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!

Star Fleet Universe News

Our project to build a new corporate headquarters continues to move on. We now own the land and are working with an architect to finalize the designs. View regular updates on this project.

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.

Read Jeff Laikind's report on GenCon 2007.

Have you missed an earlier Newsletter? Click here to get caught up!

FC Forum Hot Topics

The Federation Commander Site and Forum continues 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. This month’s Hot Topics include a thread titled “New Ships: What do you want?” and "Map panels" which can be found in the General Discussion category. 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!

FC Tactic of the Month
DIVIDE BY THREE AND CONQUER
- Ensign Terry O'Carroll, HMAS New South Wales

When launching drones at a base, always launch at a range evenly divisible by three. Drones move three hexes per impulse, so this ensures that the last chance the base gets to fire at the drone, before impact, will be at range three. This is a bad range for phaser-3s and it is also out of tractor range. The drones should also be timed to impact on an even-numbered shield, because a Battlestation will only be able to fire two-thirds of its defensive phasers through those shields. For maximum effect, time the drones to arrive at the same time as your suicide freighter. (More...)

Café Press

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 Matt Cooper (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
POOR . . . NOT
- Cmdr Michael John Campbell, HMAS New South Wales

There are several ships that actually fare very well with a poor crew, most notably the Kzinti CD and MDC, and the Klingon D6D, but particularly the Kzinti MDC.
Since a poor crew will not affect drone control limits, or launch rates, these ships can fare just as well as they did before, particularly in a fleet engagement. The reduced defensive phaser potential of the ships can be offset greatly in a fleet action through the rear-facing weapons of the rest of the fleet which, because drone bombardment ships are drone bombardment ships, will likely be ahead of the drone chucking vessel.

In a fleet engagement, the drone bombardment ships are likely to be too far away from the enemy to be targeted by direct fire weapons, and thus the point of ECM that the ship falls short by will be unimportant.

A poor crew on one such vessel could allow you to purchase some special drone warheads or maybe an outstanding crew on one of the front line vessels.

F&E Strategy of the Month
TUG MISSION W: AN ECONOMIC POINT FROM THE BRINK
- Cadet David Walend, USS North Carolina

Have you got a spare tug or LTT after considering missions A-V? Mission W Rescue Tug, Planetary Operations rule (537.2), lets you take a ship voluntarily killed in combat and convert it to a cripple for zero economic points. You will need a battle force with a better target than a supporting tug. Kill a small ship instead of crippling two. (More...)

Mini of the Month

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!

Click here to view this month's winner.

New Releases

Communique #24 has posted to the Commander's Circle

RECENTLY RELEASED
New pewter miniatures
Starline 2400: WYN Warships (CW, DW, FF)
SKU 1223, $19.95
Starline 2400: Federation Operational Carrier (CVO)
SKU 0299, $12.95
Starline 2400: Hydran Mohawk New Heavy Cruiser (NCA)
SKU 0961, $7.95
Starline 2400: Neo-Tholian Destroyer and Frigate,
SKU 0771, $12.95
Starline 2400: Base Station, SKU 0103, $9.95
Starline 2400: Orion War Destroyer (DW) SKU 0818, $7.95
Federation Commander: Border Box #5, SKU 4405, $99.95
Federation Commander: Squadron Box #13,
SKU 4313, $34.95
Starline 2400: Seltorian NCA and DNL, SKU 1525, $17.95
Starline 2400: WYN Fleet Box, 6 ships, SKU 1200 $39.95

TO BE RELEASED ON 14 JANUARY
Captain's Log #36, SKU 5736, $18.95
Federation Commander: Line of Battle (battleship booster pack), SKU 4007, $19.95
Federation Commander: Border Box #6 (10 battleships),
SKU 4406, $99.95
Starline 2400: Shuttlecraft, SKU 0104, $17.95 (pewter miniature)
Starline 2400: Federation Fast Carrier, SKU 0296, Retail $7.95 (pewter miniature)
Starline 2400: Federation New Fast Cruiser, SKU 0298, Retail $7.95 (pewter miniature)
Starline 2400: Klingon D6S Scout Cruiser, SKU 0347, Retail $7.95 (pewter miniature)
Starline 2400: Seltorian Heavy Cruiser, SKU 1504, $8.95 (pewter miniature)
Starline 2400: Seltorian Warships (CL, DD, FF), SKU 1505, $19.95 (pewter miniatures)

TO BE RELEASED ON 18 FEBRUARY
Federation Commander: Briefing #1, SKU 4021, $12.95
Federation Commander: Squadron Box #16 (five DNs),
SKU 4316, $44.95
Federation Commander: Squadron Box #17 (five DNs),
SKU 4317, $44.95
Federation Commander: Squadron Box #18 (five DNs),
SKU 4318, $44.95
Prime Directive d20M (Modern), SKU8721, $24.95

TO BE RELEASED ON 17 MARCH
Federation Commander: Distant Kingdoms, SKU 4106, $34.95
Federation Commander: Squadron Box #19 (Hydrans),
SKU 4319, $34.95
Federation Commander: Squadron Box #20 (Lyrans),
SKU 4320, $34.95
Federation Commander: Squadron Box #21 (WYNs),
SKU 4321, $34.95
Prime Directive: Federation (d20), SKU 8702, $24.95
SFB Module G3: Master Annexes, SKU 5423, Price $29.95

TO BE RELEASED IN APRIL
SFB Module O5: Omega Flotillas, SKU 5665, Price $21.95
GURPS Federation, SKU 8402, $24.95
Federation Commander: Border Box #7, SKU 4407, $99.95
Federation Commander: Booster #19, SKU 4219, $9.95
Federation Commander: Booster #20, SKU 4220, $9.95
Federation Commander: Booster #21, SKU 4221, $9.95

TO BE RELEASED IN MAY
Captain's Log #37, SKU 5737, $18.95

Star Fleet Fiction
THE THREADS OF WAR, Part 2
By Loren Knight

Commodore Korath's Flag Office

D7C 8-Direslayer, the next day, 9:01 AM

Korgan walked slowly into Korath's office, still stiff and sore but put up his best effort not to show it. Upon seeing Korgan enter the room, Korath got up from behind his desk and walked briskly up to his junior officer's side and grabbed Korgan by the shoulder - the burned one - again. Korgan just closed his eyes for a moment and tried to remain stoic.
(More...)

Ask Admiral Growler
by Mike Filsinger

FIGHTERS AND BOMBERS
John Wyszynski asks: I was updating some campaign rules to include bombers. There are a couple of things about rule (J14.0) that I would like confirmed or clarified. Rule (J14.21) states that bombers are treated as fighters or heavy fighters. As such I believe that the following are true. Or have I missed something. Bombers are treated as two fighters under rule (J4.462), just like heavy fighters. This is consistent with all bomber squadrons having six bombers. Since this rule allows for standard fighters and heavy fighters to be mixed into a single squadron, it should be possible to mix bombers with fighters. (This of course would require a ground base that had both fighters and bombers.) (More...)

Federation & Empire Q&A
THE RETREAT IS THE THING IN WHICH TO CATCH...
By Nick Blank

QUESTION: The Klingons are retreating after a failed attack on the Kzinti capital. The Kzintis pursue, and divide their pursuit force between the cripples and the slow units. Can the ships chasing the cripples switch to the slow unit battle if they fail to catch the cripples?

ANSWER: No. See (302.742-B). (More...)

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.

New Alerts will be posted next week.

NEW MINIATURES!