Star Fleet: some envisioned scenarios

First of all, I take no responsibility for determining whether or not these are balanced. I have had some ideas, not necessarily original, mind you, and I'm popping them up here for the benefit (or to the detriment!) of you folks before I have looked at them thoroughly myself. Back in August I had a bit of a think about WWII naval settings, and two battles struck me right away: The River Plate and The Denmark Strait. I grabbed a set of 1890-1945 rules I have, which contain points costs, and I tried to get something to work in ACTA: SF. I reiterate that this is a preliminary, thoroughly untested bit of stuff. OK? Good.

The Battle of the Plate System:
In the Fed corner we have 3 Ortega-class War Destroyers, individually outclassed and out-ranged by their opponent. In the dark grey corner we have a single Klingon D6 Heavy Cruiser. This is the set-up I am most concerned about. The D6 does out-range the smaller Federation vessels, but I suspect that the discrepancy might be insufficient, given the movement speeds in ACTA: SF, and that a D5 War Cruiser or a D7 Battlecruiser might be better choices.

The Battle of the Denmark Nebula:
On the side of the forces of loveliness and sweetness we have a pair of Federation Dreadnoughts. I suspect that it would be worthwhile classifying one as having a poor Crew Quality score. That is no intended impugning of the brave folk on HMS Prince of Wales, but reflects the fact that she hadn't had much of a shakedown when she and the Hood took on Bismarck. On the Klingon side is the pairing of a C8 Dreadnought (standing in for Bismarck) with a D7 Battlecruiser (as Prinz Eugen).

In both of the games above the Klingon forces need to flee their Federation pursuers, and so consideration must be given to table size and which board edge the Klingons must reach. Simply ordering the ship to Warp is an option that must be disallowed. There has to be a balance between the Federation ships trying to catch and kill the enemy, and the fact that the Klingons are outmatched. Abandoning history for a moment, a few scenarios also come to mind from the TV show.

The Ultimate Computer:

When the brilliant Dr Daystrom pops his latest crazy machine on the Enterprise, hilarious hijinks ensue - or the computer attacks other Federation vessels, and kills the crew thereof. On the one side we have Enterprise, and on the other Lexington and a pair of regular Constitution-class vessels. Some situation-specific rules should be employed. First, Enterprise's targeting should be perfect. Her attacks will hit automatically, but roll as normal, a 6 will penetrate shields as usual. Alternatively, apply a +1 modifier to all rolls for Enterprise. Second, during the first turn in which Enterprise opens fire no opposing ships may have raised shields. Finally, from the turn following Enterprise's first attack, roll a D6, adding 1 each subsequent turn. On the roll of a 6+, Kirk and Scotty have successfully disabled the M-5 with a logical paradox or some well-wielded spanners: the game is over. So the objective is for the M-5 to smash as many ships as possible while it remains viable.

Balance of Terror:
The diabolical Romulans, led by Spock's dad, er, by a chap who is played by the actor (Mark Lenard) who later played Spock's dad, have attacked a Federation outpost. The scenario has an optional first half, in which a Romulan War Eagle Cruiser attacks a Federation Mobile Base. In the latter half a Constitution-class cruiser pursues the Romulan vessel as it returns to the Neutral Zone. In order to give Enterprise a chance to shoot down the Romulans, it might be a good idea to have a comet crossing the table, the tail of which has the same impact as a nebula, disabling the Romulans' cloaking device. Given the slow speed of a cloaked vessel, this should be quite a tense game for the Romulan player.

I hope to give a few of these ideas a try ere long. I will report back!

Star Fleet: Battle of Acheron VI

Dropping out of warp as they entered the mysterious Acheron system, the two Romulan vessels accelerated toward the sixth planet, then gradually faded away, no longer visible to sensors or even the naked eye. Throughout the three Federation vessels on patrol in the system, alarms harangued crews to battle stations. Aboard USS Enterprise, recently returned to duty following a stay in spacedock, Captain Kirk surged onto the bridge. Commander Spock's measured tones conveyed a cool summary of events: two refitted Klingon vessels, a dreadnought and a  with working cloaking devices had entered the system, accelerated toward the planet, then disappeared from sensors. Some slight traces enabled Spock to have a general idea of their location, but nothing precise. Commodore Ross aboard USS Lexington had ordered all ships to hold station, and to deploy all shuttles, fitted with anti-matter warheads.

If the Romulans wanted to know what the Federation were doing in this out-of-the-way system, they would have to decloak and scan the planet's surface from orbit. If they did that, a host of shuttles acting like ancient fireships would hit their shields, weakening them before the Federation warships attacked. The minutes ticked by as shuttle after shuttle launched from the Enterprise, the Lexington and the Drake. Suddenly sensors registered an explosion near the Drake. Was it the Romulans? Had they decloaked and opened fire? No, one of Drake's shuttles, remotely piloted, had crashed into an asteroid. Moments later the Drake did open fire, as the Romulan battleship decloaked to scan the planet.

