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September 2020
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Star Fleet Universe News THE BIG NEWS: Captain’s Log #54 Is Now Available “Captain, we appear to have struck a rift in spacetime …” – Bridge of the USS Darwin, 3 August Y195
Captain’s Log #54 is one of the strongest issues we have done, starting with “Return of the Darwin” by Gary Carney. Just as the USS Darwin discovers the secret behind the Andromedans rapid travel, it is sucked into a rift in time. As the history of the Alpha Octant grows bleaker, the Darwin pops out in that future. The desperate battle to save the galaxy goes down to the very last second. What is especially important in this issue is that elements we introduce are linked across the game systems. The new ships introduced in this issue not only in multiple game systems but are also in our shop on Shapeways as is the space tarantula. Federation Commander gets the scenarios for the story and battle groups (Star Fleet Battles already had them). Supports Federation Commander, Star Fleet Battles, Federation & Empire, Prime Directive, Star Fleet Battle Force, SFB Galactic Conquest, Starmada, A Call to Arms: Star Fleet, Star Fleet Marines, and Star Fleet Warlord. The Supplemental File (which includes background information and lots of proposals for ships for Star Fleet Battles) is free as a PDF and for a nominal fee in print.
Warehouse 23: http://www.warehouse23.com/products/ADB5754-S DriveThru RPG: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/328630/ Wargame Vault: https://www.wargamevault.com/product/328630/ Print version from ADB for a nominal price: https://www.starfleetstore.com/supplements-c-17_57/cl54-supplement-p-1279.html
ADB Releases Ships for September, 2020 On September 1, 2020, ADB released a total of 46 new items to its shop on Shapeways with nearly 2,300 items available in total. Please note that all ships are available in both 3788 and 3125 scales, except when noted. Check all these out here: https://www.shapeways.com/shops/amarillo-design-bureau-inc
New Release in Our Shop on Shapeways! A new sort of space creature started showing up in the off-map "coreward" parts of the Alpha Octant. What became known as space tarantulas finally showed up in the well-mapped portions of the Federation toward the end of the General War. Gorns and Kzintis confirmed encounters with these creatures. Genetically related to space spiders (see Captain's Log #50), these space tarantulas may have been changed by the Radiation Zone. In some ways, they are certainly more deadly. Check out the space tarantula miniatures: https://www.shapeways.com/shops/amarillo-design-bureau-inc?sort=newest
WEBSITE:
Our website, www.StarFleetGames.com, continues to grow and improve. You are welcome to send us your requests, comments, and suggestions. Samantha Todd, 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 Hampton Roads, headquartered in Hampton, Virginia. CO William Phillips reports they play Star Fleet Battles and Federation & Empire. They also enjoy attending gaming conventions. Read more here: http://www.starfleetgames.com/battlegroup/battlegroup_HamptonRoads.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
ONLINE TOURNAMENTS Sapphire Star: The Sapphire Star 5 Tournament was a classic match-up of Madjack's (Jack Taylor) Klingon against Kingzilla's (Seth Shimansky) Hydran in the final. In a hard-fought battle, Jack Taylor came out the victor. Congratulations! Steven Petrick was the judge for this tournament.
Sapphire Star 6 has gotten 16 people signed up, so the tree is being prepared by Steven Petrick, the judge for the tournament, as this newsletter is being released. Good luck to all involved!
DEMOS AND CONS WITH SFU GAMES Due to the COVID-19 virus, many conventions have been cancelled. We encourage you to check out Star Fleet Battles Online where there is a free demo version. It is a good way to hang out with others who play Star Fleet Battles and Federation Commander. Check it out here: https://www.sfbonline.com/index.jsp
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: This monthly magazine repeated much of the same information that Hailing Frequencies does. December 2019 was the last month it was published. Old issues can be downloaded from the Commander's Circle.
FC Forum Recent Posts
The Federation Commander site and Forum continue to grow as more gamers continue to find them. All of our games currently have topics in the Forum. If you have any comments, questions, or requests for our Graphics Director, this is the place to let her know. Come see what the commotion is about and join the Federation Commander Forum now.
