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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.
We continue to improve the Commander's Circle. (Please make note that it is now at a different location.) We have now uploaded all of the ships and scenarios as separate documents (the ships are organized by empire) so you can quickly see what is available. Check it out!
The BIG NEWS this month is the release (a few days ago) of five major products: Captain's Log #40, a milestone issue with new ships, tactics, and scenarios for Star Fleet Battles, Federation Commander, Federation & Empire, and Starmada. Squadron Box #25 and Squadron Box #26, as well as Border Box #9, new ships for use with Federation Commander: Hydran Attack. The Klingon F5W War Destroyer, in a squadron pack of three ships for $19.95.
ANNUAL DECEMBER BLACKOUT: We will "close for mail orders" at the end of 23 December 2009 and will not resume shipping mail orders until Tuesday, 5 January 2010. This is the annual "blackout" so that Leanna can finish the year-end accounting without having numbers (inventory, sales, royalties) moving around.
We will be in the office, at least some of those days, answering phone calls and emails.
Our combined and reorganized website, www.StarFleetGames.com, continues to grow and improve. You are welcome to send us your requests, comments, and suggestions.
We are looking for a few good Star Fleet Ambassadors! Our marketing director can't be everywhere and that's where you come in! Do you go to gaming forums like Board Game Geek, RPG Net, or The Miniatures Page? Then WE NEED YOU! To get complete details of the Ambassador program, please see the Federation Commander Ambassadors category on the Federation Commander Forum.
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!
TIPS FOR SFB PLAYERS PLAYING FC
- Lieutenant Commander Michael West, USS Texas
* Keep a few phasers for drone defense: once the drones hit no one can help you.
* You can only fire every fourth Star Fleet Battles impulse. Plan accordingly; you probably will not get a "perfect" shot.
* Your opponent does not have to move. Just when you plan on nailing him because he "must" move forward, he does not. He pays power to "decelerate" and cancel that hex of movement. Then he turns.
* There is no quarter-turn delay between firing the same weapon on consecutive turns. Even if your opponent fires in the last impulse, he can still fire in the first impulse of the following turn. Even so, the ships will move (up to four hexes) between those two firings.
* Do not get too fancy on movement. Fiddling with movement uses power quickly, and you could lose the option of overloading.
(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.
TWO BRICKS ARE BETTER THAN ONE
- Lieutenant J.G. Gary Bear, USS Tennessee
When flying an Orion, especially in tournament play, it is common for an opponent to fire a single phaser-1 as the Orion closes in order to attempt to determine which shield may have the "brick" (excessive specific shield reinforcement).
Counter this by placing four points of specific reinforcement on the shield you are approaching through and the remainder on the shield you will show on your exit (usually a HET following your alpha-strike). If your Orion gets shot during the approach, this small amount of reinforcement may be incorrectly interpreted as either the location of the "brick" or as the expenditure of the reserve power in your batteries.
(End of SFB Tactic of the Month)
TAKE THE FIFTH
- Captain Chuck Strong, USS Colorado
When maintaining carrier groups, in times of need, or when superior escorts can be built in the near future, only build/convert half as many escorts as you actually need.
Both the Klingons and Kzintis are "blessed" with a truly poor light escort, the humble EFF and E4A. So why build them?
Well apart from the obvious two (CEDS are protection of the actual carriers), there is not much reason to buy lots of them!
Consider the following: D6V, E4A, E4A. The escorts only add a measly two offensive ComPot each to the group, and yet cost the princely sum of 3.5 economic points each. By replacing the middle E4A with a standard E4, you save one economic point, but only lose one ComPot. By moving the E4A to the inner or outer escort you can adjust your CEDS ability, or preserve the more important escort hull.
On the Coalition turn, the Carrier group can be, D6V, E4, E4A, so either the E4 can be hit by directed damage (as it is an ad hoc escort) or the outer escort, the E4A, is hit by directed damage. If the E4 is killed, you do not get CEDS (but you can place another standard hull in the group for the next battle) and you only lost a 2.5 economic point hull. If the E4A is killed, you do get CEDS, and have the usual choices.
