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February 2019
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Star Fleet Universe News BIG NEWS: SHAPEWAYS
Our store on Shapeways continues to expand with over twenty new items released on 28 January.
Ships released for both 3788 and 3125 scales include: Federation Old Heavy Cruiser (smooth and grid), Klingon D6M mauler cruiser (smooth and aztek), Romulan KRM mauler (smooth and eagle dressing), and Hydran Liege Light Dreadnought. The WYN Fish Ships arrived: Barracuda Frigate, Mako Destroyer, Orca War Cruiser. New for Omega: Omega-Vari Wing Cruiser, Omega-Worb Light Destroyer, Omega-Worb Medium Destroyer, Omega-Maesron Strike Carrier, Omega-Souldra Wraith Light Cruiser and Ghost Heavy Cruiser. The following were released for Omni scale: Maesron Advanced Fighters. You can check out the store here: https://www.shapeways.com/shops/amarillo-design-bureau-inc Don't forget to follow us: https://www.shapeways.com/designer/adbinc
Steve Cole IS BACK 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 Gator, headquartered in Waycross, Georgia. CO Mike Baker reports that this group is active, playing Star Fleet Battles, Federation & Empire, Star Fleet Battle Force, Star Fleet Marines, and Starmada. They support three conventions. You can read more about their activities here: http://skisgames.blogspot.com/
Read more here: http://www.starfleetgames.com/battlegroup/battlegroup_gator.shtml 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
DEMOS AND CONS WITH SFU GAMES 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://www.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 With Advanced Operations has come the return of the Lord Commander. The Old Colonies Squadron's Lord Commander can be cheaply converted to a Lord Marshall for one Economic Point. This gives the ship one more combat potential for only that one Economic Point. This can be done at any time, once the Hydrans are at war, but it is best to do the conversion early, before the Old Colonies Squadron goes into action.
The Hydran Dragoon is an excellent heavy cruiser. For two Economic Points, it can become an excellent Lord Bishop command cruiser. For those two Economic Points you get a much-needed Command-Rating-9 hull as well as one more combat factor. If you plan to do this, try and get it done in the first turn or two. After that, you will be down to two starbases and conversion capacity will be at a premium. A Call To Arms: Star Fleet Tactic of the Month In other Star Fleet Universe games we all know one of the big perks of the Orion player is engine doubling. With all of that power comes the dark side: having to keep doubling those engines as you slowly devour your own power systems one warp box at a time. A Call to Arms: Star Fleet is really no different but instead of losing one warp (and/or impulse) engine box at a time you take a critical to your "Dilithium Chamber." The upside to this is while you are "doubling" those engines you do not suffer from "Power Drain." How does this help? Any time you have taken at least one hit in two or more critical locations you have the opportunity to go ahead and use the All Hands on Deck! special action. Because you are already immune to "Power Drain" you can still move and shoot like normal and during the End Phase you get an opportunity to make repair attempts to multiple system locations all with a plus two to your Crew Check roll. (This is even easier under the ACTASF-1.2 rules.)
(End of A Call to Arms: Star Fleet Tactic of the Month)
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New Releases Communique #158 has been posted to the Commander's Circle Click here to see our previous issues of Hailing Frequencies. Recently Released To be released in 2019
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 "My captain said that none of you know anything we don't know," Tech Warrant Obaston said. "But his patience is at an end. Your next transmission is to be your acceptance of his terms."
There was no immediate reply. "Do you want me to issue another demand?" Obaston asked the captain. "No need," the captain said. "They're busy setting thermite charges on their computers. They'll surrender in a minute or so." Indeed, it was only that long before "I accept his terms" was heard over the communicator. "Get to the transporter room," the captain told him. "You'll go on the second lift and help the Marine lieutenant handle any interrogations he needs to conduct. The boarding party can rely on their electronic translators to secure the area. Don't worry; nobody is going to shoot at you." "Thanks for that," Obaston said. Getting shot at was not something he had signed up for. (Continue reading here)
Ask Admiral Vanaxilth FIGHTERS
Garth Getgen asks: If a crippled fighter makes it back to the carrier, are any drones it did not launch available to load onto another fighter (or put in a drone rack)?
