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July 2017
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Star Fleet Universe News BIG NEWS: ADB OPENS STORE ON SHAPEWAYS
We officially opened our store on Shapeways on 20 June with 21 ships, some of which had never been available before. On 11 July, we added 30 more items, including ships, gunboats (also known as PFs), and fighters. A list of these 51 items can be found on the linked document. These include ships for the classic 1/3788 scale (Starline 2400), the larger 1/3125 scale (Starline 2500), and the Omni-scale freighters, fighters, gunboats, and monsters which work with both scales but cannot be done in their true scales. (Fighters would be the size of the head of a pin; Igneous would be the size of your dinner table.)
The Shapeways store allows us to offer special limited-run units that would never be available any other way, as well as gradually moving our product line from metal to plastic over a few years. Don't worry, we'll have metal for a long time to come, but we'll be offering new materials as well.
You can check out the store here:
https://www.shapeways.com/shops/amarillo-design-bureau-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 Battle Group Berkshire, located in Dalton, Massachusetts. CO Thomas Compter reports that this group is new, meeting in 2 Flights Up, a game and dance studio located in Dalton MA. Check them out here: http://www.starfleetgames.com/battlegroup/battlegroup_berkshire.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! A fourth round game has also been completed. Bill Schoeller is the judge.
Stay tuned for more about the 2017 Platinum Hat Tournament. Signups should start mid-July.
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.
Teams are based on a team draft, once everyone is signed up. The current plan is to take sign ups in order till there are exactly 24 entries, and then close sign ups (if there is a 25th, they can be on standby to fill in if someone vanishes). If there is a flood of entries, More teams can be made into different pool setups. To enter: 1. Send Peter an email at pdb6@ lightlink .com
2. Put the words "World League" in the subject line. You can put other stuff in the subject line too, but make sure you include the words "World League". Do not use the words "WL" or "Wrld Lg" or whatever. Actually write "World League" in the subject line. 3. In that e-mail, provide the following information: a. Your actual name.
b. Your SFBOL callsign (please be case specific) c. Your e-mail (if your preferred e-mail is different from the one the e-mail is from for whatever reason) This shouldstart in around July 19th. The plan is just to use the standard, sanctioned tournament ships, including whatever the current Andro is. No Jindarian/Vudar/etc. 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
The introduction of scout pods has given most empires an opportunity to pair scout pods and carrier pods to create an escort-able scout carrier for extra electronic warfare. The Federation has the ability to create a tug that has both six fighters and two electronic warfare points, without being overloaded.
Compare a CVT-SP to a CVS. Both have six fighters, but the CVT-SP has two electronic warfare points at the cost of five attack factors, which can be an even trade. Consider escorting the scout tug and using it instead of the CVS. On the defense, a CVT-SP paired with a four-point scout in the scout box and the electronic warfare of a base or planet will always cost an attack a die roll shift of two unless they put multiple scouts on the line. On the attack, the ability to put six electronic warfare points on the line will blunt the electronic warfare of a base and may even penalize the defender. Even in open-space pinning battles, the CVT-SP can reduce attrition casualties by penalizing the attacker. The CVT-SP can be a valuable addition to Star Fleet.
A Call To Arms: Star Fleet Tactic of the Month KLINGON OBLIQUE ATTACK - IS IT STILL VIABLE? The Klingon oblique attack is one of the most useful tactics for the Klingon player in Star Fleet Battles. This article examines whether or not it is a viable tactic in A Call to Arms: Star Fleet. Briefly, the oblique tactic relies upon the firing arcs for phasers on Klingon ships. On most Klingon ships, all or nearly all of the phasers can fire down the hexrow bordering the front shield and flank shield boundary, 45° off the nose (60° in SFB/FC). The disruptors can fire down this row as well. A typical Klingon D7 cruiser in a head-on attack can fire four disruptors, three frontal phasers, and one or two wing phasers. The same ship using an oblique attack can generally add two waist phaser-2s to the attack and use both wing phasers. It can also expose its less important flank shields to attack and preserve its all-important front shield.