(Continue reading here)
Every month we will feature one of our miniatures that has been painted by a fan. If you paint miniatures, submit pictures of your minis and they may be selected for the next Mini of the Month!
Eschelon of Righteousness by Jeremy Gray
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Communique #48 has been posted to the Commander's Circle.
RECENTLY RELEASED
Squadron Box #25, SKU 4325, $34, 95
Squadron Box #26, SKU 4326, $34.95
Captain's Log #40, SKU 5740, $19.95
Captain's Log #40 Supplemental File, SKU 5740S, $5.00
Border Box #9, SKU 4409, $99.95
Klingon F5W, SKU 0397, $19.95 (pack of 3)
Prime Directive PD20M Klingons, SKU 8723, $24.95
TO BE RELEASED IN FEBRUARY, 2010
Booster Pack #92, SKU 4292, $9.95
ISC Battleship, miniature, SKU 1344, $11.95
Andromedan Terminator, SKU 1006, $5.95
Federation DDG & DDL Destroyers, SKU 0228, $14.95
Federation Scout & DDF Destroyer, SKU 0227, $14.95
Juggernaut, miniature, SKU 0080, $29.95
Starmada Rules Annex, SKU 6125, $12.95
TO BE RELEASED IN MARCH, 2010
Romulan Armada, SKU 6102, $16.95
TO BE RELEASED IN FIRST QUARTER, 2010
Federation & Empire 2010, SKU 5006, $TBA
TO BE RELEASED IN SPRING, 2010
SFB Module C3A Andromedan Threat File, SKU TBA, $TBA
Prime Directive Federation (GURPS, d20, d20M)
Federation Commander Briefing #3, SKU 4023, $TBA
Federation Admiral, data to be determined
Hydran Pegasus, miniature, 0912, $TBA
Squadron Box #27, SKU 4327, $34.95
Romulans PD20M, SKU 8734, $24.95
TO BE RELEASED IN APRIL 2010
Klingon B9 Fast Battleship miniature, SKU 0385, $TBA
TO BE RELEASED IN MAY 2010
Captain's Log #41, SKU 5741, $19.95
TO BE RELEASED AT ORIGINS
Federation Commander: WAR & PEACE, SKU 4108, $TBA
Squadron Boxes #28, #29, #30, SKU 4328, 4329, 4330, $34.95 each
Booster Packs #28, #29, #30, SKU 4228, 4229, 4230, $9.95 each
Border Box #10, SKU 4410, $99.95
SFB Module R12 Unique Ships, SKU 5633, $TBA
OTHER PRODUCTS FOR 2010, DATA TO BE DETERMINED
Borders of Madness #1
Prime Directive PD20 (2nd Edition), SKU 8701, $24.95
FC Booster Pack #93, #94, #95
Captain's Log #42, SKU 5742, $19.95
Communique #49-#60, free downloads on website
Battlestations Star Fleet
Star Fleet Assault, Fall release
USS Groton, Recreation Room, Day of the Eagle
Lieutenant Joseph "Lucky" Arnold sat in the Groton's recreation room, staring at the hand he was holding. He knew that the camera feed to the rest of the ship was picking up every nuance of his expression, and recording them for later, good-natured criticism by his friends. So he kept careful control of his emotions as he pushed the remainder of his pile of chips to the center of the table. Sensors automatically tabulated the value of the stack and displayed it on a monitor high above the center of the table. Behind him, he could hear the drone of conversation from the onlookers scattered around the rec room suddenly rise in volume. They knew that the marathon game, which had started with a dozen participants, was almost over.
"All in," he announced, staring at his other three opponents sitting around the table. Two were humans like him, but one was a squat anti-grav engineer from Prellaria. The humans just grimaced and pushed in the few chips they had left. The engineer studied his hand for a moment before his eyes met Arnold's.
