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October 2018
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Star Fleet Universe News BIG NEWS: ADB Releases Ships for October!
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 arent violating something somehow (or that you didnt 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 FLEETS LEGIONS EXPAND: This month we feature Battle Group Toronto, Canada. CO Sebastian Palozzi reports that this group is active, playing Star Fleet Battles, Federation Commander, and A Call to Arms: Star Fleet. One member, Art Trotman, is a frequent contributor of Federation Commander scenarios for Communique. Read more here: http://www.starfleetgames.com/battlegroup/battlegroup_toronto.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 theres 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 Masters 2018 has 14 of the 16 Round 1 games played and one of the Round 2 games is completed. Andy Koch is the judge in this "just for fun" tournament.
Rated Ace Tournament 48 is being played with all of the first and second round matches completed and one of the four Round 3 games completed. Ron Brimeyer has volunteered to be the judge.
DEMOS AND CONS WITH SFU GAMES Council of Five Nations was held in Schenectady, New York from October 5 to 7. They report a good turnout for their Star Fleet Battles tournament.
On October 13 From 2-5 pm at Rocket City Gaming Lounge (819 New York Avenue, Alamogordo, New Mexico) Ranger James Darby will be hosting a Federation Commander demo. 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 theres a game scheduled. They meet at The Gamers Haven, 2114 N. Pines St., Suites 1 & 2, Spokane Valley, WA 99206, (509) 443-5992 http://www.thegamershaven.net/ 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 Commanders Circle. FC Forum Recent Posts
F&E Strategy of the Month An empire, particularly the Klingons and the Kzintis, may start the game with sub-optimal escorts. Examples include the Klingon E4A versus the F5E, the Kzinti EFF versus the FKE, the Kzinti CLE versus the MEC, and others for both of these empires and to a lesser extent other empires. Lets call these dated, or sub-optimal, escorts "legacy escorts."
As the war progresses, for most games, the legacy escorts are no longer needed for escort duty. Often they are used for pin count, or perhaps to support a carrier intended for use sending fighters forward from the support echelon during combat. While these are perfectly valid uses for your legacy escorts, consider putting them into combat at selected locations where you are not in danger of losing them on pursuit ‹ and then crippling them. Return these crippled legacy escorts to your depot facilities and begin the process of dumping them into depot level repair tracks on subsequent turns. Note that with the recent ruling on depot repair, you can place one crippled escort in each track type (say, one EFF in the Kzinti FF track plus one CLE in the Kzinti CL track). During any turn the unit is in the depot tracks it can be unconverted per (424.31). This way, you can return the legacy escort to its base hull type. So, an EFF can become an FF or a CLE can become a CL.
Both the repair and the "unconversion" are free and use no repair capacity. Whereas repairing and unconverting an E4A would cost two Economic Points, using the depot process costs nothing. The economic cost can be considerable if you use this process for many ships. For example, for the Kzintis if you use this process over the course of the game for 10 EFFs and 10 CLEs, you will save 50 Economic Points ‹ most of which are saved when your economy is at its weakest. Of course, you are paying the opportunity cost of four turns without use of a ship. However, over the course of the full General War, that is only about 1/8 to 1/9 of game time, and you save considerable Economic Points and the conversion capacity. The unconverted ship, while still outclassed by later war hulls, is more useful than a legacy escort for duty as a picket ship or even on the line during combat. A Call To Arms: Star Fleet Tactic of the Month
(End of A Call to Arms: Star Fleet Tactic of the Month)
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New Releases Communique #154 has been posted to the Commanders Circle Click here to see our previous issues of Hailing Frequencies. Recently Released To be released in 2018
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.
SHAPEWAYS:
We’re now offering some of our miniatures and some new designs on Shapeways. You can check out the store here: https://www.shapeways.com/shops/amarillo-design-bureau-inc?sort=newest
PDF and EBOOK SALES: RECENTLY RELEASED ON Warehouse 23
Bridge, Klingon D7 Devastator
"Federation ship has launched a probe!" Lieutenant Korm reported. "And a drone!" "Target and bearing?" Korath demanded. "Toward the star, not us or the Tholian," Korm replied. "Probably a probe drone like the two we have already used." "Communications Officer," Korath ordered, "send this signal to all ships, and make sure the Romulan ship gets a copy. ŒNo ship of the joint science squadron is to launch a probe or probe drone without first announcing this fact to the others. All ships are to take all weapons off line. All combat drones on racks are to be de-fuzed and made safe. Fire control systems are to be on low-power settings only. The special science squadron is confident that the Tholian Assembly will cooperate in the spirit of the event. Send it now." "We have no way to check that part about weapons being taken off line," Kyrolian said. "Do you want me to have it done for our weapons?" "Of course not," Korath said. "I wouldnt. Grey will assume we did not, and he will not do so either." "So the message is just for the pages of history?" Kyrolian asked, trying to avoid any hint of sarcasm. "Its on the record so that the diplomats can assign blame," Korath said. "Given that, take one of your drone racks out of service and make sure the other has only probe drones. If I send a war shot at Grey, I want it to be on purpose. And drop the fire control to low power. That will be enough for probes and probe drones. We are not here to fight anybody. This is a scientific mission. If fighting starts, we will withdraw 300,000 killikams and wait for calm to return." "Very well," Kyrolian and Korm said simultaneously. The two exchanged glances. Why was the most aggressive commodore in the fleet, one with a personal antagonism for the Federation commander present, giving orders to pull out of combat if it started? Did Korath lose his nerve when he lost his ship? Kyrolian wondered silently. Well see what happens, but my ship is not going to run from a battle.