ANSWER: No. By (J1.332), all external weapons are dropped when a shuttle is crippled. Robert Estrada asks: Can fighters make more than four speed changes during a turn (up or down) due to "nimble" status? ANSWER: No, see (C11.28), which notes that nimble units are still limited to four speed changes per turn. Also, note that, unlike nimble ships, fighters still have a minimum eight-impulse delay between speed changes. Robert Estrada asks: A Hydran ship launches fighters on Impulse #21. Can the fighters fire on Impulse #28 or Impulse #29? ANSWER: They could fire on Impulse #29, eight impulses after launch. Francois Lemay asks: I have a question on offensive electronic warfare applied to a carrier. A carrier lends electronic warfare of 2/2 to its fighter squadron, which now have electronic warfare of 4/4 including the free 2/2. An enemy scout promptly lends this carrier six offensive electronic warfare. Does this six offensive electronic warfare apply to the fighter squadron as well reducing the fighter electronic warfare to 2/-4? Kommodore Ketrick replies: Under (J4.932) a carrier cannot re-lend points it is receiving from another source. The offensive electronic warfare is being lent from another source and does not affect the electronic lending of the carrier to its fighter squadron. It would affect (of course) any seeking weapons the carrier was attempting to guide on its own, and any direct-fire weapons it might fire (or tractor attempts it might make or transporter operations, or etc.), but it will not affect the lending to the fighters. Randy Blair asks: My question is about fighters participating in ground combat. 1. If more than four are physically at the ground combat location, are the additional ones protected by the "cannot fire at ground combat units from space" rule even though they cannot participate? 2. Same question, but how about any number of crippled fighters which cannot participate at all? 3. A fighter is part of a ground combat location on a large asteroid or large moon but decides to leave. Is there a quarter-turn delay before it can fire at enemy ships even if it did not technically "land" to participate in ground combat? Kommodore Ketrick replies: 1. Only four can be protected. These are the four you choose to have participate in the combat; all others are not protected. The rules prevent you from putting all your bombers, heavy fighters, and fighters in a given ground combat location, note that only four can support the troops, and have all the others fire at enemy ships saying it is too bad the ships cannot shoot back. 2. Even a crippled fighter can participate, albeit only as a "damage sponge" having no offensive potential. Sorry, but the fact is that you can bring in four crippled fighters and assign damage points scored by the enemy on them rather than on some other combat troops, and in that sense they are "participating" even if they are not increasing your offensive combat potential. The same thing is true if you brought in your trucks or heavy transport shuttles; they have no offensive potential, but you can score damage points on them instead of your boarding parties. 3. Rule (D15.44) notes that a fighter can conduct its ground support in addition to any deep-space combat it performs during the turn, so there is no delay.
Follow-up question: Given that only four fighters can be protected, crippled or not, if eight of them are at a ground combat locatoin, can four of them be tractored off the large asteroid since they are not participating? If so, at the moment of tractoring a given fighter, does the tractoring unit know which fighter is participating and which one is not? Kommodore Ketrick replies: Ground combat takes place at the end of the turn, not during a turn. Basically you pick your four fighters then. When the next ground combat comes along, you can pick the same four, or four others, or some of each. Between each ground combat interval, the fighters can engage in space combat, even if they are part of the ground combat, but if they leave the ground combat location, they are no longer part of it. F&E Q&A
THE RANGE OF EXTENDED SUPPLY Q: In our game, Hex 1401 is held by the Coalition. Klingon and Lyran ships are present (several of them crippled), but no non-ship units are present. The Kzintis attack the hex. At the end of the first round of combat (an approach battle was declined), the Coalition decided to perform a Partial Retreat (302.723). The flagship for the Coalition on the first round was Lyran. The Coalition retreated only a few crippled Klingon ships. The closest hex to Klingon supply is 1402 (planet 1504 is the closest Klingon supply point). The closest hex to Lyran supply is 1302 (planet 1202 is the closest Lyran supply point). Hex 1502 is Kzinti controlled. Where can the Klingon ships go? Rule (302.76) says that the retreat priorities of the empire that provided the flagship must be used. However (302.761) allows allied forces to retreat separately but in this case it's only the Klingons doing a retreat, not the Lyrans. Rule (302.761) also states that if the separate retreat option is used, then all units of a given empire must retreat together. So would all Klingon ships have to retreat from the hex IF they selected 1402 (only selectable if 302.761 is invoked) instead of 1302 (required if 302.761 is not invoked)?
