Few simple rule questions.

[Kingmaker]

1. In regards to the speed plotting phase, do both players plot their ships speeds in secret then reveal?

2. Is my understanding correct that you can rotate 5 points of damaged shields a turn to a neighboring shield? It would seem to make saber dancing difficult as the opponent can keep rotating his damage backward.

Thanks!

[Scoutdad]

1. In regards to the speed plotting phase, do both players plot their ships speeds in secret then reveal?

2. Is my understanding correct that you can rotate 5 points of damaged shields a turn to a neighboring shield? It would seem to make saber dancing difficult as the opponent can keep rotating his damage backward.

Thanks!

1) Yes. Baseline speed is selected in secret and then revealed simultaneously. This is pretty much the only thing done secretly (unless two ships with the same turn mode and same speed are moving simultaneously).

2) Yes. During the end phase you can rotate 5 undamaged boxes from one shield to a neighboring shield.

And no, it doesn't really make the sabre-dance that much harder. 5 points is usually less than you will do in your battle pass and you can only do it once a turn, from one shield to an adjacent shield.
So, Turn 1 you take 10 damage on the #1 shield and rotate 5 of it back to the number 2 shield. you now have 5 points damage on the #1 and 5 points on the #2.
Turn 2, you take 10 more damage on the #1. During the end of turn you can rotate 5 of it back to the 2 (leaving you with 10 points damage on each) or you can rotate it to the 6 (leaving you with 5 on each of the 2 and 6 and 10 on the #1).
Turn 3, ditto. Now what do you do? rotate 5 off the 2, the 6, or the 1?
And you're usually taking more than 10 points a turn. And this example doesn't even consider extra damage that might have been scored on the #2 or the #6.

[Kingmaker]

Thank you very much for the concise reply!

[Scoutdad]

You're welcome, but i'm not really sure how concise reply #2 was.

[mjwest]

It was a very good reply and explanation. (Though, I hope you don't mind, but I took the liberty of fixing the typos. It was a good reply and I didn't want typos distracting from the clarity of the answer.)

[Scoutdad]

No problem, Mike.

I've noticed here lately that I try to type faster than I can actually type which tends to lead to transposed letters; particularly hte, adn, and anything ending in ...ign.

[translated for those without dyslexia: particularly the, and, and anything ending in ...ing.]

[Kingmaker]

I actually was having problems as Klingons due to another rule misunderstanding, I didn't realize that shield reinforcement was limited to number of batteries per volley. Suddenly the federation ship can simply absorb 90% of my firepower output at range 15.

[Bolo_MK_XL]

Yes they can, but if you time drones right and keep hitting him with direct fire weapons the whole turn, if he isn't paying attention you could get some in when he has no energy for phasers or tractor ---

[Kang]

Yes they can, but if you time drones right and keep hitting him with direct fire weapons the whole turn, if he isn't paying attention you could get some in when he has no energy for phasers or tractor ---

I wonder if perhaps he meant, 'Suddenly the federation ship can't simply absorb 90% of my firepower output at range 15'

[Kingmaker]

Yes they can, but if you time drones right and keep hitting him with direct fire weapons the whole turn, if he isn't paying attention you could get some in when he has no energy for phasers or tractor ---

I wonder if perhaps he meant, 'Suddenly the federation ship can't simply absorb 90% of my firepower output at range 15'

That would in fact be what I meant, sorry about that.

[Kang]

Indeed, it makes more sense in the context. I bet that was quite a revelation for you, realising the limits on the shield reinforcement!

[Kingmaker]

Indeed, it makes more sense in the context. I bet that was quite a revelation for you, realising the limits on the shield reinforcement!

Man my first game was horrible, we didn't realize this limit, and like a total tool I grabbed the D6 SSD and was trying to fight the Federation CCA, in the middle of the fight I even said "Damn it, I was sure this match up had the Klingon ship have a mix of Phaser 1s and 2s."

It's very difficult to erode a Federation ships shields at range 9 when the guy has unlimited shield reinforcement and you have no phaser 1s.

The learning continues.

[Kang]

Well at least the learning curve is enjoyable (if sometimes painful)!

[Kingmaker]

Well, I've played two games since, and my Klingons have been teaching my two friends who are learning federation to be a little more choosy about when firing their photons (twice now they've fired them at too long of a range, and I've moved in and hammered them during the reload).

I'm wondering at what's a good map size for this sort of match? From reading around the forum it sure sounds like Klingons and other Disruptor using races have a bit of a tough time with the small fixed maps, but I like the idea of having a map edge to prevent perpetual running.

Any suggestion for map sizes? We've been using the 6 pannels from Klingon border with the small hex sizes, I don't have them in front of me so I don't have the exact dimensions, do experienced players thing that this is a fair map size for both the Klinks and the Feds?

[JimDauphinais]

A fixed map of 6 panels with small hexes is pretty commonly played on. It is pretty much the approach currently used in the FC Online and Origins tournaments.

Using that same configuration with a floating map is also common.

In a Fed vs Klingon matchup, the former is obviously better for the Feds and the latter better for the Klingons.

A hybrid approach would be to use that map configuration, but with it floating around a reference point (e.g., add a single hex planet to the map). If a player's move with a ship will displace the planet off of the map, that ship is considered to have disengaged.