The rules for A Call to Arms: Star Fleet state that if a target ship lies on the border between two firing arcs, then the attacking player may attack with weapons in both firing arcs. This allows the Klingon player to use weapons that fire in the forward arc as well as either the port or starboard arc against the target. However, not all Klingon ships are appropriate candidates to use this tactic. Let us look at the expected damage to the target at various ranges and examine this question. The Range 2 and 4 columns assume overloaded disruptors. Drones are not included in these numbers; the enemy's defensive measures are assumed to have destroyed them.
One can readily see that the old-series Klingon ships (E4, F5, D6, D7, D7C) all generally benefit from using the RX attack tactic at most ranges, whereas the new-series ships (D5, D5W, C7, C8) all generally do so only at Range 6" or less. Developers Note: This Call-Out Note was edited to remove references to the now deleted Reinforced Forward Shield rule for Klingon ships.
Kent Ing posted this lovely Federation ship. What do you think of it?
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New Releases Communique #139 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
LDR Master Starship Book 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
THE DAY BEFORE, 1 AUGUST Y171
Everyone feared that the day would come. Some thought it inevitable; others hoped it unlikely. Most changed their minds as to what they thought about it every day. Before it began, one day was much like any other, with precautions taken and the struggle to remain alert. No one ever knew that tomorrow would be the day. Bridge, FedEx Courier Bronco, Klingon Space "How far to the border?" the captain asked as he settled into his command chair. "Sixteen hours 23 minutes," the officer of the deck said. "We're a few minutes ahead of schedule." The captain grunted at that. The Klingons were usually fanatical about foreign ships adhering to specific schedules, but the company's courier boats were always given some latitude. The Klingons were aware of (and appreciated) the company's reputation for delivering on time, and that meant that any courier that could get a little ahead of schedule needed to, in case there were some unforeseen delay ahead of them. "Any word from the Mustang?" "She left Klegarine on schedule," the communications technician said, "and should be clearing border control in an hour and 27 minutes." "And that only leaves the Palomino in Klingon territory," the captain said, to no one in particular. The Palomino was on its way to Klinshai, no doubt with more high-priority diplomatic dispatches and more Klingon and Federation diplomats trying to keep the peace from falling apart. Normally, there would be five or six Federation Express courier ships in Klingon space at any given moment, but with the increased tensions, the company had cut back service, and three was the maximum number of ships at risk. A relay of three ships made the Klinshai run, and only one or two would be inside the Empire at a time. When Bronco made it to Federation space, the next courier would be held up until the Palomino started back. Other ships made much shorter runs to three major Klingon planets, and the company made sure only one of them was actually inside the Empire at any given time. Things were getting tense.
(Continue reading here) Ask Admiral Vanaxilth Alan Trevor asks: The rules are clear that no ship can carry both a fast patrol ship flotilla and a heavy fighter squadron, but what about two squadrons of heavy fighters? I cannot recall any ship that carries two heavy fighter squadrons, but is that because it is illegal under the rules or is it just because no such ship has been published (yet)?
ANSWER: No carrier can have more than one squadron of heavy fighters. Josh Driscol asks: Are there any limitations, other than those found in rule (G15.7), limiting the number of Federation A-10s that an Orion could operate from his carrier? Only hellbore, disruptor, and Federation Gatling-armed fighters are specifically limited to no more than 25% of the fighters on a carrier. So would it be legal to have a squadron of nine A-10s and three Stinger-Hs on an Orion carrier able to operate a dozen fighters? Kommodore Ketrick replies: At the time it was written, the problem with coming up with the power to rearm the photon torpedoes was deemed a sufficient incentive for the Orions not to operate photon-armed fighters. Sure, they can double the engines, but without doubling the engines Orion ships are rather power poor (no APRs little more than enough impulse to operate the ship outside of combat in most cases). George Duffy asks: Can fighters be purchased as Com-mander's Options, substituting a fighter for an admin shuttle (with the understanding that the fighter will not have a ready rack, extra deck crews, drones, or fighter supplies unless purchased separately)? Hydrans can do this as a refit (R9.R6) Casual Defense Fighters. If not allowed for regular warships, could it still happen for carriers (e.g., auxiliary, hybrid, and/or casual carrier)? Kommodore Ketrick replies: The simple answer is no, but there are a few very rare exceptions: 1. The Federation F-7 (R2.F13) creates a partial exception as does the G-7 (R6.F11), but note that any large scale replacement of shuttles by G-7s never historically happened as the Gorns only purchased "fewer than a dozen." [The Kzintis got some too (R2.F13), but in essence only used them as targets.] 2. Rule (R9.R6) is a specific exception within its limits, i.e., it only applies to Hydran ships which meet its criteria and only provides for Stinger-F fighters, not Stinger-2s or Stinger-Hs, and only allows one (1) shuttle to be replaced by the Stinger-F.
