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The latest Communique brings you more Ship Cards, scenarios, fiction, and more news from the Star Fleet Universe! It can be downloaded from the Commander's Circle. Don’t forget, you have to register before being able to download the latest full color Communique!
The big news this month is the release of EIGHT new products!
Captain's Log #38 is another in our best-selling series, including fiction, tactics, new starships, new rules, new scenarios, and other data for all of our games.
Squadron Boxes #22, #23, and #24 have new pirate and police ships to use with .
Four new ships (Commercial Platform, Orion Slaver, Hydran Gendarme, Orion Double Raider) are now available.
ADB has released the Federation Commander Reference Rulebook Draft 3, a compilation of all of the rules from all eight products and all of the rules changes from all 36 communiques. This is available NOW for $12 from ADB. In March, a "cleaned up" version will be sold through the stores with a color cover for $14.95.
(Click here to get more information.)
Have you missed an earlier Newsletter? Click here to get caught up!
The Federation Commander Site and Forum continue to grow as more gamers find it. We have added a new section to the Forum called Web Requests. If you have any comments, questions, or requests for our Graphics Director, this is the place to let him know.
We have added a new Star Fleet Battles section to the forum to discus everything SFB. For new players, the Federation Commander Forum is a little easier to manage whereas the Legacy Discus BBS can be a bit overwhelming. Come see what the commotion is about and join the Federation Commander Forum now!
Don't forget our original (discus-based) BBS where most product development takes place. The most active topics of late include: Farthest Stars campaign, F&E General Discussions, and FC: General Discussions.
If you really want to know what's going on, don't miss Steve Cole's daily weblog.
FEDERATION DRONE TACTICS
- Cadet Todd Jolley, USS Ohio
Are you flying a Federation ship? Federation ships have fewer drone racks than Klingons or Kzintis, so you need to pay attention to the drone game or it will eat your ships alive. Things get worse in multi-ship battles, where the drone advantage of the enemy ships escalates astronomically.
(Continue reading here)
Café Press is an online marketplace that allows the Star Fleet Universe to produce unique products such as coffee mugs, t-shirts, tote bags, and more with the Star Fleet logos, cover art, and other artwork used for our products. We have added tons of new shirts, mugs, and other products. Want something you don’t see? Please contact Eric Olivarez (Graphics Director) with your request. Visit our Star Fleet Café Press Store for a complete listing of the products available.
SFB Tactic of the Month
MEDIUM RANGE PHOTON REBUTTAL
- Cdr Michael John Campbell, HMAS New South Wales
When the number of photons available rises one should look towards using proximity fuses and when the number of photons falls, one should look towards using standards when one is to engage the enemy in the 9 to 12 hex range bracket.
We shall take large numbers of photons to mean a fleet battle and a few photons to be a duel.
Consider a Federation frigate with its two photon torpedoes, firing on an F5 (or a G2, or something in between).
(Continue reading here)
COLONIZE THE FEDERATION OUTBACK
- Captain Scott Tenhoff, USS California
Beginning on Turn #7 with the Coalition invasion, the Federation should begin setting up Colonies within the 5th Fleet (Gorn Border) area of deployment.
The released tug from the 5th Fleet can immediately begin setting up a colony, and additionally the Federation can build a new convoy (at any Strategic Movement Node) which can move to begin setting up a second colony within the 5th Fleet deployment area.
(Continue reading here)
Every month we will feature one of our miniatures that has been painted by a fan. If you paint miniatures, submit your pictures and you may be our next Mini of the Month!
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Communique #36 has been posted to the Commander's Circle.
JUST RELEASED
Captain's Log #38, Doomward and the Vortex, SKU 5738, $19.95
Squadron Box #22, SKU 4322, $39.95
Squadron Box #23, SKU 4323, $39.95
Squadron Box #24, SKU 4324, $39.95
TO BE RELEASED ON 26 JANUARY 2009
SFB Module G3: Master Annexes, SKU 5423, Price $29.95
Federation Commander: Border Box #8, SKU 4408, $99.95
Prime Directive: Federation (d20), SKU 8702, $24.95
Orion Dreadnought Miniature, SKU 0826, $9.95
TO BE RELEASED IN SPRING 2009
GURPS Federation, SKU 8402, $24.95
FC Reference Rulebook (5th Edition), SKU 4020, $14.95
SNAP COUNT Part 4 of 10
- By Stephen V. Cole
Crew Cabin, Juggernaut Beta, 1240 hrs, 17 Jan Y169
"Hello?" Captain Crawford asked. "Is anyone there?" Lights flickered on and Crawford found himself in what seemed to be a cell or maybe a crew cabin. The ceiling was low, and while there was no dust, it seemed that the cabin had not been occupied in a very long time. There was a strange round bed, and even stranger things in what seemed to be the bathroom. There was only one door, and it would not open.
"Your identity?" came a voice from nowhere.
"Thomas Jackson Crawford, Lieutenant Commander, Star Fleet Reserve, Captain of the armed priority transport USS Cedar Falls. To whom do I have the honor of speaking?"
"My predecessor translated your language and selected the word 'Juggernaut' as his identification. As I am identical to that predecessor, I require a sub-name. By one of your many ordinal series, I would be referred to as 'Beta', meaning the second of the type. You may refer to me by that name."
(Continue reading here)
- by Mike Filsinger
Fighters
Michael Lui asks: In rule (J10.0) Heavy Fighters, it specifies that the heavy weapon range is the same as that of the race's PF (Federation A-20: range 12). Under (R9.PF1) Harrier PF: The fusion beams are limited in range to 10 hexes. Neither (R9.F5) (Super-Stinger) nor (R9.F7) (Stinger-T) say anything about restricting the Hydran heavy fighter fusion ranges to less than 10. So therefore the fusion beams of the heavy Stingers are range 10 for 1 charge. Now, (J10.42) says: Hydrans could fire both charges for a given fusion beam on the same shot, as always, to extend the range. Neither (R9.F5) (Super-Stinger) nor (R9.F7) (Stinger-T) say anything about extending the range past 10. So is this a misprint? Or can the heavy fighters fire out to range 15?
ANSWER: A single-charge shot is limited to a range of three or less. Two charges are required for longer ranges. The fusion-charges on a Super-Stinger are no different than the fusion-charges on a Stinger-2. (Each charge is armed for one point of energy for a range-one shot, and you require two charges and thus two points of energy for a range ten shot). Hydran PF fusions are ship fusions armed at ship levels (two points of energy). This is entirely consistent with (J10.0), i.e., the heavy fighter and PF both have the same range (ten hexes), but you do not get to range ten without paying two energy points for that range.
(Continue reading here)
CARRIER GROUPS
QUESTION: I sent a carrier with two escorts on a pursuit, and my opponent insists that since pursuit is by "so many ships" he can use directed damage on the carrier, ignoring the escorts.
ANSWER: Wrong. It's a carrier group like any other.
QUESTION: I don't understand the sequence of attacking a carrier group. Can I attack the carrier by directed damage after crippling the escorts, or do I have to destroy them?
ANSWER: You have to cripple the escorts to be allowed to cripple the carrier. You have to destroy the escorts to be allowed to destroy the carrier. You can, of course, use directed damage to flip over (cripple) or destroy the entire group as a unit.
(Continue reading here)
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.
Alert 81215 New Releases (Adobe Acrobat Required)
Alert 81208 Next Year (Adobe Acrobat Required)
The Hydran Gendarme, Orion Light Raider, and Commercial Platform have been released just in time for Christmas!
 
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