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June 2017
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Star Fleet Universe News BIG NEWS: SHAPEWAYS STORE TO OPEN
Our long-awaited store on Shapeways will open later this month with over a dozen ships including Federation, Klingons, Romulans, and more.
Yes, this isn't the first time we said it would open. The first delay was due to a market study which said that if we didn't have the Federation Heavy Cruiser and Klingon D7 battlecruiser on the first day we'd be branded as "just another strange ships store." Everybody thought it would take Mongoose a week to convert their CGIs into Shapeways-capable files, but their sculptor had a death in the family (three week delay) and then (after two weeks of trying) decided that the Mongoose files would never work on Shapeways and would have to be done over. Worse, they decided that they didn't have time to start over.
So we recruited more sculptors, and recruiting went well. Master Sculptor Will McCammon is now leading the design team with three other sculptors, two of whom have deep workbenches full of ships already finished and done specifically for Shapeways from the start.
We'll save the specific menu of ships for opening day, but the store will open with over a dozen ships, some of them never seen as miniatures before. We'll then add more ships in a batch or four or more at the start of every month. (We want to do one release batch a month so you can get everything you want in one order.)
This project is going to be very exciting, but our plans are flexible and we will speed up, slow down, or change directions in response to the market.
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 Charlottesville, located in Charlottesville, Virginia. CO Ryan Opel reports that this group is active, running a monthly ongoing F&E game since Fall 2015. They are currently playing the Four Powers War as they bring a new player back up to speed.Check them out here: http://www.starfleetgames.com/battlegroup/battlegroup_charlottesville.shtml
Do you have a battle group? Be sure to report your activities here: http://www.starfleetgames.com/battlegroup/report.shtml
Facebook Fan Pages
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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 half of the third-round games played! Bill Schoeller is the judge.
Stay tuned for more about the 2017 Platinum Hat Tournament.
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 Third Way rules provide the Federation with a unique opportunity to add a second, almost damage-proof, free scout slot. Carrier battle groups (CVBGs) can include a single ship carrier as one of the two included carriers. By combining a standard carrier group with a CVL, the Federation gets an extra four-point scout that does not count against Command Rating limits, and boosts the survivability of the carrier group by adding a ship that is almost combat-equivalent to an NAE. Overstuffing the original carrier group with an extra DWA means that, with an FCR substitution, three Directed-Damage attacks will usually be required to force the extra scout off the line.
A Call To Arms: Star Fleet Tactic of the Month A DEFENSIVELY DRIVEN OFFENSE One of the things that becomes rapidly apparent in A Call to Arms: Star Fleet is that ship-vs.-ship combat is a lot more savage than it is in Star Fleet Battles. Often times in small engagements the fighting can be over in as little as two or three turns. This makes decisions on which Special Action you use crucial to your survival. Empires that have to rely on the Reload Weapons! Special Action in order to bring their heavy weapons back on line may need to take a moment to weigh the options. If you have already taken shield damage, it may be in your best interest to use the Boost Energy to Shields! Special Action over the Reload Weapons! Special Action. Both cause power drain, but the extra shield boxes you gain now can pay off in a bigger dividend than the threat of having heavy weapons ready for a next turn of combat that may not even be needed.
Starline 2500 Federation cruiser painted by Tony Thomas
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New Releases Communique #138 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
"A frigate captain gets his long-deserved promotion to cruiser command," ESS Major Mikel Kolmes says to the Kamwest camera. "And what happens? The ship doesn't work. It's just not right. Did he demand a ship inspection before he accepted command? No, he did not. He took the word of the previous captain and the squadron commander that the ship was fine. But it's not fine. It's not right. So, we're here to do a 'Kolmes Inspection' of the ship, find out what's not right, and make it right."
Out the forward windshield of the shuttlecraft, the D6 comes into view. Major Kolmes turns to watch the final approach. "Well, I can tell you one thing, without even setting foot on board," he says, "the engines aren't aligned ... they're not parallel. I can see how crooked they are. That means something is really wrong." The shuttle proceeds to land. Major Kolmes opens the door and dismounts, finding the captain waiting for him at the bottom of the ramp, flanked by Marines. "Captain Kumerian, I presume?" Major Kolmes says. "Indeed," Kumerian responds. "Thank you for coming. I need to take my ship into battle, but it's just not right." "Well," Major Kolmes says, "we're going to find out what's wrong and fix it. We're going to inspect things that should have been inspected before you took command. We're going to inspect things you don't even know need to be inspected. And we'll document everything for the courts-martial of the previous captain and your squadron commander." "Uh...." Kumerian responds. "Let's get busy!" Major Kolmes says. "First thing, take me to access compartment seven gamma delta, portside." "Why there?" Kumerian asks. "That's not what I called you for. I want to know why the disruptors won't hit their targets." "You'll never catch your target the way the engines are mounted," Major Kolmes says. "Do you really mean to tell me you didn't notice the portside engine is crooked?" (Continue reading here) Ask Admiral Vanaxilth Matthew Potter asks: How is the Meteor-HB3 different than the Meteor-HB2? Annex #4 of Module F1 has them with the same capabilities but with a different BPV, year in service, and rule reference. It seems the Meteor-HB3 should have a speed of 15. Also, it is somewhat unclear on whether the Meteor-H is a double-space fighter. Was it a conscious decision to lay off of the marks denoting double-space fighters and medium/heavy bombers?