3. The Kzintis under (R5.F1) did this during the latter years of the Four Powers War, but after they invented the advanced attack shuttle they did not do this any more. Follow-up question: Can the Borak (Module E3) also be made an exception? The majority of their warships are considered casual carriers, while their support ships do not have any fighters for themselves. Kommodore Ketrick replies: No current rule allows this. You can propose such a rule for the Borak, but I do not currently see any reason to approve it. Borak Hunter-Killers (RB100.F2) are counted as fighters. A true carrier can buy equipment for them (J4.75) (e.g., electronic warfare pods), and while expendable, they are also reusable, i.e., you can launch them and if they do not hit something (or are not otherwise destroyed) you can recover them and repair them. Before you ask, the "unique operating methods" of the WYNs, Orions, and Tholians do not merit consideration of a special exception for them, either. (End of Admiral Vanaxilth) F&E Q&A
WHEN DOES A BATTLE START AND END? Q: Can a player use a fighter storage depot (445.21) to transfer fighters to a hex where all remaining units on one side have been annihilated (302.55)? Here's an example. During operational movement on Turn #A9, the Kzintis send a fighter strike of 18 independent fighter factors from hex 1401 to attack a group of three E4s in hex 1402. During the Reserve Movement Stage the Klingon player sends a powerful reserve, including a carrier, to this battle hex. On Combat Round #1, the Klingon fleet scores 25 damage points; the Kzinti fighters score four damage points. The Klingons take four fighters (of which there are five) and the Kzinti 18 fighter factors are annihilated, with seven damage still remaining. The Kzinti player then attempts to use (445.21) and his two currently unused fighter storage depots in range of hex 1402 to send 12 more fighters to hex 1402; presumably to attempt to force a Klingon ship to be crippled for no economic damage to the Kzintis. The Klingon player objects, citing rule (302.55) for the proposition that the battle hex is resolved, and thus no longer subject to receiving aid from the fighter storage depots under (445.21). The Kzinti player counters that the "carriers" of the strike force in 1401, while not in the hex, are still (in a way) participating in the battle, so the combat hex is not resolved. The Klingon player argues that the carriers are still not in the hex, and that (302.55) clearly resolves the issue. There is also the possibility that the Sequence of Play does not completely play out until post-damage resolution, so there is still some opportunity to send fighters from the fighter storage depots. However, the Klingon player points out that the specific overrides the general, and that the annihilation rule provides that the battle hex is resolved upon annihilation, and thus the fighters may not be sent from the fighter storage depots.