The message came through from the Commodore, "Now!" Enterprise slingshot herself around the planet, heading right into the teeth of a Romulan KR Cruiser and her barrage of Plasma Torpedoes, but her Photon Torpedoes and Phaser batteries silenced the hostile cruiser, smashing her shields. At the same time, on the other side of the planet, the Lexington likewise catapulted herself around the planet, and strained her engines to effect a High Energy Turn, ending her move just outside the enemy battleship's forward arc. The refitted Klingon's shields were strongest in the forward arc, and Commodore Ross unleashed every weapon he had into the weaker area aft. Explosions tore through the warship as Photon Torpedoes and Phasers did more damage than anyone could have predicted.

Aboard the battleship, damage crews were helpless to effect repairs as fires surged out of control. Yet discipline was retained, and a heavy barrage of fire struck Lexington and Enterprise. The scanning of the planet was proceeding well, with more than 86% of the work complete. Boosting shields despite the damage, the KC9R Dreadnought lunged to starboard, holding the Lexington squarely in her sights. But her targeting systems had been damaged by Lexington's devastating attack, and her weapons officers proved incapable of hitting the target with more than some glancing blows. Her engineers did better work, boosting her shields to provide some respite from the Federation vessels. The KR cruiser was hit by fatal blasts, and her crew began to abandon ship, knowing she could not survive long.

On the two Federation cruisers feverish crews worked to reload Photon Torpedoes, and Mr Scott managed to squeeze a little more power to the Enterprise's shields, while on Ross' flagship the helmsman demonstrated once again his deftness, executing another seemingly impossible turn to follow the enemy battleship. Sensors indicated that the enemy's engines were powering up for warp, and as the hostile cruiser exploded, the blast damaging Enterprise's scant shields, all three Federation ships poured their firepower into the battleship, which finally exploded with a catastrophic fireball which crippled and almost destroyed Lexington. The Federation had been successful in stopping the Romulans obtaining information on the sinister alien ruins of Acheron VI, but at what cost?

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It was a bit of an odd one, this. We rolled randomly for sides, as usual, and I took the Federation. Since I had a planet I could orbit to zip out from behind, I hid two of my ships behind it. My smallest sat in an asteroid field, whence I didn't dare move it, so thick was the field. Mm, great planning! The Romulans were thus denied the effective use of their cloaks, since they had to uncloak right beside the planet to scan it and complete the mission. If there were no time-limit, they could have swept around behind me and really smashed me up, especially the KR Cruiser, since it's a modified D6, with all the agility that implies. I was surprised to see that the Romulans go straight from being cloaked to having shields up; I even had to re-read the rules to reassure myself of it. The lesson there is for me not to try to understand rules based on a TV show and some films, I think!


When the Romulans did decloak by the planet, I therefore had almost perfect placing. My heart was in my mouth in case Lexington didn't make that turn, but she did, and then I rolled an unfeasible number of 6s for her and Enterprise. By the end of the battle the KC9R Dreadnought had taken maximum damage to her Shields, Dilithium Chamber and Impulse Drive, Level 5 Critical Damage to her Crew, and Level 3 to her Weapons. It would have been worse, but I forgot the Damage Control part of Turn 7. Owing to the loose wording of the rules, since I only added the last two levels of Critical Damage to her Dilithium Chamber, she could still go to Warp in the final turn. It seemed more cinematic and sporting to allow at least the possibility, too. Also more cinematic was the final torrent of fire from the three Federation ships that blew her to smithereens and which saw Lexington crippled and nearly destroyed! Commodore Ross might need a bit of retraining.

Star Fleet: Battle Report: Explore A Strange New World!

Mission Briefing (Federation):
Commodore Ross, you are to take your squadron, comprising USS Lexington, USS Enterprise and USS Drake, and reconnoitre the planet Gerontia in the Nova system. Intelligence and long-range scans have confirmed the presence of a Klingon C8 Dreadnought and a D6 Heavy Cruiser in the system, and it is possible that other hostile forces are in the area, so be on guard. However, it is most imperative that you determine the reason for the Klingons' interest in this planet, which is of little strategic interest. Advance swiftly toward Gerontia, and scan the surface, then break off and report your findings to Star Fleet Command.

Mission Briefing (Klingon):
Captain Craic, protect the new training facility on Gerontia from prying eyes. You are to destroy any unidentified vessel that enters the system. Do not fail the Empire.

