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The BIG NEWS this issue is the release of the long-awaited Hydran Pegasus miniature, along with Squadron Box #27 (which includes the Pegasus), the Klingon B9 Fast Battleship miniature, and the ROMULAN ARMADA book.
Jean continues to improve our page on Facebook, adding many new photos and other features. Mike Sparks has released another video on our YouTube page.
Joel Shutts, our new graphics director has been helping out around the company and on the site. He has also been dealing with several websites that have violated our copyright for the past few weeks, but the battle is going well.
Our combined and reorganized website, www.StarFleetGames.com, continues to grow and improve. You are welcome to send us your requests, comments, and suggestions.
Our Star Blog has moved to a new URL but all links on the federation commander websites and the first site have been changed to match. the new site is http://federationcommander.blogspot.com
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 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. 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. New FC Scenario Database and Master Ship Chart documents have been uploaded. Check it out!
YOu can subscribe to our newsletter in the Federation Commander page under Free Opt-In Newsletter.
The Federation Commander Site and Forum continue to grow as more gamers find it. All our our games have topics in the Forum. If you have any comments, questions, or requests for our Graphics Director, this is the place to let him know.
We have added sections to the Forum to cover all the games of the SFU. 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!
- Cadet Tim Bunch, USS Louisiana
If a Lyran ship is holding drones in tractor beams, another Lyran ship may destroy them by using its ESGs in the Offensive Fire Phase. By firing one more pulse than the number of drones held, the "target" ship will take four points of damage to the shield facing the ESG-pulsing ship. However, its tractors will now be clear for use in the following turn, and it will not have to waste phasers and energy to destroy the drones.
(End of FC Tactic of the Month)
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 Joel Shutts (Graphics Director) with your request. Visit our Star Fleet Café Press Store for a complete listing of the products available.
DECEPTIVE SCATTER-PACKS
- Ensign David Jannke, USS Texas
Using a spare shuttle as a fake scatter-pack is a good idea to keep your true scatter-pack(s) alive, or at least give your opponent more to shoot at. Unfortunately when a fake scatter-pack is destroyed your opponent will know he has been fooled. If you are trying to keep the mystery alive, just dedicate two deck crews to load a single type-VI drone onto a shuttle. They will be done very quickly and, when destroyed, the shuttle will register as a true scatter-pack. Note in most cases the ship will have to spend Commander's Option Points to purchase a type-VI drone, and ships that do not have the capability to use a type-VI drone normally cannot use this tactic.
(End of SFB Tactic of the Month)
COALITION BLOCKADE RUNNERS
- Cadet Fabio Poli, MM Italia
A good use of the Coalition blockade-runner raid spot is for delivering economic points to the Klingons from the Lyran treasury. A Lyran tug "delivers" to the Klingon capital and a Klingon tug "picks up" from the Lyran capital.
Twenty economic points delivered and you used none of your Strategic Movement allowance.
(End of F&E Strategy of the Month)
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!
Animated Series Romulan KR By Mike Raper
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Communique #53 has been posted to the Commander's Circle.
