any better than ours, so it was probably 12." "Sure of that, are we?" Mulkowski asked, his voice dripping in sarcasm. "Yes, I am," Hummel spat back. "If they could mass 20 ships in one battle, the Kzintis would have told us about it." "Just give me a number!" Admiral Connell snapped, pounding his fist on the table. "How bad is it?" "At least 70 ships," Hummell said, "maybe over a hundred. The total reported sightings are over 150, but I know some of those are just panic reports from colonies and freighters, and others are duplications, like I said. My gut says about 90, but Klingon doctrine would be to save 20% of their force for pass-through attacks we haven't seen yet." "Very well," Admiral Connell said. "Mulkowski, give me the readout, left to right." Ask Admiral Vanaxilth Looking over his files, the Admiral has noticed a large number of single questions on various subjects and has decided to clean out these "short subjects".
Andromedans Scott Gordon asks: If a ship is undocking or caught in a temporal elevator or spatial distorter, the rules say it drops a level per impulse. Does it lose any movement points generated while in the distortion, or does each movement point drop it another level on‚ the appropriate impulses? ANSWER: Per (G31.2221), any movement points generated by the ship while it is above Level Zero are lost. It will simply drop one level per impulse (including the impulse of undocking). Booms and Saucers Ken Kazinski asks: Question on (G12.331) ". . . Booms and saucers with small warp engines (rather than standard-size engines) are treated under (G12.332), not this rule." How do you determine what is standard-size? Is it when the boom has the same size engines as the whole ship or is it based on the size class of the boom? ANSWER: See (G12.111). Small engines are one or two box engines found in the ships in that rule, or specified in the ship description. Mines Gregory Flusche asks: I know you can buy mines with Commander's Options ‹ transporter-bombs, and the nuclear space mine for Romulan ships. What about dummy mines? ANSWER: You cannot buy dummy mines (M2.9), or other components of a minefield, as Commander's Options, so I assume you are referring to dummy transporter-bombs. You get an equal number of dummy transporter-bombs free when you buy regular transporter-bombs. (M3.224). You cannot substitute real mines for the dummies or vice versa. You cannot buy dummy transporter-bombs except with real ones. Tactical Intelligence Gregory Flusche asks: A Warbird (no warp drive) is approaching a base, under cloak and silent running (D17.75), at Speed 1. At what range, under the (D17.0) Tactical Intelligence rules, would the base detect it? ANSWER: The base is considered a scout, so Level A is normally 150 hexes. However, the effective range of the Warbird will be quadruple the true range, plus five. So, the base will not be able to detect it until it gets to a true range of 36 [(effective range 36 x 4) + 5 = 149]. Drogues William Wilson asks: Rule (G34.24) allows a drogue to be deployed at scenario start at weapons status three, but does not say anything about activating plasma-D torpedoes. Are the plasma-D torpedoes on a drogue energized? ANSWER: Kommodore Ketrick replies: Drogues follow their own rules. Rule (G34.24) includes the statement "In the case of a weapons drogue, the drogue is presumed to be loaded at the start of the scenario." While it might seem unfair that a Romulan Condor dreadnought might have five weapons drogues (replacing all five of its shuttles), the rule as written says that all five of the weapons drogues would be loaded no matter the weapon status of the ship (except surprised). However only one can be deployed and only if the ship is at weapons status three. In the case of plasma-D torpedoes, they are energized; the plasma empires are not penalized by being forced to hold a plasma-D torpedoes drogue aboard ship at weapons status three to energize the plasma-D torpedoes. (The drogues are "loaded;" having plasma-D torpedoes that are not energized is "not loaded" in this case; the drogue is as fully ready to operate as a drone-armed or a plasma-F armed version would be.)
