|
||||||||
August 2017
|
||||||||
Star Fleet Universe News BIG NEWS: SHAPEWAYS AND STARMADA UNITY
SHAPEWAYS:
106 ships, 51 DAYS
Our store on Shapeways exploded with 55 new ships added by five sculptors on August 1st.
Omni scale ships included in this release are: Federation gunboat, small and large freighters with short pods; Tholian fighter and small freighter; WYN auxiliary cruiser and auxiliary battlecruiser.
Ships released for 3788 include: Frax dreadnought; Kolighar cruiser and destroyer; Maesron frigate, Trobrin torpedo cruiser, dreadnought, and frigate leader; Romulan Condor; Tholian CPC with pod: Seltorian gunboat.
Ships released for 3125 include: Kzinti dreadnought, LDR CA, DD, DDS, CW, FF.
Ships released for both 3788 and 3125 include: Hydran Dragoon, Hunter, Knight; Klingon C8B and C8K; Lyran CA, DD, DDS, CW, FF; Seltorian dreadnought; Tholian CA, CW, DD, POL, and Black Widow.
Ships expected next month include the Federation GSC, Klingon B10, Romulan Falcon, Tholian carriers, WYN auxiliary dreadnought, Hydran Paladin and Harrier, Lyran Lion and Lynx, as well as more ships for Omega and the Frax.
You can check out the store here:
STARMADA UNITY BEGINS
We have released Klingon Armada Unity, the first book in the new edition. This edition unifies the previous Nova and Admiralty editions, so there will no longer be Starmada fans who cannot game together. The new rules preserve the best of both previous systems, and add dynamic seeking weapons rules that do what seeking weapons are supposed to do: force the enemy to move out of key areas or shoot his way through a swam of drones. Next year, the sixth book in the series, RUMORS OF WARS, as well as the seventh and eighth books, will appear in the Unity format only.
Because we want to bring all Starmada players together, we're making Unity a free PDF upgrade for anyone who bought the Nova or Admiralty editions of this book. Nothing was wrong with either edition, other than the fact that it was harder to find opponents who played by the same rulebook. That problem is now solved.
If you bought a PDF of either the Admiralty edition or Nova edition through Warehouse 23, DriveThru RPG, or Wargame Vault, then your PDF library now contains the original older Nova or Admiralty edition you bought AND the new Unity edition we're giving you. As each book is replaced (Klingon Armada now, the others -- Romulan Armada, Distant Armada, Alien Armada, and Battleships Armada -- over the next few months) we will take the old editions off sale (but leave them in your library) and upload the new edition for sale to new players. (If you want the Starmada Logs, then you need to purchase them promptly as they will not be updated nor will they remain on sale after the last of the old books is taken down.)
Get your copy of Klingon Armada Unity from the following sources:
Warehouse 23: http://www.warehouse23.com/products/ADB6131
DriveThru RPG: http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/218524/
Wargame Vault: http://www.wargamevault.com/product/218524/
It is available in hardcopy from ADB: http://www.starfleetstore.com/starmada-c-89/klingon-armada-unity-p-1254.html
Anyone who bought a hardcopy of Klingon Armada Nova or Klingon Armada Admiralty can get a free PDF copy by contacting us at marketing@starfleetgames.com. If you want to replace your hardcopy Nova/Admiralty book with a hardcopy Unity book, we'll sell you one for our cost ($8, less than half price) plus shipping. Hardcopies of Nova/Admiralty books will no longer be available but you will be able to buy hard copies of the new Unity books from ADB, Inc.
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 Battlegroup South Netherlands located in The Netherlands. CO Koen van der Pasch reports that this group is active, running several campaigns. Check them out here: http://www.starfleetgames.com/battlegroup/battlegroup_SouthNetherlands.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 Rated Ace Tournament 47 is up and going with all but one third-round game played! One fourth round game is waiting on that game before the final game can be scheduled. Bill Schoeller is the judge.
Stay tuned for more about the 2017 Platinum Hat Tournament. Signups should start early in September.