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New Releases EXTRAS FOR THE MONTH: SFB Scenario (SH166.0) Return of the Darwin You can look at Hailing Frequencies Extras here. Click here to see our previous issues of Hailing Frequencies.
Recently Released Captain's Log # 54, SKU 5754, $24.95 To be released in 2020
FC Federation Epack #5
GURPS Klingons Revision
Star Fleet Universe Index SFB Module R13
The rest of the Starmada Unity Edition
A new F&E module to be named later
ACTASF Book 3
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 Ask Admiral Vanaxilth ANDROMEDANS
Paul Franz asks: Rule (G19.25) states "The PA panels on the mothership can pick up energy released by a destroyed PA panel on a Sat Ship in its hangar. Released PA power is not Œtransferred power' . . ." If a satellite ship that is in the hanger of the mothership is unable to power its power absorber panels, is it considered a "destroyed" power absorber panel when it comes to this rule?
Kommodore Ketrick replies: As per (G19.213) all damage scored as "shuttle" hits must be scored on a satellite ship in the hangar bay if a satellite ship is available. (It might be divided between different satellite ships if there is more than one satellite ship in the mothership's bay, and of course if more than one "shuttle" hit is scored.) If the satellite ship's power absorber panels are not powered, then the damage would be treated as any other damage point hitting an Andromedan ship with unpowered power absorber panels, that is to say as a point of internal damage on that satellite ship. Per the last line of (G19.213) all damage in a given segment of the sequence of play is recorded and then resolved as a single volley. Follow-up question: Rule (D10.424) does not state either that the power can be distributed to the mothership or how the power is suppose to be applied to the mothership. Is the amount of released energy added to each panel group up to the player to decide? ANSWER: Energy released by a satellite ship in a bay would be picked up under (D10.424-3), which allows you to assign the energy to any power absorber panels on the mothership able to hold the energy. It does not require all of the energy to be picked up by the forward bank, or the rear bank, it only requires that before any energy can be picked up by (D10.424-4), it must be picked up by the power absorber panel banks. Aldo Santolla asks: Does degradation (on power absorber panel boxes not destroyed) continue to happen even if all capacity points from previous volleys (and degradation) have been reduced to zero? In other words, does degradation go into the negative on the power absorber panel boxes not destroyed? And if it does not get applied in this manner, then what happens with the excess degradation damage points? ANSWER: Degradation will first reduce the standard capacity of the power absorber panels. After that reaches zero, it will reduce the reinforced capacity. If all power absorber panels in the facing power absorber panel bank have been degraded to zero capacity, no further degradation would be applied. Any damage coming from that facing would be resolved entirely as internal damage. Note that this scenario is highly unlikely (the Andromedan ship would likely be destroyed by the damage long before this happens) but it is possible, if the Andromedan takes many volleys of damage that cause no, or little, internal damage, and manages to clear the power absorber panels each time. Follow-up question: For this example I will use three functioning power absorber panels operating at standard level. They are not holding energy (firing the mauler cleared it, or whatever, it does not matter), but they are degraded to four each (12 total degradation damage) giving a current power absorber panel capacity of six at standard level. By chance the ship moves into a hex with a hidden deployed nuclear space mine for 35 damage points (darn it) which generates seven degradation damage (20% of 35). Due to poor planning (unlikely, but possible) you have no reserve power to raise your power absorber panel bank level to reinforced (darn it again). Six degradation damage to the power absorber panels for sure, but since the power absorber panels are only at standard level, does the seventh degradation damage point still get applied to the degradation of the power absorber panels, or is it use as part of the internal hits (28 plus one that did not degrade), or is it "released" for one point and resolved later? ANSWER: All seven points are taken as degradation, resulting in two power absorber panels with six points of degradation and one with seven. The seventh point of degradation will have no additional effect on the capacity of the power absorber panel to absorb damage at standard level (i.e., none