Dropping out of warp at a considerable distance from Gerontia, scanners revealed a distant cloud of asteroids to port, and a dust cloud adjacent to the planet. All the Federation ships surged forward, Commodore Ross instructing every captain to have his Engineer extract every bit of speed from the Sublight Engines. Desultory long-range drone fire accomplished nothing, and the Klingons launched two suicide shuttles to render it perilous to orbit Gerontia. Then the Klingons seized the Initiative, the C8 ordering All Hands on Deck, and the D6 attempting Evasive Action. The helmsman was doubtless removed from his post for his incompetence in fulfilling this simple order. USS Drake and USS Lexington again ordered All Power to Engines! Aboard the Enterprise Kirk told Scotty to Boost Energy to Shields! The powerful C8 unleashed her main armament on the Drake, and crippled her. The Lexington opened up on the D6 with her main Phasers and Photons, and with her lighter weapons blasted one of the Suicide Shuttles. The D6 split her fire between Drake, which she destroyed, and Enterprise, which returned fire, destroying the D6 with some good rolls. The resultant explosion slightly damaged the Klingon Dreadnought. "Nice work, Mr Chekov!"

In Turn 3 the Federation ships concentrated on scanning the planet, their Labs and Probes making swift work. Captain Craic aboard the C8 bade his men Overload Weapons! Then he opened fire on Enterprise, smashing her Shields, lightly damaging her hull, and slightly damaging her Dilithium Chamber. Kirk's ship destroys the second Suicide Shuttle, and she and Lexington concentrate fire on the Dreadnought, failing to damage her Shields appreciably. This turn the Federation has compiled 111 of the required 120 Information Points about Gerontia

The Federation squadron now seized the Initiative, wrong-footing the Klingon commander, who is forced to either move and risk being out of arc or to allow the Federation ships to vanish around the planet. Captain Craic orders All Hands on Deck! Commodore Ross aboard the Lexington merely angles his ship to follow the Klingon vessel, while Enterprise stays still, allowing her for and aft batteries to target the Klingon warship. Lexington opens fire, damaging the C8's shields. Her return fire considerably damages Enterprise's hull, and the Critical Damage knocks out one of Enterprise's traits: her Labs! Aw, shucks, Spock!Luckily for the Federation, Lexington's Labs are able to correct the rest of the information they need. Retaining the Initiative, the Federation ships are able to outmanoeuvre the C8, and order Maximum Warp Now! The Klingon captain futilely orders Overload Weapons! But with the enemy obscured by the planet, he has no target, and they escape in the End Phase.

This battle went quite well. I obviously wasn't paying enough attention, as I gave the Klingons a tiny points advantage, which didn't help them at all. The Federation is probably at a significant advantage in these exploratory missions, as the only ship in the game with more Labs than Constitution-class Heavy Cruisers is the Kzinti Dreadnought. I mean to refight this scenario with my brother, and the Federation will defend that time, probably against some cloaked Romulan vessels (since several Klingon models can do double duty as surplus hulls sold to the Romulans and refitted) sneaking into the system. Since one can't use Labs or Probes when Cloaked, and the Romulans will be vulnerable to enemy fire in the turn they decloak, it should provide an interesting tactical exercise. Here are the photos from this first game.

For the Federation!

The other day I ordered myself a box of reinforcements for my Star Fleet forces. They have arrived! I had a chat with a friend, and we agreed that these boxes are a little top-heavy, so to speak. That is to say that I had the first squadron box for the Federation, and now I have the Reinforcements, and both have a Battlecruiser and a Dreadnought. At this rate, by the time I have a balanced fleet in every other respect, I shall have more miniatures for the largest ships than one can canonically use! Anyway, there has been a change in the materials used for the models. I had heard that Mongoose were going to shift over to metal, indeed, I had read them so aver on their site. But they seem to have forgotten to update their product description, which still suggests the ships are made of resin with small metal parts. Nope, everything in this box is metal. I imagine those "cloaked" Romulan models will be resin still! I hurry to say that I am not annoyed by this, and before I opened the box its heft made me suspect the truth.

As well as these little fellows, I have also been poking about at pieces of plasticard, intent on knocking up a Mobile Base and a few small merchantmen for my Klingons and Federals to harry or help. After all, this is a fundamentally 2-D naval game, so there is no shortage of historical inspiration! For instance, a Klingon battleship and an attendant cruiser are attempting to break out to the North Atlant- er, to attack the Vulcan shipping lanes, and a hastily thrown-together Federation force of ever-growing strength is attempting to stop them. Or how about something in the Russian Convoy vein or the Battle of the River Plate? Battle of the Plate Nebula, perhaps! More on that later. For now here is the situation at the Utopia Planitia Yards (sub-Sector Pete).

Initial Thoughts on an Apocalyptic Scenario: Hold the Line!

