Never show mercy- And what I mean by that is fire everything you can, sometimes excluding if the energy is needed for anything else.
Never Overload Photons except at the instant of firing (The only exception being if at the end of the turn you have extra energy. You never want to spend more energy then you need to for holding costs.)
Never Cloak when you need to fire, except with Chang's Bird of Prey (An obvious tactic.)
Any others?
(Administrators, my apologies, this should be in tactics. Feel free to move it.)
Strategies that can be learned in 1 game
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USS Enterprise
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MajerBlundor
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USS Enterprise
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Re: Strategies that can be learned in 1 game
That shows that someone has only played a few games and come away with some bad assumptions. Paying 1 power to hold and 2/4 power to overload at the point of firing restricts you more during a turn than paying 2 power to hold.USS Enterprise wrote: Never Overload Photons except at the instant of firing (The only exception being if at the end of the turn you have extra energy. You never want to spend more energy then you need to for holding costs.)
The better strategy would be:
Asses the situation and decide whether you can afford to pay extra power to hold (or finish loading) standards and also fire overload in the same turn, or whether paying for overloads fully and then having the extra power next turn is better. [edit: or whether trying for overloads is even useful]]
[follow-up to storyelf's comments]
Indeed.
The only rule in tactics is that there are no rules. Every scenario is different and requires a different playbook. Every opponent brings a different and dangerous mindset to the map.
The game isn't just the basic duel, or even-point squadron battle.
"Close and hose" has its place in the playbook and its uses. However, if your opponent starts to read your "tells" and knows your plays, you are doomed to repeated losses when he uses an effective "counter move". The "saber dance" works beautifully to frustrate overload-minded Feds (when executed well).
Some scenarios may make your labs and probe launcher the most important things on your ship. Other fights may hinge more on clever use of your tractors, than anything else (the "Gorn Anchor" is famous). Sometimes, keeping your ship intact just long enough to do one transporter operation and then "get the heck out of Dodge" is more important than any damage you could do to the bad guy.
The best of the best (and I do not consider myself in those ranks; but I'm learning) can adapt and succeed in any situation.
Indeed.
The only rule in tactics is that there are no rules. Every scenario is different and requires a different playbook. Every opponent brings a different and dangerous mindset to the map.
The game isn't just the basic duel, or even-point squadron battle.
"Close and hose" has its place in the playbook and its uses. However, if your opponent starts to read your "tells" and knows your plays, you are doomed to repeated losses when he uses an effective "counter move". The "saber dance" works beautifully to frustrate overload-minded Feds (when executed well).
Some scenarios may make your labs and probe launcher the most important things on your ship. Other fights may hinge more on clever use of your tractors, than anything else (the "Gorn Anchor" is famous). Sometimes, keeping your ship intact just long enough to do one transporter operation and then "get the heck out of Dodge" is more important than any damage you could do to the bad guy.
The best of the best (and I do not consider myself in those ranks; but I'm learning) can adapt and succeed in any situation.
The biggest thing to remember is that there are no strategies that can be learned in one game. There are constants that re the same from wargame-to-wargame-to-wargame.
these being concentration of fire, beware of flanking manuevers, etc.
The one thing I try to instill in new players is the value of having six shields. Remember that you get no bonus points for bringing back shield boxes. As you aprroach your opponents, use your manueverability to keep a good shield towards the enemy... then as you pull away (especially if sabre-dancing), do the same thing.
Ask the guys from Battlegroup Acadiana how well that tactic worked for me at Coastcon. By the time the stinking, over-plasma'd Orion and cold-blooded, scaley Gorn managed to run me down - I had a grand total of 11 shield boxes left (spread between all 6 shields) and had taken-out or helped to severely cripple 3 other cruisers.
these being concentration of fire, beware of flanking manuevers, etc.
The one thing I try to instill in new players is the value of having six shields. Remember that you get no bonus points for bringing back shield boxes. As you aprroach your opponents, use your manueverability to keep a good shield towards the enemy... then as you pull away (especially if sabre-dancing), do the same thing.
Ask the guys from Battlegroup Acadiana how well that tactic worked for me at Coastcon. By the time the stinking, over-plasma'd Orion and cold-blooded, scaley Gorn managed to run me down - I had a grand total of 11 shield boxes left (spread between all 6 shields) and had taken-out or helped to severely cripple 3 other cruisers.