SFBOL World League 2017 is a Go! Peter Bakija is running this team tournament, where three-player teams play tournament games against other teams (the games are standard, one on one tournament duels, but your team gets points for advancing based on how the whole team does). Each player will play at least 3 games, more if your team advances.
The teams have been created as have the pools. Let the mayhem commence! DEMOS AND CONS WITH SFU GAMES Are you going to GenCon in August 2017? Make plans to play Star Fleet Battles with Randy Blair as the Ranger in charge. He'll be holding four demos there. August 17 at 11:00 am is Eastern Plight, August 18 at 11:00 am is Western Plight, August 19 at 10:00 am and again at 3:00 pm is Survivor! (each is stand-alone). GenCon is held in Indianapolis, Indiana.
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/gamers_haven.php - The website is currently under construction. 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
Klingons, are you tired of attacking the Hydran ships attempting to cross Klingon territory, crippling several or killing a ship or two, only to have them retreat closer to Federation territory?
Use special raids to attack Hydran ships in Klingon territory which are attempting the Expedition. This has the advantage of being able to target a particular ship, and the Hydrans cannot retreat toward the Federation, unlike with conventional combat. The Klingons can do one special raid plus a drone raid per turn, and the Lyrans can do one raid. One should target cripples so as to destroy them and further reduce pin count, making it harder for the Hydran ships to retreat into a group of Klingon ships. This forces them to decide if they want to conduct a fighting retreat or constrain their movement options further. This tactic also allows targeting the ship holding the Hydran diplomat, unlike conventional combat wherein that ship may remain out of a Battle Force until it is forced to join due to minimum force requirements. Even if you do not kill the ship, merely crippling it may convince the Hydrans to move the diplomat to another uncrippled ship, possibly a smaller one. Another good option would be to target the tug carrying the fighter-conveyor pod with a large drone raid in order to cripple it. This renders the pod-carried fighters useless and may possibly put many Hydran ships out of supply at an inconvenient time for the Hydran player. This can be accomplished by a three drone-ship raid (three D6Ds), using a Battle Intensity Rating of seven, and rolling a two or higher on the die. This scores 3.6 points of damage, which rounds to four, which is exactly enough to force the tug to be crippled. Because this will generate four minus points, I would advise you to conduct this raid last after all other special raids are done. You will also need to have your opponent agree to the optional rule allowing higher Battle Intensity Ratings than four for special raids. If your opponent does not agree, the tactic will still work, but you will need a die roll of five or six.
Killing any Armed Priority Transport carrying fighters or ship supplies along with the Expedition is also worthwhile. A fighter raid from an on-map D6V or CVT group is feasible, although best used after the Hydrans have no fighters left on the target you are considering attacking. If the Hydrans have left their diplomat on a crippled ship, be sure to try and kill it. The diplomat only has a one-in-three chance of survival (540.132) if the unit carrying it is destroyed. If the Lyrans have set up a mobile base in hex 1411, the Lyrans might be able to use a fighter special raid from a JGP-V (three fighter factors). Targeting a crippled frigate with a Battle Intensity Rating of four, a die roll of one will score 0.52 Damage Points, which rounds to one Damage Point, killing the frigate. In summary, conducting as many special raids as the Coalition can against the Hydran Expedition may help whittle down their ship numbers, and seriously inconvenience the Hydrans. A Call To Arms: Star Fleet Tactic of the Month TARGET THAT EXPLOSION . . . NO, THAT ONE . . . NO . . . In most wargames the tendency is to take out the biggest, baddest guy around first. After all, once the champion is slain everyone else is easy pickings, right? This is not always the case in A Call To Arms: Star Fleet. Let's look at an opposing fleet consisting of a dreadnought, three heavy cruisers, three light cruisers, and three frigates. This comes in at right around 1,500 points (depending on which empire and which variants are selected) and makes for a typical one-evening battle (or four days of SFB, you pick). You lose the initiative roll so your opponent fires every weapon his dreadnought has. Now it is your turn. You survived the fiery onslaught dished out by the dreadnought and you are determined to make your opponent pay for his temerity and take out his dreadnought. Wait a minute there! The dreadnought has already fired its weapons and is not a threat during the rest of this turn. Is it worth more to take out a target that has already fired or to try to prevent some additional incoming damage by preemptively firing on one of the opposing vessels that has not fired yet? If instead, you fire at one of your enemy's other ships, the dreadnought may survive until next turn, but you may take out an opposing unit before it can fire at you. That could give you a bit less total damage this turn, something that adds up over a multi-turn fight. If you have seeking weapons available and the dreadnought has indeed fired everything, then the decision may be even easier. Fire direct-fire weapons at opposing ships and target all available seeking weapons on the dreadnought (or another ship with no remaining defenses). You may get lucky and take out the ship you are firing at and the defenseless dreadnought. This works both ways. Should you win the initiative roll, consider firing the weapons on the ship you most want to save first. Your enemy just might leave it alone and concentrate his fire on those ships that can still harm him this round.