Kommodore Ketrick replies: The Meteorite-HB3 (and all Meteorite bombers) were renamed "Planetoid" bombers. The Planetoid-3 is indeed Speed 15; this data is found in Module G3. The Planetoid-3 has a year in service of Y181. The Planetoid-2 has a year in service of Y179. We were in the process of changing the way we listed fighter sizes the last time we updated Module F1 and it may not have gotten in. Basically there is now a "size column" on the master fighter chart (Annex #4). Most fighters are size-1 (F-8, F-4, F-18), a very few are slightly larger and listed as size-1+ (F-14, F-15). Heavy fighters (which includes the Jindarian heavy fighter) are listed as size-2, except the Federation F-111 which is listed as size-2+ and the FB-111 which is listed as size-2.5. All medium bombers are size-3, and all heavy bombers are size-4. Size-2+ fighters can only be operated from semi-external mech-links and only the Federation deployed them. Size-2.5 and above cannot be operated from ships at all by any empire except the Jindarians (exception if you are using the "conjectural bomber barges" found in Stellar Shadows). The Jindarian asteroid ships can operate size-3 and size-4 bombers. Gregory Flusche asks: In Module F1 Jindarian asteroid ships may replace prospecting shuttles with fighters. There is no cost listed anywhere I can find, other then buying the fighter. In Module G3 Captain's options Annex #6 there is a listing "replace 1 admin with 1 fighter on ships where this is allowed per fighter -2." So is it -2 per fighter or what? ANSWER: A prospecting shuttle has the same combat BPV as a standard admin shuttle, so, yes. Francois Lemay asks: According to (P13.3), 10 is subtracted from the fighter's speed for purposes of calculating dust cloud damage to fighters. Does that mean my Hydran Stinger-1 at Speed 12 would actually use a speed of two to calculate damage in the chart under (P13.1)? Kommodore Ketrick replies: Yes. There is no speed at which the fighter will take damage unless it is moving faster than Speed 18 (warp pack, mega-pack, or being dragged by a tractor or some other condition resulting in a faster speed). The speed for dust cloud damage is based on Effective Speed (C2.412). Follow-up question: If a Speed-12 fighter is tractored and the ship is moving Speed 23 on Impulse #15, does the fighter also take a dust cloud damage point (since it is technically moving Speed 23 due to tractor) as well as the ship? Kommodore Ketrick replies: Tractor links are overrides. The fighter (or drone, or missile, or other tractored object) is no longer considered to be a fighter for purposes of dust (or asteroid or etc.) damage as long as it is held in the tractor and will be damaged at the effective speed at which it is moving. Gregory Flusche asks: I bought some SSDs and was very pleased as this gave me some new Romulan ships I did not have. Then I noticed that the fighters on the WarHawk are G-III-K and have what appears to be dogfight drones. Looking in my updated Master Rulebook, I see there are rules for the plasma-K torpedoes. So is there a refit for plasma fighters giving them plasma-K rails, and what product is it in? Kommodore Ketrick replies: See Module J2 which provided the ship description of the Gladiator-III-K improved torpedo fighter. (End of Admiral Vanaxilth) F&E Q&A
TUGS Q: In view of rules (509.1-D) and (412.23), can a tug validly assigned to the supply tug role (509.1-D) on the Phasing Turn later be converted at the beginning of combat of the Non-Phasing Turn to the "regular warship" role (509.1-M)?
Here is an example: On the Alliance Phase of Turn #11 the Federation designates a Federation tug to act as a supply point under rule (509.1-D) in hex 1704, co-located with the Kzinti starbase that is still there. On Coalition Turn #12 the Klingons and Lyrans send a large force to assault this starbase, and consequently also attack the supply tug. An approach battle is offered as required. After this is declined, the Alliance player asserts that he is converting the tug from Mission D (supply tug) to Mission M (regular warship). The Coalition player objects, stating that (509.1-M) says that regular warship is the only assignment that can be changed during the turn so it is not possible for the supply tug to change missions until Alliance Turn #12. A: The rules do not allow a supply tug to voluntarily change missions until the normal tug assignment step at the start of the owner's next turn, so the Federation player cannot change the tug to a regular warship. It might seem (based on SFB) that the tug can simply "drop its pods" and become a warship, but the supply tug mission is more than carrying pods; it involves a chain of freighters; the tug is just the "tip of the supply convoy."
