So Leslie and I decided to take up arms once again and playtest some tweaks to the rules we're contemplating for a future fleet book. As promised, we're looking at releasing more options with every fleet book for playing different styles of game.
TF 34.1 has encountered two Klingon K'tinga class battlecruisers on the Federation side of the battle lines. (There's a war on folks! None of this Neutral Zone nonsense!) Although two Klingon battlecruisers would normally be a tough nut for a Fed battlecruiser and two heavy cruisers, Commodore Mark Vincent is an exceptionally gallant and talented commander. (At least he'd better be this time. Last time didn't work out so well for him. I blame the mid-game rules tweaks!)
TURN 1
Upon detecting each other, both forces swing accelerate and exchange long range fire. Excalibur scores 1 heavy phazer hit on Honor Sword's forward shield in a lucky shot at extreme range, reducing Honor Sword's forward shield to 75%
TURN 2
TF34.1 loses initiative and sweeps out to Port, ready to blast the Klingons no matter where they maneuver. Honor Sword and Blood Song also sweep to (their) port, leaving Excalibur and Fearless largely out of the action for now. A classic refused-flank that allows them to concentrate fire on Avenger.
Having been forced to maneuver first the Feds are able to fire first. Avenger hits Honor Sword's forward shield with two phazers for 16 damage. Excalibur manages a heavy phazer hit on the same shield for an additional 10. Honor Sword's forward shield now at 35% (I later remembered that the CAs should be firing AFTER her BCs, since they are not capital ships. I remembered it a little later, but had gained a bit of advantage at that point). Fearless misses Honor Sword entirely.
Honor Sword and Blood Song each fire 6 heavy disruptors and two Mark VI torpedoes at Avenger, savaging the starboard-side shields. The F/S shield fails completely. Miraculously the two torpedoes miss leaving Avenger vulnerable, but as yet unscathed.
TURN 3
The Feds seize the initiative, taking the tactical strategy - allowing the Klingons to move and shoot first.
The Klingon battlecruisers charge through the Federation formation, forcing the Feds to come about in order to bring weapons to bear. Avenger is careful to expose only his port side to the enemy.
Blood Song fires disruptors and Mk VI torpedo at Excalibur, causing Excalibur's forward shield to fail, but nothing gets through. Honor Sword splits fire between Avenger and Excalibur causing damage to their FP and FS shields respectively.
Fearless (fires before Excalibur!) collapses Blood Song's forward shield with phazer fire. Excalibur follows with a salvo of 4 heavy phazers and 2 Mark VI torpedoes. Everything hits for a total of 29 points of hull damage, plus a Life Support critical and the loss of Blood Song's starboard heavy disruptor battery.
Avenger fires at Honor Sword collapsing HS's FS shield and inflicting 5 points of "leak through" hull damage.
During the damage control phase, cascading life support failures aboard Blood Song render the another heavy disruptor battery control room uninhabitable. However, valiant efforts by damage control manage to get life support stabilized, preventing further losses.
TURN 4
Feds again win initiative, forcing the Klingons to go first. Klingons attempt to extend the range with a high-speed fly by, Feds come around and pursue.
Honor Sword fires aft torpedo at Fearless and starboard disruptor battery at Excalibur, inflicting minor shield damage on both targets. Blood Song targets Excalibur with aft torpedo, and Fearless with Port disruptors. Torpedo misses. Disruptors inflict 10 damage on Fearless's AS shield.
Although not in ideal firing position, Excalibur and Avenger reduce Blood Song's aft shield to 40% with phazer and heavy phazer fire. Meanwhile Fearless scores 2 phazer hits on Honor Sword's AS shield.
Damage control crews on Blood Song restore function to a heavy disruptor battery.
TURN 5
Having failed to disengage, the Klingons turn at bay, going nose to nose with the Fed cruisers.
Excalibur and Fearless concentrate all fire on Blood Song. Excalibur collapses Blood Song's FP shield and vaporizes the Klingon battlecruiser with torpedoes.
Avenger hits Honor Sword's F shield with 2 phazers, causing it to fail and causing 2 points of bleed through damage. Two subsequent hits by Mark VI torpedoes inflict 15 hull damage and disable Honor Sword's aft torpedo launcher.
(About this time I remembered the CAs were supposed to be shooting AFTER the Klingon BCs, so we allowed Blood Song to shoot).
Blood Song hits Fearless with 8 of 9 heavy disruptors at close range, collapsing Fearless' forward shield, and inflicting 13 points of damage, knocking out power to Fearless' aft torpedo room.
Honor Sword hits Excalibur with disruptors and torpedoes, collapsing Exalibur's shields and inflicting 15 points of hull damage.
During the damage control phase, Honor Sword repairs his heavy disruptor battery. Fearless restores power to the aft torpedo room, Blood Song's damage control crews are expanding clouds of radioactive vapor.
TURN 6
Honor Sword realizes the fight is lost and once again attempts to disengage.
The Federation cruisers pursue, but are unable to inflict critical damage. Honor Sword is unable to return fire due to aft torpedo launcher still offline.
TURN 7
Honor Sword wins initiative and flees back across the Klingon border. Having accomplished their mission, TF 34.1 heads back to rejoin the main body.
TACTICAL ANALYSIS
Although the Klingon battlecruisers outmassed the Federation task force somewhat, they were pretty soundly defeated. Reason being that the Klingon BCs mount massive forward firepower, but spent significant portions of the game unable to bring that firepower to bear on the Federation ships. Meanwhile the Feds were able to concentrate fire effectively, and on the same shields of the enemy.
FINAL STATS
Avenger: shields down to 63%, FS shield failed completely.
Fearless: shields down to 72%, F shield failed completely. Hull integrity at 71%.
Excalibur: shields down to 64%. F and FS shields failed completely. Hull integrity at 75%.
Honor Sword: shields down to 47%. F, FS, and A shields failed completely. Hull integrity at 15%. Aft torpedo launcher offline.
Blood Song: Destroyed.
GAME TIME
Approximately 1 hour set-up to tear down. Although approximately half that time was consumed with picture and note taking.
COMMENTS
This was all done late at night. We look forward to being able to put together more comprehensive battle reports with fancier pictures in the future. Rules appeared to work pretty well to simulate Star Trek style combat. Will try them again.