|
||||||||
|
New Releases Communique #140 has been posted to the Commander's Circle Click here to see our previous issues of Hailing Frequencies. Recently Released To be released in 2017
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
Crew Quarters, Klingon Battle Station F6
Signal technician Baldarin walked casually down the corridor to the quarters he shared with three other Cromargs. He was in no hurry. He had gone off shift a few minutes ago, had eaten his supper in the mess hall, and was now determined to get a good night's sleep. His work was done, for both of his jobs. His official job was to manage the flow of trunkline signal traffic from F6 to other stations. Like any battle station, lots of signals traffic passed to nearby planets, outposts, stations, and ships, but the "trunkline" was the network of high-capacity signals that went to F5, F7, and the starbase. F6 was, like any battle station, not just a bastion of border defense, but a switchboard for signals communications over a region a thousand parsecs wide. Any signals traffic to a minor colony in that region from one of the main planets in the empire's core passed through F6 as a data packet. The trunkline deposited the messages in the battle station's memory banks, and automated systems (supervised by actual technicians) took the packets and routed them on other, slower, channels to their final destination. Anything assigned to the trunkline system was going outside of that thousand-parsec region to somewhere farther away. The trunkline system involved three dozen separate circuits, each connected to the next trunkline base by a different series of relays and subsidiary stations. These "circuits" were part of a network, and it was possible to send signals to the relay stations to change the route if something blocked one part of one circuit. Actual living, breathing technicians constantly monitored and managed the flow on the trunkline circuits. The automated systems assigned messages for certain destinations to specific circuits, but that meant that sometimes one circuit was backed up with too much traffic. Another problem was that some of the circuits were degraded or blocked by stellar phenomena, causing the load to back up. When that happened, a computer tried to reassign messages to other circuits. No computer software was smart enough to catch everything, and sometimes a lower priority message that had waited too long had to be bumped up in priority to get it sent at all. Baldarin's second job was as a spy for the Federation, although he only suspected that was who he was working for. He had been recruited by other Cromargs years ago, Cromargs working to better the lot of his entire planet within the Empire.
The Cromargs were, everybody knew, smarter than Klingons, and should be given more credit, status, authority, and power in the Empire than they had. In his second job, he scanned for certain types of signals traffic (even if he couldn't actually read the files) and made certain that those went on specific circuits. That was, officially, all that he knew about his second job, that any data block that fit the profile had to go on a certain circuit. (Continue reading here) Ask Admiral Vanaxilth Michael Kenyon asks: Is it allowable when generating globular web to pass web generation from one ship to another? The rules say that globular web generation is a task for two ships. Alternate opinion is that that is only the most common occurrence. Could you have ships A and B lay web to their maximum capacity and then one of them pass off the web to a different ship and have that ship continue it to speed up the laying of web?