RECENTLY RELEASED
Romulan Armada, SKU 6102, $16.95
Hydran Pegasus, miniature, SKU 0912, $9.95
Squadron Box #27, SKU 4327, $34.95
Klingon B9 Fast Battleship miniature, SKU 0385, $19.95
TO BE RELEASED 24 MAY 2010
Captain's Log #41, SKU 5741, $19.95]
Federation Fleet Box #4, Stock #0210, $39.95
Klingon Fleet Box #3, Stock #0302, $39.95
Romulan Carrier Group Box, Stock #0405, $39.95
Kzinti Carrier Group Box, Stock #0501, $39.95
TO BE RELEASED AT ORIGINS
Federation Commander: WAR & PEACE, SKU 4108, $TBA
Booster Packs #28, #29, #30, SKU 4228, 4229, 4230, $9.95 each
SFB Module R12 Unique Ships, SKU 5633, $TBA
TO BE RELEASED 19 JULY (AVALIABLE AT ORIGINS)
Squadron Box #28 Vudar, Stock #4328, $34.95
Squadron Box #29 ISC, Stock #4329, $34.95
Squadron Box #30 Andros, Stock #4330, $34.95
Federation Carrier Group Box, Stock #0213, $39.95
Klingon Carrier Group Box, Stock #0315, $39.95
Border Box #10, SKU 4410, $99.95
OTHER PRODUCTS FOR 2010, DATA TO BE DETERMINED
SFB Module C3A Andromedan Threat File, SKU TBA, $TBA
Borders of Madness #1
FC Booster Pack #93, #94, #95
Captain's Log #42, SKU 5742, $19.95
Battlestations Star Fleet
Star Fleet Assault
Romulans PD20M, SKU 8734, $24.95
Prime Directive Federation (GURPS, PD20M)
Federation Commander Briefing #3, SKU 4023, $TBA
Federation Admiral, data to be determined
Bridge, USS Genghis
__For the second time in the battle, Shrin Tasrt stared in amazement. The Groton was launching torpedoes. Two brilliantly glowing orbs of destruction were flying toward the Romulan's down rear shield with a speed that seemed agonizingly slow. The torpedoes, obviously fired in an all or nothing gamble as a narrow salvo, traveled so close together they were almost touching. There was a sudden hush on the bridge as all eyes were drawn to the main view screen which showed the Romulan limping away.
Then cheers rang out as the two torpedoes exploded against the rear section of the SparrowHawk. The ship exploded seconds later with a blinding flash as the matter-antimatter reaction that powered the ship stormed out of control.
The Genghis rocked gently in the explosion. It had been just far enough away to avoid taking anything but minor shield damage. Then the cheers died down as everyone remembered the plasma torpedoes. Tasrt looked back at the screen just in time to see the plasmas travel the last few kilometers that took them within sensor range of their semi-intelligent warheads.
The torpedoes detonated. But not against the starship that had been their target. Tasrt stared in surprise once more. He had missed the Groton's launch of the decoy shuttle at the last second. He had been too busy watching the salvo of photon torpedoes destroy the enemy cruiser. He swiveled his chair around to face his First Officer.
"C'Dlett, status of the Groton? And of the Romulans?" He added, almost as an afterthought. He watched as the Arcturian peered at his library screen.
"The Groton is heavily damaged sir. The collateral damage from the torpedo explosions took down her last shield. Damage is extensive." He watched as C'Dlett made a few more adjustments to his computers. "Romulans are withdrawing, Captain. And the Dorsey Pender has arrived."
"Good. If the Romulans had attacked again, we would have been hard pressed to keep them off of the Groton. They must have been unnerved by the destruction of the cruiser and decided to withdraw after they detected the Dorsey Pender. Otherwise, I'm not sure that even the Dorsey Pender and we could have driven them off if they had been determined to stay."
He turned around and studied the display showing the Groton. Jankae had fought a good fight. He hoped the Cygnan had survived. They would need good officers for the war that was now staring them in the face.
"Alright. Helm, take us closer to the Groton. C'Dlett, lets get a few damage control teams over there to help them out. Let's get them stabilized so they can take a tow. This may be a long war, and I'm betting we'll need every ship we have before it is over."
He didn't know it, but he had never been more right in his life.
(Continue reading here)
EXPANDING SPHERE GENERATORS
Neil Murphy asks: My Hydran opponent has tractored me at a range of two. Then my radius-two ESG activates, we referred to the book and decided the Hydran does not take any damage until one of us moves.
That is not my question.
On a later impulse, both of our ships are scheduled to move. I moved (moving both our ships due to the tractor) and the Hydran moved, dragging me back to the same position.
There is a Hydran fighter at Range 3 (outside the field), and a Lyran shuttle at Range 1 (inside the field). When our ships move, the Hydran fighter temporarily goes to Range 2 (hitting the ESG?) and ends up back at Range 3. My shuttle goes to Range 2 (hitting the ESG?) and ends up back at Range 1.