If the drogue is recovered (after launching one, or more, or all) of its plasma-D (or plasma-K) torpedoes, any plasma-D (or plasma-K) torpedoes reloaded will need to be energized. This is because the plasma-D (or plasma-K) torpedoes are inert for handling before they are loaded onto the drogue. Tholians Alan Trevor asks: In Module R4 the Tholians get a war cruiser-based light tactical transport and a variety of "packs" for use with it, including the phaser pack. Per (R7.25), a cargo patrol corvette can only carry a battle pack in inactive mode. Can a cargo patrol corvette carry a phaser pack in functional mode? ANSWER: Kommodore Ketrick replies: Honestly, if we had meant to preclude the phaser pack from the cargo patrol corvette we would have done it at the same time we precluded the battle pack. While box count, crew, boarding parties, and layout are identical, the power demands are not. The phaser-pack can fire two phasers with no power from the ship, or all four as downgraded phaser-3s. The battle pack can fire one disruptor, period, without drawing power from the ship. A phaser-pack has a maximum power draw of two points of power from the ship. The battle pack requires as least six points of power from the ship to use all four disruptors, and 14 points to use them all as overloads. It is not a tactically useful pack to mount on a cargo patrol corvette. Fast Patrol Ships Matthew Potter asks: Did the Neo-Tholian ships ever have the (R1.R1) mech-link refit? If so, was it ever in the command modules, or was it always in the rear hull? ANSWER: There is no restriction on applying this refit to either the command module, the rear hull, or both. Francois Lemay asks: Do fast patrol ships and Interceptors take phaser directional damage like ships do? ANSWER: Per (K0.11), fast patrol ships use the rules for ships unless otherwise noted. Nothing in (K5.0) overrides (D4.321), so yes, the rules for phaser directional hits apply. Klingon Mutiny Garth Getgen asks: When a shuttle lands on a friendly ship, the shields do not need to be lowered, but to land on an enemy ship, a shield has to be knocked down first. If a Klingon crew mutinies, is that ship considered "friendly" or "enemy" for this rule? What about a computer-controlled ship that goes berserk? Same question for any other empire in which a ship goes rogue in a given scenario. ANSWER: In this, and other similar cases, the ship is no longer considered "friendly," and the forces now in control of it do not have to let the shuttle pass through the shields. It is considered an "enemy" ship for purposes of (J1.612) and other rules. (End of Admiral Vanaxilth) F&E Q&A
SLOW UNIT RETREAT It has been cited that the current rule (302.742) creates what feels like an inconsistency between regular pursuit (where cripples are required to participate) and slow-unit retreat (where at least one slow unit is required to participate).
In regular pursuit combat the pursuing player may use a directed-damage attack on as many crippled ships as he wants within the amount of damage he generated. Further, all crippled ships are eligible for directed damage, even those cripples not on the line. However, in slow-unit-retreat combat, only the slow units in the battle force are subject to damage, and only one slow unit may be attacked using a directed-damage attack. Since many slow units have little or no command rating this might mean that only a very few slow units may be in the battle force and then maybe only one unit if the player chooses an eligible flagship with a command rating of zero. The player may have arranged to kill off slow units with higher command ratings during the regular combat rounds prior to retreat so as to leave only low or zero CR units going into slow-unit retreat. In a capital retreat, there may be a dozen or so slow units retreating but under the current rules only the units in the actual slow-unit battle force take damage. After the one round of slow-unit battle, the units not in the battle force retreat normally. Therefore, we are changing (302.742D) as follows: (302.742D) If there is more than one slow unit, all of them are combined into one single battle. Form a normal battle force using the slow units (and their assigned escorts, if any) to include an eligible warship as the flagship. However, only the flagship and the units that fall under its command rating may use their offensive attack factors including any eligible assigned attrition units in the counter attack. Units not part of the selected slow-unit battle force may still send their assigned attrition units forward if permitted by rule. Any damage suffered by the slow-unit retreat force must first be fully resolved on all units of its battle force with any remaining excess damage applied to any units that were not part of the battle force; no damage can be resolved on the assigned attrition units not included in the battle force. In addition, the pursuing player may designate one or more of the slow units and declare it to be a single target for a directed-damage attack even if the targeted slow units are not part of the selected battle force or are included in the support echelon. The pursuing player may use the special ability of a mauler if there is one in the pursuing force in this attack. Slow units in any formation or free scout position are still protected normally by their respective rules. Slow-unit escort groups can be targeted as part of this special directed-damage attack but either the whole group is included in the attack or any eligible escorts (outside escorts and/or ad hoc escorts) of that group could be included in the attack at the pursuing player's option. All ships that are included in a slow-unit retreat (this includes, but is not limited to, ships escorting slow units, ships towing FRDs, LTFs, or overloaded ships) are treated as slow units themselves for the purpose of this rule only.
