|
||||||||
September 2016
|
||||||||
Star Fleet Universe News BIG NEWS:
Lost Empires Preview Pack
ADB is pleased to announce the Lost Empires Preview Pack. The Paravians and Carnivons were originally seen in Captain's Log #48, but now have extra ships, FC style counters, and a new scenario. Space wolves vs. the screaming space chickens from Hell!
This package includes six ship cards from the future product Federation Commander: Lost Empires. While Lost Empires is not yet on the schedule, we wanted you to be able to play two of the empires it will contain.
This preview includes high resolution PDFs for the:
Carnivon Heavy Cruiser
Carnivon War Cruiser
Carnivon War Destroyer
Paravian Heavy Cruiser
Paravian War Cruiser
Paravian War Destroyer
Rules unique to the Paravians and Carnivons are included; Paravian Quantum Wave Torpedo and the Carnivons' Disruptor Cannon, Death Bolts, and Heel Nippers are included in this title.
These ships are presented in high resolution. Also included are graphics for counters and the scenario Bird-Dog. Will the Carnivons be able to get to the sacred nesting sites of the Paravians?
When the product is released, this e-pack will receive the final cover, any edited rules will be updated, and any changes to ships will be reflected.
The pack is only available as an e-pack and is available from the following sources:
Warehouse 23: http://www.warehouse23.com/products/ADB4827
DriveThru RPG: http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/191640/
Wargame Vault: http://www.wargamevault.com/product/191640/
WEBSITE:
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: Each month we shine a spotlight on one of our battle groups. This month it is Battle Group Manchester. This group, homeported in Manchester, England is still forming according to CO, Dan Ibekwe. Their group plays Federation Commander, Star Fleet Marines, and ACTASF. Do you live in the area? Find out how to contact them here:
Do you have a battle group? Be sure to report your activities here: http://www.starfleetgames.com/battlegroup/report.shtml
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 Rated Ace Tournament 46 is moving along. Round three has two of the four games played. Andy Vancil is the judge for this tournament.
The 2016 Star Fleet Battles World League is entering the semifinals. Team MBA is facing Team KRISSH; Team Beauracratic Haul'n Glass faces Team Contenental Divide+Conquer. Peter Bakija is coordinating this tournament.
The sixth annual Star Fleet Battles Platinum Hat tournament is now underway. Six of the 16 first-round games have been played. Notoriously bad player BYE has actually won a game (this was corrected and Peter Bakija credited with the win). Paul Scott is the judge for this tournament; Steven Petrick is the Tournament Marshal.
DEMOS AND CONS WITH SFU GAMES Star Fleet Battles will be played at HURRICON 2016 held on September 22- 25 at the International Palms Resort and Conference Center in Orlando, Florida. Scott Bauman of Battle Group Brevard County will be hosting the event. In addition Scott reports the battle group plays SFB nearly every Thursday evening.
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 Game Paradise. 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/gamers_haven.php
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
In the early phases of the General War the Coalition enjoys a substantial pin count superiority. This pin count superiority may be amplified if you can prevent or reduce the Hydran's ability to establish off-map reserves. The reason is that if his reserves are on the map, then you can use your pin count superiority to pin his reserves, thereby reducing the number of ships you need to send to multiple targets to ensure their destruction (because you no longer have to worry about his reserves). Note that the following tactic is most effective after the Hydrans have already sent most of their off-map ships onto the map on a prior turn, such as for example, sending ships from the Old Colonies squadron onto the map after it is released.