Kommodore Ketrick replies: No. The ability to pass web to different anchors appears only in linear webs (G10.11). Nothing in globular webs (G10.12) says that you can use the construction technique for linear webs to build a globular web. Note that while you can build the effect of a globular web with linear web segments, each segment requires anchors at both ends, while a globular web is "anchored to itself" (G10.12). There is no procedure in (G10.12) saying that you can have a ship take over the laying of web to build a globular web from a ship already laying such a web. The rule only allows two ships, or one ship and an anchor point, to lay a globular web. Matthew Potter asks a follow-up: This creates a situation when unit(s) are in the process of creating a globular web and become unable to complete the web (usually because a unit gives up anchor status for some reason, such as destruction of the unit or it is captured). Since the above ruling states that another unit cannot assume anchor status for a globular web during construction of the globe [since it is stated that (G10.1161) only applies to linear web], then construction of globular web is more prone to failure. If a unit laying a globe is destroyed, then the entire globe will immediately collapse. This is regardless of any ship that might be providing an intermediate anchor (G10.1332). In contrast, (G10.231) suggests that several ships can "leapfrog" in the creation of a web segment (e.g., they need not be in consecutive hexes of the ship's movement). Since (G10.2) applies to linear and globular webs alike, can one assume from this that several ships could cooperate in the creation of globular and linear webs alike? Kommodore Ketrick replies: It doesn't work that way. Rule (G10.231) says "... but must satisfy other rules of web construction." The rule for globular web says it must be anchored on itself, and you cannot convert linear web into a globular web. A globular web, as the rule states, can only have two anchors (a ship and an anchor or two ships) so a third ship cannot act as an "intermediate anchor" since that would be an illegal third anchor. Specific rules (two anchors, period) overrule general rules. As to your comment on failure, the same applies when laying any linear web segment. If the laying ship is destroyed, the Tholians lose all of the web in that segment back to the last anchor point. You're acting as if this is somehow "unfair" but war is not fair. If your ship explodes, whatever it was doing stops. Another ship could start doing it, but the gap of time between the end of the destroyed ship's operation and the start of the next ship's operation is enough for the web to collapse.
Michael Kenyon asks: Do you need active fire control to lay web? ANSWER: Web generators do not require active fire control. (Web casters do to cast web, unless used as a web fist, which can be fired under the rules for passive fire control.) (End of Admiral Vanaxilth) F&E Q&A
A CAPITAL BATTLE Q: When does the use of command points by the defenders in a capital assault need to be announced? It is possible for the attackers to offer an approach, it is declined, then the attackers spend multiple rounds attacking already devastated planets in the capital that the defenders do not send ships to defend, and then only set up their first battle line after the attackers have re-devastated all those planets with no resistance, and then finally move on to an un-devastated planet that the defenders wish to send ships to.
A: In multi-hex battles all defender command point assignments must be announced when the first battle force in the hex is presented by the defender per (308.92). Q: In a capital hex pursuit fight, is the limit of "no more than -3 points carry over per system" (which is written in the rules in a sentence specifically referring to voluntary minus points) something that pertains to involuntary minus points? For example: In a given turn, an attacker is left at -10 involuntary points (from dead PDU fighters) in System A and -12 involuntary points (from dead PDU fighters) in System B. The attacker then retreats and the defender pursues. Does the defender get to benefit from -12 points (the maximum allowed from involuntary points) or -6 points (the maximum allowed if -3 per system applies to involuntary points)? A: Rule (308.242) clearly sets forth the number of minus points that can be carried over. In the above example the defender currently has a total of -22 involuntary points from prior rounds of combat in the multi-hex system but can only take 12 of these minus points into pursuit per (308.242). Q: When a multi-planet/multi-system hex is captured by your opponent, how do the modifiers in (537.112) work? For example, if (0617) is captured and there are four troop ships in the hex, do those troop ships have to be assigned to specific planets or do they all "stack" to create a modifier for the entire hex? Or would they each be assigned to a specific planet, and only apply their modifiers to that planet? The issue here is the term "location" used in the rule, as it is not defined. Is a location a planet? A system in a multi-system hex? Or is it just a hex? Also, how would (537.112) work if the planet in question is both a Hydran planet, and the former capital planet? Would the modifier be a +4, or still just a +2? A: For the first question the troop ships have to be assigned to specific planets. For the second question all (537.113) modifiers are additive (so +4 in the case you cited)
(End of F&E Q&A)
ASK AUNT JEAN
Dear Aunt Jean, how's it going with your revision of GURPS Prime Directive? A: In all honesty, it slowed down some when we got the idea of loading 55 ships into our store on Shapeways. I am managing the store and had to work on how to make sure our sculptors got paid as well as upload files, create ships in many materials, price them all, and then release them. Still, I got a good start on the chapter on how to play the game. I'm up to Combat where I am reworking it. I want to include more of what I consider essential as well as include the extra content that we originally thought was important. Integrating GURPS Lite into our book is taking a bit of time as I need to keep track of what goes where. Still, it is going well and should be an exciting book when finished.