Gunfire deafening the men, shells scooping new holes out of the landscape, steel and death in every direction: all the fun of Warhammer 40K! I have recently returned to working on a trench board. I have a little work to do on two others, but this one is the least advanced. Once complete, I shall have twelve feet of trench (each board is 4' by 2'), and I want to do something to mark this event. What better than an Apocalypse battle? Here is my thinking thus far.

The three boards will be manned mainly by infantry. The central board has two turret emplacements, in which I mean to mount Vanquishers for their AT capabilities. There is also a central bunker on this board, where I will probably locate my command unit. I think that there's scope for some special rules (perhaps based around the Imperial Guard's "Orders" system) for so long as this bunker remains intact. Given it will be the focus of a lot of enemy heavy firepower. I intend to have a 12' by 6' table, with assorted Imperial bunkers, razor-wire nests, ruins, shell blasted woods and so on filling in a lot of space. I'll decide details closer to the time. I'm a great fan of scenery, so I'll have to get someone to twist my arm and remind me that in Apocalypse too much scenery impedes the flow of the game greatly.

Am I getting ahead of myself? What do I want to see? Well, I'd like to recreate the sort of thing one saw in the Great War: an assault by elite men (and tanks) on a heavily-defended trench-line, with both sides supported by copious artillery resources. As Baldrick would put it: "Boom, boom, boom." Lots of explosions, deformable terrain, plastic (and resin and metal) carnage. So let's grab some books and peer at 'em, eh?

The Apocalypse book suggests 8' wide battlefields, which I assume is because all GW employees are gargantuan behemoths as tall as fully-armoured Space Marines. Those of us of more modest height can cope with about 6'. So that comes to about 7,000-8,000 points on either side. Now onto Strategic Assets: Obstacles: yes, Tunnels: quite possibly. I have modelled tunnels onto the trench boards. Now, the command bunker: we want this to have longevity, so Supreme Headquarters and Shield Generator are both good choices. Anti-Plant Barrage could be a good idea for the attacker, if I can't restrain my terrain-planting instincts! Blind Barrage, Orbital Bombardment, Precision Strike and Scheduled Bombardment are all great choices to represent the firing of heavy artillery from off the table. How about Apocalypse Reload? Anything good in there? The Lord Castellan's Supreme Command is a possibility, and the Imperial Shield Infantry Company, with its predilection for calling down fire on itself, is all but a certainty. The Strongholds, Defence Line and On My Coordinates! assets. It's worth noting that the LCSS and ISIC include strategic assets in the purchase price of the formations.

So here we have a broad range of assets to choose from. There are also rules in one of the Imperial Armour books for off-table artillery fire, but we can look into that later on. If we say 8,000 points and 3-4 players a side, we'll have a nice speedy game, and one of each side's players can even serve as a C-in-C without being too distracted. I think we're getting an idea now of how to mesh things together. If we pop Creed and his merry men in and around the central command bunker, an ISIC in the trench-line proper, then we can spend the 4 points on buying 12' of Defence Lines or Obstacles. We'll blur the lines here, and give the IG another 8' of razor-wire, but allow them only a single bunker. So there's the defender dealt with. Broadly speaking.

What about the attacker? Well, he gets 4 points to spend on Strategic Assets, and he should want to soften up the defender and advance across No-Man's Land taking the smallest number of casualties. So Blind Barrage and Scheduled Bombardment are the two obvious choices. We'll leave the other two spots open so he and his sub-commanders can flavour their army, be it Tyranids or Marines, Dark Eldar or Orks. Let's sum up.


Defender:
7,000 points

Imperial Shield Infantry Company (modified to reflect current IG codex)
Lord Castellan's Supreme Command
Strategic Assets:
Tunnels
Defence Lines (12')
Razor-wire (4' covering frontage of the central trench board, and 4' available for deployment elsewhere)

Attacker:
8,000 points
Strategic Assets:
Blind Barrage
Scheduled Bombardment
2 more assets may be selected

Appearance of the Table:
While a moon-surface is visually appealing, it is a nightmare to drive vehicles across. In defence of the players' sanity, let's say there can only be 4 craters or so (the contents of one GW box), scattered across the table. We should have a wood (say 12" by 12") located either at the edge of the board or centrally. It should be at least 18" from the trench-line for reasons of basic common sense. Then again, the Imperium is suffused with idiots, so if you fancy saying they have an officer dumb enough to build a trench that is right near handy cover for any attackers, I really can't gainsay you! ;-) A piece of high ground should stretch along part of the table. It will serve to give cover to one flank of the attackers and it even sits thematically with the defenders deploying behind it in a reverse slope position: one that protects them from direct fire enemy weaponry. We have a small wood, a few craters, and a hill or two, all of which should provide a little cover for both sides without making it a hair-tearing experience for a 'gamer to move his models. A few more things can be added here and there, but this seems a pretty good basis for an initial layout.

I shall return to this by and by, dear reader. Until next time!