March 2010

SFB Tactic of the month [continued]

HEY ROCKHEAD, ENERGIZE THE ECCM

In the Omega Octant, the Trobrin are uniquely armed with the radiation phasers that, unlike other phasers, do a set amount of damage per shot, hitting automatically. Thus at range three a radiation phaser-1 does five points of damage to any target.
        
Now this can be modified by electronic warfare shifts per (OE1.243), which states "EW shifts affect the damage caused by subtracting or adding one half of a point of damage per phaser at the listed bracket for every +2 shift to the weapon . . ."
        
So if your target has six ECM on, and you have zero ECCM, your radiation phasers will lose a half-point of damage each. However, if you have six ECCM and your target has zero ECM, your radiation phasers will gain a half-point of damage each!
        
While this might not seem like a good investment of power (six points of power devoted to ECCM to gain a half-point of damage per radiation phaser), Trobrin ships should have their ECCM powered up anyway to support their implosion bolt heavy weapons (think a bolted plasma-S torpedo).
        
A Trobrin CA can bring four radiation phaser-1s to bear in any direction, plus two radiation phaser-3s with RX firing arcs (which can shoot out to range-12). So Trobrin ships armed with implosion bolts with six ECCM generated will gain two points of damage (but this could be as much as four points if all the radiation phasers are in arc). Not a lot for making sure your ECCM is at maximum level, but the clincher is that radiation phasers always hit.
        
Now if you are lucky enough to have a scout, make sure you have powered its special sensors to loan six ECCM to one of your Trobrin ships. This allows that Trobrin ship to have twelve ECCM, allowing each phaser to gain a half-point of damage, if your target does not have any ECM generated of course. Even if he wants to reduce your damage, it will take six points of ECM on his part to stop your additional damage.
        
So if your Trobrin forces have power to burn on this, you can inflict additional damage upon your opponent, with his only recourse being to use up his generated power to energize his ECM. Your opponent will be forced to make sure that he generates at least some ECM to prevent these increases in automatic damage.
        
This boon of damage also plays well with Trobrin fighters and PFs (once they are introduced), but also Bolosco ships which are equipped with radiation phasers.
        
Trobrin fighters can energize their ECCM via electronic warfare pods, boosting the damage they deliver without any use of power generators (i.e., warp, APR, or impulse). If 12xTrobrin Binding Fighters (each of which has two radiation phaser-3s) gain an additional point of damage, that is a gain of additional twelve damage points per turn (not too shabby for some measly fighters).
        
So do not discount the radiation phasers in action.



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