"You are bluffing, Lieutenant." The Prellarian stared at him, but Arnold met his gaze resolutely. The engineer was not an especially imposing sight, since he stood only four feet tall, but he did have massive biceps and a huge chest, the combination of which Arnold suspected could do real damage if they ever got into a serious wrestling match.
Finally, the Prellarian snorted and pushed in the rest of his stack, matching Arnold. Arnold could hear the conversations from the onlookers drop to nothing as they waited for the outcome of the game. The engineer reached one massive hand forward, the cards looking tiny in his fist, and flipped them down on the table face up. Arnold and the other two humans did the same.
The Prellarian grunted, and reached over to shake Arnold's hand, none too gently. Arnold managed to bear the pain long enough for the engineer to release his grasp, then grinned with relief as he stared at the hands around the table. The Prellarian had a nice hand, but Arnold had a Full House, and that still beat a Flush every time. A minute later, the rest of the onlookers were congratulating him. A Federation commercial sports network had come up with an idea for a novelty poker tour between ships of the fleet and the Public Relations branch of Star Fleet had embraced the idea, both as a recruiting tool and a way to keep morale up. He had just won the right to represent the Groton among the ships of 5th Fleet. He allowed himself to bask in the moment and to allow himself to think about the future. He had never planned on being a career officer, and if his luck held, his wildest dreams might still come true. He was descended from a long line of gamblers. It was in his blood and there was nothing more he wanted than to be a card shark and to become a regular in the Galactic Series of Poker on Vegas II.
(Continue reading here)
Thomas Holz asks: A Lyran CA announces on Impulse #6 that field #2 will be activated. and then subsequently cancels that announcement (G23.33) on Impulse #8. Can field #1 be announced on Impulse #9 or must it also wait until Impulse #16? The phrase "another announcement" in (G23.33) leads me to think the latter, but (G23.12) makes me think it might be the former.
Answer: It applies only to the field that was canceled.
Mike Mendick asks: Two ships are four hexes apart. The Lyran ship (with a radius-3 ESG) moves first, and the ESG strikes shield #2. The other ship (same impulse) turns right, presenting shield #1 to Lyran ship's direct-fire weapons. Which shield does the ESG hit?
Answer: Movement is simultaneous, and that turn (whether a TAC or a maneuver turn) presented shield #1 to the Lyran, and that shield is hit by the ESG and any direct fire. Supporting this is (G23.514) which, while referring to TACs, specifically allows the maneuver to take effect and determine which shield is hit.
Scott Moellmer asks: A Lyran player announces ESG activation up on Impulse #29, to take effect on Impulse #1 of the next turn. This is an old trick allowing him to select the radius after Energy Allocation. If he cancels the ESG announcement, what happens?
(Continue reading here)
ROMULAN OFF-MAP SURVEY
Question: Rule (540.34) prevents a player from removing a diplomatic team from a D7N, DWN, or D5N. If the ship is unconverted to its base hull what happens to the diplomatic team(s)?
Answer: Rule (540.34) is clear. You cannot separate the diplomatic team from the ship, so you cannot unconvert a diplomatic ship to its base hull in the first place.
Question: If I convert a D7N to another variant does it keep the diplomatic teams or are the diplomatic teams lost?
Answer: Rule (540.34) does not allow separation of the diplomatic team from the ship. So, a diplomatic ship cannot be converted into another variant.
Question: If a D7N goes into Depot Level Repair are the diplomats tied up in the Depot until the ship comes out?
Answer: Yes, they cannot be separated from the ship. You might want to manage your assets better than that.
(End of F&E Q&A)
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 91117 Just Released (Adobe Acrobat Required)
Alert 91029 What's Going On... (Adobe Acrobat Required)
Alert 91028 Just So You Know (Adobe Acrobat Required)
Federation Destroyers for release in February.
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