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 MonthTHE DRONE LAUNCHING PIRATE A pirate ship with six drone racks can be a very dangerous opponent. It can launch a full spread of six drones on every turn for four consecutive turns. The tactical options are frightening for any would-be opponent.
The pirate can launch six drones and follow them toward their target. If the target is fast and attempts to avoid the drones, the Orion can change course at high speed to intercept. On the next turn the Orion can cancel tracking for the on-map drones as it bears down on the target ship and launch a new spread of six drones at closer range. If the target is slow and cannot avoid the initial drone wave, it will have to deal with as many as possible. Meanwhile the Orion is coming behind them with phaser-1s and more drones on the next turn. As many drones as the target ship destroys, the Orion can put back into space at even closer range. The Orion should not have to double engine power because the drones cost nothing to launch. That also means that it will maintain its stealth bonus, making it more difficult to hit. If the target cannot move at Speed 24+, the Orion can get closer for a more devastating attack. It can double engine power to give it the speed it needs to end an impulse adjacent to its target. Then it should have plenty of power to win a tractor auction with the opponent. Once it has anchored the target at close range, its phasers and more drones will finish it off. The key is to keep six drones threatening the opponent in close quarter fighting. After the drone racks become depleted, things become tough for the Orion. Reloading all of them will take a lot of time and pirates usually do not have that much time for their operations. Several Orion Pirate ships could potentially have five or six drone racks if drones are chosen as their optional weapons. And remember, in Federation Commander there is no limit to the number of times a rack can be reloaded.
When defending a planet against drone-using and plasma-using empires, seeing a massive wave of seeking weapons heading towards your ground bases may induce a certain amount of panic! However, there is no need to immediately have nearby ships drop whatever they are doing and race to the defense ‹ you have got time, sometimes a lot of time.
Under (P2.8531), the seeking weapons cannot hit the target on the turn they are launched. Regardless of when the seeking weapons reach the planet's hex, they just stop and sit there, obligingly, waiting for you to get back to them and shoot them down. Impact on the target does not happen until Impulse #1 of the following turn giving you whatever is left of the current turn to take your time coming up with a plan to deal with them! The enemy will likely attempt to do their best to time their attack so that the seeking weapons launched at small ground bases arrive (and get "stuck") on Impulse #32, exactly, to minimize the time they can be dealt with. Knowing this gives you an insight into the enemy's movement that can be exploited! When launching plasma torpedoes (Speed 32), you know that the enemy will, by Impulse #27, want to be within five hexes of your planet, in an arc that can face the small ground bases. It is fairly rare that you will know the precise area of a couple hexes or so that the enemy ships will be in, on a specific impulse, but this is one of those times when you do, so do not be afraid to take advantage of that!
(End of SFB Tactic of the Month)
Facebook Highlight of the Month Another showing of Star Fleet Battle Force. I discovered that that Base makes a nice addition to the Tholians and gives them the important carrier ability in addition to its Firepower. I put Disruptors in both option mounts.
Mini of the Month Kent Ing has an excellent photo showing Omni Scale Klingon G1 Gunboats, one painted and one in its Frosted Ultra Detail material. What do you think of it?
|
||||||||
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
show our games and to teach potential players some basics. 