Commander, Battlegroup Murfreesboro
Department Head, ACTASF
Department Head, ACTASF
Yup.
I flew a Fed CS against my group's Klingon in an SD7 in our last session. I'm slowly getting better with expanding my "playbook" and did easily the best maneuvering I've ever done in that game and the results were similar. I'm discovering that "maneuver is the heart of SFB [and FedCom]" is indeed a true adage.
My ship was considerably less maneuverable, but over the course of the game I made good choices and kept getting fresh shields to him when he fired or when drones snuck through.
Bad dice robbed me of half my photon hits on the initial battle-pass. With that "reality check" in place, I decided I either won that fight with phasers and turns, or I was toast.
I managed two "Surprise!, you forgot my RH phasers" shots (one killing a drone, the other was a close-range shot through a down shield on his ship with hot dice. That RH phaser shot won me the game. Hot dice on the phaser table, and a 6 for him on the damage table - yanking most of his remaining weapons.
We ended with my ship having received trivial burn-through damage through the course of the game (some repaired), minor power damage, about half my "padding" gone, and having lost half my photon tubes to hit and run raids. All of my shields were in tatters.
However, my power was almost full, my phaser array was intact, my drone rack reloaded, and my remaining photons about to be loaded again.
His SD7 was toothless (other than his ADD), with two down shields, others damaged, and considerable power issues. He (reluctantly) conceded when we ran out of time.
"Big crunch" didn't win me that fight. It helped (half of it did at least...), but what won that battle was phasers, turns, a bit of luck, and the more robust nature of Fed ships.
Had the roles been reversed (maybe someday he'll want to fly something other than a Klingon...
) I would have denied the Fed a close-in firing opportunity. My opponent didn't leverage the significant turning advantage he had to get behind me and stay there (yes an HET can be done, but that's magic you just have to allow for). He kept letting me turn away before he could line up his strikes the way he wanted and losing that "wear me down" factor cost him the game.
I flew a Fed CS against my group's Klingon in an SD7 in our last session. I'm slowly getting better with expanding my "playbook" and did easily the best maneuvering I've ever done in that game and the results were similar. I'm discovering that "maneuver is the heart of SFB [and FedCom]" is indeed a true adage.
My ship was considerably less maneuverable, but over the course of the game I made good choices and kept getting fresh shields to him when he fired or when drones snuck through.
Bad dice robbed me of half my photon hits on the initial battle-pass. With that "reality check" in place, I decided I either won that fight with phasers and turns, or I was toast.
I managed two "Surprise!, you forgot my RH phasers" shots (one killing a drone, the other was a close-range shot through a down shield on his ship with hot dice. That RH phaser shot won me the game. Hot dice on the phaser table, and a 6 for him on the damage table - yanking most of his remaining weapons.
We ended with my ship having received trivial burn-through damage through the course of the game (some repaired), minor power damage, about half my "padding" gone, and having lost half my photon tubes to hit and run raids. All of my shields were in tatters.
However, my power was almost full, my phaser array was intact, my drone rack reloaded, and my remaining photons about to be loaded again.
His SD7 was toothless (other than his ADD), with two down shields, others damaged, and considerable power issues. He (reluctantly) conceded when we ran out of time.
"Big crunch" didn't win me that fight. It helped (half of it did at least...), but what won that battle was phasers, turns, a bit of luck, and the more robust nature of Fed ships.
Had the roles been reversed (maybe someday he'll want to fly something other than a Klingon...
) I would have denied the Fed a close-in firing opportunity. My opponent didn't leverage the significant turning advantage he had to get behind me and stay there (yes an HET can be done, but that's magic you just have to allow for). He kept letting me turn away before he could line up his strikes the way he wanted and losing that "wear me down" factor cost him the game.-
USS Enterprise
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I should have clarified my meaning that these strategies are for a duel scenario only.
That's all I've played.
What I meant was, when overloading Phots, normally do it when about to fire, just as a general guideline.
That's all I've played.
What I meant was, when overloading Phots, normally do it when about to fire, just as a general guideline.
"The good of the many outweighs the good of the few"
"Since my customary greeting would seem entirely self serving, I will simply say good luck."
"Live long and Prosper."
"Since my customary greeting would seem entirely self serving, I will simply say good luck."
"Live long and Prosper."