Does anyone take ESG damage from this?
ANSWER: Per (G23.5732), the Hydran ship does not take ESG damage unless he voluntarily chooses to do so. The fighter and shuttle do not take damage, since the ships never actually moved. (The "temporary movement" is simply a game artifice to calculate the actual movement that really happened.)
Andy Vancil asks: A Lyran ship enters a hex containing an enemy shuttle. During (6B6), the Lyran raises an ESG at radius zero. By (G23.562), the shuttle is outside the ESG. During (6B8), the shuttle attempts to crash the Lyran shuttle bay. Does the ESG prevent this? Logically, you would think the shuttle would hit the ESG. On the other hand, I cannot find any provision in the rules for ESGs damaging units outside of the Movement segment. The Hydran, planning to fire hellbores, wants the shuttle to attempt to land in an effort to reduce the sphere prior to fire. If the ESG would prevent the shuttle from landing, would it prevent a Souldra shard from attaching?
ANSWER: While it is not described as such, shuttle landing is essentially "movement" toward the ship for purposes of (G23.562). It might result in damage out of the normal Sequence of Play. See (G23.571) (". . . the target cannot 'jump' across the field unharmed . . ."). As for Souldra shards, they would take damage prior to attaching.
William T. Wilson asks: A ship in 2215A has a radius-zero ESG up. An enemy ship is in 2214D. The next impulse is called, and both ships move ahead. Is this "jumping" the ESG resulting in impact? Or is this "moving clear" of the ESG resulting in no impact? It looks like impact. Suppose the situation is more ambiguous. A ship in 2215A is generating a radius-zero ESG. An enemy ship is in 2214E. Both ships move. The ESG ship moves into 2214A, then then the enemy ship moves into 2115. Is there impact? Would it matter if the enemy ship moved first?
ANSWER: In the first case, it is clearly a case of "jumping", and there is indeed an impact. In the second case, (G23.572) states that the target avoids the field.
Christopher Young asks: In our civil war game I raised a radius-three ESG and my opponent raised two radius-one ESGs. Our ships were at Range 4 so the ESGs overlapped. According to the rules for ESG vs. ESG, it appears that all fields fail and the energy is lost. The only consideration would have been would both of my opponent's fields fail or just one?
ANSWER: All of the ESGs fail.
(End of Ask Admiral Growler)
REPAIRS AND SALVAGE
Q: Can an empire voluntarily destroy its own existing base? There are (admittedly bizarre) cases under which this would be a good thing to do.
A:Rules to allow this were added in F&E 2010..
Q: Rule (539.72) third paragraph states that two theater transports working together can move a mobile base. Can two theater transports working together move a FRD?
A: Sorry, but no. The rule very specifically lists what a theater transport can carry. An FRD is not listed, so, it may not.
Q: On Turn #2 of the General War, the Lyrans want to set up a mobile base at 1509, which is out of Lyran supply range. They can, nonetheless, use Strategic Movement (costing the Klingons a move, as well) to get to 1509, set up the base normally, and leave during Turn #3, without costing anyone homeless/expeditionary EPs. Or did I miss something?
A: Rule (510.0) provides all the information for mobile bases. It states in (510.11) that a mobile base does not provide supplies and such a base is out of supply if not connected to a supply grid. Anyone can set up a mobile base out of supply, but it has no effect until connected to a supply grid. So, in this example, the Lyrans can set up the mobile base there, but it will do nothing for them until it is connected to the Lyran supply grid.
(Continues here)
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 100405 April Releases(Adobe Acrobat Required)
Alert 100121 February Releases (Adobe Acrobat Required)
Alert 91229 New Year (Adobe Acrobat Required)
Alert 91221 Christmas (Adobe Acrobat Required)
Alert 91215 Schedule (Adobe Acrobat Required)
B-9 by Tony Thomas
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