A: If a traditional FCR can provide this resupply fighter support to a co-located unit supporting an independent fighter squadron, then a fighter supply depot may provide the same effect under (526.315) even if not co-located. This would be considered a specified capability of FSDs. Annihilation under (302.55) is the general rule and the intent of this rule is to identify cases where one or both players have exhausted all means to conduct combat operations in a battle hex. Nowhere under (302.55) does it identify that all units must all be from the battle hex itself. One or more players have the ability to use co-located FCRs or properly supplied FSDs acting as FCRs to provide fighters to a base or carrier supporting an independent fighter squadron in an adjacent battle hex. Q: In the last part of (451.32) we find: "the hospital ship can automatically heal one Œwounded' unit of the listed types per battle round." Does the hospital ship have to be in the support echelon to perform this task? As a follow-up question, can the hospital ship heal a wounded prime team or Marine major general on any turn, or can it only heal it the round it was wounded? A: The "alternative" is in reference to the die roll and not the entire process; the requirement for the hospital ship to be at least in the support echelon remains to automatically heal one "wounded" unit of the listed types per battle round. As to when a listed unit is permitted to be healed, the rule language is present tense and current round. The hospital unit must make the "healing" attempt on the round that the casualty occurred, must be at the specified location of said units, and be at least present in the support echelon or in the battle force. Q: Are slow units in (439.17) and (302.742) destroyed in the slow unit battle eligible to produce salvage? A: Slow units destroyed in the Slow Unit Battle (302.742B) do not generate salvage. (End of F&E Q&A)
ASK AUNT JEAN
Dear Aunt Jean, Do you have any updates on the GURPS Prime Directive revision? A: I do. It is going well with Chapter 4 (Skills) out to the GURPS Team. I added in some skills I know that I used as a player and others that were mentioned in the templates for the various academies. I also decided to restore some skills that were listed in GURPS Prime Directive 3e because I thought they made better and stronger characters.
I have started the fifth chapter which is how to play the game and I'm doing some additions there, too. I think the result will be a great game.
Stay tuned for more GURPS Prime Directive news!
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 MonthPRESERVING THE ENERGY MODULE Many view Andromedan energy modules as expendable items, but this does not have to be the case. Here is one course of action to keep an energy module alive and take maximum advantage of carrying it.
Once the mothership moves energy from its power absorber panels to the energy module, it needs to drop the energy module into space to expel the energy. When the situation/conditions allow, keep the energy module in the hanger until as close to the end of the turn as possible. When you transport the energy module, send it out in the direction you plan to move (displacement is also an option if a transporter is unavailable). Once the energy module is in space, you will be moving toward it. In the Repair Function Stage of the turn, the energy module will dissipate four points of energy per panel (displacement does not disrupt this function). Now the energy module's panels will be less than full (or even empty). At the end of the first impulse of the following turn the mothership should be even with, or maybe a little ahead of, the energy module and during the Other Functions Phase, it can transport the energy module back into its hanger. The energy module is now available to clear more energy from the mothership's panels. As long as the mothership has transporters available (displacement devices can only be used to launch the energy module, not recover it), and the situation allows it, you can do this each turn until the energy module's panels are cleared or you no longer need to. If your opponent attempts to destroy the energy module, recovering it will also allow you to repair it, at which time its panels will be empty. (You also benefit because enemy weapons fired at the energy module are not fired at the mothership.)
The situation: you are in command of a base under siege. An enemy minesweeper is slowly but steadily penetrating your minefield. The minesweeper is using maximum ECM and is receiving lent ECM from the enemy scout, making it a very difficult target. Using ECCM and self-lending of ECCM from special sensors can overcome the enemy ECM, but at the cost of a lot of energy, and your base needs energy for weapons and shield reinforcement.
A better option is to loan offensive electronic warfare [rule (G24.219)] to the minesweeper. This will not have any effect on the minesweeper's ability to detect or lock-on to mines, but it will make it harder for the minesweeper to actually sweep the mines with phasers. To do so, the minesweeper must hold the mine in a tractor beam and inflict either four (small mine) or six (large mine) damage points. If there is an ECM shift, it is possible for the tractor beam to fail to tractor the mine, forcing the minesweeper to try again with another tractor beam (perhaps on another turn). An ECM shift will also reduce the amount of damage from the phasers, forcing it to use more phasers to guarantee a kill or risk setting the mine off prematurely. Using more phasers on one mine means clearing fewer mines. If the minesweeper uses no ECCM, a plus-two shift can be achieved with one special sensor and five points of power (one point for the sensor, and four points of loaned offensive electronic warfare). This is a fairly cheap way to slow the minesweeper by making its job harder. If the minesweeper or scout shifts electronic warfare to ECCM, that will limit the amount of ECM it can use, and therefore make it an easier target for your phaser-4s, which are (of course) steadily trying to remove that thick #1 shield. (End of SFB Tactic of the Month)
Facebook Highlight of the Month F&E being played at StratCon
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show our games and to teach potential players some basics. 