Once most of their ships are on-map, examine the Hydran's ship deployments and remaining bases. Usually the Old Colonies squadron is released by your actions on Turn #4 or Turn #5, but by then most if not all of their BATS should be destroyed. Make sure you have destroyed the BATS in hex 0318. Assuming the Hydrans have limited ships, or weak ships, on the starbase in hex 0215 (assuming it is still alive), then to prevent the Hydrans from using strategic movement and establishing reserves off map, take and hold the planets in hexes 0416 and 0519 and then control your retreat priorities. You only need to leave a few ships on these planets for this strategy to work, although a dozen ships on each planet and two-to-four strong reserves within range of both planets will virtually ensure success. The reason is that the rules governing the control zone of enemy ships preventing strategic movement through empty adjacent hexes are more restrictive than for operational movement. Unless he is leaving or passing through a strategic movement "node" that has more ships than an adjacent hex containing your ships, he cannot pass through that hex using strategic movement. If you possess the planets in hexes 0416 and 0519, then the Hydrans will not be able to use strategic movement between their capital and the off-map area, period, unless they have maintained a substantial force at the BATS in hex 0318 (which is why you killed it earlier). The reason is that you will block hexes 0417 and 0418 to strategic movement no matter what (unless, again, he has a "node" in hex 0318 and his ships out-pin your forces adjoining hexes 0418 or 0417). Note that the Hydrans could use a supply tug to establish such a node, but you should drive it out on the prior turn just as you would destroy the BATS in hex 0318.
The other thing you have to do is use supply tugs or convoys, and pay attention to which empire controls which planet, to control your retreat priorities. For example, ensure that the Klingons take planets in hexes 0416 and 0718 and the Lyrans control the planet in hex 0519. Then, use supply tugs in hex 0815 to establish Lyran and Klingon supply points (other hexes may do as well). Now, if the Hydran attacks you on his turn, you can retreat to hex 0516 (in the case of hex 0416) and to hex 0518 (in the case of hex 0519). Thus, even if the Hydrans drive you off, you still prevent any strategic movement as you block hexes 0417 and 0519 by the presence of your ships in hex 0518. Depending on the Hydrans' deployments you may need to set up a Lyran supply point in hex 0516. The Hydrans can counter this strategy in any number of ways, such as by placing ships in hex 0518 to force you to perform a fighting retreat, or accept hex 0618 as a retreat hex, on his turn. The solution is to control the retreat hexes using convoys or supply tugs so that hex 0518 is a non-fighting retreat for you. The Hydrans can still use retreat priority #2 to place more ships in hex 0518 than you have, thereby cutting off that route. However, if you use a dozen or more ships, and/or have powerful reserves within reach, then doing so will be difficult for the Hydrans without over committing to preventing your strategy and allowing you to pin such ships in hex 0518 when you assault the Hydran capital on your following turn. Of course, powerful reserves in the area will make it that much more difficult for the Hydrans to take hexes 0519 and 0416 in the first place. Another way to prevent Hydran strategic movement between the off map and capital is to place ships in hexes 0117 and 0119, and control retreat priorities so that even if the Hydrans drive you off, they cannot establish a strategic movement node and place ships on it that out pin your forces for purposes of opening an adjacent hex to strategic movement. Again, the BATS in hex 0318 will likely need to be destroyed to make this strategy work. You might also be able to cut off the Hydran capital from the off map during the economic phase of the Hydran's turn. If you do so, then you will severely limit his production. This action is more difficult, but is made easier by preventing the Hydrans from having off-map reserves in the first place. This strategy is useful if you wish to contain the Hydrans and take the Kzinti capital first, or if you want to initially contain the Kzintis and take the Hydran capital first. Either way, you can put the Hydrans in a stranglehold, limit Hydran effectiveness on Alliance player turns, and possibly limit Hydran production. A Call To Arms: Star Fleet Tactic of the Month THE ORION 10-STEP PROGRAM 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.)
|
||||||||
|
New Releases Communique #129 has been posted to the Commander's Circle Click here to see our previous issues of Hailing Frequencies. Recently Released To be released in 2016
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.
PDF and EBOOK SALES: RECENTLY RELEASED ON Warehouse 23 Fireflash Lead, 54 Parsecs from Raktok Colony, May Y184
Killik handed over the controls to Goren and climbed out of his seat to get something to eat. "Follow Gorganik and get us home," was the only order he gave the pilot. "Coming with me?" he asked Khurgan. "Certainly," the weapons officer said, climbing out of his seat. The flotilla had driven a Kzinti frigate away from a mining outpost, and was on its way back to Raktok. With nothing else on the scout boat's scanners, Killik felt confident in leaving the command seat. He had been in it for six hours. "Good of you to put Gorganik in charge," Khurgan said as they clambered their way down the boom to the G1L's main hull. The command boat that Killik had inherited from Krelt may have had more internal volume, but with ten extra people on board there was really no extra space, and the two officers had to maneuver past a squad of Hilidarian Marines to get to the ration locker. "He's senior," Killik shrugged, "and he's capable. I am only the acting flotilla commander, so I have no compulsion to horde all of the command time. Let him do some of the work. The battle is over, the Tigerman has gone, and all that Gorganik has to do is keep the flotilla together until we get home. I was thinking about letting you lead, but, like I said, Gorganik is senior, and I didn't want to eat alone." "That dragon is a good boat commander, and dragons are as much warriors as we are," Khurgan said, nodding to the Hilidarian Marines, who nodded in return. "It's a big empire, and we all serve side by side." Killik smiled as Khurgan recited the official policy. To be sure, the "replacement flotilla" had four of its boats commanded by non-Klingons, a situation that would have been unheard of a year ago.
Killik had been the nominal, temporary commander of the replacement flotilla for less than a tenday. Krelt had gone to a base a thousand parsecs away, leaving his G1L behind but taking his bridge crew with him. As the senior boat commander, well, the senior boat commander who happened to be an ethnic Klingon, Killik had taken over by default, and his only official act had been to select a new callsign for the flotilla that would be as temporary as his command would be. Gorganik, a Hilidarian, and Sorpor, a Zoolie, were K3 line officers (as Killik was) and senior to him in date of rank, but they were not Klingons. Pokolik, the Cromarg who commanded the scout boat, and Devontal, the Dunkar who flew on his wing, were W2 warrant officers, and some of the first boat commanders who were not line officers. No one, of course, was going to allow Kurgal to command the flotilla, so Killik had been quietly informed that he would remain in command (despite being next in line to go to a front-line unit). That would last, he knew, until a new K4 (or at least another K3 boat commander who was a Klingon) arrived, which should be in no more than another tenday. Killik was happy to have even a temporary flotilla command on his record, but didn't see that as a reason to stay in the command seat during a quiet ride to home base. Pokolik would provide enough warning of trouble to get back to the bridge. "With this battle cutting our patrol short," Khurgan noted, "perhaps we might find time for an off-base dinner." "I am sure that the women would like to get off base," Killik noted, suggesting one of the two civilian dining facilities near enough to the base. Khurgan agreed. Killik allowed his thoughts to drift to the woman he had met on Raktok. He was under no illusions of being in love, but company was always welcome on such remote outposts. What Killik did not know was that a combination of circumstances (and two forward flotilla commanders who died with their boats) would leave him in acting command of the flotilla for two more months. Matthew Potter asks: Under (FP1.9), someone can hold a small torpedo and then inflate it with a couple points of reserve power just before launch (subject to limits by what the launcher can hold). However, (FP1.96) is particularly silent on how much reserve power is needed to accomplish this. It states "However, during a later part of Turn #6, the owning player could add reserve power and increase the torpedo to a plasma-S."
ANSWER: Kommodore Ketrick replies: You are only providing the missing energy and cannot provide more energy than the tube can hold. Thus a plasma-G in a plasma-S tube can be increased to a plasma-S by providing the missing energy between a plasma-G (2-2-3) and a plasma-S (2-2-4), i.e., one point of reserve power. You could not increase the plasma-G in a plasma-S tube to a plasma-R (2-2-5) by providing two points of reserve energy because the plasma-S tube cannot handle that much energy, but if the tube was a plasma-R tube you could upgrade the plasma-G as a plasma-R for two points of reserve power (or a plasma-S to a plasma-R for one point of reserve power). Peter D. Bakija asks: A ship and a fighter both move on a given impulse. There is a plasma torpedo that is unidentified, but clearly targeted on either the ship or the fighter. On Impulse #N, the ship moves into the plasma torpedo's hex before the fighter moves. Does the plasma reveal if it is targeted on the ship before or after the fighter moves? ANSWER: Kommodore Ketrick replies: No, the plasma being a seeking weapon moves after all non-seeking weapons in the Order of Precedence (C1.313) and would not strike either the ship or the fighter until it is called on to move. Obviously if it were targeted on the ship, it (more properly the controlling player) would simply announce that it has impacted the ship when it was called on to move. (End of Admiral Vanaxilth) F&E Q&A