Q: Continuing the above example, the Coalition player says that the tug cannot move because of rule (412.22). However, the Alliance player says that this cannot be the case, because an exception is provided in that "(412.23) COMBAT: If the tug is attacked, see (302.21). If the tug is forced to retreat or is destroyed, it immediately loses its status as a supply point." Thus, the Alliance player reasons, the tug can change missions. A: The tug can move, but doing so involves an involuntary loss of its status as a supply tug. That does not imply that it can voluntarily convert itself to a combat ship without retreating, which is impossible as per the previous question. See the ruling on (509.1-M) in this issue. Q: Rule (412.23) speaks of a tug being "forced to retreat" but since retreat cannot be forced the wording of this rule seems imprecise. What does it mean? A: See the ruling on (412.23) in this issue. The phrase "forced to retreat" refers to the tactical situation. This rule does not create an option to abandon the supply mission and still remain in the hex. Q: Can a tug assigned Mission W (509.1-W) that has rescued an allowable unit under (537.2) during the owner's phasing half of a turn also perform the same mission, should it be in combat in the owner's non-phasing portion of the turn? A: There is no enabling rule that permits a rescue tug to perform the mission twice in a turn cycle (so it can't). However, if the tug were assigned the rescue mission during the Phasing Player Turn but did not perform any rescue tug actions during that phasing turn, then said tug may be used in the following Non-Phasing Turn as a rescue tug. (End of F&E Q&A)
ASK AUNT JEAN
Dear Aunt Jean, How goes the GURPS Prime Directive revision? A: Chapter 2, which focuses on the species and empires, is out to the Prime Directive team for proofreading and checking. It includes more on the Inter-Stellar Concordium as an empire. All of the species who form the ISC have been fleshed out. The book now includes a chart with height and weight ranges for the species, including those from other sourcebooks. All the academy templates that were in GPD 3e have been restored and "Shake and Bake School" has been added.
Chapter 3 is in the office for internal checking before being released for the team to check. It has more advantages and disadvantages (no more blind references from the species!) and more explanations that are needed to fully understand the traits. If a particular advantage, disadvantage, or skill is not included in our book (we left out some of the more esoteric ones) but is mentioned in the text, we've marked it so you know where to go next.
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 MonthTHE KZINTI STEAMROLLER Much ado has been made over the "Gorn Anchor" and the "Klingon Sabre-Dance", but what about the Kzintis? Standard Kzinti doctrine has always been to launch two successive waves of drones and then follow them in, but what exactly is the best way to accomplish this goal?
By using the Kzinti Steamroller. While traveling at a Base Speed of 24, launch your full complement of drones at a single target on Impulse #8 of any turn. On Impulse #1 of the next turn, launch another salvo of drones (up to your control limits). This should give you a large stack of drones in the same hex. In order to allow the drones to reach the target slightly before you do, you have two options: If power is not a problem, you may pay to cancel a Movement Point. If you need to conserve that power, sideslip in either direction, then as soon as your sideslip mode has been fulfilled, sideslip back the other direction in behind the drones. Now your opponent has two options: 1. Deal with the incoming wave of drones and allow your ship (with loaded disruptors) to close on him unabated, or 2. Ignore the drones and fire at your vessel as it approaches. Either way, your opponent is going to feel like he's been run over by a steamroller.
There are many circumstances in which the direct-fire weapons of a player's ship are unlikely to penetrate the opponent's facing shield in a single volley. Common reasons include long range, diversion of phasers to stop enemy seeking weapons, the use of non-crunch weapons such as disruptors, and just not having quite enough firepower for some other reason.
The conventional wisdom is that the best offensive tactic is to combine all of your fire onto a single shield, reducing it to minimal levels, and then try to maneuver so as to hit the weak shield with a full volley on a later turn, causing internal damage (on that later turn). The problem is, the enemy will try very hard to keep you from targeting that weakened shield, using relative speed, turn modes, high energy turns, tactical maneuvers, sideslips, and every other trick in the book. After all, the enemy player has at least two more full-strength forward shields behind which to attack. If your fire on a later turn falls on a full shield (and you may have no choice but to go ahead and fire) you still won't cause internal damage. There is a better (but counter-intuitive) way! Split your initial fire against two or three of those forward shields. (This will probably mean using a few maneuvers and firing on different impulses.) Any serious hit (e.g., half a volley) will weaken such a shield to the point that a full volley on a later turn will penetrate it (even if only with a few damage points). The argument is that your initial non-penetrating volley is not really going to do anything but restrict his maneuver, and if you can seriously weaken two or even all three forward shields, your enemy will have to accept that any offensive maneuver he makes will mean taking internal damage. This paper earned the Kumerian Prize for original thinking. (End of SFB Tactic of the Month)
Demotivationals Throughout the month our graphics director places on the website various cards called Demotivationals. These are like postcards with an image and a phrase that is often used for humor. Here are the newest demotivationals since our last newsletter: Jean and the Pirates!
Facebook Highlight of the Month Great game happening between Dave Cheng and Peter Bakija on SFB Online.
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show our games and to teach potential players some basics. 