"Commodore," Kilgore murmured quietly in his ear. "Not now, Lieutenant," Korath said under his breath. "We will be here for at least a tenday. I will brief him when I am ready to leave the bridge and get some sleep." Kyrolian knew that the Commodore and his flag lieutenant were talking quietly about something, but could not hear it. No matter, he thought to himself. I have been given all of the information I need to make an informed decision in a crisis. (Continue reading here)
Ask Admiral Vanaxilth Plasma Torpedoes
Gregory Flusche asks: I am holding a plasma-S torpedo in a type-R torpedo launcher. Next turn, I want to upgrade and launch a plasma-R torpedo. I pay two points for holding and one point to upgrade. Or, is it only one point to upgrade, and no cost in Energy Allocation? ANSWER: You cannot upgrade the torpedo during Energy Allocation, per (FP1.96). You would need to pay two points to hold the plasma-S torpedo, else it would be ejected from the tube. Launching it as a plasma-R torpedo would require the application of one point of reserve power during the turn. Dennis Surdu asks: If a plasma sabot torpedo does a high energy turn on an impulse it is scheduled to move twice, can it do a high energy turn and still move one hex? Or, move one hex and then do the high energy turn? ANSWER: Yes, see (FP11.313). F&E Q&A
OVERLOADED SELTORIAN TUGS Q: Would a Seltorian LTT be considered overloaded when carrying a Klingon-provided KVAP pod? Would a Seltorian tug be considered overloaded when carrying two KVAP pods? This is a double-weight pod for Klingon tugs and LTTs.
A: Yes, they would be overloaded. (End of F&E Q&A)
ASK AUNT JEAN
Dear Aunt Jean, Is there any progress on the GURP Prime Directive revision? A: Chapter 7 which is on Technology and which includes weapons has been sent out to the team for review. The good news is that the charts there will look far more like what you are used to in GURPS. Chapter 8 is being put into a draft form with new charts. Right now I am on page 162 of the old book. The new technology chapter ends on p. 274 (instead of p. 152).
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 MonthTWO BITES AT THE CHERRY When protecting a ship with your aegis-equipped escort, you can use accelerations and decelerations to use almost all of the aegis ships phasers on a single drone wave, no matter what arcs the phasers have. (This assumes that the escort and the target are flying at the same baseline speed.) As the drone wave approaches, get a few hexes closer to the drones than the target ship, and directly between the drones and the target. Time this so the drones will be in the same hex or at least near the aegis ship during the Offensive Fire Phase of an impulse. Engage the drones with any facing weapons. Then, during the Movement Phase of the next impulse, allow the drones to fly past and impact the target ship, but keep the target ship in the arc of the unfired weapons on the aegis ship. If possible move the two ships closer to each other (Range Zero is ideal). During the Defensive Fire Phase, the aegis ship will be able to shoot the impacted drones once again with the phasers that were out of arc the first time.
Most players are aware of aegis, but may not have considered how aegis works. We all know that it allows you to fire, assess damage, fire again, and on for a total of four volleys. The devil, as they say, is in the details.
Under (D13.142) a ship equipped with aegis can skip an aegis-firing step. So when you have an aegis-equipped ship in a squadron (Klingons have lots of ships with limited aegis in their D5 class), other ships can benefit. Reserve your aegis weapons for the second or later firings. Your non-aegis-equipped ships (and the non-aegis weapons on some aegis-equipped ships) have to declare all of their fire. Once this fire is resolved against approaching seeking weapons, you can then use the second firing opportunity of your ships with limited aegis against any seeking weapons that were not destroyed. Lets say that a D7 used its anti-drone and picked off the drone that was within one hex of your D5. This allows your D5 to now use its anti-drones in the second aegis firing step to fire at drones further away rather than as a last desperate attempt to save itself from that drone. When you have an aegis unit, you must (on each impulse) evaluate what the most dangerous seeking weapons are, and reserve the aegis weapons for their second firing opportunity after seeing the effects of the non-aegis ships defensive fire. (End of SFB Tactic of the Month)
Facebook Highlight of the Month
Mini of the Month Tholian Battleship (3788 Scale, Smooth Fine Plastic) painted by Barton Pyle
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show our games and to teach potential players some basics. 