remaining), but would come into play if the power absorber panel bank were later raised to reinforced level. However, once a power absorber panel has received 10 points of degradation, it cannot receive any more, and any points that could not be applied to that power absorber panel as degradation would be added to any internal damage scored. Follow-up question: The last sentence in (D10.324) says, "Note, degradation is scored even if the panels are full when the damage hits, and will as a result release additional damage points to be scored as part of that volley." The meaning of "full" in this context is unclear; full of degradation damage or full of stored energy? ANSWER: "Full" means there is no capacity remaining due to degradation and/or stored energy. For example, a bank of four power absorber panels at reinforced level (capacity 40) receives 36 points of damage. This results in one leak point, per (D10.331). The remaining 35 damage points cause seven degradation (capacity is now 33), while the remaining 28 points are stored as energy in the power absorber panels. Next impulse, the Andromedan is hit on the same bank with 40 points of damage. There is no leak point because the damage exceeds the remaining capacity of the power absorber bank. This causes eight points of degradation, reducing the maximum capacity of the power absorber bank to 25. Since there was already 28 points of energy in the power absorber panels, three points will be released and resolved later. The remaining 32 damage points are resolved as internal damage. Let's say this damage destroys one power absorber panel, which had three points of degradation and seven points of energy in it. These seven points are released, and combined with the previous four that were released. The Andromedan's rear power absorber panels are empty, so the 11 points end up there. (End of Admiral Vanaxilth) F&E Q&A
COMBAT: THE CRUCIBLE OF VICTORY Q: If a planet has less than the full 10 points of devastation damage applied to it, does that damage remain so that it is easier to devastate on later turns or is that damage lost when the attacker decides to retreat?
A: Partial planetary damage is cleared at the end of the Combat Phase (not round) of the current player turn (508.21). If there is not enough damage to devastate the planet then the planet is not devastated. There is no enabling rule that says partial planetary damage is carried over turn breaks. Q: Are carrier groups formed once per Battle Hex, or are they fixed until the Retrograde Phase? A: See (515.144) which limits formation of carrier groups to once per Battle Hex, but if they retreat into another Battle Hex they have to stay in the original formation. Q: Is this a legal Carrier Battle Group (CVBG): CVA, DVL NAE, NAC, DWA, DWA? A: Rule (502.921) specifically states that a CVBG consists of two carriers each with the normal number of escorts. So, yes, this is a legal group. Q: During the procedure for a capital assault, the defender of the capital hex must split his/her ships into static, mobile, and crippled ships pools. So what happens if a carrier group is damaged (one ship crippled) during combat in the capital hex? A: Any crippled ship that is part of a group has to stay with that group (511.532) until the next Battle Hex or the end of the current Battle Hex in the pursuit sub-phase. As such, any group it is assigned to also becomes "crippled" per (511.532) and the group must be placed with the crippled ships for that system. Q: What happens if a carrier group from another Battle Hex retreats into the capital hex with a crippled escort? A: Any groups that ended up with crippled escorts would have to be placed in the crippled area of a system per (511.532). ASK AUNT JEAN Dear Aunt Jean, You've been working hard on Captain's Log #54, but have you at least thought about the RPGs?
A: Of course I have! In Captain's Log #54, you'll find that GURPS stats for the Gorn tank. You'll also find a write-up for the planet Vega that includes Traveller information. The space tarantula is going to become a monster for the RPGs, but mostly between when they hatch and when they leave the ravaged planet. Hopefully our adventurers will kill the beasties before they hatch, because afterward, they become quite nasty. After all, when they are fully grown, they are a challenge for a starship!
Send questions to Jean at marketing@StarFleetGames.com and she will answer as soon as she can. 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 MonthWHICH PANEL BANK TO SACRIFICE By carefully choosing which power absorber panel bank to allocate "drone" (power absorber panel) damage points to, Andromedan ships can help to spread power between their power absorber panel banks and clear their power absorber panels more efficiently.
Andromedan ships will often find themselves with a full power absorber panel bank (usually the front) and empty power absorber panels on the other facing when they take damage and must pick a power absorber panel box to disable. The default choice is to mark a power absorber panel box of the empty power absorber panel bank as disabled, leaving the other power absorber panel bank still full. It is better to mark one of the full power absorber panel bank's power absorber panels as disabled, causing it to release energy. The released energy will go into the empty power absorber panel bank. At the end of the turn, both power absorber panel banks will contain energy and be eligible to radiate power to space and transfer power to batteries. For example, an Intruder has 60 points of power in its forward power absorber panel bank and zero in its rear power absorber panel bank. It takes a "drone" damage point, and marks off a front power absorber panel box. Ten points of power go to the rear power absorber panels. At the end of the turn, through dissipation and battery transfer, it is able to clear eight points of energy from its rear power absorber panels and 10 points of manufacture energy from its forward power absorber panels, six points of energy more than it would have otherwise. As a rule, Andromedans should strive to have the power in their power absorber panels spread over as many power absorber panels in as many power absorber panel banks on as many ships as possible, to maximize their ability to manipulate the power levels.
You cannot plot an Emergency Deceleration, but you can plan for it. Even if you did not plan on using it, you might have some flexibility in terms of the specific impulse you announce it. The timing of when you announce Emergency Deceleration is important, as there is a two-impulse delay before it takes effect, and a sixteen-impulse post-deceleration period to account for. Here is a rundown on the implications of announcing Emergency Deceleration on various impulses. F&E Strategy of the Month Many players' first instinct when being pursued is to pick a Battle Intensity Rating of one to minimize losses. However this can result in lost opportunities for a retreating player to inflict meaningful damage on enemy forces.
Pursuit forces are generally designed to maximize combat potential density, meaning they tend to resolve damage less efficiently than a regular battle line. Further, the quest for density also means that valuable units may appear unprotected in a pursuit force, where they would rarely be seen on a regular battle line. For this same reason of density, scouts are less commonly seen in pursuit forces, meaning the odds are high of the retreating player having a favorable (or at least neutral) die roll shift due to electronic warfare. By selecting a high Battle Intensity Rating the retreating player gets a chance (under some of the most favorable conditions possible) to inflict a few points of extra damage on the enemy. The cost to this is obviously the increased damage suffered in return. Going from a Battle Intensity Rating of one to a Battle Intensity Rating of four means accepting a 7.5% increase in damage received. From a typical pursuit force this means somewhere in the neighborhood of six extra damage points, or enough for your opponent to direct-kill an additional crippled destroyer. Obviously, there are times where the extra damage would allow an opponent to kill a key unit, and in these cases picking a low Battle Intensity Rating remains appropriate. In short, next time you are retreating evaluate the damage your enemy can do (and the key units in his battle force) instead of reflexively picking a low Battle Intensity Rating. Sometimes, you have to fear the reaper. But if you do not, then consider turning around and kicking him in the chops. (End of F&E Strategy of the Month)
A Call To Arms: Star Fleet Tactic of the Month When resolving the damage from weapons in A Call to Arms: Star Fleet, the attacking player may choose the order in which the damage from different weapons is resolved. This order can be important because some weapons will average more damage per hit than others when striking the hull of a ship. When rolling on the attack table, a roll of "one" will be a bulkhead hit and score no damage. Any other roll will score one point of damage. On average, a hull hit will score five-sixths of a point of damage.
Weapons with the Precise trait, however, will never hit the bulkheads and will score critical hits on rolls of five or six, averaging one point of damage.
Hits from weapons with the Devastating trait (limited to photon torpedoes and plasma torpedoes in ACTASF-1.2) will score no damage on a "one," but will score two critical levels on a "six," for one bonus damage point, assuming that they hit an undamaged system, and so should score one damage point, on average. Therefore, you should resolve any weapons damage in the following order: non-precise, non-devastating weapons (e.g., disruptors), then precise and devastating weapons. (The order in which precise and devastating weapons are resolved should not make much difference on average.) If the early fire brings the shield down, the later fire will have more effect. Of course, if the damage is not enough to bring down the shield, or there is no shield, it does not matter what order you resolve the damage in. (End of A Call to Arms: Star Fleet Tactic of the Month)
Mini of the Month Jon Halter painted this Federation Flatbed Operational Carrier (CVO) (3125 Scale, Fine Detail Plastic).
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show our games and to teach potential players some basics. 