THE MEANING OF NEUTRALITY Q: What does "occupied" mean in the context presented in rule (503.622)? A: It means you occupy the hex with a combat ship (including police ships), a base, or a planet-based unit. A group of fighters on an independent mission cannot occupy a hex, neither can a convoy or small transport (even if carrying an admiral, diplomat, prime team, or general). A logistics task force has enough ships in it to "occupy" a hex. Also note that rule (503.622) also provides ways to "capture" the ship, meaning for example that a hex is "captured" if one of your warships simply passed through the hex and no enemy ship has passed through the hex after that time. We could not find a rule stating that you lost the income of a captured neutral zone hex because an enemy ship moved into an adajcent hex, but that ship could prevent the initial "capture" of the hex. Q: Regarding rule (540.253): Do neutral planets which are allied with an empire (for example, Sherman's Planet in 1910) accumulate economic points when not at war? My opinion is that they don't accumulate economic points, but my opponent says that they do. There are conflicting rules on this, such as: "(540.15) PEACETIME: Diplomatic teams function for empires at peace, so the Federation and Gorns could each use one of their teams to negotiate trade deals with each other and raise some money that could be spent during the pre-war period or saved for later." "(540.2) [Last line]...Any EPs generated by diplomatic teams may be spent by the owning empire even if at peace." "(540.251) [Extracted] ...Note that if the planet joins your empire, it is treated as a part of the adjoining fleet and if that fleet is inactive, the new planet is in an inactive fleet area, but defenses can still be added to the planet and it produces income for the gaining empire..." A: Once diplomats persuade a neutral planet to join their empire the income of the new planet is treated as "normal" income for that empire under the economic conditions for that empire; it is in no way considered "diplomatic" income. (End of F&E Q&A)
ASK AUNT JEAN
Dear Aunt Jean, what does Wolf do at the office? A: He protects us all from dangerous mail carriers and delivery people, supervises the copier repairmen, takes the Steves for walks in the park, and keeps me company.
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 MonthSELTORIAN CRACKDOWN When fighting a multi-ship battle, it is normal practice to concentrate your fire on one target ship on one impulse, so it all hits one shield. The first ship's volley usually brings down the shield, and the other ships' volleys go through the down shield and disable internal systems. When using the Seltorian Shield Cracker as part of each volley, this won't work as well. Shield crackers can only damage shields, and the first ship's volley will often bring down the shield and the subsequent shield cracker shots will be wasted.
Instead, the squadron's particle cannon and phaser fire should be concentrated on one ship, and the squadron's shield crackers should be fired at another ship. (The ship which will resolve its volley first can fire its shield crackers at the primary target.) The target of the shield crackers won't suffer any internal damage, but it will have a weak or down shield facing toward your squadron. You might even be able to follow up the shield crackers with your particle cannons' second shots, or even a swarm of boarding parties! At the very least, it's going to make the opponent's movement decisions harder as he tries to keep the weak shield out of arc of your weapons. In this way, the shield cracker becomes a weapon that complicates the enemy's movement, a bit like seeking weapons.
Drogues can provide considerable self-defense or even offensive capability to what is often the weakest ship in the fleet - the scout. Because they do not blind sensor channels, heavy weapons drogues are the ideal firepower supplement to scouts, especially plasma-armed scouts. Instead of having to protect your scout from flanking enemy ships, a scout can use drogue-mounted plasma-F torpedoes for self-defense. The flanking ship may suddenly find itself on the defensive.
The scout's plasma-F torpedoes can also be used to finish off a damaged enemy ship that is not worth detaching a ship from the line for, or just as a surprise to throw off your opponent's planning. Drone-armed and phaser-armed drogues can be used as well, of course, but the low firepower of the phaser drogues, and the fact that drone-armed scouts can already use drones without blinding themselves, makes the difference in capability less pronounced for these ships. (End of SFB Tactic of the Month)
Throughout the month our graphics director places on the website various cards called Demotivationals. These are like postcards with an image and a phrase that is often used for humor. Here are the newest demotivationals since our last newsletter: To see our previous Demotivationals click here. Facebook Highlight of the Month
Mini of the Month Tom Talasco did this RKL
|
||||||||
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
show our games and to teach potential players some basics. 