Good going, Will. There's nothing quite like the "Gotcha" manuever. I'd been on both the giving and the receiving end of it.
A long range shot with an until just recently out of arc or forgotten shield can provide one of those "Priceless" moments:
Energy Cost at Speed 16: 16 energy
Shield Reinforcement: 4 energy
Seeing the look on the Klinks face as the RH phaser fires through a down shield:
PRICELESS!
A long range shot with an until just recently out of arc or forgotten shield can provide one of those "Priceless" moments:
Energy Cost at Speed 16: 16 energy
Shield Reinforcement: 4 energy
Seeing the look on the Klinks face as the RH phaser fires through a down shield:
PRICELESS!
Commander, Battlegroup Murfreesboro
Department Head, ACTASF
Department Head, ACTASF
If a drone is targetted on you and you have time... launch a drone in anti-drone mode. The hit is gaurenteed and it still leaves a phaser for use against a more valuable target.pinecone wrote:If a drone is targetted on you and you have a good phaser arc, don't shoot till at point blank range.
If a drone is targetted on you and you've got time - tractor it and let it's duration run out.
If a drone is targetted on you and you have allies, let one of them tractor it and separate to increase the range. Once released, it may run out of endurance prior to impact.
Unless the object of the scenario is not the complete and utter destruction of the enemy ship.Never show mercy- And what I mean by that is fire everything you can, sometimes excluding if the energy is needed for anything else
Probably the most true of all the listed "strategies", but still open for debate.Never Overload Photons except at the instant of firing...
As storyelf and dood previously stated, having a standard strategy is a bad idea. Tactical situations are ever changing and your strategies should be fluid as well.
Commander, Battlegroup Murfreesboro
Department Head, ACTASF
Department Head, ACTASF
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General Chang
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I've only played two games personally, but have guided friends through several more. The minimum number of players we've had has been 4, the majority of games have had 6, and one game has had 8 players.
This has taught me that the old army maxim "Without combination in the attack, no victory is possible" is true for Star Trek. There's a place for Kirk style heroics but in almost all the games I have seen, the team that works together wins. Even powerful individual ships are vulnerable to a good round of concentrated fire.
Last game I played, I was chanting the three Cs of the Royal Artillery at my comrades like some kind of Klingon prayer:
Concentrate
Co-ordinate
Conquer
(I think it sounds quite appropriate for Klingons, especially the Conquer bit...!) It didn't always work, but it made me feel better!
On the other hand, in most games I have seen the temptation to go charging off and steal a 'kill' for yourself is incredibly tempting. Additionally, self preservation takes over when your front shield is down and the rest of your team are urging you to "make a pass at that battlecruiser, draw its fire!"
The second lesson I have learned from these few games is that the more 'in-character' you are, the more succesful your ship in battle. Federation photon torpedoes miss around 95% of the time in our games, UNLESS the Fed player leans dramatically forward and states "Fire!" in the style of Kirk prior to rolling the dice. Equally, Klingon disruptors prove far more succesful if you can spin in a chair shouting "Cry havoc!" before you roll to hit. This is all scientifically proven of course, and we will be publishing our findings once we have sufficient data.
This has taught me that the old army maxim "Without combination in the attack, no victory is possible" is true for Star Trek. There's a place for Kirk style heroics but in almost all the games I have seen, the team that works together wins. Even powerful individual ships are vulnerable to a good round of concentrated fire.
Last game I played, I was chanting the three Cs of the Royal Artillery at my comrades like some kind of Klingon prayer:
Concentrate
Co-ordinate
Conquer
(I think it sounds quite appropriate for Klingons, especially the Conquer bit...!) It didn't always work, but it made me feel better!
On the other hand, in most games I have seen the temptation to go charging off and steal a 'kill' for yourself is incredibly tempting. Additionally, self preservation takes over when your front shield is down and the rest of your team are urging you to "make a pass at that battlecruiser, draw its fire!"
The second lesson I have learned from these few games is that the more 'in-character' you are, the more succesful your ship in battle. Federation photon torpedoes miss around 95% of the time in our games, UNLESS the Fed player leans dramatically forward and states "Fire!" in the style of Kirk prior to rolling the dice. Equally, Klingon disruptors prove far more succesful if you can spin in a chair shouting "Cry havoc!" before you roll to hit. This is all scientifically proven of course, and we will be publishing our findings once we have sufficient data.