(End of F&E Q&A)
ASK AUNT JEAN
Dear Aunt Jean, We hear stories in every THIS WEEK blog of Wolf chasing away dinosaurs, wild animals, mimes, rainy days, and bad moods. Is all this true? A: Ask Wolf. In his own mind, that is what all of his barking at the door chased away.
Send questions to Jean at marketing@StarFleetGames.com and she will answer as soon as she can.
(End of Ask Aunt Jean ) Cool Stuff on the Website In this section we will provide links to various web pages and items that we think you will find "cool". We have also uploaded new Xander wallpapers to our Wallpapers section on the website: Wallpapers STAR FLEET ALERTS These are the press releases we send to the wholesalers, retailers, and media. You can get on the mailing list for them by asking Marketing@StarFleetGames.com to add you to the list. (Obviously, they are free.) They are uploaded to the Star Fleet Alert page FC Tactic of the MonthANDROMEDAN BATTERY TACTICS Batteries are the most critical system on an Andromedan ship. Here are some tactics for getting the most from your batteries as an Andromedan, and getting around them as a non-Andromedan.
Andromedans consume more power than non-Andromedans because of the cost to operate power absorber panels. Andromedans should not start any scenario with their batteries completely empty. Andromedans cannot fly at battle speeds while firing all their weapons without dipping into their batteries. Andromedans also need some empty capacity in their batteries to clear their power absorber panels, so they should start any scenario with their batteries about half full.
When an Andromedan ship takes damage to its batteries, it should disable full batteries first, unless they will need the power before the end of the turn. During the Repair Phase they can repair a disabled battery which will then be empty, and available to accept power from the power absorber panels. This may also leave empty batteries available during the turn in case a power absorber panel is disabled and releases any held power. Andromedan ships should always use frame to protect their last battery. Once an Andromedan ship loses enough power that it cannot run its power absorber panels, it will explode as the energy in the panels turns back into damage. Use it or lose it. If a mothership has satellite ships aboard, dropping its power absorber panels can cause released power to go to the power absorber panels of the satellite ships (within limits). The satellite ships can then drop their own panels, and fill their own batteries. If the non-Andromedans are concentrating fire on the mothership and the satellite ships are getting power-starved, the mothership can use this method to clear its power absorber panels and refill the satellite ships. Batteries can be hit on every row of the Damage Allocation Chart, but drones (power absorber panels are disabled on "drone" damage points) are only hit on two rows. Do not bother using Directed Targeting against Andromedan weapons in the hope of causing a cascade of failing panels; just fire the biggest undirected volleys you can. You will need to fire overloads to overcome the Andromedan's power absorber panels anyway, so it works out well.
In a battle where you don't need shuttles to do things like scatter-packs or suicide missions, get them out there anyway and let them fly as a seeking-weapons defense escort. This can be particularly important in a battle at a base, where the offensive and defensive fleets may be all but motionless and shuttles could be protected from seeking weapons by minefields. Be sure to keep the shuttles far enough from the base to earn the small target modifier. Shuttles can completely take over the onerous duty of protecting the key minesweeper from the base's seeking weapons, releasing a real warship to offensive use.
A defensive shuttle swarm has other uses. Real fighters could pass through the swarm on their way home, letting it clean them of any pesky seeking weapons following them. While no shuttle needs to be going head-to-head with a fighter, a pursuing fighter may think twice before approaching a group of six or eight shuttles, as their massed phaser-3s can wreck a fighter. Shuttles have few damage points, but since they do not stop firing their phaser-3s until they are destroyed this makes them quite durable in their own way. Obviously the more shuttles you can launch the better. To maximize the use of their phasers, try keeping them in the same hex. If your opponent destroys some shuttles for you, just smile. Even admin shuttles are attrition units; if they die while drawing fire that could have been brought to bear on your ships, they died for a good cause. (End of SFB Tactic of the Month) Facebook Highlight of the Month A Call to Arms: Star Fleet being played!
Mini of the Month Kent Ing painted this 3125 Scale Federation Heavy Cruiser (Frosted Ultra Detail material).
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show our games and to teach potential players some basics. 