A: This rule is modified by the more specific rule of (302.761) and the Klingons in this case would retreat to 1402. Q: What, if any, legal targets for ground attacks exist, other than SBs, PDUs, and their respective smaller cousins? A: Rule (521.1) is very specific that "ground combat actions" are used to attack PDUs and bases, and capture enemy ships. Q: If a base's fighters/PFs react out to another battle, and another unit's fighters/PFs react into the hex, can the reacting attrition units land in the now empty hangars of the original base and contribute to the battle at full strength? A: Not unless the original fighters/PFs were destroyed earlier in the Combat Phase, but they can be supported by their original home (unless it was destroyed earlier). A fighter squadron must return to its home base after each combat round to refuel and rearm (205.76), and each home base only supports one unit. If that base is destroyed then they are considered homeless after the first round and must find a home (302.53) or be resolved as "minus points" per (308.2). So if the home of the "reacting in" units was destroyed before the "reacted out" units were destroyed, the "reacting in" units could not use the base's fighter/PF facilities as their new home.
Q: In a capital assault on a "single system hex" like one of the Gorn capitals, is the fleet present in the system obligated to form a Battle Force to defend the minor planet, or can it decline by (511.571) as long as it is not conflicting with (511.553) and wait for the enemy at the capital planet, allowing the enemy to devastate the minor planet and destroying its PDUs without having to risk the fleet? A: Yes, you can do this, but you may not win re-election. Per (511.571) you do not have to include any ships as long as there are fixed defenses and un-devastated planets in that system. This will allow you to preserve your force for the main battle at another planet in that system if you wish. Q: Rule (304.41) states: "If one player has only units that cannot retreat (for example: a base, PDU, FRD, and/or convoy; even those with fighters/PFs) or must use slow retreat (e.g., convoys, towed FRDs), the other player selects both of the numbers (1-4) for the BIR. Variable intensity can still be used." Does this mean that in Slow Unit Retreat (302.742) if there are only retreating slow units, that the pursing player gets to pick both BIRs? I would argue that this is not the case. Rule (302.742) makes no mention of Battle Intensity nor do the rules in (307.0) Pursuit. At the very least I would expect to see a special cases listed in (307.42) covering this. A: Rule (304.41) says what it says, i.e., that the pursuing player gets to pick both BIR numbers (meaning that he's going to hurt you, a lot, if he wants to). The lack of a mention in other rules simply means nothing contradicts (304.41). One might argue that in a perfect world there might have been something to help you find (304.41), but that rule is still the rule. Q: If, when a player is assaulting the Tholian Dyson Sphere (302.632), and the Tholians score more damage in a single round then is required to kill all the ships in the Battle Force, what happens to the excess damage? Is it carried over as plus points to the next round? Does it disappear, since there is nothing left in the Battle Force to carry it over? A: This falls under the annihilation rule (302.632) and carries over to the next round as plus points for the Tholians. Q: Can drone bombardment support a pursuit battle? A: There is no support echelon in a pursuit battle, on either side (307.2) and (307.3), so there can be no drone bombardment, and many other things cannot be used. (End of F&E Q&A)
ASK AUNT JEAN
Dear Aunt Jean, When will you finish the revision to Gurps Prime Directive? A: Perhaps within a month. I have finished Chapter 8 and am working on Chapter 9; there are only 11 chapters and the last ones aren't hard to lay out. It will take a few days just to do the index, but released in March should be possible.
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 MonthSPIKE THE GUNNERS One way to mission-kill a small ground weapon base is to attack the weapon box with a Marine raid after knocking down the shield. When doing this, raid the base's "bridge" box as well. The base has only one control box, so if you disable the bridge, the base will be uncontrolled and suffer a penalty on to-hit rolls [rule (5A2b)] until it is repaired.
Ships with poor crews (like penal ships) when boarded by you with at least one commando and a legendary engineer (or equivalent) have no possibility of blowing themselves up as long as you avoid:
1. Having only militia boarders. 2. Enemy Legendary Officers. So go for the entire gusto and capture those penal ships. Note that Klingon penal ships, when retrofitted by capturing empires, are usually better than the base hull because, at a minimum, they will have extra hull boxes when the security stations are ripped out. (End of SFB Tactic of the Month)
Facebook Highlight of the Month “Wanna buy a tribble? It’s going cheap!” Art by Dale McKee
Mini of the Month Kent Ing painted this Klingon C7K (3125 Scale, Smooth Fine Detail Plastic).
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show our games and to teach potential players some